Daily 49er, April 6, 2017 by Beach Media

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH

VOL. LXVIII, ISSUE 86 | APRIL 6, 2017

SENATE

ASI Senate reports infrastructure fixes Student government discusses the multiple repairs set for buildings on campus.

Daniel Bonilla | Daily 49er

The Clothesline Project brought awareness to domestic violence by “airing out the dirty laundry of violence against women” in front of Speaker’s Platform Wednesday.

By James Chow Staff Writer

Over the next few months, Cal State Long Beach students will start to see a series of renovations aimed at upping the structural integrity and appearance of a number of buildings across campus. Senate President’s Designee Jeff Klaus said during the closing minutes of the Associated Students, Inc. Senate meeting Wednesday that he and Vice President of Administration and Finance Mary Stephens are collaborating to update the lactation rooms on campus. He said that $28,000 will be allocated toward the five rooms that are located in all three floors in Brotman Hall, the first floor in the University Student Union and the Education-1 building. Klaus also acknowledged Senator-at-large and president-elect Daniel Gomez for his efforts in encouraging the library to make a family-friendly study area. The senate was also thrilled about the renovation plans for the Fine Arts

CAMPUS EVENT

Assault survivors ‘air out dirty laundry’ The Clothesline Project gives an anonymous, artistic voice to survivors of violence. By Lola Olvera Staff Writer

Students artistically expressed their experiences with sexual or gender-based violence on T-shirts and then hung them on a clothesline for all to see as part of Wednesday’s Clothesline Project event. Lines of colorful shirts hung beneath a bright, sunny sky, revealing stories of rape, incest and assault. The clothesline display was the centerpiece of the Break the Silence Fair, held in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Cal State Long Beach students flocked to the tables set up by the Speaker’s Platform to paint words and drawings on tees, learn to prevent and recover from assault and listen to speakers. “When we do [the Clothesline Project], we make other campuses want to join in,” said psychology junior Katherine Swanee, who was volunteering at the event as part of her service-learning project. She became passionate about helping women after taking a women’s studies course in a previous semester. “[The project] helps people open up about [their experiences],” Swanee said. “Many are afraid to speak out, talk about it. It’s kinda taboo. It happens a lot more than we think it does. It’s eye-opening to people who haven’t personally experienced it and it helps those personally affected think of themselves as a survivor and not a victim.”

see SURVIVORS, page 2

see ASI, page 2

STATE LEGISLATION

Senate Bill 203: The fight against fake news California legislator introduces bill to teach students to identify fake news. By Connie Ojeda Staff Writer

California State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara, introduced the Pupil Instruction: Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy bill imposing a state mandate on public schools, making the teaching

of media literacy and digital citizenship an academic requirement. According to the bill proposed by Jackson, students in grades K-12 are more exposed to the Internet than any previous generation. Therefore, the implementation of media literacy would provide students with skills necessary for analyzing, interpreting and evaluating media sources – tools essential for combating the “fake news” trend, which has catapulted untrue stories, like one created by Kellyanne Conway, who stated that the “Bowling Green Massacre” was caused by Iraqi refugees – when, in fact, such a massacre never happened.

Cal State Long Beach news literacy professor Jennifer Fleming, despite not being a self-proclaimed expert in media literacy, said educating students about the media would be a step in the right direction. “It would help make people be more aware, more skeptical and more independent of all information that they consume,” Fleming said. “In theory, media literacy education makes people more skeptical media consumers.” Following the 2016 presidential election, BuzzFeed reported that Americans saw a spike in the “fake news” trend, which was partially a re-

sult of the lack in media literacy necessary to identify illegitimate news sources. Ipsos Public Affairs, a global marketing research and opinion company, conducted a survey poll on behalf of BuzzFeed following the election to determine how many Americans see fake news as accurate. According to the survey, 83 percent of Facebook users use the social networking site as their primary news source. The survey also found that people

see NEWS, page 2

2 NEWS

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TECHNOLOGY

Parking app released in time for busy Grand Prix weekend Tech startup has found a home in Long Beach. By Alex Ormeno-Manfredi Staff Writer

