In our well-developed digital society, it’s possible for us to find out about the quality of almost anything. Thanks to Yelp, we’ll never have to suffer through a terrible meal again. Due to Rotten Tomatoes, we can make sure that all of our movie-going experiences are spectacular. The unpleasant surprises and the terrifying uncertainty that comes with new experiences is...

As we continue our daily routine at Santa Monica College, focusing on grades, exams, and parking headaches, dangerous storm clouds are now gathering far away in Eastern Europe. What happens all over the world should matter to the average student because it affects all of us in one way or another. We have a large community of veterans on this...

It is no secret that texting or talking on the phone while driving will land us with a ticket. But with a new rule on the horizon, drivers may now be able to glance at their cell phones as long as it is for maps or directions. In a recent Fresno, CA court case involving a man protesting a ticket...

Film critics still matter. What has been lost is a genuine sense of cultural criticism and writing. The genuine appreciation and study of a film, any film, has been lost in our current circus of gossip and tabloid fodder. "We need thoughtful and insightful film critics more than ever in this age of sound bites, uninformed and superficial opinions and...

After joining the Brooklyn Dodgers In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the barriers of racism and discrimination as he stepped onto Ebbets Field, becoming the first African American athlete to play for a professional North American sports franchise. Before then, it was unheard of for an African American player to join an all-white league. After breaking those boundaries, Robinson went on...

It was the first week of school as I was sitting in class and noticed the girl in front of me using her phone to look at the syllabus that the professor had posted online. The professor took a glance at her and immediately told everyone that she did not want to see anyone using any electronics in class for...

The great Polish/Jewish revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg once stated "I feel at home in the world wherever there are birds, clouds and human tears." Such is the essence of global citizenship. Global citizenship is not some pipe dream concept Santa Monica College uses to advertise itself as a beacon for those seeking a genuine melting pot of languages, ethnicities and nationalities....

The arrival of Valentine's Day sends a chill down the spine and makes the bowels start to turn. It is a worthless "holiday" that benefits merchants and no one else. There is nothing like this particular day when ideas of love and romance are packaged and processed into consumerist product. This repackaging has created a shallow, superficial vision of deep...

For travel lovers looking for experience in a family-oriented culture, Santa Monica College student Henric Emdenborg says Spain should be on your list of places to go. "They're always with their families, and I feel that we should be more like that here," said Emdenborg. "I think California is very materialistic, and they're not [in Spain]. They're more spiritual; they're...

As the final minutes winded down on the 2013 season for the Santa Monica College men's soccer team, sophomore defender and captain Ricky Malmstroem entered the game against College of the Canyons. Battling an ankle injury, Malmstroem scored on a corner kick header, sealing both the 5-1 victory and his career on SMC's soccer team. For head coach Tim Pierce,...