Daily Forty-Niner; January 29, 2024 by Beach Media

DAILY FORTY-NINER EST

Vol. XCV, Issue 16

1949

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Monday, January 29, 2024

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ON THE COVER NAOKI GIMA / Daily Forty-Niner Members of the California Faculty Association strike at the entrance of campus off of Atherton Street by the Walter Pyramid. A settle between the union and the CSU would be reached later on that day, promptly ending what was expected to be a week-long strike.

NEWS

Community Engagement Editor Director of Business Operations community@daily49er.com business@gobeach.media

Editors News Editor Juan Calvillo news@daily49er.com Arts & Life Editor Natasha Castanedo arts@daily49er.com Opinions Editor Georgie Smith opinions@daily49er.com Sports Editor Davis Ramage sports@daily49er.com Design Editor Mary Catipay design@daily49er.com Copy Editor Jazmin Arellano Gallardo copy@daily49er.com Photo Editor Naoki Gima photo@daily49er.com Social Media Editor Maureen Linzaga socials@daily49er.com Video Editor Alina Ti video@daily49er.com Podcast Editor Aidan Swanepoel podcast@daily49er.com

Assistants News Assistants

Elizabeth Basile Acsah Lemma Anthony Orrico Linsey Towles

Arts & Life Assistant

Samantha Cortes

Opinions Assistants

Cheyenne Elizarraras Maya-Claire Glenn

Sports Assistants

Matthew Coleman Alyssa De La Cruz Matthew Gomez Design Assistants Luis Castilla Nuelle Obaseki Copy Editor Assistants Stacey Chen Jaylyn Preslicka Nick Broadhead Photo Assistants Mark Siquig Marlon Villa Social Media Assistant Maher Basharahil Video Assistant

Steven Matthews

Podcast Assistants

Julia Goldman Lei Madrigal

Business Advertising Manager Izzy Ahmed advertising@gobeach.media Creative Director Jennix Bien creative@gobeach.media Web & Technology Manager Leila Nuñez web@gobeach.media PR & Promotions Manager Nicollette Combre beach.pr@gobeach.media Distribution Manager Sofia Ingegno distribution@gobeach.media

Advisers Design Adviser Gary Metzker Content Adviser Barbara Kinglsey-Wilson Advertising & Business Adviser Jennifer Newton

Letters Policy: All letters and emails must bear the phone number of the writer and must be no more than 300 words. The Daily Forty-Niner reserves the right to edit letters for publication in regard to space. Editorials: All opinions expressed in the columns, letters and cartoons in the issue are those of the writers or artists. The opinons of the Daily Forty-Niner are expressed only in unsigned editorials and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the journalism department or the views of all staff members. All such editorials are written by the editorial board of the Daily Forty-Niner.

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SAMUEL CHACKO / Daily Forty-Niner Academic Technology Service Designer Paul Quezada was ringing the cow bells at Margo Avenue and East Campus Drive with multiple CFA strikers who showed out to the strike Monday.

Faculty reaches tentative labor agreement with the CSU BY ANTHONY ORRICO News Assistant

ne day into the planned weeklong strike, the California Faculty Association and California State University reached a tentative labor agreement Monday night. The CFA has in turn called off the strike for the rest of the week and faculty can return to work on Tuesday. “This historic agreement was won because of members’ solidarity, collective action, bravery and love for each other and our students,” said Antonio Gallo, associate vice president of lecturers, South. “This is what people power looks like. This deal immensely improves working conditions for faculty and strengthens learning conditions for students.” The tentative agreement includes a 5% General Salary Increase (GSI) for all faculty retroactive to July 1, 2023, 5% GSI for all faculty on July 1 in 2024 (contingent on the state not reducing base funding to the CSU), raising the salary floor for the lowest-paid faculty in salary ranges A and B, $3,000 increase in the minimum pay for ranges A and B retroactive to July 1, 2023, an additional $3,000 increase in the minimum pay for Range A on July 1, 2024 and a salary step increase (SSI) of 2.65% for 2024-25. In addition to salary increases, paid parental leave will increase from six weeks to 10 weeks and there will be increased protection for faculty who have dealings with police by providing for a union rep in those interactions. There will be improved access to gender-inclusive restrooms and lactation spaces, and a pathway to monitor issues of access,

providing support for lecturer engagement in service work and extending the current contract for 2022-24 one year to June 30, 2025. “The collective action of so many lecturers, professors, counselors, librarians and coaches over these last eight months forced CSU management to take our demands seriously. This tentative agreement makes major gains for all faculty at the CSU,” CFA President Charles Toombs said. The CFA moved off of their original bargaining positions of a 12% GSI to what amounts to a 10% increase over this year and retroactively last year. Despite taking almost eight months of negotiations, the CFA had most of their demands met. "With your efforts, we have won a Tentative Agreement with CSU management. Strikes for the rest of the week have been called off, and faculty will return to work tomorrow (Tuesday, January 23). Due to the quick turnaround, we suggest faculty use the modality that will facilitate best access for their students for the rest of the week," the CFA Board of Directors said in an email to faculty. According to CFA, the official tentative agreement will be released once the language is finalized and will be voted on by CFA members in March. “I am extremely pleased and deeply appreciative that we have reached common ground with CFA that will end the strike immediately," said CSU Chancellor Mildred García. “The agreement enables the CSU to fairly compensate its valued, world-class faculty while protecting the university system's long-term financial sustainability. Students should check Canvas and stay in communication with their instructors for further updates regarding class.

