A Dream Deferred by Union Weekly

A Dream Deferred

Documenting the struggles of AB 540 students November 10 Volume 75.12 lbunion.com

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Intro

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” The Tyra Banks Show audience Issue 75.12 Molly Shannon, Editor-in-Chief editorinchief@lbunion.com Alfred Pallarca, Managing Editor alfredp.union@gmail.com Connor O’Brien, Art Director connor.union@gmail.com Trevor Desrosiers, Advertisting Executive advertising@lbunion.com Eduardo Vargas, Distribution Manager distribution@lbunion.com

ART & DESIGN Rose Feduk, Illustration Editor rosef.union@gmail.com Abdallah Seoud, Assistant Art Director abdallah.seoud@gmail.com Michael Tewasart, Assistant Art Director tewasartm@live.com Truc Nguyen, Web Manager web@lbunion.com

By Molly Shannon

With Renee Schmiedeberg

Illustration by Rose Feduk

Dear Reader, It is really late as I write this. Real late. Like, past 10pm. We are fading, and quickly. Just a moment ago Alfralfa and I found ourselves

to refer to the point at which a level rests and pivots. But here at the Union Weekly, we are a little more sentimental. We use it to refer to the

writers

nose to the tip of their upper lip. way we use the word. For example, fading. We must not waste our precious time

EDITORIAL Heather Sandburg, Opinions Editor opinions@lbunion.com

Google images. Ever.

Crafty politicians use words and a silver tongue to sway a nation, and middle school tweens use them to insult nerds. It all depends on you.

yourself over at some point or another. Even the

Please use your words for good. Do not use

Veronica Craft, Community Editor community@lbunion.com Jacky Linares, Athletics Editor Elizabeth Nguyen, Athletics Editor athletics@lbunion.com

an interview with Jamie Kennedy or something. recognized standard of propriety, good taste,

Renee Schmiedeberg, Arts Editor arts@lbunion.com Katie Cortez, Entertainment Editor entertainment@lbunion.com

In a while crocodile, rests within them. For example, take the word

Molls

Sam Winchester, Music Editor music@lbunion.com Camille Hove, Lifestyle Editor lifestyle@lbunion.com Chrissy Bastian, Literature Editor literature@lbunion.com Alfred Pallarca, Travel Editor alfredp.union@gmail.com Beatriz Villa, Food Editor food@lbunion.com Gumby, Grunion Editor grunion@lbunion.com Michael Wood, Senior Editor mwood.union@gmail.com

COPY & ASSISTANT EDITORS Jonathan Gutierrez, Joel Martinez, Eric Reid Hamilton ADVERTISING SALES INTERN Jacqueline Simon STAFFERS & CONTRIBUTORS Indigo Vu, Michelangelo Landgrave, Mario Lopez, Liam Brown, Cody Stegemiller, Bronson Farr, Reid Elizabeth Atkins, Janet Juarez, Janna Jesson

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 claims of its advertisers. Grievance procedures are available

Opinions

Let Me Holla At Ya—NOT! Cat-calling doesn’t do anything positive, so please stop By Heather Sandburg

Graphic by Aballah Seoud

“Hey girl, where’s your smile?” A random guy observing me called out this sentence to me. I was looking down, checking my watch because surprise, surprise I was running late to class. What business he had to say, I’ll never know. But I knew how to respond: I smiled and walked up the stairs to the PH2 building without addressing him. I wasn’t looking for trouble, nor was I looking to socialize when I’m trying to get to class. It didn’t matter though; I was still called out over a smile. For the past week, cat-calling has been trending due to the CNN report of a PSA staring Hollaback volunteer Shoshanna Roberts. She was cat-called 108 times as she walked in New

spot to reject someone. Rejection, for some, spells out a death wish when it shouldn’t

a whistle, shout, or comment of a sexual nature to a woman passing by.” No matter

What cat-calling went on? None. Was it a parody of the experiment? You bet it was. This was deliberate, all to undermine what the original video had to say about it. New Zealand model Nicola Simpson recreated the video in Auckland to see what reactions she would receive. To her surprise, Simpson only had a total of two people talk to her, one asking for directions. Only a few men were caught doing double takes. Some use this as a way to say not all men catcall, but this is a societal issue. She didn’t get catcalled because she isn’t walking the streets of NYC, but rather Auckland. Something is wrong with society if parodies like those from Funny or Die pop up to make light of an issue. Furthermore, there is something wrong with our country’s society if a supermodel in New Zealand receives nothing but polite conversation when trying the same experiment that earned Roberts death and rape threats. The debates sparked by the PSA from Hollaback! shed light on another viewpoint.

someone should dress appropriately and act polite to unwanted calls unless they want to be labeled something or deal with possible consequences from unwanted strangers? What is wrong with this picture? The aftermath of the video explains what’s wrong with this picture. Since the initial report of the

“...Something is wrong with society if parodies like Funny or Die make light of an issue...”

ten hours, in a t-shirt and jeans, and heard whistles and catcalls as she walked. She ignored them, and some of the harassment escalated into unwarranted remarks along the lines of “You should acknowledge when some one calls you beautiful.” While the video itself is not an accurate representation of what truly goes on, Roberts’ video showed a disheartening problematic issue. Cat-calling is not really an unknown occurrence. Everyone on the gender spectrum has experienced some sort of heckling and cat-call based on appearance street. Sadly, it seems women tend to get the blunt end of the harassment. There is an ugly stigma over what to wear and how to act in society. So many believe that women provoke violence or rape based on how they dress, attention. After the issue of how to dress, it’s about how you act because no one likes a bitch, and no woman wants to be put on the

recreations of the video popped up on YouTube and sparked reactions. Funny or Die, on their YouTube channel, recreated the video to be 10 hours Walking in NYC as a Man and showed a white guy getting

Amanda Seales, and author Steve Santagati,

gathered to discuss the cat-calling PSA video (Search on YouTube: Catcall goes viral). What sparked from that discussion was Santagati “mansplaining” what cat-calling means to women. He stated that women should feel validated by the attention and Seales shut him down over his statements, but the discussion illustrated a running theme. People honestly think cat-calling is someone on the street and trying to start a conversation with someone. As Seales suggests ,if cat-calling is okay, then those who do it should accept the reply ,“Hey, we don’t like this.” Sadly, this is going to take Cat-calling is a tough issue to dissect because there are many factors covering what is going on at the front. Not everyone

cat-calls, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. What is being shouted isn’t always the problem; it’s the intention behind it. Many people, women or men, can get called out, or get holla’d at. It’s the response that gives the cat-caller an opening to talk or harass the recipient. So if the hello or statement is being ignored, there is a good chance that the person doesn’t want to talk or has something on their mind. Society needs to change, or people need to start realizing that not everyone wants to acknowledge what’s being said to them. Maybe this will catch on, I am not sure, but I do know this: if I’m worried about something and it shows, why the hell do I have to smile for you when you make a comment?

