Daily 49er, October 11, 2018

D 49

LONG BEACH STATE | VOL. LXX, ISSUE 12 | OCTOBER 11, 2018

er

dirty DANCING page 2

2 NEWS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018 | DAILY49ER.COM | D49ERNEWS@GMAIL.COM

ON THE COVER

INSIDE

Third year BFA sculpture major Alvaro Alvarez Salazar Fall dances in a saran wrap sculpture covered in paint in the Central Quad.

THE

NINER Engineering student lands exclusive scholarship page 4

SABRINA FLORES | Daily 49er

Daily 49er Editorial Office Phone (562) 985-8000 Fax (562) 985-7994

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(562) 985-5736

Kat Schuster Editor in Chief eicd49er@gmail.com

“Seeking Equilibrium” gives insight into student’s mind page 9

Fax (562) 985-1740

Samantha Diaz Managing Editor managingd49er@gmail.com

News Editor James Chow d49ernews@gmail.com City Editor

Carlos Villicana cityd49er@gmail.com

A farewell letter to Prospector Pete from an alumna page 10

Arts & Life Editor

Faith Petrie

artsnlifed49er@gmail.com Sports Editor

Kevin Colindres

sportsd49er@gmail.com Enterprise Editor

Sarah Vehrs

d49erinvestigations@gmail.com Opinions Editor

Grant Hermanns

opedd49er@gmail.com Multimedia Managing Editor Alexandra Apatiga multimediamanagerd49er@gmail.com

All wrapped up in paint

Design Editor Photo Editor

Managing Editor samanthadiaz98

Lizbeth Galeno

Video Editor

Adam Pacheco

T

he Central Quad was filled with splashes of color Thursday afternoon as student artists Matthew O’Connor and Alvaro Alvarez Salazar Fall presented their Art in Public Places class projects for all to enjoy. The goal was to find a problem on campus, social or physical, and solve it with an art installation.

Alvarez Salazar Fall created a cage of clear saran wrap with paint covering the floor and blasted music while jumping and dancing in the space. His flurried movements created a splatter of colorful paint, covering his

Suzane Jlelati

Assistant Design Editor

Mia Bradford

Assistant Arts and Life Editor

Cristal Gomez

Assistant Sports Editor

Alex Manfredi

Assistant Sports Editor

Sierra Martinez Jelina Cortero

Assistant Photo Editor

Jorge Villa

Social Media Assistant

Jhaicelle Laron

Social Media Assistant

entire body and the sculpture around him. About 20 feet away, O’Connor had his own saran wrap installation, where he wrapped two trees in the thin plastic to create a canvas and invited students to add their own art.

“I like being able to bring people together through art, without having to be an artist, but just a human with emotions,” O’Connor said. “That’s what I really pushed for, for people to put their emotions out there.

It’s really cool to see people be like, ‘I can do this!’”

Emma DiMaggio

News Assistant

Assistant Opinions Editor

SABRINA FLORES | Daily 49er

Ryan Guitare

Social Media Editor Assistant News Editor

By Samantha Diaz

Claudia Mehranbod

Multimedia Assistant Design Adviser Content Adviser

Jassareth Alanis-Ponce Paula Kiley Gary Metzker Barbara Kingsley-Wilson

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

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018 | DAILY49ER.COM | D49ERNEWS@GMAIL.COM

49ER SHOPS

Next Long Beach mascot?

Not squirrels.

The university bookstore moves squirrel merchandise amid debate on the new mascot.

The 49er Shops Bookstore sells squirrel merchandise, which was introduced April 2017.

RYAN GUITARE | Daily 49er

By Delaney Tran Staff Writer

A

recent Twitter post from Alex Manfredi, Daily 49er assistant sports editor, caused community-wide speculation over the possibility of a squirrel becoming the new mascot for Long Beach State.

“So I guess we’re the LB squirrels?” Manfredi’s tweet read with a photo of the squirrel merchandise on display in the campus bookstore.

Kierstin Stickney, marketing and communications director for the 49er Shops, immediately debunked any rumors that there was any connection between the squirrel merchandise and the university choosing such a mascot.

“The bookstore is in no way promoting the squirrel as a mascot contender,” Stickney said.

