D 49
LONG BEACH STATE | VOL. LXX, ISSUE 7 | SEPTEMBER 24, 2018
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A new committee forms to revise the general education requirements for undergraduate students.
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change s are a
comin’
2 NEWS
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 | DAILY49ER.COM | D49ERNEWS@GMAIL.COM
INSIDE
Daily 49er
THE
NINER Carpenter Center holds memorial for Carolyn Bremer page 5 K-pop appropriates Black culture, creates struggle for fans page 9 Women’s soccer ties LMU in double overtime page 11 ON THE COVER
Academic senators voted to create a new committee to revise the General Education and Campus-Specific Graduation Requirements. The committee has two weeks to complete revisions and present them to the Academic Senate.
Redshirt senior attacker Lovro Miocevic attempts a goal against No. 2 UCLA Friday AUSTIN BRUMBLAY | Daily 49er
Illustration by EMMA DIMAGGIO | Daily 49er
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stitutionalization of voter registration on campus to further educate students on voting and how and where to register outside of campus. The group says it’ll start conducting outreach with freshman via housing unit packets at orientation. - Matt Ramirez
The current student government members voted on new senators to represent their respective colleges Mateo Maya from the College of Business Administration declared that he has the skills that the Lobby Corps is looking for. Maya plans to inform more students on the services available to them by LBSU, including the Beach Pantry. Maya also seeks to increase the presence of the California State University in the state government and provide more voting information to students. “My goal for this
position is to focus on raising awareness and improving access to student resources because most of the students don’t know of the benefits and resources that the school provides,” Maya said. College of the Arts Senator-at-Large Billy Rudy made a proposal aiming to unify the different schools in the college, which he believes are distant. - Matt Ramirez
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The Associated Students Inc. Senate voted on instituting voter registration at Long Beach State Senator-at-large Omar Prudencio Gonzalez declared the biomedical engineering department made progress receiving grants to continue their work in developing biomechanical limbs and continuing student research. The League of Women Voters requested the in-
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Editorials: All opinions expressed in the columns, letters and cartoons in this issue are those of the writers or artists. The opinions of the Daily 49er are expressed only in unsigned editorials and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the journalism department or the views of all staff members. All such editorials are written by the editorial board of the Daily 49er. 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, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 | DAILY49ER.COM | D49ERNEWS@GMAIL.COM
ACADEMIC SENATE
From two to three, a new group takes on GE Senators vote to create additional committee to review a new general education policy and graduation requirements.
By Emma DiMaggio
Assistant News Editor ekdimaggio
Prospective Long Beach State students may face a new set of graduation requirements due to ongoing revisions of the current general education policy. Members of the Academic Senate voted to create a third committee Thursday to revise the General Education and Campus-Specific Graduation Requirements policy after some members voiced concerns of inequity in the initial committees. The Curriculum and Educational Policies Council and an ad hoc committee are currently revising the GEGR policy. The university has had 18 months to rewrite this policy, but because of some objections from the different colleges on campus, they’re now working on a time constraint. To help streamline this process, Brian Jersky, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, who is also a voting senator, proposed the creation of an additional ad hoc committee. The committee will be tasked with reading over and proposing revisions to the GEGR document created by the CEPC and initial ad hoc committee. “As we’ve talked about, time is really of the essence in this process,” Jersky said. “I certainly realize that this will require a quick and concentrated work, but I think it’s feasible in order to expedite the process.” The ad hoc committee was passed, without a first or second reading, by a vote of 35 to 20. The new committee will include one faculty member from each of the colleges, and an additional member who has knowledge of executive orders. This additional member will sit in on readings and make sure that members without a comprehensive knowledge of state legislature will not begin to
