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CORSAIRvolume 108 issue 3 • September 24, 2014 • santa monica college FiRST COPY OF THE CORSAIR IS FREE, EACH COPY AFTER IS 25C

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CorsairNews

Associated Students elect new members - PG 5

Heal the Bay cleans up the coast - PG 4

Tarfest offers plethora of art and music - PG 6

Profile of a Spartan player Steven Tart - PG 12

Inside the rage: South central marches against police Brutality Pg. 5

for extended coverage visit us at thecorsaironline.com • @the_c orsair • /thecorsairnews • /thecorsaironline

volume 108 issue 3 • September 24, 2014 • santa monica college 2 contents/News

Jose Lopez CorsairDarrell Jackson marches down Broadway to demand justice in the police shooting of Ezell Ford in Los Angeles, California on September 20, 2014. Ezell Ford was unarmed and shot by the LAPD Newton Division on August 11th, only two days after the much publicized shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Jackson shared his thoughts on how the law enforcement system works by saying that, “At the end of the day we can get judged by the police and by judges, but they cant get judged by nobody”.

Letters to the Editor

Dedicated to Alci Rengifo,Regardless of what Cuba has now become,

when the original revolution took place in 1959, Che and the guerrillas showed that the imperialists could be defeated.We tend to relegate these revolutionary

aspirations solely to those of the developing nations, but it is not just the third-world peasants who deserve to be liberated, we deserve to be free as well. Make no mistake, we are an oppressed

population. We are rapaciously mined for our labor by the elite, the generated capital flowing steadily uphill to an enclave of unchecked hedonism and privilege. A simple glance at the wealth inequality running rampant across the country should be enough to fill us with rage. This fact should be even more pronounced

for our demographic, as student debt, which has now surpassed $1 trillion in the US, combine with the inevitable decline of the pilfered economy to erode our prospects at living a dignified existence. As the middle-class is systematically

dismantled, many of us will graduate from school to enter the workforce, where we will sell our labor to an institution in exchange for subsistence wages. This is the prostitution that is demanded of us by the corporate state. We oblige. As long as we do not make

trouble, and as long as we stick to the plan, we are told that all will be well. And yet only the most naive of us do not notice that something is profoundly wrong with the world that we live in. We pretend to live in a democracy, but

what have we really voted for? Did you vote for any of the wars in Iraq?

Did you vote to bomb the Assad regime? Did you vote to support the FSA terrorists? Did you vote to fund the fascist genocide taking place in East Ukraine? Did you vote to give your money hand

over fist to the banks and hedge-funds? Do you even vote at your job? Democracy has been reduced to a regular

spectacle every four years, where we gossip about the latest political debutante. The corporate media distracts us with

contentious non-issues such as gay-marriage, immigration, and abortion, while the elite continue raping the last vestiges of the planet’s resources, polluting our oceans and air, obliterating impoverished people with bombs as though a game. Che was willing to fight and die for an

idea in which he believed whole-heartedly, he wanted to help make the world a better place for mankind. This is the true lesson we need to take

away from this man. Do not be afraid of doing what you know

is right. Do not be afraid of speaking out your beliefs. Together we will march through the

empty city lots, we will wade through the oil spills and the leaking radiation, we will climb beyond the fracking wells, we will walk through the cemeteries honoring the dead. We will march, and from a lowly vista, we will see that we have arrived at the palace of Versailles.Hasta la victoria siempre,Takoma Park

In the September 10, 2014 issue of The Corsair, Managing Editor Jonathan Ramos in his article, “Janay Rice, a messenger of domestic abuse” criticized Janay Rice’s words and actions post the knockout punch she received at the hands of her current husband, ex NFL football star Ray Rice. While it appears to me after reading this article that Mr. Ramos does not condone in any form the abuse of Ray Rice towards his then fiancée, now wife, I think that Jonathan Ramos’ criticism of Janay Rice’s actions in support of her abusive husband is a simplified analysis of this tragedy. Having been myself a victim of abuse as a child at the hands of my father, I know that victims of abuse have tangled feelings of anger, confusion, shame, and love for their abusers. I was ashamed of being hit in public and having other people witness the abuse I received. I was angry and confused as to why my father would do this to me. I loved my father the times when he was kind and generous with me. It’s not a neat and simple story of the abuser being evil, so therefore if Janay Rice defends her husband the abuser as Mr. Ramos writes, “maybe she should wake up, and take into consideration how other women may feel about domestic abuse.”

Janay Rice and Ray Rice have a child they are raising. How will Ms. Rice care for this child once she leaves her husband? I wonder if Mr. Ramos and others who are quick to criticize Janay Rice will send her monetary and other support to raise her child once she leaves her abusive husband.The only guilty party in this whole affair is

Ray Rice. There is never any justification for a man to knockout a woman. Ray Rice should be prosecuted for domestic violence. Let’s not though, once again blame the victim, Janay Rice, who Mr. Ramos writes, “continue to hide from the brutality of domestic violence.” Janay Rice, through no fault of her own, was beaten up by a famous man. She has a right to privacy in her private life. While I believe we need to discuss these

issues in our classrooms, and our homes, and in our places of work, and make aggressive changes to lessen the occurrence of these abusive events in society, we do no justice to victims of abuse by criticizing their actions in the immediacy following tragic events such as occurred in this case. Thank you. Eric Minzenberg, PhDProfessor of AnthropologyChair Global Concil

Please send your comments, thoughts opinions and corrections to the editor in chief at [email protected]. The Corsair reserves the right to publish all letters sent by readers and the general public unless privacy is specifically requested. In order to be considered for print, letters must be submitted by 5 P.M. Monday evening and The Corsair reserves the right to edit submitted letters when nesecary due to content or length considerations

Regarding: “Thoughts on a Cuban Summertime”

Regarding: “Janay Rice a messenger of domestic abuse”

Brandon BarsugLi Corsair

Santa Monica College Womens Waterpolo player Indigo Monk passing the ball during a home match against Santa Barbara City College on September 17,2014. The Corsairs lost this match 14-2. So far this season, they have lost 7 straight games, and have 11 more to play before the season ends in November.

c o r s a i r s t a f fZafar Acar, Brandon Barsugli, Scott Bixler, Carlos Espinosa, Adrien Piteux, James Powel, Luis Salvador, Raven Newaly, Brenda Cruz, Matthew Toss, Stacy Ellen, Jeffrey Chacon, Stella Ngigi, Carlos Espinosa, Alfredo Gutierrez, Zoila Campos, Jacqueline Rodriguez, Jillisa Jenkins, Yasha Hawkins, Branisolv Jovanovio, Jose Gutierrez, Catherine Drabicki, Julianne Oseberg, Nour Kabbani, Farhanah Ali, Devin Page, Jason Biney, Jose Lopez, Sherrie Dickinson, Patricia Stallone, Ava Gandy, Nicholas Cardona, Nick Carrion, Veronika Kacha, Hans Saudestroem, Tony Peterson, Adriane Hale, Tiffany Hernandez, Mary Leipziger, Claudius West, Deni Rodriguez, Richard Lewis, Brandon Wong,

Dominique Maddox, Maddy Weber, Lorena G.

