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ADS
INTRO
Issue 80.5
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Alejandro Ramos, Editor-in-Chief editorinchief@lbunion.com Bailey Mount, Managing Editor manager@lbunion.com Nathan Zankich, Web Manager web@lbunion.com Alexis Cruz, Social Media Manager Allison Meyer, Multimedia Manager Britney Weller, Multimedia Assistant Alfredo Bañuelos, Advertising Executive Aravind Karuppusamy, Ads Associate Christopher Orozco, Distribution Manager
ART & DESIGN Sam Orihuela, Art Director artdirector@lbunion.com John Mueller, Graphics Illustrator illustration@lbunion.com
EDITORIAL Matthew Gozzip, Athletics Editor athletics@lbunion.com Sylvana Uribe, Community Editor community@lbunion.com Sheila J. Sadr, Lead Copy Editor sheila@lbunion.com Tara Thomas, Copy Editor Amanda Dominguez-Chio, Culture Editor amanda@lbunion.com Peter R. Clark, Entertainment Editor entertainment@lbunion.com Mercedes Colomar, Grunion Editor grunion@lbunion.com Kaila-Marie Hardaway, Music Editor music@lbunion.com Elliott Gatica, Music Editor music@lbunion.com Jordan Daniels, Opinions Editor opinions@lbunion.com
STAFF MEMBERS Natalee Coloman, Karrie Comfort, Wardah Imran, Diana Martinez, Samantha Neou, Soun Oeng, R. Ray Robinson, Francisco Valladares
CONTRIBUTOR Erick Zepeda
COVER ART BY: Andre Ajibade COVER DESIGN BY: Nathan Zankich and Sam Orihuela
Hablamos con Ramos Alex Ramos Editor-in-Chief Most of the time, the best ideas come the most unexpected places. Let me explain. Going into this week, we had a completely different feature story in mind. We had planned on doing a tongue-in-cheek feature that flipped the Oscars on its head. It was supposed to be an enjoyable feature for us to work on together. As fun and lighthearted as it seemed, I wasn’t sold on it. It wasn’t clear. It wasn’t defined. It didn’t have a focus or an angle. Despite this, I couldn’t think of anything better, and neither could anyone else. Just when it seemed like we were going to go with the original feature
idea, one of our writers spoke up during our staff meeting. He suggested we do something in honor of Black History Month. I was worried about the focus and angle of the idea. What should we write? Why should we write it? Although, these are the question we usually ask, I was worried the writer wouldn’t have the answers. After a couple of minutes of discussion, we agreed on the angle: Black students and the people they looked up to. From there, we went into a frenzy of work. It was already Tuesday when we settled on the new feature idea, which meant we were behind schedule.
The trouble with the
A selection of “alternative”
Grammys and nonwhite
Oscar contenders
musicians in history
see page 12-13
see page 15
artists
The writers only had a few days to find subjects, interview them, write their stories, and edit them. As for the original feature idea, that was repurposed to fit in the Entertainment section. It’s still an enjoyable read, but I don’t think it carries the same weight and impact as our feature. Overall, it was nice to have the feature idea come from a writer, especially since they just started this semester. It takes guts to step up and pitch a story idea. I remember being a lot more quiet my first semester as a writer. I’m proud of them for believing in their idea and I hope other writers follow suit.
An
overview
of
black
see page 4
FEATURE DESIGN BY: Sam Orihuela CONTACT US Snail Mail: 1212 Bellflower Blvd. Suite 116 Long Beach, CA 90815 Phone: 562.985.4867 E-mail: lbunion.info@gmail.com Classifieds: classifieds.lbunion@gmail.com
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Disclaimer and Publication Information: The Union Weekly is published using ad money and partial funding provided by the Associated Students, Inc. All Editorials are the opinions of their individual authors, not the Union Weekly, ASI nor CSULB. All students are welcome and encouraged to be a part of the Union Weekly staff. All letters to the editor will be considered for publication. However, CSULB students will have precedence. Please include name and major for all submissions. They are subject to editing and will not be returned. Letters may or may not be edited for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and length. The Union Weekly will publish anonymous letters, articles, editorials, and illustration, but must have your name and information attached for our records. Letters to the editor should be no longer than 500 words. The Union Weekly assumes no responsibility, nor is it liable, for claims of its advertisers. Grievance procedures are available in the Associated Students business office.
#GrammysSoWhite
4 OPINIONS
Exploring the lack of recognition for non-white artists By Kaila Marie-Hardaway Music Editor The 2017 Grammy Awards received a lot of backlash due to the artists who won and more importantly, the artists who didn’t. Many are upset that this year’s ceremony lacked racial inclusivity among winners, resulting in the hashtag #GrammysSoWhite. Many are bringing awareness to this issue, but very few are discussing the significance of it — black artists are not being recognized for their achievements. Firstly, black artists have hardly ever been awarded for their efforts throughout Grammys history. This year, Chance the Rapper went home with two Grammy awards, one of them being Best New Artist. This win was notorious as it deemed Chance the first black hip-hop artist to win this award in nearly 20 years, following Lauryn Hill’s win in 1999. When black R&B, rap and hip-hop artists are rewarded, they typically take home awards restricted to their respective genres, they rarely take home the Ceremony’s biggest awards
when pitted against white artists. A prime example of this lies within the AdeleBeyonce controversy. Adele won all five Grammys for which she was nominated, including three big awards where she competed with Beyoncé: Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. However, of Beyonce’s two wins of the night, the most notable win was Best Urban Contemporary Album, which is problematic because of the historical use of the word “urban.” This term has become a euphemism for the word “black,” similar to how the word “suburbs” is often correlated with white culture. This further proves that non-white artists are only credited within categories related to their “blackness”
result of frustration with the Grammys’ handling of black artists. White artists often publically conclude that they did not deserve the win over certain black artists. Looking back to the 2014 ceremony, Macklemore apologized to Kendrick Lamar during his acceptance speech for winning Rap Album of the Year over him, similar to Adele’s apology to Beyonce this year after winning Album of the Year. Further historical context would continue to prove that the Grammys have a poor track record when it comes to rewarding non-white artists. According to Rolling Stone, when asked about this unsettled issue, Grammy’s President Neil Portnow blatantly John Mueller/Graphics Illustrator denied its existence, setting up the rather than categories that commend problem to continue in the future. their artistry overall. No matter where you stand when it Artists of all races are also very aware of comes to race and politics, there is no the matter and are beginning to take action. doubt that there is something missing This year, Frank Ocean did not choose to from the Grammys: inclusivity. submit his music for consideration as a
Are Protests Short Fused? We need more participation and media coveragePhoto by Vogue.Com By Natalee Coloman Staff Writer Following the presidential inauguration, January flourished with weekly protests. Major cities in California, like Los Angeles, Santa Ana and San Diego, joined the nation in cross-country anti-Trump rallies. The Women’s Day March on Jan. 21 had 2.6 million people attend across the world, far more impactful than the day prior attendance count. While the need for change stays a priority, the hype for protest has slowly trickled out in the following weeks. We’ve seen how effective protests can be, look at historical events like the Civil Right’s Movement, Occupy Wall Street and the Boston Tea Party. The United States lives off protests, it’s how the average American becomes a part of a social movement leading to significant change. It seems like the rate of the recent protests are going to be short and sweet. Yes, they are impactful when they happen but, similar
Jordan Daniels/Opinions Editor
to the Women’s March, they aren’t relevant a week later in today’s society because of the bombardment of news we see daily. Science journalist Nathan Collins stated in an article for Pacific Standard magazine that, “Protests are like performances. You wouldn’t expect an audience to have the same reaction while reading a summary of a film as they would if they actually saw the film.” This could be why the protests are meaningful to some and not to others. If a person did not attend the event, the chances of them continuing to remember it are slim compared to someone who actively participated. The trick is to stay relevant, and attract a larger, broader
participation count other than those directly involved. Having consistent protests every couple of weeks will keep the topic relevant, and hopefully begin to create positive changes for those protesting. The goal is to stay important in society’s eyes and gain followers in doing so. According to an article from the Harvard Business Review, a successful protest needs to have the following five steps: Define the change you want to see, shift the spectrum of allies, identify the pillars of power, seek to attract, don’t overpower and build a plan to survive victory. As long as the upcoming protests do this, the United States can be successful in developing another social movement to improve the future.
