Realistic Resolutions by Union Weekly

Intro

Issue 78.1

Katie Cortez, Editor in Chief editorinchief@lbunion.com Richard Mejia, Managing Editor manager@lbunion.com Jack Villalba, Assistant Managing Editor assistmanager@lbunion.com Ashley Rodriguez, Advertising Executive ashley.lbunion@gmail.com Nathan Zankich, Web Manager web@lbunion.com

“IS THERE LIFE ON MARS?” Spring semester 2016 has begun and I am probably one of very few CSULB students who is more enthusiastic about starting school again. Sitting in the Union Weekly 2016, I’ve heard several groans and grumbles about the end of winter break, but for me, the end of break means the end of working early I hate mornings more than anything. Whenever I try to express this, the most common response I hear is “Well at least you have the whole day ahead of you.” No, I don’t. I wake up at 3:30 a.m., start work at 4:45 a.m.,

encompasses the major changes we have made to our layout for this semester.

contributors have to say, you’ll notice that we’ve added a News section, combined Literature and Arts to form Culture, and Community is now one section again. We’ve decided to cut the Lifestyle section, but the most noteable absence is the Union’s oldest

ART & DESIGN Graphic by Sam Orihuela

the satirical staple, don’t worry: We will run Grunion again, just at the end of every month. It was a tough decision and I anticipate some

Sam Orihuela, Art Director artdirector@lbunion.com John Mueller, Graphics Illustrator illustration@lbunion.com

EDITORIAL

call me, beep me, if you want to reach me. See you next week,

Ktez

then I go to bed when I get home, wake up at 9 p.m., eat, and I’m asleep again by 10. Then the whole sequence starts over. It’s terrible, I would ever make me like it. I really hope that your winter break was much more eventful than mine. I didn’t get to read as much as I would have liked, but I did The most eventful thing that happened to me came in the form of Yahtzee. I’m addicted, playing at a friends house while four of us were challenging each other on the app “Yahtzee for Buddies.” The beginning of 2016 has had a rough start, not just for me, but for Hollywood as well. We’re not even a month into the year and there have already been too many noteable celebrity deaths. Singers David Bowie, Craig Strickland, and Natalie Cole, actors Alan Brian Bedford, and Jason Wingreen have all passed away. This month has also proven to be a tough one for Canadian superstar Céline Dion, as her husband René Angélil, and her brother Daniel Dion both died of cancer in the same week. I’m not exactly sure what this means

Year’s resolutions, or gotten rid of them chances of getting diagnosed with cancer. on the lack of resolutions and what

Joel Martinez, News Editor news@lbunion.com Elizabeth Nguyen, Opinions Editor opinions@lbunion.com Bailey Mount, Community Editor community@lbunion.com Kaila-Marie Hardaway, Food Editor food@lbunion.com William Odis Martin, Athletics Editor athletics@lbunion.com Amanda Dominguez-Chio, Culture Editor literature@lbunion.com Madison Gallegos, Culture Editor arts@lbunion.com Elliott Gatica, Music Editor music@lbunion.com Andrew Linde, Entertainment Editor entertainment@lbunion.com Peter R. Clark, Travel Editor travel@lbunion.com Aubrey Graham, Grunion Editor STAFF WRITERS Lauren Hunter, lauren@lbunion.com Sylvana Uribe, sylvana@lbunion.com Emily Ayers, emily@lbunion.com Jordan Daniels, jordan@lbunion.com Alejandro Ramos, alex@lbunion.com Cesar Cadenas, cesar@lbunion.com COPY & ASSISTANT EDITORS Carissa Pope, Karen Ruiz, Abril Burstein, Michelle Ha CONTRIBUTORS Natalie Ordaz, Jordan Scott, Sean Dundas, Matt McNeese, Nicole Ilagan, Christian Wiseman, Matthew Lujan, Oscar Benitez, Timothy Nguyen, Scott Morris, Daniel Tillgren, Kenny Nguyen, Karrie Comfort COVER AND FEATURE DESIGN BY: Sam Orihuela COVER PHOTO BY: Sam Orihuela

As much as I hate that hashtag, it perfectly 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

@UnionWeekly

Opinions

Forget “Standard Beauty” Story by Emily Ayers Staff Writer It is no secret that around the holidays most of us struggle with eating the healthiest and staying the most active. It becomes harder to turn down a slice of pumpkin pie, or an extra dinner roll. This year, I found myself straining wanted and not feeling guilty about it. I have always trusted myself in knowing when to cut back, when to say no, and when I have overindulged. So this past break I tried to hone into that trust. about the possible weight that I was gaining while eating delicious desserts. And when I returned home from my vacation, I felt guilty and frustrated with myself and my body. I but I felt horrible. It was a sad feeling to not be happy with myself, and for what? Because I had enjoyed myself over break and decided to not be ruled by food? After a couple days of self-loathing, I I knew if I stepped on the scale that the increased number would dictate how I felt about myself, so I chose not to. Instead, I got right back into my usual healthy lifestyle. I told myself that hiccups and times of indulgence are normal in life, and that it is all about balance. These feelings came full circle when I Liz Black discussing how life does not have to start after we lose a certain number of pounds. Black’s article was inspired by the new Weight Watcher’s commercial featuring

