Daily 49er, March 4, 2019

D 49

er

reflecting

on

TRADITION The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden hosts the Peach Blossom Festival.

Page 6 LONG BEACH STATE UNIVERSITY | VOL. LXX, ISSUE 34 | MARCH 4, 2019

2 NEWS

MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM

INSIDE

ON THE COVER

THE

NINER Alumni comment on mascot debacle page 3

Families gather to feed the Koi fish at the Japanese gardens durring the Peach Blossom Festival.

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“11 Sketches” to keep you laughing page 5

Daily 49er Editorial Office Phone (562) 985-8000

1250 Bellflower Blvd., LA4-201 Long Beach, CA 90840-4601 Kat Schuster Editor in Chief eicd49er@gmail.com

News Editor Sports Editor

Men’s basketball hits 4-game winning streak page 8

Arts & Life Editor Special Projects Editor Multimedia Managing Editor Advertising Account Executive

AWARDS

Copy Editor

We ‘fucking’ won

Design Editor Photo Editor

Daily 49er

By Kat Schuster Editor in chief

When Daily 49er advisers warned student editors about the possible repercussions of printing the headline “Just fucking vote” on the cover of the newspaper, the staff took a risk. That front page won first place for Best Front Page at the annual California College Media Association awards Saturday.

When the winning page flashed on the screen, the audience responded audibly with laughter and applause at the annual Associated Collegiate Press Midwinter National College Journalism Conference.

Campus publications Daily 49er and Dig Magazine both left La Jolla with two first place awards. The two clinched a total of 17 CCMA awards while the 49er

The Daily 49er staff celebrates 17 awards at the annual CCMA journalism conference in La Jolla Saturday night. took home three third place ACP awards for Best Newspaper, Best Website and Best Multimedia Package for coverage of the Campus Clash.

“There’s definitely a great sense of validation when you’re being recognized at events like these,” said Multimedia Managing Editor Paula Kiley, who took home a second place award for Best Non-News Video. “It really motivates you and gives you an extra push to work even harder.”

The award banquet took place at the Hyatt Regency in La Jolla, where the campus newspaper was decorated with 12 awards and Dig Magazine was honored with five.

Dig Magazine also walked away with a first place award for Best Magazine Website and second place for overall

Best Magazine. Dig staffers Priscilla Aguilera and Giovanni Cardenas also won second place for Best Cover Design.

Daily 49er copy editor Sarah Vehrs and editor in chief Kat Schuster were awarded second place for Best News Series for their coverage of former Vice President for Student Affairs Carmen Taylor and her connection to a former Associated Students Inc. employee who was charged with murdering several of his family members last year in Compton.

“The awards we won just prove that we are one of the top collegiate newspapers in the state,” said design advisor Gary Metzker, he himself an award winner, bagging the Joline Combs Spirit Award, marking the third time the award has been given.

Samantha Diaz Managing Editor managingd49er@gmail.com

Austin Brumblay d49ernews@gmail.com Kevin Colindres sportsd49er@gmail.com Rachel Barnes artsnlifed49er@gmail.com Carlos Villicana spprojd49er@gmail.com Paula Kiley Eddie Infante d49ads@gmail.com

James Chow Claudia Mehranbod Ryan Guitare

Social Media Editor

Lizbeth Galeno

Video Editor

Adam Pacheco

Assistant Design Editor

Daily 49er and Dig Magazine take home 20 awards at annual journalism conference.

Business Office Phone (562) 985-1740

Mia Bradford

Assistant Copy Editor

Sarah Vehrs

Assistant News Editor

Hannah Getahun

Assistant News Editor

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News Assistant

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News Assistant

Suzane Jlelati

Deputy Sports Editor

Alex Manfredi

Assistant Sports Editor

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Assistant Sports Editor

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Assistant Photo Editor

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Social Media Assistant

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Social Media Assistant

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Web Master

Andrew Myer

Design Adviser

Gary Metzker

Content Adviser Advertising and Business Adviser

Barbara Kingsley-Wilson Jennifer Newton

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.

NEWS 3

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ALUMNI

Campus strives for unity in mascot search process Debate rages on between groups with different visions for LBSU.

By Alex Dansereau & Cheantay Jensen Staff Writers

The debate over the mascot of LBSU, has been grounded in the racial tensions surrounding the contentious legacy of prospectors in California for decades.