OPINIONS
History, Herstory, Our Story
5
The origin of the clenched fist, its meaning and how it’s used today By Jordan Daniels Opinions Editor
The symbol of the raised, clenched fist has represented dealing the struggles, oppression and resistance of minority groups in history. It’s dated back thousands of years from cave drawings in ancient Assyria to its uses today in protests and marches. From feminism to the chicano movement, and even a symbol used to embody white power, interpretations of the clenched fist have also evolved. This ambiguity has caused an erasure of its intended-purpose in American history — black power. First politicized during the 1968 Olympics, the clenched fist has been unofficially-but-unarguably aligned with black empowerment. When black athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos won the gold and bronze medals, respectively, for the 200-meter dash, they raised their black-gloved fists up throughout the entire “Star Spangled Banner” anthem in protest of the inequalities they faced at that time. While Smith later stated in his autobiography that the salute was not intended for black power, but for human rights. However, at the time of the salute, he iterated that the symbol did have meaning for black America, especially since they were still in the midst of the civil rights movement. It became a common symbol in the Black Panther Party from the 60s to the 80s, for the need of black nationalism. It sought to define black identity and unification in place of separatism and supremacy. Nowadays this symbol of resistance and solidarity for the black movement has lost its power. Deny it all you want, but it’s trickled down to an emoji and it sure as hell isn’t a black fist. It’s trickled down into everyday uses, which we see being used against
the common str uggles we face today a s
s t ude nt s , as people of color, LGBT, different genders. While the symbol does accurately represent these issues and where they intersect, its historical meaning has been left behind. When I attended the January Women’s March in Los Angeles, I was as amazed by the expression of the clenched fist as I was disheartened.
So many people,
especially those of color, raised their fists to show resistance to our political system and social inequalities, but I didn’t see as many black attendees do the same. During the 2016 presidential primaries, Senator Bernie Sanders raised his fist on several occasions. While his expression was appreciated and often rallied people behind him, it’s exactly these moments that have begun to close the spaces again for black people to empower themselves with this symbol. The sad twist of irony here is that black power has aligned with so many other minority movements, but seldom is that cooperation reciprocated. We may still see it in the Black Lives Matter movement, but even that is nullified. It’s taken a backseat to the “hands up, don’t shoot” gesture instead, rightfully so as it speaks directly to the disproportionate killings of blacks by the police, but now the fist has less space for visibility. I’m not say ing that the usage of the f ist is reser ved for only the black experience, but I am say ing that we need to acknowledge its use in A merican histor y. You don’t have to be black to use it, but be mindful of where it comes from, what it represents and make sure you leave the space for us to represent ourselves and our struggles. We stand with you, we always have. Don’t forget to stand with us.
6 COMMUNITY
Tapping Into Your DREAM Five steps to help take the stress out of picking a career Courtesy of the Career Development Center
Are you feeling lost about what you want to do after you graduate? Or are you having second thoughts about the career path you had planned on? The process of choosing a career can often feel overwhelming, but the Career Development Center is here to help! Deciding on a career path becomes much simpler when you break the process down into manageable steps. This is why the Career Development Center has created the DREAM Career DecisionMaking Model, which leads you through each phase of the career exploration and selection process.
Discover Yourself - The first step in
the career decision-making process is discovering who you are and what you want. Begin by exploring the following questions: What do I like? What am I good at? What is important to me?
Research Careers - Begin exploring what
careers are available to you and identify those of greatest interest. Look at factors such as what education and skills are required for that career, typical job tasks, work environment, salary, and work/life balance.
Evaluate Options - Now that you have
John Mueller/Graphics Illustrator spent time reflecting on yourself and researching career options, examine how your interests, abilities, and values align with different careers. Narrow down your options to three to five careers of greatest interest.
Acquire Experience - Test out your top
career options through internships, parttime work, and volunteer opportunities. The best way to figure out what you like is by giving it a try!
Make a Decision - Now that you’ve
gained some experience, you must decide if you want to continue on your current path
or explore other options. You may want to revisit an earlier stage in the career decisionmaking process, and that’s ok! Remember that this is a process, and your career wants and needs may change over time. While everyone’s career decision-making process will look different, working through each of the above stages will help you make a thoughtful and informed decision about which career(s) you want to pursue. To learn more about all of our services including career counseling appointments, online resources, and employer events, please go to careers.csulb.edu, call us at (562) 985-4151, or visit us in Brotman Hall – 250.
