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ON THE COVER
DELFINO CAMACHO / Long Beach Current
The full student cast of An Evening At the Beach: An Improv Comedy Show, dance onstage to begin the show during the opening night performance on Sept. 16. See Page 10.
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NEWS
CSU tuition increase implemented, causes concern
BY ANNETTE QUIJADA News Assistant
The California State University system’s multi-year tuition increase officially began at the start of the fall 2024 semester. For the 2024-25 academic year, full-time undergraduate students will be paying a tuition fee of $6,084.
Tuition is set to increase 6% over the next five years. By the 2028-29 academic year, tuition will have increased to $7,682.
A resolutions document released by the CSU Board of Trustees, states that the increased tuition rates will stay in place until the 2028-29 academic year. Changing the rates beyond that year will require board review..
Even with some of the revenue going into student services, students are still wary of how to deal with the increase.
Back in March, students and faculty protested against the tuition increase outside the Board of Trustees meeting that took place in downtown Long Beach.
Sophia Avila, a freshman biology major, said she is worried about what tuition will look like as she continues her education at Long Beach State.
“If tuition keeps going up beyond what financial aid gives me, I’ll probably feel it at the end of the four years,” Avila said.
Senior health science major Yvonne Vazquez said she received less money from financial aid this year than her previous three years.
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According to the CSU’s multi-year plan website, the tuition increase is meant to ensure that the university system continues to “provide a high quality education to current and future generations of Californians.”
The CSU’s plan also states that, “...tuition revenue would help fill the already existing funding gap in student services and enhance the educational experience for students…”
The increase in tuition revenue is set to help fund some student services including:
• Tutoring, peer mentoring and academic support
• Cultural centers which include space, staffing and programming
• On campus student employment opportunities
“I would say I’m angry, when everything already is increasing in this economy. I had to take money out of my savings and I need to start working more, but with taking 6 classes, it’s hard to do both,” Vazquez said.
CSULB lists ways for students to navigate the tuition increase:
• There will be an increase in funding for federal work study through the 2024-25 academic year.
• Students can sign up for payment plans for tuition and fees to avoid class cancellation.
• Assistance programs are available for students such as the Beach Pantry, basic needs, CalFresh, Dream Success Center, etc.
• Applications for fall 2025 scholarships will open January-March 2025. More scholarship opportunities can be found on the BeachScholarships website.
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One-third of the revenue will also be distributed to financial aid.
CSU chancellor, Mildred Garcia, will report to the Board of Trustees in January 2028 to review the tuition rates and evaluate the tuition policy.
Land acknowLedgment
Here at the Long Beach Current 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 continue to have significance to the living people and remind us about the sacred and spiritual relationship that has always existed here at what we now call California State University Long Beach.
editoriaLs: All opinions expressed in the columns, letters and cartoons in the issue are those of the writers or artists. The opinons of the Long Beach Current 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 Long Beach Current.
Monday, September 23, 2024
Letter PoLicy: All letters and emails must bear the phone number of the writer and must be no more than 300 words. The Long Beach Current reserves the right to edit letters for publication in regard to space.
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Chicano activist ‘El Profe’ dies, legacy continues
BY BRYAN CHAVEZ Contributor
Long Beach State alumni and pro-immigrant activist Armando Vazquez-Ramos died on Aug. 4; he was 74 years old.
While filling out her paperwork to run for a school board position, Marisol Cruz reached for her phone to call her longtime friend and former professor, Armando Vazquez-Ramos. Following several unanswered calls, Cruz called his daughter who informed her that he died.
At that moment, Cruz felt her support system was gone.
“It was such an emotional moment,
knowing that while I was preparing to continue my leadership role in my beloved community, I was also processing the loss of someone who had a tremendous impact on my life,” Cruz said.
Vazquez-Ramos, also known as “El Profe,” was the co-founder of CSULB’s Chicano and Latino Studies department. He is known for his energy and passion for helping the Latino community.
Growing up in the 1960s as a Mexican immigrant, Vazquez-Ramos was driven by a vision for change.
As an undergrad, Vazquez-Ramos and other Chicano students used their voices to pressure the university into creating a Chicano Studies program.
As one of the few Latinos who attended CSULB at the time, he and his cohort fought for more representation.
“This is part of his legacy, the fact that we have Chicano and Latino studies,” Associate Professor Jose F. Moreno said.
Vazquez-Ramos was the voice for the underrepresented, and his desire to see his community succeed urged him to push boundaries for the Latino community.
In 2014, Vazquez-Ramos and his daughter, Luz Vazquez-Ramos, helped undocumented students travel and study abroad without fear through the use of advance parole permits.
Vazquez-Ramos was awarded the Key to Mexico City by Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, now the president-elect of Mexico, for his lifelong commitment.
“His influence extended far beyond the classroom, creating a legacy in the
lives of those he mentored,” Cruz said.
One of Vazquez-Ramos’ indirect accomplishments included having one of his students, Karina Ruiz, become the first Dreamer elected into Mexico’s Senate.
In 2010, Vazquez-Ramos established the non-profit organization California-Mexico Studies Center.
According to the organization’s website, its goal is to “research, develop, promote, and establish policies and exchange programs with and between higher educational institutions, governmental agencies, and social organizations in California and Mexico.”
A memorial for Vazquez-Ramos will be held during the LEAD Summit at California State University, San Bernardino on Sept. 27.
Courtesy of BARBARA KINGSLEY-WILSON
Armando Vazquez-Ramos’ backyard mural was completed in 2016 by the artist Armando Rentaria. The mural shows the deep connection Vazquez-Ramos had with the Long Beach community, with The Walter Pyramid on display and inside are Chicano Latino graduates.
Park Tower office building to be converted into new student housing
Park Tower located at 5150 Pacific Coast Highway at the cross streets of Clark Avenue and Anaheim Street is the proposed location for new student housing at CSULB. The renovation will provide 149 apartments for students to rent.
