CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH
VOL. LXVIII, ISSUE 70 | FEBRUARY 27, 2017
FINANCES
Forum discusses tuition increases Students voice their concerns on increasing CSU tuition. A lively woman joins parading Samba dancers at the Long Beach Mardi Gras 2017 celebration on Saturday.
Photos by Christian Park | Daily 49er
Staff Writer
Bring on the booze and beads
L
ong Beach residents didn’t need it to be Tuesday for Mardi
Gras
celebrations
to kick off across the city. Revelers clad in purple, green, blue and yellow speckled the Pike, Shoreline Village and an assortment of bars to honor the holiday of over-consumption on Saturday. Mardi Gras, which translates to Fat Tuesday, is recognized the day before Ash Wednesday as a sort of last hurrah before Lenten fasting.
By Matthew Ramirez
A man donning a rubber horse mask gives out decorative Mardi Gras beads to eager parade attendants.
Following the recent plans to increase student tuition, Dale Lendrum of Associated Students Inc. and Maggie White from the California State University Board of Trustees held an open forum for students to voice their opinions. Fees are predicted to increase after announcements made by the CSU Board of Trustees propose to increase tuition for undergraduate and graduate students. Students may have to pay an additional $270 a year for undergraduates, $312 a year for credentialed students and another $438 a year for graduate students “How many of you have an extra $270 on you a year?” Lendrum asked students. While students did not openly reply, it was clear that they did not approve of this initiative. Looks of agitation were visible in the faces of students who lat-
see FEES, page 2
ADMINISTRATION
CSU Super Sunday reaches Long Beach churches
By James Conley Staff Writer
February is Black History Month, but Cal State Long Beach’s Super Sunday was all about the future. CSULB’s president, Jane Close Conoley, spoke to the congregation at Antioch Church of Long Beach before
their service Sunday morning and her message was simple: “college is for you.” “CSU Super Sunday reaches out to churches statewide as one of many events coordinated by CSU’s African American Initiative, an effort to increase the preparation and retention of African-American students,” according to a press-release from CSULB. Regardless of an individual’s age or circumstance, they can attend and afford college, Conoley said. “The federal Pell Grant alone is $900 million a year; there is a lot of money available for you to get your degree,” Conoley said. “Any family that makes under $70,000 annually can have their education fully covered by grants.” Forty percent of CSULB’s students are the first in their families to attend
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President Conoley speaks at a local church with the hopes of raising attendance and graduation rates at CSULB.
The federal Pell Grant alone is $900 million a year; there is a lot of money available for you to get your degree. -Jane Close Conoley, CSULB President
college, 51 percent of them are on the Pell Grant and just over half of them graduate with zero student loan debt, she said in her presentation. Anyone
see SUNDAY, page 2
President Jane Close Conoley worked with the congregation at Antioch Church of Long Beach to increase the preparation and retention of African-American students in the CSU system.
2 NEWS
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2017 DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM
SAFETY
CSULB ally training still strong
CSULB offers ally training programs for undocumented, LGBT, veteran and autistic students. By Lola Olvera Staff Writer
FEES
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-er said that they are already working multiple jobs to continue their education at Cal State Long Beach. White announced that the tuition increase will be voted on in March at the CSU Chancellor’s office in downtown Long Beach. Tuition for students enrolled in the CSU has continued to rise in the years following the 2008 recession. Tuition is now 280 percent higher than what it was almost 10 years ago, according to a timeline on tuition increases on the CSU Support Budget page. Budget proposals are made by the CSU every year to be sent to the state legislature for approval, but due to cutbacks in state funding, the CSU is calling upon students to pay more out of pocket for their education. Increases in tuition are needed to maintain campus infrastructure and to compensate for the large amount of staff and faculty working on CSU campuses, said White.