One Pho-nomenal Awakening Venturing inside Long Beach pho eateries When I was first invited to try it, I was 18 years old and hadn’t made many friends at my community college so I felt weird about declining the invitation. I didn’t have a clue what it was so I looked to the Internet for the answer. I then sat there for an hour combing through my engine search results for, “how do you eat pho?” Long Beach is a playground for different types of eateries and small businesses. It was only as a college freshman that I opened up to exploring this playground after trying the popular Vietnamese dish, pho. After finishing the end of the semester, a few classmates pitched the idea of celebrating at Long Beach Pho. Packing into a roaring stick shift car, we drove toward a small strip mall on the corner of Willow Street and Magnolia Avenue. Parking was scarce and the restaurant shared a lot with a donut shop and pizza place. It was a cold day with rain clouds looming above, so we quickly went inside. We found a table pushed into a corner and I urged my lunch mates to point me toward what a first timer should order. My pleas were met with reassuring glances that let me know I’d be taken care of. Our server quickly jotted down our orders, referring to the menu items by number and within seconds, collected our menus and rushed toward the kitchen.
By Sylvana Uribe Community Editor
enough to get me hooked. For the past two years, I’ve proceeded to play around with what the amount of bean sprouts, basil, and lemon juice I add. Other times, I feel bold and add drizzles of sriracha sauce that I later regret. Since my first pho experience, I’ve also ventured out to other restaurants serving the same dish. At one point, my pho search landed us in Seal Beach at a Vietnamese fusion restaurant that has since closed down. The only other establishment that’s become a Sylvana Uribe/Community Editor favorite has been Pho Hong Phat in the Zaferia area of Long Beach. Left: An order of Thai iced teas from Pho Hong Phat in Long Beach’s Zaferia neighborhood. This cash-only restaurant’s main attraction is its cheap prices for Right: An order of beef pho from the restaurant Long Beach Pho. its large hearty servings of pho. Regardless of where I go, We ordered crispy egg rolls that were piping The cold vegetables paired well with the I’ve maintained an odd loyalty to the small hot to the touch. They were served with a side of crunch of the egg roll and the sauce drew out the restaurant tucked away in the small strip large romaine lettuce leaves, julienned carrots, flavors of the roll’s filling. It was a perfect medley. cucumbers, and a fish sauce for dipping. One of Shortly after, large white bowls were mall. Pho aficionados might argue that better my lunch mates told us to take the egg roll and carefully set in front of us. I watched as steam versions of the dish exist elsewhere, but they vegetable pieces and wrap it inside a lettuce escaped the contents of the bowls, which can never take away my first pho experience. Not since that day where I realized leaf, leaving most of the roll unexposed. We were filled to the brim with broth. Although then dipped it in the sauce and were collectively I can’t remember what ingredients I added venturing in this city’s food scenes didn’t silent for a few seconds. to my bowl that first time, it must have been have to be so intimidating.
By Jordan Daniels Opinions Editor Along the way, we’ve seen criticism of Black History Month range from being too limiting, to exclusionary, to outright racist. We’ve also seen praise of it range from necessity to it being an integral part of history itself. But one student sees it transcend the restrictive idea of history. In fact, he calls it, “Black Legacy Month.” Justin Bradley, a senior majoring in both African Studies and Religious Studies, defines this month as the “origin and essence of life,” and believes black lives are ancestors of humanity. “Through all the racism, oppression and negative things we witness, the resiliency of black people is very profound. There’s an innate desire to just keep going and keep growing,” said Bradley, who claims this as his reasoning to believe in this month as a legascy as opposed to history. As president of the Black Student Union in the 2015-16 academic year, Bradley helped install a library system in the BSU resource center on campus and submitted the proposal to host the 2017 Afrikan Black Coalition Conference at California State University, Long Beach. The ABC conference serves to unify black students acorss California in order to discuss and resolve issues they face on campus and in the world. After being hosted on every Unversity of California campus, Long Beach State is the first CSU to host the ABC Conference. Another reason why Justin prefers black legacy over “history,” is because he feels that the root, “his-story” excluded the presence of other black presences besides men. “I’ve been awakened by the effort to create equality with the representation of
black history. Many just think of the great men attached to it, but don’t appreciate the black women who have led the struggle in many ways, which are just as significant,” he said. When it comes to contributors to this black legacy, Bradley says that Louis Farrakhan, the current leader of the Nation of Islam, an African American political and religious movement, as someone who has impacted him the most. “Being able to meet him and talk with him at the ABC conference was just amazing. Though some don’t always agree with him, I think he is someone that people in the black community at least take the time to listen to and hear his perspective,” said Bradley. “His dedication to serve to the black people is irrefutable and I cannot appreciate that enough.” Farrakhan is notable for organizing and leading the Million Man March in 1995, which served to unite black men in self-help and defense against the economic and social inequities that the black community faced. He also organized the 20th anniversary march, “Justice or Else,” which Bradley attended, in response to the rise of police brutality in 2015. He’s been speaking about black community since his 20s. “To have the strength to contribute to this legacy for the past 60 years is powerful and inspiring.” In terms of his own contribution to the black legacy, Bradley wants to be a leader in the levels of healing for the black community and especially work in creating spaces for black men to be vulnerable and honest about their lives and experiences.
FEATURE
The Colors of Black Legacy
7
Intro by Alejandro Ramos Editor-In-Chief Throughout history, there have been countless men and women that contributed to the development of society. Some gave us art. Some gave us science. Some gave us laws and others a way to fight laws that were unjust. Every year, in the month of February, we remember and honor black men and women that shaped this history. From Martin Luther King to Rosa Parks. From Marcus Garvey to Angela
Davis. From Jim Brown to Bill Russell. These individuals were instrumental to the growth and development of our society. We have all benefited from their contributions. And yet, the ones that benefited the most are the ones that receive the least recognition. These black men and women have looked up to these figures since they were young are now working to carry on their legacies.
