The Pioneer Newspaper March 9, 2017 by The Pioneer Newspaper

THE PIONEER Covering the East Bay community since 1961

California State University, East Bay

News, Art, & Culture for the East Bay

THURSDAY MARCH 9, 2017

www.thepioneeronline.com

Winter 2017 Issue 10

Women’s basketball repeats as conference champs By Marissa Marshall

Pioneer updates on America's president

STAFF WRITER Two-peat!

What happened? On Saturday, President Donald J. Trump went on Twitter and said his predecessor, Barack Obama, tapped his phone lines at his residence at Trump Tower in New York.

President Trump blasted Obama

blessed to have been able to make it to

Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Greene have stepped up and helped

White House Senior Adviser

PHOTO BY KEDAR DUTT/THE PIONEER

Cal State East Bay women's basketball team head coach Shanele Stires encourages her players during the game against the Stanislaus State Warriors on Feb. 25 at Pioneer Gymnasium on the Hayward campus.

suggesting that there may be more

enth game in a row with 10 or more reond, but were aggressive in the paint -

entire point is that the people deserve

When a reporter asked how Trump

tournament, the Pioneers traveled to Twitter late into Saturday night when Trump tweeted, “How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones -

SEE BASKETBALL PAGE 6

Community helps Hayward keep clean, green

issue on Sunday in a statement where he urged lawmakers to investigate

ent neighborhoods and engaging the -

By Tishauna Carrell STAFF WRITER

really opens your eyes to the problem in

Obama released a statement

his entire tenure as president, neither -

she studied environmental studies at

her dogs whenever she sees it blowing

His behavior plays to his base, but

By Louis LaVenture Editor-in-Chief

the people that live here, and the solu-

CHECK US OUT ONLINE!

PHOTO BY TISHAUNA CARRELL/THE PIONEER

Workers, citizens and volunteers clean up an area in South Hayward near the intersection of Folsom and Dickens Avenues on Feb. 25. getting out there and being workers and

ple to think about it more when they -

www.thepioneeronline.com /thepioneernewspaper @thepioneeronline

SEE GREEN PAGE 3

@newspioneer

2 OPINION

THURSDAY MARCH 9, 2017

THE PIONEER

Wolverine slashes into theaters for the last time By Marcus Bishop CONTRIBUTOR In the summer of 2000, Hugh Jackman first donned the sideburns and claws of the mutant-Canadian Logan, otherwise known as Wolverine. Jackman’s final appearance as Wolverine, in “Logan,” hit the silver screen March 3. Since 2000, Jackman has reprised his role in nine different films. “Logan” will end Jackman’s 17-year-run as Wolverine. When asked if he envisions “Logan” as his final feature, Jackman told the NY Times, “When I had the script, I was like, ‘Yes,’ and when I was shooting the movie, yes. As I sit here today, yes.” Provided his 17 years as Wolverine, Hugh Jackman has left a lasting impression on fans and audiences all over the world. Love him or hate him, his face will likely come to mind when you hear “Wolverine.” On March 2 CSUEB’s Associated Students Inc. hosted a discounted advanced screening of “Logan.” During a tabling event that took place earlier in the week, CSUEB students used their Bay Cards to purchase discounted movie tickets. CSUEB students pay a quarterly fee of $43 to ASI in their tuition, which is meant to provide students with affordable entertainment throughout the school year. This includes campus events such as the fall welcome celebration of Al Fresco, discounted tickets for theme parks and sporting events and free and discounted movie nights. Jackman’s Wolverine career began in 2000 with “X-Men,” the first film in a would-be trilogy. He resumed his role three years later in “X2: X-Men United,” a sequel to “X-Men,” and he reprised Wolverine in the 2006 trilogy finale “X-Men: The Last Stand.” 2009 seemed promising when Hugh Jackman emerged exhibiting a ripped, vascular and striated physical transformation that took his resemblance to the character to the next level. Despite this, there were plot and character design flaws such as their

botch of Deadpool that to this day, have left “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” the butt of many jokes. Two years later in 2011, “X-Men” underwent a reboot in new direction. Though short lived, Jackman made a cameo appearance in the mutant prequel, “X-Men: First Class.” 2013 brought Jackman back to the big screen as the leading role in “The Wolverine,” another solo film. Just one year later, Jackman returned in “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” This film tied together the past and future universes of “X-Men: First Class” and the original “X-Men” trilogy. Last spring Jackman returned for another cameo in the most recent mutant chapter, “X-Men: Apocalypse.” The “Logan” film plot takes place near the Mexican border in a not so distant 2029 where the world hasn’t seen a new mutant in 25 years. A much older-slower healing Logan leads a somewhat low-profile life. He takes care of Charles “Professor X” Xavier, who suffers from illness. Charles manages to reach a troubled young mutant via his telepathy. Logan is convinced Charles is crazy until the child appears and becomes their responsibility. The two quickly realize that the young Laura possesses not only Logan’s gene pool, but also his claws and killer instinct. Throughout the film the trio protects one another, maiming and mutilating all the bad guys who cross their paths. The R-rating of “Logan” finally gave the audience a level of violence akin to what might appear in a comic featuring Logan and X-23 Laura. Despite this being their first film together, Hugh Jackman and Dafnee Keen who plays Laura, exhibited a great onscreen chemistry. The non-action scenes can be comical, and the action scenes had well coordinated fight sequences. Action and violence aside, the movie also had emotional appeal. “Logan” is worthy of the praise it’s received from the likes of Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert and IMbd, and it was a great way for Jackman’s Wolverine lega-

