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Issue 80.16 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
Brewin’ with Bailey Bailey Mount Incoming Editor-in-Chief
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 Elizabeth Campos, Britny Coker-Moen, Sandra Grace COVER DESIGN BY: Nathan Zankich
Hey there, friends! Welcome to our ‘Best Of’ issue — an entire year’s worth of work squeezed into twentyish pages that Alex and I thought were the best ones. This issue is sort of a special one for a lot of reasons. First, It’s going to be out for commencement. By the end of this week, a lot of our staff will be gone for reals, so we’re putting on our best looks to send them off in style.
Now that it’s summer and it’s all over, I can say with complete certainty that this was the best staff I could have been handed. This newsroom did such a turnaround when all of us walked in and got together and at the end of it all, I was proud to be the managing editor of a publication that wants nothing more than to keep improving. Thank you all for everything. We had a fun time here and we did
some quality work. Thanks for being a great staff and honestly, thanks for being good friends. Good luck out there everybody. If what I’ve seen here is any indication, all of you have bright futures ahead of you. Second, and speaking of futures, this issue is special because it’s over. This is the last time this newspaper will be published under the “Union Weekly” handle. We’ve had something in
the works with our sister media stations, College Beat TV and KBeach Radio. After a lot of sweat, tears and some moments where it looked like it would come to blood, we’re converging into “22 West Media”. But don’t worry. Same memes, same articles, same style, my friends. Just a different name. Or as Alex just said, “Same trash, different can.” Peace, fam. See you next time.
Music’s profile of a queer
Entertainment covering
Remembering our Athletics
artist and coverage
representation, gaming
editor’s love of graphics for
of a festival
and sci-fi
his sports articles
see page 14-15
see page 18-19
see page 6-7
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
@UnionWeekly
Disclaimer and Publication Information: The Union Weekly is published using ad money and partial funding provided by the Associated Students, Inc. All Editorials are the opinions of their individual authors, not the Union Weekly, ASI nor CSULB. All students are welcome and encouraged to be a part of the Union Weekly staff. All letters to the editor will be considered for publication. However, CSULB students will have precedence. Please include name and major for all submissions. They are subject to editing and will not be returned. Letters may or may not be edited for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and length. The Union Weekly will publish anonymous letters, articles, editorials, and illustration, but must have your name and information attached for our records. Letters to the editor should be no longer than 500 words. The Union Weekly assumes no responsibility, nor is it liable, for claims of its advertisers. Grievance procedures are available in the Associated Students business office.
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
COMMUNITY
Taste of East Village
5
Crafters and food vendors unite for unforgettable Downtown Long Beach experience By Danielle Corpus Contributor
T
he Taste of Downtown returned to the East Village Arts District on March 15 and 16. From people walking their dogs and chatting amongst one another to various local vendors, the Taste of Downtown celebrated the small business community. “What’s great about Long Beach is the local support that helps keep my business growing,” said Romeo Garcia, owner of Romeo Chocolates. Romeo Chocolates is a pop-up chocolate company based proudly out of Downtown Long Beach. Garcia is excited about getting the word out about his growing company and upcoming grand opening of his brick and mortar shop. The shop will not only sell chocolates and craft drinks like Mexican hot chocolate, but will also offer chocolatepairing events. Romeo Chocolates on Pine Avenue is scheduled to open in May 2017. From vendor to vendor everyone seemed to have a different story, but everyone had one thing in common: their love for Long Beach. “We consider ourselves a super Long Beach brand,” said Krysta Lin, founder and designer for Youth Independent Party clothing company. Youth Independent Party, otherwise known as YIP, brands itself on being designed
and made in Long Beach. They are a direct to consumer, no retail, company that tries to live by the statement, “Buy sustainability, do it affordably.” The clothes are made out of 50 percent up-cycled cotton and 50 percent recycled polyester in a company that uses 150 percent solar power. Being a company so invested in Long Beach, Lin was excited to be a part of Taste of Downtown for the first time. “We just love this event,” said Lin behind her table filled with clothing for one to 10 year olds. Tickets were sold for $1 each. After purchasing tickets, people could then eat at various vendors lining the streets in order to taste a little bit of what each person had to offer. Shops located in the area participated in the event by extending their hours and offering 1 ticket for every $10 spent in store. The smell of pizza, BBQ, and seafood combined with the music playing throughout the streets, really gave the East Village Arts District a small town vibe that many know and love about Long Beach. The Taste of Downtown further displayed the deep connection between small businesses and the community, the connection that makes Long Beach so unique.
Taste of Downtown Pine Avenue: May 3 and 4 Taste of Downtown Waterfront: August 23 and 24
Taste of Downtown is a three part dining and shopping experience aimed at supporting local businesses. Participating restaurants serve sample size versions of their popular dishes, which attendees can taste by purchasing tasting tickets. Non-food vendors are also on site, like Brushstrokes and Beverages (left), to engage with the community. (Diana Martinez/ Staff Photographer)
6 ATHLETICS
Self-Made Cinderella Women’s basketball marching towards spot in national tournament Words and Graphics by Matthew Gozzip Athletics Editor
tina , Mar
55 drubbing over California State Fullerton Titans last Thursday, showcased the team’s full potential. The Beach shot a near equal percentage to CSUF but still managed to limit the amount of good looks at the basket. The Titans shot 22 less shots than the 49ers, a startlingly statistic considering that both teams had the same field goal percentage. True to their form all season, The Beach’s defense disrupted the ball, forcing 23 turnovers and chalking up nine steals. LBSU’s recent hot streak has been fueled by this tenacious team defense, one of the peskiest groups in the nation. The Beach is ranked 26th in the nation in turnovers forced per game (20.52) and has a ccu m u la ted more than 240 steals in just 25 contests. E v e n though their opponent’s have converted 42.3 percent of their field goal attempts, the 49ers have broken the rhythm of opposing offenses. Quick hands and a defensive system that enables players to switch between assignments more efficiently has made the 49ers a tough team to start a continual scoring run on. If the game is close, The Beach has a higher chance of winning. What makes it even more frustrating for their opponents is that the 49ers have proficient ball nton
Be aven ert, R
sica G : Jes t h g i r left to Cinderella From looks different running up and down the court in the Walter Pyramid. A pumpkin morphing into a carriage? Replace it with a basketball. Glass slippers and an elegant dress? How about neon yellow Lebron 10’s and compression sleeve shirts instead. A coachman and footmen? Try a point guard that drives the team and a group of blue collar defenders that do all the dirty work. The Long Beach State women’s basketball team may not have that much in common with the protagonist from the classic fairytale, but the story feels all too similar. Even though they are atop the Big West standings, experts don’t project them to make it to the end-of-season tournament, NCAA March Madness. LBSU is not compromised with the darlings of the ball, rather a collection of players overlooked by more prestigious college basketball programs. There is no fairy godmother that grants them size — they are one of the shorter teams in the conference. Critics that cite the 49ers limitations don’t even give the team any coverage at all. Blame it on profile of the conference or the minimal national exposure but make no mistake about it, The Beach is ready to march towards March. The 49ers won five of their last six games, capturing the head-to-head tiebreaker over the University of California, Davis for the top spot in the conference. LBSU’s latest victory, an 84-
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movement too. The Beach holds the 16th best turnover margin in the nation (6.24+) and a near equal assist to turnover ratio. Senior guard Anna Kim is not only the face of the team but also an intelligent floor general that knows the system and the personnel better than most players on other teams. Even with stellar ball possession and defense, The Beach has struggled all season to field an efficient offense. Shooting woes (38.3 percent season average) and lack of rebounds (ranked 261st in the nation) prevent the 49ers from closing out close games. However, a potential solution has recently emerged in junior guard Jessica Gertz, a deadly markswoman heating up from the three-point line as of late. In last week’s contest against CSUF, Gertz nailed nine three-pointers, a career-high and schoolrecord at LBSU. In the past five games alone, Gertz has converted more than 20 three-pointers, by far the most on the team. The offensive problems will not be solved by just Gertz but if the rest of the team finds a way to find her open or find more efficient looks for the more accurate players on the team, the defense might be enough to hold off stronger opponents. All things considered, The Beach may not be ready at this moment to make a deep March Madness run. They were dominated by superior teams such as Duke, Florida and USC, regulars in
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tournament who still struggle to defeat the very best teams in the country. The critics are justified in their reservations surrounding the team. That being said, the Beach has their own trump card: experience. The senior quartet of Kim, guard Raven Benton and the frontcourt of Jewelyn Sawyer and Madison Montgomery offer more than just statistical contribution. After a four-game losing streak early in the season against the aforementioned highly ranked teams, the seniors have kept the team focus in check. The spotty record became secondary to continual improvement over the season. Against the No. 22 ranked University of South Florida Bulls, LBSU upset the Bulls for their first win against a ranked team in nearly two years. Ever since then, the team has gone 9-4. Credit also has to go to Coach Jody Wynn for experimenting with new lineup changes, extending roles for junior guard Cece Wilson and sophomore guard Martina McCowan to develop them into two of the best defenders for The Beach. There are six regular season games left for The Beach until the Big West conference tournament where the winner gets an automatic invitation to the NCAA tournament. Luckily, the first leg of the tournament will be played at home in the Pyramid before moving to the local Honda Center. LBSU technically holds a homecourt advantage in the postseason, furthering the possibility of this becoming a special season for the 49ers. The 49ers may not have clinched a spot in the NCAA tournament at the moment but that may be a blessing in disguise. The Beach now have an opportunity to continue to refine their performance before facing off against the nation’s best. Cinderella continues to dance like there is no tomorrow, because there might not be. Despite the gauntlet that lays ahead, the clock isn’t anywhere close to striking midnight on The Beach.
