Daily Forty-Niner; April 17, 2023

Twisting and turning, Kirkwood led the pack for over half of the race as he makes a turn around turn two during his win at the Long Beach Grand Prix on Sunday.

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Cultural Resource Center location discussed at ASI Senate meeting

BY ABIGAIL WALL Staff Writer

Updates on finding a new location for the Cultural Resource Center and the possibility of allowing a Long Beach State alumni to join the Associated Students Inc. senate were discussed at ASI’s latest weekly meeting, April 12.

Melissa Kawamoto, director of Special Projects for student affairs, shared with the board updates on finding a permanent home for the Cultural Resource Center. The foundation building, student union and the library’s lower level are all possible locations.

According to Kawamoto, student feedback showed that many are concerned with where the cultural center will be located on campus.

“Quite a bit in our conversations is really related to the location on campus. That seems to really rise to the top as a main concern,” Kawamoto said, adding that safety, resource and parking accessibility and noise levels were added elements of concern.

The move to a new building could start as early

as spring 2025 depending on the building that will be chosen.

It’s planned that the Cultural Resource Center will house every cultural student group on campus together under one roof. Electing which building will be the new home for the Cultural Resource Center is still in process as Kawamoto said she hopes to discuss with different cultural student groups.

“We’re getting meetings scheduled with all of the different student groups to gather all this feedback together,” said Kawamoto.

The senate also discussed a new bylaw amendment that would allow a community alumni member to join the senate board. ASI hopes to bring in a Long Beach community member to help bring an external prospect to the school.

Executive Vice President Diamond Byrd said bringing a community member would help bring real-world experiences to the board.

“We want anyone to bring in experience that they have to the table and even better they are bringing real-world community experience as well,” Byrd said.

The decision to bring a community alumni member to the board will be decided in the upcoming meetings.

Land acknowLedgment

Here at the 49er we acknowledge that the school we report on is located on the sacred site of Puvungna, “the gathering place”. We are on the land of the Tongva/Gabrieleño and the Acjachemen/Juaneño Nations who have lived and continue to live here.

We also acknowledge the Gabrieleño/Tongva (pronounced: GABRIEL-EN-YO/TONG – VAH) and Acjachamen/Juaneño (pronounced: AH-HACH-AH-MEN/JUAN-EN-YO) as the traditional custodians of the Los Angeles region along with the Chumash (pronounced: CHOO-MOSH) to the north and west, and the Tataviam (pronounced: TAH-TAH-VEE-YUM) and Cahuilla (pronounced: KAH-WEE-YAH) Nations to the east.

We respect and value the many ways the Tongva/Acjachemen cultural heritage and beliefs continue to have significance to the living people and remind us about the sacred and spiritual relationship that has always existed here at what we now call California State University Long Beach.

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Members discussed potential locations for the center and adding an alumni position to the board.

ABIGAIL WALL / Daily Forty-Niner ASI officers discuss possible community alumni members and new locations for the student cultural resource center at April 12 meeting.

Candida auris: The multidrugresistant fungus

BY LIZET IBARRA Staff Writer

As information about Candida auris spreads throughout social media platforms like TikTok, many questions are raised about the infection and whether it should be of high concern or not.

Candida auris is a type of yeast that can enter the bloodstream and cause bloodstream infections, wound infections and ear infections.

Though the CDC identifies C. auris as a “serious global threat,” McKailey Walters, Healthcare Associated Infections supervisor of Long Beach, cleared up where the infection lays for concern.

“C. auris is not a threat to the general public or to those who do not have healthcare exposures,” Walters said. “C. auris is mainly a threat to patients in long term care settings, especially in elderly or very ill and/or ventilator dependent individuals and is a serious issue in those populations.”

Walters explained that other risk factors may include recent surgeries, diabetes, or

According to the CDC, C. auris cases have increased for many reasons, one of them being that healthcare facilities are not practicing good general infection prevention and control.

overnight healthcare exposures. Students should not worry about it if they are not exposed to ventilator units, nursing facilities and long-term care facilities, she said.

The CDC also emphasizes that those who have tubes going through their body like “breathing tubes, feeding tubes and central venous catheters,” are at high risk of getting C. auris.

C. auris symptoms may not be noticeable due to it mainly affecting people who are hospitalized with serious conditions, such as those with blood cancers or patients who are tube dependent. It can be spread from patient to patient or through contaminated surfaces and family members are advised to thoroughly wash their hands after visiting patients.

C. auris was first identified in Japan in 2009 and is considered an “emerging pathogen” by the CDC due to cases being identified in many countries.

The CDC highlights three main concerns in regard to the fungal infection: its multidrug-resistant nature, the fact that it is easy to misidentify and the outbreaks in healthcare settings.

C. auris is a multidrug-resistant fungus, and antifungal drugs that are typically used to treat Candida do not work for C. auris. The fungal infection can also easily be misidentified through usual laboratory methods, which may lead to improper care for the fungus if the person has it.

Outbreaks have been identified in healthcare settings, which makes C. auris

especially important to identify in patients to help prevent the spread in healthcare facilities.

Platforms like TikTok are comparing the infection to the Cordyceps infection in the game and drama series “The Last of Us.”

“The Last of Us” showcases the infection as being apocalyptic and zombie-like but the disaster portrayed in “The Last of Us” is very unlikely to happen, according to Dr. Susan Huang, the medical director of epidemiology and prevention of UCI Health, in an article by Healthline.

“As of today, we are not aware of any cases here on campus,” said Angela Conte, Director of Operations of Student Health Services.

