Week of Monday, April 4, 2022

Monday, April 4, 2022

The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton

Volume 111 Issue 13

Center for Equitable Digital Access celebrates grand opening

President Fram Virjee said CEDA is the next step in equitable learning. (Melanie Nguyen / Daily Titan)

The center provides free technology to students in attempt to bridge the digital divide.

MELANIE NGUYEN Asst. Editor

The Center for Equitable Digital Access held its grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 25 on the second floor of the Pollak Library North.

CEDA is a part of the Division of Information Technology and the Pollak

Library, with the goal to provide technological solutions in order to enhance educational and professional development.

“The day is important for Pollak Library. It’s another instance in which IT and library collaboration contribute to student success. The library is happy to provide a home for CEDA,” said Emily Bonney, dean of Pollak Library.

Faculty, staff, students and parents came to witness the opening, which included speeches from Cal State Fullerton President Fram Virjee, Amir

CEDA speakers cut the ribbon during the grand opening of the center. (Melanie Nguyen / Daily Titan)

Dabirian, the vice president of Information Technology and Josh Mitchell, ASI president.

“Every ribbon cutting offers hope for students. It offers new opportunities and we see that today with CEDA,” Mitchell said.

The ceremony also included a tour of CEDA and its services.

“It’s a dream come true for me,” Dabirian said. “The center is the first of its kind to provide a complete technology ecosystem for our students, including support, training and

setup softwares in their academic missions.”

Virjee said that this is another step in CSUF’s mission toward equitable learning by working to eliminate the digital divide.

“What I love today about this is the creativity about this solution. As our campus identifies an issue, then actively creates an inclusive and equitable solution that helps students that need it most,” Virjee said.

Gabby Guzman Burns, the CEDA director, spoke on the impact of

equitable digital access on learning.

“The integration of technology into the educational system has brought about changes in the style of teaching and learning. Access to technology is critical to student success in and outside of the classroom,” Guzman Burns said.

Ethan Sepulveda, an English major, talked about how critical CEDA could be for students, especially for those who do not have an expendable income.

SEE RESOURCES

2

Softball snags series against UC Riverside CSUF softball’s Saturday doubleheader sweep led to a 2-1 series win over UCR. DAVID GOODKIND Asst. Editor

Antuanett Dean takes a swing at the dish against UC Riverside on April 2 at Anderson Family Field. (Marisa Palmerin-Flores / Daily Titan)

After having its five-game win streak snapped on April 1, the Cal State Fullerton softball team rebounded on April 2 as they swept the UC Riverside Highlanders in a doubleheader to take the series.

After dropping the first game, 155, in five innings, the Titans won in 8-0 in five innings in game one of the doubleheader and capped off the weekend with an exciting walk-off home run for the series win in a 5-4 victory.

After the doubleheader, Hill talked about regrouping after the tough Friday loss and bouncing back for the pair of wins.

“After yesterday, we had a tough loss but Coach Ford got us together and she said ‘we’re going to come back tomorrow; it’s a new day.’ So we came back today, we took it one pitch at a time and we were going to play for each other today and we got two dubs out of that,” Hill said after her walk-off home run on Saturday.

The second game of the

Review: ‘Morbius’ is a vampire story without the bite

WHAT’S INSIDE? VISIT US AT: DAILYTITAN.COM

doubleheader was the only tightly contested game between the two teams over the weekend. The April 1 game featured a rare bad outing for Titans’ Myka Sutherlin, who picked up Cal State Fullerton’s 57th no-hitter in program history on March 26 against Cal State Bakersfield.

The walk-off home run in the final game of the series served as the big finale to a back-and-forth game that ended up going to extra innings.

The Titans found themselves down 2-0 quickly after the top of the first inning, but blitzed Riverside in the bottom of the inning with RBI doubles from Hannah Becerra, Daisy Munoz and Peyton Toto to take a 3-2 lead.

Toto collected a second RBI in the third inning with a base hit to extend the lead to 4-2.

The next half inning was a story of Titans fielding woes, however. In the top of the fourth, a pair of infield errors resulted in two unearned runs for the Highlanders, and the game was once again tied, 4-4.

Both teams had legitimate scoring threats as the game progressed. The Titans left the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth and the Highlanders returned the favor in the fifth inning.

With the game tied at four in the bottom of the eighth inning, Deshea

Hill led off the inning for Fullerton.

Sitting on a friendly 3-1 count, Hill blasted the winning home run over the center field wall and the Titans took the series. Sutherlin picked up the win with four innings of scoreless relief, including getting out of a jam in the fifth inning.

In the first game of the series, Sutherlin only got one out in her start while giving up six runs on four hits and allowed a home run and two walks. Fullerton wasn’t able to stop the bleeding in a 15-5 loss in five innings that saw Titans pitching keep Riverside off the board for only one inning.

Hill hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the first to keep the game close at the time and Jessi Alcala hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning in the loss. The defeat snapped the Titans’ five-game winning streak.

The Titans had a complete turnaround the next day as they began the doubleheader. Raci Miranda took the circle for Fullerton and was excellent, as she struck out three and allowed only two hits in five innings. Despite ultimately invoking the run rule, Miranda’s innings were crucial in what was a tight ballgame until the very end.

SEE PLATE

8

CSUF lacks residency for students facing homelessness

This superhero film lacks a solid story and interesting character development, falling short to its original comic book character.

Despite increasing food accessibility, housing insecurity remains unaddressed, leaving individuals on the streets.