8 FEATURE
By R. Ray Robinson Staff Writer Why honor black history? Because celebrating our partner with hugs, kisses and chocolate in February is not enough. Black History Month is to remember the accomplishments of those who came before us. The month commemorates Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and the former President Barack Obama. Or does it? The president of Cal State Long Beach’s Black Student Union (BSU) Xavier Rogers thinks otherwise. He claims that these people do not personify the entire month and what it stands for. Xavier, a senior double majoring in Political Science and Africana Studies, instead gains consciousness through his education and by working with the BSU to rebuild his community. Xavier works hard to honor his people. While leading BSU, he successfully organized the Black Consciousness Conference last fall. The event’s keynote speaker, Br. Polight, spoke about helping communities live better by improving education. A panel with radio personality Zaza Ali also occurred as well as workshops on eating healthy, money management and other useful topics. Xavier also reaches out to Long Beach high school students at Millikan, Wilson and Long Beach Polytechnic High School to help encourage them to continue their education. “Many students don’t have outreach advisors that look like them offer organizational skills to become leaders so I wanted to inspire them to become kings and queens in academia and the world,” said Xavier. Xavier has expressed his love for Marcus Garvey. Garvey was a leader who emphasized worldwide unity for all African peoples, also known as Pan-Africanism. He was also z ine the founder of the Universal Negro art M a Improvement Association and African ian yD Committee League (UNIA-ACL) during b ed the 1920s Harlem Renaissance. ph a r Garvey’s teachings from “The otg h ,p s Philosophies and Opinions of Marcus r ge Ro Garvey” include self-reliance, global r vie financial stability for black communities Xa and black pride. He encouraged resourceful black men and women to journey back to the motherland in Africa to build a utopia for themselves. However, due to debt, controversy with the law and the white community, Garvey’s movement disbanded. Nevertheless, Garvey’s legacy inspired many leaders and organizations to fight for freedom, including Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Ghana’s first President Kwame Nkrumah, psychologist Dr. Umar Johnson, Kendrick Lamar, and Xavier himself. “As BSU president, I want to
implement more organizational skills to provide more events for students to succeed,” said Xavier. Xavier’s goal is to help continue the legacy of human rights and black self-esteem. When asked about Black History Month, Xavier said: “Black History Month is every day. Everyone should learn about our ancestors paving the way for us to be here today. America gave us this month. However, don’t let America fool you into not celebrating black excellence every day. Try to read books from prominent black people, then use black history to educate the world.” Xavier wants people to change for the better. To do this, he encourages learning about his history and about diverse groups of people. Although Black History Month centers on black people, it should be celebrated by all. It should never be limited to key figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks or Barack Obama. The month represents so many more people: astronomer Benjamin Banneker, businesswoman Madam C.J. Walker, African King Mansa Musa and others. It represents the sacrifices made by freedom fighters for the pursuit of the American dream. So instead of celebrating Black History Month as just a “month,” celebrate it as a way of life as it is — American history from the African American experience.
“‘Everyone should learn about our ancestors paving the way for us to be here today.’”
9
By John Mueller Graphics Illustrator
There are tens of thousands of students attending Cal State Long Beach this year, and these are the last few months that Andre Ajibade will be counted in their numbers. Graduating in May with a Bachelor’s degree in Drawing and Painting, he is about begin something new. Unlike others getting their degree however, Andre has already spent decades in a career that he loves. Andre was a designer. He created clothing in the 80s and, after that, he worked in the toy development department for Mattel. On the side, he painted, something he had enjoyed his whole life. But in the mid-2000s, like many people during the recession, he was laid off. With employers favoring young college-educated people, his search for employment was tremendously difficult. Then a close friend of his convinced him to go back to school. Andre was reluctant at first, thinking himself too old. “He said something interesting,” said Andre, “He said education is for life, and so I decided hey, let’s go.” Andre loved his late mom and dad, Gloria and Olubumni. They have always been his role models and personal heroes, it’s not something he shies away from saying. Some of his paintings openly display this adoration. His parents met at UCLA, where they went to college. Andre’s father was Nigerian, and had to go back to his home country after he graduated. Because of this, Andre didn’t meet him until he was four when he and his mom moved to Nigeria. His dad worked for IMBM, while his mom was an educator, and Andre’s first teacher. “My parents had class and that would mean traveling and reaching out and thinking outside (with) more of a world eclectic style mentality,” said Andre. “And I am very grateful to them for that.” Andre says he had the best childhood because of them and that he wants to emulate their generosity by helping others. He wants to lend his assistance and experience to anyone in need, especially those younger than him pursuing artistic careers. He has helped one of his fellow students, Elmer, gain recognition in Los Angeles.
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Andre is quite involved in the L.A. art scene himself, which is how he is able to provide assistance to others. Since 2006 he has been sending in his work to the town hall for Black History Month for the city’s annual booklet “The African American Cultural Guide.” When Andre was younger, he painted about sports. That started to change after he read a TIME magazine on the Lost Boys of Sudan in the 90’s. Since then his work reflects more about his heritage. Most recently, he has been working on a series of paintings titled “Black Lives Too.” “I’ve traveled the world, and people here have this America number one, freedom democracy, and sometimes as an American my experience has not been that. And so that’s become some of the areas that I want to express myself in my art,” said Andre. In these paintings, he expresses his anger for the killings of unarmed African Americans by police. Andre’s work will be on display for one week in May for the Bachelor of Fine Arts group show, in the Gatov gallery at CSULB.
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FEATURE
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10 CULTURE
Beer Blast The former travel editor finally does some travelling By Peter R. Clark Entertainment Editor
I rarely, if ever, leave the Los Angeles area. Sometimes, I may go to San Diego or Las Vegas, but the extent of my travelling usually never exceeds an hour in driving time. But, when my friend said she wanted to go Seattle for her birthday, I was more than just a little intrigued. Seattle is a place that has been in the back in my mind for quite some time. I always wanted to see how it stacked up against Los Angeles. I love the gloomy and rainy weather I’ve been told it harbors, and it just sounded like a pretty cool place. My number one complaint about travelling is the cost, but when my friend said that housing would be taken care of, I started to look into the ticket price. The price was right, so I booked a flight. So I made it Seattle. Big deal, right? I mean, it’s just a city like any other, right? Right. It’s just a city. I spent four days in another city that, while different in appearance, still felt like Los Angeles. But that’s not a bad thing. I still have tons of fun.
I did some touristy things, like I went to the Pike Place Market and the Space Needle, but the highlight of my trip was visiting the local breweries and bars. We spent one day only going to breweries and drinking the local grog. The two best breweries that come to mind as the best of the entire trip were Holy Mountain and Urban Family. Urban Family reminds me a lot of Good Beer Company in Santa Ana. Holy Mountain had an ominous interior, with a small sign and a lonely door. The interior of Holy Mountain is all concrete, and the people were friendly. In fact, a common trend in almost all drinking establishments we visited was that the staff was extremely friendly. More friendly than some places here. It was odd, and a little off putting at first. Outside of breweries, we did a lot of walking. We walked all around the downtown area, hitting up various spots to try out the local fare. I had oysters from Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar. There
were good, and exactly what I expected. I ate Thai food at a restaurant that felt like someone’s house. I visited multiple bars, some with cool themes. Such as an underground bar that had a lot of taps and a lot of board games. One bar was in an old post office (I think), and the environment was just as good as the drinks. I also visited the local museum, but that is another article entirely. We ended the trip by visiting this gigantic German bar and played a game called Bocce Ball, which prior to playing it there I have never heard of. It was a great experience, and the bartenders were awesome to boot. Overall my trip was great, and it only rained the day I was leaving. I’d love to go back, but it’s not high on my list of things to do. While I didn’t have to spend money on a room, the trip was still pretty expensive. Maybe next time I’ll try and spend less, but also next time I want to go to more breweries. John Mueller/Graphics Illustrator
Petals By Sheila J. Sadr Copy Editor For an asshole named Daniel I. I can feel the crush of her blueberry eyes in the grip of your skin. She stains the sheets between our twister games, that scuffle in your bed at night. and I just can’t wash out the echoes that she’s left in your eyes where I have turned invisible. This is my goodbye.
