weekly print edition
DAILY FORTY-NINER EST p 1949
Vol. LXXI, Issue 22
www.daily49er.com
Monday, February 24, 2020
Green housekeeping
Inside the
Niner
PAG ES 6 and 7
ARTS Puvungna VR film debuts
SPORTS Pushing off with the Dragon Boat Club
PAGE 5
PAGE 12
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | STAFF@DAILY49ER.COM ON THE COVER Brian Thorson, a botanical curator and botany technician at CSULB, tends to the plants in the four greenhouses on campus. Thorson admires the flowers of a Cymbidium orchid growing in the temperate greenhouse on lower campus. Cymbidiums range from tropical to subtropical areas in Asia and Australia.
Weekly Calendar
February Monday 2/24 Sports WGOLF VS The Gold Rush (First and Second Rounds) @ Old Ranch Country Club, Seal Beach
Tuesday 2/25 ASI Elections KickOff @ Southwest Terrace 11 a.m.2 p.m.
ASI Farmers Market @ Friendship Walk 10 a.m.2 p.m.
Sports WGOLF vs The Gold Rush (Final Round) @ Old Ranch Country Club, Seal Beach
Sports WBVB vs Vanguard @ CSULB Sand Courts 10 a.m.
Sports BB vs San Diego @ Blair Field 6 p.m.
1250 Bellflower Blvd., LA4-203 Long Beach, CA, 90840
Photo by RYAN GUITARE
Wednesday 2/26
Sports WBVB vs Vanguard vs Concordia @ CSULB Sand Courts 2 p.m. Sports MBB vs CSUN @ Walter Pyramid 7 p.m.
Thursday 2/27 ASI Movies on the House @ USU Beach Auditorium 6 p.m. & 9 p.m Sports WBB at CSUN @ Northridge 7 p.m. Sports SB @ San Diego 7 p.m.
Friday 2/28
Saturday 2/29
Sunday 3/1
Sports ITRACK vs MPSF Championships @ Univ of Washington 11:30 a.m.
Sports ITRACK vs MPSF Championships @ Univ. of Washington 11:30 a.m.
Sports WTEN vs Grand Canyon @ Honolulu 1 p.m.
Sports WBVB vs Santa Clara @ LBSU Sand Courts 9 a.m.
Sports SB vs San Jose State @ San Diego 2 p.m. Sports BB vs Mississippi State @ Blair Field 6 p.m.
Theatre Arts “In the Blood” by Suzan Lori Parks Feb. 13 through Mar. 1 Players Theater
Daily Forty-Niner
Sports MBB @ UC Davis 7 p.m. Sports MVB @ UCLA 5 p.m. Sports BB vs. Mississippi State @ Blair Field 3 p.m. Sports WTEN @ Honolulu 1 p.m.
Sports WWPOLO vs Bucknell University @ Ann Arbor, 10:40 a.m. Sports BB vs Mississippi State @ Blair Field 11 a.m.
Saturday 2/22 Sports WWPOLO vs St. Francis (Pa.) @ Ann Arbor Sports WBB @ UC Santa Barbara 4 p.m. Sports SB vs North Dakota @ San Diego 4:30 p.m.
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Interested in having your event featured in the calendar? Reach out to design@daily49er.com for more information on how to get it featured.
Shark Bites By Rachel Barnes Shark Bites is a CSULB inspired crossword puzzle that contains clues from the recent news stories published by the Daily Forty-Niner. Tag us @daily49er with a picture of your completed crossword for a chance to win a prize!
Down 1. Brian Thorson tends to four of these expensive plants that cost anywhere between $1,000 and $5,000. 2. The virtual reality file “Birthplace of the People” was shown in the ________ in the basement of the library. 3. A truck ran over one of these on Feb. 14, as featured in this week’s crime blotter. 4. The last name of the senior club president for the men’s volleyball club. 5. The Basic Needs program is looking to partner with this organization to get access to more long-term housing for homeless students. 7. The Dragon Boat Club uses a ________ to tell members how quickly they should paddle the boat. Across 6. This week’s Spill the Tea is about students’ worst experiences with ________ 8. Industrial design students are designing new Amazon packaging out of this material.
