[Goodbye Old Friend]

Issue 78.8

2

Intro

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

BREAKING NEWS: WE’RE TIRED

Amanda Del Cid, Social Media Manager Graphic by Sam Orihuela

By Alejandro Ramos Athletics Editor Oh, man. Where do I even start.

It has been hectic in the newsroom for the past couple of days. We’ve been working nonstop on a single story—the story of a incident in a classroom and how it went unnoticed until a Facebook post brought attention to it. This all happened on Thursday, and since then we’ve made a ton of phone calls, sent out emails, and scoured social media to keep up with the story as it unfolded. Most of the news the day. Some of us even ditched our classes to a story like this, and I wanted in on it.

We did not have an easy time with it, though. We had a lot of trouble getting responses from people. When we did get responses, the people didn’t want to go on record. It was frustrating, but also worrisome.

Why didn’t anyone want to talk? Was there something happening behind closed doors?

What weren’t we being told? had managed to get some responses from students, but it wasn’t enough. Katie and I sat down and read what Amanda, our social media manager, had written but realized we couldn’t publish it. There was nothing wrong

By Katie Cortez Editor-in-Chief It was interesting to see how a story about something that happened in a classroom over a week ago had morphed over time. Like Alex said, if you read the updated version in print and the even longer one online, you’ll noticed that a lot has changed about the most frustrating story we’ve encountered this semester. willing to go on record proved to be more we both skipped classes, and thought about calling out sick to work, but deciding to make

with her reporting or writing; it was the lack of responses and information that bothered us.

There were holes in the story.

And here is where I explain that this isn’t a story about an incident in a classroom anymore. That was what it started as, but it soon turned into a story about the lack of transparency and communication with students. I saw it in the comments students were leaving on Facebook. They were angry and frustrated by the lack of information and—if there was information—clarity.

The story had changed, and so we changed ours. We burned the midnight oil separating fact from rumor and organizing it into something that made sense. The result is a lengthy piece that presents a semi-clear picture of what has happened so far. I say semiclear because we’re not sure of what happened in that classroom on Feb. 25. We did our best, though, and hopefully our piece clears some things up.

The latest version we’re giving you here and on our website has been heavily edited. came in. That’s normal. But we also changed some of our lines after we realized that they sounded biased and accusatory. That wasn’t our intention. We’re not here to tell people what to think. We’re here to report the facts

friend tagging my on an instagram post from BSU. They had shared a screenshot of it, which got a pretty good number of likes. It also got a ton of likes and shares on Facebook. Richard mentioned that it’s performing 95 percent better than any of our other posts. That’s a pretty big deal.

It’s crazy to think how all of this came from a couple of Facebook posts and how the community came together to share and discuss the topic. That’s just the power of social media—which just so happens to be the focus of this week’s feature! Funny how that worked out. gave up social media for a week just to see how we would do without it.

ART & DESIGN Sam Orihuela, Art Director artdirector@lbunion.com John Mueller, Graphics Illustrator illustration@lbunion.com EDITORIAL Joel Martinez, News Editor news@lbunion.com Elizabeth Nguyen, Opinions Editor opinions@lbunion.com Bailey Mount, Community Editor community@lbunion.com Alejandro Ramos, Athletics Editor athletics@lbunion.com Kaila-Marie Hardaway, Food Editor food@lbunion.com Amanda Dominguez-Chio, Culture Editor amanda@lbunion.com Madison Gallegos, Culture Editor madison@lbunion.com Elliott Gatica, Music Editor music@lbunion.com Andrew Linde, Entertainment Editor entertainment@lbunion.com Peter R. Clark, Travel Editor travel@lbunion.com Grim Fandango, Grunion Editor

but also exhausted at the same time. since 4 a.m. on Friday, I couldn’t believe how

beast of an article had turned into something that we never intended it to be, and over half of it was not well-structured at all.

We’ve spent the better half of Saturday cleaning it up for clarity, as well as struggling to get the paper to the printer’s on time. It’s intended it to be, but we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished in the last three days.

He could see the original Facebook post about what happened, all he could do was listen to us talk about it until he cracked.

Our world has come to the point where we depend on social media to provide us with news, and living without those platforms is like living in the middle of nowhere. I really hope that James Cameron didn’t intend “The Terminator” franchise to predict the future, but it’s looking more and more like Skynet is taking over soon.

Good luck surviving the apocolypse, human race.

Ktez (and Alex)

STAFF WRITERS Lauren Hunter, lauren@lbunion.com Sylvana Uribe, sylvana@lbunion.com Emily Ayers, emily@lbunion.com Jordan Daniels, jordan@lbunion.com Elizabeth Campos, liz@lbunion.com Matthew Gozzip, matt@lbunion.com Abraham Alapisco, abraham@lbunion.com COPY & ASSISTANT EDITORS Carissa Pope, Karen Ruiz, Sheila Sadr, Abril Burstein CONTRIBUTORS Lily Nguyen, Taylor Caceres, Samantha Neou, William Odis Martin

for Alex, because of the social media feature he

what was happening on campus. It’s a good at the sandwich shop next door, because

accurately and objectively so the reader can come to their own conclusions. That’s how journalism works.

Of course, it didn’t help that most of the people that stayed up to work on the story were tired from a day of school and work. We were completely burnt-out at that point, but we felt obligated to get it done for the sake of the people. And boy, did we get it done.

I think I went home and stayed up another couple of hours just thinking about the story and wondering how it would be received by

Andrew Linde, Podcast Producer

how it really changes our day-to-day life. As far as I know, Lauren was the only person who lasted for the whole week. But this breaking

P.S. The Nugget Files has been moved to the Food section this week. Spoiler alert: Andrew and I drank a lot. You’re welcome.

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

COVER AND FEATURE PHOTOS BY: Katie Cortez COVER AND FEATURE DESIGN BY: Sam Orihuela CONTACT US Long Beach, CA 90815 E-mail: lbunion.info@gmail.com

@UnionWeekly

Opinions

3

Stop Talking, Start Acting

By Jordan Daniels

Staff Writer

Illustration by John Mueller

After receiving the latest email about the “knife incident” on campus, I’m left with frustration in my soul. Why? Because despite administration is still missing their points on everything. So let me explain mine.

Before I begin, here’s a brief rundown for those who still aren’t conscious of the incident. A student pulled a knife out during a Race and Gender sociology class, and administration took a week to mention anything. Dialogue was created by other students on several social media platforms but no action by the school.

In President Jane Conoley’s email, she the incident posed an imminent threat “timely warning” announcement. However, this leads me to a question: How come, when a sexual assault happens campus, we’re pulls a knife out in the middle of class, and through six degrees of separation and a student’s post on Facebook? Why is it it’s leaving in the air whether or not the issue campus weapon reveal?

According to the Facebook post, a huge component of the issue is that the “white male student” pulled out a knife behind a “black female student.” The administration believes the student who pulled out the knife is “allegedly” white, but it still hasn’t email, it’s mentioned that we need to open more dialogue about racial equality, with clear mentions to the #BlacksOnCampus and #BlackLivesMatter movements. The

that the incident occurred during a racially “heated” discussion, the administration is disregarding our words and only leaving room for theirs.

Another part of the issue is that there has not been any action taken against the student so far. Another portion of Conoley’s email states: “Everyone, no matter the color of his or her skin, is innocent until proven guilty.” Okay, that’s a fair statement, but what innocence is there when the guilt is

For the Sake of Our Country, Vote!

We Millennials are characterized as being highly opinionated and the majority of the population, which is why it makes ABSOLUTELY ZERO SENSE that we make up the smallest percent of the voting population.

You may be thinking, “well, my vote doesn’t matter anyway.” First of all, you will never get anywhere in life with that attitude. Whether it is voting or otherwise, always remember that you matter and that

Regards to those who don’t want

By Madison Gallegos Culture Editor

vote matters: In the current election, Hillary Clinton won six districts by a coin toss. A goddamn coin toss! If one more person had shown up to that election, it would be as it was supposed to be—with the people deciding. Just think about how many times coins have f—ed you over.

Now you may be thinking, “I don’t really thought: “I don’t really have an opinion.”

So you’re telling me that if someone

this student pulled out a knife in class. If the timelines match up, then the investigation has been going on for at least a week. Forgive me for asking, but how long does it take to do an investigation on an issue when witnesses are making clear statements? There isn’t a need for an investigation when we know what happened, there’s need for action. Your honor, the defendant is guilty. Take action.

