Daily Forty-Niner; April 8, 2024

Students continue to push back against the CSU-wide tuition increase.

See Page 7.

on us.

when you open a Long Beach State Checking account. BeachCU.com

* Membership is subject to eligibility. All new accounts will be veri ed through ChexSystems and are subject to credit approval. A primary share savings account is required for each new Membership with a minimum deposit of $25. Existing Southland Credit Union primary account holders do not qualify for the promotional o er. The promotional o er is available to anyone who establishes membership and opens the Long Beach State Checking account at the campus branch. $200 reward will be deposited to the Long Beach State Checking account on the next available business day upon receipt of rst direct deposit or rst bill payment made. Quali cations must be met within the rst 90 days of account opening to qualify for rewards. Quali cations include direct deposit of at least $200 or recurring use of ePay/Bill Pay, and the Long Beach State Checking Account must maintain a positive balance. If these quali cations are not met within the rst 90 days of account opening, rewards will not be paid. Promotional accounts must be closed in the campus branch. Accounts closed within six months of account opening will forfeit the $200 reward. The account can be converted to a di erent checking account after six months. Limit one rewards promotion per account. There is no minimum balance requirement to earn rewards. O er is subject to change at any time, other terms and conditions may apply. Rewards earned are considered interest and will be reported on a 1099 to the IRS.

copy@daily49er.com

photo@daily49er.com

socials@daily49er.com

video@daily49er.com

podcast@daily49er.com

Since August, CSU students have continued to protest against the rapid tuition hike. Protesters show no signs of backing down as they continue to protest on and off campus.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

WAlthough spring break never feels long enough, I look forward to finishing out my last few weeks as a student at Long Beach State. April is always a hectic month here at CSULB and this edition of our newspaper and recent news coverage confirm that same trend.

In this edition of the Daily Forty-Niner, our stories range from investigative news pieces to indepth features of on-campus entities, like the theatre department.

This issue also includes a variety of important topics on and off campus, such as updates to FAFSA forms and CSU tuition hike strikes.

nearby experiencing mass layoffs, Long Beach journalism is struggling.

Even among this chaos, we as a publication will continue to serve this community to the best of our abilities.

Whether this means publishing informative pieces on local news and working on campus news stories during our breaks, such as the hiring of the new men's basketball coach, Chris Acker, this publication will continue to cover all things Long Beach, and you can rely on us to do so.

The Daily Forty-Niner continues to evolve as a publication and will not stop anytime soon. There will be many changes to come for this publication, but we will never stop keeping our community informed through ethical journalism.

Ellie Creighton

Lei Madrigal

As a newspaper, keeping our audience informed has always been a top priority. With major news occurring both on campus and within the CSU system, we will continue to prioritize this coverage and ensure that news remains accessible.

If you have been keeping up with local news in Long Beach, then I'm sure it has become clear to you all the importance of ethical and accessible local journalism. And unfortunately, news has become less and less readily available in our city.

From underrepresented communities being overlooked in coverage daily to major news outlets

In this edition, you can look forward to learning more about the CFA and CSUEU unions, a roundup of all the recent tuition strikes as well as updates on sports game attendance on campus and much more.

Please enjoy this edition of the Daily Forty-Niner! Students interested in pitching stories, contributing opinion pieces or submitting relevant news tips can email me directly at eic@daily49er.com so we can further discuss ideas.

For daily news content, visit our website, subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @daily49er.

BY CHRISTAL GAINES-EMORY Editor-in-Chief

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.

LINSEY TOWLES / Daily Forty-Niner Students rally to protest the tuition increase outside of the Board of Trustees’ meeting on March 26 while others speak inside.

California State University faculty and students revitalize organizing efforts

Over the past year, the California Faculty Association and the California State University Employees Union fought the CSU system to enhance the well-being of faculty and student assistants.

BY ANTHONY ORRICO & ELIZABETH BASILE News Assistants

Both the California Faculty Association and the California State University Employees Union have had eventful 2023 - 2024 keeping unions in scholastic discourse.

The CFA on strike

The CFA and the CSU reached a tentative agreement, on Jan. 24, the first day of the planned week-long statewide strike. Faculty and students were informed that the CSU and CFA had reached a tentative agreement. The strike was called off.

The tentative agreement includes

A 5% General Salary Increase (GSI) for all faculty retroactive to July 1, 2023.

A 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.

“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,” Charles Toombs, CFA president, said.

On Feb. 19, despite opposition, 76% of CFA members voted in favor of the tentative agreement. Many members believed the agreement did not go far enough in addressing the student to counselor ratio and the course load for lecturers.

“Part of what we were doing was recognizing that faculty working conditions are student learning conditions, and we were on strike for significant improve-

ANTHONY ORRICO / Daily Forty-Niner

On Dec. 6, 2023, CFA called for the first labor strike in 12 years as members at Cal State Los Angeles walked out of classes and shut the campus down for the day. This was the precursor for the larger state wide strike that came later in the school year.

ments, and those conditions are still not met,” May Lin, associate professor of Asian American Studies at CSULB, said.

CFA emphasized this was not the end to their fight for better working conditions, but rather a necessary step in the process. The tentative agreement pushes the current contract into 2025 and negotiations on a new contract will begin when the CBA expires in June of 2025.