make demands that cannot be fulfilled. Despite the fact that the two committees were created by elected officials, some college representatives said they feel that their interests were not upheld by their representatives on the initial committees. “The [body of the committee] doesn’t represent all colleges, so it kind of sways the process or does not take into consideration some of the very unique qualities of different colleges,” Nancy Matthews, health and human services senator, said. “Those colleges that have degree programs, that have their own accreditation, is one of the very glaring examples [of what isn’t represented in the new policy].” A formal notice was sent out from five different faculty councils, each representing five different colleges, stating that the committee drafting the policy did not have not equal representation. The College of Health and Human Services, the College of Engineering, the College of Business, the College of the Arts and the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics issued the notice. “You’re starting off at a point which is swayed toward, or not really inclusive, of the complexity of colleges,” Matthews said. Policies like this usually go through the General Education and Governing Committee. However, according to liberal arts senator and academic senate chair Norbert Schürer, GEGC was not involved in the creation of this policy due to time constraints. The Academic Senate’s focus last year was on collecting information regarding policy change, where over 250 tenure-line faculty and 1,150 total faculty members responded to the survey. The analysis of this survey was used as a basis for the initial ad hoc committee. Due to the time it took to gather this information, Schürer said it was too late for GEGC to be involved in the creation of the policy. The initial ad hoc committee was com-
Illustration by EMMA DIMAGGIO | Daily 49er
Five different faculty councils, each from a different college, released a notice stating that the general education drafting committees did not provide equal representation for their colleges. prised of incoming, outgoing and former chair members of GEPC, as well as the dean of graduate studies, the vice provost and the associate vice president for undergraduate studies. “Yes, that turned out to have a sort of skewing in terms of colleges,” Schürer said. “But people were chosen for their expertise in GE and in writing policy.” Initially, 15 minutes were allotted for the discussion of the committee, but that time was extended several times as debate continued on the senate floor. “No matter what happens in the new group, the same robust discussions and modifications and amendments are going to happen in [the Academic Senate] once it comes back to the floor,” Alexandra “Misty” Jaffe, liberal arts senator, said. “I’m not sure that putting in that extra step will con-
tribute a lot.” The new committee has a deadline of Oct. 4, two weeks from its creation, to revise or recreate the proposed policy. “It boils down to trust, because once this policy is finally voted on and put into place, we want to make sure that everyone at least had a seat at the table, not just through reporting to their representatives on CEPC and GEGC,” Ryan Fischer, senator from the college of Health and Human Services, said. “That everyone will say, ‘Okay, from a trust point of view, we don’t feel like anything was steamrolled through or pushed through too quickly. Everyone had a seat on the table.’” The revisions will be proposed at the next Academic Senate meeting, which will take place on Thursday, Oct. 4 in the Towner Auditorium from 2 to 4 p.m.
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 | DAILY49ER.COM | D49ERNEWS@GMAIL.COM
CRIME BLOTTER
Bike thefts, stalking report and hate crime vandalism By Grant Hermanns
General Assignment Editor grantheftautho
Stalking
A female student arrived at the University Police Department Sept. 13 to file a report that someone was stalking her. The victim told the reporting officers that the subject was repeatedly texting her the night before. “We have an ongoing case of a stalking whereby our victim is reporting that the subject in this case is texting her, wanting to talk about things,” University Police Lt. Richard Goodwin said. “These matters we look into seriously, to safeguard the victim.”
Bike thefts
There were three reported bike thefts between Sept. 14 and 17, with two of the reports occurring within two hours of each
other. The first occurred on Sept. 14 when a student in the G building of the Parkside dorms called to report that their bike, which they hadn’t seen in a week, had been stolen. The student described the bike as a black fixie-style with a racing stripe valued somewhere between $80-100. The second theft was reported as being stolen Sept. 17 in front of the College of Business Administration building sometime between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The bike, which was not given any description, is valued at somewhere between $750 and $800. The third bike theft was reported by the student on Sept. 17. The bike was registered with UPD, but no value on the bike nor a description was given to the police. A description on how the bike was secured was not reported by the victim. Despite the three bike thefts in a three-day span, Goodwin said the amount reported thus far is less this year than in the past.
Hate crime vandalism
A female victim filed a vandalism report for her car on Sept. 17. The car, a gray 2012 Toyota Corolla, had a swastika carved into the trunk located beneath a window sticker for her church. “It says here, ‘The victim did not notice the damage to her vehicle until a week and a half later, and she is uncertain if the damage occurred on campus or elsewhere,’” Goodwin said. “Apparently she was parked on campus when she saw it, but it could’ve been done somewhere not on campus, as she addressed here.” A report was filed on the case, but no suspect information or leads have been found yet. Goodwin says the investigator will review the camera footage from whatever parking lots the victim parked in.
