NEWS
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Undocumented
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Relief Grant
Honored With
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California State University, Dominguez Hills
December 3, 2020 • VOL. 26, NO. 7
csudhbulletin.com
@dhbulletin
Green Economic$
By Yeymy Garcia | Production Editor
Todd Mathews Bullletin
Build it And They Will Come. . .Eventually It’ll be nine months until most Toros set foot on campus, but when they do they’ll see what’s been birthed in their absence.The104,000-square-foot Innovation and Instruction Building (lower left) is still getting the window treatment, but when it opens next fall it will join the finished 504-bed residence hall (above) which opened this semester, and the Science and Instruction Building, which came online in the summer.
A crew connected to campus is fired up because they scored nearly $2 million last month and plan to spend every cent on pot. Researching it, that is. CSUDH was one of 35 pubic universities in California to receive a chunk of the $30 million in grants awarded by the Bureau of Cannabis Control, the state agency that regulates licenses for medical and adult-use cannabis as part of its mission to evaluate the impacts of our legal cannabis system. “It feels very good to have CSUDH’s proposal selected, for the uniqueness of our proposal acknowledged, our scholarship represented in a state funded study, and to be doing research alongside INSIDE
Racial task force gets working Page 5.
(other state) universities,” Dr. Anthony Samad, who is spearheading the research proposal, said. “It shows our capacity to collaborate across campus in a significant and competitive way.” CSUDH’s grant of $1.86 million was the third largest, and it was the only California State University other than CSU Humboldt to receive one. More than 150 universities
applied, and each needed to submit a research proposal that fell into a specific area, including public health , criminal justice and political safety, environmental impacts, cannabis industry regulation or economic. Dr. Samad is the principal investigator of the research project, Cannabis Industry in South Bay Los Angeles. He’s lined by representatives of CSUDH’s South Bay Economics Institute, including:: Dr. Jennifer Brodmann, Dr. Jose Martinez, Dr. Fynnwin Prager, and College of Business Administration and Public Policy (CBAPP) representative Dr. Rama Malladi. The focus of their research will the economic and social impacts of the marijuana industry in the South Bay. The team hopes its research will help not only policy makers in the South Bay and California, but nationwide. Dr. Malladi said it will research inequities in the South Bay cannabis market, conduct an economic impact analysis of Proposition 64, and examine job creation, cannabis tax revenue, legal and illicit market prices, reasons behind tax evasion by ethnic groups, and assess criminal justice policy impacts [See CANNABIS, page 5]
Senate Extends Drop Deadline to Dec. 23 Parham drops own bomb: virtual campus for at least 8 next weeks By Robert Rios | Campus Editor The California State University, Dominguez Hills Academic Senate yesterday voted to extend the final day students can petition to withdrawal from a class until Dec. 23, 12 days after the last day of finals and one week after instructors need to submit
their finals grades. Traditionally, students need a serious and compelling reason to withdraw after the 11th week of a semester, and a serious accident or illness to withdraw up until finals week. Extending the drop deadline to a week after the semes-
ter officially ends isn’t what CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham was referring to as he addressed the senate shortly before the drop deadline was brought to the floor. But he was talking about the same thing that prompted the senate to push the dead-
line back so deeply in December,COVID-19. But Parham was talking about the virus in the context of his decision to mostly shut the campus down the next eight weeks, including the first two weeks of the spring semester. The drop deadline exten-
sion wasn’t about the future, however, it was about the now and the past 14 weeks, and all those students who have either been overwhelmed, slipped through the cracks, or just given up their schoolwork [See EXTENDED, page 5]
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Skinny Pocket vs the Wonderful World of Streaming By Carlos Martinez | Web Editor Streaming services are the kings of entertainment. They allowed us to huddle up with our favorite shows such as “The Office” where we can introduce them to a new generation, while also becoming the lifeline for great shows that couldn’t survive the network landscape and provided them a second life such as “Lucifer,” “Veronica Mars” and “Arrested Development.” What started out as a humble and cheaper alternative to evil, cable TV, streaming services easily became the staple of at-home entertainment. During California’s first stayat-home order in March, the demand for streaming services went above more than 12% according to Forbes. As more people are watching and subscribing to services as they are sheltering from the ongoing pandemic at home, the cruel law of microeconomics comes into effect: as the demand for something goes up, so does the price. In October, Netflix announced that it would raise prices on their services again with Hulu following shortly after with their live TV options. With the sudden price hikes happening in a pandemic-induced recession are Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Disney Plus—the Four Streaming Horsemen of a social distant faux-pocalypse—worth keeping? Honestly, no. In fact, with the sudden surge of streaming services such as HBO Max, Peacock and the dead-on-arrival Quibi; the
