Daily Forty-Niner; October 31, 2022

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Return to Anaheim: Commencement 2023

is back at Angel Stadium

By Xochilt Andrade Staff Writer

Long Beach State President Jane Close Cono ley said the spring 2023 commencement will be hosted at Angel Stadium for the third year in a row and for the foreseeable future.

The decision came from a steady increase in the number of student graduates surpassing available space to host the ceremonies on cam pus, according to Conoley.

“When I first came, we were graduating be tween 7,000 and 8,000,” Conoley said. “Now we’re graduating between 10,000 and 12,000.”

In order to maintain safe distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Omicron surge, Angel Stadium was rented out for the previous two commencement ceremonies to provide am ple space for both student graduates and spec tators.

However, with classes fully in-person, Cono ley says that COVID is no longer the main issue with hosting commencement on campus.

“There’s more people graduating, they’re not dropping out,” Conoley said. “They’re finishing in four and a half, five years, so that’s all good, but it has overwhelmed the space we have on campus.”

According to Conoley, it will cost an estimat ed $1.3 million to host commencement at Angel stadium, and even more to host the ceremonies on school grounds.

“We would have to minimally do 12 ceremo nies if we held them on campus, so it’s actually at this point more expensive to hold it on cam pus than it is to [host it at] the Angel Stadium,” Conoley said.

Commencement will proceed similarly to the previous year with only a few key differences.

There will be two additional commencement

ceremonies added to the traditionally scheduled seven for the seven distinct colleges—three cere monies on each day between May 15, 16 and 17.

The decision to incorporate two additional ceremonies was made in order to mitigate the hour-long processionals from the larger colleges such as Liberal Arts and the College of Health and Human Services.

By holding graduation at Angel Stadium, each graduating student at least 10 tickets, whereas in previous on-campus graduations, students re ceived eight tickets.

Conoley at one point said she was prepared to add a winter 2022 graduation at The Pyramid where names would be read, but this failed to materialize due to scheduling conflicts.

Conoley could not promise whether this could be made possible for the 2023 graduates, saying she didn’t “want to raise expectations.”

“People’s concerns have been heard, [and] we’re trying to solve that problem. We are learn ing as we work with Angel Stadium to see what’s possible,” Conoley said.

In the past, when the ceremony was on cam pus, students would provide a note card before stepping on stage to have their names called. Conoley and her team are currently weighing dif ferent options such as having a pre-recording of all student names announced. She says plans are still being finalized, but for now, commencement for spring 2023 will be back at Angel stadium.

No contract is in place yet for the ceremo nies but Jim Milbury, Long Beach news media services specialist, said they “hope to finalize it soon.”

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Here at the 49er we acknowledge that the school we report on is located on the sacred site of Puvungna, “the gathering place”. We are on the land of the Tongva/Gabrieleño and the Acjachemen/ Juaneño Nations who have lived and continue to live here.

We also acknowledge the Gabrieleño/Tongva (pronounced: GABRIEL-EN-YO/TONG – VAH) and Acjachamen/Juaneño (pronounced: AH-HACH-AH-MEN/JUAN-EN-YO) as the traditional custodians of the Los Angeles region along with the Chumash (pronounced: CHOO-MOSH) to the north and west, and the Tataviam (pronounced: TAH-TAH-VEE-YUM) and Cahuilla (pronounced: KAH-WEE-YAH) Nations to the east.

We respect and value the many ways the Tongva/Acjachemen cultural heritage and beliefs con tinue to have significance to the living people and remind us about the sacred and spiritual relation ship that has always existed here at what we now call California State University Long Beach.

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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.

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 journalism department or the views of all staff members. All such editorials are written by the editorial board of the Daily Forty-Niner.

ON THE

SONNY TAPIA

Long Beach,

Sonny Tapia

Sports Assistant Andrea Lopez Naoki Gima Armando Jacobo

Jacob MitchellDistribution Analyst distribution@daily49er.com

Nicholas Broadhead

VINCENT MEDINA | Daily Forty-Niner

Early this year, thousands of students signed a petition calling for a ceremony where

Jaylen Minnich

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Atazshii AustinSocial Media Editor

Ashley Wilkes

Brittney Griner to serve full Russian prison sentence

WNBA and two-time U.S Olympic gold medalist lost her sentence appeal in a Moscow court and will now serve her nine-year sentence.

