This morning as I woke up, I underwent my normal routine: sit up, listen to NPR, scroll through Twitter, and check the news on FlipBoard. As I was mindlessly working my way through social media, I read a brief story that peaked my interest. A young woman voting in her first Presidential Election was met with hostility at a polling center in her home state of Texas. An older white man told her she wasn’t registered, despite the fact she had received a confirmation sample ballot weeks before. Following a few moments of confusion, the young woman turned and walked away. After calling a voter’s protection hotline, she found an alternative center and cast her vote. I took mental note of the series of tweets, not because it was a story I hadn’t heard before (unfortunately ones like this seem all too common), but rather because of one small detail. The woman was the child of two immigrants, both from Mexico. I thought back to my experience at a polling center just a few days before. I was met with kind, smiling faces, and an emphatic group of citizens excited to complete their civic duty. As a child of two immigrants myself, I couldn’t help but question the difference in our experiences. One could make the argument that location can account for the disparity; I was in an extremely liberal district in California. The Twitter user was in historically conservative Texas. Although location was absolutely a factor, the root of the issue is far more sinister. Ultimately, the difference in treatment can be chalked up to the shade of my skin. If put in a lineup, nobody would pick me as a first generation American. My white privilege saves me from the harassment so many have to endure, despite the fact that my family’s history is less entrenched in this country than most. President Trump would argue he has run and succeeded on an anti-immigration platform, but the reality isn’t so. He ran against Black and Brown people. My mother, father, and brother are all immigrants, but their whiteness has protected them from his ideologies. This election is about empathy. Can your ability to connect with your countrymen and countrywomen transcend race, religion, and creed? Can you, as a liberal, conservative, or anything in between, think objectively about the history of the candidates in play? Can you feel and pray for those who have lost a loved one to the pandemic, even if their party isn’t the same as yours? Can you think of the children locked in cages not as animals, but as human beings seeking the same privileges your ancestors did when they came here? The outcome of this election largely rests on the minorities poked and prodded at polling centers. The success of Donald Trump banks on a lack of participation from minority groups and younger generations. They hope to scare and intimidate those people out of voting for a better future. Stories like the one on my Twitter feed this morning display a growing sense of fear in the Trump camp –– fear that those who have been disenfranchised and cast aside for centuries are going to rise up and put a foot down –– fear that their inaction has finally summoned the countermovement of their nightmares –– fear that change is coming. They wouldn’t be making it hard for you to vote if they thought you couldn’t change the course of this country. There’s no better time for them to be afraid.
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When Will we Know Election Results? Johaira Dilauro | Staff Writer 2020 has been anything but simple, with the uncertainty of the pandemic and the presidential election. The Trump-Pence vs. Biden-Harris campaign race will end once the election results are officially announced. While the possibility that a presidential winner will be announced on election night still exists, it may take a week -- or even a month -- before we know who our president and vice president will be for the next four years. Even though Americans are used to having a projected winner from news stations on election night, these predictions are based on assumptions from partial voting results. The winner of the election for each state will be announced once every vote has been counted. Election results are never finalized on the day of the election; every state certifies their results days after, once all ballots have been received. As of Nov. 3, over 100 million Americans have already cast their vote, either through mail-in ballots or in-person voting. Due to the pandemic, approximately 80 million Americans have chosen to vote by mail -- more than ever before in the history of presidential elections. According to Pew Research Center, a non-partisan fact checking service, the majority of those choosing to vote by mail are Democrats, with Republicans more likely to vote in-person. For states that count in-person ballots first and mail-in ballots second, early results may look very different from the final outcome. Electoral votes are the biggest determinant of the presidential election. A candidate must obtain 270 electoral votes, over half of the total 538 votes up for grabs, in order to win.
Each state gets a set number of “votes” toward the election, and whichever candidate gets the most votes within that state wins all of the electoral votes. California has 55 electoral votes, the most out of any state in the country. California has been a Democratic leaning state since the 1992 election of Bill Clinton; however, the state was historically Republican-leaning for much of the mid-to-late 1900s. Swing states, also known as “battleground” states, can be easily won by either a Democratic or Republican candidate, and the direction they swing in cannot generally be predicted based on previous elections. States like Florida (with 29 electoral votes), Texas (38), Michigan (16), and Pennsylvania (20), are being fought for by both Trump and Biden. These states could expedite the election results depending on how large of a voting gap there is between the two candidates. Texas has the most restrictive voting laws, which has led to voter suppression, county gerrymandering, voter intimidation, and onthe-road harassment of vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris. In 2016, Texas had the lowest voter turnout in the country; this year, they have the highest. Officially declared a toss-up state, the Lone Star State has not been won by a Democrat since 1976. Back in August, former presidential contender Beto O’Rourke told audiences at an Axios digital event that “we can once and for all end the Trump Presidency and Trumpism forever” if Biden wins Texas Tuesday night. At the end of October, The Trump administration tried to invalidate 126,000 ballots
The Capitol Building in Washington D.C. on October, 20, 2020. (Todd C. Wilkinson / The Corsair)
that were cast at drive-through polling locations in Harris County, TX, a region which has a large democratic presence. A federal judge rejected the administration’s effort on Nov. 1. Despite Trump’s Oct. 27 claim to Fox News that “it would be very, very proper and very nice if a winner were declared on Nov. 3, instead of counting ballots for two weeks, which is totally inappropriate, and I don’t believe that’s by our laws,” tallying ballots until all are counted is consistent with the law. States do have differing laws that say when they can officially start counting ballots. Wisconsin legally cannot start counting ballots until the day before the election. Michigan and Pennsylvania won’t start counting mail-in ballots until election day. After weeks of repeated questioning, Trump finally agreed to a peaceful transfer of power during an NBC town hall on Oct. 15 -- but not without casting doubt on the election results and making baseless claims about voter fraud. He has also refused to publicly guarantee a violence-free transition. “Yes, I will [accept a peaceful transfer], but I want it to be an honest election and so does everybody else,” Trump said. “When I see thousands of ballots dumped in a garbage can and they happen to have my name on it, I’m not happy about it.”