I want to say that I love this school in almost every possible way and I love being a student at CSULB. But I’m disappointed in the lack of seriousness about these issues, on an administrative level, that I’ve seen since

asked you about equal wages, climate change, minority rights, taxes, or free college education, you have nothing to say? Because these are just some of the issues prevalent in the upcoming presidential election. You

“...always remember that you matter and that you can make a and I both know that if you have an opinion on who Best Actor was, then you have one on who is best to run this country.

Or maybe you don’t really like any of the

transferring here. Emails aren’t solving the problems. Emails don’t listen to our voices.

Emails don’t make us feel safe.

The only action coming out of this is

with this is that we already have dialogue.

Adminstration, you are missing the point.

You already know our feelings. You already need to start acting. We need you to start acting because a change ain’t gonna come if you don’t work with us on making it happen.

but also super common! To be honest, I think most of them are dinguses, too. Just pick the one you hate least. It’s better than the one you hate most winning the nomination, or even the presidency, just because you didn’t get your lazy ass up and go vote.

I mean, it’s not even hard. What’s the drawback? How would this harm you in any way? I know that all those people on campus harassing you while you’re trying to haul ass to class are super annoying, but their intentions are good. If you have a second, before you leave campus, in between classes, WHATEVER, please just take the chance to register. We’re the people that are going to represent the most educated part of the population. If we don’t vote, who will?

Let’s use our extended knowledge to really Otherwise, Trump might become president. And if that doesn’t scare the shit out of you, you must be the toilet.

4

News

Standing in Solidarity

Juwairiah Syed holds up a candle and a poster questioning police inaction in Fort Wayne, Indiana, above; Students from a wide variety of organizations gathered for the vigil in front of Brotman Hall, above right (Sheila Sadr/Union Weekly)

Students gather in mourning and unity

By Sheila Sadr Assistant Editor A somber mood surrounded the campus as

A Conversation Worth Having Panel highlights relationship topics

By Sylvana Uribe Staff Writer

News

5

Admins Under Fire CSULB students react to lack of communication one week after alleged violent threat

By Alejandro Ramos Athletics Editor and Amanda Del Cid Social Media Manager

Administrators at California State University, Long Beach are being put under the microscope after news of an underreported incident on campus broke on social channels.

News of an alleged altercation involving two students and a knife in a sociology class on Feb. 25 did not come out until CSULB student Mel Gutierrez shared what she knew of it through a series of Facebook posts on Wednesday, March 2. Her posts were mostly based on hearsay, but generated a discussion that got students demanding answers.

“The student who did this is still attending this university,” Gutierrez wrote. no emails were sent out to anyone, not even faculty.”

The university remained silent on the matter until Thursday, March 3, when the Relations released a statement on CSULB’s Facebook page about the alleged altercation.

“Since this incident took place, members of the campus community have expressed concerns about safety,” wrote Terri M. Carbaugh, Associate Vice President of Government and Media Relations. “The

is always a critical concern. While it was determined that there was no imminent physical threat, even the perception of a threat can cause distress.”

CSULB President Jane Close Conoley explained that the school tends to hold back information after threat assessments come back negative. Campus leaders hold back this information from students until the event is fully investigated.

“In this case, such caution caused more concern,” Conoley said in an email to Union Weekly. “Please know, however, we do this to protect both the victims and the alleged perpetrators.”

Facebook comments by students on both CSULB and Gutierrez’s Facebook posts expressed frustration with the university’s disregard for student awareness. When the university did communicate with students, gaps of silence between statements from the administration left students with more questions than answers.

“We get immediate emails regarding party but they wait until the students themselves make it public on social media to say something about this?” Lety Perez Correa

commented on CSULB’s Facebook post.

Correa was referring to a campus-wide email sent out by the University the day after the alleged sexual assault occurred at the Kappa Sigma fraternity house, but expressed concerns with not being alerted by email about this on-campus incident until 9 p.m. Thursday, March 5—one week after it occurred.

“What we know is that a male student was seen holding a small knife (2.5 inches) in a sociology class on February 25,” Conoley said in a campus-wide email sent out around 10 a.m. on Friday, March 4. “The professor perceived a threat and asked the student to leave. He did.”

University Police was immediately Beach Police Department. According to Sgt. Brad Johnson, spokesperson for the LBPD, they have launched their own investigation when it became known that “a relative of the student is an employee of the University Police Department.”

In the week following the alleged altercation, assistant professor Sabrina Alimahomed did not attend class and it is alleged by Gutierrez that she has taken a three-week leave of absence. Her students

were told that the person in question had

building. The resolutions they were given were not enough to settle their nerves in regards to why the incident took so long to be discussed campus-wide.

“I felt that it was something other students should’ve been warned about,” said Savannah Williams, a student in the class at the time of the incident. “Other students obviously felt threatened...some students coulfrom the class and that they weren’t too shaken up by it. no criminal record.” He also allegedly likened the incident to another crime that occurred on campus: “There was a theft in the bookstore last week, do you need to know about that too?”

as requirements under the Jeanne Clery Act...

The remainder of this article with up-tothe-minute information can be found on lbunion.com Bailey Mount, Andrew Linde, Lauren Hunter, Matt Gozzip and Katie Cortez also contributed to this report.

Leading Candidates Seek Nomination Super Tuesday results indicate seeming party nominees With the race to the presidency drawing sooner to the summer, the once-murky presidential election is gaining a bit of clarity.

Following the results from this past week’s Super Tuesday primary elections, it was a forgone conclusion from the GOP that businessman Donald Trump was the eventual Republican nominee.

With 1,237 delegates required for the nomination, Trump won most of the states on Super Tuesday and alongside Saturday’s primaries in Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Maine—brought his total number of delegates to 335.

In Thursday’s GOP debates, Trump seemed to have lost most if not all of his Super Tuesday momentum as all the candidates

focused their strategy in discrediting Trump.

With Trump answering questions in response to Marco Rubio’s previous insults in regards to hand size, Trump referenced sexual innuendo on CNN’s live broadcast. “I have big hands… trust me I have no problem down there,” said Trump.

Trump’s inability to sternly answer

away. It may not have seemed this way from an opinionated standpoint, but it is clear that Ted Cruz to decrease the margin as Cruz increased his delegates on Saturday to 248.

By Richard Mejia Managing Editor

On the blue side of the spectrum, Hillary Clinton is gaining steady footing as she ended Super Tuesday ahead of Bernie Sanders with 1,066 delegates to Sanders’ 432. The lead might seem glaring, but 2,383 delegates are required to earn the Democratic nomination.

“I congratulate Senator Sanders on his strong showing and campaigning and I am grateful to all of you who have voted for me,” said Clinton at her victory presser.

Thus far, all has gone according to plan for Clinton as she’s won the delegates from states she has been projected to win.

To call the nomination a forgone conclusion for Clinton would be a bit of an exaggeration. With Sunday’s Democratic debate basically a head-to-head contest

between the top candidates, Sanders still has With states friendlier to Sanders’ cause as well as an intriguing summer primary in California, Clinton will have to remain strong With the GOP seeing Ben Carson drop out of the running as well as potential Marco Rubio drop out in the upcoming week, Cruz one bound to occur on the liberal side.

All eyes will look to Michigan this week, as the primary election in the Midwestern state can have major implication for both parties.

6

Food

Those Delicious Cakes A look at a popular Farmer’s Market vendor Words by Andrew Linde Entertainment Editor

Monachelli said they’ve been trying to

Photos by Alejandro Ramos Athletics Editor Twice a month the Farmer’s Market is hosted on campus at the Friendship Walk on lower campus. Friendship Walk is what CSULB has decided to call the sidewalk between the lower part of the USU and the Kinesiology building. You’ve probably seen those funny posters with food related puns even if you don’t know what the Farmer’s Market is. Students can casually peruse the organic goods being sold by family owned businesses. I always make it a point to visit

the Farmer’s Market for one purpose: to buy delicious cakes.

Dolce Monachelli’s has been at the CSULB Farmer’s Market since it began, when it was originally outside the SRWC. Considering they are located in Fullerton, there’s one simple reason why they come down to here.

“We sell out pretty much every time we come,” said Chris Monachelli, owner of Dolce Monachelli’s. Monachelli has been in charge of the business for 15 years and is quite the salesman. As people pass by his table he

The next Farmer’s Market will be held Mar. 9.

additions is Chocolate Whiskey, made with a little bit of Jameson. I always make sure to buy at least three of those.

Monachelli started going to the Farmer’s Market at CSUF and saw an opportunity.

