LONG BEACH STATE UNIVERSITY | VOL. LXX, ISSUE 50 | MAY 13, 2019
SHARK SIGHTING!
Long Beach State sinks its teeth into its new mascot, the Sharks, after students and the Long Beach community voted.
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2 NEWS
MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM
INSIDE
ON THE COVER
THE
SHARK The LBSU campus reacts to shooter threat page 5 Daily 49er seniors say goodbye page 7
Shark mascot campaigner dances in the student section at the men’s volleyball game versus Hawai’i at the Walter Pyramid April 13. The university announced May 10 that Sharks would officially replace Prospector Pete as the official mascot of Long Beach State. AUSTIN BRUMBLAY Daily 49er
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
By Jonathan Rulison Staff Writer
Sabrina Flores opedd49er@gmail.com
Multimedia Managing Editor Advertising Account Executive
Photo Editor
Wallet stolen from LifeFit Center
A student reported her wallet stolen from her backpack while she was in the LifeFit Center the morning of May 1. The woman said after she arrived to class and set her backpack down, she turned around and walked over to talk to her classmates. When she returned, she noticed her backpack was unzipped and her wallet was missing. According to the report, the wallet contained $164, two drivers’ licenses, a debit card, four credit cards and her medical identification card. There are no suspects or leads.
A broken cabinet and stolen cash box in ENG 3
The University Police Department received a report of a burglary at the Engineering 3 building in room 118 on May 2. According to the report, the thief or thieves broke a cabi-
net lock and stole the cash box, which contained an unknown amount in cash and checks. The theft is under investigation, but there are no suspects or leads.
Frustrated by finals in the University Library
A male student reportedly started hitting the University Library lab computer he was working at out of frustration, the afternoon of May 2. UPD officers arrived at the scene and talked to the man before escorting him out of the library. After escorting the man out, officers entered the man’s information into CARES, the campus’s system to refer at-risk students for well-being checkups.
Class evacuated after report of a nearby intoxicated man
A man was reportedly drinking vodka near the Vivian Engineering Center the night of May 3. The report stated a nearby classroom was evacuated for an unspecified reason before the man was apprehended. When UPD officers arrived at the scene, they arrested the man without incident for public intoxication.
Kevin Colindres sportsd49er@gmail.com
Opinions Editor
Design Editor
A stolen wallet, an ENG 3 burglary and a finals freakout
Hannah Getahun cityd49er@gmail.com
Rachel Barnes artsnlifed49er@gmail.com
Copy Editor
CRIME BLOTTER
Austin Brumblay Managing Editor managingd49er@gmail.com
Arts & Life Editor
Special Projects Editor
LBSU track and field takes home 11th Big West title page 12
Business Office Phone (562) 985-1740
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
Mia Bradford
Assistant Copy Editor
Sarah Vehrs
Assistant News Editor
Perry Continente
News Assistant
Suzane Jlelati
Deputy Sports Editor
Alex Manfredi
Assistant Sports Editor
Bryan Aparicio
Assistant Sports Editor
Sierra Martinez
Social Media Assistant
Cristal Gomez
Social Media Assistant
Brenna Enos
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
MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM
CSULB
The shark will replace the previous mascot Prospector Pete. Long Beach State Athletics will not be adopting the new mascot, and will retain “The Beach,” according to LBSU Director of Athletics Andy Fee.
CAMPUS
LBSU bites down on its new mascot After a student referendum and over 10,000 votes from the campus and Long Beach community, the 49ers and Prospector Pete have officially been replaced. By Kat Schuster
Editor in Chief coastalkatalyst
The students and community of Long Beach have officially chosen the Sharks to replace Prospector Pete, the university’s mascot since
1949. “I am pleased to confirm and ratify the students’ selection of ‘Sharks,’” President Jane Close Conoley said in an email. “We have benefited from a thoughtful, thorough and inclusive process led by [Associated Students Inc.], and I am grateful to ASI and all campus stakeholders who participated.” Following a premature announcement post-
ed to Instagram Friday, ASI sent an email en masse detailing that the Sharks had won with 53%, “Go Beach” (no mascot) took second place with 24.68% and the Stingrays came in third with 21.84% of the vote. A total of 10,763 students and community members cast their votes for the mascot. Although the Sharks have been adopted as the school’s official mascot, Conoley said there will be a yearlong process to develop its visual representation. Its personality, illustrations, wordmarks and traits will all be refined within this time. “This, again, will be informed by an inclusive process led by a steering committee that ... I will appoint in the coming weeks,” Conoley said. Despite the school’s transition from Prospector Pete to the Sharks, Conoley clarified that the athletics program will remain “Beach Athletics” and will retain the prefix moniker, “Beach.” “I have been so impressed by the engagement of our students, alumni, supporters, faculty and staff, and community members as options for the future were explored,” Conoley said. The result was posted on Instagram by ASI President Genesis Jara and Vice President Leen Almahdi Friday.