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Isabel Ramos | Daily 49er
Kinesiology faculty along with many others on campus proudly showcase ally stickers on their office doors. ing to the CAPS website has been a “tremendous success.” “We make sure every senator attends at least one ally training a semester,” Logan Vournas, ASI Vice President and Safe Zone Ally training student panelist, tweeted in September 2016 after Senate Resolution 2016-18, which outlines semesterly expectations, was approved the previous May. According to the resolution, “[ASI] officers will be granted the satisfaction of their own personal growth, and their growth in being more diverse student leaders; and be it resolved that each officer will report back to the Board of Directors about what they gained from experience during the training.” “We’re working on having ally train-
“What we really need is $2.4 billion,” White said, “But we’re doing a heck of a lot more with a heck of a lot less.” Over the last 20 years, White stated that the CSU has had to hold off on building repairs in campuses across the state due to lacks in funding – and now, the cost to make repairs has risen to $2.4 billion. The CSU is asking Governor Jerry Brown for $10 million to make repairs of the highest priority on campuses. Costs to pay staff and faculty reach a collective total $195 million per year. The CSU expects to sufficiently pay professors, staff and anyone working on campuses a livable salary in one of the most expensive states to live in, said White. The overall cost just to maintain infrastructure and faculty compensation climbs to a total of $346 million per year and the amount that Gov. Jerry Brown gives through the state budget reaches to only half of the needed amount: $157.2 million. That $157.2 million is nowhere close to fully paying the costs of maintaining campuses in the CSU, said White. The provided funding
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Rainbow lettering, the Statue of Liberty, the black star, the blue polyhedron. These colorful decals, which adorn windows, doors and offices around Cal State Long Beach, don’t just show up overnight. CSULB faculty and staff must earn the right to bear these “safe zone” decals on their office doors by completing ally training seminars on campus. CSULB faculty, staff and administrators can become allies to undocumented, veteran, LGBT and autistic students. Training seminars typically consist of half-day events that feature PowerPoints, discussions and panels. A “safe zone,” officially identified by the bearing of an ally sticker, can be a person, place or event which guarantees to be inclusive, understanding and supportive of underrepresented individuals and the issues which affect them. The Safe Zone Project began as an online resource to spread awareness and increase support for the LGBT community, including ally workshops in institutions of higher education. Since Counseling and Psychological Services introduced the Safe Zone Project at CSULB in 2008, other training programs have sprung up on campus. Many of them modeled themselves after the LGBT program, which accord-
We need to equip not just our staff and faculty but even our Long Beach community with knowledge to be proactive. We can not afford to be passive anymore. -Rosita Trujillo, CSULB Career Development Center graduate peer advisor
ing for Muslim students, students of color …” Vournas wrote in a subsequent tweet.
FAST FACTS
HOW TO GET INVOLVED Students can voice their opinions about the tuition increase by contacting the following offices: CSU Chancellor’s Office (562) 951-4000 California State Student Association (562) 951-4025
is only enough to cover the the most basic necessities to operate a college campus. The remaining costs are left for the students as they pay tuition each semester. “We as students have been bearing the burden [for the last ten years] of the budget on our backs,” Lendrum said. State-funding for schools in the CSU has declined, according to White. But demands in specialized careers like nursing, teaching and law enforcement have
In August 2013, CSULB received 2.5 stars out of five on the Campus Pride Index, which measures colleges’ and universities’ LGBTQ awareness and advocacy practices. This score dismayed Shannon Cholakian, CSULB assistant secretary of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer affairs at the time. By April 2014, CSULB’s CPI score had jumped to 4 stars, and Cholakian credits the initiation of the Committee on LGBTQ Campus Climate and the Safe Zone Training program for that. Marshall Thomas, Director of Veteran Services and veteran of the United States Marine Corps, used the LGBTQ ally program as a model for the VET Ally Training program, which he creat-
increased which led White to question the funding priorities of the state and where state revenue is being invested. “I understand being fiscally conservative, but what I don’t understand is not investing in the future. Because nothing has a return on investment more than education,” White said. California’s Proposition 98 provides schools K-12 and community colleges with funding of up to 30 percent of the state’s revenue at any time. White believes that schools in the CSU should be included in this funding as well to support students who are working toward those careers that the state is in need of. Voters are currently unable to decide what the state should invest in at the moment, but there are alternatives, according to White. White and Lendrum both encouraged students – not just those who pay their own tuition – to contact members in the CSU, the California State Student Association and their representatives in the state legislature to make their voices heard and reject the tuition increase from going into effect.
ed in 2010 as part of his dissertation for his Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership. He researched LGBT programs nationwide and has presented his ideas at UCs, CSUs, community colleges and schools on the East Coast. Veterans need allies on campuses, he says, because they are also “non-traditional students” who have “taken a different route” in their path to education. Veterans are more likely to have to balance college with other responsibilities such marriage and children and because some of them may be dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, may interact with the world differently than other students. “[But] some veterans just want to be students; they won’t necessarily want to share that they’re veterans,” Thomas said. Understanding different students’ needs is at the heart of ally training programs, Thomas said. The Autism Ally Program, which began in fall of 2013, focuses on teaching participants how to recognize autism in students, understand the autism spectrum, and offer resources for educators to turn to in emergency situations. The Autism Ally seminar offers a “day in the life” skit and video as a way to convey how it feels to be a student with autism, a role play component in which trainees learn to communicate effectively with those on the autism spectrum and a student panel. “Autism Ally training [programs] are successful because we have been able to reach a large range of faculty and administration on campus and educate them on how to work with students with [Autism Spectrum Disorder], how
see ALLY, page 3
SUNDAY
continued from page 1
interested in this financial aid must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by March 2. The form is required to qualify for financial aid and has been made easier to complete, according to Conoley. Conoley also told the congregation about the Graduation Initiative 2025, in which she said more professors are being hired so that there can be more available classes. She hopes this will increase the graduation rates of CSU students. President Conoley encouraged dialogue between family, friends and all members of the community about furthering their education and career. To help with this, the Minister’s Alliance was formed to provide information and support; there are now 15 local churches that are part of the Alliance. President Conoley also announced that CSULB will match any scholarship that a local church gives to a student to go to CSULB. Vice President for Student Affairs Carmen Taylor was also presenting at another church, Christ Second Baptist Church in Long Beach for CSU Super Sunday.