II. You once said, in the heat of your embrace, that you wanted to hold me close because I spoke like things had more meaning than they really did. But I am not written in braille, you do not have to touch me to know me. III. I cannot recall the day when I transformed from your golden chrysanthemum to the torn-up library book
that you gave and took back as you pleased. IV. I hate the way you kiss because your lips leave sticky-note reminders of the last people you left behind. I fear my fate will be the same. V. The movement of your hips rippling like waves between my sands is overwhelming. Just
stop. VI. I will never trust you. VII. I feel like a flower. Standing silent against the heavy rain. Releasing all my wearied petals in the coming storm. This is goodbye.
John Mueller/Graphics Illustrator
11 CULTURE
Amanda Domi
nguez-Chio/Cu
lture Editor
“Creature” Unleashed Artists showcase inner demons at The Broad
By Amanda Dominguez-Chio Culture Editor
Headlin e by Piotr photo: Jean-M Uklansk ic i; Thom hel Basquiat’s as Hou seago’s “Obnoxious L ib Giant F igure (C erals; Top left yclops) counterc on full display; lockwise: Leo Basquia n t’s “Unti Golub’s Merce tled.” naries V; “T
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A few weeks ago, I attended the latest installation from The Broad. Until Mar. 19, the Broad presents “Creature,” a gallery of over 50 works from a variety of artists, including Jean-Michel Basquiat and Leon Golub. The collection features artwork that explores what it means to be human by either examining the human body, providing different lenses to observe the human experience or showing how living things change over time. The show also included Thomas Houseago’s “Giant Figure (Cyclops)” making its debut in the U.S. I was looking forward to seeing several pieces from Basquiat. I first learned about him in art history class back in high school where he captured my attention with his use of vibrant colors and quick brushstrokes. One of my favorite pieces is “Horn Players,” an homage to jazz. Basquiat was also known for making social commentary with his paintings. “Obnoxious Liberals,” for instance, features a person on the left side of the painting who is chained up, a possible allusion to the exploitation of slaves. While “Creature” granted me the pleasure and opportunity to see Basquiat firsthand, the exhibit also
introduced me about a new artist: Leon Golub. Golub’s paintings were powerful. Several of them depicted violent acts of torture committed by government officials. Although most of Golub’s paintings are dated from the 70s and 80s, the topic of the abuse of power remains a contemporary issue. One painting, “Mercenaries V,” stood out to me. The painting shows a mercenary squatting down and smiling as he points his gun to another man’s head. The man with the gun pointed at him is not alone. He, along with two other men, are in a push-up position. The expression on the mercenary’s face stays with you; he is smilling and raising his hand as if he’s waving at an audience, almost as if humiliating and killing people is some kind of spectacle. One of the highlights of the day was seeing “The Nazis” by Piotr Uklanski. Up against a wall are portraits of famous actors known for portraying SS Officers on film and television. While it was interesting to recognize the portraits of the various actors, the piece allowed me to think about how the media often glorifies the Third Reich for the purpose of entertainment. I have come to learn that art museums is one of my favorite pasttimes Be sure to see “Creature” during its final weeks for a wondrous and memorable occasion.
12 ENTERTAINMENT
ALTERNATIVE OSCARS ALTERNATIVE FACTS
Intro by Matthew Gozzip Athletics Editor Everyone seems to have an opinion about very subjective things, one of said things being movies. That being said, objectively, a movie can be good or bad. Here at the Union Weekly, everything is based in fact with a minimal amount of interpretation. The staff recently discovered that many of the best films of the year received negative aggregate review totals from condescending film types who care about such things as “coherent screenplay” and “acting.” I’ll tell you right now, most of the opinions are flat out wrong. Below is a list of alternative reviews, revisions on faulty perception of what should have been award-winning cinematic masterpieces.
Graphic by Nathan Zankich Web Manager All images sourced from imdb.com
For Best Visual Effects: “Suicide Squad” By Bailey Mount Managing Editor If you can’t beat ‘em, pretend to join ‘em and pass off your surprisingly poignant film as a comedy. The past few years have seen a wave of successful Marvel films leaving its competing company, DC, dead in the water. After the critical failure of “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” it was clear that something needed to be done and it has to be done right. Ensemble comic book films are popular. Tongue-in-cheek comedy are popular. The trick is balancing the two out to form something worthy of recapturing the audience’s waning attention. Combining the irreverence of “Deadpool” with the soundtrack of “Guardians of the Galaxy,” DC gave us “Suicide Squad.” Dark comedy at its finest, the film distracts audiences from its ultimate message of despair with its stunning visuals and a fast-paced plot capable of making the Flash’s head spin. “Suicide Squad” forces a group of incarcerated anti-heroes together to fight an ancient evil bent on destroying the planet. If they fail, they die. If they disobey orders, they die. If they succeed, they get time off of their multiple, consecutive life sentences. Their lives are controlled by
Amanda W a l l e r (Viola Davis), a cold hearted woman whose agenda is an almost Machiavellian peace. Led by Deadshot (Will Smith), the world’s greatest marksmen, the Squad is comprised of both DC’s well-known and not so known characters. At the forefront is Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). This is Quinn’s first silver screen debut. The character slips in and out of psychotic episodes faster than she does her Brooklyn accent. Other members include Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), El Diablo (Jay Hernandez) and Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney). The characters is where the movie is its strongest. With each character’s backstory thrown in with colored graphics and neon filters, viewers are presented with a group of people completely disillusioned by the world around them. They only find solace
in treating everything like a joke. Each seemingly shoehorned in one-liner, each egregious music montage serves as just that—a giant joke on the audience. The members of the Suicide Squad are bad and they’re going to stay bad - but that’s what makes it so good. What makes the story devastating is that they succeed. They do save the world. Their good deeds will ultimately not go unpunished, but unrecognized. A m a n d a Waller and her or g a n i z at ion take the credit for their grunt work and the Squad gets a few amenities added to their concrete cells. To distract you from the hopeless situation these sympathetic psychopaths are in, “Suicide Squad” bombards the audience with a killer soundtrack and endless new character introductions. It seems random and poorly done, but it’s not. It’s a ruse, a trick on the audience, something the characters themselves are trying to do inuniverse to ignore their suffering and do their job. It’s mildly meta in a sad way. ‘ There’s a rather dark narrative hiding
in the convoluted story of “Suicide Squad. What you do is never enough—someone more important will take the credit and your next move is never your choice. Your only option is to make “light” of the situation, because the f lip side of this coin is more scarred than Tommy Lee Jones’ Two-Face in “Batman and Robin.” “Suicide Squad” in this sense is the ultimate j o k e — n o one took it ser iously. Everyone just enjoyed and vilified the wild ride, like everyone who wasn’t a member of the Squad did. No one stopped to notice how deep of a story they were really telling.