“And, the goal is to just make sure that we’re moving forward in a progressive way towards what it is our faculty members need in terms of their livelihood and their working conditions. But it’s an ongoing process that never ends,” Diane Blair, CFA Secretary and professor of communications at Fresno State, said.

The CSU Board of Trustees met March 4 to vote to ratify the tentative agreement approved by the majority of CFA members.

“We are so grateful for the support that we have in just keeping our CSU going forward,” Wenda Fong, board chair,

said.

California State University student assistants unite

Student assistants voted to officially organize under the California State University Employees Union (CSUEU) 7,050 eligible voters voted yes, according to a CSUEU newsletter.

Regional Attorney for the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) Stephanie O’Hara, who addressed the audience waiting for election results from PERB headquarters, began by saying that in April 2023 the CSUEU filed a petition for certification to PERB to be “the exclusive representative for a bargaining unit of student assistants employed by the trustees at California State University.”

Student assistants gained the vote as part of an agreement from negotiations on Oct. 11, 2023 between CSUEU and the CSU system.

The election was held between Jan. 25 and Feb. 22. The vote in favor of

”

unionization was won with 7,050 votes, a 97% majority, according to a press release.

The CSUEU has since announced the collective bargaining team members that will represent students for negotiations has been selected.

The members are Azure Starr from Chico State, Torrance Carpenter from Fresno State, Theresa Limbeek and Jacob Lott from California State University Fullerton, Michael Lee-Chang from Sacramento State, Lysette Melendez from San Bernardino State, Kaily Brooks and Kelsey Pickett from San Diego State, Noah Giddens from San Francisco State and Erin Green from Sonoma State University.

Khanh Weinberg said the next step for the bargaining team is their training in Sacramento and later they will exchange “sunshine proposals” where each side presents their opening proposals focusing on the areas they want to focus on in negotiations.

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.

Charles Toombs CFA president

ASI Senate passes vote of no confidence against President Mitali Jain

BY LEILA ALARCON Arts & Life Assistant

California State University

Long Beach’s Associated Students Inc. voted no confidence in Mitali Jain, ASI president, at a special meeting on March 29. According to Laura Butt, ASI Government Affairs Senior Coordinator, this is the first time a vote of no confidence has taken place.

As a result, a discussion of the possible recall election of Jain will take place at the next Senate meeting on April 10. Per Roberts Rules of Order, a vote of no confidence expresses, “[...] either its [ASI Senate] confidence or lack of confidence in any of its officers or subordinate boards or committees.”

A vote of no confidence is a motion expressing the Senate’s concerns but does not remove an officer from office.

Under ASI Bylaws, a recall would mean another election would occur.

In a recall election, two-thirds of the voting students would have to favor Jain’s removal from office for her to be recalled.

Before voting no confidence, Vice President Teresa Falcon guided the conversation between the ASI Senate and Jain. Jain was allowed time to defend herself against the points made in a letter where the senate listed duties from the ASI bylaws they felt Jain failed to meet.

These duties include:

Lack of initiative to execute legislation passed by the Senate

ASI President Mitali Jain attends the March 27 ASI senate meeting at Dr. Stuart L. Farber Senate Chambers to answer senate members' questions. Public comments had around seven representatives with five opposing and two

Absence from six out of the 14 meetings where she is required to report

Lack of information in said reports

• Lack of attendance at Lobby Corps and other committees

Lack of involvement in the Business and Finance committee

Disregard of the ASI Board of Directors’ concerns with President Jain’s selection for Chief Diversity Officer.

In an interview before Friday’s special meeting, Falcon said her role was to make sure the conversation the senate was having was without personal bias and that decisions on the situation would be made as a group.

“It will be a board decision and we will come to that after several in-depth discussions,” Falcon said.

The no confidence vote was brought up as a discussion item during the weekly Senate meeting on March 27. Students and club members voiced their frustrations during that meeting and the spe-

cial meeting on March 29.

Before Friday’s special meeting, Claire Pearson, College of Arts chair and vice chair of Senate said the Senate had heard lots of student frustration during public comment.

“It’s been made very clear by members of the student body who have come into public comment, that there is a lack of confidence in Associated Students Incorporated, and part of that does stem from electing executive officials who do not fulfill their campaign promises,” Pearson said.

During Jain’s allotted speaking time at Friday’s meeting, she listed legislations she had passed and how she had communicated absences to her advisors before they occurred. She said lack of details in her reports doesn’t equate to lack of work and the appointment of Chief Diversity Officer Fidel Vasquez was a decision made in collaboration with her committee.

The appointment of this officer was one of the complaints the Senate expressed during the meeting. Jain asked the Senate to reflect on the timing of the no-confidence vote and the contents with which the vote is being determined.

“I stand accused not of great misconduct or malfeasance, but of alleged shortcomings that have not been afforded the chance for correction or redemption,” Jain said. “I firmly believe that direct and firm communication regarding perceived shortcomings, well before this juncture, could have paved the way for growth. Not just for me as a leader, but for our student government as a whole.”

The ASI senate determined a vote of no confidence was needed to demonstrate to students that ASI will represent and reflect its student body’s voice. If students vote for Jain to be recalled, Falcon would perform the duties of the president with Pearson taking on the role of vice president.

