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‘Paradise’ in the Pyramid
LONG BEACH STATE UNIVERSITY | VOL. LXX, ISSUE 38 | MARCH 18, 2019
2 NEWS
MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM
INSIDE
ON THE COVER
NINER
THE
R&B artist Daniel Caesar performs in front of a sold out crowd Saturday in the Walter Pyramid for ASI’s Big Event.
Third season of ‘Queer Eye’ highlights self-love page 4
SAMANTHA DIAZ Daily 49er
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SPECIAL SECTION: Meet the ASI election candidates pages 7-10
By Jonathan Rulison Staff Writer
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Suspicious person apprehended at Beachside
An arrest was made after a suspicious person was reported outside the Beachside College Dorms March 11. A Beachside resident reported a man standing outside the housing complex asking for passing women’s phone numbers. University Police Department officials were dispatched to question the man. In a subsequent search, officials found him in possession of a wallet and other personal belongings of Beachside residents. UPD arrested the man for theft. “That same subject was a named suspect in a theft case LBPD is working on,” Capt. Richard Goodwin of the UPD said.
Construction site burglary
Construction workers reported theft from a tool box at their laydown yard between parking lot G2 and the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden March 12. Capt. Goodwin said the burglar entered the site by cutting through one of the fences then broke into the tool box and stole unknown items. Good-
win added that UPD investigators are doing a full inventory with the construction workers to ascertain what was stolen.
Wounded German Shepherd on Beach Drive
On the afternoon of March 12, a large German Shepard was reportedly roaming near the Visitor Information Center on Beach Drive. According to Goodwin, the dog was secured after UPD sent out their K9 unit with other officers. Upon capture, officers noticed the German Shepherd had sustained non-life-threatening injuries to one of its paws. Animal Control arrived and was able to return the dog to its owner via the information on the collar.
Tearing point at Turning Point booth
Police were called after an altercation at a Turning Point USA booth outside FO1 March 7. A Turning Point representative requested to speak with an officer after a woman came up to the booth and tore down a poster before ripping it into pieces. After the woman left the area, officers arrived and managed to talk to both her and the Turning Point representative. According to Goodwin, there’s an ongoing investigation. There are no charges at this time.
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A Beachside arrest, a construction site burglary and an injured dog
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Opinion: LBSU must communicate to its students better page 12
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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. Letters Policy: All letters and email must bear the phone number of the writer and must be no more than 300 words. The Daily 49er reserves the right to edit letters for publication in regard to space.
ARTS & LIFE 3
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R&B artist Daniel Caesar belts out a lyric during his sold out performance at ASI’s Big Event.
CONCERT
‘Best Part’ of the night Students were treated to a night of romantic melodies and sing alongs with Daniel Caesar.
By Samantha Diaz Managing Editor samanthadiaz98
Three familiar drum beats pierced through the buzz of the audience as Daniel Caesar strolled onto stage in the Walter Pyramid and went straight to the microphone to begin his harmonic serenade of “Japanese Denim,” one of the R&B singer’s most popular tracks. The Toronto born artist’s romantic melodies reverberated off students’ faces Saturday as part of Associated Students, Inc. Big Event, an annual $10 concert which sold out in 40 minutes. His performance provided a clear dichotomy from the opening set, as soundcloud artist Leven Kali prompted students to stand up in their seats and wave their colorful LED lights in the air to crowd favorites “Do U Wrong” and “I Get High When I Think About Us.” While Kali’s songs were not known by many at first, he created an energy among the students that had many dancing in the isles and on the floor level. The blues and soul tone of his voice was complemented by his band “The Moon,” consisting of funk inspired guitar and bass by his eccentric cast. “Put the light sticks away, I wanna see your hands,” Caesar told the crowd a few songs into his set. The request resulted in an immediate mood change, as the audience turned off their lights and swayed to the slow harmonies and hums from the artist. It’s hard to feel at home standing in front of a crowd of 4,000, but Caesar did so with ease, with his relaxed stance drawing the audience closer to him. His olive green Vans were planted firmly on the worn out red rug on stage and his pastel pink hair rocked back and forth with the audience.
SAMANTHA DIAZ | Daily 49er
The occasional light in the crowd swung from side to side with Caesar’s slow songs while a low hum filled the arena as students sang along. When the beginning guitar chords began for “Best Part,” Caesar’s most known song the crowd joined in instantly. He performed the second half in a spoken word fashion and had the audience sing the melody. The five bright lights cast a stark silhouette on stage as he held out his microphone to the crowd and smiled as they sang his lyrics. Caesar reminded the audience throughout the night how thankful he was to be performing in Long Beach, a first for him. “I always wanted to have a show in California when I was growing up because it’s always sunny here,” he said as students gave proud cheers. “I literally started screaming in the van when we pulled up and saw how many of y’all there were.” The artist closed on a crowd favorite, “Blessed.” White lights pulsated on the screen to the song’s closing as Caesar walked off to the lyrics “I’m coming back home.” Only a handful of students left their seats while the arena insisted on an encore from Caesar. The music came back before him and the whimsical strings of “Get You” filled the pyramid as he walked up to the microphone just in time to utter the first few lyrics, with about 4,000 backup singers. Pink lights flooded the air while Caesar sang about making love and feeling lucky with the person you’re with. Students closed their eyes and sang along, chanting the lyrics “paradise,” and for many, the night was.
