Somnium

THANK YOU

Danny Lemos, Keya Allen, Sylvana Cicero, Beach Pride Center, KBeach Radio, College Beat, ASI Media Board, Deshe Gully, The Nugget workers: Sebastian, Rae, Nicholas, Margie, Josie, Alexis Cruz, Gary Metzker, James Ahumada, Sean the I.T. guy, David Mac (Sean’s boss), David Pantoja, Eduardo Aceituno , The Associated Press Styleguide, Valley Printers, Aaron Elimelech and everyone at ASI Communications

Anna Elaine Abella, Justin Thomas Abella, Tony Acero, Benz Ananthasukhon, Mark Anthony, Yesenia Arroyo, Teresa Arteaga, Bryan Ayala, Elizabeth Ayala, Emily Ayers, Daniel Barajas, Jonathan Beltran, Oscar Benitez, Kaela Berry, Ashwin Bhosle, Christian Bourdeau, John Broadway, Matt Brown, Kate Bruins, Sergio Burstein, Jessie Butera, Taylor Caceres, Cesar Cadenas, Alyson Camus, Tam Cao, Alfredo Castaneda, Rachel Chauvin, Chelsea Chester, Bradford Chin, Ellen Chou, Dave Chow, Adam

Clease, Daniel Colón, Karrie Comfort, John Courtot, Chestina Craig, Veronica Craft, R.R. Crosby, Cindy Cruz, Mary Cruz, Eliza de la Flor, Trevor Desrosiers, Bradley Dickinson, Sean Dundas, Melissa “Meggy” Duron, Mitchell Edwards, Angel Mae Elchico, Alysia El Nagar, Jacky Elrich, Joe Eurell Samwell Favela, Thomas Forman Cindy Garcia, Stella Garcia, Isaac Garland, Helena Garnett, Galileo Gonzalez, Maximo Gonzalez, Nohemi Gonzalez, Lilit Grigoryants, Henri Haycraft, Erika Henderson, Roberto Herrera, Jesus Hernandez, Mara Hernandez, Kyle Ho, Anthony Hodge, Camille Hove, Emily Ibrahim, Wesley Ihuzue, Nicole Ilagan, Brittany Imaku, Kirstie Ishikawa, Eileen IV, Yoshino Jasso, Niran Jayasiri, Cesar Jimenez, Juliann Jimenez, Kimberly Jimenez, Maria Jimenez, Karla Juarez, Jean Jullien, Sahar Kachroo, Oumar Kamara, Catherine Kim, Erwin King, Rebecca Komathy, Augustus Krider, Michelangelo Landgrave von Gensokyo, Paul LaPoint, Paige Lapp, Tony Le,

Sarah LeBlanc, Justin Lee, Stephen Lee, Leslie Leon, Alaysia Lewis, Katie Leyba, Lawrence Lie, Brittany Lieberman, Lawrence Liu, Francisco Lopez, Jorge Lopez, Mario Lopez, Suzie Lopez, Justin Low, Matthew Lujan, Peter Macaulay, Xavier Madrigal, Justin Man, Kealie Mardell, William Odis Martin, Jorge Martinez, Luis Martinez, Joel Martinez, Andrew McGivern, Matt McNeese, Stephany Medina, Cesar Melchor, Allison Meyer, Meagan Meylor, Sarah Moffatt, Jennifer Montano, Vanessa Moore, Monica Morales, Denise Moreno, Scott Morris, Alex Mraz, Jorge Anthony Negrete, Samantha Neou, Kenny Nguyen, Lilly Nguyen, Timothy Nguyen, Nothingbutwordssatire, Matias Ocana, OC DIY, Christian O’Keefe, Railan Olviedo, Natalie Ordaz, Miguel-Angel Orduno, Elizabeth Ortiz, Adam Pacheco, Alfred Pallarca, Frances Payne, Alejandra (Alex) Peréz, Ricardo Perez, Joseph C. Petitt, Alex Pham, Zach Phelps, Becca Pincolini, Blake Pinto, Viridiana Prado, Ricardo Alejandro Pulido, Fernando Ramirez,

Marilyn Ramirez, Connor Reischl, Brandon “B” Richardson, Genesis Rivera, Dominique Roberts, Athena Robinson, R. Ray Robinson, Ashley Rodriguez, Crystal Rodriguez, Zane Roessell, Colin Rogers, Diego Romero, Ramiro Romo, Fergie Rosales, Rebecca Ruiz, Jose Salazar, Marisol Samayoa, Alma Sanchez, Jose Sandoval, Gonzalo Saucedo, Renee Schmiedeberg, Daniel Schrader, John Schrader, Jordan Scott, Cody Stegemiller, Rueben Strickland, Hanna Suarez, Katia Swihart, Richies Tan, Lalig Tarbinian, Hal Tars, Jennifer Teloya, David Teubner, Daniel Tillgren, Alaina Tinnirello, Lilyana Tsoiasue, Tiffany Tran, Anneke Van Ommering, Eduardo Vargas, Rebeca Vega, Julia Velasco-Aguilar, Beatriz Villa, Jack Villalba, Chris and Parker Viola, Cody Vogel, Hal Vongsahom, Indigo Vu, Elizabeth Weinberger, Christian Wiseman, Jaime Wright, Justin Wu, Xpressions

Issue 78.14

Intro

3

Katie Cortez, Editor-in-Chief editorinchief@lbunion.com Richard Mejia, Managing Editor manager@lbunion.com Ashley Rodriguez, Advertising Executive ashley.lbunion@gmail.com Nathan Zankich, Web Manager web@lbunion.com Amanda Del Cid, Social Media Manager Chris Orozco, Distribution Manager ART & DESIGN Sam Orihuela, Art Director artdirector@lbunion.com John Mueller, Graphics Illustrator illustration@lbunion.com EDITORIAL Amanda Del Cid, News Content Editor news@lbunion.com Peter R. Clark, News Design Editor travel@lbunion.com Elizabeth Nguyen, Opinions Editor opinions@lbunion.com Bailey Mount, Community Editor community@lbunion.com Alejandro Ramos, Athletics Editor athletics@lbunion.com Kaila-Marie Hardaway, Food Editor food@lbunion.com Amanda Dominguez-Chio, Culture Editor amanda@lbunion.com Madison Gallegos, Culture Editor madison@lbunion.com Elliott Gatica, Music Editor music@lbunion.com Andrew Linde, Entertainment Editor entertainment@lbunion.com Peter R. Clark, Travel Editor travel@lbunion.com Grim Fandango, Grunion Editor stalkyard@gmail.com STAFF WRITERS Lauren Hunter, lauren@lbunion.com Sylvana Uribe, sylvana@lbunion.com Jordan Daniels, jordan@lbunion.com Elizabeth Campos, liz@lbunion.com Matthew Gozzip, matt@lbunion.com Abraham Alapisco, abraham@lbunion.com

THE END OF AN ERA All week long, I’ve been having mixed feelings about this issue. On one hand, I’m currently suffering from a case of “Peter Pan syndrome.” I see how terrible being an adult is, and I don’t want to do it. On the other hand, if my next couple of weeks are going to be like they were last week, I also don’t want to keep doing that. So, I don’t know how to feel about this issue.

Initially, the Feature story this week was supposed to be something very much different than what it is. But unfortunately, someone who hurt me early on in the week also failed at maintaining his Feature story, so our ridiculously talented Art Director, Sam, came up with this week’s idea to cover the Industrial Design show. The layout and story are expertly executed, and I hope you enjoy what we’ve put together as our last issue of the Spring 2016 semester and my last issue as Editor-in-Chief. With that being said, I have a few people that I want to thank.

First and foremost, I want to thank Danny Lemos, Keya Allen, Trey McEachin, Jay Holloway, Nicole Ilgan, and the ASI Media Board for having my back and being my goto’s during the very few times I needed advice or just needed to vent. I probably couldn’t have gotten through these last two semesters without your help or guidance. I still vote that we all do karaoke over the summer.

I also want to thank Eduardo Aceituno,

David Mac, and David Pantoja for tolerating my endless demanding emails. I’m sorry for being such an asshole, but know that you guys are the greatest and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me since last July.

To my closeset friends: Brandon E Richardson, Devon and Caroline (soon-to -be Aguirre), Melissa Duron, Miles Hoover, AJ Camorlinga, Samwell Favela (<3 forever), for listening to me complain about work all the time even though you all know that I love it more than anything. For years you guys have kept pushing me to do my best. If it wasn’t for your support and understanding when I miss birthday parties, engagement celebrations, and other important events that I would’ve killed to be at, this year wouldn’t have happened.

To my parents, you two have put up with a lot of my shit over the years. And I love you guys for that. I also appreciate that Dad will most likely read this the second it goes up on Issuu.com because he reads everything I do and follows our Facebook page, even though he doesn’t think that I know he does that.

Gary Metzker, I appreciate you and everything you do. Thanks for being a hardass and giving me the feedback I needed.

To my current staff and everyone who has come and gone from UW since last July, you’ve all been a pain in my ass and helped us at the same time. These issues would not

Graphic by Sam Orihuela

have been the same without all of you, and even though it might have seemed like I don’t appreciate the work you’ve done, I do. You are all talented in your own right, but don’t let your ego get the best of you.

Lauren, you know I probably would not be graduating from college if I didn’t have you forcing me to go to class for the last 4 semesters. Thanks, Lo. Andrew and Alex, we’ll always have New York. And Brooklyn Lager.

Peter, thanks for sticking with me on those late Thursday and Friday nights in the office, making sure we get work done.

Richard and Sam, I could not have survived this year without the two of you.

This is the third publication I’ve run as an EIC, and I’ve never had a team like you. I thank you both for putting up with me for the last two semesters, and I’m going to miss you guys the most when I graduate.

Thank you, CSULB, for giving me this opportunity. It’s been a challenging year, but one that I won’t ever forget.

And Greg, you and I both know that I won.

Katheryne Adela Cortez Katie Ktez Tezworth Tezzington Tez

Andrew and I did the unthinkable and ate every item on the Nugget Bar and Grill’s menu.

COPY & ASSISTANT EDITORS Carissa Pope, Karen Ruiz, Sheila Sadr, Abril Burstein CONTRIBUTORS Brandon E Richardson, Julia Velasco-Aguilar, Karrie Comfort, Sean Dundas, Anna Abella COVER PHOTO BY: Katie Cortez COVER DESIGN BY: Sam Orihuela FEATURE DESIGN BY: Sam Orihuela FEATURE PHOTOS BY: Katie Cortez CONTACT US Snail Mail: 1212 Bellflower Blvd. Suite 116 Long Beach, CA 90815 Phone: 562.985.4867 E-mail: lbunion.info@gmail.com Classifieds: classifieds.lbunion@gmail.com

@UnionWeekly

MAC AND CHEESE BITES ARE LIFE 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 in the Associated Students business office.

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Opinions

Dear Barbara Kingsley-Wilson, The Union Weekly deserves to be acknowledged My name is Richard Mejia and I am the Managing Editor at the Union Weekly. In only my second semester at California State University, Long Beach, I am proud to be a part of a school that values their students and provides a plethora of resources to those students in order for them to reach their full potential. Coming from Long Beach City College, I was excited to join the journalism program at CSULB, given that notable journalists in Southern California have cut their teeth here. Throughout the school year, myself and my Editor-in-Chief Katie Cortez have exhausted all of our efforts and have been endlessly determined to make the Union Weekly a credible and respected publication. With 28 issues completed, I felt we achieved that task and none of this would have been possible without the student staff as well as student contributors.

