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Photo credit: SAMUEL CHACKO / Long Beach Current Long Beach Ballet dancers Ellie Malley (left) and Damian Kelly (right) dance around the left-hand side stage on Dec. 4. Kelly and Malley were one of four dancing performances that Wednesday night just before the Christmas tree lights flickered on.
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‘Ask a Rabbi’ table event held for CSULB students
BY JUNIOR CONTRERAS Video
Assistant
“Ask a Rabbi, ask a Rabbi, ask a Rabbi,” Beach Hillel members encouragingly offered students passing by the east walkway of the Office of Belonging and Inclusion the opportunity to ask questions to Rabbi Mendel Rosenbluh.
jor, took the opportunity to have some of the questions he wanted answered right then and there.
Dubon stood in front of the desk and began to ask questions about the Hebrew language, making it clear his curiosity came from his linguistics major.
“I was mostly curious to know what variety of Hebrew was spoken,” Dubon said. “He gave me really good insight on the difference between Sephardic Hebrew and Ashkenazi Hebrew, which was really insightful.”
Mayra Salazar
In honor of Jewish Heritage Week, Beach Hillel hosted “Ask a Rabbi,” an event where any student can take a seat with Rosenbluh and ask him questions they may have.
The purpose of the event was to inform students on Jewish faith, lifestyle and provide a clear understanding for students’ questions or disagreements.
Dubon kept his questions on the topic of linguistics with Rosenbluh, although Dubon mentioned he would’ve liked to move on to topics of current global events and affairs going on.
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According to Rosenbluh, his purpose for this event was to, “overall help Jewish students and the general student population understand what were all about and... connect to our long tradition for thousands of years of Jewish faith and Jewish custom and Jewish education.”
He also wanted to let students, “if they’re interested, find out more about who the Jewish people are,” he said.
A Rabbi is a Jewish scholar or teacher who studies or teaches Jewish Law. A Rabbi can also be viewed as a Jewish religious leader and teacher, offering their community guidance on spiritual aspects.
Rosenbluh, 26, studied political ordination at Yeshiva University, located in New York.
Adam Fagin, a Beach Hillel event organizer and CSULB alumni, hopes to have Rosenbluh come either weekly or bi-weekly for students.
Fagin planned a week of events for Beach Hillel and students, consisting of Latkes & Crafts, Olive Press & Candle Making along with a movie night. The Shabbat dinner on Dec. 6 will end the week of events.
Despite many students declining Beach Hillel’s offer to ask Rosenbluh questions, the Rabbi was happy with the student participation.
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“I was overall just very impressed by the depth of the students, you know, understanding and their contemplations,” Rosenbluh said. “People are really trying to figure life out and looking to find meaning in a day to day struggle. Life isn’t always easy, so you have to see what’s our/the purpose.”
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, December 9, 2024
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Professors reprimanded for participation in pro-Palestinian teach-in file grievance
BY BELLA GARCIA
Copy Assistant
Warning emails sent by campus administrators to professors who attended the May 2 teach-in in support of Palestine have created controversy over free speech restrictions at Long Beach State.
The professors, reprimanded for participating in the student-organized event, have since filed a grievance with the university.
Araceli Esparza, associate professor in the department of English, was one of several faculty members invited to participate in the teach-in which aimed to reframe Palestine as a feminist issue.
As a result, she and four other CSULB professors who participated in the event were sent warning emails on Aug. 19, the first day of the fall semester.
The email alleged the professors violated the 2023-2024 Time, Place and Manner policy by utilizing sound amplification devices without approval.
It also stated the policy’s goal and warned of potential disciplinary action against any person who does not adhere to the policy in the future.
“It doesn’t come as a surprise,” Esparza said. “However, given the political context and the bias that exists around Palestine and free speech, I don’t think that I did anything that goes against what my job is. I was teaching, and I was drawing on my research.”
The four other professors who received warning emails include Jake Alimahomed-Wilson, Sabrina Alimahomed-Wilson, Azza Basarudin and Steven Osuna. Esparza said they are the only five faculty members believed to have been targeted using the TPM policy.
Known as the “CSU-5” by supporters, the majority are professors of color and predominantly Muslim.
The CSU-5 all co-authored an article examining the university’s partnership with Boeing, a leading American multinational corporation known for manufacturing aircrafts and supplying weapons to the Israel Defense Forces.
Esparza said it is difficult to avoid
linking the warning emails to the free speech and academic freedom they were exercising at the teach-ins and their research on Boeing.
Associate Professor of International Studies Yousef Baker said CSULB officials, including President Jane Close Conoley, created a new TPM policy to regulate outside entities coming onto campus without distinction between non-CSULB affiliates, students, faculty and staff.
“In effect, what they did was use the excuse of outside agitators to curtail the speech of people within our campus,” Baker said. “I think we need to deal with students and faculty and staff, the campus community, differently than when we’re dealing with outside entities.”
A letter from the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California criticized CSULB for enforcing the amended TPM policy, asserting it violates the First Amendment.
The ACLU encouraged CSULB to “cease” enforcement of the sound amplification policy and to “excise” it from the university’s protest regulations.
Staff Attorney Jonathan Markovitz said the university’s updated policy is “Unconstitutional On Its Face,” in the letter.
Jeff Klaus, associate vice president of Student Affairs and dean of students, said, “If you do a side-by-side comparison, the big difference is just a chart that shows what’s public, what’s not public,” he said. “So there’s not a drastic change at all.”
With only two weeks to release the updated campus-specific addendum, CSULB utilized the campus regulations from previous years. Thus, Klaus said it can be modified and campus officials are open to conversations with students and faculty who do not agree with any part of it.
Baker said CSU and CSULB leadership has drifted from the tradition of allowing the university space to be a place of innovation and experimentation with freedom of speech, political thought and political expression.
As a faculty expert on anti-Muslim racism and Middle East studies, he said they are attempting to transform the campus into a laboratory for tactics and
A megaphone used in the Oct. 25, 2023 Palestine protest is not allowed without approval due to the Time, Place and Manner (TPM) regulations and was mentioned in the warning emails CSULB professors received.
maximum constraint against political expression and critique.
Associate Professor of Anthropology and co-author of an op-ed story published in the Current, Steven Rousso-Schindler, believes that as the TPM policy is constructed now, disciplining students and faculty for participation in protests undermines CSULB’s mission of promoting the public good.