The squirrels that scamper freely around LBSU have gained such a large fan base that students have created Instagram @squirrelsofcsulb and Facebook @CSULBSquirrels, pages for them. The two social media sites have a combined total of 3,063 followers and multiple students contributing photographs.

In response to their popularity, the 49er Shops first ordered squirrel merchandise in April 2017 for the fall 2017 semester, according to Stickney.

The display has been in the bookstore since October 2017, but recently received more media attention with the recent announcement that Prospector Pete would officially be retired as a mascot. In the last week, the display of hats and shirts relocated to the bottom of the staircase among backpack racks and a ball bin. It was previously displayed in the center of the bookstore in front of the staircase.

“Because the squirrel gear has been popular with our students, we were planning to

expand our collection but [we] are currently holding off,” Stickney said. “We have taken the apparel offline and removed it from our promotional area until the mascot chatter dies down.”

Since the bookstore started selling squirrel gear a year ago, they have sold more than 320 hats, 100 t-shirts and 50 decals, according to Stickney.

Students can purchase caps, plushies, t-shirts and decals in the bookstore. The most expensive squirrel-inspired items are the twill caps which are $19.95 and can be purchased in either maroon or black. The cheapest items are the decals, which cost $4.95.

“I think it’s adorable. I’ve seen a lot of the squirrel hats being bought,” said Marina Castellanos, bookstore employee and English major.

Many students browsing the merchandise table had the same positive feedback.

“As merchandise, I think it’s really awe-

some … especially on the hats, the squirrel looks really sick,” said Joshua Harrison, second year business major.

Second year biology major Kailan Britton spotted the merchandise table from the second floor of the bookstore and came down to take a look.

“Love the squirrels. I like that they incorporated it,” Britton said. “I know we are changing [our mascot] but it would be really funny if we were all about squirrels because there are so many squirrels … I would buy [the merch] if there was a long sleeve.”

Despite their affinity for the furry creatures, both Castellanos and Britton did not think the squirrel mascot would fit sports teams.

With ideas still being thrown around, it’s still uncertain what the next mascot will be.

Stickney made a suggestion on what she thought the next mascot should be.

“Is the banana slug still available?” Stickney asked.

4 NEWS

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PROFILE

By Sarah Vehrs

Enterprise Editor sevehrs

When Daria Antonova contemplated what field to go into after high school, she looked up to a cousin who earned her degree in civil engineering. Inspired by this role model in her life, as well as a strong understanding of physics, Antonova decided to follow in her footsteps.

She took her dream one step further by leaving her home in Russia to pursue her education in America, not knowing that she would go on to win the $6,000 Edison International Scholarship that is only awarded to one student from each California State University campus.

She didn’t have any family or friends in the United States but with a burst of independence, Antonova packed her bags and made the move.

She began the first two years of her undergraduate coursework at Orange Coast College and Skyped her family constantly, even though they are 11 hours ahead of Pacific Time.

“When I first moved here, I didn’t know anyone, so I was trying to get involved with as many student organizations as I could, so I could know more people and make friends,” Antonova said.

She quickly became friends with a girl she met in Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Debora Motabrito.

Motabrito described her as a very kind person, who’s passionate about everything she does. “...she also takes school very seriously and always looks for more to do besides school,” Motabrito said. “She’s always trying to learn more.”

She also mentioned that she noticed far less women than men in her major, and that most have to work really hard to prove themselves in engineering.

According to the Society of Women Engineers, women make up 20 percent of engineering school graduates, and only 12 percent go on to practice engineering.

“I feel like there is a stigma with the men, that if you’re a woman, you’re not that good in science and math,” Antonova said. “I feel like sometimes women need to prove

Antonova engineers her way to exclusive scholarship Daria Antonova has worked nonstop since moving from Russia, and she has a hefty award to prove it.

Courtesy of Daria Antonova

Daria Antonova accepts her Edison International Scholarship alongside her husband Saul Madrigal.

that they are good, so people take them seriously.”

When she transferred to Long Beach State after two years, she joined the Society of Women Engineers, so she could have a support system and meet more women in her major. She also scored a research assistant opportunity with one of her civil engineering professors, Lisa Star.

“From the first day I met her, she’s been hard working and she always seeks out new challenges that she can take on,” Star said.

