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A selection of organic vegetables from the New Leaf Community Market in Half Moon Bay. Several of the vegetables are sourced within San Benito County, which lies a little down south from Half Moon Bay, in the Coast Range Mountains.
Students gathered at the University Student Union North Lawn to enjoy complimentary food while engaging with a variety of Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi (APID) student organizations in celebration of APID Heritage Month on April 10.
This kickoff extravaganza was the first of six planned events designed to celebrate APID Heritage Month.
The event provided an opportunity for the diverse Asian communities on campus to unite and educate the Long Beach State community
nicities a chance to raise awareness and educate others.
Being a person of Samoan and Mexican descent, Sayula emphasizes that students of mixed heritage deserve to be acknowledged with similar pride. “I’m often mistaken for being Hispanic,” she said.
Among the event’s student organizations was Project Resilience, who work with Counseling and Psychological Services and focuses on emphasizing the wellness and mental health of APID students on campus.
Kayla Harimawan, a second-year business marketing major, was captivated by the event’s layout and the complimentary food offerings.
Ellie Creighton
Lei Madrigal
Students were encouraged to explore informational booths to gain insights and have their food cards stamped before indulging in complimentary chicken or tofu and rice bowls.
The celebration also featured a friendship bracelet station, a henna tattoo vendor and free Vietnamese coffee and tea samples from the Little Saigon-based chain 7 Leaves Cafe.
“We have the chance to bring all 14 of our APID-adjacent student organizations under the same umbrella this month,” Shannyn Sayula, the assistant director of the APID Resource Center said.
Sayula said that an event like this gives all clubs a “space to be visible.”
While Pacific Islanders represent only 0.22% of students at CSULB, the Asian demographic is the second-largest, making up about 21.4% of the student body, according to the Institutional Research and Analytics office at CSULB.
Not only did the event bring awareness to communities in the college that can be overlooked but it also gave students who belong to multiple eth-
“I wanted to learn more about their heritage and see the different organizations and clubs they had to offer,” Harimawan said.
Representatives from the Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander (AANAPI) Student Success Center and Development (ASCEND) Program were also present to inform students of their goal of fostering a supportive, equitable and empowering learning environment on campus.
As students performed a traditional dance next to the henna station, student assistant George Stevenson told interested onlookers what the APID Resource Center had to offer.
“We provide couches, TVs, a free printer, and a place to study,” Stevenson said.
Although celebrated nationwide in May, Sayula said Long Beach State recognizes APID heritage in April because the semester ends in the middle of May.
“It’s all about celebrating and uplifting these identities,” Sayula said.
Undocu Conference, the next event dedicated to recognizing APID Heritage Month, will be taking place Friday morning in the USU ballrooms.
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.
The SharkSat-1 has been selected from hundreds of entries by NASA’s Launch Initiative to be sent up to space for research.
BY AVA DOMENICHELLI & NATE MARTINEZ Staff WriterSharkSat-1, created by the team at SharkSat, has been selected by NASA through its CubeSat Launch Initiative to launch its own CubeSat into space.
According to Nasa’s website, a CubeSat is a small spacecraft that orbits Earth. CubeSat can open up all kinds of tools such as solar panels, communications antennas and telescopes.
SharkSat is the first and only satellite-focused project group at Long Beach State. It is associated with the AIAA, also known as the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
The SharkSat team submitted their CubeSat proposal in November and got approved by NASA in March.
“Since winning the proposal, everybody has been extremely excited, the energy in the room now is just at another level,” structures and thermals lead Aaron Kleidermacher said. “To see it come back to us with success makes every single one of us extremely proud.”
NASA’s Launch Initiative provides opportunities for CubeSats built by American educational institutions and nonprofit organizations. Per NASA’s website, the proposal must demonstrate a benefit to NASA by addressing aspects of education, science, exploration, technology development or NASA’s strategic goals.
The initiative selected 10 small research satellites across eight states to fly to space as part of NASA’s efforts to expand education and science opportunities. New entries for the launch proposal include five new universities, including CSULB.
“I think that’s the important thing here, just establishing a really prestigious engineering organization here for the advancement of the engineering industry as a whole, especially in our community,” telecommunications lead KeSean Johnson said. “We are all pretty passionate about engineering.”
SharkSat-1 seeks to monitor LED-induced blue light pollution across Earth. As mentioned on NASA’s website, LED lights are popular due to their cost efficiency, but their impacts are currently being studied by climate and health researchers.
The SharkSat team hopes to collect data that would create a database for experts to create light pollution maps.
