CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH
VOL. LXVIX, ISSUE 80 | MAY 10, 2018
49er
D
ELECTION
He said, they said Student government is looking for student approval to change pronouns in its bylaws to “they/them/their.” By Sarah Amaral Staff Writer Photo Illustration by Hunter Lee | Daily 49er
I know I did the party thing right; I was in a sorority for crying out loud. I know I met enough people, because I have stuck with an incredible group of friends during my four years here. But why did I feel like the world was crashing down right in front of me, making me doubt all that I had accomplished so far in life? This made me reflect back on my time in college and realize that while it did provide me with all of these great experiences, those fun times aren’t going to end when I cross that stage. College has been great, but I know that
Associated Students Inc. called for a Special Election the week before finals addressing gender neutral pronouns. The resolution aims to amend the ASI Bylaws to fully include inclusive language, according to James Ahumada, ASI senior communications manager. “Gender-inclusive pronouns are used out of respect, and to be inclusive of people’s gender identity,” Ahumada said in an email statement. Student government leaders sent out an email stating the special election’s goal is to, “seek voter approval for an amendment to Chapter One of the Associated Students Bylaws,” which would remove pronouns such as “he/him/his” and “she/her/hers” to more gender-inclusive pronouns such as “they/them/their.” Sofia Musman, student government vice president, authored the proposal. This resolution falls under Chapter One of the Bylaws, and students are required to vote either against
see LIFE, page 6
see RESOLUTION, page 2
Even though commencement is on the horizon, this is no time to panic. Don’t be afraid to embrace the next step of your life.
OP-ED
Glad to be post-grad Don’t worry, post-graduation life isn’t the end. It’s just the beginning. By Sarah Amaral Staff Writer
W
hile the line to pick up caps and gowns snaked through the Cal State Long Beach Bookstore, fear of life post-graduation began to sink in for me. “Holy hell, is this really happening?” was a thought for many, including myself.
I’m graduating college, isn’t this supposed to be the best time of my life? As I’m sure most of you have experienced these same feelings, don’t worry, there’s so much more to life post-graduation. For most of us college graduates, we’ve been in school for most of our lives. The idea of leaving the safety of academic life to move on to a big person job and a salary? Equally terrifying and badass. The line loomed in front of me like a red carpet leading to the rest of my life, and I began to wonder. Did I do enough with my time here? Did I party enough, meet enough people? Did I take advantage of college life before having to be an adult? Will I even find a job in my major?
NATIONAL
George Deukmejian, former California governor, dies at 89 By Claudia Luther and Richard C. Paddock Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES — George Deukmejian, a perennially popular two-term Republican governor of California who built his career on fighting crime, hardening the state’s criminal justice stance and shoring up its leaky finances, died Tuesday. He was 89. Deukmejian, who was elected governor in 1982 and 1986, died at his home in Long Beach, according to a statement from his
family. During his many years of public service, including 16 years as a state legislator and four as state attorney general, Deukmejian sponsored the successful “use a gun, go to prison” bill, oversaw development of a workfare program for welfare recipients and negotiated with the Democrat-controlled Legislature to create an $18.5 billion, 10-year transportation plan. The son of Armenian immigrants, Deukmejian had years of public office on his resume before winning election as governor and
emerging as the most prominent Armenian-American politician in the United States. His identification with Armenians, who were victims of a genocide during the early 20th century at the hands of the Ottoman Turks, would infuse his life with a determination to ensure the rule of law. After serving as California’s attorney general, he rode the crime issue into the governor’s office in 1982 and, during the eight years he governed the state, guided the criminal justice system toward tougher sentencing. He also
oversaw the expenditure of $3.3 billion to build eight new penitentiaries. The number of felons in prison tripled to nearly 97,000 during his tenure. He also moved vigorously to put judges on the bench who took a hard line on crime. Besides remaking the state Supreme Court, Deukmejian appointed a raft of conservatives, including many prosecutors, to the state’s lower courts. His appointments reached 1,000 by the time he left office in 1991. In all, Deukmejian spent almost 28 years in Sacramento, en-
joying a reputation as someone of unquestioned integrity but someone whose manner was so severe that he earned the nickname “Iron Duke.” Deukmejian said he was not trying to be difficult but merely trying to “stick by my position and stick by my principles.” At home, Deukmejian’s parents spoke Armenian, Turkish and English but taught George and his sister, Anna, only English. This experience left him with the see OBITUARY, page 2
