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Intro

Issue 76.11

Molly Shannon, Editor-in-Chief editorinchief@lbunion.com Alfred Pallarca, Managing Editor alfredp.union@gmail.com Connor O’Brien, Art Director connor.union@gmail.com Trevor Desrosiers, Advertising Executive advertising@lbunion.com Eduardo Vargas, Distribution Manager distribution@lbunion.com

ART & DESIGN John Calhoun, Illustration Editor johnc.union@gmail.com Michael Tewasart, Assistant to Art Director tewasartm@live.com Truc Nguyen, Web Manager web@lbunion.com

J A C K

S H I T

By Jacky Linares Ever gone swimming? (I’m obviously asking the appropriate crowd, you Beach people). You know that gulp of fresh air you take after holding your breath for as long as you can? The kind of breath that is almost cold and kind of hurts your throat a little because your lungs are going hard after that oxygen? That’s what spring break is. It’s the breath of fresh air we get while we’ve been drowning in midterms, assignments, essays, projects, and the like. Hope you enjoyed your breath of fresh to death air, since we’ve still got two months of swimming left ahead of us. Needless to say, I inhaled some water during my breath of fresh air. Yeah, while everyone was out chillin’ to the max at getting around to all of the shows they’ve

Illustration by Rose Feduk with yourself. It’s important that you take werk. I’ve been taking care of myself, which is werk, but it’s good werk, see? I’ve actually been eating three times a day, instead of the one and a half meal(s) I shove down my throat because I don’t have the time to sit down and eat. I’ve been sleeping for more than eight hours to make up for the fact that I’ve gotten like two hours this entire semester. Tom Haverford would be so proud at the fact that I’ve been treating myself so well. That’s what I hope you all did over this #blessed week—that you spent time doing nothing for the week, since you’ve been doing everything for the past two and a half months. I hope you spent time hanging out with your pets, who miss you a lot. Or with your parents who miss you, too. Or, even spending time

just breath, nevermind all of the things you have to do, if you need a break, take one. Overworking isn’t as rewarding as we’ve been told it is. What I’m trying to say is that whatever is be good to yourself too. In the end, you is all you’ve got. Alright, enough with the preachy 8th grade teacher voice explaining you how your life is about to change as you enter high school. Get back to work. XOXO, Jacky (Molls is stranded in Panama, SOS)

EDITORIAL Jacky Linares, Opinions Editor opinions@lbunion.com Veronica Craft, Community Editor community@lbunion.com Joel Martinez, Athletics Editor athletics@lbunion.com Renee Schmiedeberg, Arts Editor arts@lbunion.com Katie Cortez, Entertainment Editor entertainment@lbunion.com Sam Winchester, Music Editor music@lbunion.com Zach Phelps, Lifestyle Editor lifestyle@lbunion.com Elizabeth Nguyen, Literature Editor literature@lbunion.com Alfred Pallarca, Travel Editor alfredp.union@gmail.com Beatriz Villa, Food Editor food@lbunion.com Gumby, Grunion Editor grunion@lbunion.com

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Disclaimer and Publication Information: The Union Weekly is published using ad money and partial funding provided by the Associated Students, Inc. All Editorials are the opinions of their individual authors, not the Union Weekly, ASI nor CSULB. All students are welcome and encouraged to be a part of the Union Weekly staff. All letters to the editor will be considered for publication. However, CSULB students will have precedence. Please include name and major for all submissions. They are subject to editing and will not be returned. Letters may or may not be edited for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and length. The Union Weekly will publish anonymous letters, articles, editorials, and illustration, but must have your name and information attached for our records. Letters to the editor should be no longer than 500 words. The Union Weekly assumes no responsibility, nor is it liable, for

Opinions

Uncreative “Art” and Truth Tea Why Kenneth Goldsmith’s reading of Mike Brown’s autopsy as “art” was wrong By Hanna Suarez

Illustration by John Calhoun

As a writer and artist, I welcome the experimental. I’m excited by styles and subjects that transgress established canons and systems. I believe there is a lot to learn, interpret, and re-purpose from literature and art that are already available to us. That being said, I think that we ought to be, if anything, sensitive, which is I think that Kenneth Goldsmith’s performance of The Body of Michael Brown is a blatantly disrespectful piece of pseudo-art trying to pass as a radical form of concept art. In this performance at Brown University’s “Interrupt 3” event, Goldsmith read from the autopsy report of the murder of Michael Brown. Mike Brown doesn’t need an introduction, at least not for those of us who are conscious of the injustice and violence which oozes from the walls of systematic racism that this country is built on. Goldsmith is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a poet, and perhaps, an artist. He works with conceptual art and “uncreative” writing. Taking from the article he wrote for chronicle.com titled It’s Not Plagiarism. In the Digital Age, It’s ‘Re-purposing,’ the process of “uncreative” writing involves the “...[negotiation of ] the vast quantity [of available text] that exists.” According to Wikipedia.com his work “... embraces the performance of the writer as process and plagiarism as content.” Considering this, what does this tell us about his performance? Keep in mind that he did not alter the words in the autopsy at all, nor did he add any, all he did was rearrange it. See, I wasn’t there to interpret Goldsmith’s

performance, and there are no videos, but I have the autopsy. We all have the autopsy, and what’s more is we have been witnesses, we have protested, we have cried, we have and shouted, and I interpret all of it as genuine.