BY LILLIAN NGUYEN Contributor
Burnham Planning & Development has offered to provide housing for Long Beach State students as part of the firm’s upcoming project to convert numerous offices from Park Tower into apartments.
According to the local development firm and Milan Capital Management, LLP, the owner of Park Tower, construction for the project will start near the end of next year and is presumed to take 15 months to complete.
Located at 5150 East Pacific Coast Highway, Park Tower is a seven-story office building, a four-minute drive to CSULB. The upcoming project will create 149 apartments with 593 beds in total. Each apartment will have five-to-six
beds and one bathroom, along with a communal lounge and kitchen area.
The project will also construct a new pavilion building with a triangular open space on Clark Avenue. This area will include amenities such as a pool, gym and laundry area.
Although CSULB is not financially involved with the upcoming project, CSULB students will be able to rent the converted apartments once the project is completed.
Overall, the project will contribute to CSULB’s Master Plan by increasing student housing off-campus.
Since 2014, CSULB has expanded available student housing on-campus from projects via the Master Plan which offers some benefits.
“Students that live in student housing were likely to complete their degree,” Michael Gardner, campus planning and
sustainability director, said.
“They form a cohort feeling with other students, they are more connected to campus activities...they can focus on themselves, as a college student,” he said.
Typically, CSULB student housing projects are funded by the university and partially funded by the state of California’s Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program. However, Burnham Planning & Development became the first private developer to offer off-campus housing to the university’s students.
Burnham Development picked up the project in late 2022, after a former private developer had worked on it with Milan Capital Management, LLP the year before. Two years later, on Aug. 4, the Park Tower remodeling project was publicly announced.
“There’s a need for housing around
the university,” Bret Bernard, Milan Capital Management, LLP director of planning and development, said. “...there’s a desire for housing for students and [Park Tower] is so close to Long Beach [State]; it made sense.”
According to Bernard, mixed-use properties are common in downtown Long Beach, thus Park Tower will convert into both an office and a residential zone.
“It made sense to try and merge the two—demand for student housing and lack of demand for office space—to seek this conversion,” Bernard said.
Currently, the project is in its initial phases, focusing on an Environmental Impact Report with the city of Long Beach.
So far, the overall cost and the construction company for the project has yet to be determined.
LAUREN BENSON / Long Beach Current
Catching up with CAST, CSULB’s crisis prevention workers
BY JAYLYN PRESLICKA Solutions Editor
The Campus Assessment & Stabilization Team began at Long Beach State as a part of the Health and Wellbeing resources in 2022 after receiving a grant to internalize the program.
It consists of two social workers, Graciela Lopez and Donna De Loera.
Over the last year, Lopez and De Loera have assisted the University Police Department in mental health-related emergency and non-emergency calls on and off campus. Their role as social workers, or as the program titles them: case workers, is to help people going through possible emotional crises.
Although mental health crisis calls are a large part of their jobs, CAST assists with anything UPD believes is best handled by a social worker rather than an officer. This is so police respondents can assess more logistical aspects of a report if needed.
“Typically, calls come from 911. Dispatch will screen the call and will ask a set of questions they routinely ask and from there, they will consult with our watch commander to see if our assistance is needed,” De Loera said.
De Loera said that they also inform individuals that they can reach out to CAST via Microsoft Teams or by phone if they want to consult prior.
In addition to providing their own services, CAST works alongside other mental health related programs including the Counseling and Psychological Services and Student Health Services.
CAST works as a liaison with these resources, but exclusively offers an extra hand when it comes to the reports called into the UPD.
“We brief on what the call looks like, setting a game plan on what each of our [CAST and UPD] responsibilities are and also seeing with this individual what support that they have,” Lopez said.
The individual is then informed of what the “game plan” is as well.
“We let them know what steps they can take, what we are here for and what we can do,” Lopez said.
UPD Chief John Brockie works alongside CAST on a daily basis. He said that
The CAST program reintroduced themselves at Week of Welcome next to another student mental health service called Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).
CAST has been a great addition to the team, especially when it comes to mental health related calls.
Brockie said he feels having CAST takes a lot of pressure off of UPD patrol officers.
“In my career I’ve seen more expectations, more responsibilities, on officers with mental health challenges. [...] To hear the different calls come out, so many that appear to be mental health type calls, and to hear CAST come on the radio and hear they’re in route,” Brockie said.
While there are no drastic issues CAST has seen over the past year, there are some improvements they wish to make in the future, including expanding their team.
Currently, the CAST team consists of just Lopez and De Loera for all of CSULB’s 39,967 students. While CAST are not the only social workers on campus, they are the only mental health specialists that work directly alongside the UPD.
“Something that [CAST directors]
want to do is expand hours and coverage for the weekends,” De Loera said. “We don’t know all the logistics; that would be our supervisors or chief [Brockie]. We are more on the ground. I know it’s something that’s been discussed.”
One note Brockie, De Loera and Lopez made was the lack of non-police vehicle transportation for individuals who need to be transported to an off-campus resource such as a hospital.
Currently, those who need transportation must sit in the back of the UPD police car which Brockie said may be intimidating. Lopez said if a person wanted, the individual can request a social worker to accompany them during the drive.
“One of the goals is to reduce use of force, when we can remove that element, that’s what CAST allows us to do,” Brockie said. “We have not had a use of force where CAST has been on scene.”
Since the CAST program is a newer resource, there are some aspects the program is working on. CAST has faced difficulty in communicating with the dif-
ferent resources across campus. Despite that, as faculty in these departments have become acquainted with CAST, this has become less of an issue.
De Loera said that faculty they work closely with familiarizing themselves with CAST has helped shape the program as they work towards strengthening their efforts.
“The reality with supportive services, the work that we do, it’s collaboration. Not one team or one person can cover all that. We’re really trying to emphasize a holistic effort,” De Loera said.
CAST is the first of its kind in the California Student University system. Although campuses may have similar mental health programs, CSULB has the first team that works directly with other university police departments. Since then, CSULB’s CAST program has helped other universities in the CSU to create similar programs.