By Maira Sanchez CONTRIBUTOR Members of the Latino community, documented and undocumented are looking for ways to formalize their presence in the United States because they fear they may be next on President Donald Trump’s “to-do” list. Trump issued an executive order forbidding the entrance of people from seven predominantly Muslim countries into the U.S on Jan. 27, even though some had a “green card” — proof of permanent residence here, the ban was struck down by a court and is now in limbo as the president mulls over his options. A lot of Latinos listened to this on the news and they are more aware for their safety because the same thing may happen to them. Up to 100,000 visas were reportedly revoked with the stroke of his pen on Jan. 27 when Trump signed the now infamous travel ban. Trump’s executive order against predominantly Muslim countries also had an impact on Latino communities across the nation. On Feb. 21, memos about immigration were released and that included mass deportations but they were going to prioritize the people who are here who represent a threat to public safety or have a criminal record, according to John Spicer. Additionally, it may include people arrested for shoplifting and minor traffic offenses. Also, the new policies called for the hiring of thousands of additional federal agents, enlisting local law enforcement

Louis LaVenture louis.laventure@csueastbay.edu

MANAGING EDITOR

Kali Persall

kali.persall@csueastbay.edu

COPY EDITOR

Wendy Medina wendy.medina@csueastbay.edu

ONLINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Casey Peuser

casey.peuser@csueastbay.edu

STAFF WRITERS

Marissa Marshall marissa.marshall@csueastbay.edu

Tishauna Carrell tishauna.carrell@csueastbay.edu

ILLUSTRATOR

Dina Arakcheyeva dina.arakcheyeva@csueastbay.edu

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Kedar Dutt kedar.dutt@csueastbay.edu

Evelyn Tijero evelyn.tijero@csueastbay.edu

Cedric Harris-Dixon cedric.harrisdixon@csueastbay.edu

EDITORIAL PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Marina Swanson marina.swanson@csueastbay.edu PHOTO COURTESY OF SCREENRANT

cy to come to close. With this being Jackman’s final appearance as Wolverine, fans are speculating on who might have what it takes to become the next Wolverine. With a run as impressive as Jackman, these are some big claws to fill. For those worried that this is the end of “X-Men,” or superhero movies in general, fear not. The line up for pop culture related film this spring and summer is packed, and “Logan” is only the tip of the iceberg. Audiences can still look forward to

“Spiderman: Homecoming,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Part II,” “Justice League Part I,” “Wonder Woman” and “Star Wars Episode VIII.” Discounting the physical resemblance to Wolverine, Jackman also captured the rage and aggression, and the attitude of Logan; this is likely what led to him being accepted by fans for so long. With hearts as heavy as adamantium, we bid farewell to Hugh Jackman’s 17-year iteration of “The Wolverine.”

Green card holders fear the new administration to expedite arrests, and deploying more immigration judges, according to The Guardian. This puts many immigrants in suspense because they cannot do anything wrong because a simple mistake can mean deportation. As Abigail Davila, a three-year resident of the United States, prepared to leave to Mexico on Feb. 4 to see her daughter, she was very anxious. “I am afraid not to be able to come back into the U.S.,” she said. She said she has been hearing all kinds of stories in her community about possible restrictions. She has family in Texas, California and Mexico and her green card makes it possible for her to travel back and forth. But she says she feels that under the Trump administration, she may not be able to do that again. She is one of an estimated 55 million Hispanics that make up 17 percent of the 320 million U.S. population in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. California, Texas and Florida have the largest communities. Some 11 million are reportedly undocumented. The green card or permanent resident status can be obtained in several ways — most individuals are sponsored by a family member or employer in the United States, according to a Department of Homeland Security website. Others may become permanent residents through refugee or asylum status or other humanitarian programs. Spanish TV and radio networks like Univision and Latina-USA advise the Hispanic community everyday to be aware of the news and of their rights.

EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Immigration attorneys and civil rights experts offer advice. They caution listeners not to allow immigration officials into their homes without a court order. Also, in the event they are detained, they remind listeners to ask for an attorney and refuse to sign any paperwork — especially not an I-407 form, which would voluntarily sign away permanent residence rights. Immigration and Custom Enforcement federal agents arrested more than 680 people in a series of raids around the country the Department of Homeland Security on Feb. 13. Roughly 75 percent were “criminal aliens,” DHS Secretary John Kelly said in a statement. Customs Enforcement said the fiveday operations were targeted like those they conducted periodically under the previous administration. However, immigration advocates and Democratic politicians in the affected areas — Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, San Antonio and New York City — say that unlike the Obama administration, ICE now is overreaching by going after non-threatening individuals and scaring communities with public arrests, CNN reported. Professor Sherman Lewis, a political science teacher at CSUEB, says his views on the Trump supporters are morally and pragmatically wrong on this issue, consistent with the most reactionary, corrupt, ignorant, dangerous, prejudiced, extremist, incompetent, demagogic regime since Andrew Jackson. Lewis says Obama tried to strike a balance and was lambasted by both sides.

