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Moni Nikolov served the ball and scored seven kills, five aces and seven blocks for the full match against NJIT. Long Beach State University won 3-1 against NJIT.
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CSULB VITA helps students, more learn to file their taxes
BY JORGE HERNANDEZ Contributor
knowledge in learning about the process of submitting their application to receiving their returns.
Business students with IRS certifications will provide in-person preparation assistance as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. This event is sponsored by the IRS and advertised for low-income students, the elderly or families who make $67,000 or less.
Working the event are experienced business majors, who will guide participants in submitting their forms to receive their income returns.
“Since it’s their first time filing, they’re kind of anxious and they don’t know what to expect,” Guzman said. “We can do these reassurances and figure everything out, and they’ll be more relaxed.”
The change in this year’s services is the requirement of a social security card. According to Guzman, this is due to the risk of identity theft, as the IRS may reject the return otherwise.
“I think it’ll be more convenient for the client,” Guzman said.
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First-time filer Andrea Venegas, a graduate student in the Human Experience Design program, was recommended to join the program by her friends on campus. Venegas says the program has made it more convenient and easy to file her taxes.
“You’re able to ask someone directly, like, if you have any questions and they’re putting all the things,” Venegas said. “That just made it more convenient for me.”
The program’s site coordinator, Anne Camille Reyes Guzman, provided clients with advice, reassurance and experienced
Last year, the program filed for over 1,500 clients, getting in over $1.2 million in refunds. This year, the program hopes to meet those expectations. So far, they have received around 200 clients and over $100,000 in refunds within the first week of the services.
“It’s unexpected because people would wait till the last minute on Tax Day,” Guzman said. “Last year we had a three-hour line and they had to stop accepting clients because we had to close at 8 at night.”
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land acknowlEdgmEnt
Here at the Long Beach Current we acknowledge that the school we report on is located on the sacred site of Puvungna, “the gathering place”. We are on the land of the Tongva/ Gabrieleño and the Acjachemen/Juaneño Nations who have lived and continue to live here.
We also acknowledge the Gabrieleño/Tongva (pronounced: GABRIEL-EN-YO/TONG – VAH) and Acjachamen/Juaneño (pronounced: AH-HACH-AH-MEN/JUAN-EN-YO) as the traditional custodians of the Los Angeles region along with the Chumash (pronounced: CHOO-MOSH) to the north and west, and the Tataviam (pronounced: TAH-TAH-VEE-YUM) and Cahuilla (pronounced: KAH-WEE-YAH) Nations to the east.
We respect and value the many ways the Tongva/Acjachemen cultural heritage and beliefs continue to have significance to the living people and remind us about the sacred and spiritual relationship that has always existed here at what we now call California State University Long Beach.
Editorials: All opinions expressed in the columns, letters and cartoons in the issue are those of the writers or artists. The opinons of the Long Beach Current are expressed only in unsigned editorials and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the journalism department or the views of all staff members. All such editorials are written by the editorial board of the Long Beach Current.
Monday, March 24, 2025
lEttEr Policy: All letters and emails must bear the phone number of the writer and must be no more than 300 words. The Long Beach Current reserves the right to edit letters for publication in regard to space.
Long Beach State faces budget cuts amid CSU funding reductions
BY JOANNAH CLEMENTE Opinions Editor
Long Beach State braces for significant budget constraints as the state funding decreases, resulting in hiring freezes and staffing shortages that could impact campus operations during the next fiscal year.
CSULB President Jane Close Conoley has stressed efforts to restore state funding and reaffirmed the university’s educational mission in response to a $28 million cut, which is nearly five percent of its $581 million operating budget.
An eight percent state funding reduction, accounting for 60% of CSULB’s budget, has led to a hiring freeze and spending cuts.
“Reducing our state allocation removes money we use to operate the university,” Scott Apel, CSULB’s vice president of administration and finance as well as chief financial officer, said. “We have to stop spending.”
To mitigate the impact, the university has curtailed travel, purchases and campus repairs.
With 80% of the budget allocated to salaries and benefits, Apel emphasized that staffing cuts are inevitable.
Layoffs are expected next fiscal year and the hiring freeze will leave positions vacant, straining employees and campus operations.
Long Beach State faces a $28 million budget cut for the 2025-2026 fiscal year,
80% of its budget allocated to salaries and benefits, the university is reducing discretionary spending, but staff
some services.
“All vital services will be delivered normally, but other services will be delayed as we deal with staffing shortages,” Apel said.
Apel said most university funds go through divisional budgets, with vice presidents calculating cuts and determining which positions to leave unfilled.
Concerns remain over the hiring freeze’s impact on faculty retention and student learning.
“Faculty are always concerned about budget cuts, particularly with the hiring freeze in place, meaning certain faculty will not be rehired,” Academic Senate Chair Neil Hultgren said. “We have been assured repeatedly that layoffs will not be a part of this.”
