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Issue 80.13 Alejandro Ramos, Editor-in-Chief editorinchief@lbunion.com Bailey Mount, Managing Editor manager@lbunion.com Nathan Zankich, Web Manager web@lbunion.com Alexis Cruz, Social Media Manager Allison Meyer, Multimedia Manager Britney Weller, Multimedia Assistant Alfredo Bañuelos, Advertising Executive Aravind Karuppusamy, Ads Associate Christopher Orozco, Distribution Manager
ART & DESIGN Sam Orihuela, Art Director artdirector@lbunion.com John Mueller, Graphics Illustrator illustration@lbunion.com
EDITORIAL Matthew Gozzip, Athletics Editor athletics@lbunion.com Sylvana Uribe, Community Editor sylvanawriter@gmail.com Sheila J. Sadr, Copy Editor sheila@lbunion.com Amanda Dominguez-Chio, Culture Editor amanda@lbunion.com Peter R. Clark, Entertainment Editor entertainment@lbunion.com Mercedes Colomar, Grunion Editor grunion@lbunion.com Kaila-Marie Hardaway, Music Editor music@lbunion.com Elliott Gatica, Music Editor music@lbunion.com Jordan Daniels, Opinions Editor opinions@lbunion.com
STAFF MEMBERS Natalee Coloman, Karrie Comfort, Wardah Imran, Diana Martinez, Samantha Neou, Soun Oeng, R. Ray Robinson, Tara Thomas, Francisco Valladares
CONTRIBUTOR Britny Coker-Moen, Autumn Skinner
COVER DESIGN BY: Nathan Zankich
Hablamos con Ramos y Bailey Alex Ramos Editor-in-Chief
What up, young people! This week, like the previous week, was pretty relaxed and productive in the office. In a way, it was same old, same old. And I couldn’t be happier about that. We have a lot do deal with. We have to balance school and work. We have to keep up with friends and family. We have to make sure we’re centered physically and mentally so we can keep going. That’s a lot to handle! As a result, our lives are always in flux. One moment we could be doing well and the next we could be sent into a tailspin by a random event. That’s why I’m grateful that the past couple of weeks have been fairly steady. I took advantage of that to catch up with my own goal of getting fit. In the past couple of weeks I’ve managed to lose
Bailey Mount Managing Editor
3-4 pounds through diet and exercise - an accomplishment I’m very proud of. It’s tough keeping up with a strict routine, but it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while. As strange as it sounds, this one goal that is very personal is the root of my recent success. It’s like my journey for physical wellness helped with mental wellness. With the end of the semester approaching, I know I’m going to have to set my fitness journey aside to focus on my academic success. I just hope I don’t lose the positive demeanor that has come from it because it’s paid dividends both on a personal and a professional level. And really, I just want to be on point as a leader in these last couple of weeks. We’re almost done and I want us to finish out strong.
Hello, friends. I think I like this greeting better than the other one. It feels more personable and if there’s one thing I’m trying to be, it’s a person. I’m better than last week, I think. I’m trying to practice self-care and I guess that involves plants and sunlights and friends and well...talking to people. It’s super cool, guys! You ever tried slacklining? Well, I’ve taken it up. Long story short, I owe a friend of mine for some Zumba classes and this works out because when I laugh at his dance moves, he laughs at my inability to balance myself on a glorified car tether. If you’re ever walking past the USU at 5 on Mondays, come hang out. I’m getting used to this meeting new people thing. Look for the girl that sort of looks like the
above picture. On another note, fam. It’s almost the end of the semester? Which is super weird? I jump back and forth between crippling existential dread and not caring about anything at all? And all of my sentences have been ending with question marks lately. I honestly don’t have much to say this week. I’m still wandering around in that fog I mentioned about two weeks back, to be honest. The only difference now is that I don’t feel as hopeless. At least not tonight. Tonight is good. We drank too much coffee and then ate caffeine-boosted chocolate. I can see sound. Hopefully this feeling lasts. Peace, fam.
The campus holds a
Men’s volleyball wins
A student recounts selling
pbulic forum to discuss
conference tournament
her eggs to study abroad
see page 10
see page 14
immigration reform see page 6
FEATURE DESIGN BY: Sam Orihuela CONTACT US Snail Mail: 1212 Bellflower Blvd. Suite 116 Long Beach, CA 90815 Phone: 562.985.4867 E-mail: lbunion.info@gmail.com Classifieds: classifieds.lbunion@gmail.com
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4 COMMUNITY
Cheers to Good Health, Spirit and Brews Meet the small business keeping Long Beach fueled with locally made kombucha Words and Photos by Sylvana Uribe Community Editor
J
ay Penev and Jodine Penev West are the husband and wife team who have spent the past few years as pioneers in making kombucha a staple drink for folks in Long Beach. But what the heck is kombucha? Kombucha is a fermented, semi-sweet tea beverage. The drink starts as a combination of tea, sugar and a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (S.C.O.B.Y.), which then undergoes a fermentation process similar to beverages like beer or wine. The final product is one packed with antioxidants that is beneficial for digestive and immune systems. The alcohol content in kombucha varies based on the fermentation process conducted by its makers, but on average contains 0.4-0.5 percent of alcohol by volume. It’s impossible for a wild night of binging on the drink to get a consumer drunk, but such feats could result in an upset stomach or bloating. Jay and Jodine have often found themselves with hoarse voices from explaining over and over what the drink was to new faces. The two own Fine Feathers Kombucha Co., a business they currently operate from Central Long Beach. The company launched 5 years ago and will celebrate the 4-year anniversary of its brick and mortar shop this August. Jay and Jodine met in Portland, a city they credit for giving them their start in kombucha brewing and for teaching them about a more sustainable way of living. After relocating
to Long Beach, where Jodine was born and raised, the two continued making kombucha and sharing their home brews with friends. Soon after, they found themselves selling the drink and hopping on their bikes to make home deliveries to their growing base of customers. “This was all obviously underground,” Jodine said. “There wasn’t anyone else selling it in Long Beach. It was still a new market and it all just kind of aligned.” “Maybe we should have been more calculated with it and I think that was the beauty of it. When you really say [our growth] was organic, it was organic,” Jay said. Fine Feathers was picked up and sold in stores throughout the city, but keeping up with the demand was difficult to do out of the couple’s home kitchen. Despite a few stumbles, the two took the plunge and purchased their own facility. They poured their energy into repurposing a former flower shop and getting new batches out to the community. Fine Feathers’ commitment to the community it serves is evident in every facet of its operation, including on an environmentally conscious level. “We knew when we started that we were going to set up the business as sustainable as possible. We compost all of our organic wastes and donate S.C.O.B.Y.s to a women’s collective of makers,” Jodine said. “We want to feel better about having a
business and creating waste, because you do create waste, but we minimize it as much as we can,” Jay said. Additional sustainable practices include incentives for returning and reusing bottles, like its Growler Exchange Program where customers receive credit for every half gallon jug they purchase and return to the store. Fine Feathers is also set on staying local to reduce the carbon footprint that comes with shipping bottles outside of the city. Other ways of nurturing ties to Long Beach have been through gatherings, such as kombucha brewing workshops. Jay joked that in addition to learning about the foundations of making the drink and ways to flavor it, attendees can also expect a slew of dad jokes. Although the workshops have drawn out curious enthusiasts, there was still something missing. Attendees left the workshops with their own starter kit provided by Fine Feathers, but Jodine said she was often left wondering how their home brews had turned out. To remedy this, the two organize kombucha tasting and bottle share events where brewers bring samples of their brews and talk about their experiences in making the drink. “It stemmed from not wanting that relationship to end,” Jodine said. “Then I just thought this could be a cool way to introduce different flavors, but also for home brewers there’s a lot of questions and you can feel alone.”
