CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH
VOL. LXVIX, ISSUE 64 | APRIL 4, 2018 CONSTRUCTION
D49er
Major campus accessibility renovations underway Design and Construction implements plans for ramps, parking and bathrooms. By Brigid McLaughlin, Samantha Diaz and Michaia Hernandez Contributing Writers
Photos by Hunter Lee | Daily 49er
Using a sledgehammer and a pressure plate wired to a device tracking seismic activity, students from the Introduction to Geophysics class look to map the depth of water found below the surface of the lawn in front of the University Student Union.
UNDER PRESSURE
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tudents of Professor Jayne Bormann’s Introduction to Geophysics class perform an experiment on the grass outside the University Student Union yesterday. Looking to find how deep water was below the surface, students used a sledgehammer and pressure plate.
For students attending Cal State Long Beach, a campus that sits on a hill, making the trek to and from classes can be a hassle for anyone. Now, imagine trying to make that venture on crutches or a wheelchair. Some areas of the campus have not met the requirements for the Americans with Disabilities Act, serving as a challenge to those who may struggle with disabilities. To remedy this, Design and Construction Services aims to focus its campus-wide accessibility upgrade to correct inclines for ramps and the amount of handrails around campus. Beach Drive will also be getting new detectable warning strips, side flares and truncated domes. Accessible signage will be added to the University Bookstore and the Language Arts building. Physical Planning and Facilities Management is making way for these improvements in response to changes made in 2016 to the California Building Standards Code, according to blueprints from Design and Construction. The funds for the $5 million project came from a one-time allocation from President Jane Close Conoley, who felt it should be used toward accessibility upgrades. According to Disabled Student Services, there are roughly 1,900 disabled students on campus. see RAMPS, page 2
FORUM
Nobel prize winner shares atoms of knowledge Dr. William Phillips will speak at the 39th Nobel Laureate Lecture. By Jessica Jacobs Staff Writer
For those aspiring to become a physicist or glean something from a Nobel Prize winner, Cal State Long Beach members can look forward to a lecture from
William Phillips. The 39th annual Nobel Laureate Lecture was organized by the College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics Student Council and will take place April 11 in the University Student Union Ballrooms. Phillips won the prestigious award in 1997 for his research and discoveries in physics. He is largely known for his developmental methods of cooling and trapping atoms with laser light, which slows atom movement — a method that has ex-
panded research in the field. He also has two other research projects titled, “Atomic-Gas Bose Einstein Condensates” and “Quantum Information with Single-Atom Qubits.” The Nobel Prize winner will lecture from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with introductions presented by Claudia Ojeda-Aristizabal, physics faculty member, and by Salina Patel, a biological sciences major and College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics student council president. “It can be challenging to find
an available Nobel Laureate each year, because there are only a finite number of laureates and they have very busy and complex schedules,” said Melissa Norrbom, adviser for the Natural Sciences & Mathematics Student Council. Phillips will speak about careers in physics and will share the story and the success of winning a Nobel Prize. Phillips received his Ph.D. at Massachusee PHYSICS, page 2
FAST FACTS
NOBEL LAUREATE LECTURE INFO • Lecturer: William Phillips • When: April 11 • Where: USU Ballrooms • Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
2 NEWS
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RAMPS
continued from page 1
These changes will take place in three separate stages and impact 12 areas around campus: restructuring the ramps, rails and sidewalks, moving around disability parking places and creating more gender neutral bathrooms, in that order. According to Mark Zakhour, director of Design and Construction Services, all of the upgrades are expected to be finished by July at the latest. “The overall goal of this project is to improve access for the greatest number of people as possible,” Zakhour said. “There’s an ultimate path of travel for disabled students to take so we don’t want to do all the projects at once.” Sophomore history major Ryan Patrick Morose uses an electric scooter to get around campus after a knee surgery back in June. He said that he doesn’t have issues with the current physical layout of the school. “I have the routes that I use and it works,” he said. Rachel Mahgerefteh, coordinator of supportive services at Disabled Student Services, also mentioned that the construction on campus has posed an issue for many students attempting to get around. This initial path of travel in-
Hunter Lee | Daily 49er
The ramp leading from the University Student Union to Brotman Hall has been temporarily blocked during construction. The Design and Construction Services has aimed to focus on a campus-wide accessibility upgrade in order to make campus traversal easier for those in crutches or wheelchairs.