Trump has repeatedly “predicted” that election results will be decided by the Supreme Court (SCOTUS), citing mail-in voting fraud as the primary cause. At the end of October, the president appointed Republican conservative Amy Coney Barrett to the Court, creating a 6-3 conservative majority on the court that would presumably benefit Trump should the election results reach SCOTUS. As Trump’s angry tweeting persists at an exponential and unsettling speed, fears regarding what post-election America will be are unsettling for voters like SMC student Carmen Anders. Anders fears that if Trump doesn’t get re-elected, he might turn to Twitter to encourage his supporters to turn violent. “His tweets have allowed him to perpetuate his lies for the last four years,” Anders said. “His tweets [spread] even more lies and fear: using his tweets to incite violence is not out of the question.” As the COVID-19 death toll continues to rise and the country remains politically divided, this election has the potential to unite or divide us further. With the increased voter turnout and the possibility of swing state results coming through quickly, we may have an idea of who the next president of the United States will be as early as election night.
and current president of the American Constitution Society Russ Feingold in an interview with The Intercept in August. “The goal was to broaden the role of the voter in the selection of senators. But instead, you often have one person getting to decide.” The amendment establishes the right of the people to directly elect their Senators, but grants permission for governors to choose someone to fill an empty seat if it is vacated before the next election. Feingold said that, historically, temporarily appointed senators seldom served an entire two-year term in Congress. He says the 17th Amendment was put in place to avoid “backroom deal-making” in the Senate, and avoid giving too much power to one person in these decisions. “It’s better for the people to choose,” Feingold said. “The people of California should choose.” Critics argue that Newsom has the power to pick anyone he favors, with little question about his motivation. Garrett Epps, a law professor at the University of Baltimore,
echoes Feingold’s belief that governor-decided appointments are unjust opportunities for individuals to join the Senate without the input of the general public. “There was extraordinary popular mobilization [of the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment] because the Senate was such a cesspool of corruption,” said Epps. Regardless of fairness, Newsom will be in charge to appoint someone in Harris’s place should she and former Vice President Joe Biden win the election. But in an interview with Fox 11 on Nov. 1, Newsom said he has received many offers from people to fill the seat. “The stress of having to choose between a lot of friends, to choose between quality candidates, and the fact that whoever you pick, there are going to be a lot of people who are going to be upset, disappointed, that it wasn’t this or that, I don’t even want to get my arms around that until I have the privilege of having to make that decision,” Newsom said. “We’ll see next week.”
Gavin Newsom Could Pick Harris Stand-In
Gabrielle Faulkner | Staff Writer
Kamala Harris has served as a California Senator since 2017, but if elected as Vice President, she will have to vacate her seat. While the House of Representatives holds special elections whenever there is a vacancy, some states, including California, allow governors to appoint a temporary Senator. California Governor Gavin Newsom is in charge of finding a replacement for Harris, the United States’ second Black female Senator. While Newsom has not confirmed his list of potential appointees, his top two rumored choices are California Secretary of State Alex Padilla and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, according to a CalMatters report from August. Alex Padilla, Democrat, served in the California Senate from 2006 until 2014. His policies include supporting affirmative action, restoring voting rights for individuals on parole, and ensuring access to fair public education and healthcare.
Xavier Becerra, spent most of his political career serving in the House of Representatives before becoming California Attorney General. Becerra advocates for accessible healthcare, criminal justice and police reform, and protecting the environment. While Newsom’s approval rating has shot to new heights with his handling of the pandemic, he is still criticized for the way he has approached unhoused Californians and high living costs. Several other people, including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, are rumored to be in consideration for the position. While the practice of state governors filling Senate seats is common, critics see this as a direct violation of the 17th Amendment. Before the Amendment, which was ratified in 1913, most states elected their senators through state legislatures. “The whole purpose of the 17th Amendment was that people should choose their senators directly,” said former U.S. Senator
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“The Big One” Is Coming to California Aja Marshall | Staff Writer While 2020 has brought the trials of a pandemic, civil unrest, and political turmoil to those across the country, California and nine other states are additionally burdened by earthquakes. Seismologists predict that Southern California is particularly at the mercy of a disastrous earthquake dubbed “The Big One.” Earthquakes are powerful displays of mother nature that occur when pressure is released from continental plates shifting and colliding beneath the Earth’s surface. Depending on the size, they can be dangerous and cause damage to landscapes in their wake. They are nearly unpredictable, with the exception of seismologists who’ve developed a way to statistically estimate when a big earthquake will occur, using data from the past and present. Since January, Los Angeles (L.A.) has experienced three earthquakes that were 4.0 and above on the Richter scale — a universal scale used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes based on the size of their vibrations ranging from 1.0 to 8.0 and above. Earthquakes are considered to be light if they are between 4.0 and 4.9. Those that are 8.0 and above are classified as great and have the potential to collapse major bridges and buildings, but these are rare. The epicenters of L.A.’s recent 4.0 and above earthquakes were in Sylmar, El Monte,
and the Pacific Ocean — all within a 60 mile radius of Santa Monica College (SMC). The earthquakes were classified as light, but the vibrations still shook the campus. No major damage was reported, but these earthquakes serve as reminders that a natural disaster can happen at any time — like “The Big One,” that is expected to be 7.8 or above. SMC Geology Professor Dr. Lisa Collins has been studying earthquakes since her undergraduate years, and earned her Ph.D. in earth sciences from the University of Southern California. She emphasized that it is not a matter of if “The Big One” will occur, but when. “In the next 60 years, there’s about a 60% probability that [L.A.] will have an earthquake that’s at least a magnitude [of] 6.7. The likelihood decreases with the larger earthquakes,” Collins said. It also concerns her as a wife and mother, who now has her family to think of, compared to years ago when she first moved to California from Maryland, and was thrilled to learn about earthquakes firsthand. Today she stays up-to-date on the latest news about earthquakes in Southern California for her classes, her own interests, and for the safety of her family. Collins said “The Big One” will be triggered by an earthquake on the San Andreas Fault, a well-known fault line connecting two tectonic plates underground. The fault runs approximately 800 miles, starting near
Infographic by Aja Marshall
the border of Mexico and ending in the Bay Area, outside of San Francisco. The San Andreas Fault is about 35 miles from L.A. and has not had a major earthquake since the 1800s, because of a bend in the fault preventing the plates from sliding. Collins mentioned that while straighter parts of the fault have shifted over the years, the bend just north of L.A. has been stuck in place; but, this might change when “The Big One” happens. “The size of the earthquake relates to the amount of displacement, or the amount of movement, that’s going to happen on that fault. At this point, I think it’s over 30 feet of displacement that we’re expecting to see. So that’s partly...why we call it, ‘The Big One.’ It’s going to release a lot of energy when it slips suddenly,” Collins said. In a scenario where a major earthquake hits the city, Collins said people may have to fend for themselves for two to three days before the city provides aid. She added that the Los Angeles International Airport could be shut down for days before any supplies
are flown in. “Police officers and [firefighters], you’ll see them coming through, but if you need something they may not be able to help you, they may just be doing a quick assessment of what’s going on and then leaving,” Collins said. She also mentioned there may be looting and phone service will be down. To be prepared, she recommends assembling an earthquake kit with basic necessities. This includes one gallon of water per person per day, blankets and warm clothes, and cash to account for broken ATMs and no electricity. Collins also suggests making a plan so people in the same household can find each other after the earthquake. Professor Collins admitted that although earthquakes are unsettling for her, she feels better knowing that she and her family are prepared. She continues to share her resources with as many students as possible, knowing that earthquake preparedness is the key to staying safe when “The Big One” hits.
