CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH
VOL. LXVIX, ISSUE 51 | FEBRUARY 21, 2018
D49er
Hunter Lee | Daily 49er
A Wakandan Wonder Woman strikes a battle pose with Black Panther at the Long Beach Comic Expo.
I
T’S AN AVERAGE DAY in Long Beach, California. Mario, Luigi, Wonder Woman and General Grievous pose for a picture. They laugh as an R2-D2 rolls by. This is a scene you can only find at an event like Long Beach Comic Expo.
For full expo highlights, see pages 4 and 5.
GRADUATION
VOLUNTEER
‘Save Commencement at CSULB’ rally gathers sparse crowd
Keep it clean, Beach
Provost Brian Jersky met with students outside of Brotman Hall to discuss concerns. By Lauren Martinez Staff Writer
Less than two weeks after Cal State Long Beach officials announced that the venue for the 2018 commencement would be moved and music removed, students organized a picketing event. A teary-eyed student projected her emotions into a megaphone Tuesday af-
ternoon as eight fellow protesters stood beside her, displaying signs in solidarity. She described watching her father walk the commencement stage at CSULB some thirty years ago. She dreamt of walking the same stage one day, and now since the graduation venue will be moved to the intramural fields, that dream won’t be the same. Julia Jaynes, a mathematical engineering senior, coordinated the rally that took place at the Speaker’s Platform adjacent to the University Bookstore. Although music was reinstated to the ceremony, the change in venue and lack of communicasee PROTEST, page 2
The third Saturday of every month, Justin Rudd hosts a 30-Minute Beach Clean Up. By Sarah Vehrs
Assistant News Editor
Over 100 people patrolled the beach with trash bags in hand Saturday morning. These community members were custodians for the day and volunteered for Justin Rudd’s 30-Minute Beach Clean Up. The 225th consecutive beach
clean took place at 10 a.m. Feb. 17, and has been happening on the third Saturday of every month for the past 19 years. Rudd, an Alabama native, moved to California 22 years ago, and made his way to Long Beach two years later. A year later, he launched the beach cleanup to help eliminate some of the debris that routinely washes up on shore. “I’m a runner, and I was running on the sand and noticed the large amounts of trash on the beach,” Rudd said. “I was tired of jumping over piles of trash, so I decided to gather some friends see SERVICE, page 2
2 NEWS
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HEALTH
Shoo flu, don’t bother me This year’s influenza outbreak has reached epidemic levels.
FAST FACTS
FLU SYMPTOMS
By Sarah Amaral
• Fever or chills • Cough • Sore throat • Runny or stuffy nose • Muscle or body aches • Headaches • Fatigue • Vomiting and diarrhea
Staff Writer
Empty desks and a symphony of sniffles throughout classrooms at Cal State Long Beach have signaled the severity of this year’s influenza epidemic. Students may want to think twice before sharing eating utensils or skipping out on washing their hands as this year’s flu season has already claimed the lives of 63 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Numbers this high have not been recorded since the outbreak of swine flu back in 2010, but soon it looks to be top competitor for the worst flu season in a century. This illness isn’t just striking adolescents and senior citizens; it’s largely affecting college students as well. “It started with a little cough and then the next day I had no voice,” said Sophia Lepore, Journalism major at CSULB. “[It felt like] my throat was on fire and I couldn’t hold anything down food-wise. My body felt like it got hit by a train and then the 104 degree temperature made me realize it was the flu.” According to the Centers for Disease Control’s FAQ section, seasonal flu activity, while unpredictable, usually takes place around October and November through May. This dominant strain of influenza, -H3N2, was identified 50 years ago and
PROTEST
continued from page 1
tion from administration fueled their frustration. “I don’t want to have a story of a disaster graduation,” Jaynes said into the megaphone. “It’s not funny, Jane [Close Conoley], to speak of our graduation as being a disaster. That is not okay for administrators to joke around about something that is one of the most looked forward to events of a person’s time in university. We deserve better. We deserve to have the graduation ceremony we were promised.” The rally was born out of the “Save Commencement at CSULB” Change.org petition that was posted Feb. 8. The petition received nearly 6,000 signatures. However, an equivalent turnout was not reflected as only nine students were present. Participants carried signs and chanted “This is our declaration: we want to save our graduation!” as they
Daily 49er File Photo
A student recieves a free influenza vaccine by the CSULB Bookstore. Flu-related deaths are at an all time high with over 63 recorded deaths.
