An Alternate Perspective

November 12 2013 Volume 73 lbunion.com

An Alternate Perspective A personal account addressing accessibility on campus

12

Issue 73.12

Disclaimer and Publication Information: The Union Weekly is published using ad money and partial funding provided by the Associated Union Weekly are welcome and encouraged to be a part of the Union Weekly staff. All letters to the editor will be

12

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

“His palms spaghetti/ Knees weak, mom’s spaghetti...”

Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” Spaghetti Remix, Original Source Unknown

Rose Feduk, Editor-in-Chief

editorinchief@lbunion.com

Marco Beltran, Managing Editor

marco.union@gmail.com

Connor O’Brien, Managing Editor

connor.union@gmail.com

Eric Garcia, Advertising Exec

advertising@lbunion.com

Rose and the Plight of the Union Rose Feduk

Shereen Lisa Dudar, Opinions Editor opinons@lbunioncom

Gabe Ferreira, Art Director gabe.union@gmail.com

Sierra Patheal, Campus Editor campus@lbunion.com

Brian Mark, Art Director brian.union@gmail.com

Michael Wood, Music Editor music@lbunion.com

Connor O’Brien, Cover Photography connor.union@gmail.com

Roque Renteria, Entertainment Editor entertainment@lbunion.com

Truc Nguyen, Web Manager web@lbunion.com

Katie Healy, Literature Editor literature@lbunion.com

Eddie Viramontes, Graphic Designer info@lbunion.com

Alia Sabino, Culture Editor culture@lbunion.com

God Warrior, Grunion Editor grunion@lbunion.com

Molly Shannon, Food Editor food@lbunion.com

Alyssa Keyne, Alfred Pallarca, Athletics Editors athletics@lbunion.com

and sitting at tables around campus.

, and . For the Japanese Internment Camps:

last Thursday reloading the Union Weekly

and and of course the eight part miniseries ) might also be movies to watch as they pertain to slavery.

Good viewing, Rose’s Mom

student Michelle Morales just happened patience and strategy in sitting around Union Weekly

That is a real letter submitted to my

Assistant Editor:

Contributors: Tuan “Michael” Dang, Kyle Portman, David Hayter, Aaron Arakawa, Delon Villanueva, Victor Tran, Calvin Adams, Julia Gibson, Zack Falcon.

“In reference to last week’s article, “America Rethinks Its Past,” Kevin Tran might want to take a look at these movies: Trail

Questions? Comments? Canadians?

message on to him.

Long Beach, CA 90815.

E-mail: info@lbunion.com

LBUnion.com

Open Meetings are Tuesdays at 5:30pm in

Join our Union Weekly Contributors group: http://tinyurl.com/kasq4yb

4 Opinions

A Pop of ARTPOP Words and Illustration by Aaron Arakawa In 1987, Canadian artist Jana Sterbak mannequin titled, “Vanitas: Flesh Dress for an Albino Anorexic,” which evoked a commentary on bodily decay and the harms of vanity. In 1935, Surrealist pioneer Salvador Dali constructed an entire room of furniture fashioned to look like actress Mae West’s face. More recently, renowned sculptures this year with blue balls known as “Gazing Balls” meticulously placed on each piece. The series was supposed to serve as a retrospective opportunity for onlookers Now on a much more jarring and seemingly random note, in the summer of 2012, pop star Lady Gaga changed her Twitter header it was thought to be completely bemusing and odd. But in coalition with the title to her third studio album, “ARTPOP,” which was announced shortly after, one could guess it was in reference to the pop art movement from the mid-20th century. Just months later, I came across a video of Serbian performance artist Marina Abramovic, in which she readies herself for a fashion shoot

alongside Givenchy house designer Ricardo Tisci. She then describes the photo, saying, “I will sit here, and you will wear a tuxedo, sit on my lap, and suck on my tits, because I am the art, and you are the fashion.” And in that moment, it all became so clear. chugging provocateur by the stage name of Lady Gaga has managed to seamlessly train the popular media into looking further into her works beyond the surface. What’s the underlying meaning to this song, this video, this performance? Does it even have a deeper meaning? Is what we’re looking at art? It seems all these questions raised by her work are worth their weight in all the art reviews from magazines that one probably wouldn’t care about. At the risk of making Lady Gaga seem like an art history and pop cultural sponge, releasing what seems to some as watered regurgitations of what it

Even more enthralling, some of these iconoclastic moments of high-end art within the pop music landscape have ended up being some of her most famous and jaw-dropping moments. Remember that

The themes beneath Lady Gaga’s theatrics are more than just a gag meat frock worn at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards? A dazzling reference to the world of avant-garde art, and perhaps a nod to Sterbak herself. Or that time when Gaga’s mystic black perfume started to appear in your nearest Macy’s? Well, its accompanying commercial (which aired on national television by the way) features a surrealist face of furniture depicting Gaga herself. And of all clashing moments of art and pop culture, one of her most captivating moments opened for the mass market to purchase on November 11th, in the form of a pop music album. The prized Gaga in your classic birthing position, with none other than one of his Blue Gazing Balls strategically placed in between her legs, literally birthing a moment of art and pop history. This museum exhibit is being injected into the mass marketplace by way of places like Target and Wal-Mart. Gaga such as above-mentioned performance artist Marina Abramovic, stage designer and painter Robert Wilson, and fashion photography duo Inez Van Lamsweede and Vinoodh Matadin, are setting a new standard

for the industries of music, art, fashion, technology and entertainment, which will all be combined in Gaga’s new app that accompanies the ARTPOP album.

