CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH
VOL. LXVIX, ISSUE 69 | APRIL 16, 2018
FACULTY
Email privacy questioned at academic senate Administration reserves the right to access faculty emails under the premise of “compelling circumstances.” By Lauren Martinez Staff Writer
One faculty member has claimed that Cal State Long Beach administration violated
university policy by accessing her professional email account without her consent. Douglas Domingo-Forasté, the California Faculty Association Long Beach Chapter president, first presented the breach to the academic senate April 5. He stated that during a grievance hearing April 3, one of the university’s lawyers attempted to use a faculty member’s email messages to disprove her claim. “We had a grievance the other day and one of our faculty members, probably at the direction of the CSU lawyers, had all her
emails gone through,” Domingo-Forasté said at the meeting. “They contained sensitive health information and they not only didn’t have her consent, she didn’t even know about it.” Academic Senate Chair Norbert Schürer was present for Domingo-Forasté’s original announcement and weighed in on the potential breach via email. “We don’t know a lot of facts of the case, like whether it was the Chancellor’s Office or somebody at [the university] who went through the faculty’s email,” Schürer said. “If it’s true that the
CSULB administration is going through faculty emails, and if there is no compelling legal reason for it, that would be a serious breach of trust.” The Daily 49er reached out to spokespeople from both CSULB and California State University, however both parties have declined to comment on the matter. Jeff Bliss, executive director of media and digital affairs for Long Beach State University Office of Public Affairs stated he “can’t comment on issues that are being adjudicated or that are
personnel issues.” Under the California Public Records Act, any citizen can legally access governmental records, including CSU faculty emails, if an official request has been submitted. However, California State University and CSULB also have policies in place regarding electronic communications. “We all know that are emails are not private in the sense that any citizen can make a request see POLICY, page 2
D49er MEN’S BASKETBALL
Put your money where your Monson is The head coach’s new contract emphasizes incentives for winning and introduces a pay cut. By Christian Gonzales Sports Editor
Adriana Ramirez | Daily 49er
First place winners Alpha Phi Alpha were one of the seven Greek groups competing in the 25th annual Long Beach Step Show.
GET TO STEPPIN’
T
he sounds of stomps, claps and chants broke through the usually quiet campus Saturday as the Long Beach Step Show created a party in the pyramid. Thousands of former and current fraternity and sorority members showed up in their chapter’s best for the 25th annual competition. Members from nine different fraternities took to the stage with their own original ‘90s-themed performances, complete with matching outfits and mini story lines. “My experience with the LB Step Show is just unity,” said Alheli Mercado, Cal State Long Beach alumni. It brings together all of our organizations together it’s all about service and community and it’s the one time where we all get together, we all represent our organizations and we have fun.” The money raised from ticket sales went toward scholarships for the winning participants and for the National Panhellenic Council. For more photos, see page 4.
