Daily Forty-Niner, Sept. 23, 2019

weekly print edition

DAILY FORTY-NINER CELEBRATING 70 YEARS

Vol. LXXI, Issue 05

www.daily49er.com

Monday, September 23, 2019

Latinas at the Beach

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ON THE COVER

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ROW 1: NAOMI MUNIZ (MEXICO), GABRIELA MALDLNADL (MEXICO), LESLIE RUIZ (MEXICO) ROW 2: MELISSA PEREZ (MEXICO), VALERIE ROLON (MEXICO-NICARAGUA), MARIA IZARRARAZ (MEXICO) ROW 3: VALERIA ACEVEDO (CHILE), YARELI MORYRA (MEXICO), LAURA MENENDEZ (EL SALVADOR) ROW 4: KAITLIN CHANG (MEXICO-EL SALVADOR), MONICA HIGUERA (MEXICO), ALONDRA CIENFUEGOS (MEXICO) PHOTOS BY LAUREN BERNY

Weekly Calendar Monday 9/23

Tuesday 9/24

Wednesday 9/25

Thursday 9/26

Sports

Woodwind Chamber Music @ 8 p.m.

Daniel Recital Hall

Farmers Market @ Friendship Walk 10 a.m. 2 p.m.

Hookman @ Studio Theatre September 26 - October 6

WGolf: Coeur d’Alene Resort Invitational 1st & 2nd round @D’Alene Idaho

Speed Dating Movies on Monterey @ USU the House: Jazz Farewell Ballrooms Toy Story 4 Center @ 6 p.m. @ USU Beach 7 p.m.

9 p.m.

Auditorium Daniel 6 p.m. & Recital Hall 9 p.m.

Sports WGolf: Coeur d’Alene Resort Invitational, Final Round Coeur @ Idaho

Daily Forty-Niner 1250 Bellflower Blvd., LA4-203 Long Beach, CA, 90840

Friday 9/27

Saturday 9/28

Sunday 9/29

Sports

Sports

Sports

Men’s Men’s Men’s WPOLO: WPOLO: WPOLO: MPSF MPSF MPSF Tournament Tournament Tournament MSF MSF MSF Tournament Tournament Tournament @Los Angeles @Los Angeles @Los Angeles Sports

Sports

Sports

Women’s Tennis UNLV Fall Tournament Las Vegas

Women’s Tennis: UNLV Fall Tournament Las Vegas

Women’s Tennis: UNLV Fall Tournament Las Vegas

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Shark Bites

By Alejandro Vazquez

Shark Bites is a CSULB inspired crossword puzzle that contains clues from the recent news stories published by the Daily Forty-Niner.

Across 1. Next week the school is going to turn this milestone age 3. Sophomore guard, Justina King is from this country 5. Daniel Ngo is both a chemical engineering major and this major 7. This season is upon us 8. The owners of LOBO catering are from this country 9. If Senate Bill 206 passes California student athletes will be 10. A new library opened in this area of Long Beach

Down 2. This week the dueling opinion articles are about 4. The school’s air conditioning system is cooled by huge amounts of this 6. September is dedicated to celebrating this heritage

Hannah Getahun Rachel Barnes Alejandro Vazquez

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Less to be thankful for Long Beach State’s inconsistent holiday breaks cause confusion among students.

CSULB’s fall break has changed from five days to three days this year.

By Julia Terbeche Staff Writer

ong Beach State changed its fall break to three days from five, causing confusion on campus from the inconsistent academic calendar.

According to the school website, the committee develops a proposed academic calendar to meet California State University requirements as well as the needs of students and faculty. This includes the consideration of campus activities, students’ employment and academic success, and holidays.

Administrators changed the fall holiday break this year to begin Wednesday, Nov. 27, the day before Thanksgiving.

The break lasts from Wednesday to Friday.

Students have expressed frustration over these schedule changes, as the short fall break creates an inconvenience for those with holiday plans.

CSULB hasn’t had a three-day fall break since 2015.

Typically, Thanksgiving break begins the Monday before the holiday, giving students an entire school week off from classes.

“I feel students and staff barely get a whole week to spend time with family and enjoy Thanksgiving,” said third-year food science major Hetvi Babaria. “Having such a short break hinders that.”

“Calendar decisions are the result of a shared-governance approach,” said Jeff Cook, associate vice president of strategic communications. “This work is complex, and my understanding is the number of instructional days in a semester is a key consideration.”

Because Thanksgiving falls late in the month this year, finals were pushed up to just a week after fall break. This rushed scheduling gives students only one week of regular classes before exams begin, prompting an inconsistent finals agenda.

The decision to change the school calendar came from the Campus Academic Calendar Committee, with confirmation from President Jane Close Conoley.

The fall 2019 finals schedule lasts from Wednesday to Tuesday, while spring semester’s finals week is Monday through Saturday.

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A damaged unicycle, suspicious activity and impounded vehicles

By Ramon Alvarado Staff Writer

False Alarm University Police Department officers rushed to the Parkside College Dormitory after a fire alarm went off on Sept. 18, around 9 p.m. The smoke detectors were still going off when the officers arrived, but there was no smoke in or around the building. After speaking to dorm residents, officers determined it a false alarm and went on their way.

Traffic Accident A vehicle collided with a Long Beach State student’s unicycle in lot E8 Sept. 16. The student jumped off the unicycle before it was hit by the vehicle. The unicycle was damaged and the student was able to escape with a non-serious knee injury.

Authorities checked on the student, but they refused any additional help. The driver fled the scene before the unicycle owner could get any information from them.

Graphic by MIGUEL MARTINEZ

Vehicle Impounds Two cars were impounded from CSULB student parking lots for expired registrations, Sept. 18. The first was a 2016 Nissan 4-door in lot G11 and the other was a 2018 4-door Mercedes Benz. Neither of the vehicle owners were present when the cars were taken. They’ll have to pay an undisclosed amount to get their cars out of the impound, according to Police Capt.

