Shredding the Stigma by Union Weekly

Shredding the Stigma

The community behind skater culture November 17 17 Volume Volume 75.13 November 75.13 lbunion.com lbunion.com

Intro

Ancient Teenage Proverb Issue 75.13 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

EDITORIAL Heather Sandburg, Opinions Editor opinions@lbunion.com Veronica Craft, Community Editor community@lbunion.com Jacky Linares, Athletics Editor Elizabeth Nguyen, Athletics Editor athletics@lbunion.com Renee Schmiedeberg, Arts Editor arts@lbunion.com Katie Cortez, Entertainment Editor entertainment@lbunion.com Sam Winchester, Music Editor music@lbunion.com

By Molly Shannon A momentous event occurred this week no, Jason Segel was not scheduled to speak not announced that it would rain cash money on Monday. The event which I am referring to is Kim Kardashian allegedly “breaking the Internet.” Once again, she has chewed America up and spit it back out for her own twisted pleasure. If you are unaware of what I am currently referring to, I am talking about Kim Kardashian’s most recent racy photo shoot with Paper Magazine (see our Entertainment Section). This spectacle only proves my prediction that the end of the world is upon us is true. Why? Because we continue to give this lady the time of day! Kim Kardashian has had her overstayed her welcome when it comes to pop culture, so let’s just drop her and her large booty and move on to someone else! Sheesh! That being said, I suggest we use the limited time and space we have for creative and expressive purposes. I’ll execute this

Illustration by Rose Feduk by dedicating the rest of this intro page to proposing a prompt to you: in one of my

which immediately came to mind was score

in a unique way—so, what are some of your favorite musical movie moments? Everybody’s goosebumps no matter how many times you far from reality—it’s a whole new experience

me feel some type of way: 1. “I Wanna Be Loved By You,” Marilyn Monroe (Some Like It Hot) 2. “April Come She Will,” Simon & Garfunkel (The Graduate) 3. “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head,” B.J. Thomas (Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid) 4. “Blue Velvet,” Bobby Vinton (Blue Velvet) 5. “Playground Love,” Air (The Virgin Suicides) 6. “I’ve Told Every Little Star,” Kim Davey (Mulholland Drive) Now I’m curious to hear some of your

This all might as well be an invitation to write for our Music page, but either way, I am all. Use some of that Thanksgiving break time next week to enjoy a little laziness, watch a movie, collect your thoughts, and write to me about your oh-so-special experiences (editorinchief@lbunion.com). I’ll fancy reading them over a cup of champurrado and

Adios muchachos, Molls

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

COPY & ASSISTANT EDITORS Jonathan Gutierrez, Joel Martinez, Eric Reid Hamilton ADVERTISING SALES INTERN Jacqueline Simon STAFFERS & CONTRIBUTORS Marissa Gomez, Carlos Mariscal, Kamille Garcia, Hanna Suarez, Jesus Daniel Rivera, Evan Swchieger, Alecks Ramos, Christian Bourdeau, Zack Falcon, Ilja Maran, Mayra Hernandez, Ezequiel Lopez

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

First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage... Holy matrimony should be all-inclusive, regardless of gender By Hanna Suarez

Graphic by Abdallah Seoud

Recently the Supreme Court ruled that the state of Kansas could continue to allow samesex couples marriage licenses. Making Kansas the 33rd state where same sex marriages can be performed, more importantly meaning that more than half of the US now recognizes gay and lesbian marriages. Many would say that we are one step closer to equality.

with the meaning more egalitarian and progressive help from feminist movements, women are still expected to marry men for money and stability and not much else.

the civil level, if a state like Kansas—smack dab in the middle of the Midwest, the kind of state where small town America and all those outdated prejudices it’s associated with are often expected—is now allowing gays and lesbians to marry. Even in California, the opinions are often varied; Proposition 8 was instituted in 2008, we blinked and it was declared unconstitutional in 2013. This coincided with the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act(DOMA) which was really the turning point that allowed so many states to hop on the gay marriage band wagon. But just because we are one step closer to nationwide marriage equality does not in any way mean that we are anywhere near the end of LGBTQ, MOGAI, and other queer activism that many organizations are still working on. See, we can try queer marriage through same-sex unions, but this doesn’t change the fact that heterosexual marriages started out anti-transgressive. In the beginning, marriage between a man and a woman meant that women were the property of men once they married. Then it evolved into where and implied a domestic slavery. Even now,

with many social constructs and meanings; sexual monogamy, the nuclear family, males—the list goes on. So, the fear of marriage within radical queer communities is that it is conformist, it is assimilationist. It

to be “normal,” or be perceived as such. From a radical perspective, it is striving to be a part of a majority that, until recent times, has done everything to oppress the minority. sort of expectation, this sort of queer norm which would perpetuate queer respectability. You have to be either gay or lesbian—you can’t be bisexual or pansexual. You have to be monogamous—you cannot fall under the spectrum of polyamory, you cannot be single. You have to be one gender, in a binary queer, two-spirit, etcetera. So much of the sensitivity towards this is also due to having to explain it to children—once again we see the prominence of children and family in marriage. I won’t go further into it because I feel like that absurd concept of “gays recruiting, or brainwashing children” is fortunately proving wrong. Really, kids don’t give a damn, as long as

marriage equality. A big factor for this as well brought up in gay or lesbian households in that it nurtures them into well-educated and understanding/accepting individuals. Nevertheless, that concept of marriage and family could perpetuate the exclusion of queer people who do not want to participate in those kinds of lifestyles. In normalizing marriage in the queer community, there is a potential situation set in which we would have gays and lesbians who have been telling the public for years they are equal to heterosexuals in all aspects, especially in marriage and romance—the

even with states recognizing gay and lesbian marriages, this leaves out a huge amount

for marriage equality so that we can get to an even more progressive foundation—to revolutionize unions so that they are all inclusive. Destroy the rigid gender aspect that limits marriage, as well as make room for polyamorous couples. It is a complicated situation, and there is probably a tough struggle ahead, it’s been a long enough struggle for same-sex marriage alone, but I

see aggressive voices in the heterosexual community who are on the fence about how they feel about gay people say, “Alright, you got what you wanted, now prove it. Prove that you are just like us, that you have the same needs and wants—that you are just like the rest of us except for that single variable of sexuality.” Of course this is hypothetically speaking, but it is not my duty to make homophobic people feel at ease—it is not my job to educate them about false myths and stereotypes that contort their perspectives of queer people. Not to mention the many queer