By Nicholas Broadhead Sports Assistant

A prisoner swap could possibly occur between the United States and Russia, as WNBA and two-time U.S Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner lost her court appeal to her Russian prison sentence Tuesday.

The athlete, who has been de tained since Feb. 17, is facing years nine years inside a Russian penal colony, remote from the general population, for bringing in vape canisters containing cannabis oils into the country.

Griner had traveled to Russia to play for a Russian professional basketball team during the WNBA offseason when she was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, according to AP News.

Griner said she brought the can isters for medicinal use with no criminal intent during her trial. Her defense team said they believed the sentencing was too long based on

Russia

similar cases that have occurred in Russia.

While the Moscow Regional Court denied the appeal, Griner’s time in detention was counted as time served in prison. With one day in detention equaling one and a half days served in prison, Griner still faces eight years in her penal colony.

The U.S. offered in the past to trade Griner and Paul Whelan, an American arrested in Russia under espionage charges, for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

While there hasn’t been any re sponse on the offer from Russia, some Russian officials have said that swaps can become more likely when appeals are no longer a factor.

Many U.S politicians, includ ing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, called the decision “anoth er failure of justice.”

President Joe Biden told report ers that his administration is still in contact with Russia with bring ing Griner back to the states and with her family, according to an AP News video.

As the original sentencing re mains intact, Griner can’t help but worry about the future.

“Brittney’s biggest fear is that she is not exchanged and will have to serve the whole sentence in Russia,”

said Griner’s lawyers, Maria Blagov olina and Alexander Boykov, in an email. “She had hopes for today, as each month, each day away from her family and friends matters to her.”

By Isabel Silagy Podcast Editor

In the last two weeks, Russia has es calated its military operations in Ukraine after a series of operational setbacks.

Ukrainian counteroffensives, its re capturing of Russian-held territory, and its destruction of major Russian weap onry over the last month provoked a se ries of intensified actions from Russia. These actions included the bombing of large cities and civilian centers, endan gering Ukraine’s largest nuclear energy plant, and threatening the use of nuclear weapons.

In late Sept., Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the call-up of 300,000 military reservists. The order has ignited discord amongst the Russian public and led to nationwide protests, attacks on military recruitment centers, and hundreds of thousands of men flee ing Russia to avoid conscription.

In light of Russia’s escalation of the war, the West has vowed to further bol ster its support of Ukraine, supplying the country with more weapons and more powerful air defense systems.

Last week, Russia began making unfounded claims that Ukraine plans to use a low-yield radioactive weapon, commonly referred to as a ‘dirty bomb.’ Russia presented the claims at a United Nations Security Council meeting, and Ukrainian officials have vehemently de nied the accusation. Western officials fear that Russia may be making such a claim to justify its continued escalation or carry out its threat of using a nuclear weapon.

Russia’s nuclear arsenal contains a

vast range of weapons, differing in se verity and strategic purpose. Military experts believe that a ‘tactical nucle ar weapon’ is mostly likely to be used, which would be a more reduced-impact weapon than a full-scale nuclear bomb.

The war in Ukraine has pushed the world to the closest it has been to nucle ar warfare since the Cuban Missile Cri sis in 1962. Matthew Bunn, a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School, said that there is a “10% to 20% likelihood” that Russia will use a nuclear weapon, a probability which is “intolerably high.”

It is unclear what the West’s re sponse to Russia would be in the event it uses a nuclear weapon. U.S. President Joe Biden said it would be “irresponsi ble” to discuss potential responses from the U.S., though he did state that the Pentagon already has possible response plans prepared.

One of the other major concerns in the ongoing war is the Zaporizhzhia Nu clear Power Plant, which is located in Ukraine and is the largest nuclear plant in Europe. Russian forces seized control of the plant in March, though Ukrainian staff members continue to operate it. Energy blackouts, a missile strike, and infrastructural mishandling of the plant continue to raise global anxieties about potential radiation emergencies. To date, Russia has not taken any steps to improve the conditions of the plant.

China and India, Russia’s two larg est allies and trading partners, have both called for de-escalating of the war. Though the two countries failed to con demn Russia or Putin directly, both Chi na and India are urging both Russia and Ukraine to participate in peace talks.

Photo by Lorie Shaull Two-time Olympic champion Brittney Griner will serve a nine year prison sentence in Russia.