7 ATHLETICS LONG BEACH STATE ATHLETICS
Noah Blackwell (3), Loren Jackson (2), and Roschon Prince (23) are no longer part of the picture for the basketball program. For many college students, spring semester sparks the beginning of their transfer process and a prospective fresh start at a new school. The period is no different for student athletes. They look for a different situation to maximize their potential. Unfortunately for The Beach men’s basketball team, a wave of transfers will be washing away from Long Beach State. Three LBSU hoopers have decided to search for a new home come fall 2017. Freshman guard Loren Jackson, sophomore guard Noah Blackwell and junior forward Roschon Prince have decided to part ways with the program. After a dismal 15-19 season, many Beach fans will be wondering how the team will bounce back from such an exodus. Ultimately, team building will have to be a priority for the Beach’s coaching staff throughout the offseason. Blackwell and Prince both were consistent starters that battled through injuries and limited playing time to develop into important pieces. Jackson, only a freshman, was the heir apparent to junior guard Justin Bibbins at the point guard spot. “Of course I’m concerned,” Head Coach Dan Monson said per JJ Fiddler of Gazettes Sports. “We could’ve had an easy offseason with everyone coming back next year and looking good, or I could get this thing fixed.” Blackwell, a highly touted recruit and promising marksman, lead the team in three point shooting with 38 percent, but was out for most of the season because of injury. He never truly could find his rhythm once he returned and frustration began to mount when his role wasn’t clearly defined. Either way, there seems to be no bad blood between Blackwell and the program. “I would like to thank my coaches, teammates, managers, trainers, amazing fans and everyone who’s been a part of my two years here at Long Beach,” said Blackwell through his Instagram. Bibbins is the team’s undisputed starting point guard, which could possibly be a reason why Blackwell is searching for new pastures. Bibbins strengthened his case to be the incumbent starter after a dazzling postseason performance in the Big West Tournament. Unfortunately, Bibbins’ long-term replacement will not be returning either. Jackson was a spark plug off the bench this season, entering nearly every game and starting
Wave of Transfers Rock Beach Men’s basketball loses three players, program future muddled By Francisco Valladares Staff Writer Graphics by Matthew Gozzip Athletics Editor
LONG BEACH STATE ATHLETICS
Coach Dan Monson scolds Jackson during a game. Monson faces many questions after losing several players to transfer. in several important conference matches. The diminutive guard brought a distributor’s mentality on offense and a fearless approach on the defensive end. Jackson’s relationship with the program was strong but ultimately a desire to play closer to home near family was more important. Freshman guard Jordan Griffin, Jackson’s classmate, now takes the leading role of the future of the LBSU backcourt. Prince, is a much tougher pill to swallow. The
hybrid forward started the last 18 games of the regular season after starting forward junior Gabe Levin went down with a severe injury. Prince, a former high school Gatorade Player of the Year at Long Beach Poly, was one of the most talented players on the roster but never could establish himself as a starter over Levin. The graduate transfer is immediately eligible to play. Just as Bibbins and Griffin will help mask the departures in the backcourt, Levin is slated to carry
the load that Prince left behind. Levin started the first 16 games until his injury, leading the team in points and rebounds during the most difficult part of Long Beach State’s schedule. The talented transfer from Loyola Marymount ended his first season as a starter averaging a solid 12.2 points and 6.2 rebounds. The transition should be smooth but there is questionable depth behind Levin now that Prince leaves the sixth man spot off the bench vacant. The team will need a lot of work coming this offseason and next, considering that Bibbins and Levin are both headed into their senior year. Coach Monson could use the same recruiting strategy he did with Prince and Levin, both former transfers: look out for other disgruntled players that can transfer over. In 2015, around 100 players left during the spring semester. Several hundred other players transferred after the academic year ended. Sophomore forward Veer Singh from Seton Hall and junior forward JC Washington from Charlotte are two announced transfers who come from good programs. Monson could also explore more options on the current roster full of young and talented players. Sophomore forward Temidayo Yussuf is coming off a big season after receiving minutes due to injury issues. Yussuf averaged 13.6 points and 5.7 rebound in conference play, performing best in the paint as a strong big with a soft touch. With Bibbins and Yussuf both making the All-Conference Big West second team, the team’s immediate future is not too murky, even without their outgoing players. But looking past the issues that the team will be dealing with from a roster standpoint, they will have to work on their game as a whole in order to make a deeper run in the postseason next time around. “Our 13 scholarship players and our scheme didn’t work so we have to reevaluate and (the transfers) give us the flexibility to do that. I’m not happy, but we’re optimistic,” said Monson per Fiddler. The 10-year veteran coach has experienced many difficult situations during his tenure at the Beach but hope and optimism might not be enough as the team prepares for the upcoming season.
Exploring OUTober
8 OPINIONS
A collection of commentaries regarding our pride Intro by Jordan Daniels Opinions Editor In honor of OUTober, which is a series of events hosted by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, I wanted to get several different commentaries about the Pride some students feel in regards to being a part of the LGBTQ+ community. This page will be home to these voices.