Just a couple years ago, the idea of marriage was something I never even considered for myself. I thought I could be polyamorous and single and happy forever. Now I am in a very comfortable relationship, but it does not threaten my queer and feminist identity. Give me marriage, give me every single kind of marriage that is imaginable (minus limiting heterosexual values, and plus gender and marginalized orientation variance). It is simple to understand, some values work for some people, and other orientations work for others. Some ideals are constantly changing

way identify collectively with heterosexuals. This being said, most people who fall under queer identities will still support samesex marriage—whether it’s conservative Christian gays or lesbians, or radical feminist queers, the direction we are going in is

what should be constant is the availability of options and being supported by your state when you pursue those options.

Opinions

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The fashion industry needs to pull its (beautifully designed) head out of its (surely sculpted) ass.â&#x20AC;?

Real Women Have Weight

By Camille Hove

The fashion industry has weird a concept of beauty

Illustration by Rose Feduk

they

Kim Kardashian Broke the Internet Despite what it seems, Mrs. West knows how to work the world

Hannah Montana Paper

Bangerz Paper

By Katie Cortez

Community

Planting the Seeds of Change University sustainable garden unveiled The Grow Beach University Garden had its

By Bronson Farr

Beachside Upcoming Events in and around CSULB By Veronica Craft Poetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lounge

Power Hour

What Makes a Monster What Makes a Monster

Athletics

Mr. Club Sports CSULB student creates a balance between sports and academia from Cerritos Community College, he was looking for some competition. During Week of Welcome, he ran into the Club Sports and Recreation booth and decided to join Ultimate Frisbee, Men’s Lacrosse, Men’s Rowing, Cycling, and the Triathlon club.

Sports Program Assistant. This year, he is also a Field Supervisor for the Ice Hockey team on campus. On top of all of this, Alfaro is taking 18 units this semester and plans on taking 18

Orlando Alfaro, showing off his enthusiasm for all of the sports teams he’s a part of

this spring. He is a Kinesiology major and plans to get his teaching credential after he graduates. He has received a lot of respect and admiration from his peers and professors in the university and community.

By Marissa Gomez

“I seriously feel like I am Club Sports because of the involvement I have in Club Sports and everything that it has done for me,” Alfaro said. Club Sports has made a huge impact on Alfaro. He has traveled up and down California and Arizona through his competitions. He has made so many friends and feels as though he has a friend everywhere he goes. Alfaro is a busy man. He says he uses an online calendar to keep track of all of his assignments, practices and work schedules. “My priorities list goes God, School, Work, Sport, Free Time,” Alfaro said. “It’s important to keep a healthy balance.” Rowing season is in full swing right now and is the most time consuming for Alfaro. He is looking forward to starting Triathlon and Cycling in January. For more information about how to join

A League Without a Leader Insight into the NFL’s experiences with incompetent leadership

By Carlos Mariscal

In wake of all the issues that have happened in the National Football League (NFL) in the past few months, it’s time for change. The commissioner needs to step down immediately. From the Michael Vick case to the Ray Rice suspension, it’s clear that Roger Goodell doesn’t have what it takes to be the leader of the NFL. Goodell’s weaknesses were exposed earlier this year when the Rice domestic violence case arose. Prior to a brutal video released by TMZ showing Rice knocking

Peterson resolved the case under a lesser charge and hasn’t been handed a suspension by the league. He simply isn’t prepared. A leader like Goodell will tarnish the image of any sport. This season hasn’t been the only time

A perfect example of the image a commissioner can give a sport is the one

Atlanta Falcons quarterback, Michael Vick, pleaded guilty to charges for his role in a

selling of the Clippers. Silver is looked at as a leader and someone who can be trusted to make the right decision for the league and its image.

Vick had spent nearly two years in jail. The fact that Goodell let a convicted felon back into the league is ludicrous and shouldn’t have been allowed. The league

the NFL but he has failed to do so. It’s time for the league to take action and it needs to happen soon.

suspended Rice for TWO games. Once the video hit social media, there was outrage through every social media platform. Acting on pressure from the public, Goodell then changed the

suspension from a two-game suspension Ravens then released Rice. If it weren’t for the video, Rice would’ve been out of the league for only two games, which is pretty ridiculous knowing that a domestic violence issue can even result in jail time. The NFL needs a commissioner who is going to be proactive rather than one who waits to see how the media reacts. The “reactive” leader we’re currently seeing isn’t prepared to take action in any case. Vikings running back, Adrian Peterson, was charged earlier this season with child abuse and agreed to go under Goodell’s exempt list, where Peterson still received pay until the case was resolved.

that begins with Goodell stepping down.