You Aren’t Your GPA

It’s hard for me to let go of the notion that my GPA is important. After four years of getting 4.0s in high school, college can kind of kick your ego in the face when you get anything less than perfect grades. The biggest mistake that a college student can make is equating their self-worth with their academics. According to an article in USA Today, GPA does not matter much in the job market, which—because of capitalism, unfortunately—is the only real reason anyone should be paying hella money to get a degree. Sure, it’s nice to graduate with

Rethinking the value of letter grades By Georgia Canaree

in the utility of the imagination, because as long as we continue to believe in ourselves and solutions for this wretched police-state that continues to occupy black and brown bodies, we can construct space in which we

may thrive, survive, and create. I believe in the voices of revolution who speak for their fallen brothers and sisters in ways that the likes of Goldsmith could never imagine.

instance, say you’re an engineer; you spent

all know those people. They’re the assholes who spent 45 minutes on that essay and received a higher grade than you, the same essay you spent two weeks on. They’re the assholes who don’t need to study because math just comes easily to them, while you’ve been struggling with numbers since the first grade. Now, this doesn’t mean #YOLO, and you let your grades slack; you still need a minimum grade point average to attend school. What I’m saying is, next time you don’t do so hot on a midterm or final, just breathe and know that it is alright. Yeah, you might have gotten a 29 out of 45 (64 percent) on something, but there is still someone in your hometown who still thinks Olive Garden is fancy and posts racist articles on Facebook. At least you’re doing cool shit, ya know?

it is still relevant, and nearly every day, another case opens, someone else is injured, remembered, and forgotten—we still need to talk about this. And what does an autopsy do for us? See, I think everyone should be talking about this, but what does a privileged white man’s “performance” of an autopsy do for the victims? Or the survivors? The community? The true protectors of justice? My initial reaction provides in ways what Goldsmith’s piece lacks because I am conscious of the ways in which art, performance, discourse, and language perpetuate racism and its violence. I think that The Body of Michael Brown is too scarce, too insensitive; the use of the autopsy in all of its detail and description is unsettling. It is in the most real and morbid sense, appropriating black bodies. Through this façade of obscure conceptual art, Goldsmith does a great injustice by trying to claim the technical detail of an autopsy for the Michael Brown as his own regenerated creation. Yes, I believe the autopsy ought to be read and analyzed, and I believe Michael Brown needs to be remembered as who he was, regardless of his achievements and future—his beating heart sustained itself the way mine does, the way yours does— and it mattered. But, I also believe in the limitlessness of the imagination. I believe

while texting relatives how smart you are, but that is “proved” once again by your GPA. Yet, your GPA doesn’t necessarily get you a job— experience does. “Ultimately, employers want to hire someone they feel will be able to get the job done,” the USA Today article says. For

out math equations and like, engineer things, and you earned a 4.0 each semester. However, maybe you never did anything outside of school—here comes the 3.1 GPA engineer student who has two to three years worth of research experience under their sleeve, who knows how to do the things an employer needs! Who would you hire? The smartass, or the person who knows how to get shit done? Not to mention, grades don’t really measure intelligence. The article continues, “According to a recent study by the Teachers College Record, 43 percent of letter grades given are A’s. So while you may think that having a 4.0 cumulative puts you in the top two percent of all college grads, you may actually only be in the top 43 percent.” Some students can get an “A” easily without actually learning the material—we

Opinions

Fotos y Recuerdos Remembering La Reina Selena Quintanilla Twenty years ago, the sky gained a star. That star was Selena Quintanilla and it’s time we looked up and remembered her for what she did and what she meant to Mexican-Americans. Selena Quintanilla, better known as “Selena,” was a Mexican-American singer and songwriter. She began performing in 1980 with her dad’s former band, Los Dinos, and began recording professionally in 1982. From there, she rose among the ranks of Tejano singers, and by the early 1990s had reached stardom. She was known as “the Queen of Tejano music.” Unfortunately, her fame was cut short; she was shot and killed in 1995 following a dispute with her friend and former employee Yolanda Saldivar. I remember being young and hearing all about Selena’s death. The Spanish channels cancelled all regular programming and broadcasted the scene from her funeral. My mom played her Selena CDs on repeat for a while. Hell, we even got the Selena movie when it came out on VHS. It’s safe to say Americans even after her death. And why wouldn’t she? In life, she was vibrant and full of energy. It shows in her interviews, performances, and music. Selena was more than that though; she represented something greater. She bridged the gap

That’s Quite a Latte

About a week ago I met a friend at Starbucks, and as we were leaving, several stacks of newspapers were being set out by an employee. I’m a writer, so when I see free newspapers I get excited. I picked one up and headed home but I didn’t read the paper until I got home. And when I did—my, was I astonished! The back of the paper presented me with a “race relations reality check,” which included several questions related to the topic of race, all horrifying to one degree or another:

Talking about race is not Starbucks’ specialty

on race, one which caught my attention in particular: according to the Human Genome genes. This does raise the question, why is Starbucks so concerned about something that doesn’t exist? Despite a strong public backlash against

to imply that I was no longer friends with someone from childhood because they were a

campaign, which is supposed to “foster dialogue and empathy and help bridge the racial and ethnic divides within our society that have existed for so many years.” If that was their intention, they most certainly helped bridge the gap with a conversation topic that people of all races can delve into— how Starbucks tried to talk about race and

to want to know if you had a “racially diverse” group of friends, which I think has very little to do with racism or race relations. If you live in a predominately white neighborhood, most of

line. Unfortunately, I think this Starbucks campaign didn’t take well. Their corporation isn’t particularly equipped to talk about race.