“It takes a lot of work,” project lead Jaime Ormeno said. “You have to plan the entire project scope and you have to figure out your mission, how you’re gonna complete it and continue that to go with the design to later test and hopefully launch.”
NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative is one of many ways NASA is attracting and
retaining students in STEM disciplines. The initiative promotes and develops innovative technology partnerships among NASA.
Since its introduction, the CubeSat Launch Initiative has launched over 150 CubeSats on more than 40 ELAN (Educational Launch of Nanosatellites) missions. NASA has selected over 200 CubeSat missions from more than 100 unique organizations representing 42 states.
“We started looking back at past winners and we realized that there’s a lot of universities in Southern California that have established organizations,” Johnson said.
“Ultimately, our success is really driven by the team,” Kleidermacher said. “It just makes us incredibly proud and incredibly grateful.”
NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative selected missions that are currently planned to launch from 2025-28.
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I think that’s the important thing here, just establishing a really prestigious engineering organization here for the advancement of the engineering industry as a whole...
KeSean Johnson Telecommunications lead
How Long Beach State college of engineering is striving to even the ratio of men and women within the department.
BY NATE MARTINEZ Staff WriterJenni Heng, a fourth year mechanical engineering major, walks into her thermal engineering laboratory class as one of only two women in her class.
Within the world of engineering education, this is the norm. According to 2021 statistics from the Society of Women Engineers, attained from the Natural Center for Education Statistics, females make up only 22.5% of bachelor’s degree holders in engineering and computer science in the United States.
“When I started taking more engineering specific courses, it’s one of the first things I noticed is like, wow, I’m one of four girls in my class of 30,” Heng said. “So that was definitely jarring.”
Senior mechanical engineering major Sindi Ascencio made similar observations of the uneven ratio of male to female engineering students at Long Beach State CSULB).
“I mean of course it bothers me,” Ascencio said of the ratio. “We wish we had more [women], you know, that we can follow their steps and see what they did to get there.”
Ascencio is from Cantón Las Granadillas, a small rural town in El Salvador. She said her hometown did not discourage her from becoming an engineer on the basis of being a woman.
“We don’t have that, you know, society telling you what to do,” Ascencio said. “I think it helped me a lot not to have someone, you know, tell me negative comments about what an engineer is or what they should do. ”
Meanwhile in the department of biomedical engineering, department head Shadnaz Asgari said how her classroom environment differs from other engineering departments.
“At least in the biomedical engineering department, when I go to class to teach, I see almost an equal number of women and men,” Asgari said. “So in that sense, our department is doing very well.”
As of the spring semester of 2024, the biomedical engineering department is comprised of 51.4% female undergrad students to 48.6% male, the highest ratio of female to male in any engineering department.
Asgari said that about 60% of her faculty are female and how that can encourage other women in the field as well. She attributes this increase in women to the direct impact biomedical engineer-
ing has on people's lives.
“Many women in general would like to get involved in a field that they feel like whatever they do, they want to make sure it benefits society,” Asgari said. “In biomedical engineering, we make sure that whatever we teach, we show them how it’s going to be used to help save the lives of patients or improve health care.”
Overall, Asgari said the university’s commitment to supporting women engineers with various programs and events has helped shift the trend of engineering being a male dominated major.
One of the main initiatives has been the 100+ Women Strong Campaign along with its steering committee, which according to their website was “designed to fuel the College of Engineering’s priority to inspire, recruit, retain, graduate, and launch more CSULB women engineers into successful careers.”
According to the website, each year the committee hosts a conference for all women engineering students at the university.
“We hope that events such as the Women in Engineering Conference will provide industry knowledge and support needed to increase our [women’s] representation in the workforce,” Monica Amalfitano said in an email to the Daily 49er. She serves as the director/campus engineer at CSULB and is a current member of the committee.
According to Amalfitano's email, the numbers in attendance of the conference have increased over the years.
“Our conference is growing, and so we must be doing something right!” Amalfitano said in her email. “The conference is well supported from our industry partners and we are also experiencing an influx of presenters and speakers.”
Jinny Rhee was hired as the first female dean of the college of engineering
Over the last five years, the College of Engineering has seen a slight increase in female enrollment according to the Institutional Research and Analytics. Dean Rhee has high hopes, believing that female enrollment can reach half of the overall college.
and is working to increase the enrollment of women within the department.
“We definitely are gunning for 50% or 70%,” Rhee said. “I mean we [women] are 50% of the population, we need to be at the table.”