What seems to be happening before the eyes of the onlooker is an introspective look at high-end art through the translation of people in the public forum, such as Gaga herself. Through the constant references driven pop culture, one can conclude that art has always driven pop. Pop has been born, bred and breast fed from the nurturing of artistic integrity and the ideas created in such a high-brow world. It may take a few years or even decades for pop culture to catch up, but through every nuance, every slight brush stroke, every lip couch seen on TV, every instance in which a glimpse into the aesthetic of the high end museum piece is appearing on your television, or a music album cover, every reference to a banana you see on some random purse you overpaid for, or better yet, every bottle of Perrier water you now buy which contains the infamous Andy Warhol design, pop sucks the tits of art,

You Broke Our Contract Katie Healy Literature Editor Hi, California State University, Long Beach Administration! I have a bone to pick with one of you. Yes, the one that decided to make finals week start on the Thursday before the original exam dates was a good idea. Oh, and cancelling class on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving was equally as brilliant. You’re just full of great ideas for this wonderful institute of higher learning!

I have a Wednesday-only class that crams a week’s worth of instruction time into one session, so with this lovely new scheduling situation, the university has changed my contract and made me lose two weeks worth before Thanksgiving and then cancelling all

weeks’ worth of instructional material into a 14-week semester.

The issue correlates with the number of days each class misses in a semester. In the past, the schedule made sense. Monday classes miss Labor Day, but then Tuesday gets skipped in favor of Monday classes the day after Veterans’ Day so they only miss one day. Then, for Thanksgiving Break we miss

way, every class only misses one class, but the pattern fails spectacularly.

Thursday and Friday classes get screwed because they are missing an extra week of instruction time to take their finals early. Wednesday-only classes get double screwed, because we are not only

missing an extra class, we have to take our final on the campus-wide study day.

Basically, we don’t get a study day. We’re paying tuition to miss out on class time dictated by the administration level and take a final too early.

Also, for many of us, this isn’t our money we are spending. It’s government money in the form of Federal Student Loans or grants.

Hey, remember that debt crisis we’re in right now? Why is federal money being wasted on a state institution’s administrative whims?

Why are students going into debilitating next who knows how many years, if we aren’t even getting our money’s worth?!

But if the professors have restrictions on changing our contracts, the syllabus, then why does the administration not

have the same accountability? By robbing Wednesday-only classes of two weeks’ worth of instructional time, the university changed the contract without asking if we the students are okay with it. I personally am not. As a graduating senior, I want to milk my classes for all they’re worth before I leave academia and join the real world where I’m no longer paying my employer to teach me something of value. I signed a social contract with CSULB that, in exchange for my time and money, they will give me in return a certain amount of face-time with quality professors who have a good deal to teach and a good way to deliver that information.

Robbing me of two weeks’ worth of valuable instructional face-time broke this contract.

Thus, it’s wasting my time and money.

Fix it, or I want my money back.

5 Athletics

Haystacks, High School, and Home Court Advantage Homecoming proves to be more of an experience than a game Alyssa Keyne Athletics Editor Photos by Alfred Pallarca Athletics Editor

If you didn’t pay attention to any of the marketing and campaigning during the past week or so, there was a Homecoming game this weekend. Homecoming wasn’t all about the game itself; it was a whole event based on The Wizard of Oz. Some activities seemed as strange as Oz itself.

The day started with the Homecoming tailgate, which took place from 11am to 2pm.

The tailgate was practically like a carnival, but with fewer carnival rides and more

to vote for a court, like in high school. The connection with high school was solidified by the rally and the fact that court was mostly comprised of people involved in Greek life, highly social people who are similar to those in the “popular crowd” in high school. We really shouldn’t have a court at all, if we’re going to base our selection criteria on high school values.

With close to 40,000 students on campus, there are various age and ethnicity groups that are hardly represented by a court that is comprised of only 0.00025% of the student body.

totes psyched about the prospect of getting free things. Granted, there were booths with

me in a few ways. First of all, there were

win free things, but I didn’t really feel like giving them any personal information.

The main focus of the tailgate was the Red Bull chariot race, which started at 12:30 and starred all of the Homecoming court nominees. It was really lovely to see all of the bleach blonde sorority girls race each other to the death. Well, not quite death, but perhaps

newsletter that made me cringe. Second, they ordered everybody in the student section to turn around when the Sea Warriors were introduced and shout, “Who cares?” after every player was introduced.