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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NEWS

Photos by CARLOS YAKIMOWICH / Daily Forty-Niner Students exit the west loop shuttle at Brotman Hall as they head to class. The Passio GO app offers users the ability to track shuttles as they continue along their routes, and view estimated arrival times at each stop across campus.

The Beach’s Passio GO shuttle app creates student uncertainty Users weigh in on the new app, sharing frustrations with unreliable tracking and approximate arrival times.

BY CARLOS YAKIMOWICH Staff Writer

ong Beach State’s Parking and Transportation Services switched to the Passio GO shuttle service app in early October, but some students have taken issue with how it affects their commute on campus. Brian Enriquez, a junior creative writing major at CSULB, uses the shuttles to travel from the campus’s Beachside residence. He doesn’t use the app because of his experience with its unreliability. “There have been some instances where the drivers, who are all amazing people, will turn off the tracking on it, so it could be a little unreliable,” Enriquez said. Enriquez is debating transferring to Hillside or Parkside dorms so he doesn’t have to deal with the shuttles. Melanie Polanco, a studio arts major, had similar feelings about the new app. She said the previous version was more accurate. “This one is a little bit confusing because you tap on the location that you have and it sends you to a different one sometimes,” Polanco said. “You can’t re-

ally see how long it’s going to take for the bus to get to you. It’ll say seven to nine minutes, but it’s not an actual approximation.” Shuttles having approximate times create issues with students when it comes to arrival times. Chad Keller, Public Relations and Communications Specialist claimed there is no specific arrival time with the shuttles. “A misconception is that the shuttles have specific arrival times and they do not. That’s a common misconception,” Keller said. The shuttles run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, circling the CSULB campus. According to Keller, the new shuttle app was included with the parking and transportation services shuttle contract with LAZ Parking, CSULB’s shuttle service provider. There are four shuttle routes servicing both on-campus and off-campus locations. These routes are covered by 10 shuttles operating in rotation. Among these routes, three—the West Loop, East Loop, and All Campus Tripper—are designated for serving the campus. The fourth route, Beachside, is specifically tailored to Beachside residents commuting between Beachside Village and campus.

Public Relations major Joel Lopez navigates the Passio GO shuttle app, which shares approximate arrival times for shuttles along different routes. While the Beachside shuttle is available to non-Beachside students if space is available, priority seating is reserved for Beachside residents who demonstrate their residency with a sticker on their CSULB ID card. The West and East Loops are the preferred options for students getting to the

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general parking areas on the campus’ west and east sides. To use Passio GO, download the free app for your Apple iOS device or Android and select “CSULB” as the agency. For those without a mobile device, Passio GO also provides a Desktop interface.

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NEWS

Dining services increase efforts to reduce food waste BY SYDNEY HOOPER Staff Writer

he Long Beach State dining hall management team conducted an initial study in October 2022 to determine the amount of food waste compared to the number of students dining during each meal period. Clint Campbell, the associate executive director of Retail Dining Services, said how dining services collected the data and the actions they are taking to combat the issue. “The management team for each of the dining halls weighed the cans of food waste next to the dish room from what students scraped off their plates,” Campbell said. The result was 15,000 pounds of food waste documented by dining services between the three dining halls. Beach Shops reported their findings to the Long Beach State Office of Sustainability. Sustainability Specialist Nanci Torres-Poblano said that the Food Waste Reduction Campaign was formed in the fall of 2023 as a result of the study. The goal is to educate students and motivate them to take action by being mindful of how much food is left on their plate after a meal period. Torres-Poblano said the campaign included tabling events three days a week throughout October at each dining hall, where staff shared facts about food waste and encouraged students to be mindful of their impact.