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Letters Policy: All letters and emails must bear the phone number of the writer and must be no more than 300 words. The Daily Forty-Niner reserves the right to edit letters for publication in regard to space. Editorials: All opinions expressed in the columns, letters and cartoons in the issue are those of the writers or artists. The opinons of the Daily FortyNiner are expressed only in unsigned editorials and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the journalism department or the views of all staff members. All such editorials are written by the editorial board of the Daily Forty-Niner.
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NEWS 3
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM
Helping humanize homelessness
By Madalyn Amato and Rachel Barnes Staff Writers
M
organ Weber knows first hand how homelessness can affect someone’s life. From a young age, she felt the weight of the situation as a close family member struggled with addiction who soon after became homeless. “I have that understanding and that holistic understanding of the burden and the sadness that you feel when a family member is experiencing homelessness, and you can’t do anything about it,” Weber said. Inspired by this experience, she began dedicating her adult life to homeless outreach and advocacy, creating Long Beach State’s Butterfly Effect Club, a group that works towards providing information and resources to students facing housing insecurity and homelessness. Weber currently lives in Gardenia with two roommates in a one-bedroom apartment, two of them sharing the bedroom. Weber sleeps in the living room. U.S. Census Bureau data shows that the average monthly rental rate in Long Beach was $1,252 as of 2018, almost 25% higher than the rest of the nation. “I can’t afford to live in the area, so I commute to Long Beach for school and work every single day,” Weber said. “I literally don’t have an option of living in the area.” According to the 2019 Point-in-Time Homeless Count the city conducted on Jan. 24, last year, there was a total of 1,894 people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach. The report stated that 4% of those counted were students. In the area surrounding CSULB’s campus, 21 to 30 people were counted out of a total of 911. • • •
Individuals aged 18 to 24, 67 were counted making up 4% of the total count. Individuals aged 25 to 34, 305 were counted making up 16% of the total count. Individuals aged 45 to 54, 429 were counted making up 23% of the total count.
The California State Assembly is considering a bill that would expand the reach of the Cal Grant to be more easily accessible to students. If passed, the age cap, which is currently set at 28-years-old, as well as
the graduation requirement, which makes the grant available only to those students with a high school diploma and not a GED certification, would be amended. “They would actually be able to take into consideration the housing costs,” Weber said. “That’s what we need to be talking about is ‘how do we house our students,’ because if we house them, if we give them their basic needs, our campus will succeed much more than it is now.” Christopher Stevenson, president of the Butterfly Effect Club, said that the problem of housing insecurity and homelessness for California State University students has gotten out of control. “Just knowing that there’s one person that you actually know, that you’ve seen in your class that’s going through this, and then you have to actually think ‘oh wow, there’s 53,000 total within the CSU system,” Stevenson said. “It’s just a very staggering number.” Part of its outreach includes putting on an event called a “Sleep In” where participants simulate being homeless by sleeping in tents on the University Library lawn for 24-hours to bring awareness to those facing crisis. “It’s symbolizing the struggles that people are going through on our campus,” Stevenson said. The club also had information on campus and local resources available. Of those on-campus resources, the Basic Needs Program provides the most robust amount of assistance for students in need. Basic Needs Program director Kenneth Kelly said there are many ways it helps students who experience homelessness and housing insecurity. Financial assistance includes an emergency grant of up to $500, as well as housing in the dormitories of a maximum of two-weeks. With a partnership with CSULB Residential Life, the Basic Needs Program has access to three rooms that can hold three people for rapid rehousing. The program also has a partnership with local hotels to house students with children, as minors aren’t allowed to live in the dorms. The criteria for eligibility includes the ability to prove housing insecurity, procurement of immense medical debt or loss of transportation due to an accident. Students are also required to fill out an application detailing their needs and reasons for the application. They also have options for long-term housing, according to Kelly. “For long-term housing, we have social workers on campus that we work with directly,” Kelly said. “We provide the stu-
% OF HOMELESS PEOPLE
In the CSU system, 53,000 students reported being homeless. The Butterfly Effect Club and CSULB’s Basic Needs Program are taking steps to help solve the issue.