One side is hostile to immigrants for cultural and economic reasons but not informed, and the other wants open borders. Overlooked: the success of Mexico controlling its border with Guatemala; the need to have the US help the three problem countries control their violent gangs and provide opportunity for kids in those countries. The General Mexican Consulates in the Bay Area, San Francisco and San Jose, offer help to millions of Mexicans living in the San Francisco Bay Area with anything from legal status to attorney references. Immigration lawyers and attorneys suggest to stay calm and keep informed. Maria Martinez is in the process of obtaining her green card. She started the paperwork last year and expects a response by this summer. She said lived in the United States for the past 16 years and the green card would allow her to go back to Mexico to see family and friends she has not seen in almost two decades. The card would also allow her to obtain a working permit and make her feel that she is here without fear of deportation, she said. The green card protects her from being deported, but now she says she is scared and does not feel secure because of the administration’s actions and also because of Trump’s campaign pledge to build a border wall separating Mexico and the U.S. “I am worried that the Trump administration might affect my process and I won’t be able to obtain my green card,” Martinez said.

FACULTY ADVISOR

Gary Moskowitz gary.moskowitz@csueastbay.edu

FACULTY COORDINATOR

Dr. Katherine Bell kate.bell@csueastbay.edu

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FEATURES 3

THURSDAY MARCH 9, 2017

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Student government leaders meet with students By Veronica Hall LAYOUT DESIGNER Members of Cal State East Bay’s student government hosted a “Meet Your Senators” event outside the Old University Union on Feb. 23, at which students were given the opportunity to speak with student-elected senators and board members and ask them questions. The event was coordinated by the senator of transfer students, Joshua Peckham, in partnership with the senator of business and economics, Jaiman Khaira and the senator of international students, Pavel Radostev. There was free finger food and a wheel to spin to win Pioneer gear. “We invited the rest of the ASI senators to just get to know all of us,” said Radostev. “The students are here, we’re here, ready to meet everyone and hear some opinions.” Other senators who came out include Ryan Finazzo, the senator at large, Maurisha Simpson-Shepard, senator of commuter students, and Joanna Giron, senator for the College of Science. Nine student senators serve students The Associated Students Incorporated senate is made up of nine senators: four academic and five non-academic. Academic senators represent the four colleges: science, business and economics, letters, arts and social sciences, and education and allied studies. These positions are elected by the student body in April. All senator terms run from Aug. 1 to May 30. The other five non-academic senators are based on aspects of Pioneer life. This includes transfer students, international students, commuter students, diversity and the senator at large, which acts a catch-all for any student affairs. These positions are appointed through the Board of Directors. Applicants go through a screening process in the university to check their eligibility and then once confirmed, they will be interviewed by the interview panel, which consists of vice president of University Affairs, ASI presi-

PHOTO BY LOUIS LAVENTURE/THE PIONEER

dent, executive vice president, the chair of the board of directors and executive director. These positions are relatively new so they’re still growing and the senators implement what they feel is best in their roles. Student government appoints senators to focus on specific concentrations. “We serve as a liaison between the students and the university administration,” said Hendrix Erhahon. “As ASI president, I can directly relate questions or issues that students have to the university president. I want everyone’s voice to be heard.” A typical day for student government starts with checking emails. “I know I’m gonna get hit with at least 30 unread emails each morning,” said Louie Ramos, vice president of University Affairs. “I have my coffee and prepare myself, it just comes with the job. It’s nice to get a range of opinions and see what I can do to help them.” But emails are just the first portion of communication for the senators. Their primary bylaw is to represent students concerns in matters pertaining to their college. Their job is to listen to student concerns and report back to the Board of Directors. They aid in investigating

matters when needed. These matters range in aspects all throughout the college. One of the biggest concerns is food options, whether it be healthier food choices or expanding the options now. But the most substantial is anything related to education. This includes classroom accessibility, textbook costs and giving students the equipment to succeed. “It’s been eye-opening to hear the needs of the students,” Joanna Giron, senator for the college of science, said. “Whether it’s related to the building, the program or what they want to see as far as workshops.” Recently, in the fall quarter there were complaints of poor water quality in the science building. The senators brought this up to President Morishita, and he brought in facilities to look into the issue and reprimand the situation. All senators hold office hours throughout the week at different times to give students a chance to voice their concerns about the different departments and relate to someone on campus about any ideas or changes. It can be good or bad, but each senator has a time where their door is open to listen and go forward to represent the students

‘Breakfast for Bobby Seale’ By Michelle Johnson CONTRIBUTOR On a recent cold Friday morning at the The Craneway Pavilion in Richmond, the nonprofit group “For Richmond” hosted “Breakfast with Bobby Seale,” its 2nd Annual Black History Month celebration breakfast. In the 1960s and ‘70s, Seale, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, created the first jobs program in the city of Richmond and the Free Breakfast for Children Programs for low-income children in Oakland. Eventually the program expanded to cities across the country during his time in the Party. The Black Panthers cooked and served food to the poor in city youth of Oakland and neighboring urban communities. By the end of the year, kitchens were set up in cities across the U.S. feeding over 10,000 children every day before they went to school. His work with the “Free Breakfast for Children Program” in the ‘60s and ‘70s, inspired “For Richmond” to create a new breakfast program “Soleil for Kids” in partnership with Soliel Cafe of El Sobrante this year. The program will provide free breakfast Monday through Friday for school-age children and their families at Pullman Point Apartments, an affordable urban housing complex in south Richmond. A diverse crowd of Richmond residents, current and former city employees and teachers attended the event. There was a strong sense of community: some were friends, family or coworkers and some were strangers who just met at the breakfast. There were smiling faces

