BY LINSEY TOWLES Managing Editor
So far, six Long Beach State international students have had their visas revoked within a week, according to a statement made by CSULB President Jane Close Conoley during the Academic Senate meeting on April 10. See Page 3 1
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President Conoley confirmed that six CSULB students’ visas were revoked. One of those students was deported. Across the CSU system, 68 students have had their visas revoked.
BY JUAN CALVILLO News Editor
dents who scored from an eight to a 10 on the GWAR Placement Exam and require the submission of a passing portfolio.
Long Beach State officials will immediately discontinue the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement Placement Exam for students, according to an April 4 memorandum.
Karyn Scissum Gunn, CSULB provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, said Long Beach State’s GWAR policy needed “modification” to better adhere to the California State University-wide policy.
The change in CSULB’s GWAR policy follows a letter sent to Pei-Fang Hung, CSULB interim vice provost of academic programs, on March 28. Brent M. Foster, CSU assistant vice chancellor from the CSU Office of the Chancellor, notified Hung of the university’s divergence from CSU-wide policy.
The letter from the office noted three areas needing review:
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“All CSULB campus policies must be aligned with CSU CO (Office of the Chancellor) policies,” Gunn wrote in the memorandum.
In the memorandum, she said students cannot be charged a fee for a “campus-provided placement test.”
Despite being postponed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, GWAR testing was reinstated during the summer and fall of 2021, a decision that sparked mixed reactions among students.
CSU policy states these tests should be free to students. In addition, GWAR Portfolio courses will no longer be required starting in the summer of 2025.
GWAR Portfolio courses are for stu-
Exceeding the unit limit for GWAR: According to the CSU’s Office of the Chancellor, the GWAR Placement Exam at CSULB could place students in a multiple-course sequence that would exceed the threeunit limitation for this type of course. Use of placement testing: The use of tests is not explicitly prohibited, but “requiring a test that results in students being placed into a multi-course GWAR sequence is incongruent with systemwide practices.” Assessing placement test fees: Campus placement tests should not be charged to students.
Gunn said the changes outlined in the memorandum will apply to all students until Long Beach State completes revisions to the university’s GWAR policy to match the Chancellor’s Office’s GWAR policy.
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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.
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Continued from Page 1
This confirmation comes after the recent presence of United States Secret Service agents on campus.
According to Conoley, five of the six students whose visas were revoked are still in the United States. Another student was deported to Japan from a layover in Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu while flying back into the country after spring break.
“It’s very concerning because this is not like anything that’s happened before,” Conoley said. “It’s happened before that an international student gets in trouble, and we would be contacted and their visa could be revoked, but we always had a chance to challenge it.”
According to Homeland Security, a student visa can be revoked if the student violates the terms of the visa, including committing a crime or being suspended from school. Reasons for termination appear on the student’s documents.
Six students have had their student visas terminated over the past week as universities continue to see efforts by federal agents to enter schools and gather information on students.
rael. Many come from Muslim countries. But this isn’t the case for our students. They seem to be coming from all over the place,” Conoley said.
For the six Long Beach State students, their visa termination is listed as “other.”
According to Conoley, 68 international students have had visas terminated across the CSU system. Conoley said the university is no longer notified when a visa is revoked.
Students are encouraged to check their visa status through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System server.
When asked if there was a connection between the students whose visas had been terminated, Conoley said did not seem to be one.
“What we’re seeing is students being picked up because they’re labeled proHamas or have written op-eds against Is-
Recently, Tufts University doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk was arrested by federal agents who claimed she participated in unlawful activities.
In 2024, she wrote an op-ed published in the Tufts Daily calling for divestments from companies with ties to Israel.
Conoley said there is no evidence any of the students were involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations and that the university does not keep information on who attends or participates in these demonstrations.
Without specific reasons for the student’s visa terminations, the university’s efforts to contest the decision in court have stalled.
The university has turned to on-the-
ground support, contacting students to help them continue schooling and receive legal counseling.
“We’re not dis-enrolling them. We want them to finish the year,” Conoley said. “This kind of war against higher ed seems to be high on the administration agenda, and I don’t see it going away.”
The recent visa terminations come just weeks after federal agents from the U.S. Secret Service visited the university in late March.
Federal agents demanded information on a student they claimed made online threats against President Donald Trump.
Conoley said agents visited the University Police Department and Student Affairs to request the student’s class schedule.