CARLOS VILLICANA | Daily 49er
The Parkside dorms are where the first of three reported bike thefts occurred.
NEWS 5
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 | DAILY49ER.COM | D49ERNEWS@GMAIL.COM
MEMORIAL
Singing one last note for Carolyn Bremer Friends, family, students, faculty and alumni gathered at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center to honor the late associate director of the Conservatory.
Violinist Moni Simeonov performs “The Storyteller” by James M. Stephenson, at Carolyn Bremer’s memorial Friday, Sep. 21. SABRINA FLORES | Daily 49er
By Paula Kiley
Multimedia Assistant paulakileyy
A
udience members fought back tears as both alumni and students filled the stage and lined the aisles of the Carpenter Performing Arts Center auditorium to sing a final goodbye for Carolyn Bremer. The Bob Cole Conservatory of Music held a memorial to celebrate the life of the late Carolyn Bremer, associate director of the Conservatory. Carolyn died unexpectedly on Sept. 2 due to a rare side effect of her dermatomyositis, an extremely rare autoimmune disease that affects the muscles and skin. Over 700 friends, family, students, faculty and alumni attended the memorial Friday donned in clothing that reflected Carolyn’s various interests from Dodgers shirts to a complete Princess Leia costume. “We designed [the memorial] in the hopes that it would be something we think she would enjoy,” said Lianne Bremer, Carolyn’s sister. A brass quintet greeted attendees at the patio with bright fanfares, setting the celebratory tone that car-
ried on throughout the memorial. Lianne delivered a heartfelt eulogy, comprised of a collection of warm anecdotes that brought the entire room to both tears of laughter and sorrow. The compilation of memories, from their childhood to days before Carolyn’s passing, was broken up by performances from The Eulogettes, an all-male vocal quartet comprised of Carolyn’s former students. Alex Stephens, one of the four vocalists and a 2011 alumnus, didn’t hesitate when he was contacted to be a part of the memorial program. “I needed to be there,” Stephens said. “[Carolyn] absolutely more than deserves for me to be there and to put in whatever it takes to help this service take place.” Performances by The Eulogettes were sprinkled throughout the eulogy as a soundtrack to Carolyn’s life, delivering comical lyrics sung to the themes of “Dr. Who,” “Star Wars” and “Harry Potter”— a few of Carolyn’s favorites, according to Lianne. Senior vocal performance major Kelsey Reynolds recalled Carolyn’s character and spirit, relating it to one of Carolyn’s favorite book series. “She was literally the Dumbledore of our Conservatory with just how positive and loving she was,” Reynolds said. “She was always the first one to talk about
self care and generosity and caring about others.” The memorial served as a space for those in attendance to remember and honor Carolyn. Her life was honored in various ways such as instrumental performances, vocal performances, poems and a segment called “Facebook memories” where excerpts of posts written on Carolyn’s timeline following her passing were read aloud by Heidi Harger and Emma McAllister, former students and close friends. “It’s overwhelming — the outpour of love and support,” Lianne said. “I know she loved [the students and faculty] and now I got to hear them love her.” Generations of Carolyn’s students throughout her 17 years at the Conservatory came together to sing “Irish Blessing,” filling the room with a decade of voices that knew and loved Carolyn. The performance was conducted by Jonathan Talberg, director of choral, vocal and opera studies at the Conservatory. “The Bob Cole Conservatory of Music has become a village and we owe a lot of that becoming a village to the woman that we celebrate today,” Talberg said. The Carolyn Bremer Memorial Fund for Student Excellence was established by the Conservatory in Carolyn’s honor. Funds will go towards helping underserved and under-funded students.