Imagine a mobile app within the realms of Uber or Airbnb, but for parking. It’s a new app called Pied Parker, made to help with parking issues people face in busy downtown areas with limited amounts of spots. Based out of Palo Alto near the heart of the Silicon Valley, the app is being launched both in the San Francisco area and Long Beach. While Pied Park-

ASI

continued from page 1 buildings. College of the Arts senator Sofia Musman told the Senate of her meeting with her dean Cyrus Parker-Jeannette. Musman said the FA3 and FA4 buildings are scheduled to be fully renovated by the 2018-19 academic year. Along with the installation of a new air conditioning system and placement of new ceiling tiles, the buildings will be gaining four large spaces for a computer lab, a classroom and a film studio. “They’re listening to us,” Musman said. “That’s pretty cool.” The renovations didn’t stop there.

er did not have the initial intentions of expanding to Southern California so soon, Long Beach Councilwoman Jeannine Pearce, District 2, learned about the app and was supportive of it very early on in its development. Long Beach is known for impacted parking, whether it’s at CSULB or in the city. “I did some mapping on Long Beach and found there’s a lot of commerce and traffic and that blossomed to our next steps of: Do we add this to our plan? and the answer was yes,” creator of the app Gianni Maxemin said. According to Maxemin, Pearce was handling a lot of parking issues in her district when they connected. “Pied Parker is a perfect example of

College of Health and Human Services senator and vice president-elect Joe Nino shared with the senate the repairs and updates done to the Kinesiology building. “A lot of the buildings I complained about last semester were renovated into smart rooms,” said Nino. “The rooms used to have chalkboards, and now they have whiteboards and a new projector. Also, the ceiling was fixed.” Senators also talked about repairing the food science labs in the Family and Consumer Service building. Nino reported about oil build up and dust in the vents of the FCS building. The ASI Senate also passed two senate resolutions that would create Jewish and Muslim ally training for their second reading.

NEWS

growing. The skills we teach kids today about critical thinking, the role continued from page 1 of media in their lives and how best to interact with social media, fake news and technology will help keep them safe and serve them into adultwho cite Facebook as their primary hood.” news source are more prone to fall Beginning in the 2019 school year, for fake news. courses implemented in accordance “We’ve really been teaching how to with the mandate will be reviewed spot fake news, at Long Beach State, annually, as an effort to keep the for more than 10 instructional years,” Fleming procedure up said. “Fake news to date and in has been around alignment with We’ve really been teaching for a very long requirements. time, [but] the Although the how to spot fake news, definition has change to the at Long Beach State, for evolved.” state academic more than 10 years. Fake Aside from requirements news has been around for teaching stuwould require a very long time, [but] the dents about digthe purchasing ital citizenship, of materials, definition has evolved. Internet safety adding to costs and media literto each school’s -Jennifer Fleming, acy, if the bill is budget, the state CSULB news literacy passed, parents will issue reimprofessor and school adbursements for ministrations all costs, a deciwill also be offered the opportunity sion which will not be made official to learn about safe media and techuntil after the April 19 senate hearnology use, which will prepare them ing. for handling situations regarding onAside from California, schools in line bullying, sexting or other media Washington may also experience the related issues. same change to academic require“The legislation is about ensuring ments, as its state legislature also we have an informed citizenry,” said recently introduced a bill regarding Jackson in a press release. “The role safe technology use and digital citiof the media and technology is only zenship in state schools.