Star got her working on a couple of projects funded by the National Science Foundation.

Antonova has been working with students from UCLA and postdoctoral researchers, which Star said is “a big deal because not a lot of students at LBSU are doing projects like this.”

Although this job pays, Antonova quickly realized that she needed to find another way to mitigate the cost of paying out-of-state tuition as an international student.

The average annual cost of LBSU for a California resident is about $17,350, and for someone paying out-of-state tuition like Antonova, it costs $27,350, according to the school’s website.

She began applying for scholarships, half-believing she was going to win one.

“I thought, ‘Well, I might as well try,’ but I had low expectations … especially because it’s very hard for international students to get scholarships because most scholarship donors prefer they to go to Americans,” Antonova said.

One month later she received an email from the Cal State system saying that she won a 2018 Trustee’s Award for Outstanding Achievement.

“For a while I felt like, ‘No, this isn’t true. They’re going to email me back and say it was a mistake.’

It took me a week or two to process it,” Antonova said.

After an eventful summer, Antonova was publically awarded with the other recipients of the Trustee’s Award Sept. 11.

She is now on track to graduate spring 2019 with a degree in civil engineering.

“It’s a challenge to graduate in four years,” Star said. “Very, very few of our students do it in four years, let alone our transfer students.”

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NEWS 5

OBITUARY

Former LBSU basketball coach Tex Winter dies at 96 As the creator of the ‘triangle offense,’ he won nine championships as an assistant coach in the NBA.

By Kevin Colindres Sports Editor sportswriterkev

Former Long Beach State head basketball coach Fredrick “Tex” Winter died at the age of 96 Wednesday in Manhattan. Winter served as the head coach of the men’s basketball team from the 1978-79 season to the 1984-1985 season. He led the team to a 7869 record and a spot in the postseason NIT in his time at the school. “[Tex] came back for a game about five or six years ago and he spoke to the team,” said Dan Monson, men’s basketball head coach. “It was really great to have him in the locker room and just be a part of Long Beach State basketball again. It had been a long time since he’d been back at that point.”

Monson also said it was a fun experience for him and the team, who all recognized Winter for his accomplishments in the NBA. “Tex said this was one of his favorite places he ever coached at and I said, “Me too,’” Monson said.

While Winter may not have won big at LBSU, his legacy is cemented as one of the greatest basketball minds to ever live.

“He’s in the long line of coaches that not only were great here at Long Beach State, but went on to do great things,” Monson said.

“What he did with the Chicago Bulls and revolutionizing the NBA was special.”

His implementation of the triangle offense led to nine NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers as an assistant coach. Winter’s first experience with the NBA came in 1971 when he was hired as the head coach of the Houston Rockets.

In 2011, Winter was elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, his eighth time on the final ballot.

Winter was born near Wellington, Texas in 1922, and moved to Huntington Park, California in 1936. He attended Huntington Park High School, Compton Community College and Oregon State University. At both colleges he was on the basketball and track teams, and earned a scholarship to Oregon State for pole vaulting. After a brief stint in the United States Navy, Winter attended the University of Southern California, where he learned the triangle offense from his coach Sam Barry.

Winter suffered a stroke in 2009 while attending a Kansas State basketball reunion, which led to an uncooperative right side and nerve pain in his neck and shoulder.

The former 49er will always be remembered as a strategic and a respected head coach at LBSU.

LBSU Twitter

Tex Winter coaches the Long Beach State men’s basketball team. The former LBSU head coach led the 49ers from 1978-1984.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

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ARTS & LIFE 7

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REVIEW

‘Big Mouth’ speaks volumes about growing up as a young teen The Netflix animated series’ second season touches on slutshaming, body-image and more.

By Faith Petrie

Arts and Life Editor petriefaith

The animated Netflix Original Series “Big Mouth” returned for its second season, still as vulgar and comedic, but with an extra heaping of self-awareness and introspection.

Created by Jennifer Flackett, Andrew Goldberg, Mark Levin and comedian Nick Kroll, the show gives an intrusive look into the lives of a cast of young teens that leaves the audience wishing they knew a little less about them.

The second season stays true to the formula of the first in that it keeps a steady pace of the authenticity. The characters strive to maintain a level head while puberty is in its purest form, as well as offering outlandish and cringe-worthy comedy.

