Issue 77.5
2
Intro
RICHARD RANTS
Katie Cortez, Editor in Chief editorinchief@lbunion.com Richard Mejia, Managing Editor manager@lbunion.com Renee Schmiedeberg, Assistant Managing Editor/Social Media Intern assistmanager@lbunion.com Trevor Desrosiers, Advertising Executive advertising@lbunion.com Ashley Rodriguez, Advertising Intern Nathan Zankich, Web Manager web@lbunion.com Graphic by: Sam Orihuela
ART & DESIGN
BANANAGRAMS Oh boy. This week has been kind of a blur. The only thing that I remember doing before Thursday is playing hours on hours of
the Union Weekly. bit relieved to FINALLY be on the path to greener pastures and pursue a happy life in sports journalism.
The X-Files is the probably worst show in the history of
Sam Orihuela, Art Director artdirector@lbunion.com John Mueller, Graphics Illustrator illustration@lbunion.com
I know there are a few people that might EDITORIAL Elizabeth Nguyen, Co-Opinions Editor opinions@lbunion.com
before that are just blank... Alrighty, well that is quite enough of Katie for this issue. Ahoy, everyone! It is I, your notso-friendly neighborhood managing editor,
squeals of UW
signal to all of those around her that the issue blah, blah, blah I’m so tired, blah, blah, blah annoyed ex-reader” rants? Nobody, that’s who. Now I don’t play Bananagrams, nor do I aspire to, but let’s move this along to something a bit more interesting.
type of mindset has had on my life. I used to be that person who would always last-minute. But I realized that lifestyle wasn’t getting me anywhere, so I turned a stayed with me forever.
Anyhow, as I was previously mentioning, easy task. The piles of reading, homework time for me. I knew that all of my hard work
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
and all of the times of darkness and disparity Katheryne (no typo) Cortez, I am here to spread positivity and joy to all the readers of
Rebeca Vega, Co-Opinions Editor opinions@lbunion.com
Andrew Linde, Entertainment Editor entertainment@lbunion.com
positivity. I knew that all I had to do was believe in myself and I would be able to set their futures wind up.
Elliott Gatica, Music Editor music@lbunion.com Jack Villalba, Lifestyle Editor lifestyle@lbunion.com
to be pigeon-holed into a stereotype based on their major. Generally speaking, stereotypes should not be the basis for how individuals to show their true selves. The stereotypes we all hold for everyone limit our interpersonal
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
people from all types of majors without a
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, Michelle Ha
Best Regards,
The X-Files
The Oxford Comma is stupid.
CONTRIBUTORS Marisol Samayoa, Kealie Mardell, Hal Tars, Mitchell Edwards, Jordan Daniels, Jaime Wright, Taylor Caceres, Connor Reischl, OC DIY, Xpressions, Galileo Gonzalez, Alaina Tinnirello, nothingbutwordssatire, Paul LaPointe COVER BY: Sam Orihuela FEATURE DESIGN BY: Sam Orihuela CONTACT US
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
Long Beach, CA 90815 E-mail: lbunion.info@gmail.com
@UnionWeekly
Community
3
The DIY Scene Story by Conner Reischl Photos by Orange County DIY Orange County generally isn’t known as a place central to music and the arts. Like most areas, there are establishments featuring entertainment in bars, music venues, and clubs, yet there is no facility that truly represents the large and diverse community for our current arts and music scenes. In an environment where most opportunities younger musicians have to play is polluted by pay-to-play scams and bar shows, where are you supposed to start performing your craft? Now, Orange County DIY is a non-
person, at a house in Laguna Niguel,” said “All of us came together as musicians and artists wanting something better for our
age gaps, they agreed on what they knew needed to change. The group maintains that the DIY music scene is strong in Orange County. However, what it lacks is a safer, accessible,
live music that’s accessible for everyone, you would have to drive all the way to LA or San area had for its youth would be playing inside bars or getting taken advantage of in ‘payto-play’ scenarios.” Having good places to express and show art in front of peers within this area. Taking notes from creative spaces in San Diego, Orange County DIY started a journey to change our community with the artists that created it. Since securing their 501(c)(3) non-
community-driven arts and music venue. over 40 youth-focused arts and music events in the greater Orange County area with the goal of creating an accessible, safe haven for artists of all backgrounds to
ultimate fundraising goal which is securing a permanent space for shows and events. Funding is now being conducted through the website IndieGoGo, where all funds received will go towards the establishment of their permanent space. Be a part of changing the scene and put Orange County on the map for young artists
does not have a permanent home; events have been hosted throughout the greater Orange County area by local businesses that Businesses like Programme Skate & Sound in Fullerton, the San Clemente Art Supply, and Beatnik Bandito in Santa Ana have all “We started as a small group of individuals,
community; something to connect the dots from all the scattered backgrounds, scenes, and genres we were already a part of.” At their inception, many from the initial group were still in their teens, but despite
and sustainable location where everyone can be brought together. Current president
igg.me/at/orangecountydiy or their website OrangeCountyDIY.org
“Growing up in Orange County ,we were used to the fact that if you wanted to see good,
An Outlet for Artistic Xpression Story by Joel Martinez In downtown Long Beach, there is a place called the Cultural Alliance Long Beach located at the Bungalow building. Once a month, it houses an open mic event called Xpressions, a cultural, musical, literary outlet for Southern California locals to display their arts in music, poetry, and visual arts. Xpressions has been going steadily strong since their first event took place two-and-a-half years ago. “I started it because I wanted to build the arts community and give artists a new place to perform,” said Shy but Flyy, the event host. “The goal is to promote the arts, bring people together and build community.” In the past, a wide variety of artistic talent has come to perform at the event by reserving a 30-minute slot to perform. In August 2015, for example, the lineup featured such artists as the local blues band Whiskey and the Wolves and Long Beach rock band Big Sun while visual artist Ben Swenson painted an art piece, sitting amongst the audience.
Photo by Xpressions “People have told me they look forward to coming and sharing what they wrote or drew or a new song,” said Shy but Flyy. “The goal is achieved at each event that happens.” this event has had success at accomplishing its goal of building a community that can Attendees and performers of all ages come from all sorts of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds to get together and enjoy the artistic endeavors they share with each other. “Xpressions has brought together Shy but Flyy. “The arts have the tendency to bridge gaps.” The next Xpressions event is set to take place on Friday, Oct. 16 from 6pm-9pm.