ASI and campus officials had decided to push the release to Monday following the discovery of graffiti that warned of a mass school shooting to be carried out Thursday. The new mascot was posted in error Friday. “The plan was to post yesterday, but [with] everything that was happening with the threat, we decided it wasn’t the best idea to draw any attention from that,” James Ahumada, ASI communications director, said Friday. After the university’s original mascot, Prospector Pete, was official retired by Conoley Sept. 20, the school began a search involving the community to find a new identity. Pete was ousted following a general consensus that his presence, both as a physical statue and a campus icon, represented violence and genocide of American Indians during the California Gold Rush. The community voting period began April 15 and was open to anyone in the Long Beach or campus community. ASI received more than 350 submissions for the new mascot, which were narrowed down to six. The Sharks, Stingrays and “Go Beach” (no mascot) were announced as the three finalists April 30 and would appear on the student ballot May 6 – 8. This story will be updated.
4 NEWS
MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM
HEALTH
Long Beach warns of measles after first confirmed case As the nationwide epidemic continues to spread, Long Beach has warned individuals of location of possible contamination. Infection Landscape
There had been a total of 764 individual measles cases in 23 states, according to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
By Sol Mendez Staff Writer
D
uring the first week of May, the Long Beach Department of Health and Human services confirmed its first case of measles after an individual carrying the virus traveled through the Long Beach Airport. Health officials have since advised people to protect themselves by confirming their measles vaccination. The measles, which was declared eradicated by the Center of Disease Control in 2000, is said to have become and epidemic once again due to misinformation surround-
ing vaccinations. According Long Beach State immunology professor, Deborah Fraser, the measles virus has become easier to come in contact with as the virus is able to remain longer outside of the human body due to its structure. “The stability of the protein coat is important,” Fraser said. “Viruses have different genome, and they also have different coats on the outside and some of them are really stronger than others. Some viruses [don’t] stay as a particle very long.” Fraser added that a virus usually attacks orifices such as the eyes, nose, mouth, as well as the lung cavity when breathing. A city press release explained that measles can be mistaken for the common cold because of symptoms such as fever, cough-
ing, watery eyes and rashes. These symptoms can take anywhere from 7 to 21 days to appear. The CDC website stated that from January 1 to May 3, 2019, there had been a total of 764 individual measles cases in 23 states, the highest case number recorded since 1994. LBSU issued a campus alert on April 26 and have put a hold on some students’ fall registration until confirmation of their vaccines are received. Peter Martinez, a junior transfer student, said that he was asked to turn in a form despite having attended a public school, where students are already required to present vaccination proof. “I’m required to submit a form that says that I have the measles shot, which I did,”
he said. “As soon as the application goes through the health department then I’ll be removed from the hold.” Initial concern for vaccinations may be linked to an ultimately false research report by Andrew Wakefield in 1998, who suggested measles, mumps and rubella vaccines may contribute to developmental disorders in children. Fraser, however, explained that there have been many studies done since then, almost all of which refute Wakefield’s findings. “I totally get why parents freak out,” she said. “If I was a parent I would have freaked out too and think why would I risk this but we have so much evidence now that that’s not true.”
NEWS 5
MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM
PAULA KILEY | Daily 49er
Due to a photo that surfaced Wednesday on social media saying “School shooting tm Be warned 5-9,” campus saw noticeably lower attendance on Thursday.
