Week of Monday, October 4

Monday, October 4, 2021

The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton

Volume 110 Issue 7

Candlelight vigil unites CSUF

Titan community reflects and remembers COVID-19 hardships to promote healing.

EMILY MELGAR Asst. Editor

Oil reaches the marshlands located off of Magnolia Street, near the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center. (Spencer Otte / Daily Titan)

Orange County beaches impacted by oil spill Leak threatens wildlife along Huntington and Newport coastlines.

SPENCER OTTE Staff Writer

TAYLOR ARREY Editor

On Saturday, 126,000 gallons of oil spilled along the Orange County coastline, resulting in an indefinite beach closure running from the Huntington Beach pier to the Santa Ana River jetty, according to a press

release by the City of Huntington Beach issued on Sunday.

Jennifer Carey, public information officer for the Huntington Beach police department, said that they were first notified about a potential oil slick at 9 a.m. on Oct. 2, but the confirmed oil leak and the magnitude of the situation came in around noon.

Orange County supervisor Katrina Foley, whose district includes Huntington and Newport Beach, announced on Twitter early Sunday morning that the spill came from a broken pipeline

attached to an offshore oil platform nicknamed Elly, which sits about eight miles from the coast.

Carey said that the company responsible for the oil spill is Beta Offshore, a subsidiary of the Houston-based company Amplify Energy Corporation.

That platform has been linked to other spills in the past, including one incident in 1999 that caused 2,000 gallons of oil to leak into the ocean off the coast of Orange County.

SEE DISASTER 3

Over 130 Cal State Fullerton students, faculty and staff attended a candlelight vigil on Thursday in remembrance and reflection of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The half-hour twilight event is one of the first of its kind for universities, said CSUF President Fram Virjee.

The event, dedicated to all that has been lost and endured in the last 19 months, provided hope and support as the campus community began to move forward and heal.

Virjee and news media services director Chi-Chung Keung both said that this is the first of multiple events for remembrance, which are still being planned.

“I think, as a university, having this remembrance event brings us together as a united body regardless of our roles, of our titles, of our political and religious beliefs. We can all come together as one body to take time to remember and to reflect and be thankful for what we do have,” Keung said.

Attendees at the vigil received a program and a flameless LED candle at registration and spread out according to six-foot distancing stickers across the Titan Promenade near Langsdorf Hall.

At the end of his opening speech, Virjee asked the campus community to pause in remembrance of all that has been lost and light their candles before introducing the first of four speakers at the event. The Titan speakers represented the four main constituencies of CSUF’s community, he said.

Dixie Samaniego, Associated Students chief governmental officer, reflected on feeling loss, loneliness and exhaustion during the pandemic, with brief moments of happiness and comfort.

“I’m hopeful that as a community, we are able to give each other grace and the space we need and is needed to grieve so that we can continue reaching higher together,” Samaniego said.

Anh Nelson, a health services analyst at CSUF, expressed the importance of family amidst the pandemic.

“I’ve learned that family matters more than I realized. Not only my biological family, but my chosen family.

People who I’ve intentionally chosen to embrace, nurture, love and support,” Nelson said.

SEE SUPPORT 2

Hundreds rally for Women’s March in OC Demonstrators gathered in Fullerton and Irvine in support of abortion rights.

EMILY MELGAR Asst. Editor

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the streets of Fullerton and Irvine to protest, on Oct. 2, in support of women’s reproductive rights. The Orange County protests were two out of more than 600 Women’s March events across the United States.

People crowded the streets of Downtown Fullerton were the marchers first assembled on the lawn of the North Justice Center at 11 am. In Irvine, demonstrators also packed the four corners of the Alton Parkway and Culver Drive intersection.

Debbie and Harry Langenbacher, a member of Indivisible CA 39, organized Fullerton’s “March for Reproductive Rights,” co-sponsored by the Democratic Party of Orange County.

They said they decided to host the event after reading about the nationwide day of action sponsored by the Women’s March group.

Indivisible CA 39 is a group founded in 2017 that embraces progressive values and focuses on local and congressional advocacy The Oct. 2 Women’s March event was planned after the Supreme Court failed to block the Texas’s abortion ban, which effectively took a step toward overturning Roe v. Wade.

Kristina Fruneaux, president of The League of Women Voters of North Orange County, said the Supreme Court’s failure to block the Taw caused women’s reproductive rights advocates everywhere to denounce this outrageous assault on a woman’s right to make reproductive choices.

“The impingement on such a personal choice is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated,” Fruneaux said.

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SPORTS Women’s soccer loses to Long Beach State, 2-1 SEE PAGE

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Demonstrators in Irvine hold signs and chant on the corner of Culver Drive and Alton Parkway. (Emily Melgar / Daily Titan)

LIFESTYLE CSUF alumnus speaks about his education with DACA SEE PAGE

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OPINION Column: Enforcing masks protects Titan community SEE PAGE

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2 News

WEEK OF MONDAY, OCTOBER 4

Support: Campus comes together to heal CONTINUED FROM

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Alexandro Gradilla, associate professor of Chicana and Chicano studies, said that history gained dimension during the pandemic, and he found new meaning in his work.

He has been transformed dramatically, he said.

“This is what I’m taking with me as I look at my family, my child, my friends- knowing that if this was 500 years ago, there would be fewer of us around,” Gradilla said, “I appreciate the lessons these last 18 months have given me, and I appreciate the lessons that my ancestors have given me.”

CSUF alumna Kathleen Hodge was the final speaker of the evening and shared her thoughts on the pandemic’s cultural impacts, such as masks and social distancing.

