Volume106Issue14

CORSAIR

volume 106 issue 14 • december 4, 2013 • santa monica college

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volume 106 issue 14 • december 4, 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 Vanessa Barajas········ 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 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 Jasmin Huynh····· 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 Henry Crumblish·········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 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 Albert Andrade········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 Sam Herron··················Photo Editor David J. Hawkins·············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 Cocoa Dixon················ Design Team Mikaela Osterlund·········· 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 Rubens Almeida Jr., Paul Alvarez Jr., Trev Angone, Fabian Avellaneda, Nathan Berookhim, Crislin Christian, Tina Eady, Paulina Eriksson, Lorena Garcia, Vanessa Oliveira Gomes, Jimmy Janszen, Ludwig Jonsson, Arlene Karno, Michelle Kreel, Michael Lee, Josefin Lindstrom, Jose Lopez, Sumaya Malin, Simon Luca Manili, Reyna Mares, Lauren Narvaez, Rachel Porter, Jonathan Ramos, Alci Rengifo, Cassandra Rubio, Emilio Sedeno, Dion To, Gintare Urbutyte, Lyan Wong

Arlene Karno Corsair On Sunday, Dec. 1 at The Broad Stage, the Dew Drop Fairy leads the ballet in the “Waltz of the Flowers” scene from “The Nutcracker,” performed by Westside Ballet of Santa Monica, and orchestrated by members of the Santa Monica College music department.

SMC community!

if you have photos, feelings or opinions on what we publish, we want to hear from you! email, tweet, or facebook us. corsair.opinionpage@gmail.com

FA C U LT Y A D V I S e R S S a u l Ru b i n & Gerard Burkhart AD INQUIRIES: corsai r. adc o nsul t an t @g m ai l . co m (3 1 0 ) 4 3 4 - 4 0 3 3

ON THE COVER: Background photos by Arlene Karno, Amy Gaskin, Daniel McCarty, Rubens Almeida, Jr., Paul Alvarez, Jr., David J. Hawkins, and Nick Kovalenko. Bomb scare: Cover photos by Marine Gaste, Rachel Porter, and Amy Gaskin. SMC moves forward: Cover photo by Paul Alvarez Jr. Obamacare: Cover photo by Jose Lopez. Airport crash: Cover photo by David J. Hawkins. Cover design by Mikaela Osterlund.

Letter from the Editor

M

arked by an unimaginable tragedy, 2013 was a trying year for Santa Monica College.

On June 7, after murdering his father and brother and setting fire to their home near campus, former SMC student John Zawarhi allegedly carjacked a woman, and as he fired shots at those on city buses and streets along the way, he directed her specifically to SMC. Three of our college community members were fatally shot on our campus soil — Marcela Franco, 26, an SMC student who had just purchased textbooks for her summer classes, her father Carlos Franco, 68, a longtime groundskeeper at the college who was driving his daughter, and campus figure Margarita Gomez, 68, who was collecting recyclables outside the library.

The gunman fired at least 70 rounds inside our library before police took him down, Santa Monica Police Department Sgt. Richard Lewis said in a press conference the day after the shooting.

The shooter’s body was dragged to the sidewalk of the Pearl Street entrance to campus, where thousands of students park their cars and enter campus each day, and where students who had just been released from lockdown that day were escorted past.

Six months later, our school community is still shaken from this horrific shooting spree that left six dead and heartbroken for those lost and their loved

Amber Antonopoulos Editor-in-Chief

ones. Makeshift memorials, where victims were gunned down near the library and on Pearl Street, still stand as a constant, painful reminder.

A still from the library’s surveillance camera, released by the SMPD, of the armored gunman and his rifle entering our library like a soldier ready for battle will forever haunt the hearts of SMC students.

Among images of palm trees and blue skies, that chilling photo is one of the first results of a Google image search of SMC, as well as shots of SWAT teams and police activity swarming the campus that fateful Friday.

The incident, which authorities emphasized was not classified as a “school shooting,” certainly felt like a school shooting to us.

While sending a harrowing message for the college to increase safety measures, the tragedy served as the quintessential learning experience for Corsair staff members.

As student-journalists covering such a major crisis on our campus, we saw firsthand how breaking news unfolds, breaking much of it ourselves as major news outlets such as CNN contacted us for our coverage.

We tried to cover every angle of the heart-wrenching tragedy with accuracy in the weeks and months to follow, while at the same time coming to terms with it ourselves as students.

As another opportunity I have had as editor-inchief of this award-winning publication, I attended a national college media convention in October in New Orleans, La., where Dateline NBC correspondent and Today show cohost Hoda Kotb gave a relatable

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keynote address.

For journalists, it is paramount to be fully present in each experience, and to foster relationships within your locale, Kotb said.

“You have to go to a town and kind of own it,” she told a packed hotel ballroom of aspiring reporters.

“Love every place you are.”

As a Corsair writer and editor, I have seen for myself how developing significant connections is essential for news coverage.

I wish to thank the SMC professors, police officers, board members, administrators, directors, Associated Students, and all community members who have served as indispensable sources for us in reporting accurate information to our community.

Kotb also mentioned in her speech that there is constant “bonding and severing” in the field of journalism. You start off in a small market, you report intensely, you build relationships, you bond with your colleagues, and then you have to move on.

I know that the relationships built at The Corsair over the past two-and-a-half years will stay with me forever.

At the end of my second term as editor-in-chief, I leave this paper with infinite gratitude for my advisers Saul Rubin and Gerard Burkhart, who have offered endless wisdom, guidance and trust in production of this student-run publication.

My heart is full of pride in my staff, and love for the all-encompassing experience and the art of journalism.

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news 3

volume 106 issue 14 • december 4, 2013 • santa monica college

No turbulence for airport campus

Airport Arts Campus persists after the recent plane crash across Airport Avenue.

Amber Antonopoulos Editor-in-Chief

T

w o months after the fiery plane crash at the Santa Monica Municipal Airport, the community at the nearby Airport Arts Campus of Santa Monica College is undeterred.

The fatal accident occurred Sunday, Sept.

29, when a Cessna Citation jet landed at the airport and veered off the runway before plowing into airport hangars, erupting into flames and killing all four onboard.

"The recent airplane tragedy affected everyone who regularly visits or uses the airport, whether as a student, teacher, parkgoer or someone who works in the facilities at the airport," said Bill Lancaster, assistant chair of the design technology department at SMC. Students attending classes at the satellite campus on the edge of the airport borders should not be overly concerned about the airport's proximity, Lancaster said.

"Personally, I do not worry or concern myself about planes crashing into the campus," he said. "We are not directly under the flight path of the airplanes, and I think the likelihood of that happening is quite small."

Classes in Lancaster's design technology department were relocated to the Airport Arts Campus in April, and will remain there until construction at the Academy of Entertainment and Technology is set to complete in the summer of 2015.

"Like many accidents that occur, I think of it as an unfortunate event, but one not likely to repeat itself," he said. "Because the work we do continues, it is best to treat this tragedy as an isolated event."

The cause of the incident is still under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, which can take up to a year, according to the NTSB. The NTSB released a preliminary

S

ometimes, 30 grand is all you need.

A $30,000 transfer scholarship by Chui L. Tsang, president and superintendent of Santa Monica College, strives to provide the winning student with enough money to enjoy pursuing a bachelor’s degree.

Tsang introduced the scholarship in light of his own personal experience as a community college student trying to juggle life and studies.

“I think if a person doesn’t have to work or has to work less hours, then they can enjoy their upper-division education more and also focus more time on their education,” Tsang said.

Tsang received his bachelor’s degree in linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, and his doctorate at Stanford University. While studying to attain his bachelor’s degree, he worked hard and forfeited his student life. Even though he enjoyed the experience he received from his jobs, he knows how difficult it can be to focus on school with heavy financial responsibilities.

Even though the funds are coming from the college, the scholarship is named after the superintendent as the Dr. Chui L. Tsang Transfer Scholarship.

David J. Hawkins Corsair A woman watches with her children as an airplane passes them on Saturday, Sept. 7 at the Santa Monica Municipal Airport.

accident report on Oct. 24 confirming that the airplane's approach and landing were both normal and that there was no debris on the runway.

Rep. Henry A. Waxman, whose congressional district includes Santa Monica, sent a letter to the NTSB on Oct. 2 expressing concern that the government shutdown, which began two days after the crash, could have impeded a timely investigation and compromised safety for Santa Monica residents.

In an NTSB response, Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman agreed that "safety was compromised by stopping this investigation."

Waxman sent another letter in reply, reiterating the importance of a proper investigation because of specific safety issues the airport presents.

"The airport is located just feet from many homes, and as I noted in my previous letter, the Santa Monica Airport Commission Chairman believes that if the plane had not struck the hangar, it might have gone

over an embankment and crashed into nearby residences," Waxman wrote.

But Greg Brown, SMC's director of facilities and planning, maintains that the neighboring campus is safe.

"The college facilities are located a significant distance from the runway with other buildings between us and the runway," he said.