In the fall of 2023, there was a 2% increase in female enrollment compared to the year before. Despite this, females only made up 22.1% of the total amount of engineering students.
“We’re happy for the little uptick,” Rhee said. “We definitely still have a lot of work to do.” As one of the few females in her department, Rhee has pushed for more female representation.
The 100+ Women Strong Campaign allows engineering students to speak directly with working females. “Seeing women in the industry who are success-
ful…and hold higher positions…it’s kind of inspiring,” Heng said. “Like, okay it is possible; that’s something I could do.”
Heng said she gains inspiration from seeing a female dean chairing her department and is a feeling shared by Rhee as well, who was inspired by one of the few female professors during her time at university.
“You can’t really imagine yourself until you see someone who looks like yourself too,” Rhee said.
Asgari also said of the importance of seeing other women in the field.
“That’s the most important thing because you want to see there are other people like you who have the same passion as you when it comes to engineering,” Asgari said. “So being part of a group, you feel secure and you feel safe.”
It’s easy to understand why Union, one of Long Beach’s hottest new restaurants, has received so much recognition since opening its doors in January.
Spearheaded by Chef Eugene Santiago, the menu features Filipino-forward dishes with Southeast Asian influences and California flair. Think pancit with black garlic butter and pork kare kare served over fluffy coconut rice.
Other dishes like bao buns stuffed with juicy fried chicken, whole branzino smothered in nam jim sauce and crispy cauliflower tossed in tamarind dressing highlight the influences that Santiago honed at Baryo, his Southeast Asian fusion pop-up.
Through Baryo, Santiago has established residency at Union to continue his mission of reimagining Filipino food while simultaneously giving back to the
surrounding area.
“What we’re trying to do with Baryo translates well with what Compound’s mission is,” Santiago said. “We share the same values in wanting to uplift the community and everyone around us by making it available to everyone. I think that is really important.”
Located in the historic Zaferia neighborhood, the restaurant is tucked away inside of Compound, a nonprofit cultural community hub with an adjacent art gallery. According to Compound founder Megan Tagliaferri, the space is meant to serve the surrounding community.
“Compound is an intersection in serving the community arts, wellness and community impact and I think that the partnership with Union and Baryo has been an extension of our community,” Tagliaferri said.
The sprawling indoor space is adorned with colorful artwork that stands out against the stark white walls and is accompanied by a sculpture garden that doubles as an outdoor dining
area. Complete with high ceilings and a large neon sign above the entrance that reads “You Belong Here,” Union offers visitors a unique dining experience.
“Food allows connection and to enjoy a meal and be communal together,” Tagliaferri said when asked what the inspiration was for bringing Union to Compound.
Centered on uplifting the community, Compound hosts various talks and workshops that display the intersectionality of art, wellness and food. This emotionally driven work is equally important to Chef Santiago as he draws much of his culinary inspiration from his emotions, sharing that cooking is inherently done from the heart.
Tagliaferri recalled why she handpicked Santiago to bring Union at Compound to life, stating that his genuine heart-centered work, coupled with his culinary talents, reflected Compound’s overall mission.
For Santiago, Union has been an opportunity to better understand his
Filipino heritage by showcasing his cultural background with classic French techniques that he learned during his time in culinary school. Often underrepresented in the culinary landscape, Filipino food is what continues to inspire Santiago to create the unique dishes found at Union.
Sourcing most ingredients locally, Union aims to not only support local businesses but to also serve food that lets in-season California produce shine. The menu will continually rotate according to what is in season to offer “what tastes best in the moment.”
Now offering brunch service on the weekends, Union hopes to continue serving patrons exciting food and great customer service that will keep them coming back for more.
Union is located at 1395 Coronado Ave. Long Beach, CA 90804. Their hours of operation are Wednesday to Friday from 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Formula DRIFT drivers made a pit stop at the Pike to meet local fans and automotive enthusiasts.
BY MARK SIQUIG Photo AssistantFormula DRIFT rolled out the welcome mat for car enthusiasts at the Pike Outlets in Long Beach on April 10, treating attendees to a display of drift cars and drivers ahead of the inaugural round of the Formula DRIFT tournament.
Many competing drivers made their way through the streets of Long Beach as they drove past the crowd in downtown’s historic Pine Avenue.
Fans gathered around the entrance of the shopping outlet as they patiently waited for the cars to arrive.
Once all drivers arrived and parked on Bay Street, fans had the opportunity to meet them and take pictures of the cars including the interior. The meet and greet flooded the outlets as fans came out to take part in the DRIFT experience.