2 NEWS
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OBITUARY
RESOLUTION
continued from page 1
continued from page 1
belief that any child could learn another language and cemented his lifelong opposition to mandatory bilingual education classes in public schools. The Deukmejian home was in the center of town next door to the police station and volunteer fire department. Both Deukmejian and his wife, Gloria, also an Armenian-American, had been raised on stories about the genocide. Deukmejian’s aunt was killed by Ottoman Turks, and his parents fled to America to escape persecution. During his entire political career, Deukmejian attempted to get official recognition for the genocide. Deukmejian’s Armenian loyalties also led to one of the more surprising moves he made as governor: the 1986 decision to use his considerable influence to urge the University of California board of regents to immediately divest UC’s vast teacher and employee retirement funds from firms that did business in South Africa, which was then ruled by a white-minority government that imposed apartheid rule against the majority blacks. As a staunch conservative, Deukmejian had previously vetoed a similar proposal by the Legislature to divest. But about a year after his veto, South Africa was hunting down and jailing anti-apartheid activists, which troubled Deukmejian so deeply that he persuaded two of his own appointees on the board of regents
the measure or in support of the measure. While Chapter Two amendments can be made by a super-majority vote of the Senate, Chapter One amendments can only be approved by a super-majority vote by the student population — which is at least 60 percent. Ahumada also stated that last year, the senate approved a similar amendment to the Chapter Two Bylaws. “A ‘Yes’ vote of 60 percent on this proposal would make Chapter One consistent with the changes already made to Chapter Two,” Ahumada said. Students are encouraged to share their feelings about the special election through the ASI-branded hashtag, #MAKEYOURMARKLB.
Rick Loomis | Los Angeles Times
In a February 2014 file image, former California Gov. George Deukmejian speaks at a news conference in Los Angeles. Deukmejian died on Tuesday, May 8, at 89.
and the board’s Democratic appointees to support divestiture. Within a month of his arrival in Sacramento, he introduced his first set of crime bills, including one that would have imposed the death penalty for armed robbery. During the 1970s, he led a successful fight to restore the death penalty in California, which had been struck down by the state Supreme Court. He was a strong opponent of reducing penalties for marijuana possession.
When Deukmejian first went to Sacramento as governor, he inherited a $1.5 billion budget crisis from his predecessor, Brown. Setting the tone for the remainder of his administration, Deukmejian immediately took a stern line with the Legislature and opposed raising what he called “general taxes.” Before the year was out, an upsurge in the economy erased the deficit, a stroke of luck that gave the new governor a significant political boost.
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NEWS 3
THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM SENATE
ASI talks NCAA championship and rent control Student government discussed everything from men’s volleyball victory to affordable housing. By Grant Hermanns Staff Writer
The men’s volleyball NCAA championship win last week and the first- ever Disney Day were among some of items discussed at the last Associated Students Inc. meeting of the school year. The meeting was extended to offer more time to discuss remaining agenda items. Following some regulatory resolutions, ASI vice president Sofia Musman surprised those
in attendance by introducing men’s volleyball head coach Alan Knipe, who carried the trophy the team earned after its victory over UCLA last Saturday. “This is the third-straight Final Four we’ve played in, and getting over the hump and winning on a Saturday night in an environment that’s supposed to be very neutral,” Knipe said, drawing laughter from the senate. “Final Fours are supposed to be very neutral, and when you have to play the opponent at their home gym, it doesn’t make it so neutral, so it made the story all the more special for our guys.” As an alumnus of the campus, the coach expressed how proud he was to see his team overcome a 2-1 set deficit against UCLA. “It’s because of the people,”
Knipe said. “The people that make up Long Beach State is just a significantly better group than anything I’ve ever found. I hope everyone gets the chance to feel good about this and celebrate this national championship and understanding that everybody is involved in this.” Knipe praised university faculty and the community, commending them for both their financial and emotional support. He singled out the professors for working with the athletes to help them stay on top of their school work as they traveled around the country. Shortly after taking photos with Knipe and presenting him with a framed print-out of a resolution commemorating the team, the senate discussed a resolution that would present stu-
