CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH
VOL. LXVIX, ISSUE 38 | DECEMBER 7, 2017
Cal State Long Beach is almost 70 years old and lately, the campus is showing its age. Broken elevators, lead in some drinking fountains, mold in the library, broken dorm washers, escalators out of service. It’s all been a headache for students, faculty and hurried administrators who seem to be scrambling to plug a leaking dike of structural problems. See pages 6-7.
2 OPINIONS
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017 DAILY49ER.COM | OPEDD49ER@GMAIL.COM
OP-ED
One flew over the White House nest Playing with the idea that our Commander in Chief may be the Commander in Solipsism. By Marilyn Ramirez Opinions Editor
T
his year has been the most politically disruptive year of my college career — and I have el presidente Donald Trump to thank for that. No one in the United States or across international borders can escape the actions and repercussions of the Commander in Chief; he’s always there, like a bad stepfather, looming over us through the media that he incessantly accuses of blasphemy even though it covers the facts. He based his campaign on building a wall and helping the middle class; we have dozens of media covering the lack of a stone cold, 30 feet structure cutting off our nation from the world and the GOP tax plan that will end up destroying the already decreasing class of average-income earners. More so, his executive team of money-wranglers and sexual predators are publicized. My point is that we have evidence. We have multiple sources telling us what this fool is up to, and in terms of believing the media, I want to make it clear that I’m pretty onboard with believing that they aren’t telling fibs to fit some socialist agenda. Having said that, this leads me to my next, and more important point; even with this overwhelming evidence, Trump is clearly mentally ill. There. I said it. He suffers from an illness that everyone can continue to deny, but
Olivier Douliery | Abaca Press
U.S. President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order to declare formal recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel during an event in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House Dec. 6, in Washington, DC.
the facts are there as plain as the squirrels that exist on campus. He denies the existence of a lot of events — like climate change — and continues to act and perform recklessly, leading a group of 27 American psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health experts to assess his health and warn the world that Trump may be very well bound to what one of America’s leading psychohistorians, Robert Jay Lifton, calls “solipsistic reality.” I was wary when I found out that these researchers were dedicating time to author a text (“The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump”) on this idea that Trump is seriously mentally ill. Solipsistic reality means that he’s incapable of embracing reality; he believes the reality of the self is the only one to exist, and everyone else’s proposed realities is nothing more than a danger that he needs to protect himself from. One example of this, according to Lifton in an interview, is Trump’s accusation that former President Barack Obama wasn’t a U.S. citizen.
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“He needs to delegitimize Obama…” Lifton said. “This is a personal, isolated solipsistic need which can coexist with a recognition that there’s no evidence at all to back it up.” Even though Trump understood this probably wasn’t true,
Solipsistic reality means that he’s incapable of embracing reality; he believes the reality of the self is the only one to exist, and everyone else’s proposed realities is nothing more than a danger that he needs to protect himself from.”
“
he needs things to be a certain way even when they’re not, so he lies to make up for the lack of consistencies in his realities. Like the whole “Obama is recording my conversations” bit. Even the intelligence community couldn’t find evidence. I wouldn’t consider myself a
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fan, per se, of the man thus far, but to diagnose a person without actually meeting them is pretty unprofessional and unethical. The Goldwater Rule, or section 7.3 of the American Psychiatrist Association’s code of ethics, is no nonsense in regards to my concern: “it is unethical for a psychiatrist to offer a professional opinion unless he or she has conducted an examination and has been granted proper authorization for such a statement.” But here we have Lifton and his team defying that. Instead, it’s their duty to push this information in order to prove that Trump is psychologically unstable and unfit for office — both of which are 100 percent possible. His fellow Republicans agree; Senator Susan Collins admitted recently that she was worried about his mental state. Senator Bob Corker accused the Commander in Chief of not demonstrating the competence necessary for a successful presidency. Earlier in the year, even voters said they believed his mental health was “poor,” while two out
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of three regularly question his temperament. Why would it be so terrible to think that this is the truth? Instead of his spaced-out actions of a petulant child, his increasing instability might be a sign of a truly dangerous figure that slithered his way into our presidency. The walls of the world that once revolved around him — in his reality — are crumbling with attacks coming from his new kingdom. Who knows? Maybe it’s true. Maybe his erratic, destructive behavior, his sense of entitlement, his dictatorial personality all have a mentally-rooted reason. Over the past year, we’ve had a weekly check-in of the man in charge, right, where he says something outlandish against a person or group, proposes an even more outrageous solution then watches it fizzle out until the next outburst. Recently, though, psychiatrists are identifying more and more examples of his mental decline: retweeting violent videos from an alt-right group, referring to Senator Elizabeth Warren as “Pocahontas,” and even denying that the voice on the “Access Hollywood” tape of him admitting to groping women was his — despite stating earlier that it was, in fact, him. I don’t think this is a time for Republicans to argue that these psychiatrists are a bunch of whiny, over-reaching liberals who, in their displeasure with their president, are finding ways to discredit his ability to run the country. If mental health decline can explain why this inexperienced, irrational human being acts the way he does, then I’m all for it. It’s not enough to say he’s just a racist, or he’s just stupid; for me, I need scientific proof. And even if after his term is over, after he’s out of the public eye, after someone’s received the authorization to declare, “Yup, this dude was pretty insane,” I’ll be happy.