John Brockie.

Graphic by JULIA TERBECHE

Spring session begins Tuesday, Jan. 22, just after Martin Luther King Jr. Day. CSULB does not give students Presidents’ Day off, but it does give Cesar Chavez Day off. However, Cesar Chavez Day overlaps with spring break, resulting in another lost opportunity for a day off.

The lack of consistency in CSULB’s calendars especially affects students who fly back home during breaks.

“People live far and need time to travel,” said third-year studio arts major Natalie Spina.

Although the committee’s goal is to prioritize student needs, the three-day fall break serves to frustrate and disorient students’ expectations.

Many professors assign their students homework to complete during the holiday, and the shorter break leaves students with less time for these projects. “[The schedule] is going to stress me out and I feel I wouldn’t be able to enjoy my break,” Babaria said.

Suspicious Activity There was a suspicious person roaming near State University Drive and Palo Verde Avenue around 9 p.m. on Sept. 18. The person was described as a Hispanic female with a thin build and brown hair. The University Police Department received a call informing them about the woman and were able to get to her quickly. The woman had no affiliation with CSULB so officers escorted her off campus.

A suspicious vehicle was reported outside of the Outpost Grill the morning of Sept. 19. The red sports car was driving slowly outside the Outpost building, then sped off at approximately 80 mph, according to a witness. UPD officers searched for the vehicle, but were unable to find the car that was described.

Hit-and-Runs The driver’s side of a 2017 Kia sedan was damaged when it was struck by another vehicle in lot G1 on Sept. 17. The owner of the Kia noticed the damage in the afternoon, when they returned from their classes. The incident was reported to the UPD, but there are currently no suspects.

Another hit-and-run incident took place on Sept. 18 in lot G11.

The owner of a 2017 Ford walked into the UPD and reported damage to the driver’s side doors and the rear wheel well.

The owner believed a blue car ran into his vehicle, based on blue marks on the damaged side of the car. There are no other leads or suspects.

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | STAFF@DAILY49ER.COM

YOUR MORNING COMMUTE JUST GOT BETTER Tune in every Monday morning to Beach Weekly, a news and sports podcast by the Daily Forty-Niner at Long Beach State.

Get your weekly news update at the Beach with veteran host Hannah Getahun and her new partner Perry Continente. Join them as they discuss the biggest headline of the week with the reporter that

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CSULB is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Educational Institution.

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM

(Left) Anna Nieto-Gomez as a student at Long Beach State 50 years ago. (Above) Anna Nieto-Gomez smiles 50 years later.

Photos courtesy of Anna Nieto-Gomez

Chicanos at CSULB: an origin story Anna Nieto-Gomez shares her experience as a Latina at CSULB in the 1960s with the Daily Forty-Niner.

By Paula Kiley Multimedia Managing Editor @ paulakileyy

W

hen Anna Nieto-Gomez arrived at Long Beach State in January of 1967, there were 27,000 students on campus. The administration estimated that only 200 were Mexican American. In celebration of Latinx Heritage Month, the Daily Forty-Niner sat down with Nieto-Gomez to learn about her experience as a Chicano student on campus in the 1960s.

What was your experience as a Latina student at CSULB in the ‘60s?

Well there wasn’t that concept yet, the Latina. People who stop to talk to me wanted to know what I was. They wanted to know if I was from another country. They asked me if I was Guamanian, Samoan, Filipina. I didn’t know what any of those people looked like. It was very strange to me because I came from a segregated town and everybody knew who I was. It was not a question. I was asked that question so often that I would wake up in the morning, brush my teeth and look in the mirror and say, “What are you?” Even though you’re brown, you didn’t imagine yourself different than others. You’re just a citizen of the United States. You’re just an American. You don’t really see yourself as different.

Do you recall any particular instances where you felt othered on campus?

I had one experience. Not all my teachers were racist, but I never forgot this experience, because I never had such a bad experience afterwards. I remember that I was standing in line because the night professor only had office hours after class. We were standing in line after class and

I knew I was going to miss my bus. So finally, I’m ready to talk to the teacher and he sees me and he looks at me and I don’t know what he sees. But he just turns around and he didn’t even bother to look at me when he spoke to me, but he said, “Don’t waste my time, you’re not gonna make it.” And he just walked away. And if I hadn’t been loaded down with books, I would’ve run after him. But I just stood there. And so I had to walk home, lugging those books.

Did you see other Chicanos on campus very often?

You never saw another Mexican. Never. It wasn’t until I was going to class and I tried to buy some candy from the vending machine and I saw this guy with a picket sign. He was walking around with a picket sign and it said, “C-HI-C-A-N-O.” And I had to enunciate what that was. And once I saw that it said ‘Chicano,’ I was like, “Oh my God.” I’ve never seen that word in writing. I heard it all my life, but I had never actually seen that word written down.

And I was so excited, because I saw somebody who knew what I was. I found some kind of place where I could be recognized. So I went and I ran up to that young man and I hugged him. And I say, “Oh my God I’m so happy to see you!” His name was Danny Chavez, and he was recruiting students to be a part of the UMAS organization. And UMAS stands for United Mexican American Students.

They had just established themselves in the fall of 1967 and they were trying to recruit members.

You ended up going to that meeting. What was it like?

When I walked into that office, I saw there were maybe 30 [Chicano] students there. I was amazed. I said, “Oh my God, I thought I was the only Chicano here.” And after when we talked, we all thought the same thing. They thought they were the only ones [on campus]. They hadn’t really seen another [Chicana/o] the entire time they were [on campus]. I met Jerry Juarez, [president of UMAS], and he gave a speech. He told us that no one really knew

how many Mexican Americans were on campus. You had to get a special report of a special report of a special report to find anything about Mexican Americans. It was all broken down by Spanish surnames. But the administration estimated there were about 200 to 250 Mexican Americans. [At the meeting], they said that the purpose [of UMAS] was to create a friendly environment, ensure that we graduate, increase the representation of the students here, create a public awareness program about racism in education and establish a department so that we’d be included in the curriculum and that appropriate scholarly work would come as a result.

