ARTIST’S CORNER
Illustration by Peter Macaulay Contributor
Issue 77.6
Intro
3
Katie Cortez, Editor in Chief editorinchief@lbunion.com Richard Mejia, Managing Editor manager@lbunion.com Renee Schmiedeberg, Assistant Managing Editor/Social Media Editor assistmanager@lbunion.com Trevor Desrosiers, Advertising Executive advertising@lbunion.com Ashley Rodriguez, Advertising Intern Nathan Zankich, Web Manager web@lbunion.com Words by: Katie Cortez
ART & DESIGN Sam Orihuela, Art Director artdirector@lbunion.com
Graphic by: Sam Orihuela
A TALE OF TWO LANDS
John Mueller, Graphics Illustrator illustration@lbunion.com EDITORIAL Elizabeth Nguyen, Co-Opinions Editor opinions@lbunion.com Rebeca Vega, Co-Opinions Editor opinions@lbunion.com Joel Martinez, Community Editor community@lbunion.com Bailey Mount, Campus Editor campus@lbunion.com William Odis Martin, Athletics Editor athletics@lbunion.com Madison Gallegos, Arts Editor arts@lbunion.com Andrew Linde, Entertainment Editor entertainment@lbunion.com Elliott Gatica, Music Editor music@lbunion.com Jack Villalba, Lifestyle Editor lifestyle@lbunion.com Amanda Dominguez-Chio, Literature Editor literature@lbunion.com Mario Lopez, Travel Editor travel@lbunion.com Kaila-Marie Hardaway, Food Editor food@lbunion.com Aubrey Graham, Grunion Editor grunion@lbunion.com STAFF WRITERS Lauren Hunter, lauren@lbunion.com Karrie Comfort, karrie@lbunion.com Cesar Cadenas, cesar@lbunion.com Sylvana Uribe, sylvana@lbunion.com Emily Ayers, emily@lbunion.com COPY & ASSISTANT EDITORS Carissa Pope, Karen Ruiz, Sheila Sadr CONTRIBUTORS Andrew McGivern, Michelangelo Landgrave von Gensokyo, Kiliko, Aliana Tinnirello, Paul LaPointe, Ricardo Alejandro Pulido, Elizabeth Ortiz, Melissa Duron, Jordan Daniels, Leslie Leon, R. Ray Robinson, Peter Macaulay, Beatriz Villa, Kate Bruins COVER AND FEATURE DESIGN BY: Sam Orihuela
CORRECTIONS Conoley Letter: Opinions section, a letter to President Conoley regarding her lack of memorializing Sept. 11 said that it was the eleventh anniversary of the attack on the twin towers in New York City. It originally read the fourteenth anniversary of the attack. Al-Qaeda Letter: In the Sept. 21 Grunion section, the author of satrical letter from Al-Qaeda addressed to Contributors portion of the masthead. It was sent to us by nothingbutwordssatire.
CONTACT US Long Beach, CA 90815 E-mail: lbunion.info@gmail.com
@UnionWeekly
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
4
Opinions
Dear Disappointed (Ex-)Reader, Union Weekly —
met a UW Union Weekly UW
“Writing with integrity for a newspaper takes talent and intuition—perhaps you didn’t really have a nose for news?”
Illustration by John Mueller
Quit Playin’, LA City should drop bid for 2024 Olympic Games Story by Michelangelo Landgrave von Gensokyo Contributor
Graphics Illustrator
Opinions
5
Grand Old Pricks Republican candidates display immaturity during second-round debates Story by Kiliko Contributor
Illustration by Alaina Tinnirello Contributor
I encourage everyone to engage in politics,
politician, or vote in favor of a public issue, main problem.
I don’t understand
“Politics is like any other subject. It has complex,
televisions are juicier Pretty Little Liars Narcos.
suddenly goes from
messed up call, and uncalled for.
administration for deporting more credible and sound fancy and professional,
as Jersey Shore circa 2009.
scenes in Breaking Bad
Welcome to American politics, my
*Dates are TBD
6
Lifestyle
Age is a Number, Not Your Opinion Old dating ranges are subjective and overrated
Story by Elizabeth Nguyen Co-Opinions Editor
How and who we date is a part of our lifestyle. There will always be external factors that to societal rules. A common “rule” people other should or shouldn’t be. People have a
this came about. This may be due to the fact that people are most likely surrounded by
because he’s that much older. This happened information about about my family to and she couldn’t have been older than 10
reasons. Part of what led to my silence is how they viewed my boyfriend. The moment became cynical. They asked personal sexual information about him. Asked if he was
you pretty much know who you are and
women a few years older than him. Guess
we went for the answer that most parents could meet him to determine what kind of came the moment where she asked about
we have people we want to spend time with.
transfer students or students who returned care about how old your peers are because
hits the fan.