However, what separates season two from its predecessor is the more mature subject matter. The show dives into topics including the objectification of the female-body, slut-shaming and body insecurities between both boys and girls.

Eighth-graders Nick (Kroll), Andrew (John Mulaney), Jessi (Jessi Klein), Missy (Jenny Slate) and Jay (Jason Mantzoukas) are more developed in this season of Big

Mouth as they tackle the intricacies that is growing up.

In the season’s opener, “Am I Normal” the audience gets a first-hand look into the complications of being a late bloomer. The episode mainly focuses on Nick’s self-doubt on whether or not he is developing at the rate that he sees his classmates and friends are. In the same vein, Andrew is struggling to come to terms with a body he, and everyone else around him, feels is much too mature.

After being referred to as “big man” and “animal” by his father and Maurice, his Hormone Monster (manifested by a gravel-voiced Kroll) Andrew has enough of the scrutiny he is getting for his size.

“I am not an animal. I am a flesh and blood child with feelings, sir,” Andrew said during a basketball game. While this line is followed by a hilarious attempt at attacking his father, his words ring true. There is an immense amount of pressure teenagers to fit a specific box and it’s not always spoken about.

Self-image is touched on again in the second episode titled, “What Is It About Boobs” in which the audience is transported back to middle school gym locker rooms. Missy finds herself faced with a personified, pessimistic and negative reflection that makes

IMDB

Netflix’s Original Series “Big Mouth” debuted in Sept. 2017 and holds a 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. her feel bad for a lack of womanly-curves.

The reflection convinces Missy to become recluse and wear an oversized hoodie to hide herself from everyone, including her own mirror image.

A visit to the Korean spa ended in everyone naked as well as an impromptu musical number led by Connie, the Hormone Monstress (voiced by “Saturday Night Live” alum Maya Rudolph) about accepting your body for all of its flaws including but certainly not limited to stretch marks and even whether your belly button is an innie or outie. Missy finds the confidence to flaunt her naked body to the dismay of those around her.

One of the most compelling antagonists of the season is the Shame Wizard (voiced

by David Thewlis) a sinister entity that appears when a chatostraphically shameful event happens in one of the kids’ lives. The

concept of having a human representation of the feeling of shame is both genius and hilarious when it’s played out on the screen causing terror in the children.

“Whether they know it or not, people need shame,” the Shame Wizard said. “It protects them from the sickening filth infesters within their humiliating inadequacies, self destructive proclivities, stupid magic tricks, their fundamental otherness.”

Underneath the raunchy antics of the show is a well thought out storyline and highly developed characters that leaves us wanting to follow them on their journey to young adulthood.

While the ending of season 2 left much to be imagined, we can only hope that the future of “Big Mouth” brings us even more embarrassingly good buffoonery from our favorite big mouthed characters.

8 ARTS & LIFE

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CLUB

Making room where there is none Women In Film club emphasizes intersectionality in the film industry.

“

FAITH PETRIE | Daily 49er

The logo for the Women In Film club reflects its goal of empowering women within the film industry.

The culture on set can sometimes be male-dominated and I often found myself like, ‘I don’t belong here’ and I don’t want any freshman, anyone to feel like that on set.

Claudia Villalta, President of Women In Film

By Faith Petrie

Arts and Life Editor petriefaith

The scrape of classroom seats, excited chatter and Christina Aguilera’s “Sick of Sittin’” filled the space of the small classroom as the Women In Film club commenced its fifth meeting.

In her deep, powerful voice, Aguilera sang, “I’m sick of sittin’, I’m sick of sittin’ I’m sick of sittin’/I’ve been workin’ too hard to not be livin’” a mantra akin to what the club stands for.

The club was founded in the fall of 2017

by Long Beach State graduate Jessie Butera and was taken over by fourth-year film major and club president Claudia Villalta and vice-preside second-year marketing major Xochitl Torres. This semester, the pair aims to combat the marginalization of women in the film industry.

The club promotes a positive representation of trivialized groups and arranges events that depict prosperous women in film. Meetings take place every Monday at 7 p.m. in the University Telecommunications building Room 201.

