Spring 2026 Volume 128 | Issue 5

Verily, in sooth, ‘tis with mirth and glee. (...In

the spirit of whimsy..)

Katie Easterson || Editor in Chief

Hail, ye Corsairs, and welcomed to this tome! In sooth, as we embarke into yonder realm of faerie, I pray that ye be inspired by marvellous wight…

Sorry. I had to. What I meant to say was — Hello there, fellow Corsair readers! As we step into the vast fairytale world of this edition, I hope you feel influenced by much whimsy. As you can tell, I do really enjoy medieval and fantasy… Over the weekend, I visited the Ren faire as it was the last weekend it was being held. Honestly, I just wanted an excuse to dress up as an elf and look cute. But my feet hurt by the time the day was over. Besides that, two weeks ago, a fairytale-themed Club Row was held on the main campus quad, which my whimsical heart adored – I wasn’t able to visit due to work, but from the photos I’ve seen, everyone looked great, including the fairy gracing our cover this edition.

Spring semester is hectic, with students taking their last required classes before graduation, with summer peeking just around the corner and excitement lingering; it’s a lot in the span of a few weeks. This era of my life has gone by faster than I could’ve imagined. I will soon be transferring to another college, continuing to work towards my degree in English. I will soon, hopefully, be publishing my first novel, if I stop procrastinating, that is. I will move out, finally, and a lot more is to come, and the future creeping up on me is definitely scary. I catch myself overthinking far too much. I’m trying my best to live in the moment. I don’t really know if it’s working, though.

As a new Editor in Chief will be chosen soon, all I have to say is thank you. To my advisers, fellow staff, and friends I’ve made in this room, I’ve finally started to come out of my introverted shell, just slightly. I don’t think I’ll miss production days — but I will miss everyone I’ve met because of The Corsair. Verily, I pray thee, gird thy mind for mirth, ere I succumb to inordinate sentiment. Behold, our fifth digital volume, sent forth for thy delectation! Ah! What I meant was… Anyways, before I get too sentimental, enjoy our fifth digital edition!

Corsair Staff

Editor in Chief

Katie Easterson

Managing Editor

Sofia Kieser

Photo Editor

Elizabeth Bacher

Assistant Photo Editor

Tom Rosholt

News Editor

Kayjel J. Mairena

Assistant News Editor

Patrick Conlon

Culture Editor

Nastassia Melendez

Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

Vicki Mehdizadeh

Opinion Editor

Jaqueline Martin

Sports Editor

Ciara Burris

Copy Editors

Harley Morgan

Maria Lebedev

Multimedia Editors

Jenna Tibby

Tim Sim

Raphael Lopez

Social Media Editor

Jeffrey Berrios

Staff Writers

Harley Morgan, Alexandra Gorgij, Kollin Zullo, Malaika Kamau, Christine Muñoz, Leo Williams, Izabel Enrique, Natalia Zabala, Addison Koepke, Kayvon Nili-Esfahani, Cam Brewster, Sean Mendoza, Caelen Perkins, Maria

Isabel Carias, Victoria Cue, Vicki Mehdizadeh, Joanna Rivas, Paola Carrasco, Alejandro Contreras, Milca Lopez

Faculty Advisers

Gerard Burkhart || Photo Adviser

Sharyn Obsatz || Writing Adviser

Samantha Nuñez || Social Media Adviser

Photographers

Andrew Starnes, Victoria White, Jinhao Tian, Guillermo De La Barreda, Silke Eichholz, Karina Custodio, Jordi Garcia Sosa, Michael Diebert, Tori Campbell, Juliana Frame, Maria Lebedev, Katelynne Dubeau, Gregory Hawthorne, Kantapong Wongjirasawad, Masie Najafi, Danny Sanchez, Ada Greatrix, Masanori Aguayo

Social Media Staff

Roxanne Solar, Clarissa Moreno, Cayman Carter, Donnisha Mukes, Gia Rush, Darlene Cabanillas, Seandrea Brady (Nicole), Tiwana Floyd

Santa Monica College Superintendent and President Kathryn E. Jeffery expresses her sympathy towards the members of SMC staff that will be laid off due to a projected $16.7 million deficit at the Board of Trustees Regular Meeting on May 5

SMC trustees lay off 45 people to address financial mismanagement

The SMC Board of Trustees voted 5-2 to layoff 45 people as it moves to close a $16.9 million structural deficit.