“The administration created these rules on their own without any input from faculty,” he said. “We have a shared governance and believe that there should be shared governance between faculty and the administration, but they just handed down these rules without any cogent disciplinary actions.”
Rousso-Schindler said there needs to be a clearer understanding of what happens if the TPM rules are broken, including how they will be enforced and what disciplinary measures will be applied.
Jeffrey Blutinger, director and associate professor of Jewish studies, viewed the pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus as violent rhetoric. In response, he organized a letter campaign on behalf of Jewish faculty and staff throughout the CSU urging the Chancellor to adopt Time, Place and Manner regulations and
anti-bias training that includes antisemitism.
Blutinger does not believe the CSULB TPM addendum will stop student political expression, activism and experimentation on campus.
“We’re a state institution. We can’t regulate speech. We have to allow protests. Even stuff that is horrible, even stuff that horrifies me,” Blutinger said.
However, according to Baker, the administration is attempting to shut down and control free speech on campus.
Baker said students, staff and faculty have a responsibility to deliberate, discuss, assert and demand from the government in the name of security and interest.
Currently, the California Faculty Association and local chapter union representatives are identifying the areas of the union’s contract that the university has violated by sending out warning emails to the professors.
“This is again at a university that purports to value diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and now there’s this policy that seems to go against those purported values,” Esparza said.
Esparza still awaits clarification on what part of the policy she violated.
Photo credit: SAMUEL CHACKO / Long Beach Current
ACLU Attorney discusses free speech, changes to TPM policies
BY NASAI RIVAS Contributor
On Aug. 19, California State University’s Time, Place and Manner policy was changed bringing about criticism from members of the campus community.
“This policy changed overnight with no consultation,” Deborah Hamm, retired faculty representative of the California Faculty Association Long Beach, said at the “Silencing in the Name of Free Speech Discussion” on Dec. 5 at the Anatol Center.
Sponsored by the California Faculty Association in Long Beach, around 60 students and faculty members came together to listen to a presentation on free and protected speech.
Their questions and concerns about the new TPM were answered by Mohammad Tajsar, a senior attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California.
The event was moderated by Assistant Professor of American Studies Preeti Sharma and Associate Professor of International Studies Yousef Baker.
Baker said the main reason for the event was because freedom of speech is being restrained through the change of the TPM policy.
“It’s an effort by administrators on this campus to impose a solution that is looking for a problem,” Baker said.
During the discussion, Baker said ever since the beginning of protests against Israel’s action in Gaza, right wing and liberal “forces” such as the Anti-Defamation League and the Academic Engagement Network are targeting speech on campus for students.
“I understand what is happening is that these are efforts [to] constrain
It’s an effort by administrators on this campus to impose a solution that is looking for a problem. ”
Yousef Baker Associate professor of International Studies
speech that is not liked, limit political speech on campuses, silence professors and/or student organizations... [undermining] the credibility of university by saying that is a space of indoctrination,” Baker said.
Later in the discussion, Tajsar spoke with students about how other campuses are restricting speech in response to the
pro-Palestine protests.
Tajsar said that on other campuses, students and faculty have been prosecuted and charged with various misdemeanors.
“These students and faculty members have also been sanctioned internally within the university, subject to disciplinary procedures for violating things
like faculty codes of conduct, student codes of conduct, and that carries with it significant repercussions,” Tajsar said.
Toward the end of the discussion, some students and faculty member had questions for the ACLU attorney.
Marcus, a student who was not comfortable giving his full name or major to the Current, asked “Do you have any advice on going about doing the research to... find out how much money they wasted on writing up this bogus document, this trash piece that’s meant to, you know, put tape over the mouths of students and faculty?”
Tajsar responded to Marcus’s question saying he can request public records from CSULB to find more information.
Marcus said he came to the event in support of faculty targeted by the TPM policy and to hear from an “educated legal source” on the topic.
“I think it’s a waste of our tuition money and its implementation has been biased from the beginning,” Marcus said.
Photo credit: NASAI RIVAS / Long Beach Current Event moderator and Associate Professor of International Studies, Yousef Baker spoke to students and faculty about the restriction of free speech on university campuses following nationwide protests in support of Palestine.
Former College of Liberal Arts Dean dies, leaves lasting legacy
BY ISABELA ZUNIGA Contributor
Feminist pioneer, public library advocate, and former College of the Liberal Arts Dean, Dorothy “Dee” Abrahamse died the morning of Nov. 6 at 85 years old.
Abrahamse had spent over 15 years as the dean, until she retired in 2007. Her death was announced to the campus community via email by the current CLA Dean, Deborah Thien.
Described as a role model who championed student success, Laura Kingsford, former Dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics said Abrahamse was someone she could turn to when she needed a friend or advice.
Kingsford had the chance to work with Abrahamse starting in the summer of 2003. She said they bonded over the curriculum for general education classes for students.
“Within our two colleges, we were always planning and making sure everything was okay for the courses students have to take, as well as our individual departments,” Kingsford said.
Before becoming a dean, Abrahamse was a history professor at CSULB specializing in the history of the Byzantine Empire. While dean, she played a role in supporting the university’s language, culture and literary programs.
Sharon Olson, director of Study Abroad at CSULB, said she met Abrahamse on her first day as a transfer student.
Abrahamse encouraged her to enroll in medieval history courses, something Olson did not intend to do.
“I fell in love with the historical time period and took many courses from Dee as an undergraduate and later as a graduate student,” Olson said. “Dee was not only a mentor to me but to many other adult returning women students during the late 1970s and 1980s.”
Olson said Abrahamse encouraged her class to participate in extracurricular activities on campus, including medieval fairs and the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.
When the history department was in development, Abrahamse paid attention to the budgets and, when she could, approved new hires.
One of these hires, David Shafer, the current chair of the Department of History, noted Abrahamse’s understanding of the department’s needs and commitment to supporting faculty scholarship and research.
“She was nothing but generous and accommodating to us and supportive of our efforts,” Shafer said. “And that’s good because what it [did was] put CSULB on the map.”
Shafer also said Abrahamse supported hosting an international conference on campus, the Western Society for French History.
