Against All Odds

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Hello CSULB

Issue 72.13

Welcome to this semester’s last issue of the Union Weekly. Please enjoy this extrachunky 20-page special edition of our school’s student-run publication.

“It is definitely more than a 3-hour lesbian porno”

Entertainment p.14

Join PAC in their effort to help the Philippines

Campus

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20-43% of homeless are families headed by a single mom

Feature

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“Yeezus, Kanye West himself, walked upon the stage”

Music

“I was over the sport before it even began”

Athletics

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21 Acts of Kindness

Culture

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“Keeping it healthy means rewards yourself with hot grub”

Food

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Staff/Contact Management Rose Feduk Editor-in-Chief Marco Beltran Managing Editor Connor O’Brien Managing Editor Eric Garcia Advertising Executive − Contact us info@lbunion.com www.lbunion.com Office: (562) 985-4867

Editors Alfred Pallarca Athletics Alia Sabino Culture Alyssa Keyne Athletics Katie Healy Literature Michael Wood Music Molly Shannon Food Roque Renteria Entertainment Shereen Lisa Dudar Opinions Sierra Patheal Campus God Warrior Grunion

Art & Design Gabe Ferreira Fun & Creativity Brian Mark Brand Development Manager Connor O’Brien RAW Editor Truc Nguyen Web Manager Eddie Viramontes Graphics Arts Design Tower Hoven Design Intern Rose Feduk Drawing ‘n’ Shit − Assistant Editor Sam Winchester

Contributors Tuan “Michael” Dan, Kyle Portman, David Hayter, Aaron Arakawa, Delon Villanueva, Victor Tran, Calvin Adams, Julia Gibson, Zack Falcœöøðn, Rebecca Komathy, Sharon McNerney, Kevin Tran, Joseph Philips, Alex Berman, Kacie Nicole Margis, Matthew Vitalich, Paula Tena.

Letter from the Editor

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Union Weekly—Dec. 2, 2013

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Rose and the Holiday Miracle 1

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Rose Feduk

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“Good Googly Moogly, that Union’s juicy!”

—Project Pat, “Good Googly Moogly”

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Editor-In-Chief

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Break out those glasses of leftover cider, ‘cause we’ve finally made it to the very last issue of the semester.

Hopefully in your struggle to keep your balance flipping through this hefty, twenty page issue you can see that we’re going out with a bang. But don’t be too impressed, because we actually got a lot of help doing it. Yes, in the spirit of the holiday season, the editors and I snuggled together closely by our bonfire of back issues in the office, and by its glow I read aloud the Grimm fairytale of “The Elves and the Shoemaker,” in hopes that the powers that be would hear our plea for a seasonal miracle. Lo and behold, while we slept, CSULB’s small population of elves found their way into our office and worked into the night typing articles on miniscule typewriters, crossing out the bad ones with big splotches of red ink, sewing together the pages with tiny needles, and printing them one by one on a Gutenberg-era printing press until thousands of issues were made. I managed to open an eye before dawn just in time to witness the eldest, beardiest of the elves chewing out one

of his boys in his shrill voice about accidentally making a pair of cowboy boots out of newspaper.

While little is known about the CSULB elf population (rumor has it that they live underneath the wood shop by FA-4 and were originally bred from a race of super-supersuper seniors that never ended up graduating) I’ve got to hand it to them for making an issue that is so welldesigned and well-written. We’ll just keep it between you and me that it was actually designed by one of our talented graphic designers, Gabe Ferreira. He’s been with us for almost four years and, since this is his last issue with us, why not gift him with the opportunity to lay out the whole thing by himself while we sit back and sip our drinks with tiny umbrellas?

Jokes aside, any amount of “thank yous” wouldn’t be enough for the sheer amount of work he’s put into the paper. We’ll all miss you, snake.

There’s a lot in store for the Union Weekly next semester. Keep an eye out for our new website that will feature the brand new Union Weekly blog—a part of our website that will allow for article contributions from our readers and writers even in the winter and summer months. So if you’d like to submit something for the winter, email us at info@lbunion.com.

Farewell for now and happy reading!

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Opinions

Union Weekly—Dec. 2, 2013

It May Be Old, But it Ain’t Broken Technology’s release date doesn’t determine its usefulness Sierra Patheal Campus Editor I bought an Alphasmart a couple of weeks ago. For those of you who don’t know what an Alphasmart is— and I’m willing to bet that’s a lot of you—it’s essentially a typewriter with batteries, an upload function, and nothing else. And it is wonderful.

Perhaps I just have poor impulse control, but once I’m on the computer, I have a hard time avoiding the internet. Even when I only want to write a story or an article like this, neither of which have any purpose for including when the Eiffel Tower was constructed (1887, by the way), I find myself going online to look up useless facts,

A Lifelong Resolution Working out is more than an annual attempt Alyssa Keyne Athletics Editor

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clicking on whatever Huffington Post wants me to stare at for a while, and all in all distracting myself from whatever it was I was supposed to be doing. Essays take much longer to complete that way.

Now, my ancient-but-new-to-me Alphasmart doesn’t have much on my MacBook Air. It can’t play music.

It can’t tell me—and sometimes this is plot-relevant in my stories—whether malachite is blue or green. It can’t even show me more than four lines of large, Calibri-style text. But what it can do is keep me on task, because once I’m curled up in bed, pounding out a story on its noisy keys, it’s a hassle to get out of my cocoon of covers to go check my Facebook.

Right about now, you’re probably asking yourself, “Why is she telling us this? Does she think we should all go out and buy Alphasmarts? Because I am not spending $25 on one of those things. That’s like, four cups of coffee at Starbucks.” Well, rest assured;

I’m not trying to revitalize the (nonexistent) Alphasmart stock by way of your Starbucks money. I just find it really interesting that a piece of decade-old technology is more efficient, in some contexts, than all the toys that have replaced it. (And in terms of the Alphasmart, apparently I’m not alone; Wikipedia says it has a “type of cult following among journalists and writers,” of which I would suppose I am one.)

In this age of technological overload, I think it’s important sometimes to step back and realize that the electronic baubles we’re so entertained by aren’t actually new— and that, sometimes, the older ones are better. Yes, there’s an iPad Air out, and there’s probably an iPhone 6s coming out soon (because there is always an iPhone (n+1)s coming out soon, where n is the current model number), but just because they’re being released doesn’t mean they need to be purchased. At some point,

novelty must bow to usefulness.

And if that new piece of technology does nothing better than the old one except distract, it’s probably worth taking a moment to ask, “Why do I need it, anyway?”

Whether it’s an Alphasmart, a flip-phone, a non-graphing calculator, a Playstation 1, or something I’ve never even heard of before, chances are there’s some piece of technology that you’ve absolutely loved and that has been utterly outstripped in terms of multi-functionality and speed by its more recently released peers. Does that mean the older technology is suddenly nonfunctional? Of course not—and there’s no shame in using it either. A more recent release date is not necessarily a hallmark of increased usefulness.

Now, if only someone could tell me where to get an actual typewriter that would upload my drafts to a computer.

At this time of year, some early birds may be thinking about personality traits and habits that they need to change, and, by the end of the year, many people come to the conclusion that they need to lose weight. It’s a phenomenon all around the country once a new year begins; people crowd the gyms in order to obtain perfect figures. However, these fitness resolutions often don’t last very long, and the crowds at the gyms quickly die down. The reason is actually pretty simple; most of the goal setters are concerned with the physical benefits of working out and not the emotional and psychological benefits.

What people really should be looking for is a change within.

Getting in shape is tough, absolutely. There are many obstacles to overcome, like shortness of breath, soreness, pain in the sides, etc. The fact of the matter is, if you’re looking for instant results, you most likely will not find them in this stage. It’s here

where you start changing your daily habits, and that can be pretty rough.

The one thing that you can look forward to, however, is being stronger.

By getting out to the gym, park, or sidewalk, you are stronger than the version of yourself who would sit on the couch for hours at a time. You are immediately stronger than your weak excuses. You are stronger than your poor body image. You are stronger than your self-imposed limits. This is what you should focus on for the first month of working out.

Yes, results do start showing up after a while, and there are things to be proud of. During the first few weeks, it’s easy to take notice of tasks that used to seem more difficult. At this stage, people need to keep going.

It’s easier now that the typical pitfalls have been avoided. Many people get complacent at this stage, and this is where another boost of willpower especially helps. At this point, working out should be part of a daily routine,

“It’s hard at first to imagine that fitness is a lifelong process, but, once you’ve allowed it to improve who you are, you can never imagine your life without it.”

and probably one of the parts that make you happiest. Focus on this now.

Your goal should still be in the back of your mind, but you should relish in the process of getting there, or you won’t have any fun.