cludes the ADA-accessible wheelchair ramps in front of the University Student Union and University Dining Plaza, since these paths bridge the gap between upper and lower campus. The first million of the upgrades budget was used toward bringing in a consultant to review the school and devise a plan for what areas needed improvement the most, while the remainder of the money is being used for the physical work and
upgrades. “This construction is going to a very good cause,” Zakhour said. “If you ask President Conoley, it’s something she cared deeply enough to try to push it to the top of the list. It’s a Jane Conoley type of a project and she asks about it all the time. She’s very concerned for student life and making sure students have a great experience here.” Although Design and Construction planned the project in
a way that construction in one area of the campus wouldn’t impede the flow of traffic for everyone else, some students have expressed their frustrations with the paths of travel during this phase. Senior computer science major Amy Yang said her path from the University Student Union to the engineering buildings has had to change since construction began. “I usually use the ramp by the
Chase ATM or the outdoor elevator and ramp that’s by the long set of stairs to upper campus,” Yang said. “They are both under construction right now, so I either have to use the ramp by Brotman Hall to go to [the engineering building] or use the elevator to go the first floor of the [student union]. I think it’s great that they’re making upgrades, but they should not happen at the same time.”
PHYSICS
continued from page 1
RESPECT DIVERSITY WEEK SCHEDULE
setts Institute of Technology and joined the National Institute of Standards Technology shortly after. Now, Phillips continues to work at the institute, which supports measurements and standards for things such as atomic clocks and electric power grids. “The event sets an example for students of what can be accomplished,” said Rebecca Bowdich, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering. “I believe it will inspire students to continue to create and innovate.” Phillips is also a current member of the USA Science and Engineering Festival Advisory Board, which provides students the opportunity to attend a science festival held in Washington D.C. in honor of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Additionally, he worked as a physics professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. This event that is sponsored by Dean’s Office of the College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics and Associated Students Inc. It will also be one of four school events in California that Phillips will lecture.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Month Kick-off Wednesday, April 4 Noon - 1:30 p.m. Southwest Terrace
LGBT Splash Mob Thursday, April 5 5 - 8 p.m. Student Recreation and Wellness Center
Multicultural Celebration Thursday, April 5 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. University Student Union Free food, live performances and crafts
Queer Prom Friday, April 6 8 - 11 p.m. University Student Union ballrooms $5 tickets available at USU Information and Ticket Center
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NEWS 3
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FEATURE
The power of women propels them A new chapter of an international organization encourages female students to become confident leaders. By Sarah Amaral Staff Writer
For Breeahna Dobson, having the opportunity to join a group of women in prayer is the highlight of her week. Dobson, a sophomore and member of Propel Women, has joined the newly formed Christian club that aims to empower women to become confident leaders and create meaningful relationships with other female students. “The women on campus need to know that they’re not alone,” Dobson said. “It’s so comforting to have a place to share my blessings, struggles and everything in between in a judgement-free environment with a group of women who love God as much as I do.” The club is an international organization that spans 25 countries. Founders Nick and Christine Caine also created the global anti-human trafficking organization, The A21 Campaign. “Propel women exists to help activate, connect and equip women to fulfill their God-given passion, purpose and potential,”
Courtesy of CSULB Propel Women
Members of Propel Jessica Soza, left, Breeahna Dobson, center, and Christine Bowie pose for a photo. The international Christian group began a new chapter on the Cal State Long Beach campus for women to engage in prayer together.
said grad student Jessica Soza, student leader of Propel Women at Cal State Long Beach. “For me, Propel is a club I needed to connect with other Christian women on campus to not only do life with, but also to share what God is doing in our lives right now.” Soza was inspired to start the chapter to campus after a close friend had expressed that she had been praying for the campus community. She wanted understand her identity as a Christian, and to connect with other women hav-
It’s so comforting to have a place to share my blessings, struggles and everything in between in a judgement-free environment with a group of women who love God as much as I do.”