F A C U L T Y A D V I S O R SS a u l R u b i n &

G e r a r d B u r k h a r tA D I N Q U I R I E S :

co rsa i r.admanage r@gmai l . c om(310) 434 - 4033

E D I T O R I A L S T A F FAlci Rengifo ··········· Editor-in-Chiefc o rs a i r. e d i t o r i n ch i e f@gma i l . c omJonathan Ramos ·····Managing Editorc o rs a i r.mana g i n g@gma i l . c omRachel Gianuario ·········News Editorc o rs a i r. n e w spa g e@gma i l . c omPaulian Eriksson·····Health & LifestyleEl in Edkha l ·····Health & Lifestyle c o rs a i r. l i f e s t y l e p a g e@gma i l . c omc o rs a i r. c a l e n da r pa g e@gma i l . c omc o rs a i r. o p i n i o n pa g e@gma i l . c omJames Powel ·············· Sports Editorc o rs a i r. s p o r t s p a g e@gma i l . c omRonja Jansz ........ Multimedia Directorc o rs a i r.mu l t im e d i a d e p t@gma i l . c omMia Duncans ············ Photo EditorLiz Phillips ··············· Photo Editorc o rs a i r p h o t o e d i t o r@gma i l . c omJuan Lopez . . . . . . .D ig i t a l Ed i to rc o rs a i r.w e b e d i t o r@gma i l . c omCollective Effort ·········Design Editorc o rs a i r. d e s i g n t e am@gma i l . c omJhosef Hern ···················Illustratorc o rs a i r c a r t o o n@gma i l . c om


volume 108 issue 3 • September 24, 2014 • santa monica college 3news

On Saturday, the streets of South Central Los Angeles were again the site of small, but determined protests sparked by the recent shooting death of Ezell Ford by Los Angeles Police Department officers.Ford, a mentally disabled, 19-year-old

black male, was shot by LAPD officers Sharlton Wampler and Antonio Villegas last month when they claimed he refused to obey orders and attempted to take one of the officers’ guns.The shooting took place two days after

the highly controversial police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri which sparked weeks of street protests by angry local residents.For those who were neighbors to Ford,

like Jasmine Harris, and knew him since childhood, his killing did not come as a surprise. An hour before the latest march demanding

the officers who shot Ford be arrested and tried, Harris, a life-long Southcentral resident, sat in her car reminiscing about life in this struggling area and lamenting what is perceived as a calculated, cold-blooded campaign of gentrification and racial discrimination.“It’s just bullying,” said Harris, “the cops

just come here and jump out of their cars bullying people. Ford never hurt anybody, his parents loved him and unlike others parents with mentally challenged kids they didn’t lock him away. They dressed him in designer clothes and let him be a normal kid.”Harris believes that the rise in reported

police violence is part of a wider program to push out low-income, African American communities to make way for the encroachment of new homes for the upper middle class. “The elites want to be here, but without having to deal with black people, Latino people. Years ago you wouldn’t see them with tattoos, now they get them because they want to be cool, but they don’t want to be around us,” she added.Nearby tattooed men from the

neighborhood gathered around a vintage, 1950s car and made signs calling for the trial of the officers who shot Ford. Among them was Lavell Ford, Ezell’s brother. “The

police is killing us and getting away with it, you feel me?” said Ford, marker in hand, “We are trying to expose them. That’s what we want out of today’s march. Ezell was mentally ill and unarmed. He was peaceful, he loved sports. The people should know he was a good dude, and didn’t deserve to get killed. I can’t even put my mind around it.”For outsiders Ford said, “They might not

see what’s happening here, they might not live it, but it’s happening and it will affect everybody.”Former SMC student Kevon Gulley,

a cousin of Ford’s, said of the incident, “People need to be aware of the brutality happening south of the 10 [freeway].” He added, “it needs to stop. It’s not about color or race, it’s about helping each other out.” On the street corner where Ford was

shot, a mural has been hastily painted in his memory. Awash in blue surrounding a portrait of his face, it stands over a set of candles and letters addressed to his memory.Keyanna Celina of the Coalition For

Community Control Over The Police, a group demanding greater citizen oversight of local law enforcement, looked at the mural and called on L.A. District Attorney Jackie Lace to press charges against the officers who killed Ford. “Witnesses say that the police had been harassing Ford the day before the killing, and the day of they specifically pulled up on him and a crowd gathered yelling ‘he’s slow, he’s slow’ and the cops were telling people ‘shut up, shut up.’” According to Celina, witnesses then saw

the officers wrestle Ford to the ground and, during the scuffle, shots were heard.“The police feel they can murder black,

brown, poor white people in America,” said Celina. “Four blocks away and nine days after Ford was killed, a Latino, Omar Obrego was beaten to death by police in front of his own house. We need an all elected, all civilian police control board with authority in all aspects and levels regarding all requirements to be a police officer, including firings,” she said.At 3:00 P.M. the protest and march

officially began with activists and local residents speaking into a megaphone at passerbys and those exiting the local shops. “No Justice! No peace!” shouted one speaker while others would grab the mic

and add more heated, explicit commentary such as “f--k the police!”While small, the protest still attracted a

diverse gallery of activists such as “Sean,” a member of the Anonymous hacker collective who preferred to not use his real name but directed readers to his site, autonomy.org. “People need to take a look around to see what’s going on all across the United States. We are starting to see the cracks forming in the system that’s in place. People need to question it. We have to put the burden of truth on the system, including the police,” he said as the protest gathered steam.The protesters soon began marching

down the hot streets of South Central to towards Martin Luther King Jr. blvd and then towards the Newton Police Station, the station from which the two officers who killed Ford came from. It is already a notorious street, called

“Shootin’ Newton” due to the large amount of gunfights that have taken place in the area. The original Los Angeles Black Panther headquarters are nearby as well, now long gone and converted into a Baptist church.Outside of the police station a row of

officers, stood before the entrance doors to protect the building from demonstrators. On the rooftop above other police

personnel in caps and shades took video and photos. Even some of the cleaning personnel stopped their work to observe the proceedings. Speakers from the crowd fired verbal rage

at the officers, accusing them of arbitrary arrests and harassment. “How would you feel if you were killed like Ford?” shouted a speaker. “Can we please speak to the Chief of Police?” he demanded. At one point, a police official looked outside from behind the station doors, laughed and walked away. This provoked more rage.At this point Brother Ali, the West Coast

representative of the New Black Panther Party, dressed in military fatigues, took the mic and called for peaceful organization and self-defense. “I’ve lost six people over the last ten

years to police brutality,” said Ali into a megaphone, “brothers and sisters, we must defend ourselves but I must stress that this has to be done peacefully,” he emphasized as the first row of officers retreated back into the station, they were soon replaced by a new squad to watch over the entrance. The protest culminated with all the

demonstrators turning their backs to the officers, raising their hands in the “surrender” sign that has become a rallying sign from Ferguson, and then marching away.