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 | DAILY49ER.COM | D49ERNEWS@GMAIL.COM
The off-site lot will no longer be available for students after Oct. 18. Permit holders will have their overflow permits function as regular student permits. RYAN GUITARE | Daily 49er
TRANSPORTATION
Shuttle stops still a problem with overflow parking Students parking at the off-site lot have to rely on bus lines and shuttle stops, the latter of which run through campus until 4:45 p.m. By Jaron Cofield
Contributing Writer
W
ith tens of thousands of students commuting to campus daily, parking on campus remains a problem for campus members. The university’s introduction of off-site parking permits has attempted to alleviate some of that traffic congestion. After one month of implementing the overflow sites, Long Beach State has fielded feedback from both sides. The off-site lot, which was introduced in July and available to students in August, is located two miles away from campus on Bellflower Boulevard and Spring Street near a Denny’s and a Verizon Wireless store. Students who have purchased overflow permits are able to park in the designated area and be picked up and dropped off by shuttles that stop every 15 minutes.
The permits sold quickly at $65, which is less than half of a regular student permit priced at $140 and were limited to 370 during the initiative’s first year. A primary complaint student permit holders face is timing with the shuttles. Tina Hu, a masters student in education, purchased the overflow permit because it was cheaper than regular parking. She uses the shuttle to get to campus. “I like how the shuttle will pick me up,” Hu said. “But since my class starts so late, I’ll get a shuttle there but not a shuttle back.” This is because the last shuttle to run leaves campus at 4:45pm. Anyone who has a class that ends at that time or later will not be able to use the shuttle service. Any student with classes beginning before 8 a.m. will have a similar problem because the first shuttle doesn’t depart until 8 a.m. “We have fielded a few questions in regard to availability [of] bus routes if students miss the last shuttle for the overflow lot,” said Jeff Bliss, execu-
tive director of media and digital news. “Long Beach Transit’s 91 and 93 buses depart directly from campus and drop off in front of the overflow lot.” According to the Parking and Transportation website, the site will close after Oct. 18, and off-site permits will resume as regular student parking permits. Regardless of the shuttle troubles, the discounted price of the overflow permit was enough for students to justify parking off campus. “It’s really nice,” Katie Brown, journalism major said. “It’s really easy to park here, especially for the first couple of weeks cause everyone’s getting there [campus] so early.” Bliss said the program has received a lot of positive feedback so far despite the shuttle troubles. “After seeing the success, we will be considering this program again in the future,” Bliss said. “[The lot] has provided another convenient parking option that eliminates the need to search for parking. It has also reduced the demand for parking on campus and as a result, reduced congestion.”
NEWS 7
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MONUMENT
Prospector Pete is retired as LBSU’s mascot By Sahara Barba & Karla Lopez Staff Writers
President Jane Close Conoley sent out an email to the campus announcing the official “retirement” of the 51-year-old Prospector Pete mascot Thursday afternoon. “Inclusive excellence is a core value of the Long Beach State University community,”
Conoley said in a statement. “Our work in this arena is never done. We want to ensure that we hear from as many people as possible who have a stake not only in the issue at hand, but also in the life and history of our campus.” The statue will be moved from the front of Liberal Arts 5 to an alumni center, which is still in development. An Associated Students Inc. March resolution helped initiate the move to retire Prospector Pete and argued prospectors’ role in the colonization of Indigenous American communities as a reason for the move. Long Beach State was established in 1949, more than 100 years after the California gold rush. The university was constructed on top of Puvungna village, a burial site of the Los Angeles-based Indigenous Tongva Tribe. The statue, formally called the Forty-Niner Prospector, was built by Ben Baker in March 1967, and has since received criticism from American Indigenous campus members and ASI. “All the people that are older, [who] fell in love ... with the 49er mascot, they have these associations that for them is inspiring.” said Craig Stone, director of American Indian Studies. “For us, we know a different history. For us, it’s an icon of genocide. But if that’s not your history you never knew that stuff.”
While some current students are pleased with the decision, others are concerned about erasing a part of history. Sarah Torres, an English education major, is in support of the prospector’s retirement, stating that she sees it as a symbol of colonialism. “I think it’s actually a really great change,” Torres said. “I kind of feel like a lot of universities are realizing that what they’re having as their symbols actually have history behind it.” Deon Williams, a sophomore history major, is opposed to having an animal mascot. “I’m just tired of seeing animals honestly,” Williams said. “Then we wouldn’t be the 49ers, unless we just have a nugget. Maybe someone can dress up as a nugget.” Williams thinks no one should forget the history of the prospectors. “I’m not rocking with that Prospector Pete, but I understand that it’s been around for a long time, so people have to get used to it and not try to ignore the past,” Williams said. As a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, history major and Native American cultures minor Christopher Wilson asked his parents about their opinion on Prospector Pete prior to the announced retirement. Wilson’s parents stated they weren’t offended by it at all. However, Wil-
RYAN GUITARE | Daily 49er
The Prospector Pete statue will be moved to an unfinished alumni center.
son’s biggest concern is that in removing Prospector Pete people will forget an important part of history. “Well if we take [the statue] away, will we still get the same type of debate and discussion and controversy as we would if it wasn’t here?” Wilson said.