With the notion of community building at the forefront, the couple agreed they couldn’t imagine having their business anywhere else. Long Beach needed and wanted kombucha, and seems to continue supporting the small business. “I always knew in the back of my head that the community will take care of us. If you take care of it, it will take care of you,” Jodine said. Fine Feathers’ appreciation for the loyalties and friendships found in Long Beach will permit it to remain grounded in bringing to life a product made locally with love for many moons to come.
Fine Feathers Kombucha Co. is located at 2296 Long Beach Boulevard Long Beach, Calif. 90806 Their store hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m Wednesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays, and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Tickets are currently available online for its May 7 Kombucha Brewing Workshop. More information about the company and its products are available online at finefeatherskombucha.com
Opening Doors to New Worlds CSU Fullerton could inspire similar programs at other universities
COMMUNITY
New immersive language studies at
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By Peter R. Clark Entertainment Editor Illustrations by John Mueller Graphics Illustrator
California State University, Fullerton is putting together the first strictly Vietnamese Studies major in the United States. Currently it is still in process of becoming a major, however students attending the university can enter into the minor, which contains a condensed version of what the major will become. The idea behind the major is to allow students who are interested in the Vietnamese culture, whether they are a part of it or have a general interest in it, to take a specialized class set as opposed to taking the more generalized Asian Studies. One goal of the program is to allow
people living in the Little Saigon area of Orange County to be able to give back to their community. The major course list includes the Vietnamese language, of which you are expected to be fluent by the time you finish, as well as history, anthropology and other culture related courses. It is an all-inclusive major that contains many classes suited for Vietnamese as a whole. In addition to that, students are encouraged to participate in a study abroad program to Vietnam. Currently, only a handful of classes are offered through the minor, mostly taught by professor Linh Nguyen. Nguyen is the
main person spearheading the project at the moment. One goal is to teach some of the upper division courses only in Vietnamese, providing a sense of immersion. Sarah Grant, an assistant professor of Cultural Anthropology, is another member of the team trying to bring this major to life. “Students are [going to] come out [of the program] with the language ability… and there are [also] going to have the historical background, the cultural background and the sociological background of what it means to be Vietnamese and Vietnamese American,” Grant said. Grant went on to say that you can take specific Vietnamese courses at the college
Don’t Mind the GAP
The Genocide Awareness Project will be on campus April 24 and 25. The project’s displays and demonstrators can potentially be triggering and make passerbys uncomfortable. The Womens and Gender Equity Center shared the following about what students should bear in mind.
WHY
Things to Know while the Genocide Awareness Project is on campus
WHO
The Genocide Awareness Project (GAP) is a national organization. It’s created and sponsored by the Center for Bio-ethical Reform (CBR).
WHAT
The Genocide Awareness Project sets up misleading displays on college campuses. They try to upset students rather than help. They make money by suing people. They lie about medical facts. They manipulate real genocide to serve their own agenda.
WHERE
In the quad, an area heavily frequented by students navigating through campus.
Courtesy of the Women’s and Gender Equity Center
WHEN
Every Spring.
already, whether it be language or history, however having dedicated major to it would provide a unique aspect to it. Grant said the specific nature of it can be applied to other languages and cultures. “Cal State Long Beach [could] have a Cambodian major, where kids are learning Khmer, where they’re studying Cambodian history… but I don’t know where you go for Cambodian studies classes [currently],” Grant said. Programs like these can be very beneficial to the communities they support. Using CSUF as an example, they can lead to a better understand of the vast amount of cultures the United States harbors.
Because they can. The First Amendment protects the right to free speech.
WHAT TO DO
Calm free speech or ignoring the protesters are two excellent options.
REMEMBER
These demonstrators are professionals! Campus displays are what they do for a living. They say and show things to get you angry. The will try to engage you. They will use graphic, large-scale imagery of medical procedures. They will try to tell you that terminating a pregnancy is the same thing as global genocide. They will do this on purpose.
PLEASE
Never touch the demonstrators or make direct threats. Do not engage with them no matter how much you’re feeling. You may be filmed. If you react, it can easily go viral and end up as the focus for right-wing media or in a potential lawsuit. This is the Genocide Awareness Project’s wet dream. Don’t fall for it.
SEEK ASSISTANCE Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers services such as short-term counseling services and referrals. Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Brotman Hall, 226 24-hour access to a counselor is available by calling (562) 985-4001.
6 NEWS
LGBTQIA+ Climate Committee Retains Influence in Member Nomination Diana Martinez/Union Weekly Panelists gathered to address fears and concerns over the immigration policies under the Trump administration.
Long Beach State Hosts Public Immigration Forum By Wardah Imran Intern Future Underrepresented Educated Leaders (FUEL), a student organization providing support for undocumented immigrants on campus, hosted a public forum to discuss immigration issues on Apr. 18 at the Anatol Center. Students, faculty and community members were invited to voice their questions and concerns surrounding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), travel bans
under the Trump administration and the implications of various immigration policies. The panel consisted of Congressman Alan Lowenthal of the 47th District, Attorney Ruben Martinez, CSULB DREAM Success Center Director Rafael Topete, Associate Dean and Executive Director for International Programs Terrence Graham, and FUEL Vice President Gaby Hernandez. Unmistakably, the theme of the night was the increased fears amongst immigrant communities. Hernandez, a former DACA recipient herself, said her renewal
application has been under review for six months. DACA was implemented by the Obama administration in 2012, allowing undocumented immigrant youth who came to the United States as children to work in the country legally. The program must be renewed every two years. “I’m graduating and I don’t know where I’m going to go after this because my DACA has expired,” she said. “I’ve done everything in my power to make sure that it gets expedited but it’s not happening. My life is on hold… I can’t see beyond May. There is a wall I can’t get through and it is completely
out of my control.” Hernandez also spoke of the constant anxiety that comes with being at risk of being sent to an entirely unfamiliar country at any moment. “My family is here,” she said. “I can’t just get up and go to a different country and start over. [Undocumented immigrants] live with the anxiety of getting up and not knowing if our family is going to be there, if we’re going to be pulled over and lose everything.” Panelists encouraged attendees to utilize available campus resources like the “Know Your Rights” workshops.