4 ARTS & LIFE
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Queer Eye Facebook
Netflix Original, Queer Eye comes back for its third season.
REVIEW
Now cry, but make it fashion The Fab Five head to the midwest for plenty of laughs (and tears) in their third season. By Jeremy Porr Staff Writer
If you’d like to contribute to the puddle of tears you’re already drowning in this Pisces season, you’re in luck — the third season of “Queer Eye” premiered on Netflix this past Friday. The gaggle of gays are back and better than ever, with
a dash of heavily scripted banter and a sprinkle of social commentary. The Fab Five provides viewers with eight episodes and eight incredible transformations. Unlike the past version of the show “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” the Netflix remake dropped the latter half of the original title, opting for just “Queer Eye.” Instead of solely focusing on sad, straight men, the latest version features an array of makeover subjects, including women and other queer people. In the premiere episode, experts Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski and Bobby Berk help makeover a prison guard who’s really into camouflage. Camo pants, camo shirts, camo shoes, camo lingerie, camo…everything. The chemistry between the makeover subject, Jody, and her husband, Chris, is palpable, and after the Queer Eye boys finish with her, she is a glowing goddess with a ton of newfound confidence. There is a much larger focus on self-care this season; the series doesn’t just enlist five shallow gays to cattily tell their subjects everything that’s wrong with them. The Fab Five aim to highlight what is already great about their subjects. When Tan revamps an entire wardrobe, he sticks to things that people feel comfortable in. When Bobby remodels a bedroom or a business, he doesn’t completely scrap everything, he incorporates the old into a new fresh design. Karamo digs deep into past traumas, and helps his makeover subjects move forward on an emotional level. This season, like every season, is inspiring to watch because the show consistently communicates the message that viewers have all of the tools that they need in order to become the best version of themselves. Sometimes, you just need a group of friends (or a gaggle of gays) to remind you of what makes yourself great. “Queer Eye” consistently continues to up its game in terms of storytelling. While some critics may argue that
five gay men shouldn’t be tasked with resolving the struggles of straight men, I’d say they’re missing the point. This season, and this iteration of the show, runs much deeper than the past version that aired on Bravo. For example, when camo-loving Jody shares her struggles with feeling “feminine,” Karamo enlists an array of women, (gay, straight, black and white) to share their stories with her. The end result is a heartwarming scene and a reminder that there is no single, correct way to be a woman. At the end of the day, this is a makeover show. So yes, Tan cleans up their wardrobe, Jonathan gives them a fresh haircut and Antoni teaches them how to do the bare minimum in the kitchen. Meanwhile interior design expert Berk, the unsung hero of the cast, works away to revamp an entire home or business. While this season provides many inspiring stories, from a duo of sisters who run a barbeque restaurant, to a Black queer girl who was rejected by her adoptive family, we also get to know more about the cast as a result. We know from the last season that design expert Berk struggled with growing up in a strict, religious home. In the fifth episode of season three however, viewers also find out that he was adopted. As someone who is also queer and adopted, I was thrilled to see two other queer adoptees discuss their shared experience. I was immediately reminded of the power of representation, and feeling “seen” on screen. It’s refreshing to see gay men on television with complex, storied backgrounds. For straight viewers, it’s vital they see these men as more than magical accessories, or mere comedic relief. While some of the candid, funny, moments the Fab Five share in the car at the top of each episode appear to be heavily scripted, by the end of each episode I seemingly forgot any of the cringe-worthy dialogue. Instead, with tears streaming down my face, I was reminded of the show’s sincerity.
5
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CSULB 2019
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NOW HIRING Editor In Chief 22 West Magazine The Editor in Chief (EIC) is responsible for the weekly print publication and web production of 22 West Magazine and for the overall integrity of the newspaper, including editorial content, appearance, coverage, production, scheduling, staff/personnel issues and advertising. Current enrollment in a B.A. or M.A. program in Journalism, Communications, English, or a related discipline preferred. Must have one year of college newspaper experience or the equivalent; a minimum of one semester experience with 22 West Magazine is preferred. A complete list of requirements, other criteria, and job application is available at www.asicsulb.org/corporate/work
Chief Executive Producer 22 West Video The Chief Executive Producer (CEP) is responsible for the distribution of 22 West Video's creative content (“shows, segments,etc.�). The CEP is responsible for the overall integrity of the video content produced by 22 West, including editorial content, appearance, coverage, production, scheduling, budget and staff/personnel issues. They are responsible for setting creative and editorial standards, for providing a vision for the station, and for ensuring its continued production. Current enrollment in a B.A. or M.A. program in Film & Electronic Arts, Journalism, Communications or a related discipline preferred. 6 or more units are required and must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0. Must have one year of media production experience or the equivalent; a minimum of one year experience with 22 West Video is preferred. A complete list of requirements, other criteria, and job application is available at www.asicsulb.org/corporate/work
General Manager 22 West Radio The General Manager is responsible for leading, planning, and managing the operations of KBeach radio and coordinates the administrative activities of the station, manages it business functions, ensures fiscal accountability, and supervises student participation. The General Manager is responsible for the planning, development, and execution of operating policies and objectives in accordance with the K-Beach operating policies and procedures, ASI policy, University regulations, and Student Media Board directives. He/she is responsible for setting journalistic and editorial standards, for providing a vision for the radio station, and for ensuring its continued production. Completion of one year of college and a minimum of one year of related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience required. Must be concurrently enrolled at CSULB in six or more undergraduate units (3 or more graduate units) with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. Experience with on-air and station management responsibilities, including the establishment of a volunteer station support structure. A complete list of requirements, other criteria, and job application is available at www.asicsulb. org/corporate/work
