CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH
VOL. LXVIII, ISSUE 14 | SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
ADMINISTRATION
Faculty dialogue inspires NWC cancellation Racial tensions and distrust directed toward CSULB administration encouraged Conoley to suggest pulling the play from production.
By Miranda Andrade-Ceja Managing Editor
The provocatively titled play “N*gger, W*tback, Ch*nk” will not live to see a second year at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center after being cancelled by Cal State Long Beach President Jane Close Conoley due to negative feedback from ethnic studies faculty. Subsequently, the executive director of the arts center, Michele Roberge,
resigned while citing protest of censorship. After reports of the cancellation flooded social media, CSULB community members took to social media to voice their outrage – or, in some cases, their relief that the show had been taken out of production. The show was pulled from the schedule in part due to faculty criticisms re-
Michele Roberge
Cyrus ParkerJeanette
see NWC, page 2
D49er To read about social media’s impact on a heartbroken college student, see page 6.
STUDY ABROAD
Oh, the places you’ll go CSULB students have the opportunity to explore study abroad options at this year’s study abroad fair. By Michaela Kwoka-Coleman News Editor
Cal State Long Beach students who are interested in studying abroad will have the opportunity to explore the different programs, locations and financial resources available to them at the annual Study Abroad Fair tomorrow. According to an email sent to students from Caitlin Fouratt, professor of international studies at CSULB, the CSU Education Abroad office will be present at the Speaker’s Platform with information regarding the Cal State University International Programs, CSULB exchange programs, the London program and short-term, faculty-led summer and winter programs. Aside from the traditional study abroad experience, interested students will also be able to explore options such as interning, volunteering and teaching overseas. There are numerous benefits to studying abroad, according to Richard Marcus, director of CSULB’s international studies department. “We live in a globalized world where virtually every profession requires its employees to not only to be sensitized to global issues, but to have global competencies, particularly cultural competencies and language abilities,” he said in an email. Unfortunately, Marcus said many graduates do not posses these skills. However, the trend in CSULB students studying abroad increased by 38 percent from 2012-2013. During studying abroad, students can earn college credit while immersing themselves in a different culture. According to CSULB’s study abroad website, the time spent in a
Out of relationship
Illustration by Miranda Andrade-Ceja
see TRAVEL, page 2
2 NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM
PANEL
Upcoming panel to address First Amendment
By Michaela Kwoka-Coleman News Editor
Cal State Long Beach’s department of journalism and mass communication is hosting a First Amendment panel Wednesday to address free speech issues within the current presidential election cycle. Titled “Protected Speech in an Election Cycle,” the panel will consist of Bill Dallman, vice president and news director of KCBS-KCLA and Kevin Johnson and Craig Smith of the Center for First Amendment Studies. According to the Center for First Amendment Studies’ website, the
NWC
continued from page 1 -garding the worth of NWC as a vehicle to inspire critical conversations about race, gender and sexuality on campus. The show was initially presented to Conoley last year and then shown at the Carpenter Center in September 2015. Conoley said that throughout the following spring semester, numerous ethnic studies faculty members voiced their concern or distaste for the play. Dean of the College of the Arts Cyrus Parker-Jeanette said this dialogue was concurrent with multiple race-related incidents that not only increased racial tensions within the campus community, but the skepticism directed toward administration. “It is about timing and it is about an epoch of racial tension…” Parker-Jeanette said. “NWC is a performance that is comedic and perhaps even lightweight and gentle; the title is incendiary.” According to Parker-Jeanette, the context of spring semester may have influenced Conoley’s final decision to pull NWC from production. Last spring, safety issues were brought to the attention of administration when a student in a race, gender
mission of the center is to inform the public, courts, administrative agencies and Congress about the correct and appropriate applications of the First Amendment. The group works to “educate students about their First Amendment heritage, its impacts on new technology and to encourage faculty members to do original research on freedom of expression.” Kevin Johnson, the center’s director, has lectured in the United States and Europe on First Amendment issues and rhetoric. Additionally, he has attended oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court. The center’s research director, Craig Smith – incorrectly referred to as “Graig” in promotional media – served as a full-time speechwriter for President Gerald Ford and as a consultant to President George aBush. Smith also served as CBS news consultant for convention, election and
inauguration coverage. Wednesday’s panel will focus on the protections the First Amendment offers and how they cover new media, particularly in this year’s election. Daily 49er Editor in Chief Micayla Vermeeren, the Union Weekly Editor in Chief Alex Ramos and Kbeach radio’s News and Sports Director Rebecca Perez will be representing CSULB’s student media outlets. The forum will start with questions from moderator and assistant professor of journalism and mass communication John Shrader. Students will then have the chance to ask their own questions to the panel. First Amendment Day: “Protected Speech in an Election Cycle” will take place in the University Union Beach Auditorium from 4:30 - 6 p.m tomorrow. Following the event, there will be a meet and greet with the panelists.