After 11 years at Long Beach State, men’s basketball head coach Dan Monson signed a restructured five-year contract which prioritized incentives for winning and came with a $75,080 pay cut. Under the current contract, Monson’s base salary was $358,640 this season. With Andy Fee looking ahead to the next campaign, the Long Beach State athletic director came to a conclusion to restructure Monson’s contract after several unfulfilled seasons. On March 29, Fee announced that Monson signed a five-year extension after a 15-18 season which ended with an elimination by Cal State Fullerton in the Big West Tournament quarterfinals. Monson’s new contract will take effect July 1, and he will earn a base salary of $283,560 while also receiving $16,440 annually or $1,370 a month in supplemental base comsee CONTRACT, page 8
2 NEWS
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HEALTH
Students continue to light up despite tobacco ban The Breathe Campaign outlawed smoking, but has yet to begin giving out citations. By Lindsay Johnson and Divine Paguio Contributing Writers
Although smoking was banned from Cal State Long Beach in 2016, you wouldn’t know that walking through the campus halls. The Breathe Campaign was implemented at the university in 2013 in an effort to eliminate smoking on campus. In Fall 2016, the campaign officially banned tobacco and e-cigarettes from campus. Despite this, students have found hidden areas on campus to light up. A 24-year-old transfer student, who wished to remain anonymous, was found smoking near the dumpster area by the library and said he’s been “harrassed by the people in the green shirts.” He said even though there are claims
that cigarettes harm the environment, what environmentalists should worry about are e-cigarettes, which are non-biodegradable. According to the university tobacco and smoking policy, during the first three years of this adopted policy, violators will be given cessation and policy awareness cards. Although the policy will not take effect until February 2019, smokers can still be ticketed at a University Police officer’s discretion. The campus can treat these as violations against the California Education Code, said Claire Garrido-Ortega, a chair for The Breathe Campaign. Other universities, such as Cal State Fullerton, have also adopted a ban on smoking. The campaign is backed by a complete task force of over 20 members. According to the policy, students on campus should not call 911 or University Police if they witness a person smoking. One graduate student, who wished to stay anonymous to avoid repercussions, said he has
been smoking since he was 14 years old and has continued the habit for the past 15 years. “If I am on campus for eight hours, then I need to smoke to stay productive,“ he said. “There would also be less litter if there were designated smoke spots for smokers, and the university should have location limitations for where people can smoke.” He said that although smoking areas would be ideal for some people, it may also seem like the university is encouraging smoking, so he understands why there are none on campus. The student said he will still be attending the university when enforcement of the smoking ban takes effect in 2019 and will test his luck to see if he gets ticketed. Common spots smokers can be seen on campus are the engineering building on the lower lot of campus, outside the theater department and the loading area of the library. “The Breathe Campaign is a positive educational campaign to promote public awareness of the health risks of tobacco use and exposure to smoking, including vapor,” Garrido-Ortega said.
POLICY
continued from page 1
to see them under the Public Records Act,” said Norbert Schürer, academic senate chair. “But that’s very different from the administration (or an individual in the administration) unilaterally deciding to look at faculty email, which would not fall under the PRA.” During the meeting, Domingo-Forasté explained to the senate that according to current policies in place, the university must receive consent from any faculty member prior to accessing their emails, except in very special circumstances. The “Acceptable Use of CSULB Electronic Communication Systems and Services” policy statement projected onto the screen behind Domingo-Forasté as he spoke. “They say they won’t [access] it without the holder’s consent, but sometimes they have the right to go through it without your permission,” Domingo-Forasté said. “When it’s required by law or there’s a violation of law or university policy or when there are ‘compelling circumstances’...That one is a little nerve wracking.” Domingo-Forasté further
If it’s true that the CSULB administration is going through faculty emails, and if there is no compelling legal reason for it, that would be a serious breach of trust.”
“
Norbert Schürer, Academic Senate Chair explained the situation in a phone interview April 10. He said it remains unknown who accessed the faculty member’s emails and who gave authorization for the breach. Both the university’s Provost, Brian Jersky and the Vice President of Administration and Finance, Scott Apel, have denied doing so. Domingo-Forasté said he couldn’t disclose any information about the affected party, but did express his personal feelings about the potential breach in confidentiality. “[Administration feels] no shame whatsoever,” he said. “They say, ‘Well, you should know that we can get into any part of your email.’ And that, ‘Your email is a total open book for us.’ And I’ve said what about your policy? Doesn’t that mean anything?”
‘Plan-it’ and celebrate Earth Week By Jessica Jacobs Staff Writer
Monday: Movie screening of “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.” The documentary, released in July of last year, is a sequel to “An Inconvenient Truth.” It chronicles former Vice President Al Gore’s efforts to combat climate change and persuade government leaders to fund renewable energy strategies. The event is sponsored by ASI Beach Pride. “A lot of people don’t really care about the environment, especially in this political climate,” said Rhyane Shanley, a sophomore majoring in communications studies. “These events are needed to inform students and staff of the importance of keeping our planet clean.” Where: University Student Union Auditorium When: Monday, 6 - 8 p.m.