6 ARTS & LIFE
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First year computer engineering major Evan Marquez and fourth year accounting major Edward Flores playing Apex Legends at the event sponsor area. JOSH SEPETJIAN Daily 49er
ESPORTS
Competitors played for fun and for keeps at GGBeach Hundreds attended the event to celebrate their love of games. By Josh Sepetjian Staff Writer
Ballroom B in the University Student Union was filled with the gentle glow of RGB lighting and the clicking and clacking of controllers Friday as the Long Beach State Esports Association held GGBeach, a student run gaming convention. The event was the first one of its kind, put on by the new board of the Esports Association, and it followed in the footsteps of events such as Beachcon, another convention showcasing all things video games in Long Beach. Anthony Pham, fourth year computer science major and president of the Esports Association, said the GGBeach event had something to offer everyone interested in gaming. “We have both the casual and the competitive tournaments going on,” Pham said. “There’s two sides to the coin, but both of them are to the same goal: gaming.” Pham went on to say that the Esports
Association hopes to turn GGBeach into a conventions offer a place for people to recurring event every year. come together and express their passions. The convention offered tournaments for “Having something like this allows peomany popular games ple to come out including “Super of their shells in a Smash Bros. Ultiway,” Rodriguez mate” and “League of said. “To experiLegends.” There were Having something like ence something also panels that disthat’s bigger than cussed personal comthis allows people to themselves.” puter building and Digital gaming Q&A sessions with come out of their shells wasn’t all GGBeach Esports industry prohad to offer. There fessionals. in a way. To experience was an entire secJoel Rodriguez, VR tion of the event Branch Manager for something that’s bigger dedicated to board the Esports Associgames. ation and third year than themselves. Mark Killian, a computer science fourth year memajor, said his favorchanical engineerite part of events like Joel Rodriguez, VR branch manager ing major, said that GGBeach is bringing he enjoys the social people together. aspect of playing “It’s the camaradeboard games. rie,” Rodriguez said. “Everyone is doing the “It’s a lot more personable than many same thing. We’re all gamers.” video games,” Killian said. “Most video Rodriguez went on to talk about how games you do over the computer, or over
“
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the Xbox, or over the Playstation and you don’t often have your friend next to you anymore.” GGBeach also had an “Artist’s Alley” area where attendees could purchase illustrations and other pieces from student artists. Fourth year illustration and animation major Jon Sloan was selling art at the convention, and said he was glad the event offered another way for people to share their passions. “Artist’s alley is sort of like a celebration or appreciation not only for arts, but for the things that people care about,” Sloan said. “You see a lot of artists both big and small tend to take their work and show appreciation for their favorite series, their favorite game, their favorite movies, and they draw it and they try to sell it to people.” It was clear throughout the day that while most of the attendees and staff of the event cared deeply about games, the community aspect is what brought them to GGBeach. “One of the big things that this event has to offer is it’s trying to get us more out into the campus,” Killian said “We’re trying to get out more and get more ingrained.”
SPECIAL SECTION
Get to know the candidates of the 2019 ASI election
8 PRESIDENT
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ASI chief justice runs for president By Cheantay Jensen Staff Writer
A
s a first generation Mexican-American, 21-yearold political science major Lizbeth Velasquez is the first in her family of five to attend college. As a low income, working student who has had to overcome accessibility and financial hurdles of her own, Velasquez is making it her mission to advocate for food security, textbook affordability, financial aid and legal advice. “I come from a background where education is a luxury,” Velasquez said. “It was something you had to fight for. I’ve seen how hard it’s been for me to get here and I want to make that journey a lot easier for other students. Not just for students right now, but for future students as well.” For the last year, Velasquez served in the judicial branch of Associated Students Inc. as an associate judge and as chief justice. Her primary tasks include interpreting ASI bylaws and serving on the grade appeals committee, which resolves grade disputes. She said her experience there has helped cultivate a cool, level-headed attitude. “In the judiciary branch I’ve really had to step back and
LIZBETH VELASQUEZ Presidential Candidate
look at all the perspectives when I’m doing a grade appeal,” Velasquez said. “It’s really about retaining that objectivity.”
Velasquez spent 300 hours last year volunteering at the Long Beach Courthouse through the JusticeCorps of AmeriCorps program, a national service program that helps bring legal assistance to those who can’t afford professional legal advice in matters of family, housing, personal safety and financial stability. Velasquez would help people, usually low-income minorities, fill out paperwork and ease them through their legal process. She described her work there as rewarding, although at times emotionally draining. “A lot of the times people are angry at you because you are the first person that they’ve actually been able to talk to,” Velasquez said. The political science major said her work with JusticeCorps and the ASI judiciary branch laid down the foundation for her campaign, but also the inspiration for her long term goals, including her most passionate project: creating a legal advice clinic for students. The clinic would be on-campus and facilitated by lawyers working pro bono. Students could come with any of their legal concerns or questions and receive a free, professional consultation. If elected, Velasquez also wants to expand the CalFresh outreach program, work with professors to create a universal standard for renting and buying textbooks and create an on-campus polling center for the 2020 elections.