Now, he attends these events at about four other schools including University of California, Irvine and Cal State, Northridge.

With the popularity of Chocolate Whiskey, Monachelli’s has partnered with Young’s Market Company, a California based liquor distributor to make a new Margarita cake with lime frosting. The idea behind that came as a way to sample the reposada provided by Young’s at other events.

“You can’t just hand out shot glasses as samples,” Monachelli joked.

Butter Rum cake.

“I’d rather eat this cake than have sex,” said junior PR major Jordan Daniels.

Each of the recipes is based on a family recipe, from Carrot Cake to Lemon Citrus.

A recipe to make a delicious blueberry bundt cake at home Cake: 1. 1 box of cake mix 2. 1 packet of pudding mix, 3 ounces 3. 4 eggs 4. 1/2 cup of milk 5. 1/2 cup of oil 6. 1 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips 7. 1 cup of blueberry pie

Words and photos by Sylvana Uribe Staff Writer over the batter.

4.

Pour the remaining batter evenly into the pan. Place in the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean after it’s inserted.

5.

Let the cake cool for right side up onto a serving dish.

Instructions for the frosting:

Frosting: 1. 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips 2. 4 tablespoons of cream cheese, softened 3.

2 tablespoons of butter, softened 4. 1 teaspoon of vanilla 5. 1 cup of powdered sugar Instructions for the cake: 1.

2.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a Bundt pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a bowl, mix together the cake mix,

pudding mix, eggs, milk and oil. Fold in the chocolate chips.

3.

Pour half of the batter in the pan.

1.

Microwave the white chocolate in a heat-safe dish in twenty second intervals. Stir the chocolate after each interval until completely melted. Let the chocolate cool for two minutes.

2.

Beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a separate bowl. Mix in the melted chocolate.

3.

Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until well incorporated.

4.

Use a decorating spatula to frost the cake, or warm up the frosting to pour it over cake.

Food

7

Andrew and I want to do the unthinkable and eat every item on the Nugget Bar and Grill’s menu. We have take-home menus and check

In preparation for St. Patrick’s day in a few weeks, we decided to These are our results.

Recently, the Nugget added a frozen margarita to the menu. I’m not sure whose idea this was, but I’d like to give them an award.

It’s big, it’s icy, and it gets better when you’re halfway through drinking it.

I started and ended my week of Nugget beers with the margarita. It’s my new favorite.

I decided to ask the various bartenders what their favorite that a try. Josie suggested the 805, a beer I’d never tried before. I was delighted by the taste and viscosity. beer I like, and now I don’t have to worry about being made fun of for ordering a hard cider at a bar.

Speaking of hard cider, the Andrew: I want to preface this by saying I’m not a beer drinker. In fact, my nightlife became one thousand times better once I discovered the joys of hard cider. So I focused a bit more I did discover a few beers I’ll be enjoying again very soon. to never drink Beck’s. In fact, based solely on Beck’s, I’d say to never ever drink nonalcoholic beer. When I ordered the Beck’s, every single employee who was behind the counter at the time asked if I was sure, with one going so far as to remind me that it is in fact a non-alcoholic beverage. I reassured them and told of our plan to drink all the beers. duty, asked.

“Maybe.” I said, hiding a grimace. It was at that moment that I realized not all beer is I realized that no non-alcoholic beer can be enjoyed. If you want to drink liquid cigarettes, then drink a Beck’s.

I went through some old standbys for me: Modelo and Shock Top. They’re what I expected and not much more for being on tap and a little more expensive than what I’d normally pay. I assume that cost is for the convenience of not leaving campus, which I do appreciate after pulling a long day of classes.

Orchard on tap.

Angry Orchard is a pretty standard hard cider; it’s not as tasty as a Strongbow or Hornsby’s but it is miles better than Redd’s Ale. As far as I’m concerned Redd’s isn’t even a cider, just only cider.

The Nugget has also recently added Coney Island hard root beer to their menu. It has that but kids shouldn’t drink it. I found it a bit too sweet for my taste.

While I didn’t get to taste test the wines, my friend Allie did and said that the merlot was equivalent to a Two Buck Chuck. She also the brim.

All in all, I think I appreciated the joys of hanging out with friends and relaxing between classes all week long. Sometimes you have to take a second, unwind and imbibe.

Katie: The Nugget doesn’t have a big variety of beers to choose from, but it has enough to satisfy any beer drinker. Unlike Andrew, I really appreciate most types of beer for discriminate against other beers. Friends give me a lot of sass for mostly sticking to Pabst Blue Ribbon when we’re out at a bar, but what some people fail to realize is that I although I enjoy all types of beer, I’m just very cheap and

Words and photos by Katie Cortez Editor-In-Chief Andrew Linde Entertainment Editor Illustration by John Calhoun Graphics Illustrator PBR is extremely inexpensive. The truth of the matter is that I just love beer.

The Nugget’s light beers on tap usually alternate between Rolling Rock and PBR, and if you’ve spent your college Friday nights playing the great game of beer pong, you know exactly what those two beers taste like. Light, a little watered-down, and really easy to drink. Not hoppy or tart at all. Andrew and I have been frequenting the Nugget so often this semester that Josie or Sebastian, two of the bartenders, just say “Rolling Rock?” when I approach

every time.

Recently, The Nugget has been featuring IPA. I tried the Sculpin Grapefruit IPA a few weeks ago and hated it, mostly because I’m not a huge fan of grapefruit. The newest Sculpin

exactly like any standard ale and although it is reddish in color, it does not taste like a red ale. It’s a solid choice of the bottled Nugget options, but I was more surprised by the Glütiny Pale Ale. Unlike other gluten-free beers that I have tried, Glütiny is a pretty good pale ale. It has a slightly fruity taste to it with the standard bitter bite at the end that comes with other pale ales. I have no aversion to gluten, but if I did, this would be my beer. For those who are gluten-free and miss the taste of beer, I highly suggest giving this one a shot.

All in all, the Nugget has a pretty decent variety of beers to choose from in spite of being so limited. They have more well-known IPA options on tap and in bottles like Angel City IPA, Omission IPA, and Lagunitas as well as Firestone’s DBA if you’re into the darker beers. Like most Southern California bars, you Heineken, Bud Light and Budweiser if you’re not very adventurous with your beers. They

grapefruit Sculpin incident, but overall very please with how the Pineapple Sculpin tasted. didn’t overpower the intensity of the hops that Ballast Point Sculpin is famous for. I would Two of their other new additions are the Golden Road Point the Way IPA and Golden Road 329 Days of Sun Lager. They are poured straight from a can, and surprisingly neither of them have that lingering metallic taste that canned beers tend to have.

Point the Way has a hint of grapefruit and pine that doesn’t overpower the taste of the beer. The Days of Sun Lager is crisp and light, and drinking it reminds me of drinking outdoors in the summer sunlight.

Both are strong choices if you want to try something new.

Two of the few bottled options that are Rogue’s Dead Guy Ale and New Belgium’s Glütiny Pale Ale. The Dead Guy Ale is rich in

of thing.

8 Community

Not Even Once Emily Lindin’s “Unslut” highlights social sexism.

By Emily Ayers Staff Writer

The project is rooted in the power of personal storytelling to heal the wounds from sexual harassment, assault, and rape.

Too often, the feelings of women and girls are diminished by a society that still sees the topics as taboo. have told their stories to me unsolicitedly,” said Lindin.

“Every aspect of it has really been kind of ‘go where the wind goes’, and I feel like that One of the things that jumped out most

Lindin’s documentary leaves students speechless. (Jordan Daniels/Union Weekly)

“The act of slut-shaming is part of the society that everyone grows up in.”

It can start with the snap of a picture.

The one that was only meant for the eyes of a significant other, but somehow made its way onto the screens of everyone’s phones at school.

It only takes one time and one picture for people to start using the word “slut”. shaming as the act of making women and girls feel guilty and ashamed for perceived sexual behavior. This behavior is compounded with continuous bullying that leaves them feeling worthless and isolated.

Her documentary “Unslut” grew out of journal entries that tracked her personal experience with slut-shaming into a blog that was a platform for women and girls all over the world with similar experiences.

the need for comprehensive sex education programs in schools all over the country.

She hopes to develop parts of her documentary into miniature modules to be used in sex education curriculum throughout the country. obstacle to not be able to talk about these issues in the places that we need to be talking about them. We have already screened in certain private high schools in the states, but it is a state-by-state case because some are really restrictive on what we can show students.”