is prone to rapid mutation, allowing it to dodge the body’s defenses. This leaves creating a vaccination much trickier than years in the past. “Vaccines are only ever 60 percent effective,” said Dr. Kimberly Fodran, the Chief of Medical Staff at the Cal State Long Beach Student Health Center. “And viruses can rapidly mutate.” This goes to explain why so many people are getting hit with this year’s flu. “We typically see 2-3 patients per shift dealing, with the flu,” said alumnus Kaylie Foudy, an EMT at medical transportation
marched from upper campus to Brotman Hall where they were met by the university’s Provost, Brian Jersky. Protesters formed a semi-circle near the fountain where Jersky approached them. He quietly replied to some of their statements and addressed their concerns as they presented them. Many of the concerns were presented to him directly, while others were shouted through a megaphone. Jersky remained calm despite the assertive demands. He could not be reached for comment in time for this article. “Our staff is super committed to making graduation successful,” said Scott Apel, newly-appointed vice president of administration and finance. Apel waited at a short distance for Jersky to finish speaking to rally goers. He said the two of them were scheduled to attend an academic senate executive committee meeting at the time. Despite administration’s attempts to quell their con-
company Liberty Ambulance. “Most of them were adults, constantly complaining about feeling weak, nauseous and experiencing chills.” According to health officials, the only way to avoid contracting the flu this year is by taking preventative measures to keep your body as healthy as possible. “When I went to class I was sweating profusely and it wasn’t even hot out,” said Regan Wolfley, third year Human Development major. “The girl who sat next to me [in class] told me I looked really pale. I didn’t feel like myself at all, so I went to the
cerns, students protested, insisting that their voices were not being heard. “It feels great to be heard and listened to, but clearly their decision is made,” said Jayde Bahrami, a senior majoring in environmental science and policy. As Jersky exited, three students remained by the university fountain, discussing their thoughts on his comments. Erica Bauer-Reyes, a senior budget management major, expressed that she wished the protesters would have rather been met by President Jane Close Conoley. “I wanted to put my two cents in,” Bauer-Reyes said. “It would have been nice to have President Conoley here. That is something I would have preferred, because we got the email from her, and she was the one who had some type of opinion or say. Especially when she said it would be a disaster or disaster graduation, those are just not things that you say. Is that really what you think of your students? And is that really what you want to send us off as?”
Student Health Center on campus. They gave me a Z-Pak and a mask and were very informative about the importance of sanitation while being on campus.” The Travel Channel recently released an article stating 10 different ways to help ward off the flu this season, regardless if you’re on the go or travelling to work and back. A few of these tips include: get enough sleep, boost your immunity in any way you can—Vitamin C is key—and stay hydrated. “We always address flu issues every year [with] health promotion and health education,” said Heidi Girling, health and resource coordinator for the Student Health Center on campus. “During October and November of fall 2017, we conducted four outreach flu vaccine events and gave out 1,641 free shots to students, staff, faculty and the community,” Girling said. These flu vaccinations are still available at the Student Health Center on campus for $5 each.
SERVICE
continued from page 1
and tried to do something about it.” Rudd began the nonprofit organization Community Action Team that enables him to do cleanups and several other service projects including: the Red High Heels Walk — a walk for heart health, Yappy Hour — an activity where volunteers read to animals at the Long Beach animal shelter and a poetry contest. These three activities occur regularly, and all happened to be taking place on Saturday after the beach clean. Terri Genewich, a volunteer and avid supporter of Rudd’s community service projects, has been involved in these events for the last seven years. “I wanted to help out because of the need and the adventure and the community,” Genewich said. “I think it’s very important to get families involved, and it’s always really fun to meet new people.” All this debris comes from the Los Angeles River and the San Gabriel River, which eventually makes its way into the ocean and
washes up on shore, according to Rudd. Every month the event takes place, the organization provides trash bags, gloves, prizes, volunteer credit forms and snacks for people who participate in cleaning the beach. On a regular month, volunteers fill the 3-yard dumpster provided for the event. “I bet if you scattered all the debris we’ve collected over the years, it would fill several football fields — several inches thick,” Rudd said. Two other groups in the community who are not affiliated with Rudd’s organization also meet on weekends to clean the beach. On the first Saturday of every month, Surfrider meets at Ocean Boulevard and Termino Avenue from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., and CleanLB meets the second Saturday of every month at the beachfront parking lot on Junipero Avenue at the same time. Pat Hachtel, a Long Beach resident, regularly brings her three children to the beach cleaning events. “I bring my kids with me to volunteer, even though they probably want to be playing video games, because it’s important to teach them to come together as a community, so we can help clean the beach,” Hachtel said.