By the time you reach your goal, you will most likely love the person you’ve become. Hold on to that, and use all of the traits and characteristics you’ve acquired to set a new goal if you haven’t already done so. It’s hard at first to imagine that fitness is a lifelong process, but, once you’ve allowed it to improve who you are, you can never imagine your life without it. That, my friends, is how people fulfill their New Year’s fitness resolutions.

Opinions

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Union Weekly—Dec. 2, 2013

Happy Happy Joy Joy Nerdy fun in our backyard Rebecca Komathy Contributor There is only one special place where fandoms of every corner of the story universe can come and connect and not die (as writers often like to do): Comic Con. This year’s Long Beach Comic and Horror Con wasn’t too big and wasn’t too small. It was just right, as Goldilocks would say. The 5th annual LB Comic Con has grown since its previous years; I remember walking around a corner of the LB Convention Center back in 2009 and thinking, but accidently saying out loud, “Wow, this is small.” There are just enough attendees now for bigger names in the industry to come and visit—like my personal favorite, John Kricfalusi, creator of a little show called Ren and Stimpy.

During his panel, I was surrounded by die-hard fans, begging for the show to come back—and guess what? It is coming back… kind of. He previewed a show that centers not on Ren and Stimpy, but instead on the ultrapatriotic, crazy conservative, and easily red in the face George Liquor.

John K. appeared at this year’s con courtesy of a comic shop called From the Land Beyond. Their booth was set up next to John’s and there just so happened to be a Charlie Day look-alike, so I spent a lot of my day passing by that booth, losing track of time, then rushing off to other panels.

Despite the funky hats and overpriced kawaii sweaters, the con still managed to maintain a comic spirit with rows and rows of comic books and commissions for sale. The panels, however, were okay at best. My friend Shereen and I actually got stuck in a panel about a short video, “We Can Get Them For You Wholesale” based on the short story by Neil Gaiman.

We had assumed the panel would be about selling comics or graphic novels at wholesale, but Shereen didn’t care because Neil Gaiman’s name was attached and she had a glimmer of hope that he’d be there. Anyway, the short was actually really good; you should check it out. BUT the half hour Q&A with less than 10 people in the room, not so great. Sure, it was near the end of the con and the guests are excited, but it’s so hard to leave a room without them staring at you with judgmental eyes. When we noticed other people were getting up, we decided to take a chance and leave. I tripped up on my shoes several times and my Star Trek phaser kept going off with a PEW PEW sound. Imagine, a Star Trek red shirt trying to leave a painful panel, all while hitting a bunch of chairs in her tall black go-go boots while her phaser keeps screaming PEW PEW PEW! Graceful.

Fucking graceful. Well, I got out of there and that weekend, all the good and bad, is now over. See you all at Wondercon.

Bottom Left: A crowd of cool cats put meaning to the term “Nerd Cool.”

Photo by nerdreactor.com — Below: Opinions Editor Shereen Lisa Dudar and Union Weekly contributor Rebecca Komathy keeping it super real at this year’s Long Beach Comic Con.

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Campus

Words by Sharon McNerney Contributor Photos by Kevin Tran Union Staffer

CSULB Student Film Succeeds The story behind The Spielberg Project Steven Spielberg returned to CSULB in 2001 to obtain his Bachelor’s Degree in Film & Electronic Arts. Now, film students from the very same college department have completed a short, comedic film entitled Steven Spielberg and the Return to Film School based on this true story, and its success is taking off in the festival market.

The short film, which is also known as The Spielberg Project, began as a comedic story idea that the film’s director and writer, Joshua Hoh, came up with around Fall 2010.

“The film tells the story of Steven Spielberg, who ventures back to the film school he once dropped out of to finish what he began 33 years before.

Will he be able to pass Film 101, survive mobs of screaming fans, and discover what he is truly made of?”

Hoh said.

After Hoh pitched his idea to others, the film became a collaborative project that involved the help of over 100 other CSULB students, CSULB staff, family, friends and even Screen Actors Guild actors.

Hoh also got feedback from several CSULB film department staff members, including Steve Hubbert, Reed Moran, Bonnie Blackburn, Tom Blomquist, and Hoh’s film production instructor, Kevin O’Brien.

All the feedback influenced Hoh to create an homage to Steven Spielberg by incorporating Spielberg’s filmic style through numerous audio and visual touches, which included legendary moments from Indiana

Jones, Jurassic Park, and E.T. “Incorporating the homages was a tricky deal,” Hoh said. “The first few drafts of the story weren’t going anywhere because there was no story to link them together… At some point I had to just backtrack and just go straight to developing the story. And then luckily there were places that I was able to put the homages in. I got lucky on some of them.”

The film score was created by CSULB music student Daniel Ellis, who was inspired by the well-known composer John Williams.

“They had the idea that they wanted to pull the themes of John Williams’ music from the Spielberg films and then do them with a twist,” O’Brien said. “The fact that [Hoh] got the CSULB orchestra to score the film— that was a big thing for a student film to do that, to actually have the score written, performed and recorded.”

Hoh found his casting director, Amberlyn Storey, in Professor Tom Blomquist’s directing class, where she was discovering that she had a talent for casting.

After a month of auditions, Storey and Hoh finally found Robert W. Laur for the role of Spielberg.

“The Spielberg role had a lot less submissions because of a certain look needed,” Storey said. “We auditioned some really close look-a-likes that just didn’t quite have what we were looking for. Robert was an almost last-minute find and fate brought him in.”

There were a lot more submissions for the character of Maggie—a young, enthusiastic film major, who befriends Spielberg in class.

“For the role of Maggie, I think we

auditioned around 60 young women out of nearly 300 submissions,” Storey said.

Edie Hovey eventually booked the role of Maggie by submitting through LA Casting and auditioning at Space Station Studios.

“I instantly liked the sides for Maggie, and I felt a connection to the script,” Hovey said. “After two or three callbacks, I found out that I booked the role! I was ecstatic! It was one that I really wanted.”

The crew shot a total of five days at over 20 different locations during Spring 2013. “We fed over 200 people total over the five days. Literally half the budget went to feeding everyone,” Hoh said.

Steven Spielberg and the Return to Film School was completed during July 2013.

Hoh’s goal is to get the film screened in film festivals and to eventually have Spielberg and Spielberg’s mother, Leah Adler, view the film.

On August 25, 2013, Hoh stopped

by Milky Way, a restaurant that Adler owns in Los Angeles, with the hopes of personally delivering a DVD copy of the short film to her. Adler was not at her restaurant that day, so Hoh left a DVD copy there for an employee to deliver to her. He hopes, however, that Adler and Spielberg will eventually receive this DVD and appreciate the homage to Spielberg.

Steven Spielberg and the Return to Film School won first place in the Narrative category at the CSU Media Arts Festival in early November and won the Audience Choice Award there as well. Category winners at the Media

Arts Festival each received $500, and the college media departments of the winning entries each received $250.

When asked about possibly winning at the CSU Media Arts Festival, Hoh replied, “If we were to win anything… we aren’t making any profit off of it.

That money would go straight to more festival submission fees. I am not trying to make a dollar off of Steven Spielberg’s reputation. But that would be great if that money could help us continue to go places.”

Robert W. Laur as Steven Spielberg

News & Upcoming Screenings facebook.com/TheSpielbergProject youtube.com/TheSpielbergProject

Campus

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Union Weekly—Dec. 2, 2013

goo.gl/ nYU6LP

Student Orgs Send Support for the Philippines Join PAC in their effort to help the Philippines: One Nation Benefit Show: http://goo.gl/vKSFeo 17th Annual Christmas Festival: http://goo.gl/A1u7px PAC needs your help raising funds for typhoon relief Sierra Patheal Campus Editor CSULB’s Pilipino American Coalition is collaborating with other student organizations on campus to raise funds to support typhoon relief efforts in the Philippines, and they need your help.

On Wednesday, December 4th, PAC will be working with the organizations of CSULB’s One Nation (PAC Modern, Zeta Phi Rho, Kappa Psi Epsilon, and Chi Delta Theta) to hold a benefit show in the Beach Auditorium. The event will run from 7 to 9pm and will include

Discussion Group Gabe Ferreira Fun & Creativity Even though I lost all interest in learning History once I realized it is a field tainted with bias, there was one time period that never ceased to attract my attention: The Age of Enlightenment. The idea that a group of intellectuals led an entire continent out of the Dark Ages is fascinating to me, as this was, as far as I know, the first time humans displayed inquisitive behavior strong enough to disrupt the established culture and its values. The

awesome performances, a raffle, and sales of goods such as Filipino parols, beanies, and special buttons. There’s a $5 entrance fee, and donations are gratefully accepted.