”

“Our first meeting when we were in leadership I opened it up by asking, ‘What was everyone’s favorite movie or director?’ and everyone who answered, obviously it was a male director and I was like, ‘See, this is what we’re trying to change,’” Villalta said.

Villalta and Torres both started their film careers during high school. Torres made short films in her spare time but discovered a newfound admiration.

“I mostly enjoy the marketing aspect of film, being able to market the final product because what you market to an audience is how they might become engaged and they’ll want to see whatever is being released,” Torres said.

Villalta started off in her high school theatre company with aspirations of being a set designer or an art director and like Torres, her sights were later on something different.

For Villalta, that was becoming a director.

“I want to be a director of sustainability so it’s very niche and specific but it’s still in film,” Villalta said.

The club hopes to inspire young filmmakers while promoting intersectionality in the film industry.

“Oftentimes as women we’re discouraged

on set,” Villalta said. “The culture on set can sometimes be male-dominated and I often found myself like, ‘I don’t belong here’ and I don’t want any freshman, anyone to feel like that on set.”

WIF has also become an oasis for members to vent any frustrations or “negative experiences on set” that many find themselves facing, Torres said.

Villalta added, “If you are harassed or you are talked down upon we want to arm [members] with tools to combat that and not just get through it because I don’t think that’s enough, but stop it and mitigate it.”

Club member Hope Kindred, LBSU first year and pre-film and electronic arts narrative production major echoed that the club was a secure place to express themselves.

“I feel like I’ve gained a safe, secure environment where I can voice my opinions especially regarding this topic of film being such a male-dominated field,” Kindred said.

Contrary to the gender the club name boasts, the film club is not exclusive to female members. At the fifth meeting of the semester, the seats were speckled with the occasional male student listening intently to the contents of the gathering.

Second year film major JT Hamel came to the WIF for the first time per the club’s Outreach Coordinator, Victoria Cota.

“I honestly don’t think I had many expectations, I don’t think I expected to have as good of a time that I did not because I just wasn’t expecting much of the club, but I just came to support a friend and hang out and then I ended up really enjoying my time here,” Hamel said.

To Villalta, having men that women can count on to support and vouch for them is crucial for the future of the industry “I think that having males as allies and supporters is dier to a situation that we’re in right now,” Villalta said. “I don’t think anyone can do anything alone, I’m not saying just women, but any marginalized community.”

The overall message that Villalta and Torres hope members take from the club is women should not settle for being behind the scenes.

On Nov. 5, the club host a Q&A via Facetime with the producer of the “Hannibal” series, Loretta Ramos. For more information follow the club’s Instagram @csulbwif.

ARTS & LIFE 9

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GALLERY

Artist displays string of thoughts Exhibit features boxes, ropes and chains to showcase a complex mind.

BRENNA ENOS | Daily 49er

A full view of ceramic arts major Diana Nguyen’s installation “Seeking Equilibrium.” The gallery takes up the entire space of the Gastov East gallery at the School of Arts Galleries.

By Brenna Enos Staff Writer brennasenos

H

anging from the ceiling and interconnected like the neurons of a brain, Long Beach State ceramics major Diana Nguyen’s installation exhibit features ropes, chains and boxes that act as a mind map into her thoughts.

Nguyen’s explores the inner workings of her mind and the constant stream of thoughts that crowd her head in her exhibit, “Seeking Equilibrium” during this week in the School of Art Galleries.

Purposefully taking up the entire space of the Gastov East gallery, Nguyen’s installation piece features over 20 wooden boxes of all sizes strung together, some hanging feet in the air and others scattered across the floor. Due to this, the exhibit does not provide a typical walking path for viewers, as they must walk between ropes and chains to fully navigate the piece.

“It’s busy like my mind is,” Nguyen said. “I like the aspect that it’s uncomfortable to walk around

because they’re my thoughts.”

Tiny figurines such as a skull, a hand and some animals including a dog are also present throughout the gallery. Nguyen said she intended for viewers to navigate the gallery on a “treasure hunt” to find them.

Senior ceramics major and longtime classmate of Nguyen, Crystal Mitchell viewed the installation exhibit and noticed some of the minor details.

“I really enjoy that she has a lot of hidden things in it,” Mitchell said. “At first when you walk in you see a bunch of boxes and everything but when you start looking and paying attention you can see little figurines. You won’t find those unless you’re really looking.”