and warm greetings that made the room feel inviting. Each table was released one by one to a buffet of breakfast food including eggs, bacon, potatoes and french toast. Smooth sounds of piano keys and drums from the live entertainment also provided filled the space as guests dined. First on the podium was host Kyra Worthy, executive director of “For Richmond,” who had asked Seale to speak at the breakfast event. “For Richmond” offers programs that focus on jobs for local young men, health, education and public safety, according to Worthy. “To have Mr. Seale here today to talk about the work he has done in Richmond — he started the first jobs program — really is in unity with what we do with ‘For Richmond,’” Worthy said. Seale began his speech by paraphrasing the first paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence of the United States, which was used at the tail-end of the ten-point program established by the Black Panther Party. The ten point program dealt with employment, housing, education, black representation during court trials, among others. Seale mentioned that during the civil human rights protests in the 1960s, he became interested in civil rights. After reading about African American history, he decided to see a Martin Luther King Jr. speech at the Oakland Auditorium where King spoke on how companies across America refuse to hire people of color. This inspired Seale in his mission to help end institutionalized racism. Throughout his speech, Seale expounded on his role in organizing community programs and the importance of

grassroots community efforts. He discussed the year 1972, when the party provided 10,000 full bags of groceries to community members at the Oakland Auditorium and registered over four thousand people to vote on the same day. Seale also spoke on the misconceptions about his background and intentions in the party. “A lot of people think I was just some guy on the street that had some guns. No, I wasn’t about that,” Seale said. “My struggle was all power to the people. We want to make legislation and policies that empower the people, that give the people their rights.” Before his involvement in civil rights, Seale had a background in carpentry and building, as well as tech. In 1960, he worked for the Kaiser Aerospace & Electronics Corporation, after doing four years in the U.S. Air Force. He emphasized to the crowd how his background in many trades and his skills as an organizer allowed him to organize the many efforts to carry out his objective in helping his community and striving for the rights of the people. After the conclusion of the speech, the crowd gave a standing ovation leaving many impressions on the special event and Bobby Seale. “What impressed me the most was how sharp he was. How he was able to tell his story as if it happened yesterday and to have so many details — how he put programs together and how he served the people of his community,” said Cheryl Odom, former Richmond Police Department employee and resident.

needs. Senators spend a lot of their time tabling for their college. This means being a person to speak in support of the department they’re apart of. Student senators collaborate to organize events, like bringing in professionals from different fields to speak with students. Maurisha Simpson-Shepard, senator of commuter students, works closely with the transportation department to put on events such as “Commuter Day,” coming up in May. This is a day where ASI honors all the students who commute to school with food, raffles and prizes. “Even though I’m graduating in June, I want to carry out an event targeted for international students,” Radostev said. “I want to do something specifically for them because there are 1,500 international students out of 15,000 in the school; that’s 10 percent. We’re one of the most diverse schools, so by having this new position, senator of international students, we can address their needs much better.” Senators also have a vote in weekly senate meetings. Many members of the student government like Ramos started out as committee members, or paid students who attend the meetings and give

their input about legislative affairs. In November, they found out that tuition could increase by 5 percent, or at least $270. The decision for the tuition increase will happen in March. When the increase was publicized, students were asking the student government for clarifications, what ASI was doing about it and anything for them to help with the movement to stop it. “Hopefully the tuition increase doesn’t pass, but if it does, come the month of May we will be organizing phone banking to the governor’s office for a revise of the budget,” said Erhahon. Elections for academic senators happen in April. Applications for the non-academic senators will be accepted after elections close. With the semester conversion happening in fall 2018, the ASI structure is changing. For this election, students will not only be voting for their fellow Pioneers, but also for the new referendum of structure for how ASI government works. New senator positions will also be coming, including senator of undergraduates and possibly, senator of graduates. “We have the potential to be way bigger than we are right now, it just takes students to get involved,” said Ramos. “Whether it’s protests or calling administration and seeing what’s going on, we can give that raw experience coming through this institution. We do have some type of authority.” Recently, the focus has been on broader, more long term goals. By refining the scholarship policy with new verbiage and having some extra funds in the fall, they launched the ASI scholarship which was obsolete for the past five years. There was a lack of funding in years prior and the scholarship wasn’t being expanded to as many students as they would have liked. This time, they publicized it through ASI emails and social media to encourage all students to apply. It’s a thousand dollar scholarship that was awarded to ten different students in the fall and winter based on need and merit. They are relaunching it for spring and fall 2017, this time for twenty students.

Green From Page 1 trash.” Local Hayward resident and Cal State East Bay sociology alumni Charlene May walked to the event with her two sons, who are seven and 10 years old. They collected more than 100 cigarette butts, paper items such as fast food napkins and paper bags and broken glass alcohol bottles for almost

three hours. “I feel honored to be able to pick up trash because I feel honored everyday I wake up,” said May. “So for me, it’s just about being grateful where you are, and being excited about where you like to go. I like to see people forward-thinking, just doing things and not just sitting back, licking their wounds, talking about what they can’t accomplish.”