The CAST program has been effective in helping UPD with crisis calls and has plans to further expand the program when ready.
Photo courtesy of VY LE
‘Fear, hatred’: Political science professor discusses the presidential debate
BY NASAI RIVAS Contributor
Immigration has become the center of political discourse since last week’s presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
During the Sept. 10 debate, Trump said Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were eating pets despite there being no credible evidence to that claim, according to a spokesperson for the city and the Springfield Police Department.
On Sept. 13, at his Rancho Palos Verdes golf course, Trump claimed Harris settled 200,000 Haitian immigrants in the United States, according to a report by the Current.
Trump’s allegations are focused on the fears and hatred in voters, said Jason Whitehead, an associate professor of political science at Long Beach State.
“When you tell stories that hit people at a visceral level, at a level that’s beneath their rationality, that kind of gets down to a level of their fears and their hatred,” Whitehead said.
Whitehead, a CSULB graduate, was a judicial clerk in Oregon and a staff attorney for the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles before getting his doctorate in political science from the University of Southern California. He then returned to CSULB as an associate professor in 2007.
The Long Beach Current spoke with Whitehead about other issues and policies that were topics during the debate.
Q: How do you think Trump and Harris did to capture college voters?
A: Not great honestly, because college voters care about the number one issue on college voters’ minds these days… Israel-Palestine. At least on our campus, there is a fairly heavy tilt to Palestinian rights and freeing Palestine …[Harris] is trying to play both sides of that because she is not talking to college students…
they were not her audience [during the debate].
College students are not going to swing this election, it’s going to be suburban women in swing states. It’s gonna be the [28%] of likely voters who still need to know more about Harris before they make up their mind. Some of those are going to be college students, but the vast majority of them are going to be middle class wage earners, salary earners in suburban areas.
For other issues like student loans, which is something the Biden administration has tried over and over again to forgive student loans, which is a big thing on the minds of college students…I think the only person to mention it was Trump, and it was to criticize the way that it rolled out. So in that sense, that was an attempt to win college voters.
But I didn’t see a whole lot of focus by either candidate that told me they were concerned by college age voters.
Q: How do you think Trump did in general in the debate?
A: It’s hard to answer these kinds of questions because we have different standards on what it means to do well in a debate. We think of a debate as being an intellectual battle, I think of them more as political events, like anything else that’s happening in a campaign.
You are always looking at, “what is my audience? Who are the persuadable voters out there and what could I say that would make them more likely to vote for me.”
If I’m thinking about Trump…I think he did very well for his base of support. They want to see him snarling, they want to see him attacking, they want to see him demeaning, they want to see him undermining as many points as he can in a way that might seem humorous.
It really riles his base up. Is that what he needs to do to win the race? That’s a different question, but he played well to his base.
His base could win him the election, but…typically what you are trying to do
NASAI RIVAS / Long Beach Current CSULB associate professor of political science, Jason Whitehead, has a collection of law books in his office in the social science and public affairs building, Room 251. Whitehead, a CSULB graduate and former staff attorney, returned to the university as a professor in 2007 after getting his Ph.D. in political science at the University of Southern California.
is you are trying to expand your base to others and he didn’t do a great job in that.
Q: How do you think Harris did in general in the debate?
A: I think she had a very tough job to do, because normally at this point of a presidential campaign we know a lot about a presidential candidate and we know very little about her and we still know very little about her after this.
I think one of the main things she was trying to accomplish was, up to now she has been pretty vague on policy, because she’s got a record on what she ran on in 2020…and what the Biden administration has done while she was vice president. That’s hard to run away from, but she has to in order to win the election. She’s got to distinguish herself from Biden, but she’s also got to distinguish herself from her 2020 self and those are very difficult things to do.
Plus, she’s a woman and women are evaluated differently in our gendered way that we examine political candidates.
Considering the difficulty of the job she had set for her, she did fairly well
I think. Is it going to broaden the base enough for her to get more likely voters that will rather vote for her then not? Only time will tell. We have another two or three weeks before we see any data that reflects any movement towards her base on this debate.
My sense is that people wanted to see her specifically addressing policy issues, and she did that on a few issues that she cares about. On other issues she didn’t. So it depends on what issues are motivating voters.
Take Pennsylvania voters for example. Trump kept coming back to the issue of fracking and the one time she pushed back, it was on fracking, on the fact she doesn’t want to ban fracking. Why would she do that? Because Pennsylvania is a swing state and there’s a lot of oil production in Pennsylvania, where these things can become an issue.
That’s evidence of how she’s trying to speak specifically to a demographic that’s gonna hopefully swing the election for her one way or another.
To read the full interview, visit the Long Beach Current website here.
Lying about: Students relax at Hammock Town
BY GRACE LAWSON Arts & Life Assistant
Every Tuesday and Thursday, in the hottest month of each semester, students are invited to enjoy their afternoon free time in shaded hammocks at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center East Lawn.
The Hammock Town event, hosted by Associated Students Inc., is a part of an annual tradition that lasts from 3 p.m. to sunset, providing students a space to unwind as they relax and play yard games.
On Sept. 17, students could be seen taking advantage of the event offered, as each hammock was occupied - some even doubled up as friends attempted to squeeze next to one another.
Hand-drawn dry erase signs pointed in the direction of where the hammocks
BY YASHMINI SIRISENA Contributor
Though the debate over banned books has remained divisive throughout the decades, recent political events have led to legislation targeting librarians and educators in some states.
Through faculty input, student voices and the university’s selection of books, the Long Beach State institution has taken a stand to protect and promote the targeted authors and books across the United States.
According to the American Library Association, 2023 marked a 65% increase in the number of books targeted for removal since 2022. 54% of those entries attempted to scrutinize titles held in public libraries.
Within higher education, 2% of titles were challenged.
Cathy Outten, the senior associate librarian for the Children’s Collection, said she identifies as an activist seeking to promote restricted titles.
Outten urged the library faculty to lift the book bans, as CSULB is in a position to defend students feeling the pres-
were set up for student use. Once there, students checked in and entered the event using the Wellness Center’s app, SRWC GO.