8 ARTS & LIFE
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 | DAILY49ER.COM | ARTSNLIFED49ER@GMAIL.COM
PERFORMANCE
Students open up at semesterly Poet’s Lounge By Jose Ahumada
Contributing Writer
The University Student Union Sunset Lounge was filled with intensity, laughter and the sounds of fingers snapping as both first-time performers and regular poets expressed their deepest emotions through originally written works. Beach Pride Events hosted this semester’s first Poet’s Lounge Thursday night. Poet’s Lounge is an open mic program where students and guests are invited to showcase their talents through poetry, spoken word and songs in an intimate and welcoming setting. Admission is free to the general public and anyone is able to perform or sit in and en-
joy the fun atmosphere while indulging in fruit, cookies and hot chocolate. “Beach Pride Events hopes that Poet’s Lounge creates a safe space for students to share their talents and meet people who might have similar interests or talents,” Beach Pride Events coordinator, Parker Chalmers said. “Students often perform spoken word poetry, sing, tell jokes and basically just about anything that lets them be themselves while receiving support from fellow students.” While some took the microphone for the first time, others showed experience shedding their emotions on the stage. One of the poets was freshman, psychology major Brianna Williams who performed raps titled “Millennials Masquerade” and “Got It Bads.” “I have been writing poetry since I was
11,” Williams said. “My poem “Millennial’s Masquerade” is about the millennial generation struggling to defy societal norm and being their truest self. My poem “Got it Bads” is a reference to the song by “U Got it Bad” where I needed a homecoming date to stunt on people at my school and wound up falling madly in love with the person who took me to homecoming, due to how extraordinary he treated me.” Another participant in Poet’s Lounge was Aldo Moreno, a transfer student who said his writing is inspired by people and things he encounters in his daily life, which he then translates into his work. “Usually, I get inspired from experiences I’ve had with people and I start thinking about them later on,” Moreno said. “The person who first inspired me was musician Lou Reed.”
USU Marketing Manager Aaron Elimelech, started the event in 1997. He thought students would benefit from a program like this on campus after being inspired by the film “Love Jones.” ”We really wanted to encourage an open environment where everyone was welcome to express themselves without judgment,” Elimelech said. “I thought it was a cool opportunity for people musical or not to have this experience.” His hope for the event has come true for the most part, as students have taken to the night as a way to unwind and sometimes, promote original works in progress. Poet’s Lounge event will take place the third Thursday of each month with the next Poet’s Lounge on Oct. 18 and the last one on Nov. 15.