When denied, the agents left only to return the next day with the same re-
quest. Again, the university denied their request.
“We do not share educational records with outsiders, and they know that,” Conoley said. “Know that we will not share personal information about you. You can’t overly reassure people because this is a whole new game.”
Ngan Nguyen, an Academic Senate student representative, was present for Conoley’s announcements.
“Government agencies have already pressured Long Beach under the guise that certain students are posing threats,” Nguyen said. “For example, they’ve not only requested access to come into our classroom and interrogate our students, but Conoley said that the school has and will continue to deny them this access.”
Federal agents have also been present at other universities, including California State University, San Jose, where the U.S. Secret Service made a similar request, according to Conoley.
Recently, immigration agents arrived at two Los Angeles elementary schools where they were denied entrance.
“My opinion is they’re coming after students to create fear and apprehension. They want universities to bow to them,” Conoley said.
She encourages faculty members to report any contact with federal agents on campus, asking for student information to UPD.
She also emphasized the university would continue to deny federal agents student information without a judicial warrant.
“Long Beach has and will probably continue to face pressure and threats from this administration, but the priority remains ensuring students have access to higher education, international status or not,” Nguyen said.
BY JOSHUA FLORES Contributor
The “A Country Called Syria” exhibit marked the beginning of Middle Eastern and North African Cultural Awareness Month at Long Beach State, showcasing items of Syrian life on April 8.
A Country Called Syria, a nonprofit traveling museum and art collection founded by Maria Khani, showcases furniture, clothing, utensils, art and other cultural items from Syria.
This month, the exhibit is on display at the University Student Union’s art gallery on the first floor.
Khani started the organization part-
ly to address misconceptions about Syria and Syrians, aiming to bridge the gap between perceptions and reality.
“People don’t know the history — people have fear. Syria was always a redflag of a country — because they don’t know the people of Syria,” Khani said. “So I felt like the more you educate, the more you know — the less you fear. When people got to know more about Syria, they didn’t know that it has a rich history.”
Khani started doing exhibits in June 2013 for ACCS at the Huntington Beach Library, where items were collected from homes and printed, then laminated for display on tables.
Now, ACCS travels to universities including the University of California,
Berkeley, California State University, Fullerton and Long Beach State to showcase a curated selection of its more than 600 items at themed exhibits.
“ACCS founders are friends I have known for a while. I also taught at Cal State Fullerton, and so I would take my students to the exhibit when it was there,” Jessica Moss, assistant director of the Interfaith Programs, said. “So when I was tasked with doing MENA Heritage Month, that allowed me to invite them to set up their exhibit.”
The exhibit displays Syrian furniture along with copper and brass art. In the center of the table is a model of Syria with all the items being made and imported from Syria. Photo credit: Joshua Flores
Moss advocated for April, which is recognized as National Arab American Heritage Month, to be called MENA Cultural Awareness Month and given the same recognition as other heritage month celebrations.
Lavinia Badrous, a third-year student and MENA Student Association president, also pushed for the establishment of MENA Heritage Month at CSULB to bring awareness to the communities and their heritage.
“We advocated for a MENA month and we were able to do that through the Interfaith Programs, and all the faculty helped us, reached out to people and got all the events,” Badrous said. “We’re just trying to create community, and we do a lot of cultural and educational events— we’re inviting for everyone. You don’t have to be Middle Eastern.”
This is the first semester the MENA Student Association has been active on campus, according to Badrous.
In collaboration with the Interfaith Programs at CSULB, several events throughout the month will focus on either Arab heritage, such as the ACCS exhibit, or Middle Eastern and North African heritage, planned by the association to celebrate both groups.
“I can tell you one thing about Syria: everywhere you go, you will find history. The land will talk, the street will talk, the buildings will talk,” Khani said. “There is a big history in Syria, and I want to preserve this for the young generation and for people to know more about it.”
MENA Cultural Awareness Month will continue to have events through April 23, with the ACCS exhibit being displayed for the entire month.
BY JULIA GOLDMAN Arts & Life Editor
Aman dressed in a highlighter orange shirt and bearing a three-tier sign that read “Prepare to meet thy God,” “Heaven or Hell?” and “Repent or Perish,” projected biblical scriptures and personalized religious messaging across the upper quad at noon on April 8.
The man spoke through a microphone that projected his voice through an attached speaker around his waist before a small group of students, faculty and staff.
Accompanied by a woman, who also bore a three-tier sign attached to two wooden planks.