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017 DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM
NEWS 3
2 MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2017
OBITUARY
Founder of Jewish studies dead at 72
Longtime professor and central figure in Jewish Studies Program battled dementia. By Mac Walby
Managing Editor
Cal State University faculty and students were saddened to learn retired professor and founder of the school’s Jewish Studies speakers series Arlene Lazarowitz died Tuesday morning after a difficult battle with dementia. She is survived by her partner Jerry Colnic, sister Beverly, and an extended family of cousins in Canada and California. “Arlene was a remarkable person who overcame enormous physical obstacles to triumph in life,” Jeffrey Blutinger, director of Jewish studies, wrote in an email to College of Liberal Arts faculty members. A funeral will be held Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at Home of Peace Memorial in Los Angeles to commemorate her life and accomplishments, which include a number of published scientific articles in “Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies,” and a lifelong career in teaching. Blutinger recalls seeing his colleague back in March, where the two caught up for a few hours. “She seemed coherent,” he said. “We talked about politics and the university.”
But just months later in August, his one-time co-director in the Jewish Studies Program couldn’t recognize him. “Dementia is different in that it is very hard on the friends and family of those affected,” Blutinger said. Originally born in Winnipeg, Canada on June 27 1945, Lazarowitz moved to Long Beach in her teens and eventually attended the university. She earned her degree while battling a lifelong spinal condition. Though doctors would advise the use of a wheelchair almost immediately, Blutinger said “through sheer force of will” she was able to walk all the way until her final years. After earning her doctorate from UCLA in 1982, Lazarowitz came back to teach at the Beach where she graduated, and eventually helped create the Jewish Studies Program, where she served as director alongside Blutinger. Colleagues and friends describe her as a no-nonsense kind of woman, someone who cared about the people around her. After Lazarowitz’s own health struggles, she became a vocal advocate for the disabled at Cal State Long Beach, and was a major force in making the campus more accessible throughout the years. “The CSULB Jewish Studies Program extends its deepest condolences to Arlene’s beloved companion, Jerry, and to her family, friends, and colleagues,” Blutinger wrote.
Courtesy of CSULB
Former Long Beach professor and creator of the Jewish studies program Arlene Lazarowitz died Tuesday morning.
ASI
Football exploratory committee tackled down After being reconsidered by Senate, the formerly approved resolution failed. By James Chow
Assistant News Editor
Cal State Long Beach will have to kiss any dreams of a football team goodbye — for now. Less than a month after it was passed, Associated Student Inc.’s football exploratory committee resolution was rescinded by the
Senate in a tied 8-8 vote with four abstentions. ASI President Joe Nino asked fellow members to reconsider the resolution in a scheduled agenda addendum Wednesday. The decision to revote on the resolution was due to Nino’s recommendation to review the effects of having a football exploratory committee. Nino’s power to recommend a reconsideration of resolutions rests in the organization’s bylaws. In a preliminary discussion, senator-at-large and co-author of the resolution Alex Trimm emphasized the need for a commit-
My concern is while ASI is fighting against any proposed tuition increase, at the same time ASI is exploring a committee that could potentially increase fees.”
“
Joe Nino tee. “What kind of message is it sending for students who really wanna see [football on campus] when ASI says ‘don’t even think
about it,” Trimm said. “There’s a strong chance that [a committee] could come back in May with this report and say ‘we should not do this’…But what good does it do if we can’t even get that point.” In the 2011-2012 school year, a referendum to revive football at the university failed. The referendum would have increased student fees by $86. In a previously published article, the Daily 49er reported that former director of athletics, Vic Cegles, approximated the cost of a football team to be $15 million. Addressing the Senate, Nino noted how the timing of the res-
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olution adds another obstacle to student fees as a tuition increase across the university system seems impending. If football were to be established at the university, there would be costs for football resources, which include a stadium. “My concern is while ASI is fighting against any proposed tuition increase, at the same time ASI is exploring a committee that could potentially increase fees. That doesn’t make sense to me,” Nino said. see SENATE, page 4
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4 NEWS
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017 DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM
HOMELESS
SENATE
Off the streets, into warm bedsheets Winter Shelter set to open Dec. 6 for the homeless. By Cris Rivera
Staff Writer
While chilly nights this December remind Long Beach residents of upcoming holidays and festivities, for the homeless, cold nights make it difficult to survive living on the streets. In a unanimous 9-0 vote, the Long Beach City Council approved to authorize the use of the North Long Beach library as a shelter for the homeless population. The library has closed down and remained vacant since August 2016 and was one of the few locations available. The shelter will be operated by the United States Veterans Initiative. “US Vets is the largest non-profit provider of comprehensive services to homeless and at risk veterans,” said Kelly Colopy, director of health and human services in Long Beach. “US Vets has extensive experience operating winter shelters.” The library is located on Orange Avenue and will operate as a shelter from Dec. 6 to March 31, 2018. It is intended for adults only, and individuals will be bused in from the Multi-Service Center located at
W. 12th street. Most residents voiced their support of the shelter, including Heather Miner, a pastor at North Long Beach Christian Church who has worked with various homeless shelters in the past. “Homeless shelters get people off the streets and into conversations that allow
“Homeless shelters get people off the streets and into conversations that allow them to access services out of the alleyways and into a place where they can find a movement towards wholeness.”