Kayjel J Mairena || News Editor

After failing to address a foreseeable financial crisis, the Santa Monica College Board of Trustees voted to lay off some of its lowest-paid employees to help close a $16.9 million structural deficit.

For 20 years, SMC has continued using the same plan that nearly bankrupted the college on five separate occasions, according to trustee Rob Rader. “We refuse to engage in a thoughtful process, and therefore we end up doing things that are reactive, short-sighted and punishing to those that are least able to endure it and least able to fight it,” Rader said.

“Instead of us coming together to talk about ways we could all make shared sacrifice, we picked the people that was most convenient and easy to bear the brunt of these cost reductions, including the layoffs,” Rader said.

After failing to address a foreseeable financial crisis, the Santa Monica College Board of Trustees voted to lay off some of its lowest-paid employees to help close a $16.9 million structural deficit.

For 20 years, SMC has continued using the same plan that nearly bankrupted the college on five separate occasions, according to trustee Rob Rader. “We refuse to engage in a thoughtful process, and therefore we end up doing things that are reactive, short-sighted and punishing to those that are least able to endure it and least able to fight it,” Rader said.

“Instead of us coming together to talk about ways we could all make shared sacrifice, we picked the people that was most convenient and easy to bear the brunt of these cost reductions, including the layoffs,” Rader said.

The list of those impacted will be finalized on May 14, with their last day of employment set for July 1, according to the trustees’ May 5 meeting agenda.

At their February meeting, the trustees voted 4-3 to lay off the equivalent of 57 classified fulltime employees. After three months of deliberation, the list was downsized to 45 employees — 41 people working full time and four parttime workers.

The union agreed to furlough one day a month from June 2026 to 2027 — a 12-day pay cut — so more people could keep their jobs. Workers willing to sign an agreement to retire in 2027

were exempt, so as not to affect their pensions, said Cindy Ordaz, California School Employees Association Chapter 36 president.

Management agreed to furlough two days a month indefinitely, and forgo their longevity raises, according to Ordaz.

President and Superintendent Kathryn Jeffery said the college did the best it could given its situation.

“The decisions that we made up to this point have not been easy, and no one feels good about it, and even as we look for ways to remove positions from the list for layoffs, we weren’t able to remove them all,” said Jeffery during the meeting.

However, Rader said he opposed the layoffs because there were ways for no one to lose their jobs. He suggested the highest earners, those making over $100,000, take a pay cut, but it was rejected.

Reducing the pay of multiple administrators would amount to them returning a pay raise they received in 2023, according to Ordaz. The union was told it wouldn’t be receiving that same contractually obligated wage hike at the end of their bargaining agreement, and filed an unfair labor practice charge against SMC. Realizing the college couldn’t afford to pay them, the CSEA settled for three additional sick days, which can count as time served on their pension, and three more vacation days, Ordaz said.

The union also proposed Jeffery sacrifice a $250,000 supplemental retirement package she received from the institution in September 2025 — the same day the trustees voted to implement budget cuts. But, “they didn’t want to entertain that at all,” she said.

During public comment, Faculty Association President Peter Morse once again recommended changes in the healthcare policy for part-time faculty. He said some people are still offering to postpone, or bank, their pay to help raise money for the college.

Besides those options, the trustees could have made a larger reduction in management positions. “If you compare us to other campuses, we needed to have more cuts there,” said Quinoñes-Perez during the meeting.

“The administration did not do their job with this,” Quinoñes-Perez added. “I’m not going to

sit here in silence and have them talk about taking away your health benefits. Talk about cutting classes. Talk about cutting salaries — when it’s not done among themselves — I’m not.”

Transparent California, the state’s largest database for public pay and pensions, most recent records show Jeffery is the highest earner at the college, collecting $386,680 in total pay. With the addition of benefits, she earns $498,478 yearly.