By Freestocks on Unsplash
Streaming services are raising prices as they are slowly becoming the new cable TV. landscape is becoming increasingly complicated. Although each service is cheap on its own, the expenses quickly add up when you have to subscribe to more than one just to rewatch “Friends” for the hundredth time. Don’t take this the wrong way, I enjoy having options to watch whatever I want with the subscriptions that I have with Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus and YouTube TV. When it comes to simple dollars and cents, I am spending as much, if not more, than the base rate of a cable subscription for services that are not always worth it. Netflix will always have a place in my childhood as I had my subscription since I was 13 years old, with mail-in rentals before we had a decent computer that was compatible with streaming. Besides, it’s the service that everyone in my house uses as
entertainment from blockbuster movies and more recently, anime. The elephant in the room needs to be addressed. Netflix is notorious for canceling shows left and right before shows reach their full potential. The big and mighty streaming service was the trendsetter of shows with series such as “Orange Is the New Black” and “Stranger Things.” Now Netflix’s business practice is short term quantities over long term qualities, canceling some of my favorites “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and the 2017 reboot of “One Day at Time” right when the shows have finally discovered their voice. Spending $17 for half-baked content is a horrible deal, but something that I’ll end up throwing my fistfuls of change at as it’s too valuable in my home to cancel.
Hulu and Disney Plus could easily take over Netflix’s slot on my Roku device and my Playstation 5. By relieving myself from Netflix’s plushy service, I can manage to keep more money in my wallet. However, I’m a modern kind of dude, and in today’s pop-culture obsessed world the fear of missing out is real. You know how hard it is to make conversation on social media if you aren’t watching (or at least attempting to) the trending shows? I know I’m contradicting myself as I write an article that suggests cutting back on streaming services, and I can’t even release myself from the pull of Netflix, which admittedly isn’t a necessity to me anymore. I know I’ll miss shows like “Stranger Things,” but having just Hulu and Disney Plus is perfect for me. However, no matter how
understand the situation that the nation is in and are also providing alternatives to potential shoppers online. Traditional pre-Covid Black Friday of the past is no longer, and this new pandemic society Black Friday has changed the landscape of socitetes peak shopping season. Instead of hundreds, thousands lined up haphazardly outside of a shop batting rams (read: shopping carts) in hand, it’s completely differen now that there are limitations on peo-
ple allowed inside a store at a time, more social distancing, and a set curfew for people to be outside. That should be more than enough reasons to stay home and be excited for Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday is the way to go this year, as most of the discounts and sales are reflected both in-store and online. Shopping online reduces the risk of COVID-19 transmission to the individual self, the people working at the store, and overall keeps the
number of cases low. As usual, people were still going to the malls and shopping centers to buy gifts over the past few weekends leading up to Black Friday. And of course they Making made sure to that they post their findings all over social media, but all it did was show showing them breaking quarantine rules to shop materialist items in store. Posting videos and photos on social media buying the newest materialist item of the
Black Friday Delusion
many times I tell myself to leave, I have a bad case of FOMO when it comes to shows. So for now, I’m shackled to my first “streaming” love. Don’t take this the wrong way, Hulu and Disney Plus are great services in their own right that have amazing shows such as “The Mandalorian” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.” YouTube TV is another can of worms that I’m trapped in. The streaming service should ideally lets people watch cable and network channels over the internet while only paying a fraction of the price of a traditional cable/satellite service or owning additional equipment. When I first subscribed to the service in 2018, I was only paying about $30 a month while having the option to share my service with family members with their own Google accounts. Back in July, it was announced they would raise their prices to $60 a month, overpricing Spectrum’s basic cable tier. In order to justify the ridiculous price hike, they’ve added more channels and partnerships with national broadcasting stations like PBS, but honestly it defeats the purpose of being an alternative to cable. In the end, it’s not the small price hikes from each streaming service that’s a big turn-off to hang onto multiple services. It’s the principle of what the industry built itself upon a cheaper alternative to a cable contract and providing a seemingly endless amount of quality content.
