weekly digital print edition
DAILY FORTY-NINER EST p 1949
Inside the
Niner
Vol. LXXII, Issue 15
www.daily49er.com
Monday, December 7, 2020
ARTS & LIFE
SPORTS
Small business spotlight: Outer Limits
Athletics’ game plan
page 8 & 9
page 12
2
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | EIC@DAILY49ER.COM ON THE COVER Illustartions by Vic Fitzsimons
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Semester wrap-up
Opinions Assistant Jireh Deng Sports Assistant Terran Rodriguez Special Projects Assistant Giselle Alexandra Ormeno Photo Assistant Richard Grant Video Assistant Lauren Berny
T
o our community...thank you. In the words of so many others, these unprecedented times have been tumultuous, to say the least. We here at the Daily Forty-Niner have had the pleasure of continuing to serve as your news source for all-things Long Beach State and look forward to another semester, from afar yet again. From overcoming barriers in communication to having meaningful conversations on how to best represent our campus community, the team here at the Forty-Niner has learned a lot, and still has a long way to go. As the campus prepares to embark on another virtual semester, the Forty-Niner will continue with its weekly digital print edition and constant news cycle online. We hope that you all have a happy, and safe, holiday season. For now, we’re logging off.
Sincerely, Madalyn Amato Editor in chief
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NEWS 3
MONDAY, DECEMBER, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM
Locked down again Long Beach is one of several cities in the state to be placed under the governor’s stricter order created to avoid overcrowding hospitals and prevent further spread of the virus.
By Julia Terbeche News Editor
S
outhern California has been placed under a regional lockdown beginning Sunday, Dec. 6 in line with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order restricting nonessential activity as coronavirus cases continue to rise in the state. In fear of hospitals becoming overpopulated, Newsom announced an updated order Thursday, Dec. 3 temporarily restricting all nonessential travel statewide and said that a stay-at-home measure based on region will go into effect when an area’s intensive care unit capacity dips below 15%. The region consisting of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Imperial, Inyo, Mono and Ventura counties implemented a lockdown to begin Sunday, Dec. 6 at 11:59 p.m. as ICU capacity fell to 12.5%, according to the California Department of Public Health. As of Dec. 5, California has had 1.31 million positively identified cases of COVID-19 and 19,791 deaths, falling just below the leading state of Texas, who has had 1.32 million cases. “We’re taking this to a whole new level,” Newsom said in a press conference Thursday. “This travel advisory is rather firm.” The regional order restricts all gatherings with members of other households, limits retail businesses to 20% occupancy, restricts
restaurants and bars to just takeout and delivery, allows worship and political expression only outdoors and prohibits nonessential outof-state travel unless it is longer than the minimum quarantine period. These restrictions are set to remain in effect for at least three weeks, according to Acting State Public Health Officer Erica S. Pan, and are to continue until the state’s four-week ICU projection indicates a capacity of at least 15%. The San Francisco Bay Area issued the order Friday and will be under lockdown from Sunday, Dec. 6 at 10 p.m. to Jan. 4, according to Mayor London N. Breed. Newsom said in a tweet Thursday that the first doses of a vaccine are “arriving in the next few weeks,” and Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia confirmed that he will be implementing his local vaccine plan in the coming week, with the Long Beach Health Department responsible for local distribution. State health officials maintained that residents of California should refrain from any travel whenever possible and emphasized that the Centers for Disease Control offered a shorter quarantine period of just 10 days, rather than the usual 14, for those without symptoms. “We know it’s a burden, we know it’s a toll,” said Mark Ghaly, secretary of California’s Health and Human Services Agency. “The message of the day is as much as you can, stay at home and reduce your interactions.” These stricter coronavirus restrictions come after the state saw a spike in cases during the Thanksgiving holiday and counties began to take their own precautions.
Los Angeles County first implemented an overnight stay-at-home order lasting from Nov. 21 to Dec. 21 to limit nonessential activity during the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., then instated a three-week stay-at-home order beginning Nov. 30. Remaining in effect until Dec. 20, the threeweek order encourages residents to remain in their houses as much as possible, wear face masks when outside and exercise social distancing when in public, according to Los Angeles Public Health. “As new COVID-19 cases remain at alarming levels and the number of people hospitalized continue to increase, a temporary Los Angeles County Health Officer Order will be issued to require additional safety measures across sectors,” the statement read. “Public Health reminds everyone to stay home as much as possible and avoid seeing people you don’t live with, even if you don’t feel sick.” LA Public Health confirmed Dec. 4 that the county has seen 8,860 new cases and 60 new deaths. LA County currently has 2,769 individuals hospitalized for COVID-19, with 23% in the ICU. The new health order is intended to protect both county residents as well as essential and emergency workers from further exposure to the virus. Health officials urge residents to maintain health guidelines and exercise caution when outside their households. “Taking these simple safety precautions, in addition to washing your hands frequently, will save lives,” they said.
4 NEWS
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020 | DAILY49ER.CO
ASI reports revenue loss The student organization’s deficit of over $2 million has led to furloughs, restaurant closures and reduced operations expenses.