What were some things UMAS did to achieve these goals?

In the summer of ‘68 we decided we were going to organize “Semana de la Raza,” or “The Week of the People,” and that was our first recruitment effort to bring 1,000 students. We brought [students] from Southern California and Central Valley. We each kind of divvied up [the areas]. We either went to [our former high schools] or somewhere else. We contacted the counselors and the teachers and we told them that we wanted to recruit students. Some of the counselors were gung-ho and they went work to get money to provide funding for buses so they could bus students over [to CSULB]. We would go to [high school] student assemblies and we also had to raise money for the Semana. Student government helped finance some of it. We went in the community to [speak to] all the different service organizations. We wrote letters to IBM, to different corporations trying to raise money.

And the school wrote letters, too, to try to raise money. It was just a mission.

In April 1969, all participating UMAS California chapters would merge into one unifying group, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (M.E.Ch.A). And in the mid-1980s, M.E.Ch.A at CSULB would change its name to La Raza Student Association to include the diverse Latinx community at CSULB.

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ARTS & LIFE 7

SAAD KAZI | Daily Forty-Niner

Long Beach native Billie Jean King waves to the crowd after cutting the grand opening ribbon of the new downtown library named in her honor.

Love all: Billie Jean King Library serves Long Beach Locals watch the former professional tennis player and renowned activist speak at opening ceremony of Long Beach’s new library.

By Saad Kazi Assistant Arts & Life Editor

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The Billie Jean King Library replaced the Main Library that closed earlier this year.

The former professional athlete expressed her appreciation for the new building’s structure and purpose.

ctivist and tennis champion Billie Jean King has been recognized globally for her efforts on and off the court.

“My dream is that the new main library will be a place for the people of Long Beach to keep learning and to connect and prosper,” King said.

On Saturday, thousands of Long Beach residents stayed under the sun to hear the 75-year-old speak at the grand opening of the downtown library named in her honor.

King got her tennis start in Long Beach as a fifth grader at Los Cerritos Elementary.

A graduate of Long Beach Polytechnic High School, she spent most of her youth in Wrigley Heights before winning her Wimbledon women’s doubles title when she was 17 years old.

“Anytime you have the opportunity to open a library is a wonderful day,” Mayor Robert Garcia said. “It’s so much more to our city than the walls and building itself, it’s really a reflection of where the city is going.”

King was effective in using her success to make changes in the advancement for women and in civil rights, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community. In 2009,

she became the first female athlete to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

“I’ve come full circle,” King said. “Without the people of Long Beach, I never would have had the opportunity to launch my tennis career, traveling the world and having a platform to hopefully make a difference in the lives of others.”

Councilmember Jeannine Pearce compared King to historical activist Dolores Huerta, and mentioned how her actions paved the way for the freedom of generations to come.

“When Billie came out as gay, it wasn’t a one-time thing,” Pearce said. “It was for our future and it was forever.”

Every year, Long Beach libraries serve over a million visitors. At 92,500 square feet,

the Billie Jean King Library is considered the crown jewel of the downtown Civic Center. With its 300,000 books and an adaptive technology center, it aims to continue the city’s learning accessibilty.

“The library will serve as a beacon for education here at the center of our downtown,” Garcia said.

Hundreds of people across the city contributed to the over $2 million in raised funds to enhance the building. The new library will provide services such as laptop check-out stations, 3D printers and an extensive children’s area. It will also utilize its funds for resources for job seekers, homeless people, and veterans.

“Today’s celebration is just the beginning of a new chapter in downtown Long Beach,” said Plenary Executive Chairman, Dale Bonner.

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A CHILLING DISCOVERY A pit that is 27-feet deep, full of 180,000 gallons of ice provides cold air for the entire campus.

Photos by Austin Brumblay

By Rachel Barnes News Editor @ rachlbarnes

A

cross the stairs from the University Student Union, steam rises from towers atop a building called the central plant.

Few know that beneath those towers lie waterfalls that are used to remove heat from water that will be dispersed throughout campus in an intricate system of pipes that serve as air-conditioning.

Long Beach State’s air-conditioning system has been in service since 1997. The complex machines inside the two buildings whir loudly as they work together to complete a cycle that has been perfected over the years.

“We have a state of the art, highly sustainable central plant that has won many awards and has been emulated as the goal for best practices for many years to other universities,” said Mark Zakhour director of design and construction services.

Up a flight of stairs is where the process begins with five ice harvesters that create ice from water treated with a chemical biocide to prevent algae, and a chemical inhibitor to prevent adverse chemical reactions.

These harvesters run all night from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. to avoid hot temperatures, and produce 250 pounds of ice an hour.

Below them lies a 27-foot deep pit that holds 180,000 gallons of water and ice which is enough to cool 1,000 homes for eight hours during the summer. The water then goes to chillers to remove heat from the water.

“Chillers are very common in large areas, especially in places with lots of rooms,” said Chris Stiner the owner of Perfect Air-Heating and Air-Conditioning.

Stiner said that most airconditioning units are run solely off

of refrigerant that helps transitions liquids into gas. The smaller units absorb the heat that passes through them, and according to Stiner, that is why most air conditioning units are hot to touch despite cooling the air.

Ice powered systems aren’t familiar to Stiner, and he said that he hasn’t worked on chillers in a long time.

Christian Tsouras, facilities control specialist, said that the way the CSULB runs the air-conditioning is becoming less common.