By Cindy Canas | Staff Writer Stay home, this year should be an excuse to NOT buy a lot of materialistic gifts for those “close” relatives that you only speak to during the holidays. As the number of COVID-19 cases rises, once again, in Los Angeles County and a second shutdown is imminent, there should be no priority placed on buying gifts for Black Friday. Black Friday deals for the majority are online and extended throughout the month. All major retail companies
year with a group of people in a crowded area are not the way to go especially being in the purple tier in Los Angeles County. According to the Census Bureau, the majority of people working retail are over the age of 16. Some are college students working in retail to earn money to pay tuition for zoom university this year, helping out their family financially, and saving money for other [See DELUSION, page 10]
STAFF BOX EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jasmine Nguyen MANAGING EDITOR Taylor Helmes PRODUCTION MANAGER Yeymy Garcia NEWS EDITOR Brenda Fernanda Verano CAMPUS EDITOR Robert Rios
POLITICS EDITOR Iracema Navarro CULTURE EDITOR Darlene Maes PHOTO EDITOR Nova Blanco-Rico SPORTS EDITOR Jeremy Gonzalez OPINION EDITOR Destiny Jackson
RE P O RT E RS Matt Barrero Raven Brown Cindy Canas Andrea Espinoza Melanie Gerner Jonathan Ghattas Luis Guitierrez Darlene Maes
Carlos Martinez Chris Martinez Jeannette Montoya Ruby Munoz Carina Noyola Taylor Ogata Daniel Tom Anthony Vasquez
LAYOUT ADVISER Joseph Witrago LAYOUT ASSISTANTS Luis Guitierrez Chris Martinez EDITORIAL ADVISER Daniel Vasquez ADVISER Joel Beers
The print and digital version of the CSUDH Bulletin is published bi-weekly and is produced by students in Communications 355, News Production workshop. The views and expressions contained on both do not necessarily reflect that of the Communications Department, or the CSUDH administration.
The Bulletin operates within, and is protected by, the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Comments, criticism, and story ideas can be emailed to bulletin@csudh.edu. We reserve the right to edit any letters for length, grammar and punctuation, and libel.
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Six Days Living in Red By Iracema Navarro | Politics Editor For two days straight, I had a mix of emotions for an upcoming trip. I was excited to see my three aunts and seven cousins who I had not seen for over six years, but I also felt a gut wrench feeling of all the things that would happen in the place where I was traveling to. My Hispanic family and I were about to travel to the red state of Iowa. A state that President Trump maintained red with over 53% of the votes in the presidential elections after both Trump and Joe Biden traveled in the final week of their campaigns. I had researched more about the politics of Iowa than the weather or my family’s itinerary plan. Being from the liberal state of California, I wanted to learn how to fit in the conservative suburbia. In order to this, I needed to know how to act, what were the political trigger words, and how to avoid bringing them up in a conversation to prevent myself from being an outcast as soon as the plane landed. Before the trip, I had a 30-minute conversation with my family to warn them about any possible hardships we might have to face in the six days of living in Iowa. Looking at the faces of my Mexican-born parents brought a deeper fear in me—should we even continue with this trip? What also helped me prepare for my trip was the constant communication with my 20 year old cousin who is currently a sophomore at The
University of Iowa. She would reassure me that my family and I would have a nice and exciting trip with our loved ones. But it was the last thing she told me that finally put my mind at ease: on her block, there was a home that proudly displayed their Black Lives Matter sign on the lawn. The moment came when my family and I drove into the city, passing the Storm Lake sign. My parents were sleeping in the back seat and my sister and I couldn’t stop talking about the first traffic ticket I received in my nine years of driving experience on the way to the city. Driving with the nice welcome of Iowa, my violation ticket reminded me that I was in a different territory. The speed limit was 55 mph, not 56 or 65, roads are pitched black, no vehicles near me, and abandoned homes that I couldn’t keep count of. Hoping to continue the trip with only one nice welcome, I lowered the volume to my music and began driving with two hands on the wheel. I was hoping to live for six days with no political interaction, where no one could see our large Mexican family and try to politicize us unfairly. My family and I did a pretty good job on that with no Biden and Harris t-shirts on or driving with the windows down and playing as loud as we can the famous YG song. When I arrived I felt a sudden sense of betrayal by my cousin. Every house on the block had either an All Lives
Matter or a Trump/Pence 2020 banner or sign. Looking desperately for the house my cousin had mentioned with the Black Lives Matter sign was nowhere to be seen until I pulled up to my cousin’s driveway. My cousin’s home was the only one in the block with a Black Lives Matter sign near a newly placed mailbox because the previous one she had was previously smashed down by an unknown person but we shared an inkling as to why. I couldn’t think any more of what I could do. Unfortunately, I had to remind myself of where I was. I arrived in Buena Vista County where nearly 62% of the votes were for Trump.