Elevator Etiquette
Story by Andrew Linde Entertainment Editor
Simple instructions for an everyday commodity
Illustration by Paul LaPoint Contributor
to see if a lit arrow tells you if the elevator is
that many people can’t follow even the simplest of courtesies to their fellow human
just exercise some common courtesy. 2. Stand to the side when the elevator not to use the stairs.
Some side notes:
you may enter. Do not stand in front of the
Talking
the direction you want. This can be found by
you should put a pause on that and
like to help everyone survive a simple trip in the elevator. Follow these steps: 1. Press the up or down button to call the
normal conversation at normal volume.
an elevator!
the buttons but don’t want to press them for also make noises scarier than the noises Zone Tower of Terror. There is no need
Farting
Athletics
7
Beach Hockey is Back Long Beach State defeats University of Nevada, Las Vegas 5-2 in home-opener Story and photos by William Odis Martin Athletics Editor
Left: Veteran forward Kris Rodgers said that they played at an 8 on a scale of one to 10.
Right: UNLV made the trip to LB expecting discovered they were on hostile ice on
his 29 saves in the game. Jones had a 93.5 win of the season.
(No. 16) led the 49ers with 2 goals against UNLV.
LBSU lost to visiting Boise State 6-3
Next Game: @USC 8:30 pm@ Disney Ice in Anaheim
8
Arts
Far-Sited The University Art Museum takes a look into the history behind CSULB’s mysterious artwork Story and photos by Renee Schmiedeberg Assistant Managing Editor UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM HOURS Main Gallery Monday 12pm - 5pm Tuesday 12pm - 5pm Wednesday 12pm - 8pm Thursday 12pm - 5pm Friday Closed Saturday 12pm - 5pm Sunday 12pm - 5pm Permanent Collection Gallery Monday 8am - 7pm Tuesday 8am - 7pm Wednesday 8am - 8pm Thursday 8am - 7pm Friday 8am - 5pm Saturday 12pm - 5pm Sunday 12pm - 5pm
Piotr Kowalski, Now
Andre Bloc, Carlson/Bloc Tower
Gabriel Kohn, Long Beach Contract
Claire Faulkenstein, “U” as a Set
Have you ever wondered where the sculptures on campus come from? Maybe you’re even thinking, “What sculptures?” They have become so much a part of our campus that most students walk past them on the way to their classes, taking no more heed than they do to objects of similar size like the trees. The University Art Museum’s new exhibit Far-Sited: California International Sculpture Museum Symposium 1965/2015, on display in the main gallery, answers this question. Nine of the sculptures on campus international sculpture symposium held at CSULB in summer 1965, making this year its 50th anniversary. In the hour of its conception, this symposium was highly explorative, employing new materials, new techniques and ground-breaking technology in the making of the sculptures. As an archival exhibit, the UAM draws on the CSULB Library Special Collections, utilizing various ephemera taken from the formations of these sculptural works. It includes sketches, preliminary maquettes, photographs, and personal letters,
showcasing for the visitor how they came into being and seen on our campus.
each section includes preliminary pieces that has seen on campus. Students will most likely recognize some metal pieces in the exhibit similar to the sculpture on campus by Piotr Kowalski’s Now, or as many students call it, “The Whale” (sometimes even “The Onion”). I learned from the exhibit that this piece was formed by exploding dynamite under water. This exhibit builds great context around the sculptures I see everyday on campus, allowing me to more richly appreciate them and see these once familiar pieces from a completely new perspective. When I place my hand on the curvature of this sculpture’s whale tail, my mind no longer imagines a sculptor brushing a wad of steel wool in circular motions against the grain of the metal. I imagine red and white light exploding in all directions under dark water, forming the organic bends and arcs in Now. The exhibit is on view until Dec. 13.
Woods Davy, Heaven’s Gate
Robert Murray, Duet (Homage to David Smith)
FEATURE
9
The Tip of the Iceberg The truth behind ASI President Jose Salazar’s DACA scandal Intro by Katie Cortez Photos by William Odis Martin
Current ASI President Jose Salazar’s DACA scandal was brought to the Long Beach Union Weekly’s attention at the beginning of the semester as a story of a hard-working young man looking for a way to get compensated for doing CSULB a service. Throughout the following weeks, we were provided very little information about the policy he was attempting to change. Instead we were fed stories of his struggles and of all the hard work he is doing, all the while knowing that
there are two sides to every story. After reading an article in the Sept. 23 issue of the Daily 49er titled “No Paperwork, No Pay,” it became clear that we had been missing a piece of the puzzle. While being told one side of President Salazar’s story, the 49er had heard the other.