Formula DRIFT driver Dean Kearney of Team Karnage said he enjoyed being part of the meet and greet and is grateful to the city of Long Beach for hosting the tournament’s first stop.
“I’m hoping for a good weekend. I love it and this was the first city I was in America and the first ever bar I drank in,” Kearney said.
Kearney will be one of the drivers during the drift competition on Saturday, April 13 in Downtown Long Beach. The meet and greet was a kickoff before the main event featuring 32 pro drivers.
“It gets more fun every year and seeing Dean compete with these other cars through the drift season is endlessly exciting,” Rachel Donovan, merchandise representative for Team Karnage said.
The parade left many fans eagerly anticipating the main event race.
“It’s dreamy man. It’s cool that they appreciate it and it’s such a legendary automotive town and it’s really cool that the city lets our league shut down the streets and do stuff like this and it’s cool to mingle with the locals and community,” Donovan said.
Formula DRIFT will have several competitions after their first stop in Long Beach with the 2024 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach taking place downtown from April 19 to 21.
Duy Nguyen-Amigo abandons his 9-5 to pursue his passion in musicBY JULIA GOLDMAN Podcast Assistant
A9-5 workweek encased in a corporate cubicle was a “taxing, vortex of emotional abuse” to 28-yearold Duy Nguyen-Amigo. Now, he has stepped away from answering phones and emails to pursue the one constant love within his life, which is music.
“I no longer let these people, these situations define me,” Nguyen-Amigo said. “I will continue turning my adversities and life experiences into art, into something beautiful.”
Since his shift into full-time artistry, Nguyen-Amigo has spent his time performing gigs, creating social media content, editing and writing his upcoming EDM single, “Stop, just u wait.”
“You know, it was all a blessing in disguise,” Nguyen-Amigo said, the words flowing out of the raised corners of his mouth.
For two and a half years, Nguyen-Amigo worked a corporate logistics job where he aided shipping import processes and handled troubleshooting problems. His previous job financially supplemented his livelihood and musical passions, but he said that the mentally abusive environment caused him to develop writer’s block.
“I was so unmotivated, it was hard for me to come up with material that was organic,” Nguyen-Amigo said. “Since I left, all of my energy is going towards music.”
Since November 2023, Nguyen-Ami-
go has been devoting his energy to his mental health through recording content, creating promotional material, editing and performing.
The courage and support to take the leap away from his former corporate job is one that Nguyen-Amigo credits to his friends, like 28-year-old Yvonne Nguyen. Nguyen said that she has known Nguyen-Amigo since she was in middle school and has been following his music career since she has known him.
“When I first met him we were really young. I didn’t see anything that was going on through his life,” Nguyen said. “Just seeing and hearing all the thing’s he’s been through, and how it’s played through his music career, I just feel like he’s a strong person.”
Nguyen-Amigo’s lifestyle shift also influenced the creation and genre of his music. Unlike his previous eight songs, “Stop, just u wait” begins a shift into what Nguyen-Amigo calls “Viet-glish EDM” - an integrated blend between Western and Vietnamese culture in the style of electronic dance music.
His single takes inspiration from Vietnamese pop by utilizing traditional Vietnamese instruments and combining English and Vietnamese. The lyrics portray the turmoils that Nguyen-Amigo previously faced and mark a fresh, rejuvenated outlook in his music journey.
The single was released on all major streaming platforms, such as Pandora, Spotify and Apple Music on April 11 at 9 a.m. Pacific Standard Time under the name theoneDNA.
JULIA GOLDMAN / Daily Forty-Niner Orange County musician Duy Nguyen-Amigo posing at Cerritos Heritage Park. Since his transition into pursing musicianship full-time, Nguyen-Amigo said, “I haven’t felt this mentally clear and free in a long time.”
Monotheistic religions in America have been decreasing among Americans while spiritual practices have been increasing
Religion has been on a decline amongst Americans as the rise of spirituality has increased.
In the US, 41% of Americans have become more spiritual overtime versus the 24% who say they have become less religious according to the Pew Research Center.
There have also been reports by numerous news outlets saying a variety of demographics within the US are also identifying as “less religious” or not affiliated with any religion. Some people say religion helps society while others say it causes division.
Cierra Smith, a communication studies major at CSULB, is part of the Jewish faith. Smith said that she does not think religion is not becoming irrelevant, but rather it’s changing and adapting in a newer society.
“I still think that a lot of people subscribe to faith in some sort of way, whether it’s like believing in a God or
higher power, but just the way we practice is changing,” Smith said.