Hodge mirrored Nelson and Gradilla’s sentiments in valuing family and friends after more than a year of remote interpersonal connections.

“Did this teach us to hopefully not take family and friends for granted? We did learn health is not just physical. We learned we need to care

for our physical, our cognitive and our emotional health to be effective,” she said.

The evening’s speakers were followed by vocalist and student Leeza York, who sang an African American spiritual that evoked sentiments of pain, suffering, sorrow and hurt.

“I pray and hope that it consolidates with everyone who is feeling the same during this pandemic,” York said.

Before concluding for the evening, everyone paused for a moment of silence for everything and everyone lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CSUF professor of Asian American studies Dr. Jennifer Yee attended the event, having lost her aunt due to COVID-19.

“We’re always going to be stronger together so I felt like I needed this point of connection because there are so many special people here on this campus,” Yee said. “There’s so much loss and trauma that has happened so coming together can help heal some of the tremendous pain and grief.”

The Diversity Equity and Inclusion volunteers handed out LED candles.

(Emily Melgar / Daily Titan)

Virjee said the idea for a candlelight vigil came from the university’s determination to find a way to come together as a community after being apart for zso long.

He said the event represented hope and that his hope is that the campus remains safe and healthy.

“My hope is that we stick with it and that we stay safe and that more and more people come back to campus, and that more and more people rediscover the necessity and the beauty of being together,” Virjee said.

Virjee said the university will host a “Titan Community Together” event in the quad in front of the Humanities and Social Sciences building on Nov. 16.

“We’re not ever going to forget.

We’re not ever going to stop remembering,” Virjee said.

CSUF President Fram Virjee delivers opening speech at “Titans Remember” event.

(Emily Melgar / Daily Titan)

Participants paused for a moment of silence for all that was lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Emily Melgar / Daily Titan)

Unity: Over 600 demonstrations held nationwide protestors stay safe. Both events provided signs for attendees donated by Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, also known as PPOSBC, which strongly supports the Women’s Marches.

In an email to the Daily Titan, Nichole Ramirez, senior vice president of communication and donor relations at PPOSBC, said the threat to the constitutional right to an abortion has never been greater.

“It’s important to realize that we aren’t safe from these extreme and unconstitutional laws here in California,” Ramirez said. “Beyond the trickle-down impact that these laws have, it’s crucial California continues to build upon its leadership of being a Reproductive Freedom state,

continuing to increase access and decrease barriers to sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion.”

More than 300 people attended a virtual “Raise your Voice for the Freedom of Choice” rally hosted by PPOSBC on Oct. 2, where supporters heard from different speakers, including Congresswoman Katie Porter, who spoke about the importance of standing strong for women’s rights.

“If we’ve learned anything in the past five years, it is that elections matter. Make sure you are registered to vote and pay attention to local elections to help ensure extreme laws, like those in Texas, don’t make their way to California,” Ramirez said.

Alexandra Williamson (right) and daughter Noa (left) share a moment while protesting in Irvine. (Emily Melgar / Daily Titan)

1 Shana Charles, an associate professor of public health at Cal State Fullerton, spoke at the rally and said that seeing so much diversity uplifted her.

“We are inclusive on this. Anyone who can get pregnant has a right to choose what to do with their own body, and that’s what the Women’s Health Protection Act is all about,” Charles said.

Lagenbacher, Fruneaux and Charles asked attendees to call and ask California senators to vote “Yes” on the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021 which passed in the United States House of Representatives on Sep. 24, and is currently pending in the Senate.

CONTINUED FROM

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Charles said she cares about the reproductive rights issue as it is important in public health. She said that, in California, state law requires the CSU system to provide free or low-cost birth control and other reproductive services on campus.

“Focusing on the CSU system, as this is the place where we held 450,000 students in the CSU system, and not just women, but also men need reproductive services, so let’s make that available through the student wellness centers,” Charles said.

The Irvine “My Body, My Choice” rally started at 2 p.m. and did not have any speakers. However, organizer Conallee Moss said more than 300 people registered to attend on Oct. 1, before

the rally began.

Irvine resident and CSUF alumna Ivy Hoang said she estimated close to 500 people at the march and said she was protesting alone in her own fight.

“I feel like even though I don’t want an abortion, or any future abortion, I feel like it is within the women’s right to make that choice, so I’m here to support the cause,” Hoang said.

While demonstrators at the Irvine event included more teenagers and children than the Fullerton rally, the chants were mostly the same — “Women’s Rights are Human Rights” and “Our Body, Our Choice.”

Fullerton and Irvine police officers were present and were seen helping

Participants at the Fullerton protest brought along their dogs. (Emily Melgar / Daily Titan) FOLLOW US: @THEDAILYTITAN

News 3

WEEK OF MONDAY, OCTOBER 4

Alumnus connects with CSUF’s Latinx community

Growing up in a predominantly Caucasian neighborhood in South Orange County, and being the only Latinx male in his grad program at Cal State Fullerton, Cesar Rodriguez said he felt underrepresented and anxious among the 65 students in his counseling master’s program.

Although Ánimo didn’t exist during the time that he attended CSUF in 2011 to pursue his bachelor’s in sociology, now Rodriguez said he visits CSUF students through the Ánimo program on campus. Ánimo is a Latinx Student Counseling Association where he connects with other licensed therapists in the field to provide peer mentorship.

Rodriguez sets an example as a Latinx male pursuing his master’s degree among the struggles and uncertainty he experienced early on in his academic career.

However, he said he was shocked to find out that once he applied himself in school, things turned out well.

As part of his practice as a family and marriage therapist, he also performs eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy, an efficient form of therapy that focuses on a patient’s triggered emotion.