Among participating students was Steven Cardinal, a third-year computer science major.
“They had a sign up in front of the rock wall, and it’s just something in the Wellness Center’s app and I saw it,” Cardinal said.
Though the lawn was not overflowing with people, the few that discovered Hammock Town in passing or purposefully were grateful for it, including second-year health care administration major Jessica Villalta.
Villalta said that she encountered the event when she was at the SRWC with her boyfriend, who just started rock climbing at the center.
“I was like, okay I don’t like rock climbing, so I’m just going to walk around and see what else is there,” Villal-
GRACE LAWSON / Long Beach Current
Tucked in the back of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center (SRWC), next to the rock wall, the Hammock Town lawn is slightly hidden. Despite that, the present attendees on Sept. 17 took advantage of the space to mingle or enjoy tranquility.
ta said. “Then, I saw this, and I was like, ‘Oh that’s nice,’ so today’s the first time I’ve tried it out. I’ve been enjoying it ever since.”
Most of the students using the hammocks appeared to have stumbled upon the event as they made their way through the SRWC after completing their workouts or waiting for friends. However,
CSULB takes a stand against book bans
JULIA GOLDMAN / Long Beach Current
Titles that appear on the ALA Top 100 lists are readily available for students to read right at the entrance of the CSULB Bookstore on Sept. 20.
sure of censorship.
“We are from this privileged position where it hasn’t happened to anybody here,” Outten said. “It is happening in California, and these are the students that we get.”
Campus mainstays, including the University Library and the Beach Shops Bookstore, also serve as pillars for faculty and students to express their views.
Shelves marked with “Read A Banned Book” and graphics outlining statistics on challenged books are there to raise awareness and highlight their presence.
Additionally, directories for the library’s “Banned Books Collection” can be found on the official library website, along with research published by Outten that includes weekly news updates and ways to get involved.
they were not disappointed to find the hammocks laid out for their use.
ASI offers other daily events like Hammock Town throughout the semester. Find out more about the weekly ASI events happening around campus on their website to keep up with campus occurrences.
The Comparative World Literature Club on campus believes CSULB has been great at safeguarding students’ reading rights.
Kieran Pierce, president of the club and fourth-year comparative world literature major, said suppressing reading materials is similar to indoctrination.
“Why would you water down the content you’re consuming? It always ends in a half-sighted perspective,” Pierce said. “I see them as artifacts of opposition; when I look at a banned book, I see a piece of innovation.”
Jacob Rogers, a seventh-year physics major and club membership coordinator, said opinions on book restrictions vary depending on academic background.
Rogers said, however, that he considers himself fortunate to live where he does.
“In general, we are lucky enough to live where we do,” Rogers said.
In honor of the ALA’s “Banned Books Week,” the University Library is hosting “Celebrate Our Freedom to Read” on Sept. 23, 2024.
Outten will moderate the event, including a panel of award-winning authors inviting students to the Beach to share their thoughts.
ARTS & LIFE
Three new faculty members enter Long Beach State with enthusiasm
BY ANDREW AMAYA Contributor
Sai Ke, Yevgeniya Mikhailik and Erika Rosen are three of the 34 new faculty members that Long Beach State has hired for the new academic year.
Although the three professors all teach different subjects, they share the same excitement for the academic year.
Coming from the University of Mississippi, Sai Ke is a new assistant professor of finance at CSULB.
Ke started his educational journey at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where he obtained both his bachelor’s degree in quantitative finance and risk management and his master’s in finance. He obtained his doctorate in business administration at the University of Houston.
The wide range of math is what intrigued Ke to study the subject of finance.
“When you learn about finance a bit deeper, you will find different math formulas,” Ke said. “I feel like sometimes the formulas look like incantations or magic spells, which attracted me when I was younger.”
The lively energy on campus played a big part in why Ke chose CSULB.
“I like the atmosphere among colleagues and the interaction between faculty and students,” Ke said. “My colleagues here are very helpful, they are very friendly. For students, I feel like they are quite hard working and they are eager for knowledge.”
Ke plans to continue his academic research and publish research papers to his website.
As an alumni and lecturer for seven years at CSULB, Mikhailik recently took on the role to teach at the institution as a full time assistant professor of illustration.
“I feel very much at home here,” Mikhailik said. “Overall, I love it here, which was why I applied for this position in the first place. It’s sort of a home away from home.”
Mikhailik received both her bachelor’s and her master’s degrees in illustra-
tion at CSULB.
In her early years, Mikhailik said that she always knew she wanted to become an artist. Once she came to CSULB, she discovered the different paths of art that she could pursue.
“I came to Cal State Long Beach right out of high school and started to discover the different avenues to pursue in the arts,” Mikhailik said. “Illustration combined my interest in making images, drawing and working with text.”
Despite not having an on-campus office yet, Mikhailik said that she wants to help her students form their individual creative identities, and she also hopes to form a creative community. To Mikhailik, community starts in the classroom.
“My bigger goal for my students is to help them understand themselves as artists and to start forming their creative identities through continuous practice,”
Mikhailik said.
Outside of the classroom, Mikhailik said that she is working on a year-long body of work that focuses on communication between plants and how they support each other.
Rosen comes from the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, where she was a graduate assistant for four years. She also was a guest lecturer at Xavier University in New Orleans.
Rosen said she chose CSULB specifically because its social mobility relates to her work.
“That’s what a lot of my work revolves around,” Rosen said. “It’s trying to work with communities and leave them better than I found them.”
Rosen got her bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Washington and her master’s degree in Public Health, specifically in epidemiology,
from George Washington University.
After obtaining her doctorate in epidemiology from LSU Health Sciences Center, Rosen said she knew she wanted to become a professor.
“I knew I wanted to continue doing research, but I also knew I wanted that mentorship with students and aid in their development,” Rosen said.
One of the goals that Rosen wants to achieve while teaching at CSULB in her first year is to become a better educator. She said that working with students and others around her will help her with this objective.