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Breeahna Dobson, Propel Women member
ing similar feelings. In the three months since the club has been active on campus, several women have expressed excitement about the club. The club currently has 12 members and elections will be held in the next six weeks to fill membership positions. Current members are reaching out to women across campus by sharing details through Instagram and handing out informational flyers. “We love the fact that we are pioneering this club on the beauti-
fully diverse campus of CSULB,” said member Christine Bowie, a second year theatre major at Cal State Long Beach. “We desire young women to feel equipped and ready to navigate through this world with the confidence in utilizing their God-given passions and purposes.” The organization is launching a nationwide campaign, Propel Women Activate 2018. The event is a one-day event where women are invited to gather to ignite their passion and fulfill their “God-given” purposes. The event will take place in six different locations throughout the U.S., and will be coming to the Long Beach Terrace Theatre late August. “I definitely hope to go and encourage others to as well,” Soza said. “Conferences like these are always life-giving.” The women of Propel are excited for opportunities like these to inspire others to learn, grow and connect with each other. “One message I would like to get across to the women on campus is that they know that they are whole, they are held and they are enough in this world,” Bowie said. “Jesus has the most glorious and radical plan for their [lives], and we want to help them discover what that is.” The group’s next meeting will be held in the University Student Union, Room 205B Wednesday, April 11 at 5 p.m. Further details will be provided on the organization’s Instagram, @csulbpropelwomen.
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What Your Teachers Never Taught You Another Election Season Dr. George A. Kuck (galbertk@aol.com)
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Our primary season is coming up. Citizens will be able to choose the California candidates on June 5th. At the present time there are no Republicans serving in the major positions in state government. The Democrat party continues to move toward the socialist left with the candidates that they are nominating. This is a great example of bait and switch. When we voted for the jungle primary several years ago, a major selling point was that more moderate candidates would be put forward by both parties and so California would have more moderates elected to state office. How has that worked out? Our “top two” primary system has led to a less responsive, more divided state. Small party candidates have not made the ballot so people with different ideas have been disenfranchised and do not vote. A large portion of the population is angry because their voices are not being heard over the liberal line propagated by the major media and Hollywood elite. Where has the California dream gone? To Texas, Nevada, and Arizona where the middle class that has moved. California has become a magnet for people who are not in the country legally. Over 20% of the US illegal immigrants live in our state. You are paying for their education and health care. We have the greatest percentage (over 25%) of the US homeless. We have over 30% of the welfare recipients nationally and almost 24% of our citizens live in poverty. Something is wrong when men who want to work cannot provide for their families. Los Angeles is the 14th most expensive city to live in world-wide. We are not creating enough jobs to keep up with our college graduates. There were 1.58 million college graduates but only 1.14 million jobs created from 2006 to 2015. Just 1% of the citizens pay 41% of the state income taxes and many of them are moving. Do these facts show that California is healthy? Want to make our state healthier? Return to a healthy two party system. That means many of you will have to become educated in politics and realize what is good for the Democrats is bad for the voters. Due to leftist policies, we import over 45% of our electricity from out of state. The Democrat just added a 12 cent gas tax which Republicans are trying to undo at the next primary on June 5th. You are now paying almost 60 cents a gallon on gas to improve our roads while a large part is being diverted to the general fund. The bottom line is that there is no such thing as the free lunch promised by the Democrats. Vote Republican for a healthier state.
4 ARTS & LIFE
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Photos by Sabrina Flores | Daily 49er
Lena Wolek’s “Help yourself ” consists of over 60 ceramic dessert pieces, above, and a giant high heel in the center of the table made out of sourdough bread, below.
FEATURE
A feast for the eyes Lena Wolek’s exhibit, “Help yourself” highlights the tension between luxury and necessity. By Samantha Diaz Arts & Life Editor
Lena Wolek grew up in the wartimes of Siberia, Russia. She and her family had little money to spend on food and resources, but always rye flour bread, the cheapest bread available at the time and the most nutritious and necessary for survival. This need for survival through bread is realized most recently in her School of Art gallery, “Help yourself.” The piece consists of over 60 colorful ceramic desserts spread out messily on a large white table, resembling an “Alice in Wonderland” tea party fit for all. In the center of the table sits a large high heel made out of the same rye flour bread Wolek ate as a child. The piece is meant to symbolize the contrast between necessary and unnecessary, from the vibrant and inedible desserts to the overshadowing, plain bread in the middle. “It’s a necessary thing in life, every culture has bread,” Wolek said. “There are times when there are no food and bread is the first thing you eat. In wartimes bread is what people need, they don’t need sweets. I like that tension between the basic and the added superficial luxuries in life.” Wolek took extra steps in her art to make the desserts seem all the more luxurious. The cakes, ice creams, fruits and cookies
were piled high and decorated with bright paints and gold tips. The fourth year fine arts sculpture major got inspiration for the piece from Damien Hirst’s “For the love of God,” a ceramic skull covered with platinum, diamonds and real human teeth. She wanted to create something that was so obviously extravagant that it would force people to notice the nonessential element to the pieces. “I wanted to make them look as alive as possible but at the same time it looks like they’re falling apart, almost like a collapsing of civilization,” Wolek said. “They’re not perfect, they’re on their way to decline...They’re shiny but they’ve already started
... There is never enough love. There is never enough dough.”