NEWS 3
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INJUSTICE
Deferred action at a standstill President Conoley assures students that DACA recipients will remain safe. By Divine Paguio and Sarah Amaral Staff Writers
The future of deferred action hangs by a thread — the U.S. Supreme Court put the policy termination on hold Monday after a lower court blocked President Donald Trump’s rescindment of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The policy promised safety and protection for thousands of undocumented children and adults all over the country. In September, Trump announced that it would be wound down. Throughout 2017, Trump worked to abolish the policy. Beginning last January, he eliminated the privacy protections for recipients, making them vulnerable to being tracked by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. “The day it was announced that Trump was rescinding [it], it felt like my world was falling apart,” said Camila Poblete, a 21-year-old student who has been a DACA recipient for over three years. “Judge Alsup’s block of Trump’s decision was huge. Everyday I worry that it will get overturned before I can reapply.” DACA was passed in 2012 by former U.S. President Barack
Daily 49er File Photo
CSULB students and faculty protest on Sept. 5 against President Trump’s ruling of DACA by the USU.
Obama’s administration and gave undocumented children who came to the U.S. the opportunity to finish their education. As of Feb. 15, all four immigration reform bills that went to Senate did not pass, but Cal State Long Beach President Jane Close Conoley remains hopeful for Dreamers on campus. Conoley said she is confident that come March 5, campus advocates will have DACA recipients’ backs. “All four of my grandparents were immigrants,” said President Conoley. “I grew up in New York looking at the Statue of Liberty...and as a kid growing up in a
very diverse city surrounded by groups of ethnicities I thought, ‘This is what our country is.’” Conoley said she has remained true to those beliefs, which have fueled her passion to help these young men and women fight for their right to stay, work and study in the U.S. “We are pushing on all fronts,” Conoley said. “This is a cruel limbo that we have put students in… They’ve grown up as Americans and here we [the government] are punishing them for something they didn’t do.” Conoley said she has made it her goal to let recipients on
campus know that “We Are One Beach” and that the administration is pushing for advocacy on state and federal levels. “If I had the opportunity to talk to each [undocumented student], I would say, ‘don’t give up hope,’” said Rafael Topete, director of The Dream Success Center on campus. “We need to continue to have successes to share. This is a roadblock and hopefully we are able to get beyond it.” The center, which opened in 2015, works to ensure that students have the necessary resources and support services at the university.
“When I transferred here I had no idea how supportive CSULB was toward undocumented students such as myself,” Poblete said. “I trust I am safe on campus. President Conoley has been very supportive, letting us know that the campus and university police is not allowed to give information to ICE agents. The Undocumented Resource Center is also the biggest resource I know to navigate this whole ordeal. Students in need can receive a grant to cover DACA renewal expenses.” Following the rescindment, President Trump offered Congress a chance to resurrect the policy. Recently, he expressed that he would like to open up citizenship to recipients in about 10 to 12 years. “I think the flip-flopping situation is a matter of trying to please the Republican Party,” said Carolina Pilar Xique, a theatre major who is currently working on a play about DACA. “But I also know that he and the rest of Congress and the White House must have some sense of how important Dreamers are to this country and economy. I think Congress knows there needs to be immigration reform, but they’re dangling this threat over our heads to scare us, to intimidate immigrants.” Conoley encouraged students to take advantage of all of the resources available to students on campus. “This is not a time for sides,” Conoley said. “It’s time to do the right thing.”