“Suicide Squad” Length: 2 hr 3 mins Directed By: David Ayer Written By: David Ayer Starring: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Jared Leto, Coomon, Ezra Miller, Jai Courtney, Cara Delevingne, and Adam Beach Scores: Rotten Tomatoes: 26% IMDb: 6.3
By Peter R. Clark Entertainment Editor The overlooked genre of male-on-male porn, is the focus of an equally overlooked film, “King Cobra.” “King Cobra” is about aspiring porn star, Sean (Garrett Clayton), who enters into the business with the help of Stephen (Christian Slater), a veteran of the gay porn genre. Then, he leaves and tries and join a rival porn company headed by Joe (James Franco) and Harlow (Keegan Allen). The movie the spirals out of control, going into a sex-fueled rampage that dissects the ins and outs of the apparently cutthroat industry. It should also be mentioned that this film is based on a true story. This film wasn’t received well by critics. It has a low score on both IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, but it does have some redeemable qualities. In some ways, it is a strong contender for some of the categories at the Oscars, but the movies downfall is in some of acting. This film should be nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Supporting Actor (James Franco) and Best Actor (Christian Slater). It demands the same attention that Moonlight got.
Slater’s performance as an aging porn producer is possibly the best part of this film. This is especially clear when he explains
his first time to his blooming star. The realness of the scene is enough to match it with a number of other performances seen throughout the Oscars cycle. Franco plays his role perfectly as the rival studio owner. His acting is superb, and
his sex scenes with his partner are some of the most unrealistic, yet hilarious, ones ever caught in cinema. His performance is great, and exactly what you’d expect coming from Franco in this role. As for other nominations, it is quite surprising how good the cinematography is in this film. Each shot is well positioned, and at times, it really makes the viewer feel as if they are watching a lowbudget porn. Overall, it is true that “King Cobra” is not the best film, however it has enough redeemable qualities that it could be a contender for some awards. It could never be nominated for Best Film, but if “Transformers” can be nominated for Best Sound Editing, King Cobra can be nominated for an Oscar too.
ENTERTAINMENT
For Best Actor: Christian Slater in “King Cobra”
13
“King Cobra” Length: 1 hr 31 mins Directed By: Justin Kelly Written By: Justin Kelly, D. Madison Savage Starring: Garrett Clayton, Christian Slater, James Franco, Keegan Allen, Molly Ringwald, and Alicia Silverstone Scores: Rotten Tomatoes: 45% IMDb: 5.7
For Best Feature Film: “Independence Day: Resurgence” By Alejandro Ramos Editor-in-Chief “Independence Day: Resurgence” is a modern-day epic that brings together stunning visuals, compelling characters, and the promise of an expanded storyline that could span the universe. It was criticized for being a f lat, lifeless continuation of the original. That was unfair and unjust. The film takes place 20 years after the events of the original, in a world that is vastly different from our own. The nations of Earth have set aside their differences and now live in peace following the alien invasion known as the War of 1996. Flying cars and holographic displays are commonplace, with alien tech from the crashed ships repurposed and implemented into our own. Earth is prospering, but that is cut short with the arrival of a few more aliens that want to finish what was started. With that, our planet is thrust into the interstellar fray once again. The visuals of the film are enough to warrant an Oscar nomination. The Earth-alien hybrid technolog y depicted
is sleek, beautiful and presented in a way that made it seem plausible. Flying cars. Hologram projections. Moon bases. It was enough to make me wonder why we haven’t reached that point in the real world. Of course, the action was topnotch–as it should be with Roland Emmerich at the helm. His knack for grand, world- end i ng sequences continues to amaze. The most stunning s c e n e comes at the arrival of the alien mothership, which is so massive that it has its own gravitational pull to tear the Earth apart. Despite the numerous action sequences, it is more of a character-driven drama than a blockbuster f lick. Many of the scenes draw our attention to the relationships the characters share with each other. It’s a move that could have easily made the plot cluttered; instead, it gave me a reason to be invested. Critics were outspoken about the lack
of depth in the cast of new characters. To their c r e d i t , Captain S t e v e Miller (Will S m i t h ) and David L e v i n son (Jeff Goldblum) are tough acts to follow. After all, they were the unlikely duo that played a pivotal role in defending Earth in the original. Miller was the cocky, wisecracking pilot. Levinson was the nervous, underachieving techie. They, along with the valiant President Whitmore (Bill Pullman), were the memorable characters of the first film. These characters were born in a different time and place, before Earth was visited by extraterrestrials that said hello by destroying entire cities. In contrast, the young protagonists introduced were brought up in an entirely different world – one marred by death and destruction. A closer look would reveal complex characters with deeply tragic backstories, rather than the bland that placeholders many saw. Dylan Hiller (Jessie T. Usher) lived in the shadow of his adoptive father, Captain Miller.
Patricia Whitmore (Maika Monroe) lost her mother and saw her father, former President Whitmore, lead the resistance. Jake Morrison (Liam Hems wor t h) grew up an orphan without anyone to show him the way. In all, they are products of the alien invasion that shaped the Earth into what it is in “Resurgence.” What truly sets “Resurgence” apart is its commitment to detail. It leaves subtle hints as to what occurred in the 20 years that separate the original and the sequel. Every action has a reaction, and “Resurgence” shows what happens when the people of Earth decide to blow up an alien mothership.
“Independence Day: Resurgence” Length: 2 hr Directed By: Roland Emmerich Written By: Nicolas Wright, James A. Woods Starring: Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Jessie T. Usher, Bill Pullman, Maika Monroe, Seala Ward, Brent Spinder, William Fichtner Scores: Rotten Tomatoes: 31% IMDb: 5.3
The Rebirth of Cool in Crenshaw
14 MUSIC
Artist Spotlight: Joey Bada$$
Terrace Martin and company generate a soulful performance Words and Photos by R. Ray Robinson Staff Writer With Black History Month in full swing, the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall in Los Angeles had acclaimed jazz musician Terrace Martin perform on Feb.4. Terrace is known best as one of the jazz artists responsible for writing and producing music for rap superstar Kendrick Lamar. In 2015, he worked on the Grammy award winning song, “These
The band began conducting “A Tribe Called West”, a play on words inspired by hip-hop collective “A Tribe Called Quest.” Terrace slammed his keyboard while spitting soaring, synthesizing sounds on the
snatched his own saxophone and performed together with Kamasi, showing how black music’s legacy is still alive. They then covered Lionel Louke’s “Tribal Dance,” with Terrace and Rose on vocals, they sounded so spiritual. They sounded like ancestors blessing future generations with the inspiration to overcome today’s issue such as war.