“The American Indian Community at LBSU has been protesting the 49er Days [events] and Prospector Pete for the past 50 years,” said Craig Stone, head of the American Indian Studies department. “It first began in 1968, when white students were dressed up as American Indians and “coolies” (slang for Chinese Americans) during the 49er Day celebration... [current] Anthropology Professor, Marcus Young Owl, took down a ‘teepee’ that had been erected on campus in protest to the spectacle.”

Stone added that the history surrounding the Native American genocide and the role that prospectors played, remains largely ignored and misunderstood by historians and the wider Long Beach community. Student demographics at LBSU have transformed from a community that Stone said was predominantly white in the 1950s to a campus with an increasingly diverse student population.

Some groups of alumni, however, believe that the wider his-

“

torical context of Prospector Pete is being overlooked in the rush to establish a new campus identity.

Inspired by Victor Peterson, the first president of LBSU who was affectionately referred to as “Pete,” Prospector Pete is seen by some as a representation of the tenacity and resourcefulness that grew LBSU from its initial student body of 169 students to one of the largest campuses in California. Peterson was known to compare the value of education to that of “striking gold.”

“I’m honestly very disappointed, not necessarily at the process, but the idea that it was taken out of context,” said Kurt Brouwer, incoming president of the LBSU Alumni Association.

“Victor Peterson was a prospector in the sense that when they established the university, they didn’t have a location. Everything that he did was basically prospecting in nature, and that was where the idea for a prospector as a mascot came organically to the student body.”

Trish Farber, LBSU class of ‘67 alumni and wife of Stewart L. Farber, former dean of student affairs, argued that for a campus of its size and diversity, some change is inevitable.

“This really is a natural evolution,” Farber said. “We should expect change in an institution as diverse as [LBSU] … I just hope whatever mascot is chosen will represent the combined pride of the community.”

Although the campus has yet to arrive at any sort of consensus regarding its future symbol, some in the LBSU community

Daily 49er

The search for the mascot is a growing topic of debate between alumni and current LBSU new mascot advocates.

remain hopeful that all stakeholders will be heard.

“A mascot is important to our campus and community, but even more so to our student-athletes and coaches who wear the uniforms and athletic gear each and every day,” said Andy Fee, LBSU Athletics Director. “Our student-athletes are proud to represent our university, and are committed to excellence. A new mascot can bring our many constituents together under a unified identity, and I remain optimistic our campus will introduce a mascot that is welcomed and embraced.”

I’m honestly very disappointed, not necessarily at the process, but the idea that it was taken out of context.

”

Kurt Brouwer, incoming president of LBSU Alumni Association

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CRIME BLOTTER

UPD responds to religious demonstrators and vandalism

By Jonathan Rulison Staff Writer

Vandalism at the Chancellor’s office

Staff at the California State University Office of the Chancellor’s reported vandalism outside of the building Feb. 21. Vandals spray-painted the phrase, “F THE POLICE” and other illegible writing. According to Capt. Richard Goodwin, there are no suspects or leads.

Suspicious cure in the library

A man wearing all black clothing and carrying a trash bag on his shoulders reportedly walked around the LBSU library and told people he had the cure for HIV. The 5 foot 5 man in his 20s was confronted by UPD officers in front of the elevators and escorted out of the library.

Preachers on the lawn

UPD was dispatched to a small group of religious demonstrators in upper campus who accosted and argued with passing students over religious and LGBTQ matters Feb 25. The demonstrating group was made up of one older woman and three older men who reportedly insulted and spoke offensive language toward passing students. A crowd of about 30 students gathered around the group to watch and take part in the arguments. Despite some heated discussions, everything fell within freedom of speech and no crime was committed according to UPD. Goodwin said that this week has had much fewer crimes than usual.

“We really didn’t have a lot of crime crime,” Goodwin said. Aside from the reported incidents, Goodwin described the week as “pretty uneventful.”

RYAN GUITARE | Daily 49er

A man who declined to give his name (right) is in a heated debate with Mark Steven (left) about their views at a protest Monday, Feb. 25.

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ARTS & LIFE 5

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‘11 Sketches,’ countless laughs Held2Gether uses diversity to bring improv to a new level.

