Posts in News
Fire Prevention Continues in California
Fire Prevention Continues in California

As California settles into the autumn, the State has once again found itself in a fight against a growing wildfire hazard. Coming off of a record setting year of fires in 2018, California has adjusted its models and projections, and has found success in 2019. By early November in 2018, it is estimated that over 600,000 acres had burned across California, damaging and destroying infrastructure and homes without prejudice, prompting the state to increase its preparedness for the 2019 fire season.

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NewsDakota Castets-Didier Comment
Death by Counterfeit THC Cartridges
Death by Counterfeit THC Cartridges

On Oct. 4, the Food and Drug Administration [FDA] released a statement advising the public to stop consuming all Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) vaping products, due to an ongoing investigation regarding medical cases related to lung illnesses.

As of Oct. 22, 34 people have died from the mysterious, ongoing epidemic. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] has had over 1,600 cases related to severe respiratory problems reported to the nation’s health protection agency.

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News Marley AlanizComment
A Report on SMC's Campus Safety
A Report on SMC's Campus Safety

Campus safety speaks to more than campus-wide emergency situations or petty crimes like theft. It also includes issues like stalking, assault, and sexual battery. Among undergraduate students, 23.1 percent of females and 5.4 percent of males experience rape or sexual assault, according to the report by the American Association for Universities (AAU) “Report on Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct”, published in 2015. “Campus Sexual Violence Statistics”, a study done by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network in 2016 shows that students are at the highest risk of sexual assault in the first few months of their first and second semesters in college. 

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NewsEline MillenaarFernando DuranComment
Wildfires Worsen Air Quality in California
Wildfires Worsen Air Quality in California

According to the American Lung Association's (ALA) 2019 State of the Air report, seven of the 10 most ozone-polluted cities are in California, with Los Angeles being the worst. However, while poor air quality has long been a staple of life in California, frequent wildfires have further degraded the air quality.

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NewsMartha RamirezComment
Howie Hawkins's Green Plans
Howie Hawkins's Green Plans

Green Party candidate and ecosocialist — ecologist and socialist — Howie Hawkins visited Santa Monica College (SMC) on Thursday, Oct. 10. He spoke to an avid audience about what his plans for the country would be if he were elected president. The facts and figures he presented substantiated his plans.

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NewsAlexandra FrankComment
Students Find Sanctuary in Student Services Center
Students Find Sanctuary in Student Services Center

This semester, Santa Monica College (SMC) opened its brand new Student Services Center (SSC) on main campus. Modern in architecture and covered in pristine blue glass, hundreds of students walk through its sliding glass doors every day to take advantage of its multiple services. The new building is host to multiple on-campus programs, including Black Collegians, Financial Aid, and Admissions.

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NewsJinea Cole, Drew Andersen, Marley AlanizComment
False Start for SMC Students Due to Getty Fire
False Start for SMC Students Due to Getty Fire

Motes of ash from the nearby Getty fire peppered Santa Monica College (SMC) students flooding towards main campus exits on the morning of Oct. 28. Shouts of “California snow day!” circulated through the crowd, while the surrounding air grew hazy. Traffic backed up inside campus parking structures as students, faculty, and staff heeded evacuation announcements from the college.

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NewsDorothy Alexaniannews, wildfire seasonComment
Ernest “Undocubae” Rocha Speaks About Owning Your Narrative
Ernest “Undocubae” Rocha Speaks About Owning Your Narrative

Ernesto Rocha is an activist, organizer, motivational speaker, and UCLA graduate. Rocha is also known as “Undocubae,” which stands for Undocumented Before and After the Election. He adopted this name after the 2016 elections to state that he still had the same status, regardless of the political change. Merely three days after the election, tweets streamed in from Trump-supporters, saying, “Come and get him ICE. Obama can’t help him now.”  In spite of opposition and threats, Rocha did not keep quiet, choosing instead to give a TEDx Talk titled “I am NOT My Status: An Undocumented Immigrant’s Perspective.” 

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NewsEline MillenaarComment
SMC Hosts Second-Annual Undocumented Student Week of Action
SMC Hosts Second-Annual Undocumented Student Week of Action

From Oct. 14-18, Santa Monica College's (SMC) Dream Program hosted its “Undocumented Student Week of Action” for the second year, with support from a number of organizations, including the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA). 

SMC Dream Program Counselor Sergio Belloso explained that SMC participated “in [the] Undocumented Student Week of Action to provide support, encouragement, empowerment, and resources to undocumented students and strengthen allyship for students on campus.” 

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NewsAleah Antonio, Dorothy Alexanian, Dana BinfetComment
Great ShakeOut Off-Key at the PAC
Great ShakeOut Off-Key at the PAC

As soon as the Great ShakeOut alarm rang, students evacuated the buildings and headed out toward the main quad and parking lot of the PAC campus. This went against the direction of the announcement, which informed students and faculty to “duck, cover, and hold” before moving outside. One of the first students to exit their classroom, SMC freshman Frances Tollman said she was not given any specific instructions to follow along with the loudspeaker’s direction, and her and her fellow classmates all “walked straight out.”

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NewsJackie SedleyComment
AI Technology Nails Parking Violators
AI Technology Nails Parking Violators

Parking officer Jonathan Rosas patrols Santa Monica College’s (SMC) parking structures every day, checking to see if each vehicle has the required valid permit to park within the designated spaces marked by white lines. Hundreds of student and staff vehicles stream in and out of the four major parking structures on campus each school day and night. Rosas's job is to identify which vehicles are in compliance with SMC's regulations and which are not.

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NewsDrew AndersenComment
San Fernando Valley Residents Reeling From Saddleridge Fire
San Fernando Valley Residents Reeling From Saddleridge Fire

Longtime Porter Ranch resident Ari Demiral, his wife Christine, and their three children left their Porter Ranch home just after midnight on Friday, Oct. 11, nearly three hours after the Saddleridge fire began blazing through the San Fernando Valley. Demiral witnessed the fire making its way up and over the mountains separating Sylmar from Porter Ranch.

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NewsDorothy Alexanian and Blake AtwellBlake AtwellComment