Nguyen’s minefield of boxes also contain intertwining bridges acting as symbols for the struggles she has encountered.

“The boxes represent me being stuck in a box while walking back and forth and never going anywhere,” Nguyen said, adding that the bridges symbolize her “walking back and forth and not knowing what to do with [her] life.”

Nguyen has struggled with the uncertainty of where life would take her since elementary school.

She remembered feeling as though she “had no ac

tual talent” in anything except creating art.

When she was a child, Nguyen’s parents wanted her to go to school to become a doctor, scientist or any other profession they claimed would make a lot of money and she found herself not knowing what to do.

Upon graduating high school, Nguyen enrolled at a community college and finally found her niche.

“I took so many classes trying to figure out what I wanted to do and then I ended up taking some art classes and I loved it,” Nguyen said.

Now as a senior in her last semester at LBSU, Nguyen has decided that art is truly her calling and hopes that after graduating, she can ultimately teach art at the collegiate level.

She’s currently is a teacher assistant at Golden West College and her work efforts on “Seeking Equilibrium” were appreciated by one of her students Jean Oh. “She’s always working and is a very dedicated person,” Oh said.

“Seeking Equilibrium” among four other exhibits can be viewed at the Fine Arts buildings on campus from noon to 5 p.m. every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and noon to 7 p.m. Wednesdays.

10 OPINIONS

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FAREWELL

Join us for Pete’s abrupt retirement party In lieu of gifts, please submit a suggestion for a new mascot

By Jennifer Newton

CSULB Journalism & Public Relations Professor Almunus Class of 2001

W

ith three words – A pride. Pride comes from the feeling New Era – LBSU’s of accomplishment, of achieving beloved-by-alumsomething and I don’t know of anni and deother school that went from concept spised-by-activists mascot Prospecto classes in a little over six months. tor Pete, who would have turned 52 It is important for all of us, espenext year, was forced into an early cially students, to know our true hisretirement by campus President tory learn from it, and become better Jane Close Conoley. people because of that knowledge, Compared to other universinot erase it. As the saying goes: If ty mascots, such as the 88-yearwe do not learn our history, we are old USC Tommy Trojan and the doomed to repeat it.

129-year-old Yale Handsome Dan, I’m saddened by the decision to Pete was still in his prime. Who retire Pete because there is a better knows what he could have accomsolution than just outright getting plished if given the chance? rid of him; but no one asked me.

After all, you do realize Pete isn’t That’s why I’m writing this. a real person and the gold rush As professors we often talk didn’t happen in Long Beach, right? about “teachable moments,” and we So why then, as a history professor missed a big one here. Like San Dionce asked me, do we have a prosego State did with its Aztec mascot, pector as a mascot? If that professor we could have doubled-down on our knew their university history, they history and changed the narrative would’ve have known why. on Prospector Pete, using him as a Founded in 1949, not 1849, Long platform to discuss the ingenuity Beach State went from concept to and atrocities of California’s history. campus in less than a year. P. VicWe could have put a fountain tor Peterson was recruited to be the around him and donated any change president of the new college and was thrown into the fountain to the PuIllustration by JENNIFER NEWTON a builder. A connector. A prospector, vunga people. We could have done Prospector Pete chills on Retirement Island with LBSU’s other discontinued emblems. if you will. Although he didn’t prossomething positive with it. But as is pect gold, he prospected resources in the trend these days, we chose to “rethe form of faculty, staff, students and supplies for the taken the time to look into the history of Prospector tire” it, to store it away in a remote part of campus and new State College.

Pete, they may have had a different view of him as a forget it.