Being proud of your own team is great, but respecting people should also be a priority. Booing players when they make

nominee that was dressed as what appeared to be roller derby Dorothy. She wore elbow pads, and her chariot crew was hardcore.

poor sportsmanship. Yelling “bullshit” when other players are given free throws is especially inappropriate, considering that there are families with small children in

Banner 1: Egyptians got nothing on this pyramid, as the cheerleaders pump up the crowd with their routine. Banner 2: Look! It’s a plane! It’s a bird! Nope, it’s Prospector Pete. The Maniacs go crazy as the 49ers score. Top: 49ers on offense. Bottom: Somebody got hurt, yo!

It was a physical game; one player had his

speedy tactics.

As fun as this activity was, I did have to question the reason for the existence of the Homecoming court. I was actually surprised to hear that we were supposed

are having fun, but there are ways to have fun without degrading people.

Despite my distaste for some aspects

half. For a while we had a sizeable lead, with

maintain our lead, however, with 66 points The men decided not to rest on their laurels throws by the end of the game. We ended the game on our side of the court, with the

Upcoming Games Nov. 11 at 7:00 PM at Arizona Nov. 14 at 7:00 PM Nov. 17 at 11:00 AM at Kansas State Nov. 21 at 2:00 PM In San Juan, Puerto Rico Nov. 22 Time TBA In San Juan, Puerto Rico

6 Campus

“Hopefully, you read that [title] to the tune of the ‘Cha Cha Slide.’”

Everybody Clap Your Hands!

A brief introduction to the Vietnamese Student Association Tuan “Michael” Dang and Kyle Portman Contributors “EVERYBODY CLAP YOUR HANDS!” That’s how we, the Vietnamese Student Association, get everyone’s attention in order to start our meetings. Hopefully, you read that to the tune of the “Cha Cha Slide.” clapped your hands anyway.

The Vietnamese Student Association of Cal State Long Beach is a social, cultural club that promotes uniting individuals with a common interest in education, social involvement, and cultural development of the Vietnamese community. Every year the club does its best to create new events while trying to stimulate the Vietnamese culture within its general members. cultural organization is that we have a unique alliance with other universities

Karate Fighting at the Beach Shotokan Karate Tournament gives students a chance to test their skills

under an umbrella organization known as the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations (UVSA). UVSA encompasses

every Thursday above Sbarro at 5pm), you bad puns or even learn how to body roll in

Southern California, including: UCLA, UCR, UCSB, UCSD, UCI, USC, SDSU, CPP, CSUF just have to come to one of our meetings and community around us in the So Cal region.

This year, the Long Beach VSA’s theme is “Unity.” Our organization is constantly growing year after year. Some may think that it’s hard to bond with others in a club with so many people, but we make it our our organization feels like they’re part of our family. Our members are—for lack of a better word—derpy as hell. If you ever come to one of our meetings (which are

On October 26th, my fellow club members and I had the honor of competing

Our members come together to work on events in volunteer as well as social and cultural events that rally the other VSA’s to come out and support. Long Beach VSA’s biggest events every year are The Vietnamese Music Video Awards and our annual Vietnamese Culture Night show.

The Vietnamese Culture Night is a play that through relatable events and is one of the many ways the clubs tries to create a sense

experience. In our regular practices we usually put more emphasis on training for real world situations where rules don’t exist,

Brown Belt. I think this is one of the better aspects of karate tournaments, because anyone can compete regardless of size tournaments are based on a point system with four judges in each corner of the

violence or the sometimes bloody exhibitions like those seen in boxing and

encourage new members who may shy it a shot, since they won’t have to worry about getting rolled over by a high-ranking

must execute a clean punch, kick, or back to cause damage to the opponent without actually hurting them. Sorry Muy Thai guys, no elbows or knees allowed. In fact, going head will actually get you thrown out. This

have inherited from those who have trained here before us.

For more information, please visit our website at goo.gl/j7sGbi

weights. The competitors were split into

David Hayter Staffer tournament will be the beginning of a longlasting tradition of tournaments at CSULB

It is all too common to be wrapped up in commuter mode on campus, so here is your chance to become active and get involved in your community and have FUN!

in that there is an emphasis on skill and

hosted at the Beach. There was a really good turnout from both our school and Cal State Fullerton, the latter of which has just

by CSULB’s head instructor Sam Abboud.

The tournament was a lot of fun and a great chance for us to put our training to the test by competing against one another in free matching. I have been training in karate for

of unity. The show includes acting as well as several types of dancing ranging from lion dance to modern dance. Be on the lookout for our VCN later in the spring semester!

So ultimately, if you are looking to make friends, meet new people, learn more about culture, or you simply need something to

tournament because it is challenging to look like you’re going to knock someone out without actually doing it.

It would seem natural that most people biggest guy will usually win. However, in this tournament, there was a wide array

club member who was about a foot shorter than I was and probably half my weight. I was still challenged by her ability maneuver like these are entertaining and really show what a person is made of. The goal of the tournament, like karate training itself, is to create well-rounded individuals who can face adversity and don’t back down from challenges. If this sounds like it’s for you, and drop by a practice. The semester is will be starting up on December 30th.