Xpressions 729 Pine Ave. Long Beach, California 90813 facebook.com/xpressionsopenmic
4
Opinions
Hey, Have You Seen the New...? Internet culture is a double-edge sword Story by Elliott Gatica Music Editor
The Internet is full of wonders. If you’re on it every day, you’re bound to run into some viral pictures or videos every now and then. Sometimes, they can become fleeting trends or overly repetitive and overused ways to get a good laugh or funny reaction out of someone. I’m a long-time patron of the Internet and I’m quite familiar with several of these internet. For example, memes and vines are what I can categorize almost all of these trends into. Some are actually very witty, while others do get a laugh or smirk, but then the joke is done. When you spend a lot of your time on sites like 9gag, reddit, iFunny, or any other website that just has people posting pictures with scarily relatable captions, you start to become one with the internet. It’s really a double-edged sword. In my case, for example, I removed one blade and kept the good one of the two. Basically, I see it as a way to understand references when people talk to me. On the other hand, some people take the weaker blade of the two in this double-edged sword and overuse what they remember from internet memes. I’m not trying to call anyone out, because I sometimes catch myself doing this. However, when people reference memes too much in their daily lives, I sometimes wonder if it’s time for someone to take a break from the World Wide Web. So many memes have just started out as just a picture of something with a top and bottom caption adding so much relation and around in cyberspace, it’s almost as if our search engines, browser history, and online conversations are riddled with cyber junk that may or may not still be relevant to us. Don’t lie; you know you’ve had your fair shares of sending, receiving, or looking through thing like the “FFFFFFUUUUUUUUUU-” meme, or the illustrated version of J. Jonah Jameson laughing with a caption saying “AWW YEAH,” or Neil Patrick Harris drawn out saying “True story” in the caption. Those were the days. I remember when memes were just screen captures or graphic illustrations that were better and more meaningful alternatives to “smileys” or emoticons. Now the Internet meme culture has taken form of animated gifs and short videos that go viral faster than Ebola! It’s poison. Most of us have succumbed to the
Illustration by John Mueller Graphics Illustrator
overuse of these memes to basically express something that can be easily typed out! Even I can’t keep up with these anymore. What happened to Nyan Cat? Or Doge? Or Success Kid? What about the troll face, forever alone guy, “me gusta” face, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Scumbag Steve, Good Guy Greg, arrow to the knee, “philosoraptor,” or all of the overly perverted Spider-Man memes? When these were relevant, this is when the Internet prospered with so much creativity and hilarity. Now, I just feel as if all of these memes and Vines are just ways for people to somehow become popular on the internet for a 15-second video that somehow gets blown out of proportion. Just the other day, I had a friend ask me, “Hey did you see that one video where the guy who did the Why You Lyin’ Vine made it into a whole song?” The moment I heard her say the words “why you lyin’,” I immediately nodded in disappointment and told her “not that guy again.” That Vine or Internet meme wasn’t old enough and it was played so much that it lost its value. However, it spread so much that I caught myself saying it and making an ass out of myself just to mimic that jingle (and yes, I put my foot on something to elevate my leg and thrust my body like the video). This is just as overdone as “DEEZ NUTS,” among many other things. But, the creators are obviously doing something right if a simple 15-second-or-less video is being incorporated into several things for several laughs or agreements on things, like a vine I just saw where Donald Trump said he loves Mexicans. (Cue music) “WHY THE FUCK YOU LYIN’. WHY YOU ALWAYS LYIN’. MMMMMMM OH MY GOD. STOP FUCKIN’ LYIN’.” If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, right? I mean, I sure have overused some memes to prove statements or just to cut every last string of a person’s patience or tolerance. I have my limits; I’ve surpassed them many times where I even end up annoying myself, and I acknowledge it. It’s crazy to even think that, but “THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THE UNDERTAKER TOLD JOHN CENA! WILL HE BE ABLE TO TAKE THE BELT FROM THE MIGHTIEST CHAMPION IN WWE HISTORY AT THIS WEEKEND’S WWE SUUUUUUUUUUUPER SLAAAM!?!?! Actually, I’ll take that blade back; being one with the Internet is a double-edged sword.
Opinions
5
May Unity Be With You Story by Sylvana Uribe Staff Writer
Illustration by John Mueller
Much like tree branches that sway when caught in the wind, pinpointing my religion has drifted helplessly. Coming from a Hispanic family that grew up in Mass, I too, was raised Catholic. However, when I was told that I would have to memorize prayers and wear a dress in a special ceremony, I quit. Even as a 10-yearold, my social anxiety was so crippling that I couldn’t go through with being the focus of eyes in the pews. With Pope Francis’ visit to the U.S., I allowed myself to open up to receive the
Pope Francis has spoken about the risks of a divided people, and the answer to beating this separation is through dialogue. It’s a notion he has preached before and one he brought with him to Capitol Hill. To understand the divide, let’s talk a bit about immigration. Running to defend one side are those who believe immigrants should have a chance at contributing to American society, in particular children seeking educational opportunities but limited by their legal statuses. On the other hand, some label immigrants as societal threats
and criminals. As a child of immigrants, I see them as a group of men and women who risk entering this country with only a dream. There are so many voices to account for with this topic alone, but without dialogue, there is no attempt to understand each one. Rather than acknowledge the troubles pushing people to seek advancement in another country, money is sent to secure borders at whatever means necessary. Bills addressing the issue collect dust on legislative
HARD music festivals are some of my favorite events to attend throughout the year. Day of
temporary ban on festivals in L.A. County after the drug-related deaths. They actually wanted to ban music festivals in its entirety because of drugs—a problem that occurs everywhere, not just in music scenes. In order to prevent the ban, Live Nation, the entertainment company in charge of HARD, took an excessive amount of precaution. They raised the age limit from 18 to 21, downsized the number of attendees by 20,000 people, and limited the duration of the event. I’m sorry, but NONE of these “precautions” are even remotely logical for three reasons:
3) Drugs are not limited by age. The sad truth is that while there may be teenagers in the world doing drugs, there are 30-yearolds in the world doing drugs, too. The only pro of raising the age limit is the elimination of “beer gardens,” or the designated areas where 21+ attendees could openly buy and consume alcoholic beverages. Yay for them.
1) Less people does not equal less of a drug problem. Sure, there will inevitably be less people doing drugs at the festival, but that’s only because there are less people actually at the festival. It doesn’t make any sense.
Because of this circumstance, I can no longer enjoy the music festivals that I enjoy so much. Because I am 19, I have to wait two years to enjoy another HARD event. Sure, there will be other festivals, but none will compare to the event that originally drew me in.
“melting pot,” we should be exploring our diversity in culture and ideology instead of bashing others to validate our convictions. No matter where one stands in regards to views expressed by the church doctrine, Pope Francis brought to the U.S. a much needed reminder to test these convictions. The start of this conversation will help us acknowledge those outside our realm of thought.
As a country that throws around the term
Telemundo and Univision provided my family with full coverage of the Pope blessing crying faces shouting “¡Viva el Papa!” On the morning of Sept. 24, Pope Francis spoke before a joint Congress meeting about the role of elected leaders to represent its people in the “tireless and demanding pursuit like Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr., Pope Francis pushed to continue forward with ideas of liberty, non-exclusion, social justice, and openness to dialogue. In a society of strained relationships with weapons in the hands of people willing to spill innocent blood, we lack a vital resource in combatting the chaos: unity.
Music Festivals For All HARD implements against drug abuse Story by Kaila Hardaway Food Editor
I went to, and it was an experience that I’ll never forget. Not only is it centered around my favorite holiday, but I was able to sing along to Zedd, dance to Borgore, and jam to Calvin Harris. Then, I went to HARD Summer and had just as great of a time. Afterwards, I eventually came to the conclusion that I would try to attend every HARD event that I could. Now, I can’t. In August, two teenage girls unfortunately passed away due to a reported drug overdose the second day of the festival, going through security took nearly two hours, as opposed to the painless 30 minutes it took the previous day. Not only was I beyond annoyed that I had to stand directly in the beaming, summer sun for this long, but I missed out on a performance that I was really looking forward to -- Fetty Wap. I missed out on my jam “Trap Queen,” and that is not okay. A day after the festival, Los Angeles
2) Limiting the duration of the event doesn’t do anything. The ONLY result of that is less music and, therefore, less of a good time.
