The Renaissance Pleasure Faire is a large outdoor weekend gathering that emulates and celebrates the Elizabethan and the Renaissance periods. Both periods are most notable for the explosion of creativity, scientific discovery and rich and elegant culture.

Harmony can be defined as a pleasing arrangement of parts, whether it be music, poetry, color, or even an ice cream sundae. In visual experiences, harmony is something that is pleasing to the eye. It engages the viewer and it creates an inner sense of order, a balance in the visual experience. When something is not harmonious, it's either boring or chaotic.

It's no secret that people love talking trash. Given the right venue and subject a crowd will pile upon mounds of dirt, rotten tomatoes, verbal refuse and other unsavory things. The Internet has only exacerbated our love for bashing our peer's character, abilities and creations. Fortunately for the hater in all of us, this culture of flaming has translated itself into a live venue.

Many people see him as a state program eliminator, the "Villain of Sacramento," the budget-and-tax-system reformer, and the leader of California. Among the questions many Californians are currently asking are: What will lower-income families do without state-funded health care programs? Are there ways to manage program funding while simultaneously fixing the budget and tax systems? Is there a plan to deal with the unintended consequences of vital program cuts?

In a display of artistic freedom as well as the usual collaboration styles of the musical artist and producer known as Danger Mouse, the Michael Kohn Gallery houses "Dark Night of the Soul," the first ever project-installation between director David Lynch and Danger Mouse.

That's it folks. The 2009 NBA Finals has finally arrived and is leading up to be as exciting of a series in league history as it has ever been, with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic vying for the Larry O'Brien Championship trophy starting this Thursday.

In this new age, a lot of young people don't think about death a lot like they used to. We have too many things to do: go to school, go to work, see the latest "Lost" episode, talk about it for hours on the message boards, finish those quizzes on Facebook, go on dates, imitate vacuous celebrities, go to concerts, etc. To each his or her own.

For over 35 years, The Synapse Dance Theater at Santa Monica College has contributed to the cultural life of the Greater Los Angeles Area by performing "innovative dance presentations" to the masses. The Contemporary Dance Ensemble has previously performed in theatres around the world, including several states throughout the country as well as studying abroad in England, France and Switzerland.

Have you ever had fun at a classical music concert with Beatles sing alongs, Godzilla and confetti party poppers? That is what happened at the concert by the Santa Monica College Wind Ensemble with Kevin McKeown as the conductor at the Broad Stage at the Madison Campus on Sunday, one of the most terrific, enchanting concerts I have ever experienced.

Saturday, May 30th, nestled in the open space between Dodger Stadium and Chinatown sometimes known as "the Cornfield,"  a circus tent goes up.  Heavy iron stakes are jackhammered into the ground, tall support towers are winched into place, a scaffolding is carefully lowered from a truck.

In 1974, there was a terrible famine in Bangladesh. It doesn't give you a good feeling when you teach students elegant theories but people are starving outside the walls of the university. "It gave me an empty feeling," declared Mohammad Yunus as he described the process which led to his being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

American Idol: The search for a Superstar. And who doesn't want to be a superstar? For years it seemed like the only way to become one was to either inherit tons of money from your father, know someone who knows someone that can get you a recording contract, date someone who is superstar, or stand outside Hollywood Boulevard with copies of your mix tape, waiting to be discovered.

At the age of six, Cappalonga was diagnosed with Leukemia and underwent treatment to contain the cancer and has since been in remission. After overcoming the disease, Cappalonga continued with her life, even being able to attend a university in San Diego and compete in their swimming program.

Anime. The word brings to mind different images. Comicon. Dragonball. Sailormoon. For many, the word brings to mind the manga and anime obsessed oddball found in the corners of comic stores often referred to as the "otakus." "Otaku" is Japanese slang for someone who is an obsessed fan of a theme, topic or hobby. The term is often used to refer to dedicated anime fans and conjures up the image of a teenager with thick-rimmed glasses suffering from social phobia and escapism. A new exhibition that opened in Los Angeles this month is helping change the stereotypical view of the art form that historically and continues to have a profound impact on global animation and art.

Culver City is in the process of reinventing itself as an arts and cultural hub. Although on the rise for the last decade, much of the city's innovation has yet to be noticed by most living in Los Angeles County, and even by it's own residents. The lack of information of the city's own inhabitants became apparent once I began to share my weekend with friends who reside in Culver City who were unaware that a Culver City Art Walk even existed.

The most important parts of a person's life are the decisions they make where they can either face the situation or keep running. In Coach Barron's case, his decision to keep running is what made him what he is today.

Just a short time after President Obama's call for college education to become more readily available to U.S. citizens, and in the wake of Gov. Schwarzenegger's recent visit to Santa Monica College, the looming budget crisis has hit home in our community, and at our college, in a way that may effectively destroy the hopes and aspirations of many.

A collection of photos from this semester's Corsair Photojournalists.