Alci RengifoEditor-in-ChiEf

South Central marches over death of Ezell Ford

Protesters demand justice for Ezell Ford in front of the LAPD Newton Division police station on Central Ave. and Martin Luther King Blvd. in Los Angeles, California on Saturday. Ezell Ford was unarmed when he was shot by the LAPD Newton Division on August 11th, only two days after the much publicized shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

Jose Lopez Corsair

LAPD officers form a line in front of the Newton Division police station during a protest where community members demand justice for Ezell Ford on Central Ave. and Martin Luther King Blvd. in LA on Saturday

Jose Lopez Corsair


volume 108 issue 3 • September 24, 2014 • santa monica college 4 news

This Saturday, at The Inkwell beach in

Santa Monica College, in collaboration with the Black Surfers Collective, hosted one of the over fifty statewide beach cleanup sites for Coastal Clean Up Day, the largest volunteer day on the planet.675 registered volunteers, excluding

the 50 or so SMC students from Eco-action, the Marine Biology Club, Plastic Free SMC, and the SMC Bike Club participated in the effort to combat marine waste and collected over 200 pounds of trash. The event was organized by Heal The Bay, a Southern California non-profit environmental organization in pursuit of keeping coastal waters clean.The event is not just about cleaning the

beach, but is also about making people

aware of the effects of their trash on the environment in general.“Plastic pollution is very pervasive all

through our environment and urban communities, so it’s really important that we get together,” says Genevieve Bertone, Director of the Center for Environmental Urban Studies and one of the event organizers.Most of this pollution consists of

styrofoam and cigarette butts, minuscule items that seem to have little impact, but have much larger consequences than just a dirty beach. “All the trash that breaks down into smaller pieces gets mistaken by wildlife as food, and they are not able to process it at all,” says Professor Alexandra Tower, an Eco-Action moderator. “It gets stuck in

their digestive system and ultimately they will not be hungry anymore,” which results in them starving to death.“We lose about one million birds a year

to our marine debris, and about 100,000 marine animals every year,” says Tower.The objective of the event, and why

it happens in September, is to clean the beach before the fall rains flush storm drains’ contents into the ocean.In addition, the marine animals that

humans consume, like tuna and salmon for instance, are part of the wildlife that mistake trash for food.”If you’re not happy about saving wildlife, tune in because it’s about saving your health and the health of future generations,” says Tower. As Cheyenne Morrill, who represents SMC Club Grow and Eco-Action at the event puts it, “The small stuff matters.”Outside the annual Coastal Clean Up

Day, Heal the Bay hosts a monthly beach clean up called “Nothin’ But Sand”, one of which the Eco-Action Club hosts every semester, in addition to providing opportunities for volunteers to join a Storm Response Team, which cleans beaches after rainfall, or Adopt-A-Beach to keep it clean three times a year.Though the morning remained overcast

and gloomy, between the reggae, the sound of elementary-school aged children laughing and playing, and a prevalent sense of community, the mood was lighter than the sky above suggested. Besides registration and supply tables and buckets for collecting trash, it looks like another day at the beach.As 11:30 a.m. approached, the time clean

up registration closes, crowds died down and students were seen sitting in the sand chatting, a change from the hectic nature of last year’s effort which had a turnout of

700 but was located at the pier. “It’s gone a lot smoother,” says Tower. “I see a lot of people sitting around which is kinda nice.”On the community aspect of the event,

Bertone says, “You come out here and you see all these people that care and all these people that want to make a difference and they’re not necessarily environmentalists.”Looking onto the beach, one notices the

large amount of children participating in the clean up effort, . Halie Willis, treasurer of Eco-Action and member of SMC Cheer, says of the large turnout after assisting a family of three with supplies, “You gotta protect the things that you love. If we come together we can make a big impact.”For Greg Rachel of the Black Surfers

Collective, a small organization of Los Angeles-based surfers, “It’s a day where we can partner with different organizations and bring a lot of people on to the beach.” This is the second year SMC has partnered with the collective, which teaches young people to surf and has strong ties to Heal The Bay as well as The California Coastal Commission.Rachel also feels it’s important that an

event like this tells people that they can do something for once instead of evoking a sense of hopelessness about the future. “We are able to make a difference in hundreds of people’s minds about what they can accomplish,” she says.The annual event, with its ability to

empower and establish community, goes to show that, according to Tower, “in the end we’re all connected and it’s super important for us to be respectful and conserve.” As questions about the environment continue to dominate social discussions and even international forums, the quest for a clean Earth continues right here by our shores.

scott BixLer CorsairMounds of trash that was picked up by local resident volunteers at Santa Monica’s 2014 Beach Clean Up on Saturday. Most commo were cigarette buts, food wrapings, bottles and cants, but even a syringe was found.

SMC Community Commits to the clean-up

Yasha HawkinsStaff WritEr

Mike Machat is one of the biggest names in aviation art and history, but you’d never tell by looking at him. At the unveiling of his newest mural, “Flying Navy”, at the Museum of Flying at the Santa Monica airport, he blends in with the modest crowd that has gathered to admire his work. In fact, it’s not until a particularly eager aviation fan asks him to sign her book of art prints that a visitor might not realize that this man, sitting by himself in a plastic folding chair, is indeed the man that we had come to honor. That this man has had pieces on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Kennedy Space Center, and even The Pentagon.But when he starts talking about aviation,

it is easy to see how Mike Machat has made a very successful career for himself as an artist, pilot, historian, and all around expert on all things airplane. He talks with a passion that goes back to his childhood, which was spent sketching airplanes and building models.“Model kits of the 1950s. These were my

first art teachers,” he says with a childish twinkle in his eye. “When I was a kid, I did this because I loved it. I never expected to have the opportunity as an artist to do the flying I’ve done, to work with the pilots and astronauts I’ve worked with. It’s been a dream come true.”A dream that has manifested itself most

recently in the form of “Flying Navy”, the 10’ x 20’ mural that now adorns the west wall of the museum’s main hall. And although this is the unveiling ceremony, we are hardly the first to see it.“A lot of it was done during museum

hours, and it’s actually been great,” says Sheri Machat, Mike’s wife of almost 33 years. Mike elaborates. “They wanted visitors to see the process. It was a big deal for the kids to see mixing colors, paint going on the wall. It created visitor interest to see it actually going up.”Dan Ryan, managing director of the

Museum of Flying, says having Machat paint his mural has been great for the museum. “I think people really enjoyed coming

back and watching the progress. Kids especially got to ask questions about the painting, and mixing the colors. It’s also something to draw people back to visit the museum. It shows that we’re not static, that there’s always something new,” Ryan said.And “Flying Navy” is definitely

something new and exciting. Drawing from his experience as a technical illustrator for Douglas Aircraft Company, Machat prides himself on attention to detail. Every aspect of his mural, which depicts

the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal laden with Douglas aircraft such as the A-3 Skywarrior heavy bomber and the A-1 Skyraider attack fighter, was carefully designed and sketched first at Machat’s studio, then painstakingly transcribed onto the wall over a period of five full months.Machat is eager to stress how much art

goes into the building of actual aircraft as well. “The relationship is airplanes wouldn’t exist without the tech art, so it’s all connected.” Although he does admit that the aircraft design industry, like many others, has changed dramatically recently.“When I worked, I was at a drawing board

using a straight edge, technical pencils. Tech art today is all done on digital media

because airplanes today are designed, built,

and flown digitally.”Machat’s technical expertise is clearly

visible in “Flying Navy”, which interestingly is his second mural at the Museum of Flying. His first, “Fly DOUGLAS!”, chronicles the history of the Douglas passenger lines from 1933 to 1958. The aircraft company has been a huge

part of Machat’s life, so it is no mystery why so many of his pieces portray their aviation accomplishments.“It’s an honor for me as an artist to keep

the name of the Douglas Aircraft Company alive for future generations.”And surely Machat’s own name is one

that will be remembered. “He’s very well

known,” says Dan Ryan. “Besides being an artist he’s also an author and a well respected historian of aviation history.”Despite his many credits and qualifications,

Machat is a humble and humorous man, ending his speech at the unveiling with, “It’s amazing what you can do with a paint by numbers set these days.”So next time you pass the fleet of private

planes at Santa Monica Airport, or hear the roar of the jets arriving and departing from LAX, consider going down to the Museum of Flying. You might find out the history of man’s attempt to conquer the skies is more interesting than one might expect.