The Grave Power of the Ball The lottery is a larger gamble than imagined

Story by Alejandro Ramos Staff Writer

Illustration by John Mueller Graphics Illustrator

Oprah Winfrey as the spokesperson. Black explained how one of Oprah’s lines was that “inside every overweight woman is a woman she knows she can be.” The blog went on to explain how “you don’t have to lose weight to be your best self.” I felt so inspired and free after reading the post. It lifted an invisible veil that had been there for almost my entire life, and on it was this list of expectations from society that constantly dictated how I felt about myself. I realized that much of my life had been spent feeling inadequate, and it was almost always wrapped around the way I looked. I fell into the trap that my joy and self-love would come if I could lose those extra pounds. I thought I would appreciate the person I was if I no longer had a tummy or arms that wiggle and thighs that jiggle. But truth be told, no matter how much weight I would have lost, I still would have been unhappy, because I needed to love myself exactly as I was. It seems absurd that we are made to believe that in order to be fashionable, smart, witty, or adventurous that we have to reach some magical weight. I am not sure when in our lives we are made to believe that our worth is somehow tied into our physical appearance. I don’t know when we turn from self-love to self-hate, but I do know that we control the cycle and can positively steer our lives back into the direction of appreciation. We can be the one to compliment ourselves and point out something we are happy with rather than feeling the need to put ourselves down. I fully believe in making lifestyle changes

We really got the ball rolling pretty quickly this year. The Powerball jackpot shot up like a rocket and we all wanted a piece of it. Crowds of people clamored to their local 7-11s and liquor stores to buy as many tickets as possible with hopes of winning the $1.6 billion jackpot. It’s all fun and games until somebody in the middle of nowhere wins the whole thing and the rest of us are left with empty pockets and shattered dreams. And that’s why the Powerball (and the lottery in general) is a sham. Plain and simple. It’s a scheme that tugs on the working person’s dream of hitting it big and being set for life. Unfortunately, the people that

to better our overall health, starts from the inside. It is governed by an appreciation of self-love and the only body that we have been given. Our society makes it hard to love yourself completely, whether a man or a woman, but it is possible. It is important that we continue the conversation and promotion of self-love and being positive towards our bodies. We each have the power to not be ruled by society’s

unrealistic standards.

but you’ve gotta look at the bigger picture. Let’s imagine, for a second, that you’re a hard-working, lower class citizen and you have a gut feeling that you’re gonna buy the winning ticket. You go to the store and spend a good amount of money on a couple of tickets. You don’t end up winning the

gas. You don’t win but you come close sometimes. “I’ll get it next time,” you tell yourself. As time passes, you just end up spending a lot of money while getting very little, if anything, back. My scenario is a little exaggerated but there is some truth to it. A recent article from the L.A. Times quoted researchers as saying that “lottery tickets provide an escape from the feeling of poverty.” It’s like alcohol or tobacco; it’s an easy way to get away from reality. Unlike alcohol or tobacco, the only thing the lottery hurts is your wallet and savings account. With all that said, I just want to leave you with this: next time you think about buying a lottery ticket or scratcher, take that money and put it in a jar. I know it’s nice to fantasize about winning but you’ve got bills to pay.

don’t have to change anything about myself physically in order to be loved or accepted. I will still be a dreamer, a writer, a lover, and an observer of life. I will still have a heart that empathizes with people, and that is where my strength and beauty lies. And we each have that within us.

“Unlike alcohol or tobacco, the only thing that lottery hurts is your wallet...”

by the lottery. At a quick glance, it’s hard to imagine how a harmless game could hurt,

jackpot, but you end up winning a small prize. 10 dollars. 50 dollars. 100 dollars. It was the easiest money you ever made and now you’ve got the idea in your head that you can win it big if you keep trying. That’s how the lottery gets you hooked. So, now you make it a habit of buying

News

KBeach Sportscast Cut Off Mid-Game

Al Jazeera to close outlet in USA Story by Richard Mejia Managing Editor

Story by Joel Martinez News Editor Jan. 13.

ASI Spotlight Story by Karrie Comfort Contributor

“...the main purpose of ASI is to ‘foster individuals that develop skills, character, and friendships...’”

News

If you don’t use a school service, should you pay the service fees? “I would only pay the services that I don’t use

Wellness Center, game center, pretty much

the student body.” -Nicole Ilagan Junior, Film & Electronic Arts

Alumni, Political Science

“I would say yes, you should. In some cases, it’s like an insurance policy. For example, with the Career Development Center, we have the ability to use their services to help with

“Yea I think they should because sure, you can lower your cost to go to school, but if the school does that they’ll probably start

Of course, that is in addition to your time attending CSULB before graduating.” -Christian Wiseman Super senior, Journalism

probably see more budget cuts in places. I feel like everyone should have to pay for a school service.” -Oscar Benitez Senior, Computer Engineering

“If it is a non-essential service, then no. Or at

“Yes because it’ll be cheaper for everyone

essential as services that are unnecessary for the success of a student. For example, essential services are the Student Health Services or the library/study areas while nonessential include the Student Recreation and

-Timothy Nguyen Freshman, Aerospace Engineering ::

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“The Student Wellness Center is charged on all CSULB students’ accounts yet not everyone uses it. I personally don’t think it’s that rely on loans or other means, have to The gym is a luxury item. For someone who doesn’t have a lot of extra cash, having to pay for an item they don’t use is practically throwing it away. ” -Jack Villalba Sophomore, Biology

:: “Well it depends on the “service” we’re talking about. For things like the health center, library, and the rec center, everyone should have to pay for those because they’re necessities and would either be too large to fund otherwise or outrageously expensive for those who want to use it. For other things, I’d be less likely to say yes, but things like those three are too important to not be funded.” -Scott Morris Sophomore, Liberal Studies

:: “I guess we don’t really have a choice. It’s like taxes but for college, and we pay the service fee so said service is available when we need it.” -Daniel Tillgren Junior, Sociology :: “Yes, because if a person is charged upon usage, then people will not be likely to use said service, and the less people that pay to use that service, the worse it is.” -Kenny Nguyen Sophomore, Civil Engineering :: “I feel like we shouldn’t need to. If I print everything at home, take a bus to school, and I’m one of those people who can’t go to a public restroom, then I don’t want to pay for other people to use that. ” -Katie Cortez Senior, English Literature

Community

Winter Break Blues Saying farewell to a short-lived vacation As soon as I turned in my last assignment to Dropbox, I felt relieved and euphoric. I which is 11:30 p.m.) with a smile on my face thinking of all the wonderful activities and events to come. These past few weeks have been relaxing.

