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ADS
INTRO
Issue 80.6
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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 sylvanawriter@gmail.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
CONTRIBUTORS Emily Ayers, Cameron Pullano, Autumn E. Skinnner, Jose Valencia
COVER DESIGN BY: Nathan Zankich
Hablamos con Ramos Alex Ramos Editor-in-Chief What up, young people! As you may have noticed, I did things a little differently the past couple of weeks. I changed the way I wrote the intro. I wrote a lot less articles. I started to delegate assignments to other staff members. All of this was in an attempt to be more...professional? Yeah. I wanted to be more professional. The desire to be more professional came from feedback I got from all sorts of people. Readers. Staff. Supervisors.I let their comments go to my head and affect the way I do things. In a way, I did achieve my goal. I was more focused, more productive, and, well, more professional. I got things done and
pushed others to do the same. At the same time, I started to hate my work. I had less fun. I got less satisfaction from getting things done. I wasn’t happy. Here’s the thing: working on a newspaper is stressful. You have to deal with a fuck-ton of bad news on a daily basis. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. And it’s my, and my friends’, job to report on anything and everything that’s relevant. It’s a lot of responsibility to take on. Needless to say, it can become overwhelming. And so, I realized it’s important to have fun. Especially when we’re covering heavy topics, like the state of immigrant affairs in this country. Let me tell you, I have never heard of
anyone having 26 tabs open at once until this week. Poor Bailey was in the office doing research for this week’s feature whenever she had free time. But she had fun, too. I saw her goof off a lot with Alexis and Allison and anyone that wanted to just have a good laugh. Meanwhile, I sat in my corner and brooded like I was Bruce Wayne. But I’m not Bruce Wayne. I’m just your regular, average editor-in-chief that needs to take a step back. It is possible to be professional AND have fun. I just wish I had learned this sooner.
A critique of the “hijab
Coverage of the forum for
Breaking down upcoming
challenge”
the art department
local music festivals
see page 4
see page 6
see page 11
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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4 OPINIONS
The Problem With the Hijab Challenge It’s more than just a social media ploy By Sheila J. Sadr Copy Editor
The Muslim Student Association (also known as MSA) facilitated their second annual Hijab Challenge on Feb. 20. This challenge provided non-Muslim students with a hijab, or head scarf, to wear for a day in order to further understand the Muslim experience during this heavily Islamophobic time. This event was intended to promote and celebrate diversity and begin a dialogue with people who may not be as informed about Islam as they could be. And, I’ll admit, this was an incredibly beautiful and important sentiment to encourage. However, this challenge as a whole addresses the issue in a glaringly problematic and unproductive way. First, marginalized people don’t want their experience to be reduced to a single object. The hijab is not a random piece of clothing. It is first and foremost a declaration of islamic faith for women. It’s not intended for just anyone to wear it. For example, not just anyone can wear a Yarmulke. Jewish men wear it. You don’t
Jordan Daniels/Opinions Editor see people doing the “Yarmulke Challenge,” because we know that’s insensitive and we know that is not the right way to go about it. You don’t see people doing the “Dreads Challenge” because they’re trying to understand “the black struggle.” Can you imagine the backlash? Can you see how insensitive that is? This is an example of trivializing tokenism at its finest. Marginalized people don’t want their experience to be something you get to wear for a day, then take off. They don’t get to take their culture off whenever convenient or whenever they feel uncomfortable; so it can be insulting when someone else, who doesn’t fully understand the scope of the experience, does it. These “minorities” don’t want to be a social media hashtag. They want you to humanize them. They want you to learn and respect their culture not just for one day, but every day, and you shouldn’t have to wear a culture’s clothing in order to be empathetic toward their lives. Second, and quite honestly the most aggravating for me, is that the Hijab Challenge is a social media ploy and nothing more.
Let’s take the context of this challenge on our campus. Dozens of students walked around wearing their bright purple headscarves, indicating that they were participating in the challenge, and took pictures with the MSA’s new Snapchat filter. Is this really helping non-Muslim people understand “the struggle,” especially when all their friends are doing it too? Participants are rewarded with “likes” on social media and verbal affirmations telling them how “openminded” they are. Is it really a “challenge” when they are celebrated for just participating? This challenge is meant to be humbling and reflective and it has failed to achieve that on any level. Living in a predominantly Islamophobic country is isolating. It robs you of so much. It sometimes makes you grow resentful of your own faith, your own culture, and even your own family. I would know; I grew up in a Muslim family. I went to an Iranian/ Muslim youth group. I’ve seen what living in this country has done to Muslim-raised youth. Many abandon their background
Protecting Trans Rights
when they get older or try to wash it away. Additionally, the people who should do the hijab challenge, who should be learning about Islam, wouldn’t dare participate. The people who are participating don’t necessarily need the education. They aren’t necessarily doing it to learn anything. So when I see this challenge happen, when I see it stroke the ego of an already privileged community, I feel really hurt. MSA, I totally respect all that you do for the Muslim community. I cried when I saw many of you go out and pray in the middle quad. But in this case, you are so misguided. This challenge is so unproductive and hurtful. You may argue that because you approve of it, it’s okay; but try to examine what you’re really doing. Your intentions are pure, I have no doubt of that. But you are enhancing a platform that I know you want no part of —one that reduces our worth down to an object, to turn us into the next stop for any liberal social media tourist.
By Jordan Daniels Opinions Editor
My perspective on the “bathroom issue” Lately, you may have seen everyone from friends to celebrities on social media posting a text picture that says, “Protect Trans Rights.” The Trump administration is currently working to revoke the guidelines former president Obama put into place last year, which instructed that all public schools allow students to use the bathroom that correlates to their gender identity or expression. The guidelines were created to protect trans students in K-12 education, because children are the most impressionable and susceptible to bullying. According to a 2016 study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, LGBT youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than straight youths. The idea of
reversing these guidelines is then detrimental to the safety of these kids. Trans youth, especially, have a 40 percent rate of attempting suicide. A counter argument constantly heard is that allowing students to use the bathroom they identify with will make others feel uncomfortable. There’s a chance that they may only be entering the restroom to spy on the opposite sex. Rather than allow students to use their identifiable restroom because of a problem that most like won’t happen, we’re instead going to put these students in danger by placing them in a restroom they don’t identify with and leave them open to bullying. The probability of the latter situation is so
much higher than the former, especially in a space where the identity of trans students is constantly challenged. I know this because I have witnessed it and people that I know have lost their lives because of it. The issue over bathroom usage seems trivial because it shouldn’t be such radical thought to allow a student to use the bathroom with the gender they express, but, those against it don’t understand that this reaches into something deeper than just the right to a restroom. In an interview with MSNBC, actress Laverne Cox said that revoking these guidelines “...sends a message all over this country that we are not safe in this country...It forces us to not be visible and not be who we are.”
Denying the public access to restrooms is the equivalent of denying trans people the right to exist in public spaces. Yes, a bathroom is a bathroom, but that’s just the start. First it’s bathrooms, then it’s movie theaters and ultimately it will be a debate about where or not trans people really exist. This is a step in the wrong direction. It is our obligation as humans to protect trans rights because we need to protect the trans identity. Do not let a day go by without acknowledging their right to exist, whether it’s on social media or in person.