On average, a vice president at SMC makes $369,901 in total pay and benefits, according to Transparent California. An instructional English tutor receives $50,991.

At the meeting, Rader said he’d support the layoff proposal if the trustees agreed to have outside counsel assess the need for layoffs — before the state threatens to take over the college. No one seconded the motion.

The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office is monitoring SMC, according to Academic Senate president Vicenta Arrizon. At the meeting, she said the college is showing five of seven indicators signaling systemic fiscal distress, including negative spending trends and reserve levels below recommended thresholds.

If an outside agency were to investigate the school, it could validate some concerns shared among personnel, but it can also trigger a state takeover of the college. After that, all contracts are null and void, there would be no more unions and most of the trustees will be dismissed, Ordaz said. So, she doesn’t support an external independent review either, she said.

Morale among classified employees is the lowest it’s been since the college implemented layoffs in 2003, according to Ordaz. But they continue showing up for work.

“A happy employee will give their heart and soul right to the work that they do,” Ordaz said. “We are the people alongside our faculty who are championing for our students, and that is always at the forefront.”

“We’re here because we want to be here. We’re here because we really care,” Ordaz said.

After two meetings inside the Student Service Center, the trustees will return to the Business Building, Room 117 for their next session on Tuesday June 9 at 6 p.m.

More Than Medals

Corsairs swimmers and divers live emotional highs and lows of the 3C2A State Championship, showing growth and grit matter as much as medals.

Written and photographed by Silke Eichholz

Across three days of highs and lows at the 3C2A Swim & Dive State Championship, athletes leaned on coaches and teammates through successes and disappointments.

The championship was held Thursday, April 30, through Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. Seven Santa Monica College Corsairs qualified, and six competed, leaving Cindy Canseco home due to an ear infection.

“I wanted to risk it all. … For me it wasn’t getting first place,” diver Karla Perez said, embracing risk over results.

Perez, a 2018 Youth Olympics bronze medalist for Guatemala, competed with high expectations from herself and others. She placed fifth in the one-meter board competition and eighth in the three-meter board competition, earning two 3C2A medals as a finalist.

“This is going to make me get prepared for the future, because I want to go to the Olympics for diving,” Perez said.

Ryan King, diving head coach, guided Perez through overcoming her setbacks at the Championship while her family supported her on the sidelines.

(L-R) Karla Perez, SMC Diving Corsair and a 2018 Youth Olympics Gymnast, talks with her dad, Juan Perez, and family just before the start of the three-meter board finals at the 3C2A State Championship on Friday, May 1, 2026. Perez risked performing difficult dives in preparation for the Olympics, which she is aiming to attend. When asked how her family supported her, she said, “Whatever you feel like is the best for you, and that’s going to make you get prepared for the Olympics…. No matter what happens, we’re always here for you.“

Karla Perez dives from the one-meter board with observation by head coach Ryan King at the 3C2A State Championship on Thursday, April 30, 2026. Perez was a contestant to place on top of the competition. King said “Diving is interesting in the fact that there is a very short window for you to perform your exercise. If it isn’t 100% perfect immediately, then the dive is kind of doomed from the very beginning. There is no catching up.”

(L-R) Head coach Ryan King talks in front of Jimena Perez with Karla Perez, and her mom, Arelis Blanco, after the three-meter board finals at the 3C2A State Championship on Friday, May 1, 2026. When asked how Perez is overcoming setbacks, King said, “You know, a lot of it is psychological. But it is also knowing your athlete. It’s going to be very difficult for her to just relax. She’s going to want to do something productive. That’s just the kind of athlete that she is. … Her comfort zone is being uncomfortable and overtraining.”

Riley Taizo Amis, SMC Corsair, swims during the Prelims of the men’s 100m breaststroke during the 3C2A State Championship on Friday, May 1, 2026. Amis finished in 59.38 seconds and qualified for the finals. He placed 15th overall with a time of 59.69 seconds.