However, as I sat throughout the roughly five-hour Journalism Day event, I was completely dumbstruck.

The Union Weekly was not acknowledged.

Not a single mention of our existence nor an invitation to myself or Katie was extended to honor our staff. Are we not aspiring journalists? Are we not developing students? Does the journalism department not give a damn about the Union Weekly? I

don’t care about awards, scholarships or any other type of back-scratching that goes on at these events, but it was JOURNALISM DAY. A day to recognize journalists on campus and encourage their chosen path. Sure, our professors told us to go and in most cases, made us go—but that doesn’t excuse the fact that the journalism department failed to acknowledge a campus publication made up of over 20 students that produce the best content on campus.

For nine months, our unpaid editors sacrificed their Saturdays to layout their pages and edit their content. For nine months, our unpaid staff writers would produce more than two articles per week while working part-time jobs and attending class full time. We’re not a mandatory class.

We don’t have professors and Pulitzer Prize winners telling us how to layout our pages.

We’re a collection of students with diverse backgrounds who love what we do and put all our efforts into that work.

Are we lazy because we use words like fuck, shit and goddamn? Hell no. We follow AP Style and ensure that anyone writing for us understands at least the most basic guidelines of AP. We’re not just another college publication who writes about whatever they want; we have broken big

stories, kept the campus up-to-date with events that have occurred in and around the community and most importantly—we have given the students a voice.

We accept all students to sit down in our meetings and pitch stories. We sit down with aspiring journalists and explain to them why their stories are good and what needs to be worked on. We go out of our way to reinforce what we have been taught by our professors in hopes that the program on campus becomes one of the premier programs in all of California.

We’re journalists. We’re engineers.

We’re artists. We’re mathematicians. We’re scientists. We’re students.

If the department’s mission is to help journalists and students alike develop, then I implore you, recognize the Union Weekly.

We don’t need awards; we don’t need a plaque; we don’t need a blurb in the Daily 49er. All we ask is that you acknowledge we exist. We’re not a throwaway publication— we’re journalists from all walks of life and we’re here to stay.

Best Regards, Richard Mejia Managing Editor.

A Generational Misconception Redefining what separates the millenials from other generations

By Katie Cortez Editor-in-Chief Living in a post-9/11 world is something that I talk and think about a lot. A few weeks ago, I mentioned it in the Intro page of our issue, “Collision Averted,” but never fully explained myself.

At the ripe ol’ age of 25, I am technically classified as a millennial, but I don’t accept this particular term. When I think of millennials, I think of anyone under the age of 23. I think of a generation of young adults who don’t quite understand what the real world is like and use weak and flawed arguments to try and get their points across. I think of kids who weren’t old enough to be able to sneak into movie theaters to see “American Pie” in all its sexual-innuendo glory and are not old enough to really remember 9/11. I think of kids who probably didn’t even learn about 9/11 until high school and can’t tell you where they were when it happened.

Being classified as a millennial means the older generation just assumes that I’m a democrat and I hate FOX News because “they make plenty of sense and you don’t know because you’re just a kid.”

With this label, a certain stigma is held over my head like a rain cloud I can never get rid of.

It is assumed that I am lazy, narcissistic, and

that I don’t think before I speak. It is assumed that I think I deserve a trophy whenever I accomplish something, I’m entitled, and I would rather hang out with friends and go to Coachella than have a 9-5 career.

“Adults” seem to think that I blame the world for my misfortunes and faults. They think that I blame my upbringing (which

before I became fully committed to adulthood.

Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie) said it best in the pilot of “The OC”: “Modern medicine is advancing to the point where the average human lifespan will be 100. But I read this article which said Social Security is supposed to run out by the year 2025, which means people are going to have to stay at their jobs

“The common classification for millenials is inaccurate not just about me, but also...people who were born late ‘80s-early ‘90s.” was not bad in the slightest) and the friends I had and lost and society and the ceramics teacher I hated my freshman year of high school and my ex-boyfriend...literally anyone else but myself for taking eight years to get a bachelor’s degree. I blame none of those people or situations or whatever.

I admit that I did this to myself. I wanted to be sure of what direction I wanted my life to go and the kind of person I wanted to grow into

until they’re 80. So I don’t want to commit to anything too soon.” That is exactly why I took so long to finish college.

Starting a career is not as easy as it was 20 years ago. College is not as easy as it was 20 years ago. I refuse to get stuck in a career that I’m going to hate in five years. I want to do something that I’m passionate about, something that will make me feel good and accomplished and get paid for all at the same time.

The common classification for millennials is inaccurate not just about me, but also a large amount of people who were born in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Out of 50 or so people within this age range who I’ve met in the last two years, I can count at least 20 of them (and one surprising anomaly of a 20-year-old) who do not fit this definition of millennial, but don’t quite fit the definition of Generation-X either.

We are the one’s who remember 9/11. In a pre-9/11 world, you could walk your mother/ father/brother/sister/cousin/friend/lover etc. past security, keep your shoes on, and wait at the gate with them minutes before the plane took off. In a pre-9/11 world, Republicans didn’t fear the Muslim population nearly as much as they do now. Instead, that part of the American population, among other religions and races, were accepted among the American public.

We are the unfortunate group of people who have learned that finding a decent guy who will like you back happens more often on dating apps than it does in real life and books are read on LCD screens instead of on paper.

We are not millennials.

We are Generation-Y.

Culture

5

Dressed to Kill College Night 2016 hosted by LACMA featured an exhibit on menswear

By Jordan Daniels Staff Writer

College students have a flair for the contemporary, a taste for the modern and a hunger for art. However, art is not always easily accessible, especially because of financial reasons. But with the help of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), art is accessible and free to all college students one night per year.

From exhibits on pictures and paintings to models of cars and fashion, LACMA College Night 2016, which was held on Thursday, became a creative playground for students.

“I saw the event from Facebook,” said first year Edith Echeberria from Glendale Community College. “I think it’s amazing that they [LACMA] opened up their exhibits to college students for free.”

While only specific exhibits were open for students, two of the exhibits were ticketed attractions, saving $50 for those who attended. The ticketed exhibits featured were Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Medium and Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear 1715-2015.

Robert Mapplethrope is most famous for his work which presents a duality in the combination of sexual fetishes and artistic undergrounds. With most of his work being shot in black and white, much of it contrasted the conservatism of his 1980s upbringing with his own progressive thinkings on experimentation of both the human body and social norms.

Being gay, much of Mapplethrope’s exhibit focused heavily on the male form, highlighting masculine features and different angles of genitalia in some works. Some also took the form of speaking about social inequities between races through classicism.

A favorite in the exhibit was a picture of a white hand grasping a black penis, representing a constant power struggle between races and relating to the idea that white men often hold power over other races, especially those who are black.

“A lot of it was so abstract,” said Khira Layton, a Chapman University film major.

“The way he presented his work is so different than artists today and it really sparks conversation from the 1980s that was very much social taboo.”

The other exhibit, Reigning Men, focused on the evolution of men’s fashion from the last 300 years. With emphasis on the changing fashions of different cultures, the exhibit often made interesting parallels of the way our styles have not only evolved, but also remain in today’s fashion trends. With heavy roots in European fashion, especially UK-influenced, we saw a lot of stereotypically stylized outfits such as black shoes with giant buckles, different colored half-suits that covered the torso but left the legs exposed.

European fashion is a blend of different styles, fabrics and patterns (Jordan Daniels/Union Weekly)

We see the different wigs and headdresses that people wore, along with long jabots that covered the neckline, which also gave the exhibit hints of nostalgia and admiration for the late singer Prince, who had just passed away earlier that day and was known for having a distinct sense of fashion.

There were contrasts from these traditional wears through the styles of the iconic British punk rock movement with blends of colors, leather pants, spiked hair and sleeveless arms, to more formal wear that focused on expression through many different brightly colored suits.

Throughout the exhibit, each room focused on a different type of wear, where it was traditional wear, formal wear, military, swimwear, etc. Each room held different wears from different cultures, most fashions from the UK and Japan.

The Japanese styles were as fascinating as they were mystifying, often a variety of colors on a mixes of different styles. There would be half-kimonos with florals of black and gold, but underneath would be full suits and their shoes would be wild colorful patterns or simply a pair of wooden clogs. There was such a dynamism in the ways the clothes were presented that had guests enamored.

“I want to choose an exhibition that I think college students will really respond to,” said Amber Smith, content specialist of LACMA’s Education and Public Programs. “I strive to create as many channels with which to engage, and learn about the art.”

From art to fashion, conversations were struck by many guests and connections were made by attendees through the common interests in what the pieces said about identities, social norms, styles and fashion.

LACMA College Night 2016 - Success.

A group of different style of punk fashion famous in the UK in the ‘80s (Jordan Daniels/Union Weekly)

A blend of formal and casual wear with neutral colors (Jordan Daniels/Union Weekly)

“...the exhibit often made interesting parallels of the way our styles... remain in today’s fashion trends. ”

6

News

Break the Silence Fair brings awareness, and shirts to campus on campus. The YWCA is known for fighting sexual violence and racism.

As a part of Sexual Assault Awareness month, “A lot of the women that the Women and Gender Equity Center put work for it are women of color, together Break the Silence fair. and they look at it from a more On Wednesday April 20, Student Health cultural lens,” said Desire Services, Project OCEAN, YWCA and other Campusano, the graduate groups gathered at the Speaker’s Platform student assistant of the Women to promote awareness of sexual assault in its and Gender Equity Center. various forms.

Campusano also expressed Break the Silence fair was called that collaborating with the Clothesline Project YWCA has been a in previous years. The great asset for the name was changed center on campus, to incorporate more as different Shirts with messages of sexual abuse awareness components other perspectives from surrounded the event. (Amanda Del Cid/Union Weekly) than the hands-on different people experience of the are brought to the table.

Red, pink and orange were for sexual assault event.

Across one of the and rape survivors, and purple or lavender On both clotheslines hung in front of the were for LGBTQ survivors and/or women extremes of the book store, a table was set up for attacked because of their sexual orientation.

Speaker’s Platform, the public to create their own Marlene Aguilar, a communication major, the Clothesline shirt which would be hung along said that “it’s important to draw attention to Project is displayed. with the others that are part of these issues.”

This project consists the project.

Following the Break the Silence Fair, was of several shirts The table displayed a variety Take Back the Night, which was held later hanging from a rope, of colored shirts donated by that night. It was also put together by the with the purpose of Break the Silence hosted many organizations and clubs such as Not Alone @The the YWCA as well as a list that Women and Gender Equity Center.

Beach. (Amanda Del Cid/Union Weekly) making these unique explains what each color meant.

By Elizabeth Campos Staff Writer

shirts visible to the public. The shirts are printed with messages of sexual assault survivors, as well as incest, domestic violence or child abuse.

Some of the messages written on these shirts include “This has to stop!,” “Stop Sexual Abuse,” and some other shirts have messages written in Spanish as well.