University Student Union renovation project aims to meet student needs

BY VINCENT MEDINA AND AZZAN SHY Staff Writers

Associated Students Inc. will complete their proposal for the University Student Union renovations, The Future U Project, before the end of the semester.

The new Future U Project is in an alternative consultation phase, according to Shannon Couey, the ASI communications director.

Couey said ASI is gathering feedback from students and staff to consider what to prioritize when building the new student union.

“We are currently collecting student, faculty, staff and community member input on what their priorities are in a potential renovation and expansion of the union,” Couey said.

The additions to the University Student Union will increase the USU fee by approximately $240 to $270. However, the communications director explained that the fee increase would only go into effect once the Future U Project is complete.

Long Beach State students are concerned whether the new additions will genuinely reflect the student body’s wishes on campus and justify the price increase.

Abigail Carmona, a nutrition and dietetics student at CSULB, said if the proposed additions come to the new student union, the increased fee price will be worth it.

“It is providing things that you don’t have to pay for like the free food and the wellness counseling, which give two free sessions,” Carmona said. “I would say it’s worth it.”

ASI collected student feedback through their Future U Project Survey, which was posted from Dec. 5 through Feb. 10. The survey received 7,555 respondents; however, only 5,993 of those responses were fully completed.

The survey allowed respondents to describe which parts of the USU they valued the most and what additions they would

like to see. According to Couey, survey results will be released along with the Future U proposal around the end of April or early May.

After the proposal is presented to the Student Fee Advisory Committee and delivered to President Jane Close Conoley, it will be forwarded to the CSU’s Chancellor’s Office before the proposed student union can begin construction.

Survey results indicate that food accessibility and diversity are the top priorities for students.

According to the Future U FAQ page,

the major proposed programs coming to the new student union include expanded food service and seating, increased informal student lounge space and study space, increased student organization office/ meeting space, and increased wellness space with nap stations and wellness counseling.

Carmona’s main criticism of the student union was the layout of the building, saying it was easy to “lose track” of where she was.

Carmona also said she agreed that food accessibility and diversity are a priority.

“The prices at school keep me from spending money, so I’ll pack food or wait until I get home to eat,” Carmona said.

Melissa Ramirez is a psychology student at CSULB who had the opportunity to take the Future U Project survey back in December. While Ramirez said she agreed with the importance of food options, she believes that additional study spaces are just as important.

“Having more options like study spaces and food can make more people wanna go in there instead of avoiding it and going to someplace like the library,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez also said an increased student union would be worth it if ASI’s proposed additions are implemented well.

“If it means expanding the food pantry study areas and food options I think it is worth it because a lot of students need those resources and especially things like wellness counseling is something very important for college students,” Ramirez said.

LIZET IBARRA / Daily Forty-Niner

Photo courtesy of LPA Design Studios

The Future U Project will add renovations to the University Student Union to meet student needs.

Crypto leaves Americans worried for their wallets

BY ABBEY TOLER Staff Writer

With the crash of the FTX Market in November 2022, and the ongoing bank crises which began in March, there is a growing distrust in multiple aspects of the financial market in the United States, leaving many Americans fearful that their funds are not safe.

Beginning in March, the U.S. has continued to experience the worst bank collapse seen since the 2008 financial crisis, affecting banks including Silvergate Bank, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.

The pending liquidation of Silvergate Capital has all eyes on the market. Several in-progress lawsuits, including the suit put forth by New York State Attorney General Letitia James against the cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin has raised even more attention.

According to Forbes, Bitcoin is down 11% while Ethereum is down by more than 9%. These figures highlight that even the major players in the game are feeling the consequences.

“The way that the government came to the rescue and made all the depositors whole shows that they have the power of those regulators to calm down markets and to protect consumers,” said Lisa Grobar, a CSULB professor of economics. “Nobody with a bank account lost money, only the shareholders who own the bank lost money in the case of the two banks that failed recently.”

Grobar drew a comparison to the crash of FTX in late 2022 but noted that those investors were not made whole again, unlike the case with the March bank crashes, where the average person did not actually lose any money.

“FTX was a platform where people could purchase and hold crypto, but the problem was there was no regulation,” Grobar said. “There was no insurance fund, there was really no protection for the consumer. And when FTX went under, everybody lost everything.

So, I think that that was a wake-up call.”

She said the realization many FTX clients had was that their assets were not really protected and, in fact, were at great risk, which they would soon find out when owner Sam Bankman-Fried had been committing fraud by misusing funds.

Laura Gonzalez Alana, an associate professor of finance at CSULB and president of the Southwestern Finance Association, said a lack of regulation has left the American crypto market to serve as the Wild West.

Alana noted that another large, overarching issue is the market’s volatility – the ease at which currencies can have significant upward and downward movements over shorter time periods.

Alana offered a potential solution to the unpredictability of the market, suggesting that creating a federally backed cryptocurrency would help follow in the footsteps of countries such as China and India who have implemented central bank-backed currencies with safety and sustainability in mind. China has begun cracking down on cryptocurrency mining and trading, while the U.S. is just starting to place new regulations on the industry.

“Unlike other countries that have started developing official cryptos that are backed by the central banks, in our case, we do not have that,” Alana said. “In the United States, there was a project that is being discussed in 2020 in relation to the stimulus checks during the talk was about creating a FEDcoin that is electronic but at that time, there was no decision to be implemented.”

There have also been positive developments. Companies like Tesla and Square investing billions of dollars in Bitcoin and traditional financial firms like JPMorgan are exploring ways to integrate cryptocurrencies into their operations.

