CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH
VOL. LXVIII, ISSUE 17 | SEPTEMBER 26, 2016
D49er
Johnny Romero | Daily 49er
Protestors march forward down 7th Street to three slum buildings, Thursday, while chanting “Don’t erase. Don’t displace. Let us stay in place.”
Housing Long Beach occupies DTLB National Renters Day is celebrated with a housing march and block party. By Miranda Andrade-Ceja Managing Editor
A small but solid group of protesters walked the narrow sidewalks of residential downtown Long Beach on Thursday at 3 p.m., holding self-made signs that read: “No more slumlords”
and “Long Beach is 4 everyone” while three yellow-vested organizers lead group chants shouting, “They say eviction — we say resistance! They say gentrify — we say occupy!” As the protesters made their way from 6th Street to Magnolia Avenue, residents within shuttered, narrow apartment buildings watched from their windows. Some residents stood outside their stoops to watch the demonstration pass, while others cheered on the organizers from their balconies. Housing Long Beach community organizer Maria Lopez stood in front of the 426 Magnolia Ave. apartment complex — a
whitewashed building partially overlooking an alleyway that runs through downtown. Lopez said the building is owned by Danny and Fanny Gomez, two landlords who have stakes in at least 10 properties and have been cited for a total of 196 violations such as pest infestation, overflowing dumpsters and deteriorating housing conditions. “Many of [the residents] have already faced an eviction [notice] and continue to look for appropriate housing for their families — where they don’t have to live in overcrowded homes infested with cockroaches and rats.” Lopez said
outside of the complex to a crowd of 15. The demonstration, titled Renters’ Rights and Slumlord Protest, was organized by Housing Long Beach, an advocacy group dedicated to the establishment of “just-cause eviction protections,” according to their website. The protest was led by two Cal State Long Beach alumni: Josh Butler and Lopez, in honor of National Renter’s Day. National Renter’s Day started as an opportunity for housing advocates to bring more attention to historical injustices committed by landlords and is observed on Sept. 22 by community organizers and other social rights activists.
CSULB revisits Tongva history with burial site Steve Villa, far left, opened up Thursday morning’s ceremony with four different Native American social songs. The event was attended by (left to right) CSU Chancellor Timothy White, CSULB President Jane Close Conoley, NAGPRA Coordinator Cindy Alvitre, CSULB’s Director of American Indian Studies Craig Stone and NAGPRA Chair Louis Robles Jr., was held in advance of California Native American Day and recognized the reburial of remains and artifacts from the Tongva people who originally lived on the land which makes up the Cal State Long Beach campus. To read the full story, see page 2.
The march passed three slum buildings that, according to Lopez, had a substantial number of housing violations but no consequences for these violations. At the final location on Daisy Avenue, Lopez spoke in front of an audience consisting of tenants and community organizers. “[There are] a total of 99 violations in this building alone,” Lopez said of the deteriorating building. “Who can live in a building where your own city does not force your landlord to recover and
see RENT, page 3
SPEAKER
Feminist Fight Club Award-winning journalist and author stopped by The Beach to talk with CLA Internship Students. By Xochitl Abarca Staff Writer
Feminist author Jessica Bennett visited students from the Internship Program of the College of Liberal Arts at Cal State Long Beach Friday as part of the West Coast leg of her book tour for her new book “Feminist Fight Club: Michaela Kwoka-Coleman | Daily 49er
see FEMINISM, page 3
2 NEWS
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CEREMONY
Tongva history revisited at burial site Thursday’s repatriation ceremony celebrated the ancient village of Puvungna and the native peoples who lived there. By Michaela Kwoka-Coleman News Editor
Lindsey Maeda | Daily 49er
Sunflowers and abalone shells decorate the reburial site of the Tongva remains located next to the International House at CSULB Thursday. buried with them provides a sense of closure, Stone said, as it symbolizes modern society and the native world joining together. Robles Jr., whose mother was one of the original committee members, said that repatriation is an encouragement to the campus and indigenous peoples everywhere. “It truly serves as inspiration; it’s inspiration for the students, it’s inspiration for the … university,” he said, “it’s inspiration for other tribal groups because already word has spread what has occurred here and is giving them hope that they will be able to work to return their ancestors and their associated goods.” The reburial, which actually took place in July, was a collaborative effort between the campus community and the Tongva/Gabrielino, Juaneño/ Acjachemen and Chumash tribes. The site itself is located on the land next to the International House and is marked with sunflowers, stones and an abalone shell. Students and faculty from various programs such as American Indian studies, anthropology and environmental science worked with these local tribes to identify the remains, select the reburial site and the reburial
BURIAL SITE LOCATION EARL WARREN DRIVE
While students searched for parking and raced to class Thursday morning, flowers and shells covered the earth and ancestral songs filled the air near Lot 20 as Cal State Long Beach celebrated the reburial of Native American remains and artifacts. The event, which was a celebration of the actual reburial in July of this year, was held in anticipation of Friday’s California Native American Day and was attended by Cal State University Chancellor Timothy White, CSULB President Jane Close Conoley, Director of the American Indian studies program Craig Stone and representatives from different Native American tribes. “These ancestors have waited a long time to be returned to the earth,” said Louis Robles Jr., chairman of the Committee on Native American Burial Remains. “... this wouldn’t be possible without cooperation from so many different organizations and groups.” CSULB’s repatriation was a collaborative effort with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, a federal law which provides assistance to native tribes in order to return sacred and cultural items to their original location. Finding the remains on the CSULB campus was no surprise, as the university’s land is well known to be the ancient settlement of Puvungna. The land belonged to the Tongva people, who spanned the Los Angeles and Long Beach area. Returning the remains of native peoples and the cultural artifacts
BEACH DRIVE
Burial site
ceremony itself. Remains from the Puvungna settlement were originally found in the early 1950s during construction on the campus. After being found, the artifacts were held in various labs and storage facilities around campus. According to Cindy Alvitre, a member of the reburial committee and professor of anthropology at CSULB, it was originally thought that there were 21 people buried at the original site; however, after work started to identify the remains, the number grew to almost 100.
