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Photo illustration by JUSTIN ENRIQUEZ / Long Beach Current Students walk across campus, some heading to their cars and others arriving for class on Jan. 23, 2025.
NEWS
Claims against CSULB by donor dismissed
BY NASAI RIVAS News Assistant
Asettlement between Long Beach State and a long time university donor has been reached.
On Jan. 13, CSULB published a press release stating the university, 96-year-old philanthropist Regena Cole and her court-appointed Guardian ad litem agreed to permanently dismiss claims filed by Cole against the university in 2022.
The five claims dismissed include financial elder abuse, fraud, negligent misrepresentation and two counts of recession.
“The court-appointed Guardian ad litem and CSULB agreed to a settlement that provides for the claims filed in Mrs. Cole’s name to be dismissed, with prejudice, and that Mrs. Cole’s estate should be used as she intended to benefit the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music and its students,” the press release stated.
The press release further states, Cole’s estate will be used to fund the Cole Scholars’ educational costs including room and board, fees, books and musical instruments.
In addition, her estate will be used to upgrade Conservatory facilities and create a “Student Enrichment Fund.”
The fund will support tutoring, library materials, computers, travel expenses, recording equipment and other assistance for students of the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music.
“This agreement honors the Coles’ decades-long legacy of support to the Conservatory and the Cole Scholars. It is estimated that the Coles’ cumulative philanthropy to Cal State Long Beach may ultimately reach nearly $60 million, ensuring that the Bob Cole Conservatory remains a top destination of choice for music students,” the press release stated.
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Cole’s claims followed a $25 million gift agreement between her and the university, signed back in 2020.
For 30 years, both Cole and her late husband Bob have donated to CSULB’s music programs, In 1994, the Coles gave the bulk of their estate to the Cole Memorial Scholarship Fund.
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The gift agreement money was set to go to CSULB’s music department.
However, on Nov. 21, 2022, Cole filed a lawsuit against CSULB where she and her attorneys alleged the university had coerced her into signing the gift agreement.
Cole and her attorneys sought $500,000 in damages and further alleged the university committed elder abuse, fraud and negligent misrepresentation.
In 2008, four years after her husband’s passing in 2004, Cole donated $16.4 million to the university to go toward student musician scholarships.
The donation resulted in the renaming of the music department to the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music.
The Current’s attempts to contact attorneys for both Cole and the university for comment were unsuccessful, neither providing a response by time of publication.
The Current also contacted Associate Vice President of Strategic Communications Jeffrey Cook for comment.
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Both parties have since agreed on a settlement, with Cole’s “substantial estate” set to support the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music upon her passing, according to the press release.
land acknowlEdgmEnt
“The statement is the extent to which we have information to share,” Cook said in an email.
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, January 27, 2025
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Pyramid home games relocated due to exterior ceiling collapse
BY ANNETTE QUIJADA News Assistant
On Jan. 17, Long Beach State Athletics announced that an exterior suspended ceiling fell on the south side of the Walter Pyramid the day before.
The Pyramid’s main structure is said to not have been impacted. The ceiling panels that tumbled down were cosmetic and not structural, and are currently being inspected and reinforced out of caution.
Due to the facility work currently in progress, the Pyramid has restricted access and limited occupancy.
In an email exchange with Jeffrey Cook, chief communications officer at Long Beach State, he said that the cause of the ceiling falling may never be definitively known, but the incident is still being assessed. Cook said it is likely that there was more than one contributing factor.
A number of games scheduled at the Pyramid had been relocated for the time being. Long Beach State Athletics announced that the following three games were moved to the Goldmine:
• Women’s Basketball vs. California State University Northridge on Jan. 23.
• Men’s Volleyball vs. Concordia University Irvine on Jan. 24.
• Women’s Basketball vs. California Polytechnic State University on Jan. 25.
Long Beach District 4 Councilman Daryl Supernaw discussed the ongoing repairs to the Walter Pyramid in his weekly newsletter. The newsletter said repairs were scheduled for Jan. 25 and 26 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
There is a possibility the crew at the site may work the entire weekend if necessary, according to Supernaw’s newsletter.
This is not the first time the structural integrity of the Pyramid has run into issues.
The Current reported leaks in the structure in 2019. Four years later, in
2023, the Current reported on other leaks that would have caused possible relocations of games. The Current has also reported on the state of the Pyramid in its 30th anniversary in 2024, stating there were no plans for major refurbishments noted for the Pyramid at the time. Cook said the exact date for games to return to the Pyramid is still unknown. The hope is that the time frame to repair the Pyramid will be a matter of a week or two versus months.
As of now, assessments to the Pyramid are still being conducted. Cook said Beach Building Services is working with an outside contractor to remove ceilings that are similarly designed on the exterior of the Pyramid.
JUAN CALVILLO/Long Beach Current
A group of contractors and members of Beach Building Services are dumping the remains of a suspended ceiling section of the Walter Pyramid. The area affected is across from the campus baseball field and Athletic Administration Center.
Program aims to support teachers of color
Long Beach State is among nine other CSU’s that have improved its educator preparation programs to support future teachers of color and diversify the educator workforce.
BY MAYRA SALAZAR
News Assistant
For the first time in recent years, Long Beach State improved firsttime submission and pass rates on the California Teaching Performance Assessments for candidates who are from historically underserved populations.
“We have developed our curriculum with the [College of Education] and our programs to be more responsive to our students and the needs that they have to help them get the information to be able to take it and move forward with other children,” said Bre Evans-Santiago, co-director of the Center for Transformational Educator Preparation Programs and associate dean for the College of Education. “It’s a domino effect, if we do our job and help them become more culturally competent then they will take that out and became stronger teachers for our community.”
The Center for Transformational Educator Preparation Programs was created by the California State University system to emphasize its dedication to recruiting, preparing and retaining teachers of color.
Over the last four years, CTEPP has made a system-wide effort to better understand the systemic challenges facing minority educators in order to implement changes to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in teaching.
“The ability to recruit, prepare and retain diverse and culturally responsive educators is critical to the success of students and the state,” Assistant Vice Chancellor of CSU’s Educator and Leadership Programs Shireen Pavri said in a press release. “Our university teams have used improvement science methods toinvestigate specific problems of practice in their programs and then they’ve taken action so that aspiring Black, Indigenous and other teachers of color can thrive in our programs.”