Illustration by Jasmine Lee

the sun sets and the moon rises, the lights in front of homes light up the street. A decorative sweet looking bat spreads its wings while next to a smiling pumpkin on Coronado Avenue Thursday night.

Halloween spirits haunt Long Beach

Photos by Sonny Tapia

Halloween spirit rings true in Long Beach throughout the days before October 31. A skeleton sits in front of a house on Lave Avenue, as headstones and pumpkins surround it during the day on Thursday (below). Simplicity can be key in the sense that decorating does not have to a ghoulish task. This home located on San Anseline Avenue shows off a white ghost blowdecoration, while rope like spider webs stretch off the roof onto the lawn (right).

Movies to watch during Halloween

By Nicholas Broadhead Sports Assistant

Photo courtesy of MIRAMAX Michael Myers with his famous kitchen knife going through the streets of Haddonfield.

“Halloween” (2018) directed by David Gordon Green

It is a simple slasher film that has so many executions and makes the movie suspenseful along with keeping you guessing what is going to happen next. Watching it with others also makes the film more enjoyable, especially during moments of comic re lief where characters flee the area.

Photo courtesy of Wayans Bros. Entertainment

The Killer, the main antagonist of “Scream” calls the protagonists in this film to taunt them.

“Scary Movie” (2000) directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans

The movie leaves you gasping for air, as uncontrollable laughter takes over each time an over-the-top scene occurs and offers everything for those who like horror films, such as character deaths, but can’t handle it’s suspenseful and serious nature.

“Ghostbusters” (1984) directed by Ivan Reitman

This movie is fun for the whole family, as the mystery into the hauntings, as well as the rollercoaster ride of action, will keep your focus. Not to mention, the movies theme has become a staple in Halloween culture, speaking about ghosts and ghouls and the creepy nature that can come with them.

While uncovering the secrets of the mansion and those that possess it, families will enjoy the action and comedy Murphy brings to the table, getting into hilarious situations with the para normal, all while trying to keep his family safe and together.

Photo courtesy of Disney and D23 Eddie Murphy (left) is given an opportunity to sell a mansion in New Orleans

“The Haunted Mansion” (2003) directed by Rob Minkoff

Photo courtesy of Columbia-Delphi Productions Billy Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis play the three main ghostbusters in the 1984 film.

Christal

Rosaura

San Pedro community celebrates life at the 10th Annual Día de los Muertos Festival

The city hosted its annual festival in honor of the traditional Mexican holiday coming up in November.

By Leila Nunez Multimedia Managing Editor

union on the night of Día de Los Muer tos. However, many like the Guerrero family fear that this tradition is being lost.

DowntownSan Pedro hosted its 10th annual Day of the Dead festival in honor of the traditional Mexican holiday coming up in November.

Tradition ran through the streets of Downtown San Pedro as the communi ty gathered for a celebration of life on Sunday, Oct. 23.

Sixth Street was transformed into a center of music and joy as the city of San Pedro hosted its 10th annual Dia de Los Muertos festival. Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a tradi tional holiday widely celebrated in the first week of November. For many, this holiday is a reminder of the ones we’ve lost and the lives they lived.

“Unfortunately, this year we did lose my mother-in-law and my broth er-in-law. So, this dress is dedicated to [them],” said Teresa Miramontes as she described the dress she created out of recycled material for Dia de los Muertos.

The Miramontes family joins this event every year, and each year, Teresa Miramontes and her daughter, Tesa bella, steal the show with fascinating designs.

“My interpretation this year is a feather pillow,” Teresa said in between tears. “Every time we lose a loved one, we lose a feather from the pillow. Our pillow will never be the same. Our hearts will never be the same.”

The red feathers on the dress, in spired by La Catrina, have the names of those who passed away in her family, as well as family friends.

Upon entry, visitors were able to see a display of altars lined against the walls as guests shared their “ofrendas” to the public in an altar contest hosted by the festival. For the Guerrero family, this was an opportunity to share how they honor their family and friends.

“It’s cool that we’re able to do it like this because now people can see our loved ones and we can share our loved ones with the rest of the community,” Jose Guerrero said. “We want to re member our loved ones, you know, and if it’s one special day for them, then we’re going to go all out and do what we can for them.”