Doers Do
It wasn’t until 1978 that work began on returning the remains to their original burial place, according to Stone. Stone said that then-CSULB President Steve Horn was very supportive of the idea to repatriate the remains; however, it wasn’t until the passing of the 1990 Native American Graves and Repatriation Act that a committee was formed with the sole purpose to return the items. Even then, there was a problem of the university, the chancellor’s office and the state not supporting the reburial at the same time. Stone said that
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International House
all three of these institutions had to be in agreement at the same time in order for the repatriation to happen. Alvitre added that she hopes there will be continued efforts to correct historical wrongs. During the ceremony, Conoley said she was proud to be part of a campus that is “one of the first universities under NAGPRA to return our indigenous ancestors to campus burial sites.” White also commended CSULB, adding that the campus is a sacred space for students, faculty and staff – but it was sacred long before the first building was constructed. While CSULB is the first in the nation to rebury native remains, there are many more universities, such as CSU San Marcos and San Diego State, that have been built on sacred sites. Stone said that he hopes that what happened at CSULB will set a precedent for other campuses. Conoley said that she believes the reburial will set an international example for other countries that have indigenous populations. “... Professor Alvitre told me that there’s a Thai student who’s studying with her now because they have a similar problem in Thailand in terms of burial sites because of all the development going on,” she said, “and she’s studying to figure out if she can go home and create a NAGPRA model that would be useful in Thailand, so imagine the international possibilities of that.” Robles Jr. concluded his speech by thanking the ancestors for guiding those who were involved in the reburial process, especially those who do not have Native American heritage. “For the people that live here in this great state but don’t have the ties that [Native American descendants] do — that stand on the cliffs and look at our beach, that walk in our mountains, that enjoy the desert sky — [the ancestors] remind them that no matter where you go in this great state, a native Californian has walked there before you.”
9/22/16 9:43 AM
NEWS 3
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RENT
of HLB’s primary objectives is getting the Responsible Renter’s Ordinance passed, continued from page 1 which Butler said would empower housing rights in Long Beach. “It’s something that directly benefits repair the violations they have commitLong Beach renters,” Butler said. “If you ted?” live in these units, your landlord can’t The tenants of Daisy Avenue joined evict you unless you aren’t paying your the demonstration, some shouting words rent or violating your lease.” of support from their windows and othThe Responsible Renter’s Ordinance ers standing among was proposed by HLB the crowd. and sets a standard According to HLB, for unlawful eviction, Long Beach renters which Lopez said is There is no other option comprise 58 percent for communities of color. a rapidly developing of the city’s populaissue among commuGentrification is trying tion. Though Lopez nities of color in Long to push them out — or said there is no hard Beach. Unlawful condata on the percentvictions include sitprice them out. age of CSULB stuuations in which the -Maria Lopez, dent renters, she said landlord evicts a rentstudents are impacter without reason. Housing Long Beach ed by housing and Lopez said that these community organizer that students tend to types of evictions move around much are generally implemore often due to rent increases. mented after a renter asks for a repair in Despite not having the statistics on their unit, or files some sort of complaint student renters, Lopez said that since against the landlord. affordable and appropriate housing is a Butler said the need for ordinances human right, it is of student importance. such as this are inspired by the developLopez said HLB is making strides to exing gentrification in the downtown Long pand their campus influence through Beach community. As downtown Long class presentations, tabling events and a Beach continues developing, Butler said possible HLB chapter at CSULB. that tenants and their living spaces are Executive Director of HLB Josh Butler simultaneously threatened. moved to Long Beach in 1992 and has “When you look down the street and been involved with the grassroots orgayou see this brand new courthouse comnization for 15 years. Butler said that one ing in, you can’t help but wonder: ‘well