“Very few campuses do it as comprehensive as this,” Tsouras said. “It’s surprising that people haven’t done this in the past.”

Tsouras described the cycle of the water to be very similar to veins and arteries. The water goes below to get just above freezing and then travels out to the school. It returns as warm water, only to be cooled again and start the process all over. “[The central plant] is really the heart of the operation,” Tsouras said.

After the water is cooled it travels across the courtyard to the waterfalls where the heat gets rejected from the system. From there, it falls into a three-foot pool that is cleaned monthly. The water then flows into another pit, this one 15 feet deep, to go out to the school in six-inch-wide pipes.

The water that is cycled around CSULB is reused over and over again with very little lossage, according to Kevin Hottle the air-conditioning refrigeration mechanic.

With that much water, there is cause for concern regarding sustainability, but Shawn Cun, the energy and utilities manager, said that the department always keeps conservation in mind.

A consultant will be visiting the central plant soon to evaluate it and make sure that the system in place is still the most efficient way to cool the campus. Cun also said that facilities is looking into getting a heat-recovering chiller to reduce gas consumption by 75%.

“We’re always looking for the most energy efficient method to operate the plant,” Cun said.

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NEWS 9

(Counterclockwise from top) Facilities control specialist Christian Tsouras checks the ice havester in the secondstory of the plant. Ice is stored in a 27-f00t-deep holding tank to cool the air-conditioning system.

The Turbo Ice Harvesters produce 250 lbs of ice per hour to chill the system.

Water collects in the lower portion of the plant to be recycled.

10 ARTS & LIFE

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LOBO Cuban Food goes loco with flavor

(Above) Glen Vilar, 35, and Troy Galven, 30, LOBO Cuban Food share their love of Cuban food with the vegan community. The Cuban Cali Burrito (left), is filled with rice, beans, Yuca fries, avocado and more, is LOBO’s top selling item.

LOBO Cuban Food is a staple in the Latinx plant-based lifestyle scene.

MADALYN AMATO Daily Forty-Niner

By Madalyn Amato Staff Writer

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uban food, influenced by Spanish, French and African flavors, is defined by its exotic flavors and hearty dishes. Cumin, bay leaf and sofrito make for classic meals like Arroz con Pollo, Picadillo, Papa rellena and the famous Cuban sandwich.

Almost 3,000 miles away from Cuba, Glen Vilar, 35, and Troy Galven, 30, have refreshed traditional Cuban dishes to fit a vegan lifestyle while staying true to their culinary roots at their catering service, LOBO Cuban Food in Long Beach.

Inspired by his father’s passion for cooking, Vilar and his husband, Galven, decided to go to culinary school to pursue a career in the food industry.

“My dad was the main cook at the house and he’s always wanted to have a restaurant and never got a chance to do it,” Vilar said.

Upon graduation from the Cerritos College Culinary Arts program, the pair ventured into the restaurant business, beginning with LOBO Cuban Bowls late last year. However, they decided to rebrand the business, and renamed it LOBO Cuban Food in March of 2019, and expanded on their dishes.

Beyond the spices used to flavor, most dishes have a base of rice and beans, which are staples in any plant based diet. Vilar said that the company’s focus is to make dishes with what’s available, using classic recipes and customizing them to meet the dietary standards of a vegan lifestyle.

Other dishes, like the Cuban sandwich, require a little more imagination. Jackfruit, native to Southeast Asia, is a common ingredient used in vegan food. Its texture mimics that of meat, and its flavorless nature allows for a wide range of customization, from teriyaki “chicken” to Ropa Vieja, a shredded beef dish.

“We like to keep it as clean as possible,” Vilar said about the decision to use the fruit rather than other meat alternatives.

Although the flavors and traditions have found their way to Long Beach, veganism has yet to find its way to Cuba.

“Havana is a food desert for fresh produce,” Vilar said.

He and his husband visited the country for the first time last year to see family and experience the culture.

Vilar said the most shocking part of his trip was the food scarcity he witnessed across the island. Fresh produce was close to non-existent, and most fruits and vegetables come from cans. The expansive fields in Cuba are harvested for other countries, leaving little for the local people.

“Any tourism to Cuba goes straight to the government,” Vilar said. “No progress...not for the people.”

While in Cuba, he and his husband became desperate to find more substantial forms of food, outside of the classic rice and beans. Due to the economic strife affecting the people, fresh produce and meats are considered to be a delicacy and are only available to those of privilege.

That’s why accessibility to vegan Cuban food is so important to LOBO. Vilar hopes that he and his husband’s efforts will help to open dialogue conversation about Cuba. He said his biggest takeaway from the trip was realizing that even if you don’t have everything, it’s important to celebrate the gifts you are given.

“There’s more to the food and there’s more to the story,” Vilar said.

As the company grows, the couple is looking to expand their reach. They’ve begun collaborating with Good Vibes Society, an environmentally sustainable cold brew coffee company, to produce vegan café con leche .

A staple in Cuban culture, café con leche is much more than a beverage. Vilar said that he’s enjoyed the beverage since he was a child.

“Coffee was like water,” Vilar said.

Half coffee and half milk, the traditional Spanish beverage presented a challenge when it came to veganization.

“It took about six or seven batches before we nailed it,” Vilar said.

A worker at the Good Vibes Society, who goes by the name “Goon,” collaborated with LOBO to create a café con leche of their very own.

With a base of sustainable cold brew, the mixture includes oat milk made by Goon, a sprinkle of cinnamon and other ingredients to create a plant-based version of the Cuban staple.

“It’s the basis of Cuban culture,” Vilar said. “It’s about an experience.”

LOBO Cuban Food also serves at festivals throughout Los Angeles and Orange County and engage with the community through social media.

Galven said their top seller was once the mojo cauliflower, marinated in Cuban spices and served with black beans and cucumber salad, but has since been surpassed by the Cali-Cuban burrito, which is filled with rice, beans and Yuca french fries.