“I think that working with the students is really going to be helpful,” Rosen said. “Learning how the student population learns best is really important to customize your teaching to the students themselves.”
Photos by ANDREW AMAYA & YEVGENIYA MIKHAILIK / Long Beach Current
(Left to right) At the very top of the College of Business, Ke sits in his new office. For his first academic year at CSULB, one of Ke’s goals is to help keep his students interested in the world of finance; Despite not having an on-campus office yet, Yevgeniya Mikhailik said that she wants to help her students in their artistic journey; Erika Rosen stands outside her new office next to the Health and Human Services 2 offices. Like Ke, Rosen is arriving from the South as a new assistant professor in health science.
Welcoming Latine’s back to Long Beach with a cultural celebration
BY ANGELINA AZCUE
Contributor
Bustling music and savory smells lured students from every walk of life to Long Beach States’ Latine Welcome Day celebration, meant to commemorate the beginning of Latine Heritage Month and to encourage connections within the community.
Hosted by the Latinx Resource Center, Student Affairs and Associated Students Inc. Beach Pride Events on Tuesday, Sept. 17, the event invited different campus organizations, vendors and performers to celebrate on the Speaker’s Platform outside of the campus Library.
Second-year liberal studies major, Nancy Lupian said that she heard music while exiting class and wanted to see what was going on. As a Latina, Lupian feels that the most important thing is representation.
“I feel like it hasn’t always been embraced, but here at Long Beach, it’s so embraced,” Lupian said. “I really like that because I feel so included and not scared to be myself.”
Latine Welcome also gave students the opportunity to participate in differ-
ent games, including Lotería and musical chairs for a chance to win prizes.
Students also got to pose with their friends and take home a strip of film from the Barrio Photo booth.
As the event carried on, student organizations like Mariachi Los Tiburones de CSULB and the CSULB Salsa Club were given the opportunity to perform on the Speaker’s Platform.
While on stage, CSULB Salsa Club gave lessons to all attendees of a traditional Latin American dance.
Beyond live showcases of entertainment and games, food caterer Mi California Pollo Catering offered free tacos to all attendees.
Students lined up from the Psychology Building to the Speaker’s Platform, for tacos, rice, beans and a selection of different meats, toppings and salsa.
The event’s logistical lead was Alondra Enriquez, assistant director of the Latinx Resource Center.
Within Enriquez’s work of arranging the Chicano/Latino graduation
and organizing educational workshops and events such as Latine Welcome, she hopes to give students a sense of belonging on campus to ensure that they feel culturally celebrated.
“My work is to lead through passion, I’m naturally geared to support our community,” Enriquez said.
She said that while working towards her master’s degree, she was heavily involved in Latin student organizations which helped her understand the importance of providing opportunities to students like her.
Student organizations including La F.U.E.R.Z.A., Sigma Lambda Gamma and the Hispanic Students Business Association were present at the event to share their message.
Fourth-year marketing major and member of the Hispanic Students Business Association, Jason Olivia, said that the organization is big on unity, as their organization is open to all majors and ethnicities.
According to Olivia, they want everyone to feel like a family.
“The biggest thing is family and being there for each other, and I think that’s what we see a lot of here today,” Olivia said.
Photos by ANGELINA AZCUE / Long Beach Current
Two dancers perform a Jarabe to start the event. on Sept. 17. Jarabe Tapatío is a traditional dance that represents courtship and is recognized as the national dance of Mexico.
Priscilla Hernandez and Natalie Monzon, Director of Awareness and Community, pose in front of their La F.U.E.R.Z.A table.
ARTS & LIFE
No script, lots of laughs: Improv takes over CSULB’s main stage
An unscripted, interactive comedy series takes center stage at the University Theater as Long Beach State students, teachers and alumni use audience suggestions to bring wild scenarios to comedic life.
BY DELFINO CAMACHO Arts & Life Assistant
Adivorced couple falling back in love at Hooters, a southern gal looking for her “short king” on Tinder and a freshwater shark who gives dating advice.
Audience members inside the campus University Theater on Sept. 12 were greeted by these scenes and more, performed by a motley crew of students in the theatre arts department.
Was it avant-garde? A collection of single-scene plays?
No, it was improv.
“It’s the first improv show on the main season that I’ve been aware of, and I’ve been here for 18 years,” Josh Nathan, a full-time theater arts faculty member said.
The show itself is performed through the students taking the Improvisation and Comedy class Nathan teaches. Nathan is a Long Beach State graduate and was formerly a part of the Sunday Company for the famous, regional improv/ sketch company The Groundlings.
He said this short-form improv is part of a “new philosophy” for the fall season which focuses on comedy.
Directing the show is fellow CSULB alumni and Groundlings member, Diego Parada.
“There’s so many benefits to improv, I feel it’s the reason I’ve been able to sustain an acting career,” Parada said. “You’re not afraid of jumping into the
deep end of the pool, not afraid of the curveballs, because you learn to trust your creativity.”
A Tijuana-born actor, Parada graduated from CSULB with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater and Film. His credits include shows like Modern Family and Mike Tyson Mysteries. Parada still directs and teaches for the Groundlings.
With no lines or choreography to memorize, Parada’s directing techniques involve exercises, playing games and setting scenarios with students to sharpen their minds for improvisations.
On opening night, as the Spanish lobby music ended and the theater lights dimmed, Parada, who serves as Master of Ceremonies, came on stage to greet the nearly full 365-seat theater and explained the rules.
“Nothing scripted– everything that you are about to see, it’s on the fly, made up from the top of their heads,” Parada said to the crowd. “That means you’re going to see a very unique show, this show is happening today for the first time and
the last time.”
Parada said that the roughly hourlong performance would be split into different games and prompts, with varying degrees of audience participation.
The first game, “genre switching,” involved Parada asking the audience to give him different genres such as horror, romance or sci-fi.
Performers then acted out scenarios based on the given genres on the fly, with Parada cutting in mid-scene to switch a horror death scene into a romantic declaration of love.