Both of these steps make the possibility of a federally backed coin seem more possible, which could point towards a more controlled direction for the future of cryptocurrency.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The crash of the FTX market in 2022 and another market crash in March this year has left many cryptocurrency users worried over their investments.

The way that the government came to the rescue and made all the depositors whole shows that they have the power of those regulators to calm down markets and to protect consumers.

“

Lisa Grobar Economics professor

Cryptocurrency is no exception to the chaos thanks to ongoing bank crises, the FTX crash and several pending lawsuits.

The future of thrifting

BY ABIGAIL WALL Staff Writer

Thrifting has now become a preferred way of shopping for clothing. The resale market is expected to be worth around $350 billion by 2027, according to a report done by thredUP.

Apps like Depop, Poshmark and eBay have been able to grow the online thrifting market making second-hand items accessible to anyone. Thrifted items have now become a statement in many wardrobes.

With a fast increase in second-hand shopping, many wonder how the market will change in the future.

Natalie Rosales, president of the Students in Fashion club, said that 98% of her current wardrobe is thrifted. She believes that the current rise in thrifting started with Gen Z’s awareness of the overconsumption of fast fashion and environmental concerns.

“The fashion industry is the problem, not the straws, not the plastic bottles, it’s

the industry themselves that are the problem,” Rosales said.

With the rise of the resale market, the prices for regular thrifting have gone up significantly. Second-hand resellers have become a problem in the market charging high prices for cheaper second-hand clothing.

Even though thrifting is a sustainable alternative to shopping fast fashion, overconsumption of thrifting can be a problem.

Rosales believes that the overconsumption of thrifting is happening because she sees people becoming addicted to finding items or only shopping to resell.

“They’re like going to thrift stores, I would say, with bad intentions because they’re reselling clothes that were free,” Rosales said. “These clothes were free. This is not fair. The thrift store was meant for lower class people, and now not even lower classes are able to purchase from thrift stores.”

Rosales believes that the thrifting hype will eventually crash in the future when thrift stores are only filled with old fast fashion pieces.

Fashion design major Cristian Velas-

quez has been an avid thrifter since childhood. He sees thrifting culture more as a hunt to see who can find the best items for the best prices.

“I realized that, like growing up back when I was in middle school and high school, we always used to try to flex on each other. We would say I got this brand hoodie and its fire, but I got it for $20. I’d say that’s a big flex. You know, buy something that’s like crazy, and it was $20,” said Velasquez.

He believes that Gen Z prefers thrifting now, not just because it’s eco-friendly, but the nostalgia of finding old pieces from the past.

“Some people like to look back to a certain item from a past body of work. We’re used to a factor of nostalgia sometimes where, oh, I wish I had this item at that time,” said Velasquez.

This yearning for nostalgia was shown by the resurgence of the early 2000s style, an era that Gen Z grew up with. He believes that the second-hand industry is important and will only grow in popularity.

Jonathan Meza, public relations major and member of Students in Fashion, thinks that the future of thrifting will be more of

a balance where people can shop for new and second-hand items.

“Let’s just imagine they open up a new store where like half is like new stuff that no one’s ever used, and then the other half of the store is just like all bought and used thrifting. I feel like something like that would happen,” Mesa said.

Upcycling has started to become popular as another option in sustainable clothing. It has been found that 50% of fabric can be upcycled into something new.

Meza believes that upcycling could have the potential to open new doors to more sustainable options.

“I think it’s like actually pretty cool that this goes on [upcycling] and might open like new roads for other stuff in other, in fashion to kind of do the same thing,” Meza said.

Rosales also believes that upcycling could be an alternative to thrifting and would rather purchase upcycle pieces rather than thrift now.

“I personally think upcycling is better than thrifting just because you use the clothes yourself and you make them a different style,” Rosales said.

With the fast rise of second-hand shopping and many preferring it over fast fashion, where will the thrifting industry go from here?

ABIGAIL WALL / Daily Forty-Niner

With the rise of the resale market, thrifted clothes have become a staple in many shoppers’ wardrobes.

The fashion industry is the problem, not the straws, not the plastic bottles, it’s the industry themselves that are the problem.

“ Natalie Rosales Students in Fashion club president

For the record, it’s time to face the music

BY ANA SOPHIA PAPA Staff Writer

Although vinyl was popular in the 1980s, its resurgence is due to the millennial and Gen Z population rather than the adults who lived through that particular time period.

Once a novelty, vinyl records give listeners a personal connection to music in a field dominated by deceptive advertising techniques and cheap tricks. Not to mention that, for some, it’s not just about the music itself, but the memories attached to them.

“I like records because they make me feel nostalgic. They remind me of when I spent time with my grandparents when I was younger,” said Jensen Puckett, fellow Long Beach State student and vinyl owner.

Puckett also states that it allows her to focus more on the music as a whole. Not to mention the aesthetic of the records is just as appealing to her as the sound.

Puckett thinks it’s great younger people are discovering artists from past decades, as her parents have always exposed her and her siblings to older music.

With that, some of Puckett’s favorite artists happen to be The Wallflowers, James Blunt, The Backseat Lovers and The Lumineers.

Mia Villalobos, another student who owns vinyl, possesses a similar mindset.

“It’s interesting how a simple interest in records can pique someone’s interest in music from different generations as well as different genres,” Villalobos said.

Being so passionate about music, Villalobos’ favorite artists consist of Omar Apollo, Thee Sacred Souls, Amy Wine-

BY LEILA ALARCON Staff Writer

While walking to class, there are often several students who are passing by on their skateboards, roller skates or Rollerblades. Some students skate just to get to their classes faster, but others further immerse themselves in skate culture.