Tuesday: Indoor Plants 101 interactive workshop Students can learn how to keep the air in their living spaces clean at this Sustain U sponsored program, which will teach students how to maintain indoor plants. Those who attend may enter a drawing to win a variety of prizes, such as a succulent. Where: USU Sunset Lounge When: Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Thursday: Seventh Annual Green Generation Mixer & Sustainability Project Showcase Students will present over 50 sustainable student projects and 25 Long Beach community projects from businesses, campus departments and city offices and agencies. The event is sponsored by the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden and the Office of Sustainability. There will be gift cards awarded to eight winners. President Jane Close Conoley and a representative from the Long Beach mayor’s office will speak at the event. Additionally, there will be live entertainment performed by the Global Water Dances by Vannia Ibarguen Dance Arts and a rock and jazz band. “You can see everything from solar energy technology prototypes created by engineering students, to beautiful artworks created by our fine art students, to in-depth research related to public policy or business issues,” Fajack said in a press release. “The unifying thread is the focus on sustainability concepts and solutions.” Where: Thursday at the from 4 to 7 p.m. When: Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden
Wednesday: Eco-Crafts Fair The third event will provide students with the opportunity to make jewelry and other crafts with recyclable items. The fair is sponsored by ASI Beach Pride. “People are not aware of nature because they are too busy with their lives,” said Fred Canada, a sophomore majoring in music performance. “People should just take the day to appreciate the world around them.” Where: USU Southwest Terrace When: Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Friday: State of the Environment Conference The newest event was programmed by the Student Sustainability Coalition. The conference will have two keynote speakers and a panel discussing sustainability in business, environmental policy, local activism and ocean and land conservation. According to the coalition’s website, the keynote speakers are Andrew Callaway Ellis, biologist and chair of Los Angeles Climate Reality Project, and sustainability consultant Aaron Taylor Ellis. Where: The Pointe When: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. RSVP on Event Brite
NEWS 3
MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM CAMPUS EVENT
Educated to be an educator Students majoring in education met with school representatives at their department’s job fair. By Grant Hermanns Staff Writer
The need for high school teachers is expected to increase by 9.6 percent, according to the College of Education’s flyer that was put out last week on campus. With this in mind, Cal State Long Beach invited recruiters from all over the country to hire prospective teachers. Students looking to pursue a career in teaching got the opportunity to meet with representatives from multiple school districts at the Educators’ Job Fair. Held Friday in the University Student Union Ballrooms, the fair hosted over 400 interested attendees who came to hear from school districts in California and out-of-state, including Alaska, Washington and Arizona. Heather Bigelow, a staffing analyst for Long Beach Unified School District, said the teachers they have recruited from the university are “quality” educators. “We look for creative teachers, we look for teachers that know how to work collaboratively and we look for teachers that are going to bring exciting things to Long Beach Unified,” Bigelow said.
Grant Hermanns | Daily 49er
Shenel Hughes, talent manager for Equitas Academy Charter Schools, answers students’ questions about the system at the Educators’ Job Fair.
Bigelow said that of the 400500 students they talk to at the event, they typically hire around 50 percent of the crowd. The event, coordinated by Peggy Murphy from the Career Development Center, has been running at the university for over 20 years. It was originally run by the College of Education before being handed over to the CDC. According to Murphy, employers from California and other states for educators are “hungry” for new workers as the demand in the field increases. Many districts are facing high teacher turnover rate, with dis-
tricts having to hire “underqualified candidates” to fill in the position, according to a press release from the Learning Policy Institute. “The College of [Education] asked the Career Center if we would be interested in partnering with them on this event, so we jumped in,” Murphy said. “We said, ‘Absolutely,’ because that’s what we do. We connect students with employers.” Murphy describes the event as “an amazing opportunity” for students to meet with potential employers face-to-face. In addition to the booths set up
around the ballroom that allowed representatives to pitch their school and answer any questions the students had, there were also interview spaces set up for a more formal meet and greet between them. Murphy also noted that the event has increased in popularity every year, adding that in addition to school districts, there were also businesses looking for educators, including the Peace Corps. The event drew in large waves of about 400 students, including those still figuring out whether to pursue a career in the field of education.