President Peterson soon came to be known on-camrepresentative of this school. Some people think he So, as Pete sets off into his retirement – whether he pus as “President Pete,” and was hailed for his piorepresents a real person, an actual prospector but, he’s chooses to relax on a beach in Cabo or in Northern Calneering spirit. He essentially turned a ghost town of an not. Others think that he represents the dark underbelifornia where his distant relatives, the 1849ers, are still apartment building into a functioning college campus ly of the gold rush. But does he? Were all prospectors remembered as a piece of California’s flawed, but real, and staked the claim on 323 acres of land in East Long participants in the genocide of the American Indians? human history — I hope he can finally rest and maybe Beach that would become the third largest campus in I fear this may be stereotyping an entire population, even find some gold. Not that he needs it. He has that the CSU system. which seems counter to the “inclusivity” of our univerState of California pension plan after all and probably Under President Pete’s 10-year tenure, LBSU grew sity that we love to humble-brag about. a sizeable severance package from President Conoley. from 160 students to more than 10,000. It went from a At the end of the day, Pete. Isn’t. Real. So, he ends up Godspeed Pete. I’m heading to The Nugget for a beer, makeshift classroom environment to a sprawling camrepresenting what we want him to represent, whether before they rename it. pus with a theatre, radio station, telecommunications that is ingenuity or genocide. The narrative surroundP.S. Now that Pete is off to retirement, can we adcenter and cafeteria. He was tasked with starting a new ing Pete is up to us. dress something that really matters to the future of this college, and struck gold in the motivated and passionIn my opinion, Prospector Pete is an important part university, like its name? Let’s send all but one of the ate Long Beach community. Years later in 1967, stuof our school’s history. We often hear how our universinumerous names of this school - LBSU, CSULB, Long dents voted to name the school’s mascot “Prospector ty struggles with school pride. We are a commuter camBeach State, Cal State, Long Beach State University, Pete” in honor of its original prospector, P. Victor Pepus, so most of our students live off-campus. There is The Beach – to Retirement Island with Pete. That way terson. a disjointed nature about this university that makes it he won’t be lonely and we can finally start to build a I think if students, faculty and administrators had more difficult to form a sense of community with school unified school that we can really be proud of.

SPORTS 11

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Luke Miller attempts to maneuver around a University of San Diego defender Saturday.

AUSTIN BRUMBLAY | Daily 49er

PROFILE

Miller leading the way from rink to ring Club hockey captain Luke Miller finds his place in Long Beach after facing a harsh environment at Suffolk University.

By Robert Hollar Staff Writer

W

hen Luke Miller arrived at preseason camp for his freshman season at Suffolk University, he wasn’t expected to make the starting lineup. When he stepped onto the ice for the first game of the season, everything went wrong; He played terribly and was scratched for the next eight games.

“To start your college career like that is really tough on someone,” Miller said. “It was just a really bad time.”

Miller is now a forward and captain for the Long Beach State club hockey team and finally found his place after [months] of molding himself into the archetypal hockey player that his coach demanded.

The experience was an introduction to the cutthroat competitiveness that defines Suffolk hockey under head coach Chris Glionna. Miller spoke to Glionna about not playing and was told that if he wanted to be in the lineup, he should hurt guys in practice to reduce the competition ahead of him.

“From then on in practice I just beat up on my teammates,” Miller said. “Then I played almost every game second semester.”

Miller described a culture in which fights were commonplace during practice. The team was on the ice six days a week from October to March under the instruction of a coach who believed in making players better by imposing stress on them. Miller grew accustomed to the culture and earned his

coach’s respect.

“Luke is a highly skilled hockey player,” Glionna said. “He always represented our program with great character.”

At Long Beach, Miller has found a respite from the intense stress of Glionna’s program. He’s bought into the coaching philosophy behind the 49er club team.

“The coaches here really have the vision to be known as the best team in California and I’m hoping I can help them with that,” Miller said. “With the team we have this year, I don’t see why we can’t win the national championship with ease.”

Miller feels an obligation to lead by example, something he hasn’t had the opportunity to do in his college career. Being the best player on a collegiate team is a new experience for him, and according to his coaches and, he fully embraces that responsibility.

“The players respect his skill and leadership on and off the ice, he’s a team leader all around,” LBSU associate head coach Sean Hoang said. “He’s the complete package.”

Miller led the team with 34 points last season. He is also the team leader this season so far with 10 points and 5 goals in just three games. Once an undersized freshman struggling for playing time in Boston, Miller has clearly found a home at LBSU. “I’m bored as hell if I’m not playing hockey, and it’s actually harder for me to get my studies done when I’m not playing,” Miller said. “That little bit of relief being on the ice gives you the separation from school, work, life problems you’re having.”