New practices including partnering with school districts to support job op-
The College of Education building is located in the back of the library at Long Beach State and works with the Center for Transformational Educator Preparation Programs to have future educators be more culturally competent.
portunities for historically underserved candidates and more intentional, strategic outreach and recruitment of historically underserved candidates have had positive results. Adjusting clinical practice supervision to be more fair and impartial while being culturally responsive has also shown effective results.
Increasing teacher residencies, developing them within the teaching programs and providing cotinuous support for teacher performance assessments are some goals the College of Education and CTEPP have for CSULB’s future.
These objectives aim to help educators in performing better on the job and demonstrate their competencies and knowledge in education.
“For Cal State Long Beach, some of
the goals were not just to continue, because we already do, we recruit and we do prepare and retain teachers of color which is a big part of CTEPP, so we’re continuing to do that,” Evans-Santiago said. “We’re looking at more specific ways to support and bring in Black educators because we’ve noticed throughout that we have lower enrollment with Black students.”
Other goals include recruiting teachers for CSU campuses across California and for CTEPP to work with all of the teacher programs in the CSU.
“Regardless of who is in office at different times we still have to make sure we serve our students, our communities… As a college we will continue to do our due diligence to make sure to stick what
we believe and that we support our students the best that we can,” Evans-Santiago said.
She emphasized that CTEPP is not over and was made to sustain and keep going regardless of continuous funding.
“CTEPP is working with 13 campuses still, so it’s not ending. We’re continuing to have a center which is the goal of the grant, to continue to reach out to people, provide resources, to help support future endeavors and build networks,” Evans-Santiago said. “I’d like to thank the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the funding for CTEPP and Dean Ortiz and the EDI team that helps with initiatives, especially Nina Wooldridge, who leads these efforts.”
Photo credit: JUSTIN ENRIQUEZ/Long Beach Current
CSULB professor Christopher Lowe to retire after more than two decades at Shark Lab
BY JUAN CALVILLO News Editor
For more than 25 years, the Shark Lab at Long Beach State has been a home for Christopher Lowe.
The lab, which focuses on studying marine animals and training the next generation of marine biologists, has benefited from Lowe’s experience and passion for marine biology.
In August, Lowe decided to retire from his work at Long Beach State’s Shark Lab and marine biology program. He will continue teaching and working in the lab as he goes through the Faculty Early Retirement Program or FERP.
While his time at CSULB is coming to a close, Lowe has made significant contributions to the institution, his students and marine biology.
Growing up in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, Lowe spent his youth on an island swimming, boating and fishing.
His mother’s family lived in the area for years, and his family had a constant connection to the ocean. Lowe said his grandfather had been a commercial fisherman for a living.
Lowe stayed close to his family’s relationship with the ocean but forged his own path and relationship with it.
“No one in my family went to college, and I was the first. And I thought, ‘You know I really love fishing. I love being in the ocean. I wonder if there’s another way to make a living that doesn’t involve commercial fishing,’” Lowe said.
This set him on a path to meeting and learning from Donald Nelson, the founder of what would later become known as the Shark Lab.
While working on the cape as a young man, Lowe developed an interest in shark behavior by reading Nelson’s writings, which eventually led to an opportunity to work with the man he refers to as “the grandfather of studying sharks.”
Lowe’s passion for learning about shark behavior and new technology inspired him to talk with Nelson about attending graduate school, to which Nelson encouraged him to attend Long Beach State.
Lowe’s youthful passion for learning matches his passion for helping students with their own learning endeavors. Zach
Photo credit: JUSTIN ENRIQUEZ/Long Beach Current Christopher Lowe’s expertise in sharks and marine biology has been featured on platforms including National Geographic and the Discovery Channel.
Merson, a Shark Lab field technician, said it is Lowe’s drive and passion that leave the strongest impression during their interactions.
According to Merson, Lowe’s greatest contribution to CSULB is his mentorship of students.
“Because once the student leaves the lab, that’s not the end of their journey,” Merson said. “They move on to be influential scientists in government; many of them are professors, in their own right, now mentoring, kind of the next generation of students as well.”
While studying at CSULB, Lowe met his future wife, Gwen Goodmanlowe.
Lowe said the pair went to the University of Hawai’i, where they earned their doctoral degrees in a “full circle moment.”
Lowe returned to Long Beach State in 1998 to run the Shark Lab he once studied in. Now, more than two decades later, his career at CSULB nears its end as he enters the first phases of the FERP.
He jokingly referred to the program as faculty parole. “It’s like easing us [faculty] back into society,” Lowe said.
Biological Sciences Department
Chair Jesse Dillon said Lowe retiring from his position at CSULB’s Shark Lab was a “blow” to the department.
Dillon said some factors, such as Lowe’s wife retiring and funding coming to an end for the lab, could have been indicators that Lowe might retire.
Despite that, Dillon said the retirement announcement was still surprising. The department has had issues with faculty retiring and unexpectedly leaving after the COVID-19 pandemic ended.
“But when I say it’s a blow…I guess we can say some retirements are more impactful than others,” Dillon said.
Lowe said he stretched the California Shark Beach Safety Program funding, which should have run out two years ago, as much as possible.
Unfortunately, the 2025 to 2026 Governor’s state budget announced earlier
this year has not helped matters.
State funding for the California State University system has been an issue and has been on the CSU’s radar since last year. Keeping those issues in mind, Lowe continues looking for program donors.
Dillon stated that the search for Lowe’s replacement has not yet begun.
Lowe said that, given budget constraints at the CSU and university levels, he is working to secure an endowment for the program and plans to remain in his role until the department and the university can hire a successor.
After retiring, Lowe said he plans to focus on his science communication company, Dr. Shark LLC, where he may consult, develop or host a show.
Lowe wants students to understand that their teachers are invested in their success, which is why faculty encourage them to push themselves.
“Our goal for you is to become the best you could possibly be. That’s it,” Lowe said.
Not Yet a Member?