Despite record enrollment over the past two years from state mandates, Long Beach State has not received additional funding to support this growth.
Officials plan to maintain current enrollment levels to avoid further financial pressure.
“Our plan for the 2025-2026 fiscal
year is to hold enrollment essentially flat, as we don’t want to increase operating expenses while our budget is being cut,” Apel said.
Amid these challenges, Conoley and other CSU presidents are traveling to Sacramento to urge lawmakers to reconsider the funding cuts.
“Everyone in the CSU system is trying to communicate that our graduates drive the economy of the state,” Apel said. “Cutting the budget of the CSU is the same as suppressing the economy of California.”
Faculty members stay informed on CSU budget discussions through campus councils and committees.
According to Hultgren, faculty are connected to budget-related groups, including the University Resources Council and Resource Planning Process, which meet during budget season. They also get budgetary updates at the Senate executive meetings.
“There’s a lot of advocacy going on to reduce the budget cut in Sacramento,
and faculty appreciate that,” Hultgren said. “We want students to have the best learning experience possible, and we are concerned about how this will impact them.”
He added that faculty would be happy to act as advocates in Sacramento.
CSU Employees Union Long Beach Chapter’s Chief Steward Lori Donaldson said the hiring freeze has led to job consolidations and cross-training rather than new hires.
“They have consolidated job descriptions and cross-trained on some things… they are not just hiring — that’s what the deal is,” she said.
Donaldson stated that hiring currently requires presidential approval.
She also highlighted the importance of teamwork during these changes.
“It’s just about moving everybody into one space to cover for each other and ensuring clear lines of communication and clarification to prevent staff from being overloaded,” she said.
Graphic credit: EL NICKLIN / Long Beach Current
leading to a hiring freeze and expected layoffs. With
shortages may delay
Professor previews event on transgender politics
Kathryn J. Perkins will discuss LGBTQIA+ issues and her research in relation to the Constitution. The talk is titled “Misclassified: Equal Protection and Gender Identity in an Age of Animus.”
BY KC LAMPA Contributor
The Long Beach State Library Faculty Research Series will host an event to discuss constitutional policies on transgender rights and gender identity.
The event, featuring Professor Kathryn J. Perkins, will occur in University Library room 501 from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday, March 24.
“I want to elevate and support the issue of trans legal rights in a political era in which they are constantly under attack,” said Elizabeth Dill, dean of the University Library.
Due to the room’s occupancy being capped at 40 people, Dill recommends anyone interested in attending arrive early. Registration on the event website is also required so the organizers may provide adequate refreshments.
While the event targets teachers and faculty, students are welcome to attend.
Perkins, an associate professor and Chair of Political Science, aims to help people better understand the U.S. Constitution and whether trans rights are being treated fairly.
She also plans to share her research on LGBTQIA+ politics to examine the debate on LGBTQIA+ people’s civil rights and protections.
“Transgender people have been caught up in a culture war the last fiveto-seven years, and that isn’t something trans people chose,” Perkins said.
She wants people to understand that LGBTQIA+ people have struggled for civil rights and view the issue from a perspective of justice and respect instead of one of prejudice.
Perkins will address the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision on United States v. Skrmetti, which debates if bans on gender-affirming care for minors are constitutional and what that decision could mean for the future of trans and other LGBTQIA+ politics.
“I think the challenge with trans rights is that many people are still unfamiliar with the idea of gender identity, and many people don’t know a trans
Photo credit: KC LAMPA/Long Beach Current
Associate professor and Political Science Department Chair Kathryn J. Perkins’ gender identity discussion is one of many hosted by Long Beach State’s University Library.
person, so there’s a sense of discomfort that causes people to feel a little more okay with holding some amount of prejudice,” Perkins said.
She hopes to lessen the lack of knowledge concerning trans people and gender identity by educating others through her research and the event.
Through this event, Perkins intends to educate those unaware of the depth of the discussion on trans rights.
She seeks to encourage people to look at these discussions with positivity and respect for others and to decrease the fear trans people are feeling.
“Even if there is a negative Supreme Court precedent, that’s not the end of the conversation,” Perkins said.
Transgender people have been caught up in a culture war the last five-toseven years, and that isn’t something trans people chose. ”
Kathryn J. Perkins Chair of Political Science
How increased ICE presence changed one student’s life
BY TANISHA BUCAD & LIZBETH CORTESGUTIERREZ
Contributor & Opinions Assistant
Studio art major Valeria Gomez fears being on campus—not because of crime, but because the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement could show up at any moment.
The fear of losing her father to deportation nearly kept her from returning to campus, threatening not just her education, but the future she was fighting for.
Born and raised in California, Gomez grew up feeling safe and with an ordinary family. Beneath that quiet comfort was her father’s history, one she had not yet fully understood.