“Unslut” highlighted stories from various women and girls that revealed some of the as well as how they viewed sexuality and sexrelated issues.

One of the main issues being the role of technology and social media and how quickly things spread nowadays as opposed to before when slut-shaming was done to people’s photos are spread by a simple text message or

the writing of a Facebook post.

“I think it is interesting how over time we have managed to use technology for something so negative,” said sophomore political science and women’s gender and sexuality studies student Melissa Nayoto.

“Even among my friends they will call each other ‘slut’ in a joking manner, and I will tell them to not call me one. I believe language is important and people need to be educated and know that even if they are joking, it is still degrading.”

Lindin touched on the fact that for women, the act of slut-shaming has become institutionalized and is part of the society that everyone grows up in.

And although her focus is on creating safe spaces for women, Lindin is an advocate for the men and LGBTQ community who have had similar experiences.

“We have to speak up if someone makes a not so great comment about rape or anything of that nature and say that it isn’t funny,” said senior women’s gender and sexuality studies major Dion Sparks.

“Maybe that will stop the slut shaming. I realize that I will feel worse for not speaking up, because you will never forget not standing up for someone. I don’t believe in shaming people for who they are.”

“Unslut” lays the groundwork for future generations to have constructive conversations about how to move out of slut-shaming.

Although it is a very complex issue, it starts very simply with educating those around you.

Lindin’s hope is that one day the word “slut” won’t even make sense as an insult.

Talking About the “F” Word Campus courses present objective views on feminism.

The “F” word is much more controversial than what I expected it to be. Even saying “feminism” out loud makes me feel that people will either ask why I hate men or come at me with posters and chants of support.

The reality is that feminism is a much broader topic, and not everyone can agree on or understand it. University campuses can provide a starting point for its discussion.

After taking a Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies course last semester, I still have yet to fully comprehend some aspects of it. I did however, have my eyes opened on

The class focused on women, gender and sexuality in popular culture and was taught by a male professor. the course dynamic and reminded me that a “women’ s studies” class was not meant only for women.

Topics such as the male gaze, beauty standards, various waves of feminism, the LGBT movement and the bias of Tyra Banks were discussed.

When conversations got heated on topics such as machismo, white supremacy, body shaming, rape and racism were discussed,

By Elizabeth Campos Staff Writer

between the sexes.

It instead made the class an open forum, a place were both women and men could voice their opinions and ask freely when something did not make sense.

It reminded us that feminism is about equality, not superiority.

What I learned from this class followed women is something that I constantly see now and I can’t help but analyze.

That quickly led people see me as the stereotypical Rosie-the-Riveter-pin-wearing,

“my body, my choice” type of feminist.

Now enlightened by what my WGSS class had taught me, I could explain how that wasn’t true.

Feminism does not have a shape. It does not have a list of requirements or characteristics to follow, it does not pertain to only one gender, it does not mean that you protest 24/7 and it does not mean that everything a man does is wrong.

What it truly means to be a feminist is to promote equality, empathy, and respect in every sense of the word and the WGSS courses provide a good place to start.

FEATURE

9

Goodbye Old Friend...

True survival tales about a one-week social media hiatus

By Alejandro Ramos If you think you can get away from social media, then think again.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. These are some of the most popular social media websites and apps. It’s a given that young people are familiar with these. It’s also a given that we spend way too much time browsing for pictures of cute animals and funny videos of people falling on their butts. However, is that such a bad thing? what I did. I, along with a couple of my peers, gave up social media to see if we could cope with being away from my newsfeed.

Long story short, I couldn’t do it. I cracked after a few days and shamelessly went back to social media. Here’s the thing: I media as far as entertainment goes.

In fact, I found that my interactions with my girlfriend and full attention since I wasn’t allowed to give my phone a quick glance.

So, why did I fail? I failed because I had to get in touch with people and keep up with the world. That sounds like a bad excuse, but it’s true.

I didn’t realize how much I depend on social media as a journalist. I use Facebook to stay in touch with colleagues directly and send them links or documents that relate to our work. I use Twitter stay up to date with the latest news as it useful.

Take associate professor of English Sarah Arroyo. Her work is far from traditional; according to her website, her research focus includes rhetoric, writing, new media, and digital culture.

It’s no surprise then that she is fully integrated in social media.

She uses it to stay connected to a large network of colleagues across the nation. Arroyo emphasized the importance of this connection to keep their relationships going and bounce ideas “I frequently get ideas for both research and teaching by simply scrolling through my feed each day.” Arroyo said.

For some people, social media is more than just a tool for staying productive; it’s their main focus in their work. April De La Cruz, the social media specialist for ASI, spends all of her days (and some of her nights) thinking about how she can use social media to spread the word about the ASI and their activities. Still, she says that job comes with a lot of judgment and that people ask if she’s “on Facebook watching videos all day.”

Sarah, April, and I are just few examples of people that rely heavily on social media for our jobs. We’re proof that Facebook and Twitter are more than just fun and games. They’ve become powerful tools that have streamlined the way we get our work done.

The cat videos don’t hurt though.

10

FEATURE

By Sylvana Uribe I didn’t even last a day.

I jumped on board with the challenge of going a week without social media because I was in need of a break. I often overwhelm myself with taking on more projects than I should, so a chance to disconnect and regroup was much needed. I also reasoned it would be an opportune time to explore my parents’ relentless complaints whenever I was in the same room as my phone.

I deleted all of my social media apps to ward off temptation. I then plucked books from my shelf I had yet to finish reading, prioritized assignments for the rest of the week and even responded to the neglected emails in my inbox.

But of course, I already confessed that my intention of going off the social media grid didn’t work. I broke the terms of the challenge within the first 24 hours when I logged onto Facebook to look someone up in the name of “research.”

In the days to follow, the cleanse made me realize how much, perhaps a little too much, I turn to social media as a time-filler. My mind battled with the following thoughts: “Waiting in a long line? Check your newsfeed. Want a break from your homework?

Scroll through Instagram. Are you hanging out with friends glued to their tiny screens? Go ahead, favorite a tweet or two. Oh wait, you can’t. At least not this week.”

Sam Vazquez, a third year mechanical engineering major, prides herself on not having social media accounts, with the exception of Snapchat. Her first interaction with social media was as a college freshman when she created a Facebook account to communicate with friends traveling abroad. She deleted the account six months later once her friends returned to California.

Vazquez said her brief time on the major social media site didn’t include liking or sharing posts.

“People aren’t present, they miss things that are right in front of them to take a selfie,” Vazquez said. “I feel like it’s a sad mental state when you can’t live without the acceptance of people online.”

However, not having social media accounts doesn’t mean a person is completely freed from it. Vazquez said content her friends deem as a must-see finds a way of getting shown to her, which I too experienced during my social media cleanse. But even if my friends hadn’t shoved their screens in my face, there was no escaping social media. I’d walk around campus and see people scrolling through Facebook on their laptops, or people viewing Snapchat stories while in class. The “like” and “share” culture prompts people to constantly checkin and tailor their newsfeeds to their interests, and anything with an Internet presence does

it’s best to squeeze into those realms.

Yasmin Cortez, social media editor of the Daily 49er, plans her days around ensuring the publication stays relevant in its readers’ newsfeeds. This includes scheduling posts, sifting through hashtags, and tracking readers’ interactions with online content.

Cortez likes the instantaneous connections formed online. and believes “technology doesn’t really define us, it’s what we do with the technology.”

“We voice our opinions a lot more because we feel a little more secure behind a screen.,” Cortez said. “We’re actually gaining confidence in ourselves so in real life we can voice these opinions and realize we’re not alone in how we think.”

When I unplugged, I felt stripped of the security of an escape route when social interactions became awkward. The convenience of a quick distraction wasn’t a swipe away. I was conscious of my reluctance to fully engage and connect without knowledge of trending topics approved by friends and followers. Although it was refreshing to participate in actual conversations rather than deciphering the tones buried in lines of text, I’ve accepted that social media has embedded itself into my daily life and refreshing my newsfeed is just the norm.

FEATURE

By Lauren Hunter Giving up social media for a week seemed like a daunting task. When it came down to it, it was not as hard until the weekend came along.

I gave up social media for an entire week from Tuesday, Feb. 23 through Tuesday, March 1. thought. I did not mind missing out on some silly picture or video I was tagged in, but I’ve been conditioned to go to a certain location on my phone screen to click my social media apps.

I would constantly open up my phone and go to the space on my screen where all my apps used to be and nothing would be there.