dents with information for support on affordable housing. The resolution raised debate among senators because of the phrase, “rent control,” which is a law that keeps apartments affordable. The issue has been considered problematic, as tenants who find these apartments won’t want to leave, creating less affordable housing for prospective tenants. ASI remained divided over the resolution and felt it would direct attention to the issue of rent control over affordable housing. Many of the senators felt the term was not necessary to include in the resolution. Others argued that because it is supposed to coincide with the ballot targeting a cap on rent control, it should be included. After a lengthy discussion, the
resolution passed 14-1-7. Despite some controversy behind the Disney Day event, which replaced the “Big Event,” no students were present to add public comments. ASI president Joe Nino weighed in on Monday’s ticketing event, in which only 1,000 students were able to take advantage of $10 Disneyland tickets. “A lot of people were upset about Disneyland, and just because nobody spoke here today doesn’t mean they weren’t upset,” Nino said. “I’ve gotten lots of emails and it’s kind of scary, and yeah, we could have done it better. It was our first time and it was a good learning experience, and I think we will try to do better in the future.”
Correction: In the article “Disney ticket sale disaster” published May 9, ASI’s Big Event is funded by the $62 Associated Students fee.
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4 ARTS & LIFE
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RESIDENT COLUMN
Fade In: ‘I Am Not Your Negro’ The 2016 documentary uses the writings of James Baldwin to tell the story of American racism. By Carlos Villicana
Baldwin to follow in the author’s footsteps and attempt to document the nation’s history through the lives of three civil rights activists: Malcolm X, Mar“I Am Not Your Negro” can be tin Luther King Jr. and Medgar streamed through Kanopy and Evers. Amazon Prime. DVD copies can “I Am Not Your Negro” is be found at multiple locations of uniquely structured because its the Long Beach Public Library. foundation consists exclusively of words written or spoken by Condensing over a century of Baldwin. Peck uses the author’s history into 95 minutes sounds observations of an America like a difficult task, but the Acadfrom a bygone era to argue that, emy Award nominated docuin spite of some progress, the namentary “I Am Not Your Negro” tion we live in today has much in does this and more with ease by common with its racist past. narrowing its focus. Peck employs Baldwin’s words, Director Raoul Peck never frequentonce claims ly narrated that he is ...the inclusion covering all by Samuel L. Jackson, of the Afriof these events to present can-Ameriis important to this idea, but can people’s the movie’s argument, as words alone history in the they remind the viewer that do not make United States, these things really did hapan interesting let alone all film. Cineof the ‘60s pen and continue to occur. ma is a visual Civil Rights medium, and Movement. Instead, the filmmaker uses Peck capitalizes on this by utilizthe non-fiction writings of Afing footage and photographs of history and classical Hollywood rican-American author James Special Projects Editor
“
Courtesy of Tiff
The documentary, “I Am Not Your Negro,” an unfinished book by American writer James Baldwin, follows the writer’s life and the United States dealing with its history of racism.
cinema to support the ideas which he introduces through narrated text. The director makes his argument by using the theory of montage which Marxist filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein formulated in cinema’s youth. Images are precisely grouped together to produce a clear message. Through the use of montage, Peck argues that the American media, law enforcement and capitalism have all been instrumental in upholding a racist social hierarchy that continues to oppress many. Because the film extensive-
ly uses images that serve as examples of police brutality and stereotypical media representations, watching it in full can be an uncomfortable experience. But the inclusion of these events is important to the movie’s argument, as they remind the viewer that these things really did happen and continue to occur. The most brutal moment in “I Am Not Your Negro” comes when Jackson’s somber voice reads Baldwin’s notes containing his reaction to the news of Malcolm X’s murder. Peck pairs this narration with a photo of
the civil rights leader’s corpse. The narrative unfolds in a manner that is best described as walking down a long line until its very end, with each bystander taking a swing at you with more strength than the last. That’s a lot to fit into an hourand-a-half movie, but the fact that the film never feels bloated attests to the director’s masterful use of montage. “I Am Not Your Negro” can get depressing, but it’s worth 90 minutes of your time because of what it has to teach about filmmaking, American history and Baldwin.