By Tianna Hampton Staff Writer

A sophisticated crowd filled the Long Beach PlayHouse as the audience anticipated lots of laughter and diverse storytelling in the dimly lit room at the preview of “Sketches 11” Thursday night.

The show was put on by Held2Gether, Improv for Life, a Long Beach-based comedy school, which was created to “bring out each individuals’ potential through the power of improvisation,” according to its website.

Held2Gether offers improv and sketch classes for kids and adults at all levels, including drop in classes, free workshops, song improv and speciality short form, writing and performance classes. “Sketches 11” was a graduation show for one of the classes that compiled the 10-student multicultural cast and 20 different sketches both written and performed by them.

“This is my first time going to the Long Beach Playhouse and the show met my expectations in a lot of ways. I thought there would be that improv kind of style,” said attendee Symone Miah. “‘Period Piece’ was my favorite [sketch]. I was hoping they’d tie one skit into another and they did. I thought it was hilarious and original.”

While it didn’t make it to the mainstage, “Sketches 11” still managed to reel the audience in, making the small, cozy upstairs Studio Theatre feel larger than life. Sketches such as “450 Degrees” incorporated neon

TIANNA HAMPTON | Daily 49er

This Is U.S. comments on politics in modern America starting (left to right) Cael Schwartzman, Sarah Pinsky, Nicole Wordes, Richard Martinez, Chris Brennan and Zarina Hora. colors with hipster swag and touched on baking through sexual innuendos. Other sketches including “This is U.S.” hit a little closer to home by highlighting the historic horrors of U.S. history and the difficult process of becoming an American citizen.

Most of the stories, told by a cast of varied backgrounds, reflected its city and audience throughout the night. Through diverse stories and characters, “Sketches 11” was able to captivate its audience with original, creative content and constant laugher.

“The tooth fairy scene was my highlight,” said attendee Michael Torres. “As a parent, it was relatable and I like that it had two gay dads. It’s something you don’t see often.”

“Present Text” emphasised society’s obsession and constant distraction of mobile devices and social media. “The More You Know” gave viewers tips on the multipurpose use of tampons, whether you need a good ear plug, want to make a fashion statement or just create a DIY cat toy.

“Limbless” on the other hand, featured metallic costumes, strong vocal chords and a one-handed guitar performance along with a slow dance with members from the audience.

The two-hour show was broken up into two acts, with 11 sketches in the first and nine in the second. The intermission between acts left more than enough time to socialize, stretch, use the restroom or even grab something from the bar.

“I would definitely go again, I think it’s a cute scene & something to do. I’d recommend this show to those who are open

minded and can handle not having a filter,” said attendee Wendy Amundson.

With over 15 different sketches and a

diverse group of performers, there was a sketch that anyone could identify with and could reach everyone’s funny bone.

6 ARTS & LIFE

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FESTIVAL

A Girl’s Day in the garden The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden celebrates the Peach Blossom Festival with games and crafts.

By Rachel Barnes

Arts and Life Editor rachelsalien

RYAN GUITARE | Daily 49er

Bonnie Romero (left) and Sonia Sanchez (right) are enjoying the Peach Blossom Festical also known as Girls Day, as they feed the Koi fish in the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden.

Throughout the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden, people participated in activities offered for the Peach Blossom Festival, also known as Girl’s Day in Japan.

The faculty at the garden wanted to showcase Japanese culture and show people that there are more similarities than differences between Japan and the U.S. “We like to introduce Japanese culture in the garden but also mix it with the university standards and cultural differences,” said Alison Redfoot, garden education assistant director.

Redfoot explained that Girl’s Day is used to promote health and well-being among mothers and their daughters. A Japanese tradition, according to Redfoot, is to symbolically transfer disease and bad luck from your daughter and into the doll and send it down the river to get rid of it.

At the front of the garden, women offered “tea and treats” as well as Japanese postcards that guests could color at any of the coloring tables around the area. Children excitedly fed koi fish and collected roly-poly bugs while enjoying the festivities.

The event was relatively calm and laid back as employees informed guests about Japanese culture and the activities that people were joining in on. People took leisurely strolls along the paths of the garden, some there to just enjoy the atmosphere of the

garden.

She said a common activity girls do to symbolize the transfer is to play games like jacks and otedama, a game similar to hacky sack, or fold origami in front of the doll.

They included the games to show similarities between American and Japanese culture.

