The Corsair - Issue 4 (Spring 2021) by Santa Monica College

CONTENT

FACULTY ADVISORS Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins | Journalism Adviser Gerard Burkhart | Photo Adviser

CONTACT Editor in Chief | corsair.editorinchief@gmail.com

SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram | corsairnews Twitter | the_corsair Facebook | thecorsairnews YouTube | thecorsaironline

WEBSITE www.thecorsaironline.com

FRONT COVER

Illustration by Carolyn Burt

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR As I write this Letter from the Editor, news has just broken of the verdict for the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who murdered George Floyd on May 25, 2020. Chauvin has been found guilty on all three counts — second-degree and third-degree murder, as well as second-degree manslaughter. This is the news I hoped for, but in the days leading up to the verdict, I couldn’t help but prepare myself for a different outcome. It feels almost unheard of for police officers who have committed crimes to be brought to justice. It’s a relief that Chauvin was held accountable for his actions in court, but it doesn’t feel like a cause for celebration. An innocent man was still murdered. There are still 8 weeks before we know the judge’s sentence, and while we can figure out what the maximum sentence might be, there is no minimum requirement. Derek Chauvin isn’t just one bad apple in the law enforcement system. Just this very month, Daunte Wright was fatally shot by police officer Kimberly Ann Potter, claiming to mistake her taser for her gun. Two months before George Floyd was murdered, Breonna Taylor was shot and killed in her own home by police after they forced entry into her apartment. After the verdict for Derek Chauvin was announced, my eyes stayed glued to the TV, watching George Floyd’s family speak on the jury’s decision. While some say justice has been served, a police officer going to jail for murdering an innocent man does not feel like justice. This does not take away their pain George Floyd’s family feels over the loss of their loved one. My mind is full of what ifs. What if Darnella Frazier hadn’t filmed Derek Chauvin murdering George Floyd? What if the pandemic hadn’t been going on, causing millions of Americans to be constantly on their phones, regularly checking their social media? What if the video hadn’t gone viral? What if the American people hadn’t taken to the streets in outrage? What if the protests hadn’t brought worldwide attention to the pattern of ongoing police brutality in our nation? The original police report from George Floyd’s murder read “Man Dies After Medical Incident During Police Interaction.” What if that had been the only documentation of the event the public ever saw? Would today’s verdict have been the same? I’m also left to question what this verdict means for the United States. Will it bring change that so many hope for — a precedent for future cases of police brutality — or will it be the exception.

Verdict is in. (Carolyn Burt | The Corsair) Editor-In-Chief Carolyn Burt

APRIL 21, 2021

NEWS

Derek Chauvin Found Guilty of Murder Michael Goldsmith | Staff Writer

ormer Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin has been convicted of murder in the death of George Floyd. The seven women and five men on the jury needed less than 12 hours to deliberate before convicting the 18-year law enforcement veteran of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin was escorted from the courtroom in handcuffs following the verdict. Floyd’s death last May sparked massive protests and societal dialogue over the issues of police brutality and systemic injustice. Chauvin is the first of four ex-police officers to face trial for the death of Floyd. The 46-year-old Houston-native was pronounced dead following an altercation with police last May 25. Chauvin can be seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck for rough-

ly 10 minutes, while three other officers physically restrain Floyd’s legs and midsection. The jury, which included concluded that the former police officer had “cause[d] the death of a human being without intent to effect the death of any person, while intentionally inflicting or attempting to inflict bodily harm upon the victim.” They also decided that Chauvin had indeed murdered Floyd “by perpetrating an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind, without regard for human life.” Prosecutor Steve Schleicher argued for the importance of holding police accountable in his closing arguments to the jury, stating, “Only you have the power to convict the defendant of these crimes — and in so doing, declare that this use of force was unreasonable; it was excessive; it was grossly disproportionate. [There] is [no] excuse for this shocking abuse that you saw with your own eyes...This wasn’t

