2017 SPRING STAFF

Diana parra Garcia
-Staff Photographer-

I am a photographer and an artist. I enjoy covering current events and anything that can bring some peace of mind. My main goal is to show what I see and create conversation. Photography and art can go hand in hand so aside from reporting I also enjoy creating scenes/story in my images. I hope to someday cover events around the world and have galleries of my work.

ZANE THORNTON
-STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER-

My name is Zane Meyer-Thornton. I take pictures of things I find interesting and culturally significant.

Christina Moultrie
-Culture EditOR-

Christina is a news junkie who has returned to college to earn a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She is an avid follower of national politics who fantasizes about covering a presidential election for the New York Times. During a long career in music radio her show was heard in Chicago, New Orleans, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. Recently, she was the fill-in morning news anchor at 790KABC. She’s also a voice actor whose clients include American Airlines, NBC, Unilever, and the US Army. Christina is great at cooking, talking to anyone about anything, and losing money in Vegas.

Luis Valladares
-Staff Writer-

Invest in your passions literally, a quarter in those arcade machines every day until the machine breaks. Wearing a video game themed shirt everyday Luis tends to stand out in his block in a sea full of gang members. When the hovering helicopters and police sirens subside, it’s nice to be reminded of escapism at it’s finest, matched only by his love of writing, Luis hopes to let his passions do the talking that his shy demeanor won’t let him do.
 

Abraham Barkhordar
-Staff Writer-

Abraham is from the Calabasas area and is going to SMC to study history. He is in his second year and plans on transferring to Berkeley or UCLA in the upcoming fall semester. Abraham plans on becoming a museum curator, making a difference by bringing art into people's lives. If that doesn't work out he wants to become a lawyer.

Joke: a tourist takes a whale watching tour from Oxnard to Catalina. At first the tour is very dull and there are no whales to watch. Suddenly three whales appear. The boat's skipper exclaims "whale, whale, whale what do we have here!"

Chelsey Sanchez
-Digital editor-

Chelsey Sanchez kickstarted her love for writing when her 8-year-old self told her older cousin that she wanted to write a book and he said she couldn’t. Today, she has combined her love for writing with her social activism in a wild but rewarding pursuit of journalism - and still plans on one day writing her own book. Besides journalism, Chelsey is also passionate about free food, cheap clothes, and Hamilton. Also, nothing motivates her more than spite and pettiness (this is directed towards her cousin).

Miguel Gonzalez
-Staff Writer-

My name is Miguel Gonzalez, I am a Journalism major and excited to be contributing to the school paper. I have a strong passion for writing and photography,I enjoy writing about plenty topics, from nature to politics, as well as society to local events. Looking forward to going to events and informing the community as well as learning.

Juan Gomez
-Staff Writer-

Juan Gomez is a staff writer for The Corsair but you can call him "Junior". He is a Journalism major that is pursuing research and reporting skills in an effort to earn a law degree someday.  Junior has taken Journalism1 and Media2 and is currently enrolled in Media1. Junior hopes to lend his knowledge of writing to the Corsair and further his journalistic resume through this experience.

Oscar Steven Carranza
-Culture Editor-

My name is Oscar Steven Carranza, born and raised in South L.A. I am very fond of news relating to the Community, Politics, Science, and Music. I am a musician aside from a full time student, I've worked as a producer, teacher, and labor worker.

Keya Rivera-Quick
-Staff Writer-

Keya Quick was raised in Northern California where she always aspired to be a writer, developing her interest at a young age by writing many fictitious stories. In high school, a teacher recommended a journalism course which began her love affair with Journalism. Keya hopes to get her major in English and travel the world as a reporter covering current events.

