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The Corsair Vol. D Issue 7

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WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19, 2011 VOLUME D ISSUE 7

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Swinging Into Shape

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HEALTH + LIFE PG.7-8

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2|CONTENTS

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19, 2011 - SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

EDITORIAL STAFF Jonathan Bue············· 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 Nathan Gawronsky·····Managing Editor c o rs a i r. m a n a g i n g @ g m a i l . c o m Cathy Arias········· Life & Health Editor 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 Regan Dyl····················· News Editor c o rs a i r. n e w s p a g e @ g m a i l . c o m Juan Lopez··················· A & E Editor 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 Muna Cosic················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 William Courtney··········· 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 Hector Mejia··········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 Anisa El-Khouri··············Photo Editor Amanda Bojorquez··········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 Jenya Romanovsky··········· Copy Editor Chris Aquino··················· Copy Staff c o rs a i r. c o p y e d i t s @ g m a i l . c o m Roger Morante················ Web Editor David J. Hawkins····· Web Administrator c o rs a i r. w e b e d i t o r @ g m a i l . c o m Nathalyd Meza··············Design Editor Genesis Baltazar············· Design Staff Alfredo Avila·················· Design Staff c o rs a i r. d e s i g n t e a m @ g m a i l . c o m W R I T E R S Amber Antonopoulos, Vanessa Barajas, Eva Boguslawski, Jay Be Brookman, Aubryanna DiStefano, Maria Dimera, Morgan Doyle, Alyson Feldman, Janae Franklin, Jonathan Ghattas, Tabetha Harris, Myles Johnson, Luana Kasahara, Samanta Kubon, Jahnny Lee, Keijo Liimatainen, Zoie Matthew, Michael Mejia, Ashley Metcalf, Wayne Neal, Tatianna Paredes, Michelle Ponder, Melanie Rudkiewicz, Katherine Ruiz, Fatou Samb, Valerie Serrano, Mia Shilpi, Mai Sims, Ryan Sinko, Christina Sziatinsky PHOTOGRAPHERS Paul Alvarez, Chris Alves, Marisa Bojiuc, Jojo Cheung, Jeannie Cole, Ryan Cook, Reynal Guillen, Tiahna Hale, Cristina Maxwell, Marie Perez, Scott Smith, Silvia Spross, Lisa Weingarten, Michael Yanow, Sequoia Ziff FAC U LT Y A DV I S O R S S a u l Ru b i n Gerard Burkhart A d I n q uiries : corsair.adconsultant@gmail.com

ON THE COVER: PHOTO BY SILVIA SPROSS

Late night work out at the traveling rings near the Pier “There are only Three places in the US that have the outdoor traveling rings, Santa Monica being one of them.” on Oct. 13 in Santa Monica, Calif.

Scott Smith Corsair SMC dancers Autumn Randolph and Sy Gaskin rehearse one of their routines together in front of instructors on Thursday October 13th 2011 in Santa Monica, Calif.

HOMECOMING WEEK! FRIDAY, OCT 21

student Homecoming Poster Contest

Campus-­wide Potluck in Calebration of National Food Day

TUESDAY, OCT 25

11:30am-­1pm @ SMC quad

Huff and Puff Games

TUE, OCT 25

11:30am Faculty/Staff vs. Students. Sign up in A.S. Office to play FREE ice cream for any student wearing SMC attire!

SMC Athletic Attire Sale

OCT 24-

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2011

11:30am-­1pm @ Garden in front of Art Building

WED, OCT 26

THURSDAY, OCT 27

Urban Roots movie screening with Q and A from producers and directors

SMC Homecoming IDOL and Club Row

Sign up starting Oct. 12 for a chance to sing the National Anthem at the game FREE ice cream for any student wearing SMC attire FREE face painting (presented by Cosmetology Dept)

4pm-­6pm @ HSS 165

THUR, OCT 27

GAME DAY! SAT, OCT 29 @ 1pm

-­ Keynote speaker Andy Revkin: 9 billion people = One Planet =?

HALF TIME KICK CONTEST-­-­-­1st prize= $10,000!!! + drawing

11am-­12:30pm @ Theatre Arts Building

$5 FREE food coupon to FIRST 300 Students Buy one get one Chiptole coupons for first 75 students Parade and Homecoming Idol performance

Oct 20---11:15-12:35 on the SMC quad

WEEK

SMC Organic Learning Garden Grand Opening!

WEDNESDAY, OCT 26

SMC RESOURCE FAIR

SUSTAINABILITY MON, OCT 24

All submissions are due by 9am in the A.S. Office. Students can pick up supplies and instructions in A.S. Office starting Oct. 12 PRIZE: 300$ to the winning club

GET CONNECTED!

CAMPUS

-­ SMC Climate Action Plan lunch 5:30pm-­7pm @ Business 111

DROP, COVER and HOLD ON!

THE GREAT CALIFORNIA

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GET the NEWSLETTER 10:20am

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NEWS|3

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19, 2011 - SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

Andrew Revkin speaks at SMC By Zoie Matthew . Staff Writer He has been everywhere, from the Revkin works with the law school, tundra of the Arctic, to the jungles of graduate, and undergraduate programs the Amazon, to the historic halls of the to “try and promote work, research and White House, and Oct. 27. environmental progress on environmental issues,” said reporter Andrew Revkin will be visiting a Revkin. “And it’s been great. I’m teaching most exotic locale, Santa Monica College. courses. I created a new course this fall Revkin will be giving a special lecture that called ‘Blogging a Better Planet.’” will help launch ofSMC’s Climate Action As a matter of fact, “Blogging a Better Plan to reduce the college’s carbon impact. Planet” is an activity that Revkin partakes The talk, entitled “9 Billion People + 1 in regularly. In his “Dot Earth” blog for Planet = ?”, will be an hour-and-a-half- the New York Times’ opinion section, he long exploration of some of the ways attempts to examine “efforts to balance that Revkin believes the ever-growing human affairs with the planet’s limits.” human population must adjust to create a Revkin sees the rise of digital sustainable way of life. communication as a great chance for “Basically the question is, how do we young people to help spread ideas for a head toward roughly nine billion people greener world. with the fewest regrets?” said Revkin in a “I think there are huge opportunities for telephone interview. young people—for students—right now; “I’m actually kind of optimistic. If we particularly in communication, but also do some things differently, then we can in innovation. And that’s something I’ll thread the needle and come out later in definitely be talking about,” said Revkin. the century with a planet that still has a lot “Virtually anybody who has the ability to of richness and thriving ecosystems, less tell a story creatively and engagingly can poverty, and more general prosperity.” have that story reach a mass audience. Revkin said that his love for the You don’t have to be a New York Times environment started in his childhood. reporter or a correspondent for CNN to “I grew up in Rhode Island with forests have impact.” where I could just sort of run around Students will also be encouraged to outside of the suburban area I lived in, participate in a discussion Revkin will be and I just felt there were great stories to tell hosting a few hours after the lecture. This about all that,” said Revkin. roundtable discussion will address SMC’s His early interests led him to pursue Climate Action Plan - a comprehensive biology as an undergraduate student at strategy spearheaded by Genevieve Brown, before switching tracks to receive Bertone that seeks to help the college to a Master’s in journalism from Columbia. become a “carbon-neutral”, “zero waste” But his appreciation of the natural world facility. never dwindled. Revkin sees colleges and universities as “Right out of college I had a real lucky the perfect platforms to effect change. stroke where I ended up on a sailboat just “Your campus can serve as a laboratory by chance, and we sailed two thirds of the for ideas and innovations that can spread to way around the world,” said Revkin. “So the surrounding community,” said Revkin. right from when I was 23 or so, I had this This event, made possible by the real great view of the splendors of the SMC Associates, SMC Political natural world.” Science Association and the Center for In 1995, he began covering the Environmental & Urban Studies, will take environment for the New York Times, place on the SMC Main Stage at 11 a.m., where he worked for nearly 15 years, until Oct. 27. The roundtable discussion with he resigned in 2009 to become senior Revkin and the plan’s main authors will fellow at Pace University’s, Pace Academy take place in the Business building, room for Applied Environmental Studies. 111, from 5:15 to 7:00 p.m.