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Lena Wolek’s artist statement to fall. They’re not good for us.” Wolek took three months to perfect the imperfectly messy dessert dishes, creating over 100 different variations of the eccentric pieces. She wanted the ceramic glaze to look like popular sugary treats and used baking products to create realistic frosting and designs
on the pastries, saying she noticed a “nice parallel” between ceramics and baking throughout the project. The giant bread high heel however, Wolek made in one day, experimenting with the dough and pottery wheel for a few minutes before placing the shoe in the oven. Her first attempt is the one that made it onto the table, drooping down in the middle of the shoe and filling the small white room with the smell of baked bread. “The high heel is another unnecessary thing we added to our lives that is really beautiful and elegant but at the same time you’re very vulnerable and unstable,” Wolek said. “We’re
facing these choices everyday. We overuse things, we don’t use our resources right and we’re exhausting our planet because of greed. We constantly get seduced because of something that we want, that same desire like when we want dessert.” Wolek said she plans to have a fully edible shoe as a centerpiece for her next show so guests can cut off a slice as they wander through the gallery, and hopefully be reminded of the consistency and reliability of bread. This would also tie in the shoe to the message more closely, as people feast their eyes on the beautiful ceramic desserts that are unable to satisfy them and must settle for the more nutritious and filling plain bread. This drives her point home, in addition to her artist’s statement, that people can never be satisfied with what they have. Her statement read, “There is never enough space in our bellies to fit all we drool for. There are never enough shovels to remove all we pile on our plates. There is never enough saliva to digest all we throw into our hungry hole. There are never enough sewer pipes to transfer it away from our sight...There is never enough love. There is never enough dough.” Wolek’s gallery, “Help yourself ” will be on display through from noon to 5 p.m. through Thursday, with extended hours until 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
ARTS & LIFE 5
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RESIDENT COLUMN
Fade in: An introduction
CARLOS VILLICANA
SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Courtesy of Gamespot
“Fortnite” has gone where most video games hasn’t — into the world of music artists and athletes and continues to appeal to people of all social circles.
COLUMN
‘Fortnite’ builds itself a mainstream platform The battle royale game has become a fan favorite in a variety of social circles. By Kevin Colindres Assistant Sports Editor
The days of the average gamer being imagined as the scrawny pale geek are nearing an end as a fresh take on an already existing medium has revitalized the love of openly being a fan of a much loved pastime. Epic Games’ “Fortnite: Battle Royale” has quickly become a popular video game title early on in the year, but what’s most impressive is that it has transcended the gaming world by appealing to artists, athletes and many more. It’s a simple concept that relies on a search-and-destroy situation similar to “The Hunger Games.” The match starts with one hundred players who are dropped into an open world map, and each player must find weapons to defend themselves until they are the last one standing. There are also duo and squad modes, where you can play with teammates. Battle royale modes have been around for years, but “Fortnite” has found a way to differentiate itself with its cartoon style of play and a building system that lets you create your own buildings and ramps to personalize your style of play. Like most games, “Fortnite” will eventually fade into obscurity, but what has been fun to watch is the different kinds of people it has brought together. Ninja, a Twitch streamer with a follow-
ing of almost five million, is one of many popular streamers who earns a living by playing video games. Known as the top “Fortnite” player in the community, he has recently gained more popularity after playing with music artists Drake and Travis Scott during a live stream on Twitch. Also joining them was JuJu Smith-Schuster, a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The gamer, two musicians and football player brought in a record of 635,000 concurrent viewers at its peak, which surpassed the previous Twitch record of 388,000 viewers. It was an eventful stream that created much more hype for the game. What makes this game so enticing? A huge reason is the game is available for Playstation, Xbox, PC, Mac and even mobile devices, with a cross-play feature that
Like most games, ‘Fortnite’ will eventually fade into obscurity, but what has been fun to watch is the different kinds of people it has brought together.