Lifestyle

Opinion

4

6

FOLLOW US: @THEDAILYTITAN

2 News

WEEK OF MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2022

Resources: CEDA CSUF housing reassures provides technology safety concerns for students GENESIS PAVIA Asst. Editor

Despite the recent incident of an unknown male entering a residence in Holly Hall on March 9, Housing and Residential Engagement assure the safety of residents at Cal State Fullerton.

Larry Martin, the executive director of Housing and Residential Engagement, said occurrences like what happened in Holly Hall are isolated incidents that are occasionally reported.

“I can think of one other incident early on in my time when we had an incident of a concern of this nature, and so it definitely is isolated, at least in my experience,” Martin said. “Because overall, we have a very safe campus and community here in student housing, but inevitably we are an open campus, and so things do happen.”

Martin adds that students who live in residential buildings should be monitoring their own access to the buildings. However, Martin also recognizes that there may be guests or friends sometimes invited by the residents.

“I also think if someone’s outside and it looks like they forgot their key, we just let them in, which is, I feel, a bad habit because we’re just nice people,” said Kyla Fausto, a first-year

communication sciences and disorders major.

According to the Housing and Residential Engagement website, guests are allowed in residential areas as long as a resident accompanies them. Residents may have guests stay up to three nights within a two-week period.

“All doors in the residence halls require card access,” Martin said.

“And then once you’re inside, all of the doors on the interior have a swipe plus a keypad where students then have to enter a swipe and/or swipe their card and then enter a personalized pin on every other interior door lock.”

He also said it has been brought to their attention that there has been a misuse of key access that they are working to follow up.

“In an ideal world, you’re entering spaces with your card access at all times for your own safety,” Martin said. “We have record of who’s been entering spaces should we need to follow up.”

Fausto said the dorms also have a deadbolt feature.

“If you still have the card you still have access to open it even if it’s bolted, it still opens it,” Fausto said.

Martin said the deadbolt feature can be convenient for residents when they are inside their rooms.

However, it can also be misused as a way for residents to keep their doors open, Martin said.

“We encourage residents, please do not deadbolt bedrooms, restrooms. It’s the same as propping out exterior doors with rocks or sticks,” Martin said. “That leaves the space open.”

Fausto said after locking your doors properly, residents should be able to hear a click that indicates that the door is locked.

As for the exterior doors, Martin explains that the doors automatically open with a swipe and remain open for Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility.

“It is important because the doors do remain open for accessibility reasons that folks are aware of who may be coming and going at that time,” Martin said.

Card readers on the back doors of residence halls have also been installed to help detour the exterior doors and improve the convenience of residents entering from either side, Martin said.

Since the Holly Hall incident, Martin said that the CSUF Police Department has provided a greater presence inside and outside the residence buildings.

“Students can also call our oncall staff who are in the community throughout the evening and on the weekend and so they can respond as well,” Martin said.

In emergencies, Housing and Residential Engagement encourages residents to contact CSUF PD by calling 911.

CONTINUED FROM

1

“A lot of students rely on the internet. If students can’t get access to a device or the internet, it kind of leaves them out in the dust,” Sepulveda said.

Dabirian said equitable digital access is ensuring that all students can obtain internet connection and materials regardless of socioeconomic status or background.

This need has especially increased during the pandemic with online classes.

“The pandemic confirmed and brought to light the fact that many of our students struggle with access to computers, internet connectivity and software,” said Rommel Hidalgo, the associate vice president of IT. “Our students, who are impacted by the digital divide, no longer have to struggle to get their hands on hardware, software and internet access which are so crucial to participation and contribution in many of their classes.”

Ashwin Naresh, a third-year computer science major at CSUF, said he rented devices from CEDA not only for his schoolwork, but also for his on-campus job at the Student Genius Center.

“I’ve never really faced any problems where I can complain about not having the right resources, whether its for my school life or my student assistant position,”

Naresh said. “Everyone deserves the right to education and everyone deserves the right to the same resources.”

CEDA offers resources and services through the CSUCCESS initiative and the TitanWare programs respectively. CSUCCESS provides resources such as rentals for iPad Air, Apple Pencil and Apple Smart Keyboard Folio. TitanWare provides services such as Microsoft Surface Laptop Go rentals as well as access to different online services.

Other resources through CEDA include Wi-Fi setup, recommended training, data visualization center, digital print services, interdisciplinary college collaboration space, innovation and makerspace center and esports access.

Virjee said that this solution represents hope for the future and this aligns with his personal mission for students to thrive and to impact the community.

“This is at the heart of Cal State Fullerton. This is at the heart of what we do; eliminating barriers for students so that they can achieve their dreams in college,” Virjee said.

Students interested in accessing equipment or services from CEDA can visit the center from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday on the second floor of the Pollak Library North.

GRADUATING? COME TO GRADFEST! YOUR ONE-STOP-GRAD-SHOP.

Photo by Paola Capili

GRAD FEST 2022 •

April 7 • Virtual Q&A 1pm-3pm April 12-14 • In-Person @ Titan Shops 11am-7pm

• Purchase your cap and gown • • Pick up your Alumni Association member tote • • Take grad portraits or schedule an appointment • • Order graduation announcements • • Purchase your class ring • • Connect with other graduation units & vendors • Scan to learn more

bit.ly/csuf-gradfest VISIT US AT: DAILYTITAN.COM

titanshops.com FOLLOW US: @THEDAILYTITAN

News 3

WEEK OF MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2022

Engineering Ambassadors Network encourages future STEM students The CSUF chapter is one of the most diverse of the 32 participating universities.