David Rowe, first year education major, attended the event to gain insight on the field. “Right now I’m trying to determine what major I’m going to do, if I’m going to stick with education,” Rowe said. “And a big part of that is whether there are enough jobs available in California for education, so I thought this would be a good way to check whether or not it’s right to switch, depending on how it’ll look when I graduate.” Rowe thinks one of the best parts of the event is giving undergraduates the opportunity to network and meet professionals. “For the whole school, [the event] looks great to see a lot of well-dressed and educated people here signing up for things and potentially getting somewhere after they graduate,” Rowe said. One of the most popular booths was the Long Beach Unified School District, which drew a large crowd of students eager to meet with the representatives. Samuel Dolcine, recruitment manager for the charter school network, Alliance, which is made up of 25 middle and high schools, attended the event for the first time. “Within 30 minutes, it’s already lived up to my expectations,” Dolcine said. Dolcine was impressed with students’ preparation when visiting his booth. He said he believes a prospective educator should have “a heart for kids,” and be “hungry to learn.”
CRIME BLOTTER
Battery, grand theft and domestic violence By Sabrina Flores
Assistant Photo Editor
Domestic violence Officers received a call requesting assistance in regard to a situation involving domestic violence, which initially occurred in parking structure one at 6:19 a.m. April 12. Both the victim and suspect had left the scene before officers arrived, but were subsequently located on 3722 Lomina Ave. The University Police Department is still investigating the details of the incident. University Police responded to a domestic violence case between a male and
female near the Nursing Building at 8:14 a.m. April 9. According to Lt. Richard Goodwin of the UPD, the male suspect who was involved in the report had fled the scene before officers arrived, but was later apprehended at the LA Fitness on Bellflower Boulevard. Upon finding the suspect, campus authorities arrested him and took him into custody; the matter will continue to be investigated in order to deduce any remaining pertinent details for the case. Grand Theft A party reported a theft that took place in the Engineering Computer Science
Building at 1:07 p.m. April 11. According to Goodwin, the thief took research equipment valued at $30,000. The individual calling in the theft was unable to provide officers with a time frame for when the equipment went missing. The incident is currently still under investigation. Assault/Battery University Police received a report of a physical altercation between two subjects located outside of the Pyramid at 5:22 p.m. April 8. Both subjects were male, and had left by the time officers responded to the assault and battery call; officers were able to find
one subject in Lot G7 but were unable to locate the victim. Due to being unable to find the reporting party, officers were not able to file a report and no further action was taken regarding the incident. A female subject called University Police to report a battery incident in the area of the College of Business Administration at 10:54 a.m. April 11. According to Goodwin, a physical altercation escalated between the subject and an unknown suspect over possession of keys. It was not specified if the keys belonged to the subject who reported the occurrence, and officers are currently investigating the details leading up to the assault.
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4 ARTS & LIFE
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CAMPUS EVENTS
A party in the pyramid By Samantha Diaz
A
Arts & Life Editor
celebration of African culture took place in the Walter Pyramid Saturday as thousands of fraternity and sorority members competed for the Long Beach Step Show. The event highlights the rhythmic syncopation tied to African tradi-
tion as participants used their hands, feet and canes to create their own beats.
Photos by Adriana Ramirez | Daily 49er
First place winners, Alpha Phi Alpha, top, were one of the seven Greek groups competing in the 25th annual Long Beach Step Show. Hundreds gathered at the pyramid at Cal State Long Beach, above right, to watch Greek groups perform urban African American dances in the LB Step Show. Second place sorority winner Alpha Kappa Alpha, right. Greek group Zeta Phi Beta, above, melded skits and traditional African dancing in their performance.