NEWS 3
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COURSES
OLLI gives the elderly education opportunities The program offers a variety of courses to persons age 50 and up at Cal State Long Beach.
fice on Pine Avenue in Downtown Long Beach, the Alpert Jewish Community Center and at Leisure World in Seal Beach. The only requirements to be a
member of the program are to be above the age of 50 and have a desire to learn. With a membership fee of $40 and a $10 enrollment fee for every lecture class, members are able to
take classes of interest at a low cost. John Donohue, 91, has been a member of the program since it started in 1996. “I see it as a life saver for older people,” Donohue said.
“You meet really interesting people and have the opportunity to take classes with excellent professors … It’s a fabulous opportunity that I otherwise never would have had.” The predominantly critical thinking classes allow members to become more active thinkers and stay intellectually stimulated, Barbara White, executive director of OLLI, said. “Many people have told us that they found OLLI and it gave them a whole new aspect of their life and allowed them to integrate themselves back into the community,” White said. OLLI started on campus in 1996 and is heavily ran by volunteers, with the exception of three paid positions. The instructors and volunteers who help with the program are usually retirees who have experience in the field they are involved in. “Our members love to come back to college, despite the parking,” White said. “It also gives the CSULB students the opportunity to see older adults in a more positive light.” In October, the OLLI program gave out its first $1,000 scholarship to CSULB student Matthew Choi, a computer science major doing research related to older adults. The scholarship was made possible through fundraising and donations by the members of OLLI.
while, covers immigration history, federal and state immigration laws and financial aid for undocumented students, according to the Dream Success center website. Individuals can opt for a “Literacy Training,” which only covers policies related to undocumented students, or can commit to “Champion Training” to become trainers themselves. Undocumented ally training sessions have been offered once a semester since
fall 2008. Their sticker logo, the Statue of Liberty holding AB540 documentation in her fist, was designed by an AB540 student. “We need to support our undocumented student community by knowing how we can help them,” Rosita Trujillo, a graduate peer advisor for the CSULB Career Development Center, said. Trujillo is planning on attending the upcoming AB540 ally training, which
was recently postponed to a later and unknown date. “[Faculty and staff should understand] the history of what has been occurring, how policy has shaped accessibility and how we can be more active as allies in opening doors and opportunities – basically how can we work with and for our undocumented community,” she said. The Autism Ally website lists more than 200 allies and the LGBT Safe Zone
website lists more than 240. “Someday there’ll be a day that we don’t need ally programs,” Thomas says hopefully. Until then, the ally training programs are a necessary resource, he said. “We need to equip not just our staff and faculty but even our Long Beach community with knowledge to be proactive,” Trujillo said. “We can not afford to be passive anymore.”
By Alex Manfredi Staff Writer
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Cal State Long Beach is a program that allows members to continue to learn and maintain an active mind. It is a hidden gem that adds educational opportunities to people above the age of 50. Located in the Human Services and Design building near the Outpost Grill, OLLI offers about 85 to 95 classes per year, ranging from memoir writing to biking classes, and has about 1,300 members. Spring Registration for OLLI classes started Feb. 25 from 12:30 to 3 p.m. in HS&D Room 101. OLLI is offering a host of lecture classes including these new topics: Islam: Faith, Civilization, Values; Korean Memoir Writing; Gospel Music Workshop; 2017 Total Solar Eclipse and others. The eight-week classes are offered at the CSULB campus, in OLLI’s of-
ALLY
continued from page 2
Services], what services are offered at CSULB,” Ilene Gonzalez, CSULB Autism Services Associate, said. Their next ally training session will be held this April. Undocumented ally training, mean-
Photo courtesy of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Some of the classes that OLLI offers are computer classes. The spring computer class offerings range from Beginning iPhone to Intermediate Computer to Beginning Photoshop Elements.