Beyond the university, Abrahamse was a Long Beach Public Library’s Foundation advocacy team member. Being part of the library’s advocacy team, she fought to prevent the closure of the Billie Jean King Main Library in 2008. She also helped with the plans for opening the Michelle Obama Library in North Long Beach and the remodeling of the Main Library.
“She contributed to countless, yearly city budget discussions opposing cuts to the library budget,” said Long Beach Public Library Foundation’s former Board President Margaret Smith.
Smith said Abrahamse was a very quiet person and not assertive, something Smith found interesting given her roles in academia and being one of the first women to serve in those positions.
“She was very thoughtful, sweet, kind and sort of a funny but very subtle sense of humor,” Smith said.
Abrahamse was also a singer in the Long Beach Camerata Singers ensemble and a member of Carnegie49, the legacy foundation part of the Long Beach Public Library.
Abrahamse’s legacy continues to be felt throughout the Long Beach community and the university, specifically in strengthening the History Department and her focus on student successes.
According to Shafer, a memorial is still pending and will likely not happen this fall semester.
Dee was not only a mentor to me but to many other adult returning women students during the late 1970s and 1980s. ”
Sharon Olson Director of Study Abroad at CSULB
Photo courtesy of Special Collections & University Archives Dorothy “Dee” Abrahamse during her time as the College of Liberal Arts Dean in 2002.
‘Brace,’ Indigenous faculty react to the incoming president
BY ISABELA ZUNIGA Contributer
American Indian Studies professors at Long Beach State shared their thoughts on former President Donald J. Trump’s re-election.
Kelly Stewart, a professor of American Indian Studies, said many in the program have viewed the results with a mixture of resolve and disappointment.
“For me, this election outcome signals potential setbacks for Indigenous communities, both on campus and across the country, as it reinforces a divisive political climate where Native issues are unlikely to receive attention,” Stewart said.
It has been a century since Native Americans were given the right to vote, and since then, they have been a key demographic in elections.
During the 2020 election, voters contributed to a shift that made Arizona a Democratic state, which has not happened since the 1996 election.
According to NBC News exit polls, about 34% of Native Americans identified as a Democrat during the 2024 general election.
In comparison, 65% identified as Republican in ten key states. However, this poll and other news outlets recently received backlash with claims that there is a misrepresentation of Native communities.
In a post, IllumiNative, a Native rights non-profit organization, pointed out the sample size was too small: Only 229 Native Americans responded in an exit poll.
The organization recommends being critical of what someone sees online, something Professor of American Indian Studies Thomas Reed agreed on.
“When people were making statements like ‘Oh, this is how Native people voted,’ I would say we should be skeptical. We should be highly critical of sample pools like that,” Reed said.
Stewart said that with the incoming
Trump administration Indigenous communities should brace for times when their voices may be marginalized but assured their resilience will guide them to fight for recognition and justice.
Additionally, she said President-elect Trump is reluctant to confront America’s colonial and expansionist legacy and is against addressing present issues, such as injustices of the Indigenous communities by the federal government.
“Locally, this may translate into reduced resources for Indigenous students and programs, directly affecting educational pathways and support systems critical for fostering Native identity,” Stewart said
Along with Stewart, Reed also highlighted issues that may impact the Indigenous community, such as land, water and healthcare rights.
When he attended the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, which took place from April 2016 to February 2017, Reed said a wide-ranging concern was who would protect the water, which may be brought up moving forward.
“When I was there, there’d be this chant that people would say, ‘Water is life, you can’t drink oil,’” Reed said. “There’s this notion that it’s not a matter of if; it’s when those pipelines break, the water becomes undrinkable. The land becomes unusable.”
He said the perspective on these matters vary depending on the tribal nation and the person’s age, economic status and educational level.
“Even within my own family, we have different views,” Reed said.
Reed said people should be the change they want to see in the world. When it comes to understanding Native people on the matter of the election results, he said that just being a good friend and showing appreciation helps to support and educate.
“We can either sit on the sidelines and watch things go a certain way, or we can show up to make a change on a local level, which can then lead to a national level,” Reed said. “Whoever is president, I want the best for seven generations to come. I want the best for all our people.”
For me, this election outcome signals potential setbacks for Indigenous communities, both on campus and across the country, as it reinforces a divisive political climate where Native issues are unlikely to receive attention,. Kelly Stewart American Indian Studies professor ”
Photo credit: ISABELA ZUNIGA/Long Beach Current
The entrance to Puvungna, located at CSULB, is a sacred site considered to be a spiritual center to Native Americans.
Triptides concert closes semester with a relaxing, groovy escape
BY ISABELA ZUNIGA Contributer
Described as a fusion of ‘60s and ‘70s jazz, soul and psychedelic rock, the Los Angeles-based band, Triptides performed at Noontime Concerts at the University Student Union Southwest Terrance on Dec. 4.
Hosted by Associated Students Inc. Beach Pride Events, the free concert was accompanied with drinks, snacks and a photo booth for students.
Triptides performed songs such as “Latitudes,” “Reactor” and “Thought Collector”– all from their latest album, “Starlight,” released in 2023.
Their album was inspired by Stevie Wonder, Switzerland band Klaus Johann Grobe and modern sounds with organs and old pianos, according to the band’s keyboardist, Glenn Brigman.
“We were trying to make something different, [with] less guitars,” Brigman said. “We still love playing guitar, but something that has a different palette to it.”
The band’s members also consist of Craig Jacobs on drums and Tyler English, who plays bass. Brigman said they started the band while in college in Indiana.
“We just started jamming, some friends, and it turned into a band,” he said. “I’ve kept the band going for the last 14 years.”
As the concert continued, Brigman often engaged with the audience by promoting their records and speaking about college.
“We’re playing in a kind of hangout area to college. Normally, we play at a theater, venue or festival, but it’s a nice excuse to get together and jam,” Brigman said. “We had a good time, it’s a beautiful day and [ASI] took care of us with the booking.”
Beach Pride Events Coordinator April Marie Castro said that Noontime Concerts are a staple event for students to take a break individually or with friends.
“We try to provide experiences where you can go and step away for an hour and disassociate from reality,” Castro said. “It’s challenging enough for students to sometimes go off campus to experience live music. Places like Coachella are extremely expensive, even though it looks so much fun, but sometimes it’s not feasible... here on campus, it’s a free experience.”