Freshman Joao Stable started skating when he was 8 years old and learning tricks at 12 years old. While visiting friends in Hawaii, he went to a skatepark that allowed him to get comfortable with doing more than just coasting.

“It [skateboarding] definitely helped me realize that many things in life, there’s always a mental barrier that makes you believe that you can’t do something,” Stable said. “And it’s when you really trust in the process and go through the process of things that you realize that maybe you’re more capable of doing things that you didn’t think you could possibly do.”

According to Stable, skaters typically struggle with learning to drop in, the act of going from a flat platform into a steep transition. At most skate parks, there are rails, staircases, ramps and a “bowl.”

Skaters stand at the edge of the bowl and drop in when they’re ready to skate. Bowls vary in depth and can be daunting.

“I remember the first time I was just standing there basically the whole day, trying to overcome that mental barrier,” Stable said.

house, Hozier, Santana, Måneskin, Bad Bunny and Pink Sweat$.

In terms of why they love vinyl so much, Villalobos touched on the history behind the records themselves.

“It became really interesting to me how something as simple as a piece of plastic can change the way people experience music. But I’ve also always been heavily influenced and exposed to 1970s and ‘80s culture and music because of family,” Villalobos said.

When it came to buying vinyl, there was excitement that came from the idea

of it being something their family used to use. Nothing compared to how liberating it was to actually hear the music and how it sounded using different mediums.

Five years ago, the local record store Record Box in Long Beach started off as a renovated FedEx truck.

Within the substantial time the shop has been open, owner Jose Jurado has noticed there is no specific group of people they cater to.

“Our main demographic is really wide. Teenagers to retirees come into the store to discover something they haven’t heard or

Coasting across campus

re-discover something from their past. Music serves as a memory and can take you back to when you first heard a song,” Jurado said.

Not to mention, at $2 per vinyl in particular selections, it gives the younger audience and many others an opportunity to satisfy their experience affordably.

Altogether, the running theme here would be the connection of songs to personal memories. That is likely why the younger generation has taken up an interest in the different physical mediums of listening to music.

Lopez started skating when he was in fourth grade but took a break. He picked it up again during the pandemic.

“You could do whatever you want with it. It’s you versus yourself,” Lopez said.

Lopez is currently perfecting his ollie, but also skates with his friend Ashton Noyes, a freshman psychology major. Noyes has been skating for seven years, picking it up after a friend of his started skating.

“It’s a good way to just like relax and just get a clear headspace,” Noyes said.

Noyes’ favorite trick is kick-flips, but he wants to work on his treflip. He has been using an eight-five board, which is heavier than the board he used before. He is getting used to doing the treflip on it.

Not all students have been skating since they were kids. Sophomore political science major Rohan Bhardwaj has been skating for about four years.

Bhardwaj uses a longboard to get to his class, which takes him five instead of 15 minutes to get to the Kinesiology building from his dorm. On top of longboard being efficient for travel, it gives him a good workout and opened the door to other recreational activities.

While there aren’t any bowls on campus, there are other obstacles that skaters frequent. There are stair sets, benches and rails. The parking lot by the College of Business is popular for its curbs.

Freshman business administration major Ryan Lopez likes skating stairs. The staircases by Brotman Hall and the eightstair by the theater building are some of his favorites.

“I learned a lot about snowboarding through skating and skaters,” Bhardwaj said. “A lot of that [skating and snowboarding] goes hand in hand, like the muscles you use.”

Regardless of at what point students picked up skateboarding, it has provided them with experiences that are not only special to them, but convenient.

ANA SOPHIA PAPA / Daily Forty-Niner

Whether it be old films or new music, Fingerprints has a wall dedicated to some favorites. This part of the interior really elevates what the shop stands for.

LEILA ALARCON / Daily Forty-Niner

Ashton Noyes (left) and Ryan Lopez were practicing kick-flips in front of the Parkside Service Center.

School of Art continues to face growing challenges

BY STEVEN MATTHEWS Staff Writer

The Long Beach State School of Art has had an above average increase in students, mostly bolstered by first-time freshmen, who immediately have additional challenges as soon as they start classes.

According to the CSULB Institutional Research & Analytics database, the School of Art had an increase of 27% in freshmen from Fall 2021 to Fall 2022.

Over the last five years, the School of Art has been one of few programs to see an increase of over 50% freshmen enrollees. Over the same period, the overall student count of the School of Art went up 22.8%.

According to the School of Art’s administration, the high student count is just the first hurdle for students who then have to deal with losing full-time faculty, old buildings with outdated facilities and a schedule of classes that most students don’t find ideal.

Part of what draws students to the CSULB School of Art is its proximity to the Los Angeles art scene. Being a conduit one of the largest art community in the country carries a reputation, and that reputation is held up in part by the school’s faculty.

The School of Art is slowly losing its full-time faculty. Losing faculty is a problem for many departments and much of the CSU system, but the School of Art continues to trend with a higher rate than average.

One way of measuring full-time faculty is through tenure density. Tenure density is the number of tenured or tenure-tracked professors as a percent of all total lecturers and professors.

Over the last ten years, the tenure density of the School of Art has dropped 14.6%, which dropped significantly more than three-quarters of the university at 6.6%.

Laurie Gatlin is a full-time professor who is the current director of the School of Art. The department’s faculty situation is a

concern she thinks about often. She keeps a print of the faculty breakdown under the glass top on her desk for easy reference.

According to Gatlin, the full-time faculty are mostly retiring at a rate higher than the number of new searches authorized by the university.

Gatlin also states that some of the fulltime faculty don’t retire, but they instead get appointed to different positions in which they can’t teach.