All in all, raising the age limit by unfortunate that those two girls lost their lives, and they were much too young to pass away. Their decision, however, should not
6
Literature
Does Not Compute The Epic
Story by Hal Tars Contributor
Illustration by John Mueller Contributor
“Dear Stacy,
to do. I just wanted to hug mom and confront dad, but neither of them are alive. I want my
I’m sorry as a father. When you walked graduated from high school, I was that worthless father in the garage. While trying knew I lost my daughter. Years after years, you tried to get my attention and all I could
he left for you.” The “abomination” was a gigantic six feet
for its aesthetics, its black marbled skin and H-body. It had no head, it was literally a giant H. I think its head was the center of its body, I
“What is your name?” “I have no Christian name or label. Would Stacy like to select name?”
had a bad father, my love. I neglected you and focused on my creation. As I leave this this abomination that you dreadfully hated. I
he left for you.” “Not right now,uh…”
your mom and the world extra time from the inevitable disaster that will soon come. Love, Your Dad the Geek”
It stood motionless. Is there an interface? As I walked towards the ugly laboratory, my dad’s garage, this thing followed me. It
“Hi Stacy. My creator is dead. Final Protocols
of black-charcoaled wood were everywhere. Only mom, dad and I had access to the sealed door. “Stacy, my creator as—”
name it. I can’t believe dad didn’t insert a common sense system in it. Maybe he did? ”
once! I just came back from college!”
Gilgamesh Odysseus.” “Do you acc-”
“Hi…” When I arrived home, I found mom beaten and shot dead in the living room. I horribly assumed that my mad father lost it. Yet, I knew it was not him. The entire house was a scavenged the entire home. Everything was
Seriously, right now of all times!” “New name is “Seriously
It felt unsafe at the moment. With mom “Name is Gilgamesh Odysseus.”
to furniture, they were seeking something. If
Robots: A Love Story
I had my screwdriver in hand, ready to dismantle each and every one of the
of hardware, the little screen on its belly dismantle it. Screw by screw, I twisted and letters: “I LOVE YOU” shown blindly at me.
to measure human emotion, getting rid of many human anxieties in the world. Between
Story by Mitchell Edwards Contributor
I had my screwdriver in hand. I grabbed
grief and sadness, and love, this was
least that’s what I thought. I’m smiling, let alone being able to
channeled from my brain to my head, down my shoulders and through my arms, until my hands reached motion. I swiveled my chair
“My heart leapt, my brain exploded. What was this? I thought to myself.”
out the chair and did circles in the air with excitement, trying to contain my outer screams. I sat back down, grabbed the robot and gave it the biggest kiss I ever could. I turned around and grabbed each dismantled robot, screwdriver in hand,
had robots of all kind surrounding my garage.
didn’t care about any of that; all I wanted was
the inventors circle.
was this? I thought to myself. It was never able to do this before. “Was it mistaking my anger for love?” I did not know, but this was a start, it was exactly
was last. I had my screwdriver in hand. I turned
moment that I remembered everything about mine and my father’s work. I didn’t that garage. “I Love You” I thought, it was a start, a start to something great.
Arts
7
Spotlight: Jan Svankmajer Story by Olivia Haagenson Contributor It’s that spooky time of year again, and to celebrate that spookiness, I wanted to introduce a man who has been scaring people since 1958. In Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, lives Jan Svankmajer, a visual artist and likes of Terry Gilliam(12 Monkeys), The Brothers Quay (The Chairs), and even Tim Burton(Beetlejuice).
animation, sculpture, and puppetry. The one thing they all have in common? They’re spine-chillingly disturbing. Svankmajer is most well known for his
rabbit is a taxidermied bunny that breaks out of its glass diorama? Not very Disney at all. Svankmajer is also known for his very explicit, very nauseating use of food in his
the art than the entertainment. He pioneered and mastered the styles of stop-motion and claymation and uses those
expired fruit and raw meat coming back to life. It’s that uneasiness that cultivated his cult following.
out how to pronounce, is a self-described Surrealist, and does not subscribe to any one type of media. Rather, he extends his work
However, I’m not sure how a tree stump Greedy Guts relatable to anyone. At least I hope it isn’t. If you’re looking for a more artistic,
mediums to create fantastical, yet horrifying scenes. He often tells stories from children’s perspectives, blending together the genres of kid-friendly fantasy and adult horror. Alice my favorite and perhaps his most The viewer is retold the story of Alice in Wonderland, in a derelict, rummaged shack toys that come to life. Did I mention the white
One could argue that all his disturbing tactics are just a metaphor for something He declined an artist’s award given to him by the Czech government, saying he wouldn’t accept anything from communists. That
this Halloween, Jan Svankmajer’s art will shock, horrify, and confuse you. Take the time to stream one of his full-
one of his highly acclaimed short features. Or simply Google his name and click “images.” It’ll be worth it.
very political, but he has stated that they are meant to be relatable to people of all cultures and backgrounds.
Real Women Have Curves
Story by Renee Schmiedeberg Assistant Managing Editor
A play at the Pasadena Playhouse breaks boundaries for Latinas
Photos by Pasadena Playhouse
Watching a movie and watching a play, though the same piece, are completely
Although one may infer from the title that every woman in the play is curvy, one
Pancha, one of the older women, is infertile, diverting from the stereotype that all Latinas are child-bearing machines.
seeing something live. Last weekend, I visited the Pasadena Playhouse and watched Real Women Have Curves, a play set in present-day East Los Angeles. It features Latinas working against a deadline to keep their sewing factory from being shut down. The talents of acclaimed playwright
happiness, but in this play, it’s the contrary. The women focus on helping each other in playful and amusing ways. My favorite scene involves all the characters stripping down to their underwear because the work and the hundred-degree weather is killing them. In doing so, they challenge pressures to be ashamed of their bodies and become not only comfortable, but also celebratory of them. And who doesn’t love a good underwear party? All in all, I recommend seeing Real Women Have Curves when you have the chance, and if you don’t, go see another play at the beautiful Pasadena Playhouse. Real Women Have Curves played from
culminate to create a unique, inspiring, and hilarious play. Five characters propel the play, the youngest just out of high school and the oldest in her 50s or 60s. What I liked the most story, enriching the play as a whole. It was incredible and refreshing to see a production that displays Latinas in varying degrees of nuance.
whore complex applied especially to Latinas. Most narratives featuring women have
beauty standards set for women, includng self-loathing and body dismorphia.
Carmen, a respected, older mother, brings out a pornographic book from a hidden shelf in the sewing factory, disproving the virgin-
8
Food
Pursuit of Hoppyness A look at some of the best bars and breweries here, near and far Story by Marisol Samayoa Contributor Long Beach, California - You know what I
Photo by Katie Cortez Editor in Chief home-brewing more of the strawberry blonde ale I ordered. The blend was amazingly crisp
my Fridays in the beginning of autumn with some of my favorite items: a refreshing pale ale or plate of tacos. Luckily, virtually any spot along the shoreline will
favorite food and drink. Belmont Brewing Company is a brewpub, brewing its own unique beers food items on its menu, from steak to seafood and, yes, tacos. I parked in the Belmont Pier lot and made my way to the BBC. The hostess greeted me warmly as I
Long Beach. I sipped my ale and savored its strawberry notes. As I continued to scan their menu, I took a hearty gulp, lulling my grumbling stomach. Lobster pasta, steak, Moroccan chicken, ahi tuna salad, Hawaiian poke, onion soup, and carne asada pizza. Yes, you read that right. Carne asada pizza. I stopped right there and craned my neck, trying to make eye contact with the bartender. I placed my order and waited. I forgot that BBC has a beautiful, ocean-front patio. So, I asked if I could move to the outdoor area. I watched
Belmont Brewing Company: 25 39th Pl. Long Beach, California 90803 Bar Happy Hour: (excluding holidays) Monday - Friday 3p.m.- 6p.m. Saturday - Sunday 3p.m.- 5p.m. Late Night Happy Hour-Every Night 9p.m.-close
dogs and bike. My pizza arrived and I it has a friendly and casual atmosphere, as any true Long Beach staple. Comfy booths and wooden, high table tops are separated for those in groups with friends meeting up for lunch and those seeking a more private dining experience. away from the enormous, silver fermenters
interesting selection of homebrews such as Snakebite, a cider-like brew, and Chocolate Brew, a pitch-black strong stout. They even
weekend better than me. even more unique tasting beer, solidifying its spot as one of the most unique brewpubs in
Story by Kealie Mardell Contributor Camdentown, London - A year in California was the start of a and breweries. Now back in England, I’m always on the lookout for a sense of the taste and atmosphere I fell in love with. I may have with its own British edge, in the BrewDog bar in Camden. This bar is London’s little brother to Scotland’s BrewDog brewery. Home of the British craft beer revolution, and provider of hardcore beers for punks, BrewDog has a distinctive attitude carried through in the delivery of its Camden bar. Whether you’re looking for nerdy craft beer paraphernalia, a taste of British brewing at its best, or a well-
with cheese, steak, avocado, tomato, cilantro and caramelized onions. Sipping my beer in between bites watching the sunset,
Story by Mario Lopez Travel Editor earned burger or hot dog after a day’s shopping in Camden Market— this is the place to be. Grab yourself a Punk IPA and soak up the sights and sounds of London with your fellow hopheads.