“

technology that city leaders can harness when the status quo just isn’t moving fast enough. We needed more parking, so we brought together residents, business owners, an innovative tech startup to get the job done,” Councilwoman Pearce said in an interview with the Huffington Post. Pied Parker allows owners of private parking spots to post them on the app for visitors to pay to park at. As an owner, you simply need a driveway or any available owned parking and register it with the app. From there, you can set the hours the parking space is open and the hourly price for the spot. “[The city council was] very honest and opened doors to help us,” Maxemin

said. “We fell in love with Long Beach. Councilwoman Pearce called us in and got connected with us and the connection blossomed with them from there.” The company’s goal is to reduce traffic congestion in big cities, while saving drivers time and adding income for owners of parking spaces that can be rented out. With the Toyota Grand Prix in town this weekend, the Pied Parker app comes in handy with alleviating downtown traffic. “We’re basically blending and partnering with a lot of parking companies to create a solution for parking,” Maxemin said. “We’re not just one of many apps. We’re looking to become a household name. We’re the only real parking

company that truly asks if the spots are actually owned by someone willing to rent out their space.” Drivers trying to park near their destinations can find a parking spot without having to pay high prices for street or public garage parking. Users who go beyond the deadline can be subject to a surcharge, such as three times the amount paid for the space. Through the app, text messages alert the driver when their parking time is nearly up, and then completely up. According to Maxemin, the company plans to focus on Long Beach for the next few months and then move on to Sacramento, Berkeley and other Bay Area cities.

SURVIVORS continued from page 1

Alongside the tee-making station, campus and local groups offered informational materials and freebies ranging from candy to condoms. Among them were Counseling and Psychological Services, Not Alone at the Beach, Salud A La Vida, Student Health Services and the LA Center for Law and Justice. Justin Quinn, a Community Service Officer, encouraged students to call the CSULB University Police Night Escort Program if they ever feel unsafe walking around campus after dark. With one call, community service officer is ready to provide an escort service anywhere on campus. According to Quinn, the station receives most of their escort requests at night, especially from places like the library or Parking Lot A. Victim Advocate and Volunteer Coordinator Cindy Tamayo, who works with LGBTQ Victim Advocacy organization Angel Step Up in Downey, notes that schools have become more inclusive in their sexual awareness activism. However, although the LGBT community has received more representation, other groups still tend to be excluded. “In my opinion, [this event] seems catered more to women than men,” she said. “[There isn’t] too much focus on men who have been assaulted. A lot of the time they don’t know where to go and there’s a lot of shame attached. Some people think males can’t get sexually assaulted. Anyone can be affected by [sexual violence], anywhere.” Although many organizations shared a few words with students, it was Zoe Ann Nicholson, an equality activist, speaker and author, who held many a participant’s attention with her poem “Because I Breathe,” which dealt with aspects of victim-blaming and consent. “Remember, all you have to do is breathe and you have the right to say no,” she said. Students shared a cup of free coffee while conversing with police, snacked on chicken wraps and learned how to use a date rape drug

Daniel Bonilla | Daily 49er

Diane and her therapy dog, Koa of Paws for Healing; provide canine-assisted therapy in front of Speakers Platform Wednesday. detector, but many preferred the company of an entirely different species. Therapy dogs and guinea pigs basked in the affection of doting college students. Claudette and Keith Adkins of Paws 4 Healing brought the animals to comfort anyone who became upset during the event and to share the benefits of non-human companions during times of distress. The non-profit organization provides therapy animals to people facing high-stress situations, including those recovering in hospitals, about to undergo surgery or testifying to a violent crime in court. “I can attest that [animal assisted interaction] is a healing source,” Claudette Adkins said. “Animals can be so calming and often easier to talk to.” Another organization that at-

tempts to make talking about traumatic issues easier is Project Rise, a student group created last semester that offers support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and also provides resources to teach consent and healthy relationships. Dali Ny, a senior anthropology major and a member of Project Rise, says the goal is to make it “easier for students to talk about these issues with another student and break down the stigma of sharing [their stories.] We’re trying to make it more accessible and personable.” Ny first heard of the Clothesline Project in high school. “I recognized the handwriting of my peers [on some of the tees] and it really shocked me,” she said. “Although it sucks, [survivors] are not alone [in their hardship]. It’s nice for them to have that solidarity.”