bike thefts a cause for concern By Valerie Serrano . Staff Writer

According to a report released by the Santa Monica College Police Department, a total of nine bikes have been reported stolen on campus since the beginning of the school year. Most of the thefts have taken place in the Library Village, with a couple occurring near the Bursar’s Office and a few more near the library service road.. The thefts have been due to insufficient locks, or improper use of bike locks. As a response to the thefts, campus police officer Sgt. Jere Romano Campust., said that they department has increased patrols to make sure that people’s bikes are properly secured, because people neglect to properly secure their bikes. “It’s amazing. You will find bikes out there all the time that are not even locked. So what we do is put our lock and chain on them with a tag saying, ‘come to campus police to get your bike released,’”” said Romano. The SMC police department has tried to find the missing bikes by following up with local used bike shops that could unknowingly buy these stolen bikes, but have had no luck. In order to prevent bike thefts, Romano recommends bikers purchase two locks, especially if they own expensive bikes, because the bikes that are being stolen are higher- end models, worth anywhere from $500 to $1,200. “They have really expensive bikes, but they are using inexpensive cable locks that can be easily cut. Thieves have been stealing bikes by cutting these cable locks with small bolt cutters,” said Romano. Beth Brown, founder of the Santa Monica bike club Shifting Gears Cycling, recommends bikers use Kryptonite-brand locks and additional cable locks for extra layer of protection. She also said that people should be “smart” about where they lock up. “Lock your bike up in a visible area! Make sure to take your front wheel off (if it has

a quick release) and lock it to your back wheel. Remember to take your seat with you and anything else that is removable: lights, bike bag, etc,” said Brown. SMC student, Won Ho Bae, rides his bike to school everyday, and uses a Kryptonite lock to protect his bike. “SMC needs to improve its bike stations. The bike racks are in bad condition and look very fragile,” said Bae. Santa Monica College’s active bike culture brings with it bike theft, which prompted the SMC police department to start The National Bike Registry Program. The program, which started last year, works by enabling people to log their bike’s serial number into a database, this option can be purchased at the police department’s front office for five dollars. “Basically, what it is, is a packet which contains two stickers, one sticker is for your bike and the other, the smaller sticker, could be used for anything else you want, like your iPhone, bike helmet, etc., which can be stored in the database and be held for 10 years,” said Romano. According to Romano, if someone’sa bike gets stolen, one can simply access the database and change the status of the bike from “active” to “stolen.” Police officers can then run that NBR sticker through the database and put the theft information into a police computer. “If we see someone riding a bike at night, and it doesn’t have a headlight or something like that, what a police officer would do is stop that person and run the serial number to see if it comes back stolen. If it comes back stolen, now you have a person in possession of stolen property, and we can give that bicycle back to its original owner,” said Romano. Theft of a bike with the value of $900 or more is considered a felony, but any theft under $900 is a misdemeanor, according to Romano.

T he A nnual G reat C alifornia S hakeout By Christina Sziatinszky . Staff Writer

As part of a statewide effort to bolster disaster-preparedness, Santa Monica College will be participating in the annual Great California ShakeOut. During this drill, participating groups are educated and informed about earthquake preparation and protection maneuvers. This year, Santa Monica College plans to offer its full cooperation in the fourth annual Great California ShakeOut, which is scheduled to commence at 10:20 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20. According to the event website, more than 7.9 million Californians participated in the ShakeOut last year. This year’s turnout is expected to be even greater, and with more than 8 million already registered, this ShakeOut is likely to be the largest earthquake drill in US history. The ShakeOut illustrates the scenario of a 7.9 magnitude earthquake, no signal will be given to simulate the

earthquake, but at exactly 10:20 a.m., all are expected to drop to the ground, take cover, and hold on until the shaking stops. Should they find themselves outside, the participants are instructed to stay clear of walls and potential falling objects. Vice President of Student Services Michael Tuitasi confirmed that a few campus structures will be evacuated during the drill, among them are art, counseling and PE buildings. “The Emergency Preparedness Committee and our campus Police Department have set up trainings and an informational website to encourage students to get a kit, make a plan, and be informed,” Tuitasi said. “In addition, we are working with the local Red Cross and Santa Monica’s Office of Emergency Management to provide ongoing information sessions.” Given California’s seismic history, like the Northridge quake of 1994 and the San Francisco quake in 1906,

researchers and safety professionals do their best to prepare Californians for another disaster. SMC possesses earthquake boxes with axes, flashlights, goggles, and other tools to aid in post-earthquake recovery, explained Sgt. Romano of Campus Police. He said that there are also emergency kits with provisions that would last 2,500 people about three days, and five emergency chairs around the satellite campuses for moving the disabled and injured. According to research by National Geographic, 80 percent of all the planet’s earthquakes occur in the basin of the Pacific Ocean, along the so-called “Ring of Fire.” This earthquake-prone area includes the state of California and its San Andreas Fault. The fault has not ruptured in over 300 years, but geologists say it could happen at any time. William Selby, a professor of earth science and geography at SMC, believes it is important for

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California residents to participate in the earthquake drill. “Our fire and police departments are well-trained for these events, but most people are not prepared, and will therefore suffer after a quake.” The Earthquake Country Alliance, the organizer of California’s annual earthquake drill, states that the safest action to take during a quake is the “drop, cover and hold on” method. According to Selby, students should be prepared to act during an earthquake by getting under the nearest desk or table until the shaking stops - this method’s efficacy has been proven by researchers and emergency managers. “They should also have water and food to last about one week, and an emergency kit that includes a flashlight, first aid kit and other necessities for survival after the quake,” said Selby. “Your local Red Cross is a good source to consult for an emergency-preparedness kit.”