She was only 10-years-old and was eavesdropping on her family’s conversation. She had not meant to uncover a secret, but in that moment, she learned the truth. Her father was undocumented.
“What’s a green card?” Gomez had asked.
Her father, Luis Gomez, was 19-yearsold when he made the treacherous journey across the border. He was charged $300 to be guided into the United States and crammed into a pickup truck trunk with others, hidden under a piece of plywood for hours during the trip from Tijuana.
For over 30 years, he has lived in the United States without legal documents.
“The first thing I thought was, ‘Now we’re screwed,’” Gomez’s father had said when Trump was reelected. “But at the same time, always with the hope that I can eventually legalize.”
Their immigration lawyer, Deborah Botello, estimated it would take him 10 years to get his papers processed, and by then he would be 60.
Despite the exhausting process and constant uncertainty, Gomez and her family hold onto hope that one day they can step outside without fear of immigration officers.
Returning to Mexico does not scare
him, but like many undocumented immigrants, he fears what awaits—no home, no job and for some, a painful separation from family.
Deportation is not just leaving. It’s losing everything.
Gomez is not alone in her fears. Many others share the weight of uncertainty in their daily lives.
Some students on campus have been carrying their passports, anxiously anticipating the possibility of being racially profiled in an encounter with ICE. Others worry about the implications of bringing their parents to graduation ceremonies.
Gomez’s father constantly checks news reports, social media updates, but most importantly, he trusts friends and family to stay informed about the looming threat of ICE raids.
When they hear ICE has been at a certain location, like one of their favorite Hispanic markets, he said he simply stops going there until some time goes by.
Gomez once found joy in family trips to downtown Los Angeles as the trips were her favorite time with him. Now, those cherished memories are cut short by fears of increased ICE presence.
The fear extends beyond Gomez’s family, creating constant worry about sudden raids. The joy of community and connection fades as they try to live their lives under this threat.
“I just want these four years to be over,” Gomez said.
According to University Police Department’s Chief of Police John Brockie, ICE has not been on campus, but UPD is monitoring social media closely. The department keeps in contact with ICE to confirm any possibility of the agency being on campus.
As a courtesy, all law enforcement agencies should let UPD know if they plan to come to campus, however, Brockie cannot assure whether ICE will continue to follow through with that courtesy under President Donald Trump’s administration.
“We don’t support them at all. If we respond, it’s to keep the peace. It’s either that they’re going too far, or if there’s a warrant, we may be confirming that it’s a valid warrant,” Brockie said.
With a valid warrant and belief that a person is in a certain room, ICE could force entry.
While there is not much else the UPD can do, Brockie said the police department does not share any student information or directions with ICE.
He also had a meeting with Dream Success Center Director Norma Salcedo about university resources and free legal assistance, which are now available online.
Gomez flips through her book full of photos of her family. Multiple photos show her when she was celebrating her birthday when she was little or group photos with her family.
Photos by: SAMUEL CHACKO/Long Beach Current Long Beach State studio art major Valeria Gomez holds up a photo of her family. She worries her father might be deported due to President Donald Trump’s policies on immigration.
BY DANTE ESTRADA Video Editor
Bicycle rides are usually linear. But in “Red Bike,” audiences are invited to join in on a jumbled, chaotic ride—and that’s where the fun kicks in.
“Red Bike,” California Repertory Company’s third spring semester show, opened at the Long Beach State Studio Theater this week on March 21.
Written by playwright Caridad Svich, the story is told from the perspective of a child as they search for answers in an ever-changing world and rediscover their purpose in life through the form of a precious red bike.
Theatre Arts lecturer Alana Dietze,
who directed the show, described the play as an exciting challenge, as she has never adapted a story that relies so heavily on the abstract and non-linear structure.
“There’s a lot of really compelling ideas in the play, but the one that stood out to me the most was this concept of the way materialism and capitalism tries to take the place of meaning in our lives,” Dietze said.
In the story, the red bicycle represents stability for the child.
Every time the character faces a challenge, they resort back to the red bike as a moment to feel safe again.
Playwright Svich spoke with Dietze and the cast during the rehearsal process, which allowed the cast and crew to digest the story’s meaning further and
Cal Rep’s ‘Red Bike’ delivers surreal ride through childhood
explore the best way to convey it.
“Something that [Svich] really highlighted for me was the power of telling a story through a child’s perspective, and how rare that is, you know, children get used as pawns a lot politically in this country...They don’t have a voice,” Dietze said. “What are we getting from that, that we don’t usually see on stage?”
The director and cast describe the show as small moments or poems collected together to tell a story of childhood curiosity and the fear of growing up.
Rather than five distinct people, the cast plays different versions of the same central story figure, the child.