“
Heather Miner them to access services out of the alleyways and into a place where they can find a movement towards wholeness,” Miner said. “The cold right now is a great blessing to many because it allows them to make that choice to try the do the thing that will get them better.” Andy Kerr, who grew up in the neigh-
continued from page 3
The president told the Senate that he felt there needed to be more outreach to students to see if they are in favor of having a football team. “I feel comfortable enough saying that I don’t agree with this and I will not take this to the student body in general to vote on this because I’m not in favor,” Nino said. “When people voted for me, they were not in favor of an increase of fees.” Dominic Erich, a fourth year business student, disagreed with Nino. According to Erich, many business students were excited about the possibility of having a football team on campus. “I think it is important to look at the forecast at what it would cost instead of just [calling this decision] ‘too expensive,’” Erich said. “I’ve talked to tons of students in the business department and they were all really excited about it. When I was telling them today that it might fall through, they were bummed about it.” Other arguments against the football exploratory committee resolution included an allocation of funds toward other resources. Chloe Calder, senator of the college of education, said the focus of the Senate should be on issues of homelessness and housing security for students. “It’s kind of a slap in the face to say ‘we know you don’t have a house but we want to focus on sports,” Calder said.
borhood near the library, believes the move is a necessity for the city. “This really is a regional problem, and we need to work in collaboration with the county,” Kerr said. “We need to get out of the mentality of we are going to support these efforts as long as they’re somewhere else, we need to take ownership in order to really solved these difficult challenges in the community.” Some residents expressed their concerns and reservations about the location of the homeless shelter. “I’m not against helping homeless individuals,” said one District 8 Long Beach resident. “My concern as a property owner is regarding the increase in crime, and potential substance abuse increase to a neighborhood that is already impacted.” While U.S. Vets will operate the shelter, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority will provide funding. In response to the worries expressed by some residents, District 8 Councilmember Al Austin made clear that he will be involved in this process to see that it runs as smoothly as possible. “I understand the concerns and anxiety,” Austin said. “I will be working with all city departments to make sure there is minimal impact on the residents.” The next city council meeting is on Tuesday Dec. 12.
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NEWS 5
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017 DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM ALUMNI
Lights, camera, awards Steven Spielberg, Cal State Long Beach alumnus of ‘02, was inducted into the California Hall of Fame Tuesday. By Lilly Nguyen Staff Writer
Steven Allan Spielberg knew one thing when he was growing up: he wanted to make it to Hollywood. On Tuesday night, Cal State Long Beach alumnus Spielberg walked down the red carpet in Sacramento to be inducted into the California Hall of Fame for his contributions to filmmaking and the Hollywood industrial complex. The California Hall of Fame began in 2006 when former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, sought to celebrate and honor exemplary Californians across all disciplines who have made an impact on the state. The Hall of Fame places an emphasis on the significant influence one person can have.
“It’s a tough choice, there are a lot of extraordinary people,” said Richard Costigan III, the California Museum’s Board of Trustees chair. “I always think every year like, ‘oh my god, this year is great. How is it going to get better?’ But it always turns out to be an extraordinary group of folks and it’s always amazing.” Spielberg, who brought fears of a community plagued by a man-eating shark to life in “Jaws” (1975) and dreamt up worlds beyond our own in “Close Encounters” (1977), joined eight other inductees including Lucille Ball, Susan Desmond-Hellmann, Mabel McKay, Mario J. Molina, Jim Plunkett, Gary Snyder, Michael Tilson Thomas and Warren Winiarski. Terri Carbaugh, associate vice president of public affairs at CSULB, flew to Sacramento to attend the event.
Courtesy of Terri Carbaugh
Associate Vice President for Development Kevin Crowe and Cal State Long Beach spokeswoman Terri Carbaugh pose with CSULB alumnus Steven Spielberg.
“Because [Spielberg] is our alum, they reached out,” Carbaugh said. “Those individuals who are making decisions about who will be inducted into the hall of fame put a lot of weight in the experiences that these individuals may have had when they were in college or in their younger years. The experience we have in college, the good and the bad ones, can really shape our lives in the decades to come.” She also explained that she was honored meeting Spielberg and that she was happy she could ex-
press to him that the university would continue supporting him through future endeavors. “He spoke highly of his journey to achieve a college degree at Long Beach State and that was heartwarming to me,” Carbaugh, said. “Because when you think of all that he has achieved in his life. Knowing that he gained a college credential had significant meaning to him and his family meant a lot to me because I care so deeply to provide opportunities for people who are trying to gain access in order to complete college.”
Spielberg attended Cal State Long Beach in 1965 but left the campus in pursuit of his career in the growing entertainment industry. He eventually became a part of a group of directors that film historians refer to as “film school brats” as they ushered in a new age in Hollywood.
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6 SPECIAL REPORT
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017 DAILY49ER.COM
A university of
Lights out Issues with emergency towers raise concern among campus population. By Hunter Lee and Donna Robles Contributing Writers
Hunter Lee | Daily 49er
With over 239 emergency service phones on campus, as many as 47 are in need of minor to serious repair.
Imagine venturing to your car late at night after class, and from the corner of your eye you notice a figure in the dark following you. Your phone is dead, so you run to one of the blue emergency light towers stationed around campus, only to find a sign plastered on the surface: “out of order.” Of the 239 emergency blue poles across Cal State Long Beach, 47 poles are not functioning properly according to the Phone Repair List for September 2017. “Realistically, we treat [tower alerts] like a 911 call,” said Sergeant Keith Caires of University Police. “So even if you don’t say anything on the line, within a few minutes some-
one will be checking on that callbox.” A recurring theme between Physical Planning and Facilities Management and Telecom Request Management, the two departments responsible for repairs, is determining whose jurisdiction repairs fall under. Facilities Management is in charge of issues that include custodial clean ups, such as graffiti or spiderwebs dirtying the tower and dim or broken light bulbs. Telecom is responsible for functioning and operations problems with the phone lines such as faulty call buttons and connectivity issues. Many students, especially those enrolled in night classes, rely on these emergency services to keep them safe. But with almost 20 percent of the phones experiencing issues, that safety is hardly guaranteed. “It’s terrifying and I have a night class,” said Shonda Demont, a junior marketing major. “Without those here I would feel insane.” It is not clear when the 47 broken light poles will be repaired.