Nick carrionStaff WritEr

Santa Monica Museum of Flying unveils mural

scott BixLer Corsair

Visitors look at the new mural painted by Mike Machat on Saturday afternoon Sept. 20, 2014 at the Museum of Flying, Santa Monica Airport, Santa Monica, Calif. The new mural was designed around the electrical box (center right) and the mural shows the history and evolution of aviation on the aircraft carriers.


volume 108 issue 3 • September 24, 2014 • santa monica college 5

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Monday’s Associated Students meeting announced the election of four new A.S. board directors, the announcement of one more vacancy as well as the board’s approval of funding for new campus activities.The four open board positions were

filled through a rigorous voting process. After careful deliberation, the A.S. board elected Caitlin Corker as Vice President, Hasun Khan as Director of Budget Management, Yana Demeshko as Director of Community Relations and Hamza Sabri as Director of Student Assistance.Caitlin Corker, a continuing student,

unanimously won the position of Vice President. While making her case before the board ahead of the vote, she expressed her dedication to the A.S., an ambition to help international students transfer to their university of choice, and find work support.Corker, who describes herself as an

unconventional thinker, explains that the A.S. and student government have to “work the system to better the students.” She also wants to reach out to students looking to fill positions for counseling and student services, Academic Senate, District Planning and Advisory (DPAC), and SMC Honor Council.The board unanimously chose Hasun

as their new Director of Budget Management, joining the board just a few seats away from his brother, who presently sits at the head of the board as A.S. President.Last year, the Khan brothers, along with

Jon Kent Ethridge II, previously founded SMC TEDx club, a tech world-thinking club set out to bring the internationally known “TED Talks” to SMC. Now they are respective board members, ready to work together.Hasun already began comfortably

voicing opinions as members on the board, including his brother, spoke out of turn at the meeting. “I’m not going to hold back anything,” says Hasun, adding that he’s “here to help the board be as efficient as possible.” Ali says about his brother’s position, “We’re lucky to have him.”Hasun, already established on the

board as a previous Director of Student Advocacy, is a student senator and advocate of the student success program and student equity. He presented himself as the boy-genius accountant more than familiar with the paper work and lingo of the trade. Multiple members agreed that Hasun “had done his homework.”Demeshko received the unanimous vote

for Director of Community Relations after her opponent for Vice President, Corker, won the position. Demeshko has been part of the A.S. since October 2012 and performed as an ICC Commissioner from October to June 2013. She also previously ran for the position of the A.S. Director of Publicity in last year’s elections. Demeshko, a member of the SMC Civic Engagement Program (CEP) is experienced in student outreach and has volunteered for an LGBT coming out group in her native country of Russia since January.She values the opportunity A.S. presents,

explaining that in Russia, “There is no such thing as student government at a high school, college, or university. Seeing that it actually exists was very exciting

and I wanted to join right away.” She feels

confident about her position and wants to create more programs and volunteering events that will benefit the students of SMC.The board deliberated the longest over

filling the seat of Director of Student Assistance. The two candidates, Hamza Sabri, previous candidate for Director of Community Relations, and Julio Santizo, differed in their experience at SMC, however both stressed the need to increase student aid opportunity awareness.The first candidate Santizo, is a

Computer Science and Music major and SMC student since 2005. Previously, he served as PTK president and surpassed expectations over the course of one year by doubling the honorary society’s membership. Other clubs Santizo has been apart of includes the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), the success-oriented program Adelante, is a current commissioner for the ICC, and founding treasurer of the Opera Club.Sabri, in his first semester at SMC,

only learned of the various A.S. board vacancies a day before the deadline for applications were due. Sabri quickly brushed up on bylaws, and prepped for an interview with the board on Friday.Members of the board insisted Santizo’s

merits and credentials for the job are solidified by his lengthy career at SMC and his crucial position he’s held on campus. In Sabri’s favor, multiple board members were impressed by his ability to comprehend material quickly, his drive to ask questions and gain more knowledge, and his “relentless” attitude.In a final 7 to 5 vote, the board named

Hamza as their new Director of Student Advocacy.A previous resident of Detroit and

founder of a few successful food drives in the area, Sabri intends to help more students gain access to financial aid. According to Director of Outreach, Robert Espinoza, roughly 534 students are currently homeless right now. He intends to increase housing accommodations and work stipends for students, better publicize financial awards and merit

scholarships, and better connect students

to counseling opportunities.Sabri previously attended Santa Barbara

City College, where he studied film and landed an internship at Paramount studios, which is what brought him to Los Angeles.Opportunities to join the board are

still available, as the A.S. announced a

new vacancy for Secretary, previously

occupied by Cinthia Magaña. The board encourages Political Science and Computer Science majors to apply, but anyone is who is interested may apply. Applications for the position are both online and in the A.S. office. The deadline to turn in applications is at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 14.

A.S. votes in four new members as a new vacancy is announcedDevin Page, Deni Rodriguez, Rachel GianuarioStaff WritEr, Staff WritEr, nEWS Editor

Newly elected Associated Student Vice President Caitlin Corker shakes hands with AS President Ali Khan just moments before she takes the VP chair after her initiation during the weekly meeting on Monday.

Veronika kachanoVskaya Corsair



TARFEST A visual, rock n’ roll feast

Shawn Feldman, a Los Angeles resident, enjoys some of the hula hoops that were scattered across the lawn of TarFest at the La Brea tarpits on Saturday. “I’m always a fan of free and fun!”

Liz Phillips CORSAIR

Adriane Hale CORSAIR


Adriane Hale CORSAIR

Adriane Hale CORSAIRSam of the band Tapioca and the Flea heats up an already hot day at

TarFest. This was the band’s second year at the free festival.

Maritza and husband James Larreta-Moylan in a tin type photograph that was taken at the Tintype Booth

at TarFest this year. The photo is taken and developed while spectators could wait and watch all of the steps in

the 20 minute process.

Spectators sit on the hill of the Page Museum at the La Brea tar pits, next to Saturday’s TarFest. The free festival had hree bands, hands on craft activities of children and adults, a beer garden, food trucks, and live mural- sized painting by local artists.

Greg “Craola” Simkins was one of a few artists who performed their painting live at Saturday’s festival.