As I read the survey, I felt patronized

By Karrie Comfort

your friends are most likely going to be white; if you live in Koreatown, most of your friends and interactions will most likely be with Korean people. The rest of the paper proved less

By Alex Ramos between Mexicans and Mexican-Americans by being an idol for them to rally behind. She made Tejano music, which is a mix of several Mexican and American genres, cool for both Mexicans and Americans. I say this as a Mexican-American that grew up without any role models or idols to look up to. Selena is probably the closest thing to Beyonce or Lady Gaga that MexicanAmericans could have had. To be honest, it would’ve been nice to have somebody like that to look up to growing up. Rallying behind Mexican celebrities doesn’t cut it because Mexicans and Mexican-Americans experiences and are separated by language and culture. I mean, Los Tigres Del Norte

than I do. Selena, however, comes from the same place. We both grew up in America and struggled to be accepted by both Mexican and American cultures. Let’s face it, we’re living in a time where race and ethnicity are a big thing. We’re what make us beautiful, and we want to be recognized for that. So now when people ask me about mine, I’ll just point to the sky and tell them about the star that is Selena.

hires primarily white people, in primarily white neighborhoods. In fact, according to Quartz writer Melvin Backman, the highest amount of Starbucks per census tract, is among neighborhoods 70 to 75 percent white. So, it does seem a little out of their reach to try and discuss race with their customers, since nearly none of their executives are people of color either. “The idea ... that the revolutionary action needed in our nation’s continued entanglement with racism is writing a phrase on a Starbucks cup ... is a frothy combination of one pump hubris, three pumps privilege, and four shots of I-can’t-even,” Alexandra Petri wrote in The . To be completely fair, I believe that Starbucks started this campaign in good faith—and why wouldn’t they? After events like the riots in Ferguson and the murder of Trayvon Martin, many people are eager for peace and reconciliation. However, a heavy-handed conversations and patronizing newspaper articles may not be the best way to achieve racial harmony.

Community

Violence Occurs Closer to Home Recent attack on Derrick Young proves to be a hate crime

By Nicole Wilson

Derrick Young shares his story about being assaulted with ABC 7 News

Meet Your New Execs! Getting chatty with ASIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newly elected Vice President and Treasurer Interview by Bronson Farr

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Athletics

“...my friends and I were warmly welcomed with hot breakfast burritos, fun tunes, and some good surf.”

Boarding Surf and Snow Red Bull invites students to participate in Switchboard event By Kathryn Alexander Photo courtesy of Red Bull

On Saturday, March 21, Red Bull had over 600 and snowboarding, which could only be done here in SoCal, at Red Bull Switchboard. I showed up bright and early to Huntington Beach where my friends and I were warmly welcomed with hot breakfast burritos, fun tunes, and some good surf. The energy was high as students from Santa Barbara to South Orange County began to arrive to take part in the surf portion. On the beach, brands like Rusty Surfboards, Body Glove, HLTN, Smith Optics and Optrix were present to give out swag throughout the morning. Instead of sticking around to grab the free goodies, I decided to hit the surf with one of the hundred fresh Rusty demo boards and suited up in one of the Body Glove wetsuits before loading on to the bus and heading up to Big Bear and the Red Bull Plaza. After one huge group photo with the crew, we boarded the bus and we headed out. We made one pit stop for a quick bathroom break and to get some snacks and then the ride to the slopes became interesting. Fifty students with adrenaline pumping makes for a bus

ride that is anything but ordinary—I’ll leave it at that. We arrived at Big Bear, and it was hot! We couldn’t wait to get on the hill, so we suited a snowboard contest, was happening at the time, and it was awesome to see a beach theme taking place in the snow. Some of the students

even went down the mountain in board shorts and bikinis! All in all, this day rocked! Special thanks to Red Bull for making dreams come true— surfing in the morning, and snowboarding in the afternoon. Check out the action on social media via #switchboard or @redbullLAX!

Switchboard participants pose in Huntington Beach prior to leaving for Big Bear

The Ball’s In Your Court Kinesiology Department revives free-throw shootout On Wednesday, March 25, the Kinesiology department hosted a free-throw shootout in the KIN Building’s West Gym. Taking place from 12pm to 1pm, it was a quick event, at which various members of the department’s students and faculty competed for the title of “best shootout team.” department hosted a free-throw shootout. “A couple faculty and I got together and started this back in 2011, and it continued for about two years” said Dr. Ralph Rozenek. “It died out for a bit but thankfully student interest led us to start it up again. There will be more

Words and Photos by Joel Martinez

in the future, hopefully, and each one should get bigger and better.” In the preliminary round, a total of seven teams duked it out to see which four teams could score the most baskets in two 90-second rounds. When the scores came in, the teams Ain’t too Proud to Swish (APE, Streamliners, and KINsurgent fell to the four teams (Dr. Lavay & the fabulous faculty allstars and ElectrocardioGrads) lost by very practiced quite a bit together, but didn’t make it as far as we wanted to go” said Rachel Ho, the ElectrocardioGrads coach. “We wanted to beat Dr. Lavay’s team yet only tied them… but there’s always next year.” The Dream Team and KIN Kong stood round, The Dream Team came out on top as the champions of the tournament. Even against the open team of non-kinesiology majors, they defended their title and walked out as the true winners.

The entire tournament was a vibrant event, brimming with energy and competitive spirit. The East Gym was bursting during the tournament, as numerous spectators lined the sides of the courts to cheer on the teams competing. “This is a rare environment, where faculty can interact with students,” said Ayla Donlin, a faculty competitor. “I like to think my lecture classes are always this fun.”