NEWS 3

THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017 DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM CITY COUNCIL

Federal funding for Section 8 housing threatened that are now not in use, the money may be reallocated to different cities with a need for more vouchers. Vice Mayor Rex Richardson claims that the drop in lease-up rate is due to a misunderstanding between the Housing Choice Voucher Program and landlords. “It’s becoming increasingly difficult for subsidized tenants to find housing. There are over 1,000 families and individuals who hold a voucher but are unable to find a landlord who [is] willing to rent to them, or find a Section 8 vacancy,” Richardson said. Some of the misunderstanding that the council attempted to clear up for landlords Tuesday was regarding whether or not voucher holders would follow the same rules as regular renters, including vacating procedures if they were accepted as tenants. Another misconception Richardson claimed is holding landlords back is the idea that voucher recipients are criminals and poor renters. City staff says that the majority of voucher holders are low-income families who are subject to a vetting process prior to move-in. “Not everyone that holds Section 8 is a drug dealer or a gang member or

By Samantha Diaz Staff Writer

Long Beach Section 8 housing voucher recipients received a glimmer of hope in finding places available to rent. The Long Beach City Council voted Tuesday to begin creating incentive packages for landlords to increase the number of units open to receiving housing vouchers. The city currently receives $68 million toward the Section 8 program, also known as the Housing Choice Voucher Program, that helps subsidize rent for low-income individuals. Recently, the lease-up rate, or the percentage of vouchers issued that actually get used, dropped from 98 to 85. This drop in lease-up rates puts Long Beach in danger of losing federal funding towards its housing programs. Since the city has an overflow of vouchers

some kind of criminal,” said Jorge Rivera, a member of LIBRE, a housing advocacy group for Long Beach residents.

“

There are over 1,000 families and individuals who hold a voucher but are unable to find a landlord who [is] willing to rent to them, or find a Section 8 vacancy. -Rex Richardson, Vice Mayor

“

Council creates incentive for landlords in an effort to keep federal funding.

“We do need to educate the community and those property owners that are still holding on to some of those myths about Section 8 tenants and maybe educate them and open up their minds a bit.” To retain federal funding, council hopes to create incentive packages to make renting out to Section 8 voucher recipients more beneficial to owners. Landlords were complaining at the

meeting about the length of time it takes for the inspection and vetting process to be completed, during which time they are responsible for keeping the unit empty and losing almost a month’s worth of rent. Owners also complained of harsh inspections and required updating of units, as well as needing to repair any damages caused by voucher-holding renters. The council discussed the possibility of giving landlords money to go toward the Housing Choice Voucher inspections, keeping the unit empty and paying for any damages. It also discussed the idea of expediting the inspection process by scheduling as many inspections as possible on the same day. The city will be looking at how Los Angeles County and the city of L.A. deals with its housing voucher programs and come back to council in 30 to 45 days with more ideas for incentive packages. City council also addressed the issue of illegally dumped items on the roadside. Councilman Robert Uranga of the 7th district moved to conduct a study to look into where in the city the items are being dumped the most and methods the city can use to decrease illegal

dumping. Current Long Beach policy states that when an item such as a sofa, mattress or television set is dumped on the street, it becomes the responsibility of the adjacent neighbor to remove the item. Uranga stated that most times the adjacent neighbor has nothing to do with the item dumped and that Council should look into updating the city policy. Richardson supported the study, saying that the two freeways and over 20 on-ramps make the 9th district especially susceptible to illegal dumping. “The more work we can do with our neighborhood associations to have a strategy that really targets these highly susceptible neighborhoods, I think that’s the right direction,” said Richardson. Councilwoman Stacy Mungo offered her support for the study on the condition that the council will also look into updating and fixing the “Go Long Beach” app, which residents can use to report incidents of illegal dumping. Mungo said that she would even be willing to “have some college kids design an app that’s more effective.”

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4 ARTS & LIFE

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ozens of women had the chance to experience what it would be like to be a Charger Girl during a pre-audition workshop held at the Dance Center Wednesday. “These workshops give an idea of what to expect at the actual auditions,” said Lisa Simmons, Charger Girls director. “They can try it out and see if it’s for them.” The workshop is one of four scheduled prior to the oﬃcial auditions in May.