BrewDog Bar: 113 Bayham Street, Camden Town London, NW1 0AG Mon - Thurs 12p.m. - 11:30 p.m. Fri - Sat 12p.m. - 12p.m. Sun 12p.m.- 10:30p.m.
between 10p.m. and midnight and Movie nights on Mondays that I have yet to, and want to, attend. So if you are into this kind selection of tequila and Mescal drinks, from a bar in the heart of Highland Park, this is the place for you! Los Angeles, California - First thing I noticed entering La Cuevita (a.k.a Little Cave) was the intimate, low lighting that resembles a cave and the ‘80s music playing in the background. Second thing was their Mexican theme and the amount of bat portraits on one of their walls. Paired with a Scrimshaw Pilsner beer? I instantly fell in love. Even more so when I found out brought to you by the North East Groove Ensemble (NEGE). The bar also hosts live comedy on
La Cuevita: 5922 N. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, California 90042 Open daily: 5pm- 2am
Breaking the stereotypes surrounding majors
Going Against the Grain
FEATURE
9
Intro by Bailey Mount Photos by Sam Orihuela
People often accuse me of asking too many This tends to be the case with a lot of people. questions. I’m not saying that they’re wrong. People also accuse me—usually in the same personalities. I’m a nosy and argumentative person. Journalists are depicted as such. My own conjectures in arguments. Again, I’m not roommate is pragmatic and blunt at times. saying that they’re wrong. Psychology majors aren’t exactly known for In fact, a lot of the time they’re right. Yes, I sugarcoating things. ask a lot of questions. Yes, I have a damn near But we are not our major stereotypes. They unshakable habit of arranging words in the way I hipsters and all accounting majors are boring is journalism major. a gross generalization. It makes us feel that we But here’s the thing, I was like this way before must accept those generalizations in order to be I came to college. When I was seven years old, I in that major. was running my brother over with a bicycle and Well, we do not accept. We reject our telling my mother that he had just been in my stereotypes. We answer those commonly asked way because he was too busy crying to tell his questions with amusement and exasperation, side of the story. I was exasperating my peers because we’ve heard it all before. And we will by correcting their grammar. I was annoying my tell you what really happens when we choose our parents by questioning every decision they made majors. and why they made it. I was just born this way.
10
FEATURE
By Jack Villalba As an organismal biology major, or “scientific tree hugger,” I get stereotyped as being “snooty” or “stuck-up.” The stigma is attached to biology majors because we wear lab coats. We can tell you in great detail about the prezygotic and postzygotic barriers and how this leads to speciation. Knowing this doesn’t make me snooty. It may make me a tad bit cranky. I know this from the lack of sleep and can of Red Bull that I chugged at 5 a.m. My biology sass doesn’t come from a place of entitlement, it comes from anxiety. Now why do I have this anxiety, you may ask? I have a bio-calculus and biology exam that’s worth my entire future. Did I mention my 60-point chemistry homework on thermal dynamics due first thing Monday morning? How about a combined total of nine-hour labs I have throughout my week, each with their own separate material and exams?
Yeah, it’s a shit-ton of work and we are zombies half the time, but we are certainly not “stuckup.” We’re just exhausted and stressed. I’ll admit that we throw around our biology knowledge in a conversation or two. Let me explain. Bio majors studying and working hard is like a person buying a new car. When you get a new car, you don’t leave it in the garage, you take that shit out on the town. Not because “everyone is poor, so I drive my Mercedes,” but because you earned it. We do the same with our words. We are going to throw our big words around just because we are enjoying our hard work. We don’t do it to appear smarter or to belittle anyone, as our stereotype suggests. Talk to us and be sure to see everything on our faces when you do—including the dark circles and panic—but certainly not our noses in the air.
By Patrick Daniel Secretario
By Antonio Lavermon I have been an arts student for the past two years and I can definitely say that I have heard a multitude of opinions regarding the most common stereotypes. They usually revolve around the idea that being an art major or specializing in a related field is not really difficult. This has always concerned me. I find it especially intriguing, because I’m sure that if any of these people ever did anything artistic it, would be critiqued by quite a bit of people. There is a stereotype that film majors apparently share the same characteristic for being known as “creative, but stuckup.” It is not necessarily that we are “stuck-up.” Well, some of us may be, but it is more so that some of us already have specific reasons for wanting to go into our selected fields. Inherently, that makes us more inclined to be or seem proud.
I will say that there is a bit of truth to the stereotype that we are “know-it-alls.” Even as a member of the department, I can say that there have been so many situations in which I frown upon my peers’ ideals. However, it never has been because I thought they were clueless. Actually, I think it has much more to do with their reserved nature and unwilling attitude to broaden their horizons, which is quite dangerous for artists. Another big stereotype is associated with the stigma that being unsuccessful comes from being an art major in general, which I never really understood, because success is such a relative word in itself. If anything, all of these stereotypes are products of preconceived notions. Either way, they all have the same effect on me; they make me work harder.
When walking around campus and attending classes, meeting new people is a given. And when meeting new people, one of the more frequent questions is “what’s your major?” The more usual responses given are engineering, business, psychology, or undeclared. So when I tell people that I am a linguistics major, I end up with one of two reactions. They either give me a confused, blank look signaling that they do not know what linguistics is, or they ask more questions regarding my major. Regardless, when I inform them that linguistics is the scientific study of language, I end up on the receiving end of some of the biggest stereotypical questions about my major: “Do you just sit in a chair making sounds all day long doing nothing?” “How many languages can you speak?” I used to groan when asked these questions, simply because they misinterpret the whole field of my major. But now, I simply laugh it off, shrug, and tell them the truth. No, we do not sit in a chair making sounds all day long.
Really, some linguists actually do that, but this is true mainly for those working in the field of speech-language pathology. Even then, those working in that field are helping people with speaking disabilities, which is doing more than nothing. And, no, we do not necessarily study languages but language itself. Confusing, I know, but it took me a few classes to finally figure out the difference. Language is the systematic combination of sounds to produce meaningful words. Languages are a byproduct of this systematic combination created by the culture of an area in order to communicate with each other. In other words, language is science, but languages are culture. So, next time, please don’t ask a linguist about how many languages we know. Rather, ask us what language is, and we’ll more than likely be happy to share information as it pertains to our major. But— for the record—I know five languages.