California extends financial aid deadline to relieve student difficulties

BY ALYSSA DE LA CRUZ Sports Assistant

Student frustrations with the new FAFSA form including hours-long waits on hold for assistance prompted the passage of a California Assembly Bill 1887 that bumps the deadline from April 2 to May 2.

The extension of the priority deadline provides students with additional time to submit their financial aid applications, including the Cal Grant and Middle-Class Scholarship programs.

The proposal comes on the heels of widespread discontent voiced by students across California regarding the technical glitches in the newly implemented form. The form was intended to make it easier for students to fill out, but it’s stunted roll-out and setbacks have inhibited this goal.

According to Shelveen Ratnam, Communication and Public Affairs Coordinator of California Student Aid, “mixed-status” families are the ones that don’t obtain a social security number.

Students like Sophia Castro Guerra and Rubi Funez-Medina from CSULB have faced significant hurdles in com-

pleting the FAFSA due to verification challenges and confusing interface changes.

Funez-Medina emphasized the difficulties faced by students, particularly those with undocumented parents, in navigating the financial aid application process.

“The difficulties of the navigation of the form has made the parent part very difficult for those who have undocumented parents and I have not been able to fill out my form,” Funez-Medina said.

The excessive wait times also had Guerra worried if she would have her form submitted on time as she was told issues would be fixed by the end of this month.

“A three-hour phone call, most of which was spent on hold, was what helped me finally take steps forward to help me start the process of finishing my form,” Guerra said.

Another issue that students faced was the requirement for both parents to complete the form. While one parent already had an established account due to previous FAFSA submissions, creating an account for the second parent proved to be a tedious task.

“I haven’t even been able to start the parent part of the form,” Castro Guerra

said. “The parent FAFSA ID verification has been a problem for a long time with this new FAFSA form, and it’s disheartening to see that they have not fixed the problem even though the time to submit is coming up soon for many colleges and universities.”

Ratnam emphasized their efforts to support students during this challenging process.

“This was a solution to support students and give students another month to have an opportunity to fill out their forms,” Ratnam said. “We host workshops to help students understand the FAFSA forms, thousands of events already and trained officials to work with students.”

Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes, the sponsor of the bill, expressed her satisfaction with the decision in a press release, emphasizing the importance of easing the financial burden on California students.

“Making the path to fulfilling our students’ dreams of achieving higher education more affordable and accessible is among the highest duties of our state government,” Cervantes said.

Nicholas Novello, Financial Aid Director at CSULB, highlighted the benefits of this extension.

“Students will have additional time to meet the priority deadline, increasing their chances of qualifying for aid,” he said.

Marlene Garcia, Executive Director of the California Student Aid Commission, emphasized the importance of policymakers and educational partners in ensuring students have the necessary time and resources to apply for financial aid.

“We are deeply appreciative of our policymakers coming together, along with all our partners across K-12 and higher education, in helping ensure students have the time and assistance to apply for financial aid,” Garcia said in a press release.

On the California Student Aid Commission website there is a list of available virtual workshops if help is needed:

Non-SSN Contributor Webinar April 9 from 5:30-6:45 p.m.

Non-SSN Contributor Webinar April 6 from 10-11:15 a.m.

Non-SSN Contributor Webinar April 15 from 6-7:15 p.m.

Non-SSN Contributor Webinar April 24 from 10-11:15 a.m.

SAMUEL CHACKO / Daily Forty-Niner

supporting President Jain.

Students versus CSU: Fight against tuition hikes continues

BY LINSEY TOWLES & ACSAH LEMMA News Assistants

In an almost yearlong effort, the fight against the California State University (CSU) approved tuition increase shows no signs of stopping as students and allies continue to protest and confront CSU officials.

The Decision

The unpopular tuition increase stemmed from the CSU’s proposed 20242025 Operating Budget Plan. This plan is the CSU’s attempt to enhance student success by investing in staff and faculty, creating more modern, sustainable facilities and expanding access to education by increasing financial aid opportunities for students.

To achieve these goals, the CSU proposed a tuition increase that would raise its budget by 6.9%, increasing it from $8.1 billion to $8.657 billion, according to the proposal. In addition to a tuition increase, the CSU will also depend on a state general fund to finance its Operating Budget Plan.

Under the approved proposal, tuition would increase by 6% each fall semester for every CSU student. The increases would begin in the upcoming 2024-2025 academic year and finish at the end of the 2028-2029 academic year. When the tuition increase comes to an end, the tuition will not revert to its original amount from the 2023-2024 academic year.

In other words, in the 2024-2025 academic year, undergraduate students pursuing 6.1 units and more will have a $342 increase to their tuition. The next year’s tuition will increase to $366, with an increase the following year to $388, which will then increase to $410 the year after that. Finally, in the last year of the tuition increase, students will be paying $434 more in comparison to 2023-2024

tuition.

The document also outlines the CSU’s justification for increasing student tuition. According to the proposal, the CSU is “…one of the most important drivers of California’s economy, locally, regionally and across the state.”

The document says, however, that in the past two decades, state funds supporting public higher education have seen a decrease. While Gov. Gavin Newsom approved a 5% increase for the CSU’s state fund for the next five years, “more funding is still needed for the CSU to continue advancing its educational mission and to do so through the 21st century,” the document said.