attacking him and why it sounded like a one-sided argument. Without explicitly saying that they were against
on the president by his colleagues and the publication it was printed in. After countless hours of interviews, research, and very little sleep, we at UW feel as if we have some of the answers to we felt as if we were left with more our questions, but we have only gotten questions than answers from their a peek at what lies below the surface. article. We were curious about why it seemed like his colleagues were
10
FEATURE
By Emily Ayers and Richard Mejia With the conclusion of boisterous campaigning and jovial celebration, elected Associated Students, Inc. President Jose Salazar’s term has been muddled by a singular focus in its early stages: Proper compensation. Beyond the promises to better the student body, Salazar has been vigorously pleading his case to ASI officials and just about anyone else who is willing to hear him out. The issue stems from ASI’s policy that it cannot provide monetary compensation to employees or student executives if they are undocumented, a policy they adhere to as a result of both state and federal legislature. This policy, however, does allow those students to receive agreed upon compensation if they have completed a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, paperwork. Roughly 36,822 students attend California State University, Long Beach and according
to a March 2015 article in the Press Telegram, an estimated 650 are undocumented. Through DACA, people who have entered the country illegally before their sixteenth birthday and as long as they entered before June 2007, would receive a renewable twoyear work permit and would also be exempt from deportation. The federal government through the state of California has provided resources such as AB 844, an assembly bill that allows any student, including non-residents, to join the governing board of a California community college as a non-voting member, and the Dream Success Center, a center on campus committed to supporting undocumented students. Although these aids exist, certain opportunities on campus may not be available to undocumented students due to
legal restrictions. “Cal State Long Beach is making great strides to get undocumented students where they should be,” said former public defender of ASI, Dale Lendrum. “They pay tuition dollar for dollar—just like we do. They deserve every right that we get on campus, but there are processes we have to go through to make this a reality.” Executives of the student government receive a total financial package of about $15,168 annually, according to asicsulb.org. In addition, their tuition is waived, and they receive a $300 meal plan with the 49er Shops. Due to his citizenship status, Salazar lacks the necessary documentation, to collect his compensation but, still receives the other benefits. The president was hesitant to move forward with any paperwork since he was made aware of the DACA in 2012, due solely to his concerns surrounding potential problems for his family. “I wasn’t trying to put my family in danger. I wasn’t trying to be selfish just for me to get my paperwork and all of a sudden have my family deported,” Salazar said. He explained that individuals who file for DACA need to release personal details, such as physical addresses of family members who are not covered by DACA or any other policy, thus putting them at risk of deportation. Soon after he acquired the presidency, however, Salazar had an about-face regarding his DACA, as he was notified that without the paperwork, he would not receive his benefits and compensation while serving his term as a student volunteer. Salazar confirmed a report published in the Daily 49er that Dean of Students Jeff Klaus, told him about his required DACA in order to receive compensation. Salazar elaborated in saying, “He (Klaus) pulled me out of a senate meeting and said, ‘Hey you have to volunteer.’ I told him ‘OK’ but asked if I was going to get back pay and he said ‘Yeah.’” Salazar claims he, along with his original pick Chief of Staff Scott Schultz, spoke with Klaus about three weeks following the initial conversation. He states, “I was hearing that I was going to get paid, but as time went on, I was getting told I was not going to get paid.” It was during this formal talk, Klaus confirmed Salazar was going to volunteer and would not receive any compensation from earlier in his term. T h e paycheck that executives now receive would be turned into a scholarship to be awarded to the board members. Salazar has met opposition by the ASI government and students in regards to the modifications. One of the main concerns with the policy change is that the money will be disbursed at the beginning of each semester,
“No, she did not help me fill out the DACA paperwork.”—Jose Salazar
FEATURE and executives will no longer consider themselves accountable for their jobs. In addition, members would no longer be paid over the summer. Salazar’s fellow cabinet member and Vice President of ASI, Miriam Hernandez, is also undocumented, but receives all forms of compensation from the school because she filed for DACA before the start of her term. He refuted a statement claiming that Miriam Hernandez helped with his DACA. Salazar said, “No, she did not help me fill out the DACA paperwork. Elizabeth Zambrano [former Vice President for Future Underrepresented Educated Leaders (FUEL)] was the person who helped me sign up for the DACA.” A few days after Union Weekly’s interview with Salazar, Hernandez reiterated her stance in claiming she helped him with the DACA. Hours after speaking with Hernandez, ASI Media Board member, Sandra Ocampo contacted the UW staff and stated, “Jose wanted to clarify that Miriam [Hernandez] the VP did help him with his DACA [and] she helped Elizabeth [Zambrano] but she could be lying,” completely going against his previous statements. Solidifying Hernandez’s claim is former ASI President Joseph Phillips, who was integral in Salazar’s transition into the presidency. Prior to taking office, Phillips repeatedly explained to Salazar that he would not be paid. “As soon as he got elected, the first thing they tried to do, whether it was people from the Dream Success Center staff or it was the student leaders in ASI, Elizabeth Zambrano or Miriam [Hernandez], people were helping him bring in documents and helping him with it.” Salazar now allegedly changing his story by saying that he did receive help from Hernandez as well as Zambrano furthers Phillips’ claim and indicates Salazar had prior knowledge of what the DACA is and how his compensation would be affected by it. ASI members other than Salazar have worked extensively to find a way to hold elected officials accountable for the duties of their positions, and the organization feels apprehension that
this policy would undermine those strides by simply handing officials money with no guarantee the work would be carried out.“I’ve only been here four years and she’s
“We really want to help him but we want him to take accountability for his actions.”—Wendy Lewis [Vice President of Finance, Sharon Taylor] been here like, twenty years...and she said that we had that scholarship before and the reason we implemented this compensation was because executives were lacking that accountability several years go,” Hernandez said. “I have had some of the committees that
Joel Martinez, Rebeca Vega, Lauren Hunter, Beatriz Villa, and Katie Cortez also contributed to this report.