Every Wednesday in February 2025, Members who use their LBS Financial Credit Union debit card for purchases of $5 or more will receive $5 off.
Scan the QR Code to join online or visit us on the second floor of the Beach Shops Bookstore. New Members can receive $50 to Beach Shops when opening a checking account and using the promo code BEACH2025!**
*Minimum purchase of $5 or more at the Nugget Grill and Pub at CSULB. Offer good on the following dates in February 2025: 2/5/25, 2/12/25, 2/19/25 and 2/26/25 for LBS Financial Members who pay using their LBS Financial debit card (any card design). One purchase per day, per Member. Cannot be combined with any other discounts or promotions. Promotion excludes alcohol purchases.
**To receive a $50 Gift Card to Beach Shops there’s a $1 fee per new Member plus $5 minimum savings balance to maintain Member account. Must be a new Member to the Credit Union. $50 gift card will be emailed 45 days following account opening. Must use promo code online or open at an LBS Financial Branch with promo code. Account must be open and in good standing to receive gift card.
BY ETHAN COHEN News Assistant
Danny Peters and his brother were new homeowners, living together in a house at the foothills of Sierra Madre, a city southeast of Altadena.
Having moved to the city in the third grade, the 21-year-old journalism major at Long Beach State was preparing for his last semester before graduation, balancing school, work and the responsibilities of maintaining a home.
That all seemed secondary as Peters frantically documented his belongings, snapping photos and videos of everything in the house.
Outside, the roaring Santa Ana winds carried embers from the nearby Eaton Fire towards the hills, filling the air with the sharp scent of smoke.
The fast-moving flames of the Eaton and Palisades Fires ripped through communities, destroying thousands of homes and structures and killing at least 28 people.
Propelled by fierce Santa Ana winds and an exceptionally dry climate, the conditions proved ideal for wildfires to spread at an alarming speed, causing residents to scramble as the flames approached their homes.
Around 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 7, Peters received a call from his grandmother. She had been following news coverage of the Palisades Fire and reached out to him with her growing fears.
“She said if anything happened, I’d have to go down and grab her,” Peters said. “I told her that’s miles and miles away. It’s no big deal. It’s not a problem for us. And so I kind of brushed it off and laughed about it.”
An hour later, his aunt called him on her way home to notify him about a new fire that started in Eaton Canyon, a small hiking area where people he knows often visit.
Over the next few hours, Peters watched the news and received calls from friends and family asking about his condition and whether he was leaving.
When he stepped outside, he was greeted by an orange glow in the sky. Trying to stay calm about the situation, Peters started putting together a duffle bag of things he would need in case of evacuation.
At around 8 p.m., his aunt called him again to inform him of the evacuation warnings for the area.
‘I had no idea if it was
burning:’ CSULB student shares fire evacuation story
“That’s when I started running around, grabbing our safe full of important documents and stuff,” Peters said. “I started grabbing picture albums, throwing together a bunch of random knickknacks and memorabilia…and I threw it all in my car.”
While waiting for the evacuation orders, Peters tried to remain calm. He ate dinner while watching news updates. The tension was palpable, but he focused on preparing for the worst.
Over the next 30 minutes, he meticulously photographed and filmed every room in the house, documenting belongings he might need to show insurers later.
This precaution was vital given the nature of the fires. In recent months, insurance companies canceled tens of thousands of home insurance policies across California, leaving many homeowners uncertain about how they would pick up the pieces if their homes were destroyed.
At 10 p.m., the evacuation orders fi-
At 6:30 a.m. the following day, after only an hour of sleep, Peters decided to check on his house. However, he faced pushback from the police guarding the street entrances that led to his home.
He found a back alley to drive through, speeding down the empty streets of what felt like an eerie ghost town.
“I just kind of start sneaking my way up [the road] to get to my house, and then I turn on my street to the most terrifying thing,” Peters said. “One of the first things I saw was one of my neighbors’ houses had burned down about three houses east of my house.”
As more of the neighborhood came into view, his fears abated. His home was still standing. Peters drove further into the city to check on his aunt’s house, which was also intact.
“It was a huge sigh of relief going back to my grandmother’s house and being able to sit there and have some peace knowing that everything was all right for us at least,” Peters said. “I have a bunch of friends who lost their homes, which is unfortunate, but for us, we got very lucky.”
According to Karen Clark and Company, a disaster modeling firm renowned for its post-catastrophe damage assessments, the California fires have caused at least $28 billion in insured damage, with likely additional losses from uninsured damages.
nally arrived. Peters grabbed his dog, packed the last of his essentials into his car and took one final look at the home he and his brother had only recently begun building their lives in.
“It was kind of a surreal moment leaving the house because the thought went through my mind like, shoot, this might be the last time I am ever in my home,” Peters said.
Peters went to his grandmother’s house in a safer area and waited. Since he had no power, he watched the updates through his phone. At one point, his Ring doorbell camera stopped working.
“That kind of freaked me out a bit more,” Peters said. “At that point, I had no contact with my home…I had no idea if it was burning or not.”
He stayed in his jeans, kept his shoes on and prepared in case he and his grandmother needed to evacuate from her home. Eventually, he fell asleep after peering through the windows at the burning hills inching closer to his home.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, joined by Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire, lawmakers and local leaders, signed legislation at a press conference in Pasadena on Thursday, Jan. 23.
The legislation allocated $2.5 billion in relief to support response and recovery efforts in Los Angeles.
“We are all in this together,” Newsom said. “This is about distilling a sense of hopefulness.”
For Peters, the cleanup was relatively easy. He relegated most of his free time to cleaning the debris from his backyard pool. However, he believes it will be a while before a sense of normalcy is restored to the community.
“I think it’s kind of just a waiting game for organizations like FEMA, to go in to assess [the area] to make sure it’s fine, to clear the debris and then finally, allow people to go back up and start rebuilding,” Peters said. “I mean, I feel like it’s going to be at least, probably, five years or so until some homes are kind of put back up.”