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What Your Teachers Never Taught You Another Tragic Unnecessary Shooting Dr. George A. Kuck (galbertk@aol.com)
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Another 17 high school students killed this past week. Isn’t there any way to stop a massacre in our schools? Surely some country has found a way to stop these types of killings. Yes. One country has. Can you guess the country? Blogger Jawingjerry succinctly stated it best. “When terrorists attacked a school in Maalot in 1974, Israel did not declare every school a gun-free zone. It passed a law mandating armed security in schools, provided weapons training to teachers and today runs frequent active shooter drills. There have been only two school shootings since then, and both have ended with teachers killing the terrorists.” (https://jawingjerry.com/ ) With this example, why don’t we follow the Israeli example and allow qualified teachers and staff members to be trained and armed? I taught at a local junior college which had police officer training classes. The officers often attended class immediately after work in uniform. The college decided that it was a “weapon free zone.” The police had to lock their service weapons in the trunks of their cars before they could attend class. When I found out about this policy, I decided not to teach at that college again. Students at CSULB are fortunate because your campus police are armed and ready to defend you. The military joke is “What do you call a gun free zone? A target rich environment!” Every one of our school massacres has occurred in a “gun free zone.” Don’t protest and complain to the Federal Government. This is a local problem that can be solved by local action. Put the pressure on your mayors, town councils and the boards of education. Why do the Democrats want to disarm you and your family? I can think of one major reason. It is easier to control a population that is unarmed. Mexico has some of the strictest gun laws in the world. Would the drug cartels in Mexico have an easier task in terrorizing Mexicans if each citizen could be armed? Each dictator in history has confiscated the guns from the citizens. That was the first thing the National Socialist Party in Germany did in the 1930’s. Don’t trust this article. Do your own research and make up your own minds. The Democrats want stricter gun control. How is that working out in Chicago which has the strictest gun control legislation in the country? Most Republicans want those that wish to be armed and pass stringent training and security checks to be able to purchase and carry weapons. Which approach do you prefer and which gives you the greatest security and freedom?
4
Arts & Life
Photo Illustration by Drew Mametsuka
Photos by Hunter Lee | Daily 49er An elder ly
couple co sp from the lays as Storm and “X-Men” Professor comic ser X ies.
A group of stormtro opers walk in formation through the expo walkways.
Cosplayer Krystina Tigner er merges two comics togeth of n sio ver n as a Wakanda Wonder Woman.
undead take Figurines with an me icons on popular video ga series. io” like the “Super Mar
Straight out of the Upside Down, the Demogorgon from “Stranger Things” lurks around the expo.
ARTS & LIFE 5
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COLUMN LONG BEACH
The coast’s largest crossover Long Beach Comic Expo leaves its mark for cosplayers and newcomers alike.
Negative Space: Toward a historic march
By Samantha Diaz Arts & Life Editor
The Long Beach Comic Expo hit the city with a boom and a pow last weekend as the Long Beach Convention Center filled with characters from various television shows, movies, comics and video games. The annual event provides a place for comic enthusiasts to discover local shops and artists, meet celebrities from self-proclaimed nerd media, attend panels and bond over their elaborate costumes. The fandom culture reaches an all-time high at these get-togethers, bringing people of all ages, ethnicities and interests together. They complement one another on their creative homemade props, snap photos and exchange numbers — for the next con of course. One of the things Comic Expo is best known for is the dedication and effort attendees put into their intricate costumes, many of them famous in the cosplaying world. Ali Williams is known for her Disney princess and sci-fi inspired cosplays and nears 23,000 followers on Instagram. This weekend she showed up in an orange wig and white tank top as Leeloo from the sci-fi film “The Fifth Element” and mingled with others who shared the same passion in the Cosplay Corner. “I’ve been cosplaying for about three years now,” Williams said. “I started at WonderCon and I’ve just grown exponentially ever since.” Williams and the many other enthusiasts in the corner took photos with admirers throughout the day and frequented the makeshift dance floor, which became home to quirky crossovers showing off their moves. “This con has been really fun,” Williams said. “You just get into it right away since it’s a two-day con. Everyone comes out in full force right away and that’s really refreshing because usually it’s a slow start then it picks up and dies down, but this one is all at once and I love it.” Along with the reunion of enthusiasts, there is also a supportive spirit on the floor for newcomers to the culture. Ashley Ranabauer prepared for her first comic expo by putting on her baby pink dress, blue jacket, knee-high socks and a single line of fake blood running down from her nose. The 11-year old “Stranger Things” fan donned the popular Eleven costume and drove down with her family from San Bernardino Saturday to line up and meet Joe Keery, the actor who plays Steve Harrington in the sci-fi Netflix original. “[Meeting Keery] was so crazy,” Ranabauer said. “I couldn’t stand still I was so nervous, but he’s awesome in person and he said he liked my costume. It was crazy.”