and sexuality class brandished a knife toward a black female student. CSULB students did not receive a timely warning from the school, which led to questions of trust and transparency directed toward administration. It was later revealed that the student who brandished the knife was a Community Service Officer escort. Following that, in a student-run forum held to discuss the incident, the Sociology Student Organization revealed that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation took place on campus after Long Beach resident Jose Alvarez was detained in a CSULB Police holding cell. Alvarez was pulled over by a UPD officer due to a broken taillight and was deported to Tijuana four hours later. Parker-Jeanette worked closely with Roberge throughout the duration of NWC’s production and subsequent cancellation. The dialogue surrounding the play’s value came to a head during the second of two meetings held to evaluate the relevance of the play’s content in regard to encouraging critical conversations on campus. “It emerged in conversation that NWC was superficial, sophomoric and hurtful,” Parker-Jeanette said. “Michele disagreed and was angry.” The meetings were hosted by Parker-Jeanette. Administration such as Conoley and former Provost David
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FAST FACTS
STUDY ABROAD FAIR foreign country is a resume builder, especially considering less than two percent of college students in the United States study abroad. Additionally, for many study abroad locations, the cost of living is the same or cheaper than the cost of living in Southern California. For some students, the cost of studying abroad may still be a concern, which is why the study abroad office has partnered with Associated Students Inc. to provide study abroad scholarships. “Excellent financial contracts with partners and the ASI-CSULB Study Abroad Scholarship have made many programs cheaper than studying at CSULB,” Marcus said. “... some [make it] cheaper to study [abroad] without working a job than studying at CSULB with one.” Information on financial aid and scholarships for studying abroad will be available at the fair. The fair itself will be held from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Speaker’s Platform located across from the University Bookstore.
Dowell participated in this dialogue, as rector and the dean of the college of the well as former Chicano Latino Studies arts. From May of this year to August, Department Chair Jose Moreno, Chair Parker-Jeanette said she worked closely of Africana Studies Maulana Karenga with Roberge in order to increase the and other faculty members. relevance of the play and advocate for However, Parker-Jeanette said that it its positive return. wasn’t solely the negative feedback that The plans included presenting racial may have encourtopics through aged Conoley to separate platcancel the show. forms to aid “Most [who atin interpreting tended the meetNWC — such It is about timing and ings] are people as panel presenit is about an epoch of of color and all tations and film racial tension...NWC is advised me that screenings, acin this particular cording to Parka performance that is time, cancelling er-Jeanette. comedic and perhaps even the show was the Even so, the lightweight and gentle; the right thing to do,” play was still title is incendiary. Parker-Jeanette heavily discoursaid. aged by faculty. -Cyrus Parker-Jeanette Conoley reParker-Jeanette Dean of the College of the Arts tained that she said that when only pulled acshe shared the inademic support put she received from the show, but had no hand in its with Conoley, “cancellation was detercancellation. mined.” Parker-Jeanette said that because Roberge said that prior to the canthe play was shown prior to race-recellation of NWC, she had been anticilated incidents on the CSULB campus pating a new, part-time position within during the spring semester, ethnic the Carpenter Center. She held the postudies faculty advised administration sition of general manager at the CPAC and Roberge to cancel the show. for five years, and subsequently moved Parker-Jeanette said CPAC proon to her position as executive direcgramming is autonomous and typically tor in 2008. According to Roberge, left to the discretion of the executive dibecause of issues with the state and
photographers WELCOME send us your samples at eicd49er@gmail.com
continued from page 1
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Students and faculty will discuss free speech related issues and concerns.