“People will start to go, ‘Oh, another culture isn’t so different,” Redfoot said.

In the back corner of the garden, a red tent had games and crafts inside as attendees got the chance to play reverse bingo, otedama, and create emperor and empress bookmarks.

Reverse bingo starts with all of the tiles covered, and players remove the coverings when they hear their tile called, much like the opposite of the bingo that most people are familiar with.

Guests sat at long, red tables crafting bookmarks based on an example of an emperor and empress meant to symbolize wealth.

There were many materials like golden foils and flower cut-outs available for people to use to create their own. “[My wife and I] got married here,” said Jason Sumpter, garden member. “We donate back every year, and it was nice to come today.”

The event was calm and during the day, which fell in line with the theme of the Peach Blossom Festival that marks seasonal changes throughout the year. There are five seasonal festivals in Japan including the Iris Blossom Festival, or boy’s day, and the Star Festival.

OPINIONS 7

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As Disneyland continues to expand their theme park, the park’s constuction increases. Are the ticketsworth the price when under construction?

Creative Commons

AMUSEMENT PARK

Disneyland tickets cost how much now?!

Disneyland is still worth the cost despite raising prices and construction.

By Brenna Enos

Social Media Assistant Editor brennasenos

How much are you willing to spend to have a day at the “happiest place on Earth?”

According to Disneyland’s newest price increase in February, regular tickets start at $117 for a single day, up from the previous $110. The already pricey park continues to raise its prices.

To be fair, Disney continues to up its game with the transformation of Pixar Pier in California Adventure last year, the new park addition of Star Wars Galaxy Edge coming this summer and the soon-to-be Marvel Land to take the place of A Bug’s Land.

But are the increasing ticket prices really worth it right now? Is $117 worth a ride on Space Mountain, hearing the upbeat music of the Disneyland Band on Main Street U.S.A or eating a Mickey beignet from New Orleans Square?

Well, with all of the construction going on to create these new and exciting lands and attractions, the price may arguably not be worth it if you plan to visit anytime before summer.

For starters, the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle that has long been photographed by guests from far and wide is now completely blocked off by fences due to refurbishments after the park’s 60th anniversary. Especially for first-timers who have not experienced the park in its prime, a costly trip to Disney only to see the castle blocked off and under tarps will automatically make the park lose some of its magic.

Construction on Star Wars Galaxy Edge also encroaches upon some of the Disney magic. The once clean-cut and curated skyline around the park — that perfectly blocks out the surrounding area of Anaheim — is now replaced by large cranes and other machinery that can be seen from several locations throughout Disneyland.

To some, seeing the construction of Galaxy’s Edge might be exciting to watch to get a glimpse of what the future park could

look like, but to other guests, this could impact the feeling of “being in another world.”

Another thing to take into consideration is the season and any possible celebrations going on at the parks. Currently, the park is considered to be off season, which means you can get tickets for a lesser rate.

But with the recent rainy days and lack of upcoming celebrations, the park doesn’t have anything extra exciting to offer unlike during its summer, Halloween and Christmas seasons.

During those seasons, the park is adorned with festive decorations, themed music and extra activities that make the visit even more magical. Of course, that also means the parks are naturally busier so ticket prices increase, but with tickets being as expensive as they already are, wouldn’t you want the full experience?

All of the current construction and price raises aside, I firmly believe that Disney is worth every cent. Sure, I probably wouldn’t break my bank to visit the park right now, but come summertime when most of the

construction is complete and the weather is warmer, I would happily hand over my wallet to Mickey Mouse.

The Disneyland parks provide a curated and magical experience that no other park I have been to can even touch. From the perfectly shaped hedges and edible plants in Tomorrowland, to the animal sounds and jungle ambience of Adventureland, Disney truly tries to create an entirely new world for their guests.

Whenever I get grumpy over the cost of admission or overly pricey Dole Whip from the Tiki Bar in Adventureland, I just remind myself of what the money I’m spending really goes to.

When you purchase a ticket, you’re not just getting into an amusement park that has some basic rides. You’re also privy to firework shows, constant parades, live shows, kind employees and much more.

So my best advice?

Hold off on visiting the park for now, but come summertime, spend that extra $7 on a ticket to have a magical experience with brand new attractions.