FEATURE
11
By Catharina Chang “What am I thinking right now?” “Can you read my mind?” You are probably guilty of asking these questions to a psychology major. Conversely, psychology students have gotten these questions at least once throughout their college education. In some ways, it is true that psychologists are able to read one’s actions and facial expressions, then make a conclusion about how one is feeling based on the situation. But no, we cannot “read your mind” like a superpower ability we wish we had, and we definitely do not know what you are thinking about all the time. I am a psychology major and have heard these questions more than a few times, along with some other stereotypes that are associated with psychology majors. For example, there is more to a psychology major than just counseling and therapy sessions. True, some psychology majors end up counseling when they graduate. Anyone and everyone can receive counseling or therapy, ranging from athletes to married couples. Stress, depression and an unhappy life are only some of the factors that lead one to seek psychological counseling.
However, there are several other career options available to psychology students. There are psychology students who get into specific fields, such as business (industrial organizational psychology), clinical (psychiatrists), testing assessments (standardized scoring) and many more. People also falsely assume that psychology is an easy major and there is nothing you can do with your degree. Obtaining a psychology major is definitely not easy. There is a lot of research involved and, therefore, a handful of writing and critical thinking that is done through statistics class, research opportunities and thesis papers. Furthermore, there are numerous options available to us post-grad, from going straight into the work field to continuing higher education toward a research-centered career. Psychology is a fun major, but there are times where it gets too overwhelming and stressful, same as any other major. It is one of the many powerful majora that gives you a chance to change social norms and influence people’s lives. It’s a lot more than “reading minds.”
By Richard McEachin III I broadcast play-by-play for the Long Beach State University baseball team, compose music for a College Beat TV show, have sat on one of the Associated Students Inc.’s Board of Trustees, read Descartes on my down time, write about politics and social issues, and enjoy communicating with the various students I manage at KBeach Radio. When I speak to people and delve into the various extracurricular activities I partake in, I often get asked, “Are you a comm, music, or some other form of (liberal) arts major?” To their surprise, I always answer with a robust “NO.” In fact, I am a computer engineer with a minor in philosophy. The shock on people’s faces and the follow-up questions that I regularly encounter are nothing short of infuriating. As engineers, we often get put into a little box of stereotypes,
such as having no soft skills and being introverted geeks. I often look around in my classes and encounter individuals that actually fit the stereotypes of engineers, including the few I have listed. However, the people I see with these traits are not exclusively engineers. People all around campus are bad communicators and keep to themselves. So, why is it that we are the first major thought of when presented with the ideas of being introverted or living outside the mainstream? Just because we are proud nerds as we rave about our robots or processor designs does not mean we don’t live a social life like the rest of campus. After all, it’s not like we are accounting majors.
By Joel Martinez The main stereotype of an engineering student is that we are all academically inclined nerds fluent in science, technology and mathematics. There also comes with it the idea that we are overly technical by default. Apparently, we also have bad communication skills, despite being somehow “smarter” than the average student. And then, of course, there is the stereotype that engineering students are among a preciously small number of majors still capable of getting a wide range of full-time jobs, from working in small businesses to corporate construction conglomerates and government agencies. According to some top executives of companies like Siemens and Honda that I’ve been fortunate to talk to, engineering is actually like a color wheel. Mathematics, business, and ethics each comprise the equivalent of a primary color. This explains why students with liberal arts educations are starting to pick up popularity on the job market. They are better rounded. The engineering department, on the other hand, has had little progress in bridging that gap.
Thus, the real root of these engineering stereotypes is engineering students not focusing on a holistic program. Instead, they opt for subscribing to a state-mandated curriculum with anexcessive emphasis on the sciences. Additionally, a lot of the times, it’s not even that students are smart enough to pass their classes due to their knowledge of a subject like physics or calculus. Rather, they work together and cheat on everything from homework to midterms to small quizzes. Engineering students also have the stereotype of having bad communication skills because our curriculum strays so much from getting an education in any liberal arts topics, inhibiting our communicative development. And sure, this all may increase chances of getting employed straight out of college, but with the way things are going, we’ll only get employed in the technical “worker bee” engineering positions that are reserved for recent grads… bastards.
12
Lifestyle
Movie Theater Etiquette For All Please, bring your manners, not your commentary There are very few enjoyable things in life that are consistent as you cross into adulthood. Staying up late and watching TV is substituted with late night study sessions and minuscule sleep. Going outside and playing ball with a few buds turns into turning on the game and having a few “Buds.” The one universally experienced event that
Story by Richard Mejia Managing Editor
Illustration by Alaina Tinnirello Contributor
watch, watch, WATCH.” There are also people at the theatres that decide dinner and a movie can be had that same place, so they go all in at the concession stand and purchase an endless array of snacks. Now mind you, they might carry snacks and as they are maneuvering their way to their seats, an inadvertent slip-up might occur and a big bag of popcorn might fall on
the movie theater. In childhood, going to the movies was a special event where you got to eat the good
they patiently wait to watch Black Swan. Then there are my personal favorite
adolescence, you would beg your folks to let you catch midnight premiers of your favorite
about this movie” people. Look, I paid my
Harry Potter) and the wonders of the theatre consumed you and let your imagination run wild. Once you got up in age, movies became an almost automatic destination for dates, nominal fee.
trying to escape the harsh realities of life and dive into a world of talking dinosaurs and how fake you think it is or how awesome it idiotic clapping during scenes in which you exclusively think deserve it. No, take your ass home. There is not step-by-step process of how
varying in age and reasons for going to the movies, certain attitudes arise and behaviors First, you got your overly excited folks who are so stoked for the movie and for some reason, they become fully invested in the movie trailers and they CANNOT. STOP. TALKING. “Oh, that movie looks really
carefully get your snacks and watch the movie. Go ahead, laugh, cry, cheer, just be mindful that everyone else is there to have a
worst.
is the one I was telling you about, watch this,
The Human Sump Reduce, reuse, recyle your water with everyday tasks With the drought in California an ongoing, and less out of place to employ extreme conservation methods, so let me spearhead this with a page out of my book. For seven years of my life, I was a member of the Boy Scout Troop 660 in Cypress, California. Among the most important principles we followed as a scout were the seven Leave No Trace principles, which applied to everything from day hikes to summer camp expeditions. I had the fortune of attending a high adventure camp out in
Story by Joel Martinez Community Editor
debris left over from your last meal. Third, you can use this water for cooking whatever meal you are preparing for the
tactic to employ. Fourth, this process can be utilized before and/or after every meal. This will cut down
“...if something as crazy as this can inspire people to make improvements to their daily lives, that is already progress enough.”