TRAVEL
When: Wednesday Where: CSULB Speaker’s Platform, located across from the University Bookstore Time: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. What: Provide students with information about the Cal State University International Programs, CSULB exchange programs, short-term summer and winter programs, campus resources and financial aid and scholarships Website: csulb.edu/international Contact: Education Abroad Office Brotman Hall room 201 studyabroad@csulb.edu (562) 985-8429
national economy, a second general manager was never hired. Roberge said she picked up the workload of both executive director and general manager for the rest of her career, and that her, Parker-Jeanette and other CPAC staff were discussing a new position in which Roberge could focus on big-picture ideas for the center. Roberge said she was looking forward to continuing her work at the Carpenter Center prior to the cancellation. According to Roberge, the actors involved in NWC are planning on presenting the play again next spring at various colleges. In order to help universities afford the show, Roberge said the cast will be donating $1,000 to each venue in which they are performing. According to Roberge, the cast of NWC will be paid the full amount of money they were promised by CSULB for a fall performance.The production will be using the money they were paid from CSULB to fund their donations. Parker-Jeanette will be hosting a free panel discussing art, censorship and context Sept. 29, the same day NWC was slated to present this fall semester. The event will be held from 7 - 9 p.m. at CPAC. According to Parker-Jeanette, she hopes the discussion will explore issues of censorship and is open to both students and the outlying community.
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NEWS 3
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM TERRORISM
Man in custody in east coast bombings By Barbara Demick, Del Quentin Wilber and Vera Haller Los Angeles Times
brick-fronted restaurant are two stories covered in beige vinyl siding, where officials said the family lived. Residents and business owners expressed shock that the investigation into recent bombings had landed at their doorsteps. Marcella Perrotti, 44, owner of the Short Cutz Unisex Salon, said the Rahami family members kept to themselves and did not mix with the close-knit group of shop owners. “They didn’t interact with us,” Perotti said. “He didn’t want to follow the rules. I guess he just had a problem doing that.” “It kind of angers you. Why would people come to this country to hurt us? And then to wake up and find out it happened, not just in your country, but across the street from you — that’s scary,” Perrotti said. Enoch Ojo, 26, who lives just down the block from the restaurant, said he often got food there but noticed nothing out of the ordinary. “His dad is a nice guy. They seem like regular people,” Ojo said. “I’m just in disbelief that someone so dangerous could be living so close to us.” William Ferrera, 65, another neighbor, also frequented the restaurant occasionally. “It seemed like they were just hustling to make money. It didn’t seem like they were up to anything,” Ferrara said. “They just seemed like they were trying to make a living.” A 2005 bankruptcy filing said that the elder Rahami was separated from his wife and had eight children. Ahmad could usually be found in the back, cooking up the chicken and burgers, said a neighbor and local business owner, whose view of the father differed from
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that of the salon owner. “The older man, the dad, was a very nice guy. He was a well-known figure in the community and people respected him,” said Jonas Nunez, 58, who lives two doors away and runs a martial arts studio across the street. “Sometimes he would complain that he had to work seven days a week to support a large family.” The restaurant stayed open until 2
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It kind of angers you. Why would people come to this country to hurt us? And then to wake up and find out it happened, not just in your country, but across the street from you — that’s scary.
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NEW YORK— Ahmad Khan Rahami, a suspect in the weekend bombings in New York and New Jersey, has been captured after a shootout with police, according to officials. The shootout took place in Linden, N.J., a town next to Elizabeth, N.J. where Rahami lived with his family, Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage said. Two officers were shot, one in the vest and one in the hand, Bollwage said. He did not have more details about their condition. “They have apprehended him,” Linden Mayor Derek Armstead said in a brief interview with a WABC-TV reporter. “He has been injured. They shot him.” WABC-TV footage from a street in Linden showed a man resembling Rahami, strapped to a gurney and with blood on his right sleeve, being loaded into an ambulance. His eyes were open and he moved his head back and forth. Investigators put out an unprecedented emergency alert to millions of cellphones Monday morning seeking information about Rahami, a 28-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Afghanistan. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said after Rahami’s arrest that authorities were not looking for any other suspects. “There is no other individual that we are looking for at this time ... but vigilance is called for. It is very important that if anybody see an unattended package, they should call it in.” Federal agents identified Rahami using security footage from the Manhattan location where one bomb exploded and nearby, where an unexploded device was discovered, authorities said. They also recovered at least one fingerprint from the unexploded bomb that they linked to Rahami, a U.S. law enforcement official said. People trying to take the bag that held the second device may have accidentally disabled it, the official said. Security footage showed two men discovering the bag and opening it, then removing the pressure cooker bomb and leaving it on the sidewalk. On Monday morning, police searched an apartment in Elizabeth where Rahami lived with his family, Bollwage said. They ran a restaurant on the ground floor, which opened in 2002. Ahmad Rahami was one of several sons of the owner, Mohammad Rahami. The restaurant, First American Fried Chicken Restaurant, is part of a small commercial strip along Elmora Avenue. The restaurant has a big bright blue awning and photos of menu items plastered on the front window. Above the
a.m., causing some complaints from the neighbors and frequent citations from the municipality, Nunez said. In 2011, family members sued the town, saying that they were being targeted as Muslims. Neighbors had complained for years about noise and people hanging out in front of the restaurant, Bollwage, the town’s mayor, told reporters in a briefing outside the restaurant Monday morning. In the lawsuit, the family accused the city of targeting them unfairly in their attempts to enforce a 10 p.m. closing time. The lawsuit ended in the city’s
favor in 2012, and the restaurant was ordered to close at 10 p.m. “This had nothing to do with ethnicity or race,” Bollwage said. “This had to do with a lot of people hanging out at all hours of the night as well as congregating and code enforcement problems.” “There were young kids who would hang out and play music. There were cars stopping by, people leaving clubs to get a bite to eat,” said Nunez. “I wouldn’t say that it was anti-Muslim. It was more anti-neighborhood noise.” The family were known to be devout Muslims and would break off to pray in back of the shop. “He would say, time to go, I’ve got to pray.” Nunez said that the family was respected for their piety in a neighborhood with a large immigrant population, many of them Colombians, Ecuadorians and Dominicans. Nunez said that Ahmad and his brothers were all chubby, and that one of the younger boys, Mohammed, had been a kick-boxing student at his school across the street. “They were nice kids, but you never know what poison the younger generation will fall prey to,” said Nunez. Investigators arrived in the neighborhood at about 4 a.m. Monday, surrounding the house and cordoning off the area. Helicopters circled overhead. Nunez said investigators were removing boxes from the house and had taken away three compact cars. Seeking to reassure Americans unnerved by the spate of explosions and attacks over the weekend, President Barack Obama praised the “tough” and “resilient” response of New York and New Jersey residents, offering them as
examples of how Americans should take terrorist threats in stride. “Folks around here, they don’t get scared,” Obama said. “They go about their business every single day.” “That’s the kind of strength that makes me so proud to be an American,” Obama told reporters in a statement about the attacks ahead of meetings at the United Nations General Assembly. Americans have to go about their lives without giving in to fear, Obama said. “We all have a role to play as citizens,” he said. The FBI has not yet determined the motivation for the attacks but officials have grown increasingly confident that the bombings were perpetrated by the same person or group of people, the U.S. law enforcement official said. The official noted that the devices in both shared common characteristics, such as flip phones for timing detonators and the same type of explosive, tannerite. The FBI does not believe that a stabbing attack at a Minnesota mall on Saturday, which was later claimed by Islamic State, is connected to the bombings. More bombs were discovered overnight in a backpack left in a train station in Elizabeth. Police robots accidentally detonated one of the five bombs inside the backpack but there were no injuries. The new information led those who were initially cautious to suggest that these could be acts of international terrorism. “Today’s information suggests it may be foreign-related, but we’ll see where it goes,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday morning. The official said the device that exploded in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood on Saturday night was placed inside a strong steel dumpster, which directed the blast upward. Twenty-nine people were slightly injured in the New York bombing. The placement likely saved lives and reduced the severity and number of those injured in the blast. Someone trained in how to place explosives—and not just learning how to craft them from the internet—would not likely have chosen such a location, according Patrick Skinner, a former CIA case officer and a director of the Soufan Group, a New York-based security firm. Another bomb was discovered nearby before it could explode. Shortly before 8 a.m. Eastern, cellphones around New York and New Jersey blared with the emergency alert asking people to look out for Rahami. He was reported as 5 foot 6 and 200 pounds and “armed and dangerous,” as New York Mayor Bill de Blasio put it. On Saturday, hours before the blast in Chelsea, there was another explosion near the boardwalk in the resort town of Seaside Heights, N.J., where a Marine Corps race was about to begin. There were no injuries reported.