OPINIONS
Sanctuary Cities in the Age of Trump
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Make Long Beach safe for all citizens, documented or not By Wardah Imran Intern Amidst recent mass deportation raids across the country under the little-morethan-a-month-old Trump administration, immigrant rights activists are calling for Long Beach to declare itself a sanctuary city. And I’m calling for it too. What comes with the title of a sanctuary city, exactly? It simply means that local law enforcement is limited in how much it is able to cooperate with federal law enforcement, or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). People who advocate for Long Beach to declare sanctuary status for undocumented immigrants are asserting the upsides of being one. For example, being a sanctuary city could potentially encourage better relations between immigrants and local law enforcement, a positive key in the eyes of many fighting for police reform. During his campaign, Trump vowed to cut off federal funding for state and local governments that do not cooperate with ICE, putting things like public housing at risk. Many fear that California counties will decide to put federal funding before immigrant safety and agree to expand their ties with ICE. The cuts could potentially cost the state more than $70 million, according to the National Immigrant Law Center. Since his inauguration, Donald Trump has made it clear that he has every intention of following through on his campaign promises to attack already marginalized groups, at least as well as he is able to in the face of increasing opposition. He has also dramatically broadened the criteria for which immigrants can be considered for deportation, placing immigrants without criminal records in harm’s way as well. Deportation raids are not something
undocumented immigrants are newly being exposed to under the current administration. In 2012, the Obama administration was responsible for the deportation of almost 400,000 people. In fact, the record number of millions of people deported under Obama’s entire presidency earned him the nickname “Deporter-inChief.” Despite this, ICE’s claim that it is conducting business as usual have not been received well by some activists. In an interview with Democracy Now, the executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, Steven Choi, said: “The problem, though, with ICE saying that these are simply routine operations is that we are in a moment that is anything but routine. We have a president who, as a candidate, ran the single most antiimmigrant campaign in the history of the United States. And it’s a president who, in his very first week of his presidency, declared war on immigrant communities. He has said that he is going to ramp up enforcement activity and deportations, he’s going to triple the ICE force, he’s going to expand greatly the number of kinds of offenses that people can commit. And we’re really talking about potentially 25 million people in this country who could be deported, according to his executive order.” I believe that Long Beach should listen to the calls for sanctuary status, but go much further than others have in protecting immigrants, despite the risks and understandable fears regarding federal funding cuts. A point of frustration for immigration advocates is the fact that most sanctuary cities, like Los Angeles and Santa Ana, still cooperate with federal law enforcement to some degree. ICE maintains a number of partnerships
with local governments that help the federal agency to identify and pick up undocumented immigrants. For instance, despite declaring that it will have nothing to do with mass deportations, the Riverside sheriff’s department continues to inform
“The pathway to documentation and then citizenship is a long and arduous one for undocumented people of color.” ICE when inmates are scheduled for release. In addition, several jails in Orange County currently provide ICE with detention centers for undocumented immigrants. A number of cities in Los Angeles have contracts with ICE promising to keep detained immigrants in their facilities for a certain amount of time. The Los Angeles County sheriff’s department also complies with ICE in that it grants ICE access to its jails and databases, allowing federal law enforcement to question inmates under suspicion of being undocumented. While some argue that the title of
sanctuary city needs to come with a lot more than it does at the present moment, others maintain that the name is a politically meaningful, symbolic expression of solidarity with immigrant communities that is a step in the right direction. As the daughter of a woman who was undocumented for close to 30 years after arriving to this promised land of opportunity and refuge at the age of 14, I can assure you that undocumented status in this country is nothing that is desirable or easy—it is only the lesser of two evils. The pathway to documentation and then citizenship is a long and arduous one for undocumented people of color. It’s one that produces shame, exhaustion, and the inability to do tiny, everyday things that others take for granted. In an ideal world, sanctuary cities would actually function as safe havens for undocumented immigrants—one of our most vulnerable populations— and not cooperate with the federal government whatsoever. More so, undocumented workers would not be criminalized, demonized and made to live in fear. Perhaps this is not realistic to some, but if we cannot think of a just world as achievable, we may never get there. And to get there, we must follow in the footsteps of the radical thinkers who have historically moved us forward and toward social justice, and demand respect for all human beings. This includes all undocumented people—educated and uneducated, employed and unemployed— because a person’s humanity should not be tied to what they can give us.
6 COMMUNITY
Picking Up the Pieces Addressing structural issues in the College of the Arts
By Samantha Neou Intern
Panelists gathered to hear concerns regarding the structural state of the College of the Arts at a forum on Tuesday, Feb. 21. (Diana Martinez / Union Weekly) One hundred degree heat, suffocating fumes and threats of falling ceiling tiles has been the norm for many students in CSULB’s College of the Arts (CoTA). These same students are now prepared to ask why the art buildings have remained unrepaired for so long. ASI hosted the College of the Arts Forum on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at the USU Beach Auditorium. Organized and moderated by ASI CoTA senator Sofia Musma, faculty, staff, and art students voiced concerns about transparency and facility issues in the college. Faculty, professors, and art students in the college voiced concerns about transparency and facility issues. ASI CoTA senator Sofia Musma organized and moderated the event. Guests included Dean of CoTA Cyrus Parker-Jeannette; ASI President Marvin Flores; Arts Ink! President Grant Goldstein; Interim Associate Vice President of Academic
Preview: Coffee with the Candidates Preparing for a new wave of candidates By Emily Ayers ASI Press Secretary
Planning Dhushy Sathianation; and the Physical Planning & Facilities Management (PPFM) team’s Associate Vice President David Salazar and Director Tony Malagrino. It kicked off with questions about funding and the lack of the publicity for the arts. As the evening went on, it led to what everyone was there for. Many students piped up about the unbearable temperatures and lack of windows in FA4 and the threat of falling ceiling tiles. One audience member in particular wasn’t having it. “I have to ask, are you guys waiting for someone to die?” said attendee Robert Jackson. “We’re not in the business to kill anyone,” responded Salazar, which gained laughter. Senior Nikki Vecchio had more to say. The event volunteer runs the unofficial Facebook
group CSULB Artists United, where students keep track of damages in classrooms by posting pictures of them. She said the FA4 building on campus hasn’t been renovated since the school opened in 1949. She then mentioned how she felt dismissed when she reached out to the administration about the damaged facilities. Vecchio said she was told the heating situation couldn’t be addressed until the next heat wave. She claimed she was also told there wasn’t evidence of dangling tiles, and the administration couldn’t comment on the ventilation system in the painting room since there was no painting going on. Malagrino took full responsibility on behalf of the PPFM team. “We didn’t listen well in the past,” said Malagrino. “We didn’t have student perspectives. [Now we have] the opportunity
to promote better customer service for students. The goal is to be more transparent.” CoTA Facilities Coordinator Colleen Ryan, who was not onstage with the administration, assured she would be meeting with PPFM at least once a month to get the issues sorted out as well. The PPFM team assured that they were doing their best to implement temporary fixes by putting fans in the room and taking care of the tile situation, debating whether or not to just remove them. All the guests acknowledged that the temporary fixes are just that, temporary. The funds the school receives are not enough for the reconstruction of the art buildings, so donations would be needed. The panelists added that students would be involved in figuring out solutions until a long-term plan could be written.