FEMINISM
continued from page 1 An Office Survival Manual For a Sexist Workplace”. The the talk with Bennett, an award-winning journalist, columnist, editor and critic whose work focuses on gender issues, sexuality and culture, was part of CLA’s Internship Fridays Initiative and took place in Peterson Hall building 1. Bennett, who wrote several books before “Feminist Fight Club,” gave CLA internship students a glimpse of the contents of her new book, which she called “part manual, part man-
“
“
ifesto.” She said that her “Feminist Fight Club,” was named after the secret group Bennett and her friends created to deal with and combat modern-day sexism in the workplace at the start of their careers. “It’s like Mortal Kombat, but for women,” she said. During her talk, Bennett broke down the content of her book, the rules of Feminist Fight Club and various tactics to use against sexism at work. Some of these rules include: Your must talk about feminist fight club and fight the patriarchy, not each other. Bennett used phrases and ‘vulgar’ language like “motherf***ing girl
Valerie Osier | Daily 49er
Liz Waite, right, a student at Long Beach City College, talks to the crowd at the Slumlord Protest block party in Downtown Long Beach about the renting conditions of many college students. what’s next for the rest of this neighborhood?’” he said. Lopez said that low income people of color are disproportionately impacted by gentrification and wrongful evictions. She said that the proposed ordinance is “common sense,” and that disenfranchised renters must combat gentrification. “There is no other option for commu-
nities of color,” Lopez said. “Gentrification is trying to push them out — or price them out.” Following the march, community members and HLB held a neighborhood block party on Daisy Avenue, where residents were invited for free hot dogs, raspados and chips. Lopez said HLB plans to continue their
efforts in the city of Long Beach through their grassroot advocacy and community relationships. “People here are section eight, they’re stigmatized, they’re always under attack and we need to stand up for these families.” Lopez said. “These families need us, and we need each other because we know that in numbers there is power.”
power” and “p***y posse” during her talk, while engaging the enthusiastic audience to the serious and equally personal problem of sexism in the workplace. “Feminist Fight Club” incorporates personal stories about how different women tried to survive male-dominated work fields while living in New York City. The manual-manifesto also includes “battle tactics” and advice on how to deal with the sexism women encounter every day at work. Bennett explained that her book examines both “the external (sexist)” and “internal (self-sabotaging)” behaviors that women live through, as well as looks at the system setup that sustains this oppression.
At the talk Bennett, explained that the idea to form “Feminist Fight Club” came to Bennett and her female comedian, journalist and producer friends from cumulatively feeling helpless in the fight against institutionalized sexism. Bennett said that subtle sexism — “the kind of sexism that makes you wonder, ‘Am I actually just crazy?’” — confused the Feminist Fight Club group because it wasn’t forward or overt. “I know sexism happens, I agree it probably has happened to me and I haven’t even realized it,” senior and psychology major Shannon Kaiser said in agreement. Bennett’s advice in previous books
helped senior and human development major Tida Lot get promoted to assistant manager at her job as an accounting clerk. “I wanted to see what more she could teach me,” said senior and human development major Tida Lot. “Something I learned from her today was to work well with women — something I don’t do very often.” Bennett left the mostly-female audience with some advice: to find a squad and a wingman or wingwoman. Bennett urged CLA internship students to find someone who supports their hard work, someone who acknowledges their accomplishments and someone who “helps elevate your voice.”
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4 ARTS & LIFE
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“A View from the Bridge” takes place during the 1950’s in the New York community of Red Hook, near the Brooklyn Bridge.