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4 ARTS & LIFE
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2017 DAILY49ER.COM | ARTSNLIFED49ER@GMAIL.COM ACADEMY AWARDS
‘Moonlight’ makes waves Academy finally gets it right, despite the wrong announcement. By Jason Enns
Arts & Life Editor
Image: stock.adobe.com Graphic illustration by Jade Inglada
Last year, the Academy Awards hit America with the low point of #OscarsSoWhite and the high of Leo finally winning, but without all the hooplah, Hollywood’s biggest night still managed to draw in crowds to their TV’s by the millions on Sunday. The question on everyone’s mind this year was: will the awards be less white? And, is “La La Land” going to have a repeat performance of its Golden Globe sweep? The answer is yes – well, sort of. “La La Land” won Best Picture. Oh wait, scratch that, wrong envelope. “Moonlight” won best picture. So no, “La La Land” didn’t sweep, but the Oscars were less white. Though “Moonlight” only won thrice and the musical took home six wins, it couldn’t take home the top prize — but not for lack of trying. It wasn’t until after the whole cast of “La La Land” took the stage that the clerical error was corrected and the real winner announced. The cast and crew of “Moonlight” then arrived on stage to claim what was rightfully theirs. On top of Best Picture, it also received Best Adapted Screenplay and earned Mahershala Ali best supporting actor. Zackery Sharp, a junior English literature and film screenwriting major at Cal State Long Beach, only missed out on seeing “Hidden Figures” and “Lion” of the Best Picture nominees, and did a fairly good job at predicting how the night would play out. “‘La La Land’ is definitely going to win all kinds of awards and that’s a very good movie, so I’d be happy to see it win, but my favorite personally of the best picture nominees is ‘Moonlight,’ he said. “I just think it’s a very timely movie, and one that takes its subject matter as human and explores that in a very human way.” He was also sure Emma Stone was going to win Best Actress, but was hoping for Isabelle Huppert for “Elle” — wishful thinking. In fact, most people were expecting Stone to take it. “I think that Emma Stone is going to steal the show; everything for ‘La La Land,’” said Jules Starnes, a freshman film major. She also said she expected Ryan Gosling to win Best Actor for “La La Land,” but was rooting for Denzel Washington for his performance in “Fences.” Sadly for her, both were wrong. Much to
Sharp’s delight, Casey Affleck won Best Actor in a leading role, for “Manchester by the Sea.” “I think Casey Affleck is going to win and I think he deserves it most,” he said. “Casey Affleck does a great job of being really wryly funny and at the same time very depressing in a gripping way, and I think the range he shows in that performance is totally deserving of that win.” So were the awards less “white?” “Moonlight,” the chronicles of a young black struggling to find his place in the world was a large indicator that, yes, it was. Though best actor and actress were to a pair of white folk, Mahershala Ali and Viola Davis — a black Muslim actor and black actress — took home the Oscars for Best Supporting roles. The wins were the first for both Ali and Davis. “I know they did all kinds of additions so it’s a more diverse set of people that are in the academy now. I think this year it’s about expanding that pool so I think the nominations reflect the expanded pool,” Sharp said. “If it’s a larger group of people where you get talented people — like Mahershala Ali who was fantastic in that role, and Viola Davis who’s been fantastic in many roles — as long as it goes to worthy people, I don’t know that it matters beyond that.” Anastasia Mungaray, sophomore criminal justice major, noted that it was great to see more diversity, but also agreed that what’s most important is the quality of the performance being honored. “You can’t just [have a diversity quota] to make amends, because then everyone is going to be like ‘those are pity wins.’ So, I just really hope they pick the ones that most deserve it,” she said. She also noted that in 2017, we saw a lot of films which provided powerful roles for actors and actresses of color, and quoted Viola Davis’ 2016 Emmy acceptance speech. “You can’t win an Emmy for a role that’s not there,” Davis said. Sharp added that Hollywood has been whitewashing roles for years, while stating “that’s not like a liberal viewpoint – that’s just factual.” Regardless of what happens at the Academy Awards — including almost robbing a gritty, complex drama of Best Picture for a musical about Hollywood — people are still going to chime in year after year. “The reason why I love watching the Oscars is because you get to watch a bunch of rich, pretty people jerk each other off for a few hours,” Sharp said. “But In all seriousness, I love seeing the people on screen and seeing them be funny or be sad, it’s just kind of entertaining. They have their hypocrisies at times — almost always — but it’s still entertaining to watch.”
CSULB MUSIC
From Bahia to Bob Cole Conservatory Members of a prestigious Brazilian orchestra team up with CSULB students. By Jason Enns
Arts & Life Editor
Four students, both new to the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music as well as the U.S., will be performing their first concert on campus this Thursday, free of charge. The string players from Núcleos Estaduais de Orquestras Juvenis e Infantis da Bahia, ages 19 to 23, are taking up residency at Cal State Long Beach. In order to gain a North American educational experience, they will be attending classes, workshops, lessons and rehearsals in the BCCM this semester. Now, members of the Youth Orchestra of Bahia will join forces with students of CSULB’s own BCCM string department. They will perform classic arrangements by composers Wolfgang Mozart,
Courtesy of neojiba.org
The Youth Orchestra of Bahia held a concert in the Castro Alves Theater in Brazil, on July 2, 2015 in celebration of Bahia and Brazil independence. Franz Schubert and Dmitri Shostakovich. NEOJIBA, whose name translates to English as State Nuclei of Youth and Children’s Orchestras of Bahia, was cre-
ated in 2007 as one of the priority programs of the Bahia state government in Brazil. Since its founding, it quickly became one of South America’s most acclaimed orchestras.