On a campus with more than 30,000 students, creating a way for each voice to be heard can be challenging. But Cal State Long Beach’s Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) aims to represent every student and advocate for their needs. Starting on Mar. 6, the general election process will begin for the next executive team. Posters and flyers will be seen around campus showing the visions and goals of each candidate running for president, vice president, and treasurer. Students can begin to learn more about the candidates at the two Coffee with the Candidates events on Mar. 8 and 9. “For this to be a fruitful election, the students must be informed about who the candidates are and from there they must choose who they feel will bring integrity, commitment, and professionalism to the table,” said Gwen Viveros the Board of Elections Chair. “These positions are all high-level ones and the students elected will have a lot of responsibilities. It is up to us to vote for who we think is best suited to take on those roles. “As a student I want to know who is representing me and what they have to offer,” said Karla Estupinian, the Government Elections Officer. “Part of my job is to act as a guide on how to get students engaged with campus government. That means providing informational session to give the candidates an overview of their
duties and responsibilities.” The Executives not only chair various boards like the Senate and the Board of Control within student government, but they work and interact with many university officials, government leaders and federal and state legislators to advocate on behalf of the student body. They make sure the needs of the students aren’t just expressed, but that action is taken.
the rules and regulations set forth by ASI. There are seven representatives from every college on campus, as well as other University faculty representatives, and no voting member of ASI sits on the BOE. Viveros said marketing is a big component for the BOE. She said they have also been working to tackle voting indifference by concentrating on building personal relationships between CSULB and students. Part of that has been engaging voters by tabling and keeping students up to date with elections. “In the past there has been a low voter turnout,” said Aranas. “Students might think government doesn’t affect their life, but the ASI officers work daily to make sure the experiences of every student at CSULB matters.” As with voting in national or local elections, every ballot counts. The executives play a huge role in how student needs are best represented on the University’s campus. Viveros recognizes that it hasn’t been easy juggling her role as a representative and a student, but she said it has been worth it knowing how important the process is. “I’ve been given the opportunity to build relationships with great people and I am excited to witness the growth among all of us; candidates, students, administration, and CSULB as a whole,” said Viveros. “To everyone thinking about getting involved-do it. We need you.”
Coffee with the Candidates March 8, 12 - 1:30 p.m. at SSPA North Lawn March 9, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. at Speaker’s Platform “As a representative for the College of the Arts, I am the one that coordinates the push to get people from my college to vote,” said Kristel Aranas. “I’m here to ensure fair representation of voter turnout and to remind students to be contentious participants in any democratic system.” The Board of Elections (BOE) plays an important role in facilitating a smooth election process by educating and enforcing
7 FEATURE
The Fruits of Labor Intro by Christopher Orozco Distribution Manager Trump issued his “travel ban” against seven predominantly Muslim countries a month ago. January 25, he signed off two executive orders in regards to immigration enforcement. Last Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security released two memos detailing Trump’s orders. They stated that any “aliens” detained will be removed regardless of their crimes or status since any sort of legal violation is qualifiable for deportation. To further understand how strict the immigration acts can be, it’s important to analyze the history of the United States regarding immigration policy.
For example, the Naturalization Act of 1906 required immigrants to learn English in order to become naturalized citizens. As of now, expect an increase of border patrol agents and immigration officers, the beginning of Trump’s wall expansion, a higher requirement for asylum safety, a decrease of aid to Mexico and possibly a massive wave of deportation. This feature will be more aware about United States’ ugly history of discrimination against immigrants and the possible four year future of our country in regards to the hired labor force, mainly composed of “illegal” immigrants.
8 FEATURE
By Bailey Mount Managing Editor In 2015, Pew Research Center published a poll. In it, 53 percent of Americans said that immigrants strengthen the United States because of their hard work and talents. They take the jobs no one else wants. They contribute to a significant amount of the agricultural labor force. Today’s largest immigrant working class is Latino, an estimated 55 million people that Americans ascribe these qualities to. In the 1940s, a similar affirmation was made about a different immigrant group. “If all farmers would respond as did the Japanese, there would be nothing to it...” reads a newspaper article. Titled “USDA Lauds Japanese Growers for Aid,” it discussed the unparalleled dedication of Japanese-descent farmers to the new Farm Defense Program, a move designed to produce more food for the war effort by 1942. By this time, they already perform over 40 percent of California’s agricultural labors. The dateline reads Berkeley, CA. The majority of Japanese-Americans live in this state, an estimated 100,000. It is November 16, 1941. Less than a month later, Pearl Harbor is bombed. This clipping, now a digitally preserved, yellowing scrap of paper, is forgotten, much like Japanese-American aid, under Executive Order 9066.
Under this order, all JapaneseAmericans, regardless of citizenship or loyalty, were relocated to internment camps, where they would spend the remainder of the war. The food source that their country had prided them for sustaining only a few months prior now sat unattended and unharvested, rotting in workerless fields. The U.S., without a significant workforce to uphold its most productive agricultural state, now required a new labor supply. The solution was the Bracero Program. Enacted six months after Japanese internment, the Bracero Program allowed Mexican workers to take up a temporary residency in the United States under employment contracts. The U.S. ensured that braceros would not displace domestic workers. They would simply replace the 100,000 workers temporarily out of commission. Bringing in more than 2 million workers, including numerous undocumented ones, the effects of the Bracero program and the reason for its conception long after the war would inadvertently culminate in a similarly targeting executive order 75 years later — Executive Order 13767. “Continued illegal immigration presents a clear and present danger to the interests of the United States…” writes President Donald J. Trump. It is January 25, 2017. As of 2014, there are 2.3 million
undocumented Latino immigrants in California. They make up 70 percent of the state’s agricultural workforce, according to estimates from agricultural economists at UC Davis. Today, much like the JapaneseAmericans before them, unauthorized Latino immigrants form the backbone of Californian agriculture. The work they contribute to the state brings in $35 billion a year. 75 years ago, this would not have been unusual. Soon after its conception, the braceros became largely outnumbered by unauthorized workers, with American farmers taking advantage of the low wages they could give to workers they could threaten with deportation. Before his inauguration, Trump promised that he would deport all undocumented immigrants in an interview with CNN — an estimated 11 million people. The “good ones” would be allowed to reenter the U.S. and be granted legal residency — though they would not be allowed to become citizens. Within the second month of his term, two Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memos expanded on the executive order with what many news conglomerates called “widening the net,” refusing to make exempt “any class of immigrants” from deportation. Latino immigrants detained for minor *according to researchers at University of California, Davis (2017).