Opinions

Scholastic Open Borders Assembly Bill 540 opened the way for CSU improvement A little over 13 years ago, Assembly Bill 540 was signed into law. AB 540 has allowed undocumented students, and anyone else who attended a California high school, to attend public universities at in-state rates. AB 540 has allowed countless students to attend institutions of higher education who would have otherwise been unable to do so. Perhaps more importantly though AB 540 has made an important statement: one’s worth is not tied to birthplace. AB 540 was a great leap forward, but we should not content ourselves with it. We should seek to do away with out-of-state tuition rates altogether. If someone wishes to attend Cal State Long Beach, they should pay the same rate regardless of whether they were born in Iran or in Orange County. California is a land of migrants. 26.9 percent of Californians were born in another country, and a another study shows 17.1 percent of migrants

were born in a different state. Many of us aren’t Californians by birth, but by affirmative consent. We come in all types but we all share a common love for this golden state. By doing away with out-of-state tuition rates we would be upholding our ancestor’s tradition of welcoming migrants who wish to become Californian. There would be a cost to pay to get rid of out of state tuition rates—the general tuition rate would have to be increased for everyone to ensure funding neutral funding. This

increase would only be slight—only four to non-residents for tuition purposes. There are, of course, selfinterested reasons for supporting the elimination of outof-state tuition rates. During the admissions process, there is a strong incentive for out-of-state students to be accepted in order to maximize revenues. If two otherwise similar people apply for college admittance, the out-of-state student might

“...this policy change might help lower tuition rates by encouraging more students to attend...”

By Michelangelo Landgrave

very well be picked solely to increase revenues for the college. Eliminating outof-state tuition rates would also eliminate this incentive and thus allow domestic students a better chance to attend the college of their choice. In the long run this policy change might help lower tuition rates by encouraging more students to attend California schools and thus lowering per capita costs. Cal State Long Beach is one of the largest campuses in the system, but there are several campuses that could easily house more students. I, for one, favor expanding on AB 540 by eliminating out-of-state tuition rates altogether as a matter of principle, but I hope it is clear that there is also a pragmatic case to be made.

Serious Stressin’ Experiencing school while mentally ill By Indigo Vu Illustration by Rose Feduk School’s tough. We all know that. Between work, school, family, friends, and activities, it can get really hard to balance things and still have time to rest and take care of yourself. It’s College is inherently geared toward the able-bodied and neurotypical. It awards those who can study for hours at a time without breaks, even for food. Unfortunately, that is literally impossible for some people. Ever sit down to write an essay, only to crumple into a mess of tears and panicked breaths? Ever have to choose between going to class so you won’t fail participation and staying at home so you don’t start sobbing at school? Ever make the decision to go and feel

so terrible that you can’t focus in class? Ever stay home for a day or two and panic because you don’t feel like you deserve the break? Ever feel like school is literally killing you and if you go you will die and if you don’t you will kill yourself? That pretty much describes my education experience, and most professors do not understand. Sure, I’ve had a few here and there who sympathize and who let me know that my worth as a whole person is much more than a grade in a single class. But much more often I’ve had professors tell me I’m just making excuses or I’m just lazy. I’ve had a professor tell me verbatim, “You don’t look mentally ill.” I’ve been told I can’t be

mentally ill because of the high marks I get in school. health for academic achievement. An accommodation for my mental illness is not

unfairly favoring me; it’s allowing me access to a level playing ground. It’s letting me know that my health and safety are as valued by my school as my achievement.

Community

Getting the Party Started Upcoming events for this year’s Homecoming

By Bronson Farr

People will soon be gearing up in their black and yellow gear to show their Beach Pride at Homecoming on Saturday, November 15. This event draws in nearly 5,000 people from the CSULB community, and they’re all excited to see the 49er Men’s Basketball team big debut game at home. In order to get students hyped for this year’s Homecoming game, Associated Students, Inc. (ASI), the CSULB Alumni Association, and Long Beach State Athletics have come together to plan out a week’s worth of events. “This year’s Homecoming theme is ‘Life is a Highway’,” says ASI Programming Board member Ariane Nguyen, “It is a wonderful people united at this one event.” One of these events is a meet and greet, which will be happening on Monday, with our Homecoming court candidates. This is a chance for the campus community to learn more about the candidates for Homecoming King and Queen. There will also be student art galleries by the Fine Arts department, where students can display some of their work. Although there won’t be a Homecoming rally this year due to the 49ers having an away game against Brigham Young University in Utah, Nguyen says there will be a Homecoming Viewing Party at The Nugget on Friday. On Homecoming day, there will be a variety of activities for students to do. There will be a historical gallery where students can learn about over 60 years of 49er history, through yearbooks and other memorabilia. Food trucks like the Grilled Cheese Truck

and Mighty Boba will be attending to provide fans with some pre-game grub. And, last but not least, there will be student organizations participating in chariot races! Other attractions on Homecoming day tent, where students can learn more about the upcoming referendum vote in February 2015 and how it can possibly lead to renovations to the University Student Union. There will also be a patio for the “Declare” campaign campaign for the university. community, Nguyen stresses that there really is something for everyone at Homecoming. This also includes CSULB Alumni, who will be in attendance. Homecoming day also doubles as an open house for alumni, family, and friends. Visitors can view some of the well-known landmarks on campus like the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden and the Student

also get a chance to visit different science labs—the Shark Lab over in HSC1-116 where students learn about sharks, rays, and other game fish—or family and friends ECS-220, to learn more about how roller coasters are built. There are many more interactive labs that are open during Homecoming day, but fret not, there will free shuttle service running on Saturday so that you won’t tire yourself out before the big game at 4:05pm The stage is set, and the smell of excitement is in the air. Are you ready to show your Beach Pride at Homecoming this year? Saturday’s festivities will be hosted in Lot 13 right in front of the pyramid. For more information on the Homecoming activities happening throughout the week, log on to csulb.edu/alumni/homecoming/.

Students roar in applause during a previous homecoming event

Raging Red Bulls CSULB gladiators to compete in chariot race fast! Teams of three gladiators will battle

will determine the deserving champions of this event. Those who prevail will be properly

costumes and chariots, to gain victory over all those who have dared to enter the race. Competitors are challenged to build the winning chariot and work as a team to

Days in LA concert tickets and more. The race you won’t want to miss will Parking Lot 13, November 15, at 12:30pm.

uphold their rightful place on the winner’s platform. This is no ordinary race; in order to complete the course, chosen teams will need to assemble their own chariot, using only available resources and their own innovation. Creativity, team spirit, technical design and craft, and overall performance

of the most illustrious types of competition. In the midst of all the action, make sure to carry on your desired team’s legacy

By Cody Stegemiller

Athletics

Pigskin Predictions Best bets for this football season’s upcoming playoffs

By Trevor Desrosiers

We are less than two months away from the picture could look like. First, I will start with the American has had many surprises. As I currently write

spot is up for grabs and will most likely come As much as I would like to think that the Chargers will make it, I won’t be surprised

their star wide receiver and running back dealing with injuries, the Packers will claim the division lead. My NFC division winners

battled all season and have proven to be to play the way they have, there is no reason for any changes. However, the two wild card spots should prove to be interesting. As I

for reference). As the season progresses, there is sure to be some tight races and unexpected surprises. With that in mind,

Nick Foles for the season and have to rely However, I do see the Chiefs squeezing in

winning it all. In the end, there will be some exciting games and most of my predictions will prove to be wrong. Nonetheless, it’s fun to think your opinions are superior to everyone else’s. Place your bets.