Then on Saturday, PAC and Kappa Psi Epsilon are hosting their 17th Annual Pilipino Christmas Festival on the SSPA North Lawn. The event will last most of the day, from 11am until 6pm or so. The event’s name—“Pasko Sa Aming Bayan”—means “Christmas in Our Town.” It’s a family-oriented event with performers, vendors, and artists from the Long Beach community, and again, all proceeds from the event will be going to typhoon relief. Our town—our large, eclectic family—is doing what it can to reach out to the Philippines during

a time when celebrating the holidays at home will be an impossibility for many. “We felt that we needed to do something to help,” PAC President Matthew Downey explained. “So many of our loved ones over in the Philippines have been affected by the typhoon, and we were moved to something to help.”

Given the scale of the disaster— Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda had wind speeds equivalent to those of a Category 5 hurricane and a 23-foot storm surge in some areas, leaving over 5,000 dead in its wake—this is truly a situation where every bit of support helps. Even if you can’t stay for long or just want to show your support, come out for a little while and give what you can.

Every dollar counts.

closer I get to finishing my studies, the more I wish I had a full-size replica of Joseph Wright’s “An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump” on my bedroom wall serving as a constant reminder of the power of critical thinking, collaboration, and experimentation.

It saddens me that I’ll never be able to go back in time to attend a gathering of Enlightenment philosophers, but the good news is that a group with somewhat similar purposes exists at CSULB. Though Caravaggio isn’t likely to make paintings about the meetings (only because he’s dead), Discussion Group is a fantastic initiative that aims to bring students from different majors together to talk about ideas, collaborate on projects, and discuss pressing issues at our university.

“Discussion group is an experiment; we are trying to get different people

with different academic interests and backgrounds to talk to each other to see what happens,” said Ben DuVall, the graduating senior responsible to the group’s conception.

Discussion Group meets every Wednesday at 3PM in front of the student galleries (upper-campus). I urge every student with interesting ideas to attend. Whether you’re a philosophy major who wants to share a few thoughts, an engineering student seeking to work with artists, or a freshman who just wants to sit in and listen, Discussion Group provides you with the ideal environment to do so.

More information: www.discussiongroup.info twitter.com/DiscussionCSULB

Shootin’ the Shit with the Execs Joseph Phillips ASI Chief of Staff I don’t know about all of you, but this has been a pretty intense semester for me. From papers due every class meeting to balancing work and family life, it has been tough. Over the next two weeks, we will all stock up on coffee and reach that crisis period in our lives where we want to walk away and say we’re done. That feeling of, “I am so over this, why am I here, and what is an education, anyway?” For those of you graduating, I wish you the best. For the rest of us, let’s kick those tests’ asses. Here is the final ASI update of the semester: Belmont Shore Parade: Every year the Associated Students create the float for the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade, and they need volunteers! This year, the parade will be taking place on Saturday, December 7th. If you are interested in helping out, reach out to the ASI Community Service Commissioner at Anthony.Mansour@student.csuld.edu Supply Drive: The Child Development Center is having a supply drive from now until the end of the semester. They are looking for items including crayons, baby wipes, really anything kid-related. There are boxes scattered throughout campus including locations such as the Beach Pride Center on the first floor of the University Student Union. Help the kids out this holiday season by donating!

ASI Election Forms: For those of you who are interested in joining ASI next year, start looking up the job descriptions over winter break! The application process begins December 2nd and election season will take place a couple months into the Spring Semester.

If you think you’ve got what it takes to be a strong student leader, please apply!

For more information, check out the ASI Government website for details.

Finals are about to get real, so study up and finish strong. Take a trip and relax when it is all done; you deserve it. On behalf of the ASI President and VicePresident, John and Jon, we wish you happy holidays and a happy new year!

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Athletics

Union Weekly—Dec. 2, 2013

You Can Be Too Young for Sports My first and last encounter with T-ball Alex Berman Contributor Drawing in the sand and the snacks after the game, that’s all that T-ball was good for. When I was about 5 years old, my mother came to me one night and asked me if I’d like to play a sport. “You’re old enough now, it might be good for you to join a team,” she said. She gave me a list of sports I could play, and I honestly

didn’t know or care about any of them. I asked her about the rules for each game, such as soccer and whatever else they offer 5-year-olds and decided I didn’t like any of them, but then I asked her about T-ball.

She told me, “T-ball is fun, and its really easy too! You just hit a ball with a bat and run around the bases.”

I was sold. My parents had never let me swing anything that could do that much damage, and it would be fun too; because the target was immobile, I could take my time and really bash the crap out of it. I couldn’t wait to start, but my excitement for organized youth sports would

soon take a dive off of a very jagged, beveled cliff. I met up with my team on the first day of practice and the coach put us in line to bat. My first reaction to this was: “you mean I have to wait?” Strike one.

However much it irritated me, I did my waiting and finally approached the Tee. I grabbed my bat and banged it against the ground a few times to give it a test run. This thing was lethal. I got into my stance and let one rip. The Tee flew about 5 feet in front of me and the ball I was aiming for fell to the floor just before my feet. This was harder than I thought. Strike two. Next was the

outfield. Again, my reaction to this was similar to my first. I was not up for standing around in a field, and every time I went over to hang out with the other outfielders or the basemen, I got yelled at. Strike three.

I was over this sport before it even began.

I Hope You’re Not Attached to Your Sight The wonders of playing Goalball Katie Healy Literature Editor I always find it entertaining when I tell people I used to play Goalball. Usually the first response is a funny look, then I’m asked to repeat the name (as it’s really not called “Go Ball”), and finally there is the question about what exactly Goalball is.

It is the opposite of dodgeball because you WANT to get hit. It’s fast-paced pong where you are the human paddle, and the ball is three or so pounds and rough, and the teams are slugging it at each other like bowling balls at around 25-30 mph.

It’s the job of the other team to block it from getting into their goal, which spans the entire back of the volleyballsized court. Once the ball is blocked (or passed the goal line for a goal) the receiving team has ten seconds to aim and throw the ball back.

You have to do all of that blindfolded. Yes, you have to get the ball, aim, throw, and defend (with two other teammates) without being able to see a thing. The blindfolds create a complete blackout, and the ball (called a goalball) has several heavy-duty jingle bells inside; the court is marked with string as well for orientation by feel. Most athletes don’t feel by hands either, especially when the game speeds up, because it’s faster to feel it with your feet. Sounds challenging, right? It’s the sport that takes ten minutes to learn and years to master.

Part of those years is being spent training yourself to dive towards a speeding object knowing you’ll get hit.

Each team consists at most of three people. The first is the center, which stands in the center of the team court, as the name suggests, and then on either side of the center are two wings. The wings are the main offensive positions, as they expend their energy in throwing, and the center expends her energy blocking the court. Wings are also defensive, but only for their sides. There are, of

course, other strategic methods for the three players, but this is by far the most common internationally.

The sport was founded in Germany after World War II when veterans blinded by the war wanted to remain physically active, which explains why it’s such a physically tough sport. If you leave it to war veterans to create a new competitive activity, chances are their creation will be brutal. It was common for me to come away from a game with bloody shins, torn nails,

and bruises that made me look like the American flag.

There are two levels to nationwide competitions: youth and adult.

Since the sport has a relatively small pool of athletes to choose from, there are many players and teams that compete with both while they’re still in high school. My old team and I were prime examples. Traveling with that team for competitions was how I saw the United States, as we traveled to competitions in places like Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Colorado, and plenty more. There’s even a yearly tournament in Los Angeles during the summer. If you are around, you should check it out, and then the athletes can give you a funny look when you say you’ve actually heard of Goalball before. Their expression will be worth it, trust me.

Left: First-person perspective of a Goalball player during a match.

Photo taken using a GoPro.

Feature

Union Weekly—Dec. 2, 2013

Against All Odds Putting a face to homelessness in LA County Alia Sabino Culture Editor

Homelessness is an issue that Los Angeles County has been facing for a long time now, and not everyone is aware of the magnitude of this problem. Approximately 254,000 men, women, and children experience homelessness in LA County during some part of the year, and about 82,000 people are homeless on any given night. As a result of the downturn of the economy, the rate of unemployment has increased dramatically, causing homelessness to become a more and more prevalent issue.

Most of us have encountered homelessness in some way or another, whether it be someone you’ve seen with a “help” or “need food” sign on the street, a smell emanating from the homeless man in your neighborhood that makes you walk the other direction, or maybe the experience of being homeless yourself. Whatever your experience with homelessness is, the truth is that it needs to be given attention. People need to reevaluate the way they see this issue, and take part in the rehabilitation of the people affected by it.

People that are in the middle or higher classes have a lack of understanding that the poor and impoverished have a comparatively unfair advantage in society. It doesn’t help that the media portrays the homeless as dirty, immoral and mentally unstable people who just want to cause trouble, and would do anything to get their hands on a beer.