There was nothing me, my cousin, nor my family could do. With a population of over 3 million, I was standing in an enemy zone. It felt and seemed like an enemy zone because people lived much differently in my relatively diverse city of Carson, California. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, in May 2018, Iowa was ranked first in pig inventory, corn export value, and egg production in the United States. In every direction, I saw while in Iowa, there were field crops, barns, tractors, and pig factories. It was impossible to forget that Iowa was definitely an agricultural state with more
than 85% of the land being dedicated to farming. Views and issues are different in Iowa than in California. Most farmers are lifelong republicans who have been suffering from Trump’s trade war with China and the current pandemic. Knowing farmers is a key voting and economic group, President Trump and his administration have sent federal payments of nearly $46 billion to support American farmers. With agriculture issues mentioned and discussed more by Republican representatives, senators, and presidents, it is no wonder why Iowa is a red state.
rectors of athletic communications Rick Hoskin and Kaiber Takamiya, with Toros Athletics. In my role, I assisted with ingame operations aspects of events that included setting up and tearing down equipment, operating the many cameras on a pay-per-view broadcast of home athletic events, along with being the music director and public address announcer for select basketball, volleyball, softball, and all baseball games. Outside of CSUDH, I keep myself busy providing the same announcing and music services to local high schools and community colleges in the South Bay area, along with working a 40-game collegiate summer league baseball season. It’s safe to say that I had enough on my plate to keep me occupied throughout the year with sports. For 45 weeks out of the year, my calendar was stacked to the brim with events that kept me on my toes, and best of all allowed me to do what I loved all while getting paid to do it. But, when all that goes away
what’s your next move? I wasn’t entirely sure. Up until the pandemic, all I knew was sports and working in that industry. For the first few weeks, it gave me time to relax and focus on myself, something I never seemed to do when I was working. After a few months, I began to feel restless and wondered when things would be safe for a phased return of sports. While keeping the thoughts in the back of my mind, I started to think if this was going to be indefinite, I would need a Plan B. In high school when I first started my career I figured I could make more than enough money to make a living off my announcing work. That prediction was flat out wrong. Public Address Announcing and most event management positions are part-time work and are nearly not enough to make ends meet to survive. It’s always safe to have a backup plan in place and have another source of income. For example, Eric Smith; the stadium and arena voice of Los Angeles sports (Clippers, USC
Football, LAFC, Wildcats) supplements his income by being a high school teacher. My worries about the future became secondary as the pandemic raged on. In my case, not having games to announce regularly turned into recording personalized voiceovers for people who requested them at a nominal fee on top of getting ahead with my schoolwork. My unexpected downtime has given me a chance to try new things and expand my horizons. This semester, I’ve had the privilege of writing for the campus newspaper and to find my voice as a journalist, and share some great stories from around our campus. Surprisingly, this newfound appreciation for journalism wasn’t part of my plan. By not having games to work, it’s allowed me to shift some time back to myself and to experiment with things I would have never thought about trying. In a way, the campus newspaper has been a blessing in disguise. The same way I prepared for multiple games during the week,
I was able to apply to my stories to give my audience something new to learn every time a story was published. Additionally, this has given me a confidence boost I’ve never had as a writer. It gave me more individuality and allowed me to find myself as a reporter. I could insert my own personality, while not missing the mark on telling the facts and pertinent information of a story. In a time like this, I’ve embraced the situations I’ve been placed in. While I do miss the people I work with, the atmosphere, and the experience in announcing games, I’ve learned there are much bigger things going on around me besides sports. This was a reality check of sorts and something I think I needed without even realizing it. When sports do return and I have the privilege to get back to doing what I love, I’ll enjoy each game, each interaction, each thrilling moment more than I did before and not take the grind for granted. Because in a blink of an eye, it could all just disappear.
Iracema Navarro Bullletin
Discarded lonely Black Lives Matter sign on the streets of Storm Lake, Iowa.
An Open Door to New Opportunity By Daniel Tom | Staff Reporter
Photo courtesy of Daniel Tom
The writer pictured courtside at CSUDH Men’s Basketball game.
Editor’s Note: The writer of this story is a student employee with the California State University, Dominguez Hills Athletics Department.