11
I sit on, some of the faculty and community representatives say that he comes in late, he comes in flustered and he’s not put together, and you know, we’re trying to help him, “said ASI Treasurer Wendy Lewis. “We really want to help him but we want him to take accountability for his actions.” Chaired by Lewis, the Board of Control, the legislative branch of student government in charge of monitoring and recommending modifications to the budget, will hold a vote on Sept. 29 at 3:30 pm in the Farber Senate Chambers to decide whether or not to approve changes proposed by Salazar to current policy in regards to how student executives will be paid. Salazar wants future student executives to be paid a lump-sum scholarship to be disbursed at the beginning of both fall and spring semesters. Scholarship amounts would be determined on a case-by-case basis. Salazar, however, believes that this policy change will make the compensation for ASI positions more inclusive to students who are undocumented. The scholarship would not require officers to have social security numbers, a requirement that has halted Salazar’s ability for full compensation. He does not think that the scholarship would reverse accountability for executives. He also believes that because other CSU campuses use this system, CSULB should adopt it as well. Salazar says he would still have chosen to run for president had he first known about the stipulation. “Being a part of ASI, undocumented, and an underrepresented part of the community, I said I was going to fight for this policy and revision to pass,” Salazar said. Jose Salazar has shown the same determination in these first troublesome months as president that he displayed during his campaign. He achieved huge success prior to his presidency by sharing his story as a disadvantaged student overcoming the odds, but now, playing the same tune is not getting him the same results. With new developments in the story surfacing every day, both Salazar and ASI need to hold each other more accountable.
12
Literature
June Wolf Story by Mario Lopez Travel Editor Illustration by John Mueller Graphics Illustrator
Her pelage bristles, even against the breeze. The last tufts of fur shed as she scrapes her side on the bark of a fallen oak tree, The spring of life yielding to a wave of heat. A horn sounds the mort, as she prods
howl
The winds fade in playing a tune
Restricted Access Rage, Stephen King’s chilling and controversial novel Story by Bailey Mount Campus Editor
To hide, but not from the keen senses they feared.
moon… Wolf would prowl the woods in the mists of morning.
Nothing.
leaden smoke. Only the crunch of pale leaves beneath her paws, a chorus of crackling sounds from The Pack not far behind, and the crisp air stinging her to life.
So she sat by a maple tree, waiting…Head nuzzled in the pile Of amber, wondering why the trees shed their leaves in the cold; do they not shiver in the hollow, white wind?
Now she only dreams of The Pack plotting their ruse to lead the men near a glade, on the waning
came early with no one by her side. It has been long since that day.
America is made up of three things: baseball, apple pie, and the propensity for blaming violent acts on someone else. So when four school shootings happened in the 1980s and 1990s, people, instead of blaming the shooters, blamed the 1977 Stephen King novel Rage. Rage follows the story of Charlie Decker, a mentally disturbed teenager. Shortly after an outburst with the school principal,
it resulted in a very real and brutally honest portrayal of someone casually and almost apathetically losing his mind. Unfortuantely,
Plundering the sweet scent of doe blood
down its throat. Her winsome grin swiftly shifts into a snarl, baring vicious teeth.
when the leaves began to shed too early. One by one
called it , that smells the heat of their loins and their trembling. She is now the corpse, simmering in a jade forest. A lone wolf. Wandering. Waiting…but not like before. Preying for the men their throats
his algebra teacher, and holds his classmates hostage for the duration of the novel. 1970s, Stephen King no longer wanted to be known as Stephen King. After already making a name for himself with Carrie and The Shining, he still wanted to write; however, he feared oversaturating the literary market with his name would cause him to lose the strong foundation he had made. So under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, he wrote four new novels. One of them was Rage own frustrations as a high school student,
characters seem as real as anyone else you meet on the street. The problem this time was that he did it far too well. In 1988, a San Gabriel student held his classmates hostage for nearly half an hour. He had been
Then, one by one,
reading Rage repeatedly before the incident later, a 17-year-old in Kentucky tried to act out the plot to the novel, keeping his classmates at gunpoint for nearly nine hours. A similar incident occurred again in 1996. But it was the 1997 shooting of eight Kentucky students by a disturbed teen that convinced King to let Rage fall out of print. In an article following the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, King explained that it was disturbing stories and stories by people who were disturbed: One had talent. The other was “just mean.” Rage was the former. It was a disturbing story that made people think, but when coupled with a few unfortunate incidences, it made people think that the book was to blame. King did what any good What you end up getting from Rage is the terrifying epiphany of just how much power And when put into practice in the real world, the results can be devastating.