ZIMRY HERNANDEZ Staff Writer

First row from left to right : Kayden Vu , Vivian Cao , Andrew Jung ; second row from left to right: Eveline Esparza , Annie Talavera Solache, Christopher Jung , Julio Santamaria. (Engineering Ambassadors Network)

Campus events for the week of April 4 Staff Writer

This week offers a variety of events for students to get involved on campus.

Vote for Your Favorite Peep The Pollak Library is hosting its annual Literary Diorama Peeps Contest, where scenes based off of a book have been recreated with peeps. This week, you can visit the library on April 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to vote for your favorite one — the top three will win a prize.

Library’s Pop Up Speakeasy The Pollak Library will have a Pop Up Speakeasy to celebrate National Library Week and Jazz Appreciation Month. Titan musicians will play music and the CSUF Swing Club will be on the dance floor. The event will be happening in Pollak Library North 130 at 3 p.m. on April 5.

Financial Literacy Series: Protecting Your Identity On April 6, Tuffy’s Basic Needs Services is delivering a presentation about protecting your identity online and in person. This event is taking place at Titan Student Union Bradford AB from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Group Spin Titan Recreation is offering a group spin class on April 7 from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. for a cardio workout. Registration will close the day of the event at 6:25 a.m. The class will be at the Spin Studio on the second floor of the Student Recreation Center. You can go to titanrecreation.fullerton.edu to enroll.

Healthy Eating: Let’s Get Fresh with CalFresh Join Tuffy’s Basic Needs Services in a discussion about CalFresh, a food assistance program that can help students purchase healthy food. Learn more about the benefits and how to apply on April 7 at Titan Student Union Bradford AB from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Stay in the loop. @thedailytitan dailytitan.com

VISIT US AT: DAILYTITAN.COM

ADVERTISING

CAYLA LUNA

students who might not have met each other in their classes, and also because they’re from different majors. So you have this interdisciplinary space where the commonalities are to learn about leadership and communication but in the meantime, they’re having fun doing it as well.”

The program consists of several student cohorts who work together on their own presentation, said Vivian Cao, a third-year computer science major. She said that it’s a very collaborative environment. Students

EDITORIAL

participating universities and was started by Pennsylvania State University in 2009. It was originally designed to encourage women to study engineering and was only found in three schools with 12 ambassadors. As of 2017, the program had more than 500 ambassadors and was reaching over 40,000 students nationally.

“And this is a really nice space where students with similar interests come together and build friendships,” Lau said. “Because these are

CONTACT

Cal State Fullertons’ Engineering Ambassadors Network is a program that is dedicated to help engineering and computer science students develop effective public speaking, oral presentation and networking skills.

Karen Lau, co-advisor for the CSUF chapter, said students in the program develop presentations for K-12 students and inspire them to pursue a career in STEM. The goal is to help inspire “underrepresented students to become future engineers and scientists by educating grade school students about what engineering is.”

Lau said that every fall, students involved in the program complete online training workshops from Penn State University where they learn presentation skills based on primary points that will help their presentations stand out from the traditional PowerPoint presentations.

She added that students from different majors are paired together to complete these presentations.

“It’s a lot more work and you have to understand your discipline fields, and work together with a partner to create a presentation that conveys how two different fields can work together,” Lau said.

She added that the program is a national consortium with 32

meet every other Wednesday to continue working on the presentations, as well as give and receive criticism from their peers about what to fix on their presentations.

“It just makes it easier to make friends with each other and have a good time just trying to present and polish each other’s presentations, on the way giving each other ideas and stuff like that,” Cao said.

Aside from helping students develop great presentation skills, the program is also a great social

environment. Annabelle Talavera, a second-year civil engineering major, said that the program has helped her meet other people.

“Being part of (Engineering Ambassadors Network) just has given me the chance to connect with more people and connect with people in STEM that are going through the same things and are interested in similar things that I am interested in. So it’s been fun so far,” Talavera said.

The program’s next event will be on April 9 and will be a part of Experience CSUF Day, which is an orientation event for incoming freshmen.

Lau said students in the program are also involved in events such as “Professor for a Day,” where student ambassadors are given the chance to represent CSUF when they talk with industry professionals, sit-in on board meetings and other social forums. They will also start presenting their presentations to younger students later on in the semester.

Lau said that the CSUF chapter is one of the most diverse chapters of the Engineering Ambassadors Network nationally in terms of race, ethnicity, socio-economic backgrounds and gender.

“I think it’d be a great place for all the students to come and join and see what it’s all about. And also be able to figure out what they want to do for their own long term professional goals,” Cao said. “Because anyone can learn skills like that. A lot of people lack the access to do so.

So we want to make learning more equal for everyone.”

Editor-in-Chief Lily Lopez Managing Editor Anthony Bautista News Editor Spencer Otte News Deputy Amber Juarez News Assistants Elena Hanna Michelle Ibañez Heather Eyre Sinclair Andruska Melanie Nguyen Opinion Editor Vanessa Siguenza Deputy Opinion Nollyanne Delacruz Opinion Assistants Hugo Rios

Sports Editor Marisa Palmerin-Flores Deputy Sports Editor Navtej Hundal Sports Assistants Jeseny Escobar David Goodkind Bryan Corrales Lifestyle Editor Jessica Choi Deputy Lifestyle Editor Eder Ramirez Lifestyle Assistants Genesis Pavia Catherine Norby Tristan Zelden Layout Editor Alexander Alvarado