4 OPINION

THURSDAY MARCH 9, 2017

THE PIONEER

Cutting through the tattoo stigma By Kali Persall MANAGING EDITOR As I sat sweating in the leather chair in a hole-in-the-wall tattoo parlor in Concord on a recent Saturday, the smell of the sterilization spray was uncomfortably reminiscent of a doctor’s office. While I am deathly afraid of shots and will pass out at the sight of blood draws, it wasn’t the tattoo gun that put me on edge; it was the anticipation of not knowing how painful it would be. As I waited for the gun to make contact with my sterilized thigh, I distracted myself with the Blink-182 song circa 1999 playing in the background. The “$5 Charge for Whining” sign that hung next to framed sketches on the turquoise walls and a gargoyle sign above a hallway door, that warned, “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here,” provided for a counter-culture aesthetic that made me feel brave. Tattoos have grown in popularity over the past few years. Twenty-nine percent of Americans have at least one tattoo, an eight percent increase from 2012, according to the Harris Poll, which surveyed 2,225 U.S. adults online from Oct. 14-19, 2015. Sixty-nine percent of Americans surveyed in the poll have two or more. Casper Krites, a tattoo artist at Dv8 Tattoos and Body Piercing in Concord said tattooing is also taken more seriously as a profession. “I remember hearing ‘yeah that's a cool hobby’ or ‘that's nice when you're young until you’re ready for a real job,’” he said. “I don't hear that much anymore.” Krites who has worked as a tattoo artist in Sacramento and the Bay Area for 13 years, said tattoos have become more of an art form and less of a counterculture movement or statement to society, due to an increase in fine artists in the industry. “People want large visible tattoos,” he said. “They want custom pieces drawn by the artist more than flash off the wall.” There are still people — like my dad, who I have yet to tell about my tattoo — that hold firm to the old-school stigmas that tattoos are for “thugs” or that they impede on one’s ability to get a job. Krites’ experience tattooing people from all walks of life contradicts those stereotypes. “I’ve met a neurosurgeon with

her back and both sleeves done; doctors, professionals,” said Krites. I have always been fascinated by tattoos as a method of self-expression, but could never make my mind up on what to get first. For my high school senior project, I created a picture book of tattoos and their corresponding stories. I interviewed an established artist, a WWII prisoner of war veteran who documented his seven escape attempts on his body and various friends and family members about the stories behind their tattoos. I have four piercings: two stretched earlobes, a nose and a tongue piercing. Surprisingly, the 14-gauge hollow needle that slipped through my tongue like butter didn’t bother me one bit, but I anticipated that multiple tiny needles dragging through my skin would be an entirely new sensation. My best friend who got her fifth tattoo directly before mine, assured me that I’d adjust quickly to the adrenaline-infusing discomfort. She promised it would feel like a cat scratch and emphasized how anticlimactic the experience could be by nearly falling asleep while our artist tattooed a large, ornate key onto the back of her upper arm. “Ready?” He asked me as he dipped the buzzing gun into a small capful of black ink. “Have you eaten today? If you feel like you’re going to pass out, let me know and we’ll stop. It’s probably because your blood sugar is low.” I assured him that I had eaten and he instructed me not to tense my leg muscles, which he said would make it hurt worse. He started with the thick, gothic letters of “La Morte,” which captioned the anatomy textbook-style skull that claimed the center of my soon-to-be tarot card tattoo. I designed the thing myself the night before and the day of, throwing in the iconic roman numerals for thirteen at the top of the card at the last minute. It wasn’t a design many expected me to get because I hadn’t spoken to anyone about the concept before, but I fell in love with it the second the artist drew up the design, inspired by a combination of the images and ideas I’d found on the internet. According to Krites, social media has changed the industry by giving artists and designs more exposure. “Pinterest brings us a lot of work,” said Krites. “So

ILLUSTRATION BY DINA ARAKCHEYEVA/THE PIONEER

whatever is trending on there at the time is a lot of what we see. All of a sudden I’ll have 20 people coming in wanting an owl on their forearm then an infinity symbol on the wrist.” The infinity symbol, which looks like a sideways number eight is one of the most popular tattoos right now, according to Krites. Despite the “gothic” implications of the skull, the latin words and the foreboding number 13, my tarot tattoo doesn’t signify death. Traditionally, Death is the thirteenth card in the 22card Major Arcana suit in most 78-card

tarot decks, according to Biddytarot. com. It’s often considered one of the most misunderstood and unpopular cards in Western culture, as it refers to transformation and change, rather than literal mortal death. The lifelike design of the skull reminds me of my humanity and the overall design signifies the changes happening in my life. I am a 23-year-old graduating senior who recently ended a two and a half year relationship in January; you can say every aspect of my life is undergoing changes right now.

Years down the road, I will look at this tattoo as an artifact that documents who I was at this point in my life. Sitting in the tattoo parlor with my artist carving the fine lines of the tarot card into my upper thigh, all I could focus on was my excitement for the finished product. The tattoo definitely didn’t tickle and it didn’t put me to sleep. To be honest, it felt like a tack was being pressed and dragged through my skin, but weeks later, I can’t even remember the pain, and now I have a beautiful work of art on my leg forever.