America’s COVID-19 Winter is Coming Michael Goldsmith | Staff Writer Coronavirus cases have broken multiple records over the past week, with an unprecedented national single-day tally of 88,521 new cases reported on Oct. 30. That record was broken 24 hours later, with the United States setting a new single-day worldwide record for any nation, with 99,321 new Coronavirus cases on Halloween alone. Unlike the early months of the pandemic, which saw Democratic-run states and major metropolitan areas bear the brunt of cases and deaths, the new wave of the virus has disproportionately affected Republican-run states and rural communities. While over 230,000 Americans have been killed by the novel Coronavirus in less than nine months, the fast approaching winter is shaping up to be a historic holiday season of pain and tragedy for countless more American families. Projections for COVID-19 deaths over the next few months show that more than 150,000 Americans will die. These could be minimized by federal and state governments implementing more mask and social distancing mandates. According to the In-
stitute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, 315,000 Americans will have been killed by the virus as of Feb. 1, 2021, if 95% of the population wears masks. Conversely, if the status quo continues, more than 482,000 will die. Even in areas of the country that have issued requirements for individuals to wear face coverings in public, such as Los Angeles County, the mandates have essentially been voluntary. Many local law enforcement entities across California, such as sheriff’s departments in Orange County and the state capital of Sacramento, have openly refused to enforce mask mandates. The Trump administration recently acknowledged on Oct. 25 that they have given up any attempts to contain the oncein-a-century pandemic, with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows admitting on CNN’s State of the Union, “We’re not going to control the pandemic.” The president attempted to distance himself from Meadows’ comments the following day, saying “absolutely the opposite. We’ve done an incredible job,” on the same day that the nation reported a new
single-day record for cases. “We are absolutely rounding the corner,” said Trump, a claim he has repeatedly made for months against current public health data. The president has also claimed without evidence that news outlets will stop covering the pandemic if he is defeated in the upcoming Nov. 3 election. Trump has falsely claimed numerous times since the beginning of the pandemic that the virus will go away on its own, saying at a public White House meeting on Feb. 28, “It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.” The president has also falsely claimed dozens of times that the increase in national coronavirus cases is due to increased testing, while ignoring the higher positivity rates. The White House’s own testing czar, Admiral Brett Giroir, recently disputed Trump’s claim, stating, “It’s not just a function of testing. Yes, we’re getting more cases identified, but the cases are actually going up, and we know that too because hospitalizations are going up…and we do know that deaths are increasing.” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious-disease expert and a key mem-
ber of Trump’s White House Coronavirus Task Force, didn’t mince words last week in an interview with The Washington Post. “We’re in for a whole lot of hurt [in the coming months]. It’s not a good situation,” Dr. Fauci said. “All the stars are aligned in the wrong place as you go into the fall and winter season, with people congregating at home indoors. You could not possibly be positioned more poorly.” In mid-July, Santa Monica College (SMC) Director of Health and Wellbeing Susan Fila foresaw what would unfold over the upcoming summer and fall months, stating to The Corsair, “The resurgence in cases is likely due to…some businesses and people not following the guidelines.” Dr. Fila continued, “COVID-19 is not the flu and we have no immunity to this virus. It is important to wash your hands frequently, stay physically at least 6 feet away from others, and wear a cloth face covering when you leave your home. Doing these things can help to slow the spread of the virus while we wait for a vaccine.” Almost 100,000 Americans have been killed by the pandemic since Fila made that statement three months ago.
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Santa Monica College serves as a voting center for early voting in the 2020 Election.(Romeo Kuhn / The Corsair)
Early Voting Turnout Tops Last Election Niamh Moore | Staff Writer
Santa Monica College voting center on Tuesday, October 27, 2020, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Michael Goldsmith / The Corsair)
This election, we have seen a significant increase in early voting compared to 2016. In the days leading up to Nov. 3, voters lined up at polling places across L.A. County and in communities around the nation to make sure their vote gets counted. Some who filled out a mail-in ballot also showed up at the polls, as they can turn their ballots at drop boxes at several in-person voting locations. As of Nov. 3, over 100 million early ballots were cast before the polls even opened -- that’s nearly twice as many compared to the 2016 election. The Coronavirus pandemic has led many people to stay at home this year and mail in their ballots to avoid going out to the polls.
A sign leads the way to the voting center at Santa Monica College on Oct. 23, 2020. (Carolyn Burt / The Corsair)
President Trump has encouraged his supporters to vote in-person, sending out many tweets discouraging mail-in voting. On Sept. 12, Trump tweeted that “The Unsolicited Mail In Ballot Scam is a major threat to our Democracy, & the Democrats know it... Large numbers of missing Ballots & Fraud.” On the other hand, presidential candidate Joe Biden has expressed his support for mail-in voting. The high anxiety surrounding this year’s election, and the state of the nation as a whole, has led to an increase in first-time voters as well - both young and old. According to TargetSmart, a Democratic political data firm, nearly 2.5 of the 6.2 million firsttime voters that have cast their ballots as of Oct. 30, are over 40.