Some of these buildings Brown referred to include airport hangars that line both sides of the runway. During the accident, the twin-engine jet crashed into hangars on the opposite side of the Airport Arts Campus location on Airport Avenue.

The plane crash reignited a long-standing debate among airport neighbors and Santa Monica community members about the existence of the airport, as activists have continued their fight to turn the airport into a park.

"There is a small park there now and wellused soccer fields," Lancaster said. "With the right planning, the large space of the airport could be a terrific park and a great

All work, no play President Tsang’s new scholarship seeks to help students have a life while pursuing their degree.

Gintare Urbutyte Staff Writer “I am grateful for that because I’ve been in community college education for many, many years, and I see that this is really my recognition of my work of a lifetime,” he said.

The scholarship is available to any student who is finishing up his or her education at Santa Monica College and is transferring to a four-year university, including international students and those under the DREAM Act. “Their immigration and visa status are not determining factors,” he said. “We are a college that accepts all of the students, students all over the world. We accept students who do not have a clear residential status. We accept them. They are part of us, and if they are part of Santa Monica College, they have the right to apply for the scholarship.”

However, students have to be nominated

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by a faculty member or college personnel, Tsang said.

After the students are nominated, a committee made of faculty from different departments selects a few students who will then be reviewed by Tsang.

Last spring, the committee chose five students, who were then reviewed by Tsang for the final round. He chose three students and interviewed them before choosing Richard Jimenez as the recipient of the scholarship.

“They were all outstanding and very deserving,” he said. “That was one of the hardest decisions I had to make. Which one should be the recipient for the scholarship?

And finally I decided on Richard. I found his story and his struggle impressive in every way.”

Tsang was impressed with Jimenez’ independence despite missing a high school

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asset to Santa Monica."

Brown said that no matter what happens to the space, SMC can benefit from it.

"The college will be able to work with any of the potential future uses of the airport," Brown said.

Despite the recent crash, Brown said that the temporary transition of AET students to the airport-adjacent satellite campus has been a smooth one, with ample parking and classroom space available.

"I don’t mind working and teaching at the airport," Lancaster said. "It is a very different environment and somewhat unusual place to teach."

In addition to housing additional design technology courses, the Airport Arts Campus remains home to courses originally held there, including those in energy efficiency and ceramics.

Mewei Ren, a second-year SMC student, has been taking classes in the solar technology program at the Airport Arts Campus for the past two semesters.

Ren did not express concern about attending classes near the crash site, but he did mention that he feels it is an odd place for a campus.

"It's weird for me, just because we're not learning anything that has to do with the airplane," he said.

Ren noted that the noise from the nearby airport can be disruptive during classes.

"A lot of the times, if we keep the door open, or even not, it's very loud, so the instructor might have to pause and then pick back up the lecture," he said.

Lancaster also acknowledged that airplanes frequently landing and taking off during classes can be distracting, but said that they are able to work around it.

"We have generally grown used to it," Lancaster said. "If I am lecturing, I usually pause for a moment, or sometimes I’ll repeat what I just said. But very rarely is it a long disruption, and does not impact the flow of the class, nor does it happen that often during one class session."

education due to his need to work, at times becoming homeless or involved with gangs.

Now, Richard is studying at the University of California, Berkeley, where he is aiming to become a psychologist.

“What we do, too, with the scholarship is that I want to continue monitoring the progress of his academic work,” Tsang said.

To make sure that the money is used for educational purposes, the college gives it in two installments of $7,500 every six months, to amount to $15,000 a year. Such monitoring helps not only to make sure that the student is doing well in school, but also provides them with needed support.

Tsang said he wants Richard to come and help him select the next scholarship recipient in the upcoming year.

In case a student does not do well in their first year after transfer, SMC is dedicated to helping the student overcome the difficulties he or she may face by keeping in touch and providing guidance and resources.

“I am looking for evidence that these students will be leaders in the future, leaders that can contribute to the world in the ways that they have chosen to or they plan to,” Tsang said. “We hope that through this scholarship we can help them achieve their dreams.”

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4 news

volume 106 issue 14 • december 4, 2013 • santa monica college

SMC safety procedures step up

SMCPD Sgt. Ray Bottenfield was appointed to captain among new safety measures.

F

alci rengifo Staff Writer

our deadly minutes were all it took for John Zawahri to carry out a shooting spree that began at his home and ended in the Santa Monica College library, culminating in his death and five others.

In collaboration with the Santa Monica Police Department, the Santa Monica College Police Department officers were able to take down the shooter, quickly ending Zawahri’s rampage before more damage could be done.

Six months after the shooting, SMCPD has put a renewed emphasis on the need for campus safety and training. The goal is to assure that future emergencies can be handled with the same level of efficiency.

Among the added precautions, a new captain position has been established and given to Ray Bottenfield, formerly an SMCPD sergeant.

“Now there’s at least two managers in the department,” SMCPD Chief Albert Vasquez said. “When this whole incident happened, and I was running a whole operation, we still had to continue doing things. Having one person trying to get everything done is difficult, so that’s changed as well.”

The decision to appoint a captain was made before the shooting, but the incident helped expedite the appointment and revealed the necessity for it, Vasquez said.

The investigation of the shooting is still ongoing and pending presentation to the district attorney’s office. But Vasquez said that the department has learned its lesson for the future.

“For us and for the district as a whole, certainly the police department has taken its role really seriously, so this incident highlighted that the police department is fortunately ready for these unfortunate types of incidents,” he said. “Probably my biggest takeaway is that we need to keep doing that. Even when there were people saying we need to cut back during the budget issues, we continued on

Amy Gaskin Corsair A bomb unit and police are deployed near 21st Street and Pearl Street near the Santa Monica College main campus on Friday, June 7 after gunman John Zawahri’s shooting spree that left six dead.

because it was important.”

Vasquez said the key lesson from the June shooting was that training for emergencies is critical. A new Faculty & Staff 911 Guide has been published and issued to SMC staff with important safety tips and information on how to deal with suspicious activities, emergencies and incidents similar to the recent shooting. The guide is modeled after the emergency guides used at major universities such as the University of California, Los Angeles.

Vasquez said that the Emergency Procedures manual, which is in the guide, was nearly complete when the shooting occurred, prompting small revisions to update it for the post-shooting environment.

He also said it was important that the campus opened the week after the incident.

“As tragic as the shooting was, the president [of the college], Dr. Tsang, made a critical choice in saying we need to open the campus back up on Monday,” Vasquez

said. “The incident happened on a Friday. Monday morning at 7 we opened. The only place that didn’t open was the library because we had to finish in there.”

Training sessions are now being held for both students and staff for emergency preparedness. This was a program originally only for staff, but is now being expanded to include the student body.

Future sessions will be held on Friday, Dec. 6 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Room 215 of Drescher Hall and on Friday, Dec. 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. in Room 207 of the Humanitites & Social Sciences Building.

“Initially, I was back to wearing my uniform every day,” Vasquez said. “Now that time has gone by; I’m back to a suit. I carry my handgun on me in my suit. Now I carry it because you never know. Even though this is Santa Monica College and it is revered as one of the safest places, you never know.”

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE Sources: Director of Facilities and Planning Greg Brown, Board of Trustees' meeting agendas, SMC Career & Educational Facilities Master Plan 2010 Update, smcbondprogram.com

Under construction: Academy of Entertainment and Technology Satellite Campus: Location: 1600 Stewart Street, Santa Monica, Calif.

Purpose: Complete renovation of AET for design and entertainment technology departments; relocation of film studies, broadcast, journalism, media studies and station KCRW to AET to improve training for careers in media and technology.

Estimated cost: $84.8 million Began: April 2013 Projected finish date: Summer 2015 Status: On schedule

Student Services Building: Location: SMC Main Campus, on Pico Boulevard next to the Admissions Office Purpose: To consolidate student services such as admissions, financial aid and counseling.

Estimated cost: $81 million Began: December 2008 Projected finish date: Expected to take two more years of construction after Division of the State Architect approves redesign.

Status: New design team and architect hired for project, as reported at the Nov. 5 BOT meeting. New redesign plan expected to be presented at the Dec. 10 BOT meeting. “The Student Services building is being completely redesigned due to budget constraints and changes in the program,” Brown said.

Information Technology Relocation project:

Future project:

Location: SMC Main Campus, between Pearl Street and the library Purpose: Remodeling and expansion of the existing Media Center to incorporate information technology and consolidate technology departments.

Estimated cost: $19 million Began: Spring 2013 Projected finish dates: Phase 1: March-April 2014 Phase 2: December 2014

Location: 23555 Civic Center Way, Malibu, Calif.

Purpose: Construction of a new educational facility with an interpretive center, art studio, computer classroom, multi-purpose physical activity space, lecture hall, science lab and sheriff ’s substation.

Estimated cost: $19 million Projected start date: Late 2014 Status: "The Malibu Campus was recently submitted to the City of Malibu Planning Department for their approval," Brown said. "The process can take several months and may require final approval by the City Council. We are also working on our Environmental Impact Report and hope to have a draft available soon. We need all these entitlements approved before we can start construction."