7 Feature

AN PERALTERNATE SPECTIVE My name is Roque Renteria and I am a quadriplegic. I experience life in a perpetual state of sitting (one of Einstein’s unacknowledged Laws of Relativity). It’s difficult to articulate what it’s like to live with a damaged spinal cord. When random people come up to me and ask, “What’s it like being in a wheelchair?” it is a hard question for me, or anyone with a disability, to answer. It’s a personal question, and I feel I can only answer it with a joke: “Imagine that you are super-glued to your school desk for the rest of your life and had to get around by dragging the desk. It’s nothing like that,” or, “It’s like getting used to an old shoe, I think. If I could remember what shoes felt like.” These responses usually result in the asker feeling uncomfortable or confused, thereby avoiding any other type of personal questions. They laugh nervously or quite possibly sincerely (honestly, it is impossible to tell sometimes) and continue on with a much lighter question. Asking about the weather is not uncommon.

A personal account addressing accessibility on campus

“There have been times when both elevators have been out of service. This becomes a serious problem, because I then have to take an alternative route.

One that is not the most appealing.”

As I matured, I realized the reason people ask these questions is because they are uninformed and eager to learn about the unknown topics not talked about openly. In my experience, disability is not something that is usually openly discussed. People don’t know how to approach the subject.

I can’t blame them. I was once like they were. The main difference is that I was put into this position when I was 14, so I didn’t have much of a choice.

I had to inform myself. That said, the Union decided to publish my personal experiences as a disabled student in hopes that it will help freshmen with disabilities as well as all other inquiring students try to find their way at Long Beach State. This includes daily obstacles that I confront, my interactions with my peers, and the resources that I have utilized in order to make my collegiate experience as pleasant as it can be. I must note that this account is a personal one, and these opinions do not reflect the views of beliefs of any other students with disabilities on campus. My only goal is to provide the readership with an insight into my perspective. A typical school day in the life of Roque Renteria: college student at CSULB.

Roque Renteria Entertainment Editor

Photos by Connor O’Brien Managing Editor

8 Feature

START HERE AND FOLLOW THE ARROWS

SECTION 1 Disability covers a wide range of

SECTION 5

SECTION 2

9 Feature SECTION 3

SECTION 4 into

fan of

In closing, I would like to extend my gratitude to the good folks at DSS for all

have helped me across any obstacle would also like to thank you, the reader, for the taking the time to read this with a new perspective on some of your fellow classmates who face obstacles

me, I’m going to keep on keeping on, FINAL THOUGHTS

Disabled Student Services Office Location: Brotman Hall, Room 270 Phone: (562) 985-5401 Fax: (562) 985-7183 E-mail: dss@csulb.edu Semester Hours: Monday through Thursday: 8am - 7pm, Friday: 8am - 5pm Winter & Spring Break Hours: Monday through Friday: 8am - 5pm MORE INFO

10 Music

Fingerprints Grab Bag Bonanza

“Skrape batters you with a collection of songs so repetitive and predictable that after track three your boredom actually supersedes your nausea.”

Record shops are amazing institutions.

I know, it sounds like a completely wasteful and sickly sweet nostalgic thing to say in this age of Spotify, Pandora and iTunes but

there are still a few great places around the southland to pick up a quality CD for cheap.

Of course, the main complaint about record shops is that they’re expensive. I totally understand that. Times are tough, we’re all on a budget and we want to get some cool tunes without breaking the bank. But instead of charging 99 cents to your debit card to listen to “Royals” exactly 23 times before you get sick of Lorde’s naive disdain for the high life, how about you try something a little riskier?

Well, as risky as CD buying gets, at least.

Fingerprints, located at 420 4th street near the Long Beach arts district, has a great

little product for you curious, musicallyinclined folks out there. Five bucks and you get a brown paper bag, packed with 10 CDs completely at random, some stickers, and possibly a gift card or other little special gifts.

That is the Fingerprints grab bag, the closest thing the store has to a signature item that makes it stand out from almost all others.

So naturally, we here at the Union decided

Helado Negro Awe Owe

When I was picking a CD from the grab bag, my eye immediately gravitated towards this CD, mostly because the album art wasn’t pretentious as all hell or featuring some sort of unhygenic body part as its cover art. I had thought I picked up some sort of Spanish emo group by the design and the names of the songs (“Dos Suenos” sounds like something Panic at the Disco would release if they spoke a word of Spanish).

But, it turns out that I had picked up an interesting, percussive indie rock album

new and amazing artists while browsing the aisles at Fingerprints or Amoeba Music as I do ceaselessly clicking the “related artists” tab on my computer, day in and day out. Even as been reduced to stockpiling only vinyl records to satisfy the whims of bearded art school

Michael Wood Music Editor

So enjoy our random reviews and pick easy way to kill a day listening to new music.