The pair handed out mini pamphlets to students containing sermons and scriptures from the New Testament of the Christian Bible and the Book of Deuteronomy from the Old Testament.
The pamphlets were attributed to the Chapel Library in Pensacola, Florida, a worldwide ministry of the Mount Zion Bible Church.
Rob Schraff, a history department lecturer, engaged directly with the preacher.
Schraff, sitting in his office in Faculty Office 2, located next to the Liberal Arts buildings, said he could hear the street preacher word for word from an open window.
“It’s a very loud, super right-wing evangelical preacher. I’ve been kind of annoyed by him for 15 minutes or so,” Schraff said. “He started talking about gays and homosexuals, and how they were going to hell and how God hates them, and I found it really offensive, so I went out to try to talk to them.”
Schraff said he and other students on campus tried to talk to the street preacher; however, he refused to engage, continued preaching and turned up the volume of his speaker.
“I don’t think it’s per campus regulations,” Schraff said. “I’m all for free speech, don’t get me wrong, but he’s standing outside and just ranting without any kind of interaction with the people he’s supposedly here to talk to.”
Around 1 p.m., Schraff called the University Police Department in front of the street preacher and said campus police notified him they already had a complaint on file.
UPD Captain Carol Almaguer confirmed they received a few calls for service.
“A lot of the calls were because their beliefs did not align,” Almaguer said.
According to Almaguer, the street preachers’ sound amplification did not violate the Time, Place and Manner policy established by the California State University system.
The TPM policy’s CSULB addendum states the Center, East, North and South regions of the Central Quad permit the use of amplified sound from noon to 2 p.m. on Monday through Friday, in accordance with section III.E.
Section III.E refers to “sound amplification,” which is permitted in areas of campus labeled as “public” during allotted hours, as long as it does not interfere “with the exercise of free speech by others or create noise in violation of local noise ordinances.”
Almaguer said they contacted Student Affairs for assistance in enforcing and determining the street preacher’s affiliation with the policy.
Student Affairs told Almaguer that the preachers were not students but an outside group that was not found to be violating TPM for sound amplification.
However, Almaguer said UPD was unsure if the preachers’ signage violated the TPM’s policy, so they went to check, arriving at the upper quad between 1 and 1:30 p.m.
Section III of the CSULB addendum states, “No person, while engaging in expressive activity on campus, may carry or possess a signpost, pole, pipe or stake fabricated of metal or composite material, regardless of width or diameter.”
Almaguer said once the UPD arrived, the pair had left the upper quad and passed through campus to their cars.
Gabby Cervantes, a third-year studio art major at CSULB, said she was walking with a friend to the library when she heard and saw the preachers’ signs.
Cervantes, who called the messaging harsh and distasteful, said she saw many children on campus and expressed concerns that they heard the preacher speaking.
“I am a Christian. That is my faith. I didn’t feel like that was kind or an effective way of talking to people about Jesus or faith,” Cervantes said. “It’s about building a bridge rather than condemning people... It felt more like they were attacking people.”
I don’t think it’s per campus regulations. I’m all for free speech don’t get me wrong, but he’s standing outside and just ranting without any kind of interaction with the people he’s supposedly here to talk to.
Rob Schraff History Department Lecturer
What do you mean by that?
BY JAZMYN DE JESUS Social Media Editor
An icon of the Civil Rights movement and a clinical psychologist/ Pan-African activist both spoke at Long Beach State in March.
While both speakers are well-known activists in the Black community, their recognition within the community is vastly different.
The Black Consciousness Conference, held on March 15 by the Black Student Union, was an all-day event that provided students with networking opportunities, career advice and motivational speakers, like Dr. Umar Johnson.
Transformed into an event space, The Horn Center held different events in each room.
Between the music, food and buzz of mingling was BSU Board Member and intern, Jadyn Giles.
Giles, a second-year journalism major at the Beach, felt that inviting Johnson was a good decision. Given Johnson’s social media popularity, Giles was confident he would attract a large audience.
“I went to Dr. Umar not really expecting to take anything seriously because everything he says is super extreme – it’s almost satire,” Giles said.
As Johnson closed the conference, he greeted a packed auditorium in the University Student Union with one of his most viral lines.
“BLACK QUEENS FOREVER,” Umar projected through the mic.
“SNOW BUNNIES NEVER!” listeners roared back.
An Evening with Ruby Bridges occurred at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center on March 19, the following Wednesday.