By Matt James, Jason Solares and Julia Terbeche Staff Writers
L
ong Beach State’s Associated Students, Inc. has reported a $2.3 million loss in revenue due to coronavirus-related complications, leading to a furlough of about 400 student employees, according to campus officials. Miles Nevin, ASI executive director, said that ASI currently employs about 50 of its usual 450 to 500 student employees after laying off the majority of its staff at the end of May, and has reduced full-time staff expenses through attrition, meaning vacancies left by these positions will not be filled. In addition to the furloughs, ASI removed full-time positions in an effort to reduce expenses. Nevin said that ASI lost its webmaster and a teacher in the child care center, which are both positions that have yet to be filled. “We’re saving some resources there,” Nevin said. “We’re doing that across the organization, and with all of those measures we’ve been able to get by.” Following CSULB’s transition to online instruction in March, ASI events were canceled and ASI-run programs were rendered inaccessible to students, including the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, the University Dining Plaza and most of the resources inside the University Student Union. Nevin said he doesn’t “anticipate discontinuation” of any programs or large-scale changes within the department and remains “optimistic that we will be back at some point soon” to resume in-person operation. Students are still paying for resources like the SRWC included in the $68 ASI fee each semester as tuition and all student fees remain in full, though Nevin said that ASI is still losing “hundreds of thousands” from the closure of the gym. While the SRWC is mainly funded by a portion of the student fee, it is also funded by staff, faculty and alumni memberships, “fees for service such as personal training and fitness classes,” rental of equip-
ment and space for events and for leasing space to Robeks, according to Nevin. “The elimination of all these non-fee-related revenues since March 2020 has had a significant impact on the SRWC budget,” Nevin said. As a mainly student-run organization, ASI has had to reduce its operations significantly but has been able to keep some workers employed, including building managers for the USU and those on the communications team, according to James Ahumada, former senior communications manager for ASI. Nevin said the transition to virtual learning for 2020-21 presented new budgetary concerns, “necessitating an amended operating budget.” After ASI’s operations paused March 13, an updated budget of over $16 million was approved April 29 with a 6.5% reduction in expenses. This is a decrease of over $2.7 million, or 15%, from the operating budget from the beginning of the 2020-21 fiscal year. Nevin also said that ASI has had to “dip into” its reserves, specifically $300,000 from the Associated Students fund. In addition to the AS fund, it also has a USU and SRWC fund. “We are saving some funds by most of our operations being physically closed even though folks are at home working and doing things online,” Nevin said. “We are delaying our reserve contributions. This year, we’re delaying additional capital expenditures. We usually try to put in some extra money into our long term employee retirement obligations, and we’re not doing that right now.” Compared to the 2019-20 fiscal year, the USU fees provided an increase of over $380,000 due a higher student headcount, and the AS fees brought in more than $589,000. Though both fees provided ASI with income, it was not enough to offset the overall revenue losses. With only 2.8% of classes being held in person this fall, the university has kept the majority of its resources closed for the 2020-21 academic year. According to President Jane Close Conoley, the fall term has seen roughly 1,000 individuals visiting campus each day, compared to about 25,000 during previous semesters. The significant decrease in stu-
dents, faculty and staff coming to school each day has led the university to keep most of its buildings and businesses closed. Some have remained open, though, including the 49er Shops Bookstore, the Outpost Grill and the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in the USU. ASI officials’ financial concerns led to the permanent closure of the recycling center, something Nevin called a “very tough decision.” A quiet fall has caused the UDP to see the closures of 49er Shops’ contracted establishments Panda Express, Starbucks and Squeeze Me. The Starbucks location in the library has also been closed. Aside from the dining plaza, the student union has also been essentially closed as most resources and activities have been temporarily suspended for the 2020-21 academic year. “The USU is for the most part on pause, I think except for the computer labs that we’re going to try to be offering and continue to offer as long as students are coming,” Ahumada said. “[ASI is] more of a host. Think of the USU as a facility post, so we make sure it’s clean, we make sure it’s open, we make sure it’s organized, we make sure we have staff unlock and lock the doors and do the safety.” While ASI essentially operates the USU, Academic Technology Services runs the computer lab program that provides students a place to complete schoolwork while the library and Horn Center have been closed this semester. Although all vendors in the USU are currently closed due to a lack of business, they remain under contract and are expected to return when campus resumes its normal operations. To rent a space in the USU, vendors have to pay for utilities and square footage, Ahumada said, which brings in over $2 million in revenue for ASI. With all food stalls closed in the USU this fall aside from the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, ASI is losing out on this source of income. Nevin said that ASI has not been charging rent for the food vendors during this time in an effort to accommodate these small businesses facing difficulties brought on by coronavirus-induced changes. “Right now we are really trying to help them because, although we’re hurting and our students are hurting, we know that those are small
Coronavirus-related complications have caused several camp businesses, and they’re really hurting,” Nevin said. “[We’re] really trying to work with them. That’s not something we have to do, but we made the decision to do that to help them and to make it a little bit easier on them right now and on their employees.” ASI’s reduction strategy, Nevin said, includes reduced building and utility expenses and expenses of ASI-related events, programs and services. Many of ASI’s programs are being held online, including virtual SRWC classes and Beach Pride events. The student government meetings and other programs have been “going pretty well on virtual formats,” Nevin said.
Relying on technology for operations has actually improved efficiency, Nevin said, for instance using DocuSign to electronically receive documents has streamlined accounting procedures. Some virtual classes offered by the gym have seen more student participants than in-person classes saw prior to this semester, he said. “What we’re doing through the rec center, all that is going really well and in some cases, which has really surprised me, we’re experiencing more attendance at some of those virtual fitness classes than we would in person,” Nevin said. “You are usually in a small room, and some of [these classes] are getting 100 students online.”