Life Imitates Art Guest speaker discusses how monsters influence our reality By Allison Meyer Multimedia Editor As a part of the “Artists in Their Own Words” lecture series, the Art Department hosted guest speaker Asa Simon Mittman at the Carpenter Center on Apr. 18. Mittman is a professor of Medieval and Ancient Art at California State University, Chico. He is also the author of multiple books on monsters of the Middle Ages, such as “Inconceivable Beasts: The Wonders of the East in the Beowulf Manuscript” and “Maps and Monsters in Medieval England.” He began his talk by validating the field of “monster studies.” He argued that monsters saturate cultures across the world and therefore need to be studied. “When we study the monsters of the
Allison Meyer/Union Weekly Mittman argued that monsters were used as tools of marginalization in history. past, we study our own demons as well,” said Mittman. Mittman differentiated monster studies from similar fields like cryptozoology —the study of animals whose existence is disputed — by stating that “monsters, of course, do not exist.” He added that to some extent monsters do exist, but “the binary of the real and the unreal” is problematic due to two implications: fiction is not as worthy of being studied as non-fiction and that monsters exist free from cultural context. Mittman then focused the lecture on putting medieval monsters within their cultural and historical context. He argued
that monsters have been used to reaffirm a standard of normality and marginalize specific groups of people. One example discussed 12th century depictions of Jews as monsters. Mittman stated that these depictions have impacted culture and the “aftershocks” are still present today in anti-Semitic sentiment. The floor was then opened up for a Q and A with the audience. After the event, the general consensus was that Mittman’s lecture was worth listening to. “It was pretty good,” said Angelina Ngh, a graphic design major. “In general, everyone thought it was exciting.”
By Bailey Mount Managing Editor The Academic Senate voted in its Apr. 20 meeting to permanently reinstate and revise a consultation clause that would give members of the Campus LGBTQIA+ Climate Committee (CLGBTQIA+CC) the authority to discuss potential members with the Nominating Council. The decision came as a relief to CLGBTQIA+CC members after a year and a half of deliberation over the clause. As it originally stood, the clause required the Nominating Committee to consult with the CLGBTQIA+CC chair or a designee when choosing council applicants for the next year. The Nominating Committee would then make the final decision on the applicant. They could choose to completely disregard the consultation. Taking away the clause would then potentially open up the committee to people who did not support their beliefs. In an email to members before the Apr. 20 meeting, chair Sherry Span called the clause “essential to ensure both diversity as well as protection from someone whose goals may run counter to the committee’s mission.” In a Mar. 16 meeting, the original clause was removed and revised to omit the consultation requirement at the suggestion of Nominating Committee senator Ruth Piker. On Mar. 23, the clause was reinstated. Many were unsure of the Nominating Committee’s reasons for removing it in the first place. “I want to be focused on actual change on this campus,” said CLGBTQIA+CC member Benjamin LeMaster at the Mar. 16 meeting. He was referring to the longterm goals of the committee and the LGBT Resource Center on campus that had been put on hold since deliberations began on the clause. On Apr. 6, the clause was removed again. Two weeks later, Span urged attendance of the Apr. 20 meeting in solidarity. When the vote was announced, CLGBTQIA+CC members applauded, shouted and left the meeting to celebrate outside. Span embraced many of them and thanked them for their support. Though intentions on the initial decisions to remove the clause remain unclear, the committee is now free to address issues it has previously halted for the past year and a half. Jess Kung contributed to this article.
7 FEATURE
#MarchforScience
By Soun Oeng Staff Writer
Chestina Craig (top), Cameron Marsh (middle), and Ray Oviedo (bottom) photographed by Soun Oeng.
2017 spawned hundreds of marches globally, all ubiquitous over social media. Since President Trump was elected, it’s been a year of concern and uncertainty. With recent headlines detailing Trump’s criticism of climate change and his decision to cut funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA,) the current administration has stirred up tension within the science communities and general public. His opposition forced scientists like David Badre, a Professor of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences from Brown University, to speak up and tweet that “science didn’t decide to take a side in politics. Politicians started siding against science.” Furthermore, citizens of various backgrounds and an appreciation for science had something to say about the Trump administration’s allegations and responded with a worldwide March for Science. The March for Science is a movement that advocates science’s crucial role in all aspects of human life: health, safety, environment, economics and government. Its mission is to promote
scientific achievements and to celebrate science in its ability to continually contribute to the evolution of a prosperous human race. Their goal is to communicate that scientific evidence is real and to encourage political leaders and policymakers to enact policies to help the public interest. The official March for Science website brings attention the argument against the Trump administration’s devaluation of evidence-based policy, stating that “in the face of an alarming trend toward discrediting scientific consensus and restricting scientific discovery, we might ask instead: can we afford not to speak out in its defense? ” The Twitter hashtag #MarchforScience has generated a call for action among thousands to stand up and defend the importance of sciencebased decision making within their communities. To shed light on the importance of science, I wanted to interview STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) students at Long Beach State to provide hope that science will continue to thrive.