Dated dorms Aging student housing has residents concerned and frustrated. By Medina Kabir and Miami Abdulal Contributing Writers
Students living on campus in dorms such as Parkside or Hillside aren’t afraid to air out their dirty laundry, as they express concerns about faulty washing machines and dryers. Many dorming students reported laundry machines breaking down often enough to inconvenience every residential hall, without any notice or warnings being posted on the appliances. “One of the dryer machines at the Beachside dorms burnt my friend’s clothes pretty bad,” said second year transfer student and business major Jose Francisco. “The staff told her it was possible the dryers were failed to be properly checked by maintenance before the beginning of the school year.” Other issues students face are the disproportionate
temperatures in living spaces and showers. “It takes forever for the showers to warm up,” said second year transfer student and political science major Ayari Martinez. “It’s frustrating because nothing is properly maintained and you’re spending so much to live in these dorms.” As for rooms, only Beachside currently has air conditioning at all, leaving many to deal with the August and September heat. Students such as Martinez are frustrated with the broken amenities within dorms, especially when factoring in the amount they pay to live in campus housing, which can be up to $1500 depending on your meal plan. Corry Colonna, executive director of housing at Long Beach, said the university is in the process of getting new laundry machines for the dorms. “[We have a] new contract [which will provide] brand new machines throughout campus, and we are happy to announce that we will be able to use Beach Bucks on students’ ID,” Colonna said. “When students come back in January, new machines will be up and running.”
Sabrina Flores | Daily 49er
The Los Cerritos dormitory is one of four on-campus residential housing buildings that experiences common infrastructure issues.
SPECIAL REPORT 7
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017 DAILY49ER.COM
Students sick of stairs New escalator not in the plans for ASI. By Jacob Handy, Zackary Handy and John Sheaks Contributing Writers
Those who walk across Cal State Long Beach on a regular basis have likely noticed a uncharacteristically inanimate escalator next to the University Student Union. Multiple times throughout the semester the escalator has been shut down for maintenance, forcing students to — perish the thought — tackle the stairs. According to James Ahumada senior communications manager for Associated Students Inc., a replacement for the escalator would cost just under $1 million. “It’s simply not in the budget right now,” Ahumada said.
Some students are beginning to question if a permanent solution is possible. “I mean how many times does it need to break down before they realize there is a problem with it?” said Sarah Holmes, a second year biology major. “I wish they would just fix it completely.” Ahumada said scheduling escalator repairs can be more complicated than students think. The maintenance does not fall under the authority of most campus repairs, which are handled by the Physical Planning and Facilities Management division of campus. Instead ASI can only fix the escalators through its contract with Mitsubishi Electric. With the end of the semester approaching, some students are beginning to grow impatient. “I hate those stairs, so yeah I get pretty upset when I see it broken down,” said Trace Eldridge freshman business major.
Hunter Lee | Daily 49er
The escalator located by the University Student Union is often down for repairs.
Mold between the binds Study area and bookshelves will be reopened on Friday. By Arlyn Lamela, Elizabeth Campos and Nadia Villanueva Contributing Writers
Sabrina Flores | Daily 49er
Maintenance crews put up signs thanking people passing by for their cooperation as they continue to work on containing the mold outbreak on the second floor of the library.
Library goers may want to think twice before taking a deep breath to relax while studying for finals. The University Library’s second floor study area and its bookshelves, rooms 202 and 203, are set to reopen for students in time for finals after Aspergillus mold was discovered in the book stacks approximately two months ago. The mold was tested after the second floor closure and determined to not cause any harm unless the person who breathes it has a prior condition such as allergies or a weak immune system. While the floor remains quiet, meticulous cleaning is being done by Titan Environmental. According to Tony Malagrino, physical planning and facil-
ities manager, the cleaning process is a three-part fix. “There’s the part that includes cleaning the things that have been affected by the mold, which is the most visible part,” he explained. “There is trying to understand whether we can have better control of the humidity of the outside air, and then there’s a third piece of this that’s not visible — which is the waterproofing around the northwest corner of the library.” On Tuesday Malagrino said in an email that the targeted date to reopen the bookshelves is this Friday. Cal State Long Beach students Priscila Santos, senior sociology major, and Angel Santos, junior political science major, find it inconvenient that the second floor of the library is closed given that finals are approaching. Priscila noticed the closure of the library’s second floor after Thanksgiving break. “We had a week off, why didn’t they do that when no one was here,” she said. “I don’t understand why they didn’t do it during the break… everyone has finals now.”