policing, this was murder.” Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter A. Cahill presided over the three week trial, which included hours of video evidence and testimony from dozens of witnesses. Defense attorney Eric Nelson argued that jurors should consider the totality of events preceding Floyd’s death, stating, “The [prosecution] has really focused on the nine minutes and 29 seconds [when Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck]...That’s not the proper analysis — because the nine minutes and 29 seconds ignores the previous 16 minutes and 59 seconds.” Nelson also argued that his client’s actions were reasonable for an officer in that position, and that Floyd’s death may have been partly caused by a host of other factors. Chauvin invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination during the trial, making the decision to not testify and allow the prosecution an

opportunity to cross-examine him. Although pleased with the jury’s decision, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison stated during a post-verdict press conference that he “would not call today’s verdict justice. Because justice implies true restoration.” Ellison continued, “But it is accountability, which is the first step towards justice.” Floyd family attorney Ben Crump also spoke publicly following the verdict, stating, “We frame this moment for all of us, not just for George Floyd. This is a victory for those who champion humanity over inhumanity...This moment will be documented for our children yet unborn, as they continue on the journey to justice — knowing that the blood of George Floyd will give them a trail to find a way to a better America.” Sentencing for all three counts is scheduled to take place in mid-June.

Taking a Stand Against Anti-Asian Violence Naomi Ruiz | Staff Writer

n recent months, there has been a rise in racist attacks against Asian Americans. Six women of Asian descent were killed during the Atlanta spa shootings on March 16, and an elderly Asian man was stabbed and robbed in San Francisco on April 10. Because of these incidents, there is recent attention on anti-Asian hate, and people are pushing for change. There is a massive history behind ongoing racism against the Asian community. President Franklin Roosevelt established Japanese internment camps during World War II by signing Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942. Roosevelt created these camps with the intention of preventing espionage on American shores after the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces. However, Executive Order 9066 commanded the relocation of Japanese Americans and it affected approximately 117,000 lives. Johnnie Adams, the Chief of Police for Santa Monica College (SMC), has an 88-year-old mother and a late great cousin who were a few of many Japanese victims that were sent to these internment camps. "It kind of got me curious to think, 'I must have relatives here in the United States'... I just don't know who they are and where they are," he said. Throughout his life, Chief Adams has received offhand microaggressions from others, including some of his own friends. "I think a lot of it is internalized for me

because... I see it, I don't like it. But as I've gotten older, I've been more vocal about... not tolerating it because I think no one was born with bias or hate or racism, and I think it's a learned behavior," said Chief Adams. "If you don't [call out] people for it, they will never learn and they may not think it's offensive to you." Chief Adams believes that these microaggressions were encouraged by former President Donald Trump and his racist statements about Asian people, such as when he called COVID-19 "the Chinese virus" starting on March 16, 2020. "It seems like maybe the last Presidential Administration kind of made it okay based on his behavior and I think it has [emboldened] people to say and do things that are not okay. But they may think it's okay or they may have a platform now," said Chief Adams. SMC has promoted awareness of anti-Asian violence by having the Board of Trustees address the harmful consequences in a meeting on April 6, while standing in solidarity with the students and the Asian community at large. They are also holding different forums for people to voice their concerns. "I'm a mentor [for the Men of Color Mentoring Program of SMC]... we've talked about how we need to step up our game and ally with others to make them feel that we're one community," said Chief Adams. "It's tough because right now in a pandemic... I concentrate on [COVID-19] a lot when I could be spending time dealing with some of these issues." He hopes that SMC students will be

Santa Monica College police officers and safety officer take portrait images for the Corsair news Friday, Oct. 04 2019 (Kevin Tidmore | The Corsair). able to report these harmful incidents so that the school's police department is aware of the campus climate. But more importantly, Chief Adams urges students to be aware of their surroundings and never go alone to places where they might

feel confronted. Along with SMC providing resources such as the Wellness Center, a 24/7 hotline, and the Care and Prevention Team, he aims to help students by coming up with better solutions.

