Daily Titan | May 1, 2023

Fullerton o cials at odds as city anticipates $19 million deficit

Softball extends win streak to 11

JEREMY JIMENEZ Sta Writer

Cal State Fullerton’s softball team has now won 11 straight games after sweeping Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in a three-game series away over the weekend.

Dominant pitching has highlighted the Titans' winning streak, including six shutouts and three games in which the team only allowed one run.

Before play on Friday, Rainey owned a 1.11 ERA, which was good for 10th best nationwide, while counterpart Sutherlin’s 1.46 ERA was ranked 27th. Sutherlin’s 185 strikeouts also placed her at 14th in the country for that category.

LUIS LEMUS

Sta Writers

As Fullerton struggles to find new ways to generate revenue and retain staff to sustain its programs, the city lacks a clear path to financial recovery as city hall officials project the budget to decline over the next five years.

According to the Fullerton city

management’s proposed budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the city expects an $8 million operating surplus. However, the city projected a $19 million deficit within the next five years.

Fred Jung, the mayor of Fullerton, said the city council left several positions vacant in order to minimize city expenses, such as the parks and recreation director position and the transportation and circulation commission.

The Fullerton city manager, Eric Levitt, said competing with salaries offered by other states is part of the staffing struggle.

“We have been a little bit on the lower end, as far as market comparisons with our salaries compared to other states,” Levitt said.

The director of parks and recreation in Fullerton was paid the fourth lowest in the state of California, according to the California Controller's data from 2021. Fullerton’s director of parks and recreation was paid about $86,000 in salary and benefits. The next highest-paid parks and recreation director was in Tustin, who was paid about $508,000 more than the Fullerton parks and recreation director.

Another ongoing issue within the city is keeping up with the increase of pension cost for previous and current employees.

Over the next few decades as city employees begin to retire, Fullerton will need to pay out their pensions.

Fullerton is a high-risk city when it comes to pension obligations, according to the auditor of the state of California. As of last fiscal year, the city’s total unpaid pension liability totals just under $283 million.

SEE FUNDS 2

Arab American culture shines at Glow Night

LUIS VIZCAINO Sta Writer

Throughout April, SWANA hosted four events to celebrate Arab American heritage, ending off the month with a night of fun and food at the Becker Amphitheater on Thursday. Between 150 and 200 attendees came out to celebrate the occasion with cultural food and music.

“We decided to call it ‘Glow Night’ to bring light to the culture, the community, the traditions, the rich history and everything Arab Americans have contributed to American society,” said Mary Chammas, co-president and founder of the SWANA organization at Cal State Fullerton.

Belly Dancers OC came to entertain students during the night event, inviting them to dance towards the end of their performance. The performers’ participation in the event

comes as a change to SWANA’s regular dabke performance, a traditional Arab line or circle dance involving stomping.

“We’ve done dabke every year, we actually have it every fall semester, so since it’s spring semester we wanted to do something di fferent, just a di fferent twist on Arab heritage,” said Aya Boukai, vice president of SWANA.

“I really enjoyed the belly dancing, I thought that was really cool and a cool way to represent the culture and the food’s really good,” said Juwairya Mayet, a business administration major and member of SWANA.

At the beginning of the event, people signed in and lined up for free shawarmas from Shawarma Loca, a dish of Turkish descent cooked by layering meats and cooking them upright on a rotating skewer and served on a pita bread.

A vendor from Little Arabia in

Santa Ana, Victory Sweets, provided fresh Lebanese knafeh, a treat with a baked crust and sweet syrup on top of a bed of cheese, with kaak, sweet sesame bread. Knafeh can be served alone or sandwiched between the kaak.

Students from other universities came to join CSUF SWANA at the celebration of Arab heritage. Omar Shafik is a business major student and part of the Middle Eastern Student Association at Cal Poly Pomona, who came to CSUF to partake in the cultural celebrations.

“I think it’s amazing, honestly, set up really nicely. The food was great, the music was good, and I really liked the photo booth,” Shafik said.

SWANA has been an organization on campus for five years, acting independently and functioning as an umbrella organization for nine other SWANA-related student groups and organizations.

“On campus, we don’t really have any campus planned events or heritage months events,” said Talia Boukhalil, co-president of SWANA. “For example, the campus usually puts on women’s heritage month events or Indigenous month, but they don’t do that for our community.”

Earlier this month, Fullerton council member Ahmad Zahra proclaimed the month of April as Arab Heritage month for the city, presenting a certificate to members of SWANA. On April 13, 2023, a bill was proposed to the State Assembly to recognize every April as the official Arab Heritage month in California.

With all these advances being made to honor the Arab community, the SWANA organization has not been slowing down and has been pushing for the creation of a resource center for SWANA students on campus since 2018, which is finally said to open in fall 2023.

Coming off of three straight Pitcher of the Week honors, Suthlerlin did not allow an earned run in either of her starts against the Mustangs, both resulting in a Titans' victory. Sutherlin improved her record to 17-7 and has won each of her last eight appearances on the mound.

In her start on Friday, Rainey labored through a tough third inning in which she allowed three runs. However, she bounced back by not allowing another run the rest of the way, improving her season record to 8-4.