This event had a different atmosphere, as it was open to the public and welcomed families, elders and students.
This was a significant contrast to the audience present at the Black Consciousness Conference, which generally welcomed college students.
Ruby Bridges, an author and activist known for being the first child to attend an integrated public school in the United States, centered her event around her experience through the eyes of her childhood self and the difficult lessons she learned at a young age.
“You could leave this room today and walk right outside, alone, and be attacked by someone who looks just like you. You could be judged by someone who looks like you,” Bridges said.
Jada Riggs, a third-year psychology major, attended both events and said she preferred Bridges’ overall message and speech more than the BSU event featuring Johnson.
“I understand the conference was more for students, and we were there to have a good time, but I felt motivated and went in wanting to learn something when I saw Ruby Bridges speak,” Riggs said.
The differences in crowds that Riggs mentions does not only speak to the nature of each event, but what each speaker means to the community.
While laughter and cheers echoed throughout the building when Johnson spoke, parents who brought their children were also prompted to step out at times.
At one point in his speech, Johnson covered the topic of STDs spreading on college campuses and mimicked the sound of herpes sores popping into the mic.
A mother and her two daughters stormed out of the auditorium while many CSULB students erupted in laughter.
Inversely, Bridges made it a point to emphasize the importance of teaching children about the dangers and harm of racism and spoke directly to those in the room with children encouraging that practice.
Johnson highlighted how he feels a responsibility to speak at predominantly white institutions because that was his experience during his undergrad.
CSULB has experienced a 20% surge in the Black student population this past school year, thanks to efforts by Black student organizations, like the Black Consciousness Conference and ASI’s An Evening With series.
Despite the stark contrasts between both events and speakers, the two illustrated a spectrum of voices for a campus with a growing BIPOC population and ended with standing ovations.
Bridges closed out her evening with a sentiment she has used in her writing: “When we are born, we all are born with a gift – a clean heart.”
The chart showcases data from spring 2020 to spring 2024 on the sale of physical books at Beach Shops Bookstore, which has continued to decline besides the uptick in fall 2021, according to Associate Director of Bookstore Operations, Rico Ovalles.
BY ADRIAN MEDINA, ANDREW AMAYA & JASMINE CANADA
Contributors
Long Beach State’s physical book sales continue to dwindle as the campus moves into a digital era of teaching, with students preferring more technology in their classes.
With physical textbooks becoming less popular amid the growing trend of digital textbooks, the Beach Shops Bookstore has seen the sale of physical textbooks decrease dramatically since 2020.
According to Associated Students Inc. Communications Manager Shannon Couey, 7% of bookstore sales were conducted through the website compared to 93% being done in-person at the bookstore.
Couey said CSULB officials jumped on the trend of online bookstores when
the campus bookstore website was established in 2008.
Students started warming to the idea of digital textbooks in the early 2010s, and the idea has been well-received at CSULB.
A two-year study done at Sawyer Business School, Suffolk University, in 2011 found that 91% of students said they use a digital textbook on an eReader as their primary or secondary textbook after the availability of digital textbooks became equal to the availability of physical books.
Several students, including Wai Soltow, a fourth-year computer science major, and William Raymond, a first-year computer science major, support the rise of digital textbooks and technology in classrooms.
Soltow and Raymond said they do not mind textbooks going fully digital to replace physical books. Soltow said that digital is more convenient.
CSULB officials adapted to the new reliance on digital textbooks for classes by implementing the Day 1 Textbook Access program.
According to the CSULB Day 1 Textbook Access program’s website, the program provides required class books online for a flat fee of $250 per semester, which grants full-time students access to all books.
Students may opt out of the program during the first two weeks after a semester starts.
Couey said the number of users who opted into the program decreased by 1% from the Fall 2024 to spring 2025 semester.
Other college campuses that use the Day 1 Textbook Access program have reported similar numbers, with a 1-2% decrease in opted-in users, according to Couey.
The program lists three goals on the website: accessibility, affordability and sustainability for students.
Despite the program’s goal of serving students, there is some pushback on the program and its price.
Chloe Steffen, a graduate student majoring in communications, is concerned about the program’s cost and implementation.
“It’s forced upon you,” Steffen said. “A lot of students don’t have textbooks that they pay for because instructors provide them.”
Despite the concerns, digital textbooks will continue to be used and surpass physical book usage for classes; as Couey said, 85% of the books given out by the Day 1 Textbook Access program are digital.