9 FEATURE
*Pew Research Center poll on illegal immigrant population by state(2014).
infractions could be deported in 24 hours. What will follow then will be another temporary labor shortage — though on a considerably wider scale and with larger repercussions than before. Before, nearly a quarter of a million people were removed from the labor force. In the few months between Japanese internment and the arrival of the braceros, it is estimated that 21 percent of the total acreage taken from Japanese farmers was at risk of loss. The sudden loss of 2.3 million people in California alone would be disastrous. U.S. farms are already facing both external and internal labor challenges. In 2014, a report released by the Partnership for a New American Economy and the Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform said that more foreigngrown produce was being consumed by Americans. It continued on to say that labor shortages were preventing farmers from competing effectively — there simply aren’t enough farm workers to keep up with a growing agricultural demand.
The solution here would be to hire more U.S. workers. On the campaign trail last year, Trump insisted that unauthorized immigrants “compete directly against vulnerable American workers.” However, many of these American workers are unwilling to do “arduous and temporary farm work,” as the aforementioned report mentions. According to a 2016 Pew Research Center poll, 58 percent of Trump supporters even admitted that immigrants “mostly fill jobs American citizens don’t want.” On an internal level, sudden removal of these unauthorized Latinos would result in the loss of millions of jobs. This sudden and severe labor shortage would not be augmented, as it was in the past, by the quick importation of new workers. Rather, it would create an economic vacuum. The labor shortage would cause a wage increase for those still working, American or not. The wage increase would raise the cost of American produce and effectively ensure increased reliance on foreign-grown produce. Praised by his supporters for his economic
savviness and condemned by his critics for his inflammatory speech toward Latinos, Trump will face a dilemma on two fronts in the coming years - not unlike the one faced by President Roosevelt back in 1941. He will be faced with the responsibility to uphold what he considers to be the values of the American people as well as his responsibility to sustain the economy of those people. The Pew Research Center reports that 77 percent of Trump’s supporters are confident that he will do the right thing about the economy. 55 percent of them say that he will do the right thing about illegal immigration. With the two being so closely intertwined, however, it is unclear what percentage believes that he should actually make a decision. There is no world war today. No attack on U.S. soil. No resources to repeat a mass displacement of the country’s coveted agricultural workforce. Even if there were, the ripple effect such a removal would have on the U.S. economy would greatly outweigh any benefits it might bring.
10 MUSIC
“Sad Songs for Sad Dudes” Genre-mashing Acres releases an expectation shattering EP By Peter R. Clark Entertainment Editor
Having your expectations shattered doesn’t happen very often, but Acres from Hampshire, United Kingdom does just that with their latest EP, “In Sickness & Health.” Acres seamlessly blends melodic hardcore and post-rock to create a sound unlike any other band in the genre. Every single release they have come out with has been a perfect combination of vocals, music, pacing and overall sound. You could almost call Acres a perfect band. The initial issue with this latest EP is that an earlier song they had released a few months ago, “Miles Apart” garnered mixed reviews. Some people loved it, others hated it. Acres tried something new by introducing clean singing vocals in their normal mixture of genres. The song left the impression that their next release would only contain clean vocals. With nothing else to go off on, many listeners were
turned off by the new approach. A few teases later and the release of the EP all those fears are cast aside, what Acres has created here is nothing short of brilliant. The addition of the clean vocals does not hinder the music, but instead enhances it. This is especially clear in the first song on the album, “Overseer,” which is a beautiful track. It starts out with the harsh vocals fans know and love, which settles the mind of the skeptical folks who thought Acres had changed. Then it goes into the clean vocals,
and it is clear at this point that they are there as an additional element to the already beautiful music. What Acres has done here across the entire EP is flip the script for melodic hardcore. Songs are both heavy and airy at the same time. The album really shines in the pacing, though. For instance, the title track “In Sickness & Health” is a slow crawl to the end, ramping up to the climax of brilliant guitar work by Alex Freeman and Theo Sandburg. The drumming on this track by Matthew Hiscock is also spectacular,
“What Acres has done here across the entire EP is flip the script for melodic hardcore.”
emphasizing the gradual guitar build up. Another important aspect of this band is the lyrics. Acres really lives up to their motto, “Sad Songs for Sad Dudes,” as each song in indeed not a happy affair. The lyrics are poetically crafted, and make you think. For instance, “Miles Apart” contains this passage: “We were miles apart and lost in time / Letting go of what it’s like to really feel alive / And I can’t shake off this feeling / Of no one out there / I’m better off alone.” These songs evoke emotion both through the lyrics and the way the vocalist sings them. Up to this point, Acres has only released EPs. Perhaps in the future, they will release a full-length album, but “In Sickness & Health” is a great release to their already large discography. Give them a listen on Spotify and go on an emotional journey with a genre-mashing band. You won’t regret it.
Father Rap, I Seek Your Guidance A look at how hip-hop music left its mark on one devoted individual By Soun Oeng Staff Writer Big black headphones cancel out the noise of reality. As I’m sucked into a mesmerizing trance of dope rhymes that spit out flames before me, my head in a spiritual gospel. It concludes a final verse with the line: “So right before I sleep, dear God, what I’m askin’, remember this face, save me a place in ‘Thugz Mansion’.” This verse from Tupac’s “Thugz Mansion” compelled me to sign my soul to the rap lords. It was doing more than just composing musical appeal, it was reaching a hand out to me. I’ve never experienced anything like it. The way I discovered rap was from the cliche schoolyard cypher. Everyone would gather in a circle, while someone would create a beat by whipping the tip of their pencils rhythmically, and then another person would jump in freestyling while the rapper roasted anyone in the group. However, it wasn’t until after the rap battles that hip-hop made its impact. My friends would have me listen to their burnt mixtapes they spent hours compiling, consisting of songs from Tupac, Dr.Dre, Kurupt and Too $hort. What made this exchange of music unforgettable was that
for the first time, I was listening to rappers who rapped about my life experiences in their songs. T h e y connected with me on a personal level and made me a better person. I started to enjoy writing and school because the rappers I listened to preached about bettering one’s self, regardless of his/her financial status. Whenever anyone doubted me, rap encouraged me to push forward. I think people underestimate the power behind rap. Unfortunately, what they do know about it is through the lens of a prejudiced media. It projects a glorified image of sociopathic gangsters with no respect for
Illustration by John Mueller Graphics Illustrator women or the law and suggest that music lacks an intellectually stimulating lyricism seen in iconic white musicians like Bob Dylan. However, I gained a personal life mentor from it. I learned a valuable lesson about selfperseverance and the persistence to continue to hustle and to work hard to reach my goals. Moreover, the linguistics aspect of rap lyrics became a mantra of positive thinking and inspirational quotes. For example, in J. Cole’s “Adolescence” he spits, “things change, rearrange, or so do I/ It ain’t always for the better, dawg, I can’t lie/ I get high ‘cause the lows can be
so cold/ I might bend a little bit but I don’t fold.” In a metaphorical sense, rap was my third language. I thought of rappers like pastors conducting a sermon for a hopeless audience: they slowly, but effectively, move the listeners with the weight of their words. Artists such as Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Jay Prince, Kanye West, Mick Jenkins and Tupac all speak volumes that touched my life significantly. Their lyrics were also the reason behind my love for the English language. They made self-expression cool. My relationship with rap cuts deep, revealing uncharted areas of myself I haven’t discovered or kept locked up inside. I can honestly say that rap has contributed in my growth as an individual, redefining my perspective about life and the people in it, as well as drawing my attention to the institutionalized racism I didn’t hear in other genres of music. So, when people ask me how rap made an impact in my life, I respond, “cause when I was barely livin’, that’s what kept me alive,” (“Bring Me Down” by Kanye West).