The three runs allowed in this game were the most runs allowed by the Titans at any point during their 11 game winning streak.

Offensively, outfielder Bailey Wallace had a breakout performance at the plate on Friday. Wallace notched her first three-hit performance of the season, highlighted by her first collegiate home-run in the third inning. Wallace finished with a team-high five RBIs over the course of the series.

The Titans remain in first place in the Big West standings, a position they have held since their series sweep against UC San Diego two weeks ago.

Looking ahead, the Titans’ final two series of the regular season come against two top competitors in the Big West, Long Beach State and Hawaiʻi. Hawaiʻi will visit Anderson Family Field on Friday for the beginning of a three-game series. First pitch is set for 6 pm.

Alex Pelayo (left), a barista at Night Owl Cafe in downtown Fullerton, said that the pandemic forced small businesses to cut costs to o set fees.

MARGARET TREJO / DAILY TITAN

Fund: Employees concerned over city's financial state

However, employees in Fullerton’s businesses are also feeling the financial pressure. Alexa Pelayo, a barista at Night Owl Cafe, said ever since the pandemic, the way small businesses are run has been different.

"In every single way, I see both owners trying to cut down on costs and cut corners, as many ways as they can, just to keep their business floating," Pelayo said.

Carlos Flores, a tattoo artist at Blending Beauty Tattoo, has grown up in Fullerton and has seen the financial state of the city change over the pandemic.

Similar to other businesses, the pandemic changed a lot for Blending Beauty Tattoo.

”You just don't get the same foot traffic that we used to," Flores said. Pelayo said she wishes the city of Fullerton could help small businesses more because the Night Owl Cafe has seen more fees recently.

"It affects things that you wouldn't even think about, like we're not taking credit card payments under $5 because there are added fees for processing those credit cards," Pelayo said.

plan to be made. He said he believes the plan will help guide the city of Fullerton in the right direction.

“That comes from really smart management of the dollars we have and trying to maximize it as much as possible and then bring in the improved services for the city,” Zahra said.

The city of Fullerton has not released an economic development plan at this time. The city recently hired Sunayana Thomas as the permanent community and economic development director. She previously served as the interim director of this position.

Zahra said this department has had several interim directors before Thomas and said they need to focus on prioritizing staff

“We can't leave these vacant, we can't afford to do that. You have to fill these positions,” Zahra said.

According to the 2023-2024 proposed budget, the city plans to focus on fiscal and organizational stability, public safety, and infrastructure.

Charles pointed to the untapped potential the city possesses with empty buildings in Fullerton that could be converted into housing.

Zahra is cautious to say Fullerton is in a good financial position. While he thinks the city is in a better place than they were, it still is not where it should be.

The city is almost back to the financial status it was at before the pandemic. They are doing better than projected since they have met their goal before their five year plan, according to Zahra.

As of Feb. 7, general funds revenue total $45.6 million, which is 40% of the projected revenue for this year without considering property tax; Fullerton’s greatest revenue source, which is typically recorded in the second half of the year.

“We, as a council, I think and as a city need to recognize that we have to take action in seeking out good economic development investments,” Zahra said. “And then making sure that we are looking at revenue in a serious way.”

Fullerton council member Nick Dunlap and Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Whitaker did not reply to requests for comment.

CONTINUED FROM 1

By comparison, this year’s projected total revenue for the general fund balance is $113.6 million.

Shana Charles, the council member representing Fullerton’s District 3, said she worries about staff retention and recruitment. She said she does not think staff vacancies in various city committees is a sustainable strategy.

“I'm concerned from last year's budget that we cut the parks and rec director position, that we're relying on not having people in jobs to be able to save money,” Charles said. “I think we need to make sure that we have the staff to be able to provide city services.”

Karen Lloreda, a Fullerton resident for the past three years, explains that after analyzing the budget, she was surprised to see multiple not adequately funded departments within the city.

“We’re not paying equivalent salaries to staff, so we’re losing people who have a lot of institutional memory. They’re going somewhere else because they’re getting a better paycheck. You can’t blame them for that,” Lloreda said.

The general fund expenditures for the fiscal year of 2022-2023 is projected to total $114.3 million, with the public safety department being a top priority.

Public safety, such as police and fire, is being allocated $82.6 million, or 73%, of the general fund.

The Fullerton police chief is paid within the top third of police chiefs in California, according to the 2021 California Controller's data. The Fullerton police chief made about $474,000

annually in salaries and benefits. In contrast, Garden Grove's police chief was paid $700,203 annually.

“I think in general, California spends way too much on policing people. I think, you know, there's a lot of better outreach programs and ways that you can reduce crime and poverty and how homelessness in the community. I think a lot of the times we just throw money at law enforcement expects to fix the problem, which I don't agree with, but it is what it is,” Flores said.

The city of Fullerton has also relied on pandemic relief funds from the state of California as a part of the American Rescue Plan Act. Fullerton received about $32.7 million, the fifth-highest amount of this funding received for cities in Orange County.

According to the Adopted American Rescue Plan Act Spending Plan, Fullerton budgeted about $23.9 million of their pandemic relief funds on revenue replacement.