The Dream Team came to be tournament champions, working hard on their way to the top (above); Patrick Pham, “The Commissioner” of the event, holds up an air horn in preparation to start the times for one of the shootout rounds (left)

Editor’s Note: Contact athletics@lbunion.com for inquiries regarding photos of this event.

8 Arts

Destination: Design Experience provides what education does not I have always wanted to do something creative with my life. When I was little, I remember going through the mall with my parents and wanting to buy all these clothes. We didn’t have any money, so my Dad suggested I make moment to design. Oh, the possibilities! I was living in Toronto, Canada then and started sewing in middle school. Shortly after, my family and I moved to Florida and I was fortunate enough to go to a high

A fashion sketch displays Lianne’s wide skill set (top left); A model at Campus Couture 2014 poses with fashion student Lianne while showcasing one of her designs (top middle); her reversible black and cheetah print top drapes over a manikin (top right); a polka dot corset and skirt designed and constructed by Lianne (bottom left); a model dons the reverse side of her cheetah print dress (bottom right)

we learned to sew with patterns and work

art and music, so I moved to Orlando and I went on to get an Associate of Arts degree in Studio Art and an Associate of Science in Music Production. After I graduated, I decided to move to Southern California and have called California home for almost seven years now. In a roundabout way, I came back majoring in Fashion Design here at CSULB.

designing for a company in the LA area or San Francisco. Last fall I interned at BCBG in the Design Development department. This semester I am interning at Topson Downs in the Fabric Research and Development department and at O’Neill in Women’s Apparel. I have from company to company. At CSULB, I have learned the basic skills for fashion design needed to work in the apparel industry, but it is not until one interns that they see

Words and Photos by Lianne Running departments, from fabric choice to tech packs to the completed garment ready to sell. Myself and other Fashion Design students on campus will be having a fashion show to showcase the work we have been doing this year on May 8. It is a yearly event put on by Campus Couture and tickets will be going on sale soon. For more of Lianne’s work visit: lrunning.carbonmade.com liannerunning.wix.com/lianne.

FEATURE

Feature Presentation annual Beach Film Festival

By Victor Guzman

Lights are up. Camera is rolling. Sound is speeding. The clapboard closes. The entire set goes quiet as the director yells “action.” The actors take the stage, and the scene begins. It’s hard to describe the excitement and energy one feels on a film set during production. Filmmaking—from the moment the idea for the film is first drafted onto a piece of paper, to the moment the last final cut is made in the editing room—is a lengthy, immersive experience that requires creativity, ingenuity, patience and teamwork. Long hours are invested in planning and organizing various elements and personnel needed for a shoot. Lengthy days are spent on set filming scene after scene, and nights are spent piecing together

Images by Connor O’Brien

all of the footage in the editing room. The most rewarding experience for any filmmaker is seeing the finished project screened for the viewing pleasure of a large, eager audience. This past March, a few 49ers got a taste of that experience as part of the new Beach Film Festival

campus spurred the student leaders of these respective organizations to come together to create this opportunity for students. The leaders of the CSULB Film Club, President Francisco Portillo, and myself, Vice President Victor Guzman, decided to approach Cienna Acevedo, the Chief Executive Producer of College the Beach Film Festival, or “BFF,” Beat Television, regarding the wrapped up its “Film in a Week” possibility of creating a special competition this past March, in which seven teams of students organizations. The event was and planning for the event went underway this past semester. With help from Program Council, the through the collaboration of USU proposed event grew into a campus Program Council, College Beat Television, and the CSULB Film we hope continues to grow and Club. Last fall, the cancellation of

FEATURE

ABOUT THE BFF The Beach Film Festival encouraged students to participate and work together with other creative and resourceful peers on campus. Through the many steps and requirements needed to participate in the festival, students learned how to be responsible and accountable for carrying out their wonderful and exciting opportunities for students to explore their creative side, understand the value of teamwork, and to forge longlasting friendships with those they may not have had Cienna considers the event a fantastic college experience that should not be overlooked: “The Beach Film Festival is an advantageous opportunity for all students to challenge from equipment, everything is provided by the festival, from tech support to the grand screening awards ceremony. Why would anyone pass this up? This is open to a wide range of students from those with the highend DSLRs to owning a camera phone, anyone can make a movie!” come together and create something pretty amazing. This is a great opportunity for building your interpersonal social skills, a potential portfolio builder, and another milestone to add to your college career!” the Premade Student Film, and the Five-Minute Short Film, both of which concluded March 23. THE FILMMAKING EXPERIENCE productions completed within the past year, and served as a showcase for students to screen their completed projects Cristian Mercado (sophomore) shared one of the challenges seconds in a way that was scary and made sense. I had other had to get a ton of coverage and sort something out in post. Not a good plan ever.” The experience did yield some very exciting moments for Cristian though, such as experimenting with sound design in depths that he hadn’t experimented with before, as well as trying to create an ominous environment and trying to Student Film competition only had three complete entries submitted, but as the need for a proper venue for other festival’s coordinators that the BFF will be seen as a crucial The second competition was a challenge for students to take months to a year to visualize and prepare for, creating Still, the activity among the competing production teams was incredible, and seven productions were completed in time for the festival submission deadline.

FEATURE

THATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S A WRAP!