ESPORTS
Going for the virtual gold in the Olympics 2024 The International esports Federation said they are in “deep talks” with the International Olympic Committee. By Bobby Yagake and Clint Duff Staff Writers
Hundreds of spectators watch a new breed of athletes compete for gold, typing and clicking as their respective countries cheer them on. It’s the latest craze in the professional sports world, and soon may be featured in the Olympics. Esports is a competitive discipline where video gamers take part in intense competitions through online games. The International E-sports Federation is currently in “deep talks” with the organizers of the Paris 2024 Olympics to make the specialty a demonstration event at the upcoming games, the federation’s acting Secretary General Leopold Chung told Reuters. While its medals would not be included in the official Tokyo 2020 medal count, this could pave the way for esports to be-
Courtesy of Slashgear
Esports, a growing field of sport video game enthusiasts, may be coming soon to the Olympics. The argument in support of adding them to the Olympics claims that esports requires fast reflexes and dexterity.
come an official event in future games, and perhaps hold a spot in our backyard in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. CSULB Video Game Development Association President Peter Doria explained the rise in competitive gaming, and in turn the large audience it has culminated. “We have tens of millions of people watching the World Cup for League of Legends every
year,” Doria said. “Most people are gamers at this point. They play games on their phones and may play games on their PCs. Over the past ten years, there has been a big boost in PC, console and mobile games in general.” Although there has not been a non-athletic section in the Olympics since the art competitions in the second London games in 1948, Doria said esports makes
an argument for itself since it has rules and strategies like many of the physical events. “In a sport, you’re testing people’s reflexes and understanding of the rules and strategy within the constraints of a game,” Doria said. Esports has also grown a large audience. There are 250 million esports players worldwide, according to the New York Times.
International Olympic Committee President, Thomas Bach, has acknowledged the popularity of esports, but has said he is concerned about video games that promote violence being shared to a national audience. CSULB E-Sports Association President Lourdes Flores said she supports esports being included, but is unsure of how she feels about violent video games being in the Olympics. “It’s always been in my head since that topic was brought up,” Flores said. “There’s all sorts of things that promote violence. I could totally see both sides. I know the Olympics promotes peace.” If they were allowed and, if violent video games were picked to be shown the Olympic team might fall on broadcasting online via YouTube or Twitch. While not all Olympic games are shown on prime time new channels around the world, this possible reliance on online services might cause a low viewer count. Esports is a popular discipline throughout the world and it can be an Olympic event, with some adjustments to make the event broadcast-friendly and fun for fans and participants.
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5
6 OPINIONS
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Anxiety
job
freedom Stability
g n i t l u d a loans bills
Photo Illustration by Drew Mametsuka | Daily 49er
With commencement just around the corner, graduating students feel the pressure brought on by the transition from one stage of life to another. Students must make sure to keep in mind that though it may seem scary, it is actually an opportunity for new and exciting opportunities.
LIFE
continued from page 1
my life is just beginning. New experiences, new people and new places. That’s something to look forward to, right? These thoughts bounced around my brain like a pinball, until my head began to spin. I couldn’t be the only one to feel these anxieties, so why did I feel so alone? To my relief, an article posted by USA Today let me in on a little secret: this is completely normal, according to Jenny Blake, life coach and author of the best-selling book, “Life After College, the Complete Guide to Getting What You Want.”