Smith also said that she sees spirituality increasing among a younger generation, but she believes that it’s not taking away from any religion. She said that people can use faith and spiritually reciprocally, without any sort of interference, but she personally wouldn’t be fond of it, due to her connection to Judaism already being very strong.
At the University Interfaith Center, former Christian Madeline Popovich, an English major, also mentioned she’s not part of any religious groups anymore and now considers herself a more spiritual person.
Popovich said that even though she’s not religious anymore, she likes to see the perspective from different religions and attributes that the use of social media is spreading out more of religious culture, making it more aware to completely new people.
“[In] Christianity, we looked at different religions, like they were wrong, but…I think being able to, like, see everything from more of an outside perspective,” Popovich said. “Everyone is pretty much on the same page. It’s just like, little small differences like, where your family comes from and what traditions they follow.”
Smith said that growing up inter-
faith, she had the opportunity to see two different perspectives from Judaism and Christianity and noticed that both support a moral and relevant good to each person’s values.
Spirituality is also increasing its numbers also by a factor that plays a big role in people’s lives, which is mental health. According to Alcoholics Anonymous, a press release said: “At A.A. meetings, spiritual themes are often highlighted in members’ personal sharing or in readings at meetings from the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions or the book Alcoholics Anonymous—commonly called “The Big Book.”
The group focused on helping alcoholics heal and recover from their addiction emphasizes how they don’t identify as a religious organization. Their main focus is to find a bond together as they feel “common suffering,” whether it’s through spirituality or religion.
The Pew Research Center also reported that a survey they conducted in 2023 concluded 83% of US adults say that “they believe people have a soul or spirit in addition to their physical body.” There has been an overall decline in those who attend religious services regularly and beliefs in religious practices.
Shivani Bothra, assistant professor in the department of religious studies
at Long Beach State said that the newer generations are becoming more spiritual due to the core ethical values that come with spirituality.
“The younger generation is getting more into spirituality, that means they are looking at the religious tradition through a scientific lens, they are not diverting away from religions, what they are diverting away is you know from some kind of a creed or ritualistic practices, some dogmas that do not appeal to the logic mind,” Bothra said.
Bothra also said that common practices often associated with spirituality like meditation are attractive due to their relationship premise with not just God, but with other humans as it brings inclusivity with other people and internal growth within a person.
“We look at religion more from dogmatic practices, but today’s generation is more looking at rational practice,” Bothra said.
Bothra suggested that if religions want to increase more of their turnout rates, they should have a new approach that would appeal more to a younger generation and that would possibly add a rational reason to its teachings, rather than old school practices that churches might still follow.
BY JULIA GOLDMAN Podcast Assistant
The mineral rich costal breeze of Half Moon Bay has nurtured a lush abundance of flora and fauna. Explore the region’s rich ecology, and grab a taste of its offerings from the rooted community.
Historic Main Street at 1 p.m.
In a town of about 12,000, the historic Main Street of Half Moon Bay holds rows of local shops with a variety of daily necessities, specialty gifts and bites to eat. Many of the establishments hold a deep rooted history within the town, and several goods and ingredients are sourced from the region's agricultural market.
It's easy to get lost within the window shopping of Main Street, but it's worth it to scour each and every shop to find a personable, novelty knickknack.
Butano State Park, Candelabra trail at 2 p.m.
About 20 miles from the coast and quaint town of Half Moon Bay, a story of rebounding ecology is told within the abundance of charred
Top: On one side of Harley Farms lays the tools for maintaining workforce of milkers, cheesemakers, shopkeepers and ranchers. immense fascination with the camera. Right: Lush pockets of greenery Main Street, like this artichoke plant. Belonging to the coastal “Artichoke agricultural market of the crop, and their use of it in dishes. Far is teeming with vegetation, like this row of small, capped mushrooms.
redwood trunks in Butano State Park. Stumps evidence the remote state park’s history of mass deforestation before preservation and their charcoal state shows the effects of the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fires.
Bear witness to the forest’s history and nature’s resilience through the observation of botany, mushrooms and animal dwellers along the trails of the park.
Harley Farms at 3 p.m.
Cattle, cats, 72 baby goats and one mini pony call the 2.5 mile stretch of farmland home at Harley Farms. Just five miles away from Butano State Park, a collection of fresh goat cheese, milk, meat and pantry-goods is offered at Harley Farms.
Enjoy a stroll through the farm, make friends with its many inhabitants and pick up some specialty ingredients along the way.