In the new proposed budget, the city used about $2.65 million this year in revenue replacement, and it plans on using $6.95 million next year.

The American Rescue Plan Act is a one-time fund, not a recurring fund that cannot be used to offset tax reductions, delay a tax or tax increase or be deposited into pension funds.

“We have to look at what the needs are and realize that it is one time, it’s not going to happen again,” Doug Chaffee, the fourth district supervisor of Orange County and a former Fullerton mayor, said. “I think I would have been a little heavier on keeping our staff because they are the lifeblood of the city. They do the work.”

Chaffee said he sees the council as inconsistent and is unsure if the council’s differences are affecting their abilities to work together on the budget.

“Whether they have their differences, they still need to come together on things. Of my seven cities, I’ve noticed the cities that have councils that work together, it instills confidence in their employees. I’ve seen that as an issue among Fullerton employees,” Chaffee said.

Ahmad Zahra, the city council member for District 5 in Fullerton, said he has been pushing the city and advocating for an economic development

“There's so many empty buildings over here on Placentia Avenue, and it drives me nuts,” she said. “Building housing also builds value, because whether they are for sale or rental, and somebody pays property taxes on it,” Charles said.

Despite the impending deficit, Jung said he is not worried about municipal bankruptcy. Jung said the city still has reserves set aside if the city does experience a deficit.

“Right now, I have made it a point over the last two years of my election and swearing in to be a good fiscal steward of the city’s finances,” Jung said.

Levitt said the finalized version of the Fullerton city budget is scheduled to be voted on in June and adopted at the beginning of its fiscal year in July.

Despite the citizens' concerns on city revenue, Levitt said that expanding the current revenue is not something the city is looking for with immediacy. Rather, the city’s current vision is to stabilize and increase the services that citizens expect such as parks, police departments and fire departments.

“Will we look at revenue measures in the future? We could, we would start looking at whether that’s something that people would be interested in,” Levitt said.

Eric Levitt, the city manager, said Fullerton is not currently at risk of bankruptcy, but does face sta ng challenges.

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According to the 2023-2024 proposed budget, Fullerton is expected to run a de cit from 2024 through 2028.

MELANIE NGUYEN / DAILY TITAN

Garden Grove city manager gives students career advice

said. “But looking back in hindsight, the best decision I ever made.”

Kim was born in Hong Kong and had been a world traveler throughout her childhood. Her father was a chef and worked for Mr. Chow’s restaurant, a restaurant that combines traditional cuisine of Beijing and Chef Yi Jia Qian’s original recipes. Kim’s father assisted in the opening of each location, so she lived in London for eight years until third grade.

After that, Kim moved to the United States, where she lived in New York and later settled in California for the opening of the Beverly Hills location of Mr. Chow’s.

As a first-generation student with a part-time job, Kim said attending Cal Poly Pomona was the most affordable option.

Her three-decade long career began when Kim interned with the City of Pomona, where she eventually landed a full-time job. She stayed there for five years, was promoted from a specialist to a project ordering coordinator and then moved to West Covina.

was hired based on her skills.

“It gives you a little bit of perspective that it's not your age. It's not your color of your skin. It’s your capabilities and skill sets that you bring to the organization and have been,” Kim said.

Kim’s daughter, Emily, a thirdyear majoring in human resources management at Cal State Fullerton, is proud of the work that her mother has been able to achieve. Emily said that her mother inspired her to be an amazing leader herself and was able to find a major that she is interested in because of her mother’s help.

“She's the best mentor that you can get. And she is honest, but gives you the straight facts, which I think is important to hear,” Emily Kim said.

Cathy Nguyen, a senior majoring in public administration, was inspired by Kim’s discussion about getting your foot in the door. She asked Kim about how someone could improve their first 30-second impression and was told to interview herself in the mirror.

MARGARET TREJO

Sta Writer

Life can be uncertain for college students facing a world of different career paths, but self-doubt does not have to be a barrier to success. Longtime public servant and dedicated community member, Lisa Kim, recently became the first Asian American city manager of Garden Grove, despite starting her college career unsure of her future in urban planning.

Kim spoke about her 30-year

journey in public service last Thursday at Steven G. Mihaylo Hall to give advice to students who are looking into a future of public service. The event was hosted by the Pi Alpha Alpha chapter at Cal State Fullerton, which is the Global Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration.

Sarah Hill, who is a political science professor and teaches the public administration internship class, put on the event to support students in their professional development. She invites people who are far along in their career to speak at the event, and she said Lisa Kim was someone who was highly recommended.

University app helps students find free food

GABRIELA PEREZ- ORTA Sta Writer

To tackle food insecurity among college students at Cal State Fullerton, the university has added Titan Bites to the iFullerton app for student use.

In collaboration with Auxiliary Services Corporation’s Dining Services, Associated Students and Information Technology, Titan Bites was created to alert students when free food is available on campus.

The Study of Student Basic Needs from 2018 reported that 41.6% of students suffered from food insecurities in 2017, 20% experienced low food insecurity and 21.6% experienced very low food insecurity.