Playing For the Same Team Robbie Manson brings progress for sports communities Recently, Robbie Manson, a New Zealand Olympian rower, has publicly come out as gay through an article he wrote for Outsports. His insight about being gay in the athletic community are viewed in sports. In his article, Robbie says he was afraid that if people found out he was gay, he wouldn’t be able to row anymore. Implied in this statement is that being gay would make people view him as less capable (and maybe less successful) of participating in a sport, and therefore warrant a departure from the team. He goes on to say that being

By Jonathan Gutierrez

Many sports journalists and other societal members believe members of the as their straight counterparts because they don’t necessarily display the stereotypical images for their assigned gender. A lot of times, sports harbor the disgust for the disgust of femininity, which can thereby be extended to the disgust of women. Misogyny always been there, but mainstream media issues and sexuality issues still perpetuate the heavily heterosexual male-dominated

why is that? of my analysis focused on sports in the male football player, went through the drafting he was released, and is now a free agent). both fanfare and backlash. Many people argued against having a gay football player, eliciting the common nay-saying responses like “He’s going to be distracted by guys in tight clothing,” and “He’s going to make people uncomfortable in the locker room.” hinted at Manson’s concerns is that “He won’t be able to perform as well as his straight counterparts.”

encounters this misogyny. For Manson, his teammates were accepting of him, leaving him happy and wondering why he was ever afraid. For others, a crippling fear of acceptance keeps them in the closet. For those people, Manson says, “it’s how hard you’re prepared to work for something and your talent that determines what you achieve, not your sexuality.” Perhaps the world of sports should use this quote as a guideline on how to treat people. New Zealand rower Robbie Manson works hard during a competition

Arts

From Paper to Skin An illustrator envisions her craft By Reid Elizabeth Atkins

I am a second year (sophomore) illustration major and I am interested in almost every form of art. I’d really love to get into more metal and ceramic work, but I will always love just drawing with a regular HB (hard black) pencil over everything. My parents always encouraged me to be creative and to express myself. Art just seemed to come naturally for me. Before I came to CSULB, I had been self-taught. Since I was able to draw, I haven’t put my pencil down. My process begins with a rough, light, pencil outline of my subject, accentuating where the highlights and shadows will be. Secondly, I block in the main shadow shapes and background (if there is one). Next, I will add the color or shading necessary to mostly complete the drawing. Lastly, I go back and things that are bothering me about the piece. Then I photograph it and either store it or give it away. I make art that makes me happy. My art comes from what I enjoy, or what I am interested in. Lately, the majority of my art consists of animals, plants, tattoo designs, and random quirky things. I try to draw every single day whether it’s a detailed and in-depth drawing, or just some quick sketches in between

classes. Even though the adage is overused, practice makes perfect is 100 percent true, especially when it comes to art. I plan on taking my art off of paper and onto the ultimate canvas—skin. My goal is to become a tattoo artist. I find tattoos to be the most fascinating media I’ve ever seen. Since I was seven years old watching Miami/LA Ink with my mom I knew I wanted to be a tattoo artist. I feel like my portfolio is ready and I’ve begun searching for an apprenticeship. I have already had two friends use my designs for a tattoo and have designed one of my own. My advice for other artists is to follow the “practice makes perfect” adage. That is the best advice I can give: draw something everyday. I have already improved so much in the past year from drawing every day. Also, embrace your mistakes. Even though taking a step back to see all the things wrong with your art can be extremely frustrating, the fact that you have even spotted places that could be improved shows that you’re getting better. Just don’t give up; anyone can create art. reid_elizabeth_ or on my StorEnvy store if you’d like to purchase prints/commission requests at Reidelizabethart.storenvy.com.

Reid’s illustration of an agile reptilian displays its prowess (top); the artist exhbits her keen eye for detail in a bird’s feathers (top left); perfectly around each other (bottom left); a six-eyed fox entangles gazes with its viewer (bottom middle); Reid showcases her ability for illustrating the phantasmagorical (bottom right)

Arts

Booking It By Janet Juarez My initial interest in the art of bookmaking arose from my need to learn new things. I started drawing back in high school with just graphite on paper. As time passed, I moved on to painting and a bit of sculpting. Once I started taking the foundation classes for my BFA in Interior Design here at CSULB, I found myself honing my drawing skills and, at the same time, discovering my creating things with my hands. These design classes were exposing me to a variety of materials. Aside from class, I was learning other things on my own. I found myself drawn to doing more three-dimensional work, predominantly making sculptural pieces by recycling materials such as cardboard, newspaper, cloth, and a variety of paper. I experimented with these materials for a while until I felt the need to move on. Then I set out to look for something new to test. I touched on a couple of other things until I discovered the art of bookmaking. There is an endless amount of possibilities when it comes to this art form. It has kept me interested for the last two years and allowed me to keep up with recycling the materials to create some of these pieces. The bookmaking process ranges from choosing the cover designs, binding stitches, spine

Within these categories, there lay a lot more possibilities. What color thread do I want to stitch with? Will my covers feature wood, metal, a textile, or a custom texture? What kind of wood? Do I want an open or closed spine? Should I close the spine with faux the book covers? What color do I want my paper to be? Do I want the paper’s edges to be crispy clean or worn out? These and many other questions come up every time I start designing a new set of books. I’ve had the privilege of working on a couple of book commissions, which have proved to be a lot of fun. This involves asking someone else all of these questions in order to create a unique book that I couldn’t have created on my own. One thing I’ve learned from making these commissions and working with my fellow Design classmates We can learn so many things on our own but it can be refreshing to pick at someone else’s brain. Collaborating with others, no matter what kind of education they’ve had, is something that I look forward to whether it is creating books or some other art form I will later discover. You can find Janet’s art (on sale) at www.etsy.com/people/janet358.

The Hobbit

FEATURE

A Dream Deferred Documenting the struggles of AB 540 students By Alfred Pallarca Cover Image by Connor O’Brien

Eva Morelos starts her Fridays waking up at 6:30 in the morning to work as a college aide at Millikan High School from eight in the morning, until two in the afternoon. As soon as she arrives home, her work continues as she prepares to help her mother make tamales by shredding copious amounts of meat by hand. The process of shredding chicken and pork meat takes Eva more than

Just like Eva, Maria Lopez, a Chicano & Latino Studies major, has worked three jobs in order to attend college and help support her family. Although DACA, which is short for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, enables undocumented children, who were brought to the US before the age of 16, to acquire a work permit;

permit needs to be renewed every two years and can time and energy to prepare food for herself, her younger set someone back at least 500 dollars. “This semester, siblings, and her parents. With Eva’s help, her mother the process of DACA renewals came out,” said Maria. is able to make 500 tamales in one weekend to sell for a third job. Maria endured a graveyard shift working While it is typical for many college students to utilize the weekends to perform leisure activities and spend some time out on the town, Eva, who is majoring in Human Development and Sociology with a minor in Spanish, helps around the house and catches up on some homework and reading, if she has time. For her, having a night of friendly socializing with her peers is not an option, as her responsibilities and work are not finished and simply must continue onto the next day. She wakes up at six in the morning on Saturdays and Sundays to help her family sell tamales and clean up afterward. For several undocumented students like Eva, juggling such a strenuous schedule, while being a full time student, is nothing out of the ordinary. With their circumstances, undocumented students have to undergo extreme challenges just to acquire a degree in higher education and continue living a decent life in the United States.