President Genesis Jara runs for re-election By Austin Brumblay News Editor adbrumblay
P
resident Genesis Jara has focused her Associated Student Inc. presidential campaign on working with underrepresented communities at Long Beach State. “I have 10 commissioners that represent communities and each have a student organization for their community,” she said. “We do this to bridge the gap between ASI and the student body.” The junior business major and first generation college student implemented a political outline of goals that she looks to undertake if re-elected, as well as building off of
current projects that she put in place during her tenure as ASI president. Jara looks to expand support for students who experience food insecurity by increasing donations for the Beach Pantry and expanding the acceptance of Electronic Benefits Transfer among establishments on campus. According to Jara, she increased Beach Pantry usage by 300 percent during her first term by ramping up exposure and outreach. As student homelessness remains an issue at LBSU, Jara wants to partner with local nonprofit companies to provide assistance for students with housing needs. Jara also wants to make the campus more inclusive for students who require classes at non-traditional times. With the help of faculty, she looks to add more night and week-
end courses to broaden opportunities for working students. “We have a lot of students who are returning students and might have their own families and prefer to take night classes,” Jara said. “We’ve already started the process by talking with the provost.” Jara looks to provide continued assistance for parents on campus. She added a planning and parenting commissioner to run the Parenting and Students Club. The club will be a building block for her goal of offering a drop-off childcare center for student parents to utilize while they take midterm and final exams. Americans with Disabilities Act compliance for buildings on campus is also an issue that Jara plans to focus on. On the top of her
GENESIS JARA
Presidential Candidate
list is Faculty Office 4, which Jara said is not ADA compliant. “The resource center in FO4 is basically falling apart … you walk on the second floor and the rails rattle,” she said. “We’ve added it to the CSULB physical master plan, so even when we’re gone it’ll be addressed.” Hannah Getahun, Assistant News Editor, contributed to this article.
VICE PRESIDENT 9
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ASI VP candidate aims to focus on student empowerment By Alex Dansereau Staff Writer
Born in South Los Angeles to two parents who emigrated from Guatemala, Associated Students Inc. vice presidential candidate Justin Contreras grew up facing financial instability. “Both of my parents were working minimum-wage jobs,” Contreras said. “My mom at times was actually unable to pay the rent. So we’ve lived in very humble conditions. I shared a room with four of my brothers until middle school when we were eventually able to move out into a bigger residence. Throughout my life, I really struggled academically because of the environment I grew up in.” A turning point in Contreras’ life came in high school when he attended a small charter school with a population of 200 students. One of the school’s instructors began to mentor Contreras and encouraged him to run for student government. When Contreras arrived at Long Beach State, he initially struggled to find a sense of belonging on such a large and diverse campus. However, when he began working in Student Life & Development in his second semester on campus, he came to the realization that many students
Leen Almahdi hopes to improve accessibility By Carlos Villicana
Special Projects Editor unpaidposter
For current Associated Students Inc. Vice President Leen Almahdi, running to retain her office is a matter of finishing the work she started and helping ASI’s new executive director transition into their role. Almahdi’s platform revolves around introducing and expanding existing services to address a variety of student needs. To do this, Almahdi wants to work on improving accessibility to the campus and its programs.
JUSTIN CONTRERAS
Vice Presidential Candidate
were struggling with the same obstacles he was faced with throughout his life.
To help students seeking Counseling and Psychological Services, Almahdi said she would like to develop a peer-mentor program in which master of arts psychology students would work with other students to give them similar aid to that which CAPS would provide. “There’s an increased need for our mental health resources on campus, especially with CAPS,” Almahdi said. “So something that we are doing on the statewide level is [advocating] for more psychologists and counselors to be within our institutions to decrease that wait time.” Almahdi would also like to develop a system which will allow people of varying mobility to travel across campus. Almahdi cited the size of the campus and the amount of construction as barriers for individuals with different accessibility needs. To address this, Almahdi wants to introduce a system where Community Service Officers would be available to escort students around campus in the morning. “It’ll be the same [existing] system but it’ll [also] be utilized in the morning similar to our shuttle system,” Almahdi said. In an effort to make classrooms compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Almahdi wants new purchases of desks
The determination to give back to his community drives many of Contreras’ policy proposals. Among them is a proposed on-campus legal clinic, which would give underprivileged students access to free legal consultation and advice. Additionally, Contreras seeks to expand LBSU’s Electronic Benefits Transfer program, to give students who rely on the credits for food the ability to use them at more locations on campus. He also aims to provide greater opportunities to students seeking to enter the field of law or political science, by establishing a new internship program to give them greater work experience during their time at LBSU. Contreras argues that the campus needs to expand its definition of “basic needs” for students beyond college affordability, housing and food security, to encompass a growing range of services students require to succeed. This includes greater access to technology and internet connectivity for underprivileged students. “If I do get this position, it means more to me than serving the student body as a vice president,” Contreras said. “It means representing my community and where I come from. And also sending the message to people who are going through the same things I went through that anything is possible.”