“Based on that report, a task force was created to recommend how to best support students that might be experiencing food insecurity,” said Victoria Ajemien, director of Basic Needs Services. “The recommendation was a mobile phone application to let students know when there is excess food after a campus-catered event.”

The app allows club advisers hosting events around campus to register in the iFullerton app and alert students about extra food available on campus.

The alert includes what type of food and where it is located, and it sends out another notification telling students when the food is no longer available.

Andrew Vazquez, a senior majoring in communications with an emphasis in advertising concentration, has found it difficult to find food on campus, as most of the time, he is not financially stable enough to buy from the food options available on campus. However, he has found the ASI Food

Pantry to be very helpful when he can fit in a scheduled appointment.

“You don’t have to have an oven or like a stove or any of that stuff you could just go in there, and they'll have pre-made stuff that you could just throw in the microwave,” Vasquez said.

Titan Bites was first created in 2017 and was made available through the student portal, following a report about rising food insecurities among college students on CSU campuses.

It originally operated through the student portal as a messaging system for students to receive texts and emails to alert them about leftover food from an on-campus event. Students could sign up through the CSUF portal and begin notifications.

Rommel Hidalgo, vice president of information technology and chief information officer, said they found that the older system was tedious as it required several steps to sign up and send notifications, so much so that the food had run out by the time students were notified.

Hidalgo also said that following the pandemic, the IT department began discussing different ways to revive Titan Bites. The system also still held onto the phone numbers and emails of students who had already graduated.

“We have to clean up that data, and the idea was ‘How can we make it simpler?’ not just for students but also the people that were sending notifications,” Hidalgo said.

Jessica Sanchez, a senior majoring in liberal studies, said she thinks this is a great opportunity to lessen food waste on campus.

“Sometimes, people will just throw away their food, but someone can really benefit from whatever you were going to throw away,” Sanchez said.

Despite serving the position of city manager for two months, Kim initially was not interested in public service and wanted to be an architect while studying at Cal Poly Pomona.

She majored in urban and regional planning but was uncertain if it was the right major as Kim spent her first three and a half years trying to understand what urban and regional planning meant.

Despite the uncertainty, Kim graduated with a bachelor's degree in urban and regional planning from Cal Poly Pomona in 1993.

“At the time, I wasn’t sure if that was the direction I wanted to go,” Kim

EDITORIAL

Kim spent the majority of her career, 16 years, with the city of Orange. When she was first interviewed for her job, Kim was hard on herself because she felt like she did not perform well in the interview. It was not an interview that got her the job though; it was having someone who could advocate for her.

The director at the city of Orange called one of her references and asked if they would consider Kim for the job. Kim recalled her reference telling the director that not hiring her would be a huge mistake.

She received a 30% pay increase after becoming a project manager. She was the youngest project manager in the history of Orange at 27. Kim recalled the moment to be scary for her, but reflected that she

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Kim ended her presentation to the organization by saying that, although it was not an easy path for her, she was able to find something she loves. She also said that she hopes she can inspire anyone wanting to go into public service.

Kim said she was happy to be able to share her knowledge with other women, Asians and Pacific Islanders, but she hopes that it is not all she is.

“I was hired because I have the credentials and the skills to do the job. I think having API and female, my hope is that that doesn’t make me,” Kim said. “It’s just an opportunity for me to share with other women in leadership or young professionals that you can rise in your profession, if you do your job and hone in on your skills.”

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Lisa Kim has been involved with public service for almost 30 years.

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Nobody cares if you eat dinner alone

DOMINIC SAMANIEGO Sta Writer

Going to a restaurant and asking for a table for just one can be anxiety provoking, instantly making us feel as though we are being judged for being alone. In fear of being perceived as lonely, we often attach ourselves to others, thus neglecting our solitude.

Since my adolescent years, I was always taught to make friends. In school, if someone didn't have a group of friends, they were thought to be “weird” or “strange,” becoming a social outcast.

We must break the stigma surrounding solitude to learn more about ourselves and help us become more confident and comfortable in our own company.

Humans are social creatures and constantly strive for companionship with friends, significant others or family.

Socializing is how humans build a social identity and a sense of belonging. It helps us develop traits like empathy, allowing us to comfort those we care most about.

While this perspective makes a lot of sense, it’s infuriating that people can be bullied for wanting to enjoy their own company. This perspective also causes people to feel pressured never to do group-type activities alone.

In 2015, researchers conducted a study to determine people's feelings about social activities, such as going to a cafe or a movie theater. Participants were asked to imagine these scenarios either in a group or alone.

The research indicated that for public activities, participants who imagined themselves alone

expected to be viewed with fewer friends than those who imagined themselves in a group. These results suggest that many people often worry about the negative perception of others when considering doing a social activity alone.

Melinda Blackman, a professor of psychology at Cal State Fullerton, said there’s a lot of pressure to be in social settings with others. If alone, people will feel like they need to be doing something, like working or

reading a book, rather than enjoying their time alone.

“I think people are just quick to judge others to make themselves feel better when they see somebody alone. It’s called a downward comparison. Somebody maybe who’s alone, and you know that person kind of just judges them that they’re not social enough or mentally balanced. And it makes them feel better when they do a downward comparison,” Blackman said.