By Erick Zepeda Contributor
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Although he may not be as stylistically extreme as many of his contemporaries, Joey Bada$$’s absurd and attention-grabbing moniker is a fitting summation of the dimensionality he brings to the table. The 22-year-old Brooklyn rapper rose from YouTube freestyles to a debut album in the span of about five years. With elements of Biggie’s flow, Nas’ lyricism, and even Wu-Tang’s unabashed mix of gangsta rap and comic book references, Bada$$ demonstrates an impressive skillset and a complete love of the artform. The result is a genuine passion that resonates throughout his continually expanding range. He’s also careful not to craft an elitist self-image. His second studio album “AABA,” originally for a November 2016 release, will arrive at an undisclosed time this year. Suggested songs: and “Paper Trails”
“Unorthodox”
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Walls” from Kendrick’s album “To Pimp a Butterfly.” This time however, Terrace promoted his album, “Velvet Portraits,” which was nominated for Best R&B Album this year at the Grammys. In an interview, Terrace expressed his love for L.A.’s Central Avenue. With many African American communities rising, Central Ave. was the soul of the West Coast jazz scene during the 1920s to mid-1950s. Thanks to legendary musicians like Charles Mingus, Dexter Gordon, Eric Dolphy, and Charlie “Bird” Parker, among others, the area was vibrantly thriving with marvelous musical majesty. When asked about which musicians inspired him, Terrace replied, “Eazy-E influences me and should be celebrated for putting West Coast rap on the map similar to Miles Davis and John Coltrane innovating jazz.” Not consolidating to the norms but shifting to a new tune, Terrace’s band charmed the crowd with some songs from his album.
From left to right: Kamasi Washington, Emile Martinez, Terrace Martin, and Jonah Levine.
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mic that added a West Coast G-Funk fancy to his music. Terrace thrilled the crowd more by allowing R&B singer Rose Gold to take center stage and cover “Real,” one of Kendrick’s classics from his “Good Kid,
“Terrace thrilled the crowd more by allowing R&B singer Rose Gold to take center stage...” M.A.A.D. City” album. Her voice sounded rich as gold which sent a sublime sensation into the crowd of many fans. Later, Terrace and Rose added more flavor to the concert by sharing the stage with awardwinning saxophonist, Kamasi Washington. He began blowing up jazzy tunes that were loud as thunder. Terrace soon
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esiz C a l le i n g a n d s in d We st,” f ging “A T ro m his s ribe o ul. “ Later in the show, Terrace played with the Jonah Levine Collective. The collective performed a track from bebop jazz artist Thelonious Monk as well as and their own song called, “The Last Minute,” giving a great show. The concert finished with Terrace’s smooth, phenomenal finale called “Valdez on Crenshaw.” The song sounded like a futuristic fusion of inner-city blues mixed with funk, soul and astronomical tendencies. The crowd went crazy. Terrace has done a lot more for his community than most. Although Lala Hathaway ended up winning Best R&B Album at the Grammys this year, Terrace still rises. He is giving back to the city that fed him jazz as a young man by bringing back the “rebirth of cool” with his band. If you haven’t already, check out Terrace Martin’s “Velvet Portraits” in full swing.
Terrace Martin, Dennis Hamm, and Rose Gold peform a cover of Kendrick Lamar’s “Real.”
MUSIC
Leaving an Audible Mark on History
15
A showcase of songs representing black America By Soun Oeng Staff Writer
African culture is musically motivated and has a potent presence in its ethnic roots. When you think about black history, especially in America, music is the driving force for innumerable black movements. For example, black slaves sung songs to communicate with each other about secret agendas and escape routes, called map or signal songs. Furthermore, the Harlem Renaissance, an artistic and political black movement, utilized music to influence and express their oppression outside of mainstream media. In the History
Channel article “Harlem Renaissance,” readers are reminded that the movement was much more than a campaign of black identity, revealing “Negro life (was) seizing its first chances for group expression and self determination,” against a discriminating society. It is evident that music is a crucial component in the DNA of black history, and black musicians continue to preserve and practice their ancestral value for music to this day. When I examined black songs in America, I found a rich selection from past and present black artists — a few songs stood out from the rest. For instance, Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” is the perfect example of early music that affected black history. Released in 1939 and inspired by a poem from Abel Meeropol about protest against lynchings, “Strange Fruit” captures the gruesome and visceral images of black lynchings within her lyrics. Even the tone and piano notes are haunting, despite Holiday’s beautiful voice, forcing the listener to become
“All these songs stay faithful to how music has left its mark on black history...”
a specter in the memories of wrongfully murdered black lives. Other important songs that played a significant role in black history are Kanye West’s “Black Skinhead” and “New Slaves.” Both were featured on “Yeezus,” which became a controversial album among critics and media. The two titles are also a critique on America’s relationship with black people, suggesting that they’re still slaves to a government behind institutionalized racism. His statements in “Black Skinhead” and “New Slaves” address the stereotypes and discrimination among black people by unapologetically reminding his listeners of the culture’s long history of oppression and injustice. Kanye also manipulates human vocals that are distorted and violent to convey a loud and heated presence within his music. The rapid and aggressive repetition of bass in the background can be interpreted as heartbeats of fury. Joey Badass’ “Land Of The Free” also contributes to the platform of black history. The beginning line, “You know sometimes I think they don’t truly understand me You know, ‘cause they don’t,” confronts the idea that many people
still don’t understand black lives. Unlike Kanye’s approach, the rapper spits rhymes in a forgiving tone for the ignorant and approaches the song with a calm, wise, and mature attitude. Albeit, the lyricism is just as crafty and powerful. Common’s “Letter to the Free” is reminiscent to black slave songs. It begins with a slow and steady tempo on the piano that is gradually joined by humming and single claps, resurrecting the songs of his ancestors. The vocals are melancholic, but meditative and hopeful. When you get to the chorus, it repeats the line “Freedom Come,” allowing Common to connect his audience to black culture and history. Kendrick Lamar’s “The Blacker the Berry” is raw and honest. Similar to Common’s song, there are the same patterns of drums and eeriness, revealing an unfiltered version of black heritage. It’s effective in portraying black resistance towards persecution and I can see why black musicians recycle this technique; black history should never be sugarcoated. Moreover, all these songs stay faithful to how music has left its mark on black history and will continue to do so as time goes on.