Within the audience was Aileen Perez, a third year sociology major taking the opportunity to listen to the live mu-
sic. Events like these, Perez said, provide a break from having to think about constant studying.
“I’m a commuter, and when I’m here, I’m here all day, so it’s really nice to be here and enjoy my lunch,” Perez said.
Perez also found the music to be uplifting; with her group of friends, Perez said they jokingly called for one more song at the end, but it didn’t happen.
“I thought it was so good– I was like levitating,” Perez said. “I was like, wow, we need to Shazam this.”
Event Assistant of ASI Beach Pride Events Eren Lita said she chose to feature Triptides at this event to inspire students to be creative, relax and have a clear state of mind.
As someone already familiar with
Triptides, Lita said due to proximity, it was the most likely that they could play at Long Beach State, which made the planning processing easier. She also took into consideration Triptides’ range and mellow music vibe.
“They are very ‘70s [and] very beach-y, so I personally love that type of music,” Lita said. “I’ve been to over 100 concerts, so I’m pretty familiar with the scene and everything, and trying to bring a little bit of that to campus is always cool.”
According to Castro, ASI Beach Pride Events are working on logistics and details to have Noontime Concerts continue in the spring semester.
Future Noontime Concerts can be found on ASI’s event page here.
We try to provide experiences where you can go and step away for an hour and dissociate from reality.
Photo credit: ISABELA ZUNIGA/Long Beach Current
From left to right, Glenn Brigman, Craig Jacobs and Tyler English of Triptides perform their track, “Latitudes” on Dec. 4.
ARTS & LIFE
Vintage vendors bring the past to the present at Long Beach State
BY JAMIE AUSTRIA Contributor
From jewelry, clothes, hats and cameras, couple Chanel Stone and Steven Badger sell it all. Together since 2017, Stone and Badger eventually went into business together. Their stall on campus is a merger between their two vintage shops, 5 Loaves Two Fish and Buzinessnabox, but second hand pieces are not all they sell.
Self-described curators, Stone also runs an organic pressed juice business called Juice Lyfe, while Badger works under his brand, Continual Coincidences.
Badger began selling 25 years ago, even selling toys as a kid. He started taking his role as a curator and businessman more seriously in the last ten years.
Prior to that, Badger was a business student at California Polytechnic State University. After graduating with a business degree from the university, he immediately began a corporate job at ADP, a management services company.
While working at the company, Badger said he had the realization of not wanting to take a check from a corporate job anymore. In 2009, after leaving his position at ADP, he went on to own a gym called Agape Fitness Bootcamp with his brother Andrew.
After over a decade of running the gym, the two closed its doors and Badger began selling vintage collectables full time.
“I had to do my own thing, make my own hours and I didn’t want a ceiling on what I could make,” Badger said. “God gave me the eye and I’ve always seen value in things since I was a kid, so it helped me to easily transition into this and have it be profitable from day one.”
During this time, he met Stone and taught her how to have “the eye.”
“Every sale that he would make online, he would text me that sale, so as I began to see I kind of developed an eye,” Stone said. “I learned, but you can’t really learn someone else’s eye, you have to develop your own, but his eye really influenced mine.”
At the front of their vintage stall on Long Beach State’s Upper Campus stands two tables, this one features various pieces of jewelry, pins and hats.
While developing her own eye for selling, Stone’s first big sale helped to solidify her trust in herself and her instincts.
It was in 2020 when the two turned their attention to vintage hats.
When out looking for new pieces, Stone recounts picking up what she described as an “old, dirty, sweaty” hat from a bin purchasing it for $2.50.
Unbeknownst to its value, she placed the hat up for sale on eBay, and within a week, someone from the UK had bought the hat off of her for a grand total of $250.
Stone said that was when she knew to trust “in the eye.”
The business, to the couple, is more
than just selling. Through each piece, the two hope to bring the past to the people of the present, by sparking an emotional connection through nostalgia and personal memories.
Stone emphasized the need to put people first, before money or profit.
“It’s more than just selling vintage clothing, there’s pieces in here where someone will walk in, grab a piece and they’ll put it on and you know it was made for them,” Stone said. “I’m not trying to hype you up, it looks like it was made for you and so that brings me joy.”
Minutes later, Stone made a sale.
Looking through the racks of coats was Cecelia Allen, a graduate student at California State Dominguez Hills, visit-
ing her boyfriend at the Beach.
Passing through campus when she saw the stall, Allen found a black trench coat that caught her attention.
“I’m short, and this is like a stylish trench that I think is a little oversized which I also like for layering. The proportions feel correct and I’m only 5’3, maybe 5’4,” Allen said. “I’m going to San Francisco and I was like ‘this would be great’ and I like studying outside but it gets cold, so I can just walk away with this on and go back to doing my work now.”
After purchasing her new coat, Allen walked away from the stall telling Stone, “This was great, the greatest shopping experience.”
Encouraging each other to elevate and work on their businesses, the two often merge their work and have created what they call ‘Sip ‘n Thrift’: A pop up where customers can go and shop vintage pieces from Buzinessnabox and 5 Loaves Two Fish, while also grabbing a drink from Stone’s drink service, Juice Lyfe.
During a pop up in Claremont, the couple met a professor who told them about the opportunity to sell at CSULB. The two pursued the opportunity with Badger doing a deep dive into the school’s demographic and specs in preparation.
Moving forward, the couple hope to expand their business by finding a place that brings the most people to them and what they have to offer.
Photos by JAMIE AUSTRIA / Long Beach Current Chanel Stone and Steven Badger pose at their stall on Long Beach State’s Upper Campus both sporting jackets representing Badger’s brand, Continual Coincidences.
Half a million Christmas lights, fireworks mark start of holiday season
BY DIEGO RENTERIA Arts & Life Assistant
The sounds of holiday cheer, famous Christmas tracks and fireworks reverberated through the streets of downtown Long Beach for this year’s 10th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting on Dec. 4.
Packed closely together in Christmas sweaters, holiday pajamas and festive attire, attendees filled the Long Beach Terrace Theatre plaza to catch a glimpse of the 67-foot Christmas tree.
Dubbed the ‘main spectacle’ of the light show, the staggering conifer is known to be the largest Christmas tree in all of Los Angeles County, decorated in more than 500,000 Christmas lights.
Apart from the luminescence, attendees could also grab a bite to eat from
local food trucks and take photos with Santa Claus and the Long Beach Fire Department mascot, Sparky.
