News

Changing the Face of War

Gavin Quinton | Managing Editor

On March 5, in a Saturday address sent out on his official Telegram channel, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the nation had "withstood the blow" of the Russian advance. He once again called for citizens to take up arms and push back against Russian forces.

Meanwhile, private citizens in the U.S. and Poland are organizing the strategic supply of combat gear and medical supplies for the Ukrainian resistance. A retired Air Force Colonel, experienced in national security affairs and supply line logistics, is aiding with the real-time coordination of these supplies. He has also arranged the successful evacuation of vulnerable civilians from the region. Colonel Jim, who has asked to keep his last name anonymous for his own safety, described the evolving war effort.

“Because of things like social media and other platforms, we're able to communicate, we're able to coordinate, we're able to synchronize things that could never happen before,” Colonel Jim said. Using encrypted messaging and the fast transaction speed of cryptocurrency, the Colonel said he was able to coordinate a deal for 2,000 pieces of armor to be sent to Ukraine in less than five minutes, and he “was able to coordinate funding just as fast.”

Colonel Jim sent out the materials in a partnership with a supplier called Zavod. In an open letter sent on March 7, Zavod urged for the private supply of body armor, tactical helmets and medical kits to a Ukrainian civilian militia called The Teroborona, which translates to civil defense.

Zavod directly addressed its network of veterans, ex-police officers, special ops forces and enthusiasts. “Please do your part in defending democracy and liberating Ukraine from this unprecedented aggression,” they wrote in the letter.

Citizens throughout Ukraine are contributing to the war effort in search and rescue, dispersal of humanitarian supplies and in combat, AP reported. One Ukrainian, Xena Solo, provides real-time information via her live TikTok stream, a practice which Colonel Jim says is a revolutionary advancement. “Everybody becomes a potential sensor or an intelligence asset,” he said. “Getting raw, real intelligence from any person on the planet that's holding a cell phone that can record a geocached video changes the whole face of war.”

Though civilian casualties are common, and the Russian military is having some success in the southern regions of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Army and its citizens are putting forth an effective resistance according to AP.

“They're creating asymmetric weapons like catapults to fire Molotov cocktails. They’re being very creative and really taking the fight to the Russians,” Colonel Jim said. “And it's everyday people. From offices, from bakeries, you name it. It's just people defending the homeland.”

Colonel Jim explained the advantage of providing resources directly to the Teroborona militias. They, in turn, do not need to request supplies from the government that are otherwise intended for the Army. The civilian militias can continue to supply themselves, and be impactful, without becoming a burden to the army which is trying to fight the bigger war.

SMC Campus Copes with COVID-19

Dylan Smith | Staff Writer

On March 13, 2020, COVID-19 prompted the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to close down the schools. Due to the pandemic, schools such as Santa Monica College (SMC) adapted to remote learning

Social distancing and other COVID-19 restriction explanations remain posted in the hallway of Santa Monica College's Bundy Campus in Los Angeles on Feb 22. (Marc Federici | The Corsair) Sydney Adams-Smith | Staff Writer in 2020-21. According to the CDC, as of March 8, 65.1 percent of the United States population is fully vaccinated which includes 75.1 percent of Americans 18 years of age or older. On Feb. 7, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California will be lifting the mask mandate. Following this, L.A. County chose to lift their own indoor mask mandate on March 4.

Following this announcement, on March 12, Newson declared that he will end the mask mandate for schools in California. Prior to that recent change, SMC had already begun to resume its on-ground courses, although in limited capacity. According to the school’s Public Information Officer Grace Smith, 15 percent of students returned to on-ground classes in the Fall 2021 semester. Those on campus over that period were required to wear masks indoors, and send proof of their vaccination to the school’s health center,

“I was super excited when I first heard that SMC was allowing onground classes, so I was really happy when I was able to enroll,” SMC sophomore Emily Sabinas said.

To guarantee the safety of both students and staff members, SMC requires all on-ground personnel to adhere to three main protocols to attend classes on campus. "The three big things are washing your hands, social distancing and masking," said SMC Police Department Chief Johnnie Adams.

Sabinas thought that the school’s public health protocols were adequate. “I actually think the school's requirements to regulate Covid is pretty good," said Sabinas. She believes that if SMC enforces masks and vaccination requirements, cases in the area will continue to decrease.

SMC sophomore Anna Arutyunyan had a different opinion when it came to SMC’s regulations for students on campus. “I mean, requirements are ok, but it’s weird for me if there will no longer be a mandate in L.A. County to wear masks," she said.

Over the semesters of online learning, Sabinas has become familiar with its remote infrastructure. “The only fear I had was wondering if I was going to fail my classes because it’s not online anymore. Everything will have to be in person like the exams and the quizzes and the speeches,” she said.

After almost a year and a half of virtual learning, it became difficult for Sabinas to get situated in a classroom setting.

As more students begin to enroll on-ground, SMC is scheduling more activities on campus. “We are now planning a college transfer fair on the twenty eighth," said Chief Adams.

Chief Adams shared that representatives from over 200 colleges will attend the fair on March 28, and SMC will enforce strict masking guidelines.

According to Chief Adams, SMC "plans to have a discussion" on moving forward with the school’s COVID-19 mask mandate. The school has implemented new public health measures for the Spring 2022 semester, requiring all students to submit proof that they received a COVID-19 booster vaccination.