257 days. That’s how long it’s been since I was last involved in working an athletic event. For seven years, and the last four at California State University, Dominguez Hills, I’ve had the privilege of working with the athletics department under the guidance of two di-
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CSUDH Undocumented Students Earn Relief By Matt Barrero | Assistant Sports Editor As COVID-19 surges, California State University and University of California students continue to face financial strains, causing concerns for many students. One group particularly vulnerable is the undocumented student population at CSUDH But the California Disaster Relief Emergency Grant has recently provided students in the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program exactly what’s in the title: relief. In March, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Additionally, the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), a provision of the CARES Act, provided money to universities to assist with COVID-19-related expenses
and gave direct aid to students most in need, but DACA students were left out. Undocumented students who fall under DACA, a 2012 program established to shield children from deportation who were brought into the country illegally have dealt with much uncertainty since September, 2017, when the Trump Administration announced its plan to end the program when it comes to their education. CSUs and UCs announced in May that they would give emergency grants to DACA students, after Education Secretary Betsy DeVos excluded them from the $6 billion set aside to assist college students statewide. CSUDH received approximately $18.4 million of emergency stimulus funds
through HEERF, of which half, or $9.2 million, went to students. To be eligible for the support funds, students had to be enrolled full-time (12+ units) as an undergraduate, and must have earned at least 24 semester units. Additionally they needed to be low-income, with a maximum Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) of $5,576 (equivalent to eligibility for Pell Grant) or eligible for a California College Promise Grant Fee Waiver (formerly known as the BOG fee waiver). But things have taken a turn and began to look better for some of the approximately 500 DACA students at CSUDH. The Financial Aid Office recently informed some of them, via email, of the emergency funds and how
much each student would be receiving. The email sent out to some DACA students read: “Dear (insert student name here), “Senate Bill 116 has made funds available to eligible AB540 students for the Fall 2020 semester. You have been awarded $xxx.xx in CA disaster Relief Emergency Grant. Please login to the Student Center to view your revised award. If you are enrolled in direct deposit, you should receive the funds within a few days. If not, a paper check will be mailed to the mailing address listed on the student portal.” The Bulletin reached out to the Financial Aid office for more information and comments on the fund but did not hear anything prior to publi-
cation. The basic needs of students, including those who are undocumented, is something that CSUDH has taken seriously semester after semester. One DACA recipient who did not want her name used for this article, said the support from the Basic Needs Program, the Toro Dreamers Success Center, and other academic services have helped her feel a sense of community and support “The Toro Dreamer’s Success has really helped me feel that I’m not alone,” she said. DACA students still face an uncertain future, but for the moment,through assitance from local and federal sources, some of their basic needs are covered.
Racial Task Force Committed to Action, Not Talk By Brenda Fernanda Verano | News Editor The task force formed this summer to examine any overt and covert racism at CSUDH celebrated its four-month anniversary in November with a new name and an increased focus to its mission. The newly named Task Force on Anti-Racism in the Academy has the same purpose as the Task Force on Racial Reconciliation created by CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham this summer, but four months into its work it has discovered specific areas to examine. These include the relative scarcity of Black faculty on campus as well as the need to integrate student voices of this highly diverse campus into its exploration of any institutionalized racism or other inequities. The task force originated in July, a time of worldwide political uprising and mass protest. It was one of the campus’ responses to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and many other Black people in this country. As the name suggests, the task force was tasked to intentionally examine and analyze the university’s explicit and underlying racial attitudes and sentiments that could indicate if CSUDH might be inflicted with anti-Blackness or discrimination. According to a campus-wide July 20 email distributed by Parham, it was important in a time of global demands for justice reform, that CSUDH “enhance our own profile as a university committed to the ideals of social justice.”
Illustration by Nova Blanco-Rico
The Task Force on Anti-Racism has been charged by President Parham to examine all aspects of the university in order to determine if the campus is in alignment with social justice values. He also said in his email that the task force was formed because this campus cannot be “insulated from any analysis that addresses,” its policies and practices regarding race. “We are an institution of higher learning founded on the values of social justice,” Parham continued. “We as a campus community cannot become dispassionate spectators to our own history, but must be active participants in our institutional growth and development, to fulfill our vision to be a model urban university.” In an interview in July with the Bulletin, Dr. Anthony Samad, executive director of the Mervyn Dymally African American Political & Economic Institute and co-chair of the task force said its mission was extensive. “The task force will look at race, conscious and unconscious biases on our cam-
pus within the systems and departments of the university and address historical deficiencies and under-resourcing based on race,” Samad said. Last week, Samad said the task force’s name change came after realizing that it had to represent something more than merely talking about achieving racial equity. “There could not be any racial reconciliation without the examinations of the problem, all of the problems (in the university),” he said. But the work of the task of helping transform the campus into an anti-racist institution has not been easy and will take more time, Samad said. Part of the task force’s fact finding is looking at data and records that have been compiled and collected over decades. Analyzing that data can yield valuable insights into any past patterns that still manifest today.