The shirts were donated to the project by the YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association), a group that has a partnership with the Women and Gender Equity Center

News

The Mind on Display

7

ASI Presidential Race Update

Psych day seeks to educate the campus

By Abraham Alapisco Staff Writer The psychology building was the locale of the 44th annual Psych Day. It was put together by members of the Psychology Student Association and PSI CHI on April 21, 2016. The event combines workshops, food, research presentations and info stations all in one place.

“We had almost each of everythingphotobooth, grad fair, research competition, potluck, research competition, and workshops,” said Kassie Butterworth, Vice President of PSI CHI. Moreover, Butterworth Film faculty and director Grace Lee speak with the audience following the screening noted that it was a fun day that was worth (Abraham Alapisco/Union Weekly) planning. were studying. what you post,” said Iacovitti. Unwanted One way the event helps those already For Alex Iacovitti, an alumni of the sexual and hurtful messages on social involved with the major were the various university presenting research, it is a great media is a concerning issue on social media booths set up that provide information about way to meet and speak with others about according to Iacovitti, who hopes to shed employment opportunities, graduate school, trending topics in the field. Iacovitti’s light on the issue as a second time presenter. and stress management. The popular major research involved cyberbullying on When the event up around 2pm, attendees has many facets to explore, and Psych day Facebook. headed over to the Annatoll Center to listen attempts to cover many bases in order to “It’s important to be conservative about to the keynote speak Dr. Andrea Hopmeyer, capture an accurate whose research involves image of what the social and emotional major is all about. development of children The day is meant and adolescents. to showcase the field wrapped up around of Psychology to 2pm, attendees headed anyone who wants to over to the Annatoll learn more about the Center to listen to field. Presentation the keynote speak Dr. boards of current Andrea Hopmeyer, and former students whose research involves were on display. social and emotional Researchers were development of children nearby to answer any and adolescents. questions about the Volunteers and board members of PSA and PSI CHI Honor Society preparing early in the area of the field they morning before the event (Jennie Kim/Contributor)

The Voice of the People New structure of ASI Town Hall Meeting

By Matthew Gozzip Staff Writer After a tumultuous year of administration transparency concerns, questionable safety policy and increasing social advocacy on campus, the last ASI town hall meeting will be a little different than usual.

Instead of discussion about set agenda from the executives of ASI, students will be able to voice their concerns more clearly and efficiently in a new submission format, effectively putting student voices at the helm for the day.

The new structure was an idea implemented by Anthony Abando, a programming board member for ASI. “Students wanted to know more about what ASI does and why they take certain actions”, explains Abando. “The students

and executives will be in such a clear line of contact that there is nothing but transparency”.

Comments that will be asked by the moderators are gathered through electronic submission via social media and by physical note if the person asking the question is attending the event. The new configuration

“...there is nothing but transparency.” of the event would put the president, vice president, treasurer and chief program officer in a fluid forum.

To further ensure the new narrative of town hall meetings to be a success, Abando

and the programming board team have enlisted the help of KBeach to not only moderate the questions but also broadcast the town meeting live online. Many of the quips about town hall meetings are due to their inconvenient meeting times for students but having the broadcast and submissions online allows for the concerned to better understand the ASI executives, even when they cannot physically attend meetings.

Anthony admits that the new format is a little unconventional and untested but that shouldn’t deter students from engaging in dialogue with the ASI board that represents them.

KBeach will be broadcasting through their website and radio station. Online question submissions are handled through the CSULB ASI Facebook and Twitter accounts.

By Lauren Hunter Staff Writer The ASI Judiciary Board met on April 19 and discussed the outcome of Oscar Acevedo’s future in ASI. This meeting was conducted because of the alleged misconducts during election time committed by Acevedo.

According to sources Acevedo was showing people how to vote via mobile devices. But supposedly he was only showing students how to vote for him. They viewed what he had done as a type of coercion and students felt the need to vote for him because of it.

This all came to a head during the run off election. There were three ties between president, vice president and treasurer.

The vice president and treasurer seats were filled. However, issues arose with the presidential seat between Marvin Flores and Acevedo.

This past week the ASI Judiciary Board made their decision to drop Acevedo from the running. Instead the second runner up, Robert Espinoza, is now in the running against Flores in becoming the ASI president for the 2016-2017 school year.

According the Acevedo he feels the ruling was unfair. He claimed, “their evidence was Marvin’s other ASI coworkers making ridiculous claims against me.”

He went on to share his feelings. “It is outrageous that student government will engage in dishonest politics with backroom deals, attempt to silence my supporters. What they did was voter disenfranchisement and the ASI Judiciary chose to side with their fellow co-workers to rig the election in Marvin’s favor. They don’t care about student voices,” Acevedo said that he is “not going out without a fight.”

Espinoza, the new candidate for ASI president in place of Acevedo, is running on the platform of transparency. He also wants to help raise the number of African American and Latino graduating. Another issue he wishes to tackle is how ASI uses the money that comes out of our student fees. He wants to make more scholarships available for students.

Flores’s platform is for students’ voices to be heard. And he is also for the transparency with the school and its students. He wants to help the students achieve more than just graduating and receiving his or her diploma, but get more out of their entire school experience here at CSULB. Since again there was no overall winner in voting numbers another election will take place. Flores originally received 1,636 votes compared to Espinoza’s 743 votes in the original vote. The new election according to the Board of Elections will be held April 25-27. Students can continue to go to the ASI homepage for updates regarding the new election.

8 Community

Senior environmental science and policy major Whitney Miller wanted to join ASI to make a difference on campus.

Earth Week was one such way that Miller used her sustainability and communications skills to benefit the students.

“I’m most excited about the succulents,” Miller said with a laugh. “I ordered the pots and everything, so I’m pretty excited to hand them out!”

Events for Earth Week spanned from Apr. 20 - 21 and were completely devoted to reducing waste and becoming more sustainable as not only as a university, but as an individual.

A variety of activities took place, including the Long Beach Water Department’s “Water You Doing Wednesday,” where the department hosted a photo booth to encourage students to take shorter showers. The Environmental Science and Policy Club held a clothing swap, mini-recycle bin decorating event, and trivia.

The fun culminated in a sustainable Green Generation Mixer on “Take Action Thursday” in the beautiful Japanese Gardens, where students presented some of their best sustainable or green projects for faculty judges in the Sustainability Project Showcase. Though not eligible for prizes, faculty displayed some of their own work as well.

Miller decided that ASI was one of the best ways for her to “foster a sustainable environment that students can carry with them throughout their college years and beyond.”

Although, she agreed that being in student government was, to a certain extent, based on how much effort you put into it, she enjoyed both the experiences and the hard work of planning a great event.

As a representative, Miller wanted the campus “to become more aware of sustainability initiatives, and to foster a sustainable environment that students can carry with them throughout their college years and beyond.”

“I think the main benefit of ASI is the fact that you can gain real world experience in whatever role you decide to partake in within the organization,” Miller said.

“There are opportunities for students to practice both their leadership skills and the skills within their field of interest.”

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artist than any website.

Dyzzy mentions that when people walk into his shop, they say, “It’s like walking back in time,” where in addition to the thousands of vintage vinyl, there are vintage posters and art everywhere you turn. Dyzzy carries most genres, from soul to rock n’ roll, where his prices are reasonable, and there are bargains hidden between the boxes of albums lined around the store.

Considering Dyzzy supports the local music scene, he will often hold local band’s CD release parties in his store. These events occur often, since there are not many places in Long Beach where musicians of all ages are welcome to showcase their music. The last CD release was for the band King Relic, where Dyzzy had the band perform and talk about their new album. This opportunity is beneficial for the band, but mainly for the fans, because Dyzzy doesn’t charge a fee for people get the experience of the band’s performance, where other venues probably would.

Though Dyzzy buys and sells vinyl records he also donates many to nonprofit organizations where the people who are not able to travel to the “rock n’ roll castle” have a chance to hear the simple sounds of the vinyl album. However, if you really want to know about music’s legends, and if you’re interested, Dyzzy has heard that, “The true music lover and musicians love the store” so if you’re in the neighborhood, the music castle’s sounds are waiting for a new customer interested in discovering the pleasure of owning vinyl.

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By Karrie Comfort Contributor

o R

Dyzzy on Vynyl is a fascinating record store located at 3004 E. 7th St. right off Orizaba. As you drive by you couldn’t miss it because the location of the shop is a part of a Long Beach site called Croydon Castle. Yes, my friends you will be pleased and amazed by what Dyzzy, the owner of this vinyl shop calls, “The rock n’ roll castle” where music reigns, with thousands of new, but mostly used vinyl records, many CD albums, cassettes, and the ever popular 8track tape, that you know you have been waiting to pop into your sleek 66’ Ford Mustang and drive down the street thinking, “Yes! I have Dyzzy to thank for this.” After seventeen years at the same Long Beach location, Dyzzy buys and trades music for the music enthusiast, and the local kids that just want to hear that sweet vinyl sound streaming out of the listening station, that Dyzzy has set up for customers’ listening pleasure of a rare vinyl album that could be theirs.

By purchasing a vinyl, used or new, you can be sure your pennies are going the distance because you would be able to appreciate that the artist took time to create art not only for the ears, but also the visual experience of cover art. Although you might think vinyl is outdated or retro, sales are actually up. Owning a vinyl holds a unique music lover’s experience, that a download couldn’t provide.

Dyzzy is most likely the guy you’d trek to if you were in the market for something used in the vinyl department, because he could probably give you more information about t h e

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A Part of the Green Generation

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By Carissa Pope Copy Editor

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Speeding through Love How an exciting new experience became an ordeal

By Juila Velasco-Aguilar Contributor As a freshman in college I told myself to expand my boundaries. I never thought that woud mean that I would end up sitting at a speed dating table.

I saw the poster around campus and at the moment I thought it was a good idea to sign up. My friend signed up with me.

I didn’t have any expectations for this event.

However, I also didn’t have any background knowledge of what such an event would entail.

That may have been my first mistake.

The day of the event was nerve racking. I thought I might find someone. My friend and I arrived, and we entered a pool of nervous looking girls and boys. We were asked to sign in and enter the ballroom.

They handed us a piece of paper where we were supposed to rate the guys and be rated in return. If we both marked that we were interested, we would get each other’s email information sometime after the event

As we were seated, we were told that the boys were going to rotate seats and try to get to know us in a certain amount of time. We were soon swarmed by a sea of college boys.

“[It] made us feel like we were supposed to be in competition with the rest of the girls.”

Guys started coming around and every time it felt worse, like less time to bring something up that might interest them.

Everyone was clearly anxious and didn’t know what to do with themselves.

I got a guy who, as soon as he heard my name, began telling me that his mother’s name

was also Julia and wouldn’t stop talking about her. It was heartwarming until I saw that he was tearing up. Thankfully, the bell to rotate rung.

An endless line of guys passed in front of me with no intentions to actually look for a relationship. It seemed like they were all there just to see which batch of girls were available.

Toward the end of the event, we were asked to turn in the piece of paper and they tallied who was the most liked boy and most liked girl.

Personally, that made my friend and I feel like we were supposed to be in competition with the rest of the girls. I didn’t know how the other girls felt about it.