Read the full story on lbcurrent.com
Clockwise from top left: While playing different versions of the same character, actors Abby Lane, Kyle Matsuda and Victoria Martins portray a moment where they feel literally tangled in their own thoughts of trying to make sense of the world. Theatre arts senior Victoria Martins plays a version of the child, expressing a desire to be a strong Greek god but feeling weak and fragile. Nicholas Mayer, Abby Lane and Alberto Alonso sit together to ponder on what comes next in their string of unexpected events as they cycle through what life means to them as they leave their childhood behind. The characters break out in a colorful dance number following a tense scene where the child feels lost. The on-stage moment feels almost Lynchian, with actors even inviting crew members during their dance on stage.
Photos
by:
DANTE ESTRADA
Long Beach Current
ARTS & LIFE
Printmaking exhibition combines unique collection artwork, student artistry
BY NI BALINESS Contributor
Students from the printmaking course Art 370 stood proudly by their creations while friends and supporters snapped photos of the exhibit featured on the third floor of the University Library,
Debuting with an opening reception on March 18, “Inspired Printmaking” is the first art exhibition Long Beach State’s School of Art has created in partnership with the University Archives.
Printmaking is the process of making multiple images using different matrixes such as woodblocks, screen stencils, or a drawing that can be printed multiple times.
To create their original prints, students visited the Special Collections and University Archives to research and gain inspiration from a plethora of work from “master artists” including Andy Warhol and Katsushika Hokusai.
The archive, according to University Archivist Librarian Heather Steele Gajewski, consists of over 500 art and photographic prints that the center houses.
“It gives them first-hand, intimate experience with the art that hopefully inspires them in their own work when they see the lines and the values and details of the artwork,” Steele Gajewski said.
Despite this being the first exhibition of its kind, the tradition of Art 370 students visiting the archives center has existed long before.
Long Beach State alumnus, School of Art lecturer and Gallery Coordinator, Michael Nannery said he remembers his own professor, Roxanne Sexauer, bringing his class to see the archives.
His inspiration to create the exhibition came from an idea to inspire students to utilize the resources the university has to offer.
“I wanted to fire up my students about this idea of researching art or any idea you have and taking advantage of whatever resources you have as a student,” Nannery said.
When picking out which pieces of artworks to show students, Nannery drew from the emotional impact of the 2024 presidential election.
“I remember it was right after the election so it was a little bit of a doom and gloom for the class and for the campus and for half of the world,” Nannery said. “I kind of picked out these works that kind of dealt with the ideas of like culture, class, consumerism and differ-
A gallery of student works from the “Inspired Printmaking” exhibition on display, alongside their respective background informa
tion and story of creation on March 18.
ent scenarios.”
Fourth-year studio art major, Diana Lomeli found her inspiration from a piece called “The Little Prisoner” by Francisco Goya.
Her technique included using a zinc metal plate and a scoring tool to etch her design. After placing it in a vat of acid to secure the marks on the plate, Lomeli said she was able to roll ink onto the grooves and transfer it onto paper.
“When I first saw it, I immediately gravitated towards it because it was such a small print compared to this one and it was such heavy line work in it,” Lomeli said. “I thought it was relevant right now in the state of our country and how probably a lot of people will feel like a prisoner or like they are restricted or like they can’t exist.”
Maya Aragon, a 22-year-old student intern for Flux Art Space, said they came to the opening reception to support Nannery and the students.
“Being a student artist myself, it is inspiring to see people my age doing such great things and exhibiting their work,” Aragon said.
The featured student works in the “Inspired Printmaking” exhibition will be on display until May 2.
Diana Lomeli’s original print (left) next to the famous Francisco Goya’s piece (right) features key differences from its inspiration. Lomeli said she decided to keep her subject looking towards the viewers to showcase emotion and chose to purposefully exclude the naked body’s private areas because she believes a person is more than their “reproductive system or what is between their legs.”
Photos by: NI BALINESS/Long Beach Current
-
Ruby Bridges:
BY GRACE JONES
Contributor
It’s Wednesday evening at Long Beach State’s Carpenter Performing Arts Center and the sold-out crowd buzzes with anticipation as civil rights activist Ruby Bridges prepares to take the stage.
At six years old, Bridges made history by being the first African American woman to enter the formally all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans on November 14, 1960.
Before the main event, the halls of the Carpenter Center revealed packed crowds. All attendees were promised a copy of her 2020 book, “Ruby Bridges: This Is Your Time,” with the first 35 students receiving a signed copy.
In line, between murmurs of excitement and speculation of what Bridges would discuss, was attendee Jahne Margain.
Margain, a psychology major at the Beach, said she owns a family heirloom, the famous 1960 photo of six-year-old Ruby Bridges, who was being escorted to school by three federal marshals.
“My grandmother has the first original photo of her being escorted into school, and when my grandmother passed, I inherited the photo,” Margain said. “It will be something to pass on to my grandkids.”
For attendee Zaneta Alan, they said they were most excited to learn how Bridges feels about the current state of education.
