Letter from the Editor: remembering Paris, remembering all of the tragedies

Tragedies such as the attacks in Beirut, Kenya, and Paris seem to be happening everyday, and the word never ceases to seem like a cruel existence. There are protests going on across the country such as the Million Student March, as well aa the controversies in Mizzou and Yale. Some events are more publicized than others and it begs the question, what warrants front page news and what gets just a mere mention? What many don't realize is, it is possible to multitask and have feelings towards all of these tragic events.

At the Corsair we happened to have an inside to events such as a Paris vigil happening in Long Beach, and the Million Student March, a smaller branch happening right on our campus. In events like this it seems easy to point fingers at the oppressors but often we forget that the victims of these tragedies need support and help. The friends and family of the daughter who had the vigil in Long Beach needed the community around them to be able to grieve.

Even though Long Beach isn't exactly in our backyard, Santa Monica had its ferris wheel on the pier light up in French colors during on Sunday night showing their support. Its things like this that may me feel an inch of faith in humanity.

At The Million Student March, there were students who gathered fighting for free tuition and other problems that students face when going to college. While it may not be that simple to address these issues at a state level, officials at the college are seeking to help students as best they can.

We currently have a new presidential search in its final stages where four candidates have expressed their interest in taking over the position of Superintendent/President at SMC. Many of their platforms were based largely on helping students and addressing issues such as student success, and how to better serve students from such a wide demographic. There are international students, out-of-state students and local students who all need the same amount of attention, which one of the candidates specifically addressed.

Watching the presidential forums was nothing like watching the Republican or Democratic debates, although you did have figures who resembled some of the candidates running for the President of the U.S. But this doesn't mean that we shouldn't pay attention. Paying attention and voting at a local level is just as important as what is going on at a state or national level.