Story by Tessa Marquez Contributor

This decision causes me to wait eternally for the bus, as winds strongly brush against

Also, in order to save money, we don’t turn on the heater, so we resort to blankets; so I find it difficult to concentrate when I’m freezing. Not to mention that

“Don’t get me the spring semester than we did for fall. roommates, eating During the fall wrong, I love critically acclaimed semester, I would donuts and drinking my days off to school. All I’m use mild-in-temperature not only sleep, but catch up on my saying is the also And now in just a reading assignments. few days, after all the Now the luxury is books I managed to transition from gone. Don’t get me read, the people I met, wrong, I love school. and the movies I saw, All I’m saying relaxation to the fun is over. is the transition Now comes the time relaxation to motivation is from to purchase a parking motivation is going permit and fret over the parking situation on going to take a anyone reading this campus, order textbooks article who happens while.” and pray they arrive to be in a similar whole day in downtown

on time, and debate whether you are taking the right amount of units to graduate on time.

predicament as me, here are some helpful strategies to combat this laziness and reassert motivation: 1. Organize your time and prioritize. This is where a planner comes in handy. Or

back into the academic spirit. You may ask yourself, how is parking and purchasing textbooks any different from fall semester?

if you’re stingy like me, use a sheet of paper to remind yourself of all the things you have to do. The sooner you become organized, the better you will be: if you have your act

with the El Niño looming over our heads, the weather has been harsh. Occasionally, I take the bus to school, allowing me to sleep in and idly avoid waiting in my car for a parking space to open up.

Trust me, you do not want to want to go through the whole semester thinking you’re doing well when in reality you’re grades are going down the crapper. This organization creates a routine, so

you may not have the time to binge-watch a

spring break is just a couple months away.

my next tip. 2. In the words by Donna and Tom

be able to use that week to catch up on work. living in oblivion is over.

two pages on an essay, treat yo’self and give yourself a few minutes and watch one And if that doesn’t work, just remember that

shopping with friends and watching episodes

Travel

Caramel-By-The-Sea Escape from Southern California life for something sweeter

Story and photos by Rebeca Vega Contributor

Food

Lazy Maple Rolls The perfect rainy day recipe to keep you warm and cozy

Recipe and photos by Sylvana Uribe Staff Writer

Steps: As the days remain chilly and rain clouds taunt us above, I lapse into small moments of nostalgia of the rainy days from my childhood. I mostly remember spending rainy days imitating my mom by grabbing a hot chocolate and dipping bread into it, while she did the same with a piping hot cup 2. bread at any hour of the day and in any type of climate. My mother never developed a knack for baking, but I fortunately did as a result of watching hours of Food Network programs. These lazy maple rolls were inspired after one too many shows and whatever was available in our pantry. I hope they brighten your rainy days as much as they do with mine.

Ingredients: 1. 1/4 cup butter 2. 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 3. 2 tablespoons maple syrup 4. 1/4 cup sliced almonds (or chopped pecans) 5. 1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls 6. 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 7. 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 8. 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Heat oven to 375째F. Place butter, brown sugar and syrup in an 8-inch ungreased round cake pan. Place in the oven until the butter melts, or approximately two to four minutes. Mix well and then sprinkle in the almonds. In a small bowl, mix granulated sugar, cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Remove dough from the can but do not unroll it. Cut the roll into six slices. Dip both sides of each slice in your sugar mixture and then arrange slices over the butter mixture in pan. If any of the sugar mixture is left, sprinkle it over the slices. Bake the maple rolls for 17 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let them cool for one minute. Place serving plate upside down over the pan, and then turn the plate and pan over. The maple rolls taste best if served warm.

FEATURE

Realistic Resolutions An honest view on life changing goals

By Emily Ayers, Jordan Daniels and Sylvana Uribe

“New Year, New Me” is a phrase that is all too common among Millennials. With 2015 in our The idea of New Year’s resolutions creates rearview mirrors, we’re cruising along the unrealistic fantasies for people about what open road of 2016. As it goes with any mirror, they want their life to be. It becomes more of a wish list of all the things we beat ourselves up we want to impact the highway of time ahead for not completing the previous year. of us. Based on the past year, we come up with Interestingly enough, 2016 seems to be the resolutions to make our new year better, hence year of a new kind of trend. One that is moving the opening phrase. away from the idea of resolutions, and into We’ve all seen the memes comparing hoards the mentality of creating life-long goals. Real, of people attending the gym on Jan. 1 to the true, and obtainable goals that relate more to onslaught of Black Friday shoppers rushing department store doors. It creates a good They want something lasting and powerful. laugh, because most of those eager gym goers navigating this web of semantics when it taps into an issue that has become increasingly comes to the idea of phasing out unrealistic prevalent in our society. resolutions and creating realistic goals. Cliché or not, we invest ourselves into the notion that a new year will bring a forth a

