New Organization Feeds Local Families

In late March, Suzie Crocker, a woman who works with Hope United LA, received a large food donation from Whole Foods. Unsure of what to do with it, she reached out to Cheryl Byrne, a neighbor of the church and a strong figure in the community. Byrne is now one of the co-founders of Feeding Families Santa Monica. She knew that she had to find people who she could help.

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Equity as it Stands on SMC’s Campus Today

Colleges across the nation are devising plans to create more equitable environments for their students and staff - including Santa Monica College (SMC). SMC’s 2019-2020 Equity Plan states that “Santa Monica College continues to see pervasive data across every student success indicator demonstrating that the College is not effectively serving Latinx and African American students specifically.”

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SMC and its International Students left dealing with the impacts of ICE's directive

*On July 6th, 2020, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that students on F-1 visas must leave the country if their school began offering online education only. This directive put students and institutions in a precarious situation, and even though it was eventually walked back on, they are still dealing with the consequences.*

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Santa Monica College Begins Second Year of Title IX Leadership Program

Santa Monica College (SMC) kicks off the semester with a program geared to educate students and shift the culture and conversation around sexual violence.

SMC will begin the second year of its Title IX Leadership Program for Students this coming Thursday, Sept. 10. The free series of workshops are designed to raise awareness and promote student empowerment, particularly in the areas of sexual harassment and sexual assault.

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Santa Monica Beaches Crowded on Labor Day

During an ongoing quarantine caused by a global pandemic that has taken the lives of roughly 190,000 Americans, and a record-breaking heatwave, people flocked to Santa Monica State Beach to celebrate Labor Day over the weekend.

A sea of umbrellas spanned across the beach. California’s COVID-19 positive case rates, hospitalizations, and deaths have been slowly declining, but local officials worried that gatherings over Labor Day weekend may cause a spike in cases, threatening the progress made.

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A New Normal for California's Local Farmers Markets

Even during these unparalleled times, the line to get into the Santa Monica Farmers Market begins to build and grow robust by as early as 6:45 a.m. Restaurant owners, chefs, and patrons alike patiently wait in a line - six feet apart with masks on - for up to an hour to go into the Farmers Market.

Laura Garcia, a Venice local who has been an advocate of fresh sustainable food since long before the pandemic, regularly commits to the wait time.

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Letter From the Editor: Smoke and Mirrors

On March 13, 2020, two months before the infamous murder of George Floyd, Louisville Police Officers served a no-knock warrant on a home in relation to drug trafficking charges. Ms. Taylor and her boyfriend awoke to loud banging at the front door. The 26-year-old medical worker would eventually be shot five times and bleed out shortly thereafter despite being unarmed.

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CCCAA Approves Plan to Resume 2020-2021 Athletics Season; SMC Adopts Guidelines

On June 9, the California Community College Athletics Association (CCCAA) unanimously agreed upon a three-part plan, and announced the resumption of athletics for the 2020-2021 season. After a long two months and 21 days following the cancellation of spring season, the CCCAA Director of Sports Information and Communication Mike Robles assured the public that “the health and well-being of our student athletes has been at the forefront of all of our decision-making and planning.”

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