However, because the data is “disaggregated,“ Samad said, or not in one central location, it is very time-consuming to collect and difficult to analyze. “This is a process,” he said. “You are not going to unpack 400 years or racism, of which much of it has spilled onto our campus, in not-so-subtle ways, in weeks or months,” Samad said. Samad said that although he is aware that some may expect quick results from the task force, the process of looking at the university as a whole will take time. The task force committee will examine each of the university’s six colleges and six administrative divisions, along with affinity groups, academic departments and other organizations on campus. According to the CSU, in 2019, 37% of CSUDH tenured and non-tenured professors
were non-white, while at least 83% of students are nonwhite. “We will look at unconscious bias and exclusions, in many of the departments, hiring committees hire people that look like them,” Samad said. According to Samad, in order to collect additional information and data the task force is planning to send out a campus-wide survey very soon, followed by focus groups. As far as the task force, the members include co-chairs Dr. Samad and Dr. Donna Nicol, chair of the university’s Africana Studies Department, representatives of the Chicano/a and Asian Pacific Studies, the Dymally Institute, SLICE and the American Indian Institute, Psychological Services, and Teacher Education. Everybody currently on the task force represents some aspect of the university, including administration, faculty and staff, enabling it to reflect the wide diversity of this university. “We tried to cover every aspect of the university’s social, ethnic, racial, gender and ideological representations,” Samad said. Another addition to the task force has been student voices. Blake Anger, a graduating senior and vice president of Academic Affairs for Associated Student Inc., has also been part of these meetings. The task force will present its initial report to President Parham with recommenda[See RACISM, page 4]
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this semester. The senate voted 42-0,. with six abstentions to extend the drop deadline until Dec. 23. But while there were no opposing votes, there also didn’t seem much enthusiasm to extend the deadline. “We wanted to make it clear that this policy was going to be in compliance with [state education code] and have the solution we are proposing here essentially both be equitable to our students but also forewarning to what can happen when students elect to use this option,” Academic Senate EPC Chair, Salvatore Russo said. Graduate Studies and Research Dean John Price expressed that even during the pandemic, students should still provide a reason for wanting a W in course. “Last semester when the students started, everything was completely normal, they had no expectations of being shut out of campus,” Price said. “It happened to them in the middle of the semester. For all students this came as a complete shock, but many of them were not prepared.” Price said waiving the
Cannabis From Page 1
on recreational cannabis policy and intended outcomes, Dr. Malladi told The Bulletin. Dr. Samad emphasizes this research project is not about recreational or medical cannabis use, but an all inclusive economic evaluation of Proposition 64, which legalized the recreational use for adults in California. “Prop. 64...has had a lot of social, political and
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unauthorized withdrawal last semester was an acknowledgment that students found themselves in a situation that was not their fault. However, he said this semester is not last semester. “This semester they started knowing they were going to be online,” Price said. (Students] should be either be able to continue the class or they should be able to present some real reason why they were not able to. I think it’s a very different situation.” In most circumstances, students wishing to drop a course through weeks five-11 must fill out a form showing a serious and compelling reason to receive a W. Signatures from their instructor, department chair and college dean are required. Under the parameters approved by the Senate yesterday, students will still have to fill out the form and have it accepted as COVID-19 related, but instructors will not need to sign it. “We would be coding these students as COVID related situation,” Deborah Brandon, associate vice president of Enrollment Management said. One issue students may face when asking for a W in any class is potential impact on their financial aid.
their Satisfactory Academic Progress for financial aid at CSUDH and affect eligibility for all federal and state aid, including grants, student loans, and work-study.
economic ramifications for local governments, particularly around poor communities and communities of color,” Samad said. “We cannot forget the devastating effects that cocaine and crack epidemics had on our communities. There are already some regulatory and manufacturing policy challenges with weed that need to be studied [and there] are also some unintended consequences around retailing and distribution that need to be studied as well.” California began the first steps to legalize cannabis
i1996 with Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act (CUA), which “allowed qualified patients and approved caregivers to possess and cultivate medical cannabis.” It wasn’t until 2016 when California voters passed Prop 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) where adults over 21 can legally grow, possess, and recreationally use cannabis. In 2018, AUMA made it legal for businesses to legally sell and distribute cannabis. Since then, the use of cannabis among college students has only increased. The University of Michigan found in its annual national Monitoring the Future Panel study that the use of marijuana among college students is at its highest since the early 80s with 43% full-time college students reported using marijuana in the past 12 months and 23% in the past 30 days. Seeing that cannabis affects college students, including CSUDH communities, is the reason why Dr. Samad and his team are enthusiastic about this project. “This one excites us because, as a regional study, it is an opportunity to study our communities, which also happen to be the service areas of the university,” Samad said. “It affords us the opportunity to take a firsthand look at how adverse public policy impacts
Illustration by Nova-Blanco Rico
From manufacturing and the prison system, to rising use recreationally, Prop. 64’s effects are still to be determined.