SYDNEY HOOPER / Daily Forty-Niner An employee at the Parkside Dining Hall prepares serinvgs of salad for students. In light of a study on dining hall food waste in 2022, organizations on campus are working to spread student awareness about its impact. In addition, Torres-Poblano said events focused on asking students questions to spread awareness about their overall waste while giving them strategies to handle these issues, such as recycling and composting. “Our goal was to reduce the waste by 20%,” Torres-Poblano said. During the tabling event, students scanned a QR code to be entered in a raffle after listening to food waste facts. If the reduction goal was met by the end of the month after waste collection, students who participated would win a celebratory sushi event. They also said they

coordinated with housing staff on social media to spread awareness. Campbell said dining services collected data again during October 2023 to see if the efforts to spread awareness had any lasting impact. However, dining services found a 30-pound difference from the original data collected in October 2022. The Office of Sustainability also worked with Associated Students Inc. and Sustain U in October 2023 to provide other sustainability workshops and events, such as the bimonthly Trash Talkers tabling event.

Linh Nguyen, a hospitality management major and employee at Parkside Dining Hall, said that although students tend not to think about how much food they waste, she noticed a difference after the tabling events. “We educated them a little bit, and I think they are starting to be mindful,” Nguyen said. The food at the dining halls is served to students one portion at a time to try to limit waste, according to Nguyen. Cynthia Ibanez, a third-year kinesiology major and residential assistant at the Parkside North dorms, said that she had noticed the excess food waste at the Parkside dining hall. “Students tend to put a little of everything on their plate because they don’t know what they will like,” Ibanez said. Torres-Poblano said that other efforts to promote sustainability on campus were implemented by the Service Learning-Climate Action class, ESP 392. Throughout the fall semester, Torres-Poblano said the class installed green bins at both The Outpost and The Nugget; then observed how often students utilized the bins. The class will continue to implement green bins at other places on campus in the future. Beach Shops and the Office of Sustainability are discussing another campaign to take place in October 2024, Torres-Poblano said. Although they are in the early stages of planning, the organizations aim to start a bigger conversation and get students involved in making a difference on campus.

CSULB police department safety report reveals changes in 2024 BY LINSEY TOWLES News Assistant

he University Police Department (UPD) have released their annual safety report detailing the changes that are set to be implemented in 2024 to increase safety and security on campus. In December, Chief of Police John Brockie sent students the 2024 safety report in compliance with the California Code of Education which requires colleges to compile reports regarding campus safety. According to Chief Brockie, the report is a collaborative effort from the university police department and other campus organizations that identify necessary changes. “We look at programs that we feel are successful and necessary,” said Chief Brockie. “Other changes listed in the report come from other campus entities like Beach Building Services, such as the fire system and lighting updates.”

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LINSEY TOWLES / Daily Forty-Niner In December the University Police Department released their annual Safety Report in collaboration with other campus entities to set goals for various programs in the new year. The four-page safety report highlights both the actions taken in the past year to improve safety and what’s in store for the new year. The most recent report highlights six upgrades to safety identified by the university. For the UPD, goals for 2024 include the continuation of the Community Service Officer program that provides Safety Escorts to students and continuing to host self-defense classes, known as the Rape Aggression Defensive (RAD) program. Also in the new year the fire alarm systems in Parkside and Beachside housing as well as in the Bickerstaff Academic

Center (BAC) building are expected to receive an upgrade. “There are three different fire alarm systems within the different housing buildings,” said Chief Brockie. “The goal is to bring them all on the most modern system so we have one system instead of three.” Lighting improvement along the Parkside housing pathways is also expected to begin in 2024. According to Brockie, the UPD does a night-walk with ASI each year to monitor the lighting and visibility on campus, noting changes that need to be made. The last item on the report lists renovations to the front desk area of Parkside

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service center to improve visibility. According to Chief Brockie, many of the listed upgrades to safety are reliant on funding from the university, which can be subject to change. While the university plans to implement these items to campus safety, Brockie emphasized the importance of student involvement in reporting suspicious activity or safety concerns. “A big part of safety is everyone’s participation,” said Brockie. “We have 20,000 people. Those are 20,000 sets of eyes as opposed to the few officers I have on patrol. We need that partnership.” To read more about the 2024 safety report, click here.

ARTS & LIFE

Photos by SAMANTHA CORTES / Daily Forty-Niner Cody Ford, lead guitarist of Swedish metal band Soen, performs for a crowd of NAMM attendees at the Anaheim Convention Center on Saturday evening.

Music enthusiasts take on NAMM 2024 With over 3,000 vendors and 200 live performances, attendees discovered the latest music gear and watched up-and-coming musicians take the stage. BY SAMANTHA CORTES Arts & Life Assistant

In addition to live performances and industry panels, NAMM attendees could also browse collections of instruments from various vendors, such as this colorful assortment of Sterling by Music Man guitars displayed along the company's booth.