When it comes to the number of searches she gets, she has no influence on how many that is, and has no idea on who she should talk to above the dean of the College of the Arts. Gatlin just sends requests to her dean, who then relays those up to the next level, and the answers are eventually relayed back down.

“There’s no transparency to us where those numbers come from; where those decisions are made,” Gatlin said.

Melanie Nuccio is a studio art graduate student who helped organize a group of students and faculty to speak about the growing problems in the School of Art to the California State University Board of Trustees last year on Nov. 15. Nuccio says that losing full-time faculty is costly, not

only to students, but the art program as well.

“Not only do you not have these people for [graduate] committees, you also don’t have the structure that mentors the program,” Nuccio said. “They’re [faculty] typically here for two or three decades, they really make the program what it is.”

With full-time faculty not getting replaced, the students must rely more on part-time and adjunct professors.

Part-time faculty don’t spend as much time with students as a full-time professor would. Having to commute to multiple schools to supplement their part-time income doesn’t leave as much time to fill committee positions, monitor labs or mentor students.

The students have to deal with old and outdated studios, labs and facilities, all of which led students last semester to stage a walkout.

Ninth-year lecturer Chelsea Mosher spoke about the building and full-time faculty problems at the same Board of Trustees meeting that Nuccio attended in mid-November.

“Last week, a falling ceiling tile nearly hit my student’s head,” Mosher said to

the board. “During the heatwave, I had to escort an ill student to health services. We need 21st century facilities that don’t endanger our students.”

According to Gatlin, the ceiling tiles have been modified and are expected to stay in place better, but handling a heat wave in the old buildings is a different matter.

Course scheduling is another challenge that students in the program face. They often have to deal with disjointed and spreadout class schedules to get all their required classes in.

Karen Warner is the administrative coordinator for the School of Art, and one of her jobs is to organize the class schedule.

Warner has to coordinate over 450 classes and find classrooms with the proper facilities to host them in. She does this while balancing the schedules of a growing number of part-time faculty who have to regularly commute. Warner must do all this while accommodating a growing student population in the same amount of space they’ve had for decades.

“We didn’t use to have an animation program and now it is our biggest program,” Warner said. “So, we’re squeezing all of that and all of those students into the same amount of space.”

Additionally, Warner has had to schedule 6 a.m. classes, a block class that goes up to 10 p.m. on Fridays and even classes on Saturday and Sunday.

“I’m using a lot of creativity in the schedule,” Warner said.

Warner also has to schedule classes around the possibility that the school may experience another heat wave.

Gatlin and Facilities Maintenance collaborated on what they call the high-heat plan.

Despite the old buildings, some of the rooms have air conditioning. If the university experiences another heat wave, the high-heat plan would kick in. Warner has to schedule classes in those rooms that can go online easily if that happens, then the rooms themselves become cooling stations.

Any student that feels overheated can go to the cooling rooms to cool down and return to class when they feel better.

STEVEN MATTHEWS / Daily Forty-Niner

The School of Art at CSULB is one of the most well known in the state, if not the country. Many students who graduate find jobs in the top art based industries in Los Angeles. Losing full-time faculty puts those opportunities at risk because students lose out on valuable contacts after they graduate.

Last week, a falling ceiling tile nearly hit my student’s head. During the heatwave, I had to escort an ill student to health services.

“

Chelsea Mosher Lecturer

Burke Mercantile brings sustainable style to Long Beach

BY SAMANTHA CORTES AND NICOLETTE KALACHE Staff Writers

Burke Mercantile, located on 1st Street in Downtown Long Beach, embraces the city’s strong vintage culture with a modern contemporary twist.

Maggie Stoll, who founded Burke Mercantile in 2017, always had an eye for aesthetically pleasing fashion and products. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Stoll moved to Long Beach after college and immediately immersed herself in the fashion industry.

After eight years of working for a fast fashion company, Stoll became aware of the harmful impacts of the fast fashion industry.

“I tried to make small changes at the company store level, and it just wasn’t really possible,” Stoll said. “I started to build a dream of having my own space and being able to make those decisions that make a better impact on the planet.”

Burke Mercantile is recognized as a Certifed Green Business by the City of Long Beach and the state of California.

Certified Green Businesses ensure that not only the products sold are sustainable but also the operations of the business behind the scenes are sustainable. Some qualifications include but are not limited to reusing materials, lighting, fuel efficiency and paper usage.

“I only buy 50 to 100% recycled paper products, which go from my shopping bags, my shipping supplies and my printer paper,” Stoll said. “All the things I buy are recycled, I also use energy-efficient equipment.”

The brands at Burke come from all around the world and are sustainably shipped to Long Beach. Three main brands that Stoll believes match her store’s core values are Kowtow, a New Zealand brand, Baserange, a French brand, and Rachel Comey, a New York-based brand.

Kowtow is a Certified B Corporation, which is the highest sustainability certification a company can get. All of their products are made with 100% organic cotton, and they ensure that their workers are paid fair wages.

Baserange uses all-natural and recycled fibers. They are also shifting to plant-based dying. Rachel Comey is attractive to Stoll because of their progressive views and initiatives toward sustainability

Burke Mercantile, like other small businesses, faced financial setbacks when the store closed its doors during the pandemic. The business was able to stay afloat by transitioning to an online storefront but continues to feel the impact of the closure.

“Since then, my business has been 60 to 75% online,” said Stoll. “The in-store

traffic hasn’t returned to the way it was prior to the pandemic. A lot of people don’t actually know how much our neighborhood has grown and how many new small businesses are here.”