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4|NEWS

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19, 2011 - SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

Jahnny Lee Corsair Santa Monica College students browse for information from universities and colleges from all over California.

fair brings colleges to smc By Maria Dimera . Staff Writer

Dozens of colleges from around the country filled the campus quad Oct. 11, as Santa Monica College held its semi-annual College Fair. The event provides an opportunity for recruiters to share what their colleges have to offer potential transfer students. Given the current economic climate, changes in college applications are likely. Although some colleges are affected more than others, college fairs are a good way to recruit students from California’s top-ranking community college in transfers. The College of Engineering & Computer Science, California State University Northridge, San Marcos, Sacramento, Columbia College Hollywood, St. Mary’s College, and Syracuse University were just some of the colleges experiencing heavy traffic at their stands. Even out-of-state colleges such as The New School in New York City, American University in Washington D.C., the University of Phoenix, and the University of Medical and Health Science, St. Kitts, had representatives present at the fair. The New School’s self-designed bachelor’s program in Liberal Arts complements SMC’s programs. The university sees a handsome amount of interest from SMC students according to Matt Morgan, an admissions counselor at the college. “While the transfer market is constantly in flux, The New School Bachelor’s Program has steadily been enrolling transfer students over the past few years. With the job market’s noticeably smaller amount of offerings,

individuals are using this as a time to return to school, and earn higher credentials to increase professional opportunities,” said Morgan. Santa Monica College is wellknown for being the highest ranking community college in California for students transferring to USC, among other colleges, which explains why many colleges attend the SMC College Fair. Josef Preciado, a representative from Cal State Sacramento, said that SMC has a “high transfer rate, the students are well-prepared, and it’s simply a valuable place to be for a recruiter.” Many talented SMC transfer students acquire desired work opportunities immediately following graduation. Bruce Postman, a professor at Columbia College Hollywood, a nonprofit film school, hired former SMC student Saman Aledavoud as a cameraman. “SMC has superb film teachers,” said Postman. Columbia College Hollywood hasn’t seen a decline in transfer either according to Postman, the school’s student body still consists of about 50 percent transfer students, as it did before the economic downturn. “We’ve been holding steady. There has been no significant change,” said Postman. Not only recruiters enjoyed the fair, but students did as well. Keisha Thompson, an SMC business major, expressed her appreciation for the fair. “I had no idea what school I wanted to transfer to, but things are much clearer now,” said Thompson. “I didn’t even know I had to apply a year ahead. I’m really stressing now.”

Late professor honored by guild On Thursday, Oct. 6, the late screenwriter and Santa Monica College professor of screenwriting Evan Somers was commemorated at the Media Access Awards by president Allen Rucker, who honored him by renaming the Joan Young Media Access Award to the Evan Somers Media Access Award. The award show was hosted at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, with Somers sister Bianca Ohle and SMC counselor Tina Feiger in attendance. Somers passed away aged 52, on Oct. 11, 2010 due to heart failure. In spite of his passing, he is remembered as the witty and dedicated professor to those who knew him. He suffered a spinal cord injury after a diving accident in 1974, and at age 16 became a quadriplegic. After completing his rehabilitation at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital in Downey, he obtained his GED and started attending SMC. Despite the difficulties, Somers was very involved at the school. He was a disc jockey for KCRW, broadcasting daily from noon to 1:00 p.m. He also worked with then-President Richard Moore to assemble the first handicapped gym at SMC in 1983. One of his first classes was a screenwriting class taught by Heidi Crane, who was a great influence on him and led him to realize his talent in writing. He graduated with an associate degree in 1982 and transferred to University of California Santa Barbara where he received a B.A. in Psychology. Thereafter, he obtained a Master’s in communications from Loyola Marymount University, where he went on to teach communications and screenwriting for six years. Some of his work in entertainment included writing for television like

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By Eva Boguslawski Staff Writer

“Baywatch,” “Star Trek: Voyager,” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.”(verify) He also wrote and directed “The Seeker,” a 2005 documentary film about his mission to raise awareness about stem cell research, during which he also attempted to meet with Christopher Reeves. The film went on to win awards at three film festivals. In 2000, Somers acame back to SMC as a professor to share his knowledge and experience with screenwriting students. Many of his former students praised his teaching abilities on RateMyProfessor. com. One student said Somers was “deeply committed to motivating students and guiding them into writing scripts that will get attention in the film industry.” Somers became a member of the Writers Guild when he began working at Paramount Studios as a staff writer. He was one of the founding members of Media Access, and became president in 1999. “Media access focuses on diversity by honoring artists that raise awareness, promote accessibility, and show an accurate representation of the disability experience,” said Ohle. Because Somers was so influential, he won the Joan Young Media Access Award, which has now been renamed Evan Somers Media Access Award. The winner of this year’s award was producer Jason Katims. “Evan really supported the disabled to have a voice in the industry,” said Ohle. Ohle and Somers’ cousin, Paul Bergaust started the Evan Carlos Somers Endowment FundSomers’ . With a goal of reaching $10,000, it will create an SMC Scholarship Fund in his name. For anyone who would like to contribute to the Fund, Paul Bergaust can be reached at bergaustp@me.com.

. THECORSAIRONLINE.COM


OPINION|5

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19, 2011 - SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

SMC counselors open the doorway for transferring “WHAT’S SHE TALKING ABOUT??”

Illustration by Jhosef Hern By Fatou Samb · Staff Writer Transferring from a community college to a four-year university can be a daunting, stressful task. Students do not always know which classes to take to fulfill requirements, and the pressure of balancing school-work with other responsibilities can be too much to handle. A transfer is certainly possible with hard work and dedication, along with good counselors lending a helping hand.

