The Corsair Spring 2024 - Issue 8

The Corsair Staff

Editor-in-Chief | Cebelihle Hlatshwayo

Managing Editor | Reneé Bartlett-Webber

Photo Editor | Danilo Perez

Design Editor | Alejandro Contreras

Assistant Design Editor | Bunker King

Digital Editor | Nicholas McCall

Copy Editor | Taylor Parise

Arts & Entertainment Editor | Ava Cyr

Culture Editor | Karuna Namala

News Editor | Sohrab Pourjavady

Multimedia Editor | Amber Guerrero

Assistant Multimedia Editor | Gio Sosa

Opinion Editor | Brianna Johnson

Social Media Editor | Megan Meadows

Assistant Social Media Editor | MyDari Baker

Sports Editor | Jermey Wolf

Faculty

Advisors

Sharyn Obsatz | Journalism Adviser

Gerard Burkhart | Photo Adviser

Samantha Nuñez | Social Media Adviser

Corsair Staff

Alejandro Contreras | Alexey Nosov | Amber Guerre-

ro | Ava Cyr | Blake Harris | Brianna Johnson | Bunker

King | Caylo Seals | Cebelihle Hlatshwayo | Gio Sosa | Chrissy Washington | Danilo Peréz | Genesis Avila | Hazel Reyes | Jamael Shotomide | Jeffrey Berrios |

Jeremy Wolf | Karuna Namala| Karen Lopez | Laurel

Rahn | Libna Florêncio | Makaela Fujimoto | Maya

Dondonyan | Megan Meadows | Mydari Baker | Nicholas McCall | Renée Bartlett-Webber | Ryan Abazari | Sara Mendez | Saiya Williams | Sohrab Pourjavady | Taylor Parise

Contributing Journalist

Photojournalist | Jake Crandall

Contact

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

Front Page

Two modded Monte Carlo lowriders hop behind the exposed Monte Carlo lowrider that are part of the annual Cinco de Mayo festival at Brookside Park. Pasadena, Calif. on Sunday, May 5 (Photo by Sara Mendez)

This Page

Sonya Curial, student at Santa Monica College (SMC), performing a traditional Oaxacan dance as part of Cinco de Mayo celebration on SMC Quad, Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday, May 7, 2024.(Photo by Alexey Nosov)

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

The end of the semester is a moment to reflect on the incredible feats of the Corsair staff, each of whom has made unique and invaluable contributions to shaping the paper. I am so grateful for all your efforts. Your individual achievements, whether it was breaking a major news story, designing an eye-catching layout, or conducting an insightful interview, have not gone unnoticed and have played a significant role in our collective success this semester.

I began this semester feeling enormous pressure to not only continue the Corsairs legacy of excellence as a leader, a colleague, a student, and a journalist, but I felt a daunting responsibility to excel and make this semester exceptional.

I believed that doing that meant that I alone needed to come up with ideas to increase readership, create a highly efficient newsroom, and introduce new technology to make efficiency possible, among many other things.

However, throughout this journey, I discovered that while a person can accomplish much, our potential for success greatly amplifies when we work together. It takes just one person to give another the chance to rise to the occasion and tap into their hidden po-

tential. This realization struck me as I witnessed the amazing work of my fellow journalists when my managing editor and Caylo Seals urged me to consider a different approach. Rather than carry the weight of expectations alone, I entrust the staff to hold the honor of continuing it together, leave behind the idea of what I believed was an efficient newsroom, and allow the staff to show me what it could be. That woke me to the truth of what a true leader is and their role. A leader's role is to provide opportunities for others to realize their potential. My task shifted from merely continuing the legacy to showcasing the potential within our staff, allowing the legacy to continue naturally.

In our newsroom, I found individuals facing their challenges, yet they chose to work through them and deliver their best. Witnessing this growth has been incredibly rewarding.