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lets you play with your friends on all the different devices available. Most games do not feature cross-play and many online shooter experiences could cost up to $60 which tends to push people away. Fortnite is highly accessible and completely free, which is its biggest selling point. Some items can be purchased with money, but they are purely cosmetic and don’t impact how the game is played. Earlier this year when “Star Wars: Battlefront II” was
released, fans were outraged at its pay-towin system. While Fortnite does possess minor balancing issues, its positives outweigh its negatives. “Fortnite” is also an easy game to pick up. While there are more experienced players out there, I find myself always having a good time even when I die early on. There isn’t a giant learning curve needed to play, which has attracted many who don’t normally play video games to try it out at least once. NBA players have also shown an interest in the game with Josh Hart, Gordon Hayward and Karl-Anthony Towns publicly playing and talking about the game in front of their fans through Twitch. All three of these guys have even taken their “Fortnite” obsession to another level by streaming their gameplay through Twitch. Hart has been particularly open about his enthusiasm for “Fortnite,” getting custom made shoes to show his love for the game, which he wore in March during a Los Angeles Lakers game. The Lakers shooting guard has also hosted “Fortnite” parties with other NBA players. “There was one time Larry Nance [Jr.] came over before we played the Cavaliers,” Hart told Dan Patrick. “We literally had four TVs set up in my living room, we all had our own PS4s, and we ran like a whole ‘Fortnite’ squad for, like, 10 hours that day.” No one knows how long “Fortnite” will continue to be so popular, but it has become a cultural phenomenon is such a short time that has captured the attention of many different individuals and reestablished the love of just sitting down and playing a video game.
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our streaming queue just got larger, free of charge. This new biweekly column will be bringing you the best movies available on Kanopy, a free streaming service which you can access through the Cal State Long Beach University library. Kanopy is full of gems from across the globe, one of those being the movie in discussion this week: “What We Do In the Shadows.” This 2014 mockumentary follows the lives of a handful of vampires attempting to satisfy their bloodthirst while avoiding sunlight, attention and other dangers. Contrary to appearance, this New Zealand film is neither a documentary or a vampire movie. “What We Do In the Shadows” is a comedy that uses characters connected to the horror genre for laughs. Of course none of this is real, they’re vampires. But “What We Do In the Shadows” never breaks the illusion, and this makes the jokes hit harder than most comedies. I’ve seen it five times now and I’m only left with more to appreciate upon each viewing, often discovering new layers to seemingly simple jokes. The documentary format used can even affect how one watches other films. The cameramen record events such as the lead characters biting into people’s necks for blood as if it these actions had no consequences. This raises questions of when a filmmaker should intervene with what they record, which one can apply to actual documentaries. The best movies are those that stick with you and affect how you view other films, and this one does just that. You can stream “What We Do In the Shadows” through Kanopy. A DVD copy can be requested from the University Library through CSU+.
6 OPINIONS
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VIDEO GAME
‘Fortnite:’ the game taking the world by storm But will it be able to sustain its growing popularity? By Jarrod Castillo Staff Writer
I
magine a dystopian world where 100 people are fighting to survive. Using anything they find from weapons to resources, they ward off other survivors and avoid an impending storm of death. Now, picture the same world but with the participants jumping out of a flying bus, using gliders to land and pickaxes of various sizes and designs to obtain resources to build forts to help them survive. Welcome to the world of “Fortnite: Battle Royale,” a free-to-play free-for-all style game developed by Epic Games, released in September 2017. Though an explosion in popularity and hype has helped Fornite ascend to the top of gaming lists everywhere, I believe that the hype won’t last for a couple reasons. First, the popularity it currently has is unsustainable, likely leading to an implosion. When the calendar hit 2018, Fortnite’s popularity skyrocketed. It started when NBA players played it on off-days or in their hotel rooms, before or after games. With players posting how well they did (or didn’t do) on social media, it was only a matter of time before more celebrities hopped on the bus. The game received a massive boost when rappers Drake and Travis Scott and football player Juju Smith-Schuster teamed up with popular Twitch streamer Ninja to play the game. That stream broke Twitch’s record of most viewed Twitch stream with over 635,000 people tuning in concurrently to watch. With popular celebrities using their influence, the fact that the game is free and the developers are continually updating the game. However, once Drake and fellow rappers and NBA players jump off the Fortnite bandwagon, their fans will follow suit and and it and move on to the next popular thing, be it sneakers or apparel and the like.