Travel
13
Modern Rome A pleasant revelation in an ancient city
Story and photos by Emily Ayers Staff Writer
The Colosseum
unexpectedly lead to an open area like Piazza Navonna or Piazza di These plazas were lined with restaurants and cafe’s situated around I was spoiled by the variety of Navonna even had an outdoor art
Since Italy was the first country I Rome seems to exist between two time people in from all
Piazza Navonna
Fontana del Moro located in Piazza Navonna
There were so
to share their culture with anyone open to
Every experience to a new country has
The uneven cobblestone walkway forced me
I had learned that Rome was full of
by
I had never been surrounded such ancient architecture
Everywhere had this sharp contrast
Public transportation seemed to be used by people from all walks
People were still warm and easy to
Meat market in the town of Assisi, Italy
Fontana del Nettuno located in Piazza Navona
14
Campus
Making “Trashy” Art Convert-A-Can turns garbage cans into colorful statements about littering Story and photos by Emily Ayers Staff Writer National parks are where people can escape
people on the project’s purpose and will be project wants to implement environmentally Forest Service has even ordered new trash Further developing the idea and taking over as project director was senior environmental science major
expanding beyond the San Gabriel Mountains Devine discussed potentially expanding
As a solution to Lynch’s The neutral colors originally chosen the entire trash bin
A-Can event to celebrate President Obama’s
with a
Mountains Forever Leadership are
Volunteers and artists encouraged to draw
President and Congress have designated over
added the San Gabriel Mountains in Los
The bins also serve as “Once the cans were improved and made
Long Beach students have created project
Convert-A-Can has also
littering in the San Gabriel Mountains by asked the Convert-A-Can project to present The project has since received both local a senior environmental science major at
Impossible n’est pas français
The French Club at CSULB is a club that wants to promote and share the French language and culture with students and those We want to inspire students to learn and
new events that allow us to do this as well as
The French Club proves that nothing is impossible Story by Ricardo Alejandro Pulido Contributor
Union and talk in French to simulate what
“Our club wants to give students a fun experience where interests can blossom.”
Once a year in March we have our biggest
grand celebration in the French Department
Meetings are held every other Tuesday in
Campus
15
A Sit-Down with a Stand-up Comedian Student Joe Eurell provides the laughs Story by Katie Cortez Editor in Chief Photos by Sam Orihuela Art Director
Hidden away in the corner of a Costa Mesa
me,” said Doon, a close friend and
“His hair looks perfect when the camera
here every week,” said Evan Cassidy, Anchor
participated in and won three Comedy Roast
“[Comedy] kind of plays into my
Photos taken from Joe Eurell’s Facebook page He channels his disability into a career path
his closest friends call him, he wanted to do
His sketch comedy toes the line between
half years and it took me a while to approach
16 Food
A Delightful Experience A restaurant so good, you’ll love the crepe out of it Story by Joel Martinez Community Editor Photos by Sam Orihuela Art Director
A glass of Thai iced tea
(Top) An enchilada crepe topped with melted cheese and sour cream; (Bottom) a marsala crepe
Pumpkin Roll Recipe Step by step instructions on how to make this delicious fall-inspired treat Story and photos by Sylvana Uribe Staff Writer
• • • • • • • •
• • • •
Music
17
A Night of “Circa Waving” hands UK Indie band performed an album release show at the Santa Ana Observatory Story and Photos by Elizabeth Ortiz Contributor When soccer and music are the only community, a traveling “feel-good band” like Circa Waves, will sound incredible here in the States. Especially last Friday Sept.18, during their California debut. Observatory and I like this group’s energy,” said 2 6 - y e a r - o l d Daniel Machado, who is in t h e restaurant business. D a n c i n g trendsetters in themselves in sight,
nodding in agreement that this new UK band is super-good and to want to listen to their new album is crave-able. “We play until we feel we are going to die of exhaustion,” said 25-year-old lead guitarist Joe Falconer. “I would like people to remember us as a great band.” The band is aware that fans come to see a good show, so they work hard to make every dollar spent count. Falconer mentions it is only their fourth time in America and they have already played at Lollapalooza within the two years they have been together. He describes their music as a good-hearted rock and roll sound with good lyrical ideas crammed into three minutes; no throw-a- ways are allowed. “Liverpool is a small place, and Kieran [the lead singer] and I met at a festival,” Falconer said. “I started with piano, classical jazz and guitar at an early age.” Falconer started playing guitar when he was about 11-years-old and never put the instrument down. were some of Circle Waves’ favorite bands to watch growing up. Their
and they try to model that same enthusiasm up on stage. “It’s a magical sort of thing, watching a band at an early age, which inspires us to the point of exhaustion [at the end of the show] because we are working so hard to get where we wanna go,” said 28-year-old lead singer, Kieran Shudall. Shudall describes that the song-track he wrote titled “T-Shirt Weather” is about looking back at a blissful past in one’s youth and always greener when comingof-age, but to realize that “it’s going to be okay” in a rose-tinted sort of way. He hopes people can take this message to heart and just be okay something so positive for those trying to grow up in this crazy world. Circa Waves gave advice to other bands