Our great educators were crucial in creating an environment that encouraged and nurtured self-discovery. At The Corsair, I learned that I am always a learner first and foremost before I am a dispenser of knowledge. Each stage of life serves as ground zero for understanding new circumstances, striving to grow, and adapting. This semester, I have been profoundly grateful to

those who provided me and everyone at The Corsair with opportunities for growth. I owe a heartfelt thank you to Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, Gerard Burkhart, Sharyn Obsatz, and Samantha Nunes. Their guidance and support have been invaluable.

To The Corsair team, I want to express my deepest gratitude for trusting me to lead. Your trust, even when I made mistakes, created a magical place for me to learn and fall in love with journalism all over again. I am better for having met you all, and I hope I did the same for you. This experience has stressed the value of trust in myself and those around me. Trusting my abilities and those around me allowed me to take risks and embrace challenges, enabling us to work cohesively and support one another. This mutual trust fostered a positive and productive environment and was a key factor in our success this semester.

Thank you for rising to the occasion, for showing up for yourselves even when it felt impossible, for trying, for failing, for winning, and for leaving your mark on the Corsair legacy. I understand the challenges we've faced, whether it was meeting tight deadlines, navigating complex stories, or adapting to new technologies, and I appreciate the dedication you've poured into the paper daily in

your unique ways. Your resilience and commitment have been my joy throughout this entire semester.

This semester has been a transformative journey of growth, learning, and self-discovery for all of us. The pressures and expectations that once seemed impossible became catalysts for our personal and professional development. I am grateful for the opportunity to have led you all, for the educators who guided me, and for the team that stood by me. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this incredible experience.

Ngiyabonga kubo bonke abasinika ithuba lokufinyelela amandla ethu, ngokusinika ithuba lokuphakamisa ukuze sibone amakhono ethu. Lokhu futhi kunikezelwe. kulabo ababenikwe ithuba futhi babe nesibindi sokuthatha ithuba bona ngokwabo. Emndenini wakithi ngiyabonga ngokuba amandla ami, ngiyethemba le ntombazanyana yaseMpumalanga enamaphupho amakhulu wanenza niziqhenye nonke.

Cebelihle Hlatshwayo Editor-in-Chief

SMC's Cinco de Mayo: A Celebration of Mexican Heritage

Makaela Fujimoto | Staff Writer

Santa Monica College’s (SMC) Latino Center hosted a celebration of Cinco de Mayo on the campus’ main quad.

Cinco de Mayo translates to “The Fifth of May,” and is a day to celebrate the victory of the Mexican army defeating the French Empire at the battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Cinco de Mayo is often

confused with Mexico’s Independence Day, which falls on Sep. 16.

During the celebration, Mariachi Voces de Mexico ensemble performed traditional folk, Mariachi music, which holds cultural significance. Performers dressed in a “traje de charro,” a traditional Mexican performance outfit.

Students from all backgrounds gathered to craft papel picado (perforated paper), enjoy meaningful music, and get a taste of Mexican culture, while also immersing themselves in the vibrant rhythms of a traditional Oaxacan dance. A line for free food ran along the quad, and students delighted in the flavors of authentic Mexican cuisine.

Dr. Marisol Moreno from the History Department at Santa Monica College (SMC) discusses the history and significance of Cinco de Mayo. It served as a reminder of the importance of cultural exchange, community, and the power of coming together to celebrate and honor traditions.

Sonya Curial and Juarez (L-R), students at Santa Monica College (SMC), performing a traditional Oaxacan dance as part of Cinco de Mayo celebration on SMC Quad, Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Alexey Nosov | The Corsair)

Traditional

Luper Martinez (L), Santa Monica College (SMC) student and Sherri Bradford (R) from Black Collegians Program at SMC, work on making Papel Picado as part of Cinco de Mayo celebration at SMC, Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Alexey Nosov | The Corsair)

Juarez and Sonya Curial (L-R), students at Santa Monica College (SMC), prepare to perform a traditional Oaxacan dance as part of Cinco de Mayo celebration on SMC Quad, Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday, May 7, 2024.

Mexican food served to Santa Monice College (SMC) students and community members as part of Cinco de Mayo celebration at SMC, Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday, May 7, 2024.