And with winter break coming up, you might actually have the opportunity to spend a day like that soon.

these grab bags, sorting through the good, the bad, and the ugly of our bag of random music and here’s what we’ve come up with. A lot of

very easy for my thoughts to drown out the actual music, which isn’t preferable in an album, but overall, I couldn’t help but enjoy the uniqueness of their sound. I probably wouldn’t pick this up if I knew what I was getting, much less paid full price for it, but for 50 cents, I think it was a damn good deal and I got a solid 40 minutes of entertainment out of it. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

somewhat sparse, and at times, it became

Lance’s Hero The Only Motion That Matters Julia Gibson Contributor

Skrape New American Killer Calvin Adams Contributor

Defunct screamo band Lance’s Hero notes that their only album The Only Motion That Matters was recorded “while San Diego

of your eyes. The band has the musical sensibilities of “New Again” era Taking Back Sunday and the poetic prowess of an angsty 13 year old on Livejournal. They gift listeners with the greatest hits of anguished clichés (at one point, singer Gabe Rodriguez screams that he is “sick of smiling while he bleeds”). Despite all this, the band knows how to write an insanely catchy and singable hook. I’d say the most successful track of the On Tuesday, November 5th Michael Wood and I were outside the Union headquarters sharing a cigarette and talking about music.

We got to wondering what the worst music genre of all time was. Nu-metal quickly became the obvious winner. The genre rose in popularity in the late ‘90s with champions like Korn and Limp Bizkit. Aside from ridiculous spelling, nu-metal is comprised of middle-aged men who sing about teenage angst, blood and corpses, and are likely to wear dog collars. So of course, as some sick cosmic joke, the Fingerprints grab bag dropped Skrape into my lap. The album, New American Killer, is best embodied by its cover: a big ugly toenail with no text on it other than a parental advisory label in the bottom right

album is “Your Ghost in Me,” which was the most anthemic for the “wasted youth” that presumably makes up their fan base. The title track should have been left to burn in San Diego, if only to spare the listener some secondhand embarrassment. It should be noted that Gabe does indeed have a solid scream. Overall, I’d give this album 1.5 out of 5 white studded belts.

hand corner, and a “not for sale” sticker in the bottom left. With their amps set to crunch, Skrape batters you with a collection of songs so repetitive and predictable that after track three, your boredom actually supersedes your nausea. However, Skrape does not come without its admirable attributes. Qualities like determination, which becomes apparent when lead singer Brian screams, “I won’t the boys in the band were also kind enough to thank their parents in the liner notes. So I would like to thank all the member of Skrape for teaching me that I should always be thankful for my parents, never give up on my dreams, and that “no one’s knees are clean” (whatever that means).

Hedley The Show Must Go Marco Beltran Feature Editor

The

how you feel about ignorable music. Every

Show Must Go

guessing is supposed to leave the listener hoping for something awesome. Mission accomplished Hedley. My only context for this band’s sound was the black and white photo of regular-looking guys in fedoras laughing and looking wistfully into the distance. But in reality, it’s like something Radio Disney would play in their elevators.

Which can be good or bad depending on

few that sound like a pop rock ballads from 2006, and one could have been a b-side on a Taylor Swift album (as in electric/acoustic “Cha-ching” and “Sweater Song,” which I was saddened wasn’t a cover Weezer’s “Undone (Sweater Song),” are good examples of how boring this album is.

What We’re Listening to This Week Michael Wood Music Editor Lately, I have been a Spotify addict. My free time has been consumed by making

that there’s nothing more representative of my various tastes and even emotional states than a playlist. Some more visually inclined people may look to a collage for a similar feeling but for those of us obsessed with music, we have our playlist.

It seemed natural at this point that we should sum up the diverse and quite frankly eccentric personalities of the Union Weekly with a playlist. So I went around with a piece of paper and a pen and had every single that they have been loving lately.

What we got was an odd, eclectic mix of all sorts of music, everything under the sun really. From glam rock to indie to folk punk to country and pop, it seemed that almost all musical tastes were represented.

I was surprised with the diversity of taste in the office.

If the grab bags from Fingerprints aren’t your thing, you’re a shut in or you’re just too broke to actually buy music, here’s another way to introduce yourself to some new tunes.

We’ve made our Spotify playlist public and free to all of you folks out there. Trust your friends at the Union Weekly and we’ll show you a whole wide world of weird music and alliteration. Check out the playlist here at http://goo.gl/KV9rZF.

Playlist by Union Staff Artist

Song

Album

Against Me!

“What We Worked For”

Crime EP

Joyce Manor

“Beach Community”

Joyce Manor

David Bowie

“5 Years”

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust

Of Monsters and Men

“Dirty Paws”

My Head is an Animal

Barenaked Ladies

“Another Postcard”

Greatest Hits

Of Monsters and Men

“Mountain Sound”

My Head is an Animal

Wild Belle

“Keep You”

Isles

Velvet Underground w/ Nico

“Femme Fatale”

Velvet Underground and Nico Case

Neil Young

“Sugar Mountain”

Decade

Eminem

“Bad Guy”

Marshall Mathers LP 2

Broken Bells

“Holding on for Life”

After the Disco

Tame Impala

“Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”

Lonerism

Portugal The Man

“Creep in a T-Shirt”

Evil Friends

Paul Simon

“50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”

Still Crazy After All These Years

Brad Paisley & Carrie Underwood

“Remind Me”

This is Country Music

Spring Awakening Cast

“Left Behind”

Spring Awakening

Secondhand Serenade

“Fall For You”

A Twist in My Story

Baby Bash

“Suga Suga”

Suga Suga

Tijuana Panthers

“Creature”

Max Baker

The Pretty Reckless

“My Medicine “

Light Me Up

Robyn

“Call Your Girlfriend”

Body Talk

The Hidden Cameras

“Gay Goth Scene”

Gay Goth Scene (Single)

The Killers

“Spaceman”

Day and Age

Crushed Out

“Tempter Tantrum”

Want to Give

Sin Fang

“Young Boys”

Flowers

Moses Campbell

Who Are You? Who is Anyone?