A view from the audience California Repertory debuts “A View from the Bridge.” By Hanna Suarez Contributing Writer
Drama enthusiasts around the Long Beach community received a cathartic debut performance of Arthur Miller’s modern classic, “A View from the Bridge,” Friday. The play, directed by Cal State Long Beach alumnus Jeff Paul, was performed at the CSULB University Theater and sold out on its opening night. Paul takes note of Miller’s interpretation of the Aristotelian Greek tragedy in relation to the common man, and presents to the audience Eddie Carbon — a hard working longshoreman who lives in the Red Hook community near the Brooklyn Bridge with his wife Beatrice and their niece, Catherine. The audience members sit and gaze up at the tremendous bridge set on stage as they wait patiently for the events that are to unfold. Spectators are silent as Alfieri — the community lawyer — delivers the prologue. For all intents and purposes, Alfieri plays the role of the Greek chorus and comments on the action of the play periodically. Sporting a custom suit and a thick Sicilian accent, he forewarns us of the civil practices of the time and how
the community has grown accustomed to “settle[ing] for half.” This idea of settling being in reference to the characters’ cases, and the fact that they can not expect for their conflicts to be selfishly resolved. He moves from the stage and takes a view from the top of the bridge. The characters take on their own “tragic flaw,” and Eddie’s is made blatantly evident early in the play; his unrequited and obsessive love for Catherine. Miller’s take on the classic Aristotelian tragic flaw varies. Where a classic tragic hero is usually a man of great importance who makes a severe mistake, Miller’s deals with the common man and his unwillingness to relinquish his dignity under the scrutiny of what he appears to be unfair judgment. In the eyes of Miller’s tragic hero, his flaw is neither good nor bad. There is speculation over whether he is self-aware at all. Eddie and Catherine’s tight embraces, as well as the nuances in his tone of voice when speaking with her, are made even more evident by the unease and discouragement in his wife Beatrice’s eyes — which seem to evoke self-reflection on Eddie’s part. Her concerns with him and the grasp he has on Catherine is further complicated by the arrival of her two cousins, Marco and Rodolpho, who are immigrating to the United States from Italy in search for better work. Marco is a hard working father of three who dreams of reuniting with
his family, and his younger brother Rodolfo is eccentric and excited for his future in America. With the arrival of Beatrice’s kin we are reminded of what a “good” man Eddie is, saying himself that he is honored to house these men. As a protagonist, Eddie Carbon shocks his audience. They laugh at his sarcastic remarks in regard to the two animated Italian brothers, especially comments laden with homophobic discourse. This reviewer would like to note that, in addition to Eddie’s obvious longing for Catherine that is more evidently produced on stage, the semiotics involved with being gay (or what Eddie believes to be gay) or effeminate during the 1950’s are not subtle at all. Eddie makes various motions with his hands and arms indicative of effeminate behavior, and dramatically changes the pitches in his voice when speaking of Rodolpho. At the same time, Rodolpho and Catherine become romantically involved, which frustrates Eddie. He latches on to the idea of Rodolpho being gay, or as he describes, “not right,” going on to explain to Beatrice and Alfieri about his behavior at work and his variegated skill set – which includes dress-making and cooking. Through the assignment of these traits onto Rodolpho, the audience might take note of the way that gender is racialized, or rather, how race is gendered – in that the two foreigners are immediately questioned and judged by Eddie and his American co-workers.
Likewise, the toxic masculinity that Marco and Eddie demonstrate becomes indicative of the way certain gendered behavior permeates different societies in the name of “family” or “love.” If anyone had been unsure about the intensity and pervasiveness of Eddie’s feelings before the second act, those opinions came to a screeching halt in the last scene as Eddie walks in on Rodolpho and Catherine. He orders Rodolpho to move out immediately, but when the two protest Eddie takes up Catherine and drunkenly kisses her on the mouth — which the audience members themselves protested to in a sequence of guttural yelps. In a fit of rage and eminent defeat, Eddie calls immigration patrol and reveals his own address, and the characters find themselves in an affair of tragic proportions. We meet with Alfieri a couple more times, who once again insists on forgetting, on forgiving and letting go — or as he so eloquently puts it, “settling for half.” The characters of the play seem to have a mutual understanding of family, though they don’t always agree on the law and resolution, even if they can already guess what is to come. We watch the tension of the final scene untangle, as a tired and beaten Eddie demands an apology from Marco, who in turn is ready to kill in the name of revenge for his family who will now starve. The two engage; Eddie pulls a short knife from his pocket, and with one fi-
nal embrace, he goes down and dies in Beatrice’s arms. The audience is silent, and listens as Alfieri mourns him. The juxtaposition of humor and seriousness in the play allows for the severity to be very effective. While the play commits to Miller’s adaptation, it is interesting to note the way that the characters are manifested in a way that is — to this viewer — caricatured or exaggerated. The audience reaches catharsis, not because good or evil prevails, but because the characters themselves allow their most internal desires to be fully known.