4 ARTS & LIFE
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 DAILY49ER.COM | ARTSNLIFED49ER@GMAIL.COM
Never go back into the woods “Blair Witch” softreboots the franchise with boring horror tropes. By Ross Siev
Contributing Writer
“Blair Witch, ” a modern take on the 1999 film “Blair Witch Project”, contains the same essential story beats as its predecessor without any discerning twists and turns. Set 20 years after the first film, James (James Allen McCune) discovers evidence his sister Heather, the previous film’s protagonist, might be alive. James sets out to the Black Hills Forest with documentary film student Lisa (Callie Hernandez), best friend Peter (Brandon Scott) and his girlfriend Ashley (Corbin Reid) to find his missing sister. Along the way, the group partners with couple Lane (Wes Robinson) and Talia (Valorie Curry), two Blair Witch buffs who discovered the video evidence in the dense and highly populated woods. Their situation starts to go awry as things go bump in the night and mysterious happenings begin to occur. As the previous film already established, it’s clear that most likely everyone will die, which sucks out most of the sus-
pense. Director Adam Wingard wasted no time to quickly get into the lore of the supernatural elements by building off of the witch’s powers. By this point, the audience is already aware of the witch and her capabilities, but most of her background is needlessly retconned. Like “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Creed,” this soft-reboot stars a new cast while continuing the story and including additions to the overall lore of the universe. But, while the two aforementioned films followed some of the same beats while keeping the story fresh, “Blair Witch” is a modern-remake with terrible execution. Poor utilization of elements from “Blair Witch Project” betrays the documentary-style elements with fancier, Hollywood-style gear and the usage of typical horror movie tropes. Classic clichés such as loud jarring noises, jump-scares, characters becoming overly scared and the black guy dying first have all ruined an otherwise potentially great soft-reboot. The film feels like it’s going on forever, despite only reaching the 90-minute mark. Half of the film is spent setting up the outing to the woods and the characters; and the second half is screaming, running, and sticks being broken. Perhaps the most exhilarating part was the final act, where small corridors of the dilapidated house in the forest come into play.
“Blair Witch” is shot through various cameras that each character uses. One major change is the use of point-of-view wearable cameras with amazing picture perfect quality that beats out GoPro. The film also wants to remind that it’s very much like its predecessor by giving the Blair Witch buffs an older camera that contrasts the modern high-tech. The problem here is that after the success of “Blair Witch Project,” many horror films utilized the same documentary style. “Paranormal Activity” kept things fresh by twisting that filmmaking aspect by utilizing security footage. “Blair Witch” didn’t exactly reinvigorate the formula, nor build upon it. Even though “Blair Witch Project” didn’t exactly invent the fictional documentary style, it felt like watching a real life documentary film made by film students. Whereas the previous film was created with an indie film budget of $60,000 oppose to “Blair Witch’s” $5 million budget, there is a larger loss of horror when it was beautifully shot with various cameras that otherwise felt more Hollywood than indie. I hope that in the “Blair Witch 3,” anyone who happens to find the next footage gives it to the FBI, let some of their agents stay overnight in the forest, and if anyone disappears, napalms the woods and build a strip mall. That will at least provide some closure on the whole series.
Chris Helcermanas-Benge | Lionsgate | TNS
Valorie Curry as Talia in a scene from the movie “Blair Witch” directed by Adam Wingard.
ARTS & LIFE 5
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 DAILY49ER.COM | ARTSNLIFED49ER@GMAIL.COM
Blow off steam at the CSULB cinema “Finding Dory” is screening for free at the USU. By Laura Manriquez Staff Writer
One of the biggest struggles of college is being able to afford it; books, classes and parking permits may place a big financial burden on students. Some kinds of recreation, such as a $13 movie at the local theater, might not be an option for students. Beach Pride Events as a way to
support its students, created “Movies on the House” and the best part is that it is free. Throughout every semester Beach Pride Events hosts six movies that were selected through a survey sent out to CSULB through BeachSync and social media. This semester’s first film screenings will be Tuesday and Thursday. According to Program Manager Taylor Buhler-Scott, the online survey contains several movies that individuals can vote for to have their favorites projected on campus. The six movies with the majority of votes get to be showcased on campus. These events were designed to
help students relieve the stress school produces. “It’s a chance for individuals to escape the duties of school and give their mind a break,” Buhler said. “By choosing to showcase it in our auditorium, it creates the illusion that you are [at] some off-campus cinema … leaving behind any homework or projects and just enjoy[ing] a few hours of entertainment.” Movies are shown at the USU Beach Auditorium on the first floor of the USU. The hours for the showcase movies are 3:30, 6:00, and 8:30 p.m. but students are recommended to arrive to the auditorium 15 minutes before showtime to allow time
for check in and seats availability. The number of attendees for each movie depends on the movie they are showing. Well-known movies will gather more people. As reported by Buhler, bigger movies “such as the new Star Wars film, drew upwards of 150 people.” The cost of the pictures are free with student ID and non-students are allowed for a low cost of $5. It is noteworthy that there is no limit on the amount of non-student people a CSULB student can bring to the movies. If attendees feel like saving even more, they are welcome to bring their own snacks to the auditorium.