The Long Beach based catering company looks to expand its means of distribution in the near future. Although attending pop-up events has been the foundation of their business, Vilar and Galven look forward to having a more regular means of business by serving in a food truck, and eventually a brick and mortar location.

As LOBO Cuban Food continues to grow, the owners maintain their message.

“Always give 100% and be thankful for what you have,” Vilar said.

ARTS & LIFE 11

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | ARTS@DAILY49ER.COM

(Left) Coming from a family of musicians, chemical engineering and music major Dustin Ngo wants to continue his family’s music legacy while also pursuing a more “practical” career.

(Above) Dustin Ngo double majors in chemical engineering and music at CSULB. Photo credit to Dustin Ngo’s Twitter.

SUZANE JLELATI Daily Forty-Niner

The COLOR COLLECTION: Dustin Ngo The short series features student artists at CSULB and the work they create outside of school. Dustin Ngo, a double major in chemical engineering and music details his busy schedule.

By Suzane Jlelati Assistant Arts & Life Editor

T

ucked inside one of the music practice rooms open to students at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, chemical engineering and music major Dustin Ngo spends a majority of his day practicing the piano.

Studying STEM and arts, the two rivaling fields of study keep Ngo busy, with most of his days spent traversing upper and lower campus. On a typical Tuesday, Ngo spends 14 hours on campus, starting at 8 a.m. with organic chemistry and ending at 10 p.m. with choir.

It sounds exhausting, but according to Ngo he has been enjoying his workload.

“I don’t like to see [studying music and engineering] as a struggle, I’d rather see it as an opportunity,” Ngo said. “It forces me to find ways to be more efficient. I get to meet more people, which is my biggest advantage, in both [my] social life and networking.”

He chose to become a chemical engineering major based on practicality. Originally, Ngo was accepted to CSULB as a biochemistry major, but he said that he would have a better chance of being hired as a chemical engineer.

Ngo has been playing piano his whole life and because he comes from a family of musicians, it made sense for him to continue playing, he said.

He contacted the Director of keyboard studies, Shun-Lin Chou, and asked for piano lessons to hone his skills. Most music professors charge a hefty price for lessons, so he had to become a music major and enroll in a large ensemble in order to receive state-paid lessons.

Originally, his parents were skeptical about their son only pursuing a music degree because they knew the difficulties of the music industry, as they were both musicians.

However, Ngo said that they have been supportive of his decision to double major.

Having knowledge in both engineering and music sets Ngo apart from other job applicants.

“Engineering requires you to look outside the box; critical thinking, problem solving, and I think art can really expand what you can do with that,” Ngo said.

Dylan Lam, a friend of six years and marching bandmate, has watched Ngo grow as an artist and student. They’ve supported each other through long practices and have grown stronger as friends. They have helped each other in their own artistic and academic pursuits. “[Ngo] is definitely a person who really tries and has a lot of persistence in everything he does,” Lam said. “Thinking about all his achievements, academically and musically, I think are kind of amazing.”

Alongside his academic activities, Ngo is a member of the Riverside City College Indoor Percussion. Ngo drives to Riverside every weekend to practice keyboard and manage soundscapes.

He also teaches piano to kids and adults, and he enjoys the challenges that teaching entails.

STEM and art students look at the world through different lenses and have their own separate specialized skills, but Ngo said he is able to experience the best of both worlds.

Despite all their differences, Ngo said STEM and music students are more alike than they are different.

“There’s people in the STEM world that have a lack of artistry and lack of creativity, but [are] really strong in math,” Ngo said. “There’s people in music that are exceptional with their instrument, amazing interpreters of classical literature, but at the same time you can’t ask them to balance a chemical equation.”

Ngo said he is grateful that he attends CSULB, because if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have gotten the chance to pursue the double major.

“I can’t give advice that would fit everyone, but a good general thing: You know what’s right, whether you think so or not, you know it,” Ngo said. “What I would do, flip a coin...[and] once it’s in the air you already have a thought about which one you want to do and that’s your answer, doesn’t matter what the coin flip is.”

12 OPINIONS

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | OPINIONS@DAILY49ER.COM

Spill the Tea is a weekly section for students to share their opinions and make their voices heard. Long Beach State students answer a question that can range from the silly to the political. We at the Daily Forty-Niner value the diverse opinions of the CSULB student body and look forward to you sharing them with us. This week, students weigh in on which campus buildings need renovations.

Photos and Reporting by Alexander Zepeda

Name: Annabella Exum-Strahlendorf Major: Fourth-year, Pre-Linguistics

Name: Lan To Major: Third-year, Finance

If you could renovate one building on campus, what would it be and why?

Liberal arts because those buildings are, I don’t know how to describe it, like crusty. They seem old.

If you could renovate one building on campus, what would it be and why?

The CBA Building. They don’t have those refillable water stations and the closest one is the Horn Center.

Name: Reyna Godinez Major: Fourth-year, International Business

Name: Randy Dang Major: Fourth-year, Communications

If you could renovate one building on campus, what would it be and why?

The CBA definitely. The first floor could use a lot of updating!

If you could renovate one building on campus, what would it be and why?

I think the Liberal Arts Building should be renovated. Not just one but all of the Liberal Arts buildings because they’re really outdated.

OPINIONS 13

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | OPINIONS@DAILY49ER.COM

Recalculating the future of transportation

By Perry Continente Opinions Editor

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truck carrying a carnival ride crashed last week on Interstate 605 South, blocking every lane. Luckily no one was killed; however, myself and thousands of others saw our commute times massively extended.

What should have taken me half-an-hour, took an hour-and-a-half to get to campus.