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Cameron Marsh is a third-year majoring in electrical engineering and aspiring to work in the aerospace industry, where he’ll be designing sensors. His goal is to work for Boeing, but he’s open to other options. Recently, Cameron was inducted into the electrical engineering honor society, Eta Kappa Nu (HKN). He cited his time in high school as the reason behind his decision to pursue a career in science. “I had a teacher who worked on particle colliders before she taught high school science and she inspired me to become an engineer,” he said. Cameron has also always been surrounded by science and laughed gleefully when he recalled being born during the “Jurassic Park” era, giving him an initial interest in paleontology. Despite this interest, he realized later on that electrical engineering fascinated him more. When asked why people should care about science, he wholeheartedly responded “because it works.” Cameron predicted that his field won’t be affected by the financial cuts within EPA but that it will ultimately impact electrical engineers, “because they build large energy grids and whatever they’re burning, if it’s coal or natural gas, with the reduction of regulations, engineers will
have to confront the backlash.” He added that “the only country where there’s a large section denying science is America, ironically,” reflecting back on an interview he saw that featured Bill Nye talking about climate change. He expressed belief that Trump understood what is at stake, but that his decisions were from a business standpoint that doesn’t entirely favor the science community. Chestina Craig is a graduating fourthyear majoring in marine biology. She hopes to continue working within her field where she can study the ocean every day - although it is shark research that is her true passion. “I love elasmobranchs” she gushed, describing a subclass of fish to which the shark is a member. Chestina has always been someone who asked questions. When she was little she would catch bees in her yard and release them, but kept tally counts on how many bees she caught. “I didn’t realize I was doing science back then, but I really enjoyed it,” she said. Now, she has an impressive resume. She assisted graduate students with their research projects, helped tracked a turtle, worked in the campus Shark Lab and worked in the husbandry division at the
Aquarium of the Pacific where she cared and cleaned animal exhibits. The best part of her experiences was when she worked with sharks, “You realize they have individual personalities and are the funniest animals,” she said. Chestina also had the opportunity to conduct research at a reproductive lab, where she studied kelp bass testes “to categorize when they were spawning during spawn season.” She also lived on Catalina Island for 3 months designing and executing research about the joint forging in sheephead and other local coral reef fishes. When asked why science needs to be appreciated, she stated that the world would not be where it is today without science. She argued that evidence-based thinking is an important skill to have and if not for science, we wouldn’t have medical advances or know how to preserve our resources. “Science is such an interdisciplinary asset that influences so many parts of our lives,” she said. Regarding the cuts in EPA, Chestina feels that her field is going to change, but hopes that it won’t be impacted too much. Although, she expressed that government funding is very important to scientific
“Engineering is the reason why we’ve come so far in technology today.”
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“Science is such an interdisciplinary asset that influences so many parts of our lives.”
research, she recognizes that there are private sectors with private funding. She nonetheless added: “If you looked at our resources before the EPA was reinstated, things weren’t in the best shape. People like to think we’re moving back with science, but were not. I hope that as a scientific community that we don’t take two steps back.” She explains that climate changes occur throughout huge time spans, and with all of the oil in the ground that has built up millions of years worth of decomposing carbon natural organism, she states that its’ supply will be obsolete. “We’re literally gonna burn through it in 100 to 200 years. We’re gonna run out sooner than it took to develop in our ecosystem,” she said. But a main problem that can be fixed today, she suggested, is scientific illiteracy. She emphasized it as a real problem, expressing frustration when people willingly disagreed with evidencebased proof through empirical research. Ray Oviedo, a senior with a double major in biomedical and electrical engineering, had a similar view, saying that the STEM field could be traced back through history. “Engineering is the reason why we’ve
come so far in technology today. It started with civil engineering in which humans built architecture and societies, but also irrigation, which allowed societies to settle near water and have a constant water source,” he said. Growing up, Ray had an affinity for math and science, stating that they were the subjects where he felt most comfortable. He laughed at the stereotype of engineers as socially awkward and respectfully disagreed. “That’s only 10 percent true,” he said. “We’re just like everyone else, even physically active”. Ray intends to pursue a career in the Navy as an electrical engineer or as a doctor. His influence to serve comes from his father, a recently retired navy veteran, and his involvement in his high school ROTC program. Ray is currently working on a design project for fractals in engineering. He is creating a chua circuit - an electrical circuit that simulates chaotic behavior. The purpose of his design is to encrypt information, strengthening counterterrorism and security. He explained that the EPA cuts wouldn’t affect his field entirely, but would cause some damage in science research as it sets a precedent for other
cuts to happen on arbitrary reason. Ray called president Trump’s position against science “dangerous,” because any cut in science is a bad thing. He added that “it’s difficult to get definitive data in climate science, which just necessitates why we need to be able to collect more data to establish a concrete answer. By cutting funds for science, it allows a mentality that suggest it is okay to stop funding science programs, when it’s clearly not.” In defiance of the Trump administration’s efforts to hinder the growth of environmental protection programs, the March for Science is a movement that reclaims the scientific identity. With their growing numbers and those who acknowledge their significance in human prosperity, scientists and their advocates can try to change the minds of individuals who willingly neglect scientific evidence-based decision making. Science needs a voice just as much as the Earth needs its people to stop climate change.
10 ATHLETICS
Trophy Season
Men’s volleyball captures first conference title, eyes national championship By Francisco Valladares Staff Writer
set them up for the rest of the set. It was a complete annihilation for LBSU in the fourth set, a 25-13 cakewalk. Sensing the championship slipping from their fingertips, Hawaii turned it on in the fourth and
“The home environment was great. There was awesome support all around us.” LONG BEACH STATE ATHLETICS The Beach captured their first Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title in school history and were fortunate enough to celebrate at the Walter Pyramid. The top-ranked Long Beach State men’s volleyball team (27-3) claimed their first ever Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship last weekend, defeating UC Irvine (20-17) and Hawaii (26-5) on their way to making history. The Beach began their road to glory against UC Irvine, sweeping the Anteaters in straight sets. The match started off with some good plays from the usual sophomore suspects TJ Defalco and Kyle Ensing. The front line hitters got off to a hot start and finished the match with 10 kills each.
Ultimately, defense was the deciding factor in the first set as Amir Lugo-Rodriguez recorded three of his eight blocks, keeping the UC Irvine offense cautious with his presence. Following the impressive opening set by LBSU, UCI returned with a fury in the second as they kept LBSU on their toes with some aggressive play on offense. The Anteaters struck first in the set taking a confident 5-3 lead, but LBSU’s defense continued to impress and kept the game close. LBSU put their bodies on the line, making saves in acrobatic fashion, allowing them to create points down the stretch. The consistent play from The Beach became a difficult challenge to match as UCI committed eight of their 22 errors in the second set. “We got them out of system a little more than they got us,” said Head Coach Alan Knipe. “But when we thought we were running away with it, they still found ways to keep it close.” The third set was highlighted by LBSU’s offense, as they did not give up their lead once they went up 10-9. Huge kills by DeFalco, Ensing, and senior outside hitter Andrew Whitt ultimately kept the team rolling, but a big kill from senior middle blocker Bryce Yould ended the match and sent LBSU through to the final. “I thought the environment was great,” said Ensing. “Playing in our home gym, that’s what we wanted and we have awesome support all around us [at Walter Pyramid].” The home court advantage was much more apparent in the championship game. Fans arrived in droves to support the 49ers as they took on Hawaii in the MPSF final. With the championship on the line, LBSU started off with a hiccup dropping the first set, 25-17.