AGE GROUPS The map, top, shows the density of homeless people in different areas of Long Beach. CSULB is shown in green. The graph, above, shows the number of homeless people counted in the 2019 study. dents with an appointment with one of our social workers directly and they start the process of looking at long-term housing.” Recently, with the help of Basic Needs founder Rashida Crutchfield, the program has been able to look into more options for long-term housing with outside organization Jovenes. Jovenes can lease a whole building from an owner or a manager and sublet it to students who need housing. “The way it usually works is that if a student doesn’t have the resources to move in … through our grant we’ll be able to
provide first-month security deposit and the application fee,” Kelly said. “We actually have a donor providing money for application fees and background checks for students to get them in.” The funding for the program has not been allocated yet, according to Kelly, but he said he is excited about the prospect of providing this service to students. “It’s always kept me up at night, not having the ability to think about always having these community resources,” Kelly said. “We don’t want [students] thrown to the street and then back into a place to live, so we do our best to accommodate students in that way.”
4 NEWS
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM
Cart goes for a joy ride; man reported masturbating By Reina Esparza Staff Writer
Suspicious Vehicle A suspicious vehicle parked near the Isabel Patterson Child Development Center was reported to the UPD at approximately 10:44 a.m on Feb 16. Officers found the unoccupied Chrysler by the building and noticed that the front end of the vehicle had some damage. The vehicle was later found to belong to a student and was turned over to them.
Traffic Hazard A Ford F-150 truck allegedly ran over a planter at the corner of West Campus Drive and Seventh Street at approximately 7:55 a.m on Feb. 14. The driver was attempting to pass a Long Beach Transit bus, but failed to make the turn and the driver collided with the planter, authorities said. No injuries or permanent damage was reported. The grounds crew replaced the planter and plants.
Indecent Exposure A male was reported for indecent exposure in the first-floor men’s restroom of the Liberal Arts-2 building at 1:15 p.m on Feb. 17. The male had been reported masturbating while watching the reporting party. The suspect was described as a white male with grey hair in his 50s wearing a grey and blue flannel shirt. He was detained, cited and released. The UPD said that the suspect is not affiliated with the school.
Non-injury Traffic Incident Several juveniles were reported to have taken a “joy ride” on one of the university carts down Anaheim Road and Iroquois Avenue at 4:24 p.m. on Feb. 15. The University Police Department apprehended the juveniles and took them into custody. They were later released to their parents and guardians.
Graphic by MIGUEL MARTINEZ
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | ARTS@DAILY49ER.COM
ARTS & LIFE 5
History of Puvungna comes to life in virtual reality film For director Scott Wilson, the film is a way to immerse the CSULB community in its history with the sacred land.
By Paris Barazza Arts & Life Assistant
I
nside a dark room in the basement of the University Library, sounds of crickets chirping surround students as they swivel in their seats to watch an animated coyote and red-legged frog-woman dance around a 360-degree screen. The 14-minute animated virtual reality film “Birthplace of the People,” directed by anthropology professor Scott Wilson, made its debut in the “Igloo,” the cylindrical virtual reality theater located in the basement of the library. The film tells the story of the sacred land of Puvungna, on which Long Beach State and much of the city is built, and the Gabrielino-Tongva people. Wilson, who has previously produced virtual reality documentaries, collaborated with Cindi Alvitre, an American Indian studies lecturer at CSULB and a member of the Tongva people. “We made what we want[ed] to see,” Wilson said. “We want to demonstrate how spaces have [an] emotional dimension.” Alvitre narrated the film, telling the story of a deity called Wiyot, whose death brought together the creatures of the land in a large mass, illustrated in simple strokes of violets and browns. Puvungna, Alvitre explained, means the “place of the big mass.” For Wilson, the film is a way for the CSULB community to engage with its history. During a panel discussion Feb. 20, he shared a common saying within the anthropology department, that they are “speaking alongside people.” Through his collaboration with Alvitre, Wilson did exactly that. “I never thought about what was here before,” said Kailee Anderson, a third-year business finance major. “It’s good to know what you don’t know.” The film, which took over a year to make, brought together several artists like Carly Lake and animator Katherine Scully. The two, along with the rest of the team, discussed the making of the film during the panel discussion. “I tried to stick to the story the way it’s told,” Scully said, explaining that she did not want to put in her own interpretation of the story in order to allow Alvitre’s narration to dominate the film. Lake, who used Tilt Brush, a virtual reality illustrator, often had to create multiple sketches of the scenes beforehand. Lake explained the importance of knowing what the land looked like before. “I had to think about what needed to be shown,” Lake said. Wilson shared similar sentiments and said that the ecology of today has been changed due to development. Puvungna is no stranger to change. In a story first reported by the Forty-Niner, contractors dumped construction dirt from the new Parkside North Dormitory development on the sacred site last September, sparking outrage and protests within the Native American community. Alvitre hopes that “Birthplace of the People” and its story will become a part of everyone’s history. “It’s an indigenous story,” Avitre said. “It’s sharing the story with all indigenous peoples.”