Altars are a core piece of the holi day. Oftentimes, altars are decorated with calaveras, pan dulce and more of ferings for the dead as they make their way home for that special family re

“The way society is going now, a lot of kids are losing this,” Guerrero said. “They are losing our traditions, what our great-great grandparents and our ancestors brought. We’re losing it. We want to continue doing this to give back to our community, give back to our kids, and give back to our ancestors and our traditions and keep it alive.”

It is because of this that Senior Communications Director of the Port of Los Angeles, Arley Baker, felt the need to organize events like these.

“I think from the start we observed that it is a sacred holiday for our cit izens from Mexico and the larger, broader Latino community,” Baker said. “It started as an idea 10 years ago. We saw a nice opportunity to be able to bring people here and honor Día in a safe, very family-oriented environ ment.”

Throughout the day, several per formances were put on by a live DJ, mariachi groups and Folklorico dance groups such as Neiya Arts, a contem porary Folklorico group based out of Carson, California.

Neiya Arts combines the traditional Folklorico dance style with a variety of other genres to create visually appeal ing and technically challenging per formances. Delilah Vasquez Real, the director of Neiya Arts, shared how the group adds a contemporary flair to the traditional Folklorico genre through their costumes.

“Because we are a contemporary Folklorico group, the base and the roots of it, you know, you have to re search as far as mambo, the Cuban-Af rican influence of it, the movement in New York in the 1950s and some of the costuming that went on in Hollywood once it came over to LA. It’s taking that and adding a twist to it,” Real said.

“For La Bruja, the organza skirts are actually from Sotavento. They used to be white, and I dyed them black which give it that dirty, gray, spooky effect.”

The entire festival was filled with joy and laughter, music and the smell of various foods from vendors. The event ended in the evening after a spe cial performance from the two-time Grammy award winning Mariachi Di vas.

Each year, San Pedro continues to grow a welcoming sense of communi ty and belonging. “This is a town with a lot of deep roots. You feel at home here,” Baker notes.

PHOTOS BY EL NICKLIN

Three women pose for a photo in coordinating red and black colored decorative outfits and face paint.

The event included an ofrenda contest, where participants had the chance to win a $1,000 prize.

Ellas member Melinda Salcido plays her Guitarron.

By Ashley Wilkes Staff Writer

Days of sun and heat diminish as the sky makes way for gloomy days. Pumpkin spice flavored everything lines the shelves of every store.

Fall, the best season of all, is here.

There is no doubt that the summer heat and beach days will be missed, but who really likes dealing with car seats that burn your bare legs and back?

The persisting heat is finally seeing the end of its days and replacing itself

with air that has a subtle chill to it. This weather is perfect to enjoy a stroll or even attend your local pumpkin patch or autumn festival.

With its long holiday breaks and extra cozy clothes, there is no doubt that winter is beautiful, but the weath er makes me feel otherwise.

It doesn’t even snow in Long Beach. All we get here is the cold, which to those living here, always feels 20 degrees less than it actually. For most, the blistering cold weather out side makes staying indoors, and doing absolutely nothing, seem much more appealing.

The spring is also lovely, with all

Put away the swimwear and pull out your sweaters, fall is here

the plants blooming and animals com ing out of hibernation, but the pollen allergies and oscillating weather that come with it are a reminder of why it is not quite the best season.

The fall isn’t only about crunching leaves, cozy candles, and seasonal drinks, it’s also a great opportunity to transition and reset.

For many, the fall is back-to-school season, which means a clean slate. It’s a time that many attempt to freshen up their routines and adopt better sleeping habits.

Earlier fall mornings and shorter days act as a catalyst that encourage an earlier and more efficient routine.

Easy DIY Halloween costume ideas

By Kimberly Estrada Copy Editor Assistant

Elvis

Although Elvis is a classic Halloween costume, it’s trendy this year with Aus tin Butler’s iconic pink suit in the new “Elvis” movie. This costume is super simple, all you need is a full pink suit or pink slacks and a black long-sleeve button up. You can also add fun acces sories like the classic Elvis wig, side burns, and a mini acoustic guitar to make the costume even more recogniz able.

Stranger Things

"Stranger Things" inspired Halloween cos tumes are great DIY options because the show takes place in the 1980s, so all the char acters are dressed in classic 80s outfits. These outfits are easy to recreate because they’re very casual. For instance, you can dress up as Eleven by thrifting geometric clothing piec es that resemble her well-known jumpsuit from the show. This could also be a great op tion for group and couples costumes because there are various well-known characters and they all dress casually, making them easy to recreate on a budget.