NEWS 5
OM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM
PHOTOS BY RYAN GUITARE
pus dining locations to close and Associated Students, Inc. to suffer. Although every university’s student organization is run differently, COVID-19 has hit other California State University campuses of a similar size just as hard. California State University, Fullerton, a campus with nearly the same enrollment as CSULB, has also been in the process of weighing its options regarding student government operations and is left without a solution. The campus saw a revenue loss of about $20 million due to the coronavirus, the Daily Titan reported in April. Fullerton’s ASI Executive Director Dave Edwards said they are “still analyzing the financial impact of the pandemic” but maintained there is a “significant negative fi-
nancial impact caused by the pandemic.” “We are developing some methods to offset the loss, but in most situations, there simply isn’t a lot we can do,” Edwards said. “We are still doing assessments and planning. It has had a major impact [on revenue], that’s for sure.” San Diego State University has also seen a $42 million revenue loss as a campus as a result of the coronavirus, according to the Daily Aztec. Although Christina Brown, Associated Students executive director, is still uncertain of how much the organization lost, she maintained that “it’s in the millions of dollars for sure.” SDSU’s student organization
rakes in the majority of its revenue from its 12,000-seat Viejas Arena, which hosts events like concerts and basketball games. With these in-person events canceled this year, though, Brown emphasized that the organization’s loss is “definitely larger than $2 million.” “We have had a significant loss in revenue because there’s no concerts that have been happening since March. That’s a big revenue source for us,” Brown said. Brown said she is trying to make up for the lack of income by “doing things the most efficient way.” Although full-time staff members have been furloughed, she said some student employees remain and have been running in-person
events in the recreation center and classes at the Mission Bay Aquatic Center, including wakeboarding, windsurfing and sailing. Although all of the CSU campuses’ student organizations are part of the student-led Cal State Student Association, which advocates for students’ needs in higher education across the system, the CSSA does not have any input or relation to the funding process. Jeanne Tran-Martin, executive director of CSSA, said that the association is “currently receiving information about revenue from each campus” and will know by the end of 2020 regarding budgetary issues resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.
Nevin said that he feels encouraged by the collective efforts at CSULB’s ASI in “continuing to provide programs and services to students via alternative formats while implementing protocols to ensure staff and student safety and care.” “I am hopeful and optimistic that through our continued patience and hard work we will navigate through the end of this pandemic and be able to reflect on our challenges and opportunities thereafter,” Nevin said. Richard Grant, assistant photo editor, and Natalie Tinnirello, staff writer, contributed to the reporting of this article.
6 NEWS
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM
Photos by JULIA TERBECHE | Daily Forty-Niner
Local residents march along Marina Drive calling for Long Beach to reopen in light of stricter coronavirus regulations implemented by the health department.
‘Reopen A Long Beach’
By Madalyn Amato Editor in chief
Several hundred local residents gather Wednesday to protest changing coronavirus regulations in the city.
round 200 people marched down East Second Street Wednesday afternoon as a part of a march organized by the Long Beach Restaurant Association calling for an end to the coronavirus regulations being implemented in the city. The Long Beach Health Department announced that outdoor dining programs, which once allowed Long Beach eateries to thrive, would be terminated Wednesday. All gatherings, public and private, outside of immediate household members are also prohibited, per the order. Nicky Claire, owner of George’s Greek Cafe, said she attended the march to represent her business. “We just want to get our city back up and running and get our staff employed and bring business back to the city,” Claire said. The group marched along Marina Drive and onto Second Street, escorted by Long Beach Police Department officers.
Elise Easom, a Long Beach resident, said she wants to see the city reopen “safely.” “I think that taking the best precautions that we can, making sure that our hospitals aren’t overloaded, is really the only solution,” Easom said. “We have to keep students and their education alive, and we have to keep businesses alive and the economy alive.” The crowd consisted mainly of local restaurant workers, owners and residents who expressed frustration with the changing status of COVID-19 regulations. “I’m over here fighting for our jobs and for our families, and the holidays are coming and now most of us are going broke,” T, executive chef at Gladstone’s, said. “I know there’s a pandemic going on, but also there’s people that are in poverty right now, especially people that work in the restaurant industry.” He expressed his concerns with the ban on indoor and outdoor dining, stating that coronavirus regulations are negatively affecting the restaurant’s business and its workers. “We have no income coming in, and the government isn’t doing enough for us,” T said. “We need to reopen Long Beach again.”
Long Beach residents gather on Marina Drive Wednesday to protest newly implemented coronavirus regulations.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | ARTS@DAILY49ER.COM
ARTS & LIFE 7
Illustartion by PARIS BARRAZA | Daily Forty-Niner
The Prison Education Program was founded by Renford Reese, a professor at Cal Poly Pomona and serves educational programs to 17 correctional facilities with the help of volunteer teachers.