Courtesy of CARLY LAKE
Artist Carly Lake drew sketches, like the one above, to develop and conceptualize the animals and characters for the film. She would later go into the VR Tilt Brush program to create them for the final film. “Most of the scenes were created without any sketches,” Lake said in an email. “I did a lot of experimentation and exploration within the Tilt Brush program itself.”
6 NEWS
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 | DAILY49ER.CO
GRE
CSU world’s which li the bot
H By Madalyn Amato News Editor
Brian Thorson, botanical curator and botany technician at CSULB tends to four green houses on campus. Three are located on the rooftop of the Hall of Science building and one is split on lower campus.
Each morning, he gets to cam to begin his daily routine of ten The botanical sciences de greenhouses on campus. Three on top of the Hall of Science tucked away on lower camp a brick wall next to the Fac Building. Thorson completed his m applied molecular systematics but his passion has always lied “I grew up in and spent my Guam,” Thorson said. “Our cul influenced by our interaction not just to eat but as buildin ceremonial purposes.” Now 50 years old, Thorson r his first plants as a child. “I’ve been growing plants si always had an interest,” Thorso learned about them the more fa to me, I’ll grow anything.” Thorson began tending to th graduate student, and when h former mentor retired, he was He said the greenhouses an serve as a place for plants to gr classroom use, as well as a refe different plant species. The rooftop greenhouses polycarbonate, which is hi insulation, allowing the plan designated temperatures for e time, even in the winter. One of the houses on top tropical climate house, housing prefer more humid living con are much drier. The tempered outside temperature, while the desert-like conditions. The greenhouse located on more traditionally constructed pane glass. Thorson said he ha keep those plants tempered p the lack of insulation. Thorson utilizes foggers in th create more moisture in the ai are native to humid areas. The department houses we species from all around the w new plants online, from fellow his travels to add to the ever-g As Thorson walks the rows
OM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM
Alum with the
B
NEWS 7
EEN THUM
ULB is home to some of the s most exotic plant species, all ive in the greenhouses part of tanical sciences department.
PHOTOS BY RYAN GUITARE
H
idden behind glass doors, some of the world’s most exotic plant species are cared for and tended to by Brian Thorson, botanical curator and botany technician at Long Beach State. mpus as the sun rises nding to the plants. epartment has four e of them are located e, and the fourth is pus, hidden behind cilities Management
master’s degree in s in 2005 at CSULB, d in horticulture. y adolescent years in lture is really heavily ns with plants, and ng materials and for
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he greenhouses as a his predecessor and s offered the job. nd growing grounds row for research and erence collection for
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p of the HSCI is a g specific plants that nditions. The others d house reflects the e arid house mimics
n lower campus is a d unit made of single as to work harder to properly because of
he tropical houses to ir for the plants that
ell over 1,000 plant world. Thorson finds w botanists and from growing collection. of the greenhouses,
he is able to identify the plant species, genus and native location with a simple glance. One of the most expensive plants is the Welwitschia, which is native to the Namib Desert. Thorson has four total—two adults and two adolescents—and each sexually mature plant costs approximately $5,000 and each immature plant costs about $1,000. Other unique species include Venus flytraps, Burseraceae trees, which produce sap and when extracted becomes frankincense, Crocus sativus, which produces saffron, and Vanilla planifolia, the plant that produces vanilla extract. One of the most impressive residents in the collection is the Amorphophallus titanum, more commonly known as the “corpse flower.” Known for its intense odor, the corpse flower uses pheromones to attract pollinating flesh-eating bugs to spread its pollen to other corpse flowers. Last summer, both the male and female plants bloomed and were displayed for hundreds of visitors. The greenhouses aren’t always accessible to visitors. Thorson said there’s too many risks involved with the placement of the greenhouse on an open rooftop. Thorny plants serve another risk, since they can cut and poke passersby. However, he isn’t always alone. Parker Richardson, a graduate biology student is Thorson’s assistant but didn’t always have a passion for plants like his mentor. “My grandma was really into plants; she had this epic garden down in Oceanside where I grew up,” Richardson said. “So I’ve always loved plants, but I never really like taking care of them myself.” Richardson is currently working on an experiment for his thesis about the germination rate of a seed under different salinities. When he’s not working on his thesis, Richardson assists Thorson with anything that he needs, from watering to pruning plants and keeping the facility clean. “Working with Brian, he has so much information, [and] I’ve been able to kind of pick his brain and really become more passionate about actually growing plants and taking care of them,” Richardson said. Other students can use the greenhouse for their studies of plant ecology, genetics and morphology. Once their experimentation is over, Thorson takes over and continues to grow and cultivate the plants, adding them to the collection. Part of the greenhouse’s purpose is to serve as a research facility for faculty as well. Flora Banuett, professor of biological sciences, is currently working on research involving the inoculation of teosinte, or wild corn, to study the plant’s vitality and morphology. Thorson said the research may be used to develop a way to create antibiotics that would allow resistance to fungal infections in the human body. When Thorson isn’t working in the greenhouses, he teaches future generations about the importance of plants and caring for them. “When I came here, there was nothing,” Thorson said. “This whole collection I built myself … I just want to find somebody who will have the same passion that I do to continue my legacy.”