Stoll said that rising inflation has also been a challenge for her business. The cost of eco-friendly supplies is already more expensive than the alternative, and has been difficult to keep up with store expenses, according to Stoll.

“We’ve lost a couple of our local small businesses within the last six months, and it’s really hard whenever that happens because we’re a really strong small business community down here,” said Stoll.

Through community outreach, Stoll hopes to rebuild Burke Mercantile’s in-person customer base and educate others on sustainable practices. The business owner is currently preparing for the city’s Beach Streets event on May 20, where local nonprofits, eco-friendly small businesses and vintage vendors will set up on pop-ups on 1st Street.

The event will also feature clothing,

pottery and record swap booths. Clothing mending classes and a natural dye booth will also be offered.

“I really like the opportunity to get all of the environmentally-value-minded people among us together at one event and share those resources,” said Stoll. “Any little thing that someone can change, from mending a shirt to buying a refillable bottle, is making an impact, even if it doesn’t seem like much.”

Despite having less foot traffic at Burke Mercantile since the pandemic, Stoll said the local community has been a powerful support system for the business.

“We all work really closely together to share resources, refer customers to one another and try to do small events with two or three businesses at a time,” Stoll said.

Despite the challenges she has encountered as a business owner, Stoll is optimistic about the future of the business and would like to expand her impact beyond fashion. Stoll is hoping to partner with the city council to fund educational events that promote sustainability in the community.

NICOLETTE KALACHE / Daily Forty-Niner

The store sells a variety of different lifestyle products such as mugs, vases, candles, kitchenware and so much more.

Tucked away on 1st Street in Downtown Long Beach, Burke Mercantile offers a colorful assortment of sustainable fashion, beauty and lifestyle products.

Car fans have a wheely good time at Thunder Thursday

BY KADIE GURLEY Arts & Life Editor

Hundreds of car fans raced over to The Pike Outlets streets to check out the latest exotic and racing cars along with motorcycles at Thunder Thursday.

Previewing the highly anticipated Long Beach Grand Prix, over a dozen of racers, whom some are competing in the Indy 500, were present showcasing their sports cars for anyone to take photos and drool a little in awe.

Free autographs signed by some of the drivers and teams like JG Wentworth and Michelin were available to attendees at the event and led to a long line with excited fans including children and adults.

The Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge took place during Thunder Thursday and was held at the same race track being used for the race on the weekend.

Many professional racers came to show out in attempt to win the challenge. One of the first round races included two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden and four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves.

“We [pit crew at Penske] have been in the Indianapolis 500 pit stop and probably won 12 of those competitions. It’s great to be here,” Newgarden said. “I love Long Beach, one of my favorite events of the year.”

Castroneves, who lost the first round of the Pit Stop challenge to Newgarden, was very optimistic about the weekend.

“If I don’t have an amazing group be-

hind me it would be impossible for me to race so it is exactly what we need, this is a team sport by the way,” Castroneves said following his loss. “People sometimes mistake that because we [the drivers] are the ones in here with the helmet. These guys and girls, they are the true champions.”

Although many people came to see the cars, a lot of people enjoyed the music, food photo ops and free merchandise handed out throughout the evening. There were even attendees dressed up as superheroes like Deadpool and others even came in an inflatable dinosaur.

This event was a great preview on what car fans can look forward to at the Long Beach Grand Prix, sponsored by Acura, occurring April 14-16. The event is expected to see over 100,000 attendees following last year’s 185,000 attendance.

Long Beach resident Kerry Weiss has lived in the city for over 19 years, but she will be attending the Grand Prix starting Friday for the very first time.

“I’m actually the guest at one of the pit hospitality suites,” she said. “I’m interested

in seeing up close just how fast and loud these cars really are. It’s nice that Long Beach gets to host this huge event.”

Ricky Ortiz has only lived in Long Beach for a couple of years, but has already noticed the diverse influence incorporated

into the event.

“I recognized the cultural impact that the Grand Prix has on our city,” Ortiz said. “It’s historical and a unique factor that allows Long Beach to stand out amongst our area.”

KADIE GURLEY / Daily Forty-Niner

A close look at VOLT Lightning No. 77 Porsche GT3R for drivers Alan Brynjolfsson and Trent Hindman.

KADIE GURLEY / Daily Forty-Niner Fans got a chance to seek free autographs from drivers and racers at Thunder Thursday.

4 Your Eyez Only: an album that changed my perspective

BY ARTURO FLORES Staff Writer

Ever since I was a kid, it had always been a part of my life. I can always look back and pinpoint specific moments in my life to certain songs or albums.

One album that still sticks with me today is J. Cole’s fourth album, “4 Your Eyez Only,” which was released in 2016.

The story of the album takes us along through the life of Cole’s friend that had passed away, James. Each song establishes his character, as he goes from selling drugs and starting fights to eventually falling in love and starting a family.

This album and its story have always

resonated with me because by the halfway point. It’s revealed that James himself wrote the album as a story for his daughter to hear after he passes away due to gang violence.

Cole simply wanted to finish the album for his friend and have this story still told to his daughter. The final verse on the album is actually Cole talking to James’ daughter about who her father truly is. Despite all the bad things she might’ve learned, James had always loved her more than anything in the world.

“4 Your Eyez Only” will always be an album and form of storytelling that will stick with me. I consider it to be one of Cole’s best to date.

More so, it’s a story I was able to

Handling your stress before it handles you

BY STEVEN MATTHEWS Staff Writer

Spring time at Long Beach State. That means scrambling to finish projects, taking finals, graduation preparation and all the stress that goes along with the ride.

