November is in full swing and you may have noticed a few people on campus looking just a bit different. More mustaches, more beards, and all around just more hair. Associated Students outreach director Robert Espinoza is cultivating a beard along with the instructional support director Jeffrey Lewis Jr., as well as campus club Generation of the Future’s president Trae...

Last Saturday, Santa Monica College’s Student Nursing Association invited students and alternative health advocates to experience “a holistic approach to health.” For attendees, this meant allowing oneself to bathe in the sounds of gongs and Tibetan singing bowls, letting essential oils awaken the senses, or receiving a healing touch from a reiki practitioner while performing a gentler form of yoga....

Hackathons are long, rigorous events that test the limits of computer programmers' minds. These events call for creativity, passion and of course, knowledge of coding languages like Ruby and Java. Filled with tech and engineering sponsors, prizes, workshops and lectures, these are the places to be in the world of computer science. Hack CC, the very first hackathon for community...

Tucked away behind the college's Art Building, in what looks like a highly renovated garage, come the somewhat alarming sounds of shattering glass, hammering on pipes, and flaming wind tunnels. On any given weekday afternoon, a team of people, reminiscent of the coal burners pictured in the belly of the Titanic, fearlessly place rods of steel inside of a 2,000...

I was nervously sweating, taking slow deep breaths, as I stepped onto my mat and waited for further instruction. "Spread your legs out and get a wide stance, svanasana position, come down into downward dog, come up and namaste," yoga teacher Herb Sandoval said, while teaching his advanced yoga class at SMC. I came to the class expecting to observe,...

Most college students have multiple limitations and preferences when it comes to shopping, and if buying new clothes is on the to-do list, thrift stores serve as a remedy to cure any shopping crises. From budget limitations to costume needs, thrift stores could provide exactly what you need and more. For some, designer clothes are a must, but are largely...

Drum beats bounce off the walls of the Santa Monica College parking structure and the Foster’s Freeze across from it, and move directly through the ground while the sound of a conch shell fills the air. Maracas and beads around danzantes’ feet compliment the sound, and danzantes act out how warriors cross over into the spirit world. Children focus on...

For Wendy Piatek, the sky above Santa Monica is alive in ways we can scarcely begin to imagine. For about three years now, she has been convinced that a presence from beyond our world has chosen her and others for a purpose. What that purpose is remains undefined and uncertain, but for Piatek there is little doubt in her mind,...

Events for this year’s Halloween weekend run abound with opportunities to engage in gothic fun. There are a plethora of events for adults and children throughout the weekend, from costume-themed electronic dance parties, to zombie pub crawls to seasonal traditions. Here are some of the Halloween events happening on the Westside this weekend: October 31 Events: Halloween Carnival in West...

Growing up, Halloween was a holiday to dress up as something scary and magical, like a witch, warlock, ghost, or goblin. But over the years the holiday has morphed into a way for people to let loose and become someone else for a night. The scary looks have been replaced by funny horse masks, crying baby faces and provocative costumes....