Amorphophallus titanum in its leaf cycle, above, is a tropical plant native to Sumatra and Borneo. This plant rarely blooms, but when it does the plant gives off the smell of decaying flesh, and is often called the corpse flower. Nepenthes, left, also known as a tropical pitcher plant, is a carnivorous plant that collects enzymatic water to break down its prey to use as a food source. On the roof of the Hall of Science building, below, there are three green houses, tropical temprate and arid that house a multitude of plants.
8 ARTS & LIFE
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | ARTS@DAILY49ER.COM
Designing a better environment Long Beach State industrial design students are designing eco-friendly products that will submitted to the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge. By Chance Sinerius Staff Writer
T
he California condor soars high against a bright blue sky, with its 15-foot wingspan. Thousands of feet below, a group of Long Beach State industrial design students pull inspiration from the creature. Studying images of the bird, they model the angular design of their air filtration system after the animal’s wings. “We looked into how we could suck the [carbon dioxide] from the air,” said Helen Bibo, a fourth-year industrial design student. “That would make the air a bit cleaner. Then [we asked] what we could do with the [carbon dioxide] after the filters get dirty.” The product would not only filter carbon dioxide out of the air, but store carbon to later be recycled into concrete, stone, soil or fuel. Bibo and her team are one of several industrial design groups designing products that cover a variety of environmental concerns like air pollution, coral reef bleaching, packaging material waste and sustainable gardening.
The teams will be submitting their ideas to the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge, an annual competition put on by the Biomimicry Institute. Each team must craft its products through the lens of “biomimicry,” a method of design that pulls inspiration from biological elements in nature. “Nature has a really good track record of making good designs,” said Joe Reed, an instructor for one of two industrial design methodology classes competing in the challenge. “Instead of trying to use human ingenuity to solve problems, [we] rather look towards nature and the solutions that have already been established.” Students in the classes are divided into teams that will then brainstorm, research, design and produce a prototype of their nature-inspired product. It’s a twosemester-long process for students. “As designers, of course, we love prototyping and ideating and solving problems,” said Jonah Marucchi, a thirdyear student in the program. “That’s what we do, we’re professional problem solvers.” The CSULB industrial design department has regularly competed in the
challenge and has found much success, as one team placed second in last year’s challenge. Several other teams have placed in the top-10 in past challenges. “This is a project or a competition that we have excelled at in the past,” Reed said. “It is a matter of pride to the design department to excel and have good work.” Another team in Reed’s class is designing a fully biodegradable packing envelope that could replace the current envelopes used by Amazon and other major shipping corporations. Most of the envelope would be made out of “mycelium,” a biodegradable material made from the root structure of mushrooms. The team looked to the body of the Goliath beetle and mimicked the “Y” shape of its exoskeleton to create the folding patterns for the envelope’s flaps. “I was looking at the formation of the parting lines on the
back of its shell,” said team member Hunter Ahlberg. “It’s kind of like a cool dichotomy that we were trying to mimic in our packaging.” Teams presented rough drafts of slideshows and storyboards for its videos in the design building’s junior studio Feb. 20. “In the industrial design program, we are known for not getting any sleep around here,” Reed said. “All-nighters are a way of life in junior studio.” Another section of the same class, instructed by Shelley Takahashi, will also be submitting design ideas to the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge. Submissions are due by May 1 and finalists will be selected in June.