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6 OPINIONS
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TELEVISION SHOW
What to do about Apu “The Simpsons” creators’ confusion about Apu is fraudulent. They know what to do, they’re just choosing not to do it. By Carlos Villicana Special Projects Editor
A
fter nearly 28 years on television, backlash is not new for “The Simpsons.” The most recent wave of it grew in response to a scene in the episode “No Good Read Goes Unpunished.” The scene in question drew both criticism for what was perceived to be a reference to the 2017 documentary “The Problem with Apu,” which explores how “The Simpsons” character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon has affected Indian people. The documentary sees comedian Hari Kondabolu critique of the character, an Indian immigrant, because of its role in perpetuating stereotypes of the people it claims to represent. Apu’s voice and catchphrases are cited as examples of things which are used to mock people who look or sound like him. As pointed out in the documentary, Indian people have minimal representation in widely consumed American media — thus the few that are seen, such as Apu, become more influential in shaping how the people they represent are perceived in the real world. The series’ producers used this scene to claim they don’t know how to deal with the Apu char-
acter in a manner that satisfies all parties. I don’t believe them, and it honestly isn’t that hard to start taking action. The show’s creators express this through a storyline in the episode which sees Marge Simpson attempting to pass on a book she loved in her youth to her daughter, Lisa. They both quickly realize this book is outdated and offensive. After Marge is told that her efforts to edit the book render it pointless, she asks Lisa what she should do. “It’s hard to say,” Lisa begins. “Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect. What can you do?” The frame zooms in on Lisa’s face as she says this, staring at the viewer as if she were addressing them. She turns to a picture of Apu as she says this. This scene concludes with Marge stating that some things will be dealt with at a later time. “If at all,” Lisa adds as they both turn to the viewer. Clearly, the two are speaking on behalf of the show’s producers. The logic employed here is wilfully ignorant and exceptionally moronic. To claim that this stereotype was once “applauded and inoffensive” overlooks any criticism the show has previously received. In 2007, Hank Azaria acknowledged that the voice was “not tremendously accurate” and “a little, uh, stereotype.” A writer
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Courtesy of Fox
Lisa, left, and Marge Simpson stare at the viewer in a scene from the episode “No Good Read Goes Unpunished,” which has angered many for its indifferent response to fans’ issues with the character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon.
of the show later stated that this wasn’t the case, but being aware of Azaria’s comments shows that both parties have been aware of this critique for at least more than a decade. An act being applauded by most at one point in history does not mean it’s inoffensive. You aren’t likely to see many applaud depictions of blackface and other similar practices anymore. The makers of “The Simpsons” don’t have to write the character off of the show. It’s not too late to make changes to the character and actually try using it for some good purpose other than comedy. Changing the character may upset some viewers, but this show isn’t exactly new to that. A point which Kondabolu focuses on in “The Problem with Apu” is that the character has been voiced by Azaria, a white actor, since he first appeared in 1990. This is the cartoon equivalent to actions such as blackface — his portrayal of a character from a race he is not spreads harmful stereotypes. Testaments given by numerous actors of South Asian descent in the documentary show the effect
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Azaria’s role has had. “We lived next to 7-Eleven and there was always like a sense of ‘oh please don’t let it be an Indian person working behind the counter because if it is then my friends are going to do the Apu thing,’” actor Maulik Pancholy said in the film. Azaria voices many characters on the show. Having an actor of Indian descent voice Apu in Azaria’s place would not cost the actor a job. In the documentary, Kondabolu acknowledges that the show’s writers have developed the character by giving him traits not tied to a stereotype. If they’ve done this before, they can continue to do it. Stereotyping isn’t necessary; it is lazy representation. Kondabolu also claims that the show has been especially
An act being applauded by most at one point in history does not mean it’s inoffensive.