Silver. After former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling was caught saying racist comments, Silver banned Sterling

Lifestyle

Lend a Sturdy Hand Volunteering across the United States brings new attitude Growing up, I was usually on the receiving end of volunteer work. My siblings went to motels, and every year, the school put on a Christmas event called “Holiday Hope.” There, volunteers gave manicures and haircuts. Families could get breakfast, look through thrift store clothing, sit on Santa’s lap, and receive Christmas presents. I was always grateful for this event because my

on his parallel ladder. My classmates and I met a lot of people and asked about their stories while also enjoying the cultural richness of New Orleans (NOLA). I remember when one woman at a restaurant told me about having been airlifted out by helicopter with her eight children. Subsequently displaced following the hurricane. Her story was

experience to my NOLA one. My friend CSULB, joined me to volunteer (she became boldly volunteered to paint the chimney on the roof, because after all, we were now

Even when my mom was at the poverty line, she always encouraged me to volunteer and help others. If she had an extra dollar or two, she wouldn’t save it; she would give it to a homeless person or buy someone lunch.

Jesson volunteers her time to help paint homes in Long Beach with AmeriCorps tragic, but she also explained how she had triumphed over her struggles. I remember the distinct feeling of experiences in NOLA. Nothing in my life has compared to that single experience of

giving us a sense of the need in the community. with AmeriCorps volunteers (my favorite, a handsome genius named Christian Hunter), who showed us the basics of caulking the side

brushes sloshed the sun-blazed walls with a dull orange shade. helping, an older gentleman with hoarding tendencies that we cured by cleaning out his also got pizza (my favorite thing in the world). All of my volunteering experiences have

others brought new meaning to me. All of a sudden, there was purpose.

Jesson helps to build a house for vicims of Hurricane Katrina

lifting up the wall frames, and painting the siding. I faced my fear of ladders, painted and caulked the hidden crevices as Christian talked philosophy, music, and “wasp logic”

By Cole Hughey

near the bar and get yourself a drink. Look around and be happy. No one wants to talk to the guy slumping over his drink on the counter with a scowl on his face.

helped prevent homelessness, and she let me

house when I couldn’t even put my pants on without struggling? But once we got there, Dr. Tim Caron guided us through.

Fit Life know. Maybe you’re new in town. Maybe your friend bailed on you for a girl. Maybe you’re taking a break from the Friends marathon your roommates are watching. The point is that you’re by yourself and you want to talk to people, but you don’t know how. How do you make friends without just barging in on people’s conversation like an unwelcome visitor? Try this.

in homeless shelters, transitional living programs, and motels. Naturally, she could

and organized paperwork, and deciphered the handwriting of homeless people. Ever since then, I have always loved volunteering and try to do it at any opportunity. The most life-altering volunteer work I did was in New Orleans for a week with the Alternative Spring Break class at CSULB to help build homes for Katrina victims. I liked the idea of giving up my Spring Break, but I didn’t know what to expect when I

By Janna Jesson

I carried on that purpose even as I returned from my trip. A few weeks ago, I

family’s house, and it felt like a familiar

the smile of gratitude on someone’s face, or pounding a piece of pepperoni pizza in my grateful mouth. I’ve made several new friends and strengthened the bond with old friends through my volunteering too. I’ve kept in touch with Christian from AmeriCorps, and

I want to encourage you, dear reader, to do something like that in your community. Join a Facebook group that volunteers in your area, Google volunteer opportunities, or donate wherever you can. It will open a new door in your life, and you’ll be able to understand humanity just a little better. (Note: The Alternative Spring Break NOLA class is currently trying to raise funds to get iPads for the class to document everything they experience and put it in a

out more at: beachfunder.csulb.edu/ under Alternative Spring Break.)

shy? Are those guys just hitting on those girls or did they come together? Body language will tell you everything about a person. Notice their mannerisms and the phone for god’s sake. Make some small talk with the people around you. Ask them something simple like “Is it always this busy?” They’ll either answer your question or tell you they another question. They respond again, this time with a joke. You laugh then you introduce yourself. They shake your hand and do the same. See where I’m going with this? Once you’ve opened up the conversation, stick with it. Suddenly, you’re not alone. Call it a bar buddy. Play your cards right and the next thing you know you’ll be working the room, having strangers buy you shots, and You can be the life of the party. Tune in next time to see how.

FEATURE

Shredding the Stigma The community behind skater culture By Beatriz Villa Photos by Bernard Bridges

Clueless

FEATURE

Ever since skateboarding became popular to the public, skaters have had to deal with a myriad of prejudices against them. When most people think about skaters, they think of loud stoners who ruin property values. Most times, skaters are judged harshly because of their hobby. Sadly, I have heard many people claim that skaters won’t amount to much because they don’t obtain “transferable skills.” As a result of these verbal attacks, skaters have become outcasts. They usually stay away from the mainstreamers. As a result, they have inadvertently developed Long Beach’s thriving skate culture. Most skaters do not seem to mind they are outside of mainstream sports. It appears they like being outsiders or outside of the sport norm. Ilja Marran, skater and Film major at CSULB, likes that skaters don’t have to rely on money, networking, or ass-kissing to make it to the top. “Skateboarding is rad because there’s no system,” he said. “The goal is in sight and within reach. There’s no tryouts or, did I make the team? ... There’s no coaches or daily practices. You can make your way to the top without relying on a system. There’s no judges, scholarships, scouts, or national championships that you gotta kiss ass and live up to. There’s just you and your skateboard ... [and] you enter your competitions, but in the

skaters, cruising across stair ramps and power sliding through tricks over and over on a screen until they have a solid image of how to perform the move in his or her mind. Only then can he begin mastering it in his unconventional element—the asphalt. Learning a trick can take months; it’s no easy feat. Usually, skaters skate in packs, and they have someone recording them to upload their progress. A handful of skaters have gotten discovered through underground skate videos. Ilja said he has a few friends who have gotten sponsored this way, and they are now traveling the world. For Ilja, becoming pro is the dream. “Eventually some skaters get really good