Because of how our society has wired us to think, most people are quick to judge these people as “lazy junkies” or “alcoholics,” and even refer to them as “crazy bums” when the truth is that we have no idea what these people have been through or how their homelessness came about. In fact, 41 percent were employed within the last year, 16-20 percent are employed, 49 percent graduated from high school and 32 percent have a bachelor degree or higher. At some point, these people had secure and stable lives, but, for reasons beyond their control, this all changed. When you really think about it, homelessness can affect anyone.

It could affect your neighbor or your favorite cashier at the supermarket. I’ve even had a classmate tell me that he’s been homeless at one point in his life.

In an effort to open people’s eyes to the problems of homelessness, the co-ed service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega makes an effort to go down to Skid Row (a 50-block radius in downtown Los Angeles where a big chunk of its homeless population resides) every semester and distribute brown bag lunches. Since I am a part of this fraternity, I used this as a means to fully immerse myself and get to know some of the people that reside there, listen to their stories, and hopefully dispel some of the myths that are associated with the idea of homelessness.

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Feature

Against All Odds: Putting a face to homelessness in LA County

“I ended up here because it’s better for me to eat and live like this instead of going from town to town and city to city. At least I’m trying to establish myself”

The Situation Right as we got out of our car on the cross streets of 3rd and Crocker, I felt despair to see the absolute desolation of their living situations. This sight wasn’t new to me since I did the same service last semester, but nothing really prepares you for it. The sidewalks are lined up with makeshift shelters from cardboard boxes, grocery carts and trash bags. The streets are filled with trash, the walls are grafitti-ridden, and there was undeniable stench of urine and it makes you wonder how people tolerate this on a daily basis. Other

questions I had were how do they survive the cold, and what do they do when it rains? People were sitting and standing along the sidewalks, seemingly used to all these smells and sights, it just being another day on the streets.

My heart ached even more as we turned around a corner to start passing out the lunch bags. We created over 100 bags to give out but they were gone within the first 15 minutes, and we didn’t even go to the streets that were highly populated.

The look on people’s faces was just so heartwarming. Many of them kept saying things like “God bless you” and “This really helps.” There was also the occasional person that wanted more than one bag, but what really had our group dumbfounded was one guy who

said that he was okay and had enough.

He told us to give it someone that might need it more than he does. One of the brothers of our fraternity told me he got the chills from hearing this because if he was in that position, he would take as much as he could since he wouldn’t know when his next meal is going to be. “It makes you see the good in people,” he said.

Their Stories I decided that it was time to talk to someone and ask them about their experiences with homelessness, so I approached a man sitting on the sidewalk. He looked disheveled and extremely skinny, and, by the looks of it, he’d been living on the streets for a while. I also noticed the bumps and rashes on his skin, and, being a nursing student, this signaled some other underlying conditions.

When I asked if I could interview him, a huge smile came across his face and it seemed that he was pleased to have someone to talk to. I asked him to tell me his story and how he ended up on the streets of Skid Row. Joe was a victim of Hurricane Katrina. He was 6 miles inland when the devastating hurricane hit, and he was one out of the millions that were displaced because of this tragedy.

“It was a lot of people and they were sending people all over the United States when it was happened. It was a bad, bad, bad situation.”

He was (as many others were) sent on a bus to different locations in the country in order to find proper housing.

He said, “I ended up here because it’s better for me to eat and live like this instead of going to town to town city to city. At least I’m trying to establish something I work for myself.” He mentioned that the main reason he’s on the streets is due to bankruptcy from paying for his hospital bills. According to him, his liver and kidneys are worn out and his doctor informed him that he has about five years to live.

Joe’s been on and off the streets since 2005 (when Katrina hit), and hasn’t been home since. He used to work for an electrical company back home before Katrina hit, and he would love to go back there and work,

but because of his displacement it would be hard for him to make the journey back without any means of transportation. He says the hardest part is not seeing his son that lives in Alabama, especially now that he’s a grandpa to twins.

Despite the desperation of his situation, the fact that he hasn’t seen his son or grandchildren and hasn’t been home, and the fact that he’s stuck on the streets for reasons he didn’t have control over, what intrigued me about Joe was his optimism. He said he still feels blessed because just a year ago he was in a wheelchair, and, in comparison, he’s doing a lot better now. I told him I was really glad he’s staying positive about his situation to which he replied, “Sometimes you take steps to mess up your life, sometimes things like Katrina happen. I’ve been through tornadoes, and I’ve been beat up and robbed. All you can really do is hope for the best.”

At the end of our interview, before I bid him goodbye, I wished him all the best of luck in this world, and while saying this I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Seeing this disturbed look on my face he says, “You okay?

You seem down.” I told him that I felt helpless seeing everyone on Skid Row and not being able to make any sort of drastic change. He then says “May God bless you. Cheer up please. I’ll pray for you.” I realized that this was the human spirit at its finest. He was the one in the streets without a roof over his head, yet he still managed to care more about how I felt and didn’t want to see me feeling down.

Joe’s story is just one of the many stories that are out there waiting to be heard. This year was no different because when we did the skid row service last semester, we also met a man who similarly ended up in skid row from a series of unfortunate events. After distributing the brown bags, our group ended up talking to an old man who just seemed enthusiastic and cheery. He claimed to have been a professor before. At first we were skeptical about this, but when he started talking about atoms and molecules, we were convinced. In that point it dawned on me that sometimes life really could fall apart for anyone.

Feature

Against All Odds: Putting a face to homelessness in LA County

“Well, one I want for our people to be aware of the problems that exist outside of what we are able to see or deal with on a day-to-day basis.”

When we got back to campus, I asked one of the Service Vice Presidents of Alpha Phi Omega, Malika Yang, “What goal do you have for the people that participate in this service and why do you always choose to have this service in Skid Row?” “Well, one I want for our people to be aware of the problems that exist outside of what we are able to see or deal with on a day to day basis. Being in somebody else’s shoes makes you see this aspect. I feel like Skid Row is a big opportunity to do so because you literally see other people and their struggles. Even if you don’t personally know what it feels like to be homeless, just the sight of it makes it more real to you and you’re able to feel yourself walking in their shoes and you’re able to imagine what it would be like to be homeless in that environment itself. Like the smell and seeing where people live or what they call their homes, which is something we would never imagine.

So, it’s all about raising awareness about homelessness because it is a big problem not only in LA County but in the world itself. So this is for our members to be able to walk away with a bigger perspective, and a greater outlook of the world especially with homelessness.”

Hopefully after reading their stories, you have a better perspective on this issue, and realize that regardless of the circumstances that led to their homelessness, no one wants to be in this position. Sometimes the odds are just against you. It makes you become aware that, at any time, things may go completely wrong and you’ll find yourself with nothing, whether it be through man-made or natural disasters.

Other than this, be grateful. Be aware of your blessings and the fact that there is a roof over your head and that you get

to eat three meals a day. Each one of us has a home, a bed to sleep on, and others aren’t as lucky. As the saying goes, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

How You Can Help After hearing all these stories, you may be wondering how you can help. There are organizations out there whose aim is to end homelessness and help those that are stuck in the cycle rise back to their feet. Examples of these are Midnight Mission and United Way of Greater Los Angeles.

United Way is an organization that has a 5-year action plan to end chronic homelessness in LA county by giving people access to permanent housing as well as promoting the advancement of their education, whether it be finishing high school or attending college.

Midnight Mission, on the other hand, is an organization in downtown LA

that offers a bridge to self-sufficiency for homeless people through counseling, education, training, and job placement. They aim to build their lives from the ground up and provide them with the skills to re-enter society through things like financial stability classes, mock job interviews, AA meetings, etc.

You can also volunteer at a local food pantry such as the Long Beach Rescue Mission or the LB Salvation Army. If you can’t go out of your way to donate money, or spend time serving food at a service, next time you see someone homeless, stop that urge to judge or stereotype them. Realize that you have no idea where this person has come from or what possible horrors they have experienced in their lives. Better yet, ask them about it. Most people are just looking for someone to talk to and to hear their story.

Trust me when I say that it can make all the difference.

11

12

Literature

Union Weekly—Dec. 2, 2013

Winner

Starting With a Blank Page Words by Melissa Contributor Illustration by Rose Feduk Editor-in-Chief

Union’s Flash Fiction Contest Results: Tiny stories competed to dazzle our judges, and this was the result.

Isaac looked up as Julian walked into the library and hesitantly sat down across the table. “Hey,” Isaac greeted, nudging him under the table with his foot, “You okay?”

“IsitokayifIdrawyou?” he blurted, as if he’d lose his nerve if he took too long.

Isaac raised an eyebrow curiously. “I didn’t know you drew, princess.”

“You don’t know everything about me,” Julian shot back.

Isaac rolled his eyes. “Well it depends, you gonna draw me like one of your French girls?” He laughed, striking a seductive pose, missing the way Julian’s mouth widened and his cheeks flushed red.