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effective at molding how viewers see Indians because it has often been the only representation
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of Indians in widely consumed American media. “The Simpsons” could contribute to correcting this via the aforementioned character development. It doesn’t seem like too much to ask to have other new characters of Indian descent, especially when being of a certain race is not an emphasized trait of the character. That “if at all” lines makes it pretty clear that the matter is of no importance to the creators of “The Simpsons.” They’ve given in to doing nothing because taking action is hard, especially when you don’t know where to start. The problem with this is that I do not believe the producers are genuinely this clueless about how to fix this situation. Instead of asking what one can do to an audience that cannot directly respond and create change, the showrunners could try reaching out to actual Indian people. “The Problem with Apu” features about a dozen actors they can speak to, and there is no reason that they have to be limited to on-camera performers. Having different perspectives contributing to the show can only help it.
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Editorials: All opinions expressed in the columns, letters and cartoons in this issue are those of the writers or artists. The opinions of the Daily 49er are expressed only in unsigned editorials and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the journalism department or the views of all staff members. All such editorials are written by the editorial board of the Daily 49er.
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SPORTS 7
MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | SPORTSD49ER@GMAIL.COM TENNIS
A comeback win for the 49ers Long Beach is currently seeded third in the Big West Conference after defeating UC Davis. By Diego Gómez Staff Writer
The Long Beach State women’s tennis team earned its third consecutive victory after besting conference leaders UC Davis 4-1 Sunday at the Rhodes Tennis Center. After losing the doubles point, the 49ers (10-8, 4-2 in Big West) came back from behind during singles matches and outclassed the Aggies (13-5, 6-2 in Big West). Sophomore Natalia Muñoz clinched the win for Long Beach despite losing her first set 6-4 against sophomore Kristina Bereischer. Muñoz ended up rallying back Bereischer in the next two sets 6-1, 6-0 to celebrate the comeback . “We were all very pumped up and prepared coming into it today,” Muñoz said. “I was freaking out a little bit. I had tough first two sets, I saw to my sides and
Diego Gómez | Daily 49er
Long Beach State freshman Lalita Devarakonda strikes the ball during her singles match against UC Davis where she won in two sets 6-2, 6-4.
knew I had to get this win for our team. It was great to be out here today.” Long Beach lost the doubles point due to defeats by freshmen Lalita Devarakonda and Muñoz and by freshmen Carlota Casa-
sampere and Georgia Gulin. “I am very proud of the girls,” Long Beach head coach Jenny Hilt-Costello said. “We let our opportunities slip away in doubles, but this is our home court. They played aggressive tennis,
they wanted to take the win today and they took it.” Being down 1-0, Long Beach painted its road to a comeback by winning five of the first six sets during singles. The first singles win that tied the match came
from 49ers senior Lena Pacholski after defeating Jorgensen in two sets 6-3, 7-5. The second win that placed Long Beach ahead was by Casasampere with a 6-1, 6-3 victory against junior Isabella von Ebbe. “It was a great battle,” UC Davis head coach Bill Maze said. “Long Beach was too good today. I am sure we will come back stronger next time and hopefully we will play them in the conference championships.” Devarakonda beat the Aggies’s Tsukamoto in two sets 6-2, 6-4 to put the match 3-1 at that moment so that seconds later Muñoz could make the final point for Long Beach’s fourth conference win and position the team in the fourth seed toward the Big West Tournament. “It has been a long season,” Muñoz said. “I feel everyone is on the same page and everything is finally coming together. We are so pumped for next game, we are ready to come out, try our best and hopefully come out with another win.” The 49ers will play their last game of regular season against Cal State Fullerton. The traditional rivalry match will be played at 2 p.m. Friday at the Rhodes Tennis Center.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
No. 1 LBSU falls to No. 6 Hawaii in five sets The 49ers suffered their first loss of the season. By Kevin Colindres Assistant Sports Editor
It took 86 sets and a threehour battle for the No. 1 Long Beach State men’s volleyball team to finally suffer its first loss in what has been a historic season. Emotions were high for both sides, but the crowd of almost 6,000 overwhelmed the 49ers, causing their meltdown in the final two sets of the game. Long Beach (24-1, 9-1 Big West) fell to No. 6 Hawaii (18-7, 6-4 Big West) 25-21, 22-25, 2325, 25-20, 15-11 after narrowly defeating the Rainbow Warriors in five sets the night before, losing the final game heading into the Big West Tournament. “It’s huge for us, we battled and we got the win for our seniors,” Hawaii head coach Charlie Wade said via Spectrum Sports Hawaii. “We think we’re one of the best teams in the nation, and we want to show that we belong in the NCAA tournament.” Errors and a lack of composure proved to be the Achilles’