Finale Screening and Awards Presented by USU Program Council, CSULB Film Club, and College Beat Television April 20 at the Beach Auditorium 6pm - Doors open 6:30pm - Showtime

Entertainment

Extremely Fast and Incredibly Furious By Andrew Linde

The Fast and the Furious (2001)

I think what most people overlook is that

Speed Racer

Star Wars

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)

Entertainment

Fast & Furious (2009)

Fast Five (2011)

This is not a reboot. They’ve somehow made the fourth entry drop all numbering for the series. Also, they decided that Han should be allowed to have some adventures, since he is

Toretto is broken out of a jail bus by his crew. They have to go into hiding so Toretto, O’Connor, and Mia go into hiding with Vince who now lives in Rio de Janeiro. Vince lets them in on a train heist that goes wrong. They end up double crossing a powerful crime lord, Hernan Reyes, who is involved in police corruption. Luke Hobbs (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) is the U.S. DSS agent assigned to catching Toretto and crew. He also hires the one non-corrupted cop in Brazil, Elena Neves (Elsa Pataky). She’s not corrupt because she only became a cop when her cop husband was killed in the line of duty. Hobbs comes around to joining with the team by the end, but they also plan a heist of all of the crime lord’s money. They trick Hobbs into thinking they failed but they all end up going their separate ways.

It’ll make sense later. This is also when the series peaked for me. stealing some gas from a tanker. They split up afterwards and Letty is murdered. This is the beginning of the longest plot-line in the series. Toretto is furious(!) and wants revenge, so he does some detective work. Somehow it was tied to a drug lord named Braga, and both O’Connor and Toretto must race to see who will be on Braga’s team. Since Michelle Rodriguez is barely in the time around. She works for Braga, but trusts murdered Letty and takes revenge. They also take down Braga. Toretto is sentenced to jail time, but everyone is going to team up and help him escape!

She reveals Letty is alive and working with a crew in Europe!

Fast & Furious 6 (2013)

They’re furious again! This time it’s personal his crew to help take down a car-based bad guy Owen Shaw (Luke Evans). Hobbs also reveals that Letty is a part of Shaw’s crew. Shaw has actually put together a team that is exactly comparable to Toretto’s, but they’re all evil. Letty actually is alive but has amnesia. O’Connor breaks into a prison to interrogate Braga about what really

happened. Letty’s death was faked by Shaw after she crashed and had amnesia. Toretto won’t let Shaw use Letty anymore. Letty doesn’t remember her past but feels like part of the family when she is with

Wait, Han no! It is revealed that Shaw’s brother killed Han as revenge for Toretto’s crew attacking his brother.

Furious 7 (2015) All roads have lead to this. At this point in the series, they’ve proven that no one is safe. But also, that death is not always the end. Letty was given a reprieve in a masterful helmed the series from Tokyo Drift to FF6. The culmination of his work appears here directed by James Wan. untimely and unfortunate passing of Paul

and includes a heartfelt goodbye to him and his character that was obviously important to the cast and crew. Brian O’Connor lives on in this world, he has a family to take care of with Mia Toretto.

anything they want. I’d love to see a return to the spirit of 2 Fast 2 Furious, with part eight following just one or two of the characters from the series.

Music

Down the Rabbit Hole Insomniac’s Beyond Wonderland returns to Southern California By Charles Ton

Photos by Christian Bourdeau

Beyond Wonderland 2015 marks the beginning of festival season here in Southern California. Tens of thousands of highly eclectic electronic dance music fans drove with urgent haste to the San Manuel Amphitheater and Grounds in San Bernardino for this spectacular two day event. Sub genres of EDM ranging from the serenading sound of trance to the contagiously danceable sounds of house infected the atmosphere of the highly praised, heavily adorned music festival across four astonishing stages brimming with decor. You could feel the radiating energy illuminated from the attendees almost immediately after entering the gates of the Queens World. Individuals were dressed in every imaginable costume, blasted in neon. The community spirit was resounding and the atmosphere—perfect.

Upon ascending a stairway, attendees were met with the Queen’s Domain painted on a blue canvas. The view was hazy however, due to the dust kicked up by all the devoted fans darting toward their favorite stage but even then, nothing could have compared to such a beautiful painting. Here at the main stage hosted by the queen herself, attendees were greeted with a 40-foot caterpillar with such hypnotizing eyes that would have remained entranced come nightfall. Brilliant headliner acts including Tchami, Dillon Francis, Tiesto, Benny Benassi, Hardwell, and Knife Party settled home here at the Queen’s Domain. It was quite the adventure. Further down the hill was the Cheshire Woods. This stage caters to the more deep and laid-back attendees who furnish their ears with the dark sounds of house and tech

house. The dimly lit tent was reminiscent of the old school club vibes that were groovy and contagious. Festival goers who camped here for the night were lucky enough to catch the beat pulsating sounds of Maya Jane Coles, Green Velvet, Dusky, and especially Carl Cox. Next up was the Mad Hatter’s Castle hosted by Bassrush. You know what that means right? Day 2 of Beyond Wonderland was all about the absolutely hardest-hitting sets of Delta heavy, Sub Focus, Slander, and Andy C. With hype men galore for most of these sets, I’ve seen throughout this festival. Individuals were stomping the ground, jumping up and down, and uncontrollably pulsating to the bass throughout the entirety of the night. As much as I wanted to stay at the Mad

couldn’t miss passing up the entirely new Funk house stage that Insomniac debuted this year at Beyond Wonderland. Seemingly out of place for such a high energy and electronic music lineup, the Funk house stage didn’t stop attendees from swarming of two days. Here at this stage, performances took people back the old school where funk, R&B, and hip-hop ruled the era. Graham took the podium here and absolutely made the stage a party of its own. Insomniac has once again managed to exceed expectations this year. The production was truly relevant to its name and I absolutely cannot wait for the next Insomniac event where the PLUR vibes are culminated.

