Daily Forty-Niner, Sept. 3, 2019

weekly print edition

DAILY FORTY-NINER CELEBRATING 70 YEARS

Vol. LXXI, Issue 02

www.daily49er.com

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Community, cosplay and comics Pg. 8 and 9

Cemetery brought back to life

Kickin’ back into action

page 7

page 14

2

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | STAFF@DAILY49ER.COM ON THE COVER

Weekly Calendar

COSPLAYING AS CAPTAIN AMERICA, JASON HO RESTS AFTER A BUSY DAY AT LONG BEACH COMIC CON, AUG. 31.

PHOTO BY AUSTIN BRUMBLAY

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

Tuesday 9/3

Wednesday 9/4

Thursday 9/5

Friday 9/6

Saturday 9/7

Sunday 9/8

- Print issue of the Daily Forty-Niner

-Week of Welcome @ Quad 11 a.m. 2 p.m.

-Week of Welcome @ Quad 11 a.m. 2 p.m.

Sports - WVB vs UCLA vs Texas State @ Walter Pyramid 5 p.m.

Sports - Men’s WPOLO vs Fresno Pacific vs Triton Invitational @ La Jolla, Calif.

- Kleefeld Art Museum @ CSULB 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

- New episode of “Beach Weekly”

Sports - WVB vs UCLA vs Georgia @ Walter Pyramid 6 p.m.

-WVB vs Texas State @ Walter Pyramid 8 p.m.

- WVB vs Georgia @ Walter Pyramid 7 p.m.

-WSOC vs Nebraska @ CSULB 7 p.m.

Daily Forty-Niner

- WVB vs UCLA vs Georgia vs Texas State @ Walter Pyramid 4:30 p.m.

Sports - Men’s WPOLO vs Triton Invitational @ La Jolla, Calif.

- WSOC vs Drexel @ CSULB 12 p.m.

Shark Bites

By Alejandro Vazquez Vol. LXXI, Issue 02

Editorial Office Phone (562) 985-8000

Austin Brumblay Editor in Chief eic@daily49er.com

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Shark Bites is a Long Beach State inspired crossword puzzle that contains clues from the articles within the paper.

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Melissa Valencia business@daily49er.com Hannah Getahun Rachel Barnes Alejandro Vazquez

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Letters to Editor editor@daily49er.com Corrections correction@daily49er.com Story Ideas tips@daily49er.com Job Inquiries jobs@daily49er.com

Letters Policy: All letters and emails must bear the phone number of the writer and must be no more than 300 words. The Daily Forty-Niner reserves the right to edit letters for publication in regard to space.

Across 2. Ike’s Sandwiches, Plant Power, and Veggie Grill are these types of restaurants.

4. The type of parking service the Long Beach State has added for the first eight weeks of school.

5. Last name of the Sunnyside Cemetery manager that embezzled $500,000 for personal use.

6. Beach Weekly is the Daily Forty-Niner’s what?

8. The field position of Long Beach State soccer player, Kaitlin Freguila.

Down 1. The “Avengers” movie that became the highest grossing film in history.

3. The event hosted at the Long Beach Convention Center this past weekend.

7. The seminar course that the University Police Department is going to host in October.

Editorials: All opinions expressed in the columns, letters, and cartoons in the issue are those of the writers or artists. The opinons of the Daily FortyNiner are expressed only in unsigned editorials and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the journalsim department or the views of all staff members. All such editorials are written by the editorial board of the Daily Forty-Niner.

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NEWS 3

CSU

CREDIT | CSU

The CSU Board of Trustees have proposed an additional STEM requirement for first-year students. High school students would be required to take two college-preparatory electives (Area G) to fulfill their quantitative reasoning requirement.

CSU proposes more STEM to get in The CSU Board of Trustees is considering requiring high school students to take an additional year of mathematics or science to qualify for admission.

By Austin Brumblay Editor in Chief

T

h e California State University Board of Trustees is considering adding an additional STEM course requirement for first-year admission into the CSU system.

During the special Thursday Board of Trustees meeting, CSU officials proposed a requirement for all first-year CSU applicants to take a quantitative reasoning course — which would be fulfilled by a math, science or applicable elective course — upping the current requirement from one class to two.

If the recommendation passes, it will be a requirement by 2026.

“In this data-rich era when information from the internet is available instantly, all students must graduate with the ability to analyze and synthesize knowledge of the world around them,” said James T. Miner, assistant vice chancellor. “Whether analyzing an investment, purchasing decisions, interpreting nutritional facts, calculating dosage for medication or making decisions for political polling, quantitative reasoning skills are utilized everyday.”

Miner defined quantitative reasoning as “the ability to think and reason intelligently about measurement in the real world.”

The objective of the change is for first-year CSU students to complete their quantitative reasoning requirements, or sub-area “B4” general education requirement during their first year of college. According to data supplied by the CSU, students who completed a fourth year of mathematics in high school were 20% more likely to complete the quantitative reasoning requirement their first year.

The current CSU admission requirement is two years of college-preparatory science classes and three years of college-preparatory mathematics classes.

The proposal has been met with opposition by students and educators who feel that the additional requirement would negatively affect minority students, students who do not excel in STEM courses and students facing a lack of course options.

“I’d like to know all the schools that only have one [quantitative reasoning course] option … and the options students have. It’s definitely a concern of mine,” Trustee Lillian Kimbell said. “My son had a great deal of difficulty with mathematics.”

Some academic officials and educators also fear that enrollment will drop in arts and humanities courses if an additional STEM class becomes a requirement.

“My concern is, will this effectively eliminate humanities, art courses, music, ethnic studies?” Trustee Wenda Fong asked during the question portion of the meeting. “Because we’re focusing on quantitative reasoning, will those efforts move away from those other courses?”