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A Movement in the Valley Michael Goldsmith | Staff Writer When Latora Green first decided to protest outside the Sherman Oaks Galleria on May 31, she couldn’t have anticipated how her life was about to change. Black Lives Matter protests were happening all throughout the country in response to George Floyd’s death at the hands of police officers, with many happening in different neighborhoods of L.A. “I came out here [to protest] when it happened to George Floyd, but I didn’t stop,” said Green. “It’s bigger than that...I did it because it keeps happening. It’s sad, it’s disgusting, and we’re saying ‘enough is enough’.” She has continued to take action and as of Election Day has been protesting at the Galleria with her nonprofit “The Valley of Change” for 157 consecutive days. “I’m tired of Black people getting killed unjustly and police brutality. I’m tired of it. And it’s been continuing to go on for hundreds of years...I got tired, you know.” said Green.
“We have to vote in the elections coming up. We’ve got to change policies and vote racism out. We’ve got a lot of work to do.” Her perseverance has inspired many throughout the Sherman Oaks community to take action and “Show up and show out.” Having recently been laid off from her job as a human resource specialist due to the pandemic, the local San Fernando Valley resident decided to make her stand on the northwest corner of Sepulveda Blvd and Ventura Blvd. With years spent volunteering for causes such as Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Skid Row neighborhood in downtown Los Angeles, Green decided to take the next step and establish her own charitable non-profit organization. She co-founded The Valley of Change soon after, along with fellow activist Reggie Watkins, for the purpose of “advocating for policy solutions, community representation, widespread education, and narrative change to accelerate social change and sustainably construct a fair, equitable society,” according
to their website. In addition to their daily eight-hour-long protests, they have focused on feeding the homeless and handing out essential health kits during the pandemic to those who would otherwise go without. To keep the momentum, the Valley of Change also will host events such as a candlelight vigil for Breonna Taylor and a Skate Against Hate protest to take place on the evening of the Presidential Election. Green also advocates the importance in voting, and in the months leading up to the election has helped many register to vote. “Don’t give up. We’ve got to keep fighting and pushing. Stay motivated…[Voting] matters right now. Act like your life depends on it,” said Green. Green’s made it clear that she has no plans of stopping her activism anytime soon, stating, “I’m going to continue. For my husband, for my ancestors, for my son, for my brother. It’s bigger than us. It’s throughout the country. We have to do better.”
Latoria Green raises up her first in front of the Sherman Oaks Galleria. “Rain, shine, if it’s hot as hell, you will always see me out.” (Carolyn Burt / The Corsair)
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Protesters with The Valley of Change cross Ventura Blvd outside the Sherman Oaks Galleria in Sherman Oaks, Calif. on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020.(Michael Goldsmith / The Corsair)
Will Green protests at the Sherman Oaks Galleria on Sept. 28, 2020. (Romeo Kuhn / The Corsair)
A candlelight vigil for Breonna Taylor outside the Sherman Oaks Galleria on, Sept. 26, 2020. (Michael Goldsmith / The Corsair)
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A volunteer working at the Santa Monica College voting center on November 3, 2020 in Santa Monica, Calif. (Yasamin Jafari Tehrani / The Corsair)
Election Day in L.A. Jackie Sedley | News Editor Nov. 3 is officially known as Election Day, but millions of voters have already submitted their ballots for the 2020 election. American voters have had the option to request an absentee ballot since the American Civil War, but the global pandemic heightened the popularity of mail-in voting. California, Colorado, and several other states automatically sent absentee ballots to all voters, regardless if they were requested or not. Not every voter chose to mail in their ballots, especially those voting for President Trump. The president has voiced baseless claims attacking the legitimacy of mail
in-voting, which has led many of his supporters to head to the polls and cast their ballots in-person. L.A. County hosted 793 in-person polling places for Election Day. The L.A. Registrar’s County Clerk, Dean C. Logan, said that over 76,000 voters casted their ballots by 1 p.m., and those voters did not experience wait times longer than 15 minutes. 535,000 ballots were also cast during the 10-day early voting period. This, combined with the record-breaking number of mail-in ballots, left L.A. County’s polling places feeling empty in comparison to elections past. Polls across California opened at 7 a.m. and remained open until 8 p.m.
People voting on Election day at Santa Monica College (SMC) on November 3, 2020 in Santa Monica, Calif. (Yasamin Jafari Tehrani / The Corsair)
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Santa Monica College voting center on November 3, 2020 in Santa Monica, Calif. (Yasamin Jafari Tehrani / The Corsair)
A voter photographed at the selfie station in the gym at Santa Monica College on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020. The gym is being used as a voting center. (Marco Pallotti/The Corsair)
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oting on Election day at Santa Monica College (SMC) on November 3, 2020 in Santa Monica, Calif. (Yasamin Jafari Tehrani / The Corsair)
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The History of Dia de los Muertos Kimberly Aquino | Staff Writer Halloween, previously known as All Hallows Eve, originates from the ancient Celtic holiday known as Samhain. During Samhain, Celts lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off ghosts. They believed that on Oct. 31, spirits of the dead or ghosts returned to Earth to damage crops and cause trouble. Celts associated Samhain with the end of the summer harvest. They performed sacrifices to Celtic deities to protect them from the harsh winter and the deaths brought in that time. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III dedicated Nov. 1 as a day to celebrate All Saints’ Day, which incorporated some of Samhain’s traditions. Halloween became popular in the United States around the second half of the nineteenth century when Irish immigrants migrated to the U.S. due to the famine. Today, Halloween has evolved into a day of trickor-treating, costumes, and festivals to make the holiday more family-friendly and community focused. Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is
a traditional Mexican holiday celebrated from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2. It has grown to be celebrated throughout many Latin American countries, the Caribbean, and the United States. Dia de los Muertos combines the European Catholic traditions of All Saints’ Day with Aztec rituals honoring the deceased. It is not a day of mourning, but a day to celebrate the lives of loved ones who have already passed and to acknowledge that death is part of the human experience. Dia de los Muertos comes with many traditions, including making altars and giving ofrendas (offerings) to those remembered and honored, making Pan de Muerto (bread of the dead), and decorating skulls. Many people choose to celebrate privately at home and at cemeteries where their loved ones have been laid to rest. Making traditional altars and leaving ofrendas is one of the most important elements of the holiday. When preparing an altar for a deceased loved one, it is customary to create beautiful displays and leave the deceased’s favorite foods or drinks, along with photos. Ofrendas tell you a lot about
Las Catrinas arrive to Third Street Promenade for Dia De Los Muertos. Sponsored by Downtown Santa Monica, Public art intallation by Ricardo Soltero’s brings Mexico;s day of the dead celebration to Santa Monica. Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020 in Santa Monica, Calif. (Alex Ramirez Canales/The Corsair)
deceased loved ones and what they enjoyed when they were still alive. Pan de Muerto, or bread of the dead, is an essential element of the holiday and can be bought in many grocery stores or made at home. The round shape of the bread represents the human body, while the long figures laid over the top of the bread represent the bones -- the round knot in the middle represents the skull. From paper-mache to edible sugary creations, skulls are seen everywhere during Dia de los Muertos. The skulls’ significance is to honor the continuous cycle of life and
to be reminded of death. Many people carve the names of their relatives and loved ones on these skulls when they leave them at altars. Both Halloween and Dia de los Muertos have deep traditions and culture behind them, and focus on bringing families and communities together.