Copy Editor Stepheny Gehrig Deputy Copy Editor Jessica Bernal Copy Assistants Dimitra Doiphode Stephanie Jasso Michelle Ibañez Photo Editor Jon Buzdar Photo Assistants Connor Hedges Rosemary Montalvo Daniela Navarro De Sanchez

Social Media Editor Jessica Benda Head Illustrator Gabriela Mendoza-Legorreta Illustrator Assistants Cassidy Molina Tiranjini Pillai Marian Lynn Chin Multimedia Editor Matthew Keyser Faculty Adviser Walter Baranger

Director of Sales Isabel Cambiaso Director of Marketing Dakota MacDonald Assistant Director of Sales Tyler Costa Sales Manager Isabela Veloro

Social Media Manager Annie Kuo Marketing Coordinators Chloe Lau Ivan Calderon Lauren Le Accountant Doris Henriquez

Account Executives Kevin Garcia Clerise Yumul Jay Song Senior Graphic Designer Josephine Tang Graphic Designer Allison Nishi

Distribution Manager Brianna Rodriguez Distribution Coordinators Omar Lopez-Deniz Aurora Chavez Faculty Adviser Michelle Kurland

Editor-in-Chief News Line Sports Line Advertising

(657) 278-5815 editorinchief@dailytitan.com (657) 278-4415 news@dailytitan.com (657) 278-3149 sports@dailytitan.com (657) 278-4411 ads@dailytitan.com

FOR THE RECORD It is Daily Titan policy to correct factual errors printed in the publication. Corrections will be published on the subsequent issue after an error is discovered and will appear on page 3. Errors on the Opinion page will be corrected on that page.

Corrections will also be made to the online version of the article.

Please contact Editor-in-Chief Lily Lopez at (657) 278-5815 or at editorinchief@dailytitan.com to report any errors.

© COPYRIGHT DAILY TITAN 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The Daily Titan is a student publication, printed every Thursday through Thursday. The Daily Titan operates independently of Associated Students, Inc. College of Communications, CSUF administration and the CSU. The Daily Titan has functioned as a public forum since inception.

Unless implied by the advertising party or otherwise stated, advertising in the Daily Titan is inserted by commercial activities or ventures identified in the advertisements themselves and not by the university. Such printing is not to be construed as written or implied sponsorship, endorsement or investigation of such commercial enterprises. The Daily Titan allocates one issue to each student for free.

FOLLOW US: @THEDAILYTITAN

4 Lifestyle Game

REVIEW

The newest entry in the Kirby series levels up the visuals but lacks challenge.

CHRISTIAN AGUILAR-GARCIA Staff Writer

Fans of Nintendo’s bottomless pink puffball Kirby rejoice as he makes a new full-featured 3D platform appearance in Kirby and the Forgotten Land on the Nintendo Switch.

In Kirby and the Forgotten Land, players take on the role of Kirby, the iconic and insatiable hero of Dream Land, who is on a new adventure set in a mysterious and abandoned Earth-like world where nature has overtaken the surrounding buildings and structures, and an abundance of formidable enemies and bosses await to challenge your reflexes.

After Kirby and his friends are sucked into a new dimension by a wormhole, Kirby sets out to rescue his friends and explore the mysterious circumstances that have landed him in a strange and foreign new land.

WEEK OF MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2022

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is adorable and easygoing Fans will feel right at home with the inclusion of Kirby’s unparalleled suction powers and the floating jumps that are a mainstay of his arsenal of moves and tricks. Also making an appearance is the variety of power-ups that Kirby gains from absorbing enemies and classic forms such as the fire and hammer abilities.

New for Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the inclusion of “Mouthful Mode,” a new game mechanic that enables Kirby to partially engulf everyday items such as cars, vending

machines, traffic cones and light bulbs to gain an entirely new set of movements and combat abilities.

While fans of Nintendo games may see a resemblance in gameplay to a particular red hat-wearing plumber’s latest escapade, the integration of “Mouthful Mode,” along with the classic Kirby abilities and power-ups, keeps the game feeling fresh while offering some genuinely hilarious moments for players.

Speaking of gameplay, Kirby and the Forgotten Land marks the pink

puffball’s public debut in a 3D world.

Whereas previous mainline platforming entries in the series were primarily a 2D affair, Forgotten Land makes full usage of the 3D setting to enable Kirby to run, jump and fight his way through beautifully rendered environments that are at times a sharp contrast from the usual backgrounds Kirby finds himself in.

Gameplay in Forgotten Land consists largely of exploring and completing linear levels in a variety of worlds to rescue Waddle Dees and collect stars to upgrade Kirby’s abilities. As Kirby, you’ll spend your time fighting enemies and bosses to unlock new areas to explore, all while making use of your new “Mouthful Mode” to traverse levels in new ways. As a bonus, the more Waddle Dees you rescue, the quicker you’ll unlock a hub area appropriately known as Waddle Dee Town where you can buy upgrades, mini-games and new abilities from the inhabitants.

Combat feels engaging and exciting, thanks in part to the various power-ups Kirby can acquire. The game is filled with that classic Kirby aesthetic that fans have grown to love, and both Kirby fans and newcomers alike should have no trouble finding something they like in Forgotten Land.

While the formula of Forgotten Land may seem simple and repetitive on paper, the inclusion of a harder difficulty mode called “Wild Mode,” alongside hidden unlockables that appear upon completion of other objectives, offer a decent level of replayability. It should be noted that while Forgotten Land is by no means a challenging game once you’ve discovered how to make use of the various tools at your disposal, the game is most certainly aimed towards younger gamers or those seeking a casual experience.