We were told that the matches would get back to us soon after the event. I didn’t receive emails until almost a month later.

In the end, I definitely pushed my boundaries, but I didn’t expect the experience to push me back.

Community

9

A Different Kind of Gateway Campus art from a student’s viewpoint

By Abraham Alapisco Staff Writer

We’ve a l l w a l k e d around Cal State Long Beach and noticed the confused, curious faces that people make at the sculptures.

Alas, the perplexing art causes conversation that leads to theories, urban legends, and nicknames surrounding them.

While I enjoy hearing t h e various opinions my peers have, I thought it was important to separate fact from fiction surrounding some of the more infamous ones.

The most intriguing on that list is “Heaven’s Gate” by Woods Davey, placed on campus in 1996. It’s one of the more recent pieces added to thecollection.

T h e students I’ve

spoken to about the sculpture often refer to it instead as the “vagina” sculpture.

It is such a widely accepted expression by students that even former SOAR tour guides like Maria Valdez recall presenting it to visitors by that name.

“When I attended SOAR as an incoming freshman, our tour guides referred to Heaven’s Gate as The Vagina,” she said.

The genital title seemed to stick.

Moreover, the elongated lips of the piece placed by the business department could definitely be

“Humans try to find meaning in everything they see,” says Brian Trimble, the Interim Director of the University of Art Museum.

For Trimble, sculptures such as Heaven’s Gate don’t have to represent something.

A lot of art lives in the world of abstract.

An artist doesn’t always intend to place a certain meaning or symbol on the pieces they create.

There are plans to restore sculptures on campus insuring the expansion of the dialogue surrounding them.

With luck, “Heaven’s Gate” will be seen as the gateway the artist intended it to be, rather than the gateway brought to mind in the euphemistic thoughts and expressions of CSULB students.

“A lot of art lives in the world of abstract.” perceived as a “sex sells” metaphor.

But according to the University of Art Museum’s website, the sculpture is actually a “fusion of nature and mechanical” that “caresses the earth while stretching for the heavens” and offers “a gateway to an unknown place.”

So far, I’m not aware of any controversy surrounding the sculpture. This could be because the sculpture is on a college campus, where a certain level of maturity is expected.

Photos: CSULB’s unassuming “Heaven’s Gate” statue, located next to the CBA building, tends to evoke certain imagery in the minds of students (Alejandro Ramos/Union Weekly) Editor’s note: Our original Feature story was supposed to discuss strange things on and around campus. Naturally, our resident super-star staff writer, Abe, was the only person who came through. We felt that it would be an injustice to Abe to not print his article anyway.

—Katie Cortez, Editor-In-Chief

10

FEATURE

By Bailey Mount

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Ryan Woolner after gladly presenting his projects to the Union staff (Katie Cortez/Union Weekly)

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In a building with little foot traffic, the recently inducted Class of 2018 Industrial Design majors found themselves surrounded by unfamiliar faces.

“There’s a lot of people here,” some of them said as they tried to weave their way through the crowd.

It was a crowd of proud mothers, smiling fathers, and inquisitive younger siblings that ignored the ‘please do not touch’ signs smattered all over the projects. A crowd where – amidst the chaos – their colleagues explained themselves with a glowing pride not unlike the LED lights that lit up their work.

It was a crowd that came to see the dreams of 34 students brought to life through their designs.

The CSULB Industrial Design Department introduced these dreams in “Somnium,” a showcase of its students who were accepted into the major for the Spring semester. Latin for “dream,” the show aimed to demonstrate what vision these new students had for both themselves in the program and in the outside world.

The answer seemed to be “creative, driven, and just really fun,” according to Industrial Design major Ryan Woolner.

With the careful hands of an artist, he lifted one of his projects – a wooden crank-operated page turner that propped the book up, held it in place, and used magnets to turn the pages.

The book used in the demonstration explained the mechanics of the project.

“So it’s a page turner for the book about the page turner and it turns the page,” he said to listening spectators, eliciting a laugh.

A closer look into the Industrial Design class of 2018

Quiet and laid-back, Woolner was completely at ease in the sea of bodies around him. Each word seemed carefully chosen, carefully thought about and turned over in his mind like the crank on his invention.

“It’s sort of like inventing,” he said about his major, “And in another way it’s like improving existing things.”

Like his futuristic Hand of Hercules model, an improvement on the Jaws of Life used by firefighters.

“It sort of turns them into a superhero,” Woolner said with a hint of excitement. It was the words of a young man with extraordinary dreams for ordinary objects being recognized.

His colleague Derick Moreno’s excitement came with an almost palpable air and a thousand volt smile.

“Do you want to see how it works?” he asked. He was referring to his Panda Joy pirate ship, a fully operational children’s toy that he designed, created, and painted himself.

Moreno grabbed the miniature cannonball launcher attached to the ship.

“They go pretty far,” he said with undisguised glee, cocking back the toy.

He fired.

The ball went five inches across the floor.

“Well, it varies,” he said.

Moreno spent two years in architecture classes, “not liking them.”

One day, a professor asked why he didn’t pursue his passions for production design instead.

“And here I am,” he said, as if it were that simple for him.

His display adopted this more fanciful side of industrial design, with bright colors, smooth paint jobs, and the energetic features of its creator.

Moreno soon disappeared into the crowd with the rest of the students as

Derick Moreno’s DESN 254 model of a pirate ship toy for kids (Katie Cortez/Union Weekly)

FEATURE

11

Kimmy Nguyen’s DESN 154 model of a bubble blowing cat toy for kids (Katie Cortez/Union Weekly)

Ruby Trinh’s DESN 254 model of a futuristic motorcycle toy (Katie Cortez/Union Weekly)

the exhibit filled. It was difficult to tell where anyone was. The displays each had a picture of their creator, but in the packed sea of bodies, everyone looked the same.

When you finally could locate these 34 students, it was no surprise that they weren’t next to their work, but right where they felt most comfortable: with each other.

“Hipster, hipster!” teased Ruby Trinh as she sailed past a classmate. He shook his head with a grin.

To her, the showcase was more of a celebration of the aspirations she and her classmates could achieve with each other’s help.

She explained that the entire event was built by them. Individually, the students built works of both futuristic fiction and innovative practicalities.

Together, they built everything from the display tables to the dazzling 7-foot-tall centerpiece in the room.

It wasn’t too difficult, Trinh mentioned, “because everyone surrounding you is doing the same thing, so at the end of the day, you know you can do it.”

The more she talked about her work and her classmates, the more excited she got, the faster her words came, and the longer her explanations became.

“You have trouble, you ask questions, if you don’t know what to do, you go to that person and ask, ‘How did you do that?” she said. “We don’t have a lot of students. We all know each other. We have talked to each other, we hung out before.”

Oftentimes, there is more competition than cooperation among students of a major, but at this showcase, it was clear that everyone had a dream that their classmates encouraged in the workplace.

Trinh’s dream was to work in the toy or movie character design industry. Her first model was a classroom helper that she lovingly named “Baemax.”

Prior to this, she was an International Business major who happened across her true career by chance one hot day.

Upon seeing the Design building and its showcase that day, Trinh said, “I thought, ‘Oh, I could do this! This is pretty cool.”

It was that simple.

For Kimmy Nguyen, the realization came when she realized that “all she liked to do was make the models” in her architecture classes.

Her first project was one such model, a mechanically powered flashlight made of foam. If operational, it would shine when you cranked it.

The frankness with which she explained each display created the portrait of a very efficient, very practical young woman.

Yet despite her reserved exterior, Nguyen expressed some comic concern with her work.

“I’m super self-conscious,” she said, “Every time a designer designs something, it looks like either a penis or a vagina.”

Her critical eyes turned thoughtful when asked about what the future would hold for her industrial design career.

“It’s very versatile, because most designers will move from company to company,” she said.

Then she paused, and added four more words that, when uttered, highlighted the theme of the showcase and of the department: “You can do anything.”

And whether it was through an epiphany, a suggestion, or a coincidence, it was clear that the Industrial Design department made this statement a reality for their students.

From their admittance to the Industrial Design program to their continued dedication to bettering their work, the Class of 2018 built their dreams with nothing but their minds, their own two hands, and—as Woolner said—with “a buttload of drawing.”

“Baemax” is Ruby Trinh’s DESN 154 model made out of foam and vacuum forming plastic (Katie Cortez/Union Weekly)

12

Athletics

Earning Victory First round of NBA playoffs prove grit can trump talent

By Matthew Gozzip Staff Writer Steven Adams thinks he has just finessed a game winning buzzer beater to survive another fourth quarter meltdown but Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are walking off the court in disappointment. All the electricity in the building for the Oklahoma City Thunder is about to be coupled right through the Dallas Mavericks when they waive the shot off.

Two days prior the Thunder clobbered the Mavs by 38 points, a difference so great that OKC could have not played anyone of the four quarters and still would have had enough points to win the game. On Monday night, they were defeated at home.

The architect of the upset for Dallas?

Charlie Villanueva. All he had to do was interrupt Westbrook’s pregame handshake and the mystical playoff mojo for the heavily favored Thunder was lost for the whole game.

In the NBA playoffs, there is no time for showboating and games. Anybody can beat anybody at this point if full effort is not given.

The Thunder have learned that the hard

way. The defending champion Golden State Warriors learned that the Harden way.

Up two games to none and seemingly dominating the Houston Rockets, the record breaking GSW team have conceded a loss to the dysfunctional eighth seed.

Only a fool would blame it only on Stephen Curry’s absence. GSW arguably has three of the top 15 players in the whole league and a deep bench but they were caught with their longhorn tails between their legs in Texas.

The reason? Lack of focus. Even after a miraculous inbounds play steal and fast break layup to take the lead with under 10 seconds remaining, the Warriors allowed an equally terrible full court swing and jumper to “James The Beard” with barely a second left. The ensuing inbounds from a GSW timeout was a botched pass off Draymond Green’s foot that essentially ended the play before it began.

These results were nothing but spotty anomalies but make no mistake about it:

The Eastern Conference has experienced much more normalcy compared to their western counterparts but even double-digit victories have become intense battles.

The top seeded Cleveland Cavaliers

currently hold a 3-0 series lead over the feisty young Detroit Pistons but two of the games were tightly contested battles going late into the fourth quarter. Mammoth wunderkind Andre Drummond is having a coming out party in the paint over the vaunted Cleveland frontcourt. The Cavs are likely to win the series yet there is a vulnerability to them.

The rest of the Eastern Conference series are playing out status quo with higher seeds leading their respective series. That doesn’t mean they haven’t been entertaining.

The real series of intrigue is between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks.

For being constructed of scrap parts and some decently manufactured ones, it’s a pleasant surprise Boston has actually won a game and maintained competitiveness.

Isaiah “One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure” Thomas, Jae “Clunky Corvette” Crowder, Jonas “Junkyard” Jerebko and the rest of the Island of Misfit Players have initiated more aggressive collisions than the latest Mad Max movie.

The veteran San Antonio Spurs have been given every thing they can handle in Memphis. The Toronto Raptors couldn’t even use the hype of Drake to utilize their home court advantage against Indiana. It has taken every Blake Griffin poster dunk to keep the LA Clippers in front of the Trail Blazers.