separate from chairs. Desks currently used in classes have the chairs attached to them, which Almahdi believes can restrict the ability to accomodate for all students’ needs. In addition to this, the current vice president would like to make textbooks more affordable for all students. “We have issues with college affordability [and] if textbooks are [costing] hundreds of dollars, it’s really doing a disservice to students,” Almahdi said. To alleviate expenses for students, Almahdi plans to advocate for state-funded financial aid to cover non-tuition costs and summer semester courses. She also wants to use student government legislation to increase the amount of textbooks available via the Day One Digital Access program, which provides digital versions of books at a reduced price. A long term goal of Almahdi’s is to have more classes offered at night and on weekends to accommodate schedules for parents, older students and those working full-time jobs. “This would also help alleviate parking issues because if we have more students showing up at different pockets of the day… we’ll have more parking freed up for people,” Almahdi said.
LEEN ALMAHDI
Vice Presidential Candidate
10 TREASURER
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Dominick Martinez takes first step into student government By Carlos Villicana Special Projects Editor unpaidposter
After four years at Long Beach State, health science major Dominick Martinez is attempting to transition into student government as Associated Students Inc. treasurer. He cites his experiences as building manager of the University Student Union and treasurer for the Sigma Chi fraternity, an organization which disassociated from the university during investigations into sexual misconduct allegations made toward its members, according to the Press Telegram. If elected treasurer, Martinez would like to address food insecurity, financial transparency and establish on-campus legal clinics and polling places. “It’s kind of inconvenient that CalFresh has two outreach days a year,” Martinez said. “So one thing [we can do] would be to see if we can work with CalFresh to do maybe one outreach day a month of the semester.”
DOMINIK MARTINEZ Treasurer Candidate
The treasurer candidate said that one way to expand the on-campus presence of CalFresh, a program that helps people of low-income buy food, is to get ASI to work with the university to find a second office for the program. Martinez also wants to start a collaboration between ASI Communications and the student-run organizations to
promote the latter’s activities with the goal of increasing participation in student clubs. “The organizations don’t necessarily need help with the operations themselves, they’re very self-sustaining,” Martinez said. “I think it would help if ASI used its presence to show the organizations off more. Week of Welcome definitely helps … but
that’s only once a semester for two days.” Data collection will play a role in Martinez’ goals for an on-campus legal clinic and financial transparency. The health science major wants to initially use a broad legal clinic to find out what students’ specific needs are and use surveys to discover what people want to know about how ASI uses its funds. “I don’t want to flood people with information, but I want to know what their questions are,” Martinez said. “Assuming is never good when you’re trying to represent any kind of group.” Martinez’ goals are rounded out by the desire to get a polling place for U.S. government elections on-campus, the lack of which he has had issues with himself. “When the presidential elections were coming up, I didn’t get a chance to vote because I couldn’t make it to any polling place within the time frame because I was either on campus or at work,” Martinez said. “I barely made it to the midterm elections in November… that was the last time I was able to vote anything.”
All about finances with treasurer hopeful Reyalyn Villegas By James Chow Copy Editor tabasfat
Financial literacy is a huge issue for Associated Students Inc. Treasurer Candidate Reyalyn Villegas. The treasurer hopeful defines a financial literate person as someone who is well-versed in money-facing decisions. Villegas aims to continue the efforts of current Treasurer Jesse Luna in establishing more finance workshops. To further take advantage of the university’s resources, Villegas wants to establish generalized webinars and free-of-cost summer trainings to allow more students to become financially literate. She also wants to increase the amount of scholarships for marginalized students. “At the end of the day, they are students and their main priority is to pass their classes so that they can graduate,” she said. “They shouldn’t have to scramble for [financial] in-
formation that we, as a public university, have the resources to offer for them.”. Villegas draws much from her advocacy experience from her position as chief government relations officer and lobbying efforts at the California Higher Education Student Summit. But her love for advocacy didn’t start in ASI. It started when she was young, where she first-hand experienced a difference in cultures when moving from the Philippines to the United States. “In the future I hope to create a foundation that would serve the women and children of those third world countries and work for organizations like doctors without borders or UNICEF, any organization that is willing to advocate for the needs for those who are underrepresented,” she said. But she’s starting small. As a STEM student, she wants to lobby for more transparency within student government. The current senior has been coming to the university for the past four years, but said she feels a disconnect between her college and student government.
“I’m in a college where most of the students didn’t even know elections were going on, [and didn’t know] that we have spring allocations, all these processes that they can benefit from,” Villegas said. To combat this, Villegas wants to facilitate communication between the department and student government. As treasurer, she wants to get funding for ongoing research projects within STEM as well as make decision-making processes more transparent to the student body. One priority for Villegas is to livestream all ASI meetings. While student senate meetings are livestreamed on Facebook, not all meetings are posted nor are they accessible to all students. She notes meeting times are inconsistent as well, with Lobby Corps having different meeting dates each semester. “I think that’s really trying to bridge that gap between the student body and student government because not a lot of students know about all these committees within student government,” she said.