Otherwise, campus has a concession stand in front of the auditorium with sodas, water, popcorn and candy to be purchased. This week, Beach Pride Events is showing “Finding Dory.” The sequel to the highly successful “Finding Nemo” meets up with Marlin and the crew as forgetful Dory finds herself on a mission to discover her origins and track down her parents. “Finding Dory” will make audiences feel like a kid again for a few hours in the midst of University life. The movie promises laugh, tenderness, and a life lesson about the value of family and real friendship.
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6 OPINIONS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 DAILY49ER.COM | OPEDD49ER@GMAIL.COM
Social media’s impact on the heartbroken college student By Nubia Valdez Staff Writer
S
o you’re going through a breakup and you’ve got a midterm in a few days — you’ve come to the drastic conclusion that the end of the world is nigh. Not only are you going through a somber state of emotional agony, but you’re also about to fail that freaking test. Moreover, social media doesn’t seem to be making matters any better for your heartbroken soul. The temptation to “check up” on an ex is very present — almost like the Instagram “search” bar is calling you over and telling you, “Your ex is probably moving on. Don’t you want to know who your replacement is?” Snapchat is whispering, “Post that selfie — make them jealous.” Facebook is exclaiming, “That status they posted was about you.” Finally, your messaging app is trying to lure your fingers over that keyboard so you can type out: “I miss you.” In this generation of excessive social media use,a relationship in actuality is only as legitimate as it is in virtual reality. When my ex updated his social media’s information from “in a relationship” to “single,” it was a defining moment for me. It’s been a few months now and although the memories of my last relationship which lasted for three years are prevalent in my mind, I’ve been able to put my nerves at ease. After all, breakups are a very nerve-wracking situation to be in. What made the end of my long-term relationship even more distressing was the fact that my boyfriend told me he was happier without me and didn’t miss me at all. Surprisingly enough, his harsh words weren’t what hurt me the most — the changes he made to his social network accounts were. My ex had deleted any post, picture and status
that had to do with being in a relationship with me. Now, mix the devastation of being dumped by someone you once deemed your world with the stressors that come with being a college student and you’ve got yourself a miserable time. It comes down to one question, “How do I handle this breakup without driving myself completely insane?” Changing your mentality from one that is reliant on keeping track of your ex’s whereabouts to one that strives for personal greatness is key to getting through this grief-stricken time.
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How to overcome a breakup in the online age.
In this generation of excessive social media use, a relationship in actuality is only as legitimate as it is in virtual reality.
Chances are you can’t put your phone down — and that’s even when you’re not going through a breakup — so you’ll need some serious self-control. If your ex was what you consider a “toxic” person and did some serious damage to your life then by all means, block them online. Get their online presence away from yours— it’ll help keep them at a (virtual) distance. Now, if you’re still hung up on that ex and are a victim of what you consider a totally unfair breakup, this is where blocking might not be the right choice. Instead, it’s up to you to stop looking at their page, posts and pictures. Essentially, the solution is to look for something else to obsess over — something that will do you some actual good. I recommend staying away from social media as much, and improving your academic life. Your syllabus’ are probably filled
Daily 49er Micayla Vermeeren Editor-in-Chief eicd49er@gmail.com (562) 985-7998
Miranda Andrade-Ceja Managing Editor managingd49er@gmail.com
with reading assignments, maybe it’s time to actually start doing some reading. Rather than writing out long status’ describing how difficult the situation you’re going through is — save that energy for any essays or reports due this semester. You’ll end up saving yourself the embarrassment of sharing something extremely personal with all of your followers and, in turn, end up getting an awesome grade in your class. Now, sharing your grievances with loved ones isn’t a bad idea — it’s actually very healing. However, there is a clear difference between having a curative oneon-one with a friend and sharing emo lyrics directed toward your ex with the world. Moreover, don’t be that social media user that posts the “I’m completely over you and don’t need you” kind of statuses, when you’re thinking about that failed relationship day in and day out. Rather post only when completely necessary — give yourself that time to heal and be genuine — especially when it comes to your online persona. Now, social media has made it very accessible to meet someone new. The lyrics to rapper, Yo Gotti’s “Down in the DM” song say a lot about the way this generation communicates online. With that said, avoid jumping into another relationship too quickly — transition dating may only end up making you miss your ex-lover even more if you’re not completely over them. Breakups are difficult; however, the way you go about them online can make all the difference when it comes to overcoming one. Quit obsessing over your ex’s selfies, stop updating your status with harsh words toward that person and accept the fact that the relationship is over. You might have heard it plenty of times before but focusing on bettering yourself, while single, is one of the best things you can do after such a traumatic event. After all, you want to be in solid emotional shape when that “right” person slides in your DM, someday.