Additionally, the event offered a fullblown holiday concert with performances from Terron Brooks, Long Beach Camerata Singers, acappella group SoCal VoCals and the Long Beach Ballet.
Due to its 10-year continuity, the event has grown over the years, which has allowed it to attract thousands of people from across Los Angeles and Orange County.
From the start, local resident Liliana Rivera has attended the annual tree lighting with her family. This year, she attended alongside her son and her husband, Tomas.
“When we found out about the first one, we came, and we loved it. From then on, we have been coming every year, even the first ones after COVID,” Rivera said. “We come with our kids, and
we even invite a ton of people to come with us.”
Each of the holiday festivities culminated at the end of the night for the anticipated spectacle - the tree lighting.
Gregory Sanders, president of Long Beach Ministers Alliance, emceed the lighting ceremony, introducing the audience to Long Beach’s Mayor Rex Richardson, the Long Beach City Council and the many that contributed to the production of the event.
After formalities and a non-denominational prayer, everyone came together to count down the lighting of the giant Christmas tree.
Starting from 10, everyone in the audience counted down to one in unison, as Richardson and his two daughters flipped the switch and illuminated the staggering Christmas tree.
Shortly afterwards, a display of fireworks lit up the sky above the Terrace
Theater, to the tune of Mariah Carey’s hit holiday song, ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You.’
For attendees and local sales executives Sandy Hensley and Quentin Roberts, the annual tree lighting spectacle sparked the feeling of holiday cheer.
“I feel that Long Beach is a city that cares about their community,” Hensley said. “Events like these bring people closer together.”
Two longtime friends, Hensley and Roberts chose to attend the event together since their jobs were close by.
“Long Beach is the biggest small town in the world. Everybody knows everybody, and it’s just a great close-knit community,” Roberts said. “For us to be able to come together in the city’s center and begin to enjoy the holidays is just great.”
Photo credit: SAMUEL CHACKO/Long Beach Current
Samantha Schultz, a a Canadian-Filipino singer songwriter, opened the 10th annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony with festive songs.
Justice is rarely polite,
and we shouldn’t expect it to be
BY JOANNAH CLEMENTE Opinions Ediitor
Long Beach State’s new Beach Pluralism Project champions civility in dialogue, but its focus on politeness risks diluting the urgency of justice for the sake of comfort.
The project seeks to enrich student discourse on race, religion and politics, and envisions a campus culture that is driven by empathy and diversity.
Funded by President Jane Close Conoley and supported by Provost Karyn Scissum-Gunn and College of Liberal Arts Dean Deborah Thien, the project includes the Conoley Fellows Program, encouraging students to explore pluralism through the Department of Religious Studies.
While its mission to bridge divides and foster understanding seems commendable, prioritizing polite conversation compromises the pursuit of equity to a performative act.
Sophia Pandya, the project’s director, described it as creating a “third space” for difficult conversations, especially on campus.
“The pluralistic approach definitely helps keep people together at the table,” Pandya said. “And so we’re not so polarized because that doesn’t solve systemic forms of discrimination and oppression.”
However, history demonstrates that progress often stems not from polite conversations but from bold resistance to systemic inequalities.
The civil rights movement, feminist revolution and other transformative social shifts succeeded because they disrupted, defied and dismantled entrenched structures.
By placing civility at the center, a barrier to justice is built, sanitizing the discomfort necessary for real change.
Kathryn Chew, the project’s co-director, highlights “active engagement with diversity” and cultivating curiosity over assumptions.
“You kind of lay aside the assumptions you make about other people and approach differences with curiosity. That’s what we want to inspire in students,” Chew said.
Pandya echoes this sentiment, stressing empathy in engaging with different opinions.
“At least I can empathetically engage and try to understand them, and just be able to make another community feel heard and not come at them antagonistically,” Pandya said.
But what happens when those “differences” include viewpoints rooted in maintaining systemic oppression? Dialogue without accountability can equate harmful ideologies with marginalized voices, favoring the powerful.
“We’re trying to get our students and our campus to be a little more intentional and less reactive with how we interact with other communities,” Pandya said.
Intentionality is valuable but insufficient. Meaningful progress requires breaking down systems of injustice, not merely discussing them.
Marginalized communities can’t afford slow, half-hearted actions born from comfortable dialogues while enduring oppression.
Despite Pandya and Chew’s perspectives, Nayawiyyah Muhammad, a fellow Religious Studies instructor, offers a critical counterpoint.
“We need to find a way to accept that we are not all the same,” Muhammad said. “We need to broaden our understanding of how all of the pieces in society fit together, especially when it comes to religion.”
Her stance underscores a key failure of pluralistic frameworks: their tendency to oversimplify deep-seated disparities.
“We can still find ways of being American, upholding the best of what America has to offer, or in our religions, seeing what we hold in common,” Muhammad said.
Chew also acknowledges the sense of community and how it’s significant at Long Beach State.
“The communities out there are just so supportive of each other, and that’s something special to see... that sort of human feeling,” Chew said.
While community support is invaluable, it doesn’t directly address the institutional forces perpetuating discrimination and may ultimately become a passive exercise in “understanding” without tackling these deeper issues.
The university’s stance on social justice is also contradicted by its recent implementation of the Time, Place and
Manner (TMP) policy, which severely limits when and where protests can occur on campus.
This exposes a contradiction within the project: while it champions open dialogue, it stifles the very forms of resistance that could challenge the status quo.
Protests, by their very nature, are meant to challenge normality, yet Long Beach State prioritizes order over justice.
How can Long Beach State promote its bold speech through its Speak Boldly & Listen Bravely initiative while silencing dissent with policies like the TPM?
To align with its rhetoric of justice, the university could reconsider TPM restrictions, pursue tangible change and be more accountable.
Conoley’s recent campus-wide email, Reflections as October 7 Nears, illustrates this contradiction. Her appeal for peace, devoid of any mention of inequalities, reduces the calls for justice to “darkness and hate.”
“Instead of killings and rage, I wonder if we can reflect on how to promote peace,” Conoley wrote. “I understand the attraction toward darkness and hate in times like these, but these are inevitable companions of more war, more loss of innocent lives and more broken families.”