SAFETY
Campus shooting threat concerned students for their safety Despite no campus violence occurring, many on campus still feared for their lives. By Hannah Getahun News Editor hannahgetahun
The Long Beach State campus appeared much emptier Thursday as classrooms and hallways were near void of students and many professors opted to cancel classes. Students discovered graffiti in a women’s restroom across from Liberal Arts 2 that read “School shooter tm [tomorrow] be warned 5-9.” After a Twitter post went viral and many students reported it to the University Police Department on Wednesday, police investigated the matter and deemed the threat “not credible.” However, the scare from the evening before rippled through the campus community well into Thursday as many took to Twitter to point out the lack of students and faculty that showed up. Ryan Estrella, a junior sociology major, learned about the shooting threat from a
friend who found out from Twitter. “Due to the current times that we’re in, I was kind of appalled and I realized that there was a potential of [a shooting] occurring, but then I was also hoping it was a prank,” he said. Estrella showed up to school because he had a sociology final to attend. His professor allowed students to retake their final on a different day, but Estrella wanted to get his final over with. “I wouldn’t say that I was fearful, but I was just more vigilant,” Estrella said. “I was a lot more observant of my surroundings and I kept the phrase ‘Run, hide and fight’ repeating in my mind so it was a constant reminder that if there is something to occur then I at least know what to do.” Estrella also noted that the campus seemed considerably empty compared to previous school days. “In my first class the room was one-quarter full, and it tends to be quite empty … and I did have a lot of people text me that they
weren’t going to come,” he said. According to President Jane Close Conoley, the UPD increased enforcement throughout campus while the Long Beach Police Department patrolled the outside perimeter. Long Beach State received backlash on social media from some students for what they felt was a lack of transparency and a lack of action by the school. “It wasn’t too much to ask for classes to be cancelled today,” one tweet read. “Most of the businesses on campus closed for today. If big corporations are doing a better job of taking care of their people than you are, you’re doing something seriously wrong.” Anna Vue, a senior in consumer affairs, felt that the school at least tried to address concerns while still keeping the school under control. “They took a while for students to even know about it, but I understand their point of view too,” Vue said. “They didn’t want to scare away the students, you know?”
Vicki Higginbotham drove out from Torrance to sit by The Outpost Grill and wait for her daughter, Mia Higginbotham, a master’s public administration major, to get out of class. She said she never takes her daughter to school. “We really don’t know especially in today’s times how serious this is,” Higginbotham said. “This could be real. But then we feel like if someone is twisted to but something in a bathroom in today’s times, we don’t take it lightly.” Higginbotham said she had a family member who survived the Las Vegas concert shooting in October 2017, which was then deemed the deadliest shooting in modern history. Ever since then, their family has taken threats like these very seriously. “It’s real, and people are desensitized… [but] it only takes once,” Higginbotham said. Austin Brumblay and Perry Continente Contributed to this article.
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ARTS & LIFE 7
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GRADUATION
Daily 49er seniors say farewell to LBSU By Graduating Daily 49er Staff
When you first start college, the end can feel so far away that you can’t even imagine walking in your cap and gown. For the seniors on our staff, their school journey is nearing its end, but not before they’ve said a few closing words about their experiences at Long Beach State and the Daily 49er. So long, 49ers, or Sharks — what have you.
Kat Schuster, Editor in Chief
When I first transferred to Long Beach State (aka big kid school) two years ago, I told myself I wasn’t going to join the school newspaper, only because I knew I’d soon be eating, sleeping and breathing Daily 49er. But that’s exactly what happened. As a 26-year-old college student, I’ve faced a lot of obstacles, both personal and financial, on my educational journey and if I’m being honest, I never thought I would actually graduate college. But I couldn’t be more grateful to those who helped me along the way. I want to thank Daily 49er advisors Barbara Kingsley-Wilson and Gary Metzker for always challenging me and pushing me to be a better journalist. They were always quick to give me their honest, and sometimes painful opinion when I needed it the most. Not only have I had the opportunity to break a slew of award-winning news stories and become editor in chief, I met some of my best friends here and fallen in love with this city. Through it all, I lost a lot of sleep, met some wildly talented journalists and gained a weird nickname, “Schat.” I’ve accomplished so much and made just as many mistakes. But after next week, I will finally be a first generation college student and I have no regrets. L8er sk8ers.
James Chow, Copy Editor
When I first set foot on this campus, I couldn’t wait to leave. I waited on a bench 15 minutes before my first class started at 9:30 a.m. and saw the Metro 577 bus leaving back to my hometown. On my first day, I had so much anxiety and thought heavy about dropping out. Four years later, I regret not dropping out. But I guess now I have a couple of degrees, so that’s chill. Thank you to my professors, mentors and supporters for making my college career not suck and for changing my life. Shout out to Jess Abrams, Dr. Boogie, Robin Jones, Barbara Kingsley-Wilson, Nick Roman, Jennifer Newton, Monica Almeida and the entire Daily 49er clubhouse. You rock or whatever.