FEATURE

By Sylvana Uribe My only attempt to list New Year’s resolutions is buried somewhere in the Tumblr account I haven’t used since 2014. And no, I won’t share that link mainly because I’m embarrassed by my empty resolutions I forgot about within a week of posting and because no one needs to see my obsession with flower crowns. Oh, the faux hipster years. Resolutions have become poorly developed, ingenuine aspirations cluttering newsfeeds on Jan. 1. Popular resolutions include drastic changes to health and spending habits. These “resolutions” ease the guilt of overeating and splurging on gifts during the holiday season. That’s not to say that adopting those particular resolutions are bogus because anyone’s attempt to better himself is indeed admirable. I see the start of the New Year as a welcomed opportunity to assess where I am in life. Leading mindset than what’s typical of the rest of the year. I’m not consumed with thoughts of upcoming deadlines, projects, work schedules, social outings, and staying sane through it all. The last two weeks of the year are spent eating tamales and sipping hot chocolate as I distance myself from what I’ve let become a daily routine. In my latest in between holiday festivities, I didn’t dwell on the need of a resolution to mend something. I didn’t feel empty or as if I was approaching the new year feeling incomplete. All my mind echoed was, “OK, here we are. What’s next?” By definition, resolutions are firm decisions

to act upon, usually to solve something. By adhering to that definition, then this would mean that people approach the New Year searching for something to fix within themselves. What was meant to be a self-reflection can warp into a dissection and relentless labeling of things about oneself as “undesirable” and “broken.” It’s time to get real in our approach to resolutions. It’s time to cut out the vague wording of continuously abandoned resolutions and instead offer visible, achievable goals. Goals tap into our emotions and logic, as one is used to plan the next steps in the journey and the other channels the determination to continue forward. In mapping out the road to achieving our goals, a person is forced to assess what can lend itself as an obstacle or milestone along its path. Resolutions on the other hand are created during bursts of emotions, but the groundwork for enacting change isn’t made clear. Logic is blocked out and it’s easier to fall into a trap of disappointment when resolutions aren’t met. When I returned to work after the holidays, no one asked each other what resolutions they had planned for the new year. Curious of their take on the subject,I asked my coworkers how they felt about resolutions. Their responses all mirrored an attitude that believed people change if they want to, and promises that are abandoned within weeks just don’t do that. I also encountered an overwhelming consensus on waiting for the new year as a “fresh start” seemed pointless. It might be the last shred of optimism that I still have left in me, but

I don’t see anything wrong with dubbing the first of January as a start date for change. Striving to live authentically and unapologetically means that motivation will come and go. Similar to a birthday or new semester, these dates already hold the significance of a new beginning. It isn’t wrong to use those moments to check in and adjust the goals we’ve set. Following through with change is done so on our own terms, so it’s of little importance whether we do that on New Year’s day or on a random Wednesday following a life crisis. I can’t say with confidence that resolutions are dead, but I’m glad goals exist as a healthy alternative. Following my holiday break, I settled for a goal of getting an internship this year. It’s one I can visibly measure based on the number of applications I send out and one that I feel responsible for seeing through as I’ve shared my goal with my closest friends and family. Confiding in my support system has not only built a sense of social accountability, but I feel encouraged to remain proactive when surrounded by others who can help me stay grounded and motivated. I’m sure this year will bring with it some great moments, painful lows, and everything else in between. Regardless of what’s ahead, here’s hoping that genuine goals survive through it all much better than the empty resolutions that once begged for “likes” and are now buried in past newsfeeds and Tumblr posts.

FEATURE

By Jordan Daniels In preparation of writing this, my friends and I spent an afternoon having our own little writing sesh to help figure out our thoughts on this topic. In the midst of all our word-vomit, one of my friend’s made a comment about me trying to figure out my relationship with the term “resolutions” and I found it rather crazy to insist that I even have a relationship with it considering I spent the entire day talking about how I’ve ‘divorced’ that word from my vocabulary. At the end of the night, I spent much of my time reflecting on what exactly that meant. To divorce something you have to have a relationship with it. So what is my relationship with resolutions? I’ve lived much of my life around the ideas of resolutions because I thought that making them every year would give me something to look forward to in the year ahead. I thought that I would find purpose in finally getting myself to the gym, or applying for that job I’ve been eyeing or finally asking out that guy I’ve been crushing on. I acted as if making resolutions would provide me absolution for all my shortcomings in the year prior. I thought that if I put the past behind me, then I would be able to take the right steps to reach a better me. But at what point last year did I believe that I needed to be a better me? When did

I lose faith in the present me? Resolution is just a modification of the word resolve, which means to find a solution to something that is usually a problem. It’s the implication of that modification that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth when I say the word “resolution.” What am I resolving in myself ? As I spent the last few days of 2015 reflecting on my year and figuring out what I would discuss from my thoughts, I realized that I had nothing to resolve. I know myself well enough to understand that if I made a resolution, like many people, I would live up to it. In the end, it’d make me feel bad about myself and I would try to recover from that by challenging myself again next year. It’d be a vicious and unnecessary cycle. What I did take from my reflections, however, is that I have begun to establish goals for myself. Goals that I want to carry with me from my time at CSULB to my life and career. These goals include getting an internship, making a plan to travel that will be executed by 2017, and setting myself up to begin true independence by supporting myself. Are these goals hard? Yes, but they are possible and measurable. In my reflections I discovered a lot of abilities that people saw in me that I had never saw in myself. My goal is to begin seeing

what people see in me and use it to make me successful in whatever I do in my life. These are my ambitions and I will achieve them, and an achievable ambition is exactly what defines a goal. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to rid the idea of resolutions and goals and I realized that resolutions aren’t measurable. You can’t achieve a resolution because it’s not about ambition; it’s about finding a solution to a problem that we may not even have. Over the course of my life, my weight has been one giant resolution and where has that gotten me? I’m still as sexily plump as I’ve always been, but at least now I don’t feel that it’s something that needs resolving. I love where I’m at in my life and it took divorcing resolutions from my life to realize that. I was chasing away my problems and not trying to chase success. With my goals, I know I will achieve so much more and I will feel so much happier when I do. My 2016 goals are clear: no more resolutions, more belief in myself, plan to travel, plan to advance my career, and plan to be as open as I can to the life around me. Here’s to a new year with the same me, I can’t wait to see what I accomplish this time around.