Corsairs swimmers Izzy Montgomery, Riley Taizo Amis and Rohan Lee competed in individual events. Amis, Lee, Anton Olsson, and Zinadin Rosales raced together in the men’s 200-meter medley relay.

Montgomery delivered a season-best time in the 200-meter butterfly. She placed eighth in the finals, adding another medal.

Brian Eskridge, swimming head coach, said before Montgomery’s final, “She will get a medal tonight! Really great swim. She dropped a lot of time.”

Athletes from all colleges cheered loudly, “Go, go, go!” and celebrated each other’s personal wins.

“There was a lot of emotion over the last three days,” Corsair swimmer Amis said. “Some up, some down — but about competing at such a high-level meet, I was envious to be around such amazing athletes and being able to say I was one of them.”

Izzy Montgomery, SMC Corsair, dives from the block during the Prelims in the women’s 200m Individual Medley of the 3C2A State Championship on Thursday, April 30, 2026. Montgomery finished with a personal best time of 2:16.42 in Prelims, qualifying for the finals, and placed 13th overall.

Riley Taizo Amis prepares himself for the Prelims of the men’s 100m breaststroke, listening to music and holding a rosary on Friday, May 1, 2026. Amis said, “I like listening to this funk song, Funk Universo, that puts me in a place where no one’s around, but sometimes a little WWE entrance themes old school rap makes me feel like I am having a walkout appearance.” Asking about the rosary, he said, “It’s a little prayer I started doing when a great mentor of mine, unfortunately, passed away three years ago due to colon cancer. Her name was Adrienne. … So every big race it’s almost a reminder and a message for who it’s for and how I got here.” Amis finished in 59.38 seconds and qualified for the finals. He placed 15th overall with a time of 59.69 seconds.

SMC assistant coach J.J. Amis (center left) and his younger brother Riley Taizo Amis (center right) fist-bump after Amis’ race in the 200m Individual Medley alongside their teammates Corsair Izzy Montgomery and Zinandin Rosales (left) and head coach Brian Eskridge (right) on Thursday, April 30, 2026. Amis finished with a personal best time of 1:59.29 and placed 20th.Montgomery, who also swam the 200m Individual Medley, finished with a personal best time of 2:16.42 in Prelims, qualifying for the finals, and placed 13th overall.

Rohan Lee, SMC Corsair, swims during the Prelims in the men’s 100m butterfly of the 3C2A State Championship on Friday, May 1, 2026. Lee was injured with a partially dislocated left shoulder and impingement begin of the season and said, “It hurts now. I didn’t do so well in the run. When I was warming up, I felt it coming on a little again.” Lee placed 18th with a time of 52.30 seconds in the prelims, missing the qualification for the finals.

“No one is perfect. What builds great athletes is how they take hardship whether they learn or lose what they can gain.”

Riley Taizo Amis, Corsair swimmer

Karla Perez, SMC Diving Corsair and a 2018 Youth Olympics Gymnast, applauds her fellow competitors receiving their medals for their participation in the three-meter board finals at the 3C2A State Championship on Friday, May 1, 2026. Perez was a contestant to place at the top of the competition. Perez won 8th place with 177.05 points and earned a 3C2A medal for finishing as a finalist.

Let Me Ride

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Makes Noise in the LBC

By Jordi Garcia Sosa

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach started its motors on April 16 through 19. Fans came in droves to the beachside track for the 51st time with high expectations for the races to come.

The Grand Prix gives fans a variety of events to follow throughout the weekend, from high-speed IndyCars battling side by side through the tight streets, jumping stadium trucks with ramps placed around the track, to multi-class racing with IMSA and controlled chaos with the Formula Drift Challenge in the final sector of the racetrack.

The weekend began on April 16 with Thunder Thursday, an event open to the public to see some of the cars that would compete on Saturday and Sunday, and the Pit Stop Challenge for the NTT IndyCar Series.

The field of Grand Touring Prototypes (GTP) racing on the main straight at the start of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach for the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) WeatherTech Sportscar Series on Shoreline Drive.