Malibu Satellite Campus:

Status: On schedule, despite unforeseen underground utilities causing a minor setback

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health + lifestyle 5

volume 106 issue 14 • december 4, 2013 • santa monica college

Bringing light, love to dark days

Throughout Santa Monica College’s traumatic year, unexpected volunteers were invited to spend time comforting individuals of the community. arlene karno Staff Writer

A

nise the dog just celebrated her 12th birthday — 84th in dog years — last Tuesday.

She is a yellow labrador retriever with a whitegold coat, missing her left eye as a result of surgery performed after a tumor was discovered during a routine health checkup.

This did not change the dog’s inherent drive and work ethic. Only two weeks after her surgery, Anise was back to work as a crisis care-management dog, alongside her owner LaWana Heald, the pacific southwest regional director of HOPE Dogs Animal-Assisted Crisis Response.

Heald and Anise were invited back to Santa Monica College during the Great California ShakeOut earthquake drill on Thursday, Oct. 17 for the first time since the June shooting on campus.

In the 10 days following the shooting, HOPE volunteers worked long shifts to offer comfort and support to those in need.

AACR is a national volunteer organization that trains and certifies handler canine teams to provide comfort and support to people affected by trauma, according to their official website.

HOPE is a national organization, divided into larger regions so teams who go out are local, with canine crisis response teams living in the greater Los Angeles area.

The volunteer teams travel across the state as needed, offering a unique response to otherwise impenetrable emotional situations.

HOPE dogs and their handlers never selfdeploy. When an institution or organization

seeks their help, the teams travel at their own expense. The money HOPE does have is used to occasionally rent a larger van so multiple HOPE dogs can travel together when a site requires a team such as during the recent Prescott fires in Arizona.

As part of HOPE, dog owners and their personal pets go through extensive training to pass the tests required of dogs and handlers to be certified by HOPE. HOPE is considered a comprehensive and difficult test to pass and is recognized nationally.

“Dogs must be born with a certain disposition so that they are not ruffled around screaming children, who might even pull a dog’s tail when upset,” Heald said. “The dog must stay calm in chaotic environments. As far as being calm and pure sweetness, it doesn’t get better than Anise.”

Once certified and on the job, HOPE dogs are trained to approach people who display inviting gestures. Most people reach out a hand and smile, which Anise recognizes as a welcoming gesture. If patted on her hindquarters, she takes this as a cue to lie on her back and submit to tummy rubs.

Heald explained that in June, faculty and students constantly looked forward to Anise’s daily visits to SMC. She became part of SMC’s Twittersphere with different departments anticipating her visits with tweets such as “Anise is on her way back to the Media Center,” according to Heald.

When Heald and Anise visited the Media Center, just days after the shooting, faculty members who had heard the gunshots ring out from the library endured tremendous stress. The library staff members were “surprised at the long-lasting effects of the visits from the dogs,” Heald said.

On the night of the vigil to honor the victims of the shooting, Anise was closeby to comfort family members of one of the shooting victims, Margarita Gomez.

Reluctant to leave the vigil, Heald and Anise were there to accompany the girls and their mother on their walk home.

The HOPE team was ready again to greet students as they re-entered the library to reclaim personal belongings left behind after evacuating the campus.

Heald said that in occasional encounters with people who are deathly terrified of dogs, Anise proves to be exceptional.

“We sometimes meet people who are absolutely terrified of dogs,” Heald said. “We’ve seen Anise, and other dogs take a few of these people from terror to experiencing the petting of a dog for the first time in their life.”

A study from University of South Carolina, Columbia showed that the actions of talking to and petting a dog are accompanied by lower blood pressure. To clarify whether cognition, conditioning or tactual contact exerted the major influence in this so-called “pet effect,” the study included 60 male and female undergraduates with either positive or neutral attitudes toward dogs to interact with a dog tactually, verbally and visually while the individual’s blood pressure and heart rate were recorded.

The study’s results revealed that the subjects’ blood pressure levels were lowest during dog-petting and higher while talking to the dog. Touch appeared to be a major component of the “pet effect,” while cognitive factors contributed to a lesser degree. Implications for coping

Jimmy Janszen Corsair HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response Team members (left to right) Constance Howell, Katherine Jarret, LaWana Heald, and Kristie Bret Hart and their dog Lily, at Santa Monica College on Thursday, Oct. 17, use the help of dogs to comfort people in times of crisis.

with hypertension were discussed, and suggestions for further research were stated, according to the study.

“Some of the faculty at the SMC Media Center told us of their surprise,” Heald said. “They felt much calmer after their visit from the HOPE dogs and that the effects lasted well after their time with the dogs. They reported that effects of spending some time with the dogs were long-lasting.”

Heald and Anise will return to campus Thursday offering support and affection to the SMC community.

Arlene Karno Corsair LaWana Heald and her dog Anise have been two familiar faces around Santa Monica College, visiting with the national volunteer organization. Heald and Anise are pictured in Heald’s yard in Huntington Beach, Calif. on Monday, Nov. 25.

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+ Lifestyle 6 health

volume 106 issue 14 • december 4, 2013 • santa monica college

Uproar continues over health care website In light of recent website issues and confusion with the Affordable Care Act, Santa Monica College has been holding workshops offering assistance to students attempting to sign up for health care.

S

jonathan ramos Staff Writer

ince the launch of the Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare," United States citizens have been treated to a roller coaster ride of the country's health reform.

Perhaps the most outstanding issue with the ACA is its website, healthcare.gov, which lists dates and deadlines and takes shoppers through the process of acquiring a health plan. The site has been reported by multiple news sources to crash often during the final stages of the application process.

"The number of people who have visited the site has been overwhelming, which has aggravated these underlying problems," said President Barack Obama in his address about the website's glitches on Oct. 21.

Several reports blame the dysfunction of the website on its inability to sustain itself under heavy traffic. During the first days of its launch, the website had as many as 250,000 users, which in turn overpopulated the website and led to the many glitches it has encountered.

In an interview with USA Today, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Todd Park said the website was expected to receive between 50,000 to 60,000 visitors at once, a mere fraction of what it drew once launched.

He said the website's projected traffic was based upon that of medicare.gov, which has brought in totals of 30,000 users at a time.

With other reports restating the same issues, and other bloggers attempting to analyze for themselves, Park's comments shed more specific light onto what the cause may be.

In the article, Park said that the website's functionality will improve once the traffic is controlled.

"These bugs were functions of volume," he said. "Take away the volume, and it works."

Obama and his administration have set a Nov. 30 deadline, in which they say healthcare.gov should function properly for most users. Still, doubts remain as health officials fear it may take longer, creating more complex problems.

A much more recent worry for the health care marketplace's website is its 834 transaction form, according to a recent NPR article.

According to the California Department of Health Care Services, the form is the basic enrollment form for the marketplace which provides insurers with all information needed of an applicant.

Bob Laszewski, a health policy consultant, told NPR the importance of the 834 to the health care website.

He said insurance companies are having trouble with the readability of the 834s being sent in by applicants, which sometimes contain errors.

The Obama administration has been

Jose Lopez Corsair Martin Kvitky, a volunteer with Organizing for Action, speaks to Tomiko Yamato about the new health care law while on the campus of Santa Monica College on Tuesday, Oct. 10. The organization offered students information about “Obamacare” and how to apply.

working on solutions for the glitches, but Laszewski told NPR that it may not be fast enough.

"The error rates have been falling," he said. "Healthcare.gov has been making progress, but we're not to the point yet where people can trust that high-volume enrollment can occur and we won't have serious customer service problems."

Perhaps the biggest worry on officials' minds is that the site will continue to succumb to traffic and enrollment issues well into December, the period in which the site may receive the most users before the Jan. 1 deadline.

Still, with all of the commotion, Obama maintains that the site's drawbacks should not trigger too much chaos for those looking ahead to the new year.

"Let me remind everybody that the Affordable Care Act is not just a website," Obama said in his address. "For 85 percent of Americans who already have health insurance through your employer, or Medicare, or Medicaid, you don't need to sign up for coverage through a website at all. You've already got coverage."

He said that the ACA simply provides new benefits for those already insured, such as staying on a parent's plan until age 26 or being covered for pre-existing conditions, which were not available before the ACA. Workshops on how to enroll in a health care plan have been offered at Santa Monica College. One date remains for 2013, scheduled on Dec. 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. inside SMC’s Math Complex, Room 6.

At CSU Channel Islands working side-by-side with professors, industry experts and professionals is an opportunity for every student. They bring theory into practice. They learn how problems can be solved.

These are more than field trips or internships to put on resumes. These are the lessons on which to build careers.