The Meal, following 4 p.m
After a day of exploring the historic downtown, getting lost within the Butano forest and shopping at markets and farms, a home cooked meal in the light coastal breeze can encapsulate the simple daily life of Half Moon Bay. As a day’s spoils are enjoyed, the sun dips and the day’s microcosms of beauty mirrors an expansive, star riddled night sky.
the land and its inhabitants. The farm requires a
Left: Just one of the 72 baby goats, this little one had an greenery sprout within the gaps of paved concrete along “Artichoke Gulch”, Half Moon Bay is known for their Far Right: Every ridge and surface within the Butano forest mushrooms.
In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to find new original films as studios try to play it safe, relying on the same familiar stories and characters.
BY MONTSERRAT RUIZ Guest WriterWhen walking around campus, take a moment to look around and see how unique everyone is from one another and what it is that they are pursuing.
People enter college for many reasons and often at different stages of their lives. Maybe you know someone who just transferred in from community college, already struggling to adjust to the massive change in commute and tuition. Maybe you will notice a new freshman, ahead of the game and fully focused on their studies.
You may find yourself noticing the students who can balance being an athlete and manage to get their assignments in on time, making them the professor’s favorites.
Comparing yourself to these students should not be what defines your success and endeavors in college, as each path leads to a different result.
I, myself, am a student who came to Long Beach State as a transfer from Los Angeles City College. I was so excited to begin this new chapter of my education. Yet when I got here, all I could think about was my studies. I desperately wanted to be a part of something bigger and someone that could balance multiple things at once.
I began comparing myself to other students. These students included people that had been at CSULB since their freshman year; had internships, were in sororities, could work out everyday and still get straight A's.
BY ELIJAH MULLER Staff WriterAs someone who is apart of the early Gen Z demographic, I've witnessed a myriad of original stories put to screen, particularly during my childhood with animated classics like Pixar’s "Up," "Wall-E," and "The Incredibles." Later on, the Marvel Cinematic Universe reshaped superhero films, and even the once-criticized Star Wars prequels now find love for their ambitious storytelling.
However, over the past five years, this wave of creativity seems like it has ebbed to me and many of my peers. It feels like few films are willing to take risks with entirely new stories anymore. Exceptions like Sony’s Spider-Verse films and Matt Reeves’ "The Batman" exist but they are now very far and few between.
It's not that there haven't been great movies in recent years, but that Hollywood seems stuck in a loop of sequels and remakes, recycling anything and everything that is or used to be popular. "The Incredibles 2" and the live-action "The Little Mermaid" are great examples of movies that epitomize this trend.
The most egregious example of this trend in my eyes is the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Disney's pivot after acquiring the franchise. George Lucas' prequels from the early 2000’s, though divisive, were very original in their storytelling. Derisively, Disney's sequels chose safe nostalgia over any kind of risk taking. The
trilogy's subsequent entries also lacked a cohesive vision and relied heavily on nostalgia over substance, and yet despite this, each film still grossed over a billion dollars.
I believe that the sequels alone painted a picture for Disney, and Hollywood in general, that people will pay to see familiarity, and that familiarity in better for business than risk taking. This practice eventually seeped into Marvel's operations as well by virtue of the MCU parliament and the rest of the industry. The three most anticipated action movies of this summer are literally a; Godzilla x Kong sequel, a Planet of the Apes sequel, and a Deadpool... sequel.
This shift reflects a fear of financial failure rather than a fear of creative risk-taking. Hollywood has learned it can rely on established universes and fanbases. Consequently, originality in films has dwindled, with corporations squeezing franchises for profit.
We seem to be in a cycle where the golden age of inventive cinema is no longer a priority, Hollywood is content with milking established franchises dry. On the bright side though, Hollywood's reluctance to venture into the unknown could also eventually lead to industry stagnation, which could in turn potentially prompt a renaissance in fictional movie making down the line.
At the end of the day, Hollywood's reluctance to break from the familiar is driven by a desire for financial security. They are a real life example of someone who is playing not to lose rather than someone who is playing to win.
MONTSERRAT RUIZ Daily Forty-NinerWhy can't I be more like you?
Being in college lead me to compare myself to other students and at times, I felt like I was not enough. It's been a long journey, but I now realize my self-worth.
"Now those are accomplishments that I could never achieve," I thought to myself.
I felt like I was not worthy of being a part of this rigorous college system and its student body.
This is where I began to visualize myself as this person I thought I needed to be, in order to become happy in college. I told myself that I should put in the effort, be more social and active in attending on-campus events.
At a point though, I felt like I had just began comparing myself to the person that I thought I should become, rather than focusing on the things that actually made me happy.