heel for the 49ers, piling up 17 hitting errors, 21 services errors, six receiving errors and eight blocking errors. “Execution wise I don’t think we were at our best this weekend, and we certainly weren’t tonight,” head coach Alan Knipe said via LBSU_MVB on Twitter. “It’s been a long time for our guys since they felt that and I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing to have that little bit of emotion and disappointment.” Many of these mistakes were made in crucial moments that gave Hawaii momentum. Long Beach fought hard to battle its own undoing, but fatigue quickly became a factor that the team could not overcome. After winning back-to-back sets in the second and third, the 49ers looked like their usual selves, but the fourth set saw the biggest drop-off in performance. Long Beach came out with an early 3-0 lead, but let Hawaii go on multiple runs without answering back. The biggest deficit of the fourth set came with the 49ers trailing 19-13, enough of a gap for the Rainbow Warriors to take the set with ease. Long Beach had been in the
Photo courtesy of Spectrum Sports Hawaii
No. 1 Long Beach State men’s volleyball head coach Alan Knipe talks to his team during a timeout against No. 6 Hawaii.
same position the night before, but this time Hawaii was in control. It was a back-and-forth affair in the fifth set tied at 11-11, but Hawaii managed to finish strong with a 4-0 run. That was the ultimate dagger that sent Long Beach home with a loss for the first time this season.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the effort that our guys put in, it was great volleyball,” Knipe said via LBSU_MVB on Twitter. “We’re looking forward to getting our crowd in the Pyramid in the first ever Big West tournament, it’s going to be a good time.” Long Beach finishes its regular season as the No. 1 ranked
men’s volleyball program in the nation and looks to make a run in the NCAA Tournament. Before that, Long Beach will have to compete in the Big West Tournament which begins Thursday at the Walter Pyramid. The 49ers secured a bye week, so the team will skip the quarter finals and begin their postseason run at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
8 SPORTS CONTRACT
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pensation through the CSULB Research Foundation. Monson, 56, also receives bonuses based on home game attendance and the team’s performance in the regular and postseason. His contract notes that he can only take the highest award amount, which means his bonuses don’t accumulate. If Long Beach wins the NCAA National Championship, he would take home $250,000 under his restructured contract. Due to cuts in base salary and his retention bonus, Monson’s new contract is more performance-based with higher payouts for conference and post-season wins. Fee said that performance is being used to incentivise Monson, and he hopes this will give him a chance to compensate for his decrease in salary through bonuses that can be claimed after conference wins. “We put incentives in place so if we’re winning and competitive, coach [Monson] will get back to where [he was] financially [with his] salary,” Fee said. “So there’s nothing better in my mind than to incentivise people, and this contract incentivises [Monson] to get back to where we were. He can do it and I believe it, we just have to put these things in place and with him in place, we’ll get there.” Monson acknowledged that after two sub-par seasons in a row, he doesn’t want the Long Beach basketball community satisfied with a 15-18 record. “I think my salary should be based on performance in a lot of ways,” Monson said. “I think if you are not winning, you’re not generating any income for the school and they’re not winning. A good contract should be a win for everybody, so I was more than understanding and wanted to be that way. The worst thing you want is for you to be winning and not producing for your student-athletes or for the school.” This past season, Monson scheduled five games that earned revenue for both him and the university: University of San Francisco ($80,000), Oregon State ($45,000), West Virginia University ($80,000), University of Arizona ($95,000) and Michigan State University ($100,000) for a total of $400,000. Through his current contract, Monson received $331,360 in pre-tax income from the five games, with the remaining $68,640 going to the athletic department general fund. These games are known as “buy” or “guaranteed” games, in which Monson can earn some income from schools that will typically pay $50,000 to $100,000 for lower-ranked opponents to play a non-confer-
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At Long Beach State, all I know is that we never scheduled a game for the money. We schedule it for the opportunity, and [we] try to get our schedule for the best for our basketball team and for our players to have the exposure and experience.”