Claudia Mehranbod, Design Editor
Transferring to Long Beach State, I didn’t have any expectations to build relationships or get involved in anything on campus. In my mind I already had the college experience within my first two years at the University of Oregon, therefore, I simply had the goal of receiving my undergraduate degree and pursuing my master’s soon after. Much to my sur-
GRAPHIC BY RYAN GUITARE | Daily 49er
The seniors at the Daily 49er are graduating next week and with their short time left at Long Beach State, they are embracing their new mascot. prise, the iconic, Gary Metzker, convinced me to become the design editor of the Daily 49er. As much as I love to argue with Gary, this was something I knew I couldn’t argue. Although there were many times I would have rather been at home watching Game of Thrones instead of finishing up at Sunday deadline, I wouldn’t trade spending time in the newsroom and having endless dysfunctional conversations with some of my favorite people. I want to give a special shout out to two individuals who have shown me what being a true graphic designer entails. Gary Metzker, thank you for being there for me always, whether I needed to vent about life or get guidance with my designs, you never failed to drop everything to be there. Danny Paskin, thank you for challenging my creative side, showing me the ropes of all things Adobe and most importantly, helping me win battles against Gary. As excited as I am to graduate next week, I will undoubtedly miss everyone I have met these last two years. Claudia out.
Mia Bradford, Assistant Design Editor
It’s been a bittersweet experience here at Long Beach State. I am happy that I left home and had the opportunity to experience a new city and a new lifestyle. However, I didn’t really feel like I had the “college experience” here. It might be because we are a commuter school, but hopefully for future students, the campus will be more unified and worth being a part of. I’ve grown a lot these past couple years and I am glad that I joined the Daily 49er and PRSSA. I’ve made close friendships here, and I will have many memories to carry with me. I want to thank Gary Metzker for everything he’s done for me. He’s been my support system throughout these years and I am so glad to have him in my life, all the sass included. Deuces Long Beach. Go Sharks LMAO.
Carlos Villicana, Special Projects Editor Yeet.
Kevin Colindres, Sports Editor
Now that I’m done with this I can go ball. Shoutout semi-circle.
Alex Manfredi, Deputy Sports Editor
Wow, the four years I spent here at Long Beach State have flown by. I remember driving down with my father to move into the Parkside College dorms in 2015 like it was just yesterday. From my time at the dorms to studying abroad to now graduating, I’ve grown so much at the Beach. I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunities and experiences I’ve had here. I will never forget all of the great people I’ve met and the memories I’ve made in Long Beach, it’s been a fun ride to say the least. These were the best years of my life. Thank you to all of the professors I’ve had and I can’t forget about all of my Daily 49er peeps either. That’s a wrap.
Bryan Aparicio, Assistant Sports Editor
I’ve been at Long Beach State since 2014, as an 18-year-old who didn’t know what he wanted to do. I started as a business major with no idea of what I wanted to do. One of the things I love in life is sports. The way it unites people and the way people invest themselves to support a team is amazing because the teams consist of a bunch of people who don’t know you, yet can be the deciding factor whether you have a bad day, a good or a great day. I was too small to play for a sports team, so the next best thing: writing about them. Joining the Daily 49er has been the best decision I’ve made at this school, but I’m embarrassed I didn’t do it sooner. In my short time, I covered the number one collegiate volleyball team in the nation and covered those guys win the NCAA National Championship inside the Walter Pyramid. Being in a world of sports is surreal. Thank you, Daily 49er, for making that happen. I wish success to everyone I worked with on staff. Through the good and the bad, you guys were one of the best things during my undergrad. Mamba out … oh shit that’s Kobe. Take care y’all.
8 ARTS & LIFE COMMUTE
MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | ARTSNLIFED49ER@GMAIL.COM
Three transportation methods and their pros vs. cons Two Daily 49er reporters go on a search for the best way to get to school. By Daisy Sanchez and Zulema Suarez Staff Writers
L
ong Beach State is known for, among many things, being a “commuter campus.” According to the Long Beach State data set for 2017-18, 80% of undergraduate students commute to campus. Due to the high commuter rate, the university has been working hard to find ways that will help reduce the school’s carbon footprint.