nity to reach out to fans online, but it’s difficult for artists to emulate their connection with fans at live performances. A similar feeling is felt by sisters Asy Saavedra, singer/keyboardist, and Chloe Saavedra, singer/drummer who make up the L.A. band Chaos Chaos. They miss performing live in front of their fans who are used to their indie-pop sound. Regarding live performances, Chloe Saavedra stated, “I’m not gonna lie, I miss the energy of a live performance so much and I miss real live fans and being able to share the energy in the room.” The pandemic hasn’t affected their creative process and they are very much still motivated to put out music. Chaos Chaos curated the “Support Black Womxn” live stream concert and comedy show, which premiered Sept. 30 on Twitch. Chaos Chaos performed with Dana Williams, Reggie Watts, Fred Armisen, Cautious Clay, Zuri Marley, and more. The live stream partnered with The Crocodile, KORG, Roland, Gamers.Vote, and Tom Tom Magazine. The free live stream’s proceeds will go to The Loveland Foundation. Established by Rachel Carole in 2018, The Loveland Foundation helps Black womxn and girls across the country to receive therapy for ongoing healing. Chloe Saavedra detailed the importance of this live stream. “As a white woman I want to be aware of my privilege and thoughtful of how to not silence any voices. I felt
that making the event be in support of Black womxn was the best way to give voice and awareness to the people who need to be heard the most” she said. Chaos Chaos’ support of Black women through The Loveland Foundation is relevant considering how much Black women are always associated with the “strong Black woman” stereotype, which disregards their mental health. Black women have had to persevere through every hardship. Their vulnerability is often disregarded, but how well they prioritize their family, jobs, and education is praised instead. “I think everyone is struggling for similar reasons, but it also will be a huge collective period of growth for the human race. That sounds super insane to say, but I think it’s true,” said Chloe Saavedra. “If we come out of this alive and have figured out how to take care of each other then we have evolved. Or, to be a little more dark, if we let greed, racism, and division dictate how we handle this we simply won’t survive it.” Chaos Chaos has new music in the works as well. Chloe Saavedra stated, “We have an album’s worth of new material and we are so excited about it.” Through live stream concerts, fans are able to see artists perform as they would in a live performance. It can be uplifting for fans to see artists having the motivation to be creative in a time like this.
Musicians Cannot Afford to Miss a Note
Rebecca Edwards Owens | Staff Writer When the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown businesses in March, most music artists could no longer perform in front of large, uplifting, and energetic crowds. Instead, artists utilized other modes of promotion, as music production and live performance were considered to be too risky for the safety of artists and fans alike. Utilizing online platforms forces artists to be more open with their fans than they previously were. Now everyone gets a chance to see a whole new side of music artists’ behind-the-scenes work. These unforeseen measures require artists to transition into challenging new modes of working. A entire new level of creativity has become essential with regards to the way that artists present themselves in Instagram posts, live streams, music videos, and more. Dana Williams is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and poet based in Los Angeles. Her music is a blend of jazz and soul. “When quarantine first happened, it was very confusing. All of my in-person writing sessions were canceled and no one had any idea on what to do,” said Williams. “I think as time progressed I got into a nice creative rhythm. I have been doing a lot of remote sessions and write by myself. I just take it day by day and try not to be too hard on myself.” While facing a tremendous change in her music process, it’s crucial that she doesn’t let it hinder her creativity. These trying times
make it hard for anyone to push through, so seeing artists being motivated and creating is inspiring. Williams is now utilizing new methods of promotion during this time, using social media. “So much of traditional promotion is doing performances in person and creating visuals which involve working with people in person. Luckily, I’ve been able to produce videos in isolation and have been releasing music. I have gotten some fun opportunities during this time like performing for H.E.R.’s “Girls With Guitars” Instagram Live Show. That was an incredible experience,” said Williams Williams has posted some other new content online. “I started making cooking videos which I have really enjoyed, she said. Also she has been steadily releasing music, including her song “Answers,” which was released back in August. Williams also took to using Patreon, a membership platform for content creators, as a way to connect with listeners and fans. “Right now, since playing live shows isn’t an option, I thought that starting a Patreon account would be a nice way to interact with the people,” said Williams. “I hope it’s another way to inspire girls and Black artists. I’m always happy to give advice about songwriting and guitar playing. I am inspired by so many great Black women artists and guitarists. It would be amazing if I inspire others too”. Like Williams, artists have the opportu-