Photo credit: DANNY PETERS/Long Beach Current
The aftermath of a burned-down structure in Altadena after the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8. Nearly 10,000 structures burned down during the Eaton Fire as residents rushed to evacuate the city
LA wildfires kill 28, SoCal at risk of flash floods, mudslides as rainy season begins
BY ETHAN COHEN News Assistant
Editor’s note: This story was updated on Friday, Jan. 24 at 5:23 p.m. to compile all the separate fire updates into one cohesive story.
-After nearly two weeks of the Los Angeles blazes, the Palisades and Eaton Fires are now under control and close to being inactive. The Palisades Fire burned close to 23,500 acres and is 77% contained. The Eaton Fire tore through the foothills of Altadena, consuming just over 14,000 acres and is 95% contained.
-A new fast-moving wildfire called Hughes Fire erupted near Castaic Lake early last week. The fire triggered evacuation orders and warnings for residents in a region already reeling from some of the driest conditions in Southern California.
-As of Jan. 22, over 16,000 structures had been destroyed by the Palisades and Eaton Fires leaving thousands homeless.
-Thousands of firefighters, from across the state, including Long Beach, and neighboring states battled the blazes.
-Southern California now faces the prospect of mudslides with incoming forecasts of rain in the regions affected by the fires.
Firefighters are still battling the wildfires across Southern California as the Hughes Fire, which recently erupted near Castaic Lake on Wednesday morning and has since burned over 10,000 acres.
The fast-moving blaze, fueled by relentless winds and low humidity, forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate or prepare to flee at a moment’s notice.
Crews have made significant progress, bringing the fire containment to 56% as of Friday morning, despite facing extreme fire behavior and challenging weather conditions. Forecasters have offered some relief, with winds that reached 65 mph earlier in the week expected to ease.
Rain is also in the forecast, with precipitation expected to grow in the coming weeks bringing firefighters and residents some reprieve. While this could help end the fires that have been raging for weeks, the National Weather Service warned in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that recently burned areas may face heightened risks of flash flooding and debris flow due to heavy rainfall.
Unprecedented destruction in the Palisades and Eaton Fires
Since Jan. 7, wildfires across Southern California have killed 28 people, destroyed over 18,000 structures and burned more than 50,000 acres. The Palisades and Eaton fires, two of the region’s most devastating disasters, are now 75% and 95% contained, respectively.
Iconic landmarks and densely populated neighborhoods have suffered significant damage. In Malibu, properties along Pacific Coast Highway have been reduced to smoldering ruins and empty skeletons, while smoky skies and swirling embers have blanketed much of the region.
Other fires across Southern California
The Laguna Fire broke out Thursday morning in Ventura County, threatening the California State University Channel Islands campus. The blaze spread rapidly but was stopped at 90 acres. Evacuation orders were lifted, and classes resumed Friday after campuswide cancellations.
Meanwhile, in San Diego County, the Border 2 Fire near the Mexico border has grown to over 5,300 acres as of Friday afternoon. Another nearby fire broke out early
Friday morning, prompting additional evacuations. Firefighters are working to contain these blazes while keeping a close eye on other areas at risk.
A unified effort amid challenges
The firefighting effort has drawn reinforcements from across North America, including crews from Long Beach. Firefighters and equipment from Canada and Mexico have joined the battle, providing water trucks and firefighting aircraft.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency, freeing up resources to support the response and assist displaced residents. He recently signed legislation at a press conference in Pasadena on Thursday, Jan. 23, allocating $2.5 billion in relief to support response and recovery efforts in Los Angeles.
During a visit to Southern California to assess the wildfire damage, recently inaugurated President Donald Trump toured affected areas and acknowledged the extent of the destruction. Speaking to reporters, Trump remarked on the harrowing scenes he witnessed.
“You don’t realize how rough it is, how devastating it is until you see it,” Trump said during a Press conference on Friday, Jan. 24. “It is devastation, it’s incredible. It’s really an incineration.”
As firefighting efforts continue, officials urge residents to remain vigilant. The threat of new wildfires, and now mudslides due to rain, persists underscoring the ongoing challenges Southern California faces in this historically destructive wildfire season.
Clockwise from left: Firefighters spray water onto a burning house on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu on Jan. 7. The Palisades fire grew to over 23,000 acres burning thousands of structures as firefighters grappled with fierce Santa Ana winds. A Boeing CH-47 Chinook Helitanker flies over the active fires in the Mandeville Canyon neighborhood on Jan. 11. Firefighters were actively fighting the spread of the fires creeping further into the canyon and saving homes. A beachfront property and vehicle burning on Pacific Coast Highway on Jan. 8. The wildfire is now Los Angeles’ most destructive fire in modern history. A home in a Pacific Palisades neighborhood burns as firefighters attempt to contain the spread of the flames from the surrounding houses on Jan. 7.
Photos by ETHAN COHEN
ARTS & LIFE
Long Beach businesses come together for victims of Los Angeles wildfires
BY GRACE LAWSON Arts & Life Assistant
Amongst the devastation caused by the Los Angeles wildfires, the Long Beach community has not faltered in coming together to support those affected.
From collecting donations, to hosting clothing drives and offering free or discounted services, many hotels, restaurants, retail stores and pet groomers across Long Beach have pitched in to aid the victims of the wildfires.
Through collecting donations and hosting clothing drives, these businesses have all pitched in and offered free or discounted services and ways to help collect necessary items for victims of the wildfires.
Among them is Chris Sweeney, the owner of RightMealz on Fourth street in Downtown Long Beach.
Sweeney and a team of volunteers collected donations a day after LA fires began and distributed them to families that have been displaced by the fires.
Announcing the donation collection on an Instagram post on Jan. 8, Sweeney organized a drop-off station outside his business.
From 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sweeney and his team of volunteers filled four U-Haul trailers full of donations, which included items like water bottles, snacks, socks, underwear, blankets, dog food and non-perishable items.
“Pulling the trigger without hesitation helps other businesses do it as well, but to see the community come together was just incredible,” Sweeney said.
Over the course of the month, the business, volunteers and Sweeney have continued collecting donations and distributing them at drop off centers.
“I want to see where it’s going, I’m not just going to, you know, give stuff away and not see where it’s going,” Sweeney said.
More recently, Sweeney said he has made efforts to personally help rebuild and strengthen communities in his outreach.