Cecilia Martin
-Staff Photographer-

I love food, culture, music, art, fashion and film and I love photos too! So when I'm immersed in my faves I try to capture it through my camera. When i’m shooting for fun, I love street photography. Most recent faves: Hidden Figures - Atlanta - Migos’ Culture - February's issue of Interview Mag - Magnolia Bakery

Matthew Martin
-Staff Photographer-

New York born Matthew Martin has lived on 2 continents and travelled to several others. Growing up in Australia and Los Angles, he traveled and experienced life from many different cultural perspectives, cultivating him into a tree-hugging, adventure seeking photographer! Martin’s interests, which range from musical theater to his native sport of rugby, makes him sound like a renaissance man, but rest assured, he’s just a local Venice boy who enjoys ‘Netflix and chilling!’ Martin is an aspiring documentary photographer and is inspired by the all time greats like Dorothea Lange, William Eggleston, and Robert Frank to name a few.

Ryanne Mena
-Managing Editor-

I am 21. My goals are to learn more about the world I live in and more about myself in doing that. My ultimate goal is to become an investigative journalist. I am an a avid pokemon player and proud of it. "What ever floats your boat, as long as it doesn't sink mine."

Edward Lee
-STAFF WRITER-

Edward Lee has always been passionate about one idea: working towards improving society. This Los Angeles native has always had a wide range of passions and interests, from political science to cooking to robotics - skills that would brighten up someone’s day or bring real positive impact to people’s everyday lives. Edward enjoys to the fullest the lack of unnecessary constraints and meeting new people, and thus can often be spotted engaging in conversation with complete strangers. Edward believes that journalism is one of the best catalysts for improving society through its role of finding the truth inspiring dialogue amongst the public about today’s problems and how we can address them.

Jazz Shademan
-Staff Photographer-

Jazz Shademan is a commercial and freelance event photographer. She is a traveler at heart and would love to explore more of the world, its peoples, and cultures. Photography is one of her biggest passions; being creative and progressively growing through diverse experiences is her drive in life. She also loves dogs, guitar solos, and pistachio ice-cream.

Trevor Schock
-culture editor-

Trevor Schock was born in Southern California. His interest in writing grew from reading and making zines mostly focused on the local indie music scene. Nowadays the subjects that interest him most are history, leftist politics, and music.

Vanessa Wyatt
-Staff Writer-

Vanessa Wyatt works in fashion as a retail manager for Michael Kors. She also models part time and is pursuing a degree in broadcast journalism. In 2016, Vanessa took 20th place in California for the Miss Jet Set Magazine Competition. The cover model competition was in partnership with the Be Positive Foundation, helping families dealing with childhood cancer. Helping others has always been important to Vanessa and she plans on making a positive difference in her community with her journalism career.

Lazaro Carranza
-Opinion Editor-

Lazaro Carranza was born and raised in small town in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Lazaro attended La Crosse Central High School where he excelled as a snowboard racer becoming Wisconsin state champion in 2012. Lazaro moved to California two years ago to take advantage of the opportunities Los Angeles has to offer for an aspiring journalist like himself. Lazaro now studies journalism at Santa Monica College and hopes to continue his education after SMC at Sacramento State University for a bachelor's degree in political Journalism. He aspires to become a political journalist and over time become a politician.

Angie Ramos
-Staff Writer-

I was born and raised in the city of Angels; Los Angeles, CA. I am a product of hip hop and rap. Currently working hard to transfer and graduate with a degree in Journalism and Mass Media, I dream of one day having my own radio show, introducing and discussing new music, and interviewing celebrities. I’m a girl with a dream. A very simple dream, mostly involving fries and beer, but a dream nonetheless. And my hobbies are breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Marisa Vasquez
-PHOTO EDITOR-

Marisa Vasquez was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Her love for the city, coffee, and photography are what brought her to where she is today. She first discovered photography during her senior year of high school. After a few semesters at Santa Monica College, working continuously on her photography skills, Marisa then joined The Corsair and realized power of journalism and media output. Her goal is to transfer to a four-year college and graduate with a Media Studies degree. Until then, you can find her running around campus working hard on her news assignments and classes in order to make her goal a reality.   “Your dreams are valid.”   - Lupita Nyong’o

Daniel Bowyer
-PHOTO EDITOR-

Did someone say, "Coffee!" Daniel is on a photo journey of epic proportions. On a trip to Antartica in 2011 he became mystified by what kind of stories could be told with pictures. Fast forward to the present, and you'll see just how important photography is to him. While he loves all types of photography, photojournalism, and sports photography are his besties. His ultimate goal is to work as a staff photographer for an NFL team. Daniel's mantra is, "Be better than you were yesterday."