Jade Inglada | Daily 49er

UNIVERSITY THEATER

‘Chérubin’ sings hearts away The Bob Cole Conservatory of Music presents Jules Massenet’s “Chérubin.” By Isabel Ramos Staff Writer

Expect “Chérubin,” the opera taking over the University Theater this weekend, to be delightful, cheery — and completely in French. Even for those not fluent in French, the opera clearly expresses its light-hearted and flirty nature with the lively songs and ambience. It will still however be English-only audience friendly, because there will be supertitles projected above the stage to translate lyrics so it is possible to get a full understanding of the story. The opera was originally written in 1905 by French composer Jules Massenet. It follows title character Chérubin on his seventeenth birthday. He is very flirtatious with every woman he meets, even though it is clear that there is only one girl

Photo courtesy Kate Gillon

Comic opera, “Chérubin,” presented by the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music Opera Institute will show at the University Theatre April 7-9.

who truly loves him. Then, Chérubin thinks he finds the love of his life, a glamorous celebrity. There are commotions, fights, drama and comedy

throughout the opera as Chérubin struggles to figure out who his one true love really is. The setting of “Chérubin” is a pastel-colored café

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in France, very fitting for spring considering that the set looks like an Easter egg basket. The opera’s colorful cafe theme is picked to fit the style of the students but, also fits the style of the spring season as well. “[The opera] suits our students that we have at the moment – it basically features two mezzos and two baritones,” said conductor David Ives Anglin. The student performers capture the tone of silliness of this comic opera well with their animated performance, showing that this was indeed a good choice. Overall, the production is a fitting way to start the final half of the semester and is a distraction from the fact that spring break is over. It captures the essence of spring and creates a much needed stress-free environment in the final stretch toward summer. Shows start at 8 p.m., Friday-Sunday, with 2 p.m. matinees Saturday and Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office. The price is $25 normally or $15 for students. The discount for students can only be redeemed by purchasing a ticket at the box office and showing a valid student ID.

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ARTS & LIFE 5

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TCM gets animated by CSULB The channel will air rare animated ﬁ lms curated by CSULB professor Aubry Mintz. By Carlos Villicana Staff Writer

One of Cal State Long Beach’s own will host Turner Classic Movies, the television network dedicated to airing acclaimed films from the past, this Sunday night from 5 - 9 p.m. CSULB animation professor Aubry Mintz, along with consulting agency Schoolwood partner Ellen Besen and TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, will be co-hosting a panel showcasing 30 short animated films from Canada’s National Film Board. Mintz is the head of the animation program at CSULB and studied at the acclaimed Classical Animation Program at Sheridan College. He has worked with Square USA and George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic, giving him the credence to be listened to when pitching the idea for the panel to TCM. The films, all released between 1941 and 1999, were selected from about 50 National Film Board shorts that Mintz and Besen watched, analyzed and re-

Courtesy of Aubry Mintz

Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicze(left) will share the stage with Ellen Besen(middle) CSULB animation professor Aubry Mintz(right) for a Canadian animation marathon on April 9. searched. Mintz, who is Canadian, said that he had already seen a handful of these films himself. A friend who had previously worked with TCM helped facilitate a meeting between himself, Besen and the network, where the both of them pitched this idea. “It was about a year of prep, because of figuring out who to talk to at TCM. We knew we wanted to do something with TCM,” Mintz said. “We had the

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material. It was a matter of who to present it to and we finally found the right people.” Mintz said that TCM agreed to the pitch immediately because the channel had never done anything with Canada’s National Film Board before. The 30 films are divided into time periods, with Mintz and his co-hosts providing context of what was happening in the animation industry and the world for each period, as well as be-

hind-the-scenes stories and information about the techniques in the films. “The stuff we were going to say was condensed, so every word meant something,” he said. When selecting films, Mintz and Besen looked for those that exemplified different techniques and tones from a variety of filmmakers. They curated the order the films will be shown in so that there is a natural flow between the films.