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Photo by Vogue.Com
Briefly, I just want to say touch on the Pride I feel. I came out when I was 17 to my family and have been coming out to family and friends since. Truly, one never stops coming out, but the power in starting is life-changing. Since I came out, I haven’t looked back at that closet,
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By Alexis Cruz Social Media Manager This year’s OUTober is very near and dear to my heart as it is my first year of being “out.” I came out as bisexual to my close friends and my significant other (S.O.) earlier this year and it was one of the most frightening experiences of my life. I thought to myself, what if they don’t believe me? What if they think I’m just confused? What if my S.O. breaks up with me? What if, what if, what if. All these thoughts were running through my head, yet my support group accepted me for who I am. However, my sociologist self always thinks back on my coming out moment and why I was so hesitant in the first place. Prior to being out I was in a constant state of questioning my sexuality, and it’s because there is a severe lack of bisexual representation and pride. Socially, bisexual men and women are often scrutinized by the heterosexual
Having Pride is all about accepting yourself, loving yourself and not caring who doesn’t because you’re not wasting time on the ones who hate you; You’re spending your time loving the ones who love you. If you’re out, I hope you feel the same sense of Pride as I do. If you’re not, I hope
community. For bisexual men, being bisexual is seen as a way to hide your gay identity while bisexual women are accused of having a “lesbian phase.” As a woman, being with a man can be seen as heteronormative privilege by radical LGBTQ+ activists and I acknowledge this, but that does not remove my sexual identity. To quote Anna Paquin’s interview with Larry King on her bisexuality: “If you were to break up with them or if they were to die, it doesn’t prevent your sexuality from existing.” The stigma on bisexuality made me closeted for so long, and it makes me question if there are others out there who felt or currently feel this way. However, celebrities with young audiences that come out as bisexual or queer do give me the hope that bisexuality will be more visible.
that one day you will feel safe enough to do so, at least to somebody. If you don’t, that is okay too. If you need a space, know that we, as a community, are here for you. You are not alone. We love you. It does get better. Have faith and have Pride.
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By Natalee Coloman Contributor I didn’t truly understand my sexuality until Jan. 7, 2014. That was the day of utter confusion, yet total realization -- the day my girlfriend kissed me. In the few minutes following the life-changing kiss, I asked myself, “Why did that feel so right?” “What do I do now?” “Am I gay?” Almost three years later, I think I can finally answer those questions. However, the answers aren’t so simple. I know it felt right, because it was more natural than any kiss I’ve ever had with a male. It clicked, like this was someone I wanted to be with. And I longed for more kisses. The question about me being gay is the difficult one to pin-point. I come from a conservative family on my father’s side, and I knew that this was new. I was sure my dad didn’t dislike the LGBT community, because both my parents played on the gay and lesbian softball leagues while I was younger. I heard my
grandmother’s voice in my head repeatedly say, “Don’t expose Natalee to gays, it’ll rub off on her.” Like that made any sense. Yet here I am, dating a woman and confused about my identity. I didn’t want to say anything to her because I knew it would be chaos for my parents and myself if I came out to my grandma. Unfortunately I still haven’t told her. This doesn’t mean I don’t post photos of my relationship, or talk about my girlfriend. I am very open to anyone who wants to ask, or talk about my sexuality. Just because I hide my relationship from one person in my family doesn’t make what I am any less prideful. I am finally comfortable to say I am dating a woman, and although I hate to use labels, I can consider myself a lesbian. I am proud to have the support of everyone else in my family and amongst my friends and I would never change who I am.
By Jorge Paniagua Contributor As I make my way down campus, I spot promotional art for OUTober — Cal State Long Beach’s month-long event commemorating, as well as celebrating, the fact that October is LGBT history month. It’s a gratifying feeling — knowing that so many of my fellow 49ers support the LGBT community in the gnarliest of ways. For those unaware, Oct. 11 was National Coming Out Day - a day where LGBT members and allies encourage those struggling with their sexuality to “come out” and take pride in who they are.
As someone who has accepted that he is a gay man, the day makes me feel honored. It’s a reminder, something along the lines of, “Hey, you made it this far and life is only getting better.” Yet, Oct. 11, unintentionally, brings back some unsettling flashbacks of when I was a closeted male trying to convince myself that my attraction to the same-sex was a fad. A fad which although was running long, would eventually come to a screeching end. Oh, how I had such an illogical understanding of how one’s sexual
character works. Those days are thankfully over — but they weren’t necessarily easy to overcome. Coming out takes time, patience and encouragement. The kind of encouragement brought about by celebratory events like OUTober and month-long events recognizing the LGBT community’s annals. I always feel safe as a gay man on campus — loved, even. The CSULB campus is collectively a progressivelyminded one. I get the comforting
impression that the majority of students on campus want to make this world a much more tolerable place. CSULB is my kind of place to be. Rather than discriminating against who I am, the campus inspires me to continue bettering myself and being myself. It’s been said so many times before by millions across the world. But there’s something so heartening about proclaiming, “I’m gay and proud.” And that’s exactly what this 49er is.
What up, young people! It’s me. Alex Ramos. The soon-to-be former Editor-in-Chief of the soon-to-be defunct Long Beach Union Weekly. I know I said my goodbyes a few weeks ago in our last issue of the semester but I still had some business to take care of. So, I’m still here. This makes things kind of awkward. I’ve technically already been replaced. I don’t even have to be here. But I am because I wanted to go over the best work that me and my friends put out this year. (And we are friends now since I’m no longer in charge.) Anyway, I hope you enjoy this collection of words and pictures. I like them and I think you will too. •••
10 FEATURE
Girls Support Girls Volume 80.9 • March 20, 2017
Words and Photos by Diana C. Martinez Staff Photographer A stranger’s backyard in a city you probably don’t live in is where you find yourself on a Friday night to hear some local music. The underground music scene exists away from the public eye. Every weekend, somewhere in your city, there are shows being held in DIY spaces where music is played and art is displayed. The DIY scene is everywhere. In Whittier, California lies a tightknit DIY scene where people as young as middle schoolers and as old as twentysomethings come together for local art, friendship and a good time. The heart of this DIY scene thrives on independent spaces, production companies and collectives. This means garages, backyards, living rooms and other self-created spaces become areas that bring individuals together for a night of music and art. This tight community is basically a second family to those who participate in it. In this scene there is an all-girl collective known as The Venus Collective. Their goal, clearly stated on their website, is to provide a safe, creative space for the talented, artistic and DIY-driven girls in the local area. I wondered why a scene so open-minded and welcoming would need an all-girl collective, but I quickly learned that they needed it because, similar to film and politics, this scene was a male-dominated one. The Venus Collective was established in 2016 by Samantha Herrera. The collective started because she wanted to organize shows but didn’t see any opportunities for her to do so. Instead of giving up, she decided to do it herself and it quickly turned into a way to help other
Each member has their own skills: Kim is an artist, Melody is a photographer, Cynner is a tattoo artist and Sam is a DIY artist/ coordinator as well as the collective’s founder.
girls thrive. “The collective was started to help girls find their place in this scene. I don’t want to say that there’s a lot of sexism, but unfortunately, a lot of guys do look down on girls in this scene,” said Herrera. “I’ve reached out to guys in the scene for shows and I’ve been hit on. I’ve been dismissed. That’s not what I wanted, and it just turns into a lost opportunity.” The Venus Collective is made up of 16 girls ranging in ages 17-22 and originating from different cities and artistic backgrounds. There are photographers, illustrators, designers, artists, and musicians that have teamed up to collaborate on music and art shows, videos, promotion and more. Together they’ve organized successful shows featuring prominent local line ups. They take care of everything and try their best to work with as many females they can to organize their shows. “I don’t want to kick guys out of this, but this is just to take a moment to help more girls get into this scene before I work with guys,” said Herrera. Men have an advantage. There are a lot of male promoters, male-lead bands and male-lead productions, but the girls in the Venus Collective want to make sure they aren’t left out in any aspect of it. This isn’t about excluding boys. It’s about giving girls an equal opportunity to participate without a hassle. “I just believe girls should be able to throw shows in this scene without seeming lesser than guys,” said Herrera. The Venus Collective welcome everyone at their shows, but they do prioritize giving females the best
experience possible. At each show, the Venus Collective likes to create a safe space for girls. This means kicking people out for being disrespectful or not following the rules. This can be tough, because the collective can experience scrutiny for it, but Sam and the girls think it’s worth it. Their priority, no matter what, is making sure their shows are comfortable for those attending. Apart from organizing shows, the Venus Collective has also become a great way for girls to keep producing their art and getting it noticed. They use one another’s talents for anything they produce. Whether they need a photographer or an illustrator, they’ve got it. It’s all about highlighting each individual’s talents. “It’s hard getting noticed and to get people to hire you, but here you’re getting promoted,” said Venus Collective photographer Melody Martinez. The Venus Collective is a group of girls who hype each other up, create things together and provide an overall support system for one another. Being a girl in this scene is subjective because every single one of them has their own personal, unique experience in it. It’s important to remember that female artists should be taken just as seriously as their counterparts. The Venus Collective wasn’t started in order to get special treatment or as a form to complain about and exclude guys. There’s enough space for both males and females to create and collaborate on art — but females get it done.