According to Vice Chancellor Marquita Grenot-Scheyer, quantitative reasoning is present and necessary in humanities courses. She added that the skills learned in the additional STEM course would also aid students in other subjects.

A study by the CSU showed that four-year graduation rates increased by 9% and six-year graduation rates increased by 12% for students who took a fourth year of a quantitative reasoning course in high school.

Long Beach Unified School District, the largest school district in California, reports 70% of students below the federal poverty level and 86% as non-white but has already implemented a four-year math requirement. The 2019 high school graduating class was the first class with the new prerequisite and saw a 15% increase in students who completed the “A through G” requirements, according to Jill Baker, deputy superintendent of LBUSD. “Our why is a long-term engagement at the college promise dialog with our Long Beach City College and Cal State Long Beach,” Baker said. “[LBUSD] wants to reduce the need for

Long Beach Unified students to take remedial classes when they exit our system.”

While many school districts across California have already implemented the requirement, not all have the resources to do so. CSU officials noted that continuation schools and schools in rural areas currently do not meet the proposed standards.

Grenot-Scheyer emphasized that students would not be denied CSU admission due to lack of high school class options. Exemptions will be offered to students who are unable to access a qualifying course.

“Let me be very clear, under this proposal no student would be denied access to the CSU because they could not take a quantitative reasoning course through no fault of their own,” she said. “This is consistent with the phase and approach that was successfully implemented when the ‘A through G’ requirements were originally enacted.”

To help prepare high schools for the policy, the CSU will be investing $10 million over the next four years to prepare STEM teachers for additional classes. The investment is in addition to the $2.7 million a year that the CSU currently uses to support teachers.

“We acknowledge that implementing this requirement would be a collective effort,” Grenot-Scheyer said. “As was the case with the ‘A’ through ‘G’ requirements 30 years ago, this proposal would require PK-12 schools to revise their course offerings, but CSU faculty and staff will be working with these districts as partners over the next seven years.”

In contrast, the University of California system requires two years of college-preparatory science classes and three years of college-preparatory mathematics classes for incoming first-year students. If the quantitative reasoning requirement passes, some students may be admitted to UCs but not CSUs. A formal proposal for the quantitative reasoning requirement will be brought forth as an information item at the next CSU Board of Trustees meeting, Sept. 24 and 25, at the Office of the Chancellor in Long Beach.

4 NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM

PARKING

Students at CSULB struggle to find parking during the first week and the newly implimented valet service has been little help, according to students.

RYAN GUITARE Daily Forty-Niner

CSULB bumper cars The school’s solution to the traffic on campus, assisted parking, has already shown some critical flaws only two weeks into the semester.

Many students have reported damage to their cars and stress about their vehicles’ safety.

By Rachle Barnes News Editor

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She said she was a little wary, but she was worried that she would be late to her first day of classes. Malaiba was guided by the employees to a stacked space directly behind other cars in parking spots.

ong Beach State’s solution to the parking crisis is the newly-implemented assisted parking, but so far it is doing more harm than good, students say.

She returned to her car after her classes, and it had been moved, which she thought nothing of as she had been double parked. Malaiba only saw the driver’s side of her vehicle before she got in and drove home.

The assisted parking program is a partnership between CSULB and Empire Parking Lot Services to assist with the large amount of traffic that takes place at the beginning of the fall semester. The current strategy is for students to park their cars and hand off their keys to attendants.

“As I pulled into my driveway, my mom asked what happened to my car. I came around to the passengers side and saw the damage,” she said. “My car was dented and scratched all across the rear door and back side.”

CSULB’s strategy to alleviate the parking issues on campus has been a problem for students, in the form of damage to cars and confusion about the process. Another student reported that attendants parked cars along accessible sidewalk ramps, blocking entry.

Fourth-year aerospace engineering major, Jeanavic Malaiba took to Twitter to express her concerns.

“I was stunned and felt very unfortunate that something like this had happened to me at school,” Malaiba said. “The valet did not mention damage or anything of the sort to me when I collected my car.”

Malaiba said after 30 minutes of looking for a parking spot she decided to use the assisted parking program in lot G12.

On Twitter, Malaiba said that she was going to contact the school to see what could be done to fix the situation. She, the school and the University Police Department are in the middle of negotiations.

“The school was very apologetic and moved quickly to try to help me resolve this,” she said. “They’ve been helpful and understanding about this situation which I’m glad [about].”

Jeff Cook, associate vice president of strategic communications, said that if there is an accident then it should be reported to police.

“Unfortunately, I do know that minor accidents are relatively common at universities as semesters begin and

people adjust to the start of a new academic year,” Cook said. “I’m not suggesting that’s OK or that we should be resigned to accept it.”

Franco Vizcaya, a second-year computer science major, said that he also had trouble with the assisted parking program.

“As I’m sitting on my phone waiting to get helped I felt a hard thud, looked up, and saw that whoever was in front of me backed right into me,” Vizcaya said. “I got out immediately and noticed it was one of the valets.”

Vizcaya said that when he got out of his car to look at the damage he saw an indent of his license plate on the other car. He said the parking employee asked him, “You think they’ll notice?”

He was late to class already, so he decided to leave it be, though that wasn’t his only experience with the assisted parking program. The first time he used the service, attendees passed around his car keys and almost lost them because some of them didn’t know how to drive a stickshift.

He said that it concerned him because manual cars could be significantly damaged if they are not handled correctly.

“I hate that I have no other choice but to take the valet or be late to class and it’s [filling] me with stress while I’m on campus,” Vizcaya said.

NEWS 5

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM SELF-DEFENSE

Self-defense course to be held at CSULB The University Police Department is hosting a four-day self-defense seminar for women this October.

By Ramon Alvarado Staff Writer

the program would help her feel safe while walking around CSULB.