While the audience was tepid and slow to speak at the start of the show, Parada’s encouragement and the performers’ enthusiasm and commitment soon had the theater erupting in laughter.
Audience members yelled over each other for a chance to see their ideas on stage.
Standout sketches included a two-restaurant scene involving a divorced couple reconciling at a Hooters
while concurrently two friends realize they’re in love at Ojos Locos (a Hooters-like Mexican cantina.)
Another notable performance was a cautionary “fairy tale” game that, with audience input, was titled “The Toilet and the Magical Cheeseburger.”
The most satisfying sketches were ones that allowed a narrative to flow and end on a joke. Audiences howled as performers traded razor-sharp quips to keep a story going.
Some cast members kept characters and jokes running between skits, the surprise callbacks resulting in some of the night’s biggest laughs.
Kali Devereux, 22, a communications major and opening night performer said one of the things that draws her to improv is its emphasis on “play.”
“I always played pretend as a kid, so why stop?” Devereux said. “Why not come back and do it [with improv], and as an audience member it might spark something in you. You might say, ‘I want to try that.’”
DELFINO CAMACHO / Long Beach Current
Long Beach State Theatre Arts students make up a 10-person improv cast and introduce themselves to the audience via a short, silhouetted, musical number set to Chappell Roans hit “Hot To Go!” on Sept. 12, the opening night for an ongoing improv series.
CSULB Esports Association kicks off with Evil Geniuses partnership
BY JULIA GOLDMAN Arts & Life Editor
In room 102 of the Hall of Science, video game enthusiasts across campus banded together to socialize, compete for prizes and pose with the 2023 World Valorant Champions Tour trophy during the Beach’s Esports Association’s first general meeting on Sept. 18.
The event was in collaboration with the professional Esports team Evil Geniuses, who had won the Valorant Champions Tour, or VCT, in 2023.
Chappell Roan’s music kicked off the event, welcoming the sea of students who flooded through the door.
Members were handed a raffle ticket and directed to choose a seat for a presentation introducing the club’s management, teams, competitive stats and social media.
Among the audience was computer science major Catherine Gomez, who had just begun her first year at Long Beach State.
After being the leader for what Gomez said was an all-male Valorant team at St. John Bosco High School, Gomez continued her first-person shooter career with the Beach’s Valorant team.
Gomez now holds a spot on CSULB’s Team Pink - a Valorant team comprising of all female students.
For the event, Gomez said there were way more people than she expected and everyone was outgoing.
trophy to the event.
As the public face of Evil Geniuses’ Branding, Farias discovered his role by participating in his Esports clubs throughout his educational journey.
Farias said the community he discovered within gaming spaces drove him to share his passions with other collegiate communities.
“If I didn’t find gaming or Esports with my club, I don’t know where I would be, in terms of like college,” Farias said. “I love working with colleges and students to be able to bridge that gap.”
When asked how he feels about Evil Geniuses’ relationship with the CSULB Esports Association and the potential to return, Farias said it was a matter of if, not when.
“[CSULB], just in general, were amazing. In terms of activity, like events, I feel there were a lot of numbers and passion,” Farias said. “And I think, seeing the excitement from everyone, it just felt like the right fit.”
“It’s really welcoming knowing you have something in common with everyone else,” Gomez said.
As the night continued, the association invited students to win prizes in a Nerf Gun activity where they lined up to shoot down six stacked paper cups with three shots each.
Following the Nerf Gun activity, the meeting shifted to the main event: the showcasing of Evil Geniuses’ VCT volcano-like trophy for members to strike poses with and snap photos with.
Brand Ambassador Carlos Farias, a 23-year-old communications major at Pierce Community College, brought the
As a fourth-year marketing major and the club’s former vice president, Calvillo said the hurdles and stress of planning the event strengthened him and made him more excited about the club’s future.
“I was really excited to be able to bring EG to the first meeting,” Calvillo said. “It’s a once in a lifetime thingit’s not everyday that you get to touch a world class trophy. I think people really enjoyed it.”
If I didn’t find gaming or Esports with my club, I don’t know where I would be, in terms of like college. I love working with colleges and students to be able to bridge that gap.
Carlos Farias Beach Esport Association Brand Ambassador ”
JULIA GOLDMAN/ Long Beach Current
Members of CSULB’s Valorant teams, club president Izzy Calvillo and a paper cutout of Evil Geniuses’ assistant coach, Potter pose with the 2023 Valorant Champions Tour trophy on Sept. 19.
OPINION
Students favor current grading system to minimize stress
BY CHRISTOPHER CHAN Contributor
If a change to the grading policy is truly considered, it should focus on alleviating student pressure.
The traditional grading system at Long Beach State employs letter grades, each assigned a corresponding point value on a scale.
The highest grade is an “A,” valued at 4.0 points, while the lowest passing grade is a “C” worth 2.0 points.
This system is clear and effective, and that does not need modification.
In 2021, the Curriculum and Educational Policies Council decided against implementing a plus-minus grading policy, opting to maintain the existing letter grade model.
That was the last time the council voted, and this decision should not be revisited.
This is not to imply that the plus-minus system is entirely flawed. It is a double-edged sword with the potential to relieve stress while also hindering student success, a concern that many students at Long Beach State hold.
Siena Hatem, a 19-year-old English major at CSULB, argued that changes in the grading system would have negative and unfair consequences for students.
“It should probably stay the same because students deserve to have a solid grade,” Hatem said. “They shouldn’t worry about a drop in their GPA just because their overall grade is not that high.”
On one hand, a grading system that does not outright fail students can be beneficial, but there are some students who work hard for their grade.
Altering the current system may lead to confusion regarding students’ academic standings.
Eileen Luhr, a history professor at
Graphic by EL NICKLIN/ Long Beach Current
The high success rate attainable with the current grading system shows that a policy change is not needed.
CSULB, suggests that the current grading system is effective as it is, since students understand what they are working for.