Over the weekend the La Brea Tar Pits played host to the annual “Tarfest,” a gathering of artists and musi-cians that provided visitors with a unique, outdoor experience. A relatively small festival nestled between the Page Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum Of Art (LACMA), booths and exhibits were set up in a circular fashion along pathways, allowing attendees and staff alike to skirt to and fro, as the music stage took its place just in front of the parking lot, leaving a wide space of grass for hula-hooping, dancing, watch-ing, chatting, eating and other activities. The sound of indie rock, blues, wisp-like melo-dies, live paintings ( ranging from birds to skulls), poetry, writing, art-selling, business inquiries and drinking, would have made you think otherwise of the festival‘s name. Natalie Ruiz, another attendee said it was “A celebration [of] LA and [its] development of art, culture, and history.” The festival was definitely full of those things, with booths from the Natural History Museum, the Japan Foundation and various painters and artists. The live painters, consisting of Devngosha, Nicola Verlato and Greg “Craola” Simkins, added a blend of nature,

whimsy and fascination to the festival, painting on large canvases with audiences watching them progress. One painting by Devngosha, consisted of a human skull with warm, vivid colors, contrasting the mor-bid nature of the skull itself. Quite bone-colored with darker hues where shadows would be, the skull was quite the sight, as the artist explained it “represents the opposite of death - the colors in it represent beauty on the inside, enjoying life [and] the ephemeral beauty of being alive.” Quipping humorously he added “[But] somebody might look at it and be like ‘Oh it’s a skull. It represents death.’” As the festival went on, attendees were out and about as booth operators and staff worked behind the scenes. In charge of a silent art auction, gallery curator Merry Karnowsky noted festival goers enjoying the at-mosphere, with many of them painting jars, delighting adults and children alike, and making origami, with younger children learning of Japan‘s culture and heri-tage, courtesy of the Orchard Supply Co. and the Japan Foundation respectively. Attendees drank both adult and all-age beverages (all within legal constraints), and food was readily available, as various cuisine food trucks and free water and cookies tended to any hun-gry visitors. Businesses strived for a moment to get their name out, and brands, locales and promises were

Abby Mathur, age 3, awaits her balloon creation while other children look on at Saturday afternoon’s TarFeat at the La Brea tar pits.

By Alfredo GutierrezStaff Writer



TARFEST A visual, rock n’ roll feast

Shawn Feldman, a Los Angeles resident, enjoys some of the hula hoops that were scattered across the lawn of TarFest at the La Brea tarpits on Saturday. “I’m always a fan of free and fun!”


whimsy and fascination to the festival, painting on large canvases with audiences watching them progress. One painting by Devngosha, consisted of a human skull with warm, vivid colors, contrasting the mor-bid nature of the skull itself. Quite bone-colored with darker hues where shadows would be, the skull was quite the sight, as the artist explained it “represents the opposite of death - the colors in it represent beauty on the inside, enjoying life [and] the ephemeral beauty of being alive.” Quipping humorously he added “[But] somebody might look at it and be like ‘Oh it’s a skull. It represents death.’” As the festival went on, attendees were out and about as booth operators and staff worked behind the scenes. In charge of a silent art auction, gallery curator Merry Karnowsky noted festival goers enjoying the at-mosphere, with many of them painting jars, delighting adults and children alike, and making origami, with younger children learning of Japan‘s culture and heri-tage, courtesy of the Orchard Supply Co. and the Japan Foundation respectively. Attendees drank both adult and all-age beverages (all within legal constraints), and food was readily available, as various cuisine food trucks and free water and cookies tended to any hun-gry visitors. Businesses strived for a moment to get their name out, and brands, locales and promises were

appended to conversations and services. Next to the stage, radio station 88.5 KCSN, as well as sound techs and band assistants ducked and weaved before, dur-ing and after the show, maintaining the live music performances. Audience members as well as photog-raphers lined the festival, some hanging in front of the stage, dancing or moving body parts (from fingers and feet, to hips), or snapping photos of the festivities all around. As musicians took the stage, music blared from the sound equipment, truly adding everyone’s ears to the fray. Various bands performed such as “Tapioca and the Flea,” “DWNTWN” and “The Moth and the Flame.” Taking the stage during the midday, Tapioca and the Flea played their songs “Take It Slow” and “Mellotron.” Musicians Sam, Ronnie and Matt, (vocals and guitar, guitar and drums, respectively) when asked what inspired them, responded with “The love of cre-ating. We’ve all been creators since we were little - not only just music, but art [too].” After Tapioca and the Flea’s set ended, DWNT-WN took the stage, playing just before the evening, allowing their songs to be energetically danced to, as well as embraced on a slower, intimate level. DWNT-WN played their songs “’Til Tomorrow,” and “Stood Me Up,” two pieces that complimented Tarfest’s at-mosphere with layered soundscapes and catchy tunes.

In relation to the various art and styles presented throughout the festival, when asked on what their inspiration was, musicians Jamie Leffler (vocals), Robert Cepeda (guitar and vocals), Chris Sanchez (Keys) and Dan Vanchieri (Drums) said “Anything can be inspiring. It could be a beautiful day, or a song you like. Or just one line in a song. - We all draw from all the different things we like. At the end of the day, it [all] feels like us.” The reception was also something of interest, with Leffler saying “Whatever floats your boat, you got your space here! It’s a very welcoming and inviting event.” The evening arrived, with a few booths and writers leaving or preparing to leave. The day wasn’t quite over, as The Moth and the Flame began their set, playing with a sound akin to blues and classic rock, letting notes land with strong bravado. The drinks con-tinued, and while the cookies and drinks were little, the people continued on. Attendees left. Music kept playing, and artists stayed for exhibits and gatherings. At the edge of the festival, away from the encirclement, attendee and artist “537” described Tarfest as “A living, breathing, art exhibit - in the park.” Booths from vari-ous entities, artists, musicians and attendees of many backgrounds came and went. Above all the diverse and varied, Tarfest truly was a living, breathing art exhibit. In the park.


volume 108 issue 3 • September 24, 2014 • santa monica college 8 Arts & Entertainment

Today a total of forty five SMC students and staff members from the dance department will not be heading to class but rather will be heading to the Los Angeles International Airport, to hop on a flight to Beijing, China. The trip to Beijing will be the dance department’s second visit to China’s capital since September of 2013.The objective of this crop of SMC

dancers and their instructors is to further amplify their knowledge and passion for dancing by interfusing with dancers from other schools and other cultures. On a larger scale they will represent California and promote Mexican, Indonesian, and Tahitian culture.The dancing students will be

accompanied by staff members which include professor Sri Susilowati ( instructor for Indonesian dance), professor Raquel Ramirez (instructor of Mexican dance Folklorico), and Judith Douglas (dance department chair). As a team they will perform cultural dances at various stages that will be set up across the city tomorrow for the thirteen day-long Chinese Tourism Festival, the same festival where the SMC dance team performed last year.The SMC dance teams will not be the

only school represented at this year’s Beijing festival but will be one of more than a thousand colleges, universities, and professional independent dance schools that will partake in Beijing’s parade on Thursday. Schools representing countries from across the world will participate in this year’s festival. Countries like Australia, Italy, Mexico, United States, Belgium, Spain, Colombia, Turkey, Russia, Brazil, and of course the host country China will be represented.The independent dance school Ballet

Flor De Mayo is collaborating with SMC’s dance team and tomorrow will be on stage together.The dance teams will be wearing

traditional costumes such as brocades (silk fabric with gold and silver thread) for the Indonesian dancers and flower dresses with ballroom dance shoes for the Salsa dancers. The dances that will be performed

include Mexican Folklórico from the Mexican states of Jalisco and Nayarit , as well as Salsa, Azteca, Indonesian Legong dance, and the rapid hip-shaking dances of Tahiti.The opportunity to travel abroad and

promote Western culture as well as showcase their dance skills to the world is a unique opportunity, but it came with much effort.This year $50,000 was the goal to reach

in order to cover the costs for airline tickets and costumes for all the dancers. The money was raised through donations, fundraisers (the last fundraiser being four days ago as part of the Global Motion SMC World Dance Company), and also funds from the dance department.Besides the money there were also the

long practices. Preparation for the festival has been a five month progress. Try outs were held early May and since then, both dancers and instructors have been meeting and practicing in room 102 from 6:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M., including during all of summer vacation.With all the dedication given by both

the student dancers and staff members in order to perfect their routine and give the absolute best performance possible, Lead dancer Alondra Ramirez says once in Beijing she wants all the dancers to “really represent the style and culture of the of dance and represent our community.” Ramirez went on to say that the goal

she wants the dancers to achieve on this trip is to “appreciate and absorb the experience because it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to dance at a special festival like this one with your best friends along side you.”The trip to Beijing, China is on a tight

schedule because the venues that they will perform on will be located at different locations across Beijing, and different dance teams will performing during days and times different from one another. But in their tight schedule they will make time to do some sight-seeing as well. The cultural ambassadors plan on eating at some local restaurants, walk around the world-famous city, and even visit The Great Wall of China.