It needed to stop and to do that, I made myself speak to other college students about where they were in their educational careers.
I came to realize that not everyone was a genius in their study, or played sports after class and only a small amount of students were truly able to get ahead even before coming to CSULB.
Now knowing this information, I learned that I couldn't keep comparing myself to a group of students who already had an advantage. It hurt to have this realization, but it also brought me to my senses.
It taught me not only how the world works, but how I work as well.
It took me time to find groups on campus that I felt that I could be apart of and learn from at the same time. It took me a year to find a job on campus to support my needs and to build upon my network.
Even though it was tough to know where I fit in for a while, it always was there, it just was a matter of when found it.
BY JACK HASLETT Staff Writer
Long Beach State did a little bit of everything on the weekend to sweep conference rival UC Santa Barbara in three games.
Senior starting pitcher Sophia Fernandez stole the show in the opening game of Friday’s doubleheader. The lefty tossed a complete game, her seventh game of the season and allowed one run and two hits.
Fernandez matched a career-best seven strikeouts in a 2-1 Beach win at the LBSU Softball Complex.
Senior catcher Rebekah Durazo carried the offense on her back in the first game driving in both Beach runs that came across.
In the first, Durazo doubled in sophomore center fielder Makayla Medellin to open the game after Medellin was awarded third due to obstruction.
During the bottom of the third inning, Durazo singled and advanced senior Sara Olson to third before Olson scored because of a fielding error.
Both Beach runs came unearned
and were all Long Beach State needed because Fernandez gave up one run the whole game.
“We’re playing good softball right now as a team,” head coach Kim Sowder said. “Our pitching did a great job. Sophia did real well starting and Mo [Quinlan] was a difference maker for us this weekend.”
The second leg of the doubleheader saw another one-run game in which The Beach would come out on top 4-3.
Long Beach State took a 1-0 to the top of the fourth until three straight two-out hits, including two doubles, drove in two UCSB runs to give them the lead 2-1.
A double from Olson in the bottom of the fourth scored junior right fielder Corissa Sweet and tied the game back up. UCSB struck back in the fifth after a second base error, which allowed a run to score.
The Beach rallied back in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with three straight singles. Senior designated player Jocylyn Vidal drew an RBI walk to tie the game at three.
The next batter, senior first baseman Cassie Camou, flew out deep enough to center field for junior second baseman
The Long Beach State men’s volleyball team dominated in its final regular season game of the 2024 season as they swept the University of California Irvine Anteaters in three sets at the Walter Pyramid.
With the win over UCI Saturday night, The Beach clinched the regular season Big West Championship and the No. 1 seed for the Big West Championships. This also marked a three-peat of Big West regular season championships for The Beach.
The first set was back and forth as both teams are ranked in the top four in the country and traded points throughout the set, which resulted in 12 ties.
Long Beach State came out on top in the first set 27-25 as senior opposite hitter Clarke Godbold nailed a service ace to secure the set for The Beach.
Junior outside hitters Skyler Varga and Sotiris Siapanis scored nine kills in the set.
The second set was similar to the first, but the scoring came more from the defensive end as both teams scored frequently via attack errors and blocks.
Long Beach State pulled away in the second set which saw 15 ties and three lead changes and won 25-21 where Siapanis this time sealed the set with a kill.
The third set was not as closely contested as the previous two with The Beach showing their offensive prowess and winning the third set by a score of 25-17 as Siapanis again ended the set with a kill.
LBSU was dominant in the third set as they hammered down 14 kills.
After the match, Long Beach State honored its nine graduating seniors with a ceremony on the court.
“I am so proud of this group and their thirst for more I am so proud of that, and we just can’t wait to get back
Jacquelyn Bickar to tag from third and scored the winning run for LBSU’s seventh walk-off win of the season.
Fernandez started game three of the series on Saturday fresh off her seventh complete game the day before and was light out again, which resulted in The Beach winning 7-2.
Quinlan entered the game in relief of Fernandez after she got into trouble and allowed two runs in the fourth inning. The Beach reliever pitcher struck out one while stranding a runner at second to escape without any more damage.
LBSU threatened early in the bottom of the first as Olson led off the game with a single and later came around to score on a wild pitch to put the Beach up 1-0.
Camou's solo homerun to straight away center field in the second inning was part of six Beach runs put on in the first three innings.
“I think my confidence has been up a lot lately and I feel like I’ve been seeing the ball really well,” Camou said. “I kind of called it before it even happened. I just was waiting to get the right pitch.”