ARTS & LIFE 9
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POP CULTURE
K-pop singer and rapper CL, left, in the music video for her song “The Baddest Female.” CL received backlash due to supposed “gang imagery.” Popular boy group EXO’s Kai, right, donning cornrows in the group’s “Wolf” video. Youtube
The struggles of being a being a Black K-pop fan Cultural appropriation is a common barrier that many fans of the genre find themselves facing, both in sound and vision. By Faith Petrie
Arts and Life Editor petriefaith
Yo, what did you say, girl?! Mhm, you ain’t doin’ that!” My face twisted with disgust while I watched the over-exaggerated impression of a Black woman play out by Korean girl group Red Velvet member, Wendy. The wagged finger, neck rolling and gravelly voice was sadly something I was all too familiar with. The day I discovered my first Korean pop or K-pop music video was the day I was introduced to a whole new side of the music industry I never imagined could exist. The video may arguably be the “gateway drug” for many K-pop fans was popular group, EXO’s “Call Me Baby.” From the second the video started, I was drawn in. While the music wasn’t necessarily different from Western music, a good song paired with solid vocals coming from the mouths of attractive men is a telltale recipe for disaster. From that point on I listened exclusively to K-music: K-pop, K-rap and K-R&B. Despite the language barrier, I found myself drawn in by the beats of their music and the flow of their words. Growing up, I was all too comfortable with the sounds of hip-hop ranging from old-time classics like Run DMC to newer artists like Lil Wayne and Kanye West. When I found K-pop, my father would often note how the music sounded Black. My brother made the same comment, which made me begin to consider differently. After several others made the same observation, I started to take note. Being a two year veteran of K-music I’ve learned to look
past the surface level glitter of the music and delve deeper into the very obvious and sometimes completely stereotypical portrayal of hip-hop and Black culture that is imitated in Korean music. Seo Taiji and the Boys were a popular group in the ‘90s that revolutionized the way Korean society viewed what could be deemed as popular music. The group used elements of Western-style music including rap and rock to introduce a brand new sound to a lax music scene. Donning baggy clothes, bucket hats and the occasional dreads, Seo Taiji and the Boys laid down the path for future groups to walk on. Fast forward to today and you can see many Korean groups walking that same path set by Seo Taiji and the Boys but now it seems like it’s on steroids. Today, there are twice as many members to one group versus Seo Taiji and the Boy’s three. Groups usually have a couple of good dancers, singers and a solid rapper — mix and match this as you please, sort of like a game of Tetris if you will. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for sharing culture. I’m from America, the melting-pot of the world but here’s where things get a bit tricky. K-pop relies heavily on Black culture. They rely not only on the musical aspect of Black culture but also the look of it. I use the term look loosely but here’s what I mean: EXO’s member’s Kai donned cornrows in the “Wolf” music video and has worn other braided hairstyles since then. BTS’s RM, sported a kinky, afro style during the early years of his group’s debut in around 2013. And the appropriation doesn’t stop at boy groups. Disbanded girl group 2NE1’s leader, CL has often come under fire for her usage of stereotypical black culture. So what’s the problem. Am I being an overly sensitive, an-
gry Black American? Am I stuck in the history of my ancestors past? I would say no to both of these options. It’s not uncommon for K-pop idols to be put under fire for their usage of the n-word or their appropriation of Black culture and what is considered “acting Black” by the general public. While I enjoy the music of many of those found sitting in the hot seat, it’s necessary for them to know why it’s wrong to do these things due to the harmful portrayals of Black culture to their audience. Many fans love to give the argument, “they didn’t know it was a bad thing to do or say, they live in a homogeneous society with only Koreans!” and to that I say: bullshit. Come on now, South Korea holds the number one spot for the fastest internet service in the world and you’re telling me they can’t use that same internet to read up on why it’s not okay to drop the n-word? I understand that living in a homogeneous country does not allow for many idols to have interactions with other races and nationalities, but the issue settles in when idols refuse to apologize after being called out. Black K-pop fans often find themselves at war with being followers of the genre. We risk waking up one morning and seeing our favorite group member doing something deemed “problematic” on one hand and the hate of other fans for defending our right to be upset on the other. The toxicity of fans is another added bonus of being a Black K-pop fan due to the high levels of targeted racism many endure. There’s a difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation. Many K-pop idols teeter between the two. I hope that fans — Black or not — can continue to educate idols on why whatever they’re doing is wrong because accountability is the key to progression.
10 ARTS N LIFE
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 | DAILY49ER.COM | ARTSNLIFED49ER@GMAIL.COM
MUSIC
Brockhampton is more than its wild persona The group uses its fourth album, “iridescence” to share a more emotional and dark side.
RCA Records
“iridescence” is Brockhampton’s fourth studio album. It is the first installment in a trilogy of albums titled, “the best years of our lives.”