Rodriguez said he focuses on the root of an emotion and takes it out — as he describes it, like pulling out the

Disaster: Cause of spill still unknown CONTINUED FROM

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A Daily Titan reporter reached out to Beta Offshore via telephone on Sunday afternoon, but the company has not called back for comment as of Sunday night..

The United States Coast Guard is the lead agency in charge of coordinating relief efforts and investigating the cause, volume and oil type of the spill, according to a press release issued from the Coast Guard on Saturday.

In regards to the cause of the spill, Carey said that she did not have that information as of late Sunday evening, but the Coast Guard investigation is ongoing. She said that they have not released that information yet.

A Daily Titan reporter left a message for a comment from Coast Guard Petty Officer Alex Gray on Sunday afternoon, and he has not called back as of Sunday evening.

Beach visitors are asked to stay off the beach and avoid oiled areas due to the “toxicity created by the spill.”

The closure applies to both Huntington City Beach and Huntington State Beach.

The city of Huntington Beach also canceled the final day of their Pacific Airshow, which was initially scheduled for Oct. 3.

The city does not have a clear idea of when the beaches will reopen, but Carey said that their efforts were very proactive.

“We have been able to eliminate opportunities for more impacts, but unfortunately, it still is impacting our coastline on the beach and also our Talbert which is located off Pacific Coast Highway and Brookhurst,” Carey said.

Unlike Huntington, the city of Newport Beach announced that it will not shut down the beach, and instead, have issued a beach advisory. According to the advisory, people should avoid coming in contact with ocean water and oiled areas. As of Sunday morning, oil can be found between 52nd Street and the Santa Ana River.

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Along with the beach remaining open to the public, Newport Harbor will remain open for boats and recreational use.

The spilled oil stretches over 5.8 miles of beach and threatens Huntington’s wetlands and marine wildlife.

At a press conference held on Sunday, Huntington Beach Mayor Kim Carr outlined the cleanup efforts and called on the responsible parties to rectify what she described as an “environmental catastrophe.”

“In a year that has been filled with incredibly challenging issues, this oil spill constitutes one of the most devastating situations that our community has dealt with in decades,” Carr said.

The release stated that skimming equipment, which can be used to separate oil from the sea surface, and booms, which are physical barriers for oil, have been distributed in hopes of preventing the residue from reaching the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve and the Huntington Beach Wetlands.

Congressional representative Michelle Steel, who represents CA-48 which includes Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach and Newport Beach, called on President Joe Biden on Sunday to authorize a major disaster declaration. Steel appealed to the president with a letter that she also posted on Twitter.

“It is imperative that the Federal Government assist in recovery efforts,” Steel wrote in the letter. “Dead fish and birds are already being reported on beaches and shorelines. I have serious concerns about the environmental impacts of the spill and applaud the workers who are doing their best to prevent oil from hitting sensitive wetlands.”

Representative Mike Levin for CA49 also took to Twitter to discuss the spill.

“We must stop all new offshore drilling off our Southern California coast! I’m leading the House bill to do just that and won’t stop until we get it done,” Levin wrote in his post on Sunday.

Cesar Rodriguez works as a family and marriage therapist at his private practice.

(Nicole Mariona / Daily Titan)

therapists should seek a therapist who can hold their space as it can be nurturing and helpful for them.

In recognizing his mother’s inability to express her anxiety through a different outlet, Rodriguez said that it was instead projected onto him, and he began attending therapy after recognizing his own anxiety.

“And I wouldn’t be able to help other people out if I didn’t learn how to do my own work in therapy,” Rodriguez said.

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bottom block in Jenga.

Rodriguez works at the Kaiser’s Mental Health Psychiatry Department in Diamond Bar under the supervision of Uche Asiodu, the clinical program manager. Asiodu said that Rodriguez’s Latinx cultural experience impacts his treatment by connecting him to patients in the community.

“I think he sets the tone in the department, in terms of wanting to not only create a healthy environment for his patients, but as well as his team members,” Asiodu said.

Before accomplishing his academic goals, he had always struggled in school, first in special education in elementary school and taking 10 years to complete his associate’s degree at Saddleback Community College. He said that the long time it took to complete his degree was due to his anxiety and the negative thoughts affecting his academic journey.

When pursuing his bachelor’s degree, he said his mother was reluctant to support his education and wanted him to start working instead. However, he also said his mother eventually decided to help him pursue his master’s degree.

He added that he believes the Latinx culture puts pressure on men to start working instead of pursuing higher education.

Rodriguez said with the pressure to succeed as a first-generation and with negative thoughts keeping him anxious, he saw the importance of therapists also attending therapy.

He said he learned to recognize his own mother’s anxiety and how it influenced his anxiety. Rodriguez said

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Cesar Rodriguez, firstgeneration therapist, provides peer mentorship to students.

Rodriguez said his interest in counseling was in part due to his experience as a 17-year-old senior in high school dating a girl who was in the foster care system.

He said he wanted to help her but then realized he wasn’t in the right place to do so and there were professionals out there who could.

“So essentially, me becoming a therapist started off with me wanting to fix people,” Rodriguez said. “But throughout my own process of going to

therapy, I realized that I wanted to help people, not fix people, and that was a big learning process.”

Veronica Gonzalez, a psychiatric social worker who has worked alongside Rodriguez at the Diamond Bar office for six months, said he is a very person-centered therapist and uses a “tailor-made approach” when doing intakes and assessments for patients.

“I can honestly say that everybody genuinely enjoys the interactions that we have, you know, he’s always thriving for himself, professionally to follow but also uplifting everyone around him,” Gonzalez said.