Friday was the first day the track was hot with cars, with the Porsche Carrera Cup North America series in its first practice session in their spec 911 Cup car, Type 992.2. TylerMaxson, in the number 77 Top Racing Porsche, finished the session first with the fastest time of 1:20.502 to set the pace for the Grand Prix.

After the Carrera Cup cars ran, the Historic Sportscar Racing had a 20-minute practice session, showing off old sports cars from the 60s to the 90s, from an Oldsmobile to an Audi Quattro.

After the Historics, the International Motor Sports Association WeatherTech SportsCar Championship began practice. IMSA has two classes of cars running in Long Beach: Grand Touring Prototypes and Grand Touring Daytona.

Once IMSA left the track, ramps were set up for Super Stadium Trucks. Robby Gordon’s series featured purpose-built off-

road trucks that adapt to the concrete and asphalt of Long Beach.

Once the trucks were returned to their paddocks and the ramps were taken off the track, the Porsche Carrera Cup cars came back out to practice for the second time during the weekend.

The Porsche started to set up their cars for the final session of the day. GMG Racing number 32 driver Tom Sargent finished first in the final practice session with a time of 1:19.827, giving him the best car before qualifying.

Later BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 number 24, driven by Dries Vanthoor and Sheldon van der Linde, set the fastest prototype lap with a 1:12.284. For the GTD class, Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3 number 89, driven by Jack Hawksworth and Frankie Montecalvo, took the fastest lap with a 1:18.654.

When IMSA returned to the paddock, the NTT IndyCars roared to life for the first time that weekend. Andretti Global’s No. 26 car, driven by Will Power, set the fastest lap of the session.

IMSA qualifying began with the GTD class. With 15 minutes on the clock for their class, Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3, driven by Hawksworth and Montecalvo, took first place with a 1:18.411, as the DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, driven by Robert Wickens and Mason Filippi, just got inched out with a 1:18.562. Wickens, a paraplegic driver who suffered a spinal injury in 2018, competed using hand controls adapted for his car.

The Formula Drift Challenge opened with a brief delay after fans breached a fence separating media from spectators. Once the fence was reestablished, Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis led Day 1, and Jeff Jones took second.

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excessive

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Saturday began with the Historic Sports Car Challenge before Porsche Carrera Cup cars took the track for Race 1. GMG Racing No. 32 driver Sargent controlled the race and claimed the win.

In IndyCar practice, Andretti Global w/ Curb-Agajanian No. 27 driver Kyle Kirkwood posted the fastest time at 01:07.5417 after winning last year’s race from pole.

The 100-minute IMSA race saw Acura Meyer Shank Racing No. 93 lead the field to the green flag and finish first overall, marking a home win for the manufacturer. In GTP, Vasser Sullivan Racing No. 12 finished first in class and 10th overall. The BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 No. 25 sustained heavy damage after contact with the JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 No. 5.

IndyCar qualifying followed. Meyer Shank w/ Curb-Agajanian No. 60 driver Felix Rosenqvist earned the P1 Award with a time of 1:07.4635. Patricio “Pato” O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren qualified second, putting both on the front row.

The Super Stadium Trucks closed Saturday’s racing. Max Gordon won Race 1 in the No. 77 truck, while Matt Brabham retired because of a mechanical issue.

Sunday opened with warm-ups before Porsche Carrera Cup Race 2, where Sargent again won in the GMG Racing No. 32 car, sweeping the weekend. In Super Stadium Trucks Race 2, Brabham returned to win in the No. 83 truck.

The NTT IndyCar Series concluded the weekend’s racing in front of packed grandstands lining Shoreline Drive. Alex Palou won from third in his Chip Ganassi Racing Honda after a clean, cau-

tion-free run through the streets of Long Beach. Rosenqvist finished second after starting from pole, holding off late pressure in the closing laps. Only one car failed to finish as Andretti Global No. 28 driver Marcus Ericsson retired on Lap 38 with a hybrid battery issue.

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach returns April 16-18, 2027, for its 52nd running, continuing a tradition that has made the downtown street circuit one of the most recognizable stops in American open-wheel racing.