By Emily Ayers I have always been the type of person who gets excited about Jan. 1. I like new beginnings, fresh starts, and taking time to learn all the past year has tool when it comes to self-growth, so naturally I have always been drawn to the idea of New Year’s resolutions. I’m sure it is the allure of the “New Year, New Me” that draws me in. Knowing this about myself, I found it funny that as December wound down and January peered around the corner, I wasn’t as excited about creating resolutions as I have been in the past. Something just didn’t feel the same. I didn’t feel the attraction that used to grip me in the past. Initially, it felt weird that I hadn’t grabbed the nearest notebook to jot down a well thought out list of my resolutions. My lack of interest in resolutions was supported when I began to see a trend from watching various YouTubers and Bloggers. They were discussing how they didn’t believe in New Year’s resolutions. I found this to be odd because I grew up believing explained how resolutions always phased out. They declared that their focus for 2016 was going to focus on setting goals for themselves and continuing to promote the positive they built in 2015. What was it that was driving so many people out of the mindset of New Year’s resolutions? For one, I realized that resolutions are almost always created around society’s expectations, which is why most of the resolutions we hear about center on losing a certain number of pounds to look a certain way. Second, resolutions tend to have a

negative connotation. I think resolutions are rooted in fear. In the fear that we won’t be accepted, liked or respected because once again we have the same list of resolutions from the previous three years. Our resolutions focus on the outside interpretations versus a goal that is backed by our own positive mindset. We get so lost in the hype of creating resolutions that we fail to tap into the true meaning behind them and inevitably fail to see how powerful they can be if coming from a place of authenticity. Separating ourselves from this idea of much more powerful and meaningful. Finding the balance between society’s expectations and what we truly want to create in our lives is valuable. It comes down to realizing what we want organically and not based on what anyone else is doing with their lives. I am not against making goals and having ambitions come the new year, but I am against setting unrealistic goals that aren’t authentic to who you are. I think that the new year is the perfect opportunity to sit down and reevaluate where you are in life. Are you content? Are you joyful? Are you accomplishing your dreams and goals? To me, those questions provoke honest and truthful answers that will actually result in permanent lifestyle changes. eager to sit down and realize my 2016 goals. And I did so very intentionally. I took an honest look at what I had learned and gone through in 2015, what were my high points, my low points, what was I proud of and not so proud of. I then took a look at

I hope to accomplish. For instance, when it comes to health and overall wellness I really want to focus on keeping my mind, body, and spirit healthy and aligned. When it comes to my career I hope to explore new avenues and keep an open mind for my future. Rather than making stringent rules for myself and resolutions that seem to limit my tied into my hopes for rounding out 2016. I think we are sucked into this idea that come midnight on Jan. 1 we will somehow be changed people. Truth be told we are still going to be the and how we choose to view the next chapter of our lives. The taboo expectation that resolutions won’t come true is often self-perpetuated. So why not claim 2016 as the year that we will not be bound by resolutions, but will be propelled by meaningful goals? We will be freed by the realization that we control the direction of our lives. Our everyday choices and behaviors will ultimately lead to our joy. Let’s create rather than restrict, and let’s be open to all the potential that this new year them wholeheartedly, and don’t depend on society to gratify you. Gratify yourself and watch how your and will be exactly where you hoped you would be.

Athletics

Midseason Wrap-up Women’s basketball hitting on all cylinders Story by Richard Mejia Managing Editor Heading into the winter break, the LBSU women’s basketball team was attempting to rebound from a two-game losing skid after beginning the 2015-16 campaign a hot 7-1. Over the course of the past month, the ‘49ers have gone 5-2 and appear to be hitting on all cylinders as the season winds down. With over the half the season in the books, it is more than evident that the team will rely heavily on the veteran core of junior forward Madison Montgomery and guards Jewelyn Sawyer and Raven Benton. Benton has been stellar over the past couple of weeks as she has averaged a teamhigh 12.4 points per game, 2.6 assists, 1.5 steals and is second on the team with 5.4 rebounds. Benton is showing an incredibly

both turnovers and defensive stops into

all season long and has no signs of slowing

proving to be very costly. In their most recent loss, the women’s team was absolutely overwhelmed as they lost to UC Riverside, 78-60 on Wednesday, Jan. 13. The ‘49ers give the game away before halftime as the second quarter saw UC Riverside outscore LBSU 2912. This 17-point swing was enough to keep

opportunities for her teammates behind the Adding to the team’s successes has been stretch four, Madison Montgomery. 6’1” frame as she leads the team in blocked shots (1.5) and is third in steals (1.1). Her activity on defense has been infectious on the

Filling up the stat box on a consistent basis has been Jewelyn Sawyer. Sawyer has averages of 10.3 points, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and a team-high 6.7 rebounds while shooting on the glass have perfectly complimented the transition game and has pushed a more With the beginning of the spring semester, the ‘49ers hold a record of 13-5 while going 2-2 in conference play after defeating UCI 71-65 at Bren Events Center on Saturday afternoon. Even though they have had strong