Learning behind bars Volunteer instructors from the Prison Education Program share the challenges of teaching during the coronavirus pandemic and why education is worth it. By Jireh Deng and Paris Barraza Staff Writers
F
or students across the world, from K-12 to students enrolled in higher education, the coronavirus pandemic has affected the way students are receiving their education, including the incarcerated community. It is what Long Beach State student and volunteer for the Prison Education Program, Dale Lendrum, saw for himself as he began teaching in the summer. The Prison Education Program was founded by Renford Reese, a professor of political science at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. PEP is a volunteer-based program that provides educational programs to the incarcerated population, currently serving “17 California correctional facilities and four international correctional facilities.” Lendrum, who is receiving his doctorate in educational leadership, first learned about PEP in 2017. But with his responsibilities to school and his father, Ledrum was unable to volunteer until he found more time in his schedule. His goal was always to return to the prison system to teach, but he was drawn to PEP further after seeing one of the courses the program taught on forgiveness and healing. “We’ve experienced a lot of traumas, even before [incarceration] most of us have experienced severe traumas,” Lendrum said. “Then we experienced more traumas
while we’re incarcerated, and then we’re thrown out into the big bad world. And that can be traumatic.” Now, Lendrum has come full circle, teaching as a volunteer for PEP at the same institution he once served time in, the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco. PEP has traditionally held in person classes for incarcerated students, but the pandemic has shifted operations with social distancing restrictions. Some prisons have different regulations on the types of gatherings for inmates which has affected methods of instruction. The California Rehabilitation Center has been hit hard by infections and now Lendrum is mailing his student assignments, which can often take weeks in the turnaround time to arrive and for him to receive a response. “We don’t know who’s dropped out,” Lendrum said of his students. “We don’t know who’s contacted COVID themselves. We’ve extended due dates for our in custody students, because it’s not their fault.” Other volunteers have also been impacted by the COVID restrictions. JeAnna Redwood is a community college student at Mt. San Antonio College. She first heard of PEP while she was incarcerated and running the literacy lab in the California Institute for Women. Through PEP, she currently teaches an eight-week autobiography writing workshop. The lockdowns in prison have been severe to quell the rising infections amongst inmates. This has increased the mental and physical wellness of individuals who are unable to move from within their cells, Redwood said. Despite these changes, Redwood continues to prepare her students’ stories for
future print publication, as she believes her classes are an important part of empowering her students to reclaim their narratives. “I really think that having this platform for her to tell her story, to tell her experience is like giving her a parole date,” Redwood said about one of her students. “So it’s very freeing. It’s very liberating, and she’s very excited about it.” In another way, the pandemic has allowed the PEP program to flourish. The transition to online instruction has increased the accessibility of coursework to juvenile halls and internationally. “When you’re on Zoom, you could do that from anywhere,” Redwood said about the expansion of PEP. “There were people that wanted to do it, but [before] they didn’t have a way to get here physically.” Sara Rodriguez, who is formerly incarcerated, first joined PEP in 2017 while at Cal Poly Pomona. After being told about the work Reese was doing, Rodriguez looked it up but saw that PEP volunteers would go inside correctional facilities, something she believed she would not be approved of due to her own felony conviction. So she applied to be a volunteer for the Reintegration Academy, a program also founded by Reese which invites parolees to college campuses for an eight-week immersive experience that connects participants to local employers and enrolls them in community colleges. But when Reese found out that Rodriguez was formerly incarcerated and a current student, he invited her to check out their first meeting of Project Rebound. From there, Rodriguez helped Reese with whatever she could, and received approval to enter a correctional facility.
It’s programs like these, Rodriguez said, that help connect the formerly incarcerated or system-impacted community and expand to other college campuses. “It just makes us stronger as a whole, as far as what we can do,” Rodriguez said. “We can really start organizing better and organizing information as far as what is available to us and what the possibilities are.” Now, Rodriguez is pursuing her master’s in social work at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. She also teaches introduction to college classes with the help of Irene Sotelo, one of the founders of Rising Scholars at CSULB. Sotelo, a thirdyear graduate student, is also part of Long Beach’s chapter of Project Rebound. For over a year and a half, the duo have utilized Reese’s curriculum and hosted onehour classes with topics ranging from how to pick a major with a felony to financial aid resources. The coronavirus pandemic halted their classes, but the two have since turned to Zoom sessions. “For me, it’s like as long as we get one person that’s great and even if we don’t, then we’ll Pow Wow between the other campuses on what else we can do,” Rodriguez said. As Lendrum, Redwood and Rodriguez continue serving the incarcerated community, the value of education is something that Rodriguez understands well. “From those that are incarcerated, there’s not a lot for them to do inside there and so I feel like a lot of them are hungry for knowledge, hungry for things that can better themselves,” Rodriguez said. “It’s like a win-win situation for both the volunteers as well as those that are incarcerated, not only for the volunteers gaining that experience, but it’s a sense of giving back.”
8 ARTS & LIFE
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020 | DAILY49ER
Generations of ink Kari Barba, who has been a tattoo artist for 41 years, shares how she overcame sexism in the industry and how she runs Outer Limits Tattoo, the oldest tattoo shop in the U.S.