Elijah Bell (left), Mikhai Davis, and Aaron Luguan, from the Santa Monica College Men’s Swim Team, take on their opponets in the Mens 50 yard Breath stroke on April 16, 2021, in Santa Monica, Calif. After being forced to shutdown for nearly a year from the COVID-19 pandemic, the sports programs such as the swim team and other non-contact sports, are finally able to compete again. (Jon Putman / The Corsair)

Sports Are Back: SMC vs. Bakersfield C Swim Meet Maxim Elramsisy | Photo Editor

anta Monica College’s swim and dive team returned to action on April 16, 2021, after the college's non-contact sports resumed. They kicked the season off with a home meet against Bakersfield College. It was the first competition for the team since the 2020 season was cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic. Sports deemed to have too much contact have still not resumed. Athletes are able to retain an extra year of eligibility to compete under the California Community College Athletic Association for the season lost to pandemic, but still some have chosen to sit out for the season, as many sports have been complicated by the pandemic proto-

cols and procedures. At the swim meet on April 16, the stands were empty and social distancing was strictly enforced among attendees, officials, coaches, and athletes. Such stringent rules are put in place to keep student athletes from getting sick and potentially risking the season.

Giuliana Catro competes in the 100 yard butterfly at the Santa Monica Swim Center in Santa Monica, California on Friday, April 17, 2021. It was the SMC’s first swim meet since the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Maxim Elramsisy / The Corsair)

College Risa Akatsu prepares her goggles for the meet with Bakersfield college on April 16, 2021, in Santa Monica Calif. (Jon Putman / The Corsair)

Layout by Sonia Hiew

APRIL 21, 2021 Travelers have returned in mass at Los Angeles International Airport Terminal 2 on Thursday 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, Calf. (The Corsair | Brad Wilhite)

The Travel Industry

Takes Flight Maxim Elramsisy | Photo Editor

A T.S.A. agent at Los Angeles International Airport Terminal 2 has protective booth and a contactless I.D. reader to better separate him from the travelers Thursday 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, Calf. (The Corsair | Brad Wilhite)

s some parts of the world begin to reopen from COVID-19 shutdowns, the travel industry is trying to bounce back. In addition to mandatory masks, and hand sanitizer stations, new COVID-19 compliant travel infrastructure has been installed into airports around the world. At Los Angeles International Airport, plastic barriers have been placed to stand between Transportation Security Administration officials and travelers as they interact. The terminals also have, the now common, markers spaced at least six feet apart, showing where to stand. Seats within the terminals are also marked with reminders to maintain physical distance from other travelers. It seems that airports and travel will look considerably different from before 2020 — much in the same way that it was transformed after 9/11. With vaccination efforts underway, and mutations appearing around the globe it remains to be seen how travel will look in the future.

An unknown traveler sits with extra room thanks to a sign that prevents people from sitting next to each other at Los Angeles International Airport Terminal 2 on Thursday 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, Calf. (The Corsair | Brad Wilhite)

APRIL 21, 2021

A R TS & C U LT U R E

Amoeba is Back Paige Strickland | Digital Editor

amed record store, Amoeba Music, occupied the corner of Sunset and Cahuenga Blvds. since November of 2001. In April of last year, the buisness announced their abrupt closure due to the pandemic. In lieu of a proper send-off, bidding farewell to the decades spent there, the Amoeba staff focused their energy on opening their brand new store at 6200 Hollywood Blvd. A large, open floor plan, and new organizational set up, display Amoeba's diverse lot of thousands of records, CD’s, books, posters, and more. The addition of a performance stage designed by Shepard Fairey, famous for his brand, OBEY, promises the comeback of live shows and signings. Murals from local Los Angeles artists like Yaicecream create an updated look to the building. Amoeba's grand opening event, on April 1, amassed a diverse crowd of eager fans sporting tour shirts and merch, setting up chairs, and blasting music from portable speakers. By noon, the main line to get in stretched out over a six block span. Dedicated fans Priscilla Barajas and Kaassidy Pinedom were the first to form