Asaf Avidan

“One Day”

The Reckoning

Big Yellow Taxi

“Joni Mitchell”

Ladies of the Canyon

11 Music

“In reality it’s like something Radio Disney would play in their elevators.”

12 Entertainment

“CBGB

Unresearched and Destroyed Roque Renteria Entertainment Editor

CBGB proves that punk is dead When I saw the trailer for CBGB, I was excited. I had a lust for life. A lot of my favorite bands from my high school years were going to get the silver screen treatment.

Everything was going well...until I actually watched the movie. It is terrible.

The story follows Hilly Kristal as he decides to open up a bar that plays country, bluegrass, and blues, hence the name “CBGB.” The bar is situated in a sketchy part of New York and attracts nothing but bikers. One day, Kristal is approached by a band called Television. Kristal likes their sound and lets the group play one night.

Similar acts follow, and CBGB becomes the epicenter for the New York rock scene. minutes of music, which isn’t so bad, but they play the exact same songs from the albums.

I’m pretty much paying six bucks to listen to

Escape From Tomorrow Today Escape From Tomorrow is one of the most

strange park guests, and the odd presence

Sundance Film Festival. After seeing it, I can obviously see plenty of reasons why, but the main reason is in the premise itself: it’s a surrealist piece that takes place in the real locations of Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Escape From Tomorrow is about a middle-aged father named Jim, played by

his whimsical stalking. Keep in mind that Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

It’s no surprise that this kind of movie creates immense buzz at the Sundance Film Festival. The concept of Escape From Tomorrow is already weird and ballsy enough. Director/writer Randy Moore put a

throughout the movie you hear about three or four songs from Talking Heads, all of which came from their later albums. None of these songs were written yet. Plus, they were new wave, not punk.

Secondly, the casting was inconsistent.

Alan Rickman was good as Kristal, and that was pretty much it. Most of the actors playing the musicians resembled their physical features but lacked their personalities.

Every musician was an exaggeration. I found this to be the case with Deborah Harry. I like Blondie, and I like Malin Akerman, but she did a terrible job. None of her performance was believable. She was playing a sexy woman who lip-synchs Blondie’s songs.

That’s it, nothing more. Another character I had problem with was Lou Reed. The guy is

where Escape From Tomorrow loses me. Look, even as a hardcore Disney fan, I’m all for a cynically infused satire of the famed name in family entertainment, but the story itself just isn’t compelling or interesting enough to follow. The character of Jim is extremely unlikeable as a protagonist, and even though it may be that he’s not supposed to be a good guy, the movie doesn’t give us a reason to be

commentary on humanity itself, and if

place at the Happiest Place on Earth.

to be edited in South Korea, so that Disney

unclear messages and themes. Escape From Tomorrow wants to be some sort of social commentary on the fake and calculated wholesome image that Disney sells itself as and the evil capitalist motives behind it. Instead, the movie ends up being social

quality all comes down to the story. That’s

boring waste of time that was engineered to make money. I wouldn’t recommend this to any punk fans, but I would recommend it to anyone who gets their clothes from Hot

Delon Villanueva Contributor

parks, disguising themselves as a normal

fascinating how this movie was made and released to the public, but even with all the

in the movie for less than a minute and never returns. It was as if the producer thought, “Hey, let’s include all the rock-and-rollers we can to lure schmucks into the theater and not make the rock-and-rollers an important part of the movie.”

Finally, the movie looks pretty. From a technical standpoint, everything is well captured. My biggest quarrel is with the exploitation of the punk aesthetic. This movie cares too much about how it looks, and that shouldn’t be the case. Punk is raw. Punk ain’t pretty. CBGB is the Green Day of punk

Daring Disney

is basically the tale of a pedophilic, middleaged dad who goes insane out of his own

day of vacation with his family at the Walt minutes with Jim, his wife (played by Elena Schuber), and his kids, it’s easy to see that this is far from a picture-perfect family. As Jim tries to hide the bad news from his family, he runs into and becomes obsessed with two teenaged French girls. He begins to follow these girls throughout his day in the park, but out of nowhere, disturbing hallucinations,

songs that I already own. Not only is this a

overall still doesn’t have that much new to say. Escape From Tomorrow is really just a 104-minute reminder of the worst people in society, and it doesn’t strive to be much more than that, aside from its ambitious technical aspect. Now, if you’re still amused by the idea after reading this review, I do think it’s worth one viewing, just to see what these people managed to get away with. In fact, you might have a more positive takeaway than I did. If you were never on board with this movie’s goals, though, Escape From Tomorrow isn’t really worth your time.