11 9 FEATURE
The Fruits of Labor Volume 80.6 • February 27, 2017
By Bailey Mount Managing Editor
“If all farmers would respond as did the Japanese, there would be nothing to it...” reads a newspaper article. Titled “USDA Lauds Japanese Growers for Aid,” it discussed the unparalleled dedication of Japanese-descent farmers to the new Farm Defense Program, a move designed to produce more food for the war effort by 1942. By this time, they already perform over 40 percent of California’s agricultural labors. The dateline reads Berkeley, CA. The majority of Japanese-Americans live in this state, an estimated 100,000. It is November 16, 1941. Less than a month later, Pearl Harbor is bombed. This clipping, now a digitally preserved, yellowing scrap of paper, is forgotten, much like Japanese-American aid, under Executive Order 9066. Under this order, all JapaneseAmericans, regardless of citizenship or loyalty, were relocated to internment camps, where they would spend the remainder of the war.
The food source that their country had prided them on for sustaining only a few months past now sat unattended and unharvested, rotting in workerless fields. The U.S., without a significant workforce upholding its most productive agricultural state, now required a new labor supply. The solution was the Bracero Program. Enacted six months after Japanese internment, the Bracero Program allowed Mexican workers to take up a temporary residency in the United States under employment contracts. The braceros would not displace domestic workers. They would replace 100,000 workers temporarily out of commission. Bringing in more than 2 million workers, many of whom were undocumented, the effects of the Bracero program and the reason for its conception long after the war would inadvertently culminate in a similar executive order 75 years later - Executive Order 13767. “Continued illegal immigration presents a clear and present danger to the interests of the United States…” writes President Donald J. Trump. It is January 25, 2017. As of 2015, there are 2.5 million undocumented Latino immigrants in California. They make up 70 percent of the state’s agricultural workforce, according to estimates from agricultural economists at UC Davis. 75 years ago, this would not have been unusual. Soon after its conception, the braceros became largely outnumbered by unauthorized workers, with American farmers taking advantage of the low wages they could give to workers they could threaten with deportation. Today, much like the JapaneseAmericans before them, unauthorized Latino immigrants form the backbone of Californian agriculture. The work they contribute to brings in $35 billion a year. Before his inauguration, Trump promised that he would deport all undocumented immigrants in an interview with CNN - an estimated 11 million people.
The “good ones” would be allowed to reenter the U.S. and be granted legal residency - though they would not be allowed to become citizens. Within the second month of his term, two Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memos expanded on the executive order with what many news conglomerates called “widening the net,” refusing to make exempt “any class of immigrants” from deportation. Latino immigrants detained for minor infractions could be deported in 24 hours. What will follow then will be another temporary labor shortage - though on a considerably wider scale and with wider repercussions than before. Before, nearly a quarter of a million people were removed from the labor force. In the few months between Japanese internment and the arrival of the braceros, it is estimated that 21 percent of the total acreage confiscated was at risk. The sudden loss of 2.5 million people in California alone would be disastrous. U.S. farms are already facing both external and internal labor challenges. In 2014, a report released by the Partnership for a New American Economy and the Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform said that more foreign-grown produce was being consumed by Americans. It continued on to say that labor shortages were preventing farmers from competing effectively - there simply aren’t enough farm workers to keep up with a growing agricultural demand. The solution here would be to hire more U.S. workers. On the campaign trail last year, Trump insisted that unauthorized immigrants “compete directly against vulnerable American workers.” However, many of these American workers are unwilling to do “arduous and temporary farm work,” as the aforementioned report mentions. 58 percent of Trump supporters even admitted that immigrants “mostly fill jobs American citizens don’t want,” according to a 2016 Pew Research Center poll. On an internal level, sudden removal of
these unauthorized Latinos would result in the loss of millions of jobs. This sudden and severe labor shortage would not be augmented, as it was in the past, by the quick importation of new workers. Rather, it would create a economical vacuum. The labor shortage would cause a wage increase for those still working, American or not. The wage increase would raise the cost of American produce and effectively insure increased reliance on foreigngrown produce. Praised by his supporters for his economic savviness and condemned by his critics for his inflammatory speech toward Latinos, Trump will face a dilemma on two fronts in the next coming years - not unlike the one faced by President Roosevelt back in 1941. He will be faced with his responsibility to what he considers to be the values of the American people and his responsibility to sustaining the economy of those people. The Pew Research Center reports that 77 percent of Trump’s supporters are confident that he will do the right thing about the economy. 55 percent of them say that he will do the right thing about illegal immigration. With the two being so closely intertwined, however, it is unclear what percentage believes that these decisions should be made. It is 2017. There is no world war today. No attack on U.S. soil. No resources to repeat a mass displacement of the country’s coveted agricultural workforce. Even if there were, the ripple effect such a removal would have on the U.S. economy would greatly outweigh any benefits it might bring. In 2015, 71 years after the internment of Japanese-Americans, 53 percent of Americans asserted that immigrants strengthen the United States because of their hard work and talents - just as a small newspaper article in Berkeley, CA, did before it made its workforce disappear.