Courtesy of Epic Games
With people like Drake and Travis Scott streaming their gamplay of Epic Games’ “Fortnite,” the mass-multiplayer game has quickly dominated the spotlight.
Secondly, it can be considered a fad, folbly won’t be able to handle the strain put lowing the trend that Pokemon Go most upon it by people trying to join in on the recently showed in 2016. When the game hype. first released in July 2016, Pokemon Go With the game released on mobile, how was bringing in about $35 million dollars will that affect their infrastructure? Having from 30 million users in its first month, that many players on at any given time, be according to mobilesyrup.com. In Septemit on console, mobile and PC will greatly ber of that year, that number had dropped decrease the game’s performance and to 5 million. will turn away some, as the game will be Nowadays, no one talks about Pokemon overloaded with people trying to get in on Go because its fallen out of style and is the hype. deemed “not cool” For example, I have anymore mainly due both a PC and a Mac...it can be to the fact that the Book and granted, they considered a developers didn’t really aren’t the most techfad, following make a “full” game. nologically advanced the trend that Pokemon Go Instead, there was only pieces of hardware on an assortment of base the market, but for most recently showed in features with nothing college students who 2016. of note coming out don’t have thousands during the games initial of dollars to pay for lifecycle. gaming PCs. That’s the trajectory I see with Fortnite Games are laggy, with numerous games because even though both games are ending with me attempting to eliminate a seemingly incomparable games, they’re player, only for them to one-shot me into similar because they could be seen as a oblivion, regardless of how many times I fad. It will soon implode on itself and shot them. Furthermore, Fornite games self-destruct due to the fact that fans will that I played on the aforementioned platkeep wanting more than what the develforms have a tendency to cause my PC and oper can give and not live up to the hype Mac to stutter and hang, something that it created. doesn’t happen when I play other games, Lastly, with its move to mobile via its such as Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto. new phone app, the infrastructure probaWith more and more players logging in
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and trying to play, this can only accentuate the current problems. Also of note, the game is starting to be filled with pro-gamers, who play the game for a living. Because these players have to be extremely good to maintain their subscriptions, donations and partnerships with advertisers, the primary ways that streamers make money, these pros are head and shoulders above the gamers who don’t have time to play for multiple hours a day. That will slowly weed out the casual players and soon only players that have put in an enormous amount of time in the game will be left playing as the competition will be too difficult for the average gamer. Although there are many good things going for Fortnite right now, the game’s popularity will soon wane, due to the aforementioned reasons. Could I be wrong? Of course. That being said, I’ve seen enough fads like this that follow the same trend to know that Fortnite: Battle Royale’s popularity will probably last a couple more fortnights and it will only be a matter of time before the game will be swept away by the storm that it created.
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SPORTS 7
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | SPORTSD49ER@GMAIL.COM COMMENTARY
Dan Monson’s extension was uncalled for
The head coach received a five-year extension after a disappointing season. By Kevin Colindres Assistant Sports Editor
Change is a natural part of life — and while sometimes it can be difficult, most of the time it is necessary. In Dan Monson’s 11-year tenure at Long Beach State, he has taken the men’s basketball team to only one NCAA tournament all the way back in 2012. This year, the 49ers were eliminated in the Big West Tournament quarterfinals by Cal State Fullerton, wrapping up the season with a record of 15-17. With the amount of talent on the team and a disappointing season, it finally looked like Monson would get kicked to the curb for a brand new coach. With rumors spreading that changes wanted to be made for the team, it only seemed like he would be on his way out. With his contract expiring next season it was the perfect opportunity for Long Beach to get a fresh new face to lead the team. Athletic director Andy Fee wanted change, but his idea of making a change to the men’s
Daily 49er File Photo
On Thursday, Long Beach State men’s basketball head coach Dan Monson signed a five-year contract extension. Long Beach placed fourth in the Big West Conference with a 15-17 record last season.