At Santa Monica College, counselors are the most powerful resource students have in the transfer process. Thus, the quality of service offered is crucial to the success and well being of the student body. Given SMC’s transfer record, it can be assumed that the counseling department is doing a good job of helping students transfer. However, some students are dissatisfied with the quality of counseling services at SMC. These students sought patience and dedication from their counselors, but did not receive it. “It’s my second year at SMC, and I have already sampled five counselors. Some were more inattentive than others. This one counselor would stare idly into his Pandora music website while I talked,” said Jessica Chuan, Director of Financial Support for the SMC Associated Students. Some students have complained about the number of counselors—limited for a school that so widely advertises its transfer success rate. Students with busy schedules sometimes enter the counseling center to find themselves in a two-hour line, and simply leave. This leaves students with the option to see a five-minute express counselor, which may ultimately lead to an unsatisfying, short experience with limited information acquired. Laurie Guglielmo, chair of the counseling department, said in

an interview with the Corsair, “We would love to have more counselors, it would be easier for all of us, but there has been a real surge in the population. People are getting back from losing their jobs, and there is more pressure to get an education driving people over here. But with the budget crush, fewer services are available.” The beginning of a semester is always the most crucial time of the year for students to seek advice from their counselors. However, many students tend to wait until after they are enrolled to seek counseling advice, which makes the task a lot harder. One way to avoid the long lines would be to schedule an appointment with a counselor ahead of time, especially during a new session when the demands are higher. “It’s kind of like the DMV. If you don’t want to wait in line for hours, you’ve got to be proactive and get here on time,” Guglielmo said. Students have also debated the merits of advice given by some counselors and its inconsistency with that of others, which can further muddle the transfer path. According to Guglielmo, students ask different sets of questions of different counselors, often presenting new and distinct issues, to which each counselor will respond to accordingly. “Human interaction is fluid. Everything is

not black and white. A lot of factors have to be considered. [The counselors] do their best and screen all options according to the situation they’ve been presented,” said Guglielmo. Students must be very direct and clear with their counselors so that the counselors can understand their needs. This also applies to the counselors, who need to be clearer with their advice and information so students can better comprehend what they need to do. “After searching, I found that most counselors truly care about [students’] success, and my current counselor is extremely perceptive and knowledgeable,” said Chuan, Director of Financial Support for the AS. The Transfer Center holds a number of workshops throughout the year to help students fulfill IGETC and CSU Breadth Requirements. Students are strongly encouraged to attend these workshops to attain a clearer understanding of the transfer process. Taking advantage of the counseling department during a nonenrollment cycle is the most effective step students can take to ensure immediate service and overall satisfaction.As Guglielmo puts it, “It all comes down to timing. Schedule in advance, then we can really assist!”

By Maria Dimera · Staff Writer

Illustration by David J. Hawkins

A better effort will make SMC a smokefree campus

SMC is a “smoke-free” campus, with three designated, smoking areas for students to use when they feel the urge to light up. These designated areas should be the only places SMC students are seen smoking; yet students can still be seen strolling around the campus with a lit cigarette between their lips. The first designated smoking area at SMC is next to the parking structure on Pico Boulevard; the second is by the Art Complex, near the construction area, and the third is on Pearl Street, next to the Counseling Complex. Many SMC students seem to get the third location confused, because there is a widespread tendency to smoke on the grass square next to the Liberal Arts building instead of on the sidewalk on Pearl Street off of campus. There is a sign that says “Smoke Free Campus,” referring to board policy 2440, which states that “Santa Monica College is committed to providing a healthy, comfortable and productive environment, free from effects of secondhand smoke, for its students, faculty and staff. Smoking shall not be permitted in a District building, vehicle or facility, or on District grounds.” In spite of this, students still smoke on campus. It really seems as though the sign is just there for decoration, because no one pays attention to the fact that it’s not a designated smoking area. The sign doesn’t face the students that smoke in the area, and perhaps giving it a 180-degree spin could make a difference. It’s always a wishful thought, since too many students pile up in the area to smoke. Numerous times, police and other faculty staff members have walked past the square without making a fuss over students

smoking in the area. Students don’t even attempt to throw away their cigarettes when police officers walk past them, which shows they aren’t too concerned by the nonsmoking ordinance. SMC Campus Police Officer Mark Kessler said that if they see students smoke, they will “attempt to educate and advise students to where they may smoke.” It doesn’t seem like they are dealing with the problem very efficiently, or enforcing the policies in place. Surely there should be more action taken to keep SMC a smokefree campus. “If you smoke in a building or within 20 feet of a building, you can be cited into court. That state law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2004. If the offender is persistent and the officer has warned them more than a few times, student discipline would be the next step,” said Kessler. It would be a good idea to actually enforce the policy for a change, so that students would begin to take it more seriously. SMC enforces its plagiarism and cheating bans quite strictly, but the smoke-free campus policy seems to be, for the most part, meaningless. “I do believe the students have taken it a little more seriously once a referral was made, and for the most part, verbal warning would suffice,” said Kessler. “For a non-student, or a student who was very uncooperative, the Officers have the right to withdrawal of Consent to Remain on Campus. If they violate that order, they would be arrested for trespassing.” Disciplinary action should be brought against students who treat school policies as frivolous. The effect would be that those who are smoking on campus would see that this is a serious problem, and an obvious violation of an important policy. More people might also use the designated smoking areas, rather than smoking all over campus.

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Illustration by Jhosef Hern

David Allen, an SMC student, said the reason that students frequently smoke in non-designated areas is because no one is doing anything about it, and that they do not care enough to go elsewhere. “I wouldn’t smoke outside an actual building or by the library, but the square is definitely the spot to be at,” said Allen. Allen is right in saying that if staff and police aren’t doing anything about it, then the students won’t take the policy seriously, and will persist in violating this rule. “My friend got caught cheating and was reported to the disciplinary office, and I vowed to myself that I would never cheat after the consequences he faced,” said Allen. If more students were disciplined, then they will think twice before flagrantly violating school codes. No one should be forced to quit smoking just because they are at school, but they should have some sympathy for nonsmokers. It would be greatly appreciated.

. THECORSAIRONLINE.COM


6|ADVERTISEMENT

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19, 2011 - SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

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HEALTH + LIFE|7

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WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19, 2011 - SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

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By Nayla Paschoa · Staff Writer The sound of crashing waves only amplify the dubstep blaring from a boombox, as people of all ages and ethnicities swing through the traveling rings of the grownup playground, just south of the Santa Monica Beach Pier. The collection of rings is full of people wearing high-bar grips, leather gloves or chalk dust – to relieve pain and minimize sweat. The athletic congregation features acrobats, gymnasts and other people, who simply tried once and got hooked. “My personal feel on fitness is, if you’re not enjoying yourself, you’re doing something wrong,” said Atlaz Branthoover, 34, of Santa Monica. He and his friend, Allen Sagall, 43, of Los Angeles, practice clockwork – a style of swinging in which multiple people coordinate their swings and spins to go through rings simultaneously. “This is really fun. It’s like high-speed chess,” Branthoover said, adding that pull-ups and dips bore him. “The toys or activities that I play on have the tendency of being a lot of fun, and also being a really great exercise, so I get two things done at the same time. It’s very efficient.”