CARLOS VILLICANA
SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR
W
Hunter Lee | Daily 49er
A man cosplaying as Luigi in the style of the character’s solo video game, “Luigi’s Mansion.”
The line to meet Keery wrapped around the large social square filled with “Stranger Things” enthusiasts and cosplayers, Ranabauer being one of them, as her family stood off to the side in street clothes, basking in the celebration. “My mom only told me last week that we were coming here,” Ranabauer said. “It was a surprise so we had to make up the costume at the last minute.”
The fandom culture reaches an alltime high at these get-togethers, bringing people of all ages, ethnicities and interests together.”
“
While most attendees were there to bask in the fandom, two full rows took up the concrete floor to try and make their mark in the world of comics. Shops, artists, writers and collectors filled their small tables with colorful memorabilia and business cards to network and promote themselves. Los Angeles county local Jesse Rubio
came to Comic Expo with the hopes of finding an artist to convert his science fiction novel, “APEX LOST: Volume 1 Max Velocity” into a graphic novel. His book is about a space janitor who becomes stranded on a planet and must rely on his android to survive. “This is our third con we’ve been to,” Rubio said. “The goal is always to meet as many people as possible. Today’s been awesome. Everybody is really supportive and we’re mainly just getting in touch with other comic book artists and giving out our information.” Whether the expo presented a chance to network, see celebrities or meet and reunite with fellow cosplayers, the fandom culture was alive and ready to return for next year’s Comic Expo.
For video and photo coverage on the Long Beach Comic Expo, visit Daily49er.com
hile civil rights activists such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks are familiar to us all, there are others who are arguably less famous. Among those is Senator John Lewis, whose story should not be forgotten. Written by Lewis and Andrew Aydin, with lettering and illustration by Nate Powell, “March” is a trilogy of books which depicts the African-American civil rights movement (as witnessed by Lewis), in comics form. In “March: Book One,” Lewis narrates his life to a woman and her two young sons as he prepares to attend the first inauguration of then President-elect Barack Obama. The portion of Lewis’ life depicted in the first installment stretches from his youth on a farm in Alabama to his involvement in sit-in protests while he attended college. Though the lack of colors gives the book a dreamlike quality, the appearances and references to real figures and laws are there to remind the reader this happened in the nation we call home, in a time not so far away. Throughout the book, Powell neglects to add specific details to the backgrounds of panels. At times this can be used to make an image more horrifying, as the reader’s imagination is left with enough of an image for them to fill in the disturbing details. Other times it draws the attention to nearly unreadable pieces of dialogue. The letters are distinguishable enough to be read, but only by zooming in on them. It’s a great technique for visually depicting how overbearing external pressures can become for a character, and one that more artists should use. The framing of the narrative, that of a story within a story, suggests that Lewis is sharing his memories with these youths and the readers because it relays a history which we must never forget and never stop learning from. Comic book artists should read it to learn from its excellent utilization of lettering and shading, but all should read it to remember this history. “Book One” is tragic, tender, haunting, inspiring, educational and worthy of a centimeter on your bookshelf. “March: Book One” can be acquired through the University Library and most Long Beach Public Library locations. Happy reading!