He cites two experiences, where he
distributed 4000 sandwiches to people who were displaced and commissioned an exact replica of a surfboard to a friend who lost his in the fire.
“Honestly I’ve been very emotional, overwhelmed with emotion to see and seeing other businesses come together. It’s a really amazing thing,” Sweeney said.
Five minutes away from RightMealz and sharing 4th street is Lucky Penny, a boutique that has followed suit within their own aid initiatives.
Since Jan. 9, Lucky Penny and another local business, Lil Devils Boutique have partnered together to provide aid through a clothing drive. Specifically, they requested women and children’s necessities, including personal hygiene items, diapers, clothes and accessories.
Since they began their drive, Stephanie Spirovski, owner of Lucky Penny, said that they have received an unexpectedly large amount of donations.
“It was unbelievable. I had to stop after 24 hours of accepting ‘cause we couldn’t fit it all in the store,” Spirovski said.
Though Spirovski found an overwhelming support from the community in the form of donations, the excess donated clothing still needed to be sorted, organized and dropped off to donation centers.
“I thought I was going to be able to do everything by myself... I realized I was way in too deep,” Spirovski said. “I just got messages from people to volunteer, there were people walking down the street that lived in the neighborhood that volunteered themselves, it was really beautiful to see.”
As the fires in the LA area become more contained each day, Long Beach businesses still offer ways for the community to donate and provide their support to any and all who were affected.
Though Lucky Penny has paused donations, RightMealz is continuing their efforts to provide relief to victims of the LA fires.
To keep up with each business and the work they are doing, RightMealz and Lucky Penny can be found on Instagram at their handles @rightmealz and @luckypennylongbeach.
Chris Sweeney RightMealz owner ”
Honestly I’ve been very emotional, overwhelmed with emotion to see and seeing other businesses come together. It’s a really amazing thing.
Photo credit: GRACE LAWSON / Long Beach Current RightMealz owner, Chris Sweeney, stands out front of his business on Jan. 23 before heading out to the Altadena fire sights.
Long Beach International City Theatre celebrates 40 years of endless stories
BY DELFINO CAMACHO Arts & Life Assistant
Long Beach theater lovers will be eating well this year.
For four decades, the International City Theatre has served as a cultural cornerstone, offering award-winning productions alongside educational and community outreach programs.
2025 marks ICT’s 40th anniversary.
For Artistic Director and Producer Caryn Desai, the anniversary highlights the progress she and her husband, ICT founder and former leader Shashin Desai, have made.
“I’ve been involved with ICT from the time it started, doing things like volunteer administration, open night parties, catering, whatever,” Caryn said. “Once I graduated from grad school, I was made the general manager but I wasn’t paid because there was no money.”
ICT began in 1985 when Shashin, then-chairman of the theatre, dance and film departments at Long Beach City College, noticed a lack of local opportunities for talented graduates. With access to a small black box theater on campus, he convinced administrators to let him create a professional company.
“I didn’t get paid for seven years… I taught college at different schools, I was a freeway flyer– all to earn a living to take care of my kids while I helped build a theater company,” Caryn said.
Through their volunteer efforts, the Desais launched ICT at no cost to the school, impressing administrators and securing its future.
In 1996, ICT moved to the larger Beverly O’Neill Theater in downtown Long Beach, where it remains today. In 2010, Shashin retired and Caryn was named head by the company’s board.
Today, ICT attracts 30,000 audience members annually, runs six educational and outreach programs and has earned over 500 awards, according to their website.
In celebration of their “ruby” anniversary, the ICT will embark their 2025 season with five premiere shows, mean-
ing the shows have never been directed, performed and viewed within California.
The lineup includes three Los Angeles premieres (Desperate Measures, The Angel Next Door, and Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson - Apt 2B), one American premiere (The Violin Maker, directed by Caryn) and one world premiere (Masala Dabba).
“Arts and education are my passions, and providing access for all is important,” Caryn said. “We have six education programs, so there’s something for every demographic and every age, from [ages] four to 104.”
These outreach programs, established by the Desais from the beginning, remain a cornerstone of ICT’s mission.
“We have six different education programs,” ICT marketing associate Angel Robbson said. “There’s the Summer Youth Conservatory, Free Saturday Fam-
ily Theater, the PACT (Performing Arts Classroom Teaching) program, Students to Stage, our Senior Program and internships.”
Robbson, a fourth-year performing arts major at Long Beach State, said they most appreciate the Students to Stage and Senior Programs, which provide free tickets to those with limited resources. The Senior Program even offers transportation to and from the theater.
“Accessibility is so important,” Robbson said. “Theater is starting to become inaccessible. Getting people in the theater lets them see representation and the value of art.”
ICT’s current General Manager, Jordan Gohara, is a product of the same education programs she now oversees.
“I’ve been around ICT since I was a kid,” Gohara said. “I participated in the education programs that I now coordi-
nate. Growing up, I did the third-grade program, the Summer Youth Conservatory, and saw shows here. Almost 10 years ago, I decided I was going to work here.”
After 22 years with ICT, Gohara is passionate about expanding.
“I think what we have right now is really strong,” Gohara said. “I just want to see how we can grow that.”
Apart from the team’s hard work, Caryn believes ICT’s success is due to people’s inherent need for well-told stories.
But Robbson thinks Caryn deserves credit too.
“I also think it’s Caryn, she just cares about everyone,” Robbson said. “Anybody she talks to, she makes you feel like you’re the main focus.”
Starting Feb. 19, ICT will kick off their “ruby” season with the show Desperate Measures.
Photo courtesy of International City Theater
The International City Theater’s 2001 production of Honk! was performed with the Students to Stage program, which provides free theater tickets to community youths.
ARTS & LIFE
BY JULIA GOLDMAN Arts & Life Editor
As the start of the spring semester welcomes new and returning students back to campus, discover or refresh upon the local opportunities for students to flourish — from food to self-prioritized wellness and entertainment at an accessible cost.
FOOD:
Students walking through the intersection of lower and upper campus are not privy to Associated Student Inc.’s weekly farmer’s market, which offers a selection of local food vendors from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday.
However, students can visit several local farmers markets in the city every day of the week to shop for
fresh selections of produce, keeping cost accessibility in mind.