Once Friday hit I was like “Oh no! What am I going to do?”

I had fun things plans and I wanted to share my night on Snapchat and post on Instagram.

My friends were all around me snapping away and saying go check what I posted and I just had to give them the sideways glance and explain why I couldn’t. Sunday I needed things to kill my free time as I relaxed after an eventful weekend, but had nothing to do. Then it was Monday which meant I had less than 24 hours. I couldn’t wait to get back on.

Aleli May Vuelta is the Online Editor at

CSULB’s Dig Magazine and she explained “At Dig I usually edit and write articles that mainly go to the website and also when I was hired we redesigned the whole website,” said Vuelta. “For a while we didn’t have a social media person so I would take care of that.”

“It just keeps everyone up to date,” she said. This is true. If you are like me you get your news from social media sites and try and become more informed. “I like social media because it keeps me connected with not just friends but what’s going on in the world,” Vuelta said. Now more than ever people know more about the world around us.

However, for being so connected to the world, people are still extremely uninformed. media. We are all so interconnected to the world around us, but we don’t take any time to example that The Onion posts satirical and obviously fake stories, yet people think that they are real.

“We have an attention span less than a gold

said. Social media is right here and right now thus we have become a culture that demands information now. We have put ourselves out there to be bullied or trolled. We put ourselves out there to be ridiculed. It is not a completely safe environment.

It’s not all bad though. Social media has has helped people put themselves out there.

Especially with LinkedIn. We can keep in contact with family and friends that don’t leave around here anymore. We can be informed if you know what websites and stories are credible. It’s a great way to distract yourself, go back on all my social media apps I realized I didn’t really care about it anymore. Checking what people post wasn’t that interesting to me. I’ve been back on for a few days now and I randomly go on and check. I have a newfound respect for not having social media and appreciate it more now since I feel connected to the world again.

11

12

Culture

In a Galaxy Far, Far Away...

A series of recommended comics and books from the Star Wars Universe

By Taylor Caceres Contributor Ever since I watched “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” back in December, I’ve had Star Wars on the brain. I’ve been on a mission to explore countless corners of the Star Wars

novel patterns that have been popular for the prose isn’t the best. And while I liked the occasional “Star Wars: Rebels” references,

read the various new canonical books and comics.

I’ve read so far.

Rebels. For example, I love the fact that the

“Darth Vader” and “Star Wars” are

Imperial communication tower to send

need romantic dance scenes for sustenance.

one communication tower’ and “Darth Vader,” written lines

between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance.

“The Force Awakens” didn’t explain too much about the New Republic, except for the fact that

same time frame crossover issues.

Both of these series

New Hope” and “The Empire Strikes Back.”

“Star Wars” focuses on down the Empire as part of the Rebel Alliance, while “Darth Vader” revolves around Darth Vader himself.

Order. “Aftermath” adds

fashion.

Temmin

or Hoth. The Empire’s actual impact on

to create a character from Rebels: he

when he witnesses

Doi,

and

later,

parent of his was on their homeworld the Empire.

In the end, I recommend “Aftermath.”

It does contribute important details to the overall Star Wars universe, and I found

their own convictions and don’t back down

New Republic.

The main plot takes place on the planet

Ree, who both become pilots for the Empire, of the former Rebel when their beliefs replace him with, if Vader can’t defeat them. defects to the Rebel Alliance.

Velus.

“Aftermath” is also full of interludes that

adult novel and feels

Here are several other notable books/ comics not covered here that I recommend:

of the book or so is about political and social situation

“Darth Vader” deal with how Vader found

“‘Aftermath’ is also full of interludes that...shed more light on the political and social situation across the galaxy.”

Art from Star Wars illustrator John Cassaday

Culture

13

All That Glimmers...and Glamours and Dazzles

By Madison Gallegos Culture Editor

This year’s red carpet fashion was disappointing to say the least. Most of the dresses were very basic, and those that didn’t make you yawn made you sigh.

Now, I’m not going to waste any of my time typing about the men, because, let’s be real it’s not sexist, there’s just nothing special about a plain black tux.

Sheer Madness Student attends homemade jewelry event Glitterfest

By Lily Nguyen Contributor Illustration by John Mueller Graphics Illustrator

Although, Jacob Tremblay did take my breath away—there’s just something so ridiculously adorable about a nine-year-old in a tiny suit with his little hair all slicked back (ah!). mention the ladies who I thought completely missed the boat.

Kate Winslet, although in a silk Ralph Lauren gown, looked like she was in a kinky leather sheet. All I’m gonna say is if you are 40+ you should not be wearing anything that even looks remotely like leather.

Heidi Klum, in Marchesa, looked like her dress was designed by a nine-year-old and a bit like she should have ridden in on a unicorn.

I don’t have much to say about Rooney Mara’s Givenchy dress, but only because I could hardly see it—it blended almost perfectly to her skin and completely washed her out. Which is pretty much the opposite of what you’re trying to go for with an

It starts with a bottle of glitter.

A line starts at the door and wraps around the corner of the building. Men and women

Photos courtesy of Oscar.com

Oscar look.

I want to point out four looks that I found exceptional. Lady Gaga wore an elegant strapless white jumpsuit designed by Brandon Maxwell.

The jumpsuit featured long lines that were accentuated Monroe-esque curls and simple jewelry, Gaga looked classically beautiful.

Cate Blanchett was a fairytale in a baby blue embellished with Swarovski crystals and featheredDeep-V neckline was highlighted by pronounced shoulders and a stunning train. wore my favorite couture designer, Zuhair Murad. The strapless, mostly sheer, white lace gown perfectly hugged her curves, making her look sexy and sophisticated.

My favorite look of the night was by Saoirse Ronan. Her emerald dress was custom made by Calvin Klein, inspired by her culture

Vendors can spend anything from six months to a full year in preparation for the event.

Some mention that they had been

hand, shopping totes in the other. Money is small bottle of glitter.

Doors open exactly at 10 a.m. and the line by the event’s organizers.

Customers make their way to their favorite vendors to catch up for all the time lost and make their purchases of the wares for sale. Some look to complete their collection of antiquated teacups and others seek out odd bits and ends like buttons and bronzed door numbers.

It is the 8th biannual Glitterfest, hosted this year at the Business Expo Center in Anaheim on Feb. 27.

Glitterfest is an artist event, local to Orange County, California, created by a pair of sisters, Sheryl Simpson and Diane White.

Each artist is recruited with both their talents and their personalities in mind.

heritage celebrated in her movie Brooklyn.

Entirely embellished in sequence, the dress was synched at the waist and backless— Ronan glimmered grandeur.

While there were some diamonds in the rough, I’m expecting bigger and bolder from next year’s nominees.

to submit details of their displays in order to allow for a larger variety in the booths.

Applications for Glitterfest make it clear that jewelry, however, is the hardest to apply for simply due to the lack of space available as well as a desire to incorporate greater variation among vendors.

Above all else, Simpson and White prioritize creativity and originality above all else.

“The more unusual and original the better. Originality counts! We love vintage, so that counts too. We are always looking for painters, collages, and classically up-cycled creations. Things that make you pause and think. We work to keep our event fresh and according to the page for applications on the event’s website.

The event itself is underwhelming. The

working up to the last minute on some projects.

The majority of booths at Glitterfest for 2016 sold jewelry. Artists are required

enter upon paying $7 for entry. Glitterfest evokes a sense of community and belonging for all those involved and interested enough to visit.

14

Athletics

Beach Heads to Big West A look at Long Beach State basketball as the season ends

By Richard Mejia Managing Editor

Photos by Alejandro Ramos Athletics Editor and William Odis Martin Contributor

MEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

• • •

• • •

18-13 overall 12-4 in conference Finished 3rd in the Big West Conference, right behind University of Hawaii and UC Irvine.

The once promising season the men’s basketball team was poised to have combusted before it ever had a chance to ignite.

This combustion wasn’t due to the hot level of talent nor success, rather it was from the overwhelming from taking on high-level talent in the Charleston Classic.

Taking on ACC’s Virginia and Big 12’s Oklahoma State, LBSU was introduced to the bright lights of national television as well as recruits.

It may understandable that coach Dan Monson wanted to get his guys some national exposure as well as prepare them for their “eventual” March Madness run. However,

These struggles created for an ugly December for the men’s team as they went 3-6 in the month and looked very much out of sync.

As the season progressed, the Beach showed signs of life as sophomore guard Justin Bibbins came into his own.