“If you grew up in Canada, you probably saw a handful of these films,” Mintz said. “A hockey game would end early [on TV] and you would see Canada National Film Board films. It was stitched into our culture. So for me, watching a lot of these films, growing up in Canada, it brought me right back.” Though the thirty films that will be screened are considered rare, Mintz said that this is what makes them and their creators worth watching and studying, and why one should tune in. “I think if you open yourselves up to all different types of filmmaking you will no doubt be affected by it all, and all in different ways,” Mintz said. Some of Mintz’s favorites include “The Big Snit,” “The Cat Came Back,” “Walking” and “When the Day Breaks,” but he recommends watching them all. “If you imagine listening to a great piece of music or staring at a great piece of art and walking away and wanting to do something with that, well this is thirty things that are going to affect you like that. So you’re going to walk away with thirty different ways to do something and you will be inspired to create your own, and that’s why we’re doing this.” Mintz said that the appearance, which was pre-recorded, went great and that he hopes to be able to do a similar show for films from the 2000s.

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6 OPINIONS

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GENTRIFICATION

Renters vent about rise in housing costs Long Beach rent rates are increasing, leaving low-income residents vulnerable to lose their properties.

+ 7.5% increase in rent prices per year

By Marilyn Isabel Ramirez Staff Writer

moved to Long Beach from Pico Rivera almost three years ago to be closer to Cal State Long Beach and settle in as a new 49er. I had three roommates at the time, and like many students moving into this city, we understood that paying $1,600 a month for a two-bedroom apartment was part of the deal. Long Beach is a coastal city, so we assumed that the apartments in the area were all going to be around the same expensive price range. Today, the Hathaway Apartment website lists the same apartment we rented at $2,065 per month. That’s a 7.5 percent increase for each year since I had it. And although that number may not look like a huge amount of money, for many Long Beach inhabitants, rent inflation has determined whether or not they get to call this city their home. The issue at hand is the city’s action of discarding low-income residents for the sake of what Josh Dulaney of the Long Beach Press Telegram called “urban renewal,” in an August 2016 article concerning rising rent prices in some of Long Beach’s working-class neighborhoods. This concept of “urban renewal,” as a way to improve neighborhoods is essentially an enticing nickname for gentrification. In the past decade or so, Long Beach has been experiencing a revitalization of community from investors who fund the building of high-end businesses. They predict the property value in the area to skyrocket as a result. The percent increases matches or exceeds many shoreside cities in Los Angeles County, such as Santa Monica and Venice. This rent inflation can be attributed to an influx of income-based

February 2017 average rent price for 2-bedroom apartment: $2,280 Infographic by Stephanie Hak Sources: The Press Telegram and Rent Jungle

neighborhood cleansing. Long Beach is diverse, business friendly, and when compared to similarly popular cities in Los Angeles, still in the same ballpark for rent. Average price for a one-bedroom apartment in Long Beach is $2,058, which is catching up to the $2,313 average rent for a comparable spot in Los Angeles, according to Rent Jungle. This is where we see young entrepreneurs, hipsters, students and business professionals taking ad-

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vantage of the “low” prices. They come to Long Beach with ideas of “beautifying” the city, leaving their mark, becoming part of its future. They build high end restaurants, bars and apartments, setting prices only the wealthy can afford to take advantage of. This process of beautification essentially has neighborhoods being developed by and for wealthy people. It’s causing distress on inhabitants who’ve been living in the city for years.

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They’re now subject to giving up their homes to new property owners set on hiking up rent prices to make more money off of wealthier tenants. Affordable housing is arguably one of the most important aspects that this city should be addressing. Instead of building more expensive apartment complexes, townhomes and other housing projects, we should be allocating areas for low-income families and students that can’t keep up with

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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.