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Black Women Beat the Odds Aja Marshall | Staff Writer The emergence of COVID-19 across the U.S. has tragically affected small businesses nationwide, but Black-owned businesses are one of many minority-owned business groups that are greatly disadvantaged. According to the research of Robert E. Fairle, a Professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, 41 percent of Blackowned businesses have closed this year as a result of COVID-19, compared to 17 percent of white-owned businesses. Jasmine Amirah Johnson and Janelle Ross are two remarkable young Black women who managed to beat the odds and start their business during the pandemic. After the start of California’s lockdown, they co-founded Garden of Her, a women’s wellness collective that informs and educates women about spiritual, mental, and physical wellness. Ross and Johnson’s business is a product of their strong friendship that started at their high school in Inglewood, CA. They have since been best friends with a bond that has evolved in their womanhood. Within the past five years they talked about “spiritual topics and being a Black woman in America,” said Johnson. These conversations contributed to the reason why they started Garden of Her. “This year, [we] realized we had a lot of symmetry when it came to wellness and caring for wellness of our mind, body, and spirit. So that’s why we decided to team up and form Garden of Her,” Johnson said. Garden of Her uses social media platforms and live events to teach healing and wellness. They are most active on Instagram, where infographics are posted with wellness tips and tricks. These nuggets of knowledge include daily affirmations, health tips, meditation guidance, and more. Instagram is also used to market and
inform their audience about their free event called Sol & Sound -- an outdoor gathering featuring a sound bath meditation and wellness-oriented small businesses selling their goods and services. At the meditation on Oct. 4, the services available included massage therapy, oracle readings, and henna. Some of the sponsors provided free goods, such as juices and teas. The sound bath is their main attraction. It is a meditation class guided by a practitioner who uses traditional instruments such as gongs, and crystal and gemstone bowls to bathe their listeners in ambient sounds. The sound vibrates at frequencies that relax and balance their mind, body, and spirit, to help increase overall wellness. The event started on Aug. 2, and has occurred once a month on a Sunday afternoon at LA High Memorial Park. This week was the season finale, but Johnson and Ross plan for Sol & Sound to continue in the future. Johnson noted that her first experience with a sound bath changed her life and inspired Sol & Sound. “The experience just took me to a completely different dimension of meditating and incorporating sound,” said Johnson. Sol & Sound’s mission is to provide an accessible sound bath healing to the people of L.A., and it specifically aims to attract the Black community and allies who stand in solidarity. “When things were becoming a bit chaotic, and really painful in the environment for the Black community, I knew that we needed peace, we needed a space to come together, align and just release any of the pain temporarily that we may be feeling based on what is happening within our community,” said Johnson. Sol & Sound was created in response to hardships that the Black community faced this year as a result of the Black Lives Matter
protests ignited by the unlawful killing of George Floyd, the pandemic, and heightened racial tension and violence. The event was also informed by the experience Ross and Johnson had as Black women growing up in America. Ross particularly noted her undergraduate years when she moved from Inglewood, which has a predominantly Black and Latinx community, to Dartmouth College where only 5 percent of the student’s population was Black. She experienced microaggressions and “extreme culture shock,” said Ross. This motivated her to learn more about her culture and heritage. “I learned a lot and it instilled this pride in my Blackness, in my Black womanhood, that I want all Black people to feel because we are beautiful and we deserve to know who we are and where we come from,” said Ross. Flash forward to Sol & Sound, which creates a space to support the pride of the Black community. Johnson and Ross mentioned that it’s an environment where Black people can take time to find balance within themselves as individuals who come together as part of a larger collective to meditate. This collective was not limited to Black people at the Sol & Sound on Oct. 4. A large variety of diverse individuals were enjoying the sound bath -- people of all ages, ranging from children to elders, people of different races, different sexual orientations, and more. “I love seeing that people from all different walks of life are here to support us and then we can support them. It allows us to build this camaraderie with each other and it’s just nothing but loving energy in the air,” said Ross. Kasey-Marie Nivero is a woman of color who felt a similar connection to Sol & Sound. “As soon as we started, I cried,” said Nivero, admitting that this year’s tumultuous events have been a lot for her, and the meditation
provided her space to release her emotions. She also felt that Sol & Sound was an example of a united community amid the turbulence of 2020. “With everything going on, there’s such a divide. [Sol & Sound] makes us remember that we need each other more than ever,” said Nivero. Johnson and Ross are eager to meet the needs of the L.A. community and are grateful to have their support. They have goals to create content for YouTube and eventually create a Women’s Wellness Center in L.A. Yet, their biggest hurdle is ensuring they have enough money to fund their business. Garden of Her is not alone, as Blackowned businesses in America are financially disadvantaged due to systemic racism. They experience discrimination in many ways including the denial of loans in their early stages. This has even contributed to a wealth gap where Black people hold about 15 percent of the average wealth of white people, according to UC Berkeley economist Gabriel Zucman. The odds of success are stacked against Garden of Her, and even more so with COVID19. They are one of many Black-owned businesses that need support from their community. On Oct. 4, Ross and Johnson were showered with gratitude, compliments, and donations which they graciously accepted. They admitted that every dollar helped as the majority of their business is paid for with their own money, but they continue to develop creative ideas to fund Garden of Her and provide accessible resources to the L.A. community. For more information on events, where to give donations, and wellness education, visit their Instagram account @gardenofherla.