People shouldn’t become consumed by the idea of doing things alone. If someone wants to do something but will not because the thought of doing it alone scares them, it diminishes their sense of free will. The intended benefit of the activity should be the deciding factor, not the potential judgment of going solo.

Blackman said alone time allows people to connect with their thoughts and feelings and build confidence in accomplishing tasks alone.

“It also builds a sense of what’s called self-efficacy when you’re by yourself,” Blackman said.

Self-efficacy describes an individual's belief in their ability to execute certain behaviors or tasks effectively. It’s significant in goal setting and the likelihood of success. We must first enjoy our presence to build a higher sense of self-efficacy. In achieving this, we can become more reliant on ourselves and have a healthier outlook on solitude.

As an adult, I crave solitude. From rigorous course loads to having two jobs, sometimes the best way to decompress is to be alone with my thoughts and company. Being alone with my thoughts is one helpful way to destress and escape the realities of my own life.

For me, alone time is sacred. Going home at the end of the day, free from the pressures of the outside world, excites me.

I struggled with this idea for the longest time because, for me, being alone meant that I was a social outcast. Now, being alone is a crucial part of my self-care routine.

Engaging in activities deemed “social” alone, such as going to the movies, a restaurant, a bar or an amusement park, are just some of the many ways we can begin to break the social stigma and foster a greater sense of belief in ourselves.

The next time you want to see that movie in theaters, take yourself on that date. Who cares if none of your friends are interested in it? Do it anyway. It will become natural over time. That fear and anxiety will soon vanish, and you’ll quickly find yourself wondering why you were ever stressing about it in the first place.

CSUF lacks sufficient indigenous studies

by the Gabrielino-Tongva and Acjachemen Peoples.

offering classes on Native studies and adding it as a major.

The narrative of California's history has started to change in recent years. More people are finally learning history, uncovering hidden truths and accepting harsh realities surrounding the colonization of Indigenous peoples.

School curriculums, including the CSU, have finally moved away from glorifying California missions to teaching about the fruitful civilizations and traumatic experiences of California’s first people: Native Americans. While rejecting inaccurate history and the shift in conversation is long overdue, the dialogue is simply not loud enough and not happening frequently enough.

Cal State Fullerton, and other CSUs, need to amplify the long-forgotten voices of Indigenous and Native Americans and illuminate the history behind the very land these institutions are built on. These same institutions must do more to ensure that history is taught, shared and celebrated among the student body, staff and faculty.

In fall 2022, CSUF joined many other CSUs in issuing what is known as a “Land Acknowledgement,” effectively recognizing that the university is located on traditional, ancestral and contemporary lands of Indigenous people.

The acknowledgment also stated that before this land was colonized, it was cared for and called home

Jorge Contreras, the program coordinator for Native and Indigenous populations under the vice president of Student A ffairs, said the acknowledgment is a first step towards supporting the native community. Still, the intention has changed from where it started.

“It becomes just something to check off. ‘OK, we did the land acknowledgment. We’re good,” Contreras said.

Recently, CSUF has hosted events highlighting Native American culture, such as last fall’s Indigenous Peoples Day celebration. Yet this spring, it did not offer any courses on Native American history. There also isn’t a Native American studies program, nor is it offered as a major or minor.

“I definitely think there should be. I think it would be great if there was a Native studies program,” said Nicole Seymour, an associate professor of English at CSUF.

Seymour teaches “American Landscape in Literature” and starts the course by reading “Decolonization is not a Metaphor” by Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang.

Seymour said the word decolonization has become a buzzword, carelessly thrown around and has shifted from its actual meaning of “giving land back.”

Andrea Ortega, a senior accounting major, is club treasurer of the Inter-Tribal Student Council, the only club for Native students at CSUF. Ortega said the university could and should do more to teach students about Native history by

“I think it would provide students to not only feel more heard and more seen, but also to give more of our student body a way to learn about our past, our history and not just from a textbook,” Ortega said.

Contreras said CSUF is behind but not stagnant compared to other universities, and progress has been made in recent years.

“Our school doesn’t really highlight that we are on this land, at least very often. I think it’s great that they did at least bring it to light to some degree, but I feel there’s still a long way to go to making active change,” Ortega said.

Ortega said the one way CSUF can start bringing awareness is to add Land Acknowledgement ceremonies at the beginning of any university event, as Long Beach State and UCLA have begun to do.

In addition to adding more Native history courses and degree programs, land acknowledgement ceremonies should be done at every fair, sporting event, concert and any other events held by CSUF on or off-campus. This way, the surrounding community members can become aware of the history that needs to be unearthed after years of darkness.

A copy of the acknowledgment should be part of the university policy, appearing on every course syllabus.

We may never be able to return the land to its rightful owners, but universities still need to continue educating, honoring and celebrating the rich culture and the history of the ground beneath our feet.

EMILY MELGAR Sta Writer

SYDNEY CARROLL / DAILY TITAN

Tu y's Table: A taste of Thailand with pad see ew

RYANN KIRK Sta Writer

With the arrival of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, there is no better way to celebrate than with a popular Thai dish, pad see ew.