Extra video game content not worth extra cash By Degen Gleason-Hyman CONTRIBUTOR I couldn’t wait to open my copy of "Assassin’s Creed Syndicate" and start playing the open world video game when it was released on Oct. 23, 2015. I’m a huge fan of the series, so I was eager to play the eighth installment. But my excitement dwindled quickly: soon after the release, game developer Ubisoft offered new things to use in the game that fans like me will have to spend extra money on if we want to have the full experience. In industry terms, this extra content — for an extra fee — is called “Downloadable Content,” or DLC. Usually, DLC for open world games like "Assassin’s Creed Syndicate" consists of new locations to explore, missions to complete and extra things for players to use, like outfits and weapons that improve video game character abilities and give them more options for how to complete new levels. Since 2012 video gaming has reached a new height in popularity because of the options that gamers have. It is now possible for someone to film themselves playing a game live so that others can watch them. Competitive gaming is increasing in exposure thanks to multiplayer options that allow gamers to play certain versions of games with others around the world. Some games like Ti-

tanfall and Overwatch only have multiplayer options with no main story to play through. In the past, I didn’t think much of buying this type of added content: it gives gamers like me much more to do in a game. I used to see this as a benefit to my gaming but my attitude has recently changed. These added downloads actually don’t enhance or change the overall gaming experience enough to justify the added cost for the consumer, which can be upwards of $10. Some content items depending on what they offer and how much space they take up on a gaming console can be as expensive as $30, especially if a lot of new content is offered in one large bundle. Since the late 2000s, downloadable content has become commonplace in new video game releases. Almost all popular game titles such as Super Mario Brothers and Call of Duty, comes with a pre-order bonus. If you pay for the game before its scheduled release date, you get to download specific content that people who did not pre-order do not get to access. Even special editions that come with certain guaranteed extra content are available to buyers willing to spend more money. These different versions come in different packaging and include special items like small statues for passionate collectors. But this strategy doesn’t really serve gamers. This marketing process is widely used and encourages gamers to pay

more than $60 that the released game is worth. I can understand this practice on one level: if the final version of a video game doesn’t have the space to include more features and things to do, it’s better to release those extra things at a later date. It can be hard to tell what gets cut from the finished product and what gets included, so selling what was cut is a way to release developers’ true vision of the game. But this business strategy is wearing thin on me. I’ve recently become more cautious about how much I spend on games and the extra content that they offer. Games like Star Wars Battlefront 2015 and Rocksteady Studios Batman: Arkham Knight both came out with a plethora of extra content to buy that often amounts to expensive prices ranging from $15 to $40 for the season passes which cover the costs of all available new content. I don’t see much point in spending more money, especially not if new additions are simply weapon and vehicle designs: I’m only interested in added features that give me a new way of playing the game. Between 2012 and 2014, I bought new, added content for the games Assassin’s Creed Unity, Watch Dogs, Sleeping Dogs, and Far Cry 4. I was eager for more gaming experiences and things to work with, but I quickly regretted my decision. None of it lived up to the price the developers were asking for because it was all just more of the same with a

PHOTO COURTESY OF UBISOFT

few tweaks here and there. The new content for the former and latter games cost a total of $30. I was given a little content in exchange for a lot of money. I avoided buying the season pass for "Assassin’s Creed Syndicate" all together because as much as I wanted to play the new story it was more than what I was ready to spend. The content being offered with purchasing the season pass could have easily been included in the final version of the game. I think Video Game Developers need a new strategy: adjust their practice of giving buyers the content that can’t be included in the final versions of their games. Instead of asking gamers like

me to buy the new content separately, they should give the content to gamers who’ve already pre-ordered upcoming games for free. This would encourage more gamers to pre-order games. New content that is more about changing the look of video game parts like outfits and weapons should come as part of a pre-order bonus. When it comes to new content that actually adds to the established story of a game, then it justifies a reasonable price: between $10 and $20. Any way that game developers can think of giving players an advantage in gameplay should be integrated into the final version of the game no matter what.

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THURSDAY MARCH 9, 2017

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Basketball

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From Page 1 first round of the NCAA Division II tournament 59-74. “UCSD is a great team with a good inside,” Puou said. “I personally struggled with foul trouble in our previous game with UCSD, so I had a defensive mindset coming into the game.” In their second consecutive CCAA championship game, the Pioneers came ready to play as they outscored the Tritons in every quarter of the game, except the second. “Our communication defensively helped us to work together to prevent UCSD from having the upper hand,” Puou said. “Luckily our offense was moving, and our shots were hitting.” The tournament’s most valuable player, Harris, led all scorers with 24 points. In the first quarter, East Bay was sharing the ball very well and capitalized on many opportunities that helped them take a 24-19 lead. As the second quarter approached, both teams got stronger defensively as East Bay held the Tritons to 10 points, and the Tritons held the Pioneers to 7. The Pioneers would go on to outshoot the Tritons 42 percent to 35.6 percent the rest of the way. East Bay also got key rebounds on offense and defense with the help of Puou with 7 rebounds, and Greene’s 13 that helped them earn not only a 9-game winning streak, but also the CCAA championship. “Remy and Morgan play huge roles on our team because they have to defend girls who are usually bigger than them,” Harris said. “We are undersized, but their confidence and resilience helps us all the time. They are always there if I penetrate or miss a shot, I can count on them to clean it up and that has been a huge factor in our wins, and in this championship win.”

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PHOTO BY KEDAR DUTT/THE PIONEER

Cal State East Bay freshman forward Morgan Greene jumps for the ball during the tip-off in the game against the Stanislaus State Warriors on Feb. 25 at Pioneer Gymnasium on the Hayward campus.

AT T E N T I O N S T U D E N T S Most Winter Quarter 2017 courses will be evaluated using an online course evaluation tool. The online course evaluation period will be from Sunday March 5th 2017 at 11:59 PM to Sunday March 12th at 11:59 PM. Please make sure you check your Horizon e-mail account regularly around this period. You can complete your course evaluations via computer or a mobile device. You will receive an e-mail saying you have courses waiting to be evaluated. Please submit your anonymous online course evaluations as soon as possible. Course evaluations are also accessible through Blackboard. Student evaluations provide valuable feedback to the University on course content and instructor effectiveness. Your opinion matters.