platforms spanning from Instagram to Twitter to share and inspire younger generations. Millions of Americans are resonating with her young and progressive voice through social media, something rare on the national political stage. Many of Ocasio-Cortez’s greatest moments have been immortalized on her Twitter profile, where she interacts with her supporters while speaking about important issues. One of these instances being her January 30, 2019 clapback to U.S. foreign policy analyst Alex VanNess, a tweet mocking her past as a bartender in order to undermine her current position in congress; “This bartender” has served in a Senate casework office, organized & educated 1000s of young people, earned relevant degrees w/ honors, worked on field campaigns, and the only reason I wasn’t told to run for city council was because I was consistently told not to run at all”. Branching out from her usual social media diet, the congresswoman shifted gears to the
online gaming platform Twitch, where she went online to play the Among Us on October 19 in an effort to inspire and motivate younger voters to go out and participate in the upcoming election on November 3. Combining one of the most adored members of congress and the newest, most popular multiplayer game brought massive attention from all over the world. She played alongside well known gamers including “cr1TiKaL,” “jacksepticeye,” “pokimane,” “hasanabi,” “Myth,” “hbomberguy,” “Corpse Husband,” “DrLupo,” and others. The gameplay was streamed by the various users through Twitch and has since been uploaded to YouTube. This event also gained traction on social media platforms such as Twitter and TikTok, where users have taken to the apps to make fan edits of the Congresswoman’s gameplay. Ocasio-Cortez brought not only happiness and entertainment with her Twitch stream, but also awareness on the importance of voting and ultimately her call to action from
all those who watched and participated. By playing with these famous gamers, she brought individuals from different sides of the gaming community together and grew awareness of their civic duty to let our voices be heard, no matter what side they are voting for. SMC student Karla Arana showed her support in Ocasio-Cortez’s use of social media. “It’s great, everyone is connected by social media so why can’t the people who are in charge of our country use it to be transparent with us,” said Arana. Although the event was mainly to advocate for the need to vote and let our voices be heard, viewers also gained a closeness with a public official, ultimately building trust between the people and politicians. Ocasio-Cortez is Among Us, having shown that she has the best interest for this county and future generations at mind. She is setting an example for the future of politics and how social media can be used to connect and create alliances.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is Among Us
Marcos Mackey-Darden | Staff Writer
Over the past few weeks, many people, young and old, gamers and non-gamers, have gone online to play the latest video game craze, “Among Us.” “Among Us” is an online multiplayer game featuring astronauts on a spaceship trying to complete tasks while simultaneously trying to find out which player is the imposter and vote them out in order to win. Many gamers have utilized Twitch streams to share gameplay with their viewers. This past week Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat representing constituents from Queens and the Bronx in New York City, joined in on the fun. Her appearance on the stream led to much excitement among the more than 430,000 Twitch viewers who lovingly support Ocasio-Cortez and what she represents for the American people. Ocasio-Cortez, commonly known by the nickname “AOC” given to her by her community, has been known to use social media
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Continuing to Salute our Veterans During a Pandemic Clyde Bates Jr. | Staff Writer What did Veterans Day look like before the pandemic? Before COVID-19 took over the nation, it was a day of happiness and community. I’m a veteran of the United States Marines, and I was looking forward to my own Veterans Day traditions that I do each year. Normally, I would get together with fellow veterans and tell stories at different organizations that were offering free meals like Denny’s, Starbucks, Applebee’s, and Golden Corral. There are many reasons why I am proud and grateful to be a veteran in the United States.. Because of COVID-19, this holiday will not be celebrated as it usually is. We can’t get together, and mingle or talk because of health and safety restrictions. We always looked forward to people saluting
us and saying, “we are glad that you are a veteran.” Veterans Day this year is being celebrated through Zoom events; that is not the way to celebrate a hero. Saluting someone over a video is like sending someone a virtual hug; it’s not as comforting or as personal. You know, big corporations take advantage of Veterans Day. I do not think that it’s right for them to have Veterans Day sales and promotions, capitalizing on what veterans stand for. Home Depot and Lowes donate to veterans organizations year-round, but many other companies do not make these contributions, and only
mention veterans during this time of year. I wish someone would do something about that. During those sales, you’re gonna hear, “we are grateful that it’s
Veterans Day,” but what are people going to do for the veterans, other than enjoy a sale that uses their name? Because we cannot celebrate veterans as we used to in-person, we need to do something for the veterans instead of just talking about what needs to be done. It’s going to be sad that veterans can’t get together, because a lot of the older veterans are not as familiar with new technology and programs like Zoom. Younger veterans may have the opportunity to enjoy celebrations online, but not older ones. One of the most important things I’m going to say in this story is that we should not wait until Veterans Day to salute veterans -- we should celebrate veterans every day, not just on Nov. 11. Thank you. Illustration by Carolyn Burt
2018 Leaked Tape Records Melania Trump Downplaying Child Separation Rebecca Edwards Owens | Staff Writer The day before President Donald Trump announced that he and Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Melania’s former senior advisor, leaked a secretly recorded phone conversation from 2018 between herself and the First Lady. However, only parts of the leaked conversation resonated in the news because their COVID-19 diagnosis took precedence. Before the phone call leaked, many people thought of Melania Trump separately from her husband’s attitude and policies. The whole idea around #FreeMelania or saving Melania Trump gained traction on social media after President Trump’s Inauguration in 2016. When the President turned his face to Melania she smiled, but when he turned away she frowned and looked the other direction. The small but noticeable change gave some people the impression that the First Lady was an unhappy union with her husband. The same day, a meme speculated that the Tiffany box Melania gave Michelle
Obama had the word “Help” written on it, further emboldening this notion. Melania also allegedly refused to hold President Trump’s hand, and looked uncomfortable in his presence during public appearances — both things which cemented the idea that she needed saving. However, due to the leaked phone call, we now know her attitudes closely align with those of Trump. In the call, Melania discusses her legacy, her visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, Christmas preparation, and the scandal involving her infamous “I Don’t Care” Jacket. When discussing her visit with migrant children at the U.S.-Mexico border, she was not sympathetic towards the circumstances affecting their wellbeing. “The kids, they said, ‘Wow! I’ll have my bed,... I will have a cabinet for my clothes.’ It’s so sad to hear it,” the First Lady said. “But they didn’t have that in their own countries. They are taking care nicely [at the family detention centers]”. Melania downplayed the harsh conditions migrant children have to endure in U.S. detention centers. She made it seem as if it’s a safe haven, when it’s the exact opposite.
These children are laid on top of each other with space blankets that hardly cover their bodies. They do not have access to toothpaste, soap, or even a place to wash — it’s demeaning. She also said that migrant families lie about their reasons for crossing the border in order to stay in the U.S. “A lot of ... moms and kids, they are taught how to do it. They go over and they say, ‘Oh, we will be killed by a gang member. We will be, we will be. Ahhh, it’s so dangerous.’ So they’re allowed to stay here”. Mocking the experience of migrant families and the precautions they have to take demonstrates how little she cares. She and the President have yet to take measures to reverse this issue, and it’s evident how much worse they’ve made it. In the tape, Melania also complains about how she was criticized for her focusing on White House Christmas decorations instead of the crisis at the border. “Who gives a f*** about Christmas stuff and decoration? Ok, and then I do it. And I say that I’m working on Christmas and planning for Christmas.