school, for a month to save up money to renew her work permit. “After that, I piled up the money but my work for school also piled up,” she said. “I was unable to handle it. I had to drop one of the core classes for my minor. In the end, I ended up having to give up the minor.” Although Maria is about to graduate and receive her bachelor’s degree, her journey getting to where she is now was not a paved road. She first learned about her legal status when it was time for her to apply for college in high school. “I was in AVID (Advance Via Individual Determination),” she said. “We had to apply for college; it was one of the projects we had to do for the class.” Organically, the question of citizenship came up with her application. She told her teacher she was unsure what to put for her citizenship. Her teacher pulled her out of the classroom and called her parents to figure it out. “I asked my mom and said, ‘I need our documents to file for college,’” said Maria. “She said, ‘No, we don’t

FEATURE

have papers and you don’t have papers either.’ That’s this process of deportation disrupts my family or how how I found out I was undocumented.” it emotionally breaks me, she asked me what it means to be undocumented,” she said. “I had to spend an hour Instead of simply applying for college, Maria had explaining to her what it meant to be undocumented and what it was like to be undocumented.” Maria feels that students. With the help from various faculty members in the resources available for students at the university her school, she found out information on the topic, and are not necessarily undocumented-friendly. “I got out she was able to get sponsors for her application fees. She of there absolutely irritated people didn’t realize that also allocated about 3,000 dollars worth of scholarships undocumented lives matter,” she said. “We live in the to help her pay for tuition. Even with the Assembly Bill circumstances everybody else ignores.” The issue of depression and identity are among some of the emotional factors that countless undocumented students might face throughout their lives. At the age of 15, Liliana Rios, a Chicano & Latino Studies and Human Development double major, faced discrimination regarding her legal status in the country. She was dating her ex-boyfriend whose mother is also undocumented. “She didn’t like me,” said Liliana. “She didn’t want her son to be with someone who didn’t have papers. She thought I was going to use him to get papers. And I’m like, we were 15. We are not gonna get married. She hated me so much.” The idea as to why someone experiencing the same circumstances could treat her in such a way did not make sense to Liliana. “I couldn’t really understand why she would be like that,” she said. “So much hate

“However, the Federal Dream Act didn’t pass in 2010; I had to rearrange my dreams once again ... ” 540, passed in 2002, which gave undocumented students the right to pay in-state tuition, Maria could not attend a university as she had intended. The scholarship money she had amassed was not enough to pay for all the expenses she would need. “I went to Long Beach City College for four years,” said Maria. “I went there and planned on getting my associate’s. However, the Federal Dream Act didn’t pass in 2010; I had to rearrange my dreams once again because I didn’t know how I was going to pay.” Maria stayed another year at LBCC to graduated spring of 2013.

me a lot; after this I became depressed. I went through a As she entered CSULB, the struggles acquiring her depression phase.” degree did not end. “My first semester here was a culture shock for me,” said Maria. “During that semester my brother got deported. My mom “She didn’t want her son to be with didn’t know how to handle it. I have two younger someone who didn’t have papers. siblings. While she had to handle my brother’s situation; I had to handle my siblings. Once again, She thought I was going to use him it was either family or school; there is no vote in to get papers.” it. It’s mandatory. That’s why my first semester here was probably the hardest.” The emotional toll of her brother being deported took a lot out of Maria, on campus only brought back issues of discrimination. and her family. She had to file an incomplete for a After two months of living with her roommate, Liliana class. To date she has still not completed the course. decided to share with her the information about her She has until December of this year to finish a paper for the class or risk an untimely graduation. her roommate. However, from that moment on, her roommate completely changed her attitude towards Amidst all these, Maria decided to consult a Liliana. “We were both in the room one night, around psychologist from the Counseling and Psychological six or seven,” said Liliana. “We had the lights on. She Services regarding her situation. Unfortunately, Maria felt that the counseling did not help her like I wasn’t there.” This scenario is just one among circumstances at all. “Instead of her asking me how several of the microaggressions she experienced

FEATURE

from her roommate. Although she wanted to resort to violence at some point, Liliana restricted herself as

Finally, Eva sought out help from her counselor, and that was when she was informed about the support group have improved anything. “I really wanted to grab her by for AB 540 students on campus. She went on a winter the hair,” admitted Liliana. “But I told myself to calm retreat with the Future Underrepresented Educated down. It would be worse for me. I use that experience Leaders or (FUEL) at CSULB. It was then within the group of people going through the same circumstances, is.” Liliana tried reporting the incident, however she Eva found a sense of community. “Other students, did not get the help she needed. She endured sharing a who attended the event, were in their last years and room with this roommate for an entire school year. had done it,” she said. “I decided I was undocumented and should not be afraid. I started doing a lot of Unlike Liliana or Maria’s story, Eva has never work in educating the community they could go to encountered discrimination of any sort regarding her college.” Seeing other people who have gone through status or has come close to the issue of deportation. what she has gone through inspired to help others. Currently Eva is “She thought she was prepared to handle the her in her final year at CSULB, heavily workload of a university student while helping involved in ASI as the Secretary for her mom’s business, but she wasn’t. “For the AB 540 and Undocumented Students. She also works with FUEL to help out other undocumented students get the proper resources they need. However, she has struggled with her identity at one point. “I was ashamed and hated the fact that I wasn’t Despite the tribulations that comes along with her legal status, Liliana certainly thinks her situation has aid. I had it covered through scholarships, but I didn’t helped her shape the student and the person she is know what to do for the next three or four years. I went today. “I always felt like I didn’t have the childhood through some form of depression, because I didn’t that other people had,” she said. “I had to mature very know what I was going to do.” She said her legal quickly. I had to learn things people my age didn’t learn status has held her back from performing her fullest. until later, such as having responsibilities. I always Eva said that the first year of college was the most had to take care of my siblings when my mom wasn’t challenging for her. She thought she was prepared there.” Instead of the typical partying on a Friday or to handle the workload of a university student while Saturday night, Liliana is busy catching up on school helping her mom’s business, but she wasn’t. “For the work. “I see on SnapChat that people are partying and first three years, I felt like a complete failure,” she drinking,” she said. “I just say to myself like, ‘What are said. “I graduated high school with a 3.9 and after one you doing with yourself?’ A lot of people here, that’s semester of college, I received a 3.15. I didn’t seek out all they think about. And it’s frustrating because I am help because I didn’t know anyone.” here struggling.” Along with being a full time student, she is also involved in several organizations on campus, Even though Eva and her parents are working hard as well as working as a Senator at Large in ASI. “I am to put her through university, the issue of funding her involved in things that I would normally not be involved education never leaves her mind. Being the eldest of in if I weren’t undocumented,” she said. “I am involved in things because of my status.” Though her situation her siblings will soon enter a university. However, her legal status had made it hard for her to get a job aside from helping her mom with her tamale business. “The fact that I was dependent on my parents, and I was 18 made it tough for me,” she said. “I should have been able to get a job like other kids my age. But I couldn’t risk getting a fake social security card at the risk of getting checked. That was the hardest part, because I was one of

With her education, Liliana hopes to not only help those students who will be coming after her, but also US. “We have a lot of responsibility to better not just ourselves, but those who are around us,” she said. “I feel that it is a big responsibility. You are not only trying to