“I
ain’t getting tattooed by no chick.” Kari Barba was told that by a man at a tattoo convention, after he had picked out one of Barba’s drawings from her photo albums. Barba, who will celebrate 42 years as tattoo artist in April 2021, now runs Outer Limits Tattoo in Long Beach, the oldest continuously operating tattoo shop in the U.S. and second oldest in the world. Her photograph hangs on the walls alongside all of the tattoo legends that first started working there, long before it was acceptable to society. Barba loved to pencil sketch with charcoals and experiment with colors using pastels in her teenage years. In 1979, Barba, 19, created her first tattoo after a neighbor, who was a tattoo artist in her building, encouraged her to take her sketches from paper to skin and incorporate those techniques with a needle. Barba’s first creation was a small rose similar to the detailed pencil sketch that she drew on paper. This black and grey style that she developed early on has remained a signature part to Barba’s work today, which has traveled with her throughout the world and has been showcased in various conventions and exhibitions like the Museum of Latin American Art’s 2019 exhibition INK: Stories on Skin, which celebrated the social and cultural evolution of tattooing. “When I saw her work, I knew that was my girl,” Anthony Janos said, regarding his search for a tattoo artist. “You walk in [Outer Limits] and it’s a welcoming feeling.” Janos proudly wears a tattoo sleeve on his left arm done entirely by Barba, who is now working on another piece for his right arm. He said that people are generally surprised that Barba is the artist behind the work, because people typically assume that his tattoos were done by a man. Along with her successes and milestones, it took undeniable grit to overcome the stigmas in a male-dominated industry. But Barba felt that she was always prepared for it. “My mom and dad had split up when I was about five years old,” Barba said. “I was predominately with my father and not having older kids in the house anymore, the responsibility of a lot of things landed on my shoulders.” Barba explained that those responsibilities of helping to manage her father’s household broke down gender roles and without those stigmas around her upbringing, it helped her have the confidence and work ethic to surpass the sexism she would later encounter. Over the years, Outer Limits has gradually been surrounded by high-end lofts, which secludes the one-story, 93-year-old building that was built in 1927. “I’m super involved and honored to work in such a historic place under amazing talent,” Matt Hand said, who has worked at Outer Limits for nearly 13 years and is now the floor manager. Before the high-end lofts, people were able to see the oceanfront from the shop, according to Barba, who took over in 2003. The shop also housed the first female tattooist, Dainty Dotty, who was also a famously known circus lady that weighed 600 pounds during the shop’s early beginnings. Outer Limits boasts a long list of tattoo legends
Photos and story by Pablo Unzueta
A film strip of portraits taken of Kari Barba, the tattoo icon who faced increasing sexism in an industry that used to be dominated by men. Barba runs Outer Limits, the oldest tattoo parlor in America.
and pioneers whose art and faces are recognized on vintage photographs taken throughout the 20th century. The shop’s museum and the photographs honor the history and the pioneers who made their mark inside these walls. One of those pioneers is Bert Grimm, the founder and first owner of the shop. Grimm was a tattoo artist based in St. Louis, Missouri and moved to Long Beach to continue with tattoos. The Navy ships would dock along the port and sailors would line up outside of the shop waiting to get inked. This was also a time when the Pike was the central hub for tattoo connoisseurs and artists alike in Long Beach. The Bert Grimm style introduced the traditional American style tattoo that is known for its thick linings, bold and simplistic figures and experimental, but limited color palette. The sailors, who were the prominent customers, would leave the parlor with these Bert Grimm style tattoos. Today, this way of tattooing is used throughout the industry, making it one of the most popular styles. It has also paved the way for other artists to experiment with colors, newer ideas and techniques. “At that time, tattoos weren’t very acceptable,” Barba said. “So, the shops would hide under different things like a barber or a cleaner.” In 2002, Outer Limits, then called Bert Grimm’s World Famous Tattoo, was in the process of closing down its building. At the time, it was owned by the Shaw family, a well-known family of tattoo artists who also owned other shops around the country. “The area was changing rapidly, and buildings were being demolished and the Pike was completely demolished in 1979,” said Barba. “So, it was really difficult for them to keep the building.” The Shaw family is known to be one of the oldest tattoo artist families in the U.S. In 2003, Barba took over the building after them to continue to keep the business alive. It’s latest challenge now is trying to remain in operation during coronavirus regulations. Outer Limits was forced to close down for several months before it reopened its doors under social distancing guidelines. Each station is spaced out at least six feet apart and masks are required at all times. But, there is still lingering uncertainty throughout the local business community in Long Beach as to when things will become normal again, especially for tattoo parlors. With the vast number of tattoo icons that have walked through the doors, Barba continues to strive for diversity in an industry that has been dominated by men. Barba has taken women like Jenny Vo Nguyen under her wing and hired them as artists for Outer Limits. Nguyen’s style is unique and one of the latest examples of tattooists experimenting with colors on skin. Her work features both anime and Pokémon characters, like the Pikachu tattoo she did recently. Barba stressed that homophobes, racists and misogynists are not welcomed at Outer Limits, and they shouldn’t be welcomed elsewhere, too. According to Barba, there is such a thing as “negative tattooing,” meaning that tattooists could typically be in the industry just for the money or working without helping to progress the industry. “The world is in a very difficult place right now,” Barba said, as her eyes swelled up with tears. “Because of everything that’s happening, I just want us to move forward positively.”