Christen Huff -’12 BS Nursing Registered Nurse II, Same Day Surgery, Community Memorial Hospital; Gabriel Guillen -’11 BS Nursing Community Health Education & Faith Community Nurse Network Supervisor CHAMP ® Program Coordinator, Dignity Health – St. John’s Hospitals

TOGETHER WE INNOVATE joinus.csuci.edu/cor for extended coverage visit us at thecorsaironline.com •

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volume 106 issue 14 • december 4, 2013 • santa monica college

Health & Lifestyle 7

Santa Monica doing part in natural disaster relief

Banding together, finding community and ways to send aid in any form, Santa Monica stands strong and works to show support for victims of natural disasters.

Fabian Avellaneda Staff Writer

Crislin Christian Corsair Tsunami warning signs hung on posts throughout Santa Monica, photographed on Tuesday, Nov. 26, guide beach and pier visitors to safety in the event of a natural disaster.

Nearly three weeks after a deadly typhoon struck the Philippine islands, an outpour of grief and aid is still felt in Santa Monica and around the world.

According to the United Nations, the death toll from Typhoon Haiyan continues to paint an even grimmer picture than was previously perceived. The government’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has updated its predicted deathtoll number of Haiyan from 5,560 to 5,598 lives lost.

This number does not take into account the possibility of more bodies turning up from the estimated 1,759 missing people who were victims of the typhoon.

The NDRRMC also reports that an estimated 3.81 million people have been evacuated from the disaster zone. About 220,000 of these victims are currently finding refuge in government-run evacuation centers, which are limited in their resources to help.

According to the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, more than 226 million people are affected by natural disasters every year. In fact, between 2002 and 2011, there were 4,130 recorded disasters from natural hazards around the world, in which more than a million people perished.

In East Asia and the Pacific, the risks of dying from floods and cyclones has decreased by two-thirds since 1980, according to the UNESCO. When disasters strike, the Santa Monica community has been known to reach out and do its part to help victims of natural catastrophes.

In February this year, the Santa Monica City Council issued a report approving the donation of two sedans, a truck, a van, and a sports utility vehicle to the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund, a nonprofit organization that

strived to help fire departments devastated by Hurricane Sandy, a brutal storm that severely damaged many parts of the northeastern United States in October of last year.

Following the news of this disaster in the Philippines, the Santa Monica College Filipino community took no hesitations to help the people who have lost their homes, have no shelter, and are in need of food and supplies.

SMC’s Filipino community extended their hand of aid through the colleges Kapisanang Pilipino club. The club has attempted to gather resources and has also allowed SMC community members to come by the club’s meetings and donate whatever they can.

On Sunday, Nov. 24, the PUMA Run/Walk for Philippine Relief was held at the Santa Monica Beach, according to the event’s official Facebook page.

Participants in the run could donate $10 or more, and 100 percent of the earnings would go directly to relief programs in the Philippines.

While relief efforts continue to pour in for the Philippines, there is still a long way to go. On top of all the devastation, the United Nations has estimated that the cost of damage to infrastructure and agriculture to the region is at about $637 million, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

For anyone at SMC looking for ways to donate, there are many organizations that are taking help easily via their websites. These include organizations such as The United Nations Children’s Fund, CARE, the American Red Cross and Philippine Red Cross, among many others.

Energy drinks, from old to new

Despite research and reports of deaths, energy drinks continue to be big business in 2013. alci rengifo Staff Writer

M

odern American society is constantly in a fast-paced, go-allthe-way mindset that sometimes has people looking for that little boost in the middle of the day. In this environment, people often turn to boosters with terms such as “vitamin supplements” as well as tradition energy drinks.

Energy drink sales were up 6.7 percent this year, according to the online journal Caffeine Informer. This marks a higher amount of sales than the previous year.

Red Bull topped the list, raking in $3.4 billion in just 52 weeks, according to the journal's report. Monster drinks came in second with sales of $3.1 billion.

This year also saw the release of a new design for the I AM drink brand.

A line of liquid stimuli, with drinks such as I AM Happy, I AM Energized, I AM Sleepy and I AM Focused, could be found at well-known health food stores such as Whole Foods and Sprouts Farmers Market.

The spike in energy drink sales encompasses the larger issue of what people are now using to replace pills or fill the void of hours of lost sleep. Names like Rockstar, NOS and Full Throttle are testaments to the appeal of needing quick energy kicks.

Sales of energy drinks and shots will grow to roughly $21.5 billion by 2017, according to data collected by Packaged Facts, a publisher of market research for food.

"We are carrying the product in some of our stores because the formulation and delivery system is something that our customers would enjoy; some of our customers have grown tired of swallowing pills," stated Whole Foods representative Ashley Gibbons on behalf of Whole Body buyers in a reply to The Corsair concerning the selling of energy drinks such as I AM. Yvonne Ortega, nutrition professor at Santa Monica

College and registered dietitan, read the I AM Happy's bottle contents.

"They have their own blend," Ortega said. "That's actually what a lot of supplements will do. Unfortunately, the FDA doesn't regulate those ingredients."

"The I AM Happy liquid supplement contains a combination of B vitamins, magnesium, ashwagandha, L-tyrosine, lavender and other herbs and nutrients known for improving mood and energy and helping the body cope with stress."

The official manufacturer of I AM products could not be reached for comment.

"The energy drinks in general, a lot of them are classified as supplement and are not under the FDA like food and beverages are," Ortega said. "They kind of go unregulated, so the bad thing about that is that no one is testing for any kind of safety or for whether or not they're effective."

"What is not tested and approved are the combinations of these ingredients," she added.

Energy drinks in general have been known to spike heart rates, which can be dangerous when too much is consumed before exercising.

"It all has to do with how the body reacts to these ingredients," said Ortega. "I am very caffeine-sensitive.

For example, if I take caffeine, I will be shaking like a leaf.

Some people have the same reaction but still drink it."

Ardell Gipson, one of the trainers at the SMC training room, acknowledged that many athletes are out there "pounding Red Bulls."

"They don't check the weather, so it gets really hot and they're not drinking water," said Gipson. "Water doesn't taste good, but you need it. A good substitute instead of energy drinks is Pedialyte. It's what they give babies."

A group of SMC cheerleaders turned down the offer of trying the I AM liquid supplements.

"We know teammates who use energy drinks, but they don't enhance your performance," cheer team member Darriann Jones said.

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Crislin Christian Corsair Second-year Santa Monica College student Nathan Lhrar drinks a Red Bull in the main campus quad on Tuesday, Nov. 26.

"Energy drinks have become very trendy because of the marketing that goes on," said Ortega. "Whether it's organic or not, it still has a bunch of ingredients that are not regulated by the FDA. They sell organic soda and people buy it thinking it's healthy."

If you feel the pressure of finals, homework and work sapping your strength, there are still some common habits that can help.

"There's enough research to support that a breakfast will give you the energy you need," Ortega said. "It really does come down to the basics of having a well-balanced breakfast every day."

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8 Photostory

volume 106 issue 14 • december 4, 2013 • santa monica college Sacramento, March 4

Santa M

The Santa Monica College dance dep Motion World Dance Company “Poverty 22 in the dance studio at Santa Monica

Santa Monica College, March 21 Amy Gaskin Corsair Santa Monica College students protest budget issues concerning higher education during the “March in March” protest on Monday, March 4 in Sacramento, Calif.

Westchester, Nov. 1

Paul Alvarez Jr. Corsair Jessica Goldbeck hits a ball during a match earlier this year on March 21. The SMC tennis team went on to become conference champions.

201

a look back Scott Bixler Corsair Displaced travelers walk down Century Boulevard away from Los Angeles International Airport after the shooting on Friday, Nov. 1 at the airport. At around 9:20 a.m., suspected gunman Paul Anthony Ciancia, 23, opened fire outside the security checkpoint, fatally shooting a Transportation Security Administration officer, and continuing to fire shots before being apprehended by airport police inside Terminal 3.

From the start of incident until midnight, about 1,550 scheduled flights and 167,050 passengers were impacted, according to LAX officials.

Santa Monica College, Oct. 26

Santa Monica College, Oct. 10

Jose Lopez Corsair Eric Kyle, Corsair running back, plows through the Los Angeles Valley College defensive back Zach Kelley on Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Homecoming game, which the Corsairs won against the Monarchs, 38-7. The Corsairs went on to win their third straight Pacific Conference Championship after winning 20 consecutive conference games to finish the season.

Jose Lopez Corsair Volunteers with Organizing for Action gather on Thursday, Oct. 10 on the Santa Monica College campus to display their signs challenging the government shutdown and the tea party Republicans’ gripes with “Obamacare.” On this day across the nation, Organizing for Action held many events focusing on the Affordable Care Act, including this one which offered SMC students information on the nation’s new health care law and how to apply.

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Firefighters surveys the crash site at At approximately 6:30 p.m., a Cessn side of the runway near Clover Park o in what fire officials called an “unsurv

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volume 106 issue 14 • december 4, 2013 • santa monica college

photostory 9 Santa Monica College, May 16

Monica College, April 22 Santa Monica College, April 23

David J. Hawkins Corsair partment rehearses for Global y and Wealth” on Monday, April a College.