OPINIONS 6
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GUN VIOLENCE
Parkland’s kids demand change By Leonard Pitts Jr. Miami Herald
Y
ou need to grow up. As far as I know, no survivor of last week’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Fla., has used those words to challenge the conservatives who have created a world where mass shootings are almost literally an everyday thing. But the sentiment is clearly there. Consider David Hogg, a 17-year-old student journalist who expressed frustration with lawmakers in an interview on CNN.”We’re children,” Hogg said. “You guys are the adults.” Consider Cameron Kasky, a 17-year-old junior, who told CNN, “My message for the people in office is: You’re either with us or against us. We are losing our lives while the adults are playing around.” Consider Emma Gonzalez, an 18-year-old senior who addressed a rally in Fort Lauderdale. “To every politician who is taking donations from the NRA,” she cried. “Shame on you...Politicians who sit in their gilded House and Senate seats funded by the NRA telling us nothing could have ever been done to prevent this, we call B.S.!” And consider what happened when Donald Trump tried to spin this mass murder into a screed against the FBI for probing his campaign’s possible collusion with Russia. A young lady named Morgan Williams took to Twitter to carve him an orifice the Almighty never intended. “Oh my god. 17 OF MY CLASSMATES AND FRIENDS ARE GONE AND YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO MAKE THIS ABOUT RUSSIA???!!! HAVE A
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Olivier Douliery | Abaca Press
Students take part in a ”lie-in” on the road outside of the White House on Monday, Feb. 19 in Washington, D.C. for three minutes at a time in an effort to symbolize the short amount of time it took alleged shooter Nikolas Cruz to gun down numerous people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
DAMN HEART. You can keep all your fake and meaningless ‘thoughts and prayers.’ “ Students have called a rally, “The March For Our Lives,” for the 24th of next month on the National Mall. And is it too much to hope that maybe we are finally feeling the ground shift beneath our feet? I can’t tell you how proud I am of these young people. Or how thankful I am for them. When the shooting happened, I begged my editor not to ask me to write about it because I could think of nothing to say I haven’t already said a dozen times. My tank on this topic was empty. Yes, what happened was terrible. It was also terribly old. But let me tell you one of the best things about kids: it’s never old to them. When you reach a
certain age, you have a longer personal context through which to view the crimes, sins and absurdities of humankind. When you haven’t graduated high school yet, you essentially only have right now. Context is a good thing. It can provide valuable perspective. But it can also make you jaded and weary and convince you that crying is futile because nothing’s going to change. But if you have only now—if crimes, sins and absurdities are visceral and new to you—you confront them with a fervor, energy and anger often inaccessible to your elders. You don’t yet realize that change is impossible. And so, sometimes, you create change. That’s the hope that emerges from this tragedy. And someday, when America
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is sane, when future generations wonder how it ever was we protected guns more than we did children, or that a disturbed 19-yearold was able to legally purchase a weapon of war, or that carnage became routine, or that some of us said this routine carnage was the price of freedom, maybe we will look back on this as the pivot point. Trump, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and every other politician who accepts money soaked in blood from the extremist NRA should consider themselves on notice: You are being called out by America’s children. They have a simple message. Act like adults. Grow the hell up. That’s more than many of their friends will ever have the chance to do.
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Editorials: All opinions expressed in the columns, letters and cartoons in this issue are those of the writers or artists. The opinions of the Daily 49er are expressed only in unsigned editorials and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the journalism department or the views of all staff members. All such editorials are written by the editorial board of the Daily 49er.
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SPORTS 7
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COLUMN
It’s Long Beach vs everybody The men’s volleyball team doubled its attendance record Saturday and continues to dominate. By Kevin Colindres Assistant Sports Editor
B Luke Ramirez | Daily 49er
Long Beach junior designated hitter Luke Rasmussen (right) tries to avoid the tag after being caught in a rundown in the bottom of the first inning.