According to the website MuscleBeach. net, funded by the Work Projects Administration, Muscle Beach was originally built in Santa Monica Beach in 1934. In 1959, however, it was closed down due to an alleged instance of weightlifters partying with underage girls. Later that year and just a few miles south, Department of Recreation and Parks built what is now known as Muscle Beach Venice. Gary Bergner, 49, of Santa Monica, said he first tried the rings three years ago, and it took time for him to understand the technique of turning rather than pulling the ring. “The rings are just, like, fun, man,” Bergner said. “It’s cardio. It’s core, you know? It’s concentration and focus. The gliding and the swinging and the floating aspect of this – I found that I can work things out, like, if I’m upset about something, or if I’m trying to understand something.” Only able to swing on weekends, Bergner said he does it for as long as he can bear. “It depends on how much sunshine my bald head can take, you know what I mean?”

Bergner is not alone in using the rings as his only workout. “It’s a workout, plus it’s a fun workout, so you never know that you’re working out, and it’s also the freedom of flight,” said Frank Chapman, 22, a Texas Marine stationed in Seal Beach who lives in Santa Monica. Chapman practices the rings daily, and was filmed swinging on them for Fall Out Boy lead singer Patrick Stump’s solo video “Spotlight.” “My style is more of a falling style, because I still can’t quite fly yet,” Chapman said. He said his style is influenced by his early years of ballet training, so he bends his knees and points his toes while he uses the rings. “It’s, like, almost more cardio than it is anything, ‘cause I haven’t ran in a long time, and I just finished a physical training test, and ran an 18-minute three-mile,” Chapman said. Chapman’s advice to anyone trying out the rings is, to not let go, and to imagine each ring as the last. “It’s like a marathon,” Chapman said. “You can’t run a marathon without tricking yourself. It’s the same thing. You’ve got to get to the end.”

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Got something on your mind? Each week we will be answering your health and lifestyle questions in our column. You can send your questions to the Corsair at:

corsair. lifestylepage@ gmail.com

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8|HEALTH + LIFE

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19, 2011 - SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

Time to clear your head in bed By Mia Shilpi · Staff Writer The word “orgasm” alone can cause shockwaves, with reactions ranging from ecstasy to outrage. An orgasm, also called a climax, is defined by most references as the peak of sexual excitement, accompanied by a surge of hormones and involuntary muscular contractions throughout the body. People tend to know plenty about male orgasms, but the female orgasm is generally much more elusive. The sexual hormones estrogen and testosterone were only identified around the 1930s, and while prominent scholar of sex Alfred Kinsey was widely applauded for his studies concerning male sexuality in 1948, he was roundly scorned for daring to touch upon the female sexuality in 1953. From a biological standpoint, the female orgasm is shrouded in debate. As it is possible to reproduce without the female climaxing, its presence has baffled scientists for years. Sexuality was thought of as something originating entirely from the female hormone center, the ovaries, yet a New England Journal of Medicine report on testosterone patches showed that women could easily maintain a healthy sex life even after ovarian removal—in other words, it was all in the mind. Studies done by Women’s Health magazine suggest that only a quarter of women can regularly climax with a partner, with the rest of the women studied only climaxing some of the time or never. Compared with men—90 percent who get off 100 percent of the time, the prospects seem dismal. But all is not lost, as new research dawns on the female orgasm quite often. Female sexuality is generally more complicated. “Their bodies are kind of all over the place,” said John, a Santa Monica College student who requested his last name be withheld. “It becomes like a maze.”

“Even after I give him directions,” said his girlfriend Janae, who also requested her last name be withheld. SMC’s most used anatomy textbook Human Anatomy will tell you the clitoris, a little bundle of nerve endings found just at the top of the vagina, is completely superfluous; quite different from the

There is also much debate over the G-spot, a debated area within the vagina which can be stimulated by conventional intercourse and bring a woman to orgasm. Half the medical studies done suggest it does not exist, and of the ones that says it does, no one can completely agree on just where it is.

Amanda Bojorquez Corsair In order to successfully reach a climax, a female’s head must be free of thoughts that could disrupt her overall experience with sex, as opposed to the 90 percent of men who can achieve an orgasm 100 percent of the time. Photo taken at Dockweiler Beach in Los Angeles California.

penis, which serves the dual function of reproduction and urinating. The clitoris does little, its sole purpose for pleasure.

Britain’s Kings College has done a comprehensive study suggesting that the G-spot is largely a product of female

imagination, brought about by popular media and therapists, while ABC News has reported on many women claiming to have found theirs. Considering that even defining it is difficult – mostly it is a ‘sensitive area’ – evidence seems to simply suggest that some women are more sensitive than others. The biggest surprise, though, comes from the nervous system’s involvement in a woman’s orgasm. “When a woman reached orgasm, something unexpected happened: much of her brain went silent,” said Martin Portner, a Brazilian neurologist and publisher of Sexual Intelligence, in Scientific American’s The Sexual Brain. In contrast to the common myth that a woman’s pleasure is derived from emotional contentment, her pleasure is actually much more physical than his, and requires her to actively stop thinking. Combined with the pressures on women to “think” their way through sex, it is suddenly no wonder that so few women achieve orgasm. Whereas a man might be able to use sex to burn off stress and stop thinking, a woman needs to be rid of stress and stop thinking beforehand in order to have good sex. So what is the point? Women: stop worrying. Thinking too much during sex can block an orgasm. And while popular media will always boast special spots and tricks, the reality is every woman’s body is different and needs different things to feel good. Exploring with partners to find out what feels good, as well as verbally communicating what works and what does not, will lead to better sex lives. Men: take her mind off of everything when in bed. Something as simple as letting women know you think they are beautiful naked, and that you are not in a rush to climax yourself can be a huge relief for worried women, making the experience more enjoyable for both.