In Brazil, NEOJIBA was the first governmental program inspired by the Venezuelan program El Sistema, created in 1975. El Sistema is a publicly financed music education program in
Venezuela, founded by Venezuelan educator, musician and activist José Antonio Abreu. “I am a friend of Jose Abreu and know well the El Sistema orchestras, but the Youth Orchestra of Bahia is splendid,” said Domenico de Masi, a famous Italian sociologist who received the title of honorary citizen of the city of Rio de Janeiro in 2010. Started by conductor and pianist Ricardo Castro in 2007, NEOJIBA now benefits over 4,600 children, adolescents and youth. They perform regularly with prominent conductors and soloists like Jean Yves Thibaudet — a French pianist widely hailed as “one of the best pianists in the world” who accompanied the Youth Orchestra of Bahia on its first U.S. tour in 2014. On top of regularly touring Brazil, they have also taken stages in concert halls such as the Royal Festival Hall in London and Philharmonie in Berlin. The the collaborative performance consisting of members from both the BCCM string department will begin at 8 p.m. in the Gerald R. Daniel Recital Hall on March 2.
ARTS & LIFE 5
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YouTube
Daniel Kaluuya stars as Chris Washington in the racial horror film “Get Out.”
MOVIE REVIEW
‘Get Out’ reveals true horror in society Jordan Peele’s directorial debut explores the reality of racism in a politically charged era. By Samantha Diaz Staff Writer
Start with one horror movie, throw in some comic relief, a heaping serving of racial awareness and a few good twists to top it off – there you have it, success. At least this is the case for Jordan Peele’s new movie “Get Out,” which topped the box office opening weekend with over $30,000,000. Peele, who makes up half the comedy duo of “Key and Peele,” makes his directorial debut in this racially-charged horror movie, in which the scariest part is not the suspicious parents and
neighbors, or even the all-too-happyto-serve house staff. The real horror in the film is being black in a post-racial America. The film opens with one long take of a black man being followed by a slow moving car as he walks through the streets of a seemingly safe suburb. It’s immediately meant to remind you of every news story you hear of black men being profiled and attacked while walking down the street, and you can feel the tension in the room. Daniel Kaluuya plays Chris Washington, a black photographer who is travelling with his girlfriend Rose, played by Allison Williams, to meet her parents. At first Chris is worried that Rose has not told her parents about his race. She assures him that there is nothing to worry about; her parents are the “cool white liberals” who would have voted Obama for a third term, if they could have. Things seem to be going alright at first, if only a bit awkward. Rose’s fa-
ther Dean, played by Bradley Whitford, makes it a point to call Chris “my man,” while her mother Missy, played by Catherine Keener, insists on hypnotizing him. Rose’s brother is weirdy intrigued by Chris’ “genetic makeup,” but, they mean well, really. Only Chris seems to realize how “Stepford Wives” the gardener and maid are acting, which not so coincidentally happen to be the only other two black people in the home. You immediately feel Chris’ discomfort as he tries to figure out if he’s just being paranoid or if there is something bigger, more sinister going on. Spoiler alert: it’s the latter. “Get Out” is not the horror movie that we’re used to. There is no young blonde woman running for her life from a dark, looming figure. There is no house hidden behind a white picket fence, shielding the family inside from the dangers of the outside world. Instead, the real danger of the movie lies inside the fence, integrated and normalized into a community of mid-
dle-aged white people who reveal their ignorance with every comment they make. Their demeanor goes from uncomfortable to threatening as Chris realizes the reason why he was brought to this suburban town. The only people you see running for their lives are the black men who are usually painted as threatening in both entertainment media and mass media. Peele wants to make us feel the discomfort that Chris feels, the awkwardness that he paints in a comical way in “Key and Peele,” except this time it’s not funny. If the jokes mixed in with the horror scenes make you feel on edge, it’s because you should feel that way. It’s how Peele wants you to feel when confronted with racism, no matter how heavily cloaked it is with white liberalism. Chris’s character reveals the common struggles that come with being black in a “post-racial America.” He brushes off comments about how
being black is cool, he smiles and takes it when an elderly white woman grabs his biceps and goes on about his genetic makeup. Chris, like so many other black people, is used to this backhanded treatment, which is why it takes him so long to realize that this family and its neighbors aren’t your ordinary racist white folks. If these messages weren’t hidden in the horror genre, it would almost seem too preachy. But Peele successfully uses the tension and eeriness of every scene to show the horror that is racism. He hides the message of liberal racism beneath the hypnotism realm where Chris relives his worst nightmares and beneath the plot twist that reveals the menacing plan that has been in effect all along. In the politically and racially charged time that we find ourselves in, Peele expertly walks the line of supernatural horror and the everyday horror that we’ve come to accept.