Electro-Harmonix guitar pedals were available for attendees to test at NAMM on Saturday. The event is open to industry professionals and music enthusiasts, allowing anyone in attendance to learn more about new equipment and instruments.

he annual National Association of Music Merchants Show took over the Anaheim Convention Center this weekend, with a four-day exhibition of music equipment, panels with industry professionals and a plethora of live shows. Previously open to only NAMM members, the event now welcomes educators, producers, engineers, media experts and musical enthusiasts to attend. For $150 per ticket or $75 for students, visitors got all-around access to the thousands of brand booths and events from Jan. 25 to 28. On Saturday, the center was transformed into a playground of musical gear and instruments, including a large section for guitars, amplifiers and pedals. Electrified strums and experimental tuning filled the space as attendees tested equipment from brands like Electro-Harmonix, Magneto Guitars and Sterling by Music Man. While some booths had scheduled performances by musicians throughout the day, spontaneous jam sessions broke out at nearly every turn. Miami-based funk band Los Wizzards gave a high-energy impromptu performance at Kala Brand Music’s stand ahead of their concert later Saturday evening. This marks the band’s second year as performers at the convention and they readily accepted the opportunity to return to the NAMM Show stage. Singer Roy G. Robinson hoped to bring the sound of their hometown to Southern California listeners. “We want to show the fusion that we

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are, the melting pot that Miami is … and how many cultures come together to create one sound and one band,” Robinson said. Rapper and dancer Samy Hawk was intimidated to perform in the same spaces as musicians like Scott Page, who played saxophone with Pink Floyd. “It’s always amazing to see those legends on stage,” Hawk said. “I feel the pressure, I’m not gonna lie. I just want to dance and rap my best to represent our city.” Beyond performing for a crowd, Robinson enjoys the opportunity to network with other musicians and industry professionals at NAMM. By meeting and exchanging contact with the right people, Robinson said their music can reach an entirely new audience. Vendors of wind, percussion and brass instruments also filled the event space, with sales representatives on standby to answer attendees’ questions. Polished saxophones, rhythmic bongos and golden tubas were amongst the many instruments on display. One of the busiest areas of the center was the live music and event hall, where DJs held turntabling competitions with members of the audience. This was Salvador Villanueva’s second year attending NAMM, where he competed in scratch battles and networked with industry professionals. “Everybody that’s in the industry for scratching and DJing in general is here,” Villanueva said. “It’s like Disneyland for music nerds.” As the event closed out at 6 p.m., the crowd shifted to the outdoor music stages. Live shows ran until midnight, with performances by Jon Mclaughlin and Larry Mitchell.

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OPINION

LIZBETH CORTES-GUTIERREZ / Daily Forty-Niner Music is a common hobby among many people, be it through an instrument, singing, songwriting or other forms because it is creatively fulfilling.

My dream career turned out to be my hobby “ You will end up where you are supposed to be” is a comforting quote to remember as you enter adulthood and the waterfall of decisions you are expected to make. BY LIZBETH CORTES-GUTIERREZ Staff Writer

or many years, my parents raised me to believe that I could grow up to be whatever I wanted. In my teenage years, they asked me to choose a more conventional career, but I held on to my dream as long as I could. It took me until my senior year of high school to understand and accept that my passion for music would not turn into a career but instead a fulfilling hobby. Since I was a little kid, I had a passion for singing and songwriting. I wrote my very first song at the age of nine. The first high school class I ever took was piano, and the last time I performed on a stage was on June 5, 2021.

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I believed my whole life that every choice I made would eventually lead me to my dream of becoming a singer-songwriter. However, in my senior year of high school, I felt almost forced to reconsider my decisions of what I wanted my future to look like. I wanted a reasonably stable economic life and I wanted a desk, but did not want to be stuck to it. I wanted a career that I would be passionate about. I found everything in my now-chosen career. I often joke with my friends that I was probably brainwashed into this career by television characters like Iris West from “The Flash,” Kara Danvers from “Supergirl” and Rory Gilmore from “Gilmore Girls.” At times, I felt like I stumbled into journalism. However, if I stripped my original dream down to what I truly loved, I found storytelling.

It is easy to tell your own story, but a true gift to tell somebody else’s. Through journalism I satisfy my curiosity, my creativity, my passion and my sense of purpose. Growing means change. As you grow your perspectives and priorities will change. When choosing a career I found myself caring about making an impact, and through journalism I believe and hope that I will one day have the privilege of keep communities informed. I think hobbies are our childhood dream careers. I have a friend who dreamed about becoming an animator but is now studying to become a teacher. Another friend dreamed of performing in musicals but is now on her way to becoming a school counselor. Neither of them has stopped doing what they love, they have just turned them into activities they do during their free

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time for pleasure. I participated in various activities throughout high school. I took piano, concert choir, dance, musical theater and guitar classes but only practice three as hobbies now. I no longer perform on a stage, but I do not mind. Now I play the piano, sing and write songs at home for my enjoyment. Many people do end up in their dream careers and I do not wish to discourage anyone from what they truly want to do in life. However, I believe that for some people like me childhood dream careers are meant to be looked back on fondly. If that is the case, I want people to know that it will be OK. Hobbies exist so you never have to stop doing what you love to do.