“I’m hoping to learn her take on the current false narrative and how they are rewriting history in the southern states, specifically Texas and Florida,” Alan said.
At 7 p.m., Bridges appeared on the vast sage, dressed in an all-black outfit, a red-patterned scarf and closed-toe cheetah-print heels.
After receiving a two-minute standing ovation from the audience, Bridges
bore a full smile as she began.
She expressed that her childlike naivety kept her protected in many ways during the height of racial tension and violence in the South following the 1954 Supreme Court Brown vs Board of Education decision to integrate schools.
In a scene captured in Margain’s heirloom, Bridges recounts the November 14, 1960 date, when crowds of southern white people angrily protested for the opposition of integration, shouting, throwing rocks, tomatoes and other objects.
Just six years old, Bridges recalled her younger self thinking the large crowds were all there for her, celebrating Mardi Gras.
“There were crowds of people screaming and yelling and throwing things. I live in New Orleans, and I’m accustomed to Mardi Gras, so I thought it was Mardi Gras that day,” Bridges said. “I thought I had ventured into a parade, so I wasn’t afraid.”
Bridges cites her childlike wonder and innocence as persevering through the pain and anguish of the racially charged era.
She recalled when her sister had been jumping rope and recited a jingle, singing, “2, 4, 6, 8, we do not want to integrate!” Laughing, Bridges said as a 6-year-old, she didn’t understand the word “integrate.”
As the evening concluded, Bridges addressed the nation’s divisions, emphasizing the importance of knowledge, opposing book bans and urging unity among the American public.
Despite the softness in her voice and the slow, careful pacing of her words, Bridges’ concluding statement captured the audience’s attention.
“I believe you all came not to see me but for yourself. There is a shift in this country, and we all sense it,” Bridges said. “We think it’s black and white; it’s deeper than that—it has nothing to do with the color of your skin; racism is an excellent tool used to divide us.”
We think it’s black and white; it’s deeper than that—it has nothing to do with the color of your skin; racism is an excellent tool used to divide us. ”
Ruby Bridges
Civil rights activist
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Pictured in this historic photograph, a young Ruby Bridges was also depicted in Norman Rockwell’s famous painting, “A Problem We All Live With.”
ARTS & LIFE
Downtown’s newest culinary experience offers three ways to escape
BY ANGELA OSORIO Design Assistant
Chinese script-engraved lanterns hang from the ceiling, casting light on the herb filled jars that line the bar’s top shelf.
An old Shaw Brothers kung fu film plays on the projector as laughter and chatter radiate through the 3,000-squarefoot space. Behind a hidden door, guests mingle in a Western-Tiki-style speakeasy.
A new restaurant in Downtown Long Beach, Midnight Oil had its soft opening on Feb. 5 and is already used to busy nights.
“Our main goal is to provide high-quality products, but in a very approachable manner, and then in an escapist kind of environment,” owner Leonard Chan said.
Twenty years ago, Chan left a tech career to start a bar.
After facing repeated rejections, he secured a partner and opened California Shabu in Costa Mesa in 2009. The restaurant’s success led to numerous Orange County spots and in 2024 Chan seized the opportunity to take over Rosemallow’s, the restaurant that became Midnight Oil.
Chan partnered with friend Peter Ross to open an izakaya, a traditional Japanese pub – until they found out a chef was opening one down the street.
“We just felt like, ‘Hey, why? Why battle with the same type of concept, but we can pivot and do something really fun,’” Chan said.
Instead, a new idea came in: three spaces, three experiences – all in one.
Guests can enjoy a Chinese apoth-
Guests mingle at a Western-Tiki style speakeasy bar adapted from Rosemallow’s at Midnight Oil on March 7. The entrance to the speakeasy is through an unmarked door blending in with the back wall of Midnight Oil.
ecary-themed bar, a country-tropical speakeasy adapted from Rosemallow’s and a soon-to-come third space consisting of an opium-den-inspired lounge offering hand-crafted cocktails.
“This one’s going to lean more into high-end cocktails,” Ross said of the third space. “With a pointer environment, more one-on-one engagement with the bartenders and attention to detail.”
Chan hopes the three options give customers a “fluid” space to flow between throughout the night.
Chan’s family roots trace back to 1949, when his father fled Guangdong, China for Hong Kong and his mother left Hebei for Taiwan.
Growing up, he recounts family gatherings as large, centered around Cantonese seafood restaurants or home-cooked meals featuring dim sum, noodle soups, dumplings and scallion pancakes.
At Midnight Oil, Chan and his chef partners seek to reimagine comforting family recipes, even offering Chinese-inspired drinks like a fried rice cocktail.
Ross, born and raised in Long Beach,
is Midnight Oil’s bar director, responsible for the drinks menu. He said around half of the beer lines at Midnight Oil are draft.