Deni Moralez ico ensemble College Monica,

Unknown national symbols, graphics.

attendee of Cinco de Mayo celebration at Santa Monica College (SMC), expressing their cultural heritage by donning a pair of boots embroidered with Mexican symbols, Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Latine/x and particularly people of Mexican descent are significant part of SMC’s staff and student demo-

Moralez (L) and his bandmates from Mariachi Voces de Mexensemble perform traditional Mexican songs on Santa Monica (SMC) Quad as part of Cinco de Mayo celebration, Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday, May 7, 2024.

Cinco De Mayo Lowrider Show: A Lifestyle

Sara Mendez | Staff Writer

As early as 6 a.m., lowriders attempted to drive into Elysian Park in Los Angeles for the annual Cinco de Mayo Lowrider Festival. This event showcases lowriders and bicycles while people hear cultural live music and food.

The celebration has taken place since the 1970s, down the street from the Dodger Stadium, to emphasize the proud expression of Chicano heritage. However, when they arrived at the park, they were stopped by police officials and told they were not permitted inside.

Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers said that the public was not allowed because they could not control traffic from both the Dodger game and the lowrider show. The day before, LA Times Car Club, the main organizer of this tradition, posted on their instagram, a screenshot of an email from the LAPD Northeast Division Community Police Advisory Board. The email stated, “As a reminder and as agreed upon, from 6 a.m. - 8 p.m. tomorrow “Low-Rider and Car Show” Event may occur with relaxed parking enforcement.”

This led the lowriders and spectators to the I Lot at the Brookside Park across the street from the Rosebowl in Pasadena. Although there was a disruption to the festival, the group was determined to continue their tradition and succeeded. Viva la cultura!

“Echarle ganas, y poco a poco se dan las cosas. Vamos despacio,” meaning hard work will give results slowly, but surely, and Real he remains patient.

Even though the event was a set agreement from both the organizer and LAPD, the city did not hold to their end of the agreement. According to the LA Times Car Club, they claimed it was due to the lack of permits and would cause more traffic for the Dodger game that afternoon.

Photo by Sara Mendez

Lowriders parked in the lots of the park showcases a replica of the car in a minature form, presented at the Cinco de Mayo festival that at Brookside

Photo by Sara Mendez

Lowrider part of the annual Cinco de Mayo festival, expossing its Dippin plaque underneath the car while hopping at Brookside Park in Pasadena, Calif.on May 5, 2024.

Little girl sits on her bike in front of a lowrider that is part of the Cinco de Mayo festival that at Brookside Park in Pasadena, Calif.on May 5, 2024

(Sara Mendez | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College's (SMC) student body president, Cecilia Jeong, introduces herself and shares a few words about her experience at SMC as well as some inspiration for all SMC graduates at the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) graduation in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, May 23. (Photo by Luca Martinez)

SMC Celebrates APIDA Heritage Month With Graduation Ceremony

Sara Mendez | Staff Writer

Santa Monica College (SMC) hosted its first Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) graduation ceremony to honor students with Asian heritage on Thursday, May 23. This ceremony is the second ceremony of the graduation season, following SMC’s May 10 Lavender Graduation for LGBTQ+ identifying students.

Thomas Bui, SMC Associate Dean of Student Life, served as the emcee for the event, and graduates’ names, photos, and quotes were displayed on the stage of SMC’s Orientation Hall.

The ceremony was scheduled from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., but started late and ended early, allowing students to mingle and congratulate each others’ successes.

Michael Tuitasi, SMC Vice President of Student Affairs, gave an introductory speech and spoke about the importance

of cultural celebrations, mentioning the recent pushback against diversity initiatives in United States colleges and universities.

Tuitasi, who has Polynesian heritage, shared his full traditional name, Michael Vaosa Tuitasi Samoa Ilea’tua, with the audience. “I feel that our cultures and our identities, you know, are very important when we're telling our stories,” he said.

He spoke about his experience as a student and the role family support played in his life. “So, you see, in Polynesian culture, we refer to everyone as family. If someone is older, or an elder, you call them uncle or auntie… And yes, you can call me Uncle Mike,” he said, laughing.

