2013 was the year we looked into the abyss and stepped back. This was the year President Barack Obama discovered a real viper in the garden — the emerging radical wing of the Republican Party. It feels like the citizens of the republic are becoming a nation apart from Washington, D. C. where Congress appears to be living on another...

In sports, there is an unspoken agreement between the coaches, the athletes and the opposing teams. Everyone is expected to follow the rules to ensure a fair game. There is nothing people hate more in sports than a cheater. Even those who bend the rules are viewed as underhanded and downright villainous. Trick plays have recently been trending and gaining...

As Santa Monica College's football team inched closer to their third straight Pacific Conference title, a play was unleashed that neither Los Angeles Pierce College nor the rest of the fans saw coming. Up 10 and looking to secure victory, SMC's left tackle Maurquice Shikir caught a screen pass behind scrimmage, only to heave it to wide receiver Deontay Banks...

The year of 2013 has been a ride of many emotions. The Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl. The Los Angeles Lakers didn't win the finals. Edward Snowden exposed our government, and then disappeared. The Affordable Care Act was launched. The government shut down, "Grand Theft Auto V" debuted, and let's face it, the game's profit could probably pay off...

What started out as an ambitious hip-hop website with the purpose of distributing music and reporting on hip-hop news is now just another purveyor of Internet nonsense and viral violence that simultaneously fuels racism and encourages hatred. WorldStarHipHop is currently ranked the 248th most trafficked website in America and the 880th most visited in the world, according to Alexa, a...

Four deadly minutes were all it took for John Zawahri to carry out a shooting spree that began at his home and ended in the Santa Monica College library, culminating in his death and five others. In collaboration with the Santa Monica Police Department, the Santa Monica College Police Department officers were able to take down the shooter, quickly ending...

Sometimes, 30 grand is all you need. A $30,000 transfer scholarship by Chui L. Tsang, president and superintendent of Santa Monica College, strives to provide the winning student with enough money to enjoy pursuing a bachelor’s degree. Tsang introduced the scholarship in light of his own personal experience as a community college student trying to juggle life and studies.“I think...

The feeling is still there — the life, the energy, the adrenaline. I can still hear that first riff of the lead guitar, and the sound of the first power chord piercing through the air, as it rests itself on the ears of every rockaholic. The sheer excitement of joining thousands of fans screaming, jumping and cheering on their favorite...

When the Santa Monica College music department moved to the Performing Arts Center in 2008, the main campus remained the home of only a few classes dedicated to music. “I’m sure the main campus feels a little devoid of music,” said James Martin, chair of the music department. “Over here at the Performing Arts Center, we’re busy all the time.”While...

The variety of music, video and pop culture content available on the Internet has left music companies and physical albums striving for survival. The trend toward digital music, which engages its audience through audiovisual, has challenged the music industry to change.“You could download the music and rip and burn to your heart’s content,” said music blogger Mark Mulligan of Music...