the shopping line, camping out the night before the event. "We got here at 10 p.m. [last night] and haven't moved since," they said. Father-daughter duo Richard and Samantha Salinas were in the shopping line for nearly six hours, but the yearlong absence of live concerts and in-person record stores proved the wait to be worth it. “It's the anticipation. I always shopped at Amoeba, one of the last remaining record stores. It's just not the same shopping online," said Richard Salinas. “With the experience of shopping and scanning through stuff, you’ll run into new things and actually end up buying them. That alone really was what persuaded me to come." “Technically I’m a millennial, and [my father] brought me up buying vinyl and CDs," said Samantha Salinas. "That's a part of what I appreciate, and how I listen to music. Not having that for the last year and a half has been awful." A separate line formed on Hollywood Blvd. for customers selling or trading 11 or more items, bringing with them boxes and bags filled with their own CD’s and records to offer up. Significantly shorter, the line barely capped at 10 or 15 customers at a time, moving at an incredibly quicker pace than the main line.

Amoeba Music finally re-opens its doors to the public after transitioning to a new location on April 1, 2021 in Hollywood, Calif. After being shutdown for over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people lined the streets waiting for the grand opening of the new location. (Jon Putman | The Corsair) Christian Hernandez and Jeremy Moralez anticipated large crowds for the main shopping line. “We planned out the day, we saw that if you had stuff to trade in you would be in a different line compared to the other one. So we took advantage of that. Not that many people knew that you could trade-in and beat the longer line," said Hernandez. The two only waited 20 minutes to enter the store. Due to such a large turnout, some cus-

tomers were sent home before making it through the doors. The next following days, lines continued to form, creating waits longer than two hours. An ongoing anticipation from fans showcases Amoeba’s impact on the local Los Angeles music scene. In its new home, the store continues to thrive and remain a Hollywood staple. They replenish their shelves daily, open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m every day of the week.

Understanding Non-Fungible Tokens Taylor DiPrimo | Sports Editor

n February 8, 2021, Elon Musk announced via Twitter that Tesla would invest $1.5 billion in the cryptocurrency known as Bitcoin. This inspired a lot of questions and interest in the crypto-verse as to how this would affect the market going forward and if other large corporations would soon follow suit. After ten weeks, Tesla accrued $1 billion dollars directly from it’s Bitcoin investment. Similar to that effect, Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs) create an interesting and novel way for artists and entrepreneurs to make large sums of money. Anything from a house to a single pixel can be, and has been, sold as an NFT and can generate millions in direct revenue. So what exactly is a NFT and how does one go about minting and selling one? To understand NFTs, it’s important to know the basics of cryptocurrency. Bitcoin is the leading digital currency with a current equivalence to $55,000 USD. Satoshi Nakamoto came up with the theory of Bitcoin in 2009, and set a supply limit of 21 million bitcoin, meaning only 21 million Bitcoin can ever exist. However, this amount was not, and is still not, fully public to the market. Bitcoins are found by a process called mining, where people solve

advanced online algorithms in order to bring more Bitcoin on the market. Since the supply is limited, the market for Bitcoin increases as demand increases. Ethereum is the second in command cryptocurrency used to power the market and run apps on a decentralized blockchain, similar to a personalized cloud, which documents everything you own and keeps it safe. Non-fungible tokens are mainly run on Ethereum’s blockchain. NFTs are essentially an access code to purchasing distributed art. Once you acquire an NFT, you gain access to whatever was being sold in a file attached with your personal information and protected within the blockchain. Unlike Bitcoin and Ethereum, NFTs are purchased at a value set by it's owner. They are not cryptocurrency that are exchangeable within the crypto market, but a means of distribution amongst several different artistic mediums, such as digital artwork. These mediums are purchasable as an NFT, mainly using Ether (ETH) as it’s mode of currency. Minting and selling NFTs also requires minimal background of crypto itself. According to Coindesk, Ethereum’s blockchain currently leads the NFT minting market. By choosing their blockchain,