Shortly after Tuitasi’s introduction, faculty members from SMC’s Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Alliance Employee Affinity Group were asked to

give words of advice to students participating in the ceremony.

Kat Olvey, an SMC English faculty member, shared the importance of storytelling, citing her experience as a child of Vietnamese refugees. “We are a nation built on immigrants,” she said. “We have such a large refugee population, and I just think that it's so important to tell your narrative, because the refugee experience doesn't end once you get here. The children of refugees also get to experience that.”

Dr. Sang Chi, SMC’s history department chair, stressed the importance of finding community as a student of color, sharing his story of attending a predominantly white institution (PWI) in central Pennsylvania during the 1990s. “Find your people, find the people that you are going to become lifelong friends with, that will support you, that will be there for you,” he said.

Photo by Luca Martinez (L-R) Subin Kang, Cecilia Jeong, Phanphasa (Cindi) Parinyasrisawet, Raya Amidi, Angela Arunarsirakul, and Joh Kim stand on stage wearing their red graduation cords during the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American graduation in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, May 23.

Bui returned to the stage to share his advice, encouraging students to find space for themselves. “Be a little selfish. Eat that extra dessert, whatever it is, right? But take up the space that you need to take care of yourself and think about yourself as much as you do about your community,” he said.

SMC Associated Students president Cecilia Jeong gave a speech and shared some words of wisdom with her peers, reinforcing the idea of lifelong learning and encouraged her fellow students to continue celebrating their accomplishments alongside each other. “One thing is for sure: that growing with your community and walking with others is important,” she said.

Jeong, whose full name is Sung Min Jeong, sang a portion of “Ahrirang,” a Korean folk song that is a part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list and represents unity between North and South Korea.

Jeong explained the cultural relevance and power of the song. “It means two people in love, and eventually throughout our chapters of history, being jeopardized between the dynasties, colonized and [dehumanized] until 1945, through which the impacts we feel to

our grandparent’s generation,” she said.

Following Jeong’s speech, graduates were called to the stage to share their post-graduation plans and accept their gifts: an SMC APIDA pin, and a red cord to be worn at graduation. A photo booth was also provided for students to celebrate and memorialize the experience.

Student Angela Arunarsirakul attended the ceremony with her infant to celebrate her completion of SMC’s Sustainability certificate. To Arunasirakul, who plans to continue taking classes at SMC, the value of lifelong learning is invaluable. “That's the one thing I've learned throughout life; The only constant is change, and being a lifelong learner means taking new classes or meeting new people,” she said.

Afghan student Roya Amini credits SMC with helping her find her place as a Central Asian student. Amini, who is a part of SMC’s Muslim Student Association, completed SMC’s Liberal Arts degree and plans to transfer to UCLA for Sociology. “[The ceremony] makes me feel wanted because I don't see Central Asian people in this community. But I'm glad that this community is here, so I feel as if everyone's a family,” she said.

Photo by Luca Martinez

Dr. Sang Chi, chair of the Department of History & Ethnic Studies stands on stage to give a few words of wisdom before introducing the graduates in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, May 23.

(L-R) Angela Arunasirakul, who finished a certificate for sustainability, introduces herself and her son Aarush Arun on stage during the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American graduation.

(Photo by Luca Martinez)

MARY BAUER Learnings from a Holocaust Survivor

Blake Harris | Staff Writer

Mary Bauer was only a teenager when she and her family, along with all other neighbors marked by a star, were forced from their homes one early morning in 1944.

Allowed only one suitcase each, Bauer was packed alongside men, women, and children into cattle cars heading for Auschwitz, Germany like sardines. “When the doors opened up for the first time, we could see the sky, we could breathe the air. We didn’t realize what air we were breathing. It was full of smoke, and we did not know at that time where the smoke came from. Why is the air so smoky with the sky so blue?” Bauer said.