Parham Announcement Parham addressed the senate in his report which included seven items, among them explaining a proposed gaming center in the library is in part an attempt to “meet students where they are” because “too many are falling off the cliff,” in terms of retention. He also told the senate that he would soon be releasing a campus memo directing that 100 percent of all instruction for the next eight weeks be virtual and that every person who walks onto the campus be tested for COVID-19.” Parham said the decision comes after meeting with infectious disease and public health experts, as well as receiving an advisory by CSU Chancellor Timothy White this morning urging presidents at the CSU’s 23 campuses to seriously consider taking steps to mitigate the unrelenting onslaught of a virus that, nearly eight months after it ground the nations’ economy to a halt and has left nearly 275,000 Americans dead, is not only showing no signs of abating, but is actually grow-
THURSDAY, December 3, 2020 ing stronger. “Things are going in the wrong direction,” Parham said, mentioning that hospitalizations in Los Angeles County have quadrupled in a month. Parham said making the decision now to keep everything virtual for eight weeks may lessen the possibility of having to make any changes to the academic calendar, such as delaying the start of the spring semester, which had been discussed last week, he said. But while he said that there is a possibility that the surge won’t be as intense as feared, it could also be worse. “Again, I don’t have the crystal ball, but the…numbers are going through the roof and we are just shy of this whole state going to lockdown and if that happens, we may have to extend,” virtual instruction beyond the first two weeks of the semester, he said. About 8% of classes for the spring have been approved for some level of in-person instruction, Parham said. Under the new directive, none will meet for at least two weeks, and all approved student research projects that would have been performed on campus,have also been postponed.
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Racism From Page 4
tions on what area of campus can be improved over the next three to five years to assist in its evolution to becoming a truly anti-racist institution. “The intent is to turn in an initial recommendation, which will follow a conversation (about) what the president actually wants to proceed with versus what the task force thinks is priority,” Samad said. Samad said the task force should have its initial report done by the end of the year. Regardless of its findings, Samad said the task force has already discovered one issue: having conversations about race can be very difficult for some. “I’ve been in the race conversation for 40 years, however many other folks are not used to talking about race,” he said. But, he said that it must be talked about--and acted upon. “One of the things that we had to do with having a multi racial multi-ethnic ,gender- balanced task force [was] to bring everyone up to speed on what it’s like to be black in America. Some folks know, some folks think they know.”
University of Michigan
As recreational marijuana use increases among ages 19-22, so does its potential economic and social impact. social, political and ecoaim to accomplish the two nomic realities of different visions of CSUDH by recommunities from the same searching a topic that has region.” a significant community Dr. Malladi also finds impact.” another deep connection to Dr. Samad’s team is CSUDH. looking for eight research “Two of the vision stateassistants (both faculty ments of CSUDH state that or students) to help them ‘faculty and staff across the conduct their research for university are engaged in the next two years. Reach serving the dynamic needs out to Dr. Samad (asaof the surrounding commad@csudh.edu), CBAPP munities’ and ‘sustainable (rmalladi@csudh.edu), or environmental, social, and the South Bay Economics economic practices are a Institute (fprager@csudh. way of life,’” Malladi said. edu) if you’re interested in “Through this project, we participating.