basketball program was to give head coach Monson a five-year contract extension. The announcement came Thursday with a brief statement from Fee and Monson, detailing the changes that were going to made
to the program. A positive change in Monson’s contract is the focus on winning through incentives that would increase his pay rather than a straight payday from the get go. It keeps the coaching staff a lot
more honest moving forward which could be beneficial to the program. Monson’s extension will go into effect July 1 and will see his base pay dip from $358,640 to $283,560 a season. While it looks like the team is
heading in the right direction, the real issue is Monson’s ability to take the team to the next level. A big issue in all this is that not much is changing on the actual basketball side of things. While consistency can be beneficial for the program, there are few benefits in keeping a head coach who hasn’t been able to get over the hump in more than six years. Monson is the all-time winningest Long Beach State men’s basketball head coach, but with a record of (185-177) his accolades are a little overrated. Monson has the ability to coach, but what concerns me is Monson’s willingness to change his style of play. Throughout the season Monson relied on his big men to be dominant presences in the paint, but a lack of three-point shooters created holes on the offensive end that paid negative dividends toward the end of the season. Defensively the team used a 1-31 zone that gave other teams open looks from three, and created mismatches that opponents took advantage of. Monson is locked in for the next five years, and while this might not have been the greatest choice for the program to make, we’ll have to wait and see if he can turn the tide and bring the 49ers back to the NCAA tournament.
GOLF
Tiger Woods’ career isn’t done yet By Bill Plaschke Los Angeles Times
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Barely eight years ago, he was lying unconscious in the middle of a Florida street in the middle of the night, his Escalade smashed into a tree, the car’s back window shattered by a golf club, his wife screaming about his mistress. Tiger Woods was done, and America laughed at his shame. Around six months ago, after four back surgeries, Woods shared a belief he might never play competitive golf again, acknowledging he couldn’t hit a golf ball the length of a football field. Tiger Wood was done, and America shrugged, because America was finally done with him. “Those are some really dark, dark times,” Woods said. Fast forward, very fast and far forward, to Tuesday in an am-
phitheater in the Southern mansion that is the Augusta National media center. Wood walked into the room and glowed as powerful as the scent of pine straw, this fallen man now floating into America’s golf cathedral on the precipice of what could be the greatest personal and athletic comeback in American sports history. Tiger Woods is not done. Tiger Woods can win this week’s Masters. Are you kidding me? He’s fixed his back. He’s rediscovered his swing. He’s finished in the top five in his last two tournaments, has four top-12 finishes in five events this season, and now seems primed for his first win in five years, and first major title in 10 years, at a place where he’s won four times. Woods used to be the world’s most daunting sports goliath, at once swaggering and stony, admired by some, resented by more, feared by all. Today, with a fused back and receding hairline and disarming
smile, he actually has become lovable. “As soon as Tiger walked in, everybody stood up and started clapping,” said Jon Rahm of a range revival here. “It doesn’t happen for anybody else.” Woods used to be one of the most distant and aloof golfers on tour, feuding with some, ignoring others, known by few. Now, well, he actually played a practice round Tuesday with longtime nemesis Phil Mickelson for the first time in 20 years. Two guys who once cursed each other were now joking with each other. It was really, really weird. “I never thought I would see the day, Tiger and Phil playing a practice round at Augusta,” Rory McIlroy said he remarked to Woods on the practice range. So Woods has finally become an embraceable kid at age 42, and you wonder, is it him, or is it us? The answer is both. Since Woods ran into his father’s arms after winning his first Masters 21
Curtis Compton | Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson share a laugh on the 11th tee while playing a practice round for the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on Tuesday, April 3 in Augusta, Ga.
years ago, society has changed, and so has that kid in the red shirt. The America that is rooting for Woods is a different America than the one that once demonized him.
Correction: In Sunday’s issue “Dan Monson signs 5-year contract extension,” Monson has the most wins in the men’s basketball program with 185.
The sexual assault and harassment narratives that dominate today’s headlines make Woods’ marital infidelities seem mild by comparison. Judgment is no longer so broad because there’s so much more to judge.
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2018
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