With origins stemming from China, pad see ew is a stir fried noodle dish made with wide flat rice noodles, veggies, protein and a sweet soy sauce mixture. It is a staple among Thai restaurants worldwide, and is just as popular in Thailand at both street food stalls and restaurants. There are two key things to making the perfect pad see ew: the wok and the sauce. A wok is crucial to getting the noodles properly caramelized because it can reach higher temperatures than other pans. It is also made for stir frying, as the shape of the pan puts the food into the hottest part, cooking food much faster and it makes keeping food in the pan easier when tossing.

The sauce is what makes the dish. If you don't have the right ratios, the whole dish will be thrown off. You can adjust the sauce to your liking, but you cannot substitute any of the sauces used to make it. While the fish sauce is optional, the others aren't to keep consistent flavor, and it is recommended you use it to add depth.

Making this dish is relatively easy when you have the right tools and ingredients, making it a great way to start learning how to cook more Thai food. With a fairly small ingredient list and a short cooking time, this dish is perfect for when you want something yummy quickly.

What you will need:

Wok Bowls

Wooden spoon

Stove

Ingredients:

One pack of wide flat rice noodles (fresh or dried)

2 teaspoons dark soy sauce

1

½ tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

A splash of fish sauce (optional)

1 teaspoon white vinegar

2 ½ teaspoons sugar

Vegetable or peanut oil for cooking

2 garlic cloves, minced

Pad see ew is the perfect stir fry combination of noodles, chicken, veggies and yummy sauces to kick o Asian American Paci c Islander Heritage Month.

2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, sliced

1 large egg (preferably brown)

4 bunches/stems of Chinese broccoli

Preparation:

Separate the stems and the leaves of the Chinese broccoli. Trim the ends, and if the stems are long, cut them into 2-inch pieces. Leave the leaves as is. Noodle preparation differs depending on the kind and brand, so follow the instructions on the package. Time this so that the cooked noodles aren’t sitting out for too long, otherwise the noodles will get cold and break.

Combine the dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, vinegar and sugar in a bowl. If the sugar isn’t dissolving, add a splash of hot water.

Cooking:

Heat up about one tablespoon of oil in the wok over high heat and wait for it to warm up. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, then add the sliced chicken. Cook the chicken until it is mostly white but not all the way cooked.

Add the stems of the Chinese broccoli. Cook this until the chicken is almost cooked through, then add the leaves. Continue to cook until the leaves are wilted, then push everything to one side of the wok.

Crack in the egg on the other side of the wok and scramble. Be careful not to mix it with the other ingredients yet. When done, set everything in the wok into a bowl for later. Once cool, wipe the wok clean so nothing is left, but do not wash it.

Heat up around two tablespoons of oil in the wok over high heat. Let this sit in the wok until it starts to smoke. The wok has to be very hot in order for the noodles to caramelize properly.

When hot enough, add the noodles and sauce. Toss a few times to coat the noodles evenly, but do not over-mix it or the noodles will break. Cook until the edges of the noodles are caramelized. Depending on the size of your wok, this could take about one to two minutes.

Add the chicken, broccoli and egg back in and toss to distribute the ingredients evenly, and coat everything in the sauce.

Enjoy!

Pollak Library welcomes Latinx science fiction

is the highlight of the brand new Latinx panel in the library. This book mixed different genres, such as poems, short stories, comics and plays. The room was full of students that were excited for the new collection of literature being added.

“I have never heard of sci-fi through Latinx experience,” said junior student Vianney Diaz. “It caught my attention. I liked coming here.”

Cruz, who is also a lecturer of creative writing at UC Riverside, said speculative fiction, which includes science fiction, is a growing genre whose innovation is spearheaded by marginalized voices.

“To see all the ways all that writers and artists are able to engage in speculative fiction with social commentary about the world is incredible,” Cruz said. “And to see students engage with it was awesome.”

Students who attended this event were offered food and had the opportunity to buy a copy of the “Speculative Fiction For Dreamers” Latinx anthology.

EMILIO MELENDEZ Sta Writer

Science fiction is a great way for authors of the Latinx community to connect with their audiences, however, it is an underrepresented genre in literature. To this effect, Cal State Fullerton brought the nation’s first Latinx science fiction collection to the Pollak Library to honor and celebrate these stories.

CSUF hosted the Latinx Sci-Fi Panel on Thursday, putting the new collection of diverse literature on full display.

The panel featured three speakers, Sarah Rafael García, Diana Burbano and Rachelle Cruz, all of whom work as either writers or at other universities and did readings from the Latinx anthology, “Speculative Fiction For Dreamers.”

The speakers were invited by English professor Dr. David Sandner,

who was one of the main contributors in helping put together the Latinx sci-fi collection.

“It’s doing groundbreaking work. We have a great science fiction collection, but it’s older,” Sandner said. “Looking at what science fiction is doing now and the kind of diversity we have here at Cal State Fullerton, it’s exactly what’s hitting in major ways inside the science fiction field. This is a way to acknowledge that and bring our science fiction collection up to date.”

Burbano, who is a playwright, said the science fiction genre is a way to make Latinx stories more approachable for readers.