end there’s really nothing stopping you.” To Ilja and many other skaters, the idea of not having to “rely on a system” in order to make it big is the most appealing factor. Ilja compares the trials of becoming a professional skateboarder to those of becoming a professional baseball player. Skaters just skate: their dreams are actually like being known as this rebellious counter-culture who hopped into people’s backyards, drained their pools, then skated ‘em,” Ilja said. “But in this day and age, I’d say skateboarding is seen more as a positive thing. Now you have your skate moms taking their little groms to Vans and buying them new completes.” It is clear the outlook on skaters is changing in Long Beach. But just it alright. Numerous people degrade skateboarding and dismiss it as a comments. But no matter what anyone says, if you go to a skate competition, you will see it is not only a sport, but an art that takes patience, practice, and persistence to master. While researching some of the myriad of skate videos on YouTube, I noticed several

at this, get sponsored, and then get paid to go out and get coverage,” he said. “Becoming a pro skater is the equivalent of becoming Batman. Can you imagine getting paid to skate?” Ilja discussed the bad rep skating has gained ever since it came into the picture. He commented, “society [has] viewed skateboarding as a destructive thing.” But skateboarder’s futures are looking up. “We see more and more skate parks being built every day,” Ilja said. “There is a lot of evidence that proves that communities that embrace skateboarding and build skate parks will experience a decrease in crime rate and schools will put out higher test scores.” But for Ilja, skating isn’t a cause that needs to raise money or an after school program, and it shouldn’t be one. “Skateboarding shouldn’t need a cause, it’s more of an escape,

FEATURE

a thing to get away from problems,” he said. “There are plenty of skaters who aid low income children, but that’s one passion, and [these skaters] skate on their free time, their other passion.” Ilja said he became passionate about skating 10 years ago, while in middle school. He hung out with the “rebellious rejects” and skated every day before and after school. “We’d meet before school, bash around for a bit, hide our boards in the bush... .Then, after school we’d grab our boards again then head to the beach and shred ‘til sunset.” He claimed skating is more than just a hobby, it has become a part of who he is. Long Beach skater, Roy Forner, grew up playing the Tony Hawk Pro Skater skating, and he hasn’t stopped since. “[Skating] was just so cool back then,” he said. “I’ve been skating for about 10 years or so.” Roy disagrees with the general view the public has on skateboarding. He thinks society views skateboarders as bums, but he believes skating may have a positive future. “They think we’re a problem, but in all reality we’re just minding our own business enjoying ourselves,” said Roy. “The only time I’ve felt discriminated against

drug related incidents have dropped 60.9 percent, violent crime has dropped 29.3 percent, and overall incidents have dropped 22.8 on the Wrigley neighborhood. Several other parks have been built help kids by showing them a sense of community, where these kids

is to create a better environment via skate parks. And so far, the low-income communities. Despite the negative views on skaters, Long Beach is becoming more skater tolerant. With the help from programs such as ASK, skateboarders are getting a new reputation. These kids might not look like the typical letterman jacket, but they’re are athletes just the same. Ilja commented, “Skateboarding is all about falling. Why do we fall? So we learn how to get back up again. We fall a lot, and it hurts. But we always get back up again. I’ve applied this concept in my life so many times and I’ll probably continue to do so for the rest of it. It’s all about taking risks and building a resiliency. It’s better to try something and fail rather than never try at all.” Ilja’s outlook on on life is similar to the lesson ASK strives to give kids who are in its program. Roy continues to say that skating has created a positive outlet for him. “Skateboarding is therapeutic. My grandma just recently passed. That same day all I wanted to do was go skate. I didn’t want to talk to anyone, just skate.” For Roy, skating helps him express his feelings in a healthy way. you have going on in life. Once you get on that board and ride away, everything else goes away with it.” Similar to Roy, Ilja feels that skating provides unity. He said he loves the camaraderie and “the joy of going out with your bros, having a laugh, and exploring new places. Skateboarding has taken me to some pretty fucked up places, both mentally and physically, but I’ll never stop.” As with any sport, skating

is when I’ve been kicked out of a spot during a skate session. [But] Roy claims having come from a common background, skating has who are passionate about skating don’t have time get caught in another scene. “Once you start skating and learning new tricks, it becomes an addiction. You don’t have time or the desire to get into gangs or anything.” Roy isn’t the only one who has noticed skating can help keep kids out of trouble. Action Sports Kids Foundation (ASK) is a program, The Long Beach Skate Park Program, which builds skate parks in low-income areas to provide kids with healthy alternatives to the streets and gangs through sports and community. According to asklongbeach.org, the ASK website states that “Within three years of the opening of the Michael K. Green Skate Park in 2003,

—be they young girls or grown adults, girls or boys—an active lifestyle that provides a sense of community and acceptance. Throughout human history, people have created biases and prejudices about others, due to ignorance. I think we claim to know something about an entire social group, when in reality we are clueless to who they are. The lives of skaters is another facet that is only looked at through one angle. Skateboarding should be considered for the gem that it is; although it might not seem so, skaters are a valuable part of our society just as any other afterschool sport. I believe we need to re-examine this under appreciated sport more closely. Everyone needs to look at skateboarding though Jerry Seinfeld’s view on the sport. “One of the greatest activities is skateboarding. To learn to do a skateboard trick, how many times you got to get something wrong until you get it right… . And you hurt yourself and you learn that trick, now you got a life lesson. Whenever I see those skateboard kids, I think, ‘Those skateboard kids will be all right.’”

Arts

Black Out Students In Fashion members share ways to wear black this winter (#OOTW)

By Kamille Garcia Photos by Tina Wisborn

The winds are hurling, temperatures are dropping, and incentives for getting up to meet the sun rise are becoming less motivational. Gone are the summer days of consistently boho still fashionable day? Black. Here are some creative and sophisticated ideas from CSULB’s Students in Fashion members.