Tiffany Nguyen, a graduate student in the marriage and family therapy master’s program at Cal State Long Beach, said she knew Rodriguez for two years as a therapist when she was a mental health worker at a crisis home.

She said Rodriguez was authentic and expressed genuine concern for people suffering with mental illness.

He was also a mentor to her before she applied to the graduate program, Nguyen said.

“He always encouraged me, motivated me and reminded me of my potential when I didn’t see it for myself,” Nguyen said.

Rodriguez said he wishes other families would help their Latinx children pursue higher education.

“I feel blessed to have a master’s degree and I think more people would be having master’s degrees who are Latinos if they had the opportunity,” Rodriguez said.

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4 Lifestyle

WEEK OF MONDAY, OCTOBER 4

Event features alumnus speaking on higher education Osvaldo Sandoval utilized the DACA program to earn his doctorate degree.

NAVTEJ HUNDAL Staff Writer

Through resilience, dedication to higher education and aided by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program Osvaldo Sandoval, assistant professor of Spanish at Colgate University, discussed his experience on the road toward joining the world of academia.

The Titan Dreamers Resource Center and the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures held the “Resilience: Immigrant Voices in Higher Education” event in the southside of the Pollak Library on Sept. 29.

After graduating high school, Sandoval went to community college and then transferred to Cal State Fullerton, and after earning bachelor of arts in 2007 and a master’s degree in 2010 from CSUF, Sandoval said the most difficult challenge for him was waiting until 2012 when the DACA passed in order to apply for a Ph.D. program at Michigan State University.

While Sandoval said DACA can do a lot for people, the program also imposes multiple limitations for its recipients.

When applying for college, Sandoval said he was not allowed to apply as a resident because of the limitations within AB 540.

The bill requires recipients to attend three years of high school in order to apply for college as a resident.

Instead, he had to register himself as an international student, which led him to apply for a few jobs and scholarships to meet the cost of tuition.

After Sandoval received his master’s degree in Spanish from CSUF, he said

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Osvaldo Sandoval adressed how he received benefits from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to further pursue his higher eduction to students this past Wednesday at the Pollak Library. (Navtej Hundal / Daily Titan)

he had to pause his education because he did not have a social security number or financial aid .

“When DACA was approved, that’s when I was able to move on,” Sandoval said.

When he was at Santa Ana College, the school had a close relationship with CSUFal State Fullerton.

“So when I went to talk to my advisers, they recommended Cal State Fullerton. And then when I met the professors and the program from the Modern Languages department, that’s when I knew that this was the right program for me,” Sandoval said. “Even though it was going to be difficult to pay, I knew that I was going to benefit from being here.”

Coordinator of the TDRC, Areli

Castro, said talks about the event started during the summer, as the university prepared to open campus for in-person.

There were uncertainties about the event being in-person and preparation wasn’t finalized until the middle of August, Castro said.

Castro said she learned the importance of people in positions of power or leadership to share their experiences as immigrants, such as Sandoval, to inspire people in similar situations.

Laura Sevilla, a sociology major, said she first heard about the event through social media.

Since Sandoval was attending, she said she saw this as an opportunity to learn about issues that affect those that

are undocumented.

“I very much appreciated all the knowledge that Dr. Osvaldo gave us.

All the insights how we can support undocumented students and more,” Sevilla said.

Sevilla asked about the ways people can support students’ mental health and well-being.

The response she received was to find a community with friends and family that support the individual. She said she plans on attending a future event hosted by the resource center.

Eric Carbajal, associate professor of Spanish American Literature and Culture at CSUF, said he felt that it was appropriate to have Osvaldo at this event since he was in the Spanish program and felt it would encourage

students about his success story.

“It was very inspiring because he faced many walls at different stages of his career and to me, it was inspirational that he found a community of support that kept him going up through those walls. And kept him pushing through his dream of becoming a professor,” Carbajal said.

For Sandoval, he said he wants those who attended the event to gain awareness and pass along information to others regarding DACA. “The human side of every story, I think that is important to consider to know what’s behind the number, the statistics of DACA students to really understand the difficulties that a person, a human being, faces under these status,” Sandoval said.

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5 Lifestyle

WEEK OF MONDAY, OCTOBER 4

Campus orchestra returns after hiatus Student musicians express excitement after performing live at Meng Concert Hall.

ALYSSA ORTIZ Staff Writer

Cal State Fullerton’s University Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kimo Furumoto, returned for their first live performance on Oct. 2 at Meng Concert Hall at CSUF. The orchestra performed four songs: “Le Carnaval Romain” by Hector Berlioz, “Ride of the Valkyries” from “Die Walküre” by Richard Wagner, “Flying Theme” from “E.T. (The Extra-Terrestrial)” by John Willams, and Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74 “Pathetique” by Pyotr IIyich Tchaikovsky.

For the first time in over a year, 73

student musicians, some who played together for the first time, came together to delight an audience once again. Kimo Furumoto, the orchestra director, said that the transition period was a challenge as students went from practicing alone online to performing together.

“It is a challenge, because we’ve been doing so many things online.

Even with music, we’ve done virtual performances,” Furumoto said “So now, when we came back together to get used to how it feels playing in-person, it can be challenging.”

The performers acknowledged the difficulties in transitioning from the last two years as well. First year graduate student, Joshua Allen, plays the Viola in the orchestra and discussed his difficulties playing with others.

“It was new, because like 70% of us haven’t played with each other before.

Normally there’s an overlap, so it was

a pretty big change. I think it was kind of a welcome,” Allen said.

Despite the difficulties up to this point, performance night couldn’t have been better according to international graduate student and viola player Esra Arin.