Ultimately, the main appeal of Kirby and the Forgotten Land lies within the emphasis developers at Hal Laboratories placed on exploration. The focus on discovery, alongside the shift to 3D and the willingness the team seemingly had towards examining what worked in previous titles, ranks Forgotten Land high on the list of Kirby games.

Whether you’re looking for something genuinely adorable to dive into or you’re a longtime fan eager to join Kirby on his newest adventure, Kirby and the Forgotten Land offers something for those searching for a 3D action platform with a ton of charm.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is available now on the Nintendo Switch.

(Nintendo)

Movie

REVIEW

Marvel and Sony’s collaboration lacks a strong story and originality.

MATTHEW KEYSER Editor

After many delays, Marvel Entertainment and Sony Pictures’ “Morbius” finally hit theaters this past weekend. Directed by Daniel Espinosa, Sony’s next attempt to expand on its shared Spider-Man Universe fails to captivate by relying heavily on CGI action scenes and providing a story with low energy and even lower stakes.

The film, which is based on the Marvel comic and anti-hero with the same name, continues Sony’s trend of establishing Spider-Man spinoffs from the heroes’ catalog of supporting characters and villains. But much like 2018’s “Venom” and its 2021 sequel “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” the film neglects establishing or mentioning the wall-crawler in order to illustrate Morbius as a stand-alone character.

“Morbius” fails to deliver on what could have been a potentially good comedy-horror film for the superhero genre, due in part to a messy script and choppy editing. The film hastily skips important character development moments and stumbles through itself from beat to beat leaving little room for fun.

Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) is a brilliant biochemist who suffers from a rare chronic blood disease. Morbius has dedicated his life’s work to finding a cure for himself and childhood friend Milo (Matt Smith), who also suffers from the same blood disorder.

The film establishes the characters’ VISIT US AT: DAILYTITAN.COM

‘Morbius’ fails to bridge the superhero genre with comedy-horror friendship with flashbacks of them as children. After saving his life at a young age, Morbius develops a brotherhood with Milo and the two grow up close.

Morbius has found fame and success developing a synthetic blood that has revolutionized the medical industry.

His achievements allow him to embark on a radical experiment to find a cure for his and Milo’s disorder.

As set in the film’s opening, Morbius travels to Costa Rica to collect vampire bats whose DNA he believes holds the answer to the cure. After isolating elements of bat DNA and mixing it with his own, things go horribly wrong and he is transformed into a “living vampire.”

Now equipped with the abilities and enhanced physiology of a bat, Morbius learns to hone his new powers while attempting to sustain his uncontrollable urge to feed on blood. Things start to get complicated when Morbius finds out that Milo has taken the same “cure” for himself and unlike Morbius, embraces his newfound powers and lust for blood.

A big problem with “Morbius” is the story’s pacing. The film rolls through moments and character development without giving it enough time to flesh out. A good example is the relationship between Morbius and his colleague, Martine Bancroft (Adria Arjona). Although the two have admiration and respect for one another, the film doesn’t give their relationship enough time to let their romantic interest in one another fully develop.

Jared Leto does his best to breathe life into an already unknown comic book character but is weighed down by the story’s writing, which gives

(Sony Pictures & Marvel Entertainment)

its main protagonist very little to say throughout the film.

The film also wastes the talent of its supporting cast. Jared Harris, who portrays Dr. Emil Nicholas — a mentor and father figure to Morbius and Milo — comes and goes throughout the film just to fill the exposition

of reminding both characters of who they are. FBI partners Simon Stroud (Tyrese Gibson) and agent Rodriguez (Al Madrigal) tire out the serious cop versus goofy cop cliche in which their purpose is to show up at every crime scene and chase Morbius throughout the film.

The only person that really shines is Matt Smith as Milo. Smith allows himself to embrace in the darkness and fun after his character’s transformation, allowing him to steal the scene from any character he interacts with.

Unfortunately, the only problem with Milo is we don’t fully understand why he’s gone bad. When a character goes through a transformation, the audience needs to know who they were before in order to engage their emotions. The film fails to show this key moment, which leaves the audience to wonder if Milo was really even a bad person.

Overall, “Morbius” isn’t a horrible film but it lacks creativity and imagination. It recycles the same superhero origin story but rushes it in order to showcase its CGI and action scenes which aren’t anything exciting or original. The fight scenes between Leto and Smith are quick and leave few questions as to who is the strongest between the two.

Its PG-13 rating dilutes its potential to go full-on horror, showing very little blood or gore for a movie whose two main characters continuously murder and feed on people throughout.

“Morbius” tries to play on the vampire genre but fails to deliver; instead it focuses on the superhero aspect of the character while constantly poking fun at old vampire tropes.

The film’s ending leaves little to expand upon in this franchise and its mid-credit scenes tries to entice audiences by setting up more in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, but only convolutes what was already established at the end of “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”

There’s potential for Marvel to make a great comic book horror film; sadly, “Morbius” isn’t the film to deliver it.

FOLLOW US: @THEDAILYTITAN

Lifestyle 5

a sy c e e re

s ea

bre w

d ol

Th

WEEK OF MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2022

cof f ee id

(CASSIDY MOLINA / DAILY TITAN)

CAYLA LUNA Staff Writer

Developing a go-to cold brew coffee that you can make from home is pretty simple. It’s even easier when you purchase pre-packaged cold brew. With the following coffee concoctions any pre-made cold brew can be used, but I recommend Califia Farms cold brew, which can be found at Target. Try out these recipes and you’re bound to find something that will make your taste buds happy.