1. Cynthia rocks her thick, black, killer boots verti-stripe combos with a hint of burgundy. 2. Apart from the white version of the “Rihanna crop top” and the lacy white sandals, Kamille’s simple, yet mesmerizing black, high-waisted riding pant allows the look to interchange easily between casual day and regal night.

prints of Tyler’s black and white plaid Polo encourages menswear inspired fashion. Dressing up his casual black pants, this stylish head-turning top is embellished with edgy details and serves as the center of attention in any room.

4. No matter what fashion obstacles a trendsetter may have, mid-length pencil skirts, especially in black, are a timeless piece. Whether it is for a formal meeting, a inevitable. Pair it with a white peplum shirt like Sauncia, and you’re good to go. 5. Successful in putting together business casual pieces, the sweet-faced Airo creates a sophisticated outcome for utilizing neutral colors—black, grey, and cream. Yet the highlight of her look is the elegant, black, Chanel-esque jacket, emphasizing the phrase, “simplicity is the best sophistication.” 6. Adding stripe prints to a black skirt, shoes, and hat is a genius way to put together these go-to pieces. Rather than leaving an ensemble of casualness and elegance.

Arts

Art For Artâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sake Words and Photos by Sam Winchester

Entertainment

...And You’re Watching Disney Channel! The Union staff revisits classic DC original movies

Tower of Terror

Motocrossed

By Heather Sandburg

By Chrissy Bastian

My favorite Disney channel original movie, which later inspired my favorite Disney ride, is director D.J. MacHale’s Tower of Terror. I would always run to the TV when it played and admire the masterfully-told ghost story. Tower of Terror follows Buzzy Crocker and his niece Anna Patterson as they create the next hard-hitting supernatural article. As they try to create a new headline, an old woman named Abigail tells them about the mystery of the Hollywood Tower guests disappeared in the elevator on their way to the Tip Top Club, Buzzy, Anna, and some ghosts join together

to break the curse and solve the terrifying mystery. The story mimicked many of my favorite mystery stories, most of which were the Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen adventures. The mystery and the background story of the ghosts were fascinating; however, looking at the movie now, Tower of Terror falls far from what I remember. The pace is slow, and the mystery now predictable, but the background stories of the ghosts are still interesting. The actors give the characters life and help the story move along to its predictable ending. Unlike the other Disney channel originals, Tower of Terror made it to DVD, so feel free to drop in.

When I was little, I was a typical tomboy. I hated Barbie or anything to do with the color pink. That’s why I fell in love with the Disney Channel movie Motorcrossed,

downloaded onto my iPod. My constant demand for this But seeing such a strong, witty, adventurous female on screen like Andrea gave me the hope that one day I could be like her. In the movie, Andrea’s family runs a motocross team: Mom, Dad, and twins Andrew and Andrea. Though they valued Andrew as their star player, they allow Andrea to ride dirt bikes, but

By Renee Schmiedeberg

that he has lost his lucky gold coin. He starts to live life like the rest of us—failing tests he didn’t study for, humiliating himself at basketball games, etc. However, he’s also found that he’s started shrinking, his hair turns orange, and his words come out on an Irish lilt. Frantically, he goes on the ageold quest for the self, searching through his house for even a twig of his family tree. and has to hunt down an Irish fairy man to get his family’s luck back. In the last 20 minutes, I could not keep myself from cringing when Kyle made his speech reinforcing the American Dream followed up by him singing “This Land is Your Land” at the school Heritage Festival. It was like a mash-up of the biggest lies America has ever told. I don’t even want to think about what someone from Ireland might think of this movie. It sort of insinuates that Irish people are really leprechauns made to appear human by a spell. So I guess, in this movie, the Irish’s eponymous luck is their ability to not look like a leprechaun. Nice.

She doesn’t tell her dad because of his disapproval. However, by the

whenever it aired. I still listen

Luck of the Irish For nine-year-old me, this movie was the one (at least out of the Disney Channel Original movie ones). However, for years, I’ve wondered if The Luck of the Irish is as great as I remembered it to be. While breezing through junior high

not compete. When Andrew gets injured, Andrea takes his place in disguise: she calls herself

Okay, this movie is terrible. But damn, do I love it. leprechaun gold shoe-horned into the minifridge, and river dancing festivals, and an evil fairy that always reminded me of Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day. Then there’s the car chases in old automobiles, a potato chip factory and long, white beards—it’s a real fest

realized something very scary, which was how much of this movie I’d subconsciously absorbed as a kid. The degree of my of nutrients you absorb from your mom while in the womb. singing a song that I later learned on the guitar and would sing for my friends at parties. Kyle’s leprechaun grandpa calls him “boyo,” a nickname I thought I made up and have been calling a close friend of mine for years. There are a few other intimate things too, but we won’t speak of those now. had good times with it as a kid on Disney Channel. But go into the movie knowing this, yeah, it’s pretty bad, but that’s not the point. The point is just revisiting something you loved when you were young and remembering what it felt like to be a kid because those memories are fading faster and faster.

cannot hold her back any longer. Andrea’s ability to compete and win in a male-dominated sport inspired and motivated me to be brave, and to strive for whatever I wanted. Seeing Andrea win the race made me believe that I could win life that women could go out and accomplish challenging things. Andrea validated my existence, made me feel like being a tomboy was okay, and that girls can play rough too.