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“I haven’t been [on campus] at night, but I know from a colleague how scary it can be,” Avina-Cruz said. “[Her colleague] takes into consideration the parking and how far it is to the library. I don’t know what it feels like yet, but I would be interested in [R.A.D]. I think it would help.”

o ng Beach State’s University Police Department is hosting a Rape Aggression Defense course this October for women on campus and in the community. The four-day training program will teach “easy-to-learn” strategies for self-defense.

According to UPD Capt. Richard Goodwin, the department is aware of the uncomfortable and dangerous situations women can experience. The department is doing what it can to better prepare women for worst-case scenarios as a result.

“Our students come from all over the world… they’re getting [used to] a whole new environment, and most especially a whole new campus,” Goodwin said. “We have what we call the ‘red zone,’ which is the first few months of school. That’s a period of time where we get more reports of sexual assault and sexual battery.”

R.A.D is led by UPD officers and nationally certified instructors who are specialized in women’s self-defense. The course begins by educating women on awareness and risk reduction, then advances to defense training.

Julia Avina-Cruz, a social work masters student, said she feels that taking part in

Other students said the course can be beneficial, but some didn’t agree that the campus needed it. Amanda Hadley, a junior history major, said she is generally comfortable while being on campus.

“I’ve taken [a self-defense] course before and I think it’s smart for all women to take one,” Hadley said. “However, I think the application of self-defense techniques would be more for my life off-campus. I feel safe at CSULB.” Goodwin encouraged all students to attend R.A.D. whether they are concerned with campus safety or not. He said the department wants women to be prepared for anything they may face during the “red zone” period of the semester.

The four-day Rape Aggression Defense course will take place on Oct. 8, 10, 15 and 17 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and all four days are required.

To register or learn more about about R.A.D., visit the website or call 562-9854896.

VEGAN

Students are upset over the lack of vegan options The lack of vegan options on campus have left students wanting more. Here are some local places to eat.

By Andy Lizarraga Arts & Life Editor

M

any Long Beach State students have decided to opt out of eating meat in favor of a plant-based diet, but have been met with few vegan choices on campus.

It’s no secret that becoming vegan is something that is on the rise. Companies such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are changing the ways of traditional fast food by incorporating their products in many fast food restaurant’s menus.

According to a report by Report Buyer, the number of vegans in the United States rose from 1% in 2014 to 6% in 2017.

Although veganism is making a drastic impact on plant-based food availability, there is still a problem with how little vegan options there are at CSULB. Each restaurant on campus has minimal

ALEJANDRO VAZQUEZ | Daily Forty-Niner

Ike’s Sandwiches is located across the street front campus and provides several vegan options to choose from.

options and the students say they want more. Restaurants on campus currently offer: the Beyond Burger from The Nugget Grill & Pub, a falafel sandwich from OPA! Greek, a veggie delight from Subway and a veggie bowl from El Pollo Loco.

“In general, more vegan options would be great to promote sustainable lifestyles on campus,” said Noor Masri, a third-year hospitality management major. “If I could add anything, it would be some kind of tofu/rice combo.”

Brandon Winn, a fourth-year computer science major, said that if he does not pack a lunch for school every day he has few options for food.

Other students, like Ashley Weber, a firstyear pre-mechanical engineering major, feel the same way.

“It definitely discourages me from wanting to eat on campus and encourages me to bring my own food...or wait until I get

home to eat something,” Weber said. “I feel like they might even bring in some revenue if they put more vegan options on the menus or put a vegan establishment there.”

Some students don’t even want to try to look for food on campus anymore. One of the only options left is going off campus and finding some of the closest fast food or restaurants that the city has to offer.

Here are some of the closest establishments that offer vegan and vegetarians options: Ike’s Sandwiches in Long Beach offers at least 10 vegetarian options, with half of them being customizable to vegan by simply taking out the cheese and replacing it with vegan cheese. The James and the Giant Peach sandwich, which contains vegan fried chicken and yellow barbeque sauce, is definitely one of their more popular sandwiches on the menu.

Located at 5745 E. Pacific Coast Hwy, Ike’s

Sandwiches is a quick walk or short drive from campus.

Plant Power is a vegan establishment that offers numerous options, from a western burger to a “chicken” wrap the options are endless. Plant Power tends to mimic different popular items, like the “Big Zac,” which looks almost identical to McDonald’s Big Mac. Plant Power is located at 5095 Pacific Coast Highway.

Veggie Grill is one of the first vegan fast food chains in California. With newly added items to the menu, Veggie Grill offers many options for vegan food lovers.

Veggie Grill is located at 6451 E. Pacific Highway.

If the school offered more vegan options, both the school and the student would benefit.

“I would most definitely eat more on campus if there were more vegan options there,” Weber said.

6 ARTS & LIFE

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | ARTS@DAILY49ER.COM

MUSIC

CSULB

Alexander Hahn is welcomed as the new Director of Vocal Studies in the music department.

Alexander Hahn welcomed as Director of Vocal Studies at Bob Cole Conservatory of Music With nearly 10 years of experience as a professional opera singer, Hahn was brought on to join the faculty at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music.

By Alexandra Apatiga Assistant Arts & Life Editor

S

tudents and faculty at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music welcomed new Director of Vocal Studies, Alexander Hahn, to Long Beach State this past week.

Taking up the position previously held by current Director of Choral Studies, Jonathan Talberg, Hahn will continue to oversee students and faculty within the vocal, choral and opera programs at CSULB. “My job is to not just continue that [reputation], but to build upon it,” Hahn said as he discussed the music department at CSULB. His wife Jennifer Sung, a fellow opera singer and new professor in voice at CSULB, will combine their experience to teach students vocal, choral and opera studies.

A New York native, Hahn began his journey into opera at 17 years old after transferring to the Mannes School of Music in New York. There, Hahn continued his education before beginning his career as an opera singer.

“It’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears in the performing arts,” Hahn said.