The Bixby Knolls Farmers Market on Thursday afternoons and the Downtown Long Beach Farmers Market on Fridays prioritize food assistance and accept electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards.
For direct assistance with food insecurity, students can visit the Laurén Chalmers ’83 Beach Pantry at USU116 up to three times a week and receive up to five items per visit.
Items include fresh fruit, vegetables, canned food, dried goods and student essentials - all free of cost.
Beyond the Beach Panty, campus programs, including the Meals Assistance Program, provide students experiencing food insecurity with meals from the university’s dining halls.
CSULB’s CalFresh program offers up to $291 monthly for groceries through an electronic benefit transfer card for eligible students.
Students interested in the Meals Assistance Program and Beach CalFresh can visit the Basic Needs Center in USU-122 or call
562-985-2038 and 562-317-1492, respectively.
WELLNESS:
Illness, injuries and health anxiety throughout the semester can be unpredictable and inconvenient.
Students looking to take proactive steps toward their physical health care can visit Student Health Services (SHS), located on the corner of Beach Drive and Merriam Way.
All primary care visits at SHS are free, from immunizations to injury/illness assessment and treatment.
This also includes reproductive health, with free STI testing, treatment and birth control. Some specialty care, such as gynecology, psychiatry and gender-affirming care, is also available.
Students can seek mental health assistance from campus departments, including Counseling and Psychological Services and Project OCEAN.
Both work to provide support to students with mental health concerns through care and on-campus support, from individual counseling to resources and peerto-peer programs.
Spring semester survival guide: Accessible student resources, activities
Clockwise from far left: Bryson Allen (left) and Justin Rudd practice yoga on Oct. 24, 2024 at the Yogalution at the Bluffs free 11 a.m. class. Photo credit: Julia Goldman. A view of the basketball courts, suspended running track and exercise equipment of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, as seen from the second floor on Jan. 24. Photo Credit: Delfino Camacho. Los Angeles-based band Triptides performed their set of ’60s and ’70s jazz, soul and psychedelic rock for ASI’s Noontime Concerts series on Dec. 4, 2024. Photo Credit: Isabela Zuniga
Those interested in practicing fitness at their own pace this semester may find excitement in visiting the SRWC, CSULB’s fully equipped gym.
Located on the east side of campus, the two-story complex houses amenities from standard gym equipment to rock climbing walls and a full aquatics facility.
The SRWC also offers daily specialty classes, including yoga, Pilates, spin, HIIT and meditation.
There are also tennis, basketball and volleyball courts for students who want to practice alongside others with similar interests.
Another alternative, free fitness option in Long Beach is Yogalution on the Bluff, which offers a onehour yoga class every day at 11 a.m.
Held on the grass between East Ocean Boulevard and Junipero Ave overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the free class invites anyone in the community to bring their own mats and practice with local yoga instructors.
Starting in April and running through October, seasonal 6 p.m. classes will also be daily in addition to the 11 a.m. sessions.
Discover balance this semester through local com-
munity-driven wellness efforts; along the way, a new friend, beneficial habit or undiscovered hobby may join you.
ENTERTAINMENT:
While preparing for the inevitable mid-semester chaos, look for ASI Beach Pride Events’ monthly Noontime Concerts. These concerts aim to provide relief between classes with new music.
Once a month, the event welcomes a local band or artist at the USU Southwest Terrace for a free concert, usually paired with free snacks and refreshments from ASI.
Though a lineup has not yet been announced, information for Noontime concerts and all public campus events can be found through CSULB’s event calendar, Events & Orgs.
From podcasting, to VR and 3D printing, students can discover and explore new skills this semester through the Gerald M. Kline Innovation Space.
Located on the lower level of the University Library, the space allows students to try new technology for free
or for a low cost of materials for 3D printing.
Every Thursday throughout the semester, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., students interested in learning how to design and blend models for 3D printing can attend a free workshop with ISPACE by RSVP.
If lectures aren’t exhausting enough this semester, students can also explore global developments in animal research, ecology and conservation off campus with the Aquarium of the Pacific’s First Wednesday series.
The lectures are presented by working scientists and authors in biology and ecology who share their often life-long, specialized research.
Previous First Wednesdays include discussions on mountain yellow-legged frogs, bat biology, impact and the importance of recycled water.
The series is held each first Wednesday of the month for $5 in advance and $10 at the door.
Though sold out, the following First Wednesday on Feb. 5, features a discussion on the intelligence, health and conservation research on the Southern Resident killer whales.
OPINION
Language curiosity of cultures inspires growth, unity
BY LIZBETH CORTES-GUTIERREZ Opinions Assistant
Among the many things I am grateful to my parents for is their native language, Spanish. While I have always taken pride in being bilingual, I recognize the struggle in the U.S. by those who are different and the pressure to belong that makes them hide their language skills.
The need to fit in is not the sole reason many Americans avoid practicing or learning another language. However, it is an ideology that must be addressed and changed.
English speakers have become too comfortable being monolingual, knowing they can confidently travel, believing others will accommodate them in different countries.
Other countries’ initiative to learn English should not be mistaken as a sign of our power. Knowledge is power, and in this case, many Americans lack it.
Choosing to remain monolingual, despite having access to language learning resources, can reflect a self-centered attitude — especially when travelers show little interest in learning even basic phrases of the destinations they visit.
“Today, English is the lingua franca. Like 500 years ago, French was the lingua franca in Europe,” Romance, German,
Graphic
credit: LIZBETH CORTES-GUTIERREZ / Long Beach Current CSULB language departments often face low enrollment due to student disinterest.
Russian Languages and Literatures Department Chair Aparna Nayak said. “It’s a similar thing today because English is so integral to business and to research. A lot of stuff happens only in English.”
However, Nayak believes that people in other countries do not appreciate when visitors assume they will speak the visitor’s language.When Nayak traveled to France with a group of honor students outside the French program, she taught them a few phrases, including, “I don’t speak French; may I ask in English?”
“I remember students asking, but why do French people have this reputation of being so rude? They were so nice to us, but that’s because you tried, right? Even if you don’t know how to say much, just trying is enough for people to say, ‘OK, I’ll make that effort if you can’t,’” Nayak said.