Long Beach State is a commuter school that is hard to commute to. Parking is a notorious issue and public transportation has grown more expensive and less convenient. Luckily, there is a solution on the horizon: autonomous vehicles.

Self-driving cars would reduce traffic, solve the parking problem and provide an inexpensive and safe way for students to get to and from campus.

While implementation is still a few years away, likely out of the realm of our time at CSULB, it is heartening to know that transportation won’t be a perpetual problem.

Rather than parking and taking up another spot on campus, students could either pay a small fee to commute via a self-driving car or have their own autonomous vehicle pick up other people to passively generate income.

It will also dramatically curtail accidents and deaths associated with poor driving. Car accidents kill tens of thousands of people every year and are the third leading cause of death in America.

Either way, the commute as we know it will soon be a thing of the past. Thank God. It will also alleviate the notoriously bad Los Angeles area traffic. It’s telling that the tightly packed billboards in the city all mockingly reference the impacted highways and streets choked with cars.

LA lacks convenient public transport. San Francisco and New York both have inexpensive, speedy subway systems mitigating much of the problem, but not LA. The bus system is a confusing and time consuming, and it is not feasible to implement a subway system.

Elon Musk’s maligned tunnel system is a testament to how difficult public transit can be to implement.

We don’t need years-long projects, what we need is to accelerate the timetable on autonomous vehicles.

Although improvements can be good in the short term, they will ultimately be rendered inconsequential once automation is in full swing.

Why hire more drivers when they will be let go in a few years? It’s cruel.

Without the need to hire drivers, cities will be able to add more lines making it more convenient for passengers.

There are legitimate concerns about automation, especially the elimination of driving jobs.

Driving is the number one vocation for American men, and eliminating this would leave many hardworking people out of a job.

However, these growing pains are nothing new, technological progress will always result in a reorientation of the sorts of jobs people have.

We are on the cusp of a fundamental shift in public transportation, roads will be clearer, searching for parking will be a thing of the past so why would we implement extensive projects to improve public transit? By the time they are finished, they will be redundant.

Make it easy to take the bus please

By Hannah Getahun Special Projects Editor

T

hanks to the effects of the ongoing climate crisis and overcrowded highways, using public transportation has been pushed as a way to reduce negative impact on the environment.

Even though getting out of our cars and into buses and trains is better for society, there is still an issue: public transportation is one of the least reliable and least efficient ways to get around.

This is why, in order to increase the usage of public transportation, we must invest in it. Public transportation must be as convenient as driving a car.

First, we must come to terms with the fact that, in a lot of ways, private transportation methods are much more convenient than public transportation.

Historically, the United States has not built infrastructure to make public transport a reliable means of everyday travel.

On top of this, city transit services usually struggle to acquire funding. This is because highway groups in California lobby for more investment for highway upgrades, rather than upgrades for transit services.

Oftentimes, Republican officials who make decisions on transit see public transportation as an investment in a welfare service that they don’t want to put money towards.

As a result, public transportation is forced to cut corners by hiring fewer drivers or cutting hours. According to the Voice of OC, the Orange County Transportation Authority recently cut some transport services because of declining ridership.

Private transportation, such as cars or bikes, run on the specific schedule of the owner. With departures being few and far between at bus stops, it makes it harder to get to work or school on time.

On top of this, buses may stop running during late hours.

For example, Long Beach Transit buses that run through CSULB stop running after midnight and begin running again at 5 a.m. This means that anyone trying to utilize public transportation between these hours is not able to do so.

Public transportation is also inconvenient during less-than-ideal weather conditions, leaving people stuck outside in adverse weather. Not all bus stops have coverings to help with this.

Buses are very limited in where they can travel.

Even with connecting bus routes, there are not enough lines and stops to get to every part of the city. As a result, you may have to walk, bike or Uber to get your exact destination.

In order to get people to use the buses to reach the train, cities must invest in hiring more drivers, adding more lines and subsidizing bus pass costs for people who can’t afford the rising prices.

It may take lobbying or protests from concerned citizens to make sure changes like these come to fruition, but when traffic becomes unbearable and the air harder to breathe, we will wish we had spent more time making public transportation better for all.

14 SPORTS

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | SPORTS@DAILY49ER.COM

JACOB POWERS | Daily Forty-Niner

(From left to right) Eric Valenzuela coaches a player during the Dirtbags’ practice. Dirtbags’ head coach Eric Valenzuela plays catch with players during practice.

New coach steps up to the plate

By Jacob Powers Staff Writer @ jaypowers__

At eight years old, Valenzuela’s father relocated the family from Duarte to Covina which offered a better educational system and a better baseball league, he said.

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After being named a highschool All-American from Bishop Amat Memorial High School, Valenzuela was named the California Sophomore of the Year by Cal-High Sports in 1996. The same year Bishop Amat went on to win the CIF-SS championship.

aseball is naturally a game of failure. If players fail 70% of the time at the plate, they’re still a .300 hitter, which can turn into million dollar salaries in Major League Baseball.

Long Beach State Dirtbags’ new head coach Eric Valenzuela is no stranger to overcoming failure.

“As a kid my dad didn’t allow me to make excuses,” Valenzuela said. “When you are a Dirtbag, you are expected to do great things and get to the postseason. The pressure can really flood the team’s brain.”

Valenzuela’s focus as the new head coach isn’t currently set on winning, but rather on shaping student athletes and creating a hard-working culture within the clubhouse. Being on time, showing up to class and treating people with respect is just as important as winning to Valenzuela.

“You are in the Big West, you have to really take care of the culture from within,” Valenzuela said. “As soon as these guys start to lose appreciation of the opportunity that is Dirtbag baseball, they will be cut.”

The Dirtbags welcomed 12 new recruits to the team this year.

The team hopes to turn around its disappointing 2019 season after going 14-41 (8-16 Big West).

For Devereaux Harrison, a first-year player from Vacaville, California, joining the Dirtbags was an easy choice.