With nearly 10 years of experience as an opera singer and performer, Hahn has performed in works such as “Le Nozze

di Figaro” with the Bronx Opera, “Hamlet” with Opera Ithaca, “Rigoletto” with the Opera Theater of Connecticut, “Carmen” with the New Rochelle Opera and bass-baritone soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with EOS Orchestra of Beijing.

He was a former Paris Opera Competition grand finalist, was among Career Bridges Organization 2017 winners, was a finalist in the 2017 Giulio Gari Competition for vocals and was a winner of the David L. Kasdon Memorial Prize for outstanding singer at the Yale School of Music.

For Hahn, his path as an instructor in music was always on his mind, having earned his masters from Yale School of Music and his Ph.D from Stony Brook University. His first job as a professor was at Grand Valley State University a year ago before coming to CSULB. “I was teaching there in western Michigan, but that was never going to be a long term position,” Hahn said. “It was more, for me, a stepping stone into what a full-time professor-ship really feels like and entails.”

Hahn would later have the opportunity to progress as an educator, as multiple institutions offered him a position at their respective schools. Among the offers was one from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music as Director of Vocal Studies.

“It’s where I want to be,” he said, “It’s why I’m here.”

He noted the friendliness of faculty and students as a

big factor, as well as the diversity and enthusiasm of the campus. Hahn said since arriving on campus, his colleagues have embraced his arrival.

“I feel welcomed here, not just by my colleagues, but also by the students,” Hahn said, who expressed how big of a difference feeling welcomed at a new job makes.

As for his plans for the students of the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, Hahn wants to prepare his students for a career within the performing arts. Hahn said that the performing arts is constantly changing and as such students must be prepared for those changes.

Hahn aspires to teach students important traits like professionalism and attitude because he said that a successful career in the performing arts relies on more than just talent.

“The fact of the matter is, no one wants to work with you if you’re unpleasant,” Hahn said. “I try to instill in my studio students to come to class every day prepared and with a good attitude.”

Hahn said that students who refine these characteristics are able to better adapt in a career in the performing arts.

From Hahn’s own experience, he said the field evolves every 10 to 15 years.

“What I want to bring specifically is a way for the students to connect to what a 21st century professional career looks like,” he said.

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ARTS & LIFE 7

LANDMARK

Sunnyside Cemetery’s time is not up After an embezzlement scandal in the 90s, the city of Long Beach will manage Sunnyside Cemetery.

By Andy Lizarraga Arts & Life Editor

W

i t h over 16,000 people buried at Sunnyside Cemetery, the gates of the historic landmark faced the possibility of closing forever, but was averted when the City of Long Beach stepped in.

Long Beach City Council voted in favor unanimously, Aug. 20 for the Long Beach Department of Parks and Recreation to manage the cemetery.

Sunnyside Cemetery opened in 1906 and is the second oldest burial ground in Long Beach, the first being Long Beach Municipal Cemetery. Many civil war veterans are buried beneath the surface, including a medal of honor recipient. The first Long Beach police officer killed in the line of duty is also buried there.

ANDY LIZARRAGA | Daily Forty-Niner

The Long Beach Sunnyside cemetery will remain open under management from the Department of Parks and Recreation, city council decided Aug. 20.

The maintenance of the cemetery is run by volunteers and court-ordered community service workers.

According to Mike Miner, the former manager, the cemetery has been facing financial problems for quite some time. In 1994 former manager Dean A. Dempsey embezzled $500,000 of the endowment fund, which funds the cemetery. He used the money to pay for a MercedesBenz, alimony and rent. Dempsey was later sentenced to four years in prison.

“This is more a labor of love for me than something I wanted to make love of,” Miner said.

“He spent four years in jail, which to me was not enough,” Miner said.

Linda Meador, who is also on the small board of directors, told NBC about their cemetery being neglected.

Since the incident, the cemetery has been left underfunded.

Due to the lack of funds, maintaining the cemetery has become difficult for the small crew. Weeds and grass have overgrown the property.

“For 19 years we’ve been in contact with the city of Long Beach, asking them to take the cemetery over. And we’ve been denied time after time after time,” Meador told NBC in an interview.

Sunnyside Cemetery has been relying on a couple thousand dollars a month to pay bills. The only current employee that is paid is their gardener Jose Robles.

Both Miner and Meador have multiple family members buried at the cemetery, making it personal to each of them.

Meador goes out every day and talks to her mother’s grave.

When Miner was acting manager, he didn’t get paid much.

The fence dividing Sunnyside Cemetery and Long Beach Municipal Cemetery shows the stark difference between the two.

“I got paid a pair of pickles,” Miner joked.

After the debacle with the previous owner, Miner took over managing the cemetery for 12 years and was a volunteer for another 12 years. He retired last November, leaving the cemetery with no manager.

The lush green grass that once surrounded Sunnyside Cemetery is now brown, the fences are coated in rust and the ground is filled with gopher holes. Miner said jokingly that there are probably more gophers than people buried at the cemetery.

On the other side of the fence, the grass has a vibrant green color creating a harsh line between the two sides.

Although Miner and Meador are hopeful that the city will take care of the cemetery, they are hesitant.

“I have mixed feelings because it’s going to someone else who doesn’t have the same look at the cemetery that we do...we have people buried here, so we have a different viewpoint than they do,” Miner said. “It means more to us than it does to them.”

The Department of Parks and Recreation visited Sunnyside Cemetery and inspected the property this past week.

Meador said that there is talk about removing the fence that separates both cemeteries.

Sunnyside Cemetery is located at 1095 E. Willow St. and is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day.

8 ARTS & LIFE

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ARTS & LIFE 9

COMIC CON

Left to right: Cosplayer Adaligh Nelson serves a striking posed dressed as She-RA. Jason Ho and Thomas Barr rest after a long day first day at Long Beach Comic Con, Aug. 31. Tiffany Nelson cosplays at this year’s Long Beach Comic Con.

