98-year-old Holocaust survivor Mary Bauer approved to speak at SMC following board approval

Santa Monica College (SMC) Associated Students (AS) Director of Budget Management Paula Cortes Hernandez (cq) shows Director of Equity and Diversity Maliyah Ponce (cq) (left to right) a document during the AS Board Meeting, Friday, March 20, 2026 on the SMC Main Campus in Santa Monica, Calif. At the meeting, proposals for funding events on campus were discussed.

Santa Monica College (SMC) Associated Students (AS) Director of Sustainability Leila Kashani (cq) and Director of Activities Nahomy Rivas (cq) (left to right) discuss a proposal for funding at the Santa Monica College (SMC) Associated Students (AS) Board Meeting, Friday, March 20, 2026 on the SMC Main Campus in Santa Monica, Calif. The SMC AS manages over a million dollars of fees and holds meetings to agree on distributing that to various clubs and events on campus.

Multiple members of the Santa Monica College (SMC) Associated Students attend the Board Meeting, Friday, March 20, 2026 on the SMC Main Campus in Santa Monica, Calif. At the meeting, proposals for funding events on campus were discussed.

Santa Monica College (SMC) Associated Students (AS) Director of Equity and Diversity Maliyah Ponce (cq) (left) and Associate Dean Thomas Bui (cq) (center) talk to Associate Dean of Noncredit and External Programs Scott Silverman (right), who is attending the meeting remotely over Zoom. The AS heard and approved a proposal from Silverman and the Chabad Jewish Student Club to bring 99-year old Holocaust survivor Mary Bauer to a speaking engagement on campus.

On March 20, the Santa Monica College Board of Directors unanimously passed $18,326 of club and event proposals, including 98-year-old Holocaust survivor Mary Bauer.

“She’s survived several concentration camps, including a ‘death march’ from one camp to another. She’s going to come to campus to talk about her experiences and speak about antisemitism and how it rears its ugly head today,” said Scott Silverman, co-lead of the Jewish Affinity Group, to the board.

Bauer is 98 years old, and this is likely the last time she will be able to visit SMC, Silverman said. 

“Pretty soon, there won’t be any survivors left to tell their story. I think it’s come upon us to make sure we can get the story told as often as we can while survivors are still here to tell it directly,” Silverman added. 

Silverman said the main emotional takeaway for students is empathy, which is important as the level of antisemitism has grown in recent years. 

He said that the Bondi Beach shooting on December 14, 2025, when two gunmen killed 15 people celebrating at a Hanukkah event in Sydney, Australia, is an example of present day antisemitism Bauer will address. 

The board approved $1,001 for a celebration of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, proposed by Leila Kashani, A.S. Director of Sustainability. Traditional and modern Persian music and food will be provided and a traditional Haft-Sin table will be set. 

The Nowruz celebration will take place from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Tuesday, March 24 in the quad, Kashani said. “It’s really important to celebrate this culture and bring this cultural light to students,” she said. 

Alpha Gamma Sigma was approved with the highest budget of $5,920 for the AGS Spring Convention. This is the 100th anniversary of the convention, and it will be hosted by Fullerton College from Friday, April 17, to Sunday, April 19, said Evelyn Gutierrez, AGS Spring Convention Committee co-chair.