There are three common methods in which commuters get to school: personal vehicle, bus, and ride sharing apps. Two reporters put each method to the test and rated which of the three methods were the most effective in these categories: convenience, cost,
comfort and time. They rated each category on a scale from one to 10, and gave each experience a final score. Zulema’s experience — Traveling from South Central Los Angeles Bus: I left home at 9 a.m. assuming it would take me an extra hour considering that I had to take two buses and a train to get to school. It was an eight minute walk to the bus stop, and the Metro 48 bus got there around 9:10 a.m. I paid $2 to get on the bus. It got to the Green Line station around 9:40 a.m. and I moved to the train when it arrived. I paid $7 for the all day pass for the Metro. Because I got distracted, I got on the first train that came, completely forgetting that trains run in both directions. Two stops later, when I finally realized I was on the wrong train, I got off and waited for the right one. I had to ask Siri which bus to get on when I got off of the train because I was completely lost, and she said to take the 577. When it finally came I, again, forgot to look at which direction it was going, but when I sat down common sense told me to get off before it was too late. I waited until 10:32 a.m. when the next 577 came. It got me to school at exactly 10:57 a.m. and I was able to make it right on time for my 11 a.m. class. I struggle with anxiety on a daily basis, and leaving from Watts on public transportation definitely did not help my anxiety. There were situations I was in where I did not feel comfortable or safe. I heard a man ask a woman, “What the fuck are you looking at bitch?” However, it was nice not having to worry about parking or paying for gas that day. I made it to class on time, but I really did not like taking two hours to get to school, and two more hours to get home.
Daisy’s experience — Traveling from Huntington Beach Bus: It was my first time ever taking the city bus and to be honest, I wasn’t too sure about what to expect. Unfortunately, the bus I picked didn’t arrive for another 50 minutes after I got ready. I knew I wasn’t going to make it to class considering the OC Bus wouldn’t arrive until 1:36 p.m. I got to the stop at 1:33 p.m. and paid $2 for a six-minute bus ride. At 1:44 p.m. I arrived at the PCH and Seventh stop, then waited 17 minutes for the bus that was supposed to take me all the way to LBSU. At 2 p.m. the bus arrived and the estimated bus ride was 37 minutes. As soon as I was walking onto the bus, the number outside quickly changed. I thought nothing of it since it had originally said one when it pulled up and it had only arrived one minute before its estimated scheduled time. I paid another $2 and took a seat. The driver then made an odd turn and went back around the same way we came from. I looked at her confused and she asked if we actually meant to get on the other bus that pulled up to the same exact stop a second after she picked us up. Fortunately, the driver was nice and gave us a free daily pass that we could use to get to Long Beach. At this point, I started questioning if I would ever make it to campus. The next bus arrived on time and I triple checked that it was the right bus this time. Finally, I was on my way once again. I got to the last stop and then had to transfer to the 121 LB Transit. I had never felt so relieved to get to school. It took me almost 3 hours just to get to campus. The school, without traffic, is typically a 20-minute-drive from my house and so having had a 3 hour long experience just to get to campus definitely made me appreciate private transportation a lot more.
To read more visit dailu49er.com
OPINIONS 9
MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | OPEDD49ER@GMAIL.COM
Although the graffiti in the one of the women’s restroom stalls in upper campus was not a credible threat, the administration should’ve canceled classes.
SAFETY
CSULB Twitter
Every threat should be treated seriously The lack of urgency regarding the school shooting threat creates distrust in the administration.