Another unique quality to the fall season would be its many opportuni ties to decorate. There is nothing quite like scampering to the nearest Home Goods store to sift through dozens of cozy fall candles, fuzzy blankets and festive room decor.

Besides, who doesn’t love bundling up in a blanket to watch a scary movie with a hot drink in your hand as the anticipation of the holidays sits in the back of your mind?

Whether you like the season or not, there is no doubt that fall is superior in many ways.

Sandy from “Grease”

Pay homage to Olivia Newton-John this Halloween by dressing up as the iconic character, Sandy from "Grease."

This costume is quick and easy to rec reate. All you need is blank pants (pref erably leather/pleather), a black off the shoulder top and red chunky heels/ mules. The accessories are an essen tial part of this costume, so try to add a black belt, red lipstick, a blonde curly wig, and a black leather jacket.

Bratz Dolls

A Bratz doll costume is an easy and nos talgic way to repurpose clothes you al ready have. All you need is a plain white t-shirt or tank top, a Bratz logo patch, funky pants or a skirt, and some fun chunky shoes. Bratz doll costumes can be unique and customizable because there are tons of characters to choose from, so the clothing options are end less. The one staple piece is the Bratz logo patch, which can be easily recreated or found online at an inexpensive price.

Cooler weather, cozy blankets and festivities are only a few of the things that make this season the best.

ASHLEY WILKES | Daily Forty-Niner

Fall is one of the best times to decorate with scarecrows, pumpkins, and harvest decor.

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures Austin Butler as Elvis in the new Elvis movie.

Courtesy of Netflix Millie Bobby Brown and Sadie Mayfiled as Eleven and Max from Stranger Things.

SEBASTIAN PEREZ | Daily Forty-Niner

Olivia Newton-John as Sandy in Grease.

Courtesy of MGA Entertainment Bratz new doll collection.

By Marlon Villa Staff Writer

After receiving the No. 1 men’s golfer in the country title ac cording to Golf State, Ian Gilligan adds this to his list of accomplishments in his short career.

Coming off of receiving the 2022 Freshman of the Year title, Gilligan helped lead his team to a champion ship at the Nick Watney Invitational, where he was awarded the individual title.

Being a sophomore and business major at Long Beach State, Gilligan feels that everything that he’s accom plished at this point is the result of his hard work.

“It feels pretty good, obviously I’ve been playing really well recently, so it’s really nice to see the results come and obviously getting the award is always really nice,” Gilligan said.

Being part of the men’s golf team at LBSU motivates Gilligan to keep im proving each day, as he wants to play better for the team aspect.

Training has become a big role in Gilligan’s life. He trains three to four days a week with his team. When he practices alone, he spends six hours a day on the golf course.

Gilligan named No. 1 men’s golfer in the country

These milestones have been sort of a surprise to him, as Gilligan had some struggled at the beginning of the sea son.

“I didn’t expect this to happen so quickly, I’ve put in a lot of time, so I expect to play at a certain level, but having it all happen so quickly is pretty cool to see,” Gilligan said.

Gilligan’s golf journey started at the age of two. He saw his dad take out a bucket of balls out of his closet and saw him hit balls every now and then, it fas cinated Gillian.

After going to the golfing range a couple of times with his dad, he quickly fell in love with golf.

The first event he participated in was at the age of five in San Diego at the Junior World Golf Championship and from then on, as Gilligan lived in San Francisco, he played many local Northern California events when he was seven until he was 12.

“Trying to become the best golfer I can be whether that’s the best golfer in the world or whatever it is,” Gilligan said.

Gilligan pictures himself participat ing in The PGA tour, one of the main professional golfing tournaments in the United States and North America.

“For number one, I just want to be the best I can be and hopefully that’s on the PGA tour,” Gilligan said.

Photo Courtesy of LBSU Athletics

Ian Gilligan follows through the ball he just hit during the Mackenzie Invitational in October. Gilligan sat at the top of the leaderboard and would

to win a individual title during the invitational.

“I didn’t expect this to happen so quickly, I’ve put in a lot of time, so I expect to play at a certain level, but having it all happen so quickly is pretty cool to see.”

Ian Gilligan, No. 1 men’s golfer, second-year business major