FEATURE

better yourself, but you are also trying to help others.” Maria agrees educating people is an important aspect of bettering the situation for several undocumented people. She explained that the usage of the term ‘illegal’ is probably the worst thing you can directly say to a person coming from such circumstances. “An action could be called illegal,” said Maria “The action is illegal but the human is not. I don’t get why people would label other people like that.” Eva added that the term or calling a person ‘illegal’ is simply dehumanizing. Maria emphasized that with their status comes a certain responsibility. “You have to be political if you are undocumented,” she said. “It is not realistic if you are not. Why? Because legislation impacts you the most.” She said that knowing your rights as an undocumented person is important, because it will simply protect you from being abused or treated unfairly. With everything in consideration, Liliana’s biggest fear for herself is that she feels her future is sometimes not in her hands. She said that the things she takes advantage of now such as DACA, AB 540, or the California Dream Act could potentially not exist one day. “I’ve struggled so much,” she said. “And it could be taken away any day. My mom too, she could be taken away any day. That’s my main fear—that everything I’ve done is pointless.” For Maria, she knows that one day she would want to enter law school no matter what it takes. However, her future or career is not her biggest

seems like it has slowed down in recent years. “An immediate thing that needs to be changed is stopping deportation of families because there are many families being separated,” she said. With the emphasis on family that the US culture seems to promote, Eva thinks it is contradicting that undocumented families are being torn apart. “The second thing I wish would happen and I hope happens is some kind of comprehensive immigration reform,” she said. “If not extending need that protection from deportation. They need that security of working because if you think about it, a lot of these families have been here for more than two decades or longer.” With a resource center for AB 540 students at CSULB on the works, Eva hopes for prospective undocumented students to receive an even better help that she has “There is not one place a student can be directed to for their questions,” said Eva. “If you don’t have that resource center, when you have a professor directing a student somewhere that needs help, they might be

Eva said that a resource center will provide students a safe place and give them the proper answer for their questions. It will be a place for them where they can express themselves without having to explain their circumstances. “Along with that, I’m hoping the “With the emphasis on family that the resource center can provide additional services as pro bono lawyers or something where US culture seems to promote, Eva thinks such those added questions can be answered in some it is contradicting that undocumented way,” said Eva. Liliana added that a resource center with a properly trained coordinator would families are being torn apart.” make things certainly easier to the already hard concern at the moment. “It does hurt that my future is life that undocumented students have. Certainly, with in the hands of someone else and that they can use it to big steps forward, Maria wants to remind people that the way they want it to,” said Maria. “But my family is the biggest thing for me. The idea that my mom who is far from ending. “I feel like undocumented students undocumented can go to work one day, and I won’t see are on a move,” said Maria. “However, I won’t say that her the next, worries me beyond any other thing. I can much ground has been covered because there is still think about death and that still doesn’t worry me more a long, long way to go. I also don’t want to say that than my mom being deported.” The pain of her brother what we have covered is little, because coming out of being deported and breaking the unity of their family the shadows is a big thing. For Maria, implementing a has devastated Maria and her whole family. A similar scenario happening once again will be mortifying have to continue,” she said. “It’s not over. We are still beyond belief for Maria. not being fully protected. My mom is not protected. It’s not over until my mom’s mom is protected and until Eva thinks that the movement for undocumented everybody is protected.” people’s rights needs to gain momentum again as it

Music

Don’t Judge Me! The Union staff shares their guiltiest musical pleasures Taylor Swift Aside from her Teardrops On My Guitar phase, Taylor Swift has easily risen to one of my favorite artists in the last few years. No, it’s not because I enjoy listening to her whine about past boyfriends or because I’m addicted to poppy beats and catchy lyrics. T-Swift is more than all that. If you actually that a majority of them are relatable to almost all people in their twenties—especially the songs on her newest album, 1989. I’ve been waiting for her newest album, “1989” since her summer single “Shake It everything you own that I was at Target on Monday,October27,buyingthedeluxeedition. The album opens up with “Welcome to New York,” which, admittedly, isn’t one of my favorites. But the up-beat sounds mixed with lyrics like “Everybody here wanted something more/Searching for a sound we hadn’t heard before,” hint that she’s not just talking about her big move to New York City. This song can apply to anyone who’s moved to a new place that they’re not used to—someone trying to start over. Tracks 2, 3, 8, and 11 all have similar themes of falling for the wrong person, knowing they’re the wrong person, and going for it anyway. I don’t know about you,

Nick Jonas In case you don’t know who he is, Nick Jonas is a former member of The Jonas Brothers, a now defunct band that started from the Disney channel. He’s now starting a solo career. Nick Jonas has emerged as one of my biggest guilty pleasures (and no not just because of those half naked Flaunt magazine pictures, but they certainty did no harm). “Chains,” I didn’t really like it. It sounded like just another EDM infused song that a label launches hoping to gain traction. His other songs, however, have got me hooked. Sometimes I’m in the library listening to his songs like “Jealous,” but I never want anyone to know. The song features a disco-pop feel that showcases Jonas’ impressive vocals. I bop my head to the beat, but decrease the lighting on my laptop so no one sees what I’m dancing to. I always feel a little embarrassed because he’s a former Disney star who is following the whole “I’m an adult now, watch me do adult things like show my body and say curse words.” In fact, the remix of

By Jonathan Gutierrez “Jealous” features Jonas uttering the f-word and cheesy sexual phrases like “Everyone wants your sex” to Tinashe. His latest song, “Teacher” features a cheesy “Your mom never taught you how to love so let me teach ya” followed by the most cliché synth pop solo combined with a little bass guitar. But I am ALL ABOUT IT. I continually strut down campus to both songs, imitating Nicki Minaj dance moves between classes. I’m always blasting his song, “Numb” featuring up and coming rapper Angel Haze. The song is for, lack of better words, on point. his vocals and Haze’s verse is impeccable. I don’t know why the radio’s haven’t started playing this song; instead, they are stuck with “Jealous.” I mean, I don’t mind. I turn my radio up and just pretend no one is watching. You know what, I’m proud to call him a guilty pleasure. Nick Jonas’ self-titled album is out this week, and you bet I’m going to be blasting it; you should too. If you see my dancing around campus, feel free to join in.

Illustrations by Rose Feduk

By Katie Cortez but lyrics like “Oh my God, look at that face/ You look like my next mistake/Love’s a game, want to play?” from track 2, “Blank Space” dating department. One of my personal favorites, track 8, “Wildest Dreams,” has kind of a dual meaning. It kind of goes handin-hand with the going for the wrong person theme, but it also seems to be talking about a one-night stand with lyrics like “You see me in hindsight/Tangled up with you all night/ Burnin’ it down.” Whoa there, Tay-Tay— you’re getting all scandalous on me now. Track 15, “New Romantics,” is an extra track thrown onto the deluxe edition that discusses modern twenty-something relationships. The song opens up with “We’re all bored/ We’re all so tired of everything.../We show mine is better,” and it’s kind of true. People always talk about how easily we get bored with one person and move on to the next. Her whole album’s introduces themes that T-Swizzle hasn’t really gotten into before. There are still “My ex is an ass so I’m going to write a song about him” type songs, like my least favorite “Out of the Woods,” but overall I’d have to say that this might be my favorite Taylor album. I strongly recommend picking it up.