By Suzane Jlelati News Assistant suzanejlelati
T
he boyband, Brockhampton released their fourth studio album, “iridescence,” on Friday, the first album of their new trilogy, “the best years of our lives,” revealing their musical and personal growth. The group’s previous album trilogy, “SATURATION,” was filled with loud, obscene sounds and lyrics and beats with a more carefree and happy sound. “iridescence” has a more somber feel and puts you in a state of mel-
ancholy. It takes a step back to think about everything the group suffered with while still upholding traits from its predecessor. The second song, “Thug Life” is one of the best on the album in my opinion as it shows a new tone for the rest of the album. The name holds some irony because most people, including myself, expected the song to be energetic and upbeat, but it was toned down with smooth R&B vocals and raps featuring a young boy voice — actually Kevin Abstract — singing the intro. “Weight” talks about the weight each member carries. Kevin Abstract, the leader of the group, sings about
his own struggles with his sexuality, and how he thought he “had a problem” because he is gay. An ode to the place where the group started, “San Marcos” at first sounds like the perfect outro song — but it’s not, it just sets the tone for the last two songs. A lyric from the song is, “I want more out of life than this” hinting at a brighter future for the group and a yearning to move on from its past. “Fabric,” is one of the greatest outros I’ve heard in a while. It is as dark as it is truthful. Even the line, “don’t mind me, I’m just killin’ time you can pick me to pieces /but if you got a lifeline, throw it, throw it” has a sense of
existentialism to it. The closing of the song is a completely different sound with the members stating “it’s the best years of our lives” in reference to “the best years of our lives” trilogy. They’ve gained a lot of fame, but who knows what will happen in the future for them — is this their peak or will they continue to grow? “iridescence” is a well made album, but the downcast feeling to it makes me not want to pick it up as often as their other albums. It’s full of different emotions and is more of an open book to their thoughts and feelings rather than catchy songs you can sing.
SPORTS 11
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WOMEN’S SOCCER
49ers primed for Big West play After two 10 minute overtime halves, LMU and LBSU end in a draw. By Sierra Martinez Staff Writer MistJournalist
With a tough preseason schedule against highly ranked teams, Long Beach State women’s soccer has shown that it is not to be messed with. It enters conference play with a 5-4-1 record, falling just one goal short in three of its four losses. After facing tough teams such as UCLA, Texas, and Auburn, Long Beach is prepared to take on The Big West. But before the 49ers can make their mark in conference play, they had to finish off Loyola Marymount. The game settled with a score of 2-2 as Long Beach faced LMU at George Allen Field Saturday night. Although the outcome wasn’t in Long Beach’s favor (5-4-1), the team seems confident going into Big West play. “Even though the ball didn’t go in today, I think we were overwhelmingly the better team for a large period of time,” head coach Mauricio Ingrassia said. “The pre-season was a great experience for the players. We’re seasoned and we’ll be ready to play.” The crowd of 834 was anxious to see what would happen next after a tie at the 90 minute mark. The game went into overtime, where two ten-minute halves were played under sudden death. With the sudden death ruling, the team that scored first in overtime would immediately win the match. This ultimatum created tension on the floor as both sides fought to secure the winning goal. Aggression was a common theme throughout the second half and overtime, with the game ending with nine fouls from Long Beach and 16 from LMU.
Women’s soccer upcoming schedule
AUSTIN BRUMBLAY | Daily 49er
Junior forward Katie Pingel dribbles the ball away from an LMU defender Saturday night. The 49ers blew a 2-0 lead to end their final preseason game with a tie against the Lions.
SEPT 27 (THU) 7 P.M.
@ FULLERTON
OCT 4 (THU) 7 P.M.
@ HAWAI’I
Although the 49ers had 22 shots total, they only found success with two. The goals were scored in the first half of the game, when senior forward Ashley Gonzales placed the ball in the net with an aerial assist from junior defender Chloe Froment, and junior midfielder Katie Pingel knocked in a header off of a long throw-in. The goal was special for Gonzales, as she tied the school record for most career goals after returning to field from an injury last season. “My team and my coaches motivated me to come back,” Gonzales said. “I couldn’t thank them enough for allowing me to play again and supporting me throughout this whole thing.” The two-goal lead was not held for very long as LMU retaliated with a single goal in the first half. The goal was scored by senior midfielder Shelby Cormier, who launched it into the top right of the net, far out of Long Beach goalkeeper Imani McDonald’s reach. With the close score, tension grew even higher in the second half as LMU returned with a burst of energy. LMU responded with a second goal by junior midfielder Melissa Lewis, who forced the ball in with a header off of a corner kick. The match was fought hard until the last second. A final shot attempt by LMU was deflected by Mcdonald as she dove to the ground and tipped the ball out of play as the clock ran out. “We have the passion and courage to play the full 90 minutes or 110, whatever it might be,” McDonald said. “This was a battle to the end and I am excited that we had this game going into Thursday.” Long Beach State will start conference play on the road 7 p.m. Thursday where it will face its rivals, Cal State Fullerton.