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ARTS & LIFE 9
Counterclockwise: Kari Barba begins tattooing the right arm of Anthony Janos. All of Janos’s tattoos have been created by Barba. Outer Limits is currently open under social distancing guidelines. This is one of many photographs hung along the walls inside Outer Limits. The photographs that hang on the very first row are vintage portraits of the sailors who were tattooed by Bert Grimm, the original owner of the parlor and pioneer of the “traditional style” tattoo. A photograph of Barba, alongside other tattoo legends hangs down below. Kari Barba preps her studio before her first customer of the day
10 OPINION
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | OPINIONS@DAILY49ER.COM
Illustration by Madalyn Amato
Online classes are necessary during this pandemic and I’m learning how to adjust
By Berenize Montoya Staff Writer
I
n early September, students received an email from Long Beach State’s president stating that the spring 2021 semester will be held virtually. While this is a necessary step to ensure the safety of everyone, I can’t help but dream of what in-person classes would have been at CSULB. I am a community college transfer student from Mt. San Antonio College, where I graduated in spring 2020. I did not have a normal graduation ceremony, given that school had already transitioned online for everyone in the California Community College system, as well as the California State University system. This is my first semester at Long Beach state and I’ve only visited campus once. Prior to this unprecedented year, I had never taken an online class. The transition has been tough from the start. It is extremely difficult to concentrate on school while at home now that my bedroom is now my classroom as well. Mentally, I am exhausted. My mental health has declined rapidly in these few months and it has reflected in my academic performance. While I was once what many call
a “good student,” I am now falling behind because I cannot find the motivation to open my laptop and work. When I do find the motivation to work, it is extremely difficult to not get distracted, since I am at home with my mom and brother. We all are doing our own thing at the same time, whether it be school or chores, and it makes the house extremely loud. Despite these challenges, I would rather stay home than attend in-person classes. Until the pandemic is under control, I am willing to make this sacrifice in my education. I have set up goals to better prepare for another semester of virtual instruction—setting daily tasks for school work helps hold me accountable. I use a planner to schedule everything I have to do weekly and a white board to jot down general reminders. Doing something small for myself, such as running in the mornings or meditating, helps me stay energized throughout the day. All these things help me keep myself driven while attending school virtually. Of course I yearn to get the true college experience that you can only get in person, but I would rather keep everyone and myself safe by following the safety guidelines. Until then, Zoom University it is.
OPINION 11
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | OPINIONS@DAILY49ER.COM
Antisemitism is still alive and well online, especially on Tik Tok Support the Jewish community in the face of discrimination online, and the hate crimes we face in our community.
By Rebecca Cantor Staff Writer
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ost people have camera rolls filled with memes, funny Tweets and Harry Styles pictures. Mine is filled with screenshots of antisemitic comments left under my TikToks and Instagram. My existence as a Jewish TikToker has ushered in a hurricane of antisemites just waiting to attack me in my comment section. Often I wake to comments like “You look like the Happy Merchant” and frequently respond “Okay, Adolf.” When I first joined TikTok, I was excited to be getting comments under my videos. But now when I get a notification for a comment, my heart beats faster because I assume it’s hate. Before TikTok, I hadn’t experienced much antisemitism outside of social media. Sure, classmates had uttered microaggressions about how I look like Anne Frank and that I’m going to hell for not celebrating Christmas, but nothing to the extent of what I’ve recently experienced. My comment section is brimming with hate from pictureless profiles of musty incels who comment things like “You should have been gassed” or “Jews destroy every society they touch.” Also known as blatant Nazis. Then there are those who claim to be on the political left, who believe they are immune from harboring antisemitic attitudes and beliefs because they assume a moral high ground—but this blindness is what leads to greater defenses when confronted about their antisemitism. I could literally be vibing to the new Bad Bunny album, and someone will see my Star of David necklace and comment “Free Palestine.” When confronted about why they feel the need to derail the topic at hand, their response is “love Jews, not Israel.” Miss girl, my video was about Chanukah, c’mon now. This is an important conversation to have, but it is inappropriate to rope all Jews in and to derail ongoing conversations about antisemitism. We are not all Israeli, nor are we all inherently responsible for what is happening. In fact, many of us speak out against the Israeli government. It is incorrect to assume we’re complicit in the treatment of Palestinians. Then there’s the antisemitism deniers. These trolls like to tell me that I play the “antisemitism card” too often, and that antisemitism simply does not exist.