Entertainment

Memento

Beyond Space and Time Interstellar solves the abstract concept of time in three hours

By Katie Cortez

In typical Christopher Nolan fashion, his Interstellar, wows audiences with visually fantastic cinematography and

about space that makes you think more about

with hypothetical theories of relativity that really into quantum physics. directing a movie about space, I was a little Inception was a philosophical nightmare with is one of my biggest fears.

Although

Interstellar

includes

the

space and time, it also illustrates the importance of family and the environment. Matthew McConaughey stars as Cooper, an Without spoiling too much of the plot, the world is ending and Cooper, along with Dr. Brand (played by Anne Hathaway) two other scientists, and two robots named Tars and Case, go on a journey through a worm-hole

eerie silence of space and visual planetary imagry work together to create the same Gravity used to captivate audiences, but instead of almost solely Interstellar captivates audiences with their conviction. Surprise characters, played by Casey

the people of planet Earth can re-locate and survive.

Jessica Chastain, bring their A-game to the screen once again. Naturally, Chastain and McConaughey steal the show, playing a daughter on Earth and father in space, proving that the two are really talented at what they do.

are actually in space, audiences will be on the edge of their seats until the very end. The

Gravity, directed by Alfonso Cuaron, Interstellar space movie into something much more

The

Interstellar does a good job of balancing cinematography, abstract concepts, and

since Memento in 2000.

Dark Knight Rises step his game up—and he delivered.

frozen, silent space, were I to get trapped outside of a rocket. Aside from having one of the most

Theory of Relativity, worm holes, or black holes work, Interstellar is worth watching.

Crossing to the Dark Side

By Liam Brown

Jake Gyllenhaal is deliciously sleazy in Nightcrawler

Illustration by Rose Feduk

Leave it to a man who said that his version of Superman would be in treatment for “psychological trauma” to create one of the most satisfyingly dark thrillers of the fall. Nightcrawler writer-director Dan Gilroy weekend when he described the failed contributed one of many script rewrites. Since then, Gilroy, who most notably shared writing credits with brother Tony on the Matt Damon-less The Bourne Legacy, has

of Steel on the big screen, we can, and should, set our sights on Nightcrawler. The movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a driven young man who makes his way into the gritty world of L.A. crime journalism. Gyllenhaal is currently in the middle of a fascinating career-correction that began after the poorly-received Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time adaptation. He has switched over to darker material like Prisoners and Enemy. Gyllenhaal perfectly portrays eager journalist Lou Bloom to be just on the edge of crazy.

When he gets his foot in the door at a local news station, and KTLA 5 stand-in, KWLA

Serving as both a full-tilt thriller and a blood

about his encyclopedic knowledge of his superior, Nina Romina, played by Rene Russo.

lust,

Nightcrawler

performance alone. Too bad it probably

one unsure whether we should buy into what personal gain, lurks a true scary story. Gone Girl and Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler for being constantly beguiling, but in this case, Gyllenhaal wins.

Literature

A New Thor in Asgard A woman now wields the hammer By Mario Lopez

So as you may or may not have heard, there is a new Thor in town. A Lady Thor! As in, a human being with two X-chromosomes. Marvel slapped us right in the face, and abruptly changed the sex of Thor in the new revamped Thor #1, written by Jason Aaron with Russell Dauterman and Matthew Wilson holding down the art. Now don’t panic. I know there are many fanboys out there freaking out about this; it will be all right. Man Thor is still around in the comics brooding because of his unworthiness to wield the hammer, Mjolnir. This does not mean that Chris Hemsworth’s tasteful sideboob (pictured below) will be replaced by a woman’s in the upcoming Avengers: Age of

and ethnicities included) in comics. There should be more comics like She-Hulk where we get a sense of what she does when she is not saving lives, and just being a lawyer. We need comics with women who actually have a story worth telling that does not depict them running around in unrealistic skintight suits or being the beautiful woman behind a great superhero (also see Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Black Widow). That being said, I also believe that it shouldn’t be done just for the fuck of it. To get back to the issue at hand, Thor #1 leaves us with one big question, “Who is this new Lady Thor?” We do not see her until the last page of the comic that is predominantly focused on the males. The only part where we have a female speaking is when the All-father Odin is being an ungrateful dick-head towards his wife, All-Mother has passed. Asgard will be again as it was for centuries—with Odin alone above all. It is time you remembered your place in that world, Freyja.” She responds, as she looks at the mighty hammer, “Yes, perhaps it is.” This leads me to believe that Freyja may be the mysterious Lady Thor, or at least have a hand in the new worthy warrior. Although the issue leaves more questions

Ultron Well, you might be thinking to yourself, “Why should I care about Thor being a woman anyways? It’s just comics.” Wrong! It is not just comics. They are a part of our culture, and I am noticing that more and more people are beginning to gain an interest in them. I am a strong believer that we need more women

issue. For some Thor background context I recommend, although not necessary, that you read Jason Aaron’s and Esad Ribic’s 25 issue run of Thor: God of Thunder to get an idea of what has been happening with Thor. The only memorable moment in the issue Lady Thor looking badass with one arm raised, holding the mighty hammer, Mjolnir emitting lightning. Very, very frightening! This is a solid issue that sets up a few interesting stories to come. It seems

that Malekith, now the king of the elves has gone to an underwater facility run by the corporation in the Marvel universe, to search for something that the Frost Giants want. Thor tries to stop them, but in the attempt is defeated by Malekith. He has formed a pact with the Frost Giants and I am interested in how that will shape up and what the two Thors will do about it. Will Man Thor regain his worthiness? Will Odin’s unwillingness to see the value in women be his demise? Will it even be addressed? What is Malekith up to? What’s Roxxon got to do with it? These are all answers that I hope are answered in the coming issues. My overall rating is a six. The issue is good, but not great. I rate the art of the comic an eight and a half, only after seeing the great Esad Ribic’s work in the previous run of issues. The art was clean and I was never confused on where to look. It also worked well with the not memorable, but it did give us a bad-ass looking Lady Thor. It was not compelling, yet it does set up for some cool things down the road to explore. So store up on your mead or ale, and prepare yourself for what seems to be an interesting ride.

Lifestyle

Fit Life By Cole Hughey Advice By “The Giraffe”

Graphic by Abdallah Seoud

How do you keep a relationship “alive?”

What’s the best way to get to know the cute guy in my English class?

Thanks, Bone Daddy Was it ever dying? Why are you killing it? Maybe you shouldn’t be in a relationship that’s already starting to die. If you really want to save it, I would say make sure you shave a leg or two on special occasions and buy them candy and shit. I dunno; I’ve only been in three relationships, two of them legit. And guess what? They’re both dead— the relationships, not the people I was with. Relationships die; plants die. We all die, so don’t worry about it, kiddo. How do you deal with the guilt of cheating on someone? Help, Guilty Pleasure I’ve never cheated on someone because I have a soul. But, uh, this one is pretty obvious: hide it deep, deep inside the caverns of your adulterous mind. It’s called suppression, fools. Look it up. Is it bad to break up over text? Truly, Insta Love Obviously not. People in the military used to break up over morse code. I think. Texting is basically the same. Just make sure you block their number after, so you don’t have to deal with the annoying, backlash-y responses that involve you being called a coward for not confronting them and other boring sentiments.