By Paris Barraza Staff Writer

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ultiples of Harley Quinn, the Joker, and characters from “Stranger Things” weaved through the crowd at the 11th annual Long Beach Comic Con held at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center.

Creators, programmers, writers, engineers and fans gathered to celebrate comic books, cosplay and the growing “nerd culture.”

Attendees lined up at the entrance at least an hour before the doors opened, eager to enjoy what the convention had to offer. In front of the entrance was a car show that showcased famous vehicles from film and television. Some of the recognizable cars included Bumblebee from “Transformers” and the Jeep Wrangler from “Jurassic Park.”

The founder of Star Car Central, Nate Truman, stood out front with the cars. His company and its members are a car club that builds street legal cars from their favorite shows and films.

“All of our childhood stories are similar,” Truman shared about the members.

He mused about his childhood, emphasizing his love for Batman and the Batmobile,

which would later be the first car he built and showcased. Though Truman recognized that building cars is typically an individual endeavor, the club provides a community for other enthusiasts.

Another member, Justin Wu, stood dressed as Spider-Man next to his Spider-Man inspired car. Wu joined the club this year for Comic Con to spread awareness of what Wu believes superheroes can do.

Wu, who is a surgeon for Kaiser Permanente, founded Healing Little Heroes Foundation in 2017, a foundation dedicated to serving children with cancer and other illnesses, who Wu said are the real heroes. On his days off, Wu dresses as a number of popular comic book characters, from Batman to Captain America, and surprises children inside hospitals.

“I help them heal emotionally psychologically,” Wu said.

Community, cosplays and comics: Long Beach Comic Con 2019

and

Inside the convention center and down the escalators were dozens of vendors that sold merchandise from Funko Pop figures to comic books.

One of the guests invited to Comic Con was actor Matty Cardarople who recently portrayed Keith in Season 3 of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” Cardarople admired the car from “Ghostbusters” showcased through Star Car Central outside, before commenting on his time on “Stranger Things.”

The annual Long Beach Comic Con returned for a two-day event held at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center Aug. 31 through Sept. 1 Photos by AUSTIN BRUMBLAY

“Absolutely incredible. It was like a dream come true,” Cararople said.

“Rainbow Shine,” complete with a horn and rainbow hair.

Inside Comic Con were two employees from Long Beach State, 49er Shops lead Robin Nixon and engineering lecturer Walter Martinez. Nixon, dressed as Tiana from “Princess and The Frog” was joined by her friend Alexis Lujan, dressed as Charlotte La Bouff from the same film. This was Nixon’s fourth year at the event and Martinez’s third.

Like Schum, dozens of individuals and families dressed as their favorite characters. Tony Martinez works full time, but found an escape in cosplay since he started one year ago. Dressed as Clayton Carmine from the popular video game “Gears of War 3,” Martinez said his costume took six months to finish and cost over $1,000.

Further inside sat the WWE’s Solofa Fatu Jr., better known as Rikishi. Rikishi represented KnokX Pro Entertainment, an academy based in Van Nuys that trains wrestlers.

Next to Rikishi’s booth sat a caged ring where students of KnokX Pro performed.

It gave the students an opportunity to perform with an audience and be critiqued

by Rikishi afterwards.

Vickie Guerrero, another WWE wrestler, attended Comic Con for the first time this year. Guerrero often portrays a villainous persona that leads fans to be surprised by her cheery demeanor.

“I love talking to the fans. I love to see all the costumes,” Guerrero said.

In front of Guerrero was Megan Schum who has attended Comic Con every year for the past five years. Schum loved the event because of the cosplay and wore an original creation that she named

Besides the vendors were 15 programs and seven exhibitions offered throughout the day, including “The Art Nerd of Theatre” and “Fan Films-Marvel and DC.” Comic Con 2019 made a notable effort to push inclusivity with panels like “Enter: The Latina Superhero,” “GeekFest’s Women of Sci-Fi and Horror” and “Space Expo Presents: Space Unites: LGBTQ+ Community.”

In “Space Expo Presents: Space Unites: LGBTQ+ Community,” a panel of LGBTQ+ employees at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory shed light on their experiences in a field that is traditionally conservative.

Panel member and mechanical engineer Jeff Megiverm summed up the topic of sexual and gender orientation with one simple statement: “Space doesn’t care. The rock doesn’t care,” he said.

10 OPINIONS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | OPINIONS@DAILY49ER.COM

SUPERHEROES

Superhero movies: a legacy of stagnation

Spider-Man: far from new

The predictable formula of Marvel creates a need for renewed artistic independence.

Repetition makes superhero films lose their luster.

By Alex Dansereau Contributing Writer

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vengers: Endgame” became the highestgrossing movie in history in July. This auspicious feat is the culmination of an unprecedented run of success for the superhero movie genre. Before the game-changing impact of Bryan Singer’s “X-Men” and Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” in the early ‘00s, few would have predicted that comic book adaptations would become the blockbuster juggernaut that they are today.

By Kevin Chittum Contributing Writer

As a lifelong fan of the superhero genre, there are times when I remain thankful that I was able to grow up witnessing its ascent to dominance. These movies have made nerd culture socially acceptable in a way that was unthinkable just a few decades ago.

Knowing this about me, it may come as a surprise that I haven’t seen the new Spider-Man film, “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” nor do I plan to. I honestly have no interest in sitting in a theater and watching it.

The obvious case study for both of these points is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is undeniably impressive that Marvel Studios has been able to create such a richly interconnected cinematic story, weaving together various characters and franchises in novel ways. However, this interconnection is perhaps the only way in which the MCU ever truly innovates — and it comes with a cost.

Marvel Studios producer Kevin Feige controls every individual MCU movie’s production with an iron (man) fist, flattening individual directors’ creative visions in service of the larger shared universe. This has led to a series of talented filmmakers leaving Marvel due to the limited creative control they had over their own productions.