for washing dishes, and it will also help you manage the water you use to prepare food, which can be just as important to limit. I understand that these methods were derived for high adventure backpacking, with the purpose of helping divert wildlife and conserve extremely limited resources of water, but if something as crazy as this can inspire people to make improvements
instructions carefully. First, only use one set of dishes. A cup, a plate, a set of silverware, stat. By cutting down the amount of kitchenware you use,
you just cooked or the last meal you ate from, 2013 as part of my Troop and then in summer
a method of water conservation that is
water consumption and sanitation. soap and water, use boiling water. By dipping your cup, plate, and silverware into the water, you are wholly disinfecting everything, even
progress enough. You can pat yourself on the back if there are leftovers, however, as this process is called “human sumping.” It may take a bit to get
Lifestyle
13
Virtues Of Going Vegan Your diet is vital to help end the drought With California’s drought only getting worse, most people are looking into ways to cut down on their water waste. From replacing lawns with drought resistant plants to implementing the “If it’s yellow leave it seems as though we are really trying. There is one aspect however, that hasn’t yet gained as much popularity. When looking at ways in which we can save water, many people don’t consider their diet. For that reason, I was so pleased to stumble upon the documentary Cowspiracy should watch it, the answer is yes). Of course while watching any documentary, you have to consider the possible biases that may come
along with using only one point of view. That being said, the documentary addresses very real facts about how incredibly harmful the production of animal products is to the environment. For instance, half of the 2,500 gallons of water used every day by each person in California is consumed by beef and dairy production. In addition, animal agriculture is the leading cause of species extinction, ocean dead zones, water pollution, and habitat destruction. If we don’t change the way that we consume food, the state of the planet will only get worse. To alleviate such issues, the documentary encourages opting for a plant-based diet. Does that mean that we all need to stop shaving, dye our hair purple and become 100
Story by Jaime Wright Contributor
percent vegan? No, but if you’re doing that, you go. I want to encourage progressively eating less animal products. I stopped eating easier, I then progressively cut down on other animal products. I try to emphasize to people that we don’t have to polarize carnivores and vegans. It’s easier to start consuming less animal products than some might imagine. Start by cutting down on beef consumption. At the very least, it is possible to switch beef for poultry, but keep in mind that the veggie option is going to be the most sustainable (and cruelty-free). Make easy switches from nonvegan processed goods to vegan ones. This can be as simple as trading Chips Ahoy! for Oreos (yes Oreos are vegan!), or
switching from regular mayonnaise to the Just Mayo brand. Start by looking at online lists of everyday food items that happen to be vegan. Venture into vegan restaurants like Native Foods or Veggie Grill, or try the vegan or vegetarian option at any restaurant. Try some vegan recipes online. Food bloggers like Minimalist Baker, PostPunk Kitchen, and Oh My Veggies all have awesome vegetarian possible to help the environment by changing dietary habits.
Tomato Your Way to A’s
Story by Taylor Caceres Contributor
Time yourself effectively to get the most out of studying While we’re in the midst of midterm season, I’d like to take a moment to present a potential solution for time management. For many people, including me, time management can be a problem, especially when it comes to sitting down and trying to get yourself to study. As a smartphone-fond generation, many of us have the urge to check
our Twitter or Facebook feed just “one more time.” There’s also the attention span issue, the feeling of being restless and jittery while studying. Here’s a life hack that might be of assistance: The Pomodoro Technique (Pomodoro means tomato in Italian, after the tomato-shaped timer that’s commonly in
Illustration by Paul La Point Graphics Illustrator
use). Developed by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s, the Pomodoro Technique is a simple
maybe you’re more comfortable working for
important tasks. The traditional outline is this: 1. Work on task for 25 minutes. This block of 25 minutes of work is called a ‘pomodoro.’
twenty minute break and want it to only be
minute break to do whatever you want. 3. Then, go back to step #1.
question. When it comes down to it, the most important thing is to have good study habits to survive these hectic exam seasons. If the Pomodoro Technique sounds like it might it a shot.
4. After you complete four pomodoros in a row, you can take a 15-to-20 minute break Pomodoro Suggestions forces you to focus for the duration of the pomodoro. It minimizes the temptation of procrastination. You know that those breaks are coming up and can busy yourself with the task at hand. I’ve only started using the Pomodoro Technique recently, but it has honestly done wonders for me. For example, while studying two subjects for their respective midterms, I completed 12 pomodoros in one day. That’s me feel prepared. In fact, I’m even writing this article using a pomodoro timer right now. However, keep in mind that the Pomodoro Technique isn’t for everyone. entirely possible that, for instance, you can work three hours without stopping and get everything done. The Pomodoro Technique
Pomodoro tomato-shape timer from pomodorotechnique.com • There are multiple free apps! For the Google Play Store for Android, there’s ClearFocus, Clockwork Tomato, Pomoroido, and Simple Pomodoro. For iPhone users, there’s Pomodrone, Flat Tomato, Pomotodo, and Pomodoro Time. • Websites like: http://tomato-timer. com/ and http://www.marinaratimer. com/. There are browser extensions Google Chrome; Simple Pomodoro and pomodoroFox for Firefox; or WasteNoTime for Safari. There are also options like Pomodairo (Adobe AIR app) or Tomighty (desktop app).
14
Travel
Shots Around the World Small tokens to remember her stay
In the wonderful words of LMAFO and Lil Jon, “Shots! Shots! Shots! Shots!” Traveling has always been a passion of mine and I try to travel as often as I can. I have been to the South and the East Coast of the United States, Hawaii, Europe, Costa Rica, and the list goes on and on. On my travels I always buy myself a little something to take back home; shot glasses. I have an entire storage box dedicated to my travel shot glasses. Hint: the reference to the popular song. I am not quite sure where my little tradition started. It had to have began on one of my trips while trying to decide what to pick for myself. I am a huge gift giver so I tend to think about others rather than myself. I was probably in some random gift shop that sells trinkets that say “Waikiki” or “New York City” on them. Since shot glasses are on the smaller side and easier to stow away in a suit case, I must have grabbed one. I used to only pick out plain shot glasses that would have just the city’s name on it, but then I started getting a little more creative. There is one in my collection that is from Texas, so naturally I had to get the one shaped like a cowboy boot. My shot glass from New York has the city skyline all around it and in the middle of the inside of the
shot glass it has a tiny yellow cab. I also have one from New Orleans that is the shape of a tiny Hurricane glass. Now, a Hurricane is a famous drink that was started in a bar called Pat O’Brien’s in the heart of the French Quarter, the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. The main saying in Costa Rica is “pura vida” which means pure life. The shot glass I got from there is made of wood. It happens to be one of my favorites because it is so unique. Ironically, I should note that I despise taking shots. The mere thought of having to take one disgusts me. Yet, somehow this is what I picked to get myself. It makes no sense, but it is something I have to do when I travel. And I am the person to forget to get one while out doing the tourist thing, then, as a last resort, go on to buy the most colorful and obnoxious one out of the airport gift shop. Even if that means I am paying twice the price. mugs to my list of things to treat myself with while on vacation. Before you know it, I will be traveling and my entire kitchen will be dishware from other cities and countries. Until then I will continue with my own little shot glass tradition and the occasional
Story by Lauren Hunter Staff Writer
Photos by Katie Cortez Editor in Chief
Postal Mementos If I had to pinpoint what sparked my interest in collecting travel mementos, it would all trace back to a text that read, “What’s your address?” I had been exchanging texts with a friend about his vacation in Hawaii, and asked why this three word question was interrupting our flowing conversation about island life. His response? “I’m sending you a postcard.” A week later, my eyes inspected every corner of the vintage inspired card with “Hawaii” written in bold red letters and girls in grass skirts presumably dancing to the sounds of Hula music. On the back were my friend’s scribbled messages about his snorkeling and hiking adventure, as well as a signature and date squeezed on the bottom of the card. Having grown so accustomed to messages in pixelated bubbles on a screen, reading through this mailed piece felt so much more personal. Regardless of the spelling mistakes and the sometimes illegible writing, there was a person on the other side who had taken time out of their trip in paradise to remind someone they still thought about those back home. Gradually, I began collecting postcards to compensate for the lack of photos of time spent in the places I’ve visited. Traveling is one of the few occasions when I’m not chained to my phone looking for an Instagram worthy moment. I allow myself to experience every new setting and talk to people I’ll likely never see again.