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FEATURES 7

THURSDAY MARCH 9, 2017

THE PIONEER

Boxing champion looks to ‘bring belt back to Vallejo’ Ryan 'Rhino' Bourland makes first title defense on March 17

Professional fighter Ryan "Rhino" Bourland, right, gets his gloves put on during his prefight media day on Sunday in Benicia.

By Kali Persall MANAGING EDITOR At 8 p.m. last Thursday night, 28-year-old Ryan “Rhino” Bourland — Global Boxing Organization light heavyweight champion — was at the Pro-Faction Martial Arts and Fitness gym in Benicia training his last student of the night. The champion has been for the past eight weeks in preparation for his first title defense fight at the Doubletree Hotel in Sacramento on March 17. This will be his first time defending the belt since his win over Gilberto Rubio on Nov. 11. He won by technical knock out, or TKO, when the referee stopped the fight in the sixth round. His routine varies day-to-day, but he typically starts training at 7 a.m., runs five times a week, spars several times a week and trains with his strength and conditioning coaches two to three times a week. On top of that, he meets with his boxing coaches six times a week for boxing training. Bourland aims to be well-prepared for the upcoming six-round fight. When he’s not training, the 28-year-old Vallejo native occasionally puts in hours at Wickens Construction, his uncle’s construction company in Vallejo, where he used to work 14-hour days and made “good money” before he decided to cut his hours and focus on boxing two years ago. “It was a huge sacrifice,” said Bourland. “I believe that one day I’m gonna get to the top and make more money. Right now everything goes into my gas tank.” Bourland, who started coaching at Pro-Faction Martial Arts and Fitness in Benicia in December 2015, never passes up a chance to be in the ring. “I can be in Oakland in the morning and Sacramento at night; I’m all over the place training,” said Bourland. “I’m trying to train with the best people in boxing.” Bourland trains with four coaches: he trains with two boxing coaches five or six times a week and with two strength and conditioning coaches four times a week. His main boxing coach is Mario L'Esperance, a retired boxer with a 18-6-1 record was inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame November 2016. L’Esperance, who has trained fighters like Leslie Smith, Jake Shields, Jesse Reid and sparred with Floyd Mayweather’s uncle Roger when he was champion from 1983 to 1985, became Rhino’s full-time trainer about a month ago and is in the process of moving from Pleasant Hill back to his hometown of Vallejo in order to be closer to his student. L’Esperance, who met Bourland through his uncle, believes the champion has the potential to earn a world title. “He has the heart of a lion,” said L’Esperance. “He pushes and pushes and pushes; if I say do 50 situps, he’ll do 150. If I say do 500, he’ll do 750. He’s a hard worker; he’ll do everything you ask and a little extra.” Bourland, or “Rhino,” which his friends, family and trainers call him, was given his nickname by his grandfather when Bourland was a baby. The name stuck when he got into boxing, as it fit his aggressive fighting style and ability to take a punch. Bourland went professional approximately three years ago and at 11-1 is ranked 160 in the world, according to BoxRec, a database that calculates professional boxing records. However, his ascension to the championship was rocky, having joined boxing as an “at-risk youth.” Growing up in Vallejo, Bourland frequently got into fights. When he was in sixth grade, his parents decided to put him into boxing as a way to help him channel his aggression. Bourland’s father Cary said he was a boxing fan and thought the sport would teach his son discipline. When he began to land amateur fights, Cary switched him to a different gym in Vacaville, where he drove him everyday after work and school. “I’ve never missed a fight,” said Cary.

However when Bourland was 14, his parents divorced and Cary said he started “acting up.” He quit boxing, got involved with drugs and alcohol and gained weight and landed in juvenile hall 15 to 16 times by the time he was 18. Cary said Rhino frequently “got into it with the cops” and was tased several times. It was during his six-month stint in rehab at age 20 that Bourland reconnected with boxing due to an unlikely coincidence: the owner of the facility had a sticker on his car of the gym that Bourland trained at previously. Bourland said the rehab owner saw his potential after talking to his coach and gave him the opportunity to get back into boxing. After making him run a track every day for a month to prove himself, he told him that if he promised to do well, he’d let him sneak out every night to go to the gym. Every night he walked to the gym and trained, cutting over 100 pounds during his six-month stint at the facility. “Rhino is like a rhino, he works hard, he’s someone that doesn’t stop,” L’Esperance said. “He’s very aggressive and I love that, that’s what fighting’s about. You want to watch Rocky [Balboa]? Come watch Rhino.” After getting out of rehab and fighting two more amateur fights, his coach suggested that he “go pro.” Bourland signed up to go profession-