11 MUSIC
Take Your Mind Off the Madness With RMB Showcasing a band full of good vibes and good times Words by Autumn E. Skinner Contributor
RMB (originally the Randell Milan Band) consists of Randell Milan as lead singer and guitarist, Jose Alcantar on bass and Carlos Soto (known as “Soto”) on drums. They are a modern blues band with an electronic twist, with influences from B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix to The White Stripes and The Black Keys. Their sound is described by fans as the music you can come home to after a long day of work. Before every show, Milan is usually listening to Paul McCartney. Soto smokes and Alcantar triple-checks everything for their set. As the show starts, Milan quickly becomes drenched in sweat, putting all his energy and passion into his every performance. Every RMB concert you see feels like they are going all out for you just this once — but they manage to recreate that ephemeral feeling every time. One thing you’ll always notice in an RMB set is the mid-show fist-bump between
Alcantar and Milan, with a grin back at Soto. Alcantar said, “It’s our way of saying, ‘I got your back, and everything is good.’” After every show, no matter the hour or the duration, Milan sits down, exhausted, trying to collect himself. In an interview with band manager Carlos Gonzalez, he remarks that “someone always buys him a drink — tequila is his poison.” Alcantar usually winds down with his longtime girlfriend Chrystene, or, “depending on the intensity,” drinks a White Russian. Soto goes outside, smoking or inside with a cold beer and a big smile. With a team of professionals supporting
Photos courtesy of Jose Valencia
the band including the manager, publicist, photographer, social media manager and more — the members get to focus all their energies on the creative process. “Those 30 minutes, it’s our stage,” said Alcantar. “We’re just happy to be in each other’s presence — it’s a really comfortable environment since we’re so in sync,” he adds, “not that ‘NSYNC.’” Gonzalez also talked about how the music makes him feel: “When I go to a show, it makes me feel like I’m going to a party — even if it’s just a studio show. It’s energetic, but groovy — I gotta move!” Speaking with RMB publicist Jazmin Lucero on the band’s future, she said: “They
“Every RMB concert makes you feel like they are going ‘all out’ for you...”
want to make it — but on the way, they want to help out their community. We feel like Bellflower, Norwalk and Downey just haven’t really been acknowledged in the music scene. Many bands out of these areas just identify as Long Beach bands — we don’t want to do that.” After all, those three towns are home to each band member, and RMB wants to start giving back to each community, beginning with their mission of building up the art and music culture. They recently hosted their first benefit concert to raise funeral funds for Soto’s cousins who were fatally shot in an LA park. RMB is currently looking for more ways to give back at local volunteer centers. They have been together for two full years now, and are currently planning a special anniversary show to be announced. These three aren’t going anywhere but up — so remember the name RMB.
Festivals Turn Local A look at the localization of music in Long Beach By Natalee Coloman Staff Writer Orange County and Long Beach music venues have finally done something we’ve all been asking for; they’ve brought festivals closer to us. Music fans no longer have to drive out to Pomona, Ventura or even San Bernardino to see some of their favorite bands perform, cutting down travel costs while boosting local business sales. The Observatory in Santa Ana has been a hit for music festivals this past year, including Beach Goth, Chain Fest, One Love Cali Reggae Fest and the upcoming When We Were Young Fest. Similarly, Long Beach has started to blossom with festivals like 2014’s Rock the Boat and last fall’s Music Tastes Good. Although Rock the Boat is no longer active, the sold-out shows from the other festivals are proving that fans enjoy staying local. In September 2016, Music Tastes Good festival was founded by Joshua Fischel, a well-known music artist in the Long Beach and Southern California music scene. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Fischel said that
the festival was “a years-long dream to finally produce an event that would document Long Beach’s local music scene and help establish the city as a touring destination.” Fischel unfortunately died from liver disease a week after the festival. According to The Times, in his life he has performed and worked with bands such as Fishbone, Pearl Jam and the Black Eyed Peas as well as promoted the Long Beach events series RiotStage and Live after Five. Although the Music Tastes Good team has lost their founder, they’ve vowed to continue showcasing local bands that Fischel would have loved. This year’s upcoming festivals in Long Beach and Orange County include: Musink Mar. 17-19, Orange County Beer and Music Mar. 25, When We Were Young Apr. 8-9, Freedom of Music Apr. 15, Freestyle Festival Apr. 22, Like Totally 80s May 13, Summer and Music throughout summer and many more.
12 ATHLETICS
Beach Bats Bluffed Out the Gate
Volleyball Streak Snapped, Still Serving Victories
Dirtbags offense sputtering to begin season By Matthew Gozzip Athletics Editor
The beginning of the season is usually a time of promise for most baseball teams. For Long Beach State it’s an opportunity for redemption after a loss in the regional round of the College World Series. So far, so bad. The Dirtbags (3-3) have only won half of their games, a disappointing beginning to the season, especially since hey were ranked in the top 20 in the country. The Dirtbags bats are currently hitting .223 through six games while their opponents are hitting .266 with nearly 20 more at bats. Much of the offense is powered by spotty slugging and ineffective top of the order, other than sophomore infielder Jarren Duran at the lead off spot. Junior outfielder Luke Rasmussen leads the team in RBI as expected but is also beginning to show more plate discipline, increasing his batting averages across the board. Juniors Brock Lundquist and David Banuelos sit on the back half of the order but if they can begin to produce runs, the offense can be stabilized. It is the beginning of the season so the batters should get a longer rope at the beginning of the season. Depth of the rotation will be the key to
Basketball Defeated by Three-Point Barrage 49ers fall to Mustangs, shooting woes continue
By Francisco Valladares Staff Writer
LONG BEACH STATE ATHLETICS winning early season contests for the time being while the bats begin to pick up steam. Sophomore Darren McCaughan, a preseason all-american, is expected to play at a high level after a 10-1 campaign and a successful summer tour with the Team USA Collegiate National team. Unfortunately, McCaughan pitched one of his worst games in recent memory on Opening Day. The ace gave up six runs on six hits in only six innings against the Oklahoma Sooners, only the second time he conceded three runs in a start in the past two seasons. Of course, that start may have been a case of rust since McCaughan did rebound with a shutout win against Fordham in his next outing. Regardless, McCaughan can’t carry the load by himself. A trio of newcomers make up the bulk of the rotation and much of the early portion of the season rests on their arms. Freshmen right handers John Castro and Matt Fields are a bit of a mystery even though they both arrived to Long Beach as highly touted recruits. After both making their debut appearances in the young season, the future looks promising.