BASEBALL
Miscues haunt the Dirtbags in 5-1 loss LBSU loses its third straight game after defensive mistakes and another poor offensive performance against USC. By Luke Ramirez
Assistant Sports Editor
Long Beach State lost its midweek matchup against USC 5-1 after two miscues on the field led to five runs scored by the Trojans. The Dirtbags’ offense struggled yet again, especially in the late innings and failed to produce runs despite out-hitting the visitors five to three. “We’re certainly not as bad as we’re playing but I couldn’t imagine getting off to a worse start,” Long Beach head coach Troy Buckley said. The LBSU (1-4) lineup failed to record a hit in the final three innings, snuffing out any sort of comeback during a bitter 54-degree night at Blair Field. USC (3-1) freshman Brian Gursky threw three shutout innings in relief
and only allowed one runner to reach base. “I think the story of game was the bullpen, as it’s been the last few days for us,” USC coach Dan Hubbs said. “Gursky came in and just shut the door for three innings and gave us a chance to take the lead.” Freshman starting pitcher Andrew Seminaris did not give up a hit through four innings against USC in his debut for Long Beach. After a one out walk, he induced a ground ball to senior shortstop Laine Huffman who bobbled it and failed to turn the inning ending double play. Later in the fifth, the Trojans loaded the bases against Seminaris. With two outs and sophomore center fielder Matthew Acosta sent a fly ball to deep center for extra bases. The double brought all three runners home and gave USC a 4-1 lead. “I was looking to stay within myself and I got in a situation to get a fastball,” Acosta said. “I got it, put a good swing on it and it got over the center fielders head to open up the game.” Seminaris’ night was over after 4 ⅔ innings allowing two hits and three earned runs.
The Trojans added another run in the top of the sixth after freshman pitcher Jake Lopez balked two USC runners into scoring position with one out. The next batter was sophomore Brady Shockey who brought one run home on a sacrifice fly, increasing the lead to 5-1. Junior second baseman Jarren Duran got his first hit of the season on a twoout triple in the bottom of the third. He finished 2 for 4 to raise his batting average to .182. “I think we’re just finding out who we are as a team,” Duran said. “It’s time to develop that identity.” Long Beach now finds itself in a similar position to last season, however, the non-conference schedule ahead will feature 13 games against teams ranked in BaseballAmerica.org’s top-25 ranking. “We’re our own worst enemies at this point, and we’re not playing anywhere near the level we are capable of,” Buckley said. The Dirtbags now head on the road for the first time this season, traveling to Fort Worth, Texas for a series against No. 7 TCU. Game one of three is scheduled at 4:30 p.m. PST Friday at Williams-Reilly Field.
asketball and baseball pull the most numbers when it comes to attendance at Long Beach State sporting events, but Saturday marked a new men’s volleyball record set at the Walter Pyramid, with 4,560 in attendance to watch the No. 1 Long Beach State men’s volleyball team take on No. 2 UCLA. The men’s volleyball team has held the top ranked spot in the nation since late January, but attendance has averaged in the low thousands. However, Saturday was a whole different experience. It all started before the match. I understood how impactful this match was going to be once I pulled into the Walter Pyramid and there was gridlock traffic in the parking lot. It took about 15 minutes to find a parking spot, and in that time all I could do was stare at the hundreds of people standing in line to buy a ticket. It wasn’t just fans from both schools that were there; it ranged from youths who are passionate about volleyball, to ex-players and city officials. Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia even made an appearance to watch his alma mater face the Bruins. The Long Beach community was here to support the top-ranked school in the nation. The venue was packed to the point where chairs were brought out for fans to watch from the top of the stadium. Everyone was electric from start to finish. There was never a point where the place went quiet. The crowd was about 90 percent in support of Long Beach, while the rest were either UCLA fans or just in it to watch a classic matchup. This was my first time going to a Long Beach State sporting event as a fan, and the fan experience really lived up to the hype. Sitting in student section felt like being stuck in a can of sardines, but it made for an overall better experience. At the end of the game the crowd was ecstatic, as Long Beach was able to pull off the victory with ease. The team continued its undefeated streak and the fans went wild. The band’s roaring music accompanied by the Walter Pyramid’s energy led to an immersive experience that is rare to most schools. What really sold me on what it is to be a nationally top-ranked team was the amount of fans, young and old, that made their way down to take pictures with players and coaches. These fans had just witnessed their heroes play, like if I had met my personal hero, Kobe Bryant. This was a big deal to the community as a whole. No one knows how long the men’s volleyball team will be able to keep the top spot in the nation, but for now, the community should appreciate and continue to support what we have here at Long Beach State before it’s finally gone.
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018
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Aminah Tamimi Mechanical Engineering