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6 OPINIONS
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2017 DAILY49ER.COM | OPEDD49ER@GMAIL.COM
TRANSGENDER RIGHTS
Bills, bowels and the gender binary
Trump administration rescinds protection for transgender students on federally funded schools. By Hanna Suarez Opinions Editor
I
nevitable is what comes to mind when I look on Trump’s administrative decision to rescind Title IX protections for transgender students in publicly funded schools. According to a recent article by the Los Angeles Times, the order will not affect California institutions already observing the protections; however, the action continues to fuel debates between allies and lawmakers regarding the subject of public toilet use. The amount of support and allyship concerning the situation seems to be focused on the case of 17 year-old student, Gavin Grimm — who was provided a chance at the “national stage,” according to an article by The New York Times published last week. But while my heart is with Grimm and his efforts against the Virginia school district denying him rightful access to his restroom of choice, the problem is more expansive than bathroom discourse. The necessity of transgender visibility and solidarity is as in demand as ever, with 27 homicides against trans people in 2016, as reported in a January article by The Advocate. Despite the fact that most people who agree on gender inclusive restrooms are self-aware enough to understand that this violence infringes on basic human rights, they continue to sensationalize transgender people — making them out to be idiosyncratic characters fueled by bravery and resilience. Ironic then, that the New York Time’s article cites Gavin’s “awkwardness,” and “twelve dollar Walmart sneakers” to illustrate his average nature, or typicalness. While the protection of trans students and kids is also crucial, there are damaging consequences as a result of normalizing identities. The New York Times, for example, is committing serious erasure when they pose Grimm as the “new face of the transgender rights movement,” when
Jonathon Gruenke | Newport News Daily Press
Gavin Grimm, who identifies as a transgender boy, is requesting to be allowed to use the boys’ restroom at Gloucester High School. there are many transgender activists currently at work: Janet Mock, Bamby Salcedo and countless others working in transgender fields of study. This portrayal of a white, respectable transgender person is ever more exclusive, considering that the argument made in opposition to bathroom legislation is centered around the potential danger toward women by cross-dressing men. This is made evident in a report by NPR which discusses what North Carolina pastor Ron Baity deems threatening: “He [cross-dresser] could be there because he’s a sex pervert. He could be there to bring damage to a young girl.” As the report mentions, using “sexual predator” as a synonym for being transgender is further offensive and rooted in homophobic violence. This argument also does not account for public harassment within restroom settings, which transgender people are at risk of themselves. NPR cites a study and survey done by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law – not only did the study find no connection between crime inclusive public restrooms, but found that of 93 people, 70 percent
Daily 49er Micayla Vermeeren Editor-in-Chief eicd49er@gmail.com
Miranda Andrade-Ceja Managing Editor managingd49er@gmail.com
reported experiences of harassment in public restrooms. The current case of Gavin Grimm vs. Gloucester County is an example of the problematic nature of transgender visibility. Despite evidence from organizations including Transgender Day of Remembrance and the Human Rights Campaign, there is a disconnect between the motive and the crime itself. This pattern of violence which transgender people face, especially transwomen of color is historically relevant, and points to the dangers of performed or perceived femininity, as controlled by colonial ideas of gender. Individuals like Grimm are singled out, portrayed as heroes while the violent conditions within which they are opposing are not further criticized beyond the face of the situation. That the article also cites Laverne Cox for mentioning the Virginia teen during her Grammy speech, is further proof of the lack critical reflection when it comes to transgender identities. Laverne Cox’s invocation of Grimm points to the level of genuine solidarity which she leads her life with. That Cox used her celebrity status to shed light on
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Grimm’s case is more evidence of her role as an activist. Yet, it takes a bombshell like herself to point to the public that transgender bathroom rights are about basic human rights, as illustrated in her comments to MSNBC last week. Cox says, “When trans people can’t access public bathrooms, we can’t go to school effectively, go to work effectively, access health-care facilities — it’s about us existing in public space.” The access to public facilities is contingent to transgender visibility and the denial of existence through everyday situations--and anyone who identifies within the spectrum of transgender identities will tell you--bathrooms are just the beginning. Beyond obvious obstacles like fashion and relationships, transgender people face a myriad of micro-aggressions on a daily basis. In my experience, college campuses are often bastions for cisnormative culture. Even with the inclusion of gender neutral bathrooms, or the ability to specify your gender identity, as CSULB recently provided, transgender students are left alienated and vulnerable. Furthermore, my involvement with
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the queer studies department sheds light on the disproportionate amount of people who are informed on transgender activism and theory. Needless to say, there is a certain privilege in education; but we are all here on campus. Within the ranks of higher education, I’ve found that this privilege is less accessible for transgender people themselves. Closeted transgender and/or queer students would otherwise be outed by enrolling in these programs on campus, leaving them vulnerable to the wrath of potentially transphobic or homophobic parents. Homophobia as an institution continues the perpetuation of transphobia, because people often conflate gender with sexuality. Either way, if observing transgender rights is as simple as understanding basic human needs, why are the single stalls accessible to me more often occupied by cisgender people with stage fright and a terrible case of the number twos? Before anyone decries “cisphobia,” remember that transgender people die because people continue to read their gender in public and act on these feelings of transphobia. The acknowledgement of cisgender as an identity and entity within social infrastructure is necessary when there is such little solidarity and allyship for vulnerable transgender people. This is the difference; cisgender awareness is a survival tactic, transgender visibility leads to harm, sexual assault, murder. As cited in a recent Huffington Post article, a 2015 survey by the Association of American Universities reports that “transgender and gender non-conforming students experienced greater rates of sexual assault, sexual harassment, intimate partner violence, and stalking than any other campus group.” Yet, those in opposition of bathroom bills cite the potential of predatory violence. Trump and his administration might be a bunch of hypocritical bullies, but I stand that until people are aware of the ways that they are complicit in transphobia, until people are willing to be critical of themselves and the media they consume — transgender and gender non-conforming folx will not be genuinely represented or properly cared for. The legacy of institutionalization carries on like a super-virus evolving with new-liberal standards.