Literature

The Swinging Tree By Jesus Daniel Rivera

Illustration by Rose Feduk

Hello Dad. Hope you are doing well now. Rex is here, right next to me. He’s relaxed... without a clue of what’s going on. Don’t worry; I fed him exactly at three o’clock just like you said. Remember when we adopted

to happen now? I start this journal as a way of communicating with you… I just feel that since you were a passionate writer… that... if I write about my feelings, you will be able to listen to them. So I really hope you do, because that’s the only warming thought I have left. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with my life from now on. Tell me! How am I suppose to find the strength to get up every morning? To not be able to feel your presence, to smell your scent, to hear the sound of you typing your stories on your laptop very late at night. This house… it’s too quiet now, it feels empty. I know you always told me to be strong, brave… you always used to say that I should be able to become a whole person; that I should be able to become an independent girl who needs no one to be successful. But… I’m not ready! I’m just a fourteen year old girl who’s lost her most loving companion and now feels lost and confused. Reality spat on my face with no prior notice! Without your guidance, how am I supposed to become that whole person you always wanted me to be? I need direction, and mom… well, she’s even worse than I am. She hasn’t spoken to me since the incident, and she’s been giving me these awful looks. She’s making me feel guilty, and it wasn’t my fault! IT WASN’T! I want to talk to her; be there for her, but I’m afraid she’ll blame me for what happened. I just hope we can cope with this soon. I’m worried about what might become of us. You were the one who kept harmony in this place, and now… I miss you so much Dad…

and cute. Rex was so excited when we picked him up—a little too excited actually because he peed all over the place. He loves you so much, and he’s going to miss seeing you around... I’m sure of it. Mom is downstairs laying on the couch... still crying. I wanted to keep her company but she just sent me to my room to rest until dinner was ready. Rest... as if. I honestly think she won’t make dinner. So I’ll have to do it myself, but it’s okay though. I need something to keep myself distracted. It’s been a really long day. Mom and I just got home from your funeral, and on the drive here, I saw that swing you built me on that I remembered how much I wanted a swing on a tree, but you kept saying that we couldn’t have one at home because our trees weren’t strong enough. But you couldn’t bear to see me sad, so that’s why you built me that one. You always found ways to make me smile no matter what. I’m surprised the swing is still there, but It’s rather lonely now. The grass has grown tall and dry all around it. It seems as if it’s been separated from the rest of the world. It’s slowly being forgotten. Dad… there’s no possible way to express this. The pain I feel surrounding me; it’s like I’m inside an enormous freezing cocoon, and have left. You were my hero! My role model; strong, caring, respectful, honest... you were the ground of this family. So... What’s going

Music

Jimmy’s Got Grooves The truth about our favorite TV host’s taste in music By Alecks Ramos

Illustration by Rose Feduk

Jimmy Fallon is a hip-hop head. There, I said it. The white boy we know and love from late night TV is a hip-hop head and I don’t know why I didn’t notice sooner. There were subtle clues that pointed to this: the fact that The Roots are the house band for his show; the fact that he has up-and-coming rappers perform on his show; and the fact that he performs hip-hop skits with his guests all the time. These were all obvious, and yet I missed them all. This changes everything about the way I see Jimmy Fallon. I’m now convinced he bumps Run DMC and NWA in his car. He probably has a sizable collection of classic records on vinyl. It wouldn’t shock me at all if he has an Adidas tracksuit and a fat gold chain tucked away in his closet. I shouldn’t be surprised by this, though. After all, Jimmy did grow up in New York in the ’70s and ’80s. He was an impressionable teenager when hip-hop started to become more and more popular in New York and across the nation. I’m certain he fell in love with hip-hop because of this. Now he’s able to share his love for hiphop with all of his viewers on a regular basis. It’s easy to see how much he enjoys and appreciates it as a whole. Why else

would he incorporate hip-hop so much into his show? I mean, one of his recent skits had him and Brad Pitt break-dancing against each other. The following week Daniel Radcliffe performed “Alphabet Aerobics” by Blackalicious with Jimmy getting down and grooving in the back. Sure, Jimmy isn’t “hard” or “tough” but he loves hip-hop and gets excited about it. The fact that Jimmy shares that with us is a good thing. He’s bridging the gap and making the genre accessible to a broader audience. Think about it: wouldn’t you be more inclined to give hip-hop a chance if you knew Harry Potter was into it? I guess what I’m trying to say is that society continues to view hip-hop as a violent genre. This is unfair to the new generation of hip-hop artists that are pouring their hearts and souls into their work. They aren’t being given a chance due to an outdated stigma. It’s time for society to stop being afraid of rap and hip-hop. And this is why Jimmy Fallon is important to hip-hop. He’s not there to revolutionize like Kanye West or Jay Z, but he is there to let the world know that it’s okay to vibe and rap along (as long as you don’t say the n-word).

Music

Drop the Bass Hollywood raves to Electronic Dance Music

Words and Photos by Christian Bordeau

Aside from their passion for the music, the loving atmosphere is what draws several ravers to continue attending EDM festivals (top); several ravers wait in anticipation for an upcoming set (left); pumping up the crowd, DJ Caked Up assures everybody is entertained (right)

On October 18, 2014 the Safe in Sound Festival was held at the Hollywood Palladium. It featured the largest dubstep DJs alive: Flux Pavilion, Adventure Club, Destroid, Caked Up, and Terravita. I had the opportunity to photograph Caked Up during their set. Caked Up rose through the ranks as a professional DJ by mixing samples from trending Vines and YouTube videos into their own house/ trap/dance music. I believe this led to them becoming the success they are today. So, be on the look-out for Caked Up as they make their ascent to becoming one of the greatest DJ acts. Shooting from backstage, I got to see

noticed how their eyes rolled back in their heads every couple of seconds. It was as if they were getting their soul tickled, and life as they knew it was just those lights with the music pumping in the background. Then the next DJ got on, and since I still had a press-pass for the whole night, I went into the pit and shot some more. I thought it would be the same thing as Caked Up, but I was wrong. They completely changed up the game. Instead of two people operating the turn tables, Destroid had a fully electronic band with a guitarist, bassist, drummer, and singer! As a musician myself, I was overjoyed to see what possibilities they could achieve.