“I believe that one day I’m gonna get to the top and make more money. Right now everything goes into my gas tank” —Ryan "Rhino" Bourland al through the California State Athletic Commission, the entity that regulates amateur and professional boxing. He paid to get his license and obtained the necessary medical check-ups, which are extensive and include eye, heart and brain evaluations, according to Bourland. “Looking back I think I hopped in a little early,” he said. “A lot of guys get amateur fights before they turn pro, sometimes hundreds.” Bourland had only 12. “It’s a whole different level [than amateur]. Some of these guys don’t work, all they do is train all day for years. It’s serious.” Experience is an advantage Bourland anticipates his opponent Alfredo Contreras, 13-19-2, according to BoxRec, will have over him at the March 17 fight. “This is a pretty tough fight,” said Bourland. “It’s a big step up for me; I’m ready for a step up.” Contreras has nearly 40 professional fights and has fought five world championships, according to Bourland. Allie Warnshuis, Bourland’s girlfriend of more than two years said she’s nervous for the upcoming fight. Despite the fact that he’s only lost one, Warnshuis finds it hard to watch his competitions because she doesn’t want to see Bourland disappointed. “You see someone working their ass off and to see it come crashing down with one little decision is tough,” she said. While mixed martial arts fights seemingly dominate the airwaves, Bourland doesn’t watch MMA, which he compares to street fights with few rules. L’Esperance believes there is room for both boxing and MMA in the industry. “It’s like changing the kind of food you eat,” he said. “It’s a different kind of fighting.” Bourland has noticed an uptick in fighting opportunities but said it can still be difficult to line up fights for some, an opportunity that depends on who you know in the industry. Bourland has become a local celebrity in his hometown of Vallejo. He appeared with the championship belt on a float in the city’s December “Mad Hatter” holiday parade and over the past week has been stopped several times by fans asking for photos and autographs, which he found surreal. “I never thought I would get this far,” said Bourland. “There’s a lot of people that never thought I’d get this far either and I proved a lot of people wrong. I’ve sacrificed everything, quit my job and everything. I believe that if I just keep working hard, I’ll make it. I’ve got to bring this belt back to Vallejo.”

PHOTOS BY KALI PERSALL/THE PIONEER

Global Boxing Organization light-heavyweight champion Ryan "Rhino" Bourland, right, trains with his coach Mario L'Esperance at Pro-Faction Martial Arts and Fitness in Benicia on Sunday.

8 SPORTS

THURSDAY MARCH 9, 2017

THE PIONEER

Softball team struggles over the weekend By Marissa Marshall STAFF WRITER California State East Bay’s softball team struggled in their two series over the weekend against San Marcos and Humboldt State. “We are all struggling hitting right now and are having trouble producing runs, which is letting teams get the upper hand on us,” freshman infielder Jennifer Palmares said. On Friday and Saturday, the team faced Cal State San Marcos (5-10 overall, 4-6 conference) in a four-game series, in which they fell three games to one. In the first game, the Pioneers were able to earn a 3-2 win, but the next game was a different story as East Bay struggled to get hits and runs, which resulted in a 4-1 loss. The next day in the third game of the four-game series, the Pioneers forced the game to extra innings, but suffered a loss in the 9th inning. East Bay tied the game at 7 in the 7th inning when sophomore catcher Tanya Galvan singled to left field, which allowed sophomore infielder Anissa Maldonado to score. But the Cougars bit back in the 9th inning to secure a 8-7 win, when senior outfielder Holly Fauria singled and freshman outfielder Sara Whelehon scored. Later that day, the women fell again and were unable to top the Cougars in a 7-2 loss in the final game of the series. “Defensively we were making errors, that ultimately cost us some runs and they were just out hitting us,” Palmares said. In the final game Palmares went 3-for-4 at bat with 1 run. The Pioneers had Sunday off, but had

PHOTO BY KEDAR DUTT/THE PIONEER

Cal State East Bay junior utility player Ashley Allen hit the ball during the game against the Humboldt State Jacks held on March 6 at Pioneer Softball Field on the Hayward campus. to play a make-up game against the top team in the California Collegiate Athletic Association Conference Humboldt State University (14-1, 9-1). Their initial games against Humboldt on Feb. 17 and 18 were canceled due to rain. East Bay played a two-game series against the Lumberjacks, which was almost rained out again because of rainy

weather. In the first game, Humboldt proved why they have only lost one game so far this season, as senior pitcher Madison Williams threw a no-hitter, which consisted of 7 strikeouts. The Pioneers’ only run came in the 1st inning, when sophomore outfielder Courtney Leyva scored on a wild pitch.

East Bay contained the Lumberjacks and only allowed them get 1 run, in the 3rd inning. Both teams were solid on defense and the game remained tied 1-1 up until the top of the 7th inning, when Humboldt went bats lit up the scoreboard. “We lacked intensity in the last few innings and Humboldt really took ad-

vantage of that,” freshman utility Emilie Portesi said. “They were just much more efficient with their bats in that last inning and it got the best of us.” In the 7th inning Humboldt scored 5 runs, which started with senior second baseman Tiffany Hollingsworth grounding out to centerfield and allowed junior outfielder slash catcher Kelly Sonnemann to score. Humboldt would go on to score four more runs after that, which earned them the 6-1 win. In the second game, the Pioneers were able to earn more hits, with 5 hits compared to their zero hits in the previous game. The Pioneers were able to get on the board first once again, but it was not enough to overtake the Lumberjacks. Despite being scoreless through 5 innings, Humboldt converted in the 6th inning when junior outfielder Lona Dengler doubled up the middle and senior pitcher Kalyn Paque scored. Two innings later, Paque sealed the deal after she homered, which led to 2 RBIs and gave Humboldt the 3-1 win. The loss led to the Pioneers’ third straight series loss and put their record at 4-2 in conference and 8-10 overall. “In order to get better and win we just really have to trust ourselves,” Palmares said. “Most of the errors that have lead to losses are mental, and we really have to sharpen up defensively as well.” East Bay faces UC San Diego (13-5, 8-4) in a doubleheader on Friday and Saturday, beginning at noon at the Pioneer Softball Field on the Hayward campus. “Going into the UCSD games we are ready to compete and we are ready to make more timely adjustments at the plate,” Portesi said.