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SPORTS 7
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2017 DAILY49ER.COM | SPORTSD49ER@GMAIL.COM WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Jessica Gertz paces LBSU with 17 points Long Beach State women’s basketball team wins third straight Big West contest. By Grester Celis-Acosta Staff Writer
The Long Beach State women’s basketball team beat UC Irvine 87-74 in dominating fashion on Saturday at the Walter Pyramid. The 49ers (20-9, 11-3) took an early eight-point lead in the first 2:08 and led the Anteaters from start to finish. (4-24, 2-12). LBSU dropped four three-pointers in the first quarter while senior guard Anna Kim scored six points and senior forward Madison Montgomery scored seven, which included two triples. The Anteaters shot the ball poorly in the first, shooting 30 percent from the field and going one for six from behind the arc. The 49ers outscored the Anteaters in the first, 22-10. The 49ers’ hot scoring carried into the second quarter as they made 68.8 percent from the field, which included going six for eight from long distance. “It was being urgent defensively,” 49ers head coach Jody Wynn said. “Starting the game with a defensive mentality, playing with urgency, playing disciplined and letting our defense ignite our offense and not focus so much on offense.” The defense of the 49ers helped pick up eight turnovers in the second quarter and forced 16 turnovers in the first half. Those turnovers helped the 49ers add 19 points to their huge lead in the first half. LBSU also snagged seven steals. Senior guard Raven Benton was
on fire in the second quarter, scoring 13 points, four assists and snatching three rebounds. “First quarter I was facilitating a little bit and seeing how it is on the court,” Benton said. “And in the second quarter I knew that I needed to be a little bit more aggressive. I tried to shoot a little more and got my teammates open, so it was a great second quarter.” The Anteaters’ struggles continued in the second as they missed their four three-pointer shot attempts and went 33.3 percent from the field. “[LBSU] hit every shot that they took,” Anteater head coach Tamara Inoue said. “We missed every shot that we took, so that’s pretty much what happened.” By halftime, the 49ers had a commanding 50-20 lead. In the third, the Anteaters finally got into a rhythm as they made 53.4 percent from the field and went six for nine behind the arc. Although sophomore guard Andee Ritter dropped three of four triples in the third, the 49ers did not let the Anteaters get close to the lead as they finished the quarter leading 70-44. In the fourth, things got a little bit dicey for the 49ers as they allowed the Anteaters to score 30 points and come within 11 points late in the game. “We were playing kids more minutes than they’ve played in a long time,” Wynn said. “Although we do play our bench, [UCI] caught fire. Credit [Ritter and Irene Chavez]. Those two kids had to step up, yeah we left them open, but you still got to step up and knock them down and they did a good job.” Anteaters senior Irene Chavez scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, which included five triples. Meanwhile, Ritter added six points and freshman guard Brooke Bayman added nine points in the fourth. Despite catching fire eventually, it
Ben Hammerton | Daily 49er
Senior guard Raven Benton goes in for a floater against UC Irvine Saturday. The Long Beach State women’s basketball team won the game 87-74. was too little too late as the 49ers held onto the lead. UCI finished the game with three players in double-digit points. Ritter finished with the game-high by both
teams with 21 points, Chavez put up 20 and Bayman had 13. The 49ers had two players in double-digit points, with junior guard Jessica Gertz finishing with 17 points and
Benton with 13. The 49ers will look to win their final home game of the season as they take on CSUN on Thursday at the Walter Pyramid. Tip off begins at 7 p.m.
LONG BEACH STATE
49ers haunted by poor shooting 49ers fall to the middle of the pack in Big West standings after second consecutive loss in conference play. By Matthew Simon Sports Editor
Jose De Castro | Daily 49er
Long Beach State’s junior utility Raney Remme prepares to take a shot in front of a UCLA defender Feb.5.
After being winners of four out of five, the Long Beach State men’s basketball team has lost two straight games after its 75-71 overtime loss to UC Davis Saturday. LBSU’s (13-18, 8-6) defense continued its stellar play, but the play of the 49ers’ guards on offense has slipped – which has allowed teams to sneak away with wins. In their losses to Cal Poly and UC Davis, junior Evan Payne, junior Justin Bibbins, sophomore Noah Blackwell and freshman Loren Jackson have shot 27 percent, going 17 for 64 from the floor. It’s that inconsistency that has come back to haunt LBSU after playing well in the last half of Big West play. The team has gotten solid play from sophomore
forward Temidayo Yussuf in both losses, posting 37 points and 21 rebounds total. LBSU will look to finish the season with a win when they host Hawai’i for the regular season finale Saturday at Walter Pyramid. Water Polo With a 12-day break between games, the Long Beach State women’s water polo team was back in the pool at the UC Irvine Invitational Feb. 24-26. In their first game against No. 5 Arizona State Friday, the 49ers lost 9-5 after the Sun Devils’ junior attacker Claudia Abad and junior attacker Lena Mihailovic each scored three goals. On Saturday, LBSU (6-6) split its games, losing to San Jose State 6-5 and beating Cal State Northridge 15-8. Rounding out the weekend, the 49ers beat San Diego State 10-7 Sunday. Freshman utility Marilia Mimidi scored four goals to lead LBSU to the win. After an eight-game road trip, the 49ers will be back at Lindgren Aquatics Center Thursday when they host Saint Francis to start a four-game homestand.