REYALYN VILLEGAS Treasurer Candidate
ARTS & LIFE 11
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MOVIE
Drums fly at the screening of ‘Birdman’ By Manuel Valladares Staff Writer
Professional drummer Antonio Sanchez performed at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center on Friday, free-form performing his own score along with the movie “Birdman.” Before his performance, Sanchez held a 30-minute panel where he spoke about his personal experiences as a musician and the process of producing a score for this critically-acclaimed film. “If [a film and its score are] well done … it can be incredibly effective and elevate the two [art forms] to the next level,” Sanchez said. This thought is something that has existed since the two mediums first began to collaborate in the era of silent film. Musicians supplemented movies with live music that matched its tone. Taking a more unconventional approach, director Alejandro González Iñárritu chose to hire Sanchez for a score that’d be impro-
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Antonio Sanchez who wrote the Grammy award winning score for Birdman, plays along with the screening at the LBSU Carpenter Center. vised and free-form, something the drummer is accustomed to. “[Inarritu is] a genius that picks a person and lets them do their thing,” Sanchez said. “It was incredibly liberating.”
Sanchez began making demos of his score, basing the performances off of descriptions the director gave him before the film even had an official script. From there the pair worked together to
smooth out the edges and, as a result, won a Grammy for its drum-centric score that stood out in the film industry. This unconventional score has impacted many viewers and has become a selling point for the film. “It was so effective and to my knowledge it was the first time that it’s ever been done,” audience member Jim Wong said. “It set the movie apart and created an eerie feeling that was otherworldly.” The eeriness in Sanchez’s performance was a highlight of his live performance and was highly elevated because of the acoustics in the Carpenter Center. This shined in the film’s final scene, a moment that ends with a devastated smile from Emma Stone that’s paired with a flurry of drumming sequences — a manifestation of her trauma. “Technique can help tell a story in the best way possible,” Sanchez said. “[It] shows how well you can convey something.” These same sequences continue through the credits and were expanded upon at Sanchez’s show where he riffed for more than 10-minutes after the movie finished, ending with the event’s most captivating aspect. Sanchez still has more upcoming performances around the United States, with another 13-scheduled for the spring season.
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12 OPINIONS
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ADMINISTRATION
Dude, where’s my graduation? The school’s lack of transparency about commencement is not only annoying, but inefficient.
By Mia Bradford
Assistant Design Editor mia_kiaraa
I
’m graduating in two months but I didn’t know that commencement had been moved (again) until five days ago. President Jane Close Conoley told the Daily 49er March 13 this year’s graduation ceremony will now be held at the Jack Rose Track Field. This poses the question: when was the president planning to inform the graduating class about this location change? The senior class of 2019 is just around the corner from graduation, a once in a lifetime event that they know little to nothing about. The commencement ceremonies are set to begin May 21 and run through May 24, but there’s hardly any information about it online. In the past few weeks I have been talking about my upcoming graduation to family from around the country, who want to attend and celebrate this milestone with me. Many of them need to book flights as well as hotel rooms; others need to request time off work and schedule military leave in order to attend. All this planning is difficult to do when the school hasn’t released any additional ticket information. I’m certain I’m not the only student with family to consider when it comes to planning commencement, yet here we are two months off from graduation and I don’t know much
about the event, including if extra tickets for beloved family members and friends will be provided. The lack of information that has been provided to students in regard to graduation is frankly frustrating and alarming. In August of 2018, I received an email that it was time to apply for the commencement ceremony in spring 2019. I sent in the typical application fee of $45, excited that the end of my college career was near. Since then, I have not received any emails from administration containing information or details. My inbox is empty and my confusion is at an all time high. After last year’s fiasco regarding the venue change, as well as the students’ plight to get live music back, I feel like it could have been a learning lesson to improve communications this year. It’s not just information about commencement that’s lacking, but events leading up to it are also unclear. For example, I wasn’t aware the Grad Fair, an event where graduating seniors collect caps, gowns and welllit portraits, was happening until the day it began. I did, however, receive a Grad Fair postcard in the mail two days after the event was over. I didn’t know about ordering a sash until the initial deadline had already passed, which meant I had to pay more money in order to purchase one. While students are expected to actively seek out this information, many have busy lives and could use a helping hand in remembering important dead-
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY RYAN GUITARE | Daily 49er
President Jane Close Conoley recently alerted the D49er in an interview that the commencement ceremony of Spring 2019 would be moved, again. lines. LBSU administration or graduation coordinators could have provided an alert via email or Beachboard about important deadlines seniors may be at risk of missing. President Conoley was quoted in a recent Daily 49er article, stating, “I don’t think people will really care,” when regarding the change of venue. Well I care, President Conoley. I’ve worked really hard for this moment and I think you should care too. Sure, it’s not a huge deal that the venue was changed, but we should’ve been notified about these changes when the decision was made. If the information hadn’t been told to the Daily 49er, when would we have been informed? If I’m being honest, I haven’t forgiven the administration for moving graduation from upper-campus, but I’ve learned to pick my battles.