Creative clashes between writer-directors and studio executives are a tale as old as Hollywood, and we only need to look back as far as 2007’s Sonyproduced “Spider-Man 3” to see a prime example of producers meddling with a promising script. The end result was a plot so disjointed and incoherent, that not even Tobey Maguire could dance and finger-gun blast his way out of a disaster.

There is, however, a potential path forward — a way for bold, inventive filmmaking to continue to thrive amidst the cape-and-cowl cavalcade.

Some filmmakers are finding ways to game that system to their creative advantage, proposing bold reimaginings of existing franchises and characters that still have built-in fanbases.

Todd Phillips’ forthcoming “Joker” will be one such attempt to test the waters, presenting audiences with a visceral, R-rated take on one of DC Comics’ most iconic antagonists.

Superhero filmmaking is at a crossroads. With the potential for audience fatigue higher than ever before, the next wave of movies will help decide if studios are able to accomodate bold, even risky artistic visions into their franchises — and convert a new generation of diehards in the process. Without this, I fear that superhero blockbusters could fade from collective memory faster than Maguire’s “emo Peter Parker” phase.

pider-Man is one of my favorite superheroes. His origin story is so heart-wrenchingly beautiful and he has always stood out to me as the greatest characters in the Marvel Universe.

As a kid, I couldn’t get enough of him. I still can’t bring myself to let go of my VHS copy of “Spider-Man,” starring the great Tobey Maguire, even though I haven’t even seen a VCR in 10 years.

It’s not that my aforementioned affection for Spider-Man has faded, or that I have anything against Tom Holland, the actor who currently plays the role of Peter Parker. It’s not even about the ongoing Sony/Marvel Spider-Man drama that I’ve grown extremely tired of hearing about recently. It’s that the beautiful story that I love so much has been told too many times.

“SpiderMan:Into the Spider-Verse,” which I highly recommend, was so good because it told a new story. It brought new life to a comic movie universe that has been relying on repackaging the same thing for so many years. This newest film doesn’t seem interested in doing that at all.

I’m not saying that there can be only one film portrayal of everyone’s favorite web-slinging superhero, but three versions in the last two decades barely gives fans enough time to breathe.

The impact of the origin story becomes watered down when it is told over and over again, which is a shame because I think every Spider-Man fan remembers their first time experiencing moments like the untimely death of Uncle Ben. It’s a heartbreaking, powerful moment and is vital to Peter Parker’s decision to become Spider-Man. But even the most diehard of fans can grow weary of a story after seeing it told in film three different times in three different ways by three different directors.

I can’t speak for all Spider-Man fans, but I think these movies would be better if they were focused on building upon Peter Parker’s story instead of retelling it. I’m not very hopeful that will ever be the case though.

So, I’m going to take a break from Spider-Man movies for a while. He’ll always be one of my favorite superheroes. I’ll always have a deep appreciation for his origin story. But I think these reboots are making me a little jaded.

OPINIONS 11

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 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

their parking experience in the new semester.

By Perry Continente Photos by Ryan Guitare

Ayden Ju Fourth-year criminal justice major

Brendan Ly Fourth-year biochemistry major

How has your parking experience been?

The earlier the worse it is, traffic is way worse, parking is way worse. It’s pretty absurd, they charge you when they don’t have enough spots for everyone.

Have you used the valet service?

One time I had trouble getting out because other cars were blocking my car. I was parked by the SWRC, my friend had that problem too and she was parked by Parkside.

How has your parking experience been?

Oh my god. During the first month parking is really bad.

Yesterday I didn’t even find parking on campus, I parked off campus. After the first month parking’s great.

Have you used the valet service?

I tried, but they were full. I tried G12, by the gym, there were two parking spots, I saw them, and they were like “no, we’re full.”

Jade Bonilla Third-year accounting major How has your parking experience been?

Absolutely horrible. I came to class an hour early and didn’t find parking until 40 minutes into my class. I came to class late for the first day.

Have you used the valet service?

I tried, but they didn’t have enough space, so I ended up having to search for a spot anyways. They were already full by 11 a.m.

Jonathan Saucedo Third-year computer science major How has your parking experience been?

Parking is pretty easy. I find parking really easy because I show up really early. Parking isn’t too bad in the structure.

Have you used the valet service?

I would consider it, but I havent had to yet, if I had like 15 minutes to get to class I would use it.

12

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SPORTS 13

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | SPORTS@DAILY49ER.COM WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

By Ralston Dacanay Assistant Sports Editor @ralstondacanay

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he last two seasons have not gone as planned for the Long Beach State women’s volleyball team due to a combination of injuries to key players and poor execution in conference play resulting in missed postseason tournaments.

set and 286 kills overall, Williams was invited to take part in the USA Volleyball National Team tryouts during the offseason. Working in the gym alongside three-time Olympic gold medalist and U.S. Olympic Hall of Famer Karch Kiraly and the U.S. Women’s National Team, Williams believes her time in Colorado Springs improved her versatility at the net.

Coming off of a 16-13 (8-8 Big West) season in which the Beach won its final three games in a row against Big West opponents, the momentum appears to be on the team’s side heading into the year.

“The experience was kind of tough because you’re playing with different people and their different styles,” Williams said.

“But I think that will help me in the long run because I can adjust to anyone’s sets and anyone’s play style.”

While the 2019 Big West Women’s Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll projects CSULB to finish fifth in the conference, head coach Joy McKienzie-Fuerbringer said there is plenty of opportunity for her new team to climb the standings.

Williams’ advice for her freshman teammates new to playing Division 1 volleyball after her hot start a year prior? — “Stay focused and stay healthy.”

“I don’t mind our seeding,” McKienzie-Fuerbringer said. “I think the Big West is really strong and I like that we’re seeded where we are so we have something to reach for. We’ve got a lot to prove.”