David J. Hawkins Corsair Santa Monica Police Department Officer Adam Barry instructs a dog of the K-9 unit to sniff a trash can during a bomb threat on Tuesday, April 23 at Santa Monica College. Students and staff were told to evacuate the quad, disrupting the college fair taking place.

Madeleine Dalla Torre Castillo Corsair Neiman Jerome Smith is taken into custody by officers on Thursday, May 16 at Santa Monica College. Smith turned himself in to Psychological Services after allegedly making a phone call around 8 a.m. threatening to “shoot up the school.”

Though the suspect was unarmed, a lockdown ensued at the college following the threat until about 10:10 a.m.

13

k on

Santa Monica College, June 7

Santa Monica Airport, Sept. 29

Amy Gaskin Corsair Ramona Franco (center) and daughter, Lety Franco (right) learn news about the fate of Carlos Franco, husband of Ramona and father of Lety. Longtime SMC groundskeeper Carlos Franco, 68, and daughter Marcela, 26, were fatally shot while exiting a Santa Monica College parking lot after buying books for Marcela’s summer classes. A gunman, John Zawahri, shot, killed and injured people on and near the campus during finals week at SMC on Friday, June 7. Six people died, including the gunman, as a result of the shooting spree.

David J. Hawkins Corsair t the Santa Monica Municipal Airport on Sunday, Sept. 29. na Citation business jet crashed into a hangar at the north on the west side of the airport. All four onboard were killed vivable” crash.

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Atolot smile about

+ Entertainment 10 Arts

volume 106 issue 14 • december 4, 2013 • santa monica college

Santa Monica College’s music department continues to move to the beat of its students and The Broad Stage, looking ahead to 2014.

F

Jonathan Ramos Staff Writer or James Martin, chair of the music department at Santa Monica College, the music program is only as strong as the success of its

students.

Looking back at the year 2013, Martin said that the applied music program has played a significant part in why the program is held in such high regard.

"We're very proud in developing our applied music program," he said. "It has grown in the quality and even in the numbers, which are right up around 30 [students]."

The program, which started in 2001, allows certain students who pass an audition process to join, train with a school-provided teacher, and make it easier for those students to transfer to four-year universities.

"We worried when we moved over here that we would be forgotten, [that] everybody on the main campus would just move on and forget that music even existed, but that doesn't seem to be happening."

-James Martin "We're very happy with these students," Martin said. "They're working hard. They get very good instruction, and they are transferring very successfully over to fouryear schools all around Los Angeles and California. A lot of them even go to the east coast."

However, Martin said joining the program is not easy, as they only look for the best.

"For us, we're very picky," he said. "We don't like to let people into that program unless we think they really have a chance to be a good performer in the music world."

Musicians for the program range from vocalists to classical artists and even popular music artists, which Martin said is a necessity given the growing desire for popular music within the industry.

"Hip-hop is just as fresh as Bach," he said.

The ensembles at SMC are another part of the program Martin was proud of.

"We have 14 ensembles now, and they are very interesting programs that they're putting on," he said. "The sophistication level has gone up a lot."

Martin explained that the musical theory entry-level classes of the program are a major part in preparing students for the next level.

"One of the ways we can measure success is when they go off to the next school, they're always examined again," Martin said. "They have to run through the valley of fire, and they are passing all of their

exams so they don't have to take these classes again, and that makes us happy."

Aside from the department itself, SMC's Broad Stage has been home to many memorable shows and concerts throughout this year.

"We've got a terrific theater here, one of the best theaters in Los Angeles," Martin said, also praising the Madison Project, a program meant to provide cultural variety and programming to students and other members of the SMC community.

"We worried when we moved over here that we would be forgotten, [that] everybody on the main campus would just move on and forget that music even existed, but that doesn't seem to be happening," he said.

The department, which Martin said moved in 2008 from SMC's main campus to where it is now, has been flourishing in its new location.

"We moved over here, and it turned out good for us," he said. "I can say for sure that the art department wishes they had said yes because there is a lot of space here, and we can grow here."

Martin also spoke of a new wing currently being developed for the east side of the campus. The new two-story wing would allow for more performance development as well as instruction. Martin said he hopes for construction to begin as early as February.

On Sunday, members of the SMC music department collaborated with the Westside Ballet for a sold-out production of "The Nutcracker" with a live orchestra at The Broad Stage.

Perhaps the biggest production, Martin said, was the Madison Project's original opera "Dulce Rosa" held at The Broad Stage in June.

"I think overall, the production was successful," he said. "As a lot of things, it may need reworking, but [there were] so many good things about it, and it really shows that the theater can do it."

Martin said that another project set for spring semester will be the first Spanish opera at SMC. "That should be a big deal," he said. "We feel there is a big Hispanic community, and we want to appeal to them."

Some of Martin's goals are playing live music for productions of SMC's dance department, as well as maintaining relevancy with SMC's student body.

For all of the music department's endeavors, Martin said he feels optimistic about this year, as well as the program moving forward.

"There's a lot to smile about," he said.

"Don't think we're out there blowing trumpets or anything, but we're smiling."

Arlene Karno Corsair Keith Fiddmont, Santa Monica College jazz professor, conducts the Santa Monica Jazz Band at The Broad Stage on Sunday, Nov. 17.

"For us, we're very picky.

We don't like to let people into that program unless we think they really have a chance to be a good performer in the music world."

-James Martin

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volume 106 issue 14 • december 4, 2013 • santa monica college

arts + Entertainment 11

David J. Hawkins Corsair The Santa Monica College dance department rehearses for Global Motion World Dance Company “Poverty and Wealth” on Monday, April 22 in the SMC dance studio.

Morethan just dance

After an eventful year, the dance department is looking forward to big projects in 2014.

Alci Rengifo Staff Writer With the sounds of Claude Debussy's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" filling the office, Judith Douglas, Santa Monica College's dance department chair, discussed a memorable 2013 and what is in store for the coming year.

"As a proud parent and as a proud department chair, I am very pleased with everything [the dancers] have achieved in such a short amount of time," she said.

Among the highlights of the year are the dance department's trip to Beijing and the Synapse and Global Motion shows that conquered The Broad Stage at SMC. "[The instructors] worked all summer," Douglas said. "Three nights a week rehearsing students all summer, there's no pay. They donated their time rehearsing dancers and preparing to take 41 dancers to Beijing."

In China, the SMC dancers gave four performances for an audience of 75,000 people.

"People loved them," Douglas said.

"They were like superstars. They were like Justin Bieber. People went absolutely nuts.

Everywhere they went, people wanted their autographs. They were taking pictures.

They have been invited to go back next year and perform again."

So far has the reputation of SMC's dance department come that just two weeks ago, SMC dancers also performed at Disneyland.

"I am extremely proud of their work," Douglas said. "Our students, within a short amount of time, have learned these dances, and it's not just dance steps. They have to learn about the country the dance comes from. They have to learn about the people."

At that moment, Sri Susilowati, one of the department's artistic directors, joined the discussion about the dance department. "[The students] learned a lot about cultural connection and collaboration," Susilowati said. "Most of my students saw it as a life-changing experience. Some of them had never been out of the country or even out of the state."

Douglas shared one of many memories that have stayed with her from the year.

She said that the dance department invited speakers, one of whom was infantry marine veteran Jay Lopez who talked about his experience at SMC's dance program.

"He was in duty in the Middle East, came

David J. Hawkins Corsair Members of Synapse, SMC’s contemporary dance ensemble, perform at The Broad Stage on Sunday, Nov. 3.

back messed up like most people that come back after war," she said. "He was looking for direction and came here for college. For some reason, he enrolled in the dance class and fell in love with it. He has been taking dance classes here and is now a major."

"He said that the dance has put him on track mentally, emotionally and physically," she added. "I was brought to tears when I heard him say that. He wants to be a professional choreographer."

To Douglas, this is what education is all about.

"We don't teach dance steps here; we don't teach exercise," she said. "We teach an art form, a very deep art form, whether it is representing a culture or finding a way to express your inner self, because words cannot always express what is deep inside you."

"Art is a deep communication," she added.

Susilowati also hailed the importance of the art of dance.

"Onstage, one can become such a selfconfident person," she said. "That's my longing for the students. This is why you

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need art."

After an active year, it was hard for Susilowati to even contemplate choosing a favorite piece that was performed.

"Every single piece has its own strength in composition, choreography, lighting," she said. "As an artistic director, it is hard for me to choose one."

For 2014, the department is preparing with the hope of returning to China.

"It will be for a completely different festival," said Susilowati.

She pointed out that this past summer, the dancers performed in a large, outdoor event, but will transition to an indoor theater performance during which SMC dancers will share the same stage as Beijing's local dance company.

"This is very exciting because then we can share a much more intimate connection," she said, adding that they would also be touring in China.

In February 2014, auditions will begin for the spring semester. The Synapse dance company will also be heading for Georgia in the spring to compete with other colleges at the American College Dance Festival.

"They have worked so hard, and now they @t h e _ c o r s a i r •

will also see what other colleges are doing," Susilowati said. "It will be an entire week of events. This will be an exciting year for Synapse."