the rent inflation. If a couple is spending almost 50 percent of their income on rent, it ultimately affects their contribution to the economy because the amount of disposable income becomes almost nonexistent. Kevin Smith reported in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune that seven percent is the average rate at which all of Long Beach’s rent has gone up per year. People living closer to hot locations like the CSULB campus and downtown area are responsible for paying hiked up rent prices due to the area that they’re in. There’s a higher flow of traffic, the surrounding destinations are desirable for students and visitors alike and Long Beach is considered an ideal beachside location – all somewhat justifiable reasons to pay more, if one were looking for some. These reasons, though, are not justifiable enough for the city residents who’ve been burdened by the rising rent rates. Some apartment buildings are being bought off by wealthy investors who are less interested in the welfare of longtime Long Beach residents and more on profitable Angelenos looking to live in a relatively “affordable” neighborhood. Because landlords and real estate tycoons noticed the growing lack of vacancy in the area, simple economics fueled their decisions for hiking up renting prices: when the demand for housing is high while the supply is low, the possibility of profit increases. Mayor Robert Garcia made housing affordability a priority in 2016, yet there’s a whole mess of factors that have yet to be considered. Low-income renters are subject to health issues due to the prevalent environment: dilapidated housing, lack of health resources in the area, air pollution from traffic, etc. Parks, public health and transportation all need to be improved in order for the tenants to maximize their ability to work and afford the areas that they’re being forced to evacuate. In the meantime, our main focus should be fighting for low-income residents, opting for building low-cost housing units instead of selling them to the man.

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SPORTS 7

THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017 DAILY49ER.COM | SPORTSD49ER@GMAIL.COM KEY 2017 SERIES:

Starting line-up:

As the Long Beach State Dirtbags continue Big West play, the team’s every day guys have stayed almost untouched. The only differences are Laine Huffman has shifted to shortstop while Ramsey Romano has taken over third base.

When: April 21-23

Where: Irvine Why: The Dirtbags makes the short drive to Irvine. Junior Keston Hiura was named to the preseason Golden Spikes award watch list and is batting .321 with six home runs and 21 RBIs. LBSU will try to keep UCI’s top hitter from doing any more damage. In the last three seasons, the Dirtbags are 6-3 against the “Eaters.”

DANIEL JACKSON

JARREN DURAN

FIRST BASEMAN

SECOND BASEMAN

LAINE HUFFMAN

LUCAS TANCAS

SHORTSTOP

LEFT FIELDER

RAMSEY RAMANO THIRD BASEMAN

When: April 28-30

Where: Davis Why: LBSU will travel for the second consecutive weekend, this time a seven and a half hour drive up the I-5. UC Davis (9-13) has struggled this season but opened BWC play with a series win against CSUN at home. Sophomore Ryan Anderson is batting .353 with three home runs and 16 RBIs and will have to be dealt with carefully. The Dirtbags have been described as “road warriors” by Buckley and will need to be against the Aggies.

BROOKS STOTLER

VS.

CENTER FIELDER

When: May 5-7

BROCK LUNDQUIST RIGHT FIELDER

DAVID BANUELOS CATCHER

LUKE RASMUSSEN

DESIGNATED HITTER

Where: Blair Field Why: “I hate Cal Poly,” McCaughan said when asked about what series was the most important in his eyes. According to the LBSU ace, the coaching staff at Cal Poly didn’t think he had what it took to be a Bronco when he was in high school and passed on offering him a scholarship. To their dismay, McCaughan has blossomed into one of the Big West Conference’s premier pitchers. “I [threw a complete game] against them last year so hopefully I can do the same this year.” Look for McCaughan to pitch with a little extra energy than usual in the Friday night game of the series.

Weekend pitching staff:

VS.

When: May 25-27

DARREN MCCAUGHAN FRIDAY STARTER

JOHN SHEAKS

SATURDAY STARTER

DAVE SMITH

SUNDAY STARTER

Where: Fullerton Why: CSU Fullerton and LBSU have been the premier teams in the Big West conference for the last few years. The Dirtbags will be looking to repeat their sweep of the Titans that came on March 24-26. LBSU’s starting pitching was stellar in games two and three, holding the CSUF offense to one earned run in 13 2/3 innings. Junior John Sheaks and senior Dave Smith turned a corner in that series and have built off of it ever since. They will be impact players for the Dirtbags in a series that could have NCAA tournament implications.