An Alternative Perspective “Stay For Those Who Care” falls short in their unique approach By Peter R. Clark Entertainment Editor After much anticipation, the Australian melodic hardcore band Perspectives has released their first album. The hype, however, may have been
too high for the 5-piece band. Prior to the release of “Stay for Those Who Care,” Perspectives was known for their song “Between the White Space.” It was released almost 3 months prior to the album’s release, and the song is actually pretty good. It’s short, simple and gets you into the mood of the band’s musical style. After hearing it, it leaves the listener prepared for a semi-unique sound in the sea of melodic hardcore bands. “Stay for Those Who Care” has a total of 10 tracks. The thing that makes Perspectives unique is that they try and bring the melodic aspect of their songs to the forefront. In some parts of the tracks you really get a sense that the musicians know what they are
doing. In other areas, they linger too long playing the same notes. It gets a bit taxing after a while. A grievous example of this can be found in the title track “For those Who Care.” Prior to the guitar solo, which is really different for this genre, there is a long section where almost nothing happens. The vocalist is chugging along, but the music isn’t going anywhere. In this section, one could lose interest and forget about the song. This happens a few other times throughout the album, and it gets to the point where it feels like they needed to work more on these sections. Almost every song feels to fall into this trap of doing nothing interesting for 20 to 30 seconds and then something really good happens. A solo, a change in the melody, or the backing vocalist chimes in, but those moments only last for a little bit and then it is back to same monotony. What’s even more strange is that no other band has done this. Perspectives is truly trying to be unique in that respect, but it instead creates boring tracks
that lead into great, but fleeting portions. Another hindrance for this band is the vocals. The vocals, performed by Rob Scamarcia, feel out of place. They don’t really work for this band. He is very one-dimensional. It works for about the first 20 seconds. Unlike other bands like Casey, Sleep Talk or Hindsight, where the singers in those band have different vocal styles, Scamarcia’s never changes. And the other vocalist, guitarist Fletcher Matthews, doesn’t have a lot of parts in songs. His soft approach to the vocals works well when stacked up against Scamrcia’s gravelly tone, but he doesn’t come in on very many songs. When he does it’s great, though, and in the future they should utilize Matthews more. Overall, “Stay for Those Who Care” isn’t a bad album, it’s just alright. It has its moments, sometimes great ones, but those moments are lost in the crowd of monotony.
16 ATHLETICS
Spring Sweeping Starts Early Men’s volleyball start the season hot with six straight three-set wins
By Matthew Gozzip Athletics Editor Winter continues into the new year, but the Long Beach men’s volleyball team is beginning spring cleaning early. After a long offseason of hibernation, The Beach is back and sweeping top-tier competition with relative ease. LBSU (10-2) currently ranks as the no.2 team in the nation after five straight three-set victories, including four wins against the top 15 teams. Needless to say, the 49ers are doing well but this season’s squad may one of the best in the storied program’s history. The nexus of success for the team is rooted in the top talent that the Beach has attracted. The sophomore trio of setter Josh Tuaniga and the duo of outside hitters, Kyle Ensing and (LONG BEACH STATE ATHLETICS) From left to right: TJ DeFalco (11) is an efficient hitter with prodigous athleticism. Kyle Ensing (5) towers over the net, using his height to generate velocity on spikes.
Top: Amir Lugo-Rodriguez (17) deflects a shot at the net. Bottom: Andrew Sato (27) drops low for the dig. Left: Josh Tuaniga (10) sets up a hitter for a clear kill. TJ DeFalco, are the foundation for an offense that ranks second in the country in the major categories of hitting percentage, kills and assists. Tuaniga averages 11.56 assists a set, the highest tally in the country, nearly half of LBSU’s total points. Without Tuaniga, Ensing, DeFalco and the rest of the offense wouldn’t be able to find the openings to lay down accurate spikes. DeFalco and Ensing are one of only three other pairs of hitters that both rank top 20 in kills and attacks per set. Ensing utilizes his astounding height (6 feet, 7 inches) to generate more velocity. Earlier in the season, Ensing recorded 35 kills at a .455 clip in back-to-back games against Hawaii, resulting in national player of the week honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). DeFalco doesn’t have the same height as Ensing but is just as talented, if not better. “Captain DeFalco”, as he is referred to by several media outlets, has received every prestigious award you can think of, from Newcomer of the
Year to first team All-American, since he arrived. He broke the freshman record for total kills and continues to hone his serving skills, making him an even more deadly offensive weapon. The trio attracts a fair amount of attention for their flashy play the past couple years. What really
is putting LBSU over the top this year, though, is their balanced effort from less heralded players. After the departure of middle blocker Steve Gregory, there was a void at the center of the front line. How could anybody replace one of the most decorated players in Long Beach history? Instead
of finding a single replacement for Gregory, head coach Alan Knipe found two players up to the task. Seniors Bryce Yould and Amir LugoRodriguez are the perfect synthesis of offensive support and stalwart defense, two intelligent veterans alternating roles. Yould possesses a higher kills per set and Lugo-Rodriguez is the top defensive middle blocker in the country (1.34 blocks per set). In this case, performance by committee really is more effective, especially with experienced leaders like Yould and “ALR.” Speaking of seasoned leaders, Andrew Sato might be the most important piece for the flow of the 49ers. The senior libero is diminutive in stature (5 feet, 10 inches) but not in nature. After two years of limited playing time, Sato accepted a redshirt status, giving himself more time to develop. His patience was rewarded with an extended role and an uncanny trust with his teammates. The selfless savior averages 2.68 digs for set (fourth best mark in the country), diving for any ball hurdled from the top of the net. Once a project in training, Sato is now the the lynchpin to the backend of the Beach defense. The rest of the team is beginning to buy into Knipe’s system of patience and progression too. A previously inexperienced group has developed into a deep roster full of talent and skill. Senior outside hitter Andrew Whitt barely saw the court for three years but after redshirting his “senior season,” he evolved into a valuable contributor. “It’s good to be out there with the boys all fighting for the same thing,” Whitt said. “We all have our own roles and it’s fun to compete. And that’s the perfect example as to why The Beach has dominated for so long thus far. With the mix of natural talent, confidence cultivated from trust and an overall appreciation for team dynamics, LBSU could be one of the best teams the storied program has assembled and potentially a national champion.