By Mia Bradford
Assistant Design Editor mia_kiaraa
I
n light of recent threats to student safety on campus, Long Beach State administration should treat student well-being more seriously than it currently is. On Wednesday LBSU received a threatening message stating that a school shooter would be on campus Thursday, May 9. A photoof the graffiti left in the women’s restroom near Liberal Arts-2 spread like wildfire across social media platforms, beginning with Twitter and branching out to Instagram. The message read, “School shooter tm [tomorrow] be warned 5-9.” When I first saw the picture, I immediately panicked. I was on campus at the time it was posted and I quickly came to the realization that the graffiti was located in the restrooms, near where I attend all of my classes and work at the Daily 49er. It was disheartening to see the administration stateon Twitter that there was no “credible threat” to campus and that they wouldn’t be canceling classes. How were they able to determine this wasn’t credible? They weren’t willing to tell us what they knew, if they did have information, but
they still expected us to show up to campus as if the threat never happened. The school should’ve notified us with the information that they had. If no credible threat was found, then tell us why. I’m not going to take that chance and attend classes if there is no assurance from the administration. I was fortunate to not have any scheduled classes on Thursday, but I reached out to every friend at school to not come to campus. It is not worth the risk of attendance even in the middle of finals season. Students were still expected to show up to their on-campus obligations, despite the fact that there were two school shootings in the United States the past week, one in Colorado and one in North Carolina. A couple weeks ago a student from California State University, San Marcos opened fire at a synagogue in Poway, located about two hours from LBSU. The threat of a school shooting should never be taken lightly in any circumstance, especially in the current political climate. Theories have gone around that this could’ve been a student trying to get out of finals. Even if that is the case, the school should know that they can’t afford to take any chances. Several professors took it upon themselves to cancel classes since the administration did not. Starbucks and Coffee Bean on campus closed as not to risk the safety of their
employees. The administration has failed on their part and as a student, I am utterly ashamed. People are outraged on Twitter. Students voiced their concerns with how the school addressed the potential threat, even managing to finesse a response from President Jane Close Conoley on Twitter. Unfortunately, it is just the same public relations message that the administration is spewing out to students and faculty. I’m curious as to how the school would’ve addressed the situation if a photograph of the graffiti wasn’t posted on Twitter. Would students and staff have been properly notified, if at all? “I don’t know what campus police really can do or if they would even inform students so I took it upon myself to post this,” said Marisol Romdhane, a senior American Studies major who originally posted picture the graffiti on Twitter. This is the reality of the world we live in now. Students, professors and even Starbucks are taking more initiative for our safety than the school is and whatever the reason may be, it is a problem. But at this point, I don’t feel that the safety of myself and fellow classmates is being taken seriously. I am graduating in one week and I will be leaving with a bad taste in my mouth. As a public relations student, the administration did not handle this potential crisis well and frankly I am disappointed that our safety is not a priority.
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MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM
SPORTS 11
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SOFTBALL
Broken wrist to broken records By Sierra Martinez
Assistant Sports Editor MistJournalist
Senior utility Jamie Wren hits against Fullerton April 13 in a 1-0 win.
LBSU ATHLETICS
“She’s a Bad Mama Jama.” When you hear this song blast over the speakers at the Long Beach State Softball Complex, you know something good is about to happen. Jamie Wren’s walk-up song always gets the crowd going. Sporting a bubble braid, you can find the 5-foot-6-inch senior having the time of her life in left field. She’s top five in the Big West Conference with her batting average and runs batted in, and you can expect that the quick lefty will find a way on base. After her efforts this season, Wren will secure a place in the top 10 of multiple categories in the LBSU record book. She will be tied for eighth for her runs scored and RBIs in a season, and in fourth place for batting average in a season. Wren hails from Whittier, California, where she began playing softball 17 years ago around the age of four. Her siblings were always involved in sports, so being active was something she has always invested time in. She tested out other sports such as soccer, swimming, volleyball, tennis and gymnastics, but found that her heart was with softball. She found success at La Serna High School, helping the team secure four league championships as well as an appearance in a CIF Southern Section championship. Her performance in the CIF finals awarded her CIF MVP and an All-CIF First team selection, which she earned two times in her four years. Standing out as a pitcher, Wren thought her time with softball would end the summer before entering college when she broke her wrist in a travel ball tournament. During her junior year of high school, she signed with Ohio University and was set on furthering her softball career. “It was at the nationals for softball. I was running home and I slid and my wrist just snapped,” Wren said. “I was a pitcher, so I wasn’t able to pitch after that.” She continued to work hard and wasfinally able to return to the field as an outfielder. Spending her first two years of college in Athens, Ohio, Wren played in 48
games and racked up 19 RBIs. Although she played well throughout the two years, Wren found that the midwest wasn’t for her. She craved a bigger stage and for her parents to be able to watch her play and cheer her on. “Out there was really different… it was a middle of nowhere town,” Wren said. “I loved the girls and the team, but it just fell into place to come back home.” The efforts to get Wren on the LBSU squad began while she was in high school. Head coach Kim Sowder scouted her travel ball games and fought for her to be a part of the team, but Wren ultimately made the decision to go to school outside of California. Once Wren had it in her head that she wanted to transfer away from Ohio, she sent out a letter to every school in the Big West Conference. She struck gold with LBSU, and Sowder welcomed her with open arms. “When I got an email from her that she was going to transfer I knew immediately that I wanted her,” Sowder said. “I knew she would be an impact player here for us.” Her connection to her family is not only shown by her moving closer to home, but it is also showcased in small aspects of the game. When making a decision on the walk-up songs that would play when she enters the box, Wren decided to choose her parents’ favorite songs. An attendee at every game, Wren’s father makes sure to be there to cheer her on. “It’s been a lot of fun [watching her play], she’s a real exciting player,” Jamie Wren’s father, Jon Wren said. “She can hit for power, she can drop a sneaky bunt, she’s got good speed. She really makes it difficult for teams to defend her.” Some athletes may say that they have a “love/hate” relationship with the sport they play, but for Wren it is all love. She admitted that she reached her lowest point with the sport at Ohio, but becoming a 49er has changed her life for the better. Now that Wren’s college career has reached its end, her final year has proven to be the most productive yet. She batted .381, totaled 39 RBIs and earned six home runs as a senior. Studying communications, Wren decided to go with a major that was universal and would give her a plethora of opportunities. Graduating in the fall, she hopes to enter a career path that has to do with sports, kids or wedding planning.