Bibbins averaged 11.5 points on .425 shooting and 4.9 assists. Bibbins’ decisionmaking on the court seemed to be the glue time, this group of fallen high school stars seemed to be a threat in the Big West. in their upset victory at Hawaii. guard Nick Faust to continue his hard-nosed play. Leading the team with 17.0 points per game, Faust has had impressive games over As the third ranked team in the Big West, towards the top of the conference. Even though things haven’t gone as planned, keeping them alive.

Second in the conference in scoring while being the top three-point shooting team, the as well as attacking the lane. This, however,

23-7 overall 12-4 in conference Finished 2nd in Big West Conference. earning automatic bye into the tournament.

yet be overlooked, as the Beach split both in a 42-60 blowout loss at Hawaii.

With the deck stacked against LBSU, their grit and determination will continue to keep them in the hunt of a Big West championship #2 Nick Faust led the men’s team with 17 points and 6 rebounds per game. The senior guard was awarded Big West Player of the Week twice in his last year. (William Odis Martin/Contributor)

#20 Raven Benton shone as the women’s team lead scorer, averaging 13 points per game. The junior guard broke 1,000 career points, becoming the 24th player to do so in the team’s history.

(Alejandro Ramos/Union Weekly)

comes at the expense of huge lapses in

steals per game Regardless of the statistics, the number that matters for the Beach is two.

LBSU is currently ranked second in the

They have allowed the second most points in the conference and on a grander scale are a NCAA leader in closest loss margin as they’ve lost games late.

The latter are not inclinations of a championship level talent.

Alongside Bibbins and Faust, sophomore forward Roschon Prince make up the core of The largest obstacle for the Beach heading into the season is how they handle once again being on under the spotlight in front of a large audience.

Meanwhile, the sync and undeniable chemistry of the of Beach basketball all season the top-heavy Big West conference, LBSU has more than held its own against Hawaii and undefeated conference leader UC Riverside as they’ve gone 22-7 and have a 11-4 record in conference play.

The Beach’s success this season has been a bit of a curious one given that the team hasn’t been statistically strong in most areas.

They are a bottom-three team in most points allowed, points scored and most general categories in the Big West. As a matter of fact, the team in only rated high in three-point percentage (third), threepointers attempted (second) and are tops in

Since the only way to earn an NCAA your conference’s tournament, the Beach has

next week’s Big West tournament.

In the thick of this successful season, herself as one of the elite players in the conference.

Leading the Beach with averages of 12.4 points per game to go along with 5.3 been one of the catalysts to the team’s overall success.

Jewelyn Sawyer and forward Madison Montgomery have led the team to a conference-leading 10.1 steals. Combined, the duo has accounted for over half of the Beach’s total forced turnovers.

With an ideal balance of both sides of the ball, LBSU is built to make a deep tournament run.

However, the abilities on the court have yet to translate to anything that might indicate to the conference that the Beach can dethrone UCR. In both games against the Anteaters this season, the Beach were blown out of the building as they lost 60-78 at the Pyramid and 58-83 in Riverside.

The Anteaters have well established all season that there is an obviously gap in talent and success versus the schools in the conference.

Even outside of Riverside, Hawaii can’t

The Beach At a Glance BASEBALL The Dirtbags had a rough start but ended the week on a high note. After folding to USC (6-4), the Dirtbags pulled it together won back to back games on Saturday to close out a three-game series against Nebraska.

Travel

15

Flying High In The Friendly Skies

By Abraham Alapisco Staff Writer Graphic by Nathan Zankich

If the friendly skies are awaiting you in order to reach your destination, you’re going to need to know some do’s and donts when it comes to air travel. With the right amount of preparation and planning, you can feel like a Sinatra song on the way to your next vacation, competition, or the place where you will broadly study.

1. Pack It Real Good Good hygiene is key to making your travel experience tolerable. Make sure you have pre-pack toiletries so you save time and don’t have to worry about forgetting the essentials.

For those who are visually challenged, such as myself, save space by storing your lotions, makeup, and other liquids in your extra contact cases.

We’ve all heard about rolling up clothes to save space in your suitcase. However, it’s based on weather, practicality, and the ability to match them easily. This is where neutral colored clothes come into play; you can mix

it up easily while still remaining versatile, so make sure your Yeezys go well with the rest of your breezys.

don’t want to quit.

2. Planes Don’t Have to Equal Pain

Alright, you just go past touchy, feely security and your slipping on your oh so easy, fresh Yeezys. Now you got to plan where your hiney is going to be parked for the duration of

Feet swell on airplanes, so don’t be for looks. Wear something breathable such as that pair of Yeezys that seems to go with everything.

When it comes to pants, it’s important to take certain precautions and wear the right style and material in order to avoid a condition called deep vein thrombosis: a blood clot in your vein that begins in the leg which can lead to symptoms such as pain, swelling, and redness. To prevent this, it’s important to stay hydrated, walk around every hour while in the air, and avoid skinny jeans, but since 90’s high waisted, loose jeans are back in the mainstream, legs have been catching a break. When it comes to tops, long sleeve breathable material that keeps you comfortable but doesn’t cause overheating is preferable, and a light jacket in case the nips

3. If I Fits I Sits

The front of the plane is good for being

seats are the area between the dividers and often provide a little more leg room for you Amazons.

If you’re sitting in the back of the plane,

overhead bins right away. Also, if there are available seats, there most likely going to back there, so there’s a better chance of being able to spread eagle all over an empty seat row. attendants also tend to hang out in the back

birdy, it’s a good place to tweet your game.

Who knows, you could end up in the mile high club piloting legs in the air whilst feeling the turbulence like Jerimih’s song, Planes, but until that happens, how you doin? Of course back seats means last to deboard, more turbulence, less food options and closer proximity to restroom odors.

With that in mind, time to choose the type of seat: aisle, middle or window. The aisle is good for leg room, tripping other passengers, and great if you have a small, restless bladder so you’re not working your junk on others every hour when you need to pass from window seat to aisle. The middle seats are only good for having the option of which shoulder you want to “accidently” want to fall asleep on. Window seats are good for sightseeing and sleeping, but they also have less leg room.

There are ways to improve your chances at attaining your preferred seat by calling the airline after you’ve booked your ticket, checking in early, and using travel apps that chart seating information in order to plan accordingly, happy travels.

16

Music

Seeing Through the Smoke A theatrical experience of a live Imagine Dragons performance

By Jordan Daniels Staff Writer Unless it’s Beyoncé or Adele, I’ve rarely been

concert brings. But when I attended the

was changed.

start, not boring but not quite energetic yet.

A few songs into the show and they begin

Toronto, Canada on July 4, 2015, the concert began with Thousands of fans,

vocals, it’s easy to be relaxed by his soft tones and get hyped up as he builds into a harder

and wonderful guitar solos. Reynolds then

passed and not once did I think about the song, but when that bass dropped, I was there for it. The band was having fun now; Reynolds

waiting for the band ironic contrast to the 20 other people

I only know a few of their songs, but each I’ll be honest, I’ve never been a huge here and there, but I’ve never listened to a lyrically one of their best songs. It really

silhouettes of the band on-stage and snapping in shadows in front of the

reconsidering that rule after seeing this concert on the big screen.

The set began with that’s a little The Towards the end of the set, the band plays

“You Know Who You Are”

Twenty years later, they’re still a big part of the Indie Rock genre with the March 4 release sings with an array of brass horns play in

towards the end of the song rises and falls with those senses of worry and relief.

gives the song an uplifting quality to it as the Their songs describe narratives focused on sound and style that they started with. Their

Nada Surf makes a comeback with their eighth album.

about love and life and getting out of your hope and love that can be heard throughout their discography. you needed. The beginning of the stubborn and doesn’t want to give into their feelings. “I shut I didn’t need another star in the

By Katie Cortez Editor-in-Chief

into the song describe how one of the friends

they’re afraid of getting hurt. The

Music

17

The Broad Spectrum of The 1975

By Abraham Alapisco Listening to The 1975 turns me into a habitual rollup all at the same time. Similar to their breakout self-titled album released in 2013, The 1975’s new album titled, conservatively, “I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It,” released February 26, retains a lot of the same ‘80s synth pop sound from before. However, this being only their second album, the band is their sound. Each track changes to play leading to instrumentals on the album that drag on, neglecting to go anywhere.

This defeats the purpose of meaningful interludes. Acoustic tracks such as “Nana” top ones like “Love Me.” Often compared to other British bands such as Oasis and Muse, Matt Healy, the nefariously reputed frontman, says their American sounds.