absolutely crazy. They rattled the stage like an earthquake! It was like nothing I have ever experienced. I could not help myself from dancing uncontrollably while simultaneously shooting pictures. After the mind-blowing experience of shooting a professional DJ on-stage, they finished their set, then the stage people began setting up for the other acts that were performing. I took this opportunity to see what the crowd was doing while I was taking pictures. I saw people packed like sardines in the front of the stage, uncontrollable dancing, and this weird thing called â&#x20AC;&#x153;light shows.â&#x20AC;? Light shows, as I discovered, are individualized shows from fellow rave-goers with gloves with LED lights in the finger tips. They would sit a group or individual down and move their fingers in trippy ways. As I watched a couple getting their own personalized show, I

bass was just unreal. Standing next to the subwoofers was like being next to a fan because it would blast sound waves you could physically feel. I had to step away in order to take a decent picture due to the heavy bass shaking my camera. After watching the rest of the DJs, I left that rave with a new outlook on Electronic Dance Music (EDM). I used to think that DJs just pressed the play button on their Macbooks and the show happened. After watching the volumes, lining up the next song, and still having enough time to ramp up the crowd and spray them with a snow gun, my paradigm of DJs has completely shifted. If you have been reluctant to attend an Electronic Dance Music (EDM) event, I hope this article, along with ticket into clouds of ecstasy.

Travel

Lost in Translation A life-changing experience teaching English and studying in South Korea By Evan Schwieger

Perhaps one of the most rewarding parts of Evan’s journey is meeting different students from all over the world. “I felt honored being a part of their lives, spending time outside of class to get to know them, and sharing the experiences with them,” he said (top); Aside from teaching and studying, spots in Seoul (bottom)

Food

Tofurkey Madness A festive vegetarian recipe for the season By Mayra Hernandez

My sister is the vegetarian among meat eating beasts in my family. As a result, she never really joins us for family dinners, such as Thanksgiving. She would hang around for a bit and fill up on the side veggies, mashed potatoes, and pie. I always feel bad she misses out on the feasting they rest of my family and me indulge in. So this year I decided to make a tofurky dinner for her. I have never done anything of the sort, and to be honest, I think it sounds some what gross. I have done plenty of research and found the recipe which sounds most delicious and easiest to make. It is called Tofu Turkey Recipe, and it can be found on Allrecipes.com. The recipe calls for a lot of prep time, and can be quite expensive, but it sound worth the trouble. What you need: • • 2 tbsp sesame oil •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1 1/3 cups diced celery 1 cup chopped mushrooms 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/8 cup dried sage 2 teaspoons dried thyme 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary 1/4 cup tamari 1/2 cup sesame oil 1/4 cup tamari 2 tablespoons miso paste 5 tablespoons orange juice 1 teaspoon honey mustard 1/2 teaspoon orange zest 3 sprigs fresh rosemary salt and pepper to taste

the top of a bowl to catch the liquid. Put a heavy weight on top of tofu. Refrigerate for two to three hours. sautée onion, celery and mushrooms in two tablespoons of the sesame oil until tender. Add the garlic, sage, thyme, salt and pepper, rosemary and 1/4 cup of the

3. 4.

5. What you need to do: 1. Line a medium sized, round colander with a cheese cloth or a clean dish towel. Place the crumbled tofu in the colander, then place another cheese cloth over the top of the tofu. Leave the colander over

An Unconventional Thanksgiving

well. Remove from heat. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a cookie sheet. Combine 1/2 cup sesame oil, 1/4 cup tamari, miso, orange juice, mustard and orange zest in a small bowl; Mix well. Remove the weight from the tofu. Hollow out the tofu so that there is one inch of tofu still lining the colander. Place the scooped out tofu in a separate bowl. Brush the tofu lining with a small amount

By Zack Falcón

sides of the “turkey” to form a more oval shape. Brush the tofu turkey with 1/2 of the oil-tamari mixture. Place the sprigs of rosemary on top of the tofu. Cover the “turkey” with foil. Bake for one hour. After one hour, remove “turkey” from the oven and remove the foil. Baste the “turkey” with the remaining tamari-oil sauce (reserving 4 to oven and bake another hour or until the tofu turkey is golden brown. Place the tofu turkey on a serving platter, brush with the remaining tamari-oil mixture and serve hot.

into the center of the tofu shell. Place the

Last year during the month of November, my mother told me that she didn’t want to make a turkey. Stunned, I asked why. She said she was sick of making the same dinner every year. Ever since I was a kid, I remember my mom and a half of wine before placing it in the oven to be cooked. Back in the ’90s, my cousins and

Giving thanks is more about family than turkey

onto the prepared cookie sheet putting the leftover tofu side of the “turkey”

extreme juiciness. My mom’s traditional

Served along with my mom’s traditionally drunk and delicious turkey were garlic mashed potatoes, grilled lemon pepper asparagus, and her homemade sweet potato pie. Saying I was stunned when she told me she didn’t want to make my favorite meal of the year is a bit of an understatement. After she told me, she began talking about making something that was closer to our culture. So we prepared our kitchen for tamales, pozole, and champurrado. I have had each of these Mexican dishes on various occasions, but I

never expected to have it as my Thanksgiving meal. The food ended up tasting really yummy, but it wasn’t the food that made our 2013 Thanksgiving night. Making the food was what made that day special. The night before, my two older sisters, a couple cousins, and my grandmothers came over and we made the tamales. Our kitchen was too small, so we had to make the tamales outside. There was about 10 of us, and we each

and some where wrapping up the tamales. Needles to say, we were all busy. We made about 200 tamales, and it took forever, but while I had hung out with my family like that, and we all had a great time. If you have been eating the same traditional Turkey dinner every year, I suggest you throw those dinner plans out and

Volume 75 Issue 13

Monday, November 17, 2014

LBUNION.COM

DISCLAIMER: Eduardo Saverin here! Sorry! My Prada’s at the cleaners, along with my hoodie and my fuck-you flip-flops, you pretentious douchebag! Get off Facebook and get on writing for Grunion. This page is satire/ parody and does not represent ASI nor the CSULB campus. Submit your douchey articles via email to grunion@lbunion.com.