“Er yeah, probably not,” he replied, willing himself not to conjure up those images in his mind. “So can I, or no?”

Isaac grinned, “Seriously Jules?

When have I ever told you no?”

Julian flushed at the comment and distracted himself from reading too much into it by flipping open his notebook.

“So what is this for?” Isaac asked, a few minutes in.

He shrugged casually. “Oh y’know, just for practice.”

Isaac nodded. “Can I see it?”

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say, because the brunette frowned and looked up fearfully. “N-no, you can’t—” he paused, “I’m shy about it.

You can’t look ‘til I’m gone, okay?”

“I’m sure it’ll be awesome,” Isaac assured, “And not just ‘cause I’m the subject,” he added, grinning when he saw Julian’s lips curve upwards in a shy smile.

Isaac frowned as Julian carefully tore the sheet of paper from his notebook thirty minutes later and set it face down in the middle of the table. “Not ‘til I leave, okay?” Julian asked, his hazel eyes wide.

“Not ‘til you leave,” he repeated, solemnly, unsure as to why the younger boy looked so terrified.

He watched Julian retreat from the room hastily, before reaching forward, fully intent on telling Julian it was amazing—no matter how bad it was— if only to see his face light up in that smile.

Isaac’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he flipped it over.

There was no drawing there. There wasn’t anything, in fact. The page was completely blank.

The blonde scrunched his mouth up in frustration. Of course, he thought to himself, it was just a fucking joke.

He moved to throw it away, when he caught sight of a messy line of scribbles in the corner. I’m sorry if I wasted your time. I can’t draw, but I just wanted to spend time with you.

Isaac’s mouth open and closed, his anger melting away and a small smile growing on his face. Pulling out his phone, he typed out a quick text, revising it twice before he felt bold enough to send it.

Julian felt his phone buzz and looked down at the text. You can draw me anytime.

Second Place Rainy Season

Third Place The Doorbusters

Honorable Mention It Came From Lower Campus

Honorable Mention Deathday Fortune

Kacie Nicole Margis

Paula Tena

Matthew Vitalich

Kiya Wilson

Contributor

Contributor

Contributor

Contributor

The rain fell steadfast through our broken window and unto a puddle on the floor. I wasn’t asleep for long before the alarm clock radio went off. It typically blared an abundance of distorted fuzz, but today that jazz station came in clearer than crystal.

The song that played was Fred Astaire’s “The Way You Look Tonight.” I reached over your body to click the “snooze” button when you opened your eyes and grabbed my hand.

You smiled, “Let’s dance.”

“You’re delusional.” My insult didn’t seem to stir you. They never did.

“C’mon. I know you love this song.”

I wrapped the sheet around my midsection and sat up. You were right; I did love that song. I couldn’t help but laugh as you stood up and shimmied your way over to my side of the bed. You reached your hand out to help me up.

“That sheet isn’t fit for dancin’.”

You could see my insecurity welling up inside as I removed it and stood, fully nude before you. You gave me a warm smile and we both sang along with Fred. “When the world is cold, I will feel a glow just thinking of you.”

You leaned in and whispered in my ear, “And the way you look tonight.”

I slung my arms over your shoulders and you wrapped yours around my waist. We swayed to the music, my head resting against your chest. I loved the way I could feel your heart pounding and the rhythm of our bodies together.

I adjusted myself to look up at you; our eyes locked and you got hold of my hands, twirling me. You led, and, for once, I followed. The song played on as we splashed in the puddle of rainwater beneath our window. We both burst into laughter at the absurdity of it all.

Like a child, my feet instinctively kicked up more rain. The drops of water ran down your abdomen and along the creases between your muscles. You twirled me once again until both of our naked bodies were dripping and frozen from the cleansing aqua on our hardwood floor. I felt your warm breath against my neck as you sang the final words of the song. “’Cause I love you, just the way you look tonight.” With these words you dipped me, and the drizzle whispered upon the window like muffled applause.

Some of them even pushed their faces up against the glass doors. Their eyes widened as they meticulously scanned inside. I wasn’t sure if I should run to the stock room and hide under a pile of women’s pleated trousers or muster up a small ounce of what seemed to be—fear in courage’s clothing—and prepare for battle.

“Ok everyone gather up,” my manager said as he grabbed a clipboard from the counter.

From the look of his haggard face and the soft black bags under his eyes, he looked as if he needed a pep talk more than us.

“So, I have Jackie T., Julie Ann, and Jackie D. in the front. Elaine, Amber, Vi, Susan, and myself at the cash wrap. Jose and Matt are in the back for stock, and Paula and Monica will be at the fitting rooms. Okay? Alright—Let’s do this.”

I took a deep breath. Thank God. It was my very first Midnight Madness, let alone Black Friday.

Even though I had been working in retail for over five months, I still felt unprepared. A friend of mine, who had been who had been working at Target for six years, compared the hardcore shoppers to ruthless beasts suffering from a famine, ready to pounce on any living thing they see. “I’ve seen parents yanking and dragging their crying toddlers just to get dibs on a flat screen.

Get out of their way or you’re dead,” she warned.

Compared to Target, my store was small. I didn’t have the advantage of space and running away like my friend had. I looked down and checked my watch. Two minutes ‘til midnight.

“You scared?” Monica asked.

“A little bit,” I replied.

She shook her head in disbelief and stared at the glass doors. The crowd got larger and larger.

“A little bit, huh?”

“Well, maybe a lot”, l laughed, “At least we’re not in the front. I would be terrified if I were them. They’re at the front lines of the battlefield. That has to be ten times scarier.”

Without turning her face towards me, she watched my manager slowly stick a key into the lock and open the doors.

“Haha. Girl, you got it all wrong. Fitting rooms are where all hell breaks loose.”

It all began in the CBA building, where number-crunchers turned bonemunchers. First, the afflicted’s eyes became green and an insatiable appetite took hold. They compulsively roamed trying to satisfy the hunger, even turning on one another in dire situations.

Panic spread as students rushed to their cars in the lots trying to escape.

All the ways out were clogged like Guy Fieri’s coronaries. The parking structures became even farther mazes of danger.

Some lucky few were able to seek safety in the Walter Pyramid, and hoped that they didn’t go the way of Tut. The horde then proceeded towards Brotman Hall, picking up more for their cause. The shit flowed up hill from Brotman before it really hit the fan. Poets and writers in the MHB committed it to paper, scribbling madly ironic verses and satirical prose, working tirelessly in the hopes that maybe someone would read their account after it was all over. The salivating suits tried to take the USU, but the Yu-Gi-Oh kids in the basement fought them off valiantly in a Helm’s deep effort.

They fought with pool cue and barstool, one even bowled a turkey. Sadly, they fell.

John and Jon declared martial law, or tried, and the ROTC mobilized anyway.

They were made to defend the science buildings, mostly the Microbiology and Hall of Science. Humanities students in the PH buildings fended for themselves in their ramshackle shelters.

The science majors secure in their stone structures tried to devise a cure.

Film majors brought out their cameras to document the event. The crunchermunchers overran the line and the students fled. The number of causalities steadily rose like tuition. Countless individuals were consumed under the sheer force of the green-eyed mob. Survivors found shelter in the Carl’s Jr. and Beach Hut. It worked out for everyone in the end.

The new incarnation of the administration filed for and received federal disaster relief funds. They rebuilt and bolstered the new CBA with them. All those lost students meant that the once overcrowded classes and parking lots were now empty.

A great new source of revenue for the administration came with more new parking permits and students to fight for the classes again. It was wonderful. After a while, it became business as usual again.

It was September 12th, and a check arrived in the mail with $2,000 and my name on it. Everything had happened pretty quickly—Great Aunt Cassandra died, the family met in a little room with a lawyer and a stack of papers, and everything she had was divvied up.

I’m not sure why she gave me anything, actually, except that she seemed to like me better than the other grandkids.

Maybe it was because I let her little, fat, smash-faced dog lick my shoes instead of tentatively and repeatedly pushing him off. Maybe it’s because I laughed when she said President Bush and my sister looked alike. Regardless, she had diligently sent me birthday cards every year with twenty bucks in them—and now she had sent me something of a deathday card with a whole lot more.

At first, I was responsible about spending my money. I took the GRE. I bought a pile of books for my thesis so I wouldn’t have to keep worrying about renewal dates and refraining from highlighting. I bought a filing cabinet and some labels. I bought wedding gifts and birthday gifts and silverware. And then, I branched out a little bit: the good laundry detergent with words like “ColorStay,” a non-disposable razor, venti Starbucks drinks, and enough TicTacs to last me a few months.

But, then: a round of drinks on me, a brand new jacket, stacks of healthfood granola bars, a full-sized Darth Vader costume, a bike, a new iPhone case made of real wood, a nice watch, and, suddenly, it was all gone. I hadn’t thought of saving for enough food to last me until the next payday, which was two Fridays away.