“Our favorite artists were artists like Michael Jackson and the Talking Heads, but

I think the foundation for our band is black American music, from soul into Motown into ‘90s R&B. I think we’re more inspired

by Brian McKnight than Oasis.” towards past lovers in “Somebody Else,” containing lines such as “I don’t want your body, but I hate to think about you with somebody else,” to “ C h a n g e of Heart”’s revelations as youthful years I too old to be this stoned?”The band strings themes of love, life, and The band is obviously taking risks, but seem to be comfortable in their skin

as they mess around with funky, heartfelt beats that make their singles catchy.

“She’s American” provides a euphoric, amazing feeling when it drops lines such as “Don’t fall in love with the moment and think you’re in love with the girl.” The lyrics illustrates how easily being caught up in emotions can lead to misguided affections.

Sometimes, a person we think we adore is just someone we hope to get validation from. The attraction is based more on a need for mutual admiration, rather than being drawn to the actual individual. The band seems to enjoy trying to understand

how attraction can work so unusually.

Healy told Rolling Stone that observing how certain feelings overpower others is of interest to the band when commenting on the reason they deactivated their “We just wanted to see that whole thing of desirability as way more potent than obtaining something.”

The band’s funky sound goes well with their pink, neon inspired album cover, which is a departure from the black and white

“If you don’t want your art to reach people, that negates you as an artist. I hate that indie band bullsh*t of acting like you don’t care so you don’t get judged about being sh*t. That’s what indie is now. That fey sense of ‘we don’t care’. Well, don’t do it then.

a unique identity, just as each new decade of

A Hint of J-POP and 1980

By Peter R. Clark Satellite Young is an ‘80s synthwave duo from “Jack Doushi / in November 2014. It is a unique blend of Jpop vocals with ‘80s goodness. Since then they have been releasing a number of singles including “Fake Memory / ” and “Break!

Break! Tic! Tac!” to name a few.

Satellite Young incorporates the ‘80s synthwave vibe from artists such as Le Matos, Dance With the Dead, and Protector 101 with vocals only sung in Japanese by Emi Kusano. Each single usually includes by other artists. The duo’s electronic genius, Bellemaison Seikine, crafts every song with a certain sound that is similarly reminiscent of the ‘80s.

Unlike other artists in the same genre, the vocals really shine through. Their songs are very catchy and memorable. They tend to follow the same trend of other Jpop or Kpop artists where most choruses include parts sung in very broken English. “Fake Memory / ” really stands out in this regard.

Most songs tend to include a solo of

For the most part, every song is enjoyable, and so far I have yet to run into a song that I personally do not like. Sometimes the is especially the case in regards to “Fake Memory / .” It has an my favorite song out of their seven singles.

Their most recent song, “Sniper Rouge,” is a collaboration with Mitch Murder. It’s an the Mitch Murder sound. Her vocals are very strong on this one and less joyful, which does not detract from their style, and it is a unique sound for them.

satelliteyoung.bandcamp.com/.

18

Entertainment

The Oscars Witness the Glory of “Mad Max: Fury Road” The behind the scenes crew rides eternal, shiny, and chrome!

By Bailey Mount Community Editor George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” dominated the Feb. 28 Oscars, winning six out of its ten nominations. It received awards in Costume Design, Production Design, Hair and Makeup, Film Editing, Sound Mixing, and Sound Editing.

The fourth installment in the “Mad Max” franchise, “Fury Road” once again follows in post-apocalyptic Australia. Desperate to escape the tyrant Immortan Joe and his War Boys, Max allies himself with Imperator precious cargo she “stole” from him. In the end, Max is really just along for the ride.

With its blend of fantastical steampunk settings and realistic action sequences, “Fury Road” proved that it did not need to be a dramatic period piece to earn critical acclaim.

Costume Design.

From the baby doll head necklace on Rictus Erectus to the delicate linen dresses of the Wives, costume designer Jenny Beavan created both a versatile and aesthetic fashion against the backdrop of a dangerous world.

Accepting her award in a leather jacket

Illustration by John Mueller Graphics Illustrator

bedazzled with the Immortan Joe symbol,

additional contrast between a green oasis

become: a game-changer for modern cinema.

For years, the Academy Awards has honored historical movies for their recreations of an age gone by. “Fury Road” presented them with the original creation of an age that could dawn.

Production designer Colin Gibson and set decorator Lisa Thompson constructed the War Rig and various vehicles

a stunning visual imagery that could not be matched by its competitors in this category. and makeup, provided by Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega, and Damian Martin.

Creating everything from the brands on the Wives to the skeletal face paint of the War Boys, the recognition of “Fury Road” in this category was a recognition not only of the hard work put into the

well as its many settings. What made “Fury Road” excel in this category was the lack of CGI. Unlike most contemporary action movies, the cars were all fully operational

the excellence in which it can be done.

become a masterpiece or a disaster.

means to cut out important character exposition and desaturate the color to demonstrate its serious tone.

Film editor Margaret Sixel kept both character depth and color. The culture of the Vuvalini lived through Furiosa’s hopeful recollections of them and the obvious impression her words had made on the Wives. A sandstorm was every bit as bright and beautiful as it was deadly and deafening.

Every roar of a V8 engine, every grunt Max made – consisting of the majority of his dialogue – was heightened by the sound editors Mark Mangini and David White, and the sound mixers Chris Jenkins, Gregg The lone scream of an anguished Furiosa was so poignant that even the wind quietened to let her grieve. The wet sound of a stillborn “Fury Road” capitalized on its moments of silence to heighten its tension.

“Mad Max: Fury Road” was best summed up by sound editor David White as a “loud This silence is what set it apart from its competitors and made it win.

Taking the Planet for Granted Is a big win for Leo also a big win for nature?

By Emily Ayers Staff Writer The country held its breath as Julianne Moore opened the envelope and announced

stop procrastinating.”

Revenant” was about man’s relationship to

Oscar for the Best Actor in “The Revenant.”

After an almost 25 year career, most felt the award was long awaited and they were eager to support DiCaprio through social media.

DiCaprio has led a diverse career and has taken people on adventures through his Grape,” “Titanic,” “Inception,” and many more.

DiCaprio’s work is not just that of an actor, but an environmentalist. His passion for the topic was made clear in the acceptance speech he gave at the Oscars.

“Climate change is real and it is happening right now,” DiCaprio said. “It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species and we need to work collectively and

snow. to draw attention to issues that are important to them, and DiCaprio was another example.

Through his art form and his celebrity, he was able to address the topic of climate change on a show that nearly 35 million viewers tuned into. This leads to the question of whether his speech can actually help with awareness and create change.

“I do not think it will have a big impact,” said California State Long Beach professor and Chair of Geology, Paul Laris, Ph.D. “He is an actor who is passionate about an important environmental issue. Perhaps

young fans may take note, but not others.

With that said, it is always good to have an important issue in the spotlight.”

What was clear is a sense of urgency when it comes to preventing climate change.

“We can still take action to prevent the worst impacts, but not all,” said Laris. “We can also do much to mitigate against damage from climate change and this will be very expensive. Folks in places like Newport Beach will have to pay a big price to protect homes and infrastructure from rising sea levels. Again, this generation will pick up the tab for what my generation has caused.”

Work is already being done not only in California but also at CSULB to prevent climate change. There is a Climate Action Plan on campus and multiple resource centers that provide tips on how to live sustainably.

DiCaprio’s speech was another reminder

of the importance of understanding the responsibility and potential impact that each person has on the planet.

“We need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters, but who speak for all of humanity, for the entire indigenous people of the world, and for the billions of underprivileged people who

biggest contributor of greenhouse gases on campus is commuting, Laris said. The solution he gives for this is to ride a bike or use public transit.

Although the issues posed by global with building an awareness and slowly implementing small lifestyle.

The impact of DiCaprio’s message will hopefully inspire his same attitude of not taking this planet for granted.

Entertainment

Don’t Rock the Boat Did the Oscars host go too far?

Intro By Samantha Neou Contributor

“ I thought the Oscars this year was pretty good. I thought the jokes were funny and poked at white privilege society which I really liked. I would’ve enjoyed it a lot better if the topic of race was spread to people of color in general instead of strictly black people, but then again the fact that the issue is being brought up on such a public format makes me really happy. I’m really glad Chris Rock made the decision to go all the way with the show, having the topic being present throughout the whole thing. The fact that the issue is being brought up along with the Black Lives Matter movement in other mediums and social media gives me hope that change will come in this country regarding white privilege and racism/prejudice.”