Jason riney Corsair

Adriana Garzon (center) rehearsing a traditional Aztec dance Friday at SMC in preparation for the Badachu Festival and the sixteenth International Tourism Festival in Bejing, China. Thirty-six dancers led by SMC dance Professors Sri Susilowati and Raquel Ramirez, will be departing early Wednesday morning for their second invitation to this festival. Funding for the trip was provided by the Associated Students and through lots of fundraising such as raffles, restaurant sales, benefit performances, t-shirt sales and a popcorn sale.

Jeffry Chacon Staff WritEr

Global Motion dances their way back to China

Liam Neeson may be taking “A Walk Among the Tombstones” but we the viewers are walking into two hours of boredom. This is a movie that wants to be clever and mysterious but instead it’s stale, uninspired, and clichè. It’s not necessarily terrible but, it’s just so “whatever.” I seriously can’t find a better word, that’s how little this movie stuck with me.In Scott Frank’s new mystery thriller,

Neeson plays Matt Scudder, an ex-cop turned private detective who gets hired by a drug trafficker, played by Danny Ortiz. Unable to ask police to solve his wife’s murder, the drug dealer hires this hard-edged detective who has lost his lust for life.While I feel that the film doesn’t dig

deep enough into the character, Neeson’s performance, as per usual, surpasses the script’s shallowness. He does well as this gritty detective, however it’s not a far cry from Neeson’s role as the retired CIA agent from “Taken”(2008) where he appeared to be a super hero on steroids.Most of the side characters seem to be

cheap write-ins designed to simply move the plot forward and then disappear

immediately afterwards. Everyone but Neeson’s character is pretty much expendable. There is, however, a homeless kid named TJ, played by Brain ‘Astro’ Bradely (“Earth to Echo” 2014) who manages to inspire some empathy.One of this movie’s biggest problems

is pacing. I completely understand that this is a mystery thriller that is supposed to take its time to build up, but this movie really drags on too long. While I do understand this is a noir film, it takes itself far too seriously, like noir films often do. This makes the few scenes that attempt comedy to be painfully awkward and feel out of place even though they are desperately needed to give the movie some life.To his credit, Frank really helps the film

manifest the dark noir feeling. From the characters to the rainy New York setting, happiness feels like a mere illusion in this movie.While this movie is surprisingly

not action-sequence heavy, the few memorable action scenes are filmed very well and the sound editing is spot on.Though we can’t expect that much from

Frank as a director, with his experience based on one major motion picture “Look Out” (2014) that didn’t do very

well, and a few TV episodes. We should however have something to look forward to as far as writing goes, since Frank has built up quite a portfolio with movies like “The Wolverine”, “Marley and Me”, and “Minority Report”. Unfortunately, the entire story feels very cliché and obvious, which leads to the movie feeling pretty boring.“A Walk Among Tombstones” is pretty

much like your every day TV series drama like “Criminal Minds”; you know who the killers are and their motives, the only mystery is when they’ll be caught and how. It looks like Frank wants us to solve the

mystery step-by-step with the detective but that’s a little hard considering everything is given to you.What mainly keeps you interested is

watching the conclusion when Neeson finally catches these serial killers who show no remorse for their actions and find torturing to be the definition of a “good time”.I walked out of the theater with very

mixed feelings. The noir theme and the acting are both solid but the character development and plot are mediocre. The writing was completely cliché and unoriginal. I found myself checking the

time thinking it lasted at least three hours, but the movie is actually only an hour and fifty minutes.Overall, would I recommend shelling

out the money to go watch this movie in a theater? Probably not, unless you’re a diehard Liam Neeson fan or a 1950’s film noir freak. Otherwise, you’ll probably survive if you wait until this movie ends up at a Redbox.

Neeson’s latest sleepwalks among the tombstonesBranislav Jovanovic Staff WritEr



Ten years ago, Greek first year Santa Monica College student Chrissa Loukadakis was battling a powerful addiction to drugs.Rather than remember it with despair, she

now carries expression of pride in herself, because after years of battle she managed to turn her life around and made it back to school.“I come from a family that was very messy

and my family had a lot of fights and a lot of violence and basically I grew up on my own, supporting myself especially emotionally,” said Loukadakis. “But then when you find yourself shooting heroin, it’s like what happened? So when I got to the point of catching myself relapse once, just because I felt good, I realized it was all an excuse.”Her drug-filled escape from the struggle

with her family life, she came to realize, was all a farce on her part. It was almost as if her life were a personal reflection of the chaos that had enveloped her own country since the 2009 economic collapse. She compared the impulse to do drugs to

a voice that without logic, without reason, always pleaded for her to indulge herself.As the years went on, Loukadakis was in

and out of rehabilitation centers, trying to kick her drug habit as it had developed from European hashish to shooting heroin.Rehab was an especially difficult

experience for her. She was always told what to do and when to do it, as well as what not to do.It was so demanding that she often found

herself relapsing after leaving.But she soon found a safe haven that more

effectively helped her quit drugs.“Narcotics Anonymous welcomed me

every single time, with hugs, even when I made my mistakes, they accepted me for who I am,” Loukadakis said. “That was the biggest thing.”As she met interesting people at NA she

learned new things too, and despite her history with drugs, they did not dictate her life.“You see your own excuses in other

people, they become your mirrors,” she said.Loukadakis also found solace in dancing

and dreamed of becoming a dancer.She had already graduated from

professional dance school Rallou Manou in Athens, but because the drugs had damaged her body, getting a job as a dancer was a struggle.After working harder than ever before,

she was able to get a dance job.Dancing with big celebrities in Greece got

her to look back on her time with drugs and contrast the two experiences.“I kind of felt that my life was like a fairy

tale. Like, I had an image of me being in the streets, shooting heroin and suddenly, I was in this theater. I really fought for it,” she said. “I fought like there was no tomorrow.”Although she was dancing again,

Loukadakis did not feel fully accomplished.She had missed out on plenty of school

knowledge in favor of drugs and felt sometimes that she could not successfully communicate with people in an intelligent conversation.So she took the next logical step, she

decided to go back to school.Her first class at SMC was English 21A this

past summer, which she found particularly

inspiring when her professor, Jennifer Triplett, assigned her to read Jeannette Walls’s memoir “The Glass Castle”.She found herself relating to the fear that

woman felt.“I was afraid everyone would reject me if

they found out who I really was,” she said. “And that’s like my biggest fear. If people find out that I used to be a junkie, they will not look at me the same, they will not trust me the same.”Loukadakis soon became a star student,

doing all of her work and more.“She’s the king of the nerds,” her

boyfriend Srdjan Lakobrija said. “She’s the most dedicated person I know. Once she gets started on a task, she’s set on completing the task.”