Although the bookstore still sells select physical books to students who want to purchase them, this is becoming increasingly uncommon as more students use digital textbooks instead of physical ones.
BY IGOR COLONNO SELESTINO & ISABELA ZUNIGA
Social
Media Assistant & Contributor
According to an annual National Association of Colleges and Employers survey, internships are crucial to a student’s academic career. They grant work experience and provide higher employment rates after graduation.
Findings from NACE’s 2024 survey showed that paid interns enjoyed higher starting salaries than those who had unpaid or no internships. They can make over $10,000 more and have more job offers pre-graduation.
At Long Beach State, the Career Development Center provides services, including interview preparation, career exploration and resume assistance to students looking for internships or preparing for a full-time offer.
Jina Flores, associate director of the CDC, said employers prefer interns in the hiring process because of the skills required by the time a worker enters the job.
Job Fair event provided by the Career Development Center. The center offers internship fairs and networking events.
Flores said most employers seek skills in recent graduates, including the NACE Career Readiness Competencies–a list of eight skills that every graduate should have developed when they enter the workforce.
Another obstacle that upcoming and recent graduates face is the transition from academics to the workforce.
Michelle Chang, director of the academic internships office at the Center for Community Engagement, said the main challenges students face when transitioning from internships to full-time work are adjusting to new experiences, schedules, imposter syndrome, benefits and compensation packages.
“Combating imposter syndrome–especially if this is your first job–there might be feelings of ‘Do I belong here?’ or ‘Can I do this work?’ If you were not qualified, they would not have hired you. Focus on learning and building relationships with colleagues,” Chang said in an email statement.
According to Chang, full-time employees receive health and retirement benefits that students do not typically see in their internships.
“New hires should take the time to re-
view and understand what the company offers and how those benefits are calculated into their compensation packages,” Chang said.
The challenges students face when trying to secure an internship are knowing where to look, how to prepare documents and interviews and understanding how they can receive academic credit, according to Chang.
The Career Development Center offers many different networking event opportunities. The events are open to all students. Photo courtesy of the Career Development Center.
Fourth-year finance major Cole Rabano, who secured an internship at Northrop Grumman this upcoming summer, said preparing for the interview was a significant challenge.
“I found the most beneficial strategy was to look up who my interviewer was before the interview, understand what department they were in [and] how long they’ve been working at the company,” Rabano said.
Based on the information Robano discovered upon researching his interviewer, he said he felt more prepared with specific professional questions to ask at the end of the interview process.
According to Rabano, joining the Corporate Mentoring Program at CSULB helped him learn the proper interview techniques and how to make an impression during the interview.
“My mentor actually introduced me to someone who worked (at Northrop) and he told me what questions they would ask and what they may differ from department to department,” Rabano said.
Rabano, who was invited to apply to the CMP, said people are not always aware that these programs exist on campus.
“A lot of people have outside priorities right now, so they may not have the time, especially if you have another job,” he said. “I think (CSULB), for the most part, does a good job making students aware of them with newsletters and emails.”
Alyssa Alvarez, a fourth-year political science major and finance minor, said her involvement with the Financial Management Association on campus helped her land an internship at Morgan Stanley.
Lina Hossain’s sculpture was featured in CSULB’s Merlino gallery through her solo exhibition called “Perennia” which focuses on the use of metal in her artwork.
BY ELIZABETH CARROLL Contributor
Metals of bronze, steel, silver and fabrics find purpose and beauty through the students in the Metal and Jewelry Program in Long Beach State’s Fine Arts Department.
Starting on April 6, the department hosted the metal and jewelry works of two seniors, Linna Hossain and Alexa Saavedra through their senior solo exhibitions, “perennia” and, “And so I pray.”
Located in the Merlino and Dennis W. Dutzi Gallery respectively, the two exhibitions were available for viewing until April 10.
Describing herself as someone who has always been creative with a family background in silversmithing, Hossain, 22, knew that her future would lead her to metal work.
“I got into metals specifically because
my great grandpa was a silversmith and when he passed away I inherited his materials, then I just really fell in love with it,” Hossain said. “I was really drawn to having a finished product that’s usable.”
After transferring from her community college to The Beach for her Bachelors of Fine Arts in metal work, Hossain quickly began applying for her solo exhibition, as it is a requirement for graduation within the department.