Literature

‘Waiting’ to Be Read Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot tells a tale of strength and friendship By Teresa Arteaga

Illustration by John Calhoun

Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot was a special gift from a friend who loves to read as much as I do. Her only hope was that I would love it as much as she did. The play was originally written in French, but Beckett ended up translating it to English.

The desperation for something new to happen in the lives of Estragon and Vladimir are transparent and disturbing as they enjoy the misery of Lucky and the company of such a terrible human being. Each minute that passes by feels like an eternity for the characters, and it would seem that way to readers, based on the actions that are taken. The repetition throughout the plot gives us a feeling that the events are happening over a longer period of time rather than two days. Although the play’s time frame is just that short, the feeling of defeat is tangible. Overall, Waiting For Godot was a short and sweet book that gives way to several interpretations of the actions of Estragon and Vladimir as well as raises many questions. For example: why are they willing to wait for so long for a person they in fact know nothing about? I feel like I can read this book over

protagonists being two single homeless men trying to ease time by waiting for Godot named Estragon and Vladimir. Throughout the story, Beckett depicts the magnitude of their friendship as each struggle in their own way while waiting for Godot to come along and save them from their misery. You’d think that they knew who Godot is and that they had some sort of relationship, but in fact, he is a stranger to them. Yet, they are willing to wait as long as it takes. As Vladimir and Estragon wait for Godot, they encounter Pozzo (who is an asshole, in my opinion) and Lucky, the unfortunate character that deals with him.

new about the characters due to the

simplicity of the writing style which is both a comforting and intriguing experience. The genuine relationship between Estragon and Vladimir is truly admiring, for the contrast is the great despair they endure together.

The raw emotions you see depicted through characters are what make this book such a tragic but true interpretation of the search for the meaning of life.

My Dark Twisted Fantasy By Elizabeth Nguyen

of literature are out there: short stories, novels, comics, poetry, and many more. The Union Weekly receives content of this nature on a regular basis. However, there is one type of written work that has yet to be seen on the page since the beginning of the Okay, okay, I can imagine some negative reactions at the mention of this genre. literature because it is not “original.” nature, taking what published authors have created and manipulating it for personal use. Authors like George R. R. Martin and Orson Scott Card have expressed their opinions against its existence, especially when it comes to their own written works. their books. Some authors have gone as far

works online. I respect what authors are saying in this

aspect because they push their creative minds as far as possible to publish works for the public to read and enjoy, and their ideas and characters are being taken for personal gain. Each of their works sold is a source of income, and they do possess copyrights for them. Most authors do not enjoy seeing what they create changed in this way. These reasons are valid to some extent, but can you really put a copyright on creativity? That is my supporting argument

interpreting characters in ways you wouldn’t expect because an author leaves some details ambiguous. Sometimes, it’s not even the characters that are used but the universes that authors lay out in their novels. Who wouldn’t want to have their original characters be in the same world as Harry Potter or Percy Jackson? Other professional authors support the same line of thoughts such as J.K. Rowling and C. S. Lewis. In fact, they

“These reasons are valid to some extent, but can you really put to see their fans a copyright on like express themselves. writers creativity?” Professional see them as extensions themselves have of the author’s novels. Personally, I like seeing how the average writer can take characters from a known situations outside of the original story universe.

before as well, and I’m sure it’s not because they

works is they can be a useful tool for writers who are developing their writing style. Not

everyone is born with strong writing skills or know what their style of writing is; it takes time to develop. Practice makes perfect, right? A writer starting out would look up to certain authors and even mimic their writing styles. I’ll admit I’m guilty of that because I sucked at writing. I was terrible at creating characters with personality or a decent background. I looked up to the authors that made their characters breathe. The same a way to develop. There are gray areas in the world of

rude, as I’ve read my fair share of awesome how the authors feel about their works being taken and messed around with, but I can also want to create more. As a reader or writer, what do YOU think? Respond to literature@lbunion.com.

Lifestyle

Captain M to the Rescue! Mastering the art of masturbation to relieve stress By Mahogany Moore

Illustration by John Calhoun

It’s a shame that spring break is only a week long. The moment you come back from spring break is the moment when you collide with end-of-term assignments, projects, and

works; one can master stress through the power of masturbation. If you engage in a little masturbation, whether with a partner or solo, you hold the power. You’re like a superhero of sorts, but of the sexual variety. Not what you expected to hear, right? However, before you toss this idea aside,

sex or having sex, either with or without a partner, chemicals like endorphins and dopamine are released—I call them the “feel good” chemicals. It is the release of those chemicals that gives you a feeling or sense of pleasure, and makes you feel relaxed and calm. These are released during sex as well as masturbation.

the cure-all for stress. When you think about

their stress with the help of masturbation. It

away during your vacation in Las Vegas or Palm Springs comes back with a punch. We all know a few methods here and there to take away the stress, but how about we debunk another taboo topic, one that is sure to melt your stress away all over again, and repeatedly? It may be a stretch to say that I know the panacea for stress but I really do, and through my intimate experience, it

“You’re like a superhero of sorts, but of the sexual variety.”

will not solve what stresses you out, but it gives you a temporary break from stress and clears you mind so that you can tackle that 10-page Romantic literature report, take that incredibly long chemistry exam with a clear mind, or handle whatever else might level head. Masturbation opens doors—now isn’t that kind? It’s not a secret. Take a chance. Get a little naughty and soothe the stress away so that you can focus on the grades. I mean, don’t we all wish we could be superheroes?