Eight decades later, at the age of 96, Mary has dedicated her life to sharing those defining experiences. Bauer’s work takes her to colleges across the country, and she is being featured in an upcoming exhibit for the Holocaust Museum in Los Angeles, educating people on not only the experience of surviving a concentration camp, but the culture of Hungary as antisemitism swept through it. In hearing her story, Bauer’s experience has the chance to live on through those who hear her speak, including students present during her March discussion at Santa Monica College.

Bauer describes the normalcy of her life before the holocaust, memories of her large family, her peaceful life as a student, and how quickly it was ripped away from her. She remembers the immediate shift in the way she was treated, even by her best friend, after being forced to wear a golden star on her clothing, marking her as Jewish.

“She gives me a shove and says, ‘I don't want to sit next to a dirty Jew.’ Yesterday or the week before, I was a clean Jew, and now because of this, I

am a dirty Jew,” Bauer says of her treatment in school.

Bauer’s story, and her continued struggles, did not end after the holocaust.

Following the end of the war, Bauer spent five years studying in Berlin before deciding to start a new life in the United States. Despite being poor, Bauer had been mesmerized by the jazz music she had heard on the radio and the images of American movies. With the sponsorship of a Jewish support organization, she and other displaced Jews made the journey in 1951.

She vividly recalls her “nightmarish” experience immigrating from Berlin to New Orleans, and seeing Southern racial segregation for the first time. “I was screaming, saying, ‘This is America?! This is not America!’ That’s impossible,” said Bauer. Upon raising her voice, Bauer’s own guides instructed her to “shut up,” warning that if she continued, she would be deported as a communist.

Even after surviving Auschwitz and moving forward with her life, Bauer was outraged and struck with the realization that models of prejudice are not exclusive to the Nazis, but a recurrent danger that threatens everyone across the world. Though the holocaust was over, she felt she had not escaped and was once again being silenced. While she was forced to stay quiet on that day in New Orleans, Bauer has spent the remainder of her life passing on her stories, and letting students across the na-

tion read humanity’s tragic and messy history of prejudice by its light, saying, “And frankly, ever since that day, I’ve never shut up again.”

Referring to the racial segregation she saw that day in 1951, Bauer held up her golden star and said, “Creating sanctions against other people… This is where it’s all leading: to this, to my tattoo, to my experiences, to my many cousins not being alive, and to all of this history.”

"And frankly, ever since that day, I’ve never shut up again."

Bauer warned students of the rise of antisemitism, and urged the crowd to be mindful and accepting of all people, regardless of race or religion. “I feel that is the reason I am here; to talk while I can. To make people open up their minds to the reality that we do have the power of changing and bettering ourselves,” Bauer said.

Mary Bauer(C) a Holocaust survivor at reception that was held after a talk on Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust that Mary Bauer gave on March 26, 2024 at Santa Monica College Main Campus, Santa Monica, Calif.

Photos by Laurel Rahn

A Very Special, Special Election

Sohrab Pourjavady | News Editor Karuna Namala | Culture Editor

After the first Associated Students (A.S.) elections in April, Santa Monica College (SMC) held a “special” election last week to fill the available positions. The positions include A.S. Vice President, Director of Budget Management, Director of Basic Needs, Director of Instructional Support, and one Judicial Board Member. The official winners of the election were:

A.S. Special Elections Winners

Vice President Michael Helfand

Director of Budget Management Jordan Davis

Judicial Board Member Javier Rodriguez

The A.S. has yet to announce the winner of the Director of Basic Need and Director of Instructional Support and has attempted to black out the vote tallies. However, the numbers were still available.

The vote count for the Director of Basic Needs is:

Director of Basic Needs

The only Director of Instructional Support candidate, Brenda Carrasco, had 710 votes.

Carasco and Hernandez campaigned together under the “Visions 4 SMC” slate and were both present at a Special Election Committee meeting on May 28.

A part of the meeting’s agenda included “Addressing Campaign Violations”. One of the violations was that a current A.S. Director publicly endorsed "the slate," as Associate Dean of Student Life Thomas Bui said. The committee voted this as a minor violation. Another violation was that the candidates took the voters’ phones and voted on behalf of them. The committee voted this as a major violation.