“It was amazing because it’s been so long since we have performed on a stage. Especially in Meng Hall which is amazing. I’m so happy to be back doing live concerts,” Arin said.

Furumoto said that the performers and the conductor were excited to bring their music to CSUF. “It’s basically been silent to the public for almost two years. It’s triumphant for the wonderful return to live music in a place it’s meant to be with people listening to it,” Furumoto said.

The audience was pivotal to this renewed return to the stage for the orchestra. The orchestra’s previous

performance came in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic, and for a lot of the performers, all they wanted was to play in front of an audience.

“Music, it’s all about audience-performer interaction. So if you’re missing half of that, it’s sort of hard to stay motivated with studies and everything,” Allen said.

Despite the range between each of the songs performed; there was a common favorite throughout the show.

Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 6” was a favorite of Furumoto, Allen and Arin.

“Tchaikovsky is a very, very special piece. It’s a very big piece — very challenging. But it’s pretty amazing to play,” Furumoto said.

The song was performed after intermission and was the perfect piece to set the tone for the rest of the performance. Arin added that the Tchaikovsky was her favorite because

of the emotions and old instruments.

“Symphony No. 6” is a true up and down piece, ranging from dark to bursting moments from each section; keeping the audience on its toes.

In their third performance of the semester from the College of The Arts, the University Symphony Orchestra brought a lively performance to the stage. Being the first to perform in the concert hall with a live audience, the orchestra set the tone for the rest of the musical performances this upcoming semester.

The next performance from the orchestra will be on Nov. 14 at 3 p.m. in Meng Concert Hall. Tickets are sold at the box office as well as online, with a discount for students.

For a full list of upcoming performances and events from the College of the Arts, visit their website at http:// calendar.fullerton.edu/colleges/college-of-the-arts-music.php

it seemed like her only contribution to society was her body and never the content of her thoughts.

Despite this, Li’l Bit has a mind of her own to find a place in society on her own terms.

As the play starts off with a chorus composed by Emma Webber, Dylan Whitaker and Cossette Asenjo, the director was creative in allowing them to sing the music coming out of a car radio, captivating the audience.

The characters Li’l Bit and her uncle Peck (Jeremy Swofford), made the scene believable by using two chairs to represent a moving car, while the sound production created the sound of the car’s ignition.

As Li’l Bit grows up with no father, the main male figure in her life is her uncle who teaches her how to drive, but also provides an unnecessary obstacle in the early stages of her life.

Li’l Bit’s uncle Peck fought in World War ll and came back home with unresolved trauma.

On top of the trauma affecting the whole family, Li’l Bit finds herself at the center of it. Uncle Peck finds consolation in the innocence and acceptance of his niece in times where men aren’t allowed to show their true

feelings. But Uncle Peck wrongfully used his niece to fill the void by sexually abusing her while teaching her to drive.

Heaslip attracts the audience’s sense of pathos with her emotional performance going through the stages of womanhood, while accurately portraying a face of innocence.

The change in lights from a dark light to a brighter light does well to dramatically portray the differences in settings of the play, from Li’l Bit’s monologues to flashbacks of her adolescence.

Heaslip does a phenomenal job at portraying the abused young girl and growing up into a fearless woman standing up against her uncle and her judgmental family.

Swofford acts very well in portraying a pitiful man that people can feel sorry for, but loathe at the same time.

Aside from the play’s triggering themes of sexual assault and incest, the chorus plays a key role in lightening the mood. Li’l Bit’s aunt is very comedical in a soliloquy where she explains to the audience society’s expectations of how women should drink.

As Webber gives Li’l Bit advice on accepting drinks from a man, she’s on

point with acting out the typical 1960’s woman who smokes, without the actual cigarette in hand.

Since she was a little girl, Li’l Bit had to accept her uncle’s weird and very wrong requests to talk to her alone and endure the feelings of sexual tension.

Both Heaslip and Swofford act realistically in the young girl and old man dynamic, with the uncle being sexually frustrated and obsessed with the confused but accepting niece.

Li’l Bit’s grandmother, played by Asenjo, also gives the audience a laugh as she plays the elderly woman who can’t seem to keep up with the times yet, scaring Li’l Bit from trying to explore sex with a man.

Asenjo is comedic in the sense that the audience knows she’s not as old as her character, but can assimilate the demeanor of a frail elderly lady very well.

As the play also shows the process of Li’l Bit’s time growing as a young woman from middle school to a woman in college, it best portrays the thoughts running through a girl’s head during those difficult and embarrassing times.

As the uncle comes looking for his

niece after she leaves home to attend college, he decides to propose to her.

Swofford’s acting is shocking by being the most shameless man in the play.

Heaslip then becomes the strong woman who stands up for herself against the hold her uncle had on her the moment he abused her as a little girl. It’s a part in the play that could definitely make the audience tear up.

The characters’ accents make the audience believe they’re transported from California to Maryland, with their wardrobe complimentary to their demeanor that best shows the essence of the 1960s.

The play takes turns in being comedical to then being suspenseful, almost like a soap opera.

By the end of the play, the audience feels resolved and relieved for Li’l Bit’s character as she decides to continue on with her life, driving while looking at her rearview mirror, looking past her, but never losing momentum in moving toward the life she wants.

“How I learned to Drive,” is a play that will make people tear up in laughter and gasp at their dramatic and thrilling performances that exceptionally plays along to the plot –-- a play worth the two hour runtime.

Review: Coming-of-age play explores childhood trauma

“How I Learned to Drive” is an emotional abuse story that cannot be missed.