Using writing as a Lifeline By Zoie Matthew · Staff Writer Louise Steinman, Director of Cultural Programs for the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, author of two books, numerous essays, articles, and curator of Los Angeles Public Library’s popular ALOUD series, spoke last Thursday at an event for part of Santa Monica College’s fall Literary Lecture Series. As English professor and organizer Hari Vishwanadha puts it, the tenyear tradition brings in “interesting, fascinating, creative people, who reconnect us with the essential, necessary mystery and exhilaration of reading.” Since 1993, the award winning ALOUD program has brought the city over a thousand events featuring artists and prominent figures in topics from politics to science. The purpose of these events is to stimulate dialogue, and to teach tolerance of different points of view to Angelinos. Steinman spoke of how her 2002 memoir “The Souvenir: A Daughter

Discovers her Father’s War,” had spawned with her discovery of about 500 letters that her father wrote to her mother during World War II, illustrating her use of “biography, geography, and time” in writing. “Writing was his lifeline,” said Steinman. “Just as writing is mine today.” Steinman went on to explain how these letters, which painted a portrait of a version of her father that she never knew, led her on an enlightening journey to the places where this young man had listened to guns booming, kept puppies and monkeys as pets with his comrades, dreamed of Dagwood sandwiches, and fought a war that would leave him forever changed. Her research for the memoir also gave her a chance to meet the enemy. Her discovery of a Japanese flag with an inscribed personal message that her father had sent home as a war souvenir set her off on a mission to Japan in order find the family of the Japanese soldier, and gave her the

opportunity to provide the surviving family members of this young man with a sense of closure. Steinman also gave the audience a glimpse into her new book, The Crooked Mirror: My Conversation with Poland, in which she delves into another untold family story; the story of her Polish ancestors. This upcoming work will tell the tale of how, inspired by her mother’s unwillingness to speak of her grandparents’ lives in a small Polish town, she set off to explore her history and wound up spending a powerful week at Auschwitz, where she overcame her “inherited prejudice” against Poles. The next lecture in the series, which takes place Nov. 8 in HSS 165 at 11:15 a.m., will feature internationally noted science writer Margaret Wertheim, and will explore the role of outsider science and the role of imagination in theoretical physics.

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Paul Alvarez Jr. Corsair Louise Steinman speaks about her book “The Souvenir: A Daughter Discovers Her Father’s War” in the HSS building room 165 at the main campus of Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, Calif. on Oct.13. Steinman discovered the letters that her dad wrote while he was in World War 2.

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A + E|9

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19, 2011 - SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

SMC and Ed Begely Jr. revision Cesar Chavez By Melanie Rudkiewicz · Staff Writer Dressed in colorful Mexican costumes, a cast of singers and dancers cavort on stage powerfully singing in Spanish while breaking into English dialogue; part of this play’s envisioned path into the afterlife. “Cesar and Ruben” is a musical tribute written by environmental activist Ed Begley Jr. and dedicated to civil rights figure Cesar Chavez. Through an eclectic array of music, dance, imagery and an imagined conversation with former L.A. Times reporter Ruben Salazar, Begley and director Perviz Sawoski plan to translate a movement through a musical. Chavez, a Mexican-American labor leader, worked to improve the rights and working conditions of the migrant farm workers in the south-western United States during the 1960’s and 70’s, and then founding the United Farm Workers of America. As an environmental activist and close friend of Chavez, Begley was inspired to resurrect and tell Chavez’s story after “bearing the great sadness of having carried his coffin through the streets.” The production has only been performed three times since it was written in 2003 and this year Begley reconstructed the original script, which made its debut at the Santa Monica College Main Stage last Friday. Constructed in what Begley refers to as

“reverse engineering,” this “jukebox style” production features a variety of songs in Spanish by Sting, Carlos Santana, Ruben Blades, and is performed by a live band led by Gary Gray, the production’s musical director. If you’re expecting sequined frocks, alongside a karaoke-style variety of pop songs, be warned, “we are approaching the music from a theatrical point of view, as opposed to a pop singer point of view,” says Gray. Arthur Rodriguez, active SMC student and grandson of the late Chavez, was in attendance for the play’s SMC premiere. He felt that the opening of this production occurred with “impeccable timing.” “The story relates remarkably to current society,” said Rodriguez. “The message translates across to anybody.” The direction of the play was clear, the music brought the production together and the ensemble visibly put their best into the performance. “Cesar and Ruben” debuted at the SMC Main Stage on Oct. 14, and has additional dates scheduled for Oct. 22 and 23. Tickets are priced at $20 for general admission with discounts for students, SMC employees, and senior citizens. For tickets call (310) 434-4319.

Claire Apana Corsair Carlos Padilla sits on stage as Cesar Chavez in the play “Cesar and Ruben” at the Santa Monica College Main Stage on Wednesday, Oct. 12.

Inflatable art canvases quad Look above the quad—it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s –– art? Many a nighttime passerby caught a glimpse of the curious art installation still in progress. For the past week, Art 13 students and their instructor have been testing inflatable art pieces before showing to the whole campus. They have been doing this during their 3-D design class. Emily Silver, professor of art, is orchestrating this display in her first semester at SMC. She assigned the inflatable art to her class as a contribution to this year’s Global Citizenship theme of “Health, Wellness, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” One of her students is Randall Foster. “We were given the option to interpret the theme, what it meant to us,” Foster said of the project. The art pieces are mostly made of plastic drop cloth and packing-tape. “It started out as just a class assignment, but we wanted to showcase them to the community,” said Foster. “So all of SMC could be part of this project.” Silver said in an email interview, “I think it’s a great way to create a dialogue throughout the college amongst peers.”

By Juan Lopez . A&E Editor

“Art has the power of bringing people together and forming a new way of communicating,” said Silver. “So hopefully this display will reach across boundaries and start fresh conversations between people.” Though they only recently started staging their work in the quad, they have been working on the pieces and testing them for the last four weeks. Assisting Foster on a piece that resembles a large wave were classmates Peter Sardo, Kathy Chin, and John Busse. Sardo said of the piece, “The main idea was shock and awe, to be ridiculously big.” The hours were daunting for all involved, but the artists were proud of the end result. “What I liked was the frustration—to me, it was the discovery,” said Chin. Pardo said: “We learned a lot. I kind of want to do it again.” “As for displaying the pieces, everyone has been very supportive and helpful to get this to happen,” said Silver. “I am very thankful. There were no issues at all.” The art will be on display this Thursday, Oct. 20, on the quad from 1 to 5 p.m.

Janae Franklin Corsair SMC student helps set up a 3D sculpture in the quad on the main campus. It was created by an art class on campus on Tuesday, Oct. 18 in Santa Monica, Calif.