wanting to perform, and said to keep in mind, that time is valuable. Work fast and can start on time. Also, start with and end the show with your best song last. Keep things tight, short and simple to the point, otherwise the audience gets bored. They are excited to be in California, to eat good Mexican food and drink Stella beer that otherwise tastes like rubbish in the UK. The tour includes San Diego, Los Angeles, and Texas for the most part and they are so thrilled about their American debut. Left: Guitarist and lead vocalist Kieran Shudall slicking back his hair Above: Lead guitarist Joe Falconer providing backup vocals
(Left) Colin Jones and his hair get into the rhythm of the music; (center) Circa Waves jamming out at Fingerprints; (right) Kieran Shudall strumming his guitar and singing
Circa Waves Leaves a Fingerprint UK band plays their last show on the West Coast Story by Katie Cortez Editor in Chief Photos by Melissa Duron Contributor
There is something to be said about seeing a live band in a small venue versus a large concert hall or arena. Standing in a smaller crowded room allows you to feel the music in 20 rows up on an area. In the intimacy of a smaller location, you really hear and feel the rawness in their sound and it makes it easier for you to really appreciate the musical talent of a band. You feel one with the music, one with yourself. The faces of the people around you light up with the realization that the band they paid to see is less than 5-feet away. That’s how I felt when British indierock band Circa Waves took the stage for their last West Coast show at Long Beach’s record store staple, Fingerprints on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Mostly known for their popular single “T-Shirt Weather,” Circa Waves is a Liverpool-based band that was formed in 2013 when guitarist Joe Falconer and bassist Sam Rourke met frontman Kieran Shudall at the Liverpool Sound City music festival. After their former drummer Sien Plummer left the band in early 2015, a roadie named Colin
Jones took the position behind the drums, and the band has never been better. Selling December 2015, Circa Waves has been excited about touring America. “It feels like one of those big milestones that every band has,” guitarist Joe Falconer said. “There are three
“...the air in the room was energetic and alive.”
opening with “Young Chasers,” the seventh Although the show was slightly shorter than it would be in a larger setting, the air in the room was energetic and alive. Fans were upclose and personal with frontman Kieran Shudall, and could see drummer Colin Jones’ individual drumbeats. And although it was clear that they were not used to such a small crowd, it was obvious that they still strived to play their best. For a band who is well-known in the UK, playing in a small venue is a bit of a challenge. “It’s almost like starting over here in America, ”Falconer said. ”We’re playing bigger shows over there [in the UK] than over here.”
big milestones about coming to America— selling out the Mercury Lounge.” Despite achieving two of those milestones the night before—performing the Troubadour in West Hollywood, Circa Waves played their hearts out for the 20 or so fans in Fingerprints’ small showroom,
in the States,” Plummer continued. Circa Waves’ last show in California may have been it’s smallest, but it was undoubtedly just as entertaining as the others.
18
Entertainment
New Fall Season: Heroes Reborn Rebirth or Downfall?
With Heroes, which ran from 2006-2010,
Story by Jordan Daniels Contributor
“I was injected with a heavy dose of nostalgia...”
Heroes
remnant of Heroes
Heroes
ones, yet sort of remind us of the shoes course in Heroes 101 to better understand inconsistencies. Heroes: Reborn is a 13-episode the show. Heroes Reborn has said that one does not need to watch the Heroes with the Heroes
The Emmys Have Heart “The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.” - Viola Davis
Jon Hamm walks away a Happy Man Story by Leslie Leon Contributor
and it was no comedic riot either. How to Get Mad Men
SNL
30 Rock
Away with Murder
Entertainment
19
Make-Your-Own Mario Super Mario Maker brings creativity to the W iiU So here it is, in all its glory and all of the endless possibilities of milking the 2D “Super Mario” game franchise. I have been waiting for this type of game to come out for way too long! Frankly, I felt a bit too
the “New Super Mario Bros” aspect and was called “Super Meat Bros.” It was masterfully created, but also a complete nightmare when mistake of setting my level search to only give
Illustration by John Mueller Graphics Illustrator
a fairly long bridge, but with a twist. The creator of the level placed giant Bowsers and Lakitus on maneuverable clouds in the ombs and those Bowsers blew up parts of the bridge while I tried to make it to the
on experience with “Super Mario Maker.” As an avid gamer and a veteran player of the 2D “Super Mario” games, I had no idea where to start. I spent about thirty minutes watching YouTube videos prior to playing the game, just to make a decision that was bigger than
levels rather than taking out the stylus of my Wii U gamepad and creating madness. I was awestruck from the level selection this game had. I was able to play levels generated from the original 1985 installment on the Nintendo Entertainment System, “Super Mario World” (released in 1990 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System SNES), “Super Mario Bros 3” for the NES, and even “New Super Mario Bros” which was on the Nintendo DS and Wii.