According to the proposal, the tuition increase approval process began on May 25, 2023, with a written pitch to the California State Student Association. The proposal was then officially presented at the July 2023 Board of Trustees meeting and approved at the September meeting.

The Fight

Before the tuition increase was approved on Sept. 13, 2023, the possibility of the 6% raise prompted an outcry from campuses across the CSU.

This timeline chronicles the response from the Long Beach State campus.

At CSULB, the first act of protest began on Aug. 30 when protesters took to the Central Quad during Week of Welcome to mark the start of the new school year.

The next day, CSULB’s Associated Students, Inc. voted to finalize a resolution to oppose the tuition increase with a unanimous 17-0 vote. Long Beach State’s ASI joined in the united show of opposition to the tuition hike from all 23 CSU ASI organizations.

Students and the CSU Board of Trustees came to a head on Sept. 12, when several unions and organizations gathered at the CSU Chancellor’s Office where the Board of Trustees met.

In a four-day meeting, the Board of

Trustees was scheduled to discuss and vote on the tuition increase, as well as hear from speakers. Many of the public speakers were students in opposition to the hike.

The public comments took over three hours. Other students remained in over three hours of public comment, while others remained outside armed with signs and bullhorns. Despite the massive show of protest, the board voted to approve the increase the next day.

On Feb. 28, a walkout was arranged at CSULB where students abandoned their classes and joined a protest at Brotman Hall.

The walkout was organized by Students Against Tuition Hikes, a coalition between La F.U.E.R.Z.A and Students for Quality Education.

The most recent display of protest was nearly a month after the walkout on March 28, where students confronted the CSU Board of Trustees for the second time in the fight against tuition hikes. Protesters spoke both in and outside of the downtown Long Beach meeting.

CSULB is not alone in its fight against tuition hikes, as other CSU campuses have joined in arms to protest against the increase. Other campuses who joined in shows of protest include:

San Francisco State University

California State Polytechnic University Pomona

• California State University Chico

• Humboldt State University

The Future

Students across the CSU campuses have stressed that one of the advantages of attending a CSU is a good education at a lower cost. As a result, a yearly increase in tuition is one more factor that students will have to consider upon pursuing an education.

While protests continue to take place, the tuition increase is to be implemented this upcoming fall semester.

LINSEY TOWLES / Daily Forty-Niner Students emerge from the CSU Board of Trustees meeting on March 26 after speaking inside to protest the annual 6% tuition increase scheduled to begin next year.

Graphic by LINSEY TOWLES / Daily Forty-Niner

BY SAM FARFAN Community Engagement Editor

On day 746 of girlhood, trans musical theater actress, comedian and content creator Dylan Mulvaney shared her experiences on her gender transition and relationship with social media to student attendees on Wednesday night.

Presented by Associated Students Inc. and moderated by 22 West Magazine Editor-in-Chief Jensen Puckett, Mulvaney began the discussion describing how they turned to content creation as a mode of expression after her run on the national tour of "The Book of Mormon" was cut short due to the pandemic.

TikTok became her new outlet to continue to create and perform by her own rules.

“I knew that, as a trans person, those opportunities were going to be really limited in a commercial capacity. So I thought, why don't I just put stuff out on my own because I have agency over these videos,” Mulvaney said.

Mulvaney, who uses she/they pronouns, quickly became a popular creator on TikTok after creating her "Days of Girlhood" video diary series where they shared the progression of their gender transition, starting in 2022.

She recently celebrated two years of girlhood two weeks ago.

Third-year liberal studies major Lauren Ritter found Mulvaney on TikTok through the series and said she felt inspired by their posts.

"I thought it was interesting to watch her videos and reflect on my growing up but witnessing the things she was experiencing for the first time at a different age," Ritter said. "I know it's weird to say you're proud of someone who you don't know, but I just think it's really cool like all the things that she's doing and I feel honored that she chose Long Beach, we're special!"

An evening with Dylan Mulvaney: Navigating womanhood on TikTok

Although Mulvaney has known that her gender identity never aligned with her assigned sex, they mentioned that they never had the opportunity to explore their identity until recently.

“I came out so early in my life but I didn’t actually get to step into my transness until the pandemic,” Mulvaney said. “I had to move home with my dad, who is very conservative and Catholic. It was the first time that I actually got to sit with these feelings and see who I was without theater or playing any sort of character. I could only be Dylan.”

During the discussion, Mulvaney mentioned it was difficult in the early days of their journey to be perceived online by millions of people so early into their transition.

Knowing she would look different as she progressed further into her transition, they would often receive unsolicited advice in the comments on what they should do to enhance their appearance to fit the societal standards of femininity.

Holi brings vibrant colors and big smiles to The Beach

BY NATASHA CASTANEDO

Amidst the gusty winds of March 24, colorful powders of pinks, blues, greens and reds filled the sky in celebration of Holi. The South Asian Student Association (SASA) hosted its annual Holi celebration, also known as the Festival of Colors, to commemorate the beginning of spring.

Traditionally, bright powders are tossed in the air and onto one another to signify new beginnings. This joyous Hindu celebration is often thought of as a time of rebirth and rejuvenation when the harshness of winter is gone and new life may begin.