FAST FACTS
A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE Jeff Paul: Director Sky Paley: Alfieri Josh Nathan: Eddie Kathleen Wilhoite: Beatrice Julia Beaty: Catherine Brandon Pascal: Rodolpho Anthony DeGregorio: Marco Evan Nelson: Louis/Immigration Officer#1 Wes Mathison: Mike/Immigration Officer#2 When: Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. Sept. 23 to Oct. 8 Where: CSULB University Theatre Cost: $25, $20 for seniors and students
Kids in Hollywood: It’s not child’s play By Neal Justin
Star Tribune (TNS)
LOS ANGELES — Hudson Yang, breakout star of the hit ABC comedy “Fresh Off the Boat,” was in a funk. The third episode called for Yang, then 11, to grab the behind of a grown-
up neighbor. Sensing his inexperienced star’s unease, executive producer Jake Kasdan called a timeout. For 20 minutes, he sprawled on a stuntman’s mat with the preteen and talked him through the uncomfortable premise. The shoot went off without another hitch. What might seem like harmless sitcom hanky-panky served as a reminder: Yang
isn’t just any actor — he is a child still learning about the world and his place in it. Hollywood is a tough place to grow up. In an industry where each minute represents thousands of dollars, catering to a kid’s needs can be inconvenient. And young performers often develop a sense of entitlement that may lead to body issues, misbehavior, chemical abuse or
worse. It also can keep them from enjoying the most cherished role of all: a normal childhood. “Child actors may seem smart for their age, but they’re still kids,” said Robert Bailey Jr., who at age 3 posed for print ads and at 26 now stars in “The Night Shift” for NBC. “You’ve got to look out for them just as you would any child in the real
world.” Bailey said he doesn’t regret his early start in the business. But he feels shorted on certain rites of passage. “I had a brilliant experience, getting to travel all over the world, working with people I admire. I learned how to play
see STARS, page 5
ARTS & LIFE 5
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continued from page 4
the saxophone and how to lasso,” he said. “But there are certain things I missed out on, like school dances, sports teams, friends you don’t get to see every day.” “Modern Family” star Sarah Hyland was already an 18-year-old high school graduate when she was cast as 15-yearold daughter Haley Dunphy. “You can get your GED, get homeschooled and all that, but there’s nothing like high school, where your best friend fools around with your boyfriend,” Hyland said. “You’ll never get that anywhere else. You need that kind of stuff to grow as a person.” Most families would be willing to make those sacrifices if their child turned out to be as successful and grounded as Yara Shahidi. In addition to winning an NAACP Image Award for playing Zoey on ABC’s “Black-ish,” the 16-year-old actress has been heralded as a real-life role model. This summer, she spoke at a United Nations Summit for girls, part of a nine-day East Coast tour that included breakfast
with cultural commentator Michael Eric Dyson and a tour of Georgetown University, where he teaches. “We’re having a ball,” said her mother, Keri Shahidi, by phone from Washington, D.C., in July. “I tell my kids, ‘You don’t have a mortgage or expenses. Why not have some fun? And, oh, don’t forget to pick up your check.’” But Hollywood actors have to worry about acting their age. Take Yang, a clear front-runner for the part of Eddie until an audition in front of executives. Producers had ordered in Chinese food and the young performer pigged out, inhaling 20 dumplings before the table read. “He went into a food coma and was slumped down in his chair,” said Melvin Mar, Kasdan’s producing partner. “Every studio head afterwards said, ‘What are we going to do with this kid? You’ve got to replace him.’?” Mar and Kasdan were able to convince the brass — Yang, now 12, and “Boat” sail into their third season next month — but those in a hiring position tend to prefer young actors who come across as pocket-size adults. “The Detour,” a hit TBS sitcom that mines laughs from a family’s road trip to heck, has two cast members under age 13.
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They experience foul language and a trip to a strip joint and the spectacle of their loopy parents having sex while splashing around a hotel pool.
“
I hope I can share with these kids and their parents what it’s like to be suddenly famous, something a lot of people don’t understand -Neal Justin Star Tribune
“
STARS
The show’s star and co-creator, Jason Jones, insists that the young actors are mature enough to handle these mature situations. “These kids are like 17 inside,” he said. “At the same time, I’m a parent, and I would not make them do anything I wouldn’t make my own children do.” Maybe, but confidence in one’s junior peers may lead them to believe they are wiser — and more important — than
they really are. In a 2007 visit to the set of “Hannah Montana,” I was impressed with then14-year-old Miley Cyrus, who giddily offered a tour of her changing room, which she decorated to reflect her infatuation with disco. Her co-star, Mitchel Musso, was another matter. Greeting a visitor to his dressing room, he climbed onto a stool atop his makeup table to ensure he would lord over his guest. While Cyrus has developed into a powerful and relatively stable force, Musso was pulled over for drunken driving five years ago and subsequently written out of his show, “Pair of Kings.” “There’s this weird rule that when you’re an actress, nobody is allowed to say no to you,” said Eden Sher, who was 18 when she was cast as a dangerously optimistic daughter in “The Middle.” “Thank goodness I experienced so much rejection early on. I got to live my life not growing up in a vacuum where you’re the center of attention and everyone is so interested in what you have to say. You can get validation from that, and that’s super harmful.” Actors who grew up in the limelight often face far worse than a DWI, as any-
one who has ever picked up a supermarket tabloid can tell you: Lindsay Lohan treating rehab centers like a revolving door; Drew Barrymore becoming a fixture at Studio 54 at age 9; Shia LaBeouf getting arrested for trespassing at an allnight drugstore; Britney Spears shaving her head in front of the paparazzi. Some bounce back. Others do not. Jodie Sweetin, who was 5 when she was cast in “Full House,” said she paid extra attention to the youngsters on set for Netflix’s recent reboot of the series. “I hope I can share with these kids and their parents what it’s like to be suddenly famous, something a lot of people don’t understand,” said Sweetin, who chronicled her post-stardom drug use in a memoir called “UnSweetined.” One lesson that never gets old: Have fun. “I try to be a cheerleader,” said Fred Savage, who graduated from childhood stardom on “The Wonder Years” to direct numerous sitcoms, including “Hannah Montana” and “Modern Family.” “The set should be a place where they can have fun and have success. That’s true whether they’re 8 or 80. Everyone still wants a sense of playfulness and safety.” And an unlimited supply of dumplings.