8 SPORTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017 DAILY49ER.COM | SPORTSD49ER@GMAIL.COM

READY TO RUMBLE Long Beach State will vie for its first Big West Conference title since the 2008 season. By Luke Ramirez

Assistant Sports Editor

hough the Big West may not be known as one of college baseball’s powerhouse conferences, there is no shortage of excitement this time of year when the new season begins. Having already won their first series, the No. 19 Long Beach State Dirtbags (17-11) will look to improve on a second place finish in 2016 Big West play and dethrone No. 10 Cal State Fullerton in the top spot. “Everyone is here to win the Big West,” junior right fielder Brock Lundquist said. “It’s a tough conference to play in but if our pitching continues to look strong and we play solid defense and put runs on the board, we’re going to do some big things.” LBSU started 2017 very inconsistently but have made a turn-around after they swept Cal State Fullerton in a non-conference series March 23-26. The Dirtbags made national noise after the sweep of the then No. 5 ranked team in the country and have seemed to build upon their momentum since then. A key aspect to the sweep was the collective performances of the weekend pitching staff of juniors Darren McCaughan (2-2, 3.51 ERA) and John Sheaks (3-1 3.79) and senior Dave Smith (2-1, 0.84 ERA). “As a unit we’ve shown what we can do so far,” McCaughan said. “We have a lot of guys we can trust which is good to have options.” The offense has been another key

Photos by Jose De Castro and Luke Ramirez | Daily 49er

The Long Beach State baseball team will look to continue its success when they host teams at Blair Field. The Dirtbags are currently 9-1 at home. to LBSU’s recent success, scoring 46 runs in its last 10 games. To this point in the season, junior third baseman RamseyRomano who is batting .352 with 16 RBIs and had a 20 game hit streak that recently ended. Juniors Lucas Tancas (.322, 3 HRs, 12 RBIs) and David Banuelos (.312, 4 HRs, 18 RBIs) have been two important pieces of the offense as well this season.

“With the offense that we have, as long as we throw up low numbers out on the mound, they’re going to give us run support,”McCaughan said. “It builds confidence when you go out there and know that they are going to pick you up.” The starters pitched well in last weekend’s Big West Conference opener against UC Santa Barbara in which

the Dirtbags went 2-1. Lundquist hit .500 with a home run and six RBIs that earned him player of the week recognition. “Lately we’ve been doing three things that have allowed us to be successful; we’ve pitched well, played catch, and put the ball in play to manufacture runs,” head coach Troy Buckley said. “If we do those things,

regardless of the opponent, we’re going to give ourselves a chance.” One longtime aspect that the Big West Conference is known for is the respect that each team has for one another. While Fullerton has won the title six of the last 10 years, it looks like every team has a chance to be competitive in 2017. “The Big West is open to win this year,” McCaughan said. “As of now, everyone is kind of in the same boat. Every team we play, we have to take it as the most important game of the year.” Looking ahead, the Dirtbags will play six home games in a row and will try to add on to their six consecutive wins at Blair Field. UC Riverside (1212) will come to town this weekend for a three game series. UCR lost its opening series to CSUF last weekend 3-2, 1-6, and 2-15. “We’re just going to try and play the same game we played last weekend,” UC Riverside head coach Troy Percival said. “Don’t expect a team like ours to change our game plan for anybody.” Some key UCR players in the series will be junior Colby Schultz (.301, 1 HR, 11 RBI’s) and senior Mark Contreras (.404, 1 HR, 7 RBI’s). Look for UCR senior Alex Fagalde (5-0, 1.75 ERA, 36.0 IPs) and McCaughan to duel on Friday night in game one. “Our focus is on the next team in front of us,” Buckley said. “The goal is really to take care of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.” That being said, it’s hard to believe that the Dirtbags aren’t at least picturing the final conference series of 2017 at CSUF May 25-27. With Titans the preseason favorite and the Dirtbags sweep earlier this year, a lot will be on the line including perhaps the Big West Conference Championship.

To view the Dirtbags starting line-up and upcoming games, see page 7