As stated on their website, the Metals and Jewelry Program “focuses on the exploration, development, and use of metals in the creation of functional and non-functional art,” as seen throughout both of the exhibits, while giving their students “great freedom to develop and pursue individual interests.”
Interested in making functional jewelry and stationary items surrounding time and nature, Hossain created “Perennia.”
The exhibit featured silver jewelry, a small perfume bottle, three whistles and many more small metal items. In the back of the room, a piece responsible for the naming of the gallery sat, fixated
directly at eye-level: A dainty, reflective, silver plum centerpiece.
“The plum I raised out of flat sheet silver and then the leaf is an organic cast leaf. It’s kind of the center of the show,” Hossain said.
Walking out of Hossain’s predominantly silver gallery across the hallway to the Dutzi Gallery, viewers would find “And so I pray,” a colorful mixed media and metal works gallery by 24-year-old Saavedra.
The centerpiece, a pair of ceramic hands holding onto a draped silver chain and cross, “And so I pray,” is described by Saavedra as being shaped by her personal growth and healing after the loss of her father.
“‘And so I pray’ is a culmination of my undergraduate journey, showcasing enameled metalwork, fiber textiles and mixed media pieces that explore cultural heritage, storytelling and the role of art in childhood development,” Saavedra said in her artist statement.
Not having the opportunity to take arts classes during her upbringing, Saavedra said she has taken great joy
in her ability to now not only be able to take the classes, but to make it into her future career.
Saavedra, who picked up jewelry wire wrapping during the pandemic, said she knew it was meant to be when she found CSULB’s Bachelors of Fine Arts program in jewelry making.
“When I saw that opportunity, I made sure to do my best to get into the competitive BFA program,” Saavedra said. “I’ve gotten the chance to learn professional techniques, like enameling on metal which is what I’ve worked most with in my show.”
The exhibit showcases a colorful enameled hummingbird piece hanging from the ceiling, while on the left wall a video was played, displaying life goals of students who assisted Saavedra with a nearby piece of painted handprints alongside two metal shaped hands.
Most personally were photos from Saavedra’s life, connecting the art to the artist.
“I found solace in art - a means of coping that no conventional therapy could provide,” she said.
BY DIEGO RENTERIA Arts & Life Assistant
What began with springtime sunshine was disrupted by the roar of 1,000-horsepower engines, immense towers of tire smoke and the scream of a raucous crowd as Formula Drift made its annual stop to Long Beach on April 4-5.
Formula Drift is the main professional drift racing series that travels across the United States, putting some of the best drift drivers globally against each other in dual-style drift racing.
Drifting is a controlled, specialized driving technique where the rear wheels of a car lose traction or slide as it goes along a corner or turn until it is completed.
Popularized by race-car drivers in Japan during the late ‘90s, drifting began to become popularized in the United States in the early 2000’s.
In 2003, Formula Drift formed - now celebrating its 20th year of being held in Long Beach, and its 22nd year of overall competition.
In its infancy, drifting and Formula Drift was seen as a recreational, amateur sport with no professional avenues.
However, over the past 20 years, the sport has grown and expanded due to an increase in revenue from fan engagement, investments and sponsorships of various auto-manufacturers into the sport to become the pro-league it is today.
Formula Drift allows fans to not just enjoy the intense wheel-to-wheel drift battles and vendors, but to also walk through the garage and see the inner workings of the sport.
Meanwhile, fans also have access to the race-car drivers in a way that no other racing league offers.
During down times, drivers interact with the fans by signing autographs, holding conversations and even participating in videos for social media with the fans.
For spectator Micheal Rizk, he calls
this one-on-one experience very interactive.
“It’s a point of access that you do not get from any other form of motorsport,” Rizk said.
Another allure of Formula Drift is the diversity in the cars and drivers.
In comparison to other racing sports, drifting holds far less car regulations. This allows the drivers and their teams to build almost whatever car they want for competition.
The drivers are just as diverse as their Carbon Kevlar-clad steeds: 2024 FD champion James “The Machine” Deane is from Ireland, Japanese champion Daigo Saito makes his return to U.S. competition again and three-time champion Fredric Aasbo, nicknamed the “Norwegian Hammer,” is from Norway.
SoCal has grown more and more as the epicenter of drifting in the United States. Drifting got its start in the hills of Japan, but when it hit the sunny shores of California, it changed car culture in the area.
In the first two rounds of competition, the experienced, fan-favorite drivers like Chris “The Force” Forsberg and Ryan “Hampshaa” Tuerck quickly separated themselves from their competition and won their matchups.