The 2016 NBA Playoffs may not be as exciting as others in recent memory but they invoke the old days of exceedingly aggressive basketball. Jump shooters beware, close outs are being design to make contact. The only given on a fast break is a hard collision at the end. A smack on the head and grab on the jersey doesn’t apply in this nearly street ball style officiating. The structure of the sport may have changed but the hard-nosed playoff culture looks to remain the same for the rest of the season.

Creating a football program from the ashes is as ambitious as it gets in college sports. If LBSU were to field a football team, it could take years before the team would be relevant.

Football takes an incredible N and continual development before tangible results can be recognized. In a game of violence and destruction, there must be a dedication to delicate planning and building to create a successful program.

Two of the most promising teams in the highest division of college football are some of the youngest ones too. Georgia State, a school suffocated in metropolitan Atlanta, began in its football program in 2010 with nothing but an aggressive, old school minded coach and a couple of players transferred from big time programs and junior colleges.

The team endured through a record of 11-46 but was able to move to the highest division

of football in three years and even made a bowl game after posting a 6-7 mark with minimal resources. The University of Texas at San Antonio has performed even better than GSU and in shorter amount of time. The program had its inaugural season in 2011 but was reclassified to the highest division after one year. From there, the UTSA Roadrunners have recorded a 26-32 record and gained national attention in playing major powerhouses competitively. LBSU can follow a similar structure that UTSA and GSU followed by starting off at a lower division with more realistic expectations.

For a more direct reference on a guide to resurrecting a football team, look no further than the University of Alabama Birmingham’s reclamation project. The UAB football program has found new life after a year hiatus, during which it was discontinued

EVERYONE IN THE PLAYOFFS IS VULNERABLE AND EVERY WIN IS EARNED.

Foundation in Patience Why it’ll be a while before a football team is good.

By Matthew Gozzip Staff Writer

(Above) Steph Curry and the Warriors were up 2-0 and looked poised to sweep the series until James Harden and Co fought their way to a win in game 3 at Houston. (Keith Allison/Flickr) (Left) Lebron may have led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 3-0 lead but not without a fight from the Detroit Pistons. (Keith Allison/Flickr)

due to budget cuts and reported losses. The main reason why the program has recovered was not so much by restructuring but based on financial analysis. According to Five Thirty Eight, a website that specializes in statistics, the program was misled by bias and faulty financial consulting. A football program can exist with enough outward support and with thorough understanding of the value of a program. Taking into account scholarship value and media revenue are just some more intricate components that get overlooked by analysts that aren’t well versed in football finances. UAB has half the amount of students that LBSU has and only slightly higher tuition fees. Following a similar analytical model and focusing on more diligent research of program expenses and revenue can make a LBSU football team a reality once more.

Athletics

13

2016 Union Weekly NFL Mock Draft The one and only look into how April 28 might turn out

By Richard Mejia Managing Editor After a wild couple of weeks, the NFL Draft is finally upon us. A series of unexpected trades shuffled everything around and saw the top 2 picks get moved to new teams. How did this affect the draft? Managing Editor Richard Mejia breaks it all down.

1.) Los Angeles Rams (Acquired from TEN): Jared Goff(QB) Cal– Trading away a King’s Ransom in draft picks solidifies the Rams’ aim for a QB. The franchise has nothing at the quarterback position and with a move to a large market, a young franchise QB is an absolute must.

2.) Philadelphia Eagles (Acquired from CLE): Carson Wentz (QB) North Dakota State- The Eagles gave up a lot to move to this spot, and Wentz is the pick. With starting caliber QB’s in Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel atop of the depth chart, this will allow the former FCS star to learn and develop into the franchise player Philadelphia is banking on.

3.) San Diego Chargers: Laremy Tunsil (OT) Ole Miss- The highest-rated lineman and offensive player in this draft is NFLready and can be the cornerstone at left tackle that can elongate Phillip Rivers’ career. San Diego had one of the worst offensive lines last season, and with Tunsil the pick here, he’d have the greatest impact of any rookie in the upcoming season.

4.) Dallas Cowboys: Jalen Ramsey (CB/S) Florida State- With a rare combination of athleticism, skill and instincts, Ramsey is touted as a generational talent, and you can’t miss on a guy like him. Dallas addresses one of their biggest needs with this pick, and create a talented and highly-athletic secondary with last year’s first round pick Byron Jones.

5.) Jacksonville Jaguars: Myles Jack(LB) UCLA- Despite a season-ending ACL tear in September, Jack has retained his top-10 draft status. With unbelievable instincts, ferocity and unmatched athleticism, Jack appears to be the next great linebacker in the same vein as Patrick Willis and Ray Lewis.

6.) Baltimore Ravens: Joey Bosa (DE) Ohio State- Considered as arguably the best player in the draft, Bosa’s natural rushing ability and impressive athleticism can be the force on defense Baltimore has been missing since Superbowl victory three years ago.

Ohio State- With a franchise in completely disarray, stockpiling picks makes the most sense and the best player available at this point in the draft is Elliot. The most complete back coming out of college since Adrian Peterson, Elliot oozes enough talent and versatility to take pressure of Robert Griffin III and give the Browns credibility on offense.

9.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Vernon Hargreaves III (CB) Florida- The Tampa Buccaneers have gone three straight years without drafting a defensive player in the first round, and it as paid dividends with a promising offensive attack. In Hargreaves, the Bucs get the best cover corner with Joe Haden-like ability and size.

10.) New York Giants: Ronnie Stanley (OT) Notre Dame- Last summer, Stanley was routinely mocked as the top player in this year’s draft. Fast forward a few months and questions about his work ethic, passion and physicality have arisen. Make no mistake, Stanley has serious talent, and bookending last year’s first round pick in LT Ereck Flowers can provide o-line stability for the next decade.

11.) Chicago Bears: Jack Conklin (OT) Michigan State- The Bears addressed their biggest needs on defense this offseason, and it appears Chicago will once again be a defensive powerhouse. However, their most glaring need is at left tackle. Charles Leno is one of the worst tackles in the NFL. Conklin brings old school grit to the position and can be one of the better linemen for years to come.

12.) New Orleans Saints: Sheldon Rankins (DT) Louisville- The Saints finished 27th in the league in sacks and generally speaking, the team lacks talent on defensive. Rankins makes sense to plug up the middle, and unlike fellow interior lineman A’Shawn Robinson, Rankins has legitimate pass rush ability— Rankins has the higher ceiling but Robinson has the higher floor.

13.) Miami Dolphins (Acquired from PHI): Eli Apple (CB) Ohio State- Brent Grimes and his lovely wife have left the building. Even before then, the Dolphins needed help at cornerback, and with the addition of Byron Maxwell, it didn’t get any better. If he can get past his holding tendencies, Apple has the length and athleticism to be a legit #1 corner in the NFL.

7.) San Francisco 49ers: DeForest Buckner (DE) Oregon- This franchise needs talent, period. Next to fellow 6’7”, 290+ lbs. DE and Oregon teammate Arik Armstead, the San Francisco defense can slowly begin rebuilding defense around two potential stars.

14.) Oakland Raiders: Mackensie Alexander (CB) Clemson- Oakland has done a superb job of moving away from Al Davis’ poor model of drafting to acquiring young, franchise talent. With the addition of Sean Smith and a blossoming D.J. Hayden, Alexander will bolster what was Oakland’s biggest deficiency last season.

8.) Cleveland Browns (Acquired from PHI through MIA): Ezekiel Elliot (RB)

15.) Tennessee Titans (Acquired from LA): Taylor Decker (OT) Ohio

State- Marcus Mariota possess every trait desired in a franchise signal-caller, minus a competent offensive line. Decker provides stability on the right side for years to come and might prove to be the missing piece for the Tennessee offense.

16.) Detroit Lions: A’Shawn Robinson (DT) Alabama- Haloti Ngata severely underperformed lasts season, and the rest of the Detroit interior defensive linemen didn’t look at all promising. Robinson gives the Lions the big-bodied run stuffer they missed last season and alongside Ziggy Ansah, has the potential to develop into a pass rusher.

17.) Atlanta Falcons: Shaq Lawson (EDGE) Clemson – The Falcons defense has trouble generating pressure—enter Shaq Lawson. Lawson is a tough; hardnosed pass rushed and will bring a new attitude and style to this pedestrian Atlanta defense.

18.) Indianapolis Colts: Noah Spence (DE/EDGE) Eastern Kentucky- The Colts are in dire need of a pass rusher, and they get the best one in the draft with Spence.

There is no denying his talent, it’s his off-thefield issues that have held Spence in check.

19.) Buffalo Bills: LaQuon Treadwell (WR) Ole Miss- Make no mistake, Treadwell is the best wide receiver in this year’s draft.

With his 4.6 40-yard dash time turning teams off, Treadwell is a bully of a wide receiver with a nose for the ball and excellent body control.

20.) New York Jets: Reggie Ragland (MLB) Alabama- New York can go a number of ways with this pick, especially considering the state of the defensive line.

However, Ragland fits the bill for what the Jets need at inside linebacker can flourish into an all-pro with their monstrous line.

21.) Washington Redskins: Jarran Reed (DT) Alabama- The Redskins shocked the NFL by unpredictably making into the playoffs. However, their lack of defensive prowess has held them back. Reed is ready to be plugged into the line and stuff the run as well as the athletic anility to get after the QB. 22.) Houston Texans: Will Fuller (WR) Notre Dame- The Houston Texans are finally building a viable offense. With the additions of QB Brock Osweiler and RB Lamar Miller, having a true deep threat to compliment all-world receiver DeAndre Hopkins will make the AFC South one of the more fun divisions to watch.

23.)

Minnesota Vikings: Corey Coleman (WR) Baylor- The Vikings need to embrace Bridgewater as their guy, and in order to do so he needs to be surrounded by playmakers. Coleman is an absolute dynamo on the field and his blazing speed can certainly stretch the field.

24.) Cincinnati Bengals: Andrew Billings (NT) Baylor- A perfect landing spot Billings, as he fits a need the Bengals will be yearning for soon. Only 20 years old, Billings will have the chance to learn from veterans in Domata Peko, Pat Sims as well as pro bowlers Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins.

25.) Pittsburgh Steelers: William Jackson III (CB) Houston- Pittsburgh had a lot of trouble stopping the pass and lack any game-changing players in the secondary. Jackson III absolutely crushed it at the NFL Combine and his superb athleticism is the injection of talented this Pittsburgh defense so badly needs.

26.) Seattle Seahawks: Kevin Dodd (DE) Clemson- The Seahawks are starting to hurt on defense. They’ve lost most original members from the Legion of Boom as well as DT Brandon Mebane and LB/DE Bruce Irvin. Even though Dodd lacks experience his athletic ability fits in on the Seattle front seven and fills a huge pass-rushing void.

27.) Green Bay Packers: Darron Lee (LB) Ohio State- Green Bay covets versatility, and there are few players more versatile in this year’ draft than Lee. With the ability to play all LB spots, his high-level of athleticism will give the Packers options help out an aging defense.

28.) Kansas City Chiefs: Artie Burns (CB) Miami- Marcus Peters has solidified himself as a top cornerback in only his first year in the league. However, outside of him, there isn’t much to say about Kansa City’s cornerbacks. Burns is blessed with incredible athleticism, but will need some time to develop into a proper sidekick for Peters.