OPINION

Pick a brand that respects the past as well as The Beach’s mission

Pro Pet spect o e

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SU LB

f you attend or work at Long Beach State, you are probably aware of the many idiosyncrasies related to its brand and how it has been evolving for several years. The university is sometimes called Cal State Long Beach, California State University Long Beach and other times Long Beach State, and of course The Beach, LBSU or CSULB. On top of those brands, is Elbee the shark, the university’s mascot, which is a phonetic reference to the letters “L” and “B” in “Long Beach.” Elbee replaced Prospector Pete in 2020, which was two years after the statue of the former mascot was retired to the Alumni Center. But, what about the sports teams? The baseball team is still the Dirtbags, while there are also Long Beach State Men’s Basketball, and Volleyball, and then Beach Track and Field and Beach Women’s Basketball. And then there is the 49ers/Forty-Niners brand, which the university’s nomenclature page calls the “informal nickname and identifier for anyone affiliated with our university as an alumnus/ alumna, employee, student or supporter.” The 49er brand harkens back to the university’s founding year, 1949. It also has a parallel connection with the California Gold Rush, which occurred a hundred years earlier and resulted in Native American genocide. That parallel connection was made clear by the university’s first president, P. Victor Peterson. The term was “symbolic of the 1849 Gold Rush boom that made California famous,” Peterson said in the Long Beach Press Telegram, and “in 1949 there was another ‘rush,’ this time for education.” The 49er brand was, until recently, used by the Forty-Niner Shops, the 49er Foundation and the Daily Forty-Niner campus newspaper. In July, the Forty-Niner Shops became Beach Shops. However, the foundation and the campus newspaper have retained the brand. Now, student journalists connected

to the Daily Forty-Niner are considering a name change for the newspaper. This could been seen as another step in the growing effort of the university to dissociate itself from the Gold Rush era. Students’ interest in exploring a new name for the paper prompted me, and faculty members, Jennifer Newton and Trevor Bell to survey various students, faculty, administrators and staff stakeholders to see what they knew about the origin of the newspaper’s name, and if they felt that it should be changed. The survey resulted in a recently published study in the peer-reviewed journal, “Social Sciences and Humanities Open.” The study was an effort not only to learn what stakeholders thought, but to also educate students about ethical public relations practices. These practices recommend that strategic decisions, such as rebranding, are based on dialogue with key stakeholders rather than anecdotal evidence. In the survey conducted online, we asked all of the key stakeholder groups about the name, except alumni. The university would not let us reach out broadly to alumni so we were only able to ask JPR alumni via LinkedIn. Of the 2,542 respondents, 2,188 had opinions on the history of the name. Of those, 1,444 respondents (66%) had just one opinion and 55% of those thought the Daily 49er name was only tied to the university’s founding year, while the remaining 45% thought it was associated with the Gold Rush or Prospector Pete. Less than a third of respondents were aware of the controversy surrounding the paper’s name, and there was no overall consensus regarding the name change. It was split between 36.7% opposed, 27.6% supported it and 35.7% indicated no preference. In terms of the type of participant and their opinion on the matter, 50.9% of JPR alumni opposed the name change while 21.7% of students and 38.4% of faculty, staff and administration approved of the name change. Participants in the survey had mixed feelings about the name change. Some feel that the newspaper’s name should be kept the same because of its legacy, while others stated that whether intentional

? Dirtbags

BY CAROL PERRUSO Guest Writer

UL B

The 49er brand harkens back to the university’s founding year, 1949, but also has a parallel connection to the California Gold Rush that resulted in the Native American genocide.

h c a e B The

Elbe

Graphic by NUELLE OBASEKI / Daily Forty-Niner The inconsistency of The Beach’s branding results in students and community members referring to the University and its teams using varying names. The name confusion is further clarified by a nomenclature page featured on the CSULB website. or not, it invokes ideas of the California Gold Rush and needs to be changed. “I was a student as a Forty-Niner, the coffee cups in my cupboard say Forty-Niner,” said an anonymous alumni. “I am not a shark. Nor will I be one.” While the campus newspaper’s staff is considering the name change, it might be helpful to look at the experiences of other organizations who have changed their once perceived-as-offensive brands. Those who were most successful in their rebranding considered the consequences of either choice and kept consistent communication with all key stakeholders throughout the decision-making process. For example, Miami University in Ohio changed its mascot from Redskin to Redhawk with little protest after a Native group approached the university. Its

campus newspaper, The Miami Student, was not controversial and kept its name. The College of the Holy Cross, after much debate, decided to keep its Crusader moniker, but changed the name of the campus newspaper from Crusader to The Spire. They also conducted research with stakeholders who had not been surveyed, such as local Native Americans, and alumni that the university wouldn’t allow us to survey. In my opinion, the university should pick the brand that reflects an overall understanding of the past and the university’s mission. Carol Perruso was CSULB’s Journalism & Public Relations librarian until she retired in 2022.