Cati Jean, an instructor from France who just returned from working with a dance studio in Norway as well as with the rock band Jane's Addiction in the U.S., said she is also looking forward to next year.

"The work in a classroom is the refinement of your technique and ability to perform," she said. "We will get the students ready to perform. You have to work on discipline in order to find freedom. Once you're in the world working for companies, then it will be second nature to you, like breathing, like walking, and you will be free whether in front of the camera, or like a rock band in front of the public."

For the coming year, the department will put a special emphasis on preparing students to become dancers ready for the professional world.

"Our concept for 2014 is pathways," said Douglas. "Giving students the opportunity to create a career that will sustain them and that is also their passion in life."

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12 opinion

volume 106 issue 14 • december 4, 2013 • santa monica college

2013:

The year we looked into the abyss Obama strummed his fiddle while modern-day Rome almost cracked into chaotic rubble.

Alci Rengifo Staff Writer

2013

was the year we looked into the abyss and stepped back.

This was the year President Barack Obama discovered a real viper in the garden — the emerging radical wing of the Republican Party.

It feels like the citizens of the republic are becoming a nation apart from Washington, D.C. where Congress appears to be living on another planet.

No better example of this bizarre dialectic occurred this year than the government shutdown, provoked by the Republicans.

The shutdown was an act of pure irrationality from the Republicans' radical wing, which is becoming increasingly dominant.

Nutcase senator Ted Cruz, who led the tea party wing responsible for the shutdown,

Illustration by Jhosef Hern Corsair

is leading polls among Americans who identify themselves as "very conservative."

It must be in the genes since Cruz responded to a video released of his father, radical preacher Rafael Cruz, saying that Obama "should go back to Chicago; go back to Kenya."

The classic Wall Street Republicans are so desperate to distance themselves from this gang that even Mitt Romney excluded Cruz from his recent list of the 10 best options for a 2016 Republican candidate.

However, a Pew Research poll found that 41 percent of Republicans like the radical aspirations of the tea party.

This points to a rift between those who want to keep things sane, albeit corrupt, but sane. Romney and fire-breathers like Cruz will happily cripple the country, as they almost did with the shutdown, as long as liberals get punched in the teeth.

How are the Republicans responding?

They are passing a bill in the House of Representatives that cuts food stamp aid

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by an additional $4 billion. Already on Nov. 4, food stamp cuts kicked in. The Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program which administers food stamps was forced to slash benefits for American families of four by $36.

If the Republicans have their way, then the additional slashing will begin with the new year. This is madness in a time when we still have not fully recovered from the 2008 crash, and unemployment remains steady but higher than the norm.

One in seven Americans uses food stamps, and families needing nutrition resources and assistance will soon see their aid dwindle.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. When it comes to foreign policy, the Republican right wing is flipping out because the White House has cut a deal with Iran over its nuclear development program.

On Nov. 24, the United States and five other world powers reached a deal in Geneva with Iran, under which Iran will stop enriching uranium at 20 percent in exchange for an easing of economic sanctions.

Most of the world welcomed the deal, which will not only help ease tensions between Washington and Tehran, but ultimately help open diplomatic roads for the Syrian civil war to end. (Syria is Iran's only Arab ally in the region.) But the Republican hawks and their allies in Israel's right-wing government hit the airwaves immediately denouncing the historic agreement. These forces have been pushing for a U.S. attack on Iran for years, since the Bush administration, and the deal now seems to have scuttled those hopes.

Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia immediately called for more sanctions following the deal's announcement, claiming, “Now is just not the time to ease sanctions when they’re working. We’ve got all the leverage in these negotiations, and we’ve let them out of the trap.”

Even a few Democrats who are liberals at home, but hawks abroad, like Chuck Schumer and Bob Menendez, are calling for more sanctions. This is another sign that, while Republicans are crazy, imperialism is bad for everybody.

In fact, it must be addressed that while the

@t h e _ c o r s a i r •

Republicans shut down the government and want to derail the Iran deal, Obama almost committed the biggest act of lunacy in September when it really did look like he wanted to start World War III. The moment Obama proposed the bombing of Syria, it should have been a wake-up call to liberals that the emperor changes but the empire does not. Obama is Augustus to Bush's Nero. The only thing that stopped the catastrophe from happening was the fact that Obama thrives on polls.

The polls showed the American people were against the bombing by a good 54 percent, even reaching 60 percent in some polls. Let's also not forget that our key ally England jumped ship when the still sane British Parliament voted against bombing.

What kept Obama from ordering the jets and playing the fiddle while Damascus burned was the last-minute Russian deal to make Syria destroy its chemical weapon stockpiles under the United Nations' supervision. It was most likely this international outcry that also helped Obama get serious about diplomacy with Iran as opposed to war. Yet up until the last minute, Obama delivered an Orwellian speech, claiming he wanted to bomb Syrian children so his daughters and your kids "would be safe."

Madness, pure madness. As the year comes to an end, we should be aware as citizens that those manning the ship are growing stranger, and the year ahead will have more surprises in store. We did not go over the cliff, but there are some very dangerous land mines paving the road ahead.

On Dec. 1, the Times of Israel reported that, "In a direct effort to sabotage U.S. President Barack Obama’s efforts, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the heads of Israel’s intelligence community to look for proof that Iran has violated an interim deal signed with the international community last week over its nuclear program."

In 2013, Obama managed to avoid a real wreck. The first months of 2014 may be the ultimate test of whether he can keep the dogs of war at bay and the tea party confined to the asylums of their offices.

Tighten your seat belts.

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opinion 13

volume 106 issue 14 • december 4, 2013 • santa monica college

Sam Herron Corsair Emergency personnel set up a perimeter while crews work to disarm pipe bombs in a suspect’s apartment building on Wednesday, May 15 across the street from the Culver Center in Culver City. Local authorities cordoned off Overland Avenue between Venice Boulevard and Washington Boulevard in addition to the east side of the center. The suspect’s apartment was searched for explosives after local police found a pipe bomb in the suspect’s vehicle when he was pulled over early Wednesday morning.

Wake up A year marred by senseless violence finally comes to a close.

Jonathan Ramos Staff Writer

T

he Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl. The Los Angeles Lakers didn't win the finals. Edward Snowden exposed our government, and then disappeared. The Affordable Care Act was launched. The government shut down, "Grand Theft Auto V" debuted, and let's face it, the game's profit could probably pay off the shutdown. "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" blazed through movie theaters nationwide, and to cap off the madness, Brian Griffin of "Family Guy" died.

Within all the commotion, there are bonechilling numbers that glare into the face of our precious society.

12 D.C. The lives from a Washington, D.C. naval yard, now resting in peace.

5 California The number of lives taken

by John Zawahri during a shooting rampage at Santa Monica College.

26 11,089 – An

Connecticut The number of families in Newtown, Conn. who will never be the same.

undersized portion of reported gun-related deaths in 2013, according to a gun death tally by online magazine Slate.

These figures are alarming. Far too many times, these incidents have taken place within locations where people are

for extended coverage visit us at thecorsaironline.com •

supposed to feel secure. An elementary school, a place for children to feel safe with the guidance of their teachers, was turned into a blood bath of 20 innocent children and six adults at the end of last year.

A naval yard, one of the United States Navy's largest, a location surrounded by government officials and soldiers, was the site of a massacre by one the government's own.

With all the chaos taking place, it has become increasingly difficult to live in a society where you cannot use the restroom without the fear of a crazed gunman storming in and raising hell.

Never mind the fact that these incidents are only a taste of the suffering, most of which is not covered heavily by the media.

The Los Angeles Times reported on several deaths not given the time of day, including the six people in New York killed by a 64-year-old man and the six people killed in Hialeah, Fla., by a man bent on neighborly destruction.

If it weren't for local media outlets, the Santa Monica shootings in June would have gone ignored, seeing as President Barack Obama, who was a few minutes away from the shooting, decided not to acknowledge the horrible event — thank you for the complete rejection, by the way.

Dear readers, if you are expecting another article about how important gun control is, or how mental illnesses are to blame, look elsewhere.

Sure, those topics have much to do with the safety of this country going down the toilet, but a large part of this violence currently swallowing the U.S. is on us.

Clearly, not everyone is a murderer, but a large portion of society doesn't seem to mind the promotion of the very issues it obsesses over.

Take a look at our rich culture. In what seems like the hundredth installment of the series "Call of Duty: Ghosts" just released, the same people moaning over gun control do not seem to mind shooting people in the head if it means attaining the next prestige.

"Grand Theft Auto V," a game that feeds off of the fun in senseless crime, made more than $1 billion in revenue, thanks to the same nerds who complain about the government's lack of action in all of these tragedies. Many movies today would @t h e _ c o r s a i r •

not survive if not for their ability to feed people's appetites for gore and destruction.

A wise friend once told me that society is not influenced by music, but that society influences music. The same applies to real life and death. We can only be as good as the good that we support. However, it does not help if we try to find every loophole in every law the country throws our way.