Photo by William Odis Martin Athletics Editor make a legitimate to both the conference championship and eventually a NCAA March Madness bid. The play of Montgomery, Benton and Sawyer has been critical to team’s success as well as that of sharpshooting freshman guard Chanterria Jackson who three-point percentage (.593). The ‘49ers are certainly a team built with for a long conference run. The combination making show signs of a powerhouse in the making. The biggest detraction potentially preventing this would be the inabilities on defense. As the team plays together down stretches of critically meaningful games, they’ll have the opportunities to strengthen themselves on defense while solidifying their begun, and hopefully, it’ll go through the Beach.

victory. With nothing but conference games moving forward, the ‘49ers will attempt to strengthen their in-conference record to

‘49ers lose heartbreaker in double OT Story and photos by William Odis Martin Athletics Editor The Long Beach State men’s basketball team fell 96-92 in a double overtime heart-breaker to Big West rivals Cal Poly Saturday night at Mott Athletics Center. for the fourth time this season. The Beach shines when they can incorporate the role players and continue to bring contributors paint stat-line and poor free-throw shooting kept the Mustangs in striking distance. The Mustangs led only once in the entire game before taking over in double overtime with the 9ers’ scoring leader Nick Faust and enforcer Travis Hammonds fouled out of the game. It was the seventh loss by seven points or less on the season proving how critical it is to capitalize from the charity stripe going 19-31 from the line. One of the biggest momentum shifts fouled while shooting and accidentally catches Poly’s Josh Martin with his elbow. After the refs converged and reviewed the

replaced by Roschon Prince who misses both

shots and draining a huge 3-pointer as time exhausted.

their most valuable players, though Justin Bibbins proved to be the star of the game for LBSU with a career high 21 points for the ‘49ers. The last two losses have been by a combined eight point spread. consider the toughest non-conference schedule with a record of 6-9. Overall the 9ers are 8-11 and 2-2 in Big West play. Their schedule this season was ranked against three Top 15 schools in Virgina, Duke, and Arizona. The Beach is among the best 3-point shooting teams in the nation led by Nick Faust, Justin Bibbins, and Noah Blackwell. As a team they are averaging 39.0 percent from behind the arc.

Freshman center Mason Riggins brings depth and a defensive presence that demands respect.

Athletics

Welcome Home Rams

Story by Richard Mejia Managing Editor Photo collage by William Odis Martin Athletics Editor Tuesday, Jan. 12 marked a historic day in NFL history as the leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s owners approved the (formerly) St. Louis Ramsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bid to relocate to Los Angeles with a 30-2 vote. Rams owner Stan Kroenke had been maneuvering for many years to relocate his team to his privately owned land mass in Inglewood. A carefully proposed relocation plan and the subsequent owners vote ended the 21-year professional football drought in LA as the 1993-94 season was the last played by the Los Angeles Rams. Following the end of the 2015-16 season, Kroenke as well as the San Diego Chargers

are hesitant to accept the relocation given that their original proposal included their move to Carson. The team will have one year to either accept the relocation or decline. If they choose to decline the move, they will be given $100 million to update their current stadium and the choice to move to Inglewood would then be given to the Oakland Raiders who will be given the same options as San Diego. The Los Angeles Rams will begin to play in LA for the upcoming 2016-17 in the Los Angeles Coliseum. This will be their temporary home until the completion of their Inglewood stadium in 2019.

relocation to Los Angeles. Both St. Louis and San Diego were approved, but the Chargers

A photo rendition of the proposed new Los Angeles Rams stadium.

Culture

Broad, Like Toad Exploring the wonders of Los Angelesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; infamous museum Story and photos by Lauren Hunter Staff Writer

This p a s t week I had the pleasure of experiencing the new art museum in downtown Los Angeles, The Broad. Free admission and an hour wait in line later I am greeted by a stack of giant plates. I already knew this was going to be an interesting afternoon. I have never been to the art museums in Los Angeles, only a couple in San Diego, so this was something brand new for me. And The Broad did not disappoint. There I was already greeted by weird and interesting pieces of art and a couple video installations. There were a ton of art pieces and installations from artists I have never heard or. And Koons, famous for his balloon dog and for these giant tulips. Once you get to the upper level you will run into art from Andy Warhol. His pieces I was super excited to see since I have never seen his in person and he is one of myfavorite artists. I could go on and on about everything I saw but there was one installation in particular that I purposely went there to see. Finally I got to see what I had been waiting for all day. Literally waited three hours

of advice, it is free admission into The Broad however it would be best if you made a reservation time to get into this room. Otherwise you have to wait hours and might not get in. But once you are there you wait in a short line and you get a minute in the room. It sounds like feel like you are having an outer body experience. I stood there and took pictures, but word to the wise do not just look behind your phone. Take a second and just look around and be involved with

taking more people there and showing them the amazing art inside The Broad.

The Broad 21 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90012 Hours

Tuesday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m.-v6 p.m. Free Admission (But be sure to reserve a spot for

to wait in line)

Culture

The Dead Man’s Eulogy A tale of survival Short story by Matt McNeese Contributor I looked into the rearview mirror as I drove up Interstate 5 onto the Grapevine. My skin was pale; I could see that my brown eyes had heavy sagging bags and were bloodshot; my black hair was long and shaggy after not bothering to get it cut to my usual liking; my beard had thickened until full black had covered my face after going two weeks without shaving; my neck had fattened after three years had passed. I was staring into the face of a dead man. I glanced over into the passenger seat – there was a Glock pistol and a framed photo of my wedding from three years ago. Melody Caspin… She was thirty when we got hitched. She was beautiful in her white wedding dress. Her black hair was tied back in a bun; she was looking into the camera with her gray eyes.