”

I was a student as a Forty-Niner, the coffee cups in my cupboard say Forty-Niner. I am not a shark. Nor will I be one. Anonymous alumni 8

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SPORTS

Photos by SAMUEL CHACKO / Daily Forty-Niner Clockwise from right: The junior guard Jadon Jones leans at half-court as he waits for CSUN to get the ball up the court at the Walter Pyramid; Jones shot a decently contested three-pointer, which helped The Beach lead in the first half against Hawaii; Jones fights for the rebound after a missed Long Beach State free throw Thursday evening. Jones logged 32 points and started for The Beach, scoring 19 points.

Jadon Jones: Long Beach roots to The Beach courts Long Beach State's junior guard demonstrates the best player he’d like to be from passion to purpose. BY CARLOS YAKIMOWICH Staff Writer

rom Long Beach’s sun-soaked courts to electrifying the crowd at the Walter Pyramid, Jones unfolds a story of passion and determination in his game. Hailing from the streets where he first held a basketball to representing his roots at Cal State Long Beach, Jones is determined to perfect his craft and bring home a Big West championship for his hometown. Long Beach has been a place Jones called home all his life. The timing was good for the 6-foot-5-inch junior guard,

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and it felt fitting to attend the school that embodied the essence of the 562. Jones’ love for basketball stems from his father, Derek Jones, who put a basketball in his hands when he started walking as a kid. His father also played for Cal State Fullerton’s basketball team in the late ‘80s. His father had high hopes of going to the NBA before being a surviving victim in his junior year at Cal State Fullerton of a drive-by shooting near his Long Beach home in 1987. His father returned to the court the following season with a determination for his senior year at Fullerton, averaging 11.4 points compared to 8.7 points in his junior year. “He challenged me every day to get better, whether that’d be basketball,

board games or video games,” Jones said. “He made me want to be better than him at everything.” Jones’s father and family attend every game. Whether at home in the Pyramid or within driving distance, they’re there to support and cheer him on. In 17 games this season, Jones is averaging a career-high 12.1 points and 1.9 steals, showing just how versatile he is as a three-and-D player for The Beach and in the Big West. The junior forward’s biggest accomplishments at LBSU were his game-winning three in the Big West Semifinals against Santa Barbara in his freshman season and earning the 2021–22 Big West Defensive Player of the Year award in his sophomore season. “Every day is an accomplishment,”

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Jones said. “Just getting better, getting to be here in front of family, friends and my community.” When Jones is not playing basketball, he enjoys fishing for yellowtail off the pier at Redondo Beach and playing video games with his father.x As a business management major, Jones talked about plans post-college, potentially pursuing a master’s degree, playing basketball overseas or declaring for the NBA draft with the mindset of what he described as what God has planned for him. “I work hard every day, trying to stay humble. Try to stay in the gym as much as I can,” Jones said. “I just want to be the best player I can be.”

SPORTS

Basketball vs. UCI: The Beach left ‘black and blue’ in double-digit loss to the Anteaters on rivalry night BY MATTHEW GOMEZ Sports Assistant

n a night where shots would not land, and the steals were one-sided, Long Beach State men’s basketball suffered a lopsided 72-61 defeat to UC Irvine Thursday night at The Walter Pyramid. “It’s disappointing to have a great crowd like that and get beat, but I really liked our fight,” head coach Dan Monson said. “I think you know, we just unfortunately didn’t play very well.” Fresh off a 79-71 win against Hawaii in the ‘Mid’ on Jan. 18, The Beach had improved to 6-1 at home, coming into the game against an inconsistent Anteaters team when playing on the road. Those inconsistencies were not noticeable in a contest where they dominated in almost every facet of play. Outshooting LBSU by 18% when the game came to a close off the back of a 6-10 night from fifth-year guard Pierre Crockrell II and a 4-9 night from the Anteaters’ leading scorer in the contest graduate guard Dylan Thoerner. By halftime, The Beach had already

MARK SIQUIG / Daily Forty-Niner Long Beach State men’s basketball junior guard Jadon Jones complains about a loose ball foul in a game against UC Irvine inside the Walter Pyramid. Jones ended the game with seven points and three blocks as the Beach would fall to the Anteaters 7261 in the Black and Blue rivalry game. dug themselves a hole too deep to overcome trailing 41-24 after shooting just 25% and constantly leaving UCI shooters to get open looks. Those looks led to 25 three-point attempts and though they landed at a clip

just 1% better than The Beach, if more of those looks land, the score quickly gets even uglier. “So when we make our open shots, do we win? I mean, I think you can play the if game all you want,” Monson said.