Crumbling classrooms Buildings in Fine Arts and Social Science and Public Affairs have reports of falling tiles and leaky ceilings. By Sommer Dalton and Francisco Valladares Contributing Writers
The presence of leaky ceilings, dysfunctional air conditioning and falling ceiling tiles have become the new norm for several buildings at Cal State Long Beach. Buildings that house liberal arts departments, such as Fine Arts 3 and 4 and Social Science and Public Affairs, host myriad infrastructural issues for students and faculty to contend with. “We’ve been trying to rally together to get some more information about this,” said Nalani Garcia, a member of Students for Quality Education. “Unfortunately, the only way we’ve
been able to get some attention from Physical Planning and Facilities Management directly was on Twitter.” Though Physical Planning and Facilities Management is in charge of building upkeep, Garcia feels that some requests are overlooked. “They’re just very slow to do things,” said Garcia. “And when something happens and a student reports it, they don’t take the time to check and actually evaluate what’s going on.” According to Mary Stephens, vice president of administration and finance, due to lack of funding by the state, the university must prioritize where it allocates funds. This is what slows down the process of fixing the issues across campus. Tony Malagrino, director of facilities management on campus, said the department does not decide what gets prioritized first based on their own perceptions, but that they try to understand what to do based on input from customers. “[Facilities] works with the executive committees on campus, the presidents and vice presidents to try to make sure we understand which are the most important issues to advance,” he said. “Whether it’s a new dorm or a new academic station.”
Sabrina Flores | Daily 49er
A wall in the Fine Arts 2 building contains an unpatched hole, exposing electrical wire.
8 ARTS & LIFE
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017 DAILY49ER.COM | ARTSNLIFED49ER@GMAIL.COM
OUR VIEW
The gifts that keep hurting The Daily 49er editorial staff reflects on the worst gifts they’ve received or seen gifted. By Daily 49er Editorial Board
C
ontrary to popular belief, there is such a thing as a bad Christmas gift. Yes, the thought counts, but there’s not enough well intentions or pretty wrapping paper in the world to make up for certain gifts. Every person (except for our managing editor Mac Walby, apparently) has a bad memory of a present they have either given or been gifted. We dug into our deepest, most repressed holiday memories to share with our readers some of the worst presents we have received, seen received or gifted ourselves. Miranda Andrade-Ceja Editor in Chief During a wild Christmas Eve party that took place at my grandma’s big house, all 15+ of us gathered around the Christmas tree at around 11 p.m. in my abuela’s living room. Most of the adults and older cousins over the age of 17 were drunk, because we’re Mexican and know how to have fun. Anyway. I was not drunk, because I was 13. My 14-year-old cousin was gifted these really nice, really plush fleece socks from our Tia. As my cousin admired her socks and thanked my Tia for the gift, the socks were plucked away by our drunk uncle. He then proceeded to interrupt the gift exchange, take off his own socks, and speak in a weird drunk mumble while he put on her brand new Christmas socks. The whole episode took like four minutes (because he was s**t-faced) and by the end of it my cousin was bawling. So that might have been the worst gift she’s ever received. Mac Walby Managing Editor I honestly can’t think of a bad gift I’ve received. Holidays are easy for well-off white kids. Kat Schuster News Editor Because my name is Kat, I will forever be doomed to receive endless amounts of of cat accessories and trinkets every birthday and Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, cats are cute and all but I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do with all of this stuff. The sheer volume of cat knick-knacks I’ve gotten from my boyfriend’s 93-yearold uncle at Christmas every year for the past three years have taken over my shelves and every other nook and cranny in my house. I’m talking ceramic cat tea kettles, cat figurines, cat purses, Cat tractor hats, cat flags, cat earrings, cat shoes (yes, shoes) and cat coffee mugs. I suppose it’s time for a garage sale.
James Chow Assistant News Editor In high school, I had all two of Michelle Branch’s albums. So when Secret Santa came along, my friend gifted me one of the promo CDs that they give to radio stations, the ones that have only one song. Yeah, high school was a bad time. I also had a bowl cut.
Marilyn Ramirez Opinions Editor I was going steady with this fellow for quite some time, and the holidays were rolling around, so I decided to put a bit more effort into my gift-giving rituals. I painted a picture of a red ‘64 bug with his name in the license plate. I spent eight hours on that thing. And all the money for the acrylics, the canvas, the brushes, the setting paint — but I digress. Anyways, I finished the little piece of art, placed a stolen cloth napkin from Olive Garden around it and tied it with a white ribbon. It might’ve been the beginning of a beatiful, art-filled relationship. After all that work, that son-of-a-b***h got me a Barnes and Noble gift card. Drew Mametsuka Assistant Design Editor The worst gift I have ever received was an emoji pillow with the tongue sticking out. Apparently, to the person who gifted me this, it reminded them of me. First of all, why? Secondly, what am I supposed to do with that? Lastly, I think I’m more of the sunglasses emoji, but I digress. I wanted to find a positive solution and to recycle the gift, so I left it in someone’s car that night. Samantha Diaz Arts and Life Editor It’s 2003. The PlayStation 2 is still fairly new and my brother and I have been playing it at our rich cousin’s house. My brother unwraps the last gift under the tree, a rectangular box, to see the shiny PlayStation 2 logo. He immediately starts crying tears of joy as our mom urges him to open up the box (we grew up poor, so it was a pretty big deal). He finally gets the tape undone and out rolls out a dozen new pairs of socks and underwear. Our mom thought it would be funny. We cried. Our mom consoled us. We went over to our cousin’s house and bitterly played on their console. Sabrina Flores Photo Editor My uncle’s newest girlfriend had braved the backlash of being at our family Christmas, and was hesitantly opening presents from my side of the family. She came to the present that my grandma had gotten her and opened it to reveal a horrendous christmas sweater three sizes too small. Needless to say, my grandmother didn’t really understand that ugly Christmas sweaters don’t make good Christmas presents. Hunter Lee Assistant Photo Editor All my life I’ve been a huge fan of the “Final Fantasy” series, especially the seventh installation. The game had already come out years ago for the PlayStation 2 but I’d never gotten the chance to play it, so my parents went on eBay to buy me a copy for Christmas. After opening presents Christmas morning I rushed to get the game disc into my PlayStation 2 only to watch the console start up, and then die forever. I had to wait
three months before I was able to finally play the game, which made it a bittersweet gift. Amanda Recio Social Media Editor A few holiday seasons ago I was a cashier at a Barnes & Noble, and we decided to do a Secret Santa amongst co-workers. I gifted the person I got a homemade beer kit and some cool mason jar shot glasses, and the person who got me gifted me a Modern Family day-by-day calendar for the year that was about to end in less than a month. He bought it at Barnes and Noble we worked at on sale for $4. Bobby Yagake Multimedia Managing Editor One of the worst gift ideas I had was giving my high school cross country coach a Starbucks gift basket. Although my teammates do love Starbucks, we are discouraged from drinking coffee, especially before a big race. What adds insult to injury is that I found out my coach really likes boba. Maybe I should get him a Tapioca Express gift card this year.