The home team didn’t click early on, as they weren’t able to muster momentum after an Ensing service error put them back 8-6. A solid effort by Hawaii kept the offensive gems, Ensing and DeFalco, quiet for the most part. The duo only mustered up four kills total in the first set. The tone for the rest of the match was dictated by the Beach in the second set. LBSU put together a solid offensive display and won easily, 25-20. DeFalco reminded the Hawaii defense of his offensive prowess, scoring five of his eventual 12 kills in the second set. His overall display cemented his status as MVP of the All-MPSF Tournament team. The Beach further asserted their dominance in the third set, jumping out to an early 5-0 lead that
final set. The Warriors showed they were ready to go toe-to-toe with the eventual champions, forcing 17 ties and holding only three lead changes throughout the set. Ensing, determined to make up for his early miscues, came alive in the final set with seven kills, stabilizing the offense through challenging periods. The set stayed close throughout, but sophomore setter Josh Tuaniga’s third ace of the night ended the match and the fans got what they wanted: an LBSU championship at Walter Pyramid. “We’re incredibly proud of our guys and happy for them,” said Knipe. “We wanted to host and we also wanted to win the MPSF championship. To be able to reset and execute was in our control. It’s what we do best. We do our best as a team.” Jackie Gonzalez contributed with this article. At the time of publication, LBSU’s seeding in the NCAA tournament was not yet announced.
LONG BEACH STATE ATHLETICS Andrew Whitt (left) finishes off a big spike against University of California, Irvine. TJ DeFalco (11), Josh Tuaniga (10) and Amir Lugo-Rodriguez (top) celebrate a point in the Apr. 15 championship game.
ATHLETICS
Defense of the Misfits
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LBSU’s unheralded DOTA team reaches collegiate league finals
CStarLeague/Twitch
By Matthew Gozzip Athletics Editor After hundreds of matches and countless rage quits, the final stage of the Defense of the Ancients (DOTA) tournament organized by the Collegiate Star League is set. University of California Davis’ undefeated squad and the best team in the east, the University of Connecticut, join the returning champions from the University of British Columbia for one of the most talented groups in…. Oh wait, there is one more team? Long Beach State University? The defenders from The Beach round out the final four as a wildcard entry turned topranked juggernaut out west. For most of the season, peers and pundits overlooked LBSU, dismissing them as a lucky upstart with a favorable schedule. Then they kept winning, dominating against the most talented schools in the country. The gold and black currently carry a 13-1 record to the CSL semifinals in Toronto, their only blemish coming against their rivals from UCD.Despite their impressive performances in every round, how LBSU rose to the upper echelon of DOTA greats is still very much a mystery. Quan “QUAN” Nguyen, the captain of the team, hasn’t scheduled a practice all season. “The team doesn’t have any organization really”, said Nguyen, chuckling at the ridiculousness of the statement. “I don’t know if this is surprising but we haven’t played an official scrimmage the whole season. We could be a much scarier team if we sat down and practiced together.”
And that leads us to the biggest question surrounding LBSU; how good can they really get? After falling behind to Georgia Tech in the quarterfinals, Nguyen and company took control for the rest of the match. Isaac “Corgi-Wan Kenobi” Ruiz and Ha Duy “Mikasa” Tien played lanes with unparalleled intelligence and patience. Son “Pon” Truong and Minh “NguoiCoTuoi” Le (vietnamese for “Oldman”) countered through smart drafting
The winning team composition in the final game against Georgia Tech. Long Beach State trailed but swept the last two games to get the victory. and small adjustments that are rarely seen in collegiate leagues. “Funnily enough the loss, in game 1 pumped us to come back,” said Nguyen. “We knew we are the better team drafting was a major thing what allowed us to win but we are naturally strong regardless of drafting.” A natural chemistry has grown between the team, a terrifying development for an already talented bunch of individuals. Practice and
CStarLeague/Twitch The Beach team surges through enemy ranks at the end of the match to clinch a spot in the tournament’s final stage.
forced cohesion only can go so far when the technical acumen doesn’t follow. LBSU creates ambiguous and creative lineups that allow each player’s individual skill to shine through, a unique flexibility that many teams don’t possess. What makes LBSU an even more compelling team are the members of the squad themselves. The team is comprised of mostly international students. Truong, Le and Tien are from Vietnam while Nguyen holds citizenship in the Czech Republic. Foreign citizenships are tricky to navigate and travel problems have arisen, specifically for Le who cannot join the team in Toronto due to a visa expiration. “We are sad [Minh] can’t go with us,” said Nguyen. “He has been playing with us the whole season and filled a big role for us. Kenneth (aka kendawgsaurus) Haight replaces Le in the lineup and is ready to step in and help us win it all.” Despite the constant disrespect from the community, inability to practice due to unique academic standards and unfortunate personnel changes, LBSU still believes that taking the championship is not a matter of probability; it’s a matter of when it will happen. Skill is a mutual language and glory is earned, now all the black and gold misfits from The Beach have to do is do what they all know best: win against any odds. LBSU battles UCONN live in Toronto on May 12th. The match will be streamed on the Cstarleague Twitch account. The finals are held on May 14. Winner takes home $50,000.
12 MUSIC
Photos courtesy of Fueled by Ramen
A Comeback Despite “Hard Times” A single showing the evolution of a genre-bending band
By Kaila-Marie Hardaway Music Editor
Festival Season = Friends Season A look at how diversity within music connects us all
When Paramore originally formed in 2004 they were a rock band. However, with the release of their self-titled album “Paramore” (2013), the band quickly began leaning towards a pop sound, resulting in criticism from many dedicated fans. On April 19, Paramore released the lead single off of their upcoming album, “After Laughter,” which has resulted in mixed feelings from fans and critics alike. The single, “Hard Times,” takes after the newer, poppier singles released by the band. Featuring a funky ‘80s beat, the song contains a very catchy vibe that will linger in your head all day. Although the song is reminiscent of an older style of music, it still feels modern and fresh by featuring synths, a tropical-sounding
marimba and a melodious chorus. The lyrics themselves are very simple, however, they contain a very relatable message describing the futile feeling of picking yourself up when experiencing hard times. However, hard times are necessary for deeper appreciation of good experiences. The release of the single came accompanied by a music video, which features a vintage style that perfectly matches the theme of the track. The video features bright, pop-art styled imagery which enhances the single’s playfulness and timelessness. However, despite the video’s colorfulness, it also features a great number of storm clouds lingering over the members of the band, advancing the overarching
theme of experiencing misfortune. Overall, “Hard Times” pulls Paramore further into the pop spectrum unlike ever before. They’ve expanded their sound and have come out of the other side with what feels like one of the best singles of their career. While this unique approach will impress critics, it has the potential to further divide their core fanbase who are fond of their previous rock sound. However, Paramore still deserves an immense amount of praise for the creation of this catchy single that is sure to be the hit of the summer. Paramore’s fifth full-length album “After Laughter” will be released on May 12. The album may be pre-ordered on the band’s website in CD and digital download form.