8 SPORTS
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2017 DAILY49ER.COM | SPORTSD49ER@GMAIL.COM
BASEBALL UPCOMING GAMES:
VS. When: Tuesday, 6 p.m. Where: Blair Field
VS. When: Friday, 6 p.m. Where: Chapel Hill
VS. When: Saturday, 7 p.m. Where: Chapel Hill
Photos by Jose De Castro | Daily 49er
Long Beach State junior designated hitter Luke Rasmussen slides head first into third base after a base hit against Fordham Saturday. The Dirtbags swept the Rams with a 7-1 win Sunday.
BASEBALL
Duran paces LBSU in win Long Beach State’s second baseman sets career highs in sweep of Fordham. By Luke Ramirez
Assistant Sports Editor
Long Beach State completed the series sweep against Fordham University after a 7-1 win at Blair Field on Sunday. “Overall, I thought this weekend was a collective effort,” head coach Troy Buckley said. “That being said, I thought [Jarren] Duran looked completely different than he did in the first four games.” Sophomore second baseman Jarren Duran was the catalyst of LBSU’s lineup, going six for 10, scored seven runs and had four RBIs over the weekend. “Of course I’ll miss facing those Fordham pitchers,” Duran said. On Sunday, Fordham (1-5) got on the board first after a leadoff single from senior center fielder Jason Lundy. Rams’ catcher Justin Bardwell to give the rams a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a two-out RBI single. After the Rams got the initial run, LBSU (4-3) pitched eight innings. The Dirtbags tied the game in the bottom of the first after sophomore second baseman Jarren Duran started the inning with an infield hit, stole second base and scored on a single by junior designated hitter Luke Rasmussen. With the RBI single, Rasmussen made in seven games in a row he’s driven in a run. LBSU added two more runs in the bottom of the second inning
Sophomore infielder Jarren Duran turns a double play against Fordham Saturday. after Fordham made two errors on routine plays. Junior third baseman Ramsey Romano led off the inning with a single and got to third base after junior shortstop Markus Montelongo laid down a bunt that was thrown away by Murphy. Junior catcher David Banuelos drove in Romano with a soft single over the head of Fordham shortstop Luke Stampfl. Montelongo came around to score on a throwing error by Fordham catcher Justin Bardwell, giving
the Dirtbags a 3-1 lead in the second inning. In the fourth, Banuelos picked up his second hit of the game and scored from first after the next batter Duran doubled into the right center gap. Duran only got hotter as the game went on. In the seventh inning, he scorched a double into the right field corner with the bases loaded and two outs to extend the lead to 7-1. Fields looked in command on the mound all game throwing 58 of his
90 pitches for strikes. The Dirtbags’ starter took advantage of the sharp defense behind him inducing two inning-ending double plays. “I trust my teammates a lot,” said Fields. “These guys are good behind me.” Fields’ (2-0) final line was 6 IP, seven hits, four strikeouts and one earned run. “He got better as the game went on and it was easy to forget that the kid is 18 years old,” Buckley said. “He scattered seven hits- all singlesand he had some big double plays that allowed him to go deeper into the game.” The Dirtbags’ offense had a very productive weekend against Fordham, a welcomed sight after the struggles they endured in the first four games of 2017. “We just have to stay with our approach,” said Duran. “We’re looking to hunt [pitches up in the strike zone] and stay on the fastball.” Rasmussen drove in six runs against Fordham and pushed his season total to 11. Another key to the Dirtbags success this weekend was freshman relief pitcher Connor Riley who made 2 appearances and struck out all five batters he faced on Sunday. The Dirtbags struck out eight straight batters, most since March 5, 2004 when LBSU struck out 10 straight against BYU. “We’re trying to develope them,” Buckley said. “I thought Riley was really good today. He was a pleasant surprise this weekend.” The Dirtbags will try to follow up their impressive showing against Fordham, scheduled to play five games in six days starting with a home game against San Diego State Tuesday.
VS. When: Sunday, 7 p.m. Where: Chapel Hill
VS. When: March 10, 7 p.m. Where: Phoenix
VS. When: March 11, 7 p.m. Where: Phoenix
VS. When: March 12, 7 p.m. Where: Phoenix
VS. When: March 14, 7 p.m. Where: Blair Field
VS. When: March 15, 7 p.m. Where: Blair Field
VS. When: March 18, 7 p.m. Where: Malibu