Courtesy of TREVOR BARRIGA
All sketches on the page are renderings drawn out by CSULB industrial design students in the developmental stages for Transmyt, a biodegradable mailer solution designed by students in Joe Reed’s industrial design methodology class. The team’s proposed product is one of many that will be submitted into the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge.
ARTS & LIFE 9
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | ARTS@DAILY49ER.COM
Review: Cal Rep’s ‘In the Blood’ paints tragic picture of poverty The excellent blend of lighting, sound and props create a gritty and realistic world.
By Elizabeth Hanna Staff Writer
C
alifornia Repertory’s rendition of “In The Blood” offers a modern and terrifyingly realistic interpretation of “The Scarlet Letter.” The exquisite blend of lighting, sound and props immerse the audience into a cruel and unforgiving world of poverty. “In the Blood” is set in 19th-century New York and follows the life of a Black single mother, Hester La Negrita, and her five bastard children as she tries to pull her family out of poverty. The use of props in the play is well-executed, establishing a gritty and realistic tone. Upon entering the theater, the audience is transported to a harsh and judgmental world as they are met with the word “SLUT” painted across the set’s wall, a loud and jarring introduction to Hester’s reputation in the town. Dirty furniture, trash and baskets are strewn all over the floor. The authenticity
of the stage design paired with an intense performance engages the audience to pay close attention to the action onstage. The use of double casting created a mirror-like effect between Hester’s children and their adult counterparts. Intense performances from double-casted actors created a feeling of disgust for many of the adult characters that ostracize Hester, the play’s protagonist. Similarities between “In The Blood” and “The Scarlet Letter” are noticeably direct in the production. The overarching theme of judgment and incapacity to change are explicit through excellent performances from the six-piece cast. Sound and light work together to elevate and emphasize performances. An ominous sound plays and the lights dim to red each time a character breaks the fourth wall, grasping the attention of the audience. Seeing the same actors play their adult counterparts created an interesting dynamic that encouraged the audience to make connections between diametrically opposed characters. The play unfolds on a thrust stage where
ELIZABETH HANNA | Daily Forty-Niner
Dirty furniture and miscellaneous trash are strewn across the floor in the Player’s Theater for California Repertory’s production of “In the Blood.” “In the Blood” will play until March 1 at the Player’s Theater.
the audience is arranged in three sections that surround the stage, allowing for a more intimate and personal experience between audience and actors. Although this setting is typically used for interactive performances, there was limited direct interaction with the audience in this production. However, the space’s format engulfs the audience into the play, making it seem as though they are part of the story without actually interacting with the actors. Uneasy scenes in the production created a palpable awkwardness felt among the audience especially because of the thrust stage format.
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A collection of the lighting mixed with the sound effects of sirens and loud crescendos on top of the stunning use of set design created a vivid and disturbing production that leaves audiences feeling empathy for the production’s realistic characters that may exist in our everyday life. “In the Blood” will be performed at the Player’s Theater until March 1. Tickets are $23 for general admission and $18 for students. Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office in the Theater Arts Building.
10 OPINIONS
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | OPINIONS@DAILY49ER.COM
Spill the Tea is a weekly section for students to share their opinions and make their voices heard. Long Beach State students answer a question that can range from the silly to the political. We at the Daily Forty-Niner value the diverse opinions of the CSULB student body and look forward to you sharing them with us.
What has been your worst roommate experience? By Miguel Barragan and Jose Ahumada
Ryan Gieg Second-year computer science major
Makayla Coleman Fourth-year fashion merchandise major
“Last year my roommate put a Top Ramen thing in the microwave but didn’t fill it with water so it kind of sparked. It filled our whole room with smoke. We had to vent the entire first floor of the building and have fans and colognes sprayed everywhere. Our rooms smelled like cigarette smoke for the rest of the semester.”
“One of my worst experiences was having to calm my friend down after she walked in on her roommate having sex in her room with two guys. It was so bad. And [the friend] had just gotten back from spring break and she had taken a five-hour train and she just wanted to go to sleep. She just wanted to get in her room and go to sleep. The minute she got into the room, she couldn’t unlock the room because they dead bolted it and she spazzed the hell out.”
Blake Caughey Third-year business finance major
Daniel Cervantes Pajarito Third-year political science major
“I was just sitting in the hallway and some kid just came out of his dorm and threw up right in the hallway. [It was] kind of gross but he picked it up, which is cool.”