This framing positions the calls for justice as part of a cycle of violence, obscuring the reality that peace without equity is simply a denial of true progress.
In her On Calls for Divestment email, Conoley reiterated that the institution has addressed global issues but doesn’t “engage” in contested geopolitical divides.
“The university remains an active forum for discourse and perspective-sharing, not a participant itself,” she wrote.
The Beach Pluralism Project, in this context, appears to be the university’s attempt to pacify difficult conversations, offering a superficial band-aid solution to a deeper problem.
Justice is rarely polite — tokenism and civility ideals fall short, and progress demands empowering the community to act.
Anything less than genuine action is merely an illusion of progress.
Graphic credit: JOANNAH CLEMENTE / Long Beach Current Amid today’s political climate, the Beach Pluralism Project sparks hope for Long Beach State students, but can its dialogue framework effectively push for justice?
Who is the Kleefeld Museum really for, because it’s not for students
BY NICHOLAS KITAY Contributor
The changing of the CSULB University Art Museum to the Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum in 2019 has hurt the reputation of the robust art program at Long Beach State.
The museum’s namesake, Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld, is an artist, poet and author from Southern California. The daughter of entrepreneur and philanthropist Mark Taper, Kleefeld had a wealthy upbringing and studied art and psychology at UCLA.
Kleefeld has published multiple collections and exhibited her art around the world. In 2019, she gave a reported $10 million to CSULB.
Following the donation, she “gifted” many of her works, of which became permanently displayed at the museum. This is where the controversy arises.
Kleefeld’s ability to donate money and receive the museum’s namesake while having her artwork permanently displayed does not set a good example for students. Especially when that artwork isn’t considered good.
Members of the art community on campus don’t respect the museum anymore, which leads people to question the validity of the art program.
“It’s embarrassing to be a student at a school that seems to care more about money than the artistic brilliance of the faculty and students,” said Morgan Williams, a student in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program for Art, Option in Anima-
tion.
It’s a shared sentiment among many art students that they feel is disregarded by the university.
“It leaves fewer opportunities for students, and it makes the art program look like a joke,” Tattianna Che, an art student majoring in illustration, said.
The museum used to be for the students, and now it feels like Kleefeld’s personal exhibition; her artwork is permanent, and so is her name on the museum.
“The Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum opened in February 2022 at California State University Long Beach,” is stated on her website, as if the museum has not existed since 1973.
Nizan Shaked, an Art History and Museum Studies professor at Long Beach State since 2006, said, “When I teach the museum, I do it through an assignment written by another entity and I don’t weigh in with my opinions.”
She said, “I let them talk so they can discuss their opinions and feelings about the museum.”
Shaked said it’s up to her students to make a decision about the museum’s ethicality, if the artwork being displayed is of poor quality,. or if the pieces are detrimental to the museum and school by proxy.
“Dozens of my students are aware of the ethical conflict at the heart of the museum,” Shaked said.
Despite student awareness, the school has not taken any action, nor acknowledging it is in poor taste.
“Students used to exhibit in this institution, and they don’t anymore,” Shaked said. “There used to be an end-of-theyear student show and graduate students used to curate exhibitions, but those opportunities don’t exist anymore.”
Shaked states that art students rarely get to see their professors’ artwork, if at all. If the school has such a robust art
program with highly qualified art professors, why, then, do they not provide a space for students to see their artwork?
The university pocketed a $10 million donation to take the museum away from the campus community and give it to someone in the 1%. Criticism from the museum is not just limited to the campus, with commentary pieces being written in the LA Times as well.
It doesn’t make sense why the museum took so many opportunities away from the students just to display heavily criticized art.
Naming the museum after a rich person while simultaneously removing opportunities for students leaves the impression that administration cares more about money than they do about the students and faculty of the program.
It contradicts the purpose of a museum, and poses a bigger issue for a museum of a university with a prominent art program.
There used to be an end-of-the-year student show and graduate students used to curate exhibitions, but those opportunities don’t exist anymore. ”
Nizan Shaked Art History and Museum Studies professor
Photo credit: MARK SIQUIG / Long Beach Current Art majors on campus expressed frustration with the university’s indifference to the former University School Museum becoming a host for Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld’s artwork.
Walking with a limp is not always a call for help
BY JASON GREEN Contributer
Ioften stroll from the liberal arts building to the Walter pyramid during the night, listening to music, jamming out to Evanescence and enjoying my walk. In the middle of one of my walks, a person approached me asking me if I needed help when they saw the way I walked. I said that I did not need assistance and I had a disability, and was soon left alone, but I felt patronized.
I have cerebral palsy, a physical disability that affects my mobility.
I have had cerebral palsy since birth. There are several types of cerebral palsy and each has a spectrum of severity. The type that I have is called spastic hemiplegia which mainly affects the right side of my body with chronically stiff muscles. This condition does not get worse overtime.
The condition limits the mobility of my hand, and makes walking more challenging than normal.
For example, walking long distances causes pain to my legs. Depending on how much I walk, the recovery time can last more than one day.
The representation seen by the public usually depicts those with cerebral palsy to be wheelchair users, but I do not use mobility devices.
My walk back to the Pyramid was not the only occurrence where I was offered help or asked if I was “alright” on campus for the way I walk. In September, at the University Student Union, an individual was concerned and asked if I was okay after observing my movement.
When I told them I have cerebral palsy they said, “I hope you feel better.”
Cerebral palsy is not a fixable disability. I understand the sentiment, but
it shows a lack of understanding of disabilities and it gives the connotation that disability equates to helplessness. Disabled people are not helpless.
For many, there is no “getting better,” but only living.
Individuals with disabilities generally normalize their disability because that is the way they navigate their life.
I sometimes forget that having limited mobility is not normal because I have never lived without my condition.
Getting approached by people with concern is a definite remainder of it.
There are cases where approaching and asking if one is in need of help is appropriate.
For instance, I fell climbing up the stairs near the Bob Murphy Access Center, and I did get assistance getting up, as one of my shoes came off when I landed on the ground. This was greatly appreciated.
Even on an intellectual level, I occasionally receive inadvertent insults. I remember a family friend was surprised that I did laundry while dorming in Beachside.
Along with cerebral palsy, I also have an intellectual disability, which placed me in special education for my K-12 education.
Cerebral palsy does not affect intelligence directly, but it is not uncommon for individuals with this condition to have an intellectual disability.