“The reason that we were excited to come and talk today is that sometimes it feels like Latinos aren’t actually seen in the present time. If we move our stories and our trauma into the future time and maybe do it metaphorically, it makes it easier for people to access our stories,” Burbano said.

“Speculative Fiction For Dreamers”

Sandner said the event had outside financial contributions that helped make it a success in addition to selling copies of the book. Patrons of the library such as the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Emeriti and the English and Anthropology departments all helped contribute approximately $10,000 to the Special Collection, which would be kept in a dedicated fund through the university.

The collection can be viewed by visitors on the first floor north wing of the library in front of the elevators.

Writers Sarah Rafael García, Diana Burbano and Rachelle Cruz discussed diverse science ction literature at the Latinx Sci-Fi panel.

EMILIO MELENDEZ / DAILY TITAN

Tennis falls flat in Big West quarterfinals; loses to Long Beach State, 4-1

JEREMY JIMENEZ Sta Writer

Cal State Fullerton women's tennis saw their season come to an end on Thursday, losing to Long Beach State, 4-1, in the Big West Championship Quarterfinals.

The Titans ended their regular season in a five-way tie for second place in the Big West Standings. Based on head-to-head matchups between the five teams, the Titans found themselves seeded at No.5 taking on No. 4 seeded Long Beach State in the quarterfinals at Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego.

The Titans got off to a promising start, duo Zoe Olmos and Milena Gevorgyan opened the doubles matches, defeating Sharks duo Peppi Ramstedt and Rhona Cook, 6-3.

The Sharks then tied it up when their duo Sheena Masuda and Justine Dondonay defeated Titans Natalie Du ff y and Camila Garcia, 7-5. The point went to CSUF after Diana Yanotovskaya and Kaytlin Taylor defeated Sharks Mathilde Tranberg and Hana Becirovic Novak, 6-4.

Despite taking an early lead, The Titans could not utilize momentum from their doubles victory as they were swept in singles matches 4-0.

Singles matches kicked off with a commanding victory by the Sharks, Dondonay over Taylor by scores of 6-3 and 6-1.

Long Beach State followed that up with Cook defeating Yanotovskaya in two sets, 7-6

(7), 6-1. and Ramstedt defeated Duffy in three sets, with Duffy losing the last set 6-0.

Titans Mariia Nikitash attempted to fend off the sweep but was unsuccessful, losing to Sharks Doga Akyurek by scores of 6-4 and 7-6.

Baseball holds on to first place; beats CSUN in extras, 4-2

ANTHONY BAUTISTA Asst. Editor

In a crucial late-season series between two of the leaders in the Big West Conference, Cal State Fullerton’s baseball narrowly escaped with a series victory over Cal State Northridge as they remained in sole possession of first place in the conference standings.

The series came down to the final game on Sunday, which went into extra innings tied at two runs apiece. In the top of the 11th inning, Titans Cole Urman hit a 2-run home run that proved to be the difference for the Titans in a 4-2 win.

Both teams were led by their pitching on Sunday after strong offensive performances from each over the weekend.

The Titans were led by pitcher Evan Yates during the series finale, who finished with four strikeouts, one hit and two earned runs in six innings pitched.

“Yates set the tone, he came out here and battled. He gave us a good chance by putting up those zeroes. Their pitcher did a great job too, it was just a great college baseball game,” said CSUF head coach Jason Dietrich.

Sunday’s win improved the Titans’ record to 5-1 in games that go extra innings, an attribution that is necessary according to Dietrich.

“You have to go through games like this to

understand what it’s like. Our guys are becoming battle tested and playing on the road, it's always tough to win on the road, especially here,” Dietrich said.

In their opening match of the series, the Titans were outplayed in all phases of the game as they lost 11-4. The Titans were held to their lowest run total in a conference game since April 14 as their starter Tyler Stultz tied his season high for allowed runs.

However, following the opening blowout loss, CSUF would completely flip the script on CSUN on Saturday.

Led by their ace Fynn Chester, the Titans produced a full team win as they dominated the Matadors 15-1.

Chester continues his impressive season as his record moves to 7-0. Chester pitched five scoreless innings while striking out three batters. Following this performance, Chester ranks third in the Big West in ERA with 2.23.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Titans bounced back from an underwhelming opening game performance to go on and tie their season-high run total and score 15 runs. A complete team performance saw all but one Titan starter produce a hit.

Next, CSUF will host USC on Wednesday at 6 p.m., looking to avenge last month’s loss to the Trojans before heading out to the Lone Star State for a three-game series against TCU next weekend.

Match one between Olmos and Medik and match four between Gevorgyan and Tranberg each remained unfinished in the third set and did not factor into the final score of the match.

Despite the loss, the Titans finished the

season with a solid overall record of 15-8 under first year head coach Trang Hyunh-McClain. With only two seniors departing from the team, the Titans will look to build on an experienced squad heading into next season.

Water polo drowns in playo debut, 18-5

Cal State Fullerton women’s water polo team was eliminated from the Big West playoff tournament, losing in their opening quarterfinals match against No. 1 seed UC Irvine 18-5 on Friday in Santa Barbara.

The Anteaters set a new goal record in the Big West tournament beating the previous record of 16 goals from Hawaiʻi in their semifinal game against Long Beach State in 2021.