JADE LEW
-STAFF WRITER-

Jade is a Los Angeles native and an avid lover of music, concerts, fashion, writing, and photography.

Emeline Moquillon
-STAFF WRITER-

Emeline grew up in the South West of France, between the vineyards and the Atlantic. After she graduated with a BA in Communication and Marketing in Paris, she traveled around the world for work and leisure. Discovering new cultures and meeting new people is a major part of her life. Emeline recently embarked on a solo eight-month journey, backpacking across Southern Asia and Ocean. Capturing precious moments in life drove her to a new passion. She finally came to Santa Monica College to be a journalist. Writing about culture and society are among her favorite subjects.

Michelle Ayala
-Multimedia Editor-

Meet Michelle, the type of person you could hang out with and talk freely about everything and anything. On these days you will find her being part of the multimedia group for the corsair. She's always willing to help brainstorm creativity and provide laughter. She has high dreams of being part of the entertainment industry where she can one day direct her own heart felt short films. Don't be shy, smile and she will smile back!

Zin Chiang
-Editor in Chief-

I am a freelance photojournalist in Los Angeles who specializes in still images and video for print, web, and social media.  My special concern focuses on human migration and the unexpected challenges that come from it.  I dive into urban societies to study inequity in resources, and how that can lead to conflict and displacement in the modern world.

Maya Toolin
-Staff Writer-

Maya is a 20 year old SMC student with an interest in fashion, history and politics. She hopes to one day sell her soul to Condé Nast and become a fashion writer.

Brian Vu
-Staff Photographer-

Brian Vu has a keen ear for podcasts, an even keener eye for photography, and the keenest hand for petting puppies. Being born and raised in the Bay Area has cultivated him into a tree-hugging, hip-hop loving, die-hard Warriors fan. Vu’s wide array of interests tends to make one think, “How is he so interesting?” But rest assured, he’s just your average Pokemon trainer… Which actually makes him quite lame. Vu dreams of one day being a content producer for Radiolab, but for now, he’s putting all his efforts into the Corsair.

Pedro Xavier Hernandez G
-Staff Writer-

Pedro Hernandez G is a 20 year old SMC student, who enjoys learning about history and current social events, and loves listening to music. His favorite book is "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak.

Mazyar Mahdavifar
-Design Editor-

It is what it is: graduated from medical school, he figured out that it wasn’t what he wanted to do in his life, so he went to a journalism academy and started writing articles and creating podcasts for online radios. However, after immigration to the U.S., he had to start everything from zero. No complaint. It is what it is! This semester, he will graduate from SMC with an A.A. degree in journalism. Also, he has applied to some graduate programs and will start his new career as a media researcher very soon.

Sam Green
-Staff Writer-

Born and raised in Los Angeles, who now at the young age of 24 has discovered the glory of the brown liquid known as Whisk(e)y, particularly Scotch. With a passion for all things tech and “Geek”, raised by a hippie actor Father and stay at home "Proper English" Mother, he attributes a fair part of his unique outlook on the world to his parents. With an ancestry hailing from Poland and England and family located worldwide he has a love of other cultures, especially those of Britain and Scotland. A passion for Heraldry, as of December 2016, he has assumed the Coat of Arms that you frequently see on his lapel in his Pin of Arms™ in preparation for applying for an official Grant of Arms from a recognized Heraldic authority.

Adrianna Buenviaje
-staff writeR-

I love long walks on the beach and multidimensional theories.

Buddy Jackson Mena
-Corsair's Mascot-

I am Buddy Jackson Mena and I am a Jack Russell terrier. I'm The Corsair's beloved mascot and emotional support puppy. My hobbies are rolling on the floor, looking cute, and accompanying my mom (Ryanne Mena) on her daily endeavors.