April 17, 1975
12 FEATURE
Volume 80.12 • April 17, 2017
Above photo courtesy of Peter Kheang
By Wardah Imran Intern and Samantha Neou Intern This is an excerpt of the feature titled “April 17, 1975.” The full version can be found at medium.com/unionweekly
The first wave of refugees arrived in Long Beach in 1975. Due to a cultural exchange program funded by USAID at CSULB in the ‘50s and ‘60s, Cambodian connections to Long Beach were in place beforehand, accounting for Long Beach’s now much larger Cambodian population. On his arrival to the U.S. from a Thai refugee camp, Kheang said, “It was [exciting], and shocking at the same time because I didn’t speak a word in English. I was like a monkey. I was in one of the math classes and I just looked around. When people got up, I got up. They took out a new piece of paper, I took out a piece of paper… But I had no idea what I was doing.” The aftereffects of witnessing intense brutality and/or being subject to it, losing multiple loved ones in a short period of time and experiencing displacement have invisible but painful consequences. “I really miss Cambodia,” said Kheang. “I [get] homesick. Sometimes I cry at night, thinking of my sister at home and my younger brother.” The devastation that survivors brought with them overseas lingers over the Cambodian community like a thick fog. “I think it’s really tough for many [refugees] to work through this,” said Yamada. “[The genocide] was too awful
to be able to just talk about it a few times and have it heal. I think people can get better, but I don’t know if you can ever 100 percent heal a trauma like that.” Heidi Hou, president of the Cambodian Student Society at CSULB, said the pain of the past stays with her father to this day. She recounted the time she was getting ready to study abroad in Cambodia to learn how to read and write in Khmer. Her father had a hard time accepting it. “Being here for the past thirty years, he’s like, ‘I never wanna go back,’” said Hou. “And my mom, growing up primarily here is like, ‘Why? Cambodia’s awesome.’ She doesn’t think of Cambodia the way my dad carries Cambodia in his heart. He doesn’t wanna see the change, whether it’s a change for the better or a change for the worse in the country that he grew up in, that he had to leave.” According to a study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 62 percent of Cambodian Genocide survivors suffer from PTSD and 51 percent suffer from major depression. These findings are striking on their own, but even more so when compared to the rates of the general American population: 3.6 percent suffer from PTSD and 9.5 percent suffer from depression. It is not surprising, though. The same study found that “99 percent of these Cambodian refugees nearly starved to death, 96 percent endured forced labor, 90 percent had a family member or friend murdered, and 54 percent were tortured.” “Only a year into the Communist [regime], my mother got sick because of malaria… because we lived in the jungle and [did not have] water… My father
followed her only a couple of months [later],” said Kheang. “He got poisoned from eating unclean beef… We were starving, so we ate anything… I became an orphan. My whole family lost our parents in 1976. I was 15 years old at that time, when I lost both parents.” In many cases, the effects of living through a genocide are passed down to second-generation Cambodian Americans as well, in the form of intergenerational trauma. Survivors with PTSD are more likely to have children who suffer from it. This trauma, not genetic but acquired through close proximity with those who have PTSD, manifests itself in different ways, developing into anxiety or depression in some youth. The Long Beach based teenage advocacy group, Khmer Girls in Action (KGA), conducted a study by the name of “Step into Long Beach: Exposing how Cambodian American youth are underresourced, over-policed and fighting back for their wellness,” in which they found that high rates of depression exist among the city’s Cambodian youth. In a survey of 500 Khmer youth in the city, almost half reported experiencing symptoms of depression. Some youth fall into the same damaging behavior patterns their parents exhibit simply by unintentional mimicry. Others become caretakers for their parents due to factors such as language barriers, unable to experience the childhood their peers are enjoying. Other factors negatively affecting Cambodian youth have been low levels of educational achievement and high levels gang involvement. According to Sucheng
Chan, author of “Survivors: Cambodian Refugees in the United States,” the highest amounts of gang activity in the community were reported in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Despite what the Cambodian community has been through, a transformation is underway, with flourishing businesses and community organizations dedicated to preserving Cambodian culture. “I know it [took] 10 years to get a designated Cambodia Town in the city, but folks worked really hard and got it,” said Yamada. “And now there’s the parade and the New Year’s celebration.” Yamada said communication is a key part of the healing process between youth and elders. Organizations like CSS and KGA aim to bridge this generational gap. Steve Meng believes this collaboration will keep the culture alive, but more importantly, highlight narratives that are forgotten and ignored. “I feel [the stories need] to be heard,” said Meng.“I’m never shy about telling my story. I feel my story is really unique. Everybody has a story to tell.” Dr. Terri Yamada couldn’t agree more. “Most children in this community have no idea what their mom and dad went through,” concluded Dr. Teri Yamada. “When their mom and dad finally tell them, it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, now I understand.’ It’s a very common thing. ‘I wish we could’ve talked about this before.’ ‘I wish you would’ve told me before.’ Before, it’s anger. It’s, ‘Why won’t you talk to me?’ But once that communication can happen, then there’s a growing understanding.”
13 FEATURE
Night Owls Volume 80.7 • March 6, 2017
By Alejandro Ramos Editor-in-Chief
In September 2016, Donald Trump appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” where he cracked jokes and had a good time. Toward the end of the show, Fallon, with his trademark awkwardness, asked Trump one more thing: “Can I mess your hair up?” The question hung in the air for the briefest of moments before the crowd gasped in unison. Fallon threw his head back and laughed as loudly and gleefully. Trump looked to the crowd and made a face that feigned displeasure for the sake of entertainment. Eventually, he relented and let Fallon went to town on the future president’s golden locks. Now, several months later, Fallon seemingly flipped the script. He now takes shots at Trump and his administration in an attempt to keep up with his far more political peers like John Olliver and Stephen Colbert. He works in jokes on the latest developments from the White House into his monologue and lampoons the president in sketches, even going so far as to dress up as him. Despite his efforts, Fallon is trailing behind his competition. His attempts to be more political often fall flat, as he is visibly stiff and robotic when reciting jokes about the current administration. Meanwhile, Stephen Colbert, host of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and one of Fallon’s competitors, has had huge success in the past couple of weeks. He took advantage of the plethora of news coming out of the White House and turned it into material for his show. His opening monologue, like Fallon’s, includes jokes that poke fun at the current administration and his guests openly criticize Trump with jabs of their own. And so, “The Tonight Show” fell behind “The Late Show” in recent weeks. Since the second week of February, “The Late Show” had at least 3 million viewers per week while “The Tonight Show” had little under that amount. Before then, Colbert was the one that struggled while Fallon reigned as the king of late night TV. Fallon’s fun, offbeat personality made him approachable and appealing to the masses. His show was a safe haven for viewers who wanted to
escape the nitty gritty of the real world. Unfortunately, times have changed. The recent presidential election and aftermath have created a surge in the public’s interest in politics from people on both sides of the spectrum. Most late night talk shows tend to err on the side of liberal values and ideals, with hosts like John Oliver, Samantha Bee and Trevor Noah bashing and lambasting Donald Trump. They come prepared to deliver clever quips and catchy one-liners that get passed around social media sites the day after they are uttered. While these shows lack the numbers of “The Late Show” and “The Tonight Show,” they are still contributing to the shift in the way people choose which talk shows they want to watch. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has more in common with these shows than The Tonight Show or Jimmy Kimmel Live, which share the same time slot. Colbert is at his best when he chooses a side and sticks to it, rather than taking a middle of the road stance on any issues. This trend is not confined to late night TV. Conservative prime time talk shows are seeing the same trend in viewership as their liberal counterparts. According to The Hill, “Tucker Carlson Tonight” nearly doubled the numbers that “The Kelly File” had when it was on during the same 9 p.m. time slot. Laukner oversees the production of Late Night Long Beach, a show made by students that models itself after popular late night talk shows. According to Laukner, the show revolved around fun games and segments in the first couple of seasons he was in charge. He soon realized that he didn’t want to continue in that direction and opted to change the format of Late Night Long Beach to have more political commentary. Since then, Late Night Long Beach has covered a variety of topics, such as legalization of weed, the gap between baby boomers and millennials, the 2016 presidential election, and slacktivism.
“I think their show is a lot more focused on the commentary comedy than the informative side of it,” said Michael Fricke, chief executive producer of College Beat TV. According to Fricke, the move to include more political commentary has been a success. Viewers have sent in comments letting him and Laukner know they enjoy the type of content they are producing now. “I think that’s always a struggle, trying to keep that balance of super hardcore facts and then also keeping it lighthearted.” said Jason Laukner, executive producer of College Beat TV at CSU Long Beach.
14 MUSIC
When We Were Young Fest: Skip the Headliners Going for the supporting artists at one of the OC Observatory’s biggest throwback festivals yet Richard Dotson playing bass and providing vocals for The Frights.
Words and photos by Nancy Soriano Contributor
Guitarist Mikey Carnevale of The Frights providing vocals during his band’s performance.
Lead guitarist Toby Leaman of Dr. Dog singing and playing during their set.
Dr. Dog drummer Eric Slick looking at the crowd during the performance.
Bass player Sage Chavis of The Regrettes performing during their early set.
Genessa Gariano providing backup vocals and playing her guitar with The Regrettes.