Learning another language is beneficial even without travel plans. While studying for a career, adding an additional major, minor or certificate in a language can be a skill that will make any resume stand out.
“Languages are the largest minor really in the College of Liberal Arts,” Nayak said. “But we can take a lot more really. Like, pretty much anybody studying anything should do a language, in my opinion.”
As a student pursuing a career in journalism, I decided it was imperative to learn a third language to have the
power to communicate with multiple communities.
All communities deserve representation in news, which is why I plan to return to college after graduating to learn American Sign Language.
Currently, I am pursuing a minor in French and often receive emails encouraging students to enroll in language courses to prevent them from being cut.
When asked why students on campus may not be motivated to learn a new language, Nayak was unsure of the exact reason. However, she believed financial insecurities, time and stereotypical assumptions about career paths might all be factors.
Apps like Duolingo can help students practice a language, but Nayak believes language learning is ineffective through apps alone, as they lack two-way communication.
“Think about a child; you initially learn to communicate, either through expressions, through your eyes, through words, right?” Nayak said. “You can do an app and learn to translate a few sentences, but that’s not really communication.”
According to Nayak, learning other languages has multiple benefits: physiologically, it strengthens the brain by improving speed and efficiency; emotionally, it fosters empathy for people and diverse cultures; and intellectually, it enhances critical and analytical think-
ing skills.
“You’re evaluating another culture, and then you’re looking at your own culture through the other cultures’ eyes, going ‘OK, why do we do these things, right, why do we behave like this,’” Nayak said.
Beyond professional advantages, intercultural competency is an important consideration for soon-to-be graduates preparing to enter their respective fields.
We are currently experiencing a political and cultural divide in the United States. However, learning about more cultures and languages can help unite our country, fostering kindness and understanding.
“Language learning increases empathy, and that, unfortunately, is sorely lacking right now in the world; but when you learn about other cultures, you learn to look at people from that culture as human beings and not just a number somewhere out there,” Nayak said.
Letting go of egocentric views as Americans and fostering curiosity to expand global knowledge allows people to grow and contributes to making America truly great.
“Language is connected to emotions. It’s connected to who we are; it roots us. And we’re all different, and that’s OK, but being multilingual then gives you so many tools to connect to so many people,” Nayak said.
What Downtown Long Beach’s new concert venue could mean for workers, locals
BY JAZMYN DE JESUS
Social Media Editor
Mayor Rex Richardson unveiled renderings of a new amphitheater titled the Long Beach Bowl on Jan. 14 during his third annual State of the City Event.
The amphitheater will be taking up the space of the Queen Mary’s overflow parking lot, offering a view of the ship, shore and skyline.
As I approached the entrance of the event, held at the Long Beach Convention Center, I was stopped by a young woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous. She was part of a crowd of picketers crowding the front of the center from Unite Here Local 11, a Long Beach union that has been battling contract negotiations with ASM Global.
“We’re here outside of the convention center today to ask people to not attend tonight’s event in solidarity with workers from the convention center. We’re fighting for our right to a livable wage,” she said.
ASM Global is the management company that will be responsible for contracting the Long Beach Bowl. They are also the reason why Long Beach Convention Center workers have not come to a contract agreement that aligns with the Measure RW Ordinance passed last year.
The ordinance states that it would raise wages for temporary and full-time service workers of city-owned entities such as the convention center and Long Beach Airport.
So, I turned around and headed back to the parking lot, left with many more questions beyond who the guest performer at the event would be, and decided to pose the question: does Downtown Long Beach need a concert venue of that scale?
Long Beach is home to many iconic musicians spanning from punk, to rock, to hip-hop, which is why Warren G, a Long Beach native and the surprise guest speaker at the event, stated that Long Beach is a breeding ground for creatives during Richardson’s State of the City address.
From the perspective of a music lov -
JAZMYN DE JESUS/Long Beach Current
A crowd and vendors gathered at Rainbow Lagoon Park along the Downtown Long Beach skyline, directly across from where the Long Beach Bowl is set to be constructed in Fall 2025.
er and citizen of Long Beach, the idea of a new entertainment center is exciting and gives hope to a city filled with artists that can allow them to access a new performance platform.
After attending last year’s Long Beach Juneteenth Event, I saw first-hand how the community shows out for its local artists.
A majority of the crowd at that event were just as excited and present for Torrance and Long Beach locals Rae Khalil and Seafood Sam as they were for the headliner and Billboard chart-topping artist, Anderson .Paak.
Following the success of festivals such as Cali Vibes in 2024, it makes sense as to why Richardson wants to increase the city’s tourism revenue via entertainment and live events. However, it raises concerns as the upcoming 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles has been predicted to bring in an influx of tourists, which may come as an inconvenience to locals.
On top of concerns of congestion, the alleged subcontracting taking place between ASM Global and its workers has not yet been resolved. If the amphitheater is set to open by Fall 2025, it seems unclear if conditions for temporary
workers under a similar contract would be working under better conditions.
The Long Beach Convention Center failed to reach back out to the Current for a statement on the picketing that took place on the night of the Long Beach Bowl announcement as of Jan. 24. Long Beach is truly a music city, and it has been proven time and time again as new generations of artists continue to come from this city, but our leaders must also ask themselves if those who keep the city running can make livable wages before entertainment tourism becomes a stamp on Long Beach’s cultural impact.
Wainwright’s hot shooting night not enough in 86-76 loss to CSUN
BY MATTHEW COLEMAN Sports Assistant
NORTHRIDGE – Despite an inspiring performance from junior guard TJ Wainwright, who poured in a game-high 27 points on 6-7 shooting from three, Long Beach State men’s basketball came up short 86-76 to the Cal State Northridge Matadors on Thursday night.
The Beach’s third straight loss drops them to 3-5 in Big West play and 7-13 overall.
LBSU was physically dominated from the tipoff with CSUN getting on the board three seconds into the game with a dunk, a preview of what would come the rest of the night.
Matadors’ sophomore forward Marcus Adams Jr. set the tone with eight points in the first two minutes to help open up an early 10-point advantage
with the score 18-8 in favor of the Matadors early in the first half.