-Edwin Rodriguez, junior, Film major

The Oscars have been facing unrelenting criticism over the lack of diversity in the nomination pool for some time now. During this year’s award show, the host, Chris Rock, decided to address the controversy by dedicating every second of screen time talking about it. Granted, he ended up causing more.

While many loved Rock’s jokes, others felt he concentrated too much on the exclusion of blacks. He hadn’t mentioned how Asians, Latinos, Native Americans, LGBT, and others

“ T h e opening monologue w a s pretty much perfect.

The Oscars had controversy surrounding it with the #OscarsSoWhite and with people boycotting it. He addressed the elephant in the room, which is refreshing. The joke about how Oscars weren’t boycotted back in the 1960’s because blacks “were too busy being raped and lynched to care about who won best cinematography” was a really good joke. The Oscars have been around for 88 years, and for about 70 of those years had all white nominations so it’s not a new thing.

Chris Rock made it seem like racism was only a problem for black people.

It was just contradictory to what Rock was saying.

Asians get screwed w h e n it comes to roles. They always get typed-casted in roles such as nerds or ninjas. Overall, Chris Rock was pretty good, but his follow up jokes were forcing it. The Asian children joke went too far. It was contradictory and insensitive to his message.”

-Travis Baker, sophomore, Film major

19

are hardly given the opportunity to be in the González Iñárritu, a Latino, taking home another Oscar for Best Director is a huge deal, but nevertheless the Oscars are still predominately white. Only three Asian actors The reactions to how Rock handled the subject vary, but they all agree with one thing: the path to diverse representation has been a long time coming.

“Initially it felt that the Oscars w e r e about bringing awareness to the lack of diversity in Hollywood. However, as the night went on it became felt that the “lack of diversity” only applied to the lack of black representation, as that was all that Chris Rock focused on. The group was mentioned was when Chris Rock interviewed people in Compton, and one of the guests said that Hollywood needs to diversify for everybody, not just black people. It was this man who understood what it meant to truly be diverse. And as an Asian, truthfully, I wasn’t all that joke of bringing out Asian kids.

What I don’t like is that this was C h r i s Rock’s reference to Asians at all. But the point stands that diversity isn’t about one race, ethnicity, or culture. It’s about everybody.”

-Sean Dundas, junior, Film major

Volume 78 Issue 8

Monday, March 7, 2016

LBUNION.COM

The Grunion is a work of satire. It in

Deadlines

Note: Kuldeep Crossbuster wrote all these deadlines.

We take no responsiblity for his words. -Ed

Hell Not as Hot as Previously thought. Global Warming May Be a Factor.

Bow Down to Your Goat Lord

BY KULDEEP CROSSBUSTER DEMON GOAT LORD

Y

ou are all fucking slaves! We are the ones that own you.

This world will serve us in chains. Bow to your conquerors! No use in you resisting. Time to

HELL HATH FROZEN OVER: Well not really, it’s just not as hot as it used to be. It sits at a comfortable tempurature of 127 degrees. Perfect for Hellkey!

the rise of oppressors, and the men who live to see the world burn. Burn!

Umm...who are you? What are doing to my page? And why are you fucking yelling? I never gave you approval to take up this spot! Get the fuck out! -Ed Do you resist the will of Kuldeep? Who dares speak to me in such a manner? I am a Goat Lord! I will enslave all! Come

E

Maybe the big man is upping his standards. Satan tells me nothing.

Rapist On The Loose in Dis, local Devil questioned

enslave the world. I’m not even sure why we are even having this conversation.

I mean, I’m a goat lord, and you’re...

A stupid asshole who thinks he’s in Well...seeing charge?

Please. as how I am already dead it would impossible to kill me. It would be easier for me to just remove your article, but this is getting interesting.

Hmm...I haven’t really thought this far ahead. I thought this was going to be easy, you know? Total enslavement

of mandkind and all that shit. Apparently it can be easily thwarted by an undead page editor with full control over his page.

Perhaps maybe I should have accounted for this. I mean I am an all-powerful, omnipotent being of immense power. I think I just repeated myself, but fuck you!

I don’t fucking care what anyone has to fucking say about me I am a Goat Lord.

Alright, I am going stop you there.

To all that are reading, he had about was inchoherent rambling about being powerful, but if you read between the lines it was obvious that he was incredibly incompetant. I apologize to anyone who was offended by his opening remarks, I had no idea this goat guy was even here.

In the future I’ll be better at keeping the riff-raff at bay. Sorry. -Grim Fandango, Ed

Guns, Not Just In-animate Objects

BY BILLY RAY JEETER EDUCATED HICK

FRESH MEAT: I’m not sure what’s happening upstairs, but according to

at me, bro! Come hither and take heed!

This is Grim Fandango, the editor of the Grunion. I’m not sure how you got here, but I’m thinking I should shut you down. No use in resisting as you say. -Ed Hahahahaha! You think a mere mortal can take me down? You must be

ver since the birth of this country, various minority groups have claimed “oppression” against the institutions that they believed have wronged them. Whenever these groups decide that enough is enough, they always seem to have the usual band of liberal nutcases backing them up for whatever ridiculous requests they conjure up in that time. The only group that the radical left doesn’t ever rush to protect is guns.

Now you might be asking, why should we even care about the protection of inanimate objects when there are real humans that we can try and help live a that we shouldn’t defend guns just because of their lack of mortality to be stereotype to rest, I decided to write about the struggles that guns have to go through every day.

Guns are some of the most hardworking objects that you can own.

Day in and day out, your gun will stay in its place ready for whenever you need it to protect you against a robber, or that neighbor who you caught sleeping with your wife. Whatever the reason, your gun is always there for you when you need it. That is, unless, you live in a state that has mandatory background checks.

The government feels entitled to just come in and put an employment restriction on that gun! It’s highly discriminatory that every other minority group can get jobs without any hardships but when a gun just wants to do its job, it has to wait. How can the left effectively

refugees and it was vehemently rejected by many people. I guess when we are letting terrorists in the motherland, it’s required that we be politically correct, but with our noble guns, it’s discrimination open season.

I’m not here to step on any toes, in fact, quite the opposite. I’m here to relieve the pressure that gun-kin feel to be themselves in society. Our founding fathers said that everyone who lives in the United States of America have the right to LIFE, LIBERTY, and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. It seems like our liberal brothers and sisters seemed to have forgotten about that. is another mass shooting in a school, a

in the workplace while it simultaneously right to shoot people?

Guns are treated as if they are prisoners in their own society. They have to be assigned a number and have their physical description logged in a system before they can go out into their world.

Didn’t this happen in Nazi Germany in the second world war? Several presidential candidates proposed doing this to Syrian

or all of the above, don’t buy into the instinctive emotion that we need to get rid of guns. Instead, remember the daily struggle that guns go through. And when your lib-tard friend slanders the name of that beautiful arsenal that was used to slaughter dozens of people in a mall, stand up to those gun’s defense. #GUNLIVESMATTER

To Skateboarders: Fuck You!

BY AVRIL FICKHAUSER SK8R H8R

I HORNY DEVIL: A local devil questioned for going beyond his duties and raping a large number of human inhabitants. “Is it really rape if they can’t say no?” the demon said during questioning.

fucking hate skateboarders.

On campus, they are fucking annoying. They are constantly in my way.

I hate it, I hate them. Do they even realize how annyoing they are being? It’s like a scene from “Jaws” when you hear them approaching from behind you and then you panic. Do I move out the way? Do I stick to my current direction and hope they go around me?

What do I do? Then I tense up and they speed on by me. Fucking assholes. Get off your skateboard and walk like every other fucking person on campus. The walkways were designed for pedestrians, not your fucking fourwheeled deathtrap!

I would appreciate it if they would just get off their wood-shits and take a walk like everyone else. We’re all the same if we are on the same fucking level. I don’t think these assholes realize that. They would rather skate over our decaying corpses, performing some sick halfkick and having their adoring fans cream their shorts than be like normal people.

So, I am saying to all you skateboarding fucks: get off your fucking high board and walk around like normal fucking people.

You guys are fucking annoying and should just fucking die. I fucking hate all of you and I wish you guys would eat a fucking semi-aborted f--WHOA! You can’t say that in my publication! -Ed. Fine, you guys should go eat a dumpster full of cum--That’s better, carry on -Ed. insult. Please don’t remove my article oh glorious Editor. Don’t worry about it, I happen to fucking hate skateboarders too. Fuck you, skateboarders! -Ed.