GOP Gobble Over Affairs as Obama Prepares Turkey Washington D.C. - Two weeks after a landslide victory by U.S. Republican senators over incumbent Democrats, the GOP is again on the opposite end of the issue of immigration as Mr. Obama readies his Thanksgiving dinner list. House speaker John by Olveir Reed Boehner has vowed to move his party to someone else’s house if Obama serves dinner on his own. The bold incumbent speaker has in weeks past declared that if President Obama does not work with the new congress and “keeps playing with matches,” he will, in all likelihood “overcook his turkey.” This will not

be tolerated by Dreamers and “garden variety wetbacks and illegals [who will suffer]...in establishing a comprehensive and coherent, legal tamale workforce.” Mr. Boehner has also cited Obama’s use of Ocean Spray canned cranberry sauce as a detriment to immigration reform. Democrats, however, are on board the immigration gravy boat. “The Emancipation ‘real’ legal document,” cites Rep. Claudius Hernandez (D-Tex) in reference to President Lincoln’s historic executive decision without the collaboration of congress. Hernandez explains, “Lincoln was one down-ass ni***a. NWA was the shit and he knew it. How could he not have emancipated these fools?” Added Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.): “This

whole threat of an executive order has a cold, frozen and sweet effect on everything especially if it has sugar and butter.” Negotiators from the House and Senate have been working on legislation for weeks in the hope of avoiding a government shutdown over the issue. “After Thanksgiving, we don’t come back anyway unless it’s for leftovers...and if Mr. Obama wants to play ball he can leave a couple of buttermilk biscuits through New Years,” says McCain. Still, some Republicans are not willing to hold up governmental functions when the new Republican congress, sworn in this January takes power. Senator McConnell, the slow talking, slow moving and elderly new Republican leader has stated that “well, today is Wednesday, pancakes are half off today,”

much to the support of conservative Latino and pro-immigration groups who at this point don’t know where they stand. In contrast, President Obama has vowed to “do what I can within reason” to pass immigration reform “so long as turkey at is enjoyed by all Americans.” While calling on the Federal Communications Commission to establish regulations and policies that he promised in 2008 would lead to Internet neutrality,” he added that, “Every illegal person should be able to communicate with a legal one.”

ISIS Cream Shop Opens in Long Beach Long Beach, CA- The long anticipated Middle Eastern dessert franchise known as the Isis Cream Shop opened in the downtown district on the 3,700 block of Pine Ave. last week. To much fanfare, the line around by Johnny M. Gay the block is an indication of the popularity of the new store serving long time frozen Syrian favorites such as Jihad Jubilee and Almond Chocolate is hoping his brand of cold stone sweets will the hand of every child. The story of the ISIS Cream Candy Co. & Lumber begins in Syria and dates back to roughly 500 B.C. with an old pagan icecream recipe; a chilled, curdled goat cheese based snack eaten mostly by shepherds. Thought lost for centuries, the recipe found inscribed on the wall, ironically, of a McDonald’s basement in Damascus has

been brought to America by chef and former Syrian University archaeologist Abdul Achmed De Johnson who is loving it. “Praise God! We are very happy to be doing this in such a diverse community as Long Beach,” says the zealous ISIS cream maker. “It is so difficult to run an operation like this in Damascus. Too many civilians. Most of my customers are dead of a drone strike before they can pay for a cone, which [was] bad for my business,” De Johnson recalls. Outside, customers are excited about the chilled concoctions so much that some have camped out overnight to be the first to get a cone. Milton Jimenez, a young 11-year-old 3rd grader from Alondry Elementary says, “I love Berry Beheading. Sometimes I like, get two ‘n’ stuff.” Jake “no shit” Straddlin, a former Vietnam War helicopter door gunner and retired librarian, sits inside the store with his wife who crunches on Mecca Macadamia in a cone amid dessert propaganda posters and a large television screen broadcasting the store’s YouTube videos of fruit being

slit open and blended for smoothies. “Hell, if there’s something wrong with loving ISIS Cream then I’m an infidel pig. There’s nothing in the Bible about this,” says Straddlin as he slurps a Tracer Tangerine gelato with added shrapnel sprinkles. De Johnson believes without doubt that his venture will be able to provide for himself and his two young daughters the prosperity that was unattainable in the Middle East. “I want what every father wants for his children,” he explains. He hopes for a college education for his children, healthcare, and a sense of community. As such, he vows fervently to “throw down the 31 Flavors and then the Cold Stones. Soon, this region will all belong to ISIS Cream. I have faith that it will. I have enough White Chocolate Phosphorus Bliss, and I will prevail! Look at the sign,” he says pointing to the banner over the entryway. “What does it tell you?” Over the entryway, the sign reads “ISIS Cream: So good you will martyr yourself.”

INSIDE

KIM KARDASHIAN PRODUCE LINE

ANNOUNCES

NEW

YELP REVIEW ON MAC STORE STATES “DON’T EAT THESE APPLES!”

LOCAL DICTATOR ACTS COCKY ON SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT

LIVING LEGEND SQUIRRELY JONES RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM NUTTIN’ BUT SAX