University of California Admissions Scandal
On Sept. 22, the California State Audit released documents that revealed inappropriate acceptances by four University of California (UC) institutions. Over the past six years, UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Barbara have admitted a total of 64 under-qualified students based on donations and insider connections, according to the documents.
California Propositions
A Breakdown of the Propositions on the ballot for California for the 2020 Election.
SMC Students Faced With Information Leak
A student information breach occurred at Santa Monica College (SMC) on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. The Latino Center sent an email out to 321 students in the Adelante Program to promote an upcoming Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) workshop; however, a document was mistakenly attached that contained the personal contact information of over 300 students including their names, home addresses, and SMC student identification numbers.
The 72nd Primetime "Pandemmys": Recap
On Sunday, Sept. 20, the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards opened to Jimmy Kimmel, comedian and host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, walking onto a stage in front of a full, maskless audience. A few minutes into his monologue, Kimmel revealed that the audience was actually a recording pulled from a previous Emmy’s broadcast and he was delivering his monologue to an empty Staples Center arena.
A Legacy Worth Protecting
On Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008, I distinctly remember my mother waking me up, hurrying me over to the television, pointing to the news, and saying, “this is your new president. Although you don’t understand it now, he just made history.”
Local Music Venues Struggle Amidst Pandemic
Marquees glow at night with "We Hope to See You Soon!" messages, and sidewalks that were formerly cluttered with lines stretching down the street remain empty. Los Angeles' live music venues are at the heart of the city's culture and entertainment, and for the first time, seats are empty.
A Resurgence in Drive-In Theaters
On a Sunday evening, typically a slow business day for the movies, the Regency Theaters Drive-In, also known as The Plant, had a half-full parking lot of cars. Couples and families settled in as the lights dimmed. The screen came to life with 20th Century Studios’ newest movie, “The New Mutants.”
COVID-19’s Impact on Street Performers
The street performers of Santa Monica speak out about how they are dealing with challenging times during the COVID-19 pandemic, while trying to safely entertain the people of Santa Monica.
New Organization Feeds Local Families
In late March, Suzie Crocker, a woman who works with Hope United LA, received a large food donation from Whole Foods. Unsure of what to do with it, she reached out to Cheryl Byrne, a neighbor of the church and a strong figure in the community. Byrne is now one of the co-founders of Feeding Families Santa Monica. She knew that she had to find people who she could help.
Why Community College Should be the First Choice During the Pandemic
If committing to college was not hard enough already, the wake of COVID-19 has many students second-guessing whether or not to attend a four-year university.
Equity as it Stands on SMC’s Campus Today
Colleges across the nation are devising plans to create more equitable environments for their students and staff - including Santa Monica College (SMC). SMC’s 2019-2020 Equity Plan states that “Santa Monica College continues to see pervasive data across every student success indicator demonstrating that the College is not effectively serving Latinx and African American students specifically.”
SMC and its International Students left dealing with the impacts of ICE's directive
*On July 6th, 2020, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that students on F-1 visas must leave the country if their school began offering online education only. This directive put students and institutions in a precarious situation, and even though it was eventually walked back on, they are still dealing with the consequences.*
SMC Advocates For Coastal Cleanup Month
Coastal Cleanup Month is a worldwide movement that started over 30 years ago and has gathered the support of over 6 million volunteers, according to Surfrider Foundation and Ocean Conservancy, two environmental nonprofits. The movement has been picked up nationwide and worldwide, including in our own coastal community of Santa Monica.
Water Polo Coach Brian Eskridge Pulling Double-Duty
In a unique situation, Head Coach Brian Eskridge has taken control of Santa Monica College (SMC) men’s and women’s water polo teams. He is a veteran water polo coach, starting with SMC in 2009, more than fit to take on the challenges that come with coaching both teams.
Lakers take Game 2 from the Nuggets as Davis hits three-point buzzer beater
After a solid win over the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs’ Western Conference Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers won an emotional Game 2 that was capped off with an Anthony Davis three-point buzzer beater shot with 1.7 seconds left on the clock.