I remembered the priest’s words: “Do you, Boyd Caspin, take Melody Lawrence to be your wife and promise to be there for her in good times and bad?” “Yes, I do,” I said. He turned to Melody. “And do you, Melody Lawrence, take Boyd Caspin to be your husband?” “Yes, I do,” she said. The priest smiled. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” We kissed, but that was the only best moment of our lives. A few months after we took our vows, living together was quite an enjoyment. While I wasn’t heavily involved in such things, she devoted most of her time reading the Bible. Occasionally, she would ask me if I wanted to join her; I would humor her every now and then. Before we were married I told her that I often dreamt of being a writer but until it became possible, I worked as an engineer from a local power company to keep the income customer service representative in a bank. “Have faith” was her answer was all I thought. As time went on, she told me one night that she wanted to have children. She told me that having children was the greatest gift God could ever bless humanity with. I told her I wasn’t ready and she respected my wishes. During those two years, my life had been taken away. I had been let go from my job after

Illustration by John Mueller Graphics Illustrator based upon charges of money laundering and insider trading stacked against the higherups. I was unemployed for a year while my wife continued her normal job. Times were rough because only one of us could only pay for our living expenses with occasional help from Melody’s father. I had more time for myself to begin my writing. My attentiveness to both Melody and job searching began to dither. I refused to further engage her in Bible studying or on the subject of procreation for an extended family. She confronted me one night as I was about to

had been foreclosed and I was living in a rental car with whatever funds I had left in my savings account. I stopped the car and got out. I walked over towards the edge of a steep canyon

“Boyd,” she said. “Why do you continue to avoid responsibility? Why do you continue to ignore me?” “I’m not,” I replied while writing down the last word. “I’m just following my dream.” “But your butt is constantly glued to that desk every day. Life isn’t written on paper; it’s time well-spent here and now.” She gestured at her appearance for my acknowledgment. “Hey, you told me to have faith, remember?” I replied, irritated. “Yes but –” “Look, you’re breaking my concentration. Can I have some alone time, please? I’ll be up there with you soon.” She pouted and went upstairs. That was the last conversation I’ve ever had with her. She left for work without waking me up. On that morning, I received a call from the police – Melody had been killed in a hit-andrun by a drunk driver. I couldn’t bear to hear

I turned it over – a folded piece of paper. I pulled it out from the frame’s backing board and opened it. It read: Faith: A Starter Page

to the car, grabbed both the gun and photo, and walked back towards the edge. I held the photo up towards the night sky and its edges gleamed under the moonlight. I then put the gun’s barrel into my mouth. As the wind blew, I felt something from

Faith does turn a page In a complicated world. You, I give my love. -Melody

I threw the gun into the ravine and returned to my car with the paper in my hand.

room throughout the entire day. Another year had passed and I still

Potterless When enough is enough Story by Andrew Linde Entertainment Editor Illustration by John Mueller Graphics Illustrator

With the announcement of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” being a play presented in two parts, I can rightfully declare that J.K. Rowling should have left Harry and friends alone after “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” character go, but the other option is to give them too much life and possibly ruin what made them great. “The Cursed Child” will cover events happening to Harry as an “overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic” and his kids are at Hogwarts. I doubt anyone who joined Harry as he fought evil for seven books never wanted it to end like this. Let Harry’s middle-age be something people

of his life. Far fewer fans will be able to enjoy the play because it is only set to be shown at the Palace London Theatre next July. Patrons must also purchase separate tickets to Part 1 and Part 2. This kind of exclusivity and cost-prohibitiveness doesn’t sound like the Wizarding World of Old. But Rowling herself defended on Twitter, “I am confident that when audiences see the play they will agree that it was the only proper medium for the story.” The rest of us will have to trust those audiences. “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is set to be a prequel story set within

the Wizarding World. Superfans might recognize the name Newt Scamander as the author of a wizarding textbook that shares be portraying Scamander as a young man in the early twentieth century magic world in America. I was personally game for this that praises him for his performance in “The him as the bad guy in “Jupiter Ascending.” Pottermore was the perfect mix of more Harry Potter, but not hurting the character. Fans could relive the old story in a new way. Now we’re just stuck with new stories we never wanted.

Music

Starmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dark Farewell Story by Natalie Ordaz Contributor

Blackstar

l i n e soon

Nothing Has Changed

join

Music

Ziggy Stardust’s Final Shine Story by Cesar Cadenas Staff Writer

A remembrance for the Starman waiting in the sky David Bowie has tragically died after a secret battle with cancer. In my opinion, he was one of the greatest musicians of all time, and objectively one of the most

dress from f i v e years ago. Lady Gaga

year career included performing even took part in pioneering a new genre of music, glam rock, which introduced his persona: Ziggy Stardust. The genres Bowie touched throughout his long career is a testament to his talent. Bowie goes from folk rock in the album Space Oddity album , Blackstar.

sonic footprint and fashion influence will echo forever because of to express themselves and be free.” Through his Ziggy Stardust persona, David Bowie embraced makeup, glitter, and a unique fashion sense to bring the character to life. There may be a few quotes used but they

and style stretched so far that he Jess Cornelius of Australian music project Teeth and Tongue said “[Bowie] normalized weird.” Cornelius went on to say, “When you get stuck in rigid thinking,

inconsistent and it confuses people, or it

just go and listen to David Bowie.” Bowie also influenced modern musicians and producers. Famed rapper Kayne West took to Twitter and said that

“David Bowie was one of my most important inspirations...” Bowie took risks and experimented by taking music and fashion to new levels. The extravagantly eccentric outfits Bowie wore on his Aladdin Sane Tour made Bowie he was the androgynous Ziggy Stardust, or the Thin White Duke, David Bowie made meteorological impact on fashion. This force went on to influence Lady Gaga and her unusual dresses, like the meat

author Van Badham: “Those failing to understand the magnitude of grief displayed at his passing perhaps never were the loner waiting for the starman to talk to them, the astronaut losing touch with the earth, the rebel putting out felt that way is grieving wildly now because the Goblin King was withdrawn into the shadows, and, without him, our landscape of oners and weirdoes is harder to navigate and see.” Thanks for showing us the stars, David Bowie.