29.) Arizona Cardinals: Leonard Floyd (EDGE) Georgia- The 6’6” 245 lbs. freak athlete might be thinly built, but his pursuit to the quarterback is uncanny and if properly developed, could prove to be a huge steal this late. There is serious potential for Floyd to develop properly as he’ll be playing with one of the best in the league in newly-acquired Chandler Jones.

30.) Carolina Panthers: Kendall Fuller (CB) Virginia Tech- The Panthers can use a pass-rushing end, however in releasing All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman, Carolina now has a glaring hole in their secondary.

Fuller isn’t the on Norman’s level, but his size and talent is reminiscent of Chicago Bears cornerback and brother Kyle Fuller.

31.) Denver Broncos: Robert Nkemdiche (DT) Ole Miss- The fall from grace ends here. Nkemdiche is arguably the best player in this draft, yet a plethora of off the field incidents and strange interviews has had him fall almost completely out of the first round.

John Elway has shown before he’s willing to take a chance on troubled players as he selected Shane Ray last year.

14 Food

Fresh and Sweet A recipe for the perfect summer treat The lemon tree in our backyard never ceases to produce lemons. In the summer, you’d think this would be the perfect chance for cold glasses of lemonade everyday. But even that gets tiresome. To change it up, I like to pull this lemon bar recipe out of the vault.

Not only do I like how simple it is to make, but also I enjoy how it’s not overwhelmingly sweet nor too acidic. On warmer afternoons, pulling a lemon square out of the fridge is the perfect treat to accompany the long summer days.

By Sylvana Uribe Staff Writer Instructions 1.

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Lemon Bars Crust 1.

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1 cup of butter, softened 1/2 cup of sugar 2 cups of flour Lemon Filling 11/2 cup of sugar 1/4 cup of flour 4 eggs Juice of 2 lemons Powdered sugar

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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, blend together the butter, sugar and flour. Press into a 9x13 inch pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 20 minutes or until the crust is firm and golden.

While the crust bakes, make the lemon filling by whisking together the sugar and flour.

Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice.

Pour the filling over the baked crust and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Once the bars are done baking, place the pan on a cooling rack and let the bars firm up. After the bars have cooled, cut them into squares and sprinkle with desired amount of powdered sugar.

Let’s Taco ‘Bout It A comparison of two nearby taco shops

By Amanda Dominguez-Chio Culture Editor

The chorizo with egg and asada tacos from Tacos Tu Madre (Top) The taco plate from Guisados (Middle) The Ahi Tuna from Tacos Tu Madre (Bottom) (Amanda Domiguez-Chio/Union Weekly)

When I first moved to Long Beach, I was saddened to realize there are no “legit” taco shops here. Sure, there is Hole Mole, just a few blocks off of campus, but the tacos do not satisfy.

So a few months ago, on one of our many Downtown L.A. outings, my roommate suggested we eat lunch at Guisados. That day was especially memorable because we had spent that morning at the Getty museum for Free Museum Day. Due to a detour, we spent an hour in traffic and were all angry and starving. After surviving the road rage, we walked the few blocks to Guisados.

The place was packed, but we were quickly attended by a chatty and cheerful server. We all ordered a sampler and eagerly waited for the arrival of our glorious meal.

We each received six street tacos but different options. For my sampler, I got mole poblano, bistek en salsa roja, cochinita pibil, chicharron, and two I can’t remember for the life of me.

The tortillas were soft, handmade and delicious. My favorite out of the sampler was the chicharron, while my least favorite is probably the mole poblano because I am not

a huge fan of sweat meet. It was still delicious but not my favorite. For those of you who do not know, chicharron is Spanish for pork rinds and it was superb.

Just last weekend, my friends and I explored L.A. and had dinner at Tacos Tu Madre — honestly, the name sounds more like an insult to your mom — and left feeling underwhelmed. For starters, we waited close to 30 minutes to eat. At another table, we watched in horror and anger as the server kept getting their order wrong. To make matters worse, I was served last…again! I ordered two tacos with chorizo and egg, one ahi tuna taco, and one taco asada.

The ahi tuna was way too salty and the taco asada had an odd dressing. My friends think it was chipotle mayo and it didn’t complement the taco at all. The tacos with chorizo and egg were my favorite. While the tortillas at Guisados were soft, the tortillas at Tacos Tu Madre were tough.

To sum up, I recommend Guisados. I do not recommend Tacos Tu Madre. My roommate and I still lament how Tacos Tu Madre, a place we’ve been planning to dine for weeks, disappointed us. Never again.

Food

15

Have No Fear, Stateside Crafts Has Plenty of Beer A look at a craft beer bottle shop in Long Beach

emerging part of Bixby Knolls business district that attracts a variety of customers. The front of the shop has a window display with crates and barrels decor. The location takes pride Alpha Tolman cheese and Vermont Summer in the craftsmanship Sausage. (Katie Cortez/Union Weekly) necessary to create such brews.

As soon as you walk in, you see an assortment of snack and spreads When it comes to craft beers, having unique options is the key to satiating the tastes of assorted on shelves to the left, which are craftheads. When a picture of Hillary Clinton meant to pouring a foamy beer during her campaign for the Democratic party nomination was released, it created a bad taste in an emerging subculture that revolves around finding the next great flavor. Pursuers of great beer don’t have to look far in Long Beach because there is Stateside Crafts which sells a variety of craft beer, artisan snacks and contains a complement the drinks sold there. tasting room to promote an experience.

A jam brand called Anarchy in a Jar The bottle shop, which first opened its doors in December 2014, is nestled in caught my attention with its unique name and design. At the register there are different types of sausages, salami, and fresh baked local bread in and around the counter. Patrick Homa of Stateside Crafts later told me that it comes from small-artisanal producer.

The idea for the shop came to Homa and his partner Dawn Nadeau, the owner of the shop, when they were visiting Michigan. They went to breweries around the region and left with a desire

By Abraham Alapisco Staff Writer

to set up a location in Long Beach that sold higher quality beers.

“We took the same approach with our food as we did with our beer,” said Homa, who explained that the shop takes pride in supporting local producers that make distinct A view of the snack wall (Katie Cortez/Union Weekly) Tolman, an aged, robust flavored cheese, and commodities. The small businesses products that are stocked at Stateside is part a hearty Vermont Summer Sausage.

When I sat down, pictures of local of the shop’s identity as place to find allmusicians lined the wall to my right as American made products.

“This is our dream shop,” he said with I enjoyed the restaurant’s food and the pride. The store is meant to serve as a company of Editor-in-Chief Katie Cortez, who gravitated toward the Equinox, a sour beer also from Eagle Rock Brewing.

Customers around us were also engaged in the camaraderie often found in such environments. It’s an inviting place where guests share a rapport through drinks, food and conversation.

Stateside Crafts also has a Royal Ale Society, a beer club, where members receive vehicle to sell an estimated 300 high caliber specialty bottles each month, a store beers that constantly change due to the discount and reduced rate on flights. For seasonal brewing of craft breweries. It’s part Homa, such clubs help promote localism of the excitement surrounding the shop as a and shared interest in Bixby Knolls that was place where you might discover something kind of ghost town in the 90s; but, it is rapidly new that becomes your next favorite brew changing and becoming more of an attraction these days. or food item.

As I continued perusing, I noticed the flight options marked on the chalkboard frames. I tried four different types in 4 ounce glasses and become attached to the Revolution XPA by Eagle Rock Brewery. I complemented the drinks with Alpha

“...you might discover something new that becomes your next favorite brew or food item.”

A cold glass of Equinox Sour Blonde Ale from Eagle Rock Brewery (Katie Cortez/Union Weekly)

Stateside Crafts provides a different lineup of beer flights every Wednesday through Sunday (Katie Cortez/Union Weekly)

From front to back: Dragon’s Milk Bourbon Stout

by New Holland Brewing, Steve Austin’s Broken Skull IPA by El Segundo Brewing Company, Straffe Drieling Belgin Style Tripel by Logadon Farm Brewery, Revolution XPA Extra Pale ale by Eagle Rock Brewery. (Katie Cortez/Union Weekly)

16

Travel

Traveling Without Cars A trip to downtown Los Angeles by train

By Sylvana Uribe Staff Writer Photos by Ryan Shepard Contributor In planning a museum trip to Los Angeles with new friends, the following discussion occurred: Friends: So how are we getting there? Do you want to carpool?

Me: Nothing about driving in L.A. or parking in overpriced lots sounds appealing.

I’ll take the Metro and meet up with you.

What ensued was a mixture of highpitched sounds as my friends asked why I would willingly choose public transportation. They equated it to entering the lion’s den where the lions were pretty much a stereotype of the people that make passengers clutch their belongings and have a phone nearby ready to dial the police at any given moment. Still, I insisted on taking the train mainly because I’m desensitized to these fears.

I first set foot on the Metro as a second

there perhaps might be a chance I would’ve spent those train rides reading. Instead, the headaches and nausea encouraged me to people watch as a time-filler. I’d peer out the window to see walls covered in weird shapes and dull colors. Once, a group of boys stood in front of a tagged wall and pulled their pants down, but the train’s speed spared us by blurring that sight.

Sitting a few rows ahead of my family were often people in tattered clothing emitting an odor that made us want to bury our noses in our jackets. But in looking at these presumably homeless folks, I noticed they avoided making eye contact. Many of them fixed their gaze on the floor and only moved when shifted by the train teetering on the tracks. Their stare remained low, ashamed, as if they knew all did not welcome their presence.

grader when my parents traveled to L.A. to sort out the paperwork in applying for their citizenship. As their cases advanced, trips on the Metro Blue Line became weekly outings. If I was immune to motion sickness,

Riding the Metro became a liberating act as I got older. I’d plan day trips with friends not afraid of sitting alongside strangers. We’d find our way to the Metro Gold Line for an afternoon in Chinatown browsing through

cheap items we didn’t need. When that bored us, we were one train stop away from Little Tokyo where we’d stock up on cheap pastries from Yamazaki Bakery. Before heading

home, it became a tradition of sorts to stuff ourselves with mochi ice cream.

The train rides home were spent overhearing phone fights and chatter probably not meant for our ears.

I’d find comfort in listening to older Latina women delve into the latest chismes, as it’d remind me of the daily discourses led by my mom and her comadres in our kitchen.

Sometimes, the best way to combat the unknown is by venturing into it. When the day of the museum trip finally came, my friends took the plunge and stepped into the train too. Their discomfort appeared in small glimpses as they kept their voices low and carved out a space of their own in the crowded train.

We clung to the overhead railing and laughed whenever we lost our footing as the train came to an abrupt stop.

Had we carpooled, we would’ve been spared the long walks, odd rants, and struggling to decipher train route maps.

Our feet wouldn’t have ached nor would they had served as reminders of the day my friends survived the lion’s den.

Music

17

Goodnight, Sweet Prince A look back at how the Purple One influenced one man’s life

By Brandon E Richardson Contributor Ever since I was young, Batman has always been one of my favorite things in the world.

I grew up watching “Batman: The Animated Series,” along with other similar superhero cartoons. I loved them. Then, around age 6 or 7, my parents finally let me watch Tim Burton’s “Batman.”