Story by Elliott Gatica Music Editor
transform Mario into the 1987 Mega Man sprite. Sadly, he only has the abilities that Mario would have in that game, so the change is purely a cosmetic thing. It’s a nice gimmick and allows makers to go further with their creativity. I remember one level that made
care that I lost so many lives and screamed traits, like making a Bullet Bill cannon shoot out Monty Moles instead of Bullet Bills, or a The only limitations to this game are to the gamers who decide to create levels. I have come across some very lazy or repetitive levels, like a hoard of Hammer someone who can easily beat most levels in a Nintendo original “Mario Bros” level, I lost countless lives on it and spent at least an hour tracing my steps and correcting my mistakes. Long story short I never beat it, but I gave the creator such a good rating for testing my skills far beyond from what actual developers had exposed to the gaming community. Speaking of the community, some ideas of the individual gamers are so unique. They can make use of the enemies, tile sets, traps, and other doodads to make a level feel like there are new aspects to the game itself. It’s amazing. I played another “New Super Mario
level background and was immediately transformed into Zero Suit Samus. You pass by a few big Lakitus and Goombas (which mimic classic “Metroid” enemies) and you eventually consume another “Special Mushroom” which turned you into Samus with her suit. This game’s concept was a release that
reaction was to hit the nearest coin block
pasted enemies. I’ve also come across several “jump puzzles” where people thought it’d be just a long line of red Paratroopas that one has to constantly jump on to reach the end. This game, like some major game releases since “Smash Bros Wii U,” also has Amiibo support. They’re more for character palette customizations that only appear in the 1985 “Super Mario” aspects of the game. For example, if you activate your Mega Man Amiibo in the game, you are now able to freely alter Special Mushrooms that
our revenge on all of the stupid Goombas, Piranha Plants, Koopas, Dry Bones, and Wigglers that made us one life closer to a game over in all of the previous Mario games! For the game itself and it’s ease of making, playing, and sharing levels, I would have to rate this a 9.5 out of 10 mushrooms ( just because some things are missing, like the football player enemies seen in “Super Mario World” and the Ice Flower seen in “New Super Mario Bros Wii”). As for the community’s creativity in making the levels, I would have to give it a 7.5 out of 10 mushrooms; sometimes, jump puzzles and star running levels get repetitive.
In Theaters Now: Straight Outta Compton Story by R. Ray Robinson Contributor
“You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge.” From Dre’s “Straight Outta Compton” twenty years ago to now, the world’s most dangerous group called NWA have now come to the notorious B.I.G. screen to tell their story. Straight Outta Compton is an epic biopic directed by F. Gary Gray that focuses on hip hop legends from impacted the world with their music. Straight Outta Compton does a great job showing the characters involvement in their environment. The rap artists form together while implementing the problems they face through their recording sessions. In one police, triggering them to perform the song “Fuck Tha Police.” The group faces trouble
from authorities when they speak on police males. However, it gives a voice to their city that enlightens the problems they face in their neighborhoods. This scene even relates to social issues to this very day, such as police brutality in Ferguson. Other prominent events throughout the plot that sums up the group’s journey from being together to some members starting their own groups and gaining fame, fortune, or anguish. The main actors accurately portray the tenacity and emotions of the characters throughout the movie. O’Shea Jackson Jr. portrayed the younger badass version of his father Ice Cube, with his hardcore look and lyrical ability to battle others. Neil Brown Jr. captured the quirkiness and comedy of
Straight Outta Compton Run Time: 2 hrs 27 mins Directed by: F. Gary Gray Starring: Corey Hawkins, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Jason Mitchell DJ Yella with a few jokes in the movie while Aldis Hodge brought vitality to MC Ren’s
his dynamic prowess to portray the artist collaborating with NWA and later with Long and West Coast rapper Tupac A. Shakur (Marcc Rose) along the way. The actor who
and even rocked his classic baseball cap and black shaded glasses. His performance stayed so true to the life of the late rap artist that his
of the setting, the actor’s portrayals and the music. The movie will make you truly feel like you stepped straight outta Compton and into
Volume 77 Issue 6
Monday, September 28, 2015
LBUNION.COM
DISCLAIMER: Coherent babblement: When you get so tired you cannot distinguish whether you are dreaming or awake, DO NOT copy Inception and try to die. Instead, make up your own words and throw them at whoever bothers to rearrange the letters. This page is satire/parody and does not represent ASI nor the CSULB campus. Submit articlez to grunion@lbunion.com.