“Just like the last game, I feel like we didn’t come out ready to go. It is really disappointing,” Wainwright said. “I feel like we are a lot better than we are showing, we work really hard.”
CSUN’s quick-tempo offense was effective early on as it got easy baskets in transition and knocked down shots from the perimeter.
The difference maker in this game was rebounding. The Matadors imposed their will on the glass, outrebounding The Beach 39-23.
A game-high 16 offensive rebounds for CSUN to LBSU’s six led to numerous second and third-chance opportunities that were back-breakers for The Beach’s multiple attempts at a comeback.
“Credit to them, and to every team that has bullied us on the boards. I think everyone has the same agenda when they play Long Beach State and that’s crash the boards, they’re not going to box out,” LBSU head coach Chris Acker
said.
The Beach fought to keep things close with a 9-4 run powered by three consecutive triples by Wainwright and freshman guard Kam Martin that brought the deficit to single digits ahead of a CSUN timeout.
CSUN won the physical battle with The Beach in this highly emotional contest with things getting chippy throughout. A no-call on one end prompted Acker to pick up a technical foul to the delight of the rowdy CSUN student section that heckled The Beach bench all night.
With LBSU down 57-35 at the half, it was evident that CSUN was the more confident team and it showed in its play.
The CSUN lead ballooned to as much as 28, but a 14-2 LBSU run capitulated by Wainwright’s hot hand brought The Beach back into the contest as they showed life for the first time all night.
As his low-arching threes started to fall, tensions rose as Wainwright’s emotions were visible and loud.
Following a CSUN timeout, Wainwright forced a turnover on the defensive side of the ball and his reaction was costly as he was assessed a technical foul. The crowd of just under 1,000 at the Premier America Credit Union Arena were antagonistic with their celebration of the call.
Despite the chaotic atmosphere, the comeback progressed but ultimately was upheld, as the closest The Beach lowered the second-half deficit to was just 10 points at 81-71 in favor of the Matadors.
The dagger was a three-pointer hit by CSUN senior guard PJ Fuller II off of a second-chance opportunity that encapsulated the struggles of The Beach.
Senior guard Devin Askew’s double-double of 10 points and 10 assists wasn’t enough to match the scoring depth of CSUN which had six Matadors finish with double-figures.
The Beach are back on the road this Saturday afternoon as they travel north to face a struggling Cal Poly San Luis Obispo team at 2 p.m.
Courtesy of LBSU Athletics
Freshman guard Kam Martin was The Beach’s second leading scorer with 13 points, but his effort and junior guard TJ Wainwright’s 27 points were not enough as The Beach’s comeback fell short in an 86-76 loss to CSUN on Thursday night at the Premier America Credit Union Arena.
No. 1 Long Beach sweeps Concordia in Gold Mine
BY ALYSSA DE LA CRUZ
Sports Assistant
In a night of high-energy volleyball, No.1 Long Beach State men’s volleyball extended its winning streak with a defeat of the Concordia University Irvine Eagles in three sets at the Gold Mine Friday night.
The game originally scheduled for the Walter Pyramid was moved due to a bridge connected to the Pyramid collapsing, but that didn’t deter fans from filling the smaller venue.
The crowd was electric as the match marked the second home game of the season and coincided with the first week of the spring semester. Students packed the stands, joined by a strong showing of non-student-neutral fans.
“I want to play in the pyramid every night, you know. But there’s been a lot of
great volleyball and great basketball, for that matter, played in this gym, so there’s a lot of history to it,” head coach Alan Knipe said.
The opening set saw the Eagles take an early 3-0 lead before an errant serve gave The Beach its first point.
LBSU struggled to find their rhythm early, but still, they began to fight back with a kill from senior middle blocker DiAeris McRaven and back-to-back aces by senior outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis, pushing the score to 12-9 in their favor.
A CUI service error ended the tightly contested first set by a final score of 2522 in favor of LBSU. Service errors were a theme of the night as The Beach totaled 18 and the Eagles added 12 of their own.
“We had a couple of times that we scored a point, missed the serve, you know, a couple of communication errors that made it a little cleaner, I mean, a little tighter than it needed to be,” Knipe said. “The guys come off the court and say, ‘Hey, we got to be a little bit better than that.’”
The second set began similarly to the first with Concordia taking the opening point, but Long Beach State quickly responded. The Beach surged ahead with an ace from Siapanis, his third of the night, and a kill from freshman setter Moni Nikolov to grab a 7-3 lead.
“You know, getting on my serve, I missed a couple. Confidence goes down a little bit,” Sophomore opposite hitter Daniil Hershtynovich said. “So just getting that confidence up and just swinging on balls that you know are out of system, and we’re a big team, and we’re supposed to swing away.”
Hershtynovich ended the night with 14 kills, six digs and four blocks.
Although Concordia mounted a 6-1 run late in the set, LBSU closed it out 25-19 after an ace from redshirt junior opposite hitter Skyler Varga.
Varga had a productive night with 10 kills, two digs and two block assists.
In the third set, LBSU looked unstoppable despite a few early missteps. Nikolov continued his stellar serving,
adding another ace to his tally of four on the night and led the Beach to a 10-7 advantage.
The crowd, fully engaged, clapped in rhythm with every serve from redshirt junior outside hitter/opposite hitter Connor Bloom who also delivered a crucial ace in the third set.
Long Beach State cruised through the third and final set that ended on a block from Siapanis, sealing a 25-15 set victory and 3-0 sweep.
The Beach’s victory extended their undefeated record to 5-0 and they’ll face No.11 Pepperdine in Malibu on Sunday at 5 p.m. before returning home to host UCLA on February 7 at 7 p.m.
While the location of that game is still uncertain, head coach Alan Knipe remains optimistic about a return to the Walter Pyramid.
“As of right now, all things point to we’re going to be playing the pyramid, so I’m just going to close my eyes and cross my fingers and hope,” Knipe said. “But it is out of our control.”
MARK SIQUIIG/Long Beach Current
Long Beach State senior outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis celebrates the set win as LBSU beat Concordia 3-0 on Friday night at the Gold Mine.