UCI’s Nioka Thomas and Elena Flynn led the game in scoring with 4 goals each. Following them closely was Titans Mia Solorzano, who led CSUF in scoring with 3 goals from 8 shot attempts.

The Anteaters displayed a dominant offensive performance, producing a 48.6% scoring percentage from their 37 shot attempts. CSUF struggled throughout the game, only scoring 21.7% of their 23 attempted shots.

Thomas scored the first goal for the Anteaters within the first minute of the match and it set the

tone for the remainder. The Titans struggled to contain the Anteaters as they were only able to produce 1 goal to UCI’s 8 in the first half.

Coming out of the half, the match remained the same as the Anteaters shut out the Titans and extended their lead to 15.

However, despite a sufficient gap between the two teams, captain Solorzano led her team until the end, putting up 3 of 4 goals in the final quarter to end her season on a high note.

With this loss, the Titans end their inaugural season with a 11-20 overall record and a conference record of 0-7.

Despite a lackluster conference performance, Titans head coach Kyle WiItt applauded his team for the improvement they showed throughout their season.

"The progress made outside of the pool is what defined this season. The scoreboard, the game, that was all kind of predetermined, but how they lost, played, and learned lessons along the way were important and evident to the coaching staff, “ Witt said.

The Titans will look to build off a bumpy first season when they return next spring. First pitch is set for 6 pm.

Freshman Delaney Wilder, pictured against UC Santa Barbara on April 15, scored two goals against No. 1 seed UC Irvine.

GABRIELA PEREZ- ORTA / DAILY TITAN

GABRIELA PEREZ- ORTA Sta Writer

Pitcher Fynn Chester, pictured against Cal State Bakers eld on April 22, currently ranks third in the Big West in ERA with a 2.23 ERA.

JEREMY JIMENEZ / DAILY TITAN

Titans Natalie Du y, pictured against Cal State Northridge on April 8, lost her singles match against Long Beach State's Peppi Ramstedt, 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-0. GABRIELA PEREZ- ORTA / DAILY TITAN

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ARIES Aries! Now is the time to stand up to whatever is stopping you from feeling totally creative and connected with your fun-loving inner child, who you must defend at all costs. This can also correspond with a romantic moment, whether that’s shared with your friends, lovers, or sweet inner child.

TAURUS This is your sign! The sun gently connects with taskmaster Saturn, encouraging you to persevere when it comes to pursuing your goals. It doesn’t matter how long it takes—there is a way! You just might have to find mentorship or ask folks to put you in touch with the right people.

GEMINI You might be volunteering yourself, or doing something because you feel like it’s a public service. This is a useful aspect to find cooperation on a project that seems too big or overwhelming to do alone. By staying humble, you can establish yourself and gain respect.

CANCER Cancer! Go for it! You are making a decision to put time, money, or energy toward your wildest dreams. Mercury, the planet of commerce, is currently retrograde, so if you do go ahead and push the button, make sure you keep all receipts and payslips.

LEO This week is all about empowerment! You can be more aware of other people’s fears or weaknesses, and use this knowledge to act with compassion. Action planet Mars gently connects with Uranus, empowering you to move forward with fighting your secret battles, regardless of what it takes!

Answers to the puzzle are located at the bottom of the page.

VIRGO The sun gently connects with taskmaster Saturn, encouraging you to persevere when it comes to understanding and accepting differences. These three years of Saturn in Pisces are teaching you about boundaries in relationships.

WRITTEN by My Ly

LIBRA You’re in the mood to learn and explore with your planetaryruler Venus in your chart’s house of travel and education. Even if chores are weighing you down, you find a way to expand your horizons. The first quarter moon in your chart’s house of hopes and dreams pushes you to act on your vision for the future.

SCORPIO You always see the good in people! The sun gently connects with taskmaster Saturn, encouraging you to see loyalty and trust in your friendships and relationships. Promises can be understood, or unspoken. There’s a lot that is implied right now, written between the lines or being whispered.

SAGITTARIUS The sun gently connects with taskmaster Saturn, encouraging you to get your chores done with self discipline and intent focus. You can harness a lot of self control now. This planetary aspect is useful for understanding a clearer reasoning behind your habits.

CAPRICORN This is your week to give others a hand! You might be willing to mentor younger or less experienced people. You’ve lived and learned, and now you can communicate those lessons to those next in line. By providing support, you also learn about yourself.

AQUARIUS You have a clear vision of your limits and boundaries as the sun gently connects with taskmaster Saturn. You can see your endgame very clearly. By acknowledging where you want to end up, you’re able to be more selective and refined.

PISCES Pisces is a sign that represents the eternal, but everyone has their limits! You’re gaining a better understanding of yours as the sun gently connects with Saturn. You might find that you’re having an easier time saying no. You can see clearly how much time you need for yourself.

1. Which country is the largest producer of coffee in the world?

a.) Colombia

b.) Brazil

c.) Ethiopia

d.) Jamaica

2.Who was the first person to walk on the moon?

a.) Buzz Aldrin

b.) Neil Armstrong

c.) Yuri Gagarin

d.) Alan Shepard