Conoley was also quoted as saying, “We’ll be able to offer more tickets … some ceremonies won’t even require tickets.” That sounds awesome, but I want to know when and how. Again, I will reiterate that there is roughly two months before we we walk up to that stage and this is important information we need to know in order to plan accordingly. I’m sure there are plenty of students such as myself who have family and friends visiting from out-of-town for the occasion. We deserve to know what to expect at this year’s ceremony as early as possible in order to prepare. It’s not just us potential graduates who are affected, but our relatives and friends as well. All I ask from LBSU is that it please provides us with the information that we need. We worked hard for 4+ years for this moment and we absolutely care.
MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM
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14 SPORTS
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WATER POLO
Long Beach wins sixth straight By Teran Rodriguez Staff Writer
LBSU Athletics Defender Sarah Baker attempts a goal against No. 16 Wagner Sunday in a 13-7 win. The 49ers are on a seven game win streak.
The No. 15 Long Beach State women’s water polo team won its seventh straight game Sunday, beating No. 16 Wagner 13-7 at the Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center. “This was our second home game and we’re still trying to figure out who we are at home,” head coach Gavin Arroyo said. “I think the girls stopped worrying so much.” Freshman utility Sarah Barker led the way for Long Beach with five goals, while freshman attack Orsi Hertzka had three goals. The game was tight to start out, as both teams kept trading goals. In the final seconds of the first quarter, Hertzka made a goal, giving the 49ers a 3-2 lead. The second quarter saw Wagner make a push, as sophomore attack Malia Josephson gave the Seahawks a 4-3 lead at the 4:30 mark of the second quarter. But the 49ers had an answer, as Barker scored on a six on five goal, and went into halftime tied at 4-4. The 49ers came out hot in the third quarter, scoring six goals while keeping the Sea-
hawks off the scoreboard. The Seahawks didn’t get their first goal of the second half until the 5:34 mark of the fourth quarter, when Josephson scored off of a rare six on four goal. By the time she scored, Long Beach led 13-5 and cruised to its seventh straight win. “I think it was just believing in ourselves because we’re all really talented players and I think sometimes we just get caught up. We’re going to keep this upward trend going throughout the rest of the season,” Barker said. In addition to Barker and Hertzka’s scoring output, freshman defender Anabel Harman and junior utility Maria Elini Mimidi each had two goals while freshman attacker Tori Morrissey added one goal. Junior goalie Eirini Patras made nine saves for the 49ers. Joesephson led the Seahawks with three goals while senior attack Erica Hardy scored twice. Freshman attack Sofia Diaz Alvarez and junior attack Jacqui Sjogren each scored once for the Seahawks, who got four saves from sophomore goalie Katerine Campbell. Long Beach returns to the pool deck 7 p.m. Thursday as it hosts No. 14 Princeton.
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SPORTS 15
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MEN’S BASKETBALL
Long Beach goes home The 49ers miss the NCAA tournament for the seventh year in a row. By Alex Manfredi
Deputy Sports Editor alexmanfr3di
AUSTIN BRUMBLAY | Daily 49er
Senior point guard Deishuan Booker looks on as Long Beach fell to UC Irvine 75-67 in the Big West semifinals Friday.
After a dissapointing first round exit last season Long Beach exceeded expectations and beat Hawai’i in the first round of the Big West tournament Thursday. It was a moment that sophomore forward Jordan Roberts will never forget, hititng the game winner to move on to the second round. But the 49ers couldn’t keep up with the 30 win Anteaters Friday, ending its chances to make the NCAA tournament for the seventh year in a row. The Long Beach State men’s basketball team was on the wrong side of the game, giving up 48 second half points in a 75-67 loss to UC Irvine in the Big West conference tournament semifinal. Long Beach had a strong first half, playing aggressive defense in its full court press while holding Irvine to just 27 points. In the second half, Irvine became more comfortable dealing with Long Beach’s defense and was able to put up 48 points on its way to the win. “We knew they were just going to keep grinding and keep defending,” Long Beach head coach Dan Monson said. “They just wore us down because they were consistent. We just kind of broke and you can’t be a champion and do that.” In the first half, the 49ers got off to a slow start once again, starting out 1-for-7 from the floor. Long Beach avenged the same type of slow start Thursday against Hawai’i and began to hit shots immediately after the early misses. Senior forward KJ Byers returned for the 49ers early in the half, checking in and immediately hitting an and-one three pointer. Byers shot gave the 49ers much needed energy, leading to three pointers from senior guard Deishuan Booker and redshirt senior guard Bryan Alberts. The 49ers and Anteaters began trading baskets from the midway
point of the first half onwards, with the teams capitalizing on back-toback and-one plays from senior forward Mason Riggins and Irvine’s Evan Leonard. With six minutes left in the half, Long Beach went to its full-court pressure defense and disrupted Irvine just like it did Hawai’i. The 49ers forced six turnovers and held the Anteaters to just 33 percent shooting. At halftime, Long Beach led 33-27 behind nine points from Booker and seven each for Riggins and Alberts. The second half proved to be a different story for Long Beach on the defensive end. The 49ers’ press was not as effective, and Irvine was able to turn that into 36 points in the paint out of 48 total in the half. “They’re a very difficult matchup for us and I thought they played incredibly well, especially in the first half” UC Irvine head coach Russell Turner said. “Our depth wore them down and I’m really pleased with the poise my team showed when we were down.” With 7:42 remaining, Irvine took a 52-51 lead after a layup from redshirt junior guard Max Hazzard and used that momentum to go on an 11-0 run that lasted until the five minute mark. From that point on, Long Beach was unable to take a lead and its season came to an end. Booker finished with a game-high 21 points and Alberts added 12 for the 49ers. Irvine was led by 17 points from redshirt senior guard Robert Cartwright and 14 from Hazzard. After the game, Monson reflected on the team’s overall season and noted how resilient his group was after losing six straight conference games and responding with five straight at the end of the regular season, followed by the comeback win over Hawai’i in the Big West quarterfinals. “They were able to just get off the mat time and time again and get better,” Monson said“They played their best basketball at the end of the year. That’s all you can ask, is for guys to compete and represent the school the right way and they’ve done that.”