Although the agenda also included “Announce 20242025 Election Results”, the next official stage for the election requires the violations to go to the Student Judicial Affairs for review. After review, the results may be announced according to Riddh Bunyay.

Hernandez confirmed that the major violation was investigating her actions, but claimed it was unfounded. She said in a written statement to the Corsair, "There's footage of me holding students’ devices but it was for the purpose of guiding students to the associated students website and instagram." She stated students are not aware of the A.S., hence the reason there was a need for a second election to fill vacancies after the first election.

In the original election, less than 0.0008% of the student population voted. However, this election turnout quintupled, with 0.04% of the student body voting with 936 voters.

Associated Dean of Student life Thomas Bui at Santa Monica College Assiciated Students Board of Directors meeting, Santa Monica, Calif., on Monday, March 4, 2024.

Photo by Alexey Nosov

Illustration by Karuna Namala

Luna Luna Forgotten Fantasy Art Exhibit, Carousel by artist Arik Brauer in the forground and artist Kenny Scharf's wave swinger in the background

Luna Luna Forgotten Fantasy Art Exhibit entrance is art work Andre Heller the Dream Station

Luna Luna Forgotten Fantasy Art Exhibit, Carousel by artist Keith Haring, Los Angeles, Calif

Photos by Laurel Rahn

Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy

Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy is an art exhibit amusement park that originally took place in Hamburg, Germany in the summer of 1987, but was soon lost to the public. For the first time since its closure in Hamburg, the exhibit reopened in Los Angeles in December, 2023 and will soon travel to an unannounced new city.

In early 2022, Drake’s entertainment company, DreamCrew, acquired the pieces from the original presentation and brought them to Los Angeles, reassembling the pieces to put on display.

“Luna Luna” was the brainchild of Austrian artist André Heller. Heller gathered the most renowned artists of the time from different art movements, and put the project together. Salvador Dali, Jean-Michel Bawquiat, Keith Haring, Rebecca Horn, were among the featured artists.

Artists from different genres in the art world came together to create the art amusement park, which was cutting edge

and contemporary for its time. It included a wedding chapel where people could marry who they wanted, challenging the norms of traditional marriage. Patrons could ride a ferris wheel by Jean-Michel Basquiat, while “Tutu” by Miles Davis played.

Due to a change in ownership, the exhibit was caught in litigation, leading the artwork to be “hidden within a graveyard of shipping container tombs” after the summer of 1987, according to the exhibit’s website.

Not all of the original rides made it to the LA show, but there were still plenty to see.

One of the more interesting parts of the exhibit was a timeline with pictures featuring its history, along with a short documentary on some of the artists who created projects for the amusement park.

The LA exhibit closed on May 12, but will open again to the public once a new city is announced.

Luna Luna Forgotten Fantasy Art Exhibit, artwork by artist Salvador Dali, entrance to the Dalidom

Luna Luna Forgotten Fantasy Art Exhibit Ferris Wheel by artist Jean-Michel Basquiat

Laurel Rahn | Staff Writer

Luna Luna Forgotten Fantasy Art Exhibit, mechanical dolls by artist and inventor Jim Whitingwww

My Time with Toriyama

Bunker King| Assistant Design Editor

On March 8th, Bird Studio announced the death of Akira Toriyama, the award-winning, world-conquering author of the manga “Dragon Ball Z,” on social media. If you followed other manga artists or fans, there was only one topic that week.

It would be easy to boil down the impact of this announcement to social media metrics – on X, formerly known as Twitter, alone, there were 114 million views, 650,000 reposts, and 11,000 comments on a post in Japanese.

However, the impact goes far beyond social media.

It's taken me months to write this article. After hearing the news, I spent hours crying, going down internet rabbit holes, and connecting with others who felt the weight of this loss.

Why was this so… Awesome?

After reading the volumes, I would drag my mom down to Barnes & Noble, and she would sit with me for hours as I read “Dragon Ball” off the shelves. We didn’t have enough money at the time to buy all 42 volumes, but I was going to read it all one way or another.