Life Lessons from a 22-Year-Old What I’ve learned from life thus far Alia Sabino Culture Editor

Rather than dressing up like a hipster and making fun of my exes, I spent my birthday contemplating the meaning of life (you know, the usual). Now that I have turned this timeless age of 22, I hope that I have reached a certain level of maturity and have gained some insight into the world we live in. I know I have yet a lot to learn, but this is the wisdom I have gained so far.

1. Be vulnerable This year I came out with the fact that I’ve been on medication for clinical depression with hopes of reducing the stigma on mental illness and encouraging others struggling with the same issues to get the help they need. I was hoping to make expecting was the overpowering amount of support and love that I received. People were not just commending me for what I did but some also shared their stories about their own experiences and battles with mental illness. Our vulnerabilities and our struggles are what bind us together, and we should realize that.

2. Never feel that you’re alone Whatever feelings you may have, whether sadness, loneliness, longing or someone somewhere is going through the same situation and knows exactly how you feel. We are a lot more alike that we give each other credit for. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, because people will surprise you with their kindness. Reach out to people, and they will reach right back.

3. Surround yourself with people that take you higher There is no need to be around people that bring you down. Whether it is a toxic family member or a friend that feeds on

your insecurities, they are holding you back from reaching your true potential. Surround yourself with people that are energetic, you. Meet with people who share the same passions as you. Collaborate and be a part of something bigger than yourself.

4. Push boundaries A quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson that I choose to live by is, “He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.” This year I have chosen to live in a Carpe-diem-what-do-you-have-tolose fashion, and trust me when I say that chances. You don’t know what greatness may come out of it. And if you fail and it doesn’t work out, learn from it. Either way, you come out having gained something. most, whether it be speaking in front of a large crowd, taking a leadership role, or confessing feelings to someone. You don’t really know the extent of your capabilities unless you challenge yourself.

5. Make your happiness a priority Your happiness is important. Listen to Focus on yourself. Listen to your inner voice when making decisions about your life, whether its your career, your relationships,

things you can change if you choose to. Also, research shows that when you’re happier, you’re more productive, and the people around you become happier. So go ahead and infect people with your rays of sunshine!

6. Understand that being alone doesn’t mean being lonely Learn to enjoy things by yourself.

Loneliness is a natural feeling, but don’t be one of those who constantly needs people around them. Go take a hike by yourself.

Try a new food place, or go watch a movie.

Appreciate the exhilarating view of the ocean. The world is your own. Listen to your own thoughts and be in tune with yourself.

It’s amazing the things you’ll discover when you’re comfortable in your own silence.

7. Maintain relationships The older I become the more I realize how cruel this world can be, and how much college, you are constantly surrounded by people, but the bulk of these are merely acquaintances. Figure out who your real friends are. My standard for this is usually “Can I call this person to pick me up if I’m stranded somewhere at 3 am?” If the answer is yes, keep this person in your life and nurture this relationship. Also, pay more attention to your family. You own them that much.

8. Don’t be jaded We are way too young to be jaded. Notice the beauty in the little things, because these are the things that matter. There’s always something interesting even in the most mundane of places. Snap out of the humdrum of your daily life and notice the colors. Every day is a new chance.

9. Learn to let go This is something I have learned the hard way. I get too attached to people and I end up putting in a lot of effort to save relationships even if there is no reciprocity whatsoever from the other side. People who want to be in your life will make an effort to stay there. There’s a difference between reaching out and desperation.

Also, realize that if you lose certain people

in your life, they make room for better people to come along.

10. Travel Think about it. There are so many places to see, so many people to meet, and so much to learn. Do it while you don’t have too many responsibilities tying you down. It is something you won’t regret. Stop living in your little bubble of comfort and get out there are put yourself in foreign settings that will both challenge and change you. The possibilities are endless.

11. Be kind to others To a certain extent we’re all struggling, and everyone has to live with their own demons. Learn to be empathetic. Don’t judge people because you have no idea what they may have been through in life. I once sat at a bus stop hugging an old veteran as he cried to me about his cancer and his fear of dying alone, and in that moment I realized that we never know how much pain someone could be dealing with. So go ahead and lend a helping hand, smile to a stranger and compliment someone. You never know how far that act of kindness can go.

12. And most importantly, be kind to yourself Learn to love yourself, because in the end, you’re all you have. Think of it this way.

Imagine a friend standing in front of you.

Would be comfortable telling them that they’re ugly, worthless, or pathetic? That just seems mean and cruel, right? They why do that to yourself? Think kind thoughts, appreciate your accomplishments, forgive yourself for your mistakes, and accept your imperfections. Also, understand your worth. Understand that you deserve the best in life, and don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.

13 Culture

“There’s always something interesting even in the most mundane of places. Snap out of the humdrum of your daily life and notice the colors. Every day is a new chance.”

14 Literature

We Are the Capitol Did consumer culture miss the point of The Hunger Games?