In Hindu culture, Holi encapsulates the idea of relinquishing the past and beginning anew to move forward with positivity and leave behind negativity.

“It marks the start of [the] spring season in South Asia and has some significance regarding righteousness with forgiveness,” Pavan More, SASA club president, said.

“It’s supposed to be colorful to forget [the] bad mistakes of everyone and just to socialize, have fun. So, it’s a kind of new beginning of relationships.”

As colors swirled throughout the air, attendees chased each other around the rugby field yelling, “Happy Holi!” before playfully showering one another with color bombs. Popular Indian music played while celebrators laughed and danced in between catching their friends with sneak attacks of color.

This playful celebration was marked by the energy of the Holi participants, all of whom were in high spirits despite the cloudy skies.

The vibrant explosion of colors made more prominent by the white shirts worn by most attendees, left an infectious sense of joy in the air and showcased the sense of community that SASA has cultivated on campus.

“Volunteering is the best part of being a part of SASA because you get to meet a lot of people and get to interact with them, it’s a nice community that we have,” Purva Rao, SASA club member, said.

“Anyone early on in their journey, be really clear what it is you want and what are your goals. So when the time comes and other people are perceiving you, that you’re okay with it, you’ve made peace," Mulvaney said. "That was difficult because I was sort of the caterpillar going into a cocoon and hopefully coming out a butterfly, but showing everyone that was terrifying.”

Mulvaney instantly captured the audience as her vulnerability resonated with the crowd.

First-year communications major Scott Garreton, who uses he/she pronouns, mentioned being moved by the discussion, particularly with Mulvaney’s perseverance in battling the online hate she has received since her rise on TikTok.

“I thought that was very inspiring, at least to people of our generation because of [the relevance of] social media and how lots of people’s opinions tend to affect how we think,” Garreton said.

Despite receiving significant hate

and criticism online, Mulvaney acknowledged that they have also gained oncein-a-lifetime opportunities because of her platform.

A few opportunities included meeting her childhood role models—Lady Gaga and Chris Colfer.

After Lady Gaga posted pictures of the two together for International Women's Day earlier this month, the Instagram post was quickly met with significant online hate from extremist groups.

It was then that Gaga made a follow-up post condemning the hate speech directed at Mulvaney and all trans individuals, extending her support.

"I'd never had someone of that caliber stick up for me in that huge of a way and to have it be my popstar was so epic and so full circle," they said.

Mulvaney had to adjust her perception of Gaga, from originally idolizing her to now knowing her as a peer.

Although the “Glee” star is not trans himself, Mulvaney was always starstruck by Colfer because of his unapologetic representation of male femininity on stage as someone assigned male at birth, which resonated with Mulvaney at a formative age.

When she got the chance to befriend Colfer after meeting him at the “Bros” film premiere, she thought it was "a dream come true."

Besides gaining nearly one billion views and 10 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, Mulvaney was awarded the TikTok Trailblazer award for their video diary series and was invited to the White House to speak with Joe Biden on trans issues in 2022.

A lot of Mulvaney's future goals entail more long-form content as they eventually want to own a production company that’s tailored to producing trans content.

She also mentioned that her podcast will come out later this year, her book will come out next year and that her one-woman play is currently in the works.

For More, the time spent planning the Holi Party was worth the effort because of how much everyone enjoyed themselves. He said for many SASA members, the club is like a home away from home and Holi is a time to celebrate the community.

Multiple attendees moved to the United States from India to earn their degrees at Long Beach State and have found a much-needed slice of home within the SASA community.

With the purchase of a $10 ticket, participants received a tasty box of food alongside a refreshing drink and were entered into a raffle that included prizes, including an air fryer and a deluxe fan.

The purchase of the ticket garnered not only these tangible items for celebrators but also the intangible feeling of creating happy memories within their community.

For all future SASA events, follow their Instagram page @csulbsasa.

“When you travel 7,000 miles away from your home you can say that the South Asian Student Association is a second home to me. You can socialize with people that are from nearby your home … and it’s been really great,” More said.

MARLON VILLA / Daily Forty-Niner Long Beach State’s South Asian Student Association (SASA) club gathered a large group of students on Sunday for an afternoon of food, raffles, music and games as part of the Holi Festival.

EL NICKLIN / Daily Forty-Niner

Dylan Mulvaney talked about the out-of-body experience of meeting her role models, Lady Gaga and Chris Colfer, and her experience raising an opossum.

Theatre Arts grapples with suspended B.F.A., rising class sizes

Students in the theatre arts department were ecstatic about the B.F.A. in Acting until it was suddenly dissolved with little explanation. Years later, a new challenge has emerged.

BY SAMANTHA CORTES Arts & Life Assistant

For Rhiannon Lewis, attending Long Beach State was initially an easy choice. Her presidential scholarship and admittance into the pre-Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting program meant she could pursue her academic and artistic passions. She had been in theatre arts since she was 10 years old and couldn’t imagine pursuing anything else.

Lewis spent her first semester taking prerequisite courses for the B.F.A. program, until she was blindsided by an email that the program would no longer be active.

She had to choose between staying at LBSU, pursuing an acting degree elsewhere or dropping out altogether.