6 OPINIONS
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 DAILY49ER.COM | OPEDD49ER@GMAIL.COM
Stat Wars: The Polls Awaken The ineffective means of acquiring data by pollsters is taking its toll on the election.
By Jorge Paniagua Opinions Editor
W
hen the New York Times reported that Hillary Clinton’s chances of winning were at 90 percent sometime in August, I felt a great sense of security.After all, Clinton is the only candidate running with a record of service and concrete ideas for the nation’s future. But that 90 percent soon dropped down to 80, then 70, then somewhere around 40. “What the hell happened?” I thought. Presidential polls are as confusing to understand and difficult to trust as Donald Trump’s take on foreign policy (which he sums up in four vague words: Make America Safe Again). Clinton may have had double the chances of winning over Trump sometime last week, but today the polls report that Trump is gaining traction. As for next week – well, the polls will most likely read something completely different. Presidential polls paint a vivid, yet inaccurate picture of the election: One where Clinton and Trump endlessly keep losing to each other in a boxing match presented by every major news agency. Political polls are a necessary evil in journalism — the best way to try and figure out which presidential candidate has a higher chance of winning can easily help create enticing articles that draw readers in. Yet, the information provided in these polls creates an unrealistic representation of the presidential election — one where the candidates may be deemed a sure-shot winner one hour and a loser the next. Furthermore, vacillating polls do a better job of confusing readers than helping them better understand the election process as a result of fluctuating numbers and information acquired through questionable means by pollsters. Ever-changing polls make Americans — more specifically, people backing Hillary Clinton — seem indecisive. For instance, when the Democratic
Illustration by Miranda Andrade-Ceja
nominee was diagnosed with pneumonia, her chances of winning dropped from somewhere near 100 percent to around 40 percent, according to the New York Times presidential poll. Trump’s chances of winning rose during the time. However, did Democrats morph into Republicans during Clinton’s brief pause from campaigning? Probably not, so why’d her numbers drop so dramatically? It comes down to random statistical variation rather than a shift in public opinion. Even so, this random variation is likely a result of many errors — every poll has its associated margin of error which makes it difficult to truly declare who is in the lead. The New York Times presidential poll, for example, reports: “Clinton’s chance of losing is about the same as the probability that an NFL kicker misses a 45-yard field goal.” She currently has a 71 percent chance of becoming the next president, while Trump stands at a low 29 percent. The polls can easily make a reader as-
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sume that Clinton has this election in the bag. Not so fast – because the Times also reports, “A victory by Mr. Trump remains quite possible.” The problem with polls comes down to how pollsters are obtaining the data necessary to create one by asking surveyees questions like, “Trump or Clinton?” Many polls are determined based on land-line phone calls. Pollsters dial random numbers, try and get a response from whoever answered the call and determine results based on that. According to an article for the Washington Post titled “The Problem with Modern Polling,” Reid Wilson writes: “Standard operating procedure in the industry requires pollsters to randomly select a set of survey respondents and call them repeatedly — up to six times — in an effort to get an answer.” If the pollster failed in their sixth attempt to get an answer from someone with a land-line phone, only then will they attempt to call a new respondent. But who uses a landline phone any-
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more? According to data from the National Center for Health Statistics, 41 percent of U.S. households didn’t have a landline by the end of 2013. This leads to my next question: Who is picking up the pollsters’ persistent calls, then? “Guess who answers the [landline] phone now? It’s all people over 50,” said pollster Bill McInturff in an article titled “The Problem with Polls” for magazine The Week. This way of acquiring raw data for polls does an effective job of ignoring large segments of the population. As for the old-timers answering pollster questions — I doubt many of them are answering truthfully. According to performance-management consulting company Gallup, 42 percent of Americans view Donald Trump unfavorably. Therefore, with this much social disapproval for Trump, a down-low Trump supporter may be too intimidated to openly voice their support
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for a candidate who, for example, wants to ban Muslims from entering the United States. Someone who says they’re “with” Clinton probably won’t receive much backlash — if any at all. I’m sure there are many secret-Trump supporting surveyees who don’t want to deal with the social grief that comes with vocalizing the fact that they share similar views with the Republican candidate. The ineffective means of acquiring data by pollsters is taking its toll on the election. Polls should be seen for what they actually are — insight into the minds of a few thousand Americans. Unfortunately, until pollsters come up with more effective methods of acquiring the data necessary for polls, we’ll just be looking at an inaccurate representation of the current election through charts with blue and red arrows that fluctuate vigorously.