Katie Healy Literature Editor The Hunger Games book series is a satire on the entertainment industry and its consumer culture; clothes and make-up in

The Hunger Games This has to be the biggest “missing the

life and death in the arena, and the richest The book depicts a hatred for a culture of entertainment and consumerism that surrounds children killing each other, but The prize? Riches, leisure, and fame for the

Capitol Collection make it possible to look

to look prettier than, and brutally murder, Facebook much?

alert!) Katniss’ ability to get sponsors for the

The Hunger Games Hunger Games industry

entertainment becomes dangerous and the gaudiest fashions possible, then it also

Venus Landing

Victor Tran Contributor

Short Story Corner image on the screen froze, and the room get here on the Venus station! I’m the only Mona perked up again and said, “Can’t Richard turned to face Ann and said,

“Reestablish the connection, damn it!”

do that?”

Ann could bear this no longer, and her

Richard shifted uncomfortably in his pointed at a manila folder by Richard’s left

get here on the Venus station! I’m the only

front of him, as the darkness of the dimly lit “Oh nonsense, Richard! After all, all you

Ann had been struggling silently until her drink?”

front of him, as the darkness of the dimly lit The screen continued to ramble on, as

desk?”

“I don’t think that The Beatles had

delicious, guaranteed.”

Molly Shannon Food Editor

Have a Very Native Thanksgiving Turkey Day specials from a vegan restaurant

Allergen Diaries #4

Nov. 8th, 2013 Dear Avocado Diary,

Life with an avocado allergy Zack Falcon Staffer

I was ten years old when I discovered I was allergic to avocado. I can still remember the burning sensation my throat felt after it touched the cursed green fruit as I chomped on a spicy taco. My traditional Mexican parents thought I was merely pretending to be hurt to catch their attention. In fact, up to this day they still think this way. I want to shed light for all the Mexican parents out there that allergies do exist—listen to your niños!

Under no circumstances am I looking for attention. Avocado is not a hard thing to stay away from to be honest, and I know people have worse allergies than me. However, I recently went to a sushi restaurant and ordered two plates of sushi to feast on. I clearly told the waiter NOT to put avocado in because of my serious allergy. After 30 minutes of waiting, the waiter brought out the platters, and guess what I saw? Avocado!

It took another 40 minutes for him to bring a new order because the kitchen ran out of rice! By the time he served me again, I was not even hungry anymore! I ended up leaving angry with a pathetic plastic bag full of avocado-free sushi in my hand.

Love, Zack

15 Food

“Though the foods do not contain meat or dairy, everything is

Volume 73 Issue 12

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

LBUNION.COM

DISCLAIMER: Hey, God Warrior Here. I heard he sang a good song. I heard he had a style. And so I came to see him, to listen for a while. And there he was, a young boy, a stranger to my eyes strumming my pain with his fingers.

Singing my life with his words. Kill me softly with your words, send them to 1212 Bellflower Blvd Suite 239, Long Beach, CA 90815. This page is satire/parody and does not represent ASI nor the CSULB campus. In Fergie Krueger’s name, I pray. Submit song and slaws via email to grunion@lbunion.com.

Review: Cruel Runnings Let me make one thing clear: I hate running. From physical education to bossy friends, I’ve been forced to move my feet in a rapid rhythmic motion more times than I can count, and every time, my hatred for the activity has increased. Running is a sport from

real-life demonic curse, I can testify that Banyck a nonsensical repercussion for his idiocy. Cursed

Then don’t tell me about curses.

So all in all, Cruel Runnings had potential, from the actuality of the subject they took on. My opinion is, if you’re not going to do

tattered sneakers crimson—because he couldn’t stop running to change his shoes, of course— only exacerbates the problem.

Johnathan Turtletubs’ Cruel Runnings, one of the

after I met my Billy and extracted him from his

hundreds of movies that B-movie (not Bee Movie

have left Cruel Runnings

every time I try to do it are ample proof of that. much more serious than a simple inability to

Rock On, My Baby.

The Turnip Tribe. Dance ‘Til You Prance. These

real stories about demonic involvement in our daily lives. Turtletubs’ decision to unrealistically restrict Banyck’s punishment to the media

Cuckoo Cabana, a modern remake of One Flew Over the Cukoo’s Nest

Cruel Runnings Banyck (Lyon Robynson) as he endeavors to of course, the death pact/suicide thing he did out that he’s been cursed by a vindictive demon to run forever. A quick note to all readers: it is

even matter that tentacled beasts have no right

or car, or, hell, jet plane, than it is by foot. Just a

or else I’d have turned into one of them—they

too dramatic and staged to evoke any emotion almost nothing. If you’re looking for a feelpossession, Cruel Runnings might be for you. If

months after beginning his running career, he’s springing over fallen bobsleds and outrunning out (because, like I said, running is demonic).

The curse then gets a bit more explicit as Banyck stumbles across a cobblestone

this the very real problem of demonic involvement in society today, though, Cruel Runnings is bound to disappoint.

And there, let me tell you, the real curse began.

Robert Johnson references and bada-bing,

morning.

After

his body under various tables and blankets, police gave up their search.

Though his body has not been found and his

personal items: his Reader’s Digest collection

runner in history, if only he could stop running to sign up. to authorities that he had already checked behind start. You see, curses are serious maladies. The that stupid beige bucket hat that he had lent him

HUNGER GAMES 2 STILLS

THE BREAKFAST CLUB

BREAKFAST CLUB 2: IN DA CLUB,