I found this person I really have a lot in common with on Facebook, should I message them and try to get to know them? Save me, Cyber Chase It depends. Do you want to look like a stalker/ potential serial killer? If yes, seek counseling request them. Like all of their cover photos.

From, Lustful

his neck. Or say something random and entirely confusing, so he looks at you like you’re a lunatic, and you have to explain yourself. It’s a great conversation starter. Be like, “It’s raining hot cheetos and peanut M&M’s outside.” He’ll be all, “huh?” If that doesn’t work, you can always compliment him or her or zhe, like, “Oh, I really liked your interpretation of the poop in Gulliver’s Travels. If they don’t hand out their digits in 12 seconds, then I will personally buy you a piece of pizza at the Nugget Express, and then promptly eat it in front of you. I’m afraid of talking to people about what’s bothering me. How can I overcome this? Sincerely, Scaredy Cat

If there is anything that’s important to exercise, it’s your stomach. You use your core (your body minus your Should I tell guys before I enter a relationship with them that I have a sugar daddy? Cordially, Sugar Baby Why would you want to ruin a perfectly average potential relationship with your seedy confession that you’re a sugar baby? Keep that shit on the DL. Haven’t you heard ignorance is BLISS? Bliss. That’s pure happiness you could provide for someone nice things here and there with that extra income (if they ask questions, be as vague textbooks because you earned that, babe. I’m bored in bed, but I don’t want to be alone. What do I do? SOS, Young and Restless If that person is unwilling to do anything don’t have time for mediocre sex! Maybe

at yourself in the mirror, and say it out loud: “I am a wuss!” Then, do a 180 degree turn, like with your actual body, look back in that mirror, and be like, “I’m a warrior!” Because you are a goddamn warrior, and you’re allowed to share your feelings. Just make sure you say, “I feel hurt by what you said” instead of “You are a total dick for saying that.” When is the right time to have sex? Pleading, Naked and Afraid I would say mornings are the right time to have sex. Everyone likes good morning sex. Or did you mean the right time to start having sex with someone? Do it when you’re sure you like them, and you trust them enough to know they won’t leave your apartment the next morning without saying goodbye. If my mom, Cathleen, is reading this, you should wait until marriage. Always.

is the worst. Buy a toy. Touch yourself. Don’t return their calls cause you’ve dumped that shit like a hot potato.

and neither of us will admit we’re wrong. What do I do? Aid me, Stubborn As a Mule Well, if you want to stay together, you have to admit fault always. If you want to get out of this relationship, say nothing. Give them the presence. Withhold sex.

make. To not strengthen it is to do yourself a disservice. By all means, bench-press your heart out, treadmill it away, pump those dumbbells, but please, show your abs some love. Core strength is essential to keeping good posture and strain off of your lower back. A lack of it can lead to susceptibility for injury. So without further ado, here are three quick and effective ways to get your stomach burning. They’re quick, easy, painless worth it. Exercise Ball Crunches Take an exercise ball, 65cm will do, and sit on it so that your tail-bone just slightly hangs off. Line up near a wall and allow your feet to press against it with straight legs. With your fingertips behind your head and a straight, flexed stomach, raise your chin toward the ceiling above you. Don’t let your back curl though and there’s no need to overdo it. Just raise that chin six inches to a foot and your stomach will be on fire. Go for a few sets of 10 to 15 or more. Exercise Ball Oblique Twisters If you want to challenge yourself, in-between the sets above, throw in this oblique killer: Keeping the same form, twist to either side 10 times each. Adding this workout will activate every bit of your stomach and will streamline your results. Plank Dips Start off with the traditional, front plank with a straight back and elbows bent 90 degrees under your shoulders. Hold it for 30 seconds, then without breaking form, hit the ground with your hips in an alternating fashion so that your back faces both sides of the room.

Travel

Family Trippin’ Traveling as a local is a better way to enjoy your trips By Joel Martinez Growing up, I was fortunate to be in a family places. Every year of my life, I went with my family on a three-day road trip through California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Chihuahua, Durango, and Zacatecas to end up in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, where my family was. I gained a lot of experience about traveling growing up, to the point that by the time I was 10 years old or so, I was already familiar with travel and travel etiquette. I’ve had the chance to go other places as well, including Oregon, Washington, Vancouver, Chicago, Germany, and Boston. On these trips, I’ve had many enjoyable experiences, as well as many that I wish had been better; but in terms of identifying which trips were the best and the worst, it’s not much of a contest. When I was in the sixth grade, my parents surprised my brother and I with news that we were staying for two weeks in Germany, and I would to say that the trip was the best trip I’ve taken in my life for various reasons. However, it wasn’t for the generic reasons one would assume. It wasn’t because of the sheer novelty of being in Europe, nor was it for the sights or the cuisine. Rather, my time in Germany is my favorite by far because of the vacation style. Instead of going with the super-touristic option of spending two weeks going around in a bus with a tour guide and sleeping in hotels, my father contacted some business friends and found the means for us to plan our own agenda. This freedom manifested itself most in our living accommodations: the second story of a cabin out in a patch of the woods. Since my family chose not to stay in a hotel, not only did we manage to avoid a system of tourist traps, but we also got to explore the woods a bit and converse with the landowners (or rather, attempt to converse… we didn’t know German and they didn’t know English nor Spanish). In addition, my father’s friends were more than willing to take us around and show us elements of the locals’ lifestyles, ranging from cuisine to cultural events like seasonal fairs. Getting an insider’s culture allowed for amazing memories and discoveries, such as trying the best Schnitzel I’ve ever eaten, watching artisans make souvenirs out of wire, and buying cold cuts shaped like teddy bears. I was extremely sad to leave after only two weeks in Germany, and to this day I want to go back, as part of a study abroad program. On the other side of the spectrum, however, comes France. In the summer between sixth and seventh grade, my parents

and my brother took me along with them to a trip through France alongside my brother’s French teacher and a collection of high school students from all over California. This time, we did get a bus and a tour guide, and we stayed at hotels that fed us whatever they felt like giving us. This experience was instantly incomparable to the one in Germany because regarding scheduling and activities. As tourists, my family and I received service that was much worse than that we received in in culture. Rather, it was because French locals would see my family as “tourists” instead of “foreigners” and, among other problems, would charge ridiculous prices for whatever we wished to buy. The most obvious proof of this bias came in our meals: While my parents would pay reasonable prices in Germany and Mexico to get quality food representative of each country’s culture, our meals in France were little other than bread, water/hot chocolate, and some sort of entrée that wasn’t wholly representative French cuisine. The hotels generally weren’t too memorable either, and that our tour bus was rushing around the country prevented my family from being able to take any meaningful adventures into French culture. Despite spending two weeks places like Paris, Mont San Michel, and the beaches where D-Day took place, it was one of the most unremarkable trips I’ve taken. With both of these cases in mind, the nature of one’s vacation becomes an extremely impactful element on how enjoyable a trip will be. If possible, always go with a trip that mirrors the experience of a regular from the place being visited and avoid tourist traps. To follow through

the reward is a much more memorable experience. Yes, sometimes it is impossible to plan enough to have a smooth trip that allows for a taste of the commoner’s culture, but in that case I would still encourage you to jump in and try pulling something together on your own than to use a pre-planned tour. The best kind of travel, in my opinion, is something that provides experience with a new culture and is therefore enriching to your character. I got this in Germany, I’ve been getting it all my life in Mexico, and I didn’t get it if France. I challenge whoever is reading this to have this perspective in mind the next time they make plans to travel. It will be the time of your life.