Ask the Frat Brat By Chris Frat
Welcome to Ask Frat! The long running question and answer column where I answer all those questions that idiots ask because they’re so stupid! Here comes another one!
Dear Guy, I am an extremely polite person. I always say please, thank you, and you’re welcome. I feel like I’m one of the only people who bothers to say “Bless you” when someone sneezes. This isn’t because I’m some overlyreligious nut. It is just polite! But recently, I found myself in an awkward situation. I was standing at the urinal, doing my business, when the guy two urinals down sneezed. I almost said “Bless you” out of habit, but then remembered that you never talk at the urinal! If you do, then the other guy will think you were trying to sneak a peak at his junk! Even though I didn’t get want to be accused of being a peeper, I felt horribly impolite when I didn’t say “Bless you.” Help me settle this! Is it gay to say “Bless you” at a urinal??? Signed, A. P. Purr Dear Peeper, You thought you could fool me with all that polite bullshit? Next thing I know, you’ll tell me that you still believe in chivalry! You’re just trying to be Mr. Nice-Guy and then steal my girl! Well, let me tell you something right now, Butthead. Nice guys always finish last. Ladies don’t care about a nice guy, they just want to have fun, or something.
The Super-Duper Party Pooper
To answer your question, YES. Saying “bless you” at a urinal is super gay. To all my bros, though, If you do happen to spray those words all over his manhood, then you can always fall back on the trusty, “no homo.” If you really love your bro, and you really have to say it, “no homo.” If you just have to give your bro a nice long body to body hug? “no homo.” If you just finished tucking your bro into bed, and you couldn’t help but give him a peck on the cheek? A gentle whisper in his ear, enough so that he could feel your warmth, “no homo,” will suffice. Dear Guy, I took your advice, last week, about how to make friends since I am new to college. I bullied everyone until they joined my frat, or until they agreed with me that my frat was the best. But then they kicked me out on charges of intimidation. Now all my friends are in the same frat and I can’t make any new friends! You bastard! Signed, The Best Friend Forever Dear BFF (No Homo), Bro, you don’t even need friends. In fact, if you have too many friends and they’re all in your frat, it’s not exclusive enough! You gotta drop all those losers, quit your frat, and join another one! But not mine, because you’re writing into this column for advice, and only dummies come asking me for help! You gotta stay ahead of the superiority curve and embrace your inferiority complex to continually vent your self-hatred on your pets. I’m sorry to say this, but after careful consideration, you are now demoted to the rank of... companion (no homo).
Fall is finally here, so everybody put on your flannels and floral wear! The lunar eclipse is coming up soon, and the freshmen cult NOTW (Newbies Opposed To Working), established by By Baby Bop the new class of sometimeway-the-fuck-in-the-future, is planning its monthly sacrifice for September 32nd. By day, they are your average, thoughtful freshmen. They are commonly seen walking slow enough to let the small snails pass while enacting their mating call of letting you enjoy your late run to your class by gazing at the underside of shorts-clad asses. A certain minority of these creatures may even finge confidence by pretending to havily consider joining a frat or a sorority for any reason other than selfish motives. But by night, they have a very simple agenda: to sit in large circles and enhance the college experience for other students who like to be outside at night by gracing every available space with their presence, even at the risk of invoking legal prosecution.
“We generally just exist to make dorm life more lively at the expense of work ethic,” interrupted one of the cult members, not even waiting for me to ask my question. This month’s sacrifice will be a freshmen who has not gone to a party three nights in a row. “It is a disgusting slack in responsibility and makes us all look bad,” said the cult in perfect unison, swaying gently to the beat of The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face”. Following the sacrifice, which involves the very important process of systematically screaming during dorm quiet hours and slamming doors because they can’t be trusted enough to close on their own, a deep, philosophical discussion on the themes of life and death in Pitbull’s music will occur. Anyone trying to have a conversation on the phone with their significant other is encouraged to attend. If you do not do so of your own volition, a representative of the cult will walk by laughing loudly to remind you that you have more important things to do than talk to your boyfriend you haven’t seen in a month. “Refreshments” will be served.
Well, that’s all for this week. Guy out!
INSIDE THE POP-UP-RAZI:
“TITANIC” REMAKE CANCELED DUE TO GLOBAL WARMING, MELTED GLACIERS
BEHIND-THE-SCENES CHEATING SCANDAL REVEALS ROCK AND SCISSORS BEAT PAPER
VISUAL EVIDENCE THAT THE FRESH PRINCE CAN BE AN ASSHOLE
POPE FRANCIS SUMMONS THE LAST MIMZY TO REPLACE JOHN BOEHNER