8 SPORTS

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

Long Beach wins fourth in a row

By Mark Lindahl Staff Writer MarkALindahl

Freshman Wiktoria Rutkowska attempts a forehand in a singles match against Cal Poly Sunday.

AUSTIN BRUMBLAY | Daily 49er

TENNIS

49ers dominate the Mustangs Long Beach follows up a tough loss with its best singles performance of the year.

By Manuel Valladares Staff Writer Manny_Valladumb

Long Beach State women’s tennis bounced back to beat Cal Poly 5-2 after a poor performance in its doubles matches. It was a strong response for the 49ers after struggling in their last match against San Diego.

Cal Poly (3-6) outplayed Long Beach (7-1) in the doubles matches, winning two of three matches, setting the tone early. Despite the momentum, the Mustangs were not able to capitalize against a 49ers team that was eager to fix their mistakes.

“It does take the wind out of you to

lose the doubles point,” head coach Jenny Hilt-Costello said. “But we came back strong in singles to take all six spots so that was an impressive performance.”

After their performance early on, the 49ers were able to win every singles match and shined against the adversity they were faced with. Even players who made plenty of mistakes such as freshman Zara Lennon and sophomore Lolita Devarakonda were able to come out on top after three competitive sets.This fix was rooted on the idea of playing near the baseline almost exclusively. Playing from a distance gave the players more room to work with and helped them showcase their strengths. The game-togame change was exemplified by freshman Wiktoria Rutkowska, a player who has struggled as of late, with a doubles match loss against Cal Poly. Despite

trouble early on, Rutkowska was able to win her singles match in two sets 6-1, 6-3 by making minor adjustments.

“I was trying to focus on simple choices,” freshman Wiktoria Rutkowska said.

“I put a heavy spin on my hits … not focusing on stupid mistakes.”

Long Beach had more to deal with than just the game itself, with Cal Poly being overwhelmingly celebratory despite no significant success in their singles matches. The overtly-loud chants created a lot of friction between the Mustangs and 49ers.

“I think as they moved through the matches they realized that all they had was a big mouth,” Hilt-Costello said.

“We knew our tennis so we just needed to focus on it.”

The 49ers next have an 11 a.m. Friday matchup at home against Weber State.

Long Beach State came away from Saturday’s matchup against Cal Poly with its fourth straight conference win, with a final score of 94-85. The win puts the 49ers in reach of a top-four seed in the Big West tournament which would provide some timely rest after a long season.

The 49ers (13-18, 7-8 Big West) started off well against the Mustangs (6-21, 2-12 Big West), jumping out to a 10-to-2 run and controlling the pace of the game as senior point guard Deishuan Booker pushed the ball up the floor.

With Booker able to probe the paint at-will to find his shot and open shooters surrounding the perimeter, the Mustangs switched to a 2-3 zone in hopes of shutting down the 49ers’ drives.

“I knew going to the basket I would have a lot of time and area to finish over them so that was a good thing, but [coach] always wants me to attack early,” Booker said.

The game was a tale of two halves though, as Cal Poly came out on a mission to be more intense and active, catching Long Beach off guard to start the second frame.

“We just got to sustain who we are and I think we’re getting an identity of who we are, we just got to be consistent with it,” Monson said.

With the 49ers letting off the gas pedal, the Mustangs began gobbling up offensive rebounds and chipping away at the lead. Spearheaded by the heroics of senior point guard Donovan Fields as he sliced his way into the paint and finished multiple contested shots, the crowd was in awe, even though he was wearing green and gold instead of gold and black.

“The first 12 minutes of the game they didn’t have an offensive rebound and to give them 14 offensive rebounds, just too many chances,” Monson said.

Booker put the team on his back, converting three shots in a row and also finding open teammates for timely three pointers and dives in the paint. He finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and a perfect 13-for-13 at the free throw line.

The Mustangs were able to cut the lead down to nine points but unable to stop the 49ers from answering back after converting shots of their own, leading to a foul-fest in the final two minutes of the game to keep the clock alive.

With the lead secured, Monson subbed Booker out to a standing ovation from the crowd thanks to his high scoring night as the team’s win streak continued.

“The fun thing about this is we’ve won four in a row and we can play better,” Monson said.

Long Beach will host its senior night in the final home game of the season in a 7 p.m.

Wednesday matchup against UC Riverside.