With consideration for her progress, Loukadakis revealed that she is not one hundred percent happy with her life at the moment, but that’s the point.What really matters to her is that she’s

working on herself everyday.“Some days I’m happy, some days I’m

not, but that’s the beauty of it. If I were always happy, then I would be bored of it,” she said.Loukadakis believes every drug user is

different in terms of their addiction, but if they’re seeking help, the best option is to take responsibility for themselves.“You’re living a lie. Because one day

you’re going to wake up and you’ll be very sorry that you’re losing time,” Loukadakis said.

Health & lifestyle

Not another Greek tragedy: surviving addictionJose GutierrezStaff WritEr

photographer Corsair

Chrissa Loukadakis, is originally from Greece and after a hard battle with drug addiction, she is now a dancer and a SMC Student. She is seen here posing at LACMA on Sunday.

Many of us have said it, we see it around campus, we hear it being yelled in the field and yet students of Santa Monica College are not aware of what our mascot is.We have all been in contact with the

word, one way or another, but If someone asked you what it means, what would your answer be?

“A flying thing?” Sandra Gutierrez said.“A guns aim sight,” said Atila Akar.“It’s a company that makes either hair

dryers or memory sticks. Am I right?” said Jimmy Calderon.A corsair, according to Miriam Webster

dictionary and Oxford dictionary, is a pirate.Some SMC students answered correctly

but were not 100 percent certain.“It’s a pirate thing, isn’t it?” said Luis

Sanchez.

“I think it’s a pirate, or something close. Let me confirm it real quick,” said Akram Abdu.According to dictionaries, the word

corsair comes from the French word corsaire, which derives from Latin cursus, meaning, “course.”“The corsairs were privateers that were

authorized by the French government to disrupt and raid ships on high sea that were against the French,” said Dr. Chui Tsang, President of Santa Monica College.

In France they were not considered pirates, they were men that defended the country of France from any outsiders.Foreign countries had a different view of

the corsairs, they were pirates and would be hung if captured by an enemy country.According to Tsang, The Corsair has

been our mascot since SMC decided to become it’s own separate college and no longer was with the Santa Monica Unified District.“I think the corsair is a good word

because we’re close to the ocean and it’s closely tied with the community here,” Tsang said.Santa Monica high school are the Vikings

and it makes sense that Santa Monica College’s mascot would be closely related.Not even the president of our school is

100 percent sure of why we use the word corsair at SMC.“Santa Monica High School use the

Vikings as their mascot and so I think that’s why. I have no evidence, but I suspect,” said Tsang.“It makes sense to be a corsair. We’re

close to the beach, where there are boats,” Gutierrez said.Many guesses have been made, some

good, some funny and some far off from the meaning. For now SMC alumni can bask in the presence of Pico The Corsair, the official campus mascot himself who appears at every homegame to brandish a wooden swoed before the roaring crowds. It is a fitting mascot considering the seaside history of California, especially in the colonial era. At least now we know what a corsair is,

although the reason why it’s associated with SMC remains a mystery. The Corsair will continue this investigation into the origins of our pirate-root name.

Tiffany HernandezStaff WritEr

What is a “Corsair”? The secret behind the name

Liz phiLLips Corsair

A type negative from an antique printing press, features a page from The Corsair newspaper from June 6th, 1973.


volume 108 issue 3 • September 24, 2014 • santa monica college 10 Art, Poetry, Fiction

The Waiting Exile.By Greil Kropotkin, student

And if you took my handOn an autumnal evening in a promenade,

on a Thursday at the stroke of 11And you told me “let’s go”

And we left this wilderness togetherI would not give it a second thought

Because I was waiting in exileAnd my heart was a hungry furnace

Because you were the country I longed forYour hair the wildfire that consumed my hands

Your shoulders the valleys of my longingYour navel the center of the Earth

Your voice the nightingale from ItalyYour back the sea of my promisesYour hands the shores of my tears

And your eyes were the dark planets that guided me homeHome to the island of your embrace

To you, friend, and more

To Love Is To Suffer By Luis Rodriguez, student

To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving.

Therefore to love is to suffer, not to love is to suffer. To suffer is to suffer.

To be happy is to love. To be happy then is to suffer.

But suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be unhappy one must love,

or love to suffer, or suffer from too much happiness.

My Mother’s Dress by Rachel Gianuario

Statue in the Church of Saint Maria in Minerva in Rome, Italy by Liz Phillips


volume 108 issue 3 • September 24, 2014 • santa monica college 11Opinion

A year after his first failed attempt at rendering Syria to dust, Emperor Obama has now unleashed the dogs of war on the restless Middle East.Instead of chemical weapons, as was

the case last year, the main cause of the bombing campaign in Syria, which began Monday night, is the rise of ISIS, or the Islamic State of Iraq And Syria (or the Levant in other versions). ISIS, a militant group formed out of the radical armed movements that sprouted in Iraq after the 2003 U.S. invasion and Syria after the 2011 uprising, has rampaged across both countries, erasing their national borders and establishing a creaky, so-called “Caliphate.”There is little doubt that ISIS is not a

pleasant band of renegades. They are a modern-day armed group akin to the Khmer Rouge that drowned Cambodia in bloody agony in the 1970s. The recent, videotaped beheading of two journalists is more than enough testament to this. But like Pol Pot, ISIS was birthed out of a previous conflict, namely the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. Now President Obama is calling on the population to prepare itself to clean up after our mess. Even more dangerous, Obama has now engaged the U.S. in the middle of a wide, religious war raging across the Middle East.The Iraq war and the 2011 eruption of

the Arab Spring both helped unleash a new, sectarian conflict based on the old divide between Sunni and Shia Islam. The conflict can be easily compared to the wars between Papists and Protestants in 14th century Europe. The battleground looks like this: In Syria, the Islamic rebels represent a majority Sunni population trying to overthrow a Shia-aligned dictatorship. In Iraq, ISIS represents a Sunni minority fighting what it sees as an oppressive, Shia government. ISIS was originally funded in Syria by the greatest Sunni power in the region, Saudi Arabia, while the governments of Syria and Iraq are backed by the region’s major Shia power, Iran.Complicated? Well, our Commander In

Chief is planning to send American bombs cascading right into that morass.Dismiss Obama’s typically pompous,

blowhard rhetoric about “vanquishing” evil-doers and his bizarre, 19th century-tinged claim that the world always seeks us when it needs help (Obama did nothing to help Gaza when it was being carpet bombed by Israel in June-July).The cold, political reality is that the U.S.

is trying to maintain dominance in a region spiraling out of control. It is doing so by supporting its crooked allies in the region like Saudi Arabia and the newly-minted military dictatorship in Egypt.Iran is a natural adversary against ISIS,

due to the religious rift between Shia and Sunni, but Secretary of State John Kerry, another master of puzzlingly bizarre imperial logic in his rhetoric, has ruled out full cooperation with the Iranians because they don’t get along with Saudi Arabia’s Medievalist regime, plus there’s the hilariously overblown issue of Iran’s nuclear development program which the West has been inducing collective nightmares with for years.The Obama White House is also

embarrassed to now be fighting against the very same force seeking to overthrow the Iran-aligned, Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad which Obama nearly bombed last year before a last-minute Russian deal prevented a major war. So now the White House claims it will arm and train

“moderate” rebel forces to fight both ISIS and Assad.So, Obama plans to fight an emerging,

albeit extremist, state (the Islamic State) and still overthrow Assad, therefore provoking possible retaliation from Iran for smashing its only Arab ally in the region.If we were ever so lucky as to have

a wise president, Obama would not commit the U.S. to another war in the Middle East. Instead Obama is trying to be sneaky. Unlike Bush and Cheney, who were at least clear, focused and direct in their grand schemes, Obama wants to treat the American people like fools by promising no boots on the ground, plus a broad, international coalition. Of course the said “coalition” mostly consists of the European Union saying “go ahead” without committing resources, except for France which is getting a Napoleonic itch and will commit a few fighter jets to bomb Iraq (yet even Bonaparte’s boots are too big a challenge for Francois Hollande).Yet, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen.