(Left) Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) Indycar series, American Medical Response (AMR) Safety Team member aiding rookie Mick Schumacher driver of Indycar no.47 (Liquid Death) of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team moments after stricking tire barrier at trun 3 near the famous fountain of the Long Beach Street Circuit the during the final minutes of Practice 2 of the 2026 Acura Grand

International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Series GTP (Grand Touring Prototype) class in the 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach car no.7 of team Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 driven by Felipe Nasr & Julien Andlauer on a high speed approch to the iconic 180 degree “Hairpin” turn 11 of the Long Beach Street Circuit at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

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Doctor E46 BMW during Formula Drift challenge 2 on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at the Long Beach Convention Center Parking lot, Long

(Top Right) Juncos Hollinger Racing Number 76 driven by Rinus VeeKay (CQ) exiting turn 11 during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach for the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) IndyCars Series on Sunday, April 19, 2026, on Shoreline Drive, Long Beach, Calif. VeeKay finished 13th out of 25 in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach for the NTT IndyCar Series. (Jordi Garcia Sosa | The Corsair)

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ARTS & CULTURE

From Rocketry to Career Networking, SMC’s Club Row Showcases Student-Led Communities

More than a dozen student organizations gathered on the campus quad to recruit members and highlight opportunities for involvement.

Kayvon Nili-Esfahani || Staff Writer Santa Monica College’s quad was filled with tables, banners and student volunteers as Club Row returned to campus, offering students a chance to explore academic, cultural, and hobby-based organizations. From professional development groups to hands-on engineering teams, the event helped students explore the SMC community and discover new interests.

Rotaract, one of SMC’s nationally affiliated service clubs, said weekly meetings often feature guest speakers, including professionals such as the founders of Labs, a lab-work company. The club receives school funding and regularly assists with charity efforts, including distributing food and hygiene products.

The Trading Club introduced students to the fundamentals of investing. According to co-leaders Cheok Hei Kuok and Adam Juouad, the club operates “like a real-world investment fund, minus the money.” Members research hypothetical investment strategies, debate their merits, and learn about financial markets within SMC’s rules prohibiting real-money trading. The club hopes to bring in professional traders as guest speakers. “Trading techniques are fiercely guarded secrets”. said Juouad.

The High Power Rocketry Club drew attention with photos of large, student-built rockets equipped with onboard electronics. Club member James Tigrak said the group designs and launches rockets and drones, with each rocket costing between $200 and $300 to build. Funding comes from SMC, and the club competes annually in

a NASA Space Launch Competition, where the winning team earns $10,000. Tigrak said their rockets reach impressive altitudes. “As high as SMC,” he said jokingly.

Zahra Veera, president of the new Career Club, noted that the group brings in a new professional speaker every other week to discuss their field and share personal experiences. Veera said the goal is to help students build connections that could lead to internships or jobs. “It opens a lot of doors through connections,” Veera said.

The Thrift Club focused on sustainability and creativity in fashion. At meetings, members discuss thrifting, environmentalism and sewing, and hope to organize an on-campus swap meet and field trips to local flea markets. As a chartered, nonprofit club, they receive funding from SMC. Justin Goldstein, the club’s representative, said thrifting is “more than just clothes and being frugal.” Ultimately, they say their goal is to reduce waste and build a sense of community.

Club Row provided students with information about a variety of student organizations and the activities they offer, as well as showcasing the range of opportunities available at SMC. The event allowed students to speak directly with club members and leaders, and each club offered students a different path to get involved on campus.

ARTS & CULTURE

ARTS & CULTURE

any major or background

ARTS & CULTURE

Music to feel, touch and laugh with

The SMC Symphony Orchestra presented its Spring Children’s Concert, a family-friendly, interdisciplinary show on Sunday, April 26, at BroadStage at the SMC Performing Arts Center.

Written and

by Guillermo De La Barreda

ARTS & CULTURE

Santa Monica College (SMC) dancer Mayu Oishi performing during the SMC Symphony Orchestra’s special children’s concert. Presented by the SMC Music Department in collaboration with the SMC Dance Department and Theatre Arts Department, the family event featured the orchestra, conducted by Mercedes Juan Musotto, performing popular classical works by Shostakovich, Rossini, Minkus, and others, with choreography by SMC dance students April Torres and Layla Fowler, and Guilford “Gilly the Clown” Adams guiding the audience through the experience.