NICOLE MARIONA Asst. Editor

Cal State Fullerton’s Department of Theatre and Dance performed ‘How I Learned to Drive’ by Paula Vogel and directed by Jeremy Lewis for the last time on Saturday at the CSUF Arena Theatre.

The play featured an emotional story about an abused adolescent with an all-student cast.

When a young girl learns how to drive, she’s introduced to new life experiences – good and bad.

Nevertheless, she hops in the driver’s seat, cranks up the radio and turns on the ignition, both hands on the wheel.

The simple act of driving means so much for a young girl ready to leave miles behind to reach her desired destination.

The girl in the driver’s seat is known by the nickname her family gave her, Li’l Bit, and she is played by Fallon Heaslip.

Li’l Bit is a 17-year old girl growing up in the 1960s – in a time where

Spooky Food Festival supports women-owned businesses Honey Babe Market organized Halloween popup event featuring Fullerton vendors.

JAMES JOSYLN Staff Writer

The Spooky Food Festival kicked off the month with Halloween-themed food, music and festivities for the whole family on Oct. 2.

Coordinated by Honey Babe Market, the festival gave Fullerton locals a chance to support small, women-owned businesses.

The Spooky Food Festival featured more than 20 local vendors who sold various products such as foods, beverages, desserts, jewelry and clothing.

Festival coordinator and creator of Honey Babe Market, Brenda Ruvalca, said the festival was put together to help small businesses, mostly women-owned, get their name out there.

“We cater mostly to women-led businesses because we think that’s the least represented in the community, and we want to help those businesses rise up,” Ruvalca said.

Tiffeny Chang, owner of Sweets by Tiffeny, said these events help get the word out and grow a social media presence.

Chang was at the Spooky Food Festival to grow her baked goods business by selling banana pudding, mango and cheesecake-flavored cupcakes.

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Attendees like Isaac Rodriguez, 13, took part in various activities at the Spooky Food Festival on Saturday, such as shopping and face painting. (James Joslyn / Daily Titan)

Another booth at the festival was Lacy’s Ponderosa Sunshine Lemonade.

Whitney Pires, owner of the business, made the most of her opportunity as guests lined up all night to taste her homemade lemonade.

Lacy, Pires’ grandma, first created and sold her lemonade at a juke joint she owned in Louisiana.

The Spooky Food Festival gave Pires the chance to further expand and

market their signature lemonade.

“Coming out here and getting the people who are local to here and able to see the lemonade and taste the lemonade and see my face, it’s good for my brand because it allows me to expand,” Pires said.

Aside from supporting small businesses, the food was also a main appeal at the festival.

Guests walked from booth to booth with different treats to try

at every corner.

The event featured delicious desserts from Halloween-themed cupcakes, cookies and beignets to freshly cooked foods such as tamales, corn, pizza and burgers. There was something to satisfy everyone’s appetite, all while locally shopping.

One of the guests, 22-year-old Rose Gomez, said the food was great, but her favorite part was the energetic atmosphere.

“It’s super lively,” Gomez said.

“There’s lots of lights and music, and people having a good time.”

The vibrant atmosphere was due to the great turnout as people showed up to give their support for these small, women-owned businesses. From start to finish, the festival was packed with guests.

“We’ve been at this specific location three or four times now, this one is our best turnout so far,” Ruvalca said. “I think the huge difference was just incorporating family activities.”

The Spooky Food Festival was entirely family-friendly. Parents were encouraged to bring their kids dressed up in their spookiest Halloween costumes.

Besides the treats and face painting, family-friendly music was also offered for the children.

Honey Babe Market started in February, with Ruvalca’s goal being to help other small businesses start up and get off their feet.

Out of the multiple festivals organized by Honey Babe Market, the Spooky Food Festival was their largest turnout yet.

Ruvalca said they started off in Anaheim and have also done events in Mission Viejo and Orange County.

The hope for Honey Babe Market is to continue to grow and allow other small, women-owned businesses to have a platform to market and grow their brand.

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6 Opinion

WEEK OF MONDAY, OCTOBER 4

Column: Enforcing masks creates security Losing a loved one to COVID-19 heightens my anxieties around students and professors that don’t wear a mask.

STEPHENY GEHRIG Editor

In July 2020, I lost my grandpa to COVID-19, which made the virus more villainous and heart-rending.

His abrupt passing put me in a flurried state throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

I was constantly sanitizing everything, I didn’t go shopping and I isolated myself to the point where I was only in contact with my parents and three friends.

Returning to Cal State Fullerton, especially after my encounter with COVID-19, was the scariest monster that I could have faced at that time.

The week before classes began, I stayed up each night until 3 a.m. crying from the fear that I might contract the virus.

I transitioned from a controlled environment, solely interacting with my parents and three friends all of 2020, to being exposed to thousands of students and even some professors who chose not to wear masks in cramped rooms.

Even with Presidential Directive 22, consequences for anti-maskers are not enforced.

Professors have to be the epitome of responsibility and leadership as thousands of students risk their lives to learn every day.

While on campus, I do my best to protect myself — I wear two masks in class, don’t sit close to anyone, avoid being around unmasked students and I am fully vaccinated.

But, feeling free from COVID-19 particles and comfortable in class is not an option.

Syllabi for all classes

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include a blurb regarding wearing a mask while indoors.

In most syllabi, it is stated that if a student does not comply with the directive to wear a mask, then the student will be asked to retrieve a mask or be removed from the class.

Professors who allow them to return to class each session without a mask are only encouraging those students and others who witness that behavior to not comply with the mandate.

But, the syllabi, if not enforced, do not hold value.

They set in place expectations for a professional environment but if they

are not executed, they lack merit.

