With Christmas approaching, it can be difficult not to think of friends and family. One Santa Monica College student from Brazil, Lua Pepper, has two young children for whom she cooks traditional Brazilian desserts for Christmas. Pepper came to the U. S. to study in 2005 after she got accepted to the English as a Second Language English program at...

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...

With an extensive amount of distractions each day, people often drift into the world of music, which helps block out all unwanted background noise, and allows a little peace and quiet for the mind. But not everyone knows about the positive and negative effects of music on our concentration. Multiple research papers have been written regarding music’s effects on cognitive...

Christmas is a holiday celebrated by many, but with the great concentration on the worldwide holiday, many do not realize that there is more than one Christmas that people celebrate around the globe. Veronika Oleynik, a 22-year-old linguistics major at Santa Monica College from Russia, celebrates Orthodox Christmas with her family on Jan. 7, enjoying traditional eastern European dishes. Some...

Overpopulation, typhoons rendering entire countries to ash and rubble, and scarcity of resources are issues that require humanity's immediate attention. One of the great inescapable truths about human progress is that as we advance technologically, we will need to seriously consider the idea of moving out into space. Space travel for the average reader will no doubt evoke immediate images...

Evolving technologies like the Internet have created opportunities for people to watch movies on-the-go, or in the comfort of their home. However, this shift is significantly changing the landscape of movie-going and home-viewing. Going to a theater nearby and paying for admission is more expensive now than ever before. An average ticket price is $8.05, even when adjusted for inflation,...

For Jihan Casquejo, a Filipino Santa Monica College student, a special sweet treat his mother makes called leche flan, reminds him of the delicious food and family gatherings that come with Christmas. Casquejo explains that this desert is very popular in the Philippines, even though it originates from France and Spain. His mother, who has adapted the dessert in her...

After a 15-hour flight, you hope to breathe in fresh air, meet fascinating people, gain new friends, and have different experiences. Your English might be slightly off, but that does not scare you. You feel happy, and there is nothing that can stop you from being the adventurous international student. Soon you find yourself standing in front of an apartment...

When we meet new people, the first thing we see is their physical appearance, which inevitably influences our first impression of them. That works in favor for some, but to the disadvantage of others, especially when it comes to jobs and careers. Although looks are the first thing we notice, they do not have to be the last thing we...

Soon, thousands of families will be gathering together to share a Thanksgiving turkey filled with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy. However, Jean Baptiste Kanagwe, a student and a French tutor at Santa Monica College, will be enjoying some untraditional treats while celebrating the day of the harvest with his family. Kanagawe came to the U. S. in pursuit of a...