The voting public in America is quite familiar with general election terms such as “popular vote” and the often-debated “electoral college” to elect the President of the United States. However, during primary season, the process becomes a bit more complicated.

Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, the independent senator of Vermont, held a rally in the Los Angeles Convention Center on March 1, two days before the crucial California vote on Super Tuesday. The rally, which had well over 15,000 attendees, featured several acts and speeches from various musicians and activists such as Dick Van Dyke, Public Enemy, and Ana Tijoux.

Tues., March 10 was supposed to be a scheduled staff development Flex Day, but instead, it was changed to accomodate an evolving COVID-19 preparedness effort. To prepare for the possibility that Santa Monica College (SMC) may close its campus and move classes online, faculty members were invited to participate in both hands-on and webinar-based classes to learn about internet education. This comes amidst a smattering of statewide school closures to decrease campus-wide risk of contracting coronavirus.

Prior to the start of the Spring semester, the International Education Center (IEC) of Santa Monica College (SMC) received approximately 169 emails from Chinese students whose recent travels to China inhibited them from returning in time for their classes.

On Tuesday, March 3, voters in Santa Monica waited approximately two and a half hours outside Santa Monica College’s (SMC) poll center, hosted in the SMC Foundation building. Patrons stepped outside of line to sneak a look inside the voting center: a meek, half empty room, with only four volunteer workers attending to the masses, and stepped back in line.

One of the biggest days of the 2020 primary election looms over the remaining Democrats competing for the presidential nomination. On Tuesday, Mar. 3, 14 states will vote to select the Democratic nominee for the upcoming battle with President Donald Trump on Nov. 3. More delegates can be won next Tuesday than on any other single day of the campaign trail.

The Everytable-SmartFridge lounge is officially open. This first location is at the Center for Media and Design (CMD) at Santa Monica College (SMC).

The Glossary of coronavirus provides basic terminology that helps define the dynamics of what may prove to be the 21st century’s first global pandemic of a disease for which to date there is no known cure.

The first two weeks of open public hearings in President Trump’s impeachment inquiry have concluded in the U.S. House of Representatives. The hearings were held by the House Intelligence Committee, led by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).

Former vice president and 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden visited Los Angeles Trade Technical College last Thursday in his first public campaign event in the state. His half-hour speech in front of hundreds of students and locals focused mainly on the issues of gun violence, immigration, access to higher education, and President Donald Trump.

On Thursday, Nov. 21, an international student who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of personal safety voiced his opinions on the current circumstances rocking Hong Kong, China, only to have his message censored and met with verbal attack.

 With the passing of the Education Debt Collection Practices Act in October, Santa Monica College (SMC) administrators are left with fewer options for collecting debt from students. According to SMC Vice President of Business and Administration Chris Bonvenuto, student bad debt has doubled over the last four years. 

In order to help Santa Monica College (SMC) students complete their finals without growling stomachs, there will be free food provided through “Fuel for Finals Week.” The Associated Students (A.S.) is paying for the food, and the Community and Academic Relations is coordinating the faculty and staff who are volunteering to serve the food. 

Former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul speaks to the Los Angeles Community on the importance of U.S.-Russia Relations.

Many students who attend Santa Monica College (SMC) are first generation students. Being the first person in your immediate family to attend college can be an exciting yet overwhelming feeling for a student. The meaning of being a first-generation student is different for everyone. These students know and understand the struggles that their families have endured, and they strive to make their loved ones proud. On Nov. 5, SMC students had the opportunity to express their thoughts on being a first generation student through the school's First Generation Day.

Although a few clubs became official at the last Inter-Club Council meeting, systematic hurdles of the club induction process prevent many others from making it to the finish line.

On June 15, 2019, the Santa Monica city government released a statement on their website about the closure of its recycling center located at 2411 Delaware Ave.

The statement gave the following reasoning for the center’s closure. “The City of Santa Monica’s contract with Allan Company, the operator of the Buyback Center, was not renewed by City Council. This means in the foreseeable future separation of Santa Monica’s recyclable materials will occur off-site. Staff will return to City Council this fall with a recommendation about how to move forward with a long-term approach to provide recycling services, including potential Buyback Center options. All curbside recycling collections will continue without interruption to our customers and the City remains fully committed to our Zero Waste goals.” The promised fall statement from the City Council has yet to occur.

During the Nov. 5 Board of Trustees meeting, Santa Monica College (SMC) President and Superintendent, Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery, asked campus police chief, Johnnie Adams, to discuss how the school addressed the Getty Fire.

The Inter-Club Council (ICC)-hosted Political Arena debate drew a large audience to the Santa Monica College (SMC) Cayton Center on Thursday, Nov. 14, with students filling almost every seat. At 11:15 a.m., all heads turned to ICC Chair Natalie Lim as she announced the debate topic over the loudspeaker: freedom of speech.

On June 15, 2012, the Obama administration announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which defers undocumented individuals under a certain criteria from deportation and offers those individuals eligibility for a work permit. In Sept. 2017, the Trump administration rescinded this program, claiming the Obama administration had implemented it under “unlawful and unconstitutional means,” spurring a “humanitarian crisis” in which DACA recipients go on to become part of “violent gangs”. A case before the Supreme Court now challenges the program and could lead to its elimination.