Some students still find themselves weighed down by the burdens that come alongside the end of the semester but either don’t have the right coping mechanisms to handle it or simply just not enough time.

Stress on a college campus is nothing new. Most of us experience it to some degree and we’ve all got our own ways of taking that stress on and surpassing it to achieve our goals.

For many, the issue is that we don’t have a lot of time for personal stress maintenance. It’s not a flaw, it’s just reality. It’s such a problem that even our most basic needs feel like a drain on the time we have.

Sometimes I’m part of that group. I like to call us the “sleep is a waste of time”

group. I personally take 15 units and work full-time. Every minute is a resource and some days I have to schedule down to 15-minute blocks.

To handle their stress, some students work out, some play games. Some students go take photos, others take care of their pets and plants at home.

There are students that go to the Japanese garden on campus and meditate and others who take a long walks and explore their community.

For myself, I’ll carry my TV to my kitchen and put on a movie, take several hours to cook a robust meal for two and then eat both of them myself. Cooking helps me relieve stress, but it also makes me hungry.

The point is, stress relief is important, even if it takes up some of our time.

The first thing you need to remember is that your way of relieving stress is up to you.

Maybe something that your peers do to relieve stress appeals to you. That’s great! But if you try something out, and

relate with closely since my family had once been through a similar situation. I had a family member pass away due to gang violence as well. With this being said, listening to this album at times would be hard, but at the same time it’s relatability was comforting.

One of my favorite songs from the album is called “Change.”

The song’s overarching message is that “the only real change comes from inside.”

It’s a sentiment and message that I now apply to my life and experiences nearly every day, as I’m responsible for the change around me. There’s always potential for growth, whether it’s mental, physical, or spiritual.

Although it touches on tragic tales of gang violence, racial discrimination and mass incarceration, “4 Your Eyez Only” also tells the incredibly heart-warming love story of a man desperate for more positive change in his life, and his later ability to find that in his girlfriend and eventually newborn daughter.

This album is one that I will always hold close to my heart and I will never stop listening to it. It’s impacted me in so many ways, completely making me who I am today.

It changed my perspective on so many different aspects, from the way I approach my days when I wake up to the way I view my family and the people I love.

it doesn’t help you, then find something different.

Forcing yourself to do something because it works for someone else isn’t a guaranteed way to cure your stress.

I had a friend who handles his stress by vertical wall climbing. I went climbing with him once despite my fear of heights and terrible core strength. For him, it was liberating. For me I aged a decade in an afternoon.

You also might have to force yourself to manage your stress by scheduling the time to do it.

Taking a couple of hours to dance

around my kitchen making Italian food isn’t always in the cards. As a result, most times I cook processed food in a microwave. It’s just faster, but it’s also not as healthy.

So once a week, I make it a point to cook myself dinner. This week it’s Thursday when I get home after class.

Will it help me with my assignments? No. But it will help me clear my mind and hopefully return to my assignments in a different head space. Sometimes, that’s all I need to get me over the hurdle I’m facing to get the project completed.

Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons

J. Cole puts on a show at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto during his “4 Your Eyez Only Tour.”

NAOKI GIMA / Daily Forty-Niner

There are many things that can stress out a college student, but there are just as many if not more ways to deal with that stress.

Clean sweep for men’s volleyball on senior night

BY MATTHEW GOMEZ Sports Editor

Coming in as the No. 5 team in the nation UCI was outmatched by the No. 4 LBSU men’s volleyball team Friday night at the Walter Pyramid after just three sets.

It was a strong showing from a team in form with LBSU’s last loss in a match coming at the hands of No. 1 Hawaii on Mar. 18 a series that was split after a Beach win the night before.

“There’s a lot of ways to score points, but it took everything,” head coach Alan Knipe said. “We have a ton of respect for them and a ton of respect for the talent they have on the floor, and I thought our guys did a great job of doing what you do and to respect that and dial in.”

In the opening set, LBSU flexed its ability holding the Anteaters to a zero attacking percentage after eight kills and eight errors. The set finished 25-18 in favor of the Beach and by far the most dominant of the three sets played.

Looking to bounce back UCI played a much better second set and kept the score knotted at 18’s before redshirt freshman Connor Bloom took over at the serving line. Bloom would lead a 6-0 run that concluded with an ace to really separate the two teams.

Though UCI got one point back once it was set point, the Beach would quickly

wrap it up with a 25-19 finish.

The difference in play on this night was obvious with LBSU leading in every key stat and outhitting the Anteaters .276 to .116 in the attacking percentage collum. There was also an obvious advantage in the serving department with the Beach accumulating seven aces to UCI’s 3, and sticking to its moniker of the best blocking team in the country the Beach led with 11 blocks overall.

There were six different players on the Beach to record aces with sophomore outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis picking up a second.

Siapanis led the way for The Beach as he led the team in total kills, digs and aces.

“What I’m impressed with is that there’s no doubt that he’s a very very tal-

ented volleyball player there is not a skill on the volleyball court that he cannot do,” Knipe said. “But what I’m most impressed with is his ability and his maturity through the season into our system into our culture.”

On the blocking side, it was junior opposite hitter Simon Torwie leading the team with five blocks of his own.

Set three was the closest, but again LBSU edged out the Anteaters winning 25-22 and completing the sweep. UCI led at one stage 11-7 but couldn’t keep the lead as The Beach would eventually rally back and get out to a 22-17 lead before closing out the contest.

With it being the last home game of the season LBSU took the opportunity to honor its four seniors middle blockers Shane

Holdaway and Grant Marocchi alongside outside hitters Calvin Sanborn and Spencer Olivier.