“It felt like my whole world fell apart, truly, because all I ever wanted to be was an actor,” Lewis said. “I thought that this was going to be the place where I was going to be able to do that.”

The B.F.A. in Acting was implemented during the 2019-2020 school year and then swiftly suspended before the 2021-2022 school year, according to the university’s undergraduate catalog. The sudden loss of the program, coupled with rising class sizes, have left some theatre arts students frustrated and confused about the state of their department.

Department Chair Ezra LeBank joined LBSU’s staff in 2011 and rose to his current position last fall. According to LeBank, the department only offered a bachelor of arts for most of its 70-year history and encountered challenges implementing the new program amidst the pandemic.

“We had some faculty retire or get other positions and so we had to look at our resources and had to look at some concerns,” LeBank said. “The university asked us to suspend admissions to the program while we assess whether it's something that we can effectively do.”

The department returned to offering a B.A. with options in design and technical theatre, performance and general theatre arts.

Victoria Martins applied to the program when the B.F.A. was still available but learned that students would no longer be able to enroll only once they began the school year. Martins was drawn to the idea of a small cohort in the B.F.A program, which made it difficult for them to adjust to the larger acting classes.

”

It felt like my whole world fell apart, truly, because all I ever wanted to be was an actor. I thought that this was going to be the place where I was going to be able to do that.

Rhiannon Lewis Communication studies master's student

The average class caps in the department have been on a gradual rise from 27 in the fall of 2019 to 32 in the fall of 2023, according to university enrollment data.

For students like Martins and Jane U'Ren, these increases have proven to be a challenge.

“In an acting performance class, it's ideal to have 10-15 people so that you can really get intimate with your scene work,” U'Ren said. “When you have 3040 people like I've had, it's really hard for the professors to really critique and give you the attention they need to.”

The university’s enrollment data also shows that 23 of the 94 theatre arts classes during the fall 2023 semester went over the designated enrollment cap.

LeBank recognized the difference headcount can make on a performance-based class, but said that placing further enrollment restrictions could discourage students from continuing in the program.

“I understand the cost of the smaller class is that there is a student who is not getting to take that class, there is a student who's maybe having to wait another year before they can finish their degree, or maybe it stalls out their progress,” LeBank said.

Tackling the issue also requires keeping the department and administration’s goals in mind, which he describes as a constant give and take battle.

“At the end of the day, they [university] want students to be able to graduate from this university and get the classes they need,” LeBank said. “We don't fail to meet the metrics that we need to function as a whole institution but we want to give students the experiences that we know we need to.”

LeBank would like the department to have a greater say in future class sizes, aiming to bridge the gap between theatre arts and the administration’s decision-making processes.

Despite these challenges, Martins

and U'Ren have found strong communities in the program that have allowed them to flourish as artists. Martins has built lifelong connections with their professors and grown with their guidance.

“I'm learning a lot in my classes because our professors care. They want to get to know us and want to know what we're good at and what we're not so they can help,” Martins said. “We're very lucky to have that and I value them a lot.”

U'Ren has enjoyed working alongside her fellow classmates in Theatre Threshold, a student-run production company that has recently put on shows like “No” and “The Jukebox Musical.”

“It [Theatre Threshold] gives us the opportunity to make our own art and a lot of colleges don’t have that,” U'Ren said. “I'm very glad that I've gotten to take advantage of that.”

After the B.F.A. program was suspended, Lewis spent a semester as a general theatre arts major, but was unsure if it was the right path for her. During this period, she took a small group communications studies class and decided to give a new major an honest shot.

Now a communications studies master’s student and teaching assistant, Lewis has continued to embrace her roots in the arts.

“I really fell in love with teaching and it was a way to combine my passion for performing in a way that I never knew was possible,” Lewis said.

Once she finishes her degree, Lewis hopes to continue teaching at LBSU or at a community college. Although acting was her lifelong dream, she is grateful for where life has taken her.

“If I could do a musical and perform on a stage one more time, I would almost do anything to be able to do that,” Lewis said. “At the same time, I have developed such a passion for teaching and working with my students that I still feel fulfilled in acting.”

MARLON VILLA / Daily Forty-Niner

The Long Beach theater threshold presented 'NO." directed by Jessica York and assistant directed by Gideon Amick, about a writter struggling to perfect their play.

OPINION

BY MONTSERRAT RUIZ Guest Writer

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as EBT, partners with Long Beach State to allow students to receive a certain amount of meals a week, including those who work a few to zero hours. As a student with no source of income, it has helped me out so much.

Being a part of the SNAP program on campus has helped me not only have extra income to spend on food and water, but also a greater peace of mind. I do not have to worry that all of my expenses will go toward my college tuition instead of more immediate needs like food.

With inflation occurring all over the country and as a student who lives in the dorms, I need to have enough finances to pay for where I live, the dining hall, books and tuition. It's already hard enough that I have to worry about living expenses, but now I have to worry about food, too? I am not alone on that either.

According to USDA, "The all-items Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of economy-wide inflation, increased 0.6 percent from January 2024 to February 2024 and was up 3.2 percent from February 2023. The CPI for all food increased 0.1 percent from January 2024 to February 2024, and food prices were 2.2 percent higher than in February 2023."