“Worst experience ... would be getting [caught] by the [resident assistants]. It was a great time but there [were] way too many people in the dorm rooms. We didn’t know half the people in the room, which is crazy. The RAs knocked on the door … I had to hide in a closet, but there was some dumbass on the bed who was still drinking. Everyone who was still visible got written up.”
SPORTS 11
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | SPORTS@DAILY49ER.COM
THE ’BAGS ARE BACK The Dirtbags picked up their first series win over a ranked opponent since beating ASU last April.
COURTESY OF KODIE REDONGO
By Mark Lindahl Sports Editor
The Long Beach State Men’s Club Volleyball poses after going undefeated at a tournament held by UC Riverside Saturday, Nov. 2.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE NET Although the Division 1 team may get all the national attention, the Long Beach State Men’s Club Volleyball team competes against some of the best club teams in the nation. By William Dunyon Staff Writer
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nside the East Gym of the Kinesiology Building, the squeaking of sneakers and the slapping of volleyballs echoes through the halls with the intensity of a Friday night game at the Walter Pyramid. A few hundred feet away from the enormous banner donning “Back-To-Back National Champions” that covers the side of the Pyramid parking structure, the enthusiastic bunch responsible for this noise is the Long Beach State Men’s Club Volleyball team. Being the club team at CSULB, which is home to one of the nation’s best Division 1 volleyball programs, can leave big shoes to fill, but this group feels no pressure in its pursuit of success. “I feel like other teams look at us differently, but we don’t compare ourselves to anyone else,” said Kenny Brittain, senior club president. “We just go out and try to play our best.” The club holds tryouts every semester, and although some clubs at the Beach are struggling to find enough members to field a full team, the volleyball club has the opposite issue. “We had almost 90 sign-ups last semester,” Brittain said, “but for the actual tryout, we had about 30 or 40 people show up.” Established in 2002, the club is entirely student-run and supported by fundraisers, member dues and a grant from the university. “We are our own coach,” Brittain said. The club is made up of 21 members, but the
traveling roster for tournaments has to be cut down to 16. The deciding factor for reducing the total size of the club comes down to financial issues. “With our budget, we have to really limit the number of people we take, because traveling out of state to [Las] Vegas and nationals is not cheap,” said Kodie Redongo, senior club treasurer. The woes don’t end with the club’s finances. The practice conditions are less than ideal, as often times throughout drills and scrimmages the ball will ricochet off of support beams of the low gym ceiling. The club even had some of its practice time taken away this semester due to having to share the East Gym with other campus clubs. Despite the struggles, this year’s seniors feel more confident about the success of the team than in years past due to an influx of new recruits that are passionate about the sport. “Our last tournament in San Diego we finished third, losing to [No. 2] ASU in the semis,” Brittain said. “The fact that we were able to hang in with them shows how strong our team is this year.” With the season of tournaments underway, the club will be looking to have its name added to the “Volleyball Nation” sign outside of the Pyramid with a championship of its own. “This is our most skilled team we’ve had in a while,” said Tyler Power, senior club secretary. “Our goal is to finish high in the gold bracket this year at nationals.” The CSULB Men’s Club Volleyball team will compete in its next tournament March 7 at UCSD. For students interested in more information contact the club through its Instagram @csulb_mcvb.
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f t er a disappointing season last year, the Dirtbags are back, picking up thier first series win over a ranked opponent against No. 17 Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons (3-3) entered the series hitting over .300 as a team, but were limited to only five hits through two games against Long Beach’s (4-2) promising pitching staff. “[Ramirez] was throwing all four pitches for strikes,” Dirtbags head coach Eric Valenzuela said of Ramirez’s performance against Wake Forest. “We had them guessing and confused all day long.” Long Beach won the first game of the series 6-2 with the aid of weather conditions causing fielding errors by Wake Forest. The Dirtbags bats came to life in game two, blasting 11 hits to ignite a 7-3 come-from-behind win. “It was a big growing up day,” Valenzuela said after the Feb. 22 win to secure the series. Overall, the Dirtbags had 17 hits to the ‘Deacons eight, while outscoring them 13 to five, limiting one of the nation’s best offenses with pleasing performances from young pitchers. Sophomore RHP Alfredo Ruiz (2-0) was named the National Pitcher of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association for his performance last week. Ruiz has put together impressive stats in his 14 innings pitched with 14 strikeouts, four hits and zero earned runs. Freshman RHP Luis Ramirez has shown off his impressive arm as well, recording 15 strikeouts in 11.1 innings pitched. Redshirt Freshman outfielder Connor Kokx has led the brigade of bats for the Dirtbags with three doubles while recording a .462 batting average. The Dirtbags fielding has been one of the few inconsistencies this season, committing 11 errors in six games. But Long Beach is in prime position to bounce back after an abysmal 14-41 season last year. Long Beach State will host its next ranked opponent, No. 10 Mississippi State beginning Friday, Feb. 28 at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field. Robert Hollar, Dirtbags beat reporter, contributed to this story.