Fields took the mound during the second game of the opening series with Oklahoma, pitching three innings in relief to pick up his first career win against the same formidable order that bullied McCaughan. Castro didn’t get a win in his first appearance but he did not allow a run in seven innings, allowing only six hits against the USC Trojans. Junior transfer John Sheaks, another Dirtbag who made his debut this year,, generally starts off his outings strong but seems to fade as the innings progress. In his first start against Oklahoma, Sheaks blanked the Sooners the first four innings but later gave up three runs in the next two innings. He also had difficulty in his second start on Saturday against Fairfield, allowing four runs in four innings. Establishing consistency remains the main objective for the Dirtbags. At some point the rhythm of the swing will be restored to The Beach’s bats and the pitchers will show how talented they really are. It remains to be seen though if this slow start is an adjustment period or a season long issue.
Basketball continues to evolve as a game, one of the biggest changes is a newfound reliance on the three pointer. Unfortunately, Long Beach State doesn’t seem to be able to adapt to the new trend. Cal Poly made nine of their 13 three point attempts in the first half to ultimately defeat The Beach, 78-71. LBSU (13-18, 8-7) converted only 22 percent of their three point shooting, continuing their season long slump. The Mustangs shot a scorching 53 percent shooting from three in the first half that got them the win, their first at the Walter Pyramid in seven seasons. “We’ve struggled all year with teams that spread you out with the bounce and kick and shoot the ball,” said Head Coach Dave Monson. “Our activity wasn’t good enough, we couldn’t keep the ball in front of us, first and foremost. That’s the best way to contain the three.” The 49ers defense did have trouble defending Cal Poly at the arc, specifically in just allowing such a large volume of shots. The Mustangs attempted 32 three-pointers throughout the entirety of the game, ending with a 40 percent mark from deep. While the Mustangs offense continued to catch fire, the Beach found it difficult to defend their constant aggression on offense.
“We were just not disruptive enough [on offense], and Cal Poly got very comfortable [defending],” Monson said. While LBSU had trouble shooting triples, they stayed close in the game with good play in the paint, lead by sophomore forward, Temidayo Yussuf. Yussuf tallied 24 points in the contest and added 7 rebounds. The star big man scored, 10 of his 15 field goals in the painted area, displaying the consistence dominance in close proximity to the basket that he has shown all season. “If you dominate the paint, you have a pretty good chance of winning,” said Yussuf. “If the other team has more threes than you, it’s going to be tough to win. Hopefully we play better defense and the threes start to open up more in the next game.” This was the case as it was a close loss for the Beach that easily could have been a win if there was more balance from outside shooting. With only two regular season games to go in conference play before the start of the tournament, the Beach will be hoping to get passed this shooting slump in order to make a serious run in the postseason. They visit UC Davis next on February 25, and will be hoping to gain some momentum going into the final stretch of the season.
By Matthew Gozzip Athletics Editor The greatest streaks always come to an end someday. The 1971-72 Lakers 33-game winning streak ended after 65 days. The University of North CarolinaChapel Hill tallied 103 victories before eventually losing after being unbeatable for six years. Even comets eventually leave the Earth’s atmosphere after streaking across the sky for several days. Naturally, the Long Beach State men’s volleyball team streak of six consecutive 3-0 wins would end. Last Tuesday, the Beach won 3-1 against Cal Baptist but did concede a set. The Beach offense struggled to find a rhythm in the beginning of the match, scattering inconsistent serves and hits that could easily have been points. CBU is athletically inferior and did end up losing in four sets but if LBSU can’t establish themselves early against a more skilled team, it can spell trouble. That being said, one thing LBSU does very well is make adjustments to match personnel. Josh Tuaniga, normally the assist man at setter, tallied six kills of his own. “Josh continues to throw the ball around and create balance and stress all along the net and that’s a big thing for us,” said Coach Knipe. “We pride ourselves on not allowing teams to just load up on one thing and that starts with passing; that starts with Josh. Not only did he distribute the ball well, but he stayed fairly offensive as well.” Not only that, The Beach knows how to balance out the emotion of a highly contested game. Tuaniga, TJ DeFalco, Kyle Ensing, Bryce Yould and Amir Lugo-Rodriguez were all on the last seaon’s team that made it to the Final Four and know what it takes to get back there. They definitely learned that taking an off day won’t get them there. LBSU avenged their only bad loss of the season against USC last Friday too, sweeping the match 3-0 and limiting the Trojans to .096 hitting for the entire contest. Even though they lost a set, the team realizes how vital it is to play hard every single match, no matter who it is against. The Beach did lose their streak but their aspirations remain sky high amidst the comets and stars.
13 ENTERTAINMENT
Past and Present Stars Find Their Way into “Fire Emblem: Heroes” Gambling and anime pretty boys By Cameron Pullano Contributor
While the focus on Nintendo as of late has been focused on the Switch coming out next month, they have continued to follow up on their planned iOS and Android games. Their most recent
rele a s e , “ F i r e Emblem: Heroes,” came out at the beginning of February as a free to play game, and so far, has been another quality translation of a Nintendo property into a phone game. For those unfamiliar, you might recognize the Fire Emblem series of games as the one responsible for putting the anime pretty boys like Marth into “Smash Brothers.” It’s a strategy game that has kept the same essential concept since the beginning: move your fighters around on a grid and playing around the rock-paper-scissors game. “Fire Emblem: Heroes” simplifies the combat a bit further, but it still functions well as a distillation of the “Fire Emblem” ideas. This newest exploration into mobile games also shows that Nintendo has really figured out how to make money off phone games. In
previous “Fire Emblem” games, new characters would become available through plot events. In “Heroes,”Nintendo has made unlocking new characters the most likely point for you to open your wallet with a minimal plot structure. Playing through a story mission rewards you with one mysterious, rainbow colored orb—the currency used to unlock characters. Spending five orbs allows you to generate a pool of five characters to draw, with only their weapon class visible before you draw each one. You can pay to get more orbs. Choose from buying three orbs for $1.99 all the way up to 140 orbs for $74.99. What a steal! The thrill of dropping orbs on a set of new characters to draw is probably a familiar feeling if you’ve played a lot of mobile games. The rush of gambling your hard-earned orbs to get some new anime boys and girls is only intensified if you’re hoping for a favorite character from a previous game, as the selection is taken from almost all the games in the series. Characters range from one to five stars, indicating their potential for stat growth and chance of appearing. “Fire Emblem: Heroes” is a simplification of the series, but does a great job of keeping the core gameplay intact. The quick battles make it easy to play in short bursts, and the gambling element has me hooked. If you’re looking for a new game to play in that Econ 101 lecture, this is a good one, and a solid intro to the series.