Illustration by Madalyn Amato Further, there are profiles in my comments that love comparing everything to the Holocaust, which is inherently problematic. Using the Holocaust to push another agenda in my TikTok comments is like wearing socks with sandals. Not a cute look. I get hateful comments under practically all my videos, and I post around five times a day. Even in videos where I am just dancing, I will receive comments saying I’m responsible for the destruction of Western civilization. And TikTok doesn’t remove them no matter how many times I report them. I have to hide my Star of David necklace if I don’t want someone to threaten me with death, or call
me an oven dodger. There are days where I am on the edge of an anxiety attack for hours on end because of what people are saying to me. What is there to gain from expressing 3000-year-old hatred and condoning white supremacy? I have nobody there to defend me except for the other Jewish creators on the app. In fact, I have found a sense of community on Jewish TikTok. Never before have I had other Jews to back me up and fight for me. Many non-Jews just close their eyes and pretend antisemitism doesn’t exist, as doesTikTok. For every 10 comments I report, I am lucky if one gets removed, and it’s always a comment with a slur. But I at least know I have people
to back me up regardless. Antisemitism has been normalized. TikTok doesn’t even remove comments saying I should be gassed when I report them. The response to white students doing the Sieg Heil salute at my brother’s school was “Boys will be boys.” Many believe antisemitism started and ended with the Holocaust-- that is far from correct. It shouldn’t be the responsibility of 0.1% of the world’s population to dismantle it. In the U.S. alone, hate crimes against Jews make up 60% of all religiously-motivated hate crimes, despite only being 2% of the American population. That statistic doesn’t include instances online or on
TikTok. Instead it includes Jewish cemeteries being desecrated with swastika graffiti and being called slurs by strangers. It only includes voluntary submissions, and many of us don’t report what we face out of safety and possible gaslighting. The Jewish community needs your help. Before you boast about wanting to punch a Nazi, start advocating for the people they target. The Jewish community still faces discrimination; we are not doing “just fine.” There are many opportunities on TikTok to metaphorically punch Nazis while simultaneously learning more about the Jewish community, and it’s time to start taking action. The first thing you can do is lift the voices of Jewish creators. You can follow me on TikTok @b3cky. dc as well as some of my favorite Jewish TikTokers: @elizaashane, @_levimaxwell, and @thatjewishfeminist. December 10 is Jewish Creators Day on TikTok. Uplift our voices and interact with our videos so you can learn what antisemitism looks like and be able to call it out when you see it. Antisemitism doesn’t manifest like other forms of discrimination, and Jewish creators highlight what it looks like when we see it. TikTok is not here to protect us, so we will make sure they hear us. Following us is not going to end antisemitism, but being aware of what the Jewish community faces and listening to us is a huge step in the right direction. Even reading from the Antidefamation League’s website about how antisemitism manifests is a start. Once people learn facts, the opportunity arises to fight antisemitism when we see it, and dismantle the system. Many of my friends have taken information from my page and applied it in their lives, and have consistently had my back in my comment section. That’s an ally. When politicians like Jeremy Corbyn and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez are accused of being antisemitic, instead of immediately denying it, listen to the Jewish community. When a television show or movie is called out for creating characters that follow antisemitic tropes, believe what we are saying. You can’t claim to be an ally and stay silent when this is what we go through on a daily basis. Calling out antisemites on TikTok isn’t going to end antisemitism, but lifting Jewish voices and listening to us is a step in the right direction.
12 SPORTS
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | SPORTS@DAILY49ER.COM
The Neil & Phylis Barrett Athletic Administration Center is closed until further notice.
JACOB POWERS | Daily Forty-Niner
Athletics looks forward to next semester As men’s and women’s basketball prepares for their preseasons, Long Beach State athletic director Andy Fee reflects on lessons learned from fall 2020 and how to apply them to spring 2021.
By Jacob Powers Sports Editor
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or Long Beach State’s athletic department, the fall semester has been nothing short of tumultuous. To try and stay afloat financially for the upcoming academic year, the department has relied on multiple fundraisers and donations. The first Beach Athletic Virtual Fund Run in April raised $15,000. Recently, the department has started selling cardboard cutouts with fans’ photos printed out for $100 to go inside the Walter Pyramid during basketball games. This semester the Beach has received nearly $700,000 from local donor’s donations, close to their goal of $1 mil-
lion that will be allocated for student-athlete coronavirus testing. “I think we’re gonna keep plugging ahead...I don’t see a reason not to. We haven’t had positive cases so I don’t see a reason why we should stop,” Long Beach State athletic director Andy Fee said. “I think should it happen, that would be unfortunate, and we would obviously adjust, but until we get to that point, I think we’d like to give it every shot we can to play games and if we can do it safely, we’ll keep doing it.” Fee throughout the semester has been working in coordination with the Long Beach Public Health Department to get the men’s and women’s basketball programs back to action. Following approval from the Big West on Sept. 23, basketball has been the only fall sport that has been granted permission to play. Due
to an on-campus outbreak of COVID-19 on Sept. 26 in Parkside College, however, both teams’ original return date of Oct. 1 was postponed to Oct. 14. Practicing outdoors at the Rhodes Tennis Center on campus for nearly a month, both programs were moved indoors at AIM Sports Group in Seal Beach for the first time since March 12. “In my opinion, I think the players are taking it very seriously, [but] we can’t create the NBA bubble,” Fee said. “People have to go to the grocery store, but I think they’re being very cautious and are taking every precautionary piece of advice that they can use and are following it. According to Fee, the athletic department has learned a lot this semester. With no playbook written for how to handle a pandemic of this scale, Fee believes the department has done a “really
good job” dealing with things that they have never seen before. “While we haven’t really been able to do what we want to do physically, meaning practicing regimens, working out in the weight room all those things that we love to do, what we have been able to do is work on bonding as a team,” Fee said. “Our Beach family has been supporting one another through the ups and downs and the struggles that we’re all facing.” Even though the department has had success fundraising for COVID-related expenses, the Beach now faces the challenge of raising money for scholarships. Fee said that the department has a plan in place to cover testing needs for sports in the spring term. “The state budget means that the belt gets tighter, and we have to fundraise now for more operational needs,”
Fee said. “So there’s not an alarm bell that I’m ringing, but I would say I’m very concerned, and the reality is we need to keep raising money. We need to keep making a case of why it’s important to invest in college athletics.” The Dirtbags baseball program is set to return back to practice Jan. 15, but according to Fee the next few weeks of basketball competition will “tell the tale” in whether that date will be able to be met. In the meantime, Fee said the department is trying not to get too far ahead of itself. “We’ll just kind of like everybody else, be patient, be flexible and adjust as necessary,” Fee said. “So that’s really the plan moving forward is to maintain the flexibility within people’s decisions, and then how we can best ensure as much safety as we can for our coaches, staff and student athletes.”