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Editorials: All opinions expressed in the columns, letters and cartoons in this issue are those of the writers or artists. The opinions of the Daily 49er are expressed only in unsigned editorials and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the journalism department or the views of all staff members. All such editorials are written by the editorial board of the Daily 49er.
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SPORTS 7
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 DAILY49ER.COM | SPORTSD49ER@GMAIL.COM
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Funky Quaffles bring
to LBSU
Funky Quaffles introduces part of the Wizarding World to Long Beach. By Nubia Valdez Staff Writer
Long Beach Funky Quaffles are not just any sports team. They’re not playing football or soccer like any other “muggle” sport. Instead, they have brought one of the most beloved games from a book series into real life: Quidditch. While Quidditch was adopted from the “Harry Potter” series and has been a real life sport since 2005, the Long Beach chapter was not created until April 2013. After watching an unofficial North Hollywood team play, Funky Quaffles founder Justin Magriaga decided he loved the sport so much that he wanted to create his own team. He found other people that were interested in playing by posting flyers on Reddit, and from there he began to build his team. The name “Funky Quaffles” started as a joke between the team. A Quaffle, one of the balls used in the game, is a usually spherical ball with indents on the side. There was a volleyball the team used as one of the Quaffles early on, but it was misshapen so they would call it “funky.” The name stuck with them. Muggle, or non-magic, Quidditch is pretty similar to what is read in the “Harry Potter” books or seen in the movies, give or take a few exceptions. All the positions played in the series are played in real life too: three Chasers, one Seeker, two Beaters and one Keeper. Three balls are used during the game, one Quaffle and two Bludgers. The most important item to catch, however, is the Golden Snitch. Unlike the series where the Snitch is a small, flying orb, the real-life snitch is a flag is connected to a player. Seekers strive to grab the flag, and once they do, the game automatically ends. There are obviously no flying broomsticks involved. Instead, players have full contact with other players and run while holding pipes in between their legs just to make the sport a little harder. Teams used to use miniature broomsticks, but have since removed them because they would like to make Quidditch a well known sport to everyone – rather than just to fans who recognize it from the series. Anyone can join the Funky Quaffles, which is now entering its fourth season. The team, comprised of “Harry Potter” fans and sports aficionados, is made up of students from colleges in the area, graduates, members of the Long Beach community and even people as far as San Diego and Irvine. The team’s manager and Chaser Jessica Ward, an English major at Long Beach City College, decided to let her love for “Harry Potter” come out and checked out a game after seeing a flyer in a coffee shop the first year the team was around.
Long Beach Funky Quaffles Quidditch Team member Anthony Hawkins runs past team members Darrel Miller and Jackson Shulz. “I thought it was honestly going to be a bunch of geeks running around. I came on my first day and they were doing tackling practice and it sort of changed my perspective,” Ward said. “‘Harry Potter’ brought me out, but the game itself is what kept me here.” A season for Quidditch starts in August and goes until late June or early July. It is a combination of regular season where teams compete to go to nationals, as well as fantasy tournaments where teams can be split up and play on other teams for the weekend. It gives players a chance to meet new people and learn new strategies. Because of the popularity of the sport, an International Quidditch Association and United States Quidditch were made. IQA is the governing body of Quidditch internationally, consisting of over 500 teams in 26 countries. USQ is in charge of the teams in the United States with almost 200 teams nationwide. The Funky Quaffles has been able to travel around the country, visiting Texas, Utah and Arizona. If the team makes it to nationals this year, it will travel to Florida to compete. The farthest the Long Beach Funky Quaffles have gone in tournaments was the World Cup – now called nationals – in 2013. Players do have to pay out of their own pocket in order to travel, so they hold fundraisers and sell T-shirts to cover costs. Every year, the team holds a presentation of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” in past years held at CSULB’s University Player’s Theatre. The ticket sale money is used for travel expenses. Fans have invited the team to perform at birthday parties or “Harry Potter” events. One event called “Kidditch” is where they teach little kids how to play the game.
Bobby Yagake | Daily 49er
Bobby Yagake | Daily 49er
Long Beach Funky Quaffles Quidditch team member Darrel Miller gives Anthony Hawkins a piggyback ride, warming up for practice Sunday.
“Harry Potter” fans are the sport’s biggest support. “I appreciate the heart the fans have put in [the game.] So many of these people come here just from being primarily ‘Harry Potter’ fans, not having played many sports or anything before,” team co-captain Sam
Weisser said. “Because of their love of ‘Harry Potter’, it’s pushed them to actually train for a sport for the first time and it’s really cool to see that.” Matt Suei, education major at Cal State Long Beach, found out about the Funky Quaffles during Week of Welcome last year.