“I mean, we had them out of rhythm, for some of those in the second half.” One of the only positive takeaways was from true freshman Varick Lewis who had an encouraging cameo during the second half of the game coming in for nine minutes, shooting 4-5 and putting up the second most points for LBSU on the night with nine. It was just nice to have somebody in there that that wasn’t you know, frustrated and mentally, you know, in a bad headspace,” Monson said. “Unfortunately he’s a freshman and hasn’t got as many minutes as you know, with a veteran team.” It was an otherwise quiet night from the rest of Long Beach State with the starting five playing particularly underwhelming. Marcus Tsohonis led the scoring for both teams with 15 points but it came on an unproductive 3-13 performance from the senior where the guard failed to score from inside the 3-point arc on all 10 attempts he had. Lassina and Aboubacar Traore were both held from making it to double-digit rebounds in another contest, a mark neither of the junior forwards has met since the game against UC Riverside on Jan. 6.

Triumphant comeback sparks victory for The Beach at UC Riverside BY MATTHEW COLEMAN Sports Assistant

ong Beach State men’s basketball traveled down to Riverside on Saturday afternoon looking to bounce back from a lackluster home loss to rival UC Irvine. They would do so by escaping with a 6553 victory with the final score being a bit deceiving. The Beach would not grab their first lead of the day until the six-minute mark in the second half, dominating the final ten minutes and coming away with a double-digit win in a game they trailed by as much as 15. The opening half for LBSU looked very similar to Thursday’s defeat with The Beach coming out of the gates slow. UC Riverside would capitalize and jump out to an early 15-3 lead with LBSU going 1-12 (8%) from the field to start. “I thought we really had a hangover from that game and lost a lot of confidence offensively,” head coach Dan Monson said. “We got outrebounded by 10… they were tougher and more aggressive than us in the first half.” Long Beach State was able to halt the

Highlanders’ offense, stringing together multiple stops on the defensive end en route to their own 12-2 run to reinsert themselves back in the contest. UCR would have a response going on a 10-0 run led by redshirt freshman guard Barrington Hargress on his way to a game-high 16 points. The Highlanders would connect on seven first-half triples to go into the break with a 13-point advantage. “I challenged our guys in the second half, and it was really gratifying to see what kind of character they have. They were able to get themselves together and have by far our best defensive half of the season,” Monson said. Midway through the second half with UCR still much in control, the bench of The Beach was able to come in and electrify a team that had been quiet up to that point. Redshirt freshman guard Jason Hart Jr. and senior forward Amari Stroud led that charge. Hart Jr. showed his energy and versatility on the defensive end by drawing a charge and coming away with a steal that jump-started Long Beach State’s offense as the streakiness trend of both teams would continue. This time LBSU put together a 13-3

IVAN ABRIL / LBSU Athletics Junior forward Lassina Traore at the free throw line during Saturday afternoon’s win at SRC Arena in Riverside. The big man tallied four of his eight points from the line, to go along with six rebounds and three blocks. run to cut the deficit to just three points. “This is a representation of just never giving up ever. Being here for two years and finally getting a real chance to help this team win means all the world to me,” Hart Jr. said. A three-pointer by the team’s leading scorer senior guard Marcus Tsohonis would tie the game at 47 and from that point forward The Beach would go on to outscore UCR 18-6. The biggest catalyst in Long Beach State’s come-from-behind second-half surge would be sophomore guard A.J. George as he caught fire from the field to close out the game with 12 of his 14 points in the final frame, including a tough and-1 that ignited the LBSU bench and fans in attendance.

Monday, January 29, 2024

“Going into the second half, I wasn’t even thinking about my offense, we were down by a lot and I was just trying to get the score up. All I needed to see was one shot go in,” George said. Even in late January, you could feel LBSU’s sense of urgency to avoid dropping below .500 in Big West play and remain in contention for the regular season title. The win improves The Beach’s record to 5-4 and 13-8 overall, as they sweep the season series with the Highlanders. The road trip will continue on Thursday as they make the trip up to Bakersfield, hoping to build off the momentum of a great all-around team performance.

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SPORTS

No. 3 Long Beach State stays undefeated with win over Concordia BY SAMUEL CHACKO Managing Editor

he Golden Eagles came into the game undefeated alongside The Beach ranked No. 3 in the AVCA/NVA National Collegiate polls and came into the week first in blocks per set. Long Beach State sustained their momentum from yesterday’s Pepperdine sweep with a 13-6 run to end the first set but unlike the last game, The Beach would show their dominance quickly. “Everyone came in and did their job,” head coach Alan Knipe said after the game. “I’m proud of the weekend [...] I thought the guys did a really good job about making sure every point tonight [...] had value.” The consistent fake spikes and the occasional soft serving from The Beach confused Concordia all night as they gave a 57% hitting percentage and only forced two errors in the first set. Senior Clarke Godbold helped The Beach dominate set one 25-15 with his six kills in set one, which was more than any player the Golden Eagles had all night. “You get a finite amount of time [...] everything comes to a screeching halt at the end of May,” Knipe said. Long Beach State didn’t let go as they had as high as a 14-3 run and only