SPORTS 13
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | SPORTS@DAILY49ER.COM
Club athletes stay motivated solo Barred from receiving scholarships and required to pay fees, club athletes struggle to remain motivated without being able to play their beloved sports.
By Ana Duraes Peixoto Staff Writer
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nline rollerblades glide confidently above the hot pavement. The scenic Back Bay provides an ocean breeze to cool down those who are exercising along its trails. While it is almost idyllic, it lacks a certain artificial lighting and icy coldness for Long Beach State Hockey’s third-year forward Nico Santoro. When the coronavirus pandemic put a halt to sports, it kept ice hockey players away from the place they love the most, the ice rink. “It is definitely heartbreaking because as you get into our level of college hockey, you’re likely not gonna play after you graduate college, at least competitively, so it is pretty heartbreaking to not have a season, especially in my older year,” Santoro said. While it’s been a lonely semester for all student-athletes, those on club teams are feeling the effects even more intensely. When the Big West decided to postpone the season for spring athletics on March 12, competitive club sports were no exception. Santoro is the president of the ice hockey team, a Division II member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association. Team fees may cost from $1,500 to $2,500 depending on the season. Without the ability to receive scholarships and being required to pay team dues, the love for skating is what Santoro says keeps him motivated. “I’ve been playing hockey since I was three-years-old, and never stopped loving it. It’s been a passion of mine since I first started playing,” Santoro said. “It is an expensive sport, especially in Southern California. So if you don’t really have a passion for it, then you’re kind of just wasting your money.” A month prior to the lockdown, Long Beach State Hockey had just been defeated by the University of San Diego in the West Coast Hockey Conference playoffs quarter-finals. Since then, hopes for a stronger 2020-21 season have looked as melted as the rink’s ice layers after a three month closure. There are currently no team activities taking place, and players are encouraged to stay fit by following an exercise routine in their homes. Players have the option of signing up for individual skate ses-
Photo courtesy of Nico Santoro Long Beach State Hockey’s third-year forward Nico Santoro inline rollerblades through the Back Bay. sions at any of The Rinks, which reopened in June with limited capacity. Limited time slots and an excess of skaters searching for a place to practice has made accessing the rink difficult. For his canceled junior season, Santoro returned to his hometown of Costa Mesa and hasn’t seen his teammates since the March lockdown. Santoro tried signing up for individual skate sessions at his local rink but cannot often go as spots are limited. Along with losing his junior season and ability to play with his teammates, Santoro was also furloughed from his part-time job coaching youth skaters at Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena in Irvine. Santoro has hopes of a career as an ice hockey coach after graduation. “Not having a season swayed my decision on double majoring. Before COVID, I was planning on taking the fall semester of my fifth-year to get the first half of a season in, but now that I’m missing this entire season, I decided to double major and do my full fifthyear of school so I can get that extra season.” Santoro now finds comfort in
inline solo skating through his local Back Bay. Skating is just part of his routine, if not in the morning, then at night. He usually skates an intense 4 miles in a 15 minute session, then a slow and relaxing 1 mile session at dusk. “It’s just one of those things,” he said. “Hockey is a big stress reliever for me.” All ten universities who are part of the WCHC are located in California. In light of the COVID-19 situation, none of them are practicing. “The WCHC does have plans to allow teams to return to play, but it is currently deferring to the universities,” general manager Adam Stanovich said. “As of right now, there are not any California schools that are allowing hockey teams to practice and play games.” On the rugby field, the Long Beach State men’s rugby team’s performance was going strong in their spring season with a record of 3-1. The team had hopes of playing a championship game against Arizona State University on March 21. However, the March lockdown abruptly canceled their season
and resulted in the Beach having to share the conference title with ASU. The team’s spring national playoffs and fall pre-season ultimately suffered the same fate. The Beach is hoping to return to practice by spring 2021. The Gold Coast Conference Intercollegiate Rugby is planning to host a Sevens Rugby tournament in late April or early May, based on the availability of a vaccine. “The best-case scenario is that we will be able to practice in some way by late February or early March,” head coach Jason Reynolds said. “We are currently working to keep our 40 players engaged and motivated as best as we can. But it is very difficult to do with the current situation.” Sophomore Jacob Cortinas has played Rugby since he was eight years old, starting at U-10 level. Unlike the ice hockey team, rugby players have a stronger chance of going professional after graduation as some of their graduates go on to play for the local Belmont Shore Rugby Club. Cortinas begins his mornings by attending his online classes. Once he finishes school work, he
spends about two hours with his free weights, ending his day with a night run after dinner. Cortinas said he finds it challenging to keep the motivation when alone and misses the team aspect of everybody pushing each other. “It might be a little hard to get back into the rhythm, but after a few weeks of practice, I think I’ll be alright with it and be back to normal,” Cortinas said. “Everybody is willing to push each other so much further when we are together rather than if we’re all just trying to do it separately.” Men’s rugby also travels internationally every summer for tours. Prior to the pandemic the team was slated to play in England. In 2021, they hope to be in Spain. Santoro, the international business and management major, can’t wait to return to the ice, to his team and to his junior pupils. With no certainty of when ice hockey or any other sport besides men’s and women’s basketball will be able to return to activity, Santoro can certainly be found blading away through the Back Bay, with nothing but the sun as his companion.