The Beach tacked on an insurance run from a Durazo RBI single in the fifth inning and the seventh Beach run of the
game was more than enough to put away the Gauchos.
Quinlan closed the rest of the game and went four innings, struck out two and allowed two hits.
“I just have to quiet the mind,” Quinlan said. “My approach this weekend was to just go get ‘em … and quiet the mind and just let your body do what it knows how to do.”
Olson scored three hits and scored three runs, which included a spectacular diving catch in the fourth inning to save a run.
She also stole her eighth base of the year and 45th of her Long Beach career. Olson currently sits second all-time in career steals at LBSU, only trailing Sowder’s all-time mark of 50 stolen bases set between 1989 and 1992.
The series sweep against Big West rivals improved LBSU to 17-24 overall and 12-3 in the conference, second behind Cal State Fullerton. UCSB left with a 1323 overall record and a 7-8 conference record.
LBSU next takes the field in San Luis Obispo in a doubleheader against Cal Poly on Saturday, April 20 starting at 1 p.m.
to work and head over to Hawai’i to start playing more volleyball,” head coach Alan Knipe said.
The Beach ended the regular season with an overall record of 24-2 and a 9-1 in conference play. UC Irvine is 18-9 overall and 7-3 in conference play, resulting in the Anteaters finishing second place in the Big West Standings.
The Black and Blue rivalry saw major accolades be recorded by Beach players with senior setter Aidan Knipe recording his 3,000 career assist for The Beach and
senior libero Mason Briggs moving into second place for Long Beach State’s career digs record.
Long Beach State will head to Hawaii for the 2024 Big West Championships which will start on April 18 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
The Beach has a bye in the first round and will play their semi-final game at 7 p.m. against the winner of the No. 5 seed California State University Northridge and the No. 4 seed University of California San Diego.
BY DAVIS RAMAGE Sports Editor
"Relentlessness. We will be relentless in every aspect," head coach Chris Acker said.
Acker, the new head coach of the Long Beach State men's basketball team is ready to face the multitude of challenges that lie ahead.
The issue staring him in the face is that a total of 70 points per game from last year's NCAA Tournament team have reportedly entered the transfer portal. Notably; junior guard Jadon Jones, junior forwards Aboubacar and Lassina Traore and sophomore guard AJ George.
"The number one plan is to get the guys who left back on campus, so we're working diligently at that right now," Acker said. "As we get a feel of who's
coming back and who's not coming back, then from there we'll just kind of make our adjustments."
If Acker and his staff are not able to retain the guys who led The Beach to an NCAA Tournament berth last season, he is confident that he has "really good players" currently on the roster who will be given every opportunity in the upcoming season to showcase their talents.
The two players he mentioned specifically who are capable of stepping up are sophomore guard Jason Hart Jr. and senior guard Isa Silva.
Hart Jr. played five games in his freshman campaign last season before he was forced to take a medical redshirt and Silva started the first 14 games of the year but saw his minutes gradually go down as he was demoted to the bench.
Acker spent five years as an assistant under head coach Brian Dutcher at San Diego State University. The Aztec's offense is usually a balanced attack without
a true number-one scorer that relies on its defense to create offensive opportunities, with the exception of Jaedon LeDee and his 21.4 ppg last year.
He said that he intends to rely on defense at The Beach and stick true to the system Dutcher runs at SDSU.
"I definitely plan on guys you know being able to score based on their abilities and putting them in good situations to have success," Acker said.
One thing that he learned from Dutcher is that it takes a long time to get to March [Madness,] and that you have to be patient with not only the team as a whole, but with individual players because each player comes along at different times throughout the season.
"The most important thing that I took from Coach Dutcher is it's just all about the work and as long as we work and we're pushing towards that ultimate goal, eventually we'll get there," Acker said.
Acker acknowledges the excitement around the men's basketball team at SDSU and would love to replicate it at The Beach and said that it takes engagement from students, stakeholders, alumni and the community.
He said that he will hold up his end of the bargain by putting a product on the floor that gets people excited, he just wants people to come out and support.
This offseason will play a huge factor in the trajectory of the program for the years to come. If Acker and his staff cannot retain the players who have reportedly entered the transfer portal, that same portal will be used to find players who can replace the huge hole in The Beach's roster.
"I just think next year, four or five years from now, the sky is the limit," Acker said. "We're not going to put limitations on where we can go or where we're going to be."
” The number one plan is to get the guys who left back on campus, so we're working diligently at that right now. As we get a feel of who's coming back and who's not coming back, then from there we'll just kind of make our adjustments.
Chris Acker LBSU men's basketball head coach