ARTS & CULTURE

The SMC Symphony Orchestra presented its Spring Children’s Concert, a family-friendly, interdisciplinary show on Sunday, April 26, at BroadStage at the SMC Performing Arts Center.

Conducted by Mercedes Juan Musotto, the performance featured collaborations with students from the college’s dance and theatre arts departments, including original choreography by April Torres and Layla Fowler and narration by Nathan Hathaway.

The concert also included performances by baritone Patrick Bittner, SMC student dancers and actor Gilly the Clown, who guided the audience through a program that incorporated music, movement and theatrical storytelling.

ARTS & CULTURE

ARTS & CULTURE

Designed as a fun, immersive experience, the program blended orchestral music with dance and clowning to engage audiences of all ages, with a focus on creativity, curiosity, and accessibility for families and first-time concertgoers. Performers appeared throughout the venue, transforming the theater into an interactive environment.

Following the performance, the lobby turned into a busy instrument petting zoo, where children and their families engaged with the performers and their instruments.

ARTS & CULTURE

ARTS & CULTURE

SMC Mother’s Day Glass Sale takes over Pico Farmers Market

Shoppers stopped to view handmade glasswork by SMC glass artists ahead of Mother’s Day

Sofia Kieser || Managing Editor

Students and instructors from Santa Monica College brought handmade glasswork to the Pico Farmers Market at Virginia Avenue Park for the Art Department’s annual Mother’s Day glass sale on May 2.

The sale featured glass art handmade by students and staff, including vases, jewelry, ornaments and small sculptural pieces like flowers or animals. Each piece was created using one of three primary methods: glass blowing, glass fusing and torch work.

Glass blowing involves shaping molten glass using air and tools at high temperatures. Glass fusing combines layers of glass, powders or frit that are heated in a kiln until they bond together. Torch work uses a handheld flame to shape smaller, more detailed components such as beads or figurative elements.

Laboratory Tech Andy Berney described how all finished pieces undergo a controlled cooling process in an annealing kiln set to approximately 960 degrees, where glass is slowly brought down to room temperature over about 24 hours to prevent cracking.

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“Everyone puts their things in the oven at 960 degrees,” Berney said. “As far as all the pieces made that day, they go into an annealer oven, because if they don’t, and the glass cools too quickly, they’re just gonna crack.”

Berney said shoppers looking for gifts ahead of Mother’s Day often remark on how different vases will hold specific types of flowers.

“I’ve had three people tell me, like, what they envision, the flowers they’re gonna put in the vase. They’re very color conscious,” Berney said. “What’s the color flower that’s gonna go with that vase? Maybe they’re looking for something more neutral, that all sorts of flowers would fit in, or they’re looking for a different color that one specific flower would fit in. There are flower people out there where really, the vase is part of that presentation.”

Artist’s sales were marked on a dry erase whiteboard, and each piece was labeled with a number corresponding with the artist’s name on the board. Proceeds get split 70/30, with 70% of the money going directly to the glass artists, and the other 30% split 15/15 between the SMC Art Department and Virginia Avenue Park.

Haneul Park, a glass student at SMC, said she included both early and more recent work in the sale, including pieces from her first and second semesters in the program.

“I would like people to partake in purchasing some of them because it goes to helping me buy glass working tools, which are quite expensive, and also towards attending class workshops in the future,” Park said.

Artist Eden Hayer demonstrated torch work techniques used in small decorative pieces, including how she shapes details by reheating specific areas and manipulating the softened glass with tools.

Describing how she formed a small glass bunny with a bent ear, Hayer said, “I heat up the ears and use a tool that’s basically giant tweezers to turn it down.”

She also explained the use of frit, which Hayer said are “small chunks of colored glass, which can be the consistency of sand… or it can be huge, huge chunks.” Finer frit creates a dust-like effect, while larger pieces created more distinct color variation.