Love Across Oceans “A United Kingdom” attempts to shed light on an old divide of race Many believe that love triumphs all. Love can unite others despite opposition from their nation. “A United Kingdom” proves this ideology when an African prince marries a British woman. The historical drama, based on a true story, screened at Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood with a Q&A from director Amma Asante and actor David Oyelowo. The film begins with Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike) going to a church dance, designed to save Africans with Christ in London, England in 1948. While observing, Ruth notices future Bechuanaland king Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo) debating others on opposing colonialism. Khama charms Williams with his speech so much that they begin a relationship. However, when the British people and Bechuanaland government find out, they take actions to separate the two. The characters face many hardships. From, Khama’s brawl between London racists, to quarrels from family members, to apartheid
in Bechuanaland. Government officials in England and Bechuanaland want to exile Khama away from his country because of the suspicion of causing both nations to fall. However, Williams and Khama fight for the freedom to stay married by sticking together. Oyelowo delivers a brilliant performance, much like his other movies. In one scene when, Khama (Oyelowo) explains to his fellow citizens why he should be king despite marrying Ruth. Risking life and honor, Seretse shouts, “I Love my people, land, and my wife.” The former “Selma” star harnesses Martin Luther King Jr.’s captivating commands and implements it into prince Khama. Oyelowo demands for change under the power of love for humanity. After the films screening, Asante and Oyelowo came out for a Q&A. When asked about the importance of race-related films, Asante said, “I’m a woman of color and the world doesn’t feel modern to
me. I want people to celebrate everyone including black people. We all hope and dream for a better future and I want my audience to see that.”
Movies add ressing race-related topics should be recognized, as they can celebrate those of other backgrounds
By R. Ray Robinson Staff Writer rather than degrade them. “A United Kingdom” may be such a film. It is important to watch since it opposes racism that still plagues the world today. The movie shows how people from different backgrounds can love one another despite its differences. If you have no love for humanity, watch “A United Kingdom” in an attempt to gain it.
“A United Kingdom” Length: 1hr 51min Directed By: Amma Asante Written By: Guy Hibbert Starring: David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike, Jake Davenport, Tom Felton, Laura Carmichael, Terry Pheto, Jessica Oyelow, Arnold Oceng, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Vusi Kuene and Anastasia Hille.
14 CULTURE
Pillar of Strength
Creating a safe space for the gay community
Lex, Esq/Union Weekly
By Jordan Daniels Opinions Editor The word “influencer” is becoming a favorite in our generation. An influencer has a following on social media, is trying to become a brand name and becomes both a source of content that we trust and a source of advice that we sometimes follow. There are few influencers out there with the sole purpose of providing help and advice for people who may need it, especially in communities where pressures may be at an all-time high. In the gay community, especially for gay males, there is a lack of collective support for those who don’t fit a mold or perpetuate a stereotype. That’s why user, “Lex, Esq.” created “The Problem Gays,” on Instagram. A lawyer based in Los Angeles, Lex originally created the page to talk about gay relationships, gay divorce and also provide some legal advice on scenarios they may encounter. However, realizing the potential this space could have, he began opening it up to questions by other users, establishing a service to help people within the realm of
anything gay-related. In fact, he keeps the Instagram page itself “It started evolving as it went,” said Lex. a bit lighthearted, mixing in gifs, previews of “As issues came up, I started infusing my his blog videos or entries, as wells as selfies knowledge of life. When Trump took office, and humorous text posts about gay scenarios I tried my best to explain some legalities of that are often talked about in social circles, what could happen to but not always in the community and public spaces. “I add my own explain in simple ways “I add my own for my followers to experiences to some experiences to some understand and not be stories to let my so scared of.” followers know that stories to let my Lex answers much these situations are of his questions in real and happen to followers know that personal messages a lot of us,” he said, to the people that discussing these situations happen when ask him, sometimes how he balances the addressing them content in his pages. to a lot of us...” publicly on Instagram “I often try to connect if he feels they’re followers with each general topics that others should think about other when I see that some may have similar as well. When he wants to go in-depth about problems, in case I don’t have the experience, issues and experiences, he will either discuss so that they can help each other.” them in videos or blog posts on “The Problem With a little over 16,000 followers on Gays” website, which he also operates. Instagram, which he acquired in less than
a year, Lex isn’t quite positioned as an influencer yet, but it is his goal to become a source of the true gay experience for the community. A place where they can get serious advice when they need it and have a comedic catharsis when they want it. For the next step, Lex wants to establish a panel of people to operate “The Problem Gays” so he can open up the audience to be inclusive of all the LGBT community. “I feel qualified to talk about issues involving gay men, so I would love to have collaboration with lesbians, trans people and more communities to expand on the issues they face,” said Lex. “If the brand is about being real, then I don’t want to talk about issues I know nothing about.” For now, “The Problem Gays” is on a steady incline to becoming a pinnacle of advice for the gay community and hopefully it’ll become an inclusive space where all facets of LGBT can receive a balance of personal advice and a little humor.
War isn’t Over
15 CULTURE
George Takei’s Broadway show tries to remind Americans of a not so distant past
By Bailey Mount Managing Editor Image taken from the “Allegiance” website
George Takei’s “Allegiance” made an encore screening at the Edwards Cinema in the Long Beach Towne Center on Feb. 19. Based on Takei’s experiences as a child, the musical follows the story of the Kimura family, Japanese-Americans interned during World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor. While Sam Kimura seeks to prove his loyalty by fighting for their country, his sister Kei fights for her people against the injustices their country has caused. The screening took place on the 75th anniversary of Executive Order 9066, an order issued by President Roosevelt that would authorize the removal and internment of 120,000 Japanese-Americans during World War II. Describing itself as a “new musical inspired by a true story,” the musical attempts to accurately capture the political and social turmoil that occurred during
such a dark chapter in American history. It is clumsily done at best. Composer and lyricist Jay Kuo fails to deliver anything impactful in its music. Each song seems to follow the traditional build up to a final, belted note or phrase. The lyrics are ham-fisted in their political message. The subject of allegiance is frequently touched upon, the hypocritical patriotism forced on those interned shoved in the audience’s face. This leaves “Allegiance” without many songs worth remembering. The few that rise above the mire of good intentions only do so because of their delivery. Because of this, the characters must carry the large weight of “Allegiance.” The talented cast offers up a strength in the face of injustice, a perseverance in troubled times. With Tony winner Lea Salonga as Kei and George Takei playing two roles as both the Kimura grandfather and an aged Sam, there’s
an emotionality given to “Allegiance” that would otherwise be lost. This is made apparent in the characters of Sam and Kei. Sam, played by Telly Leung, is a second-generation Japanese-American, seemingly always at odds with his culture and his father. He’s unfamiliar with the Japanese language. He disregards the wishes of his father and goes to fight for America in the war, falling in love with a white nurse in the camp. His way of freeing his people means fighting to prove their loyalty. Kei, in contrast, is utterly self-sacrificing. Bilingual with a deep love for her identity, she spends the majority of the musical trying to keep her family together. Described as “a woman who wears a political statement in her hair,” Kei soon evolves into a spirited protester whose altruism extends to her whole community and whose desire for selffulfillment overtakes her dutiful nature.