Marocchi was the lone senior to not make an appearance on the scoring sheet. While Olivier led the way recording eight kills on 12 attempts not committing a single error.

“I feel grateful that we were able to get one of those top-5 matchups for our senior night it’s one of those things that creates an energy that you can’t really fake,” Olivier said. “Having some gratitude and really taking it in during that last set I was just trying to remember to stay present this is going to be the last home game I’m here.”

Women’s basketball program forced into reset after Cammon departure

BY EMMANUEL BARRERA Sports Assistant

After a historic season the LBSU women’s basketball team is looking to reset after head coach Jeff Cammon’s departure; first up is finding a coach and then building a roster.

With Cammon’s departure, Collegiate Sports Associates an executive search and consulting is working to help find the next possible head coach.

“We will continue to build on the foundation that Jeff has created,” interim Executive Director of Athletics Ted Kadowaki said.

Finding the next head coach to take over the women’s basketball program has become the first priority before finding an Athletic Director, due to the transfer portal closing on May 11.

Players from The Beach were one of the first to know about Cammon leaving the program.

“We want to be cognizant of the team and so they’re the first people to know generally outside of the very top adminis-

tration, the people that Jeff reports to and Jeff himself,” Associate Athletic Director for Communications and Broadcast Roger Kirk said.

Due to Cammon’s departure, all the scholarships that were promised will be

honored and the search for a new head coach is now in the process according to Kirk.

“With the transfer portal and recruiting and working with the team, we’re gonna want to have somebody in place as soon as

possible,” Kirk said.

On March 29 it was announced that Cammon would be taking over the Saint Mary’s women’s basketball program after leading The Beach to back-to-back WNIT appearances. Cammon spent six years as the women’s basketball coach and had a win-loss record of 84-90 during his time at The Beach.

In his final year at The Beach, Cammon led the program to a 15-game win streak before it was snapped by UC Davis and was seeded at number two before going to The Big West semifinals which the team dropped out of after a loss to the University of Hawaii.

Before taking over the program in 2017 as the head coach Cammon served as the assistant coach from 2009 to 2014 at LBSU.

“We will turn towards finding a new leader who matches our values and will continue to build on the foundation that Jeff has created,” Kadowaki said.

No current player on the women’s basketball team was available to speak on Cammon’s departure.

MARK SIQUIG / Daily Forty-Niner LBSU men’s volleyball celebrate the win after UC Irvine’s challenge was unsuccessful in a deciding match point.

Photo courtesy of LBSU Athletics Cammon offers high fives to his team before the start of a game earlier in the season

Kyle Kirkwood dominates Long Beach Grand Prix

BY KRISTINA AGRESTA Managing Editor

Inhis first season driving the No. 27 Honda for Andretti Autosport, 24-year-old Kyle Kirkwood won his first IndyCar race on April 16 in Long Beach. Teammate Romain Grosjean finished P2, securing a large haul of points for the Andretti team.

Kirkwood started the weekend with an average result in practice 1 but showed his true pace in practice 2, finishing second with a 1:06.149. The Floridian driver had a flawless qualifying topping the group 1 session ahead of Marcus Ericsson and making it into the Firestone Fast 6 behind Grosjean.

His 1:06.2878 lap in the Fast 6 secured his first IndyCar career pole in just his second season in the sport.

“Our car is on fire this weekend!” said Kirkwood post-race. “Our guys at Andretti Autosport are doing an amazing job...Only my third weekend with the team, and I’m already on pole.”

When the green flag came out at the start of Sunday’s race, Kirkwood broke away from the pack, keeping his lead heading into turn 1. Helio Castroneves’ crash into the wall at turn 1 caused an immediate yellow flag, but on the lap 4 restart, Kirkwood flew ahead of Marcus Ericsson, and by lap 15, he had built a 1.3372 gap between them.

The pitlane opened up on lap 22 under a yellow flag, causing the majority of the

grid to jump into the pits. Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Agustín Canapino, who was down a lap on the leaders, led the pack on the restart until teammate Callum Ilott came out of the pits ahead of him.

Kirkwood got touched twice during the second restart of the race and lost the lead to Josef Newgarden in the No. 2 Hitachi. He made the charge back on Newgarden on lap 36 but couldn’t make a move stick.

Newgarden made his second pitstop on lap 53, promoting Kirkwood back into the race lead after choosing to stay out for the overcut. After waiting out Grosjean, Kirkwood came into the pits and was able to come out ahead of both Newgarden and Grosjean on cold tires.

Once the rest of the field pitted, Kirkwood was able to regain the lead of the race once more. From lap 56, Kirkwood comfortably held onto his lead with minimal challenges from teammate Romain Grosjean and Chip Ganassi driver Marcus Ericsson, who slowly crept into the podium places in the second half of the race.

“He [team boss Michael Andretti] pretty much told me...you’re gonna be surprised how easy it is to win a race when you’ve already done the hard work, when you’re already up front, when you’re already doing all the right things,” said Kirkwood in the postrace press conference.

Kirkwood becomes the sixth Andretti Autosport driver to win on the streets of Long Beach.

“To have my first win be at Long Beach is something that’s incredible,” said Kirkwood. “I just know that I’m gonna cherish this moment for the rest of my life.”

Kirkwood achieved his first pole and win of his IndyCar career at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

SONNY TAPIA / Daily Forty-Niner

Kyle Kirkwood celebrates his first IndyCar win on Sunday at the Long Beach Grand Prix as confetti falls all around winner’s circle.

SONNY TAPIA / Daily Forty-Niner Kyle Kirkwood led the group and ends up crossing the finish line to place first on Sunday afternoon.