The Observatory in Santa Ana hosted the When We Were Young Festival that had a mix of bands across the ages on April 8th and 9th. If there’s anything that can be said about the festival, it is that the demographics of day one and day two looked very different – generationally different. Whereas day one drew out old punks from the ‘70s and ‘80s, day two brought out the kids frequenting the scene today. In terms of band tees, day one had a lot of Morrissey and AFI and day two had a lot of FIDLAR and The Frights. Morrissey was before my time. I grew up on ‘90s/2000s R&B and hip-hop so you may be asking yourself, “Nancy, why the hell did you go to When We Were Young, headlined by Morrissey, AFI and The Descendents if you don’t have an appreciation for classic rock?” Listen, if you wanna read about their sick sets, the OC Register has a pretty good review, but the reason I shelled out the cash, ignoring my intense dislike for music festivals, was because the supporting bands made my local heart swell. For me, the festival was all about catching The Regrettes, The Buttertones, Tijuana Panthers (TJP), Dr. Dog and The Frights. Admittedly, I’ve seen most of these bands a handful of times, TJP and The Frights being the exception, but as far as local heroes go, these are mine. Day one I saw The Regrettes play an early set on one of the three stages that The Observatory had set up for the performances. (Though I did not attend Beach Goth, I heard that this setup was better.) Quipping that she usually is “not awake at this time,” lead singer Lydia Night walked onto the stage and ripped into the set. Highlights include her coming off of the stage and standing on the barriers to sing to the crowd, pausing to take selfies on a fan’s phone, and the dedication of “Seashore” to our current president. The rest of day one was full of older punk bands and, of course, Morrissey. Moving on to day two, Dr. Dog and The
Frights were definitely my favorite sets from the whole festival. Dr. Dog was the only band that I actually caught on the “Heroes” stage, which was the one that all the headliners played on. Dr. Dog is one of those bands that is semi-confusing to watch live because there’s no formal lead singer and they all switch instruments a couple of times during the set. That being said, their set energized the sunbeat crowd and had fans harmonizing to their performance of “Broken Heart.” They also performed two new songs live, which the lead singer remarked on being the first time that they had tried them live as evidenced by the lyrics written on his hand. Closing off with their cover of Architecture in Helsinki’s “Heart It Races,” Dr. Dog reminded the crowd that they can rock just as hard as the rest of the bands that graced that stage. The Frights, on the other hand, played some crowd favorites like “Cold,” “Tongues” and the title track to their new album “You Are Going to Hate This.” Opening up their set with the guitar riff to “Stairway to Heaven,” Mikey Carnevale, the lead singer, said nothing to the crowd as he transitioned into their set. The mosh pit took about ten seconds into that first song to form and it stayed strong even through their cover of “I’m Gonna Be” by The Proclaimers. Richard Dotson, the bassist, kept up the crowd participation up by asking, “How are we doing, Coachella?” and the crowd became more like a choir than an audience, singing along to all of their music. Even the focus and coverage of the festival has been on the headliners, which is understandable considering Morrissey actually played, the heart of the festival definitely belonged to the smaller bands with strong local followings. To quote Richard Araiza, the lead singer of The Buttertones: “We’re gonna remember this When We Were Young.”
MUSIC
Changing the Game to “Faggot Chic”
15
How queer rapper ROB. B positions himself into the rap industry By Jordan Daniels Opinions Editor and
Releasing his first EP, “11/11” earlier this month, rapper ROB.B is becoming a catalyst of change for the hypocrisy in the Hip-Hop/Rap game. Growing up heavily influenced by hiphop and west coast rap, I’ve always had trouble fully connecting to lyrics that include words like “faggot” in them. The odd intersection of being gay and loving a music genre that had a habit of seeing my community as subhuman used to put me in a position where I couldn’t decide what I valued more; music or identity? Then along came ROB.B, the stage persona of Robby Zumaya, who defines his sound as “faggot chic.” As a queer person of color, the reclamation of this hip-hop vernacular depowers the offense of the word
empowers ROB.B to associate it with other words like “Boss.” “This a lane that needs to be conquered, especially in a terrain that is so unwelcoming,” says ROB.B, who critiques his field as being hypocritical despite it being created as cry for recognition. “You can’t turn away one community when you’re screaming for equality from someone else.” Even with his thoughts on this important change, ROB.B credits his influence to join the the rap game to the east coast sound of the ‘90s. Rappers like Notorious B.I.G. and Nas inspired him to begin his path, but it was artists Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown who really pushed him to bust out rhymes and flows, the former which he identifies as his “superwoman.” You hear some of these influences in “Block to Block,” which is imbued with ‘90s vibes laid on a Controllaesque beat and even gives nods to songs like Biggie’s “Big Poppa” and Montell J o r d a n ’ s “This Is How We Do It.” However, it wasn’t just music that was a driving force that got to him creating his own space in the industry. He gives a lot of credit to his
Photos courtesy of ROB. B late parents, especially his mother who always supported him as he began his work. He notes that he takes his work seriously because he pushes himself to get where they would want them to be in his career. “I’m the legacy that they have right now,” said ROB.B. “If I can make a name for myself, I’m making a name for them.” In “Closer to My Dreams,” the last track on his EP, he has a recording of a voicemail from his mother telling him how much she loves him. ROB.B claims that whenever he is need of inspiration, he listens to the track. His EP “11/11,” which is also self-produced, is an 8-track album that is truly a mix of different styles and sounds. It is his space for experimentation, but there is a sense of mastery behind it. He’s a full-on independent artist and exerts creative control over his work, which is evident through his music and his refusal to be placed in a box. “I’m unapologetically me,” says ROB.B. “I find comfort in other artists and if someone can find that in me, then I am paying it forward.” Deviating a bit from ROB.B, Zumaya also identifies an activist, but refrains from the “save the world” narrative that the word warrants. “If I see something that I don’t think is right, then I will be a very vocal
“He exerts creative control over his work, which is evident through his music and his refusal to be placed in a box.”
person,” s a y s Zumaya. “I’m willing to listen, learn and also help people come to a mutual conclusion. We’re all so limited to our perspectives... from the narrative that your life has created for you.” Earlier this year, Zumaya was featured in the #RestInPride campaign, which honored the lives lost during the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, in June. Now, his activism relates a lot more to his music. He notes that he writes for his community, crafting his words and experiences to tell a story that he hopes his audience will find enjoyable as well as relatable. “I want my impact to be, ‘Dude this fag is doing it and he’s not a joke,’” says ROB.B. “I want people to see the insight in what I’m writing and see the potential.” Still on the high from the 11/11 release, ROB.B’s potential is clear, as well as his path to being a name in the game.
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.
17 CULTURE
Xiangmin (top), director of the institute, painting calligraphy on cloth, paper cutting (middle) showing the animals of the Chinese zodiac and Quijano’s plum blossom tree painting (bottom). A student getting taught how to paint a panda eating bamboo (center).
Broad Strokes Participating in the Chinese Cultural Exhibition Words and Photos by Martha Giron Quijano Staff Writer The Confucius Institute at CSULB celebrated Confucius Day on Thursday September 22nd by having a Chinese Cultural Exhibition, allowing students to participate in three hands-on art activities. Paper cutting was one of the activities. You got to choose different patterns with varying difficulty, from the easiest (an apple) to the hardest (a dragon). I got something in-between by choosing the monkey. I was informed by the instructor that I had made a good choice because according to the Chinese calendar, 2016 is the Year of the Monkey. It was a fairly easy task and wanted to do another one as soon as I finished making my paper monkey. I chose a symbol that looked cool but wanted to know what it meant first. The instructor told me that the symbol I chose meant double happiness. First the monkey and now the symbol? I
felt like a lucky day was approaching for me. After we all finished, we were asked to choose which animal from the Chinese zodiac sign book we wanted to take home. I figured the most logical thing was to pick a pig because it falls under the year that I was born. On the other side were the calligraphy and painting activities. You could choose to either write out a Chinese symbol or word, paint a panda eating bamboo, or paint a plum blossom tree. I went with what I felt required little artistic skill which was the plum blossom tree. Another instructor was there to help
and she started off by giving me a paper plate and taking her brush to put a few droplets of black ink onto it. The trick to “painting” a plum blossom is by moving the plate or blowing on the ink to give it the effect of branches growing from corner to corner. Once satisfied with the outcome, you can add the blossoms by dotting red paint on different parts of the branch. You’d be surprised as I was to see that it doesn’t look that bad. Xiangmin Li, director of the institute representing China, was manning the calligraphy station and welcomed anyone to come and create their own piece. As I
“The gleeful colors of their dresses matched their welcoming smiles.”
sat closeby to watch another student, he noticed the plum blossom tree painting I had made. “Plum blossoms are found mostly in Southern China...they bloom in the winter which is why we think it has some kind of special spirit,” Li said. What really drew me in were the women in traditional Chinese dresses. There were an array of colors ranging from silky rich reds with golden accessories matching the dress’ intricate patterns to a royal blue that seemed to shine as the sun hit it. They were all so colorful, you couldn’t help but to draw your attention towards them. The gleeful colors of their dresses matched their welcoming smiles. Li explained that the Confucius Institute is all over the world with over 100 in the U.S. alone. He said that the purpose of the institute is to teach people about the Chinese language and culture and to build friendships with those around the world.