It was not until third round where competition became more intense, when the last eight drivers, known as the “Great Eight,” matched up against each other.
This is where the first overtime, also known as “one more time,” of the afternoon occurred when Tuerck faced his teammate Aasbo and lost in a close battle.
The final four drivers consisted of Aasbo, Deane and two fresher faces in the pro-leagues of drifting: Adam LZ and
Branden Sorenson. Despite this, Aasbo and Deane easily handled their less experienced challengers and headed to the final battle round.
Now, for the final round of Formula Drift, audiences saw a rivalry with extensive history unfold.
Aasbo and Deane have faced off four times previously in the history of drifting, with Dean winning each time.
After a fierce blast down, where each driver took turns nailing each clipping point, the judges could not make a ruling decision. The crowd of thousands of fans reacted to the judge’s indecision by chanting, “One more time!”
The judges gave in, leading to another “one more time” of the day.
In one last run with Aasbo leading in his Papadakis Racing Toyota GR Supra, he was able to defeat Deane in his RTR Vehicles Ford Mustang Spec-5FD, getting his first win over his storied rival and taking the overall win at Formula Drift Long Beach.
Formula Drift will be making a surprise return to the Streets of Long Beach as the new location of the final round of the Formula Drift Championship from October 17-18.
You can find presale information on the “Shoreline Showdown” here.
BY DIEGO RENTERIA Arts & Life Assistant
n a weekend that started in a haze of fog, ended with the streets of Long Beach set ablaze as the annual running of the Acura Long Beach Grand Prix took over the city’s streets on April 11-13.
As the city’s largest event of the year, the grand prix annually attracts over 200,000 people globally to see the excitement of high preforming, high-intensity automotive racing action in a beach metropolis setting.
However, this year’s Grand Prix weekend is much different than one’s past - 2025 is the culmination of 50 years of the running of the storied beachside competition.
The half-a-century old event was launched in 1975 as a Formula 5000 race, but over the years the ‘street race’ has changed hands from different racing leagues. Then, in 2009, IndyCar and a few other racing series gained control of the storied race, and it has remained so into the current day.
Yearly, the race attracts fans from new to old come enjoy the spectacle, like local Long Beach resident, Russell Kester.
“I have been coming here for probably almost 30 years,” Kester said. “The cars, the atmosphere and the people - it’s pretty amazing.”
Kicking off on Friday, the weekend’s on-track action began with letting spectators get a taste of what would be instore the following two days.
Racing series like IMSA, IndyCar
and Stadium Super Trucks that were competing during the weekend used the first day as practice to prepare their cars for the following day’s ‘qualifying’ sessions and races.
Meanwhile, fans accustomed themselves to the other attractions at the track, from a variety of vendors selling racing memorabilia of times past to merchandise of their favorite driver competing during the weekend.
Additionally, there was also a fan expo that included bounce houses and interactive activities for children.
Beyond purchasing historical memorabilia, attendees could learn about the history of racing that Acura had been part of for more than 30 years at the Acura Show Room exhibit.
From left: Kyle Kirkwood raised his fist in victory after winning the 50th annual Long Beach Acura Gran Prix. Kirkwood drove the #27 Andretti-Global Honda to its first win of the 2025 season. Racing fans and spectators crowd the steps infront of the Long Beach Convention center to get a good view of the IMSA Sports Car Grand Prix. Álec Palou, Kyle Kirckwood and Christian Lundgaard (listed left to right) stand atop the podium to soak it all in on April 13th. The podium finshers of the 50th annual Acura Gran Prix of Long Beach.
Current
Fans entering the go-ahead entry at the right field reserve gate during opening week before the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers game on March 29, 2025.
BY HERMES AGUSTIN JR. Contributor
Here’s what Los Angeles Dodgers fans need to know about the new ticketing system before entering the ballpark.
The Dodgers have introduced a brand-new way to get inside the ballpark with the Go-Ahead Entry ticket system.
The ticket system, which started back in 2023 with the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, allows fans to enter the ballpark via facial authentication technology.
Currently, only nine Major League Baseball clubs have installed it in their ballparks as an option to enter.
Previously, fans would have had to
download the MLB Ballpark App to access their tickets and scan them at the gate. This meant they would have to pull their phones out, open the Ballpark App, access the tickets and have them ready to be scanned by a scanner.