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MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | SPORTSD49ER@GMAIL.COM
LBSU ATHLETICS
Men’s Track & Field pose with the Big West championship trophy Saturday at UC Santa Barbara.
TRACK & FIELD
49ers claim 11th Big West title Long Beach reclaim the conference title for the fifth time in seven years.
By Max Perez Staff Writer
The Long Beach State men’s track and field team have been crowned the Big West champions for the fifth time in seven years, becoming the winningest program in Big West Conference history with 11 championships. The men reclaimed the titled from Fullerton with a score 169.5, beating them out by 18 points. The women finished sixth overall in the conference with a total of 94 points, while Fullerton women won the event with a score of 129.5. Throughout the weekend, the 49ers had many strong individual and group showings that led them to success, but none more than the throwers. “There is only four throwing events in the championship,” head coach Andy Sythe said. “There’s five distance events, five jumping events and seven sprinting events. And just in those four events, our throwers
scored more points than any other of our other event groups.” In the four throwing events, the men placed three athletes in the javelin, discus and shot put and four athletes in the hammer throw to claim a total of 13 scoring positions. These performances totalled 57 points toward the men’s championship score. The women also placed four athletes in the hammer throw, one in the javelin and one in shot put to total six scoring athletes for a total of 18 points. Among the standout performers from this group was junior Charlie Vernoy, who took first in the discus throw with a mark of 177’ 4”. Senior Tavi Kamarullah placed second in the shot put with a personal best mark of 58’ 6.5” and senior De’ondra Young, who placed second in the women’s hammer throw, at a distance of 195’ 5”. On the track, the 49ers were also able to put together solid individual performances and break records in the process. This started with senior Kemonie Briggs, who became the first athlete in Big West
history to win the long jump in four consecutive seasons. Briggs has won the Big West championship long jump event in each of his four seasons at Long Beach. Briggs also finished in scoring positions for the 200m and 400m dashes as he totalled 23 individual points scored during the events, tied for most at the event. Another significant performance from the 49ers came in the 3,000m steeplechase event. Freshman Michael Simpson took first with a time of 8:52.25, which also broke the LBSU record by seven seconds. He also became the first LBSU athlete to take first in this event at the Big West championship since 1976. “His performance was so inspiring and such a statement that it made my hairs stand up. I had chills from his race,” Sythe said. “[Simpson] destroyed the top two guys in the conference, and that was one of the most significant point swings in the meet for us because he was ranked third coming in, and Fullerton had the top two guys.” Another surprise came from junior Ra-
leigh Adams, who came off injuries to finish second in the 110m hurdles with a time of 13.83. A personal best for him and also good for the second best time in LBSU history. He also placed sixth in the 400m hurdles with a time of 53.43. “This year coming back and working from injury he didn’t even train or compete in the 110m hurdles all year,” Sythe said. “He ended finishing second and ran lightening fast today.” On the track, the strongest performer from the women came from a familiar face as senior Courtne’ Davis is walking away as the conference champion in both the 100m and 200m dashes. She accomplished this feat as a freshman and has now done it again as a senior. Also no stranger to success is senior Bria Palmer, who took second in the women’s high jump. From here, the 49ers will celebrate their success, but quickly snap back to reality as qualifying athletes will be preparing for the upcoming NCAA Preliminaries held in two weeks.