Lifestyle

Advice from your friendly neighborhood Lifestyle Editor I’m not so good with my timing. How long do I wait until I confess my feelings to someone? Wishing and Waiting

obsess

over

watching

on TV in the form of Real Housewives. My friends say I am out of control. What should I do?

It has always been my dream to be an exotic dancer. However, my Christian mother would not accept that. What should I do?

When I dine on vulva, I like it to be moderately-to-barely hairy. Why do people like

Stripping for Jesus

Large and In Charge

Sounds like quite the pickle you are trying to tickle. I think the important thing here is to understand that religion has so many different meanings to different people, particularly within the vibrant and diverse history of the various Christian faiths. As such, any stereotypes you choose to rely on should come strictly from her denomination.

My, my, my. Where to begin? Really, there are two issues that need to be addressed here. First of all, what kind of sick individual

clouds?

Yung ‘n’ Restless While I empathize with the nature of your concerns, I think there is a much more important question to ask; should you even confess your feelings? I mean, why risk the embarrassment? It’s better just to ignore what your heart is telling you and instead invest your emotions in a productive hobby, like prayer or League of Legends.

I’m not very good at posing for the camera. Can you

Reposter

Stop posing and be yourself! Don’t let anyone tell you how to live your life!

Personally, I believe that there is nothing inherently wrong with obsessions. I mean, look at every classic love story, from Romeo and Juliet to John Hinckley Jr. and Jodie Foster. While I don’t want to jump to any rash conclusions about your specific situation, I feel like this provides the perfect opportunity for me to jump to rash conclusions about your specific situation. So, I’m going to interpret your infatuation as a sign of sincere and passionate love. If this is indeed the case and your love for Real Housewives is pure, then I must congratulate you good sir! However, I think you need to ask if Real Housewives is reciprocating your feelings. Love is a two-way street, a conversation, a dance between individuals (or in this case, an individual and a television show). If Real Housewives isn’t ready to accept your love, don’t settle! Don’t submit yourself to that type of abuse, you deserve better!

alone dine on it? And then to say hair? Have you no shame? You’re a sick man. More so, why does anyone

judgment, but yeast infections sound less than healthy.

Got a question you’re just dying for a stranger with no qualifying credentials to answer? Send them to ‘Read ’Em and Weep!’ Email lifestyle@lbunion.com with your inquiries.

Travel

The Journey Continues Grad student travels across the US to serve in AmeriCorps What am I supposed to do when I graduate? This question nagged me for months before I even got my diploma. I wasn’t sure whether I should head straight for graduate school like my best friend Mary Beth was planning on, move to LA to begin my career in the entertainment industry like my other friend Levon, travel around like I had been encouraged to do through my Theatre Today London study abroad class at CSULB, my Alternative Spring Break class at CSULB. school and travel for free while helping others. I chose AmeriCorps National Community Civilian Corps (NCCC), and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. AmeriCorps NCCC is a 10-month program for adults ages 18 to 24, aimed at improving the lives of Americans through team-based national and community service. I was placed in the Southern Region, with our main campus in Vicksburg, Mississippi, on a team called River One. Each team has three rounds or “spikes,” to which members are deployed on two projects per round. We get short breaks and transitional training in between each round. stationed in Farmerville, Louisiana at a national park called Lake D’Arbonne. During our stay here, we will be repairing a

Although being away from home can be tough, Janna has adapted to her new normal (top); one of Janna’s perks of volunteering for AmeriCorps is meeting new friends with a similar mindset (middle); traveling is certainly enjoyable for Janna, but being able to make a difference and learn new skills is also a bonus (bottom)

ramps in certain areas of the park. For the second half of our spike, we will return to Vicksburg to work at a Civil War memorial park, repairing monuments and restoring trail routes. In addition to our 1700 hours of working on main projects, we are required to complete 80 hours of Independent Service Projects (ISPs), which can include any type of community service in the area we are housed. Every person on the team has a separate role to fulfill. Some are in charge of our physical training, some are in charge of our vehicle and safety, and some are in charge of our diversity training and service learning projects. I have two roles on my team: Media Representative and Life After AmeriCorps (LAA) representative. It means that I am in charge of reaching out to the media, creating press releases, managing photos and videos, and publishing on social media. I am also held accountable for helping all of my teammates set short- and long-term goals aimed at their aspirations during and after AmeriCorps. AmeriCorps has and will continue to educate me throughout my tenure here. Of the three specialty teams available (Construction Team, Education Team, and Fire Team), I was lucky enough to be accepted to the Education specialty team.

By Janna Jesson

On the Education Team, each member has their own set of educational goals that AmeriCorps will assist them with. Some people need to acquire their GED or some for my GRE for graduate school. AmeriCorps has promised to help fund some educational needs for team members and to give each member access to a laptop, WiFi, and weekly required study time. I chose AmeriCorps NCCC because it allows me the opportunity to help other people, travel around the United States for free, and gain hands-on experience. We are trained in first aid, CPR, and how to use power tools like chain saws. Additionally, we have learned about the importance of cultural diversity, and much more. I will be able to serve the US for 10 measly months of my life, and at the end, I can use their education award (5,730 dollars) to go to a graduate school of my choice. It’s exciting to be learning so many things about construction, trail-building, community, and people in general through this program. If there is ever a disaster, our projects would be postponed, and we would be deployed to the disaster area to mitigate and serve the needs of the communities affected. We are here on-call to serve the needs of others. I won’t pretend it hasn’t been difficult adjusting to the high standards of the program. On-campus sobriety, sexual abstinence, timeliness, and cleanliness, a strickly enofrced, but all of their regulations are designed to encourage clarity of intention and purpose while here in the program. This type of uniformity has also encouraged people in the program to explore other aspects of themselves. For example, I’ve met a plethora of like-minded individuals who have joined me in just about all of my creative endeavors. People have allowed me to style and photograph them for photo shoots. My friends and I have started planning a documentary. I have also helped start an acapella group called AmeriPella, and we already had one performance singing the National Anthem at our induction ceremony. Some of my friends and I have even started an improvisational band called Noltron and the Hermits, which I am the lead singer of. While serving in AmeriCorps NCCC, I get to be the change in so many ways. I can improve peoples’ lives, respond directly to disasters, and even improve my own life in a multitude of ways. I am grateful I chose this program as the answer to the question “What am I supposed to do when I graduate?” and I hope others will choose the same weird, wild, and wonderfully transformative path I’ve taken.