I was obsessed.

It’s a comfortable, reliable series. The good guys will always win, and at the end of the day, everyone has a smile on their face. Life isn’t always easy, but in comics, it can be.

"Dragon Ball" never goes awayit's always here for us.

If I’m going through hard times –and lately, times have been rough –“Dragon Ball” is always there. When I dropped out of college after going on academic probation in 2016, I retreated into the comforts of childhood, especially “Dragon Ball.” When the Pandemic hit and the world had to stay inside, rereading “Dragon Ball” made me feel less lonely. When I went to rehab at the start of 2023, one of the first things I was able to connect with the other patients inside about was a shared love of this silly manga.

My love for Toriyama began when I was seven. I went over to my best friend’s house, and he had Lego models, baseball cards, and a PlayStation 2 –everything that was cool in 2004. What captured my attention instead were two comic books: “Dragon Ball Volume 3,” and “Dragon Ball Z Volume 24.”

A dozen questions came to mind, but one stood out amongst them all:

“Dragon Ball” is, at its core, a series about people seeking self-improvement and finding it through mutual cooperation, usually through training together. There can only be one strongest, and it’s usually the main character, Goku, despite what us long-suffering Vegeta fans hope every time a new episode comes out – but the only way you get there is by making friends and growing alongside them.

Universal themes, and corny to boot, but I’d be lying to myself if that simple honesty didn’t hit. It’s easy to look around and complain that the world is growing cynical, but “Dragon Ball” is all sincerity, even as it rounds its 40th anniversary, just as popular as ever and still coming out with new content. “Dragon Ball” never went away, even as trends rage around it - it’s always here for us.

back as 1984 when the series began, because Akira Toriyama was already considered an all-time, hall of fame level artist in Japan before “Dragon Ball” ever hit shelves. His first serialized work, Dr. Slump, sold 35 million copies in Japan alone.

His work on Dr. Slump gave him the opportunity to work as the main character and monster designer on the role-playing game series “Dragon Quest,” which has sold 88 million units in its lifetime – a $5 billion franchise on its own. His work on “Dragon Quest” was a primary influence on another video game series that swept through America the same time “Dragon Ball” did - Pokemon.

For a section of the population, the name Akira Toriyama won’t mean anything, but he meant the world to me. His work was always there for me. Even if it wasn’t something he made, it was something he influenced, and I would not be who I am today – I might not even be here today – if not for his prolific, generation-defining work.

When Goku punched a guy, it just felt good.

Toriyama will be mourned for years, but honoring him doesn’t mean visiting his grave. When you pass a row of comics, be they Japanese or Western or somewhere in between, you can find him. When you see a group of kids throwing laser beams at each other on the playground, Toriyama is there. For the millions of us who grew up with his art, anytime we look in the mirror, he will be there.

A cold comfort for me as I grieve a man I never met, never will meet, is that his work will still be there.

It’s also… Everywhere else. I wasn’t the only kid reading “Dragon Ball.” Kids weren’t even the only ones reading the series. Industry professionals and legitimate tastemakers were into it as far

So long, Toriyama. I never met you, but it was sure nice to get to know you, even if just a little

Ava Cyr | Entertainment Editor

Loneliness has become one of the most prevalent issues in the global population in recent years. The World Health Organization’s Commission on Social Connection deemed it a “pressing health threat” in November 2023. A recent 2024 poll conducted by the American Psychiatric Association found that one in three Americans “felt lonely.”

But why has the epidemic grown exponentially within recent years?

According to sociologist Professor Amy Andrada from Santa Monica College, “Capitalism is the main culprit.”

As inflation rises, Americans are forced to work longer hours in order to make a living. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found that Americans work an average of 1,811 hours per year compared to the approximate 1,400 hours worked in most European countries.

With fewer hours to spare for basic tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping, Americans hardly have time to socialize with others. Additionally, the cost of activities has also deterred many from going out.