According to multiple glass artists, vases and floral-themed pieces were among the items shoppers asked about most frequently.

Shopper Sandee Terzis said she discovered the sale while visiting the farmers market and decided to stop and look for Mother’s Day gifts.

“I didn’t realize this was happening. It’s truly serendipitous,” Terzis said. “I love glass. How can you not?”

She said she selected several pieces for herself and others, and was still considering one more piece as a gift.

“I have loved glass all my life. I love the handcraft of it. I love the imperfections in it,” Terzis said. “It feels more personal than a card or flowers, and I’ll always support the arts.”

The SMC Art Department will host an Open Studio Day on Saturday, May 23, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the SMC Art Complex. The event will showcase glassblowing in Art Studio 125 and a glass sale in Art Room 124. According to the department, visitors are invited to “come watch the artists turn molten glass into amazing works of art,” and 30% of all sales will be donated to the SMC Art Department.

Does SMC’s Center for Media and Design Campus Need a Cafeteria?

OPINION

Written &

by Maria Lebedev

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close look at the Center for Media and Design’s current dining options and whether they are a good substitute for a cafeteria on campus.

Santa Monica College’s Center for Media and Design campus does not have a cafeteria where students can purchase hot meals, snacks and drinks. In lieu of a cafeteria, CMD has the Everytable Lounge located in Building C, a Bodega Bites site, a few vending machines and a couple of cafes within walking distance from the campus that close after 4 p.m.

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Everytable is a Los Angeles-based “grab-and-go” food service chain that provides ready-made meals priced according to the neighborhood where an Everytable store is located. Its mission is to make nutritious, affordable food accessible to everyone.

While the Everytable Lounge refrigerator does offer healthy and convenient options such as a Turkey Taco Bowl, some students complain that the meals are expensive or sometimes the fridge is simply empty.

“I think a cafeteria would be great. Sometimes the Everytable fridge is empty, so you can’t really purchase anything. It’s kind of a bummer,” said junior and graphic design major Karima Salazar.

“The stuff in the Everytable fridge costs a lot of money. I haven’t really used it that much because I don’t think it’s affordable,” said film production major Melody Vorce.

CMD also houses Bodega Bites, one of SMC’s several food security programs that provides free snacks and meals for students who may be experiencing food insecurity. On the CMD campus, the Bodega Bites site is located on the first floor of Building A in Room 116 at the Student Services Center. In order to grab a snack, students must provide their current SMC student ID.

While students appreciate the resource, some say the Bodega Bites site is not a good enough substitution for an actual cafeteria.

“It’s a good start, but I think ultimately, this campus should have

something closer to a cafeteria, because there’s just so many students here. And a couple of snacks is not enough to last anyone through the day,” digital media major Clara Mendonca said. “I sometimes spend an entire day on campus, up to 12 hours just working on computers,” Mendonca said. “So I think it would be nice to have a bigger space where people can eat, and a cafeteria where they cook real meals. Because I know a lot of people also commute out here, and sometimes it’s difficult to bring food with you.”

Both former students choose to do their work at Cafe Ruisseau, located at 2834 Colorado Ave., just a four-minute walk from the CMD campus. Cafe Ruisseau offers coffee, snacks and other light breakfast and lunch options; however, it closes at 4 p.m., making it inaccessible to many students with evening classes. Other cafes nearby operate on similarly limited hours.

“Most of the time I just came here to work, and just a couple of coffees or soft drinks would be enough,” Anderson said. “They have a good assortment of snacks. There’s chia pudding and a couple of bakery options - it’s enough to grab a bite in between classes,” Servin said.

The CMD campus is filled with students and employees who spend long hours working in labs and classrooms. Many commute from other parts of Los Angeles and remain on campus for extended periods of time. They need more than vending machine snacks, sugary drinks, or a Turkey Taco Bowl that’s been sitting in the Everytable fridge for an unknown amount of time.

A cafeteria would not only provide proper meals, but also create a space for students to sit, eat and interact during long days on campus. For many CMD students, the issue is about creating a campus environment that feels complete.