I was so excited. It was my new favorite movie, second only to Michael Jackson’s “Moonwalker.” The part of “Batman” that I enjoyed most? Jack Nicholson’s Joker defacing the museum, of course. It was fun, it was lively, there was destruction and they were dancing—to Prince.

See, this was my first introduction to Prince. His music was never geared toward kids my age, so, naturally, I never heard it. But with that scene, with one song, I fell in love with his music. Though, at the time, I didn’t even know who he was.

Fast forward to my pre-teen years when I first watched “Purple Rain,” and I couldn’t believe my ears, or eyes for that matter. Aside from the fact that the movie is clearly for adults, from “Darling Nikki,” to a rough home life for the Kid, to love, to pelvic thrusting, my young mind just couldn’t make heads or tails of the story line, but the music was utterly mesmerizing, which is probably why the soundtrack won two Grammy Awards and an Academy Award for best original song score in 1985.

In 1993, when I was five going on six, he changed his name to a fucking symbol. Who does that? The Artist Formerly Known as

Prince, that’s who. That is such an insane power-move, which, of course, made it the coolest. There is even a joke on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” where Ashley brings a boy home and introduces him to Uncle Phil. When asked what his name was, the kid pulled out a business card and Uncle Phil says, “This is a stick with a snake wrapped around it.” The kid responds, “It’s a symbol, like, Prince.”

To which the only response we could expect from Uncle Phil was, “Prince who?”

Of c o u r s e , Prince would eventually change his name back in 2000.

This was not the only reference to Prince on popular children’s programming while I was growing up. On “Animaniacs” there is a surprisingly explicit joke where Dot confuses “fingerprints” for “finger Prince,” while holding a caricatured version of the pop icon.

Now, being 28, I can appreciate Prince for more than his roles in the things I loved as a

Illustration by John Mueller Graphics Illustrator child, even the “Chapelle’s Show” basketball skit. I can appreciate him for the incredible musician and person he was. He was humble and kind, often very private. He truly loved music and people could see the joy it brought him during his performances. We should all be so lucky to find something to be that passionate about.

He was a true showman and also a bit of a showoff at times, but he earned the respect of so many around him.

There are several reports that Eric Clapton was asked what it was like to be the greatest guitar player alive, and he responded, “I don’t know. Ask Prince.”

Eric Clapton—the guy who wrote “Tears in Heaven,” “Wonderful Tonight” and “Layla”—said that Prince was the greatest guitar player alive.

And let’s not forget the fact that even Mother Nature loved Prince. Watching him perform “Purple Rain” during the halftime show of Super Bowl XLI in 2007, while it

was actually raining? Well, that was just pure magic.

But aside from his musical genius, he was also known as a sex symbol, for his outlandish, yet somehow trend-setting, fashion (let’s face it, Seinfeld didn’t make the puffy shirt famous), the fact that his hair could do anything and he was a great talent scout.

Prince always had a way of surrounding himself with extremely talented musicians, either as a backing band for himself, or as a group that he put together and sometimes write for. From The Revolution, to Vanity 6, to The Time, Prince assembled some phenomenal musical groups.

The Purple One was also known to write songs for other artists under various pseudonyms, such as Christopher, Alexander Nevermind and Joey Coco. He wrote songs for Stevie Nicks, Alicia Keys, Sinead O’Connor, Madonna, Chaka Khan, hell, he even wrote The Bangles “Manic Monday.”

Carmen Electra, or Tara Leigh Patrick as she was known before Prince signed her to a record deal in 1991, said in a statement, “He gave me my name, he believed in me, and he has inspired an entire generation. I will always love him. ‘Sometimes it Snows in April.’”

Prince was, and always will be, an inspiration and he will always be loved.

No one can contest that Prince won at life.

“Game, blouses.”

LB PAC Presents: AJ Rafael Filipino Youtuber and songwriter performs a free show at the Nugget

By Anna Elaine Abella Contributor

TJ Brown(left) and Albert Chang(right) join AJ Rafael(right) on stage.

(Anna Abella / Contributor)

When I heard AJ Rafael was going to playing at The Nugget, I couldn’t believe it. It’s as if all of my middle school and high school memories came rushing back. All the heartaches, the falling-in-like phase, the “I love you” moments, and all of my friends during that time. I haven’t heard any of AJ Rafael’s songs since my sophomore and freshman year of high school! That’s about five to six years! At the same time, it felt like AJ fell off the planet and I had no idea what he had been working on.

I personally didn’t meet AJ, but from what I can tell, the guy is very down to Earth.

He hugged everyone, he smiled a lot (one of those genuine ones, not the fake ones).

Overall, the vibe of the whole setup of the

song. Every now and then, it was as if he was looking at me and checking for confirmation that I also knew the song (but I didn’t).

Around the middle of the concert, he invited TJ Brown to go on to stage with him. I didn’t realize he had such an awesome voice!

They created a really cool jamming session.

And their little jokes in between made it even more awesome. Instead of the typical, “I sing, you listen” setup many people such as myself were able to just laugh freely. I never imagined that I would see AJ Rafael sing “She’s Mine” live. It’s as if one of my highschool dreams came true. Although I haven’t listened to or heard the song in years, I was still able to sing the whole song flawlessly. This may sound corny or cheesy, but it made me realize

venue was cool, but really packed. All I saw from my seat were a sea of Filipino people who were all wearing brand name clothing.

I laughed a little. Every now and then, I saw specks of people who were of different ethnicities which surprised me. I also noticed that the way the stage was, the crowd was able to easily communicate to AJ. He started off with a Disney melody. It pretty much pre-gamed everyone. Everyone belched the songs; he sang songs from “Hercules,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Mulan,” and some I may have missed out. Afterwards, he started singing things from his new album that I’m not entirely too familiar with, but thought it was pretty cool. The person next to me was already drunk, but he nailed every

that unexpected things should always be welcomed. I feel like I just really needed this.

Throughout the show, I would record whole songs and I was able to seamlessly loop a song that he sang which was “Just Friends”

by Musiq Soulchild mixed with a little Marvin Gaye with “Just the Two of Us.” Holy shit, that little remix was awesome. Anyway, I recorded a really good segment of this song and it turned into a seamless loop and posted it on my Instagram. I tagged him and he liked my video. I just wanted to throw my phone across the room because I was so excited. He even tagged other people! Senpai noticed me, and the little girl in me flipped the fuck out.

CSULB has been really stepping their game up! Good job.

18

Entertainment

In Theaters Now: “Everybody Wants Some!!”

Director Linklater points his bittersweet lens at college

By Sean Dundas Contributor College is a very confusing time. No matter how many parties one attends, how many drinks one consumes, or how many times someone gets laid, there is always the looming question, “What am I doing with my life?”

Nobody understands this better than Richard Linklater, writer and director of “Everybody Wants Some!!.” All of his films deal with characters dealing with existential crises and discovering who they really are and who they want to be. The greatness of this movie is how he is able to weave these issues with so much fun.

Taking place in 1980, the film opens with freshman Jake (Blake Jenner) driving his car, blasting “My Sharona,” driving off to college.

He’s staying in a house for the baseball players. They’re like a fraternity with their drinking and partying habits. But don’t ever forget that baseball is the most important thing in their lives.

The first thirty minutes of the film solely focus on Jake and his teammates trying to get

laid. A different movie would make this the sole focus of the whole film. But, like reality, the film shows that this endeavor gets tiring, and then the confusion of what one is doing sinks in.

Those seeking a plot should steer clear of this film. The film takes place over the course of the three days before the fall semester starts. We watch Jake and his teammates haze the freshmen, party and chase girls, and play a little bit of baseball.

They attend parties themed as disco, country, punk, and avant-garde theater. Jake acknowledges during one of these parties, “I think I’m having an identity crisis.”

With each party, it feels as though they are getting away from what they thought was equilibrium and expressing their inner confusion about their environment.

This is what creates the heart of the movie.

Throughout the entire film, the characters fear their unknown futures once baseball can’t support them anymore and wonder who they really are and who they really want to be.

“Everybody Wants Some!!”

Run Time: 1 hr, 57 mins Directed by: Richard Linklater Starring: Blake Jenner, Zoey Deutch, Ryan Guzman, Wyatt Russell This film is a spiritual successor to Linklater’s 1993 film “Dazed and Confused.”

Much like that film, “Everybody Wants Some!!” features a wide cast of characters.

But this film seems more focused on creating a solid central character.

Whereas Dazed and Confused had a few characters that stood out above the others, without a clear central character, this film focuses its development on Jake, for the better.

Jake is also pursuing a girl, Beverly (Zoey Deutch). In many ways, she is the opposite of Jake. He’s an outgoing baseball player without a major or a future plan. She’s a

quiet drama student who plans to move to New York the minute she graduates. But just because she has a plan doesn’t mean her future is any more set than Jake’s.

It’s refreshing to see these two perform together. Their chemistry is genuine and their conversations feel real, while also making fun of the typical conversations between college students. How many times have we been asked what our major is?

I’m amazed I’m able to feel so sad at watching a film that was so much fun. This might be because the film starts at the beginning of college, as opposed to the end.

This is only where the confusion for some of these characters begins. But equally, I think this demonstrates the power of the film to allow everyone to look inward and examine their own fears of the future.

“Everybody Wants Some!!” is a Van Halen song, and it’s obvious what it’s talking about. But honestly: What is it that everybody really wants?

“All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy.”

The Joke is On Us “The Killing Joke” should and will be gruesome

By Bailey Mount Community Editor

Illustration by John Mueller Graphics Illustrator

And all it takes is one bad film rating to reduce a comic to a shadow of its former self.

DC is the gritty, real-world brother to the white-picket Marvel franchise.

DC’s heroes all too often flit between the door of heroism and the emergency exit of villainy. For years, this comic franchise has provided a more human, multi-faceted representation of its characters.

Despite this, the two franchises share a common flaw: the dreaded PG13 rating that turns comic book films from realistic to profitable.

Thankfully, the joke’s on them.

In early April, it was announced that the upcoming animated adaptation of “Batman: The Killing Joke” would receive an R-rating – the first of its kind in the DC Universe Original Movie franchise.

“The Killing Joke” doubles as a canonically established origin story for the Joker and as one of most violent graphic novels in comic book history.

In an renewed effort to destroy Batman, the Clown Prince of Crime shoots and cripples Barbara Gordon before

attempting to drive Commissioner Gordon insane.

Imagine how this story would have played out with a PG-13 rating. We’d get the Joker shooting Batgirl off-screen with a nice pan out shot to her apartment building and a bang. Close-ups of Commissioner Gordon’s agonized face as he views his daughter’s bloody, naked body – also off-screen. Flashbacks to the Joker’s origin story would probably omit the death of his pregnant wife and child.

Basically, it would suck and undermine everything the graphic novel sought to convey in its message: that sometimes the world just fucks you over and there’s nothing you can do about it.

If you fixate on it, you’ll either go crazy and become the Joker or go crazy and become Batman.

R-ratings in comic films were a long time coming. Even if our world isn’t necessarily as dark as Gotham, it’s good to remember that the superheroes usually get their titles because of something traumatizing. No sane person becomes a superhero.