Today’s Social Toll:

Cheap or free public spaces such as parks and recre-

ational areas are becoming increasingly rare as prices increase and space becomes limited.

People typically interact in three main spaces: the home, the workplace, and a public communal space, such as parks, recreational facilities, and libraries, which become the breeding ground for socialization. However, as technology advances, more and more humans associate their “third place” with social media platforms.

Community in the modern age is shifting online, with many turning to generalized groups and over-consumption to fit in.

“What I think is happening in

the economic environment is that people are being sold quick fixes, and because it's hard to conceptualize socially, something bigger is happening,” said Andrada.

The Evolution of Community:

Historically, a person’s community has been a big part of their everyday life. Andrada said, “Within the introduction of an uber-capitalistic environment in the 1950s, the community used to give us social relations.” She explained that the community was built by vicinity. The local baker, grandparents, friends, and cousins would all live nearby.

Illustration byAva Cyr | The Corsair

Loneliness Is On The Rise and Capitalism may be to Blame

From the 1950s through the early 2000s, activities such as dance clubs, drive-ins, arcades, and small music venues provided Americans with spaces to gather communally. Today, communal gatherings have shifted into online spaces. As gaming and other online platforms, such as Zoom, are continuously growing, the in-person gathering space is becoming irrelevant.

Digitized communal spaces are contributing to the loneliness epidemic because they lack face-to-face interactions with other people. According to the Pew Research Center, over 85% of Americans say that they go online daily, and 31% of Americans are online constantly.

and 12.3% increase in selfcare products. However, entertainment expenditures decreased by 3.1% in 2022 after a large increase in 2021 by about 22.7%.

As spending continues to increase, more ads have begun to flood social media pages, pushing consumers to buy the next hot item to “fit in.”

Influencers further this idea of a “community” within

don’t know, most often celebrities or media personalities.”

Andrada also gave insight into the idea of revolving our sense of community over product purchasing. “We align with the feeling of isolation because, think about it, the way we're moving through people, we're moving, we're moving through them like they’re products, right?” she said.

"Capitalism is the main culprit.” - Professor Andrada

relationships, or daily functioning becomes impaired. This can possibly hinder personal growth and emotional fulfillment.

Seeking Solutions:

Technology will continue to be a part of daily life, but replacing it with true social interactions may not be the solution.

Although the solutions may seem slim, small changes can help aid the epidemic.

A few of the small changes include:

Stopping phone use before bedtime.

However, despite digital spaces limiting in-person interactions, the ability to log in digitally has given people the chance to network and hangout with others globally from the comfort of their own space.

Social

Transactions:

Today, Americans have increased their spending postCOVID-19 despite the high inflation rates. According to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, the economy saw a 9% increase in spending from 2021-2022, with a 10.9% increase in apparel spending

social media pages by accumulating a cult following, with whom admirers are easily drawn to purchasing products the influencer promotes.

This idea of “community” is becoming transactional. Andrada explained that if a person purchases a product their favorite influencer promotes, the purchase almost feels as if they, too, have a connection with this person. This “transactional community” phenomenon is known as a parasocial relationship. According to Psychology Today, “a parasocial relationship refers to a one-sided relationship in which a person develops a strong sense of connection, intimacy, or familiarity with someone they

Many of the large and popular brands in recent years have been linked to celebrities or influencers. Companies are aware of the power a parasocial relationship has on an individual and capitalize on the insecurities of those wrapped up in a false reality.

The pervasive nature of a parasocial relationship may seem innocent on the surface; however, beneath, a monstrous issue is revealed.

According to Psychology Today, when parasocial relationships become consuming for an individual, they may be considered unhealthy – the individual ceases to maintain their real-life

Taking the initiative to eat meals with others.

Recognizing social media usage.

Joining a social club or activity.

Taking time to build relationships with others.

The loneliness epidemic will continue to be an issue unless change is made. According to a 2023 NPR podcast, “America has a loneliness epidemic. Here are 6 steps to address it.” Not only does society have to rebuild its physical infrastructure, but it will also need to focus on its social infrastructure and reinstate trust, among others.