My mom was even astonished when I transferred to Long Beach State because she set low expectations for me since I was born.
My oldest brother told me that he thought it would be a miracle if I ever get a job as a journalist.
I endured many social and academic barriers, transcended expectations to reach where I am today.
Photo credit: SAMUEL CHACKO/Long Beach Current
Third-year journalism major Jason Green stands next to the Bob Murphy Access Center (BMAC), which serves over 2,700 students with disabilities.
The Beach topple Titans in 15-mile rivalry
BY MARANATHA KEBEDE Contributer
When Long Beach State and Fullerton meet, whatever happened up to this point is thrown out of the window and the rivalry takes precedence over everything. This game was no different as both teams fought until the final buzzer.
LBSU women’s basketball defeated conference rival Cal State Fullerton 6756 during ASI night on Thursday at the Walter Pyramid thanks to crucial Long Beach State blocks and double-digit scorers.
Four Beach players scored in double figures in Thursday night’s win over the Titans with senior guard Savannah Tucker leading the way with 16 points.
The Titans came out of the gates strong with a 7-2 run to open up the first quarter, forcing The Beach to play catchup for the rest of the frame. The Beach did just that and found themselves down three points at 15-12 at the end of the first quarter.
Long Beach State’s second-quarter success was symbolized by senior guard Lovely Sonnier’s defensive rebound that she took 94 ft. to the other basket for a layup. This play sparked a 6-2 run that put The Beach up 26-25 at the half.
“We’re definitely an emotional team,” LBSU head coach Amy Wright said. “If we have something positive happen then really feed into that.”
Long Beach State found its rhythm in the third quarter shooting 43.8% from the field while making five of their seven free throws.
The Beach’s speed began to wear down the Titans and their up-tempo play style on both sides of the ball forced Fullerton into mistakes and limited their defensive efficiency.
This energy led to Long Beach State leading Fullerton 46-37 at the end of the third quarter.
Graduate forward Rachel Loobie was one of those LBSU players flying around the court as she filled up The Beach’s side of the box score, putting up 11 points while grabbing eight rebounds and totaled five of The Beach’s nine blocks.
“A lot of them [blocks] were against shorter guards,” Loobie said. “My first thoughts are that if I can’t get that stop at the top, I’m definitely getting that stop at the bottom.”
The Beach shot an efficient 47% from the field in the fourth quarter, propelling them to a 64-47 lead with 2:52 to go in the game.
Fullerton made two three-pointers at end of the fourth, but it was too little too late as The Beach held on by a final score of 67-56 to defeat the Titans in the first conference game of the season.
“We go in with a chip on our shoulder and have a chance to prove who we are as Long Beach State,” Loobie said.
Next up for Long Beach State is a date with Hawai’i on Saturday, Dec. 7 in Manoa, Hawai’i.
“We’re not going to change who we are, we might have some nuances to throw in there defensively. But offensively, we’re starting to get really good and really productive as what we do so we want to continue that,” Wright said.
Forward graduate student Rachel Loobie (yellow) attempted to block the ball with a swipe of her hand on Dec. 5 at ASI night. Loobie had 11 points and eight rebounds as Long Beach State beat Fullerton 67-56 at the Walter Pyramid.
Monday, December 9,
Photos by: SAMUEL CHACKO/Long Beach Current Senior guard Lovely Sonnier (center) drives in the lane for a layup against a Fullerton defender. Sonnier had 12 points with 10 rebounds as Long Beach State took down Fullerton 67-56 on Dec. 5.
Strong start for men’s basketball in conference play
The Beach dominates Fullerton 73-56
BY MATTHEW COLEMAN
Sports Assistant
FULLERTON, Calif – Long Beach State put a halt to its eight-game skid with a 73-56 win to open up conference play on rival Cal State Fullerton’s home floor.
Both teams have had sluggish beginnings to their season with LBSU starting 1-8 with its lone win coming in the season opener against Division III La Verne, and CSUF sitting at 2-6 going into Thursday’s matchup.
Fullerton students and fans alike filled the Titan Gym almost to capacity dressed in orange shirts that read “Beat the Beach.” By the seven-minute mark of the second half, many of those same fans had already gone towards the exits with The Beach dominating and ultimately pulling away.
The Beach’s leading scorer senior guard Devin Askew, who entered averaging 16.8 points per game, came in and set the tone on both ends to open up the game.
He connected on a mid-range jump shot then stole the inbound pass for an easy lay-up to start the game.
Both teams fed off the electricity in the building early on and back-to-back dunks by Fullerton’s junior guard Kobe Young lit up the arena, bringing ‘The Stampede’ student section to their feet.
The building was rocking heavily against The Beach, but they had an offensive response to quiet the crowd
throughout the night.
Long Beach State got things done uncharacteristically by outscoring Fullerton 18-3 from beyond the arc. Freshman guard Kam Martin went 3-6 from deep on his way to 11 points, hitting a few timely three-pointers.
“We came out and tried to punch them in the mouth, to begin with, just stay together and play our game, and just worry about us and we’ll come out with the W,” Martin said.
As the first half neared conclusion, intensity peaked following a foul call on Titan junior guard Donovan Oday who looked like he had a clean rejection on Martin. This left CSUF head coach Dedrique Taylor frantic in disagreement, Martin would miss both free throws to the delightment of the crowd.
Yet again, an Askew three-ball on the next trip down the court settled things and put The Beach in front by nine and up 26-17.
Askew led all scorers with a gamehigh 16 points in the victorious effort.
LBSU held the nine-point advantage at 33-24 going into the locker room at halftime.
After an elbow injury in the final minute of the first half, sophomore forward Derrick Michael Xzavierro returned to the game with a padded arm sleeve and proceeded to knock down a triple in the opening minutes of the second half.
DMX finished with nine points and posted a game-high nine rebounds.
LBSU head coach Chris Acker went with the majority of his starters during the latter part of the second half to en-
sure a proper close-out, even with its lead exceeding 20 points in various instances.
The Beach kept their foot on the gas pedal to close out The Titans with an aggressive offensive attack that led to 25 free throw attempts.
Graduate forward Austin Johnson added the exclamation point in the closing minutes with a thunderous two-handed slam on CSUF senior forward John Mikey Square, amping up The Beach’s bench.