How one postcard began a collection
Antique stores have contributed to my collection as it has grown to encompass the words of strangers. The oldest card I own features the Flatiron Building in New York City with a faded message from a woman to her sister in 1916. I was drawn to the image of horse-drawn carriages that dominated the streets almost 100 years ago, as opposed to the taxis and double decker tour buses that plagued the area during my trip to New York last spring. On rare occasions, I send a postcard to a friend who needs a reminder they matter, and who will appreciate the gesture rather than throw it in the trash. Not only does it allow me to get personal, being present, and disconnecting from social media. Although my collection is expanding, I’m not quite sure of its future. A few cards decorate my walls, while others sit on a shelf waiting to be housed in a photo album. All I do know is that I’ve grown attached to them since I’ve assigned a certain memory to each one. Perhaps somewhere in the distant future, some other lucky person will dig through a pile of postcards at a shabby antique store and peek into my life. My only hope is that they too can make sense of my scribbled writing.
Story and photo by Sylvana Uribe Staff Writer
Travel
15
Not All Those Who Wander are Lost An inspirational boost to all travelers from Finland Story and photos by Jaime Wright Contributor For years my dream was to study abroad in college. When I finally got the chance
to start applying, I was given the choice of three countries that were the most suitable for my major: England, Ireland, and Finland. After contemplating, going back
and forth several times, I chose Finland. Given the fact that it is not a very popular
choice, I often get asked why I chose to go from Sunny California to a country that makes up part of the arctic circle. My answer is a bit complicated.
In fact, so much of my identity is wrapped up in Southern California: I surf, the closest I get to speaking another language is ordering tacos, and “cold” to me means 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Life in Finland, a place of mystery, and the unknown to me, seemed quite alien. The Finnish language is one of to learn, the winter months have only a few hours of sunlight, and I had only heard bad rumors about Finnish food. To frank, the thought of adapting to life in a Scandinavian country was a bit terrifying… and that is the reason why I chose to go. So is the takeaway from this to go study abroad in Finland? Well, not exactly. The thing that I want to emphasize is that you should do what scares you. Such as, seeing places you haven’t seen before, doing something that you’ve always wanted to do, and going out and meeting new people. sometimes? Well, yes. But you would be amazed at what you can accomplish. I have been in Finland for a little over a month now, and I have already gone through some pretty drastic changes. alone at a bus stop for three hours on a cold and rainy day. Without cellular service, internet, or another equally lost companion, I felt more alone than I ever have before. Then, something amazing happened. I realized that all I needed to do was to keep going. As cheesy as that sounds, there is a certain lack of comfort that goes along with moving to any new place, and the only thing that you can do is to push past it. After struggling to really good friends, I adapted to wearing more than one layer, and now, a day lost alone is just another adventure waiting to happen. Oh, and by the way, I love it here.
16 Athletics
El Niño Heats Up Warming ocean temperatures will allow surfers to “Shredthe-Gnar” this winter—Get Stoked! Words and photos by William Odis Martin Athletics Editor
Athletics
Aerial: Complex small-wave maneuver; both surfer and board launch into the air dropping back down into the same wave Axe/ Axed usually involving the wave’s lip impacting directly on a
Gnarly/Gnar: Could be good or bad. Usually surprising. Check context of sentence Grom/Grommet/Gremmie: Young surfer Goofy foot: forward
Right
foot
: Good for surf conditions Bail/Bailing: Ditching your board to save your ass
: Bad for surf conditions
Barrel: The space inside a breaking wave between the lip and face
Party Wave: A wave shared by numerous riders
Blown-out: A surf condition caused by strong onshore
: The power
on the wave faces and through the lineup usually creating spray Carve/Carving technique in which the surfer
: Classic surfer gang sign
sinking much or all of the rail of the surfboard during each turn; when a good surfer slices up a wave using his board like a large knife Cutback move used to change direction when streaking ahead of the curl of a wave with a powerful turn back towards the breaking part of the wave
Swell: Wind-generated waves that are usually from a storm far out to sea Tube Spit: The spray that comes out of a wave Wipe-out surfboard Pros of El Niño: Warmer Water; Increase in Swell energy due to hurricane
Dirty Lickings: Eating shit El Niño: A warming of the ocean surface. The North tracks shift further south
in California
Cons of El Niño: Gutters will be cleared into the ocean; Increase in sharks
17
18
Entertainment
How to Get Away with Murder Keeps Killing Me
Ant-Man
You’ll keep returning to the scene of the crime
Story by Andrew Linde Entertainment Editor Illustration by Galileo Gonzalez Contributor
Story by Jordan Daniels Contributor On the heels of her Emmy win, Viola Davis is already making me pray she wins the award next year. When How To Get Away With Murder Thursday, part of #TGIT, I found myself immediately glued to the television for an entire hour. Taking out the commercials where I tweeted my life out in regards to the chaos I was watching, I was sucked into the episode, like I have been every episode so haven’t seen HTGAWM yet, I suggest you clear your plans and spend this weekend The season premiere left me in a state of catatonia as the episode ending was a
drama as an entire season and can make you
“Who killed ____?” This premiere leaves us with, “Who shot ___?” It’s because of these
answer. The show follows a simple formula really, but it plays it up so well that we can’t help but become addicted like the show is our favorite dessert. This show isn’t like Orange is the New Black, or Transparent, where the words explicitly tackle social issues. This show subtly tackles issues through the characters’ actions. This isn’t the show that’s going to make you pause the TV and think, “Wow, that’s so relatable to what’s happening now,” but this show is exactly what we as an audience want. It hits all the buttons for us; gorgeous faces, believable yet exciting plot, intense situations that we feel emotionally invested in, love, sex and most importantly, murder. This show literally contains everything we complain that other shows lack, and then at the end of the episode, when you’re able to catch your breath and unglue yourself from your couch, you think about
the show’s commentary on social issues, racial biases, and sexual politics. Titled “It’s Time to Move On,” the premiere deals with the aftermath and scandals last season had on all the characters. Ironically this episode doesn’t help us move on at all. It just pulls back down into the “Sorry, I can’t go out on Thursdays” mode and we know we have to spend every week watching this enticing show, constantly yelling, “Tell us who did this so we can move on!” Fortunately for me, I have no issue locking myself away in my apartment and emotionally scarring myself for an hour every Thursday watching this treat. The only issue I do have is controlling my anxiety when the end of the next episode makes me a hysterical
In Theaters Now: Green Inferno Roth subjects his characters and audiences to torture Story by Bailey Mount Campus Editor
his role in Inglorious Basterds: He’s beating someone to death with a baseball bat. However, in Green Inferno, it’s the
social commentary at the audience faster than the main characters are shot with tranquilizer darts.
involved in a social activism group on her campus because its leader is an attractive guy. They plan a trip to the Amazon rainforest to stop a logging company from destroying parts of it and killing a native tribe that lives there. Their footage and their #SavetheAmazon tweet goes viral. Then their plane crashes, gratuitous ways, and the movie goes into a tailspin as cannibals butcher the survivors. What follows is almost like a ScoobyDoo plotline, something the characters even reference as they ram a bag of marijuana down a dead companion’s throat to get the cannibals stoned, allowing them to escape.
in torturous ways and making viewers uncomfortable. Which he did well in his Hostel brings to the table in Green Inferno is just a sloppy, misguided attempt of an homage to Green Inferno “exploits” the current trend of social justice and is an homage to 1980s Cannibal Holocaust. I’ve
do something. So, to illustrate that, his characters make the choice to physically go to the Amazon and stage a protest by physically chaining themselves to trees and physically doing something—wait. “slack-tivism,” he should have just had them tweet #SavetheAmazon on their campus lawn. And then a tree should have fallen on and maybe make me take him seriously as a director again.
seems exploited is the characters. diarrhea in a corner of the cage the cast is trapped in. After that character kills herself, another one is seen masturbating to “calm himself down.” And all of this is done onabout “slack-tivism?” In the hands of another director, Green Inferno
older cynical man believing that nothing
that takes a promising ironic premise and turns it into a simple case of cultural miscommunication where female characters are needlessly violated due to “tribal customs” that suspiciously don’t exist for the male characters. Spy Kids was dragged into this mess and said, “Oh my god, they have the munchies,” before stoned cannibals ate him alive. Maybe I should have watched Green Inferno
If you haven’t seen Ant-Man already, then you’re probably not a die-hard Marvel Studios fan. Maybe you even lost faith years ago, after the culmination of heroes that was The Avengers, you grew weary with the myriad sequels and tiresome third-act explosions. If so, then I think now is the perfect time for you to jump back in and get reaquainted with some of the most interesting heroes in the Marvel Universe.