18 ENTERTAINMENT
How to Be a Latino in Hollywood How the movie industry misrepresents Latinos By Lizbeth Galeno Contributor
It is not a secret that Latinos are rarely the Holly wood leads. They’re the best friend, the sensual one, the Latin Lover or if you’re Sofia Vergara, the favorite joke. It begs the question, why aren’t Latinos getting more lead roles and why aren’t their characters more than a stereotype? According to Motion Picture Association of America’s Theatrical Market Statistics, Latino movies made up 21 percent of tickets sold at the box office in 2016. Why isn’t this encouraging producers to create stories that represent a major part of their audience? When Latinos are consistently being portrayed as someone’s gardener or maid, it not only creates a dangerous stigma, it also limits the aspirations that Latinos get to have for themselves. With the odds against them, it becomes harder for these people to see themselves in a positive light. “[The odds against Latinos]
makes me more determined,” said Xally Salgado, a Mexican American journalism student at CSULB. “I feel like we should push and try to bring in more faces from the Latino community.” S a l g a d o is currently producing a Spanish talk show, Beach Views En Español, where she invites Latin American organizations on campus to spread awareness about this and send positive messages. “I want to bring awareness to resources that we have on and off
campus that Latinos aren’t aware of,” said Salgado. “I feel like we have to start trying at all angles. If we bring more Latinos to television, it’s going to start a trend. It’s giving us a voice, and I hope it encourages people to create more Spanish content.” W o r k i n g alongside her for Beach Views En Español is CSULB professor and Emmy Award winner, Rafael Nieto. With nearly 40 years’ worth of experience as a producer, screenwriter and producer, Nieto is
“When Latinos
are consistently
being portrayed as
someone’s gardener or maid, it not only
creates a dangerous
stigma, it also limits the aspirations that
Latinos get to have for themselves.”
someone who has seen how the odds were against him from the beginning of his career. “I knew there was a lot of stories that needed to be told,” Nieto said. “I just thought, why aren’t they doing this? Why isn’t this being done?” “When I was younger I had a lot of anger,” said Nieto. “Not toward any group but toward apathy. If it didn’t affect them then people didn’t care. You learn your place.” Since the beginning of Nieto’s career until now, representation has changed. How to Be a Latin Lover, for example, became the No. 2 film at the box office last weekend. That doesn’t mean, however, that all the stories have been told. “When you take young kids going to the movies or watching content on television, if they don’t see the heroes look like them, they’re going to think they can’t be heroes,” said Nieto.
Consoles hinder gaming’s evolution A short rant on why exclusives suck By Peter R. Clark Entertainment Editor It is amazing that the gaming industry has made it this far into its life and it still insists on making exclusives common place. Exclusives only hinder the evolution of gaming, and the age of exclusives needs to die. Companies like Naughty Dog and 343 are stuck under a rock. They hide behinds their publishers and only release games for whichever console their publisher owns. Sony is the most egregious of these companies. With the recent release of Horizon: Zero Dawn and the future release of The Last of Us 2, it just shows how greedy a company can be. Instead of letting the entire gaming population bask in the glor y that are excellent games, they hide themselves in the safe and secure asylum that is the PS4 . Instead of perhaps making more money through cross-platform sales, they instead prefer to live in a bubble. They believe that if you have a console exclusive, people will want to buy that console.
John Mueller/Graphics Illustrator Wrong. There is no reason to buy a PS4 for one game. It doesn’t matter if that game is great. It doesn’t matter if that game
is worth the price of the console. It doesn’t matter if the game is revolution. What matters is that a greedy company decides that they just want a company
to themselves. Some may argue that exclusives are good. It keeps a console alive. It allows for competition. They are all wrong. All it does it provide a monopoly on a product. It sounds criminal, but companies have been getting away with it for years. Sure, you could say that the PC has thousands of exclusives that the consoles will never get their hands on. Well that is a different case. You see, if consoles never existed and PCs were the only way for gamers to play games, then this issue would have never existed. PCs are the dominant platform. They have more power and more advanced capabilities. At every juncture, a console is left in the dust. And yet these companies still want to create exclusives for their outdated wannabe PCs. Therefore, in today’s market of gaming, exclusives only act to hinder progress. They only enforce the trend of bad business in gaming, and seek to punish gamers. A game is art. And art should be appreciated by all.
19 ENTERTAINMENT
Getting lost in a robotic wonderland By Samantha Neou Contributor
A day at the amusement park Westworld isn’t your average day at Disneyland. Instead of riding roller coasters and taking pictures with fairytale characters, you can have gratuitous sex or go on a murdering spree. It’s almost like playing a virtual reality version of the video game “Red Dead Redemption,” but with a dash of “Grand Theft Auto.” Inspired by Michael Crichton’s 1973 film of the same name, “Westworld” is HBO’s new and promising sci-fi thriller that is widely labeled as the next “Game of Thrones.” The show’s all star cast includes Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden and Luke Hemsworth (you heard that right). It centers on a Western theme park where you can live out all your fantasies and indulge them without consequence, no matter how dark, obscene, or violent they are. This is made possible by the park’s robotic “hosts” who are designed to cater to every will of their human guests. They’re not allowed to harm vacationers or think for themselves. They are there to be a part of a crafted narrative and be rebooted the next day with another role for them to play. It’s routine. Clinical. So what happens to this safe environment once the hosts realize their lives are all scripted? Are the programmed or perhaps sentient hosts much more humane than the vacationers who revel in their greed, lust, and power? “Westworld” explores this clash between human and artificial intelligence right away in the pilot. One of the oldest hosts begins to malfunction, recalling memories he shouldn’t. A long-time guest goes rogue, not satisfied with the narratives he has played over and over again. The creators of the park already have to decide if it should be shut down. It accomplishes everything a pilot should, providing enough answers and questions. It’s a great concept that presents thematic elements that challenge
viewers to reflect on the technology of our time, the morality of such a park, and what it means to be human. It’s refreshing, provocative, ambitious and chilling all at the same time. So is “Westworld” the next HBO hit? With a reported $100 million budget for its first 10-episode season and considering the 3.3 million viewers that watched the premiere, making it HBO’s most watched series premiere in nearly three years, it had better be. I don’t know about you, but I’m tuning in on Sundays at 9 p.m. to find out. If you haven’t started, you can stream the pilot legally on the HBO site for free.
“Westworld” Airs Saturdays at 9pm EST on HBO or via HBO GO/NOW Creators: Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy Nolan Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Anthony Hopkins, James Marsden, Ed Harris, Thandie Newton, Jeffery Wright, Luke Hemsworth. Images sourced from imdb.com
FOOD | G9
POLITICS | G8
Horse meat is actually delicious. Better than human.
When is this guy going to get impeached?