“If a student gets a D as an undergraduate they have the option of repeating that class,” Luhr said. “From my standpoint, what’s fair about it is that students know going in what the grading is.”
According to PrepScholar, the current grading system has contributed to CSULB’s average GPA of 3.7, making the university highly competitive in terms of grade point averages.
That does not mean a plus-minus
system would alter these projections. In fact, it could improve grades for some students, which may ultimately lead to higher overall averages.
“I’m used to the current grading system, but that’s a good thing too; having a C- instead of a D or an F is good,” said Jazmin Perez, a 19-year-old English major. “I prefer the current system.”
The majority of students at CSULB believe that the grading system effectively meets their needs to pass their courses.
The university’s success rate has remained consistent with this grading model.
The CSULB campus plan document shows that student success rate is climbing.
Graduation rates have steadily increased from 53% to 67% for six-year students and from 69% to 80% for fouryear transfer students, with a goal to continue improving by 2025.
This achievement is most definitely attainable, if the current system remains unchanged for the foreseeable future.
“We should keep the grading system how it is now because if we changed it, it would cause students to have stress,” Perez said. “But it would also affect our GPAs, and who would want that?”
COVID-19’s lasting global impact four years on
BY CHRISTINE NADER Opinions Assitant
In March 2020, COVID-19 hit the United States and triggered nationwide panic.
People were confined to their homes for months, doing everything they could to avoid the virus.
A simple cough in public invited anxious stares. Seeing empty store shelves stripped of essentials like food, water and cleaning supplies only fueled the sense of unease.
COVID-19 robbed people of major events like birthdays, holidays and graduations that were all canceled or postponed.
In response to the virus, international health policies were enacted to curb its spread, with “social distancing” becoming one of the most-recognized terms of the pandemic.
The World Health Organization advised the public to maintain physical distance, recommending people stay at least one meter apart to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Floor markers indicating where to stand to maintain a safe distance in line in stores remain as reminders of pandemic safety measures.
Another key policy was the use of masks. In 2020, masks were encouraged and frequently mandated, with businesses often refusing service to those who did not comply.
Signs requiring masks became a common sight on the doors and windows of nearly every store and restaurant.
It was striking to watch viral videos of workers refusing service to customers who declined to wear masks in stores and restaurants.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused many schools and universities to be shut down for the rest of the year. The closure of schools left a noticeable impact on student’s social skills when they returned to the classroom.
“Students couldn’t talk in class,” said Markus Muller, professor and former department chairman of the German Department. “They didn’t know what an in-class environment was. They didn’t
Graphic by ANDREW AMAYA/ Long Beach Current
While reflecting on the global health impact that the COVID-19 pandemic left on society, we are also hearing student concerns and checking faculty preparedness for possible future pandemics.
engage because all they did was stare at a Zoom page.”
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical flaws in the global healthcare system, particularly the severe understaffing of hospitals that left many healthcare workers mentally and physically exhausted.
According to a Harvard Gazette study of 43,026 healthcare workers conducted between April and December 2020, 50% reported feeling burnout.
As of August 2024, WHO reports that 7.05 million people have died from COVID-19.
WHO indicated that between January 2020 and May 2021, an estimated 116,000 healthcare workers lost their lives due to COVID-19.
Despite the evident shortcomings in the global healthcare system, I continue to see healthcare workers posting on social media about their hospitals’ understaffing and demanding work hours.
Monkeypox has now gained attention in recent months.
The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention reveals that, as per their data, monkeypox cases in the U.S. peaked in the summer of 2022, with an average of 450 cases reported nationally.
“I am not fully alarmed of another possible pandemic, however, I am fully aware that another pandemic is possible,” said Ashley Duran, a fourth-year hospitality management major. “I feel as though many students, including myself, work best physically in class.”
Whether or not CSULB is prepared for another possible global pandemic comes into question.
For students, this could be taxing if the university is unprepared for another pandemic. Reliving the chaos of 2020 can leave students frustrated and reopen trauma that was experienced years ago.
Being forced back home, slouching in a seat and having to look at a computer screen all day can leave students fatigued.
From being surrounded by your classmates and experiencing the campus life to being put into awkward breakout rooms on Zoom and stuck at home can
take a psychological toll on a student’s mental health.
“I would be worried about having to complete my degree online,” said Daira Corona, a fourth-year fashion design student.
“It was a lot more difficult for me to learn how to manage classes over Zoom,” Corona said. “For degrees that need a more hands-on experience, it’s harder to learn it over the computer.”
After having to plan out an entire year of lectures to be done over zoom in a week, faculty seems better prepared to tackle another pandemic if one were to hit.
“In 2020, we were given, ultimately, a little more than a week to become zoomready,” Muller said. “Bottomline, I think we’re better prepared. Of course, that depends on what that pandemic looks like.”
Learning from past mistakes is crucial for potential global health emergencies, as it can help us prevent future tragedies.
SPORTS
Women’s volleyball can’t claw back, loses 3-1 to Washington Huskies
BY LARISSA SAMANO Contributor
Long Beach State’s women’s volleyball dropped to 4-4 on Thursday after losing to the University of Washington at The Walter Pyramid in four sets in the weekend opener.
After winning their first three matches at the Pyramid this season, The Beach could not get past the 9-0 Huskies, who are fighting for a national ranking, falling victim to a reverse sweep.
The first set went to The Beach 2521 after trading leads for most of the set. They pulled away after interim head coach Natalie Reagan’s timeout down 20-19 by way of a service error from Washington’s senior setter Molly Wilson.
After The Beach won the first set, the Huskies responded in the second, hitting their way to the biggest lead of the match and stretching their lead to 23-9.
Washington’s freshman middle blocker Julia Hunt finished off the set with a quick kill to the middle of the net to end the set 25-11.
Although LBSU went with a different lineup to start the second set, Washington adjusted quickly and put the heat on The Beach’s serve receive.
“More than anything they ramped up their serving,” Reagan said.
Through the third set, LBSU regained momentum to keep the game within a three-point reach, but could not claw back in front, falling down two sets to one with a final third set score of 2523.