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Dan Monson, Men’s basketball head coach ence game at the school’s home venue. The reason for this is so higher-ranked schools get a guaranteed home victory before conference season begins. While losing guaranteed games does not negatively impact Long Beach’s conference record, Monson’s philosophy promotes this pre-season method in order to both challenge student-athletes and market LBSU to a national audience. “We want opportunities to play some of the best in the country,” Fee said. “You do want to measure yourself and see where you are, but at the same time I think the old contract really was so heavy with the guarantee games to pay salary and I don’t think Dan really liked the old contract... I think it made it very awkward and [it was] just an odd way of doing it.” Fee said that his critique of Monson’s old contract was not meant as a dig against his predecessor, Vic Cegles, and said Cegles needed to add compensation and guaranteed games as an option in Monson’s contract in order to keep the coach at LBSU after a successful 12-13 season. Long Beach only won one of its buy-in games last season against the University of San Francisco and lost the other four by an average of 28.5 points per game. “I will never put myself ahead of the betterment of the program,” Monson said. “We have to be careful of not overamping games and killing our kids’ confidence [during pre-season], so the schedule is going to be more balanced but it doesn’t have anything to do [with guaranteed games].” Before the head coaching position at Long Beach State, Monson was the Gonzaga head coach for two seasons in 19971999. He then landed a job in the Big Ten at the University of Minnesota for eight seasons in 1999-2007. “At Long Beach State, all I know is that we never scheduled a game for the money,” Monson said. “We schedule it for the op-
Photo Illustration by Christian Gonzales
Long Beach State men’s basketball head coach Dan Monson can continue calling the Walter Pyramid home after he signed a restructured contract on March 29, which extended his stay at Long Beach for five years.
portunity, and [we] try to get our schedule for the best for our basketball team and for our players to have the exposure and experience.” Monson will continue to have guaranteed games scheduled in his restructured contract where he can make up to $200,000. Any amount received above $200,001 is paid out to Monson (25 percent), the men’s basketball program (25 percent) and athletic department (50 percent). Some may disagree with the extended contract due to Monson’s lack of NCAA Tournament appearances, but he believes the administration fully supports him and that Long Beach State is not a “win at all costs” school in regard to student athletics. “I know why we play the guarantee games and I can explain that to people, but there’s always going to be people that will look at it at a different light than what it truly is and that’s just part of being in athletics and having a public job,” Monson said. “I can’t worry about what other people are doing. I know how the administration feels about guaranteed games and I know why we schedule the games and that’s the most important thing.”
Men’s basketball away game contracts for 2017-2018 University of San Francisco: $80,000 W, 87-71 Oregon State: $45,000 L, 89-81 West Virgina: $80,000 L, 91-62 University of Arizona: $95,000 L, 91-56 Michigan State University: $100,000 L, 102-60
Total: $400,000 *Dan Monson received $331,360 (pre-tax) from those games *The remaining $68,640 went to LBSU athletic department general fund