The idea of Miller not knowing what to do with his time is hard to believe, because he fills his days with multiple side projects. He was successful in real estate while playing hock-

ey in Boston. While earning his master’s at Long Beach, he took an internship that landed him a job offer from Boeing, which he is currently considering.

“One thing about Luke is when he sets a goal, he’s going to achieve it. It doesn’t matter what’s in his way or who tells him he can’t do it,” Luke’s mother, Carla Miller said.

Miller’s work ethic is a large part of why he returned to Southern California, as he worked through his credits so quickly that he finished at Suffolk a year early. He was left with a three options: Go to Europe to play professional hockey, start his Master’s and finish his NCAA eligibility at Suffolk or earn his Master’s in California while playing club hockey.

“It all came down to my teacher telling me that if I wanted to get a job in California, then I should get my M.B.A. in California,” Miller said.

Miller also cited the low pay in professional leagues in Europe as a reason for not travelling overseas. He wanted to focus on landing a long-term job as opposed to a couple more years playing hockey. Long Beach was able to provide him with both.

One of his short term goals is to use his skill and position as captain to raise the quality of the 49er club hockey program.

“Being named captain this year, I am humbled to have the opportunity to make an impact that can be carried on by the underclassmen, much like the captains did for me at Suffolk,” Miller said.

You can catch Miller at the next home game 7:35 Thursday against USC.

12 SPORTS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018 | DAILY49ER.COM | SPORTSD49ER@GMAIL.COM

AUSTIN BRUMBLAY | Daily 49er

Senior midfielder Dana Fujikuni maneuvers around a Fullerton defender Sept. 27.

PROFILE

Fujikuni finally finds her home on the field The top scorer was cut from her former team at UC Davis before making her mark as a 49er.

By Sierra Martinez

Assistant Sports Editor mistjournalist

After a season of injuries, coaching staff changes and zero playing time, Dana Fujikuni was cut from the UC Davis women’s soccer team her freshman year.

“I had an 8 a.m. meeting where [the head coach] cut me,” Fujikuni said. “In the afternoon, around 4 o’clock, I committed to Long Beach not knowing anything about the school.”

The senior forward has come a long way since then, and now leads the women’s soccer team in goals and assists.

Fujikuni started playing soccer at the 6 years old, following in her sister’s footsteps.

She dedicated her time to the Real So Cal club team, which won multiple first place titles during her time, including the Surf Cup and the ECNL National Championship. She found success on the field while attending Moorpark High School and earned the MVP, All-County, All-Area, All-League and Offensive Player of the Year honors.

AUSTIN BRUMBLAY | Daily 49er

Senior midfielder Dana Fujikuni slide tackles to gain possession of the ball against a Fullerton defender Sept. 27.

Her most memorable moments occurred during the span of her collegiate career. She recounted the time she scored the winning goal against USC her sophomore year, pushing the 49ers past the ranked team 1-0. The second major moment took place during the same season, where the 49ers defeated UC Irvine 3-0 to earn the Big West champi-

onship title and secure a spot in the NCAA tournament.

But her soccer career wasn’t always filled with success, Fujikuni’s biggest obstacle in life came during her freshman year of college. She was recruited as a junior in high school by a UC Davis coach. An unexpected change in the coaching staff at the start of

the season made for a slightly different experience than she had signed up for. She ended up redshirting after getting injured and did not accumulate any playing time on the field. That led to her being cut, and eventually to Long Beach State.

She became a 49er after her club coaches and former teammates contacted head coach Mauricio Ingrassia moments after she was told the bad news.

“From day one I knew we had a midfield piece that was going to be super important for us,” Ingrassia said.

It is an emotional time for Fujikuni, who is more than halfway through her last year as a collegiate athlete.

“I play every game like it’s my last and I’ve got something to prove,” Fujikuni said. “It’s sad that it’s going to end soon.”

She hopes to end her senior season by leading the team in becoming Big West conference champions. After earning that title, the start of the NCAA tournament will be a challenge for the team as they have not made it further than the first round during Fujikuni’s time as a 49er.

After she completes her final season, she hopes to pursue a career in health administration and has a few quality assurance jobs lined up after she graduates in December. If it turns out that the medical path is not right for her, she plans to return to school to earn her teaching credential.