University. “You have to expect that this time in “The fact is that approximately 53 peryour life will be a little bit of a rollercent of college graduates are unemployed coaster,” Blake said. “For most people, or working in a job that doesn’t require college graduation is their first time a bachelor’s dewithout a prescribed template, gree,” the article This made me so it takes time said. “It takes the reflect back on my to adjust. It’s not average college time in college and easy but it can graduate three be a time of real to six months to realize that while it did provide me growth!” secure emwith all of these great experiences, Reading that ployment after those fun times aren’t going to end was the wake-up graduation.” when I cross that stage. call I needed. Three to six months? That Regardless of sounds doable the anxieties and right? As I fl ipped from article to article, panic attacks consuming me, I know that I realized they all had the same maneventually, it will all be okay. After this profound discovery, I found tra: it’s just going to take time. Time, of course. Sometimes our best friend and another article posted by Washington
“
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our worst enemy. As I inched my way to the table to grab my cap, gown and ceremony tickets, I felt a wave of peace wash over me. I’m only 21 years old; having a freakout of this magnitude should only happen when you’re about to have your first kid or move to another country. I shouldn’t be freaking out over graduate college. Waiting for real life to set in post-graduation may feel like an eternity, but hey, in the words of High School Musical: we’re all in this together. Most of us are in our mid-to-late twenties, with so much life left to live it’s almost as if we’re about to be reborn. Although the anxieties and stresses of life won’t end during this part of our journey, taking it one day at a time is a step in the right direction.
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Editorials: All opinions expressed in the columns, letters and cartoons in this issue are those of the writers or artists. The opinions of the Daily 49er are expressed only in unsigned editorials and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the journalism department or the views of all staff members. All such editorials are written by the editorial board of the Daily 49er.
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SPORTS 7
THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | SPORTSD49ER@GMAIL.COM COMMENTARY
Injury leaves more Q&A for Dodgers’ Kershaw By Bill Plaschke Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw politely invited the media to his locker Tuesday afternoon for his first interview since being diagnosed with biceps tendinitis. But, his left shoulder hurting, he wasn’t really in the mood. “How long have you been dealing with this issue?” asked the first questioner. “Ask a better question,” said Kershaw. The problem is, there is no better question. There is no easy question. There are only questions and questions and questions. “I don’t think I’ve ever had an arm problem before,” said Kershaw, raising the biggest questions of all. If he’s never had this injury, how can anyone even guess about the timetable for his comeback? If this is the first time for his left shoulder, could this be the first of more problems with his shoulder? Even if he comes back within a couple of weeks as most expect,
what does this mean for the rest of his season? This could be nothing. This could be everything. But, face it, the first shoulder injury for a 30-year-old who has carried a franchise on that shoulder for a decade is probably something, and it’s not good. Kershaw sounded optimistic about a relatively quick return, saying, “This is first shoulder [injury] I’ve ever had ... I’ve been fortunate as far as that goes ... luckily the MRI came back pretty clean. ... That’s a good sign, and hopefully it won’t be too long.” Kershaw also raised the possibility of this being a freak occurrence, saying, “Maybe it’s just a fluke injury and it won’t ever happen again.” But none of this changes the fact that this season, close observers can see that he’s been a different Kershaw, and maybe this shoulder issue is the reason why. He’s not throwing as consistently hard. He doesn’t have the same control. see BASEBALL, page 8
Allen J. Schaben | Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw works in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 25.
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SOFTBALL
The 49ers know it’s time to finish strong Long Beach looks to win final series of regular season against CSUN. By Grant Hermanns Staff Writer
As students prepare for finals, the Long Beach State softball team is gearing up for the last weekend series of the regular season against CSUN beginning Friday. With 40 wins this season, Long Beach State has reached that mark for the ninth time in school history and for the first time since 2008. The team currently holds a 40-11 record and is ranked No. 20 in the nation. Given its standing, Long Beach is sitting in a prime position for selection to participate in the NCAA tournament, which would mark its 24th appearance in the postseason. The 49ers are clicking at the right time, having won two out of three games in their final home series against Cal Poly and on the road against UC Davis this past weekend. Although the postseason is right around the corner for Long Beach, the team will focus on the upcoming series. As head coach Kim Sowder once said, taking “one game at a time” has been an important goal through the year. “We’re trying to continue what we’ve done all season, which is to have really good practices, try to continue to get better and have that growth mindset,” Sowder said. “We want to play our best softball, so we’ve got to do that in practice first and this team is well aware of that and they’ve done that all season.” While many teams usually look toward the opponents’ play styles to see what to prepare for in the game, Sowder believes her team
BASEBALL
continued from page 7 His home-run rate has doubled. Kershaw walked six in a game against one of the worst teams in baseball, the Miami Marlins. He has allowed at least one home run in five of his seven starts. His ERA is still a minuscule 2.86, and he’s still struck out 48 batters in 44 innings, but most of his starts have felt like a grind, like he’s laboring in ways he’s never labored before. Back in the spring, who would have thought that Kershaw’s ability to opt out of his contract
Long Beach State senior catcher Lauren MacLeod prepares to hit the ball in the 49ers game against Cal Poly on April 29.