Marijuana is banned, yet people still get high. Heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, and other drugs are illegal, and people still find a way around the system. Some people will literally turn to inhaling smoke out of an apple if no other means are possible. This is the same with the violence in this country.

Gun control doesn't matter. If the government were to truly build a wall against gun use in the U.S., Americans would surely find a way around it. Gamers would probably create a game based on illegally attaining guns.

The new statistic on crime would then be the number of Americans illegally attaining firepower. It will never change.

Whether known or not, the country is one example of rebellion itself. Americans will never stop looking for keys whenever handcuffs are placed on them.

Many are already looking on how to sway away from the country's new health care system, another product of the government that dissatisfies citizens of this country.

The joke that is Black Friday annually proves that people will do whatever it takes to attain their desires, even if it means killing or engaging in parking-lot brawls.

Online news site RYOT recently tallied deaths and injuries during Black Friday from 2006, for a total of five deaths and 80 injuries. Fortunately, no deaths were reported this year.

This nation is built on its craftiness and its ability to find the crack in every fence. Are we really supposed to believe that this will suddenly change? No. The best that we can do is try our hardest to protect ourselves and those we care about. Expect the unexpected and understand the society we live in. That is the only way people have a chance of surviving on this very unstable planet.

2013 was the wake-up call. Now it is time to do just that; wake up.

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14 opinion

volume 106 issue 14 • december 4, 2013 • santa monica college

Violence goes viral

Shock website gains worldwide popularity and drags down cultural expectations with it.

W

Henry Crumblish Opinion Editor

hat started out as an ambitious hiphop website with the purpose of distributing music and reporting on hip-hop news is now just another purveyor of Internet nonsense and viral violence that simultaneously fuels racism and encourages hatred.

WorldStarHipHop is currently ranked the 248th most trafficked website in America and the 880th most visited in the world, according to Alexa, a web information company that analyzes commercial web traffic.

WSHH was founded in 2005, and by 2012, it had been voted the "top hip-hop and urban culture website" for three years running by Black Entertainment Television.

Some people out there hail the site as the "CNN of hiphop." A better name would be a black man's YouTube — not out of prejudice, but due to the fact that the site's demographic is disproportionately African American.

The site can be used as a direct link to the degradation of African American culture. Civil rights leaders would turn over in their graves at the content that is now being associated with African Americans.

In 2013, the site still distributes and premieres music and music videos, but it is better known for hosting videos of vicious street fights and fight compilations. Many students ease their consciences while watching by telling themselves that WSHH doesn't make people do bad things, it only makes them film bad things.

The site is predominantly accessed at schools by students, who would rather watch viral smut instead of learning or studying.

A simple Google search of WSHH will reveal that there is a fight compilation on the first page. Fight compilations, simply put, are five-to-10-minute videos showcasing fights that only end when the participants are either knocked out, bleeding, or jumped into submission.

The compilations, released every two or three weeks, are strangely captivating, similar to a cockfight or fighting dogs.

But just as our society does not condone those activities, we should also not condone this mindless digital violence.

Visitors of the site, and anyone who regularly watches the fight compilations, have lost their humanity.

A recent phenomenon added to street fights is the chant of "WorldStar!" As soon as some poor soul is knocked out, their unconsciousness will be met with screams and cheers of "WorldStar!"

A typical fight compilation description is "McDonald's Employees Go At Each Other, 2 Vs 1 Slap Boxing, Girl Gets Busted Open At Restaurant, Jamaican Girl Gets Hit With Brick, Boy Rocked For Hitting His Girl + more."

These slices of modern-metropolitan life spell out a bleak future, not just for the United States, but the globe. These clips devoid of depth and intended to shock are somehow among the most popular on the Internet.

The truly saddening thing about WSHH is that there are able-bodied bystanders in every fight clip who could have stopped or prevented a surely negative outcome. Instead, everyone is too busy filming senseless acts of graphic violence, chanting "WorldStar," as if the whole situation were some inevitable and unavoidable outcome.

It is no wonder that the world teeters on chaos if this is what modern man watches in his spare time. If CNN and WSHH can be used in the same sentence, then both hiphop and journalism should be ashamed of themselves.

If street fights are not your fancy, you can always check out the other random acts of violence streamed on the "top urban culture" website. The depravity ranges from high-speed vehicular homicide, to truckers mowing down a herd of sheep, to partygoers accidentally being shot by a firearm-wielding man dancing to "Gangnam Style."

If you do eventually satiate your bloodlust, then you may feel compelled to peruse the other questionable content on WSHH, which primarily consists of pornographic videos of reality stars or music video vixens.

As for the actual hip-hop found on WorldStar, most of it

s

is not worthy of an exploratory click.

The only shred of content that is even capable of being called newsworthy was a video titled "Damn Shame: Girl Tweets '2 Drunk 2 Care' Before Crash, Taking 2 Lives."

This aptly-named video features a news report about Kayla Mendoza who tweeted "2 Drunk 2 Care," before drunkenly driving her Hyundai Sonata the wrong way on the expressway, killing two innocent people.

WSHH may be successful in generating traffic, but it is also successful in continuing negative stereotypes and trains of thought. It is saddening that as a medium, WSHH squanders its potential. The website rests well within the top 1,000 most trafficked websites on the planet, but unfortunately there is no positivity to be found.

WorldStar teaches people that it is OK to follow mob mentality and treat other human beings callously, and worst of all, it conditions modern humans to believe that negativity and violence in the streets is normal. The message is simple. Why help someone during their time of suffering when you can receive half a million views making jokes about it online?

Until the nation learns that violence and tragedies are not inevitable, and that we as a society have the right to demand more of each other, this entertainment will remain commonplace.

WSHH's logo is a crown that sits atop the letter S, apparently considering itself a king of sorts. If WSHH is a king, then its subjects and kingdom consist of misguided souls lost in the void of cyberspace.

If you are looking for softcore porn, street fights, and graphic violence, then WSHH is the place to find it all. But if you are looking for hip-hop news, then look elsewhere.

Regardless of whether or not WSHH encourages bad things, or simply encourages filming bad things, it does not matter. The website does not promote positive things. So if you are at a concert or out on the street, and you hear someone shout "WorldStar," then be careful and protect your neck. You never know who might be knocked out next.

- Gee, Brain. What are we going to do tonight?

- The same thing we do every night, Pinky. Try to

reduce the Finals Week stress.

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Here to Help Michael Greenberg, Director of Publicity (310) 434 - 4965 greenberg.publicity@gmail.com

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sports opinion 15

volume 106 issue 14 • december 4, 2013 • santa monica college

Trick plays: No honor among athletes While trick plays may be legal within the boundaries of sports rules, they do not promote sportsmanship and should not be used.

In

Henry Crumblish Opinion Editor

s p o r t s , there is an unspoken agreement between the coaches, the athletes and the opposing teams. Everyone is expected to follow the rules to ensure a fair game.

There is nothing people hate more in sports than a cheater. Even those who bend the rules are viewed as underhanded and downright villainous.

Trick plays have recently been trending and gaining momentum in the sporting world. Instead of good, old-fashioned technique and hard work, trick plays often use deception and unusual tactics to achieve victory.

The tricky thing about trick plays is that they operate within the rules. The referee might be confused about what they saw, but they cannot penalize a player as long as the play adheres to the rule book, no matter how unorthodox it might seem.

When you use a trick play, you are communicating to the other team that we cannot beat you without this extra tool.

Our team needs to utilize deception to

score points or secure a win.

However, sports are opportunistic by nature. Competitors face off against each other in search of victory by any means necessary. As an athlete, your training should prepare you for any situation during competition.

If you are foolish enough to be preyed upon by such an outlandish ruse, then you are not ready to be a champion; you are ready for the bench.

Trick plays are a clear sign of disrespect between opposing teams. If you are up by 20 points and then proceed to run every play from the obscure pages in your playbook, that is an insult.

You are trying to make a statement or assert your dominance over the other team by humiliating them. That is similar to the statement Santa Monica College made against Los Angeles Pierce College on Saturday, Nov. 9.

The Corsairs, who were in search of their third straight conference victory, were willing to do anything to achieve the coveted three peat.

In the fourth quarter of that game, SMC ran a play called "soft serve." The quarterback dropped back, faked a pass,

and then lobbed the ball out to an offensive tackle, who then threw a bomb into the end zone for a waiting receiver.

The play baffled the defense and clinched the Corsairs’ third straight conference title.

SMC won by any means necessary. They were already up by 10 points in the fourth quarter, and there was no need to run the trick play.

Yes, the game was crucial to the season and the team's reputation, but winning with "soft serve" was not how I would want my team to be remembered.

As a consumer, a viewer and a fan of sports, tricks plays are great, entertaining and

create innovation within the respective sport.

As an athlete, they are the most frustrating thing to compete against, just shy of a crooked referee. You are expecting each team to play within a certain style.

Trick plays denote intelligent coaching and play calling, but also sinister game play.

Trick plays are not illegal, and find a niche by utilizing opportunities with creativity.