Martin Dempsey, is warning that the issue of ground troops is being discussed on a

“case by case basis.”Throw into this witch’s brew the ongoing

unrest in Eastern Europe and it almost brings tears of irony to realize this year marks the 100th anniversary of World War I. That was a catastrophic conflict caused by the irrational, pompously blind actions of the world’s major powers.The Middle East should be allowed to

resolve its own, regional issues without outside interventionism. What we are seeing happen in Iraq and Syria is horrific, but we would do well to set the example instead of pouring fuel in the fire. For example, a good start would be in changing the situation where we do have a major influence, Israel. If the U.S. were to make a serious effort in pushing the right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu to stop Israeli colonial designs, lift the siege of Gaza and actually allow the Palestinians to form an independent state, it might just change the general perception the Arab world has of U.S. foreign policy. We should stop funding and arming brutal dictatorships in Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen, where the angry and disenchanted

then turn to the toxic ideologies of groups like ISIS. At the moment we appear to be intervening in Syria and Iraq out of cynical, political calculation, and such a view would not be wrong.In Salman Rushdie’s brilliant 2005

novel “Shalimar The Clown,” the author (himself a victim of Islamic extremists), imagines a Kashmiri circus performer who joins a militant terrorist group because the U.S. ambassador has taken away the love of his life. The would-be guerrilla is attracted to the extreme, messianic teachings of the terrorists not because he is prone to religious extremism, but out of sheer, blind rage over his situation. It is an eloquent allegory of what is happening now in the Middle East. Until we understand this, nothing will change, no matter how many drones we send.Hubris is quite the dangerous drug, and

Uncle Sam is quite high on it. As citizens we should be concerned about Obama’s new war plans, because while Washington may dictate from above, we will be the ones who may the price when our towers fall again.

Obama’s deadly September surprise in SyriaAlci RengifoEditor in ChiEf

Jhosef hern Corsair


volume 108 issue 3 • September 24, 2014 • santa monica college 12 sports

Santa Monica College starting left tackle Steven Tart always has two fans watching him on Saturday afternoons when he and his brother A.G. take the field. Tart can hear his mother cheer at every home game. His brother, Shakur Rashinduddin, not so much.Rashindduin is there though, out on the

field with Tart on the sidelines, watching his back or, more accurately, on his back.Tart wears number 71, a common

number for an offensive lineman. However, the sophomore standout who is considering six division one scholarship offers, wears it for himself. “I wear the number in my brother’s

memory,” says Tart as he recalls the night that his brother was killed on January 23, 2006 in his hometown of Inglewood, California.“It was me, my brothers and two girls,”

Tart begins. “This car circled the street three times. Three guys came walking around the corner shooting.” Tart and several others were struck by

gunfire but were able to find cover and survived. Rashinduddin, however was in the middle

of the street, returning from a nearby store when shots rang out. He was struck multiple times as he tried to run for safety. He succumbed to his injuries and died on Jan 24th, 2006.The death of his brother was one of the

most painful days of his life, causing him to lose hope and direction.“It made me run from what I was trying

to become. I felt like if God can take him away then what is my life worth?” Tart said.For the next few years, Tart began acting

out in school, getting into fights and getting

involved in gang activity. His behavior eventually forced him to be kicked out of several schools in California and eventually leading his family to move him to Glendale, Ariz. in hopes that he straighten up.

Then when Steven was 15 in Arizona, he had a dream.“My brother Shakur came to me, told

me that I knew better than this. That this wasn’t who I was.”Tart says that this dream affected him

deeply, giving him the peace and motivation that he needed to move forward on a more productive path.He started refocusing on school and on

football. By his senior year, Tart was back in California playing football for Taft high before transferring to Dorsey high school to finish his senior year.Following his high school graduation Tart

made the Moorpark College football team, playing one season for the Raiders before transferring to SMC.Tart says he values the opportunities that

he has been given at SMC and the team of people that he calls his brothers, all of whom he says work hard; a first for him.Most importantly, for a player who lives

closer to the beach than Moorpark College, the best part about being a Corsair is that his biggest supporter, his mother, can be at the games.Today, Tart is nursing an MCL injury

suffered in a road loss to the Southwestern in San Diego during the second week of the season. The injury has kept him out of action for the past two weeks but shouldn’t keep him sidelined much longer. “I’ll be back to practice next week,” said Tart. “If I’m having a smooth recovery like I’ve been having then I should be good.”But compared to his past struggles, this

injury hardly compares. The kid who once had no hope is a young man in the spotlight, which Tart says is “an adjustment.”“In high school I was the little guy and

nobody paid attention. Now everybody is watching every little thing that I do.”Still, Tart’s present successes haven’t

gone to his head. The big man with the huge smile sports the words “underrated” under both wrist tapes before games as a reminder that for all that he’s accomplished he still has a lot to prove.He says that his focus is on continuing his

development and contributing whatever

he can to the SMC tradition of winning conference and league titles. Tart dreams don’t end after college.“I want to go to the NFL,” Tart said. “I

want to provide and give my mom better and I know I can if I work hard and don’t quit.” To Tart, education, as well as his play on

the field, are important, and he says that he takes every opportunity to make the best impression and not just do the bare minimum. “I try to put twenty dollar words on every paper,” Tart says. “I take every assignment as a challenge to do my best.” On the field, Tart says he follows his big

brother A.G’s example.“He plays harder than anyone I know,”

says Tart. “All out. So, [when I play] I want to hit hard like he hits hard. I want to play every down like he plays every down. I’m the spark plug of my position group.”It is this work ethic and talent that has

earned the starter six division one football scholarship offers.So far, Tart’s path future is secure at

Colorado State, Marshall, Alabama-Birmingham, Florida-Atlantic, and Southern Georgia. However, Steven intends to look over only after the season is over, choosing instead to focus on helping SMC win games.The Corsairs who sport a record of 1-1

are coming off of a bye week with their next game at home against Antelope Valley this Saturday. Though the last game was a loss Steven isn’t worried about the Corsairs defending their conference championship. “The rest of the season will be great. We

just had a hiccup as a team in the last game. The team we played was a bit better than we expected but we’ll get better, and I’m looking forward to that,” Tart said.No matter how things go Tart believes in

putting in the work on the field leaving what comes next to a higher power. “[Before games] I listen to gospel music, it gets me hyped,” said Tart.“I know that if I go all out on the field

[God] has my back. So, I can’t do good, I can’t do bad, I can only do what’s in his will.”

Steven tart, a star Corsair Left Tackle, stands by the SMC football field during practice on Tuesday, September 16. During the previous Saturday’s game against Southwestern he injured his right knee, thus keeping him on the sidelines for two weeks. The standout offensive lineman is considering six Division One scholarships offers from Colorado State, Marshall University and Florida Atlantic University.

Steven Tart: Number 71, broken but not beatenClaudius WestStaff WritEr

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