LBSU continued to change the lineup each set in hopes of finding a successful combination to win back control over the game, but the Huskies’ offense was unstoppable.
Washington’s senior outside hitter Madi Endsley scored a combined 14 points with 13 kills and one service ace.
Washington then maintained control throughout the fourth set and broke away once again to close out the game 25-16 and stay undefeated at 9-0 with a 3-1 win over The Beach.
Amidst the Husky domination, there
DEVIN MALAST / Long Beach Current
Senior defensive specialist Savana Chacon served an ace in the first set against Washington at Walter Pyramid on Thursday night. Chacon would earn The Beach four spikes and five digs, but LBSU would end the night losing 3-1.
were some positives for The Beach on Thursday despite the loss, most notably senior outside hitter Natalie Glenn’s performance. Glenn recorded a season-high 14 kills along with a team-high 12 digs to
make it her fourth double-double of the young season.
“Just using my vision… I can see the block pretty well,” Glenn said.
The Beach hosts Washington State
on Friday and Pepperdine University on Saturday, hoping to bounce back from Thursday’s loss before they begin conference play on Sept. 26th.
Senior outside hitter Natalie Glenn served four times against Washington State on Sept. 20 at Walter Pyraid. Glenn would end the game with a .643 attack percentage, helping The Beach to a 3-0 win.
The Beach shuts out Washington State with 3-0 sweep in women’s volleyball
BY MARANATHA KEBEDE Contributor
Long Beach State’s women’s volleyball team achieved a three-set victory against Washington State University at Walter Pyramid on Sept. 20.
The Beach stormed out of the gate, dominating the first set with impressive blocks and powerful strikes. Redshirt freshman outside hitter Jaida Harris ignited her team’s energy with a series of hits, setting the tone for the evening.
“We were just following the training and listening to the coaches was incredibly helpful, especially when you can’t always see what’s happening,” Harris said.
The Cougars fought to close the gap at 14-10, but The Beach showed resilience
and secured the first set, winning 25-20.
“It was amazing to watch Long Beach volleyball tonight, seeing the girls come together and do their jobs individually,” interim head coach Natalie Reagan said.
In the second set, The Beach challenged a pivotal point, confident that their opponents had touched the ball, and emerged victorious in the call.
They maintained their momentum and secured the second and third sets with scores of 25-14 and 25-11, respectively.
LBSU committed only seven errors during the match. Sophomore middle blocker Ella Lomigora had a career-high 12 kills, while redshirt senior outside hitter Abby Karich had six blocks.
Sophomore middle blocker Ella Lomigora earned 13.5 points and 12 kills for The Beach in their game against Washington State Friday night. Long Beach
Senior outside hitter Natalie Glenn also made significant contributions, logging two aces, seven digs and ten kills, showcasing her dual threat as a hitter and a defensive player.
“When I’m in the back row, my priority is to dig the ball and seize every opportunity to hit,” Glenn said. “Every time it comes my way, I make sure to pick it back up.”
Reagan emphasized the importance of maintaining their high level of play, particularly as matches progress.
“For us, it’s all about maintaining our system and playing ‘Beach’ volleyball point by point for longer and harder,” Reagan said. “That’s crucial for our success.”
State would defeat The Cougars 3-0 at Walter Pyramid. Now, they will take on Pepperdine on Sept. 21. Photo Credit: Devin Malast
DEVIN MALAST / Long Beach Current
SPORTS
Women’s soccer celebrates senior night with a 1-0 home win against Cornell
BY BRYAN CHAVEZ
Contributor
Long Beach State outlasted visiting Cornell University 1-0 for the first home win of the season at George Allen Field on Friday.
The opening goal of the match came six minutes into the second half after freshman midfielder Malea Johnson struck the ball outside the box and put it in the top left corner of the goal, leaving the Cornell keeper frozen to the ground as The Beach took a 1-0 lead.
The first goal of Johnson’s LBSU career was all The Beach would need to take home the win.
“I have been working on that play myself,” Johnson said. “I knew I had the ability and I took the risk.”
Both teams struggled to create any dangerous opportunities in the first half. Junior forward Liz Worden came closest to breaking the deadlock after she struck a shot that hit the center of the crossbar right before the first half ended.
LBSU mostly relied on Worden to dribble past defenders in the first half,
while Cornell would counter attack with their right wingers. Cornell started the match with high pressure up the pitch, barely giving the LBSU defenders a moment to think.
“We played a physical team that did a good job at shrinking spaces,” head coach Mauricio Ingrassia said. “We found our goal and defended to the
Long ball looked to be in the playbook for both teams throughout the tight match. Neither squad was able to keep possession of the ball for long, with LBSU struggling the most in the final third. Despite this, The Beach held Cornell to just four shots all game and only one shot on goal.
The match was kept close by Cornell senior goalkeeper Erica Fox who saved six out of seven LBSU shots on goal to keep Cornell within one score all night.
The tension rose as the night went on. After Cornell conceded Johnson’s goal early in the second half they began to attack with urgency, but LBSU did not hold back creating a physical and entertaining match.
“Long Beach State is a good team,” Cornell head coach Rob Ferguson said. “They have very athletic players… they’re very well organized.”
The Beach delivered their victory on senior night, honoring players from the class of 2025.
“It feels great, it was senior night and we celebrated our amazing senior class,” Ingrassia said.
The Beach will be looking to carry momentum into their opening Big West matchup versus UC Riverside on Sunday, Sep. 22 at 5 p.m. at George Allen Field.
LBSU has to be sure to not underestimate its opponents Sunday as the Highlanders come into the match with a three match losing streak and will be fighting hard to change that.
Photos by MARK SIQUIG / Long Beach Current
Redshirt junior midfielder Makayla Demelo navigates through the Cornell defense as she tries to create some chances for LBSU. The Beach had seven shots on target as they beat Cornell at home.
The LBSU women’s soccer team finished the game with nine total shots but only managed to score one goal.