Seasoned head coach Eric Valenzuela looks to reinvigorate Dirtbags baseball from the ground up.

“I came on a visit and fell in love with the campus and the city of Long Beach,” Harrsion said. “What they do for their players is amazing and the ultimate goal is to get drafted. Long Beach has no problem getting players there.”

While Southern California has many things to draw in prospective athletes, Valenzuela’s mindset makes the Dirtbags the most appealing team.

Isaac Rameriz, a first-year kinesiology major, wanted to make sure he got to experience that culture.

“I was originally going to Saint Mary’s because of coach Valenzuela,” Ramirez said. “When I found out coach was coming to LBSU, I was able to be released from my old school and come over to the Beach. He has so much grit and treats us all like family.”

Valenzuela’s passion wasn’t originally baseball, it was boxing.

As a child, he grew up training in the ring with his father, which would later develop a work ethic that would carry into his baseball career.

Sidelined by injury for the majority of the ‘98 season at Arizona State, Valenzuela spent most of the season shadowing the coaching staff. After learning of his injury history, ASU revoked Valenzuela’s scholarship.

He then transferred to Pepperdine in 1999, where he reunited with his best friend and former high school teammate Dan Haren. Haren went on to become a MLB pitcher. Valenzuela was the captain of Pepperdine’s 2001 team that went 42-18 and won the WCC title.

After graduating in 2001, Valenzuela wanted to play independent ball and stayed at Pepperdine to work out and condition. That same summer, John Baptista called Valenzuela, and offered him his first collegiate coaching job with the Saint Mary’s College Gaels. Valenzuela worked as the assistant recruiting coordinator, as well as the outfield and third base coach.

“Working for the Gaels really helped me develop as a coach,” Valenzuela said. “Pitching was everything I knew at the time and I had to learn how to do new things.”

After coaching the Brewster Whitecaps for one season, a Cape Cod Independent League team, Valenzuela spent six seasons across town at the University of San Diego. Valenzuela helped the Toreros reach the NCAA postseason on three occasions, with the last instance in 2008 when the Toreros visited the Long Beach regional after winning a program high of 44 games.

In 2009, Tony Gwynn called Valenzuela and asked him, “How can I steal you from USD? I want to make San Diego State a powerhouse.”

“When Tony Gwynn calls seeking you, it’s pretty hard to say no,” Valenzuela said.

Valenzuela then served four seasons from 2010 to 2014 as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at San Diego State.

He was responsible for bringing in a pair of recruiting classes ranked in the Top 25 by Baseball America.

In 2014, Valenzuela rejoined the Gaels, where they recorded four consecutive 30-win seasons. He also led Saint Mary’s to its first West Coast Conference title and the program’s first NCAA Regional appearance in 2016.

With a history filled with success, Valenzuela looks to bring the Beach back to prominence on the national stage with internal growth.

SPORTS 15

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | SPORTS@DAILY49ER.COM

By Joel Ruditsky Contributing Writer @ joelruditsky

S

ophomore point guard Justina King comes from a tight-knit family with a foundation centered around hoops.

From Toronto, Canada, King is carrying on her family’s tradition of playing collegiate basketball.

The love for basketball in the King family drew Justina to the game, but her competitive nature is what sets her apart.

King of the court

“Any time I would mess up, or miss a shot, I would be hard on myself,” King said. “I’ve been trying to get better at being even-keeled and supporting my teammates, regardless of my performance.”

Justina King moves into a leadership role in her sophomore season after a summer with Team Canada.

“We have higher standards for Justina,” Cammon said. “She is a natural leader, but we also want to make sure she has fun out there.

“She is such a fun loving and sweet person,” head coach Jeff Cammon said. “But as soon as those cards or dice come out, or whatever it may be, a switch goes off. I love it.”

During the summer of 2018, King spent valuable time with the Canadian U-18 team. The team spent the days together between multiple practices, offcourt meetings and team bonding activities.

The time she spent playing with team Canada in a professional international setting is something a lot of her teammates never experienced. She said it helped her transition from high school to Division 1 basketball.

Leaving a hometown for college can be a challenge for any young person. Going to a foreign country though is a whole different ball game.

Despite a disappointing 8460 loss in the championship game in Mexico City against the United States, the experience was unforgettable for King.

This is the challenge King was presented with when she went to Ribét Academy College Preparatory in Los Angeles. For King though, being recruited by CSULB made the decision an easy one.

“It was crazy,” King said. “Just from all the training back at home, to the flight to Thailand, it was a great experience.“

“I was immediately drawn in by the family atmosphere here,” King said. “Making sure I have a second family away from home is really important to me.”

Off the court, team bonding has been extremely important to King.

The Beach women’s basketball team is extremely close, and King’s welcoming nature made the transition that much easier.

Playing basketball always came easy for King. Whatever level she played at, she was able to find success, until college.

“She is good with anyone,” Cammon said. “She has such a kind, loving and genuine spirit.”

At CSULB, she was immersed in a setting where she hasn’t been able to dominate her opponents right away.

Whether it’s at practice or hanging out after class, the family values ring true for King in all aspects of her life at her second home, the Beach.

For King, the challenge of building upon last season’s 9-22 record motivates her, and is one of the things she loves about playing for the Beach.

“As soon as practice is over we’re like ‘Where we going next?,’” King said. “I just like being able to spend time with my teammates.”

“Obviously, we weren’t successful last year,” she said. “[But] the fact that we are still super motivated and coming into this year with a different mentality is really exciting.”

Outside of basketball King has picked up an interest in teaching during her time spent in Long Beach.

The root of this work ethic comes from her family, who have high expectations for King.

After switching majors to liberal studies, King realized she enjoys working with kids, especially after participating in spring and summer camps.

Her father has motivated King to one day consider making the switch to coaching when her playing career is over.