One can no longer afford groceries like before. It becomes more complicated when you consider the price of laundry

EBT: A helping hand for students

and medical costs that FAFSA does not assist with. Unfortunately, as someone who just had their financial aid reduced, I need as much assistance as I can get to focus on my studies without worrying

The TikTok ban and priorities in the age of social media

BY ELIJAH MULLER Staff Writer

The House passed legislation that could result in the banning of the popular social media app TikTok in the United States.

This legislation is the latest measure the U.S. government has taken against TikTok, ByteDance and the affiliated Chinese Communist Party since August 2020 when former President Donald Trump issued an executive order seeking to ban TikTok in the U.S. unless it was sold to an American company.

For me and many others my age, the urgency and attention that has been diverted towards this ban by the House, U.S. Senate and government as a whole is puzzling for a variety of reasons.

There is a common belief, especially among TikTok users and creators, that the U.S. has far more pressing concerns than banning a social media app. People are frustrated that they are focusing on banning TikTok instead of taking action to address income inequality, civil rights violations and other critical issues that directly impact the American people.

When the vote was first announced, I was conflicted. Like countless other TikTok users, I had grown fond of the app and had amassed a trove of data over the past three years. My photos app alone still takes up multiple gigabytes on my phone; mostly because of the videos I have saved from TikTok over the years.

However, I am no stranger to the

dangers of surrendering your data online.

Prior research I did on the rise and fall of Facebook for a high school project years ago showed that like TikTok, Facebook use to collect personal data and then illegally sell that data. Although they promised their users they would never collect in the first place, it was sold to third parties.

Those third parties then took that data and created personal profiles on these individuals to market everything imaginable. Physical products to political ideologies based on their psychology, who they were and their thought processes.

This practice falls under what is called “psychological warfare” which is illegal in the United States. That is why Facebook had to take and sell that data behind the backs of its users. This eventually led to Facebook and its associates, such as owner Mark Zuckerberg, getting caught and charged for their crimes. More importantly, their brand reputation went into the mud and a large majority of Facebook users ended up fading out in favor of other social media platforms.

This is important to note because TikTok's headquarters are located in Beijing, China, not the United States. There is no federal jurisdiction that they have to adhere to when collecting and selling data from U.S. citizens. Its parent company, ByteDance, is under the jurisdiction of the Chinese Communist Party despite being a privately owned company. ByteDance must still adhere to Chinese

up too late for breakfast.

I found the application process difficult at first since I had to wait until I was living on my own at a dorm, or I would not have qualified to apply as an independent. Once I did, I went onto the SNAP website and input all of my information manually. If you work, even for the smallest dime of pay, you still need to upload proof that someone is paying you. Afterward, you complete a short interview over the phone, where you confirm that the information you submitted is accurate. Shortly after, they mail you your new card, should you be approved.

According to the nonprofit CalMatters, "Before the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 127,000 California college students received CalFresh, even though anywhere from 416,471 to 689,233 students were likely eligible, according to a 2020 state report that relied on 20182019 data."

That proves how many students are still in need.

The only hassle I have to deal with is having to upload proof of income every month to prove that I am in dire need of assistance. If you miss your scheduled phone interviews that are due every period, your benefits may be stopped. Luckily, phone calls usually fix the issue, but the waiting time can be long if you want to speak with a representative.

about an empty stomach.

However, now that I use my SNAP card at any convenience store or supermarket, I finally have the means to feed myself in between classes in case I wake

Of course, this pales in comparison to how much SNAP has helped me as it has helped many others. Intimidating application process aside, I encourage others to apply, since help is available for those that need it.

laws and regulations, which involve requirements for data storage, censorship and cooperation with government authorities. This means that psychological warfare is very much on the table.

I personally believe that the dangers posed by TikTok are valid and hold weight in our society. Being educated on the inner workings of social media and how it can influence people is imperative for everyone. Foreign countries have used personal data accrued from social media to invoke a form of psychological warfare on US citizens and even interfere with U.S. elections in recent history.

This isn’t to say that foreign powers have infiltrated the United States and that people need to panic, but that being educated on the inner workings of social media and how it can influence people is imperative for everyone.

On the other hand, many people living in the U.S. currently make a living off of TikTok and have even put in years of work to establish themselves or their "brand". Should TikTok get banned, these people would have to find other

work and lose everything that they have spent years to build unless they want to uproot their lives and leave the country.

The somewhat common consensus on the internet that the United States government is focusing on TikTok only to distract people from real problems doesn't hold much weight after I completed my research since it is a matter of security and defending people from psychological warfare.

Despite that, many people still hinge their livelihood on TikTok, just like many other people use TikTok to get their news and entertainment. I don't think it's fair to take that away from anyone, just like it isn't fair to ask the U.S. government to allow the Chinese Communist Party to have free reign to do whatever they want with U.S. citizens' personal information.

At the end of the day, both sides are technically "in the right," even if everyone can't win.

Sometimes there just isn't a right answer to dilemmas both big and small and this is one of the greatest examples of that in today's world.

MARLON VILLA / Daily Forty-Niner TikTok which has become a big part of many people's daily routines, but the app's future in the United States hangs in the balance in light of recent legislation.

Illustration by MONTSERRAT RUIZ Daily Forty-Niner

DoesntMatterRodeBus

Because school is hard enough without the parking drama. Skip the stress and save on rides with a Go Beach! Pass, exclusively for CSULB students.