I can’t leave class whenever I am uncomfortable, anxious or concerned about my health when someone decides not to wear their mask.

Even worse, I can’t leave class when the professors decide to remove their masks to provide a top-notch lecture.

Teaching a superb lecture does not need to be performed maskless.

If it is imperative to be maskless to teach, then there is the option to hold classes online, where professors aren’t in direct contact with their students.

In late August, the Academic Senate approved for the 2021 fall

GABY MENDOZA/ DAILY TITAN

semester that 30% of in-person classes can be taught in an online format.

So far, 75% of students have uploaded their vaccination cards online with CSUF, said Chi-Chung Keung, the director of media and communications at CSUF, in a Daily Titan article.

However, that leaves an unvaccinated population that can spread the delta variant.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “The Delta variant is highly contagious, more than 2x as contagious as previous variants.”

Taking into account that

several students show up to class wearing masks incorrectly, the anxieties and the chances for catching and spreading the virus soar.

According to CSUF’s Presidential Directive 22, “All members of the University community, including contractor’s agents and employees, must comply with the California Department of Public Health’s ‘ Guidance for the Use of Face Coverings’ dated July 28, 2021, including the recommendation that all individuals regardless of vaccination status must wear a face covering indoors, at least until October 31, 2021.”

Mandating masks until Oct. 31 is a step in the right direction for the university as it encourages everyone’s safety while indoors.

However, mandating masks until the end of the semester would be even better.

Further, allowing students to take more classes online would be a viable option for those who feel uncomfortable being in contact with others outside of their bubble.

Losing a cherished and loved relative to COVID-19 made the pandemic even more terrifying.

Returning to school after enduring a pang of loss and seeing faculty and students alike disregarding others’ safety increased my fears.

It is pure negligence on behalf of the university.

But, by disciplining and reporting students to the Dean of Students, CSUF would pave a secure learning environment.

Some professors that nonchalantly dismiss COVID-19’s existence in classrooms would also be held responsible for endangering CSUF students.

The physical health and safety of CSUF students must be accounted for as Titans settle into dicey lecture halls.

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Leisure 7

WEEK OF MONDAY, OCTOBER 4

WRITTEN by Stepheny Gehrig

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ARIES Holding onto things might be what’s holding you back this week. Learning to let go of failed relationships or letting go of relationships that are heavily weighing on you might just be the boost you need to get yourself out of your funk..

TAURUS Sometimes, the things you think of don’t always need to be said aloud. This week, learning to think over things before you speak will prove to be an essential skill that will aid you in the future.

GEMINI Collaborating with those around you can benefit your worklife and your mental health. If you proceed to isolate yourself, you can find that burnout will be right around the corner. Working with others will make you feel less alone, and benefit your work.

CANCER Emotions will be high this week. You might find yourself experiencing lots of mood swings and feeling down in the dumps.

Give yourself a break and take things easy this week.

LEO Learning to juggle all things -- from school to work to social lives -- will be an essential lesson that you will learn this week. You might feel as though everything is being thrown at you all at once, but creating a schedule ahead of time will help lessen that burden for yourself.

VIRGO Virgo, being communicative with others is a lesson that will be on your path this week. The mentality of the phone working both ways, is not beneficial for any relationship. Speaking your mind in an appropriate way will be challenging for you, but it will become easier as the week progresses.

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LIBRA Some choices that you might make can lead to bad karma. Learn to evaluate your own choices and decipher which ones are beneficial to you and those around you. Rather than just viewing your options from one perspective, allow yourself to see from the points of view from everyone involved.

Do you know where Tuffy is?

Follow @thedailytitan and submit your answer on Instagram for a chance to win.

SCORPIO Opening up to those close to you will prove to be essential to improving your close relationships.

You might find yourself shying away from being open with those close to you, but allowing them to know a new side of you will improve the trust in your relationships.

SAGITTARIUS You might be faced with the consequences of your actions this week. Being honest and owning up to those actions, although might be difficult, will prove to be helpful for maintaining your character. Personal growth is in store for you this week, Sagittarius.

CAPRICORN Although you may have been stressed out recently, a week of solace is on the horizon for you. This week will provide that much needed break that you have been looking for. Don’t hesitate to slow things down this week and take some time to yourself.

AQUARIUS You have been adding meaning to things that shouldn’t be meaningful. Whether it is a simple piece of paper or a receipt from hanging out with an old friend, these things can be let go of while you can still hang on to the memory. Try to declutter this week and allow yourself to let go of things that do not serve a purpose.

PISCES You might not be able to find the silver lining in the lessons that face you this week. You might be hit with a heavy week as you face issues regarding family, friends and work, but you might find yourself successfully learning how to efficiently communicate while also learning to put yourself first.

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titan titan titan trivia trivia trivia rivia • When is National Noodle Day? A) October 6 B) October 13 C) October 19 D) October 25 •What is the world record for the largest pumpkin ever grown?

A) 328 lbs B) 645 lbs C) 1543 lbs D) 2624 lbs • How much trash does the average American produce in a day?

A) 1.2 lbs B) 2.7 lbs C) 3.0 lbs D) 4.4 lbs *Answers on bottom of the page

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Delta Sigma Pi Delta Sigma Pi is one of the nation’s largest professional co-ed business fraternity with over 300,000 brothers internationally. Our chapter, Lambda Sigma, currently has 65 brothers who are all business majors with diverse concentrations within the College of Business & Economics. Our pillars are professionalism, community service, and brotherhood. We focus on leadership, networking, scholastic achievement, as well as personal/professional development to prepare our brothers for their future careers. For more information on how to join Delta Sigma Pi, make sure to follow us on Instagram @csufdsp or check out our website www.csufdsp.net!