Editorial Office Phone (562) 985-8000 Fax (562) 985-7994
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News Editor Michaela Kwoka-Coleman cityd49er@gmail.com Arts and Life Editor Jason Enns artsnlifed49er@gmail.com Sports Editor Matthew Simon sportsd49er@gmail.com
Breakup Do’s and Don’ts
Don’t promote your relationship status online. So you went from “taken” to “single,” world will get out on its own. There is no need for you to send out a mass blast about your break-up. Remember to be subtle. Do block your ex. Save yourself the detective work and unfriend him or her. Being friends with your ex only encourages you to snoop around their page or re-kindle or a failed relationship. Don’t stalk them. Everyone’s guilty of checking on their ex’s account after a breakup but don’t make it a habit. You’re only hurting yourself when you consistently check on what they’re up to. Do relax. Take a breather. So what if your ex moved on with their life? Don’t immediately share your anger with all of your followers online through annoying posts. Moreover, refrain from messaging your ex. Let them go — someone amazing will come along to keep you company sooner or later.
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SPORTS 7
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 DAILY49ER.COM | SPORTSD49ER@GMAIL.COM DODGERS
Rick Loomis | Los Angeles Times
Vin Scully looks at his wife Sandra Hunt while holding a new Vin Scully Avenue sign during a ceremony held for him and the renaming of a street leading into Dodger Stadium on April 11.
Vin Scully dropping the mic with class By Neil Best Newsday
Vin Scully was on the phone Monday, sounding and acting so much like Vin Scully that it was as if someone were doing a convincing impression of Vin Scully. That’s the way it is with iconic public figures, who after decades in the spotlight become so familiar they begin to seem less like real people and more like stylized versions of themselves. Scully knows that, which is why as he enters the final two weeks of his 67-season run calling Dodgers games he is doing his best to help the rest of us keep him in perspective. Not easy. Not when there are people now in their late 70s for whom Scully’s calls are a fond childhood memory. Not when Scully, 88, just can’t help
telling memorable stories and effortlessly coming up with memorable lines even as he insists all he did was describe the accomplishments of others for twothirds of a century. Scully was on an hourlong call with reporters when I asked what it has been like to spend the season being showered with admiration as he prepares to bid farewell after the Oct. 2 regular-season finale in San Francisco. “First of all, I attribute it to one thing and one thing only: God’s grace to allow me to do what I’ve been doing for 67 years,” he said. “To me, that’s really the story. It’s not me. I’m just a vessel that was passed hand to hand down through all those years. So I don’t take it to heart as some great compliment.” He added, “It is a little embarrassing, to be honest. I’m uncomfortable with it. I’ve never wanted to get out in front of the game. I mean, gee whiz, Giants and
Dodgers tonight. I don’t want people to think: Oh, this is Vin’s last whatever. I just want people to enjoy the Giants and Dodgers.” Scully has resisted all pleas to add to his regular duties this season, including joining Fox at the All-Star Game in San Diego or to work Dodgers playoff games next month. “Then it would be even worse,” he said. “I also didn’t want to say goodbye like they do in grand opera; they say goodbye 25 times in 15 minutes. I’ll be saying goodbye to the people here in Dodger Stadium. I’ll be saying goodbye to baseball in general when I leave in San Francisco. “I couldn’t possibly think, then I’m going to say goodbye from, let’s just say Washington or New York, and I’m doing radio in the playoffs. It just didn’t work right for me. To me we’ll tie the ribbon on the package in San Francisco, and
D49er SPORTS
that will be it.” Finishing up with a Dodgers-Giants game has resonance for Scully beyond the ancient rivalry that he experienced growing up in Manhattan and attending Fordham. The poet in Scully loves the fact his final game will be on the anniversary of when he first became a fan of the sport and of the Giants. On Oct. 2, 1936, he was walking home from grammar school when he saw the line score of Game 2 of the World Series in the window of a laundry. The Yankees had beaten the Giants, 18-4, at the nearby Polo Grounds. “As a little boy my first reaction was, ‘Oh, the poor Giants,’ “ he said. Soon he began attending Giants games, years before working with their hated rivals. His finale, he said, “will be exactly 80 years to the minute from when I first fell in love with the game. So it seems like