Food

New York Sippinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Bibble & Sip NYC bakery cafe offers a home away from home for coffee lovers Words and Photos by Sam Winchester

Union

By Renee Schmiedeberg

Warm.

Volume 76 Issue 11

Monday, April 6, 2015

LBUNION.COM

DISCLAIMER: Nothing was the Zayn. Zayn left One Direction. Hope he’s having a good day. Probs just needs to like, chill. It’ll be okay. He’s gonna be the Justin Timberlake of like, everyone born in 2002. Watch. J WATCH. He got this. This page is satire/parody and does not represent ASI nor the CSULB campus. Submit articlez to grunion@lbunion.com.

Top Se7en Hobby-est Hobbies to Try

By Gruzzfeed

1. Breathing Breathing is an excellent way to stay aligned and to feel good too. All of the oxygen that goes into your nose is channeled by a complicated series of tunnels inside of you that keep you alive! Breathing can also bring you a substantial livelihood, if you decide to go professional. But remember: do it for fun! 2. Pooping Anyone can poop—literally anyone. This fun and great hobby is very simple to do. Lots of people have recommended it to friends not only because they make healthy amounts of shit, they also get a lot of reading done too! It’s a win-win situation. All you need is to eat some food and wait a couple hours, and bam! It’s as fun as it is easy! 3. Eating We all do it, but do you have what it takes to make it a hobby? Sometimes, it’s really good to get away someplace and order a really good meal at a restaurant. It’s very easy to do, and you’ll be helping out the economy while your at it, due to the pumping of revue your doing! That pumping doesn’t necessarily a hole in your pocket! 4. Blinking Ever want to step away from reality, but return just as you left it? If so, blinking is for you! All one must do is go to sleep for a second, and then bam! You’re done. Many people report that blinking brings their eyes comfort, and that they recommend everyone to try it for at least once.

“It’s very easy to commit to,” said Mark K. from North Carolina, “And if I say it’s easy, then dang, it sure is a simple hobby to do!” 5. Sleeping Sleeping is like blinking only for longer periods of time. In fact, sleeping is considered to be the advanced form of blinking as it requires technique to do so. One of the many fun techniques that come with sleeping is lying down. Place your self flat on a comfortable surface, wait for things to go blank. Easy right! Anyone can make this a hobby if they try hard enough! 6. Drinking Everyone drinks water everyday, yes? So, to spice up your life with a new hobby, replace that dull water with some alcohol! This is a fun an exciting way to dedicated your life to something worth while, but also simple to do, and not easily forgettable, yet effortless. “I think... es grate ideee...” says Mary G. from Oregon. We highly recommend making drinking a new daily hobby! 7. Killing Are you stressed out because of the people in your life that are giving you a hard time? A good way to relieve that stress is homicide! Yes, and you can get fun and creative with it too, because as they say, there is more than one way to skin a cat, or a person for that matter! “Exhilarating.” says Rupert W. from Alabama. “10/10 would recommend.” Visit your local prison for new trends from the professionals who know how to do it best!

Dearest fans, I know that leaving One Direction was for everyone to understand. But I need you all to know that I did not leave the band because of Harry’s By Zanye Maliki obession with women or Niall’s obsession with Jesse McCartney. I left the band because the great rap-God Kanye West offered me the role of Aladdin in the Disney liveaction remake of Aladdin. How is that possible? Because it’s his directorial debut, of course. “You can sing Zay-Zay. That magic carpet will love you. We just we’re golden,” he told me when I met with him and Kim Kardashian in their Arabianstyled home. Spoiler alert: Kim will play opposite me as Jasmine. She kept

mispronouncing it like “ass-min.” But Ye seemed to be into it. Jay-Z will play the role of the Genie, singing appropriated versions of some of his hits like “99 Problems” (but a wish ain’t one). Although I will miss the women, the travel, and the awkward amounts of Chick-Fil-A and Panda Express brought backstage during out tours, I think that this move is the best step to take in my long-lasting career. I mean, a Kanye endorsement? I can’t pass that up. Look how well it looked for my man Biebs? Yep, it looks like it’s all coming together quite nicely. released in 2017. It is my greatest wish that you all hear my vocal range come across

Good tidings to you all,

INSIDE

(500) DAYS OF SUMMER SEQUEL SET TO DISPLAY LOVE MORE REALISTICALLY

NASA REVEALS STUNNING NEW PHOTOS OF THE BLOOD-THIRSTY MOON

TRIDENT GUM RELEASES NEW FLAVOR FOR THOSE DEALING WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS

INSIDE: NEW MESSAGE FROM ARRIVED ON EASTER SUNDAY

JESUS