The most recent video of their “That’s Live!” performance of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” has more than seven million views in just two months. Without a doubt, the best part of the video is seeing the wide diversity among the musicians that share one common interest: playing some of the greatest hits in rock music. In light of all the chaos the world is constantly throwing at us, it is important to connect with others in specific ways such as this. Music is powerful, it holds the potential to make a million
people feel as if a song was written just for them. This can be during a vulnerable time, such as a breakup song, when someone needs an empowering song to get through the day. So, next festival, take a look around at all the folks in the crowd. Remember they are there for the same reasons, despite their religious beliefs, background, race, gender or social status. Make new friends with the people nearby and don’t let those differences stand in the way. Music is so diverse. It’s genderless, raceless, ageless.
By Natalee Coloman Staff Writer
April is the beginning of the best time of the year for music lovers -- the start of festival season. No matter the type of music you prefer, there will be a festival filled with some of the best headlining and up and coming artists within that genre. While the festival music varies through the genre spectrum, so does the diversity within the festival attendees. The most beautiful aspect of the music world is the diversity among the artists and fans that it carries. For example, two years ago, a group of 1,000 musicians in Italy formed a group dedicated to playing classic rock songs in synchronization. Due to the uniqueness of the group and the talent of all the musicians playing together, Rockin’ 1000 became a hit through social media.
“The most beautiful aspect of the music world is the diversity within the artists and fans that it carries.”
“Circle” depicts human nature accurately
ENTERTAINMENT
Fifty Enter, Only One Leaves
13
By Peter R. Clark Entertainment Editor An assortment of 50 people, young and old, are in a circle in a dark room, only one can leave after the other 49 die. Who gets to leave? A little girl, a selfish man, a pregnant woman, a soldier, an old man, a cop or someone else? “Circle” is an independent mystery science fiction film from 2015 that went under the radar. Not be confused with the Emma Watson film “The Circle,” in theaters now, “Circle” tells the story of 50 people waking up in a room, arranged in, you guessed it, a circle. They can’t move, and as time goes on, people start dying. Shortly after the first few die; they find out that they can vote who dies next. No matter what they try, someone will die, whether it be by vote or at random if no one votes. It becomes quite clear that only one person may leave, and the others must die. The dialog that comes up throughout the movie offers an excellent insight into the human psyche. Reminiscent of “Cube” (1997), another independent mystery science fiction film involving mortal choices, the dialog really makes you think. The interactions between the seemingly random assortment of people are all believable, as they reflect human nature. They play with all types of people, from those who are out for themselves, to those who would willingly sacrifice themselves for the greater and everything in between.
imdb.com “Circle” isn’t all that long and has no recognizable actors in it. Despite that, the acting is fairly good and believable throughout. What really shines in this movie is the cinematography, and the writing. It is for these reasons that someone who is a fan of the mystery genre should watch this movie. The biggest complaint with the movie is the ending. And it’s not the part where we find out who gets to leave. That’s the best part of the movie. No, it’s after that. The reveal of what or who is behind the circle. It is a bit of a
letdown. And unfortunately, because of that reveal the movie isn’t as good as it could have been. The reveal is just too boring, uninspired and overall not worth the time you invested into the movie. The movie could have just as easily ended right after the final person leaves and the movie would have been a lot better. Not knowing who is behind the experiment offers a greater sense of mystery and would have made the film excellent. Overall, “Circle” is a decent film with great writing, and excellent story development, but
falters at providing a good sense of closure. You can watch it now on Netflix.
“Circle” Length: 1 hr 27 min Directed By: Aaron Hann, Mario Miscione Written By: Aaron Hann, Mario Miscione Starring: Allegra Masters, Aimee McKay, Ashley Key, Autumn Federicie, Bill Lewis, Brent Stiefel, Cameron Cruz, Carter Jenkins, Cesar Garcia, Coley Speaks, Daniel Lench, Daniel Yelsky, David Reivers, David Saucedo
Timeless Travel A good show with an uncertain future By Bailey Mount Managing Editor NBC’s “Timeless” may remain a thing of the past. Co-created by Shawn Ryan and Eric Kripke, the series follows time travellers Lucy, Wyatt and Rufus as they try to preserve American history from a man set on rewriting it. The premise seems a bit of a cliche. Time travelling stories centered around keeping history intact aren’t exactly a new premise—BBC’s time travelling sensation “Doctor Who” is over 50 years old. What gives “Timeless” its appeal is its humanity. Lucy is a historian, Wyatt’s a soldier, and Rufus is the only one capable of piloting their time ship. At first glance, they seem one-dimensional, but as the series progresses, each character’s motivation for time travel is revealed as both altruistic and selfish - Lucy wants to write her sister back into their timeline and Wyatt wants to undo his wife’s death. This coupled with the “famous person
of the week” trope keeps “Timeless” relevant and even a bit of a history lesson for viewers. Despite this, it’s unclear yet if the series will be renewed for a second season. Though “Timeless” has amassed a small, fervent fan base, the Nielsen ratings for the series experienced a continuous decline as it progressed. The season finale garnered only 3.37 million viewers. The pilot got 7.66 million. The show also tends to be largely inconsistent in its delivery. A few episodes are brilliant across the board “The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln,” “Space Race” and “The Last Ride of Bonnie and Clyde” come to mind—but the series ultimately fails to find a strong footing. Entire episodes can be forgotten. Additionally, “Timeless” often misses the mark in a cultural context. Its main characters are a white man (Wyatt), a white woman (Lucy), and a black man (Rufus). The latter two often run into situations of sexism and racism that their companion sails through without difficulties. Despite this, what can be used as
a learning lesson in gender and race relations is often glossed over save for a few empowering moments that seem more pertinent to that moment than to the series as a whole. On his Twitter, Kripke called the series a “bubble show,” stating that it may or may not come back and that it was the live viewer ratings that truly determined its return rather than the DVR or critic ratings. With no decision made as of yet, “Timeless” has an uncertain future. The series may have a solid grassroots foundation in its viewership, but it might
imdb.com not be enough to convince NBC to give our three heroes another adventure.