For complete Dirtbags coverage, visit daily49er.com and @d49ersports on Twitter.
STEER CLEAR OF THE
Illustration by RODRIGO GONZALEZ
SPORTS 12
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | SPORTS@DAILY49ER.COM
DRAGON
The CSULB Dragon Boat Club combines tradition with teamwork while racing through the Long Beach Shoreline Marina. By Anna Karkalik Staff Writer
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he caller is perched at the head of the boat facing the team with a drum placed between his legs. Members paddle faster as the tempo of the drum increases. As the members work in unison, the Long Beach State Dragon Boat Club propels its 40-foot-long boat through the two-and-a-half mile-long stretch with the dragon head at the bow seemingly leading the way. Every weekend the echoing drums and dazzling dragon boats fill the Long Beach Shoreline Marina for team practices. Often confused with rowing, dragon boat racing uses the movement of paddling to drive the boat instead of requiring a full-body motion. “Rowing is a little more posh, nothing against that, but dragon boating, we’re a little more rugged we’re kind of mucking it out here,” said co-coach Vedant Sinha, a second-year political science major who has been paddling for six years. The boat seats 20 paddlers, a caller who controls the pace, and a certified sternsman who steers the boat. “It’s unison paddling,” Sinha said, “the idea is that it promotes teamwork and synchronization so people are working towards a common goal.” Dragon boat racing originated in south-central China
and still celebrates its heritage today. It was popularized in Hong Kong with its annual dragon boat festival and was originally intended to attract tourists, but has since grown into an international event. Race boats are decorated with brightly colored dragon scales intricately painted or engraved on the sides and a large dragon head mounted at the front. Long Beach has a flourishing community of dragon boat races and will host two major events this year at Marine Stadium. One is scheduled April 26 and the other will be a two-day event held July 25 and 26. The marina is sectioned off for competitions and hundreds of tents are set up along Mother’s Beach with competitors ranging from high school to professional international teams. Each team in the competition enters its “A” boat which boasts its best paddlers. From there, where boats end up depends on how well the team performs during the qualifying rounds. The marina is shared like a highway system with incoming boats veering to the left, passing slower boats on the right. In a competition setting, each team is given a designated straight lane down the water that other boats are expected not to cross. Every weekend, Mother’s Beach is flooded with visiting schools such as USC, UCLA and UC Riverside, all looking to practice for the next competition. Dragon boat racing relies heavily on communication to ensure teammates from the front of the boat to the tail know the pace set by the caller.
“Unlike rowing, where they just have a megaphone, we have a drum we use for different beats and different calls,” said co-captain Simon Chau, a second-year molecular-cell biology/physiology major. The club is currently preparing for its next competition in Tempe, Arizona held at the end of March. The CSULB Dragon Boat Club began in 2014 and consists of 18 active members, both men and women, ranging from beginner to expert. According to Sinha, Dragon boat racing is a great sport geared towards anyone beginning their fitness journey or that wants to be active on weekends. “The beauty about dragon boating is that the movement is very simple,” Sinha said. “It’s something that you can pick up in a month, that’s what’s great about this sport. It’s super inclusive, literally, anyone can do it.” Often times new members are paired with veterans on the boat to ease them into the pace of paddling and to help build chemistry. “I decided to come to a practice so my friends could stop telling me about it,” said Xochilt Andrade, a second-year journalism major. “Even though I got sick because it was winter season, I ended up really liking it.” The Dragon Boat Club is at the end of its recruitment period but is always open to taking new members. The club meets Saturday’s and Sunday’s from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Mother’s Beach. For students interested in more information contact the club through its Instagram @csulb_db.