The new system might look difficult at first, but it’s quite easy to navigate with these steps in mind:
1. Purchase tickets from the Dodgers website (third-party websites are an optional choice, alongside purchasing on the property at the Ticket Booth) and link it to an MLB account.
2. Download the MLB Ballpark App and link it to the MLB account that has the tickets.
3. Once signed in, press the “enroll in MLB Go-Ahead Entry” button
and sign up for the system. Note that only fans 18 and older can register.
4. When arriving at the gates, take a clear selfie and that photo will be temporary in the account.
5. Once everything is set up, you can walk up to the entry gates and enter the stadium without having to pull out your phone.
The majority of problems relating to the previous system came from how long it takes to pull up the app and how long the lines to get in the ballpark are, especially given the attendees in big groups.
The Go-Ahead Entry’s goal is to combat the slow process by having fans take a selfie and link it to their Ballpark App. However, some fans are scared of
using the new system since it requires their face to be linked to their Ballpark account.
Fan Service Representative, Karen Agustin Rodriguez, said that there’s a difference between facial authentication and facial recognition, and people might confuse the new system for facial recognition.
“The difference between the two is that recognition saves the face and is copied to a database,” Agustin Rodriguez said. “Facial authentication is temporary in the system. Once you enter, that photo will be discarded from the Monolith [facial ticket scanner].”
At the moment, the Go-Ahead Entry can only be found at the left field, right field and left centerfield reserve gates.
Photo credit: MARK SIQUIG/Long Beach Current
LBSU women’s basketball has improved every year in head coach Amy Wright’s time at The Beach. With a promising 2024-25 season, it looks to continue its quest for a Big West title next season.
BY TIMOTHY HESSEN
Copy Assistant
Following the end of the 2024-25 season, Long Beach State women’s basketball head coach Amy Wright will be tasked with continuing her rebuilding of the program despite losing the Big West Conference’s leading scorer, rebounder and second-leading assister.
Lead guard Savannah Tucker, forward Rachel Loobie and guard Patricia Chung, all statistical leaders in the conference, as well as forward Lovely Sonnier, make up the seniors who have now graduated.
As a former recruiting coordinator at the University of Oklahoma and Texas A&M University, Wright plans for her incoming recruits to help fill the gaps left by these major contributors.
The Beach have already added three freshman recruits for next season:
Guard Morgan Mack, Hart High School in California
Guard Brynna Pukis, Glacier Peak High School in Washington
Forward Rosie Akot, South Australia
Wright also noted there are still roster spots that can be filled through the transfer portal.
“Recruiting is the centerpiece,” Wright said. “We definitely want to bring in players who can be immediate-impact kids and create an environment where you have to compete and get better every day.”
This season, The Beach finished sixth in the conference with a 12-8 record, an improvement from their 8-12 finish the year prior.
LBSU raced out to a hot 7-1 start in the Big West but faltered late in the season with an eventual four-game losing streak.
Wright’s second season with the team ended prematurely as the No. 6 seed LBSU was upset 54-40 by No. 7 UC Riverside in the first round of the Big West
Tournament on March 12.
“I had a team that had to get used to winning,” Wright said. “Winning was very new to them, and we had to learn together that you can’t just show up, you have to continue to do the work that got you there.”
Despite the results in the latter half of the season, there is a high level of optimism for the future within the program, according to Tucker.
“With coach Amy and [assistant coach Brian Rosario] coming in, I was able to find my love for basketball again,” Tucker said.
Tucker suffered through multiple setbacks at LBSU before Wright arrived.
Unable to practice in the offseason ahead of her junior year due to multiple shin fractures, Tucker developed her relationship with her coach through important conversations about her role on the team.
These conversations continued ahead of her career season in 2024-25, as Wright provided her with a clear eval-
uation of what she wanted to see more of out of her star guard, according to Tucker.
“[Wright] knew I was a scorer, and she trusted me to do that,” Tucker said. “She was an easy person to go to and I think most importantly, she cared about me as a person off the court.”
Statistical improvements in players like Tucker are going to be key as The Beach continue to pursue their climb back to the top of the Big West.
While next season will see some fresh faces taking the court for The Beach including younger players in bigger roles and transfers in new colors, Tucker believes in the culture that Wright has set for the program.
“They’re going to be young, but they’re going to have a lot of energy and be able to learn from our mistakes,” Tucker said. “It’s going to be an exciting team and there’s gonna be some fun Beach basketball to watch.”