ARTS & LIFE 9
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017 DAILY49ER.COM | ARTSNLIFED49ER@GMAIL.COM CAMPUS ART
SoCal artists get their moment in the spotlight Art installation Greater Los Angeles MFA returns to CSULB for its 13th year. By Hannah Getahun Staff Writer
Artists from all over Southern California will come together at Cal State Long Beach in one of the biggest visual art installations on campus. Greater Los Angeles MFA will return this January for its 13th annual exhibit, featuring 23 artists from various colleges in the LA area. The exhibition was created in 2005 by Long Beach students, and is organized by
the Fine Arts Roundtable, an artist collective made up of students in the Masters of Arts and Fine Arts programs. The show invites aspiring artists from Southern California graduate programs to showcase their photography, sculpture, painting, installation or videos. The exhibition acts as a way to introduce students to fellow artists outside of Long Beach. Beginning in spring, the art is curated by alumni who survey studios to pick pieces they feel work best for their upcoming galleries, as well as gather entries from students. Each year, the works are curated based off a text given to students. This year’s was “Liminal Subjects, Queer Objects: Questioning as a Statement” by alumna Rhian-
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non Aarons, which encouraged students to consider various perspectives on similar issues. Cintia Segovia, a third year fine arts student who helps organize the show, said the art is picked through careful scouting as well as from submissions. The final pieces were selected over the summer. “[The curators] picked the works that were the strongest conceptually and cohesively tied into what we already selected, while keeping in mind the space available,” Segovia said. Last year’s show presented artists such as Emily Blythe Jones, who is a studio arts see EXHIBIT, page 10
I cannot wait to meet all of the other artists and see how they are thinking about and addressing similar concerns from varying perspectives.”
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Ryan Brewer
10 ARTS & LIFE
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REVIEW
The three best and worst movies of 2017
The ups and downs of the cinematic world this past year. By Samantha Diaz Arts & Life Editor
2017 was a mixed bag in a lot of senses. From a number of producers, actors and entertainers being called out for sexual allegations to Bill Nye getting his own show on Netflix, there was a lot to be happy and sad about. The same thing went for movies, too. I personally was unable to see many of the great movies that came out this year such as “Lady Bird” and “Blade Runner 2049,” so full disclosure that this list is based on the movies I had the time and money to watch and I’m aware there are some movies not included that deserve to be on here. “Get Out” I would not only argue that this is one of the best movies of 2017, but probably one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. Maybe it’s because I watched it in a packed theater buzzing with excitement weeks before the release date, maybe it’s because it was the first movie I got assigned to review or maybe it’s because Jordan Peele is a directorial genius. Seriously, Peele’s take on racism in a “post-racial” America is one of a kind in its use of reality-based horror and portrayal of hero and villain tropes. It was a breath of fresh air in the horror movie category and rightfully takes the cake of 2017 movies. “Logan” I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a sucker for Marvel movies. The franchise basically has me eating out of their multi-million dollar hand, and I continue to get excit-
Courtesy of IMDB
The Western-esque superhero film “Logan” offered fans of the comic a different take on the classic character.
ed for each new installment. That being said, “Logan” set itself apart from the usual structure and tone of the basic superhero movie and instead went for a more realistic and solemn setting, without overdoing it. From the Johnny Cash soundtrack to Hugh Jackman’s more rugged take on the iconic character, the entire film felt more grounded. Not to mention Dafne Keen’s break-out role as Logan’s confused and dangerously powerful genetically engineered daughter. I cheered for her in the first half while she fought off military cyborgs and cried with her as she buried her newfound father. It felt more like a western than a comic-book movie, but that’s what made it so great. “War for Planet of the Apes” It’s very rare that a film saga can keep my attention from start to finish, but the “Planet of the Apes” movies are so expertly done in every way, it’s hard to not be a fan. The third installment of the revived sci-fi series tied up every loose end and managed to bring both storylines together in
GALLERY
continued from page 9 major at Cal State Northridge. Her sculpture “Party Cups Used to be Yellow” featured a ceramic cake surrounded by yellow party cups to draw a comparison to the red Solo Cups usually filled with alcohol. Her sculpture was curated by Segovia and Shannon Leith, the director of this year’s exhibit. “I was thrilled and so grateful to be included in a really incredible batch of work,” Jones said. She expressed her gratitude for the show, both over being chosen to participate and the opportunities it has opened to her since then. “I am now an active member of the artist-run gallery collective Monte Vista Projects in downtown LA,” Jones said. “I have the opportunity to pay forward the generosity that I feel was given to me in the curation of my work into GLAMFA.”