allowed the Golden Eagles to score eight points in the second set as they kept stepping on the gas pedal. Concordia would allow 10 attack errors during that run, allowing Long Beach State to continue pilling on and keep momentum on their side. “It’s the sheer competition in practice every day [...] and everyone pushes each other and when your time is called, you’re going to play well,” senior opposite/outside hitter Nathan Harlan said. The Golden Eagles would struggle defensively as they had no blocks and The Beach would hang 32 kills on their defense. “Since we have so much talent in the gym [...], there’s a lot of fierce competition that [...] is more aggressive than maybe games that we play and indirectly that builds trust,” senior middle blocker Simon Torwie said. The third set was more of the same for The Beach as they would hold Concordia to five kills and would commit zero attacking errors to end the game. Godbold scored a team-high eight kills with Freshman Lazar Bouchkov with eight blocks and three kills to go along with that. “Service aces and service pressure creating good blocking defense changes the mindset of offense,” Knipe said. “A really good defense could take you a long way and we really believe in that.”

SAMUEL CHACKO / Daily Forty-Niner Freshman middle blocker Lazar Bouchkov showed his presence with a team-high eight blocks as he constantly put pressure on Concordia. The Beach would sweep yet another game 3-0 Saturday night at The Walter Pyramid. Even though there was a small energy shift to Concordia in the last set, it was too little too late as Long Beach State would continue to put pressure on the Golden Eagles as they cruised to a 3-0 victory. “They knew what they were coming to this program for and that is to completely buy into the process of being the best possible version of them by the end of the season,” Knipe said.

With Ohio State and UCLA recently losing this week, this win may have put Long Beach State in the prime No. 1 spot in the MVB polls, which will be found out on Monday. The Beach will be going up against King at The Walter Pyramid in two backto-back games on Friday and Saturday evenings.

The Beach kicks off opening duals with sweep over Fresno Pacific BY SAMUEL CHACKO Managing Editor

SAMUEL CHACKO / Daily Forty-Niner Senior Sarah Medik played the last singles game of the day as both The Beach and Fresno Pacific teams huddled to show support to Medik and Sunbirds’ Audrey Ouellet. Medik would beat Ouellet 6-2 in two sets.

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Their work ethic is so strong and you don’t win championships by taking days off and these girls don’t take days off. Jenny Hilt-Costello LBSU women's tennis head coach daily49er.com | @daily49er

ong Beach State’s women’s tennis didn’t let up against Fresno Pacific as none of the singles went to a third set and won 7-0 Friday morning. Fresno Pacific came to Rhodes Tennis Center to play spoiler and win the first game of the 2024 season, but The Beach played tough all day. The relatively sunny Friday began with doubles and The Beach’s chemistry showed quickly against the Sunbirds. Paulina Franco and Mathilde Tranberg quickly got through their match against Fresno Pacific, setting the tone for The Beach by winning 6-1. “A scrappy team with Fresno Pacific, but I think we came out [and played] the aggressive kind of tennis that we want to keep on building on,” head coach Jenny Hilt-Costello said. “For the first match in the dual match season, I thought we performed really well.” Rhona Cook and Peppi Ramstedt won 6-3 against Fresno Pacific’s Nayuma Subba and Yume Ueoku. “I felt like it was a special time because it was my first last dual match at home so I had some fun,” Cook said. “I felt really good in the court, me and Peppi are working well together and I’m

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always excited to play with her.” “I just want to have Rhona have the best last season in doubles and in singles,” Ramstedt said. The Beach would win the doubles match in 40 minutes and wouldn’t allow Fresno Pacific to score more than three points during those three matches. Long Beach State would continue their success in singles with Ramstedt winning 6-1 in two sets and Tranberg sweeping 6-0 in both sets, finishing first and second respectively. “This team is incredibly hard-working, they put in the hours, [...] they’re coachable, they are eager to do things,” Hilt-Costello said. “They are definitely a team unit, they are 100% supportive of each other, and together, it’s such a great atmosphere.” That atmosphere and teamwork showed with The Beach huddling up and cheering on Long Beach State’s Sarah Medik, the last singles match of the afternoon. Medik would not allow the Sunbirds’ Audrey Ouellet to get to a third set, winning 6-2 in two sets. “I think we need just to keep doing what we’re doing,” Hilt-Costello said. “Their work ethic is so strong and you don’t win championships by taking days off and these girls don’t take days off.” The Beach will be going to UC Riverside on Feb. 6 at 1 p.m. as they look to stay undefeated in the season.