Traveling at a young age, Joel certainly appreciates the memories he has (top left); while exploring the city’s center, Joel and his family enjoyed the new things they were seeing (top right); instead of being trapped doing the touristy activities, Joel and his family took a hiking trip in Nuremberg (bottom)

Food

By Beatriz Villa A few days ago, Renee the Food Editor walked into the Union Weekly

If you are feeling elegant, and want to drink a beverage with your pinky out, an Eggnog Martini is the right choice for you. Below is a recipe by Martha Stewart. • 1 cup sugar • 1/4 cup cornstarch • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice, plus more for garnish • 8 cups whole milk • 6 large egg yolks • 3 cups brandy

1. large bowl. Place bottom of bowl in

Traditional Eggnog

You can’t go wrong with making traditional eggnog, to serve to your family and friends. This recipe is extremely easy to follow. If you are serving it at a party, I recommend making an additional batch without the rum, for those who aren’t of age. • 6 eggs • 1 cup of sugar • 3/4 cup brandy • 1/3 cup dark rum (or bourbon) • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract • 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg • 2 cups of whipping cream • 2 cups milk

bubble sputters, 10 to 12 minutes.

1. taking shots of one thing or another. Create the eggnog shot at your next party for a festive holiday experience. Follow these simple steps for a gelatin piece of eggnog heaven. • 1 Cup Golden Eggnog • 1 Cup rum or brandy of choice • 1 packet Knox gelatin • Cinnamon sticks • Whipped cream • Grated nutmeg

medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg, and pumpkin-pie spice. Gradually whisk in 4 cups milk, taking care to incorporate the cornstarch. Whisk in egg yolks. Whisking constantly, cook over

Reduce heat to low; cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute more. Remove from heat; immediately pour through sieve into bowl. Stir in remaining 4 cups milk. Let cool completely in bowl still set in ice bath. Just before serving, stir in brandy, and ladle into glasses; garnish with pumpkin-pie spice.

Pour your cup of eggnog into a medium sized saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin packet on top and let sit for a couple minutes to activate the gelatin. Turn stove on to medium heat and stir heat and let eggnog cool to warm. Pour in your rum or brandy. Stir. Pour into shot glasses, and refrigerate overnight. Before serving, stick in an

Refrigerate all the liquids to get them very cold before you make the drink. Beat the eggs at medium speed until they’re very frothy. Gradually add the sugar, vanilla, and nutmeg as you continue beating.

2. the whipping cream, milk, brandy, and rum. Chill it until you’re ready to serve. It’s best to keep it chilled at all times. Garnish each individual serving with the nutmeg sprinkled on top and a cinnamon stick.

appropriately sized cinnamon stick cream and grated nutmeg.

Volume 75 Issue 12

Monday, November 10, 2014

LBUNION.COM

DISCLAIMER: Sparky here! Say it with me, SUNLIGHT. Male cheerleaders, enough said. Smile. Don’t smile. Ah, good tone and general musculature. Report those compliments to your ass before it gets so big it forms its own website! And you, I take you to be the captain, which means you’ll probably need more work than anybody. Dance for Grunion. This page is satire/parody and does not represent ASI nor the CSULB campus. Submit your routines via email to grunion@lbunion.com.

My Anaconda Want Nicki to Notice Me Hey Minaj, my sweet little snake, I’ve been watching your music videos and know you read the Grunion. So to get past the smoke and mirrors, I want to put down my feelings on the page. Girl, my anaconda can and will anytime you want to by Demmis Anver shake those buns my way. I’m not sure if you saw People magazine, but I was named the sexiest man alive. The sexiest man alive needs the sexiest charming and chiseled. Men want to be me, and women want to have me. Many get ripped

from my secret workout, but my chiseled body has no meaning without you. Only you, my sweet animorph, have my heart and you can have my body too. Yes I know you are an animorph, but I am completely into that. You bring out the wild beast in me. The way you slither makes more than just my heart quiver, if you catch my drift. We are just animals in this world; be my jungle queen and we shall reign tiger and snake over the masses. Lets be the power couple to strive for; we can be better than Kayne and Kardashian. I am completely yours; please send me a reply soon. Our babies will be beautiful and powerful. Here’s the photo of me from the cover of People to help you decide.

“Santa Claus is Coming to Town” Over My Dead Body It is the fall season. The air is crisp with autumn air, leaves are a golden brown, and everyone is getting ready for Thanksgiving. No wait, they aren’t! Instead of preparing for my glorious holiday, the fat man by Turk E. Byrd in red is getting more attention. You do know that it is eighteen days until Thanksgiving. That’s a little over two weeks! Christmas is forty-six days away. That’s well over a month away. But no, you shoppers don’t care about the Thanksgiving Turkey do you? The malls are over run with Christmas decorations, lights, and fake snow bombarding shoppers. This is my month to shine, but you don’t see any fall decorations. Nope! Once the pumpkin king Jack Skellington ended his holiday at midnight, I was booted away from my time to shine. No decorations for the dear Thanksgiving Turkey. I represent the time

where you give thanks to what you have. You know, when you are thankful for what has happened in your lifetime and you share the time with your family. Did I mention the feast you get on my holiday? You don’t get that with the fat man in red! He would eat more than your cookies and milk if he had his way. Trust me when I host a feast, Mrs. Claus has to put dear old Santa on a diet. Can’t get off the ground if you eat too much, jolly man. Ugh, don’t get me started on what’s going on the radios besides these eyesore decorations. Right now, the radio plays nothing but Christmas songs. Day in, day out, nothing but songs alerting us that “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” or that it’s going to be a “White Christmas.” You don’t hear any song about my holiday now do you? Hell, even that pumpkin king gets a song for Halloween. Jack gets an entire movie dedicated on how he nearly took over both holidays. Good riddance too, it was amazing to see the fat man have a heart attack from those trick-or-treater

brats. Someone stuff me I am so done with these songs. Hey, dear old Santa Claus, here is my Christmas wish: STICK TO YOUR OWN HOLIDAY! It’s my time to shine and while it isn’t much, it is still mine. Many a good turkey has given their lives to feed the masses to keep them good until your holiday. Show some respect to other holidays. You may be top dog, but as Jack proved: You can be replaced. There are million of stand-in men in jolly red suits claiming to be you, why not give your crown to someone that respects all the holidays. Bet Mrs. Claus would like someone who can get his sleigh up. I don’t mind Black Friday; it is after my holiday so what do I have to complain about? But what pisses me off is that everyone plans for that day and not my holiday! I give thanks for the masses; I bring families together for good food! Dear Saint Nick: keep your peace to the new world when it is actually December. You know when it’s winter?

INSIDE

MCDONALD’S NEW DIET PROVEN EXPAND CAT NINE LIVES TO SEVEN.

LOCAL BABY DRINKS TO FORGET FIRST 10 MINUTES OF LIFE

LOCAL STUDENTS EARN NOBEL PRIZE FOR ELECTRIC POOL

NEW LIZARD DIET PILLS CLAIM “TO CHANGE YOUR SCALE(S)”