Entertainment

In Theaters Now: “The Hateful Eight” Tarantino takes on racial tensions

Story by Lauren Hunter Staff Writer Illustrations by John Calhoun Graphics Illustrator

close behind them. They pick up another

Quentin Tarantino has struck gold again. “The Hateful Eight” was released over our holiday break and it was certainly entertaining. The story line and the cast are superb. It begins with Union and Confederate soldiers that have now turned to bounty hunting. One of these bounty hunters is returning Tarantinoalum, Samuel L. Jackson, who does not disappoint as Major Marquis Warren. The other is none other than Kurt Russell as John Ruth. John Ruth’s character is carting around a criminal, Daisy Domergue played by Jennifer Jason Leigh. She does a fantastic job at not being lady-like at all. These three end up in a stagecoach bound for a frontier town with a blizzard

bad boy, Walton Goggins. These characters end up in a lone cabin. But things begin to seem amiss and suspicions start to turn everyone against each other. Another Tarantino-alum, Michael Madsen, plays a quiet mysterious drifter. Bruce Dern plays an ex-Confederate General who has a grudge against Major Warren. Quentin Tarantino also brought back Tim Roth to play a charismatic British executioner, Oswaldo Mobray. Things begin go awry as these men begin telling more secrets and the quarters start becoming smaller and smaller as the blizzard rages on. In typical Tarantino style the story makes

The Hateful Eight Length: 3 hrs 7 mins Director: Quentin Tarantino Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Walton Goggins, Jennifer Jason Leigh

on. This isn’t as dramatic or on as grand a scale as “Pulp Fiction”, but the concept is still the same. “The Hateful Eight” falls more into the category of “Django Unchained” since it sticks with the same characters throughout the movie and is set in a similar time period. “The Hateful Eight” is an excellent story that follows the same characters you grow to love and hate as they interact with each other in a tiny store.

movie and one of Tarantino’s best. The witty banter, the storyline, and the progression of the characters are fantastically written by Tarantino himself and performed by great actors. If you have not seen it yet, go!

The Hateful Eight is nominated for 3 Academy Awards, including Best Actress

you can feel the testosterone raging between them. Another style of Tarantino is the use of the F-word in all its forms and the use of the N-word. As a Tarantino fan, this does not bother me, but actually adds to this movie since it takes place shortly after the Civil War when race tensions ran high. This is a fantastic

In Theaters Now: “The Revenant” Story by Sean Dundas Contributor

DiCaprio displays savage emotions

“The Revenant” is one of the most important Alejandro González Iñárritu, whose previous works include “Birdman” and “Babel”, has cemented himself as one of the most

Iñárritu’s Birdman won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay at last year’s Oscars

viciously attacked by Native Americans, and Glass is mauled by a bear in a terrifying scene. Near death and slowing the party, Glass

ahead. Before volunteering to stay behind, Fitzgerald suggests they kill Glass. Once the party is gone, Fitzgerald immediately tries to smother Glass, only to fail and then kill Hawk. He then tricks Bridger into leaving Glass half-buried while they leave.

survival through a frozen wasteland

craft, depth, and beauty in such wonderful manner that I cannot help but feel like an impressionable child gazing with wide eyes

DiCaprio), an experienced navigator and tracker. He’s with a hunting party along with his half-Native American son, Hawk. Their location matters little. All one needs to know is their location is hostile and frigid. Within

The Revenant Length: 2 hrs 36 mins Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domnhall Gleeson, Will Poulter

Every moment of violence is suspenseful and disturbing to witness. Iñárritu puts us in

vast landscapes that show the true scope of God and nature, closeups that pierce the souls of our characters, and long shots that

takes he’s done yet.

together. The two have taken all that they’ve learned from “Birdman” and perfected it

action. Glass is haunted by the murder of his wife. There is a particularly powerful scene where Glass dreams of his wife in a church, destroyed except for a silent bell ringing above the ruins. These scenes show us the guilt he carries, connecting it with his present. Revenge is something Glass is very familiar with, and he thinks it can soothe his pain. It’s these dream-like scenes that

are striking in their boldness. DiCaprio and Hardy have never been better. DiCaprio has very few lines of dialogue, many of which are grunted, and Hardy is a tricky being whose performance builds up to the very end. Iñárritu teams up again with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki to create absolutely stunning shots. There are

of Terrence Malick, the intimacy of Ingmar Bergman, and the spirituality of Andrei Tarkovsky. This duo is living proof that in cinema, the image itself is king.

The Revenant is nominated for 12 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor (DiCaprio)

and grand questions about humanity it is a

Entertainment

Is the Truth Really Out There? “The X-Files” return might not have the answers fan are waiting for Story by Katie Cortez Editor in Chief

“The X-Files” returns to FOX on Jan 24 and 25 The six-episode season will air weekly starting Feb 1 on FOX Seasons 1-9 are available Prime

“Mr. Robot” is the best show you didn’t watch last year Story by Jordan Scott Contributor

Illustration by John Calhoun Graphics Illustrator

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