What’s the difference between cold brew and iced coffee?

Though cold brew and iced coffee are both caffeinated, the main difference is how they’re prepared. Iced coffee is regularly brewed and then served over ice, while cold brew takes longer to make.

To make cold brew, coarse-ground coffee is steeped in cold water for a minimum of 12 hours.

The coffee will get stronger the longer it sits. The grounds are filtered out after it’s done steeping, leaving a coffee-concentrate to mix with ingredients, like milk. In the end, it’s usually not as acidic and bitter as iced coffee.

The amount of time and patience it takes to make cold brew is what makes it delicious and popular.

Honey cinnamon iced latte If you’re someone who prefers sweeter coffee, this one’s for you. This recipe includes a honey cinnamon simple syrup that’s perfect for hot or cold coffee.

Time: 10 minutes Ingredients: Simple Syrup ¾ cup of water ¾ cup of honey 3 cinnamon sticks 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract Ice cubes Whole milk or half and half Sprinkle of ground cinnamon Cold brew Instructions: To make the simple syrup, combine the water, honey and cinnamon sticks into a small saucepan.

Heat at medium-high and frequently stir until the honey is completely dissolved into the water.

When the mixture comes to a boil, turn the heat down and let it simmer for five minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Let the mixture completely cool, then take the cinnamon sticks out.

Pour ¾ cup of cold brew over ice in a glass, add ¼ VISIT US AT: DAILYTITAN.COM

cup of milk and 1 tablespoon simple syrup.

5. Mix and combine.

Sprinkle cinnamon on top.

Serve immediately.

Cold brew latte This cold brew latte is refreshing, strong and made for anyone who wants something quick and simple. It’s made with an equal amount of cold brew and frothed milk.

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients: ½ cup of cold brew ½ cup of milk or milk alternative Ice cubes Optional: a sweetener Instructions: Froth your milk and create cold foam.

Fill a tall glass halfway with ice cubes and pour the cold brew.

If desired, add a sweetener.

Pour the cold foam on top.

Vanilla sweet cream cold brew This recipe leaves you with the perfect amount of sweetness, ensuring the coffee taste is not lost. Surely, you’ll appreciate this perfect balance.

Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 4 cups of cold brew ½ cup of heavy cream ¼ cup of milk or milk alternative ½ of a vanilla bean 1–3 teaspoons of simple syrup Pinch of salt Ice Instructions: To make the vanilla sweet cream, use a butter knife to scrape out the paste from ½ a vanilla bean.

Place the cream, milk, vanilla bean paste, simple syrup and salt into a mason jar.

Cover the jar and shake until the ingredients are combined.

In order to make the vanilla sweet cream into foam, use a frother for 15-30 seconds until foamy.

Fill a glass with ice and Pour 1 cup of cold brew coffee.

Pour ¼ cup of the vanilla sweet cream on top of the cold brew and use a tall stirring spoon to combine the cold brew and sweet cream.

Serve immediately.

Store extra sweet cream in an airtight container and place it in the fridge, where it’ll last up to three days. Start with less simple syrup and add more as you see fit.

FOLLOW US: @THEDAILYTITAN

6 Opinion

WEEK OF MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2022

Students facing homelessness need stable housing CSUF lacks a sustainable system to shelter people and ensure academic success.

TIM PETERSEN Staff Writer

Homelessness is a persistent problem in the United States. To effectively facilitate success in higher education, student homelessness has to be curbed in America.

Pursuing higher education is challenging, even if students have access to food and shelter. Maintaining a fulltime college schedule while heaving the uncertainty of homelessness is a burden that Cal State Fullerton needs to help eradicate.

According to a 2021 study from CSUF’s Health Equity for All Lab, it defines homelessness as “lacking a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence even for one night.”

Additionally, a 2020 UCLA study found that 1 in 10 Cal State University students were experiencing homeless.

The study also states that college students experiencing homelessness have lower GPAs and have a higher chance of dropping out altogether. The study also found a connection between food insecurity and students experiencing homelessness.

CSUF and the CSUs need to ensure that students experiencing homelessness have equitable access to the same level of resources as their peers to attain educational success. Access to food and academic support is necessary for homeless college students’ future growth.

To enable success for students in need, CSUF offers services through its Tuffy’s Basic Needs programs. For instance, the Associated Students food

VISIT US AT: DAILYTITAN.COM

pantry is a shining example of how CSUF is supporting students facing homelessness.

“Our goal is to serve students who are facing food insecurity here on campus,” said Jeff Fehrn, director of the Titan Student Union.

Fehrn said the food pantry launched on Aug. 23, 2021 and has served 1,362 unique students in total as of March 23. The ASI food pantry is open Monday through Friday, where students can make an appointment for a visit once a week.

Fehrn added that the food pantry will remain open during the summer, and with this being their first summer session, they will make necessary adjustments as needed.

“Food insecurity isn’t something that goes away when some s t u dents leave the campus, so we’re going to be sure to be open during the summer,” Fehrn said.

“But we’re always looking for new things and new ways to do things.”

With the pantry running through the summer, students experiencing food insecurity can count on this service to provide a stable food source.

Reliability and stability in the services that CSUF provides are a priority to ensure that students who experience homelessness do not trail behind in security and academic achievement rates.

However, if students do not have a space to store and cook the food, it does not do much good. Thus,

services including housing assistance need improvement. Although Tuffy’s Basic Needs Services does provide temporary housing, it is a brief solution to what could be a prolonged issue.