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8 Sports

WEEK OF MONDAY, OCTOBER 4

Women’s soccer suffers Titans lose to UC San last minute upset Diego on the road

Titans handed loss after a late goal by Cal State Long Beach left the score at 2-1.

NAVTEJ HUNDAL Staff Writer

After losing to Long Beach State, 2-1, Cal State Fullerton women’s soccer extended their losing streak to two on Sunday night at Titan Stadium.

Fullerton’s record for the season is now 4-9 with a conference play record of 1-3.

Long Beach’s record for the season is now 6-4-2. The team now sits in first in the Big West conference at .875.

In the first half, Long Beach played an aggressive offense as they attempted 11 shots. Fullerton, however, played tactically with only four shot attempts.

Long Beach had an opportunity to score the first goal early in the game when forward Aylssa Reyes approached Fullerton’s goal for a shot.

The shot missed and went towards the right of the goal box.

Titan’s goalkeeper DeAira Jackson saved two more shots from Long Beach forward Lena Silano and Reyes and kept Long Beach scoreless.

During the 18th minute, Fullerton was awarded a penalty goal after midfielder Haley Brown was fouled by Long Beach midfielder Mya Daily.

With an opportunity to get on the board, Fullerton’s midfielder and forward Callie Petrey-Juarez successfully converted a penalty kick to give Fullerton a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute.

Petrey-Juarez scored the lone goal for the Titans and her fifth goal of the season as she sits on top of the Titan leaderboard.

Shortly after the kick, Titan Meghan

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Schroh’s shot attempt was unsuccessful in extending Fullerton’s lead.

For the next 25 minutes of the half, all six of Long Beach’s shots went out.

— four of them went out on the top of the goal, while the other two went out right.

Long Beach started off slow in the second half missing their first two shots.

It was not until the 56th minute where midfielder Emily Jauregui assisted Silano, who scored to tie the game that a victory looked possible for Long Beach.

Shortly after Long Beach’s tied goal, defender Kaylee Ramirez’s shot attempt failed to give Long Beach its first lead.

During the match’s next 32 minutes, both teams combined to miss seven shots, four were from Fullerton, while three came from Long Beach.

After a yellow card was called on Fullerton’s midfielder Oliva Peraza, Long Beach had an opportunity to gain the lead and claim the match with about two minutes remaining.

Long Beach’s midfielder Daria Petredes set up a play for fellow teammate and midfielder Jauregui.

Jauregui then passed to Silano who scored the game winning goal for Long Beach.

With less than two minutes left to tie the match, Titan midfielder Karla Rodriguez missed the game-tying shot.

Fullerton will have a chance to end their losing streak at home, on Thursday at 7 p.m., against UC Davis.

Davis currently sits in second place in the Big West conference, while Fullerton will enter the match sitting in eighth on the leaderboard.

San Diego Tritons make Division 1 history as CSUF men’s soccer sits in last in Big West.

HUGO RIOS Asst. Editor

Cal State Fullerton men’s soccer failed to secure a road victory in La Jolla on Oct. 2, as they lost to the UC San Diego Tritons at Triton Soccer Stadium, 3-1.

The Tritons secured their first Big West conference victory since entering Division 1 in 2020.

The two teams entered the match looking to bounce back from disappointing starts to conference play after they both lost their conference openers on Sept. 29.

San Diego started out aggressive on the attack in the first half with midfielder Cory Daley missing a shot out top.

Fullerton had a tough time breaking past San Diego’s defense, with the only real opportunity in the first half coming in the 16th minute from forward Samuel Owusu. Owusu missed the top right corner after a strike from 18 yards out.

The first goal came from a corner kick shot by San Diego’s Cooper Lachenbruch and headed in by defender Jonah Bryan after 38 minutes of play. The Tritons held onto their 1-goal lead heading into halftime.

Both teams showed more discipline to start the second half, as both fouled early in the match and combined for 13 fouls in the first half. The teams only drew six fouls total in the second half.

The Tritons found their stride as opportunities arose from their constant

Sophomore Sebastien Cruz leads the Titans in goals scoring five this season. ( CSUF Athletics)

pressure and counterattacks.

In the 59th minute, a quick steal at midfield translated to a counterattack led by Triton forward John Foltyn, ultimately leading to a ball shot behind goalkeeper Jose Espino that forward Nick Cirrito cleaned up.

The night became worse for the Titans as just three minutes went by before midfielder Mason Haubrich launched the ball from just inside the box to the top corner of the net, and beat the outstretched arms of Espino.

Fullerton continued to fight and eventually their efforts paid off in the 79th minute where the Titans managed to score their first and only goal of the night. Midfielder Sebastian Cruz received a wide-open pass centered by fellow midfielder Omar Yehya to launch the ball in stride past Triton goalkeeper Dominic Peters, who had played excellently until that point.

The game ended with a final score

of 3-1 in favor of San Diego. The Tritons secured their first conference win, but more importantly, their first Division 1 men’s soccer victory.

San Diego is currently sitting at .500 in conference play.

The whistle blew with CSUF remaining winless to start their first two games of conference play, suffering consecutive 2-goal losses against conference opponents in the same week.

Currently in last place in the Big West, the Titans have an overall record of 2-6-2. After 10 games, the team has a goal differential of -8, an opportunity that needs to be addressed if Fullerton wants to make a push for playoffs.

While defensive woes continue to be an issue for the Titans, there is still time for improvement as there is still a lot of season to be played.

CSUF will visit Cal State Bakersfield on Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Main Soccer Field in Bakersfield

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