Chavira is among those newcomers working to establish themselves in their first year, and looks to contribute to the team as its starting setter in the near future.

The Beach has welcomed eight newcomers onto the court, in the form of three transfers and five freshmen this year.

“During practices, it’s been pretty tough to adjust to my hitters,” Chavira said. “But I feel like with more practice and more reps, I’m getting used to their hitting styles and their sets and what they need.”

Days after the team’s Black and Gold intersquad scrimmage last week, McKienzie-Fuerbringer said freshman libero/defensive specialists Jade Waskom and Nicole Hoff will step into a big role for the team early on. Other first year players who are looking to contribute right away are outside hitters Katie Kennedy, Ioanna Georgatzi and setter Tia Chavira.

Heading into her fourth and final season at Long Beach State, Harward (1,144 career digs) has her eyes set on finishing in the top three in the CSULB all-time dig record. Currently sitting ninth on the list, Harward will be chasing No. 3 Tara Cross, who racked up 1,578 digs from 1986-89.

In addition to sophomore outside hitter Amanda Henderson, a pair of incoming juniors, middle blocker Miranda Canez and outside hitter Avery Nelson, make up this year’s transfers and are expected to take part in what McKienzie-Fuerbringer describes as a “strong leadership class” in the new roster.

Leadership will also naturally stem from the team’s seniors coming into their own, with middle blocker Kjersti Norveel back 100% from her knee injury, and the return of 2018 All-Big West honorable mentions outside hitter Hailey Harward and middle blocker YiZhi “Eri” Xue. After being named to the All-Big West Freshman team, sophomore Kashauna Williams will take on a bigger role for the Beach, moving positions from opposite to outside hitter.

“She’s worked really hard in the offseason and preseason on [playing outside hitter], so we’re going to see a lot more balls going to Kashauna Williams this year,” McKienzie-Fuerbringer said.

As the team’s second leading scorer last season at 2.65 kills per

AUSTIN BRUMBLAY | Daily Forty-Niner

Joy McKienzie-Fuerbringer prepares the volleyball players for the competitive upcoming season during a team scrimmage, Aug.28.

Big West, bigger opportunity In year three under head coach Joy McKienzie-Fuerbringer, an influx of new talent along with a healthy returning core have all signs pointing to a dark horse return to postseason action.

A move that should help towards that goal will be Harward’s shift back to the libero position where she’s historically thrived, being nominated to the All-Freshman Team and First Team All-Big West in her first two years as the Beach’s defensive specialist.

While Harward said her stint at her former club position of outside hitter for the Beach wasn’t tough last season, she welcomes the opportunity to focus on the defensive end once again.

“I’m playing libero this season, and pretty excited to just contribute in more of a leadership role without actually scoring, but keeping the other team from scoring,” Harward said.

Long Beach State started their season in Atlanta, Georgia at the Georgia Tech Invitational, with their first win coming against UNC Asheville in five sets and another win with a sweep over Southern University, Saturday.

The Beach will open up home action at the Walter Pyramid during the Long Beach State Mizuno Classic at 8 p.m. Thursday

14 SPORTS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | SPORTS@DAILY49ER.COM

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Back on the right foot Kaitlin Fregulia is back to a starting role with the Beach, but her multiple-year recovery from a severe injury to her kicking leg is ongoing.

AUSTIN BRUMBLAY | Daily Forty-Niner

Junior defender Kaitlin Fregulia comes back strong against Penn State, Aug. 30, after injuring her right knee during the 2017 season.

S

uffering from calf cramps, Long Beach State women’s soccer defender Kaitlin Fregulia stared blankly and shook her head in the home-opener as she was removed from her first competitive match in over a year.

“It’s definitely a little frustrating,” Fregulia said. “I think it did kind of give me a check like, ‘hey, you’ve got to be a lot more serious now.’”

Fregulia’s 87-minute return to the Beach in their 2019 season opener was not a culmination, but rather another painful step in a long and grueling journey.

Understanding her frustration requires turning the clock back to when she suffered a catastrophic injury almost two years ago.

On Oct. 15, 2017, during Fregulia’s sophomore season, the Beach travelled to UC Santa Barbara for their fifth game of the conference season. Four minutes in, Fregulia kicked the ball forward, making a move around a defender who then clipped her airborne right foot.

Fregulia’s foot stuck in the grass when it landed while the rest of her leg kept moving, instantly tearing half a dozen ligaments in her knee, along with her calf and hamstring tendons.

“It was just a blood-curdling scream like I have never heard,” Kaitlin’s mother Pam Fregulia

said.

Kaitlin felt the pain for about 10 seconds. After that, she only felt the shock and sadness of knowing that something had gone seriously wrong.

“It was a long car ride home, thinking to myself,” Kaitlin said.

On the team bus, Kaitlin watched the video of how her injury played out.

In the car, her mother recieved a devastating message.

“

“Mom, my knee is finished,” Kaitlin told her mother.

At the time of her injury, Kaitlin had already earned a starting role on the Beach, being named a part of the Big West All Freshman team in 2016.

Her career was progressing seamlessly, but it was about to become an immense challenge.

Kaitlin’s leg suffered so much internal bleeding due to her injury that surgery had to be delayed two months. She finally went under the knife during the winter break.

While most celebrated the holidays, Kaitlin said she struggled emotionally, but as an athlete she always used to possess remarkable physical strength.

Surgery left her unable to walk for six weeks, which she said

prevented her from maintaining her athletic identity.

“Seeing all my muscle deteriorate was pretty degrading,” Fregulia said. “Having to learn to walk again was very degrading.”

“Seeing all my muscle deteriorate was pretty degrading,” “Having to learn to walk again was very degrading.”

- Kaitlin Fregulia Recovery also hampered Kaitlin’s academics. She wore a straightleg brace for six weeks of the spring 2018 semester, making getting around campus a grueling and sometimes almost impossible effort. Such impediments forced her to drop two of her classes which, according to her mother, took a heavy toll on her.