Victoria Ajemian, the center’s coordinator, said that approved students are provided temporary housing for up to two weeks in the resident’s hall on campus. However, she added that students can only receive housing assistance once during their time at CSUF. “We have limited spaces available, so it’s an effort to be equitable to students who are seeking temporary housing,” Ajemian said. “If they are placed in temporary housing, during that time, we are providing students access and information about longterm housing resources.”

While long-term housing is not an easy problem to solve, it is worthy of effort. The data from UCLA shows that instability in housing negatively impacts students. A twoweek pause in that uncertainty is not enough to provide the stability needed to succeed at the CSU level.

It can be argued that allowing students temporary housing once during their time at CSUF allows for students in need to fairly receive housing, but it does not do enough for people who are continuously homeless.

A better support system must be implemented to be

deemed equitable. Housing students for a longer period and other forms of additional support can address this problem.

The Governor’s Budget Summary for 2022-23 addresses affordable student housing. In the budget, $500 million is allocated to California’s public colleges and universities to construct housing for students in need. Additionally, the budget allows schools to apply for one-time grants, which fund the conversion of commercial buildings into residential housing for low-income students.

Whether on campus or off campus, increasing housing capacity is vital to assisting students in need.

CSUF is doing a great job of providing consistent access to food for students in need.

However, finding a long-term solution for housing needs to be a priority to tackle student homelessness.

In time, housing stability would generate a motivating and prosperous learning environment for CSUF students who experience homelessness.

(CHRISTINA LAVAPIE / DAILY TITAN)

FOLLOW US: @THEDAILYTITAN

Leisure 7

WEEK OF MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2022

WRITTEN by Stepheny Gehrig

Sponsored by

03/2104/19

04/2005/20 Follow @thedailytitan and submit your answer on Instagram for a chance to win

05/2106/20

06/2107/22 I

O

X F

Z L Y K N Y

Y Z

L I

O E E R H A

Z T

Y

X

V

Z

Y

R

C W R

L

T Q M B V

A G U M K

X N X O E

N A P F J T Y E J A L O H G C P J R O B S S O L B R L C X K F U I P

F

F

L

O

April Bunny

L

D G A A A A

J

H H G S

Tax Blossom

C

O Fool Earth

07/2308/22

08/2309/22

ARIES Let your imagination run free this week. You might find that daydreaming and imagining can lessen your stressors.

09/2310/22

TAURUS This week, you might feel overwhelmed and need a break. Find an outlet for your stress. Try going on walks or pick up a new hobby.

GEMINI This week, you’ll find that you feel more free than ever.

The burdens that you felt were holding you back are lessened and you’ll feel liberated. This week will be enlightening for you, Gemini.

CANCER Going into the week, you might find that you’re misplacing everything. It might cause you to become more frustrated and irritated. To keep track of essentials like keys and your phone, make sure to put it in its home.

LEO Leo, this week will be full of fun and energy. There will be opportunities to socialize this week. Take those opportunities to network, get your name known and also make new friends.

VIRGO Some alone time might be what you need this week, Virgo. Going out and socializing can be too much sometimes, but having time to yourself can help replenish your social battery. Give yourself a spa day and take care of yourself this week.

10/2311/21

11/2212/21

12/2201/19

01/2002/18

02/1903/20

LIBRA This week, others might point out that you are getting too involved in other people’s lives. You might be meddling in a relationship or even trying to find out more information so you can gossip, but it’ll lead you down a treacherous path. Be careful with your actions.

SCORPIO Scorpio, this week will be full of arguing and fighting.

Those around you might bring up your past decisions to start an argument. Remember during difficult times to take deep breaths and aim for successful communication rather than arguing.

SAGITTARIUS This week will be simple. You’ll find yourself easily communicating with others and working on your goals. You will find a balance between work and social life that will suit your schedule for the week.

CAPRICORN This week, you might find yourself falling behind on tasks. Whether it is tasks around the house, or big projects, you’ll find yourself getting overwhelmed. This week try to practice mindfulness to ease your stress.

AQUARIUS You will be dreaming big this week, Aquarius. You’ll find yourself full of ambition as you enter into this week. Use this ambition to set new goals and set out for new achievements.

PISCES This week, you might feel more emotional than usual. You might be faced with a tougher week as your emotions can get the best of you. Keep others updated about your feelings and let those close to you know when you are having a bad day. Open communication can help with any issues that may arise.

Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) PRSSA is a nationally affiliated pre-professional student organization that provides students seeking a career in the PR and communications field with hands-on experience and knowledge. On April 8th and 9th, PRSSA will host the Western District Conference. This two-day virtual event offers attendees insightful panels about DEI, interactive breakout rooms, workshops, and networking opportunities with professionals from LinkedIn, HyperX, Universal Music Group, and many more! We invite you to join us for this exciting event and take advantage of this learning opportunity!

For your club or organization to be featured, email production@dailytitan.com with photo(s) and a description with no more than 125 words.

SC ORE: player 1:

player 2:

VISIT US AT: DAILYTITAN.COM

FOLLOW US: @THEDAILYTITAN

8 Sports

WEEK OF MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2022

Track and field set school records in Stanford NAVTEJ HUNDAL Deputy Editor

After placing first in seven events in Los Angeles last week, Cal State Fullerton’s track and field team added three more firstplace finishes at the Stanford Invitational this past weekend.

Christan Wood continues his sensational season as he narrowly finished in first place in the men’s long jump invite after passing UC Berkeley’s Hakim McMorris by .01 meters with a leap of 7.59 meters.

Wood won his third overall event in the outdoor season thus far.