14 OPINIONS
I Sold My Eggs to Study Abroad The story of an egg donor
Jordan Daniels/ Opinions Editor
As I was leaving the campus library the other day, I found myself face to face with an ad for wanted egg donors. Donating eggs is a choice to be made by any woman; no one should tell someone what to do or not to do with their body. I’m here to tell you my story, not convince you to do or not to do something. Many young women looking for funds often find themselves toying with the idea of temporarily sacrificing their body for a payoff that estimates in the thousands. Many of these women, myself included, jump into a contract with excitement and fail to do research or consider the implications of such an operation. While I can’t necessarily say I regret donating my eggs, I can’t say I’m glad I did it, either. It was an adventure, to say the least. I can also say that I was so blinded by the idea of paying my bills and travelling with ease, that even if I had done extensive research, I may have gone through with it anyway. My story starts four years ago. I joked with a co-worker about donating eggs, but didn’t give
By Britny Coker-Moen Contributor
it serious thought until late 2015 when I saw an ad on Facebook and remembered my brief flirtation with the idea years before. I took a 10-minute survey to determine my eligibility. After approval, I was excited and unwilling to admit that there were real potential dangers. I just wanted those dolla’ dolla’ bills… seven thousand of them. Leading up to my first donation in February 2016, I stuck a needle full of hormones into my abdomen, just below my belly button, twice a day for twelve days. My coffee table was littered with needles, alcohol swabs and vials of medication to be injected. To an outsider I may have looked like a drug addict or a diabetic. Many women experience reactions to the hormones such as irritability, fatigue, constipation and severe bloating, just to name a few. While I was lucky enough not to become an emotional nightmare, I did become very bloated and constipated. As the day of the operation neared, every horror story of complications and unexpected
death from anesthesia flashed through my mind, but it was too late now. If I backed out at this point, I would have to reimburse them for all their trouble, which is estimated to be anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000. So onto the operating table I went. The procedure itself was simple: a big, hollow needle punctures through the back wall of the vagina and into the ovaries and sucks the swollen eggs out like a vacuum. After the operation, I could barely stay awake and my uterus felt like it was trying to claw its way out of my body. I shuddered at the spots of blood I left behind on the bed. I didn’t expect this much pain or my incessant tiredness. In the week that followed, my bloating increased dramatically and I couldn’t stand upright without severe pain. The clinic wouldn’t answer my phone calls and I wasn’t able to schedule a check-up appointment. My bloating went down over a period of two long, slow, worrisome weeks. Almost a year passed before they wanted
me to donate again. I had decided I didn’t want to and was in the process of figuring out how to turn them down when I also decided I wanted to study abroad during the 2017 Winter session. Since financial aid isn’t available for winter, and I didn’t get any scholarships, I bit the bullet and donated again. Luckily, this second donation went smoothly. They prescribed me Tylenol 3 with Codeine, which made my recovery much less painful. One month after surgery I got on a plane to Nepal and volunteered with Conscious Impact building homes and schools for the village of Takure, which suffered greatly during a major earthquake in 2015. In the end, the invasion of my uterus was worth it, but I wouldn’t do it again, and I strongly recommend doing extensive research before considering donating your eggs. Reading this might have been fun, but the experience wasn’t.
The countdown to Trump’s First 100 Days 100/100 is not a grade President Trump’s 100th day in office is April 29, 2017, if you can believe it. But I don’t want to talk about politics or his Twitter rants, no. I am more interested in how people are dealing with Trump in their personal day to day lives. For example, the November 8th election was a big event at bars throughout the country. People were swigging beer and staring excitedly (or hopelessly) at the TV like it was the Super Bowl. So I asked a good friend how she spent that memorable night: a Trump supporters’ wet dream, the progressive liberal’s nightmare. I also asked how she’s been coping with all the commotion like the Muslim Ban and the rise in hate crimes. Britny Cocker-Moen is a 26-year-old liberal and environmental science major and public relations minor going to California State University, Long Beach (CSULB). She had a particularly memorable time on election night. She and her blue hair were
at a ritzy republican campaign party for a local politician her boyfriend was working for. Blue in a sea of red, needless to say she was out of place, but coping with a glass of champagne between two fingers. “I remember hearing this hardcore closeted gay republican shout, ‘fascism is the way to go!’” Britny said. She doesn’t remember much after that, just tequila shooters with a mixed crowd and waking up at 3 a.m. She’s acquired the triple-threat: more drinking, smoking and using social media since Trump “won.” She’s also been venting more and alienating her family members like her apolitical mother. This time around, however, her sister alerted Britny their mom voted for Trump. One evening after the election when the family was over, Britny’s mother said to her grandpa, “don’t talk to the girls about Trump, dad. They don’t like him.” “No mom, I don’t like green beans,
By Autumn Skinner Contributor but they’re not destroying the country,” replied Britny. Britny also didn’t like Mitt Romney, but she said she would rather have him than Trump any day. “I never believed humans are inherently good, but now I believe they are inherently bad,” she said. “I feel like I’ve lost faith in humankind’s ability to be kind. In a sense, it feels like we are distancing ourselves from one of the things that defines us, which is kindness and empathy.” I can relate to Britny’s feelings on humankind; I’m on the cynical side of people’s inherent kindness. I am trying to stay in my own bubble right now. I’m not ignoring everything that’s going on outside my personal life, but I am just trying not to let it upset me to torrential proportions as it easily could. I am also trying to decrease my politically-charged social media use because it only alienates friends who don’t see eye-to-eye with me.
As for my election night, I was just home trying to do homework. The TV was on and I couldn’t focus anymore after it was clear we were not going to have a first woman president, but most definitely a first pussygrabbing president. I was shaking in horror, thinking it was a nightmare. Though I can hardly bring myself to say “President” Trump, I’ve been trying to do the opposite of what I’ve done from election day to last month — be depressed, numbingly binge Netflix (even with copious amounts of homework) and think my only career path was something obligatory in politics to work against Trump. My final words to anyone coping with this trauma is to try to practice mindfulness, be thankful for what you have and try to keep yourself happy and healthy. Remember, at some point, this too shall pass.
OPINIONS
Muslim Women Rising Up
15
How Islamaphobia is making Muslim women take a stance against it By Wardah Imran Intern
I was scrolling through Instagram the other day when a promoted video advertisement caught my attention, something that never happens. I watched in almost disbelief as a young, Black Muslimah skateboarded across my phone screen—laughing with friends, hijab billowing in the breeze. It was a scene that would not have been out of place in my personal life, but something I had never seen depicted in any kind of media before. There is certainly something to be said about the increasing trend of using women in hijabs as political symbols to sell products, but the main point of this story is what I saw next: the comment section—always a nice place. A lot of people were saying what I had been thinking: “Woah.” But a lot of it was straight up Islamophobic nastiness. One user insisted that the simple fact that a hijab on someone’s head constituted “Islam [was] being shoved in our faces.” Another remarked, “I guess this is how they’re transporting bombs now.” So many of the comments made it clear that the hijab continues to be seen as a direct antithesis to Western values, a symbol of otherness unwelcome in mainstream life. Isla mophobic sentiment has very real consequences with anti-Muslim hate crimes on a fast rise since the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), civil rights complaints by Muslims rose by 674.2% from 2000 to 2006. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) issued a statement saying that they received 112 reports of anti-Muslim crimes
in the month following the election. In an annual census by the organization it was revealed that the number of anti-Muslim hate groups in the United States have nearly tripled in the past year. It is often prejudice against Muslim men that is highlighted. They are constantly subject to racial profiling, discrimination, excessive surveillance, and violence based on stereotypes that portray them as threatening and barbaric. However, Muslim women are not entirely free from oppression in the “progressive” West either. The ACLU reports that women who wear hijabs are three times as likely to be discriminated against than those who do not. Juwairiah Syed, a junior at California State University, Long Beach, said she experienced anti-Muslim discrimination in a workplace for the first time when the mother of one of her students at the learning processes center she works at complained about her headscarf, referring to it as showy “regalia.” “She said that my hijab was distracting to her son,” she said. “He got all of his work done perfectly, so obviously it wasn’t distracting to her son. It was distracting for her.” In the aftermath of the 2015 terrorist attack in Paris, numerous media outlets reported a dramatic surge in Islamophobic hate crimes, of which the majority of victims were Muslim women. Since the increased targeting of Muslim women, many have begun to take precautions such as only seeking work that would not require travel during dark. Syed shared how the fear of being
“It was a scene that would not have been out of place in my personal life, but something I had never seen depicted in any kind of media before.”