a sensical, patient manner. The movie shows human nature at its most basic instinct: survival. It does this without resorting to a preachy, far-fetched tone. Did I feel a little guilty rooting for apes instead of my own species? Not really. Could I see where the humans in the film were coming from? Absolutely. Woody Harrelson forces audiences to evaluate themselves and consider what we would do in the same situation while Andy Serkis once again gives us a portrayal of Cesar we can’t help but sympathize and root for. Luckily, there were also many awful movies I did not have to endure. My movie fund is limited so forgive me for not going to see “The Emoji Movie” or the most recent installment of “Transformers.” The movies on this list I expected to be good enough to spend my money on, which may be why they hurt even more.
rated Disney princesses. As a child, she was the only princess I could relate to. Even though she’s a petite French woman and I was a chubby Mexican kid, she had brown hair, brown eyes and an infatuation with books — good enough for me. So when I saw that a live adaptation was in the works for the beloved classic, I was excited — then immediately underwhelmed when I saw it in theaters. The art and colors that were once so vibrant in the animated version got muddled down in the 2017 film. All of the enchanted furniture characters that were cute and inviting before just seemed creepy now. I also didn’t care for the backstory they gave Belle’s mother; I thought it drew attention away from the already great plot and took time that could have been used on developing the relationship between Belle and the Beast more. Maybe I just don’t like change, but I’ll stick to the 1991 version.
“Beauty and the Beast” Let me start off by saying that Belle is one of the most under-
“Justice League” Adding this movie to the list seems almost like a cop-out, but I
One of the many artists who will be featured this year is Ryan Brewer, a student at the Art Center College of Design, whose sculpture “Fountain” will be displayed. The sculpture acts as a second installment to his project “The Tower” and surrounds the existing piece with 12 separate fountains filling the area with chemicals that over time, create a crystalline solution, then evaporate. It is a constantly changing fluid structure, since the crystal forms can be dissolved and reformed. After reading the curatorial text provided by organizers, Brewer said he is looking forward to applying his reading when viewing other student’s art. “I cannot wait to meet all of the other artists and see how they are thinking about and addressing similar concerns from varying perspectives,” Brewer said. The show also offers the opportunity to meet other artists from participating schools. “My biggest hope for my participation in GLAMFA is to meet other members of the arts community of the greater Los Angeles
still can’t seem to get over the fact that DC Comics just can’t make a decent crossover superhero film. I can go on and on listing the amount of things wrong with this movie — the rushed character introductions, the oversimplification of pivotal moments in the plot, Henry Cavill’s CGI’d upper lip. The franchise did take a step in the right direction by going for a more humorous take rather than their regular gloom and doom, but even most of their jokes fell flat and hung on the same character. We get it, the Flash is funny, not every other line needs to be a joke. It’s almost like DC is trying to do in a handful of movies what Marvel did in almost 20. And you can see the difference. Maybe DC should have Superman turn the world’s rotation backwards and turn back time so they can get a do-over of these awful films. Anything would be better than hearing the line “do you bleed?” on screen again. “Dunkirk” Okay, so I know that this is an unpopular opinion. I saw this movie on a number of “Best movies of 2017 lists” but I guess I just don’t see the appeal. There was hardly any dialogue in the film about three different armies fleeing from Germany in World War II. It was hard to keep track of the multiple storylines, and even harder to feel sympathy for the soldiers when you’re dragged away the moment you become interested in their lives. While there were a few powerful scenes and plenty of great visual shots, it wasn’t enough for me to feel connected to the struggles the men were going through. To be fair, half the reason I went to the movie was to watch Harry Styles’ breakout role and I was disappointed at the screen time he received. I left the theater and listened to “Sign of the Times” on repeat.
Courtesy of GLAMFA
Ryan Brewer’s “The Fountain” will be one of many sculptures featured in Greater LA MFA.
area, and to make connections that would most likely not occur otherwise,” Brewer said. To view the art that will be displayed at this year’s show you can visit Greaterlamfa. com.
The 13th annual exhibition will be available for viewing from Jan. 22 to 31 with an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. on Jan. 28 in the School of Art galleries. Admission and parking are free and docent tours will be available.
SPORTS 11
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Shohei Ohtani’s final destination: San Diego The next big thing in the MLB is coming to a city near you. By Luke Ramirez
Assistant Sports Editor
One month removed from a theatrical 2017 World Series, and a new kind of drama has taken place in the process that is finding a home in Major League Baseball for Shohei Ohtani. Japan’s 23year old megastar is ready to put his unprecedented skills as both a pitcher and hitter to the United States. Baseball is very different from sports like basketball and football, where athletes can flourish in all aspects of the game. Baseball players normally choose to be a pitcher or a hitter by the time they get to high school and specialize at that position for the rest of their career. However, the next big thing in baseball is looking to rewrite that pastime. His fastball has been recorded at 102.5 mph while his home runs travel so far, even the Tokyo Dome cannot contain them. Now, Ohtani is ready to put his game to the test in the major
Masterpress | Getty Images
After meeting with seven teams, Japanese sensation Shohei Ohtani is ready to bring his hitting and pitching skills to Major League Baseball.