THE GRUNION BI-WEEKLY Tuesday, May 23rd, 2017
STAFFERS Mercedes Colomar Grunion Editor Cervantes LeMans Waste Collector Olivia Ofrenda Design Executor
WEATHER TODAY
NONE
TOMORROW
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LOCAL Area Man and Local Man in dispute over who is more relevant On a brisk Thursday night, Area Man and Local Man held a townhall meeting debating the facets of their relevance. Judge declared that neither are more relevant. Local Man... G2
UNDERWORLD
‘You can’t deport the dead!’ Trump apparently trying to reach his tiny hands into the Underworld on Wednesday when he tried to deport billions of boney inhabitants. He doesn’t understand anything. G9
SPORTSBALL I’m getting sick and tired of people calling it “Sportsball”! Not all sports have balls! Grow a pair yourself and figure out what game is what. It’s hecking ridicuolus that people are stilling calling it that. Back in...G5
The Grunion is a work of satire. It in no way reflects the views of Long Beach Union Weekly or Associated Students Inc.
GOODBYE FOREVER FOR REAL.
Volume 80 Issue 16
Submissions: grunion@lbunion.com
Fruits demand equal shelf life with Vegetables By Cervantes LeMans
STAFF INFECTION
Vegetables across the nation are being attacked for their vegetable privileges. After 3 years of facing fruicistic oppression, fruit citizens are coming out to speak of the vegetables’ atrocities and their systematic grocery ways of oppression. Fruicism is a controversial topic that cannot be ignored. Aisles still segregate food based on discriminating factors such as if they come in cans, plastic bags, or by their color of their pricing. “Vegetables live in disillusion, they think that the danger is blackberries, brown dates, and yellow bananas,” said Professor Cashew, fruit community social activist. According to fruicist expert and sexuality researcher, Cherry Bananas, “Fruits have little say in representation of their image. If you look at movies, ads, or literature, fruits are exotic and hypersexualized. It’s unfair to compare them to vegetables which often vegetables themselves are seen with images of higher class and higher standards.” “I think it’s a bit fucked up to be judged on the weight of your calories,
Journalists suck
By Jack Goff OLD FUCK
Back in my day, journalists did things a little differently. We reported the facts, drank heavily on the job and casually made what you kids consider “sexist” and “racist” comments. Ah, what a time. I miss it, but it’s in the past. We were men back then.We followed a code of ethics when it suited us. We got all of the pertinent facts. These were the pillars of journalism. But it seems as if too many of you kids are hellbent on eschewing these in favor popularity, much like that Kanye West with his hip-hoppity music. The way I see it, journalists suck now. They use big words, complex sentences, and statistics.
expiration date, or even, how much you can offer to the customers. Whether you are G.M.O. or organic, people select you on fruicism mentality,” says Lemorange, citrus citizen. Lemorange’s parents are from two different races. His father is from orange country while his mother is half lemon and half persian lime. Recently, in 2012, doctorate gardeners from Cabbage Patch University released a report that most gardeners believe that fruit’s physiology are more resistant to bugs and insects. Therefore, they are less likely to be given pesticides compared to vegetables whom are often given pesticides. Because of such fruicist practices, more vegetables outlive fruits. This fruicist concept stems from 19th century fruit phrenology. Back when psychology was barely coming out of the grounds, most of those pseudo-psycho phrenologist were vegetables. “Look if you have vegetable privileges, you do not have to not worry about being picked and being thrown in the bad produce section. If you are a fruit, well, you are more likely to be seen as rotten, spoiled, and tasteless,” according to Chief
Romaine Lettuce. Whether or not fruicism is denied, we want you to be aware of the dangers of such ignorant ideologies to society. Fruicistic systematic markets should not be a disadvantage for fruits and advantages for vegetables. If frucisim did end in the 1970s during the Grocery Rights Era, then we should see low glucose rates, high nutritions rates, and less contamination rates for fruits compared to their vegetable privileged “watered” neighbors. “Fruicism are institutional practices that discriminate even when there is no fruit prejudice intent. I think we need to seriously educate vegetables of their blind privileges and change the way powerful grocery structures are made as of now. Segregation of food is still a thing. If you do not believe me, look at at the aisles in grocery stores. Cereals and breads are separated. They are literally from the same family. The social evidence is clear as crystal water,” comments Oscar Meyers, community food psychologist. In non-sequitur news, there was a lot of on-armed conflicts in Asia and Africa. I’m surprised social media never talked about it.
They judge readers instead of informing them. It’s almost like they all stand around and jerk each other off for the sake of what they call “journalism.” Listen, I know I may have offended some people in my time but at least I had some integrity and racism. I upheld the values of journalism and racism. See, I’m no fan of President Trump and racism. He’s loud and pompous and weak-willed. I knew he was a pussy when I read that he wouldn’t be attending the White House Correspondents Dinner. His skin must be thinner than the young lady I made advances on last week. Still, you have to consider that the small-handed orange man may be on to something. Are we, as journalists, out of touch? Are we no longer representing the interests of the people and advertisers we swore to represent? Are we not racist
enough? Shall we return to the good old days of discriminations, referring to inhumane descriptions of coloured American citizens and immigrants of this proud country? Can we go back to the good old days of Benjamin Franklin, back when landowners could vote? Can we really love our Catholic neighbors and give them crap about having a President Kennedy as a president? I mean come on! We had a Catholic president get shot in Texas. I mean seriously, I haven’t seen people freak out over having a controversial president since Obama’s inaugaration. Then again, my great-greatgrandma made Old Fashions with blueberries than cherries. Ah, that reminds me of the days before Roe v. Wade case became sensational, we had segregation in the news. We had cold facts against the Vietnam War. Or was it the Korean War. I can’t remember...or was it...I thi...zzzzzz
ASK MS. COLOMAR DEAR MS. COLOMAR, I have this problem. You see, my penis isn’t exactly all that long, but it certainly is wide. My girl doesn’t like girthy dicks, and I’m not exactly sure what to do. What advice can you give for a man whose dick is too girthy? FROM, Daddy Girth DEAR DADDY GIRTH, Find a way to incorporate it into different parts of her everyday life to persuade her of its uses. Is she all hot and sweaty after a jog? Make like one of those handheld battery fans and rotate that thing. Is she into gardening? Bam. Use that girthy trowel and dig your girl some holes for her petunias or whatever the fuck she plants. To put it simply, Mr. Daddy, if she doesn’t like your girth, she simply has yet to know its worth. Show it to her. DEAR MS. COLOMAR, I like food. On my body. Feet. Help. FROM, Inarticulate Foodie DEAR INARTICULATE FOODIE, Help? You don’t need help. In your brief, succint speech, it seems that you know exactly what you want. Take a Taco Bell Quesarito — Taco Bell, sponsor me so I can get more Quesaritos, please — and slather that shit all over your body, because that’s just the kind of cheap, fulfilling fun you’re looking for. Feel the sauce of indistinguishable origin seep through your toes. Find a man, or woman, or fellow Quesarito lover like myself and let them properly pay homage to your cheesy center. Actually, call me. 382-563-3759 DEAR MS. COLOMAR, How do I eat vagina? I want to eat vagina. How do? I. Eat. Vagina. FROM, Inarticulate Cunning Lingust DEAR CUNNING LINGUIST, I’d say you’ve already got the important part down - the not speaking bit. People all too often assume that their partner gives a shit about what they’re saying when they’re going down on them. News flash, we don’t. We don’t care, Olivia. We don’t care that you’re pissed that the Grunion is dying, all I care about is you finding the little man in the skeleton boat because no one’s ever gotten an orgasm from someone fucking SPEAKING to them, so please just stop complaining about losing your job and licI digress. Look, you’re already inarticulate. Use those flapping lips to kiss some other flapping lips and you’ll do just fine. Maybe in time you can teach SOMEONE a thing or two.