Ant-Man is essentially Marvel’s version of just the right amount of goofy sensibility to play a man hardened by prison time, but not destroyed by it. Michael Douglas is revolutionary as Dr.
chatter and hilariously scattered storytelling,
her father because he won’t allow her to wear the Ant-Man suit which is perhaps a metacommentary on Marvel’s own reluctance to put a woman in a super suit. Even if you don’t care at all about Marvel Ant-Man to be a great comedy with fun nods to The Incredible Shrinking Man Movies on the House are hosted twice a month on Wednesday and Thursday. Each movie is screened for two days at 3:30 pm, Auditorium. All screenings are free for students and $5 for non-students. Snacks are available for purchase. Ant-Man will be shown Oct. 7 and 8. The next Movie on the House will be Minions on Oct. 21 and 22.
Music
19
Experiencing the True Colors Showgoers went to Zedd’s tour performance at Staples Center Story by Louven Reyes Contributor Anton Zaslavski—popularly known as “Zedd,” is one of the biggest names in electronic dance music, having collaborated with the likes of Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga. He produces music mainly in the electro house genre with tracks that are famous for their simple melodies, catchy choruses and classical nuances. During his earlier years, Zedd started music by learning the classical piano until he ironically transitioned into playing deathcore for the band Dioramic. He moved on from rock to electronic production after being inspired by Justice’s album “Cross.” In an interview with The Cleveland Scene, know how to do that. I didn’t know how to make kicks and snares sound that good. That’s what got me going and wanting to be better.” After this initial inspiration, he has since cultured a massive sound and has received wide success i n c l u d i n g being signed by Interscope R e c o r d s , obtaining a residency with Wynn, Las Vegas, and charting Billboard’s Top 100 with his song “Clarity.” He gave some insight on his
The Psychos are Coming Anticipating Insomniac’s next EDM experience Story by Cesar Cadenas Staff Writer Illustration by John Mueller Graphics Illustrator
experience with his album of the same name: time. It was all in my hands and I didn’t know how to do transitions right. It was about making an album which means you have to have songs that bring the energy down. There’s much more than only focusing on one song at a time. I really enjoyed it. When another one.” I recently had the pleasure of experiencing his vibrant performance during his True Colors Tour. The sold out show was packed to the brim in LA’s iconic Staples Center. As you can imagine, a sold out show in a venue as immense as this incites tons of energy. The crowd, comprised of young teenagers to middle-aged parents, enjoyed opening performances by Alex Metric, 3LAU, and surprise guest Steve Angello before Zedd lit up the stage. It was a wellrounded mix of fans of all age groups, backgrounds, and attire. Some were in business suits while others chose to rock out in stereotypical “rave fashion.” During his set, Zedd performed tracks including “Clarity,” his recent hit “Beautiful
People love Halloween. The theme of darkness and monsters excite a primal part in most of us. Parties have cropped up around cities, inviting scantily clad people to parade around and celebrate ghosts and goblins. But for some, parading in costumes isn’t enough and they demand more. Luckily, I’m here to tell you about “Escape.” Insomniac Event’s Escape is an electronic music festival held in Southern California during Halloween, and each year since its inception, it has had its own theme. The previous was “Escape From Wonderland”. The main stage was decorated to emulate an Alice in Wonderland theme. The main stage has the Cheshire Cat looking down at the jubilating audience with all-seeing eyes. The cat’s mischievous smile shows the DJ’s stage in the middle of its mouth. Around the cat were actors dressed up as various Alice in
Photos by Christian Bourdeau Contributor Now,” “I Want You To Know,” and his collaboration with Hayley Williams, “Stay The Night.” The performance was synced up with a massive interactive LED wall that projected visuals dancing to the music. Images and caricatures seemed to jump out of the screen and, in some instances, the screen itself seemed to transform into another dimension. Zedd closed out his show with an impressive exit that included hundreds of purple LED lights streaming from the top of the arena down to the hands of fans and a huge installment that spun pyrotechnics. In an interview with Houston Chronicle, Zedd talked about the image of his True Colors performance: “It’s not just a DJ show with a huge
production like you would see at a festival show. It’s actually a show where every single moment is thought through and looks spectacular and unique. We’re trying to see the big picture of making it a full experience and not just playing r a n d o m songs. It took us a good two years to get to a comfortable spot. I was very inspired by Michael Jackson: One in Las Vegas. It’s one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.” From the perfectly orchestrated tracks to the visual production that rivals large music festivals, Zedd’s True Colors show is top notch when it comes to live performances.
“The performance was synced up with a massive interactive LED wall that projected visuals dancing to the music.”
others were nondescript, faceless, characters prancing. Near the end of the performance, the Queen of Hearts appeared from behind the stage, peaking the night to a fantastical end. The whole music festival was a real trip. Everything felt like a dream. Giant mushrooms and strange foggy lights gave the outside areas a strange glow. Now, Escape is back under the new banner “Escape: Psycho Circus.” Various artists are headlining the event: Above & Beyond, Benny Benassi, BlasterJaxx, Moby, and Showtek. The many stages
Wonderland characters. Some were recognizable staples like the Mad Hatter, while
the dreamy environment and the music will pump festival lovers. Fans of EDM music (myself included) should rush to get their tickets before they sell out. There’s only about a month left before the festival starts on Oct. 30. Tickets start at $99.
Volume 77 Issue 7
Monday, October 5, 2015
LBUNION.COM
DISCLAIMER: Oh Mah Guawd: I am a hidden whirlwind but if you have a rope and strong arms to guide me then, maybe you might enjoy me. If you want to hang out with me you need to accompany me. I will be there to support you with my body This page is satire/parody and does not represent ASI nor the CSULB campus. Submit articlez to grunion@lbunion.com.
Obama Not Mad, Just Disappointed WASHINGTON D.C. - After giving a press conference offering condolences By Brock Lesnar to the victims of the mass shooting in Oregon (the 294th mass shooting in America in 2015), President Obama went back to the oval
office, put his head in his hands, and let out a deep sigh. “I don’t know why you keep doing this, America.” He says with an exasperated look on his face. “I’ve done my best to provide for you. I get you health care, I try and keep you safe, and you repay me by doing this shit again. I just don’t
understand. What have I done wrong?” The president got up from his chair and began pacing back in forth, deep in thought. “Time in and time out, you never learn your lesson. It seems like I have to give you this lecture every month! Why can’t you be more like your
siblings England and Australia?” “America, you know I love you, but things need to change. I’m not mad, just disappointed." "I want you to go to your room and think about what you’ve done.”
THIS WEEK IN SPORTS: BY STRETCH ARMSTRONG
MIKE VICKS STARTS; ALL DOGS REJOICE
BRADY FINALLY REVEALS WIENER SIZE
LBJ HAIRLINE TRADED BACK TO MIAMI
ROUSEY-MAY SET FOR 2020 BOUT ON MARS