And they said, ‘Oh, what about the children, that they were separated?’ Give me a f***ing break,” she said. Melania further showed her lack of care for the children at the border by wearing a coat with the words “Really Don’t Care Do U?” when visiting a Texas child detention center in 2018. She is the antithesis of what is expected of a First Lady. Her behavior and lack of involvement in important humanitarian issues undermines the efforts of former First Ladies and disrespects the legacy of the position. Hearing this tape changes the narrative that Melania needs to be saved from her husband, and invalidates the hashtag #FreeMelania. Instead, it becomes more apparent that her ideals align with President Trump’s and there’s nothing she needs to be freed from.
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Athletic Recruitment Amidst COVID-19 Mario Burgos | Staff Writer College athlete recruitment is yet another process significantly impacted by COVID19. Coaches have had to change the way they recruit for their teams. Coaches now have to talk to athletes via Zoom, or on the phone, instead of meeting with them in person. Some of the actual scouting is difficult also, as most coaches have to watch past high school games and practices through websites like Youtube and Hudl.com, which offer athletes the opportunity to upload their game highlights for coaches to view. This pandemic makes it challenging for coaches to scout, and for athletes to be scouted. The lockdown makes it difficult for athletes to fully showcase their abilities for the coaches whether it’s at a sports camp or a live game. So, for the first time, athletes may have to reach out to coaches instead of coaches reaching out to them. It feels as if the recruitment system has been turned
upside down. Even those who were already enrolled in college athletic programs are affected by the pandemic. Aaron Laguan, a fire science major at Santa Monica College (SMC), said “PreCOVID swimming was a much more intense work out for me. High School had easier sets, and we’d practice once a day, but at SMC, things were much harder. The workout was longer and the amount of times doing it increased. But now, I have dry-land workouts that I have to strictly follow on the team. I don’t even swim.” Dry-lands are intense workouts outside of the water which build and tone muscle, but these cannot fully replace water workouts. Contact sports at the collegiate level in many areas are not being played due to COVID restrictions. This change is happening all across the country, and makes athletes’ lifestyles much more difficult. As of now collegiate sports in California have no plan of returning until 2021 accord-
Santa Monica College’s (SMC) football field feels deserted in comparison to its usually-packed state before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March. Tuesday, March 31, 2020. Los Angeles, Calif. (Alex Ramirez Canales/ The Corsair)
ing to a statement made by the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) earlier in July. “They’ll start practice in mid-January and begin competition in February along with basketball, football, soccer, women’s volleyball, water polo and wrestling. Badminton, baseball, beach volleyball, men’s golf, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, and men’s volleyball are scheduled to start practice in late March before commencing competition on April 10.” said the CCCAA.
Many schools have shut down their sports department for the rest of the year. Some of them also lost funding, which is another reason for the shutdowns. Athletes all over the country are being overlooked by scouts and may go undiscovered. This can affect a student athlete’s chances at a scholarship and a higher education. Although the recruitment process has become difficult for both the coaches and players alike, they are working to adapt to the circumstances and rely on technology to replace in person scouting.
Remembering Volleyball Matriarch Elissa Sato Missael Soto & Rebecca Hogan | Sports Editor & Staff Writer The volleyball community and the world mourns the monumental loss of Elissa Sato (84). The volleyball matriarch
and mother of six (Gary, Glenn, Scott, Liane, Eric, and Tedi) was a staple to the community. She is remembered for her loving personality and dedication to both her children and the sport. The mother of six met her spouse Richard Sato playing volleyball on an asphalt court in Waikiki, Hawaii. The two of them would later make the move to Santa Monica where they would plant roots and eventually blossom a family volleyball legacy. The oldest son, Gary, played at UC Santa Barbara and coached multiple NCAA championship winning Pepperdine teams, three U.S Olympic teams, and the USC Men’s Volleyball team. Eric won Olympic gold in 1988 and bronze in 1992 with the U.S. Men’s Volleyball team, with Gary as an assistant coach on that team. Liane played on the U.S. Women’s Vol-
leyball team in the 1988 Olympics and won a bronze medal in the 1992 Olympics, as well as a bronze medal in the 1990 World Volleyball Championships. Scott played at San Diego State and Glenn at Loyola Marymount University, both playing excellent collegiate volleyball. Three of the Sato’s — Gary, Liane, and Eric — are also in the Santa Monica College (SMC) Hall of Fame, recognized for having begun their sports careers at SMC. You can find their plaque inside of SMC’s gymnasium along with other illustrious inductees like four-time Olympic swimming gold medalist and SMC professor, Dr. Tommie Smith. With a family of six children, Elissa needed a way to keep her kids active and out of the house, so she turned to sports. “There really wasn’t any room for us to play inside the house, so my mom would [say] you guys either need to be outside, or go to the park, or go to the beach” said Scott. Although they played baseball, soccer and football, they all eventually gravitated towards volleyball. For Elissa, it didn’t matter what sport or where the game was. Whether it was a junior high tournament or the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, you could find her in the stands cheering for her kids. “In Hawaii they talk about the Aloha spirit, and I think she brought that with her in all the different things that she did” said Gary. Elissa was awarded the first ever Southern California Indoor Volleyball Hall of
Fame Lifetime Service Award for her involvement in the volleyball community for almost 50 years. She worked as a scorekeeper for many years at UCLA, USC, LMU, and Pepperdine volleyball games. She also ran volleyball camps for former Pepperdine head coach Marv Dunphy and assisted with volleyball programs at both Santa Monica High School and SMC. “She deserves all the accolades I could ever think of. She’s just a great woman, a great mom, and a great leader in volleyball” said Rudy Suwara, the former U.S volleyball Olympian who coached many of Elissa’s kids. Elissa leaves behind a great legacy beyond volleyball. While the Sato family will be known for their success in the sport, they will always be remembered for their backbone and support system, Elissa Sato. Suwara said, “I know there will be other people that [Elissa] affected that will help grow the sport some more. She had a big impact on the sport of volleyball in California, in the nation, and in the world”.
A plaque inside of the Santa Monica College gymnasium commemorating three out of six of Elissa Sato’s children who were inducted into the SMC Hall of Fame. Gary, Liane and Eric Sato who all attended SMC and went on to win Olympic medals. (Johaira Dilauro /The Corsair)