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THURSDAY, December 4, 2020
CULTURE
CSUDH BULLETIN
TheFlipKicks Combines Passion and Business
By Anthony Vasquez | Staff Writer, Carina Noyola | Staff Writer Santa Ana native, Rene Marquez is what many would call a sneakerhead, infatuated with the latest releases and collaborations that Nike, Jordan, and brands alike release. He must have his hands on the newest drops, but not for the sole purpose of collecting. At 21 years old, he’s turned his hobby and love for sneakers into a reselling business, TheFlipKicks. In eighth grade, he found himself paying close attention to what NBA athletes were wearing on the court. The moment he saw the Air Jordan XX8 he felt inspired to research everything he could about sneaker culture. He continued to learn about Jordans and future sneaker releases by following KicksOnFire and Sneaker News, websites that regularly post news on upcoming releases. The sneaker culture is not only fueled by basketball athletes, but the scene is also highly
inspired by music, specifically rap culture. Take Travis Scott, for example, and his collaborations with Nike and Jordan. The sneakers originally retail from $170 to $250 but can resell for over $1,500. He began attending California State University Dominguez Hills in 2017 and even though he received financial aid, he found himself owing around $1,000 in dorm fees. At the time, he worked for minimum wage at a popular shoe store, and he decided to invest some of his money in purchasing products from “hypebeast” brand Supreme, who are sought after for their exclusivity. Due to the scarce amount of products they release, resell market prices tend to skyrocket. Though the exclusivity of the brand creates a market worth investing in, getting your hands on items is a challenge.
This is why Marquez decided to get a bot, an online automated code used to buy mass amounts of items due to the speed at which they allow the navigation of online releases. Bots regularly face backlash because of their notorious use and inflation of aftermarket prices, but for Marquez, it was a chance to propel himself forward to start up his business. The bot allowed him to purchase items from Supreme’s limited releases at faster speeds to resell for higher profits and keep up with demand. “There’s a lot of negative connotations with bots because it’s kind of like cheating,” Marquez said. “But at this point in the game it’s harder for my business, [and] for me to do it by myself, and if I have the means to do it why not? It’s like that saying, ‘if you can’t beat ‘em, [See FLIPKICKS, page 10]
Photo Courtesy of Rene Marquez
Riding into 2021, Marquez promotes his brand with intention to give back to the community he grew up in.
Complex History brings Creative Endeavors By Darlene Maes | Staff Writer Despite the ongoing pandemic, exposure to mixed media artwork is currently limited. With the ongoing climate, museums and art galleries remain closed or operating at a controlled capacity. With many working under socially-distant guidelines, appreciating artwork in person is another activity put on hold. However, to promote creative engagement across to students and the campus, a visual presentation was provided to commemorate the work of a South Central Los Angeles native and her future partnership with CSUDH. “Consequential Conversations: A Dialogue with Toni Scott,” was hosted on November 18th at 4 p.m. with University President Thomas A. Parham. The discussion, open to the CSUDH community, was created to introduce Toni Scott, a mixed-media artist and her background, artistic influences, and future upcoming projects. In addition to her artwork being showcased, both Parham and Scott discussed the upcoming potential project ideas to promote artwork creation from students with influences of historical and cultural themes. The collaboration announced in October, detailed that the united effort of both CSUDH and Scott is to benefit both the community, university, and aspiring student artists. With her experience, Scott will pursue educating students and creating roadwork of examinations of social and historical subject matter that remains relatable to the present. Projects mentioned within the conver-
“I can’t breathe”
“Dying at the hands of the police”
“Dying at the hands of the police” (Close
“Freedom sculpture” Images Provided by © Toni Scott 2020
In an artistic approach, Toni Scott creates artwork that parallels a historical past and the unfortunate current state of society. sation detailed potential live streams of events to showcase installations of Scott’s work, a developing student involved exhibition, and a potential live painting with accompanied music performed by a local orchestra. Artwork created by Scott illustrates influences from her African American, Native American, and European heritage. As a result, symbolism and historical context are strikingly evident in her work. An installation praised by Scott entitled, “Bloodlines,” provides visual storytelling of American Slavery which debuted in 2009 at the California African American Museum. With ongoing praise, the installation made its way to
exhibits and venues overseas. Additional exhibitions such as “The Family of Mankind,” “American History 101,” and “Indigenous” provide a range of historical references to social injustices as well as tributes to those who lived during these periods of time. At the beginning of the event, Dean of the University Library Dr. Stephanie Brasley provided an introduction and background information on the premise of the conversation and how the overall event would be taking place. She also provided her perspective to Scott’s artwork. “It compels us to explore and deepen our understanding of cultural history and its impact on occurrences of today.” Fol-
lowing the introduction, two five-minute visual presentations which included images, video and narration by both Scott and Brasley was shown. During the dialogue, a Q&A was offered to the audience to ask any questions to Scott and her overall creative process. One question that was asked was, “What emotions did you feel when “Bloodline” was exhibited in North Carolina? And do you fear backlash or people’s reaction to it?” Scott’s response added to the emotional connection the artistic process has when creating pieces for the exhibition mentioned. “Each time I added to the overall body of the installation, I explored narratives. I was always sadly
exposed to the