leagues. But before getting started, he must make a decision as to what uniform he will don come opening day in March. Due to the MLB’s collective bargaining agreement and the fact that 23-year-old Ohtani is considered a rookie, the max any of the seven teams can offer him is around $3.5 million. The most interesting dynamic of the situation is that contrary to domestic amatuer signing, where a team selects
players, Ohtani will get to decide his own fate. The Los Angeles Angels, Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres are the last teams in the running for the touted prospect. The Padres, to me, are the frontrunner of the final seven. This is why... Familiarity: San Diego employs four Japanese nationals in their
front office, including Seiichiro Nakagaki, Ohtani’s trainer with the Fighters in Japan. The others (Hideo Nomo, Takashi Saito and Akinori Otsuka) all came to play professional baseball in the U.S. after successful careers in Japan. The connection they will have (and most likely have already made) with him gives the Padres a huge advantage in catching the young, impressionable star. Faith: The Padres have already
experimented with nurturing a two-way player in Christian Bethancourt starting in 2016. A catcher by trade, San Diego encouraged Bethancourt to put some time in on the pitcher’s mound due to his ability to hurl fastballs in the mid to upper 90s. While he is not currently on the 40-man roster, the interest and desire shown by general manager A.J. Preller and manager Andy Green to work with a two-way player has to entice Ohtani. Small(est) market: Much to the frustration of Yankee’s general manager Brian Cashman, New York failed to make the cut because of their location along with the tradition and huge sports market they play in. Most big market teams are in “win-now” mode, and if Ohtani was to struggle with his transition, it’s a possibility he could be demoted to a platoon role or even the minor leagues. Of the seven remaining teams on his list, the Padres are predicted to win the least games by a large margin. This gives him all the breathing room he would need to not only assimilate to the Major Leagues, but also re-invent the two-way player. I believe Ohtani will choose his path by the end of the week, and it will be with the San Diego Padres.
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12 SPORTS
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MEN’S BASKETBALL
Beach falter down the stretch to Southern Utah Late turnovers ruined Long Beach’s chances at a comeback win. By Alex Manfredi
Assistant Social Media Editor
Christian Gonzales | Daily 49er
Long Beach State senior forward Gabe Levin dribbles the ball in the paint in Sunday’s game against Stanford.
The Utah elevation of 5,846 feet proved to be too much for the Long Beach State men’s basketball team Wednesday night. Another slow start haunted the 49ers, falling 94-89 to Southern Utah University. The team was led by junior guard Bryan Alberts, who posted a career-high 25 points, and senior forward Gabe Levin, who also posted a career-high 24 points and six rebounds. “I would give [Southern Utah] a lot of credit, they came out and played with a sense of urgency, and our guys didn’t match it in the first half, that was the most disappointing part,” assistant coach Senque Carey said on 22 West Radio. Like many other games this season, the 49ers (4-7) started out slow, but began to pick up the pace late in the first half. With 7:20 left to play in the first frame, Long Beach went on a 5-0 run to bring the Thunderbirds lead down to 22-19.
The 49ers cut the deficit to as little as one point throughout the first half, but trailed 42-33 at the break. Southern Utah ended the half on a 14-7 run. Alberts was the only player to get things going offensively in the first, posting 10 points. Turnovers ruined the 49ers’ chances as time ticked down at the end. After forcing a Southern Utah turnover with under a minute to play, sophomore guard Jordan Griffin committed a turnover on an attempted pass to junior forward Temidayo Yussuf with 23 seconds left. After that point, a 49ers comeback fell out of possibility as they were forced to foul Southern Utah to stop the clock. The Thunderbirds hit their free throws and closed the game out with a five point win behind a game-high 26 points from guard Brandon Better. Statistically, the 49ers did their part. The team shot 51 percent on field goals and only committed nine total turnovers, seven under its 16.7 turnover per game average. Bench points, rebounds and points in the paint were the biggest factors in the loss. Next up for Long Beach is another road matchup at 7 p.m. Saturday at Pepperdine.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
LBSU looks to come home with a win The 49ers visit the Grand Canyon State for its final game on the road. By Kevin Colindres Staff Writer
The Long Beach State women’s basketball team will head back to Arizona to take on Grand Canyon for the last match of a six-game road trip. The last time the 49ers were in Arizona, the team picked up its first win of the season in a 80-72 victory. The game has been the lone bright spot of the season for LBSU (1-7). The team has struggled since then, but will look to end the road trip on a good note with a win over Grand Canyon. “We’re going to come out there like we do every game and fight until the very end,” head coach Jeff Cammon said. “As long as we minimize the mistakes, we have the chance to come home with a win.” The Lopes’ (2-6) have not had the strongest start to the season either, but have three double-figure scorers led by senior guard Brie Mobley. Mobley averages 20.8 points per game and collects seven rebounds per game, while shooting an impressive 51 percent from the field as a guard and dishing out 4.3 assists.
The 49ers have struggled defending quick guards, so a big part of their game plan will be to contain her. Senior guards Jessica Gajewski and August Touchard also add 12.9 and 11.0 points per game for their squad. Cammon continues to use a four guard lineup with freshmen center Emma Merriweather in the middle. Freshman guard Shanaijah Davison currently leads the team with 15.5 points, but only provides two assists per game. The 49ers have not been able to move the ball around all season and have heavily relied on isolation plays. Turnovers have become a consistent problem in every position, which has contributed to the low assist numbers. “I want to get my teammates more involved and it’s been something I’ve been working on,” Davison said. “Balancing my scoring and assists is my focus for the rest of the season.” Junior guards Cecily Wilson and Martina McCowan have been impressive on the defensive end, leading the Big West Conference in steals. Wilson leads the league with 21, while McCowan is second with 18 through the first eight games. Thursday is the first time that the 49ers will face the Lopes in school history, so Long Beach looks to come out with a win at 6 p.m. at Grand Canyon University.
Joseph Kling | Daily 49er
Long Beach State freshman guard Shanaijah Davison drives toward the paint in Nov. 17 game against Loyola Marymount at the Walter Pyramid.