“I think the Thanksgiving break was huge for us,” Acker said. “Just to get away from what was going on in the preseason, it was good to get in the gym, regroup and practice. We hadn’t practiced for a month, so to get that opportunity to do so for three or four days was huge for us.”
Photo by Katie Albertson via CSUF Athletics Freshman forward Andrew Nagy contests the shot of the Titan jump-shooter at the Titan Gym on Thursday night. The Beach cruised to a 73-56 win in a hostile rivalry game.
Devin Askew propels them to a win over Hawai’i
BY MATTHEW COLEMAN Sports Assistant
Long Beach State improved to 2-0 in conference play after a threepoint barrage against Hawai’i, shooting 10-13 (77%) from deep on its way to a 76-68 win at the Walter Pyramid, its second straight victory.
Senior guard Devin Askew posted a career-high 28 points in the win, going 4-5 from distance along with a gamehigh seven assists.
“There’s never the absolute need to take over, but I definitely started feeling it,” Askew said. Being a basketball player and feeling it, I just kept rolling with it and making shots.”
Despite 27 turnovers from The Beach, they overcame their carelessness with the ball thanks to an efficient night shooting. They shot 50% from the field and had a near-perfect night from the
free-throw line, going 16-17 (94%).
“Hawai’i turns teams over three times a game, for us to have 27 in one game is just uncharacteristic of what we want to be about,” LBSU head coach Chris Acker said.
Hawai’i entered the game at 5-2 after a loss on Tuesday night against Grand Canyon University.
Neither team found a rhythm in the beginning of the first half with the Rainbow Warriors going scoreless for nearly five minutes in the middle of the half. The Beach could only tally a 6-0 run during that timespan, failing to capitalize and create much separation.
The Rainbow Warriors eventually found their offensive output with sophomore forward Akira Jacobs coming off the bench and catching fire. Jacobs shot 4-5 from the field, three of them came from behind the arc, and scored all of his 11 points within five minutes, a part of an 11-5 Hawai’i run.
Following a solid performance on the road at Cal State Fullerton, freshman
guard Kam Martin picked up where he left off.
Martin scored all 10 of his points in the first half, from both inside the paint and outside the arc. Martin finished with a game-high plus-minus of +13.
A three-pointer by senior guard/ forward Cam Denson capped off a 14-2 Beach run in the closing minutes of the half. Askew landed three on the final possession of the half as the shot clock expired to put LBSU up 37-32 at the break.
Acker went with primarily a seven-man rotation, with eight players seeing the floor in total.
That rotation consisted of a smaller lineup as the team leader in rebounds per game, sophomore forward Derrick Michael Xzavierro, saw just above 11 minutes on the floor. 7’1 junior center Christian Richardson did not play, the lack of height resulted in LBSU being out-rebounded 32-23.
The Beach were in full control of the second half, not surrendering the lead once.
Graduate forward Austin Johnson had his best showing in an LBSU uniform going for a season-high 14 points and a team-high 10 boards.
“Today is a byproduct of our team figuring out our identity. We are a much better shooting team when we’re playing inside out,” Acker said.
Back-to-back Askew threes brought LBSU’s lead to its largest of the day at 15 points, leading to a Hawai’i timeout. Rainbow Warriors’ assistant coach Rob Jones was visibly distraught following the defensive collapse and was seen on the bench spiking a chair into the ground.
The Beach went on to win by a score of 76-68 on the day of the Walter Pyramid’s 30th anniversary celebration with several alumni in attendance and President Jane Close Conoley sitting courtside.
LBSU looks to carry this momentum into its next matchup slated for Tuesday night in San Diego against the University of San Diego after improving to 3-5 overall this season with today’s win.
Photo credit: DEVIN MALAST/Long Beach Current
Long Beach State senior guard Devin Askew shot 4-5 from three, scoring a total of 28 points against Hawai’i. The Beach went on to defeat Hawaii 76-68 on Dec. 7 at the Walter Pyramid.
Graduate transfer goalie Aaron Wilson made his mark on the 2024 season as he was top-four in all three main statistical goalie categories, which are saves, save percentage and goals allowed per game.
Aaron Wilson: Mentor
and MVP
BY LARISSA SAMANO Contributor
Long Beach State men’s water polo’s first-team All-Big West graduate goalie Aaron Wilson came to The Beach this season in the transfer portal. He has since played a major role in leading them to a Big West Championship title.
In the tournament, Wilson won the Big West Championship MVP with 14 saves, including eight in the finals against University of California, San Diego.
“It was a long season so it was a really great reward to end it off, you know,” Wilson said.
In the Big West Conference rankings, Wilson was first in save percentage at .507, second in goals-against average at 9.61 and fourth in saves with 154.
Wilson has been playing goalie since his first practice at nine years old and explained how he finds comfort in that position because of his interactions with his teammates.
He takes pride in helping out his teammates and being there to remind them that he has their backs on defense.
The goal for Wilson is to play professionally overseas, keeping Spain in great interest, so he took his last year of eligibility and came to The Beach to gain extra experience and connections. He thanks to his mentality for bringing his athletic career so far.
“I have a lot of self belief. Every team I’ve played for I thought I could start for this team, I should make this team better, and I kept that same mentality when I came to college,” Wilson said.
He added that believing in his ability was vital but he is always willing to figure out what needs to be changed in order to be successful.
LBSU head coach Gavin Arroyo said that a lot of people in the water polo community were curious about where the former University of California, Davis player would end up after transferring, before Wilson had decided on LBSU.
“Long story short, he kind of fell in our lap and we were really happy about that,” Arroyo said.
The Beach played against him for three years before this season and Arroyo added that he is everything you would want in a goalie. He describes him as a versatile player who is incredibly calm under pressure.
Arroyo explained that it is rare to find players to fill positions with such high quality, so Wilson quickly became a strong asset to the team.
Being a graduate transfer, Wilson was thrust into a role model position where some of his teammates look up to him. He likes to remind them to just keep working when things get tough.
Regardless if they are playing against the worst or best team in the conference, he sees all his opponents as the same and treats each game with equal importance.
“College sports is probably the hardest thing you’ll ever have to do, but it’s a great experience and it makes you tougher,” Wilson said.
Wilson called playing for LBSU an “exciting process” and knows his athletic journey is far from over.
Photo courtesy of LBSU Athletics