“When building a menu, I want to have enough different flavor profiles to offer something fun for any type of drinker or anyone, everything from low ABV, non-alcoholic to more booze for drinks,” Ross said.
Reviving a scene
Downtown Long Beach, once a food scene hub, has struggled to regain its footing since the pandemic.
“At nighttime, even on the weekends, you just don’t see people walking around as much anymore, especially after maybe like 10:30, 11:00 [p.m.],” Chan said.
Brian Addison, food writer and founder of Longbeachize, said for the past 15 years Downtown Long Beach has been on a kind of “rollercoaster.”
“It feels like right before the pandemic it was like totally on its way up…and then the pandemic just kind of threw a really rough wrench into
it all,” Addison said.
With newer establishments in the area, including Sonoratown and Broken Spirits, local experts think the coaster is on its way up.
“I think the addition of Sonoratown and Midnight Oil is going to make that corner really hot,” food writer and founder of lbfoodcoma James Tir said. “It’ll encourage a more diverse food scene.”
Next for Midnight Oil
Besides finalizing the third space and loading the kitchen, Chan and Ross have plans to expand the food and drink menus, adding more items including beef noodle soup and Taiwanese pork chops.
Chan also hopes to extend hours – with Saturdays and Sundays open at noon and potentially opening on Tuesdays.
For now, guests can walk in Wednesdays through Sundays and join the waitlist on busy nights, like Fridays and Saturdays.
Photo credit: ANGELA OSORIO/Long Beach Current
DoesntMatterRodeBus
Car problems like waking up way too early to beat traffic aren’t your problem anymore. Save on bus rides with the Go Beach! Pass from Long Beach Transit, only for CSULB students.
Scan the code to learn more or visit ridelbt.com/csulb
OPINION
Editorial: To the next CSULB president — students expect more institutional change from you
BY SAM FARFAN Community Engagement Editor
Despite significant achievements at Long Beach State, President Jane Close Conoley’s shortcomings outweighed her accomplishments due to the glaring disconnect between her administration and the student body.
Conoley announced her official retirement via video announcement on the CSULB website in early November of last year, effective June 30.
Her announcement garnered mixed reviews online from students and alumni.
Many comments expressed relief regarding her departure and pointed out one of the biggest grievances with her administration — the 2023 commencement controversy.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced CSULB administration to move the ceremony from the original campus location to Angel Stadium in Anaheim to accommodate lockdown health restrictions in 2020.
However, in 2023, graduating seniors were outraged to learn that for a third consecutive year, the university would host a COVID-modified ceremony and graduates would not be allowed to walk across the stage or have their names called during their commencement ceremonies.
As classroom and gathering restrictions began to lift county-wide by 2023, students angrily questioned the rationale behind the announcement. This prompted graduating seniors to create the “Let CSULB ‘23 Walk” group with a corresponding Change.org petition, gaining almost 20,000 signatures.
Despite the students’ efforts, Conoley sent an email to all graduating seniors affirming that the commencement location nor format would change. She attributed the main obstacles to be lack of funds and the inconvenience of reading all graduates’ names would cause with the modified format—excuses many found haphazardly explained.
Following a pro-Palestine protest
CSULB President Jane Close Conoley speaks at the Long Beach State 2024-2025 Convocation
on May 2, 2024, five CSULB professors received disciplinary emails from the administration, alleging they violated the Time, Place and Manner policy after participating in the student-led protest.
The warning emails, sent on the first day of the 2024 academic year, stated that the five professors violated the TPM policy for using sound amplification devices without prior university approval.
These same five professors had previously co-authored an opinion article explaining the university’s extensive financial partnership with Boeing and its connection to Israel’s military interests in the Middle East.
CSULB’s leadership, including Conoley, faced backlash from many student organizations, as many believed the incident violated faculty’s right to freedom of speech and political expression.
It is difficult to avoid the link between the disciplinary emails and the co-authored research on Boeing, as these five professors were not the only faculty in attendance—but were the only ones reprimanded.
During the presidential open forum on Feb. 19, many students, faculty and alumni voiced their grievances to the California State University’s presidential advisory committee about the current campus administration, CSU chancellor and Board of Trustees.
One of the main issues was the lack of transparency with the annual tuition hikes.
According to the 2024 CSU executive compensation summary, Conoley’s salary for the 2024 fall semester was $498,269, an increase of $18,764 from the previous semester. She received a
28% or $106,227 salary increase in July of 2022, earning over half a million dollars that year.
Students were understandably upset considering the yearly tuition hikes they have paid and will continue to pay until the 2028-29 academic year, according to a resolutions document from the CSU Board of Trustees.
With these factors in mind, it is also important to acknowledge the successes Conoley has championed during her tenure.
In January 2014, Conoley became the first woman to be appointed president of CSULB, achieving a significant milestone within the institution’s 75-year history.
Photo credit: JUSTIN ENRIQUEZ/Long Beach Current
on Aug. 23.