16 SPORTS
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COLUMN
Inexperience is the 49ers’ biggest problem By Mark Lindahl Staff Writer
JOHN FAJARDO | LBSU Athletics Redshirt junior Jacob Hughey swings at a pitch in Long Beach’s loss against Minnesota March 17. The Dirtbags have not won a series all year.
BASEBALL
Dirtbags lack command in loss to Minnesota Pacheco’s short start leads to messy bullpen day in 19-6 loss at home. By Robert Hollar Staff Writer
The Dirtbags offense has been under pressure from head coach Troy Buckley to produce wins all season, but it never got the chance Sunday. A disastrous pitching performance damned the Dirtbags early as they fell 19-6 to Minnesota (5-12). The loss leaves the Dirtbags (3-15) still searching for their first series win of the season. Dirtbags freshman LHP Basilio Pacheco allowed two doubles in the second inning. With runners on second and third, Jack Wassel, who was hitting just .234 coming into the game, hit a two-RBI single. Minnesota brought eight men to the plate and took a 3-0 lead in the second in-
ning. “I just didn’t think [Pacheco] was very effective, I thought his tempo wasn’t very good,” Buckley said. Pacheco (1-3) was done after the onslaught. He allowed three runs on four hits striking out two and walking two. He was tagged with the loss. [Pacheco was] kind of tentative and tried to baby the ball today,” Buckley said. At their sharpest, the Dirtbags have shown an ability to strike back after being scored against. That was not the case Sunday. Senior RHP John Sheaks relieved Pacheco. Sheaks’ first pitch was blasted for a double. Later, Minnesota’s Jordan Kozicky hit a sacrifice fly. Kozicky had nine RBIs in the series. The Dirtbags trailed 4-0 after three innings. “All the pitchers are trying to help each
other in one way or another,” Sheaks said. “Obviously, we’re not doing too hot right now.” Dirtbags’ designated hitter Laine Huffman advanced a runner to third with a single in the third inning setting up junior first baseman Jacob Hughey’s fourth RBI of the series. Hughey added another RBI with his third hit of the day in the seventh. With a single in the fifth Huffman now has five hits in his last two games. He came up limping and left the game after sliding into second base later in the fifth inning. “I think it’s a hamstring, we’ll know more tomorrow,” Buckley said. Three Dirtbags’ errors in the seventh inning allowed two runs and sealed the defeat. An eight run in the ninth inning added insult to injury. The Dirtbags travel to Los Angeles for a 6 p.m. Tuesday match against USC.
While an outsider may think the women’s basketball team is stuck in mediocrity, anyone following the team through its peaks and valleys will know that after a season of tough losses, this young group has become a close-knit unit. Looking back at the 49ers’ 2018-2019 season doesn’t appear to be very promising on the surface, as the team finished 9-22 with a Big West Conference record of 5-11. It’s only one more win than the previous year. “There’s nothing like when those lights come on and you got to perform under those lights, but it takes time [to win],” head coach Jeff Cammon said. Losing three high-caliber seniors is never easy for a program to regroup from, but with returning impact players Shanaijah Davison, who earned preseason All-Big West honors, and Naomi Hunt, the team had a confidence about them. “Expectations were high for a group of young, young kids and I thought they stepped up and competed as hard as they could,” Cammon said. Long Beach went through many obstacles throughout the season, most notably the loss of senior leader Martina McCowan when she hit the deck hard in November against Nevada, leading to an injured knee resulting in her leaving the team, who had been a staple in the Beach’s guard rotation. The 49ers were without Chloe Gaynor and Ma-Qhi Berry for the season with redshirt injury designations, while Davison dealt with ankle issues and Hunt battled through a nagging shoulder problem. While many players were dealing with dings, bumps and bruises, they did welcome back Bria Rice, a guard who brings relentless energy attacking ball-handlers and runs the floor in transition, playing the role of a prototypical 3-and-D player. Kianna Hamilton-Fisher also exploded onto the scene down the stretch, showing her versatility by grabbing rebounds, charging up the floor and dishing to open shooters or taking it to the rack herself. Justina King, the 49ers’ point guard, took home Big West Freshman of the year and also secured a spot on the All-freshman team, while Hunt received All-Big West second team and Davison was an honorable mention. If the 49ers put in the work this offseason to become a better offensive unit instead of focusing on transition leak-outs and isolation buckets, coupled with their ever-puzzling zone schemes, this team has a chance to make some real noise with a solid foundation to build upon.