“How Can You Go?” the third to last song, summarizes these events. As a heated argument between the now changed siblings, the song seems like a last-ditch effort to remind viewers of how much the internment affected the Japanese-American family and the struggle to move past it. “The war is over,” Kei cries, “it’s time to start again, together, like before.” One would not even have to watch “Allegiance” if one listened to this song. If the emotion expressed between Salonga and Leung had been present throughout the whole musical, perhaps the blunt lyricism and generic score would have been enhanced. Unfortunately, however, what could have been a profound reminder of America’s past and a warning of its potential future becomes a historical drama with great characters. Where the allegiance in this musical lies is not clear.
FOOD | B9
POLITICS | C4
Seven hamburgers full of oyster meat
Trump allegedly had sex with his mother
THE GRUNION BI-WEEKLY Monday, February 27th, 2017
STAFFERS Mercedes Colomar Grunion Editor Cervantes LeMans Staff Infection Olivia Ofrenda Design Executor
WEATHER TODAY
42º/ 41º
TOMORROW
??? / ???
LOCAL Local fountain sues city for incorrect water treatment In a bizzare case involving an inanimate object, local fountain “Jeff” is suing city for improper treatment of water. City responds by destorying the fountain. C2
UNDERWORLD ‘You can’t deport the dead!’ Trump apparently trying to reach his tiny hands into the Underworld on Wednesday when he tried to deport billions of boney inhabitants. He doesn’t understand anything. G9
SPORTSBALL Hoo wee SPORTSBALL WOOOOOOOOOO What the fuck is sports anyway? Does anyone even read this shit? Why do I spend hours thinking of good ideas if no one fucking reads it. If you’re reading this you’re... F6
The Grunion is a work of satire. It in no way reflects the views of Long Beach Union Weekly or Associated Students Inc.
DEATH TOUCHES US, FROM THE MOMENT WE BEGIN TO LOVE
Volume 80 Issue 6
Send Submissions to: grunion@lbunion.com
7 planets found, 3 sustain life, perfect for deportation By Mercedes Colomar
GRUNION EDITOR
We’re going on a trip in our favorite rocketship, zooming through the cosmos, deported Latinos. Space. The final frontier. And, like most frontiers, about to be populated by people from somewhere else. With NASA announcing the discovery of seven new planets, three of which could be sustainable for life, I propose a new plan for our dear president Donald Just-StopTalking-About-My-Hands-They’re-
A-Perfectly-Average-SizeTrump. Three new habitable planets. Three. Tres. Spanish for three. Spanish, as in all of the immigrants you want to deport. See the connection? Mr. President, given your hangup on illegal immigrants, probably coming from the Latino maid who rejected your amorous advances when you were a youth, I propose that you should just move these ‘bad hombres’ to another planet. Think about it. It might actually benefit the American economy... which doesn’t affect me. I, after
all, am undead . From one lifeless shell to another, I encourage you to make this heroic leap into the unknown. For all we know, the alien from “Alien” could be out there. And what better way to fight it than with more aliens, better aliens? Space exploration needs funding. NASA hasn’t received this much attention since they decided to make Pluto a dwarf planet. And since ‘dwarf’ is not an acceptable term now and space travel there would take too long, I propose that you seriously
Journalists suck By Jack Goff OLD FUCK
B a c k in my day, journalists did things a little d i ff e r e n t l y. We reported the facts, drank heavily on the job and casually made what you kids consider “sexist” and “racist” comments. Ah, what a time. I miss it, but it’s in the past. We were men back then. We followed a code of ethics when it suited us. We got all of the pertinent facts. These were the pillars of journalism. But it seems as if too many of you kids are hellbent on eschewing these in favor popularity, much like that Kanye West with his hip-hoppity music. The way I see it, journalists suck now. They use big words,
Trump: Poopy pants
By Olivia Ofrenda
DESIGN EXECUTOR Fuck! Oh right I have to keep my language under control. Heck! Is that better? Fucking assholes. Anyway, I’m back. I designed this page. Does it look better? I asked Mercedes if I could come back and make this sorry excuse for a paper look better, and she said yes. I also have to refrain from using that one word that
complex sentences, and statistics. They judge readers instead of informing them. It’s almost like they all stand around and jerk each other off for the sake of what they call “journalism.” Listen, I know I may have offended some people in my time but at least I had some integrity and racism. I upheld the values of journalism and racism. See, I’m no fan of President Trump and racism. He’s loud and pompous and weak-willed. I knew he was a pussy when I read that he wouldn’t be attending the White House Correspondents Dinner. His skin must be thinner than the young lady I made advances on last week. Still, you have to consider that the small-handed orange man may be on to something. Are we, as journalists, out of touch? Are we no longer representing the interests of the people and advertisers we swore to represent? Are we not racist
rhymes with bunt. She also asked me to start writing news articles for all you people out there who don’t read this fucking paper. So the rest of this is a news article. Breaking news: Donald Trump shits himself on live television. In a press conference scheduled for one fall—err for the audience to listen to, he spoke of nothing but with his hands. In fact he essentially just verbally
enough? Shall we return to the good old days of discriminations, referring to inhumane descriptions of coloured American citizens and immigrants of this proud country? Can we go back to the good old days of Benjamin Franklin, back when landowners could vote? Can we really love our Catholic neighbors and give them crap about having a President Kennedy as a president? I mean come on! We had a Catholic president get shot in Texas. I mean seriously, I haven’t seen people freak out over having a controversial president since Obama’s inaugaration. Then again, my great-greatgrandma made Old Fashions with blueberries than cherries. Ah, that reminds me of the days before Roe v. Wade case became sensational, we had segregation in the news. We had cold facts against the Vietnam War. Or was it the Korean War. I can’t remember...or was it...I thi...zzzzzz
diarrheaed into everyone’s ears. His verbal shits caused a chain reaction and the next thing the audience knew, Trump was walking off stage with his hands on his pants. This incident doesn’t come as a shock for the newcomer and geriatric president. “It wasn’t shit, I can assure you, ask anyone. It wasn’t shit,” Trump said later to the media.
consider this endeavor. You can’t have illegal immigrants if you just move them somewhere else.
Ms. Colomar’s Cold Heart
DEAR MS. COLOMAR,
I like food. On my body. Feet. Help. FROM, Inarticulate Foodie DEAR INARTICULATE FOODIE, Help? You don’t need help. In your brief, succint speech, it seems that you know exactly what you want. Take a Taco Bell Quesarito —Taco Bell, sponsor me so I can get more Quesaritos, please — and slather that shit all over your body, because that’s just the kind of cheap, fulfilling fun you’re looking for. Feel the sauce of indistinguishable origin seep through your toes. Find a man, or woman, or fellow Quesarito lover like myself and let them properly pay homage to your cheesy center. Actually, call me. 382-563-3759 DEAR MS. COLOMAR, I need some new ideas for the bedroom, and I was wondering what you like to do in yours. I’m open to anything.
FROM, Student Sarah
DEAR STUDENT SARAH, Give me a nice plaid skirt, a ruler, and some poor bastard to whack with it, and I say it’s a successful night. Become the teacher, Student Sarah. Do some teaching of your own and learn things about yourself.