I’ve been surviving by going to friends’ apartments and offering to help cook as long as I can have some food. This weekend, though, they’ve all been out partying and I can’t even afford the $5 entrance fee. Instead, I’ve been at home surviving off of stale crackers and ketchup.

Last night I found the last box of orange TicTacs, looking small and lonely and holy buried under my absurd new jacket. Compared to the ketchup, each little piece was a sweet morsel of bursting citrus and satisfying crunch and almost feeling like I was getting some vitamin C. Last night was the first time I’d ever cried out of pure gratitude.

13

14

Entertainment

Blue is the Warmest Color Kevin Tran Union Staffer

“In general, it’s a three-hour love story, and it’s a collection of sex scenes, frizzled hair, close-ups, spaghetti, and snot.”

Sake Bomb Kevin Tran Union Staffer

“Like the actual sake bomb drink, the content of the film is a strange mix of Japanese and American influences which makes it hilarious.”

Please pretend this is a warm blue square

Blue is the Warmest Color is a movie that centers around a girl named Adele who goes through a relationship with a blue haired girl named Emma.

Adele's life is first met with confusion, later finding a spark in a girl. The story then chronicles their relationship, including their highlights and turmoils. Winner of the Palme d'Or, it's directed by Abdellatif Kechiche and is based off of a graphic novel by Julie Maroh. In general, it's a three hour love story, and it's a collection of sex scenes, frizzled hair, close-ups, spaghetti, and snot. If you have no idea what this means, then go watch the movie and you'll understand.

To get this out of the way, I'll appeal to the perverts first, then the average Joe Schmoes, and later the professional film goers, which basically means clones of my forever alone personality. I'll tell you right off the bat, there are five sex scenes that will merit the NC-17. There's one masturbation scene, a straight sex scene, and three lesbian sex scenes, including the infamous twelve minute sex scene. The lesbian sex scene is basically everything you'd see in a porno. It's professionally done, which surprisingly feels strange being that the main character is an amateur. So technically, it qualifies as amateur porn without the bad looking camera. My point is, the scene seems unrealistic due to the fact that she seems to know right off the bat what she's doing, including cunnilingus, 69ing, scissoring, and stuff I'll need to research in Urban Dictionary. I bet the MPAA evaluator/Soccer Mom had a field day writing down all of these

sex acts. If you think about it, the sex scene wasn't as weird as the chicken scene from another NC-17 movie, Killer Joe, or what I call the greatest KFC commercial of all time.

On a technical level, the movie is three hours, it's shot mostly in a handheld style, it's sparse on music, there is no conventional hero journey plot, and probably 90 percent of the movie is done in close up. Everything technically is made to be challenging for the normal average person, yet in my opinion, those three hours glided over me pretty well, despite everything that's going against the normality of a regular movie. This is probably attributed to the fact that I've seen so many movies that I'm unfazed by this movie. I'm such a film major that I was offset during one of the sex scenes because they crossed the 180 degree line. It's strange that I bet film majors will like this movie more than people in the LGBT community.

Despite my lengthy take on the sex scene in the movie, I didn't come in for that sex scene. Honestly, why would I pay 14 dollars for porn? When I did watch the sex scene, the first thought that came into my head was whether or not someone was going to leave the theater out of disgust.

Anyway, I digress: the real reason I came was that I wanted to see if this movie challenged me as a moviegoer, and it certainly did. Ironically, it did so by simply being a normal movie. The movie is not preachy, there are no gay stereotypes, and no instances of gay pride or anything too political. Instead, it treats these characters as normal everyday people who have jobs, who

go to school, and have relationships.

The movie is epic in its feel even though visually it's not. It's epic in that it depicts Adele's life from her trying to find her place and purpose to being in a relationship with another girl. Its emotional honesty is what really carries the movie. My favorite moment in the movie is when Adele is in a lesbian bar where she strikes up a conversation with Emma, and thus a relationship between the two is formed. There are no clichés in the conversations, and it feels so organic, it sounds ad-libbed.

All in all, despite what others might discuss about this movie, (and by discussing the movie, they mean the sex scene) it is a very good realistic romantic drama, and god knows it's rare to have a good one. I actually liked this movie for the very reason in that it's simply a love story that's organic, full of life, and full of rich in its humanistic qualities. It is definitely more than a three hour lesbian porno. In fact, I barely say the word "lesbian" in this review, and that goes to show you how good this movie is.

So I was sitting in my Japanese class when my teacher told us that we can see a special screening on campus of the movie SAKE-BOMB and get some extra credit. I looked at the poster she passed around and noticed that it had won a few awards at the South

by South West (SXSW) Film Festival.

I figured I didn’t have much to lose, so I decided to check it out and was pleasantly surprised by how funny the movie was in addition to the content of the film.

The movie was directed by Junya Sakino and written by Jeff Mizushima who are both CSULB alumni. The film follows a young man named Naoto who is about to take over running the sake factory in his small Japanese town. Before doing so, his boss gives him some time off to do something he has always wanted to do before he dedicates the rest of his life to making sweet, sweet crunk juice.

Naoto decides to travel to America to find his long lost love when he

visits his Asian-American cousin Sebastian. Sebastian is a very neurotic character who has his own struggles with finding his purpose in life. After arriving in America, Sebastian is forced to aid Naoto in his quest by taking him wherever he needs to go.

While the “looking for love” road trip movie has been done before, it has never been done in this style.

The writer tackled many perceptions and misconceptions about Asians, Asian-Americans, and pop-culture in general. Just think about it; how many Asian/Asian-American actors are out there that get leading roles in the Western media that aren’t related to kung-fu? The character Naoto is very naïve and is not used to the world filled with blogs, social networks, and drinking parties that most of us are. There is an immediate contrast between Sebastian and Naoto that got me thinking about my own time spent in Japan. There are many similarities

between Japanese and American culture like there are with any other cultures, but some of the differences really become clear throughout the story. Like the actual sake bomb drink, the content of the film is a strange mix of Japanese and American influences which makes it hilarious.

This film does a good job of dispelling the notion that Asians and Asian-Americans exist in some kind of mono-cultural bubble. It covers everything from Anime geeks to the prevalence of mixed-race couples. In the end, I think the main message of the movie is not to take everything so seriously and one can live a better life by accepting oneself and others as they are. Anybody wanting to learn more about Asian/AsianAmerican cultural issues or just wanting to watch a movie that pokes fun at stereotypes will enjoy sitting down and watching what life after graduating from our film school can look like. SAKE-BOMB is scheduled to be released on January 21st, 2014.

15

Food

Brace yourself because, once again, we cross into that cringe-worthy, possibly lethal time of the year which every college student dreads: final exam period. While it is extremely dire to cram every last inch of your brain with knowledge during this last stretch, it is also important and essential to keep it healthy! And keeping it healthy means rewarding yourself with some hot grub. But where can one possibly venture to in the wee hours of the night? Here are a few choices that we’ve selected for you.

Reviews by

Tastea (Garden Grove) Closes at 12AM Tastea. Is. LIFE. I have been an avid Tastea-enthusiast since 2010, and, thinking back on all of the hundreds of times I have made the trek to this holy land, I have not yet been disappointed. If you are in need of an energy boost but all the smoothie places have closed their doors for the night, give this tea house a whirl. They offer black, green, passion, and other iced teas and combine them with fruity extras like lychee, jackfruit, jellies, and so on. Of course, there’s always the traditional boba, but why not update your drink with their signature freshly-made honey boba? If tea’s just not your thing, they also have smoothies, freezes, and espresso drinks, as well as salty and sweet fries and spicy popcorn chicken.

Del Taco (Everywhere) Open 24 Hours I’ll probably get a lot of shit from any food snobs reading this, but Del Taco is the best place to go when you’re feeling like you’re going to pass out from hunger in the middle of the night. There are several locations in almost every city in the LA/OC counties, so obviously closing times are going to differ depending on where you are. But the good news for us (and bad news for Del Taco employees) is that many are open for 24 HOURS!!! You can purchase their half-pound bean and cheese burrito, their hot crinklecut fries, or grilled chicken tacos at any time you desire. Though pretty much everything on the menu is considered inexpensive, you may be dirt-cheap like me. Therefore, I advise you to order off the “Buck and Under” menu, which includes cheddar or bacon quesadillas, the Crunchtada tostada, and kickass strawberry lemonade. If this ain’t cutting it for you, try Taco Bell.