Off the court, King has an inviting smile and light hearted personality.

Cammon added that King’s leadership was one of the most appealing qualities she brought to the team.

The moment she steps on the court, King is a fierce competitor who isn’t afraid to get up in her competitors’ face or send them in the dust with a crossover.

“She could coach at any level she wants,” Cammon said. “She has such an infectious personality onto her peers that it makes others want to be better.”

That infectious personality blends in with her game on the court. She always strives to get better in any area after her rookie season at the Beach.

The coaches saw these qualities too, as King became a leader of the team after just one season.

But the one constant in both sides of her life is the strong foundation of family.

AUSTIN BRUMBLAY | Daily Forty-Niner

Long Beach State point guard Justina King looks to set up a teammate with a bounce pass. This season the Beach will look to King to lead the young team.

“Our goal is to win the Big West for sure,” King said. “To have a whole family on board with the same goals is pretty cool.”

16 SPORTS

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | SPORTS@DAILY49ER.COM

Fair pay but not eligible to play Senate Bill 206 proposes paying college athletes.

CSULB is against the bill.

By Guadalupe Perez, Mireya Tagle, Pavel Pilipenko Contributing Writers

G

etting compensated for talent is far from a radical concept, but it is a complicated matter in college sports.

Earlier this year, the California State Legislature introduced Senate Bill 206, which would allow student athletes to use their names, images and likenesses for monetary gain.

On Sept. 9, the California State Assembly unanimously approved SB 206 with 73-0 votes and 31-5 votes in the Senate. Gov. Gavin Newsom has 30 days to either sign or veto the measure which would go into effect starting Jan. 2023.

With time ticking, Athletics Director Andy Fee and Long Beach State officials are working to try to find a middle ground where all athletes can benefit without facing potential repercussions.

“Should Gov. Newsom sign this bill…my goal will be to continue a discussion with lawmakers and all affected parties to find a compromise to SB 206 which allows the NCAA to maintain its amateur framework, and enhance the experience for all NCAA student athletes,” Fee said.

Despite the support from countless public figures such as LeBron James and Bernie Sanders, Fee said that although the bill sounds great in theory, it could hurt CSULB and have unintended consequences for its student athletes.

SB 206 was first introduced by Sen. Nancy Skinner and Sen. Steven Bradford. Known as the “Fair Pay to Play Act,” the bill would allow California college athletes to be compensated for their play. It would also give college athletes the possibility to work with agents and sign endorsement deals. However, community colleges will be exempt from being paid.

Fee fears that SB 206 could have direct consequences for international student athletes at the Beach.

International student athletes can study and play sports while being on an F1 visa, however, it poses restrictions on employment.

RYAN GUITARE | Daily Forty-Niner

If SB 206 passes, Californian college athletes would be allowed to use their names, images and likenesses for monetary gain.

“What I hope is that student athletes understand it will affect their eligibility,” Fee said.

If international student athletes were to sign a deal with a company that results in them getting compensated, they could then face severe immigration repercussions, which could lead to deportation.

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the F1 visa allows students to work on campus during the first academic year, but any “off-campus employment must be related to their area of study and must be authorized prior to starting any work by the designated school official.”

“There are three exceptions for student athletes [for work]…all have to be tied with your academics,” Fee said.

Another potential issue is California schools’ eligibility for NCAA sanctioned events.

“We could see championship opportunities taken away from our student athletes,” Fee said.

The 58 California institutions that participate in NCAA sanctioned competitions would come to a faceoff with the NCAA. California institutions would no longer be able to compete against states that do not pay student athletes because the players would classified as professionals while other players would still be amateurs.

CSULB receives $500,000 to $1 million in sponsorship money a year, Fee said. If a sponsor chooses to support a student athlete instead, the athletics department could lose revenue.

“Men’s basketball has a preseason game against the University of Arizona…we’re getting $9,000 [for that game],” Fee said. “That helps with our bottom line.”

According to Fee, the revenue that is earned from preseason games help pay for tutors and trainers that assist the student athletes.

Two strong advocates for SB 206 include basketball star LeBron James and Sen. Bernie Sanders. Both have emphasized the impact this bill will have on the lives of student athletes via Twitter: “This law is a game changer. College athletes can responsibly get paid for what they do and the billions they create,” James tweeted.

Fee said that he’s not against the conversation, but he would prefer a more appropriate suggestion that wouldn’t put CSULB student athletes at a disadvantage.

The NCAA directed a letter to Newsom, which stated: “NCAA member schools already are working on changing rules for all student athletes to appropriately use their name, image and likeness in accordance with our values — but not pay them to play.”

“Ultimately you won’t get your name out there if you don’t play [for] championships,” sophomore Dirtbags’ infielder Brennan Rozell said.

Fee was skeptical about the possibility of other states signing similar laws and therefore pressuring NCAA to pay student athletes across the nation.

To get around this would be to not play the sponsored athlete, that way no NCAA rules are being broken by the school, Fee said.

“How do you get all 50 states to sign same legislature?

One approach could be to look at it through the federal level. That could be more plausible,” Fee said.

“The university isn’t required to play that student athlete…we wouldn’t allow those players to break an [NCAA] rule,” Fee said.

Since the beginning of the NCAA, membership rules have been rigid. Fee said he doesn’t believe that the NCAA will ever vote in favor of paying student athletes.

Schools outside of California could also see it as unfair to compete against programs who have an advantage when it comes to recruiting because athletes will be attracted to the opportunity for pay and recognition.

“We’re here to support our student-athletes,” Fee said. “We really want them to have the best possible experience here in the classroom and on the field of competition. I don’t want someone to do something not knowing the consequences.”

Fee added that sponsors may have to make a choice in the future about advertising with the school or paying a student athlete.

Manuel Valladeres, assistant contributed to this article.

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