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10|A+E

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19, 2011 - SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

Homecoming activities give weeklong variety By Mia Shilpi . Staff Writer Homecoming Week is kicking off on Monday, Oct. 21, with related events throughout the week to help promote school spirit, culminating in a football game against the L.A. Valley College Monarchs on Saturday. The deadline for the first event, a Student Homecoming Poster contest, is scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday. Students must submit their designs to the Associated Students office and the winning student club will receive $300. More information about the contest can be found in the A.S. Office (Cayton Center Room 202). Students are encouraged to wear SMC apparel all week - on Tuesdays and Thursday, for a chance to win free ice cream. “If you come in your SMC attire, you’re going to get a coupon for a free ice cream, and you have to redeem it at Eat Street,” says Jordan Horn, A.S. Primary Commissioner and Homecoming Committee member. The coupons will be handed out in the Quad areas. Tuesday will also feature a “Huff and Puff ” football game - a Students versus Staff flag football game on the Corsair field. Students can sign up to play in the A.S. Office. Additionally, on Wednesday all SMC apparel will be sold at a discount. “We want everyone to have SMC apparel at the game,” says Horn. Thursday will see Club Row, where SMC clubs, groups, and student organizations will present their clubs in booths across the Quad. In conjunction, the A.S. will also be holding a Homecoming Idol - it’s

free to sign up for, and the winner will perform the National Anthem on Saturday at the homecoming game. The cosmetology department will also be offering pirate themed face painting. On Saturday at 1 p.m., the Corsair football team will host its Homecoming game, where they will be facing off against the L.A. Valley College Monarchs. The first 300 students to arrive at the game will receive a gift bag with a free shirt and a coupon for a free sandwich. Any students who arrive dressed as pirates will be entered to win iPads, laptops, and other Apple products. There will also be a Halftime Kick Contest - two students will try to kick a football across the field goal and into a truck bed, with a first place prize of $10,000. While it will be the football team on the spotlight, the entire athletic department will be honored at halftime, with brief introductions for all the sports teams at SMC. Joe Cascio, Project Manager for the SMC Athletics Department, says, “It’ll be nice to get some recognition for the whole athletic department...it’s an exciting time for students.”

Pardee and Skinner butcher pop culture

Michael Yanow Corsair Santa Monica College homecoming festivities start Friday, October 21 with the Student Homecoming Poster Contest and concluding with the homecoming football game on Saturday, October 29 against LA Valley at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif.

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Artwork by Alex Pardee and Skinner hung on the walls of Gallery 1988: Melrose during the Butcher Kings show opening on Thursday Oct. 6 in Los Angeles, Calif.

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SPORTS|11

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19, 2011 - SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

womens volleyball

Corsairs Fall In Straight Sets

lady corsairs defense has another shutout By Michael Mejia . Staff Writer

By Jonathan Ghattas Staff Writer The Santa Monica College women’s volleyball team looked to hand Pierce College their first loss of the season this past Wednesday at the Corsair Pavilion but the Corsairs’ all-freshman lineup was not able to match up against Pierce, as they won in straight sets, 25-12, 25-20, and 2514. With the win, Pierce has now gone nine straight matches without losing a set. They currently sit atop the Western State Conference with an overall record of 18-0 and 3-0 record in conference play. The Corsairs now drop to 6-7 overall and 1-3 in conference play. The first set started off close, as the Corsairs battled back and forth with the Brahma Bulls, exchanging points early. Freshman Catie Roberts ended one of the long rallies with a spike, which pulled the Corsairs back to a 5-4 deficit, but this was the closest they would get the entire match. After a quick rally, Pierce pulled away to take a 10-5 lead, forcing Corsair head coach, Nicole Ryan, to call a timeout. “As a coach you want to break the other teams momentum, the other part of it is to give the girls some strategies and get them refocused on what they need to do,” said Ryan. This would be a theme throughout the game as Ryan used every possible timeout she had to help her team get back on track. Ryan would call another timeout later in the first game to again try and slow Pierce’s momentum, but it would have no effect. Pierce controlled the first set, winning 2512. Pierce picked off where they left off in the second set, going up 7-2 early on. Ryan was forced to take another timeout, but this time it was more effective. The Corsairs trailed 13-10 and found themselves within striking distance. Yet the Brahma Bulls never looked phased and again went on a rally, this time pulling away for the rest of the game. Pierce would take their second straight set by a score of 25-20. Heading into the third set, Ryan was concerned with keeping her girls focused and concentrated to avoid a three-set sweep. “We didn’t really focus on being down 0-2, were thinking about what we needed to do to get back into this game,” said Ryan. In the end, the Bulls proved to be too tough. Pierce again reached double-digits before the Corsairs could, something they did in all three sets. Down 16-7, Ryan took SMC’s final timeout, in attempt to give her team a breather and slow the game down. This seemed to be too little too late, though, as Pierce had controlled the match from the start, and would go on to win the third and final set, 25-14. Even with a line-up full of freshman, Ryan believes her team will be able to recover and rebound for their next conference game. “They’re still learning a lot, some of our girls who are playing are really raw and that sometimes comes out in pressure situations,” said Ryan.

The Lady Corsairs next will host Citrus College on Wednesday, Oct. 19.

Scott Smith Corsair #9 Arely Blanco of L.A. Pierce College and #46 Sam Li from SMC disagree on which direction this ball should go next. The match would end in a scoreless draw at Corsair Stadium in Santa Monica, Calif. on Oct. 11.

A strategic flourish from Lady Corsairs coachSanta Monica College women’s soccer head c Aaron Benditson has, left reporters to wonder if he had prepared a special defense for the game against Pierce College. In actuality, both teams put inhad a stellar defensive performance,effort and after 90 -minutes of play, the gamescore ended in a 0-0 draw at Corsair Field last Tuesday, Oct.ober 11. The Santa Monica Corsairs (4-5-3) were coming off a two-game winning streak and were looking to bring their Western State Conference (WSC) win total to 3-0-1 against the Pierce Bulls (8-3-2). “The effort was fantastic,” said Benditson, albeitalthough hewho also expressed that he felt that histhe team struggled offensively. Forward Desire Kober, midfielder Sara Barrington, and Patterson dribbled the ball well for the Corsairs, stretching out the Bulls’ defense down the sideline. Despite the early attack, the Corsairs were unable to connect on their lead passes and lost opportunities. Defensively wasDefense is where where the Corsairs’ shoneined. They were

lead by defender Yaya Godinez, whom Benditson called a, “Fantastic athlete,” and goalkeeper, Katherine Alvarenga. “She definitely kept us in the game,” said the Corsairs’ captain, Olivia Patterson, about Godinez. “She worked her butt off ... and I’m proud of her.” While the offense struggled, Corsair Alvarenga made sure the score stayed even. Her first save of the match came in a dramatic fashion, as she lost control of the ball after hitting the turf, but was still able to recover it in traffic. “We put her in a tough position with our first-year keeper having left,” said Benditson. She was learning in this game.” Alvarenga had another dramatic save in the second -half - punching the ball up and over the crossbar with 33 minutes on the clock. “She came up with a big save on a free kick that kept us in the game,” said Benditson. “She’s doing great.” At the 70-minute mark, fans got awere given a scare when the Bulls’ Edith Dominguez and Gabby Rodriguez of the Corsairs collided head to head after both players jumped for the ball. They remained on the ground for a few minutes,