And we sure as fuck don’t live in a PG-13 world.

Entertainment

19

Illustration by John Mueller Graphics Illustrator

The Star Wars Prequel We’re Getting

The Star Wars Prequel We Got

By Andrew Linde Entertainment Editor

By Lauren Hunter Staff Writer

In a rebellion, anything is possible

Darth Maul gets his due in a fan-film

Finally, a “Star Wars film” that won’t focus on a member (or possible member) of the Skywalker clan. “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” isn’t just a mouthful but is also the beginning of Disney’s sprawling series of side stories about the many “Star Wars” galaxies.

Fans of the expanded universe of novels, comic books, and more have enjoyed these stories for decades, but now these same stories are being brought to the mainstream.

And, trust me, this will be good.

“Rogue One” has been described as the story of how the Death Star plans — that Leia passes off to R2-D2 in “A New Hope” — were stolen in the first place. This crucial bit of lore has bounced back and forth a few times, but there will finally be an answer.

The first trailer for “Rogue One” reveals that Felicity Jones (“The Theory of Everything”) is Jyn Erso. She is a troublemaker with a purpose. “This is a rebellion, isn’t it? I rebel,” she says when asked to answer for her actions.

Much like Daisy Ridley in “The Force Awakens,” Jones is being given a huge break and a chance to become a household name.

After being nominated for best actress for “The Theory of Everything,” it’s only logical that she is given this kind of chance.

The appearance of Mon Mothma in the trailer also ties the film very heavily into the original trilogy. Mothma, played by Caroline Blakiston in “Return of the Jedi,” uttered the famous line, “Many Bothans died to bring us this information.” In “Rogue One” she will be portrayed by Genevieve O’Reilly. She was

also nearly in “Revenge of the Sith,” but was thankfully left off the cutting room floor so as not to be associated with any of the prequels.

Most exciting for me is the promise of a ragtag crew banding together to steal the Death Star plans. Especially when that crew is made up of Mads Mikkelsen, Donnie Yen, Alan Tudyk, Diego Luna, and others. Already in the trailer we are shown Yen fighting stormtroopers with a staff and Luna looking rather serious.

I’m also on the edge of my seat to find out if Tudyk is playing a human character or some kind of alien like Lupita Nyong’o did as Maz Kanata in “The Force Awakens.”

For me, Tudyk is a rather talented voice and performance actor, considering his recent stint of appearances in “Frozen,” “Zootopia,” and other Walt Disney Animated Studios features.

On another hopeful note, director Gareth Edwards managed to make a really compelling “Godzilla” (2014) that mixed the special effects creature battles really well with the human elements. I am certain he’ll do a better job with this film than current “Episode IX” director Colin Trevorrow will do in 2019.

Future non-episodic Star Wars films will supposedly focus on a young Han Solo (I can only hope they cast Alden Ehrenreich), young Yoda, or the adventures of a nondigested Boba Fett. But the story of “Rogue One” is the most revelvant story-wise to the main series and looks to be a step in the right direction for Star Wars spin-offs.

As a “Star Wars” fan I can honestly say that the prequels were not exactly up to par. Effects were so-so and the acting was atrocious. However, there is one character that was worth it.

That character is Darth Maul.

Darth Maul was the villain in “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace”. He was portrayed by Ray Park in that infamous film.

He was the one with the terrifying crown of horns, black and red face paint, and the double-sided red lightsaber.

T7 Productions have made a fan film about Darth Maul and it is brilliant. The short film is called “Darth Maul: Apprentice” and you can find it on Youtube.

The story takes place before “The Phantom Menace” and the Jedi council does not know there are still Sith Lords. The story is about Darth Maul (played here by Ben Schamma) becoming a Sith Lord. In the film he fights a group of Jedis. The lightsabers used by Darth Maul and the group of Jedi look fantastic.

The movie effects are not just great for the light sabers, but also the rest of the CGI. There are see-through digital displays, ships, and lasers, all of which are done to perfection. They are even able to use CGI to create holograms, a common way to communicate across the galaxies.

The costuming and make-up looks like the actors just stepped off the set of “Star Wars: Episode VIII.” Schamma wears black

cloak-like costume similar to what Darth Maul wears in “The Phantom Menace.” His make-up is nearly identical to the film as well.

The dialog and acting is not Hollywood level, but it is not as bad as you would think.

Darth Maul’s lack of dialogue makes him an even more menacing character.

The good guys dialogue is a little cheesy.

The fight sequences are done extremely well.

Not only do they add CGI for the Force and the light sabers, but also the choreography

by TeamBay is on a professional level. Every parry, strike, and stab is done extremely well.

In this short fan film the effects are even better than the prequels. Honestly, I would rather watch this nearly 18 minute video over and over again than have to sit through episodes one, two, and three. The short film was viewed over 4 million times in the first week it was uploaded and now has over 8 million views on YouTube.

If you are a “Star Wars” fan then this is definitely something that you should view.

“Darth Maul: Apprentice” Run Time: 18 mins Directed and written by: Shawn Bu Available on YouTube

Volume 78 Issue 14

Monday, April 25, 2016

LBUNION.COM

The Grunion is a work of satire. It in no way reflects the views of Long Beach Union Weekly or Associated Students Inc.

Deadlines

Transgendered woman uses woman’s restroom, nothing happens

CELEBS TRICK WORLD OF DEMISE

BY MERCEDES COLOMAR NEWS SECRETARY

I

UNSURPRISING: At 3:30 P.M. Thursday afternoon, a transgendered woman entered a woman’s restroom.

Five minutes later she exited. That’s all that happend.

God’s Not checkmate

Dead, atheists

can tell you for that I am infact dead. I died many years ago, and since then I’ve been writing for this stupid fucking newspaper on issues that nobody fucking cares about. I would not have taken this spot at the news secretary if it wasn’t for Manny convicing me to.

Anyway, the point of this article is not to bash the fact that nobody gives a shit about my articles, nor is about the fact that I am dead. Well maybe a little. I can tell you for a fact that all these people that other news organizations claim to dead are not actually dead. That’s right, Prince,

BY OLIVIA OFRENDA

F

Corrrection from last issue of the Grunion

uck everyone. Fuck you, fuck this, fuck that, fuck cunt (heh).

I hate everything. I wish I could live the rest of my undeath alone in peace.

Fuck you, fuck all of you.

I hate your bullshit hair, I hate your bullshit music, I hate your bullshit attitude, and I hate your bullshit existence. I hate your bullshit ideas, I hate your bullshit car, I hate your bullshit dog that isn’t even a real dog. A real dog is at least 50 pounds.

That shit you got running around would be crushed under the slightest weight.

I hate your bullshit ice cream, and your bullshit movies. Most of all, I hate your bullshit.

Ok, let’s recap. I hate everything and everyone. But I actually don’t If

you’re reading these words right now you’ve stuck with me. I’m glad, because this article is not actually about hating everyone. That was just a gate to block out all the assholes who don’t agree with that shit, or don’t want to read all those expletives. You know who you are.

No, this article is about something else entirely. Instead of hatred for all, it’s really about hatred for one person in particular. The biggest shit fuck to ever walk this plain of existence. Actually wait, he’s never actually walked this plane of existence, well at least, not yet. If he did though, the amount of torture I would bring down on him would be glorious! In the plane of death there are no rules. I can do whatever I want, and torture is a-ok.

Wait, I am getting off track. The person I hate is that fucking worthless human being Kanye West. That asshole doesn’t deserve to live. All he does is

bitch and complain about everything.

Nothing is correct for him, and he wants everyone else to know that.

He can’t decide on how to make his album and he keeps re-releasing it. He takes it out on everyone else. I can only imagine what’s he like in the studio. He seems like the kind of guy (dodged a bullet there) who punches walls when he gets angry. At least he directs his angers towards inanimate objects, instead of his bullshit wife or something. Ohh but he punched his son, that would be so fucking great.

So, yes, Kanye West is fucking asshole, and he should die so I can torture him for eternity. I would gladly quit my job as a newspaper femme fatale to fucking his afterlife over. This job is shit anyway, I don’t even think anyone even reads this piece of shit newspaper anyway. I could say whatever I want at this point. Fuck shit piss cunt cock ass.

LETTER FROM THE BONEY EDITOR

BY GRIM FRANDANGO (MANUEL CALAVERA) GRUNION EDITOR

H HUBBY TYCOON BLASTS WIFE: This article contained a huge error.

An overzealous editor changed “Ivana Trump” to “Invanka Trump.” In additon to that, Mercedes Colomar reported that “Ivana Trump” was Donald Trump’s wife.

This was also incorrect. Donald Trump’s wife is in fact Melania Trump. We are sorry for the error. Please forgive us.

I hear that in Thailand, gender isn’t really important and that all people are equal. I mean that’s what I heard, I have no way of knowing for sure, because as I think I’ve said very cleary already: I’m fucking dead.

I don’t have the luxury of leaving the ethereal plain.

I wish I could, but for the next thousand eternities I’m stuck here, wriiting for a bullshit newspaper that nobody fucking reads. I have a feeling that I fill the rest of this page with bullshit nobody will even notice because nobody reads this fucking page anyway. Well that’s it from me, fuck all of you, I’m out. Signed, Mercedes Colomar.

I FUCKING HATE ALL YOU CUNTS

FEMME FATALE

MOVIES SPEAK THE TRUTH: A recently was released titled “God’s Not Dead 2,” that statement was so true that they released a second. Atheists beware: God is not dead and he’s coming to get you non-believers.

David Bowie, Chyna, Alan Rickman, and a bunch of other celebrities are not actually dead.

I don’t know where they are, or what they are doing, but I can assure you that they are not dead. I would know. Manny and I know everyone who’s dead, and they aren’t. I have the feeling that are just tired of all the attention. They don’t want to be seen in the public eye anymore.

Or maybe they just on some drugfueled sex journey through rural Thailand.

ello again, slaves, I mean readers.

It is I, your calcium rich friend, Grim Fandango. This is the last issue of the Grunion for a little while and I just wanted to touch base with you all before I leave for a spell.

I hope you all have been enjying the content I’ve been providing for you since we released our first issue. We’ve had some great stories, right? Great stories by great contributors, but unfortunately that is all coming to an end with this issue. These are the last words I’ll be writing until the next time I write again.

Funny how that works, huh?

I do have a confession to make. I’ve been writing under a psuedonym this

entire time. For those with keen eyes, last issue I included my real name in parenthesis. Yes, my real name is Manuel.

Anyway, back to business. I do not want to depart you all without a story!

And boy do I have one for you. Mercedes (the misses) came into my office explaining that all these celebrities are probably faking their deaths, and then Hamtaro fucker came in. He said he had an idea for deadline. Before allowing him to continue, I took a shot of alcohol, a long drag on my cigarette, and let out a long sigh. I motioned for him to continue.

“This just in: Pikachu not actually a Pokemon, but instead an anime character!” He said. I pulled out a gun from my desk and held it up to my head.

Knowing better, I pointed it at Hamtaro fucker and shot him. Now I’ll never have to deal with that asshole again, but then I remembered my office is in the realm of the dead, and he got back up, and slowly walked out. Fuck, how do I get rid of these assholes? I wish I was alive.