Corsair The Santa Monica College
Informing Since 1929
www.thecorsaironline.com
Volume C, Issue 5
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
City ordinances smoking residents out of Santa Monica
Contract education raises revenue, and eyebrows
Stringent anti-smoking ordinances are proving inordinately difficult to put into practice.
In a move that has raised certain questions, six contract education classes have been added to the fall schedule at SMC.
By Alexandra Leighton Staff Writer
By Miles Arnold Staff Writer
Since Santa Monica’s expanded no smoking ordinance took effect on Sept 9, many residents living in multiple family residences have found themselves with nowhere to go. Last year’s expansion of the No Smoking Ordinance, which added public areas like courtyards within apartment buildings to the list of places the city prohibits smoking is minor compared to this year’s inclusion of multi-family residential balconies, patios, porches, and other outdoor locations that come within 25 ft of another’s property. A violation of Ordinance 2318 is punishable by a courtordered fine, and only requires a brief notification phone call to Santa Monica Police. Patricia Hoffman, co-chair for Santa Monicans for Renter’s Rights, remains opposed to the expansion of the ordinance primarily because the expansion lacks protection for residents of multi-family dwellings by “not creating grounds for people to get evicted.” Hoffman has known a lot of families where the kids have been in and out of rehab, do not use drugs anymore, but continue to smoke. This places the parents of recovering addicts in a virtually unsolvable
[See SMOKING, page 3]
Michelle Ponder Corsair Mayor Villaraigosa meeets audience members at the Broad Theatre Oct 4. As part of the inaugural gala hosted by SMC’s Public Policy Institute, Villaraigosa and Karen Bass held a public conversation chaired by former state senator Sheila Kuehl.
Politics takes center stage By Jonathan Bue Staff Writer
shifted to education. Early in the proceedings, Villaraigosa stated that he believed, “The issue of education is the civil rights issue of our time,” and called education the biggest challenge to the economy. Former Speaker Bass added
avoiding educational cuts. Currently, California runs on a supermajority vote of two-thirds, An intimate side of politics one of only two other states to do was on full display Monday so and have only recently come night as former state senator to a budget compromise. Sheila Kuehl hosted Mayor Other topics emphasized Antonio Villaraigosa and later in the night were crime, current US Congressprisons, and the ional candidate Karen related legislation. “We have memories of a nanosecond, Bass at Santa Monica’s Bass made the we forget where the economy was Broad Stage Theater. It argument that voters was the inaugural gala of participate in what before he came into office.” Santa Monica College’s she calls a “collective -Karen Bass Public Policy Institute dysfunction” founded earlier this year of California by Kuehl. that by the time she had left legislature. As an example, Bass The conversation between the speakership, California’s points out how 12 new prisons the speakers covered a variety budget had shrunk from 110 to had to be built because of the of topics ranging from local 83 billion dollars with over $11 three strikes law and emotional California politics to President billion cut from K-12 education. decision making by the voting Barack Obama, with the main Bass implied that a measure public. focus placed on public policy. like Proposition 25, a ballot Villaraigosa agreed that one With over 400 in attendance, measure that would reduce person committing a crime, and a majority of which were SMC voter threshold to a simple deserving jail, is not reflective students, dialogue quickly majority, would be a step in [See GALA, page 3]
During the fourth week of the fall semester, Santa Monica College began offering, through a contract education agreement, six new classes that are available only to current international students. While this move is forecasted to boost revenue for the college, there remains among the college faculty skepticism regarding the apparent lack of information revealed about the contract. “We’ve been doing contract education for as long as I can remember,” said Teresita Rodriguez, SMC’s vice president of enrollment development. She explained that “contract education is when a school enters a contract with a third party to provide a certain service whether its providing courses for teachers, or in this case, classes for students.” In recent months, SMC administration has faced a tough uphill battle to maintain classes for its student population. Through this current contract with AC College Associates (ACCA), a Hong Kong based company that provides American education opportunities for international students, the school has opened up classes in biology, economics, history, and ESL.
[See CO ED, page 3]
AS infighting delays decision over student fee, again By Ariana Masters Staff Writer Three weeks into the ongoing debate over the $1.50 student organizing fee, and once again the Santa Monica College Associated Students Board of Directors has postponed the vote. With only one item on the agenda – the vote on rescinding the student organizing fee - the board decided for the third week in a row to push the vote back another week, to Oct. 11. This latest meeting quickly sparked a heated debate with the mention of a possible conflict of interest within
the board. This prompted AS President Tiffany Inabu to question whether, “Vince [Slevin], being the Coordinator of the New Voters Project, falls under ‘Conflict of Interest?’” Reacting to the issue, Chantelle Eastman, AS vicepresident, felt that she had been “betrayed by a member on this board.” In response to Eastman’s comment, Slevin stated, “First of all, I feel that I am being personally attacked. I have not hidden the fact that I am a part of the New Voters Project, and everyone knows that I have been involved with CALPIRG.”
“Any organization or club that any of us here are involved with can apply for funding from the studentorganizing fee. Are we all conflicts of interest? This is ludicrous.” Following the meeting, Slevin stated that, “CALPIRG provides a voice for students, which benefits everyone. Without this fee, there wouldn’t be a CALPIRG chapter and students essentially would lose their voice.” Polarized feelings regarding the $1.50 student organizing fee are being witnessed all throughout the AS board. Michael Song,
student trustee, said that, “the student organizing fee would benefit students. They do a lot of the things that AS should do.” “The only option should be an ‘option in system’ that is specifically for CALPIRG, because it is what the people voted for,” said Max Morgan, who attended the meeting. As it stands the AS fee is option out. Slevin acknowledged that if the vote were to be postponed and no action is made in the future, the fee will be automatically implemented in the winter. “If we don’t vote, it will go into effect.”
Ariana Masters Corsair Vince Slevin, director of budget management and coordinator of the New Voters project, at Monday’s AS Board meeting. A heated debate waged in which the decision regarding the $1.50 student organizing fee was postponed for another week.