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but luckily the two were well enough to walk offd. With five minutes remaining in the match Corsair midfielder Briana Mackey had the go-ahead shot on goal, but the ball was deflected out of bounds for an SMC corner kick. In a strange turn of events, a yellow card was given to Bulls’ head coach Adolfo Perez shortly after the corner kick for making too many sideline comments. The call would not impact the match, however, and even though SMC spent the last three minutes of stoppage time in Bulls’ territory, they could not get a shot on goalff. “I think we were afraid to open up against this team a little bit, just for the fear they’re quick on the break,” said Benditson. “They’re fit, they have a couple of dynamic players that run at you and create a lot of havoc. , It was a fair result.” “We accomplished what we wanted to, but we didn’t necessarily get the result we were looking for.” said Patterson. “But a tie is nothing to hang our heads about - I’m proud of my team.” The Corsairs’ next home game is Tuesday, Oct.ober 25 at Bakersfield College.

. THECORSAIRONLINE.COM


ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

by Myles Johnson

12|SPORTS

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19, 2011 - SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

Jamillet Maldonado

Surfing

for

A

Cause

The fourth annual Project Save Our Surf helps local beaches fight pollution

Photo by Jeannie Cole

Year: Sophomore Sport: Women’s Cross Country Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif. Major: Nutrition

What’s your greatest sports memory?

The Golden West meet was my greatest sports memory - I went up 20 places from last year. Last year I came in 56th place and this year I came in 36th place. So it was a huge improvement for me.

Who influences you and why?

I’d have to say my High School Coach Ron Brummel. He encouraged me to keep going. No matter how hard an event was, he pushed me and trained me to get better. If you could have lunch with anybody, who would it be? Of course my favorite band, My Chemical Romance with Gerald Way, Mikey Way, Ray Toro, and Frank Iero.

What was the last movie you saw?

”Dream House,” and it was not good at all. On a scale of 1 to 10 I give it a 2.’’ What is your favorite hobby outside of sports? I like to bake vegan pastries. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Teleportation, so I can go from one place to another in a heartbeat. I think it would just be fun.

What is your favorite family tradition?

Christmas is my favorite tradition, getting all of the family together—and I just like to open presents.

What are your plans after SMC?

I want to transfer to Syracuse University, continue my career as a runner, and get a degree in nutrition. If not, then stay in Los Angeles and help my family.

How did you get into cross country?

Back in seventh grade I met this girl Anastasia who really loved running, and she got me into it. Since then I started to run and I love it.

If you couldn’t do cross country, what would you do? I would try swimming. If I’m not running, I’ll be somewhere in a pool.

Women’s cross country runner Jamillet Maldonado looks to improve from her last meet where she placed 41th in the 5k in Santa Barbara. The 5’2” cross country runner has had a phenomenal year, looks to continue her road-running season at SMC’s next meet at the Western States Conference Championship on Oct. 25 at Cuesta. “I’m just hoping the whole team can make it to finals this year,” Maldonado said.

Roger Morante Corsair Fifteen-year-old pro surfer Trae Candy cuts through the lip on his longboard in support of Project Save Our Surf (S.O.S.) during the pro circuit heat at the Surf 24 event off Pier 28 in Santa Monica, Calif. on Oct. 16. The goal of Project S.O.S. is to make people aware of the polluted ocean waters of the Santa Monica coastline.

By Mai Sims . Staff Writer A surfer relies on many things while surfing such as the size of the waves, the wax on the board, balance when timing the “pop-up,” and many other elements. What may not cross the minds of many, but is essential for a surfer, is the quality of the water. The fourth annual Project Save our Surf (S.O.S) reached out this past weekend Oct. 15, 16, to the citizens of Santa Monica and adjacent areas, bringing awareness to Santa Monica Bay’s poor health collaborating with celebrities, pro surfers, and first time surfers. In collaboration with Surf 24, the “SurfA-Thon” took place between lifeguard towers 27 and 28, just south of the Santa Monica pier (Ocean Park and Barnard Way) where several participants joined together to save the bay. Actress Tanna Frederick founded Project S.O.S. four years ago when she saw the need for someone to step-up and help take care of the water. Being an avid surfer, her idea of bringing surfing and charity together for the ocean made the decision to start the fundraiser obvious for Frederick. “I’m tired of paddling out and having. like, Cheetos wrappers, baby diapers,

and cans in the water,” Frederick said. “There’s a lot of trash you don’t see, unless you’re in the water surfing.” There was a weekend total of 22 heats, with celebrity participants such as John Slattery, Jesse Spencer, and Tate Donovan. Pro-surfers Jesse Timm and Buttons Kaluhiokalani were present, while several first-time surfers were helped by pro surfer and instructor Frank Caronna, before they tackled the waves. The event raised close to $15,000, which went towards organizations whose mission is to help repair the bay, such as Santa Monica Baykeeper. Other beneficiaries on site included, Inside the Outdoors, Buccaneer Board Riders, Waves for Water, and Ocean Force. “The ocean’s been so good to me, I’ve got to give something back,” said Caronna, who has been giving private surfing lessons in Santa Monica for the past 8 years, and was happy to donate his time and money to the cause. “I’ve been involved since the beginning. It’s nice to bring it back to Santa Monica.” Eleven teams participated, with the amateur heats having no skill requirements.

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Pro-surfers and actors surfed in their own separate heats. Each heat lasted 45 minutes, and during that time each surfer helped raise money, with 100 percent of all donations going to charity. The goal was for each team to raise $5000 in donations by Oct. 30. Due to website malfunctions personal fundraising cannot be done, but donations can still be given to each team. Saturday’s S.O.S. event was followed by a blue-carpet gala at Frederick’s home in Santa Monica, to further raise money for charity. A special performance by singer Samantha Mumba was included. “I’m so happy, it’s very blissful,” Frederick said about the weekend’s outcome the surf event. For Frederick, project S.O.S. is finally reaching levels that she had always hoped for. “The past three years has been like ‘What am I doing? What’s going happen?’” Fredrick said. “It’s settling in, it’s its own thing now. That’s kind of what I wanted it to be when I started it four years ago. The fact that this year it’s kind of running itself is wonderful.”

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