Linda McMahon should not run the Department of Education
BY DULCE GALVEZ Contributor
Former CEO of World Wrestling
Entertainment Linda McMahon has been confirmed as the new U.S. Secretary of Education.
Some WWE fans may be thrilled to have the former CEO of the professional wrestling company as Secretary of Education, but not me.
McMahon’s background is primarily in business and entertainment, which are unnecessary qualities for the leader of the Department of Education.
McMahon made a name for herself as a global entertainment powerhouse in her crucial role as minority owner and co-founder of WWE until 2009.
According to a statement McMahon published on March 3, her main goal with the department is to execute President Donald Trump’s promise to “send education back to the states.”
She continues by stating that the “restoration” of state control over education “will profoundly impact staff, budgets, and agency operations here at the Department.”
McMahon’s goal of eliminating federal oversight of the department can lead to significant adverse outcomes, including the loss of federal financial aid and student disability programs. These outcomes will only foster more inequality in education access for students.
Her mission to eliminate school voucher programs will largely disadvantage parental rights that allow pub-
lic funds for homeschooling and K-12 schools public education.
McMahon also outlines plans to abandon diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which may negatively impact teachers’ job security, resources, and teaching autonomy.
Drake Aguilar, a second-year aerospace engineering major, found out about McMahon’s new appointment through a social media post.
“It would affect the kids in schools because it would prevent some of the students to be able to pursue higher education. For [the] parents who wanted their children to get a better education [right] now, they probably can’t anymore” Aguilar said.
Longtime WWE fan and fourth-year history major Gabriel Zephier heard
about the news from the Associated Press and commented positively on her new role.
“I hope that she has a good agenda because she did a good job at running WWE…she [is] gonna help make school affordable for kids,” Zephier said.
McMahon’s controversial history as a former WWE executive and political figure attracts public scrutiny, emphasizing her high profile in popular culture and professional entertainment, which may undermine her role within the education system.
Education should not be entrusted to someone who lacks concern for it. Effective leadership is crucial to ensuring that all students receive a quality education rather than cutting programs that diminish their learning opportunities.
Graphic credit: LINSEY TOWLES/Long Beach Current
Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon has been confirmed by President Trump as the Secretary of the Department of Education to much controversy.
‘The only goal’: Star LBSU volleyball player eyes national title
BY TIMOTHY HESSEN Copy Assistant
Since transferring to Long Beach State from Ohio State University in 2023, Sotiris Siapanis has been one of the nation’s most accomplished men’s college volleyball players.
From a newcomer at LBSU in 2023 to a veteran leader in 2025, the standout outside hitter has racked up a litany of accolades at The Beach.
These feats include American Volleyball Coaches Association First-Team All-American honors in 2024, AVCA Second-Team All-American honors in 2023 and back-to-back Big West First-Team All-Conference honors in 2023 and 2024.
However, the most important box on his checklist of achievements has been, so far, left unchecked.
“[A national title] is the only goal,” Siapanis said. “Growing up I was always on a very competitive team, and that was always the only goal was to win.”
Growing up in the Republic of Cyprus, Siapanis first recalls discovering NCAA volleyball when he was 15 years old. The first NCAA game he ever watched was a national championship match, inspiring him with an image of what he could accomplish.
year’s team is the significant internal growth of several teammates, including sophomore opposite Daniil Hershtynovich, sophomore outside hitter Sebastiano Sani and redshirt junior outside hitter Connor Bloom.
“It’s a completely new culture within the team; it’s like we’re establishing a new environment,” Siapanis said.
As one of three captains on the team, Siapanis takes great responsibility in cultivating a positive culture in the locker room.
When first transferring to LBSU, the team’s locker room leaders were already established with proven players such as Simon Torwie and Mason Briggs. However, in 2025, Siapanis finds himself in a role he feels much more suited for.
“I shine when I lead the team. It’s in my nature … and in learning so much from [head coach Alan Knipe] on how to be a leader, now I have the opportunity to be a leader on this team myself,” Siapanis said.
Siapanis has improved his game substantially in each season with The Beach, as his attack percentage improved from .264 in 2023 and .342 in 2024 to .401 in 2025.
It’s a completely new culture within the team; it’s like we’re establishing a new environment. ”
Sotiris Siapanis LBSU men’s volleyball player
The ever-elusive national title has narrowly escaped Siapanis’ grasp in the past two seasons.
In his first campaign at The Beach in 2023, the team reached the Final Four of the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship Tournament. Facing off against the dominant UCLA Bruins, Siapanis led LBSU with 10 kills in the match, but ultimately, the team got swept 3-0.
In 2024, The Beach hosted the national championship game in the Walter Pyramid against the defending champion Bruins and lost 3-1 in four competitive sets.
Siapanis again led The Beach in scoring with 12 kills, five digs and two blocks; however, they fell short of accomplishing his primary goal.