Scan the code to learn more or visit ridelbt.com/csulb

The third-largest crowd in Long Beach State men's volleyball history showed up in masses when Long Beach State went up against UCLA at the Walter Pyramid on Feb. 9. Just before the game, the LBSU banner was waved during the student section with music and energy at an all-time high, just before tip-off began.

Pack the Pyramid: Volleyball home game attendance on the rise

The Walter Pyramid has provided a homecourt advantage to both men’s and women’s volleyball since it was built in 1994.

BY ZACH DURHAM & DEVIN MALAST Social Media Assistant & Staff Writer

Long Beach State's athletics department will no doubt see a surge in attendance due to the men's volleyball NCAA tournament taking place at the Walter Pyramid starting on April 30.

While overall attendance numbers for men’s volleyball at the pyramid increased since the 2021 season. For years prior, there has been a disparity between ticket sales for men’s and women’s sports with the Beach's volleyball program being a prime example.

The men’s team averaged 1,502 spectators each home game and the women’s team only drew an average of 1,087 supporters, including students and local fans.

Over the past 10 years, LBSU’s volleyball program has ranked high in competition, with the women staying in the top six of the Big West rankings and the men’s team in the top five.

The women’s program sported a home record of 96-38 and the men’s program with 117-16, according to CSULB athletics.

Men’s volleyball remained undefeated at the Pyramid from 2017 to 2019, with a record of 42-0 and an average attendance of 1,787.

The women’s team was dominating in their 2014 to 2016 seasons, with a home game record of 43-9 and an average attendance of 1,008 per game.

In the years since 2016, both programs have seen an increase of about 54 attendees each year at home games.

Attendance began rising in 2019 for women's volleyball, before the cancelation of the 2020 season due to COVID-19.

Once spectators were allowed back into the Pyramid in 2021, women’s attendance continued to skyrocket.

With an average of 2,083 fans per men's game, attendance is the highest since 2019 when The Beach won their second consecutive national championship at home.

“We have fans with incredibly high volleyball IQ that know what good volleyball is; they’ve been around it for a long time,” coach Alan Knipe said.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the volleyball program’s home game attendance fluctuated according to Barbara Kingsley-Wilson's book “Long Beach State: A Brief History," both the men’s and women’s teams have seen an increase in the number of attendees over the past 10 years.

“The amount of support that we [see] from the people that are really close to the program...it’s really cool to see especially as a transfer,” sophomore Ben Braun said.

Games against Hawai’i and UCLA tend to draw the largest audiences and boast sold-out home games in the Walter Pyramid with over 4,000 attendees.

The women’s game against Hawai’i during the 2023 season drew a crowd of over 3,100 attendees making it the second most attended home game last year next to the season opener against Texas.

To help improve ticket sales, the athletic department holds pre-game rallies with merch giveaways on select nights.

Themed nights, including “white-out night" are also used to draw more attendees to fill up the student section.

SAMUEL CHACKO / Daily Forty-Niner

Chris Acker hired as next men's basketball head coach

BY DAVIS RAMAGE Sports Editor

It was announced Tuesday that former San Diego State men's basketball assistant coach Chris Acker was hired as the next head coach of the LBSU men's basketball team.

“My family and I are thrilled to be part of the Long Beach State community and we look forward to developing an elite basketball program the city of Long Beach will be proud of,” Acker said in a statement.

Acker's last five years were spent at SDSU as an assistant coach where he was part of a team that reached the NCAA tournament each of the last four years and the national championship in 2023.

He experienced no shortage of winning in his time with the Aztecs as they went 134-34 overall in his time there and reached the Sweet 16 this season but were knocked out by the tournament favorite UConn Huskies.

After a having relatively steady roster at SDSU, Acker will face the opposite at The Beach where he will be challenged with replacing all six of The Beach's top scorers who accounted for a total of 70 points a game.

Senior guards Marcus Tsohonis and

Messiah Thompson have zero years of eligibility remaining while multiple Long Beach State players reportedly entered the transfer portal.

This includes Junior guard Jadon Jones, junior forwards Aboubacar and Lassina Traore and sophomore guard AJ George.

Executive Director of Athletics Bobby Smitheran's ties with Acker run deep as they were at SDSU together for four years, giving the two a prior relationship that will be key in the rebuild of the men's basketball program.

“Our search committee placed a premium on identifying a candidate with a championship pedigree, a desire to support the holistic development of the young men in our basketball program and a connection to the tremendous community of Long Beach," Smitheran said in a statement. “Chris Acker exemplifies all of those qualities."

"His brand of leadership is exactly what is needed for the next era of Beach Basketball," Smitheran said. "He is passionate, intentional, gritty, and a man of great integrity, and we look forward to seeing what he can build in the next chapter of this storied program.”

Acker will be forced to be active in the transfer portal as The Beach prepares to defend their Big West Tournament title in the 2024-2025 season.

GARY METZKER / Daily Forty-Niner

On April 4, former SDSU assistant basketball coach Chris Acker was announced as the new LBSU men's basketball head coach at The Pointe.

Bobby Smitheran Executive Director of Athletics ”

[Acker's] brand of leadership is exactly what is needed for the next era of Beach Basketball.