Albertaco’s Mexican Food (Cypress) Closes at 1:30AM I don’t always drive home from school at 11PM, but when I do, I go to Albertaco’s. Looks can be deceiving, but despite its dubious first impressions, its food is all that really counts. One bite, and you won’t care how or where that food came from. There are two items I often get: carne asada fries and the shrimp burrito. Both are a satisfying trip; the shrimp in the burritos are succulent, and the sauce is similar to tartar sauce. The carne asada fries consist of two servings of french fries littered with sour cream, guacamole, cheese, and carne asada. It’s so good that half of the Yelp page’s pictures consist of this dish alone. Prices for these meals range from around six to seven dollars, but beware, weary travelers, for they only accept cash or debit.

The restaurant closes at 1:30AM and it has a drive-thru. However, just because it’s car friendly doesn’t mean it’s car-eating friendly; do not eat burritos in the car (based on personal experience)!

The Donnuttery (Huntington Beach) Open 24 Hours If you ever have the late night munchies, go to The Donuttery!

It’s a little donut shop concealed in Huntington Beach on Beach Boulevard. This hidden gem is open 24/7! In addition to selling the best donuts ever, they offer sandwich and breakfast items if you’re in the mood for something savory. Popular choices include red velvet, blueberry, and strawberry donuts (my personal favorite!).

You’re a vegan? Guess what? They sell freaking delicious vegan donuts as well! The prices are great too, about 90 cents a donut depending what you get, and the wait is pretty decent ( just look out for the heaping amount of night owls). The people who work there always have a smile on their faces, and sometimes, they’ll even add a free donut to your order. When you stop by The Donuttery, you can’t just buy one donut; you’ll end up buying a dozen and eating the entire box by the end of the week. It’s THAT good.

Harbor House Cafe (Dana Point & Sunset Beach) Open 24 Hours If you’re ever driving down PCH in the middle of the night and craving a lot of food for a decent price, try Harbor House Cafe.

The restaurant itself is a sensory overload. The food looks, smells, and tastes delicious. So what is there

to order? Literally everything. No, I’m serious. They have breakfast, burgers, sandwiches, salads, soups, Mexican, Italian, quiche, stir-fry, steak, seafood, chicken, pie, cake, sundaes, malts, and shakes. At 3am, I steer toward their Belmont Omelette, which has spinach, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and cheese, with hash browns and pancakes on the side, all for around $10. Everything is impeccably made, which is especially astonishing considering they’re cooking at 3 in the morning!

Taqueria de Anda (Santa Ana) Open 24 Hours Santa Ana houses several taquerias, but only one stands among the wreckage of those who strive for taqueria success: good ol’ Taqueria de Anda. This place resides in a special place in my corazón because of its authentic flavors and ambiance. After a night of clubbing, the drunken youth of the night can order innumerable amounts of tacos with mouthwatering meats like their praised al pastor, slowly marinated with pineapple juice that flows like honey and glazed to pork-fection.

Follow your lavish meal with agua frescas such as Jamaica, horchata, or pineapple juice. I would also feel immense guilt if I did not mention the burritos. Even the flour tortillas are pristine and piled with your choice of one, two, or three meats and beans and rice for less than seven bucks! A trail of juicy elixir from the meat and tears of joy will stream down your face after every bite. It’s 3am and you have an unavoidable desire to eat; do yourself a favor and let Taqueria de Anda give your taste buds a warm tortilla-hug.

Union Staff Kevin Tran, Staffer Lily Dang, Contributor Karen Wells, Contributor

Odd Future Carnival Delon Villanueva Union Staffer “Do you mind if we get really ignorant for like, two minutes?” Tyler, The Creator asked the audience before he performed the aptly titled song, “Bitch Suck Dick,” from his debut studio album, Goblin. This remark alone suitably defines the overall tone of the Second Annual Camp Flog Gnaw/ OFWGKTA Carnival, which took place at the L.A. Coliseum on November 9th.

The event was opened to the public at 2pm (with VIP ticketholders coming in an hour earlier) and ended around 11:30pm. Considering there were ten performers, carnival rides and games, and a freshly built skate park, it was a busy festival, to say the least.

Although I missed the first main stage (which they called the “Camp Stage”) performance by Odd Future rapper Mike G, I made it in time to see The Internet, a funk band featuring Odd Future members Syd the Kyd and Matt Martians. The duo, which just released a new LP called Feel Good, is quite awesome live, and was a good way to get the audience settled in, as the

Best Punk Album of 2013 Michael Wood, Music Editor Run Fast The Julie Ruin −

2013 is a tough year to follow up in the world of punk rock. With albums from bands like Joyce Manor, The Orwells, and, probably the biggest bombshell of that year, FIDLAR all coming out last year, it’s tough to top the debuts and growing fan base of the myriad of new bands out there. But this year, an older voice with a newer sound seemed to do the trick. Kathleen Hanna, the feminist icon and voice for women in punk music burst back into the scene, seemingly out of nowhere, with a fresh sound that invigorated a

next performer was Odd Future rapper Earl Sweatshirt. There was a lot of anticipation for Earl’s set, given that his debut studio album and his first release in three years, Doris, was just released in August. From bringing Tyler on stage for Doris tracks “Sasquatch” and “Whoa” to playing songs from his self-titled mixtape, Earl delivered on multiple levels. Other performances on the Camp Stage included sets by Schoolboy Q, Flying Lotus, and Mac Miller.

I can’t forget about everything else going on during the festival. Aside from musical performances, the event mostly consisted of traditional carnival rides, food, and games. Though considering it was an Odd Future carnival, they obviously put their own spin on the carnival look. There was a big yellow Ferris wheel that had the Odd Future donut logo at its center, while the game stands were giving out Odd Futurethemed prizes. The tickets for the games even had the Odd Future cats on them. Then there was the skate park with the “Underground Stage” right inside of it. Hip-hop group MellowHigh and hardcore punk band Trash Talk played to smaller yet even more intense crowds, as there was hardly a distance between the stage and the skaters around them.

The last three hours of the carnival were devoted to the two big names of the event: Tyler, The Creator and Frank

genre whose most damning criticism is that it often ends up stale.

Her new band The Julie Ruin is more gutsy than any punk bad I’ve heard in recent memory, both musically and lyrically. While many bands out there in the punk scene seem to be content to write songs about how they’re drunken losers (I detect quite a bit of GG Allin influence there), The Julie Ruin is pissed off. They don’t want to take shit from trust fund brat gentrifiers or traditional gender roles, and it’s clear in their songs. Yet with all their anger, they maintain a distinctive sound that borders on dance music in some songs. The mix of dance and punk music is completely unexpected and gratifying; it breathes new life into a scene that, as I’ve said before is often subject to stagnation.

It is, without a doubt, the best punk album of this year.

Best Rock Song of 2013 Calvin Adams, Contributor “Mud In Your Eyes” Hunx And His Punx − It’s fairly daunting to be given the responsibility of selecting and defending the best rock song of 2013.

This choice came without council,

Ocean. Tyler began his set with the intro to his newest LP, Wolf, and then he immediately transitioned to performing his song, “Tron Cat.” The crowd became absolutely violent in a matter of seconds.

Tyler continued his set by going deep through his discography, from performing new songs from Wolf to even playing tracks from his debut mixtape, Bastard. Tyler was killing it, but he couldn’t just finish his set without a few surprises. So, he threw in a big one: near the end of the set, Yeezus himself, Kanye West, walked onto the stage performing “New Slaves,” and the crowd flipped. To make his appearance even more epic, Tyler got West to perform “Late” as a throwback to his second studio album, Late Registration. “I haven’t performed this in six years,” West said in the middle of the performance with a huge smile on his face.

In a total change of pace, Frank Ocean was the soothing final performer of the night. Ocean performed songs from his debut mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra. and his 2012 critically acclaimed debut studio album, Channel Orange. Most fan favorites and singles were performed, including “Super Rich Kids” (with Earl Sweatshirt joining Ocean on stage) and the ten-minute epic, “Pyramids.” It was a memorable end to an extremely satisfying music festival. If you were ever skeptical about what all the hype and love for Odd Future was about

voting, or guidelines. This song is quite simply my favorite rock song of the year. Does that make this song less legitimate or deserving of the title?

No it does not. A song is not “the best song” because a thousand people in the music industry with a hundred different biases vote on the song that was number one on Billboards top forty the longest. Those are just numbers that people try to use to rationalize Bruce Springsteen winning twenty Grammies. I am proud to offer one honest music lovers opinion over all that bullshit.

Hunx and his Punx is a little known punk band based out of LA with three albums: Gay Singles, Too Young to be in Love, and Street Punk which was released in 2013 and features my choice for best

(even I was not too long ago), the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival represents them at their best. As offensive and juvenile as their lyrics and humor can get, the atmosphere they bring onstage is surprisingly uplifting, even with their ironic persona. It’s clear that all these guys want to do is to bring the fun and goofiness back to hip-hop. Considering how rare it is to see Kanye West this happy in public, I’d say Odd Future got the job done.

Odd Future! Tyler the Creator! Yeaahhh!