Siapanis looks to amend these prior losses and help claim LBSU’s first title since 2019.
Siapanis said the difference in this
In LBSU’s runner-up 2024 season, Siapanis led the team in kills with 308 and has continued to flourish this season. A specific instance being the The Beach’s game against No. 18 Lewis University on Jan. 18 where he had 16 kills and a .517 attack percentage.
“The thing that probably gets lost with [Sotiris] is that he’s like a coach on the court in the sense of communicating with our guys,” Knipe said. “His volleyball IQ is really, really high.”
According to Siapanis, his team-first values as an athlete were instilled in him early on by his father, Ioannis Siapanis, who played professionally in Cyprus and started for the Cyprus national team for 10 years.
The second-generation volleyball star intends to follow in his father’s footsteps and emphasized how learning under a legendary coach in Knipe has greatly prepared him for his future.
“I’m very ready to go and compete for some very good teams in Europe right now, after everything I’ve learned from this school,” Siapanis said.
Photo credit: SAMUEL CHACKO/Long Beach Current
Senior outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis celebrates after a Long Beach State point as The Beach played UCLA.
Photo credit: JUSTIN ENRIQUEZ/Long Beach Current
The Beach celebrate after winning the first set against NJIT. They won both games over NJIT on the weekend at the Walter Pyramid and improved to 20-0.
The Beach stay perfect with two wins over NJIT
BY TIMOTHY HESSEN Copy Assistant
While its streak of not dropping a single set in 42 days was snapped, the No. 1 Long Beach State men’s volleyball team (20-0) emerged from this weekend’s doubleheader with a pair of impressive victories over the New Jersey Institute of Technology Highlanders (7-12) on Friday and Saturday at the Walter Pyramid.
Friday, March 21, LBSU 3 - NJIT 1
After racking up 32 kills in his last three outings, LBSU sophomore opposite Daniil Hershtynovich continued his hot stretch of play with 10 kills in the victory on Friday.
“He’s been a rock all season long,” Coach Alan Knipe said. “Moni [Nikolov] has a lot of confidence in him and he’s just starting to show what he’s capable of.”
The Beach raced out to an early 13-6
lead in the first set fueled by stellar blocking from senior middle blocker DiAeris McRaven and freshman setter Nikolov.
The pair combined for nine block assists in The Beach’s opening run, forcing a Highlander timeout.
With the Highlanders showing little resistance throughout the set, a service ace from sophomore opposite Georgi Binev closed it out 25-9 in favor of The Beach.
After only mustering nine points in the entire first, NJIT swung back with a 9-7 opening run in the second, aided by multiple service errors from LBSU.
However, the tide flipped as Nikolov made his way to the service line. The Bulgarian was scorching from the line, racking up five aces in the set, leading a 10-0 run to put LBSU up 21-11.
In addition to dominating from the line, Nikolov racked up 12 of his 35 assists of the night in the set, generating great attack opportunities for The Beach en route to winning the set 25-14.
“When the emotions are flying and adrenaline is going in the big moments, he jumps higher, hits harder and does a
really good job causing all sorts of mayhem,” Knipe said.
Seemingly on their way to a 10th consecutive sweep up 18-13, The Beach surprisingly suffered their first set loss in 42 days in the third after surrendering a 12-5 Highlander run.
Freshman opposite Wiktor Nowak led the way for NJIT with six of his 13 kills in the set, breaking LBSU’s impressive streak of sweeps.
“It’s a game of very thin margins, and we gave away too many points, and they also played their best set,” Knipe said.
Tied 7-7 early in the fourth set, The Beach responded resoundingly to their prior set loss with a 13-7 run.
Sophomore outside hitter Sebastiano Sani led the charge with four of his eight kills, and nailed the eventual game point with a kill assisted by Nikolov, clinching the set 25-19.
“I thought we did a good job of creating real sustainable plays to have some energy about, and when that happens it starts to snowball and momentum feels good and everything feels like you got it back,” Knipe said.
Saturday, March 22, LBSU 3 - NJIT 0
After losing their first set in 42 days, LBSU resorted back to their old ways, sweeping NJIT on their way to their 20th victory of the season.
A common theme of the season has been Nikolov leading the way, and he did so again on Saturday with 25 assists, eight kills and five service aces, making it 10 service aces in his last seven sets.
Redshirt junior opposite Skyler Varga was the only Beach player with double-digit kills, 10, but the love was spread around as Hershtynovich contributed nine to go along with Nikolov’s eight.
The defense shined for The Beach as they racked up 12.5 blocks and held the Highlanders to a hitting percentage of .044, while The Beach hit .328.
Standing in the way of 21-0 is No. 5 UC Irvine on Friday, March 28 at 7 p.m. at the Walter Pyramid. Friday’s game is the first of a two-game series with the Anteaters with the reverse fixture taking place on Saturday in Irvine.