“I saw the hoops and it looked like a lot of fun, to be honest,” Suei said, who is currently on his second season with the team. “While I’m in school, it’s a fun extracurricular and it keeps me busy and exercising.” The Funky Quaffles practice at Whaley Park every Sunday.
8 SPORTS
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 DAILY49ER.COM | SPORTSD49ER@GMAIL.COM
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Long Beach State starts Big West play Long Beach State starts conference play 2-0 with wins against UC Davis and UCI. By Luke Ramirez Staff Writer
Following a strong win at UC Davis on Thursday, Long Beach State was able to grind out a 5-set win over UC Irvine on Saturday to improve its conference record to 2-0. With strong performances from senior outside hitter Nele Barber, who had 19 kills along with a career high 27 digs, and sophomore had Anete Brinke recorded a career best 17 kills, the 49ers (8-7) won the match 22-25, 25-23, 25-14, 18-25 and 15-13. “Overall, everybody made great and important plays that contributed to the win, which shows how important teamwork is,” Barber said. “Ups and downs happen, but as long as we score the last point we’re good.” The 49ers were coming off a road victory against UC Davis on Thursday. LBSU had a slow start to the match, losing the first set 25-21 after the team lacked communication on defense. They allowed UCI (5-11) to record 18 kills in the first set, as opposed to the 12 kills per set Irvine was averaging this season. In the second, LBSU came out much stronger and played UCI point for point en route to a 25-23 set victory. Barber took it upon herself to improve the defensive presence of her team and had seven kills in the set. “Honestly, today the [hits] just came my way and it was relatively easy,” Barber said. “I just hope that Missy [Owens] was able to get some good sets out of them.” The 49ers dominated the third set,
Bobby Yagake | Daily 49er
Senior outside hitter Nele Barber goes up for a kill against Loyola Marymount University Sept. 8. The 49ers swept the No.25 Lions at Walter Pyamid. cruising to a 25-14 win. LBSU hit .406 in the set. “Coming off a good win against UC Davis, we are definitely playing much better as a team,” Brinke said. “It’s not just about individuals. It’s
about playing together. The second that falls apart, we fall apart.” The 49ers lost the fourth set 25-18, but were able to bounce back and win the match in the fifth set 15-13. Junior hitter Ashley Murray hit a shot
right down the middle for the win, a position the junior has been in before. “We’re capable at any time to do what we did tonight, but we are still too inconsistent,” head coach Bri-
an Gimmillaro said. “There’s times we’re really good, but any game we can go up and down.” LBSU is now tied with Hawai’i and Northridge atop the Big West standings at 2-0.
LBSU SPORTS
Mixed results on the road Long Beach State women’s soccer team and men’s water polo lose games on the road.
By Matthew Simon Sports Editor
In a defensive battle with No. 4 Brigham Young University, the Long Beach State women’s soccer team gave up a late goal in the 85th minute to the Cougars to lose 1-0 Saturday in Provo, Utah. Heading into their game, BYU was averaging three goals per game and the 49ers contained the Cougars for a majority of the 90 minutes before the late goal. In the first half of the game, LBSU had three shots on goal, but weren’t able to score on the opportunities.
The 49ers’ defense was strong as the Cougars had seven shots on goal, but neither team scored as the teams went to halftime with a 0-0 tie. In the second half, the Cougars started to pressure the LBSU defense that led to nine shots on goal while the 49ers managed only one shot on goal. The lone goal was scored after BYU’s junior forward Jocelyn Loomis got behind the 49er defense and passed to senior forward Ashley Hatch, who delivered the game-winning goal past LBSU senior goalkeeper Ashton McKeown. The loss is LBSU’s fifth in its last six games and brings its record to (4-5-1). LBSU will try to turn things around when they open Big West play against UC Irvine Friday at George Allen Field at 7 p.m. Men’s Water Polo With the No. 7 Long Beach State men’s water polo team entering the toughest part of its schedule, the team went 2-2 at the Mountain Pacific Invita-
tional Sept. 23-25 in Berkeley. On Friday, the team took on No. 11 UC Davis to open up tournament play. After the first period the Aggies (10-3) jumped out to a 3-1 period. The 49ers (8-3) went on their own 3-1 run in the second and third period to go into the fourth period tied at four. In the final period, LBSU outscored the Aggies 3-1 to take the 7-5 win. Senior attacker Nolan McConnell led the team with four goals. On Saturday, the 49ers lost in a tough game against No. 2 University of Southern California 9-4. LBSU bounced back from that loss to beat No. 6 UC Santa Barbara 9-6 Saturday night. LBSU wrapped up the Mountain Pacific Invitational with an 8-6 loss to No. 5 Stanford to finish the weekend 2-2. Against Stanford, the 49ers had six different players score. LBSU will look for that output when they are back in the pool Saturday at 6 p.m. for the alumni game.
Bobby Yagake | Daily 49er
Senior goalkeeper Ashton McKeown dives for a save against the University of Southern California Sept. 13 2015.