Music

Best of 2013

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rock song of the year, “Mud in Your Eyes.” The song has the roots rock rhythms and teenage heartache of Roy Orbison, and the raw punk rock power of the Cramps. Shannon Shaw’s voice rumbles and roars over the lo-fi guitar riffs like a young Wanda Jackson. However, the really impressive thing about this song is its honesty and simplicity. Just one minute and fifty-six seconds to say, “You’re fucked up. I don’t care. I love you.”

Best Pop Song of 2013 Michael Wood, Music Editor “Closer” Tegan and Sara −

This year hasn’t been great for pop music. Any year where Macklemore can actually make a name for himself as a pop star doesn’t

exactly show high standards for the genre. But luckily, for the astute observer, there have been some great songs released this year that really embody the spirit of pop.

So, when you’ve looking for a somewhat innocent, catchy as all hell, bubblegum pop song, you’ve probably been lucky enough to hear “Closer” by Tegan and Sara.

You couldn’t turn on a radio station this summer without hearing this song, the 80s style synth pop was likely blaring through your speakers at some point during this summer, intentionally or not.

It feels like something that you would hear in a John Hughes movie, circa 1984. It definitely isn’t a groundbreaking song but pop music doesn’t necessarily have to be groundbreaking. It just has to be fun, a grandiose expression of a good time and “Closer,” with it’s nearly sickly sweet lyrics embodies that spirit perfectly. Everyone points towards “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk or “ Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke as the quintessential pop songs of this year, but this disco revival doesn’t exactly speak to me. A nice hefty dose of synth pop though did just the trick for pop radio this year.

Best Hip Hop Album of 2013 Roque Renteria, Entertainment Editor The Night’s Gambit Ka −

2013 was an extraordinary year for hip-hop. The radio airwaves were polluted with avant-garde musical attempts from both Kanye West and Jay-Z. Of which, Yeezus was the only album worthy of praise and will be my choice of best popular hip-hop album of 2013. However, fellow hiphop aficionados will agree that the best hip-hop album conceived this year was Ka’s The Night’s Gambit.

I’ve listened to Ka for a few

years now, and he never ceases to amaze me. In his latest attempt Ka unleashes a fury of underground grittiness with an unstoppable flow of East Coast traditionalism. Ka spits lyrics similar to a Ghostface Killa/ MF DOOM collaboration over Dilla/ RZA-esqe instrumentals complete with static-y B-Movie soundbites.

In other words, imagine if GZA’s Liquid Swords were produced by Stone Throw Records circa mid-00s; ladies and gentlemen, you’d have The Night’s Gambit.

The unifying theme in The Night’s Gambit is the experience of a Black male navigating through the labyrinthine maze of Brooklyn.

Similar to early Wu-Tang, but with a proclivity for 90’s Afrocentric consciousness, Ka drops clever and witty wordplay accompanied by noble and erudite street knowledge.

Although connections to comparable predecessors can be made, The Night’s Gambit is unique as opposed to pastiche. This auteurship can be attributed to Ka’s control over production and devotion to making albums for true hip-hop heads.

Tracks to check out: “My Father”, “Barring The Likeness,” and “Knighthood.”

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Culture

Union Weekly—Dec. 2, 2013

fb.com/ColesCompassionateCommunity

21 Acts of Kindness How I turned grief into giving Natalie Adame Contributor

Get involved: Email: http://tny.im/Gd

Instagram: @colescompassionatecommunity #21ActsofKindness

Sweater Weather Essentials How to fashionably fight the cold Stacey Nguyen Contributor

We all remember our first love, and Cole Allen Smith was mine. We dated for three years and even after we broke up a little over a year ago we remained best friends. But then all of a sudden, he was gone. At the age of twenty-one Cole died in a car accident on his way home from work, when he fell asleep at the wheel and was ejected from his car onto the freeway. I remember getting the call at 3am, and, since then, my outlook on life has changed.

A month after Cole’s passing, I sat in my car in the drive-thru of Taco Bell and cried my eyes out, wondering why Cole’s life had been taken so soon, and then it hit me.

If I couldn’t make myself happy at that moment, I would do something to make someone else happy, or do something to make me smile, just as Cole did for me. So I decided to pay for the food of the car behind me and told the worker at the window

to tell them “It’s from Cole.” From then I started a campaign called “#21ActsofKindness.” This campaign serves as a challenge to me, to Cole’s friends and family, and to those involved in Cole’s Compassionate Community (a non-profit organization his mom and I recently started) to perform twenty-one acts of kindness in honor of the twenty-one years Cole was on this earth. This is how I would keep his love, his light, his smile, and his legacy alive. What a beautiful snowball effect the #21ActsofKindness has had! From paying for someone’s Starbucks, leaving flowers on neighbors’ doorsteps, to donating blood, and even giant beach clean-ups all the way in Santa Barbara, which was Cole’s favorite place to surf. My favorite story is that of five-year-old Olivia, who wrote notes to the soldiers in Afghanistan and donated all of her Halloween candy to them.

Although it might be a while until

Lately the California weather has been extremely bipolar. For all of you fashionistas out there, this can be troubling when it comes to dressing up for school or a day out with friends.

With many new trends coming out, it’s nice to have at least a few staple pieces for your closet! Here are the five essential pieces of outerwear that I believe everyone needs. First, the denim jacket! You can layer it with a cardigan with a hoodie underneath if you want to. Applied details like distresses and pins can give the appearance of an edgier jacket. Second, the leather or vegan leather jacket!

This piece is very handy on rainy days!

Although it is less functional with the thicker texture, it can edge up the outfit entirely. I like to style mine with a plain tee and distressed boyfriend jeans.

Third, the grandma cardigan! Do you like thrift shopping? If you have never tried it, you should definitely check it out because you can find the most interesting and comfortable oversized cardigans and sweaters for very affordable prices. Fourth, the utility

jacket! I find myself wearing mine the most when it comes to school because I can utilize the multiple pockets for pens and other tools like my phone.

For the warmer days, I would wear it by itself. Now that it’s colder, I like to layer it with a hoodie and a beanie to give it a more laidback and comfy look.

Lastly is the Fur/Shearling Coat! Some people enjoy fur coats, but some find it to be too bulky. If that is the case, you can also get detachable fur and add that onto any outerwear of choice, making it more versatile. If you want to try out the look with minimal fur, there are jackets with the shearing collars or lapels. If you go to your local stores and check out their reused fashion, you won’t have to spend that much for any of these. I especially have been finding many pieces from Modtex and Buffalo Exchange.

More fashion tips www.trendyoutings.com www.youtube.com/trendyoutings

I see Cole again, I think of him every time I perform an act of kindness.

I have learned to never suppress a thoughtful act. Acts of kindness can be given to complete strangers or to those who are closest to you.

They don’t have to be big, because even the smallest gesture of love and kindness can turn someone’s day or even life around. I hope Cole’s story has inspired many to give selflessly to those in need, especially during the holidays when we are inundated with copious amounts of food, gifts, and love that are meant to be shared with others. Albert Einstein once said, “Only a life lived in the service of others is a life worth living.” Now go have a wonderful day and start on your acts of kindness!

Want to be more involved in Cole’s Compassionate Community and their #21ActsofKindness? Email us at colescompassionatecommunity92@ gmail.com

instagram.com/stuhhacyy

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Volume 73 Issue 15

Monday December 2, 2013

LBUNION.COM

Steven Spielberg Presents

DISCLAIMER: Steven Spielberg Here. Good googly moogly, that thang is juicy. Good googly moogly, that thang is juicy. Good googly moogly, that thang is juicy Good googly moogly, that thang is juicy. He got a bubble gum cap with a Gucci dat’s snappin’, with some rhino legs and a booty that’s flappin’, with some fire, oh head ‘cause you know we love cappin’. Got her toes done up with her fingernails matchin’. Send your googly mooglies 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 E.T.’s name, I pray. Submit song and slaws via email to grunion@lbunion.com.

Where are they Now? Terminal Man

Horse from War Horse War Horse was

Bob’s Burgers

The

Simpsons.

The E.T. Alien

Indiana Jones

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,

Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull.

INSIDE

1.

MOVIE REMINDS WORLD OF THE HORRIFYING IDEA THAT WILLEM DAFOE CAN HAVE SEX

MY CREEPY UNCLE MARRIES INDIANA JONES VHS FOR THE MONEY

2.

3.

4.

FAST AND THE FURIOUS FANS MOURN THE CRUEL IRONY OF PAUL WALKER’S DEATH PAUL WALKER FOUND DEAD DESPITE LACK OF SEARCH CORONER NOT SURE IF PAUL WALKER DEAD OR JUST GIVING ANOTHER “LIFELESS” PERFORMANCE PAUL WALKER IS REIN-CAR-NATED AS OPTIMUS PRIME IN NEW TRANSFORMERS