If you are a true champion, you don't need trick plays to win. Your training, technique and teammates should be able to get you through any battle.

You play to win Trick plays in sports are within the rule books and are perfectly acceptable for teams to use.

As

Jonathan Ramos Staff Writer

S a n t a Monica College's football t e a m inched closer to their third straight Pacific Conference title, a play was unleashed that neither Los Angeles Pierce College nor the rest of the fans saw coming.

Up 10 and looking to secure victory, SMC's left tackle Maurquice Shikir caught a screen pass behind scrimmage, only to heave it to wide receiver Deontay Banks for a Corsair touchdown.

This was the beginning of the end for Pierce as SMC sealed the game away on what is known in sports as a trick play.

A trick play can be loosely defined as a play in which a sports team will turn to a more unorthodox method of trying to score, usually swaying away from the traditional styles of play in order to catch an opponent off guard.

From football punters passing the ball rather than kicking it to baseball players pointing their bat to the stands and calling a homerun only to bunt, trick plays are as much a part of sports as the players and coaches themselves.

But for however long trick plays have

been in existence, different players, coaches and fans around the world have shared acceptance and displeasure with such plays.

Some people will argue that trick plays have no business being a part of sports, as they take away from the game's traditions and core values. Others praise the strategies as innovations to an expanding portfolio of how to win a game.

With the sports world we live in today, where football has become a pass-happy, safety-cautious league, where it can be difficult to stick to the traditional hard-nose mentality, it is almost a necessity for coaches to be able to outsmart their opponents.

Different options on offense over the years such as the read-option, the wildcat offense, and Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly's "see-coast offense'' are proof that teams are consistently trying to modify the game in order to win by any legal means necessary.

These plays are not in any violation of any rule book. They simply take the rules and manipulate them in order to knock opponents off their heels.

SMC head football coach, Gifford Lindheim feels that trick plays can be a great asset to a team, but should not make up the entire game plan.

"In my opinion, trick plays are the cherry on top," Lindheim said. "If there isn't any

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Illustration by Jhosef Hern Corsair

substance to the way you play, it's tough to have trick plays be effective. But if you have a team that can execute regular plays well, trick plays can enhance your package. It just can't be your entire package."

Lindheim's point is hard to argue. Trick plays should not be a team's only way of putting points on the board as they would then become too predictable. But teams would be smart to have at least one of these plays on hand to use when all the chips are on the table.

A much more enjoyable reason for these modifications is for the fun of watching players who don't normally have the chance to score receive some glory. Offensive linemen often go an entire career without knowing the feeling of throwing a pass into the end zone or being on the receiving end of a game-winning throw.

With these plays, the offense is allowed to open up and utilize the full potential of the @t h e _ c o r s a i r •

team. After all, isn't that what a team is supposed to do?

Win legally by any means necessary. If the opponent is not smart or quick enough to adjust to such plays, then teams should be able to use that to their advantage in order to win. Who cares if it is not fully traditional? It is a way of winning, and with all of the traditions and values within sports, there will always be that constant goal that every team will continue to strive for, and that is winning.

Do what you have to do to win, but do it legally. If there is a good way to leave your opponents with their jaws dropped and heads being scratched in order to secure a win, then a team would be dumb not to try it.

Need more proof ? Just ask the Pacific Conference champions. They know a thing or two about winning.

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16 sports

volume 106 issue 14 • december 4, 2013 • santa monica college

Memorable finish, memorable season

SMC’s men’s soccer fell short of the playoffs, but have much to look forward to next season.

Jonathan Ramos & Jimmy Janszen Staff Writers As the final minutes winded down on the 2013 season for the Santa Monica College men's soccer team, sophomore defender and captain Ricky Malmstroem entered the game against College of the Canyons.

Battling an ankle injury, Malmstroem scored on a corner kick header, sealing both the 5-1 victory and his career on SMC's soccer team.

For head coach Tim Pierce, this was the most memorable moment of the team's second season back after a 20-year hiatus.

"It was kind of a cool way to culminate the season and his career here at Santa Monica College," said Pierce, who is in his second year coaching the team.

As the rebuilding of the team continued, the Corsairs improved on their 2012 fourth-place record, finishing this season at 12-5-4, and third in Western State South Conference play.

"I thought the season was very positive," Pierce said. "We had a great group of guys that stayed eligible all season long. I was very pleased with the way the season went."

After the third-place finish, it seemed that the postseason was well within reach.

However, due to a power-point system, the team narrowly missed the playoffs.

"It was a systematic thing for us," Pierce said. "It was a bummer that we didn't make playoffs, but that's kind of part of that system, and for whatever reason, based on the power points, we didn't get in. We had a better record than a lot of the teams that made the playoffs, but I think next season we're going to have to bulk up on our

preseason schedule."

Even with playoff exclusion, Pierce does not feel the season was diminished.

"To win 12 games and only lose five in our second year as a program is nothing but positives for me," he said.

In 1990, SMC's men’s soccer program was expelled from the league after both a Title IX violation (discrimination based on sex) and a fight started by the team. Since their return in fall 2012, the team has become one of the top teams in the conference.

"Two winning records in a row, and we finished at the top of the table both times," Pierce said.

For the 2013 season, the Corsairs leaned heavily on defense, but sometimes lacked consistency at certain points.

The Corsairs' defense was second to none, shutting out 10 opponents over a 21-game season, an improvement from the three shutouts in 2012.

Not settling for second fiddle, the offense relied on strong chemistry, communication, and strategic forward movement of the ball to create better scoring chances, giving them an average of 2.7 goals per game.

But Pierce said that the team needs to improve consistency if they want to be in playoff contention next season.

“Some days we look unbeatable, and others we struggle finding ways to put our best product on the field and sustain for a full 90 minutes,” he said. "The preseason, we can schedule some tougher games to get some more power points because that's what the playoffs are based on."

No bowl

Jimmy Janszen Corsair Santa Monica College soccer player James Rincon attemps a volley to tie up the game in the final minutes of the match at home against Moorpark College on Friday, Sept. 20.

The Corsairs lost, 2-1.

The success of other conference teams is key, Pierce said, as greater teams mean a chance at more power points.

As far as training goes, Pierce said he looks to integrate more fitness to accommodate members of the team who have expressed desire for additional conditioning.

"I'm having individual meetings, and the guys felt that maybe they could be a little fitter," he said.

In order to maintain the health of the team, Pierce said he makes sure the players rest after games and stretch properly before and after a workout.

Another upside for the Corsairs this season has been the scouting of many players by four-year colleges.

SMC sophomores including Malmstroem, Luis Fuentes, Rafael Silva, Fredy Salguero, and Kevin Alonzo have had interest from California State Polytechnic University,

Pomona, CSU Los Angeles, and the University of California, San Diego.

Freshmen Oskar Martinsson, Duncan Bochicchio and Jonathan Navas have received attention as well.

For next season, Pierce said freshmen recruits will have to try out while recruits are currently being scouted as well.

"Recruits are being sold on a winning program with a great staff, great returners, a great environment to play at, and an awesome school and education," he said.

The season is now under wraps, and the team is already looking ahead to next season. Still, the emotion was all left out on the field in the final game of 2013.

"We played with a lot of passion that day, and we were fired up," Pierce said.

"Everyone knew it was their last game, so we played like it was the state championship. It was great to see."

The Corsair football team was ruled ineligible for a bowl game due to a recruiting violation.

Trev Angone Staff Writer

of whom were about to commit to a number of college teams.

The California Community College Association of Athletics, the governing body of California junior college sports, handed down the ruling after a tip-off from a member of Los Angeles Southwest College's coaching staff, who was in attendance at the all-star game.

The initial violation came as a shock to Corsair head coach Gifford Lindheim.

"I had no idea," Lindheim said. "If I had, I would have immediately stepped in and put a stop to it."

Despite not being able to compete in a bowl game, Lindheim felt that the ruling didn’t diminish the season in any way.

“What we accomplished on the field was remarkable,” Lindheim said. “We fullfilled our potential as a football team.”

For the 2013 Santa Monica College football team, most, if not all, of their celebrations began after they clinched their third straight Pacific Conference championship against Los Angeles Pierce College.

But unlike most other top teams, who began prepping for a postseason bowl game, the Corsairs were banned from participating for a year due to a recruiting violation.

About a year ago, SMC had a different offensive coordinator who also served as the head coach of the Venice High School football team.

Following his 2012 season coaching Venice, SMC's offensive coordinator was approached with the opportunity to coach a high school all-star game which he ultimately accepted.

But since he was the current offensive coordinator for the Corsairs, that put him in direct violation of the rules in place intended to keep college-level coaches from gaining an unfair recruiting advantage by having contact Jimmy Janzen Corsair with high school players.

Santa Monica College running back Eric Kyle breaks Coaching a high school all- a tackle from opposing Los Angeles Valley College star game essentially gave him Monarch players Jeremi Ross (left) and Zach Kelley direct access to all the incoming during the homecoming game at SMC on Saturday, top-tier talent in the city, many Oct. 26. The Corsairs won, 38-7.

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