should only look at what it can improve upon. “We’re really just focused on ourselves and playing together as a team and being ready to go,” Sowder said. “Being rested, having that energy and having the attitude to want to win when stepping on the field.” Sowder said the team’s ability to adjust throughout the game will help lead Long Beach toward victory. Northridge’s season has been middle-of-the-road this year, having a 22-34 record and a 7-11 Big West Conference record
earning 232 runs and 392 hits. Though the team is coming off of a two-game win streak after winning its series against Hawaii on the road, it will have tough competition against Long Beach, as the 49ers have accumulated over 400 hits this season and almost 300 runs. Given that nearly a third of the team are seniors and many are preparing for graduation, Sowder noted there has been a major push for focus on closing the season out strong amid all this planning. “We have seven seniors, we’ve
talked about a lot of the distractions and one thing that we’ve really focused on [is] keeping our vision of our goals,” Sowder said. “Every week we come out and revisit these and we don’t want to lose sight because of all of these distractions, including parties and graduation, and working toward [our vision] every day.” One such graduating senior will be second baseman Grayce Majam, who has 42 hits and 24 runs this season and went 1-for-3 in the final home game against Cal Poly. The 49ers lost the match, but Majam won with a
would be the least of the Dodgers worries? “You look at the radar gun and it’s a tick down,” acknowledged manager Dave Roberts. “I know some of it might be mechanics driven ... but we’re just encouraged the scan came back clear.” Nothing is physically broken, but nothing seems quite right. It could just be a byproduct of the Dodgers’ short winter. Or it could be a result of all those long summers and short-rest Octobers. When asked if he thought the injury was a result of age and innings, Kershaw said, “I don’t think so. ... I’ve joked about being old, but I don’t think it has anything to do with deterioration.”
He said he just needed to work on his mechanics with pitching coach Rick Honeycutt, noting, “I just think there’s some things I can do to get better. Physically, I’ve felt great this whole year. The back, everything, has felt really good. So I’m not worried about deteriorating.” He’s always optimistic. He’s always the fighter. But this is something he’s never fought before, so who knows what happens next? The Dodgers have played well without Kershaw in the past, but this is a different team, a team lacking in the urgency seen in the previous five division champions. “It feels a little different ... but you have to keep fighting, man,”
said reliever Kenley Jansen. It feels different because it is different. They seem weary. They play unsettled. They’re terribly short-handed, and lack both the focus and firepower to deal with it. They need an ace, yet don’t have a healthy one. They need a consistent bullpen stopper, yet he hasn’t shown up. They need a lineup leader, yet Justin Turner is still a week from making his season debut. “You’ve got to keep grinding until you find it,” said Jansen. “We just got to find that gear.” Clayton Kershaw could be that gear, yet what if they have to spend the rest of the summer searching for him? Ask a better question.
Christian Gonzales | Daily 49er
surprise marriage proposal from her boyfriend. Majam will take the field alongside the rest of her team for the final series of the regular season at CSUN Friday with a double-header beginning at 1 p.m., followed by the final game on Saturday at 1 p.m., which will be broadcast live on ESPN 3. The 49ers will also have the postseason to look forward to, as the announcement of the teams who make it into the NCAA Women’s College World Series Regionals will be released Sunday night.
You look at the radar gun and it’s a tick down, acknowledged manager [...] I know some of it might be mechanics driven ... but we’re just encouraged the scan came back clear.”
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Dave Roberts Dodgers head coach