“She strives to be an allAmerican,” Pam Fregulia said.

“That’s part of her goal.”

Kaitlin defines herself not only by her studies and her athleticism, but also by her relationship to her teammates. The injury disrupted that relationship during the 2017 and 2018 seasons due to her inability to travel with the team.

“That was, obviously, super hard to not be able to be with the team in those moments,” Kaitlin said. “At times I did, obviously, feel a little lonely.”

Even when she returned to practice, Kaitlin was not part of full drills. She missed the chemistry that team drills help build.

“

By Robert Hollar Staff Writer

“I was always doing work off to the side or doing rehab, so missing that stuff was a little upsetting,” Kaitlin said.

The slow pace of her recovery tormented her.

She began to question whether she would ever be the athlete she once was.

they began filming her physical therapy exercises.

The gradual nature of rehab prevented her from noticing the strength she was regaining.

The videos changed that.

“Now I can look back and I can see how far I’ve come,” Kaitlin said.

Last October, Kaitlin pinned a tweet depicting her injury and the progress she had made since then.

Head coach Mauricio Ingrassia thinks her progress transcends physical recovery.

“She’s more mature now,” Ingrassia said. “Going through an injury like that does wonders for your discipline.”

Kaitlin builds confidence with each new milestone in her recovery, already recognizing the growth gained through her struggle.

“I feel like it really helped me grow maturity-wise, being super supportive off the field even if I’m not playing.” she said.

“At times I felt like I wasn’t trying hard enough or doing enough to be successful,” she said.

Although she has regained her starting role, Kaitlin still undergoes treatment after games and practices. Her journey is far from over, but that might be a good thing for anyone who is excited to see her reach her full potential.

Early in 2018, Kaitlin and her mom made a decision that changed the defender’s outlook:

“I have no doubt that she’s gonna be huge for our program,” Ingrassia said.

SPORTS 15

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | SPORTS@DAILY49ER.COM CLUB SPORTS

“Be relentless, be ruthless, be respected,” CSULB hockey club Often forgotten in the land of sunshine and palm trees, the Long Beach State ice hockey team heads into their season with a new look and a championship in sight, but need help from the students to obtain it.

By Mark Lindahl Sports Editor @markalindahl

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f t e r a disappointing loss in the West Coast Hockey Conference championship game, the Long Beach State hockey club is beginning the season looking for a chance at redemption.

Last season ended on a great run, but the team was unable to seal the deal against CSUN losing 4-3, leaving the Beach yearning for another shot at being kings of the ice.

“We fell a little short [of] winning the WCHC title, so the goal is to win that this year, take it away from CSUN,” head coach Sean Hoang said. “They’re our biggest rival.”

With the team already having a slight taste of success, they know what they have to do to get over the hump.

“We lost some pretty big hitters and top scoring guys,” said second year member Ryan Osterkamp. “So I’m expecting some of the guys to be able to step up, including myself.”

Without former top scorer and team leader Luke Miller, CSULB hockey will be looking to replace his production on the ice.

“We have a good-good-good core of kids, they all love each other,” coach Hoang said. “We got a couple freshmen...a couple goalies, we got a good core coming in, but we got a good core that came back.”

One of those returning members is fourthyear player Francis Lemay

from Montreal, Canada, who is excited about the team’s roster this season.

scoring is fun and all that, but as long as you have good teammates, you’re going to have a good time out here.”

“We’re going to have a solid four lines,” Lemay said. “Last year, we had a star player who used to play NCAA and we heavily relied on him. This season, we’re going to have a lot of depth. Not just one line doing the work, we’re going to have three or four.”

But even with this laidback and playful environment within the team, they still prefer a blue-collar, hardnosed attack on the ice.

With new players joining the roster, the team is working on building a camaraderie with a mixture of hard-work and humor.

One way the team bonds is by having a shoot out every Wednesday morning practice, leaving the last player left to not score with the “reward” of eating whatever nasty concoction the rest of the team cooks up.

This past week’s mixture consisted of clam juice, sardines and ghost pepper sauce.

Osterkamp said another way the team has grown together is through their brotherhood and collective love of the game.

“Just being around the guys,” Osterkamp said. “Just the locker room and being on the bench with them. I mean playing is fun,

“I’d like to be the team that takes shit from no one,” Hoang said. “I want everyone to know that they’re going to be in for a [world of] hurt when they play Long Beach.

I want to be physical this year and put up a lot of points.”

Newly painted in the locker room, every member has bought in to the team’s motto this season, “Be relentless.

Be ruthless. Be respected” The team hopes to echo this bold statement on the ice as well.

“I expect nothing but good things, Osterkamp said. “I hope we make it exactly to where we made it to last year, the finals, but instead of losing I hope we win.”

With championship aspirations for the year and a set goal ahead of them, the CSULB hockey club hopes for more support from the student body.

“Not that many people know that there’s a Long Beach [hockey] team, and [it] kind of fell off when I graduated,” Hoang said. “When [my brother and I] played, the stands were filled with fans. It was packed.”

So what does Hoang have to say to the students at the Beach?

“If they want to see the toughest sport in the world, come check it out.”

The Long Beach State hockey club will hold its home games at The Rinks Lakewood ICE in Lakewood beginning in late September with discounted tickets for students at $5.

CSULB ice hockey player looks on as the team wraps up a Wednesday morning practice with a shoot out competition MARK LINDAHL Daily Forty-Niner

16

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 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 compiled the story.

This season, Beach Weekly presents a new segment, Beach Weekly: Sports, where assistant sports editors Manuel Valladares and Ralston Dacanay talk all things Long Beach State athletics.

Beach Weekly can be streamed at Daily49er.com as well as the following platforms: Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, SoundCloud, and Radio Public.