John Mueller/Graphics Illustrator harassed or harmed due to her hijab seeps into her everyday life, making tasks like walking alone at night even more frightening than it may already be for a non-hijabi, nonMuslim woman. “I feel like it adds on an extra layer,” she said. “I’m brown, that’s easy to see. I’m a girl, that’s easy to see. And once I put on hijab, it’s like, okay, we’re in this political climate in which people feel entitled to do and say things that they normally would not.” She also said that her parents bear the brunt of the worry. “I think I’m more fearful just because I know how much my parents fear for me,” she said. “My parents make sure to tell me, ‘If you want to take off the hijab, that’s okay.’[...] I didn’t want that at all. If people are trying to make me a target, I don’t want to hide. I’m not going to change who I am out of fear of what other people might do.” Despite the obstacles, American Muslim women are rising up in resistance by carving out spaces for ourselves in unprecedented numbers. Female-only mosques, such as the Women’s Mosque of America in Los Angeles —the first of its kind in the nation — and Muslim women-led organizations are popping up in big cities like San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington D.C. These spaces, created by Muslim women for Muslim women, offer us the opportunity to center our own voices and build together. “We are changing [the view of] what our struggle is… We are trying to show that
feminism transcends religious and cultural barriers so that people of other faiths and cultures can understand the feminist struggle from a different point of view,” said CSULB senior and Muslim Student Association member Fatima Abdelhafeez. According to the Pew Research Center, California is home to the largest population of Muslims in the United States. Southern California is one of the most ethnically diverse areas of the country, and Islam is the most ethnically diverse religion in the world. Muslim women are not a homogenous group, and our activism looks different in different places and social settings, but one thing is apparent: Muslim women across the nation are no longer accepting a narrative told by anyone but ourselves. With the help of more supporters and allies than ever before, American Muslim women are resisting subjugation both outside of and within our communities. In an intensely Islamophobic climate consisting of everything from hateful Instagram comments to Muslim travel bans, there is a silver lining.
Miss “Just Ask Joanne?” She’ll be back next week for a special edition! If you have any questions, remember to send them to JustAskJoanne@gmail.com.
Don’t Toy with Me
16 CULTURE
The University Theatre presents “Nora”
By Bailey Mount Managing Editor
Photos courtesy of Kip I. Polakoff
The play follows Nora’s journey to self-discovery through her husband, Torvald (left) and companion, Mrs. Linde (right.)
Blackmail (left) and frequent infantilization (middle) culiminates in Nora’s decision to leave her home (right.) The University Theatre’s production of Ingmar Bergman’s “Nora” finished its run on Apr. 23. The play is a reductionist adaptation of by Henrik Ibsen “A Doll’s House.” The simplified play amplifies source material’s critical examination of gender roles and makes the subversion of them its main focus. In “Nora,” housewife and mother Nora Helmer (Jessica Soza) lives a comfortable life under the direction of her husband, Torvald (Riel Paley). She is content and wants for nothing, that is until when her old friend Mrs. Linde (Likun Jing) shows up on her doorstep. After seeing her friend now widowed and left with nothing but a frightening autonomy foreign to such a time period, Nora realizes that her home may be little more than a cage. The construction of this cage is what director Christopher Shaw asks audiences to consider. How much have gender relations changed since Ibsen’s 1879 production? How
much has remained the same? Removing all characters save for the main five, “Nora” strips “A Doll’s House” down to a few rooms and keeps its titular character cloistered away. We never see Nora leave the house. The finery of the Helmer home is offset by a cluster of bars that we only ever see visitors pass through, a perfect juxtaposition of a palace inside a prison created by scenic designer Ulyana Chava. Noraherselfdoesaremarkablejobentertaining the men who visit her prison. She sits in Torvald’s lap. She begs treats from Dr. Rank, played by a cynical yet doting Chris Bange. All about her is a playful air of childlike simplicity, orchestrated with purpose through actress Jessica Soza. Nora’s true nature is only seen through her interactions with Mrs. Linde and Nils Krogstad (Brandon Pascal). The first, a widow looking for a job and someone to “care for,” is the spark that sets off Nora’s revelation about her superficial life. Being a widow gives Mrs. Linde the freedom
not allowed to Nora. Despite still being referred to by her deceased husband’s last name, she has independence, something she deeply resents and fears. What a woman should be and who she should be it for is a constant cause for conversation between the two — with Mrs. Linde believing that a woman should care for someone who appreciates her and Nora coming to believe the same. The play’s conflict is kickstarted when Krogstad, a disgruntled employee of her husband’s, begins blackmailing Nora for borrowing money from him years ago to save Torvald’s life. Audiences are led to believe that this causes the final confrontation between husband and wife. In actuality, this is only a part of it. Krogstad’s treatment of her, though brutish, is the closest she ever comes to experiencing equality throughout the play. This makes the highly anticipated confrontation scene reach new heights. Torvald
rants at his wife, denounces her and forbids her from raising their children, taking her markers of femininity from her as if they are a privilege. In the next moment, he is tender with her and “restores” her by having sex with her. She is his doll again. This and Nora’s subsequent departure provide audience members with a dizzying sense of symmetry. In the confrontation, she is dressed in an outfit of Torvald’s choosing. She is vulnerable. When she leaves her husband, he is dressed only in a nightgown. For once, he is the vulnerable one. He, as he always has, needs her. She is curt, self-aware of her uselessness and prepared to remedy it. “I’m strong enough to become a different man,” Torvalds begs. “Maybe,” she concedes, “if your doll is taken away.” Nora walks through the bars. The door slams. Snow falls, and as she looks up at the sun, a weight seems to fall from her shoulders. She exits, alone.