a user would need at least $50 - $100 in ether (ETH) and a wallet that uses ERC721 which is the NFT standard. From there, one would use online NFT marketplaces, such as OpenSea, Superfarm, or Rarible to upload their artwork and mint their NFT to distribute amongst the masses. The highly volatile nature of cryptocurrency's value is likely to drive the value of NFTs, which raises questions about it's longevity. However, the vast majority of vendors who sell items as NFTs are artists who, after a year of drought from direct revenue, are seeking any opportunity possible to increase their assets. Similar to Tesla’s Bitcoin investment, NFTs have the potential to put large corporations in a confusing situation. The increase in popularity is likely to drive artists and creatives to push their artwork and merchandise out on this cryptic platform. Time will tell if this

new technology inspires more artists in the future to release their material independently rather than acquiring funding from large corporations. These industries could be faced with a difficult decision whether or not they want to put their time and energy into supporting this newfound technology. Since this form of distribution interacts with its consumers directly on a peer-to-peer platform, it could be a significant contributor in independently distributing art, if it is mass adopted.

Illustration by Johnny Neville

S P O R TS

APRIL 21, 2021

Teqball: A New Game in Town Drew Andersen | Staff Writer

anta Monica locals have found a new way to stay fit, as people gather along the Santa Monica beach bike path to play Teqball. The game is similar to table tennis, only played on what resembles a pingpong table. An acrylic net divides the teams, with players kicking a soccer ball back and forth. Using their heads, chest, knees, and feet, Teqball players use a skill set similar to soccer in keeping the ball off the ground, while scoring points against the opponent. As a relatively new sport, Teqball was founded in Budapest, Hungary, in 2012. This highly competitive and skilled showcase of athleticism has garnered worldwide attention, as it now hosts an annual World Championship Teqball Tournament in Budapest. Margi Osmunson, a former assistant coach of the Sonoma State University women's soccer team, has played professionally for the L.A. Teqers Teqball team since March 2020. She and her club sponsor Teqball tables that are set up along the bike path. “Our goal is to have Teqball

as an official game in the 2024 Olympics,” said Osmunson. Pulsating music regularly plays from a bluetooth speaker as a Teqball match is underway along the bike path. People occasionally stop and check it out, and in some cases accept an invitation to join in and participate. That’s how Santa Monica College (SMC) student Luka Pilic was introduced to the sport last fall. As an incoming freshman, his plan was to play on the college soccer team for the 2020 season, but it was ultimately cut short due to COVID-19. “My goal is to play with the Santa Monica College [soccer] team during the season, but there is no season,” said Pilic. “Since I can't come out and play soccer competitively on a regular basis, I come out here and play Teqball...play some competitive games [and] it helps me improve my soccer skills.” Pilic's athletic prowess is noticed by teammate and Teqball professional player Brett Lorenzini. "We just won our first tournament in Phoenix on March 6, and came in first place, so I am really proud of him," said Lorenzini. "It's a really cool

Luka Pilic plays Teqball on the boardwalk in Santa Monica, Calif. on Feb. 25, 2021. (Maxim Elramsisy | The Corsair) combination — I am from London, England, and Luka is from Croatia, meeting in Santa Monica, [and] now we are the champions of the U.S.A. And for Luka, he could be the best player in the world! He is unbelievable, an electric player.” Lorenzini outlined specific talents that Luka brings to this evolving world competition. "He has one of the most powerful headers in Teqball... [and] he does the smash, he uses his foot to smash over the table. He is the strongest at doing that," said Lorenzini. "That’s why I

say he is one of the best. He puts his right foot over, it comes very high and comes over the table. The mechanics of body movement are being redefined by Pilic." “The exciting thing about Teqball is since you play either singles or doubles, there's not a lot of people on your team...I have the freedom to do whatever I want,” said Pilic, whose team won a top four spot in a Teqball tournament in Covina, California, on Saturday, April 10. Teqball practices are played during the week along the Santa Monica Beach bike path.