OCT 11 (THU) 6 P.M.
vs CAL POLY
12 SPORTS
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 | DAILY49ER.COM | SPORTSD49ER@GMAIL.COM
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With a lot of blue and gold and a little bit of effort, you too can join the masses of new lifelong Rams fans. Take these tips and ride that wagon all the way to a Superbowl championship.
COLUMN
Time to join the Ramily How to become a lifelong Rams fan in the course of one game. By Samantha Diaz
T
here you are, it’s Sunday morning and you’re driving, hungry, a little hungover and looking for somewhere to eat. You pull up to the first restaurant you see and it’s packed: the Rams are playing. You go down the street and there’s a two hour wait. You try the tiny little brunch spot you frequent: rioted after the Browns victory Thursday night. No matter how hard you try, you can’t escape football fever. It’s all consuming from September through February in all its sweaty, loud, beer-induced glory. Luckily, it’s the perfect time to get into football thanks to the Los Angeles Rams. The team has reignited football for SoCal fans (sorry not sorry, Chargers) and is most likely going to take the Superbowl this year. Do yourself a favor and hop on this train before it reaches a championship. Unfortunately, being labeled a bandwagon fan is one of the worst sports crimes you can commit, right next to bringing a vegetable tray to the tailgate. Fret not football newbie, with some simple tips, you can convince your friends that you’re a part of the Ramily. First you have to dress the part. Some people go with the classic jersey or team shirts, but to really prove your fandom, you have to show up fully equipped in a helmet and pads. Any true fan is ready to jump into the game in case someone gets injured. Take notes, Packers fans; Aaron Rodgers might need you soon. When someone makes
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fun of your helmet, start kicking your feet like a ram, even throw in some noises if you’re really feeling it. They’ll get what you’re doing once you start charging toward them. Okay the game is about to start, the players are lined up and the national anthem is starting. If you want to be the most popular person at the party, go ahead and take a knee during this part. Ignore the food and glares being thrown at you by the red faced and red hatted people. Alright the game is underway, it’s time to learn the art of cheering, it’s easier than it seems. Basically any time your team starts running, you cheer. In fact, it’s scientifically proven that the louder you cheer, the further down the field your team will get. You can also throw in some fun encouragements. Examples include: “Run, Forrest run!,” “Go, Gurley go!,” “Don’t come home unless you win this game son, I mean Goff.” Feel out different phrases until you find what suits you. Okay someone just threw a colorful little cloth on the floor, no they’re not decorating the field, that means something went wrong — you’re witnessing your first flag. When something controversial happens during a game, the referee has to go in the middle of the field, wait for the crowd to quiet down and decide the call, kind of like he’s reciting a poem in front of his high school English class. Based on whether the call is in favor of your team or not, you’re supposed to either cheer with all your might or
shout your worst insults at the TV. Don’t be afraid to get personal with your insults, I’m sure you can find some information on the referees online somewhere so do your research beforehand. Unfortunately, everyone watching the game is drunk and loud, so you can’t hear a damn thing the ref is saying anyway. You’re just going to have to take a chance with this one, but you have 50/50 odds, so you have better chances than any other team has of beating the Rams. Oh look, one of the players is running! They’re on our team remember your training, shout, yell, louder! Also, football players do this cute thing where they slap each other’s helmets when one of them does something good. You can join in on the fun too! When the Rams score make sure to give everyone a good old fashioned love tap right on the side of the noggin. The harder the better, just make sure to introduce yourself after and explain what you’re doing. You got your pads, helmet and blue face paint, looks like you’re ready to go. And if this doesn’t help you cheer up, there’s only 23 more days until basketball season starts. You got your pads, helmet and blue face paint, looks like you’re ready to go. And if this doesn’t help you cheer up, only 23 more days until basketball season starts.