the plan was laid out for me, and all I had to do was follow the instructions.” Scully has many more stories of how he found and pursued his life’s work, including sitting under the radio as a child absorbing the rumbling sounds of crowds at college football games in faroff places such as Alabama and Michigan. “I would just be covered in goose bumps,” he said. “I would listen and eventually I got into ‘Gee, I would love to be there.’ “ He wrote newspaper columns in high school and college and thought he might follow that path, but at Fordham he found himself at the radio station, and the rest has been broadcasting history. The rest of the world has acknowledged as much this season, with players and managers making the long trek from the visitors’ clubhouse at Dodger Stadium to see him in his booth.
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8 SPORTS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 DAILY49ER.COM | SPORTSD49ER@GMAIL.COM
COLUMN
Los Angeles: This could be fun
With 91,000 fans in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Rams beat Seattle 9-3. By Matthew Simon Sports Editor
Breaking news: Los Angeles is ready for the NFL. Although it’s been 22 years since the team headed to St. Louis, Sunday was an example of what football can be in Los Angeles. 91,000 roaring spectators had the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum rocking with excitement as they welcomed back the Rams as they took on the Seattle Seahawks. It was a spectacle. It was a city answering the call to prove why the team came back. It was everything you’d expect with celebrities scattered throughout the stadium and Hollywood just drive up the 405. The timing couldn’t have been better for the return – with Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar Kobe Bryant retiring this past season, the city had a void to fill. NBA star Lebron James was greeted with Kobe chants as he paced the Rams’ sideline – which was should come as no surprise for a city who rooted for Kobe, who won five championships with the Lakers in his 20 year career. It’s a transitional period for Los Angeles, as the city has become used to winning championships. While the Kings and Galaxy have each won multiple championships as well, nothing gets the city rocking like the Lakers when won championships.
Luis Sinco | Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Rams defenders Lamarcus Joyner, left, Alec Ogkletree, Michael Brockers and Aaron Donald try to get the crowd to make noise in the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Sept. 18 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Rams beat the Seahawks in their home opener, 9-3.
Figueroa Avenue in front of Staples Center was filled with people during championship parades, and no team has come close to the Lakers when they win a title. With the Lakers’ roster full a young talent, a championship isn’t in the near future, but the Rams are in the perfect
position to give Los Angeles a team to cheer for. In their 9-3 win against the Seahawks, fans were introduced to the Rams defense that is filled with talent worthy of public admiration. Aaron Donald, a rising star in the league, leads L.A.’s tenacious defense
that frustrated Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson all afternoon. Along with Donald, the Rams offense is highlighted by 2015 NFL Rookie of the Year Todd Gurley, who is sure to electrify the crowd with his shifty running and breakaway speed. It was the first game, but after the
preseason and home opener the sample size makes it safe to say that the team is ready to fill the Coliseum. As the Rams new stadium is being built in Inglewood, fans can hope it’s only a matter of time until the team brings relevance to the City of Champions.
C a m p u s Vo i c e
What are your thoughts on the Rams returning to Los Angeles?
“It’s a great thing that we finally have a football team once again, but the only thing that I highly dislike is the traffic they cause. Especially since I live a couple of blocks away from the Coliseum.” —Joseph Mora, junior, art-photography major
“I think it’s weird because I’m used to only knowing about the San Diego and San Francisco teams.”
“It will be good for the city. It will give people something to rally around.”
—Jennifer Torres, junior, communications and comparative literature major
— Curtis Lam, senior, japanese major
“I personally don’t care about sports. It does not impact me, but I can see the pride in having one. Just like the Kings. I think it will be good for revenue and it would be good for the city’s spirit.” — Min Sung Lee, senior, communications major
Miguel Vargas | Daily 49er