Despite a slow start, Justin Lowe sprinted towards a substantial lead to come out with back-to-back wins in the men’s 400-meter dash, dating back to last week. He finished with a time of 47.20 seconds, 0.14 seconds ahead of Rikuya Ito. Maya Occanio barely secured top placement in the women’s 400-meter hurdles after slowing down significantly toward the finish line, finishing with a time of 1:00.31.

Her time for the event is now the third-best in the Big West Conference this season.

The Titans failed to place first in any events afterward, but those shortcomings would be overshadowed by new personal records set by athletes who made their way into the program’s record books or the conference’s best this season.

In the men’s 400-meter hurdles, Matt Cohen recorded a new personal best time of 52.62 seconds to secure a second-place finish. His time is also now the eighth in the Titans’ all-time list for the event.

The men’s 4x400 meter relay team finished second for the event

in heartbreaking fashion for the Titans.

Leading for the majority of race, it was the Titans’ to win until North Dakota’s Cody Roder turned up the heat in the final 100 meters to stay neck and neck with Justin Lowe.

With both runners falling to the finish line, it seemed a tie was possible but North Dakota was declared the victor as Fullerton’s time of 3:09.78 was outpaced by 0.02 seconds.

In the women’s 4x100 meter relay, the Titans finished in third place despite a slip-up during the first baton handoff. Ending with a time of 46.56 seconds, Fullerton holds the conference’s fourth-best time for the relay event.

In her second-place finish in the women’s triple jump, Sela Pastrana’s jump of 12.58 meters now ranks the second-best in the conference.

Coming off of a win in the men’s 400-meter hurdles last week, Charles Kelly finished in second place in what was a highly contested men’s 110-meter hurdles from start to finish.

Shallamar Poole leaped 2.05 meters for second place in the men’s high jump, while Alexis Vincent-Walker hopped 1.60 meters for second place in the women’s high jump.

Alonzo Floriolli continues to add to the Titans’ shortcomings with a third-place finish in the men’s 100-meter dash. Kyleigh Wilkerson threw to third place in the women’s discus throw, reaching 44.32 meters.

Fullerton will travel to Long Beach State for the Challenge Cup Classic on April 8.

Elena Shipillis ran in the women’s 100-meter hurdles in the Ben Brown Invite at Titan Track Complex on March 12. (Navtej Hundal / Daily Titan)

Plate: Titans earn walk-off victory in final game of series 1 Alcala singled in a run in the bottom of the second inning and Munoz singled in a run in the bottom of the third for a modest 2-0 lead. That would be all the scoring for either side until the fifth inning.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Titans loaded the bases with two outs.

From there, Fullerton shelled Riverside pitching. Toto doubled down the left field line for two RBIs and CONTINUED FROM

Alcala followed with a two-run single to center, making it 6-0 for Fullerton.

With two runners in scoring position, Kika Ramirez ended the game with a double that scored both runners and cemented the 8-0 Fullerton victory.

The walk-off momentum carried into the second game of the doubleheader as Hill had her own game-winner to finish a

successful series against a conference opponent.

The Titans are now tied for first with the University of Hawai’i in the Big West Conference with a 7-2 conference record and a 22-13 overall.

Now riding the momentum of back-to-back wins, Fullerton will take the field at Cal State Northridge for a three game series beginning April 8. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Third baseman Hannah Becerra reaches for the ball against UC Riverside on April 2. (Marisa Palmerin-Flores / Daily Titan) VISIT US AT: DAILYTITAN.COM

Tennis win streak ends vs. UC Davis Cal State Fullerton went undefeated in March before getting swept 4-0 on Saturday at the Marya Welch Tennis Center.

MATTHEW KEYSER Editor

The eight game win streak for Cal State Fullerton’s tennis team came to an end against UC Davis in a 4-0 shutout loss on April 1 at the Marya Welch Tennis Center.

This loss puts CSUF at 13-4 overall for the season, 3-2 in the Big West Conference, with Davis sitting on an 11-7 overall record.

The Titans lost three out of six singles matches and left the other three unfinished.

Senior YuSeung Suh took on Davis’ senior Sarah Tsukamoto and lost in a straight set, 6-3, 6-1.

Titan sophomore Natalie Duffy won her first set against Aggie junior Yana Gurevich, 6-2, but failed to keep up the momentum in the second set as Gurevich won 7-5. The third set was unfinished.

Aggies freshman Arianna Stavropoulos beat Titan sophomore Juliette Daries in a straight set of 6-2, 6-0.

Davis freshman Michelle Zell lost to Fullerton freshman Mariia Nikitash in the first set, 6-1, but came back in the second set, 6-2. Both players’ third match was unfinished.

Fullerton freshman Kaytlin Taylor struggled against Aggies sophomore Kristina Evloeva in another straight set, 6-4, 6-2.

Titan graduate Eira Tobrand went against Aggie freshman Olive Maunupau and won the first set, 6-3. The two women tied in the second set 5-5, and had an unfinished third set.

In doubles, the Aggies earned all three victories by identical scores.

Gurevich and Stavropoulos battled Suh and Duffy, and won the match, 6-3.

Daries and Tayor faced Zell and Davis’ Carly Schwartzberg, but fell, 6-3.

In the final doubles match, Tobrand and Camila Garcia lost to Davis’ Sara Tuskamoto and Lauren Ko, 6-3.

The Titans will play their final road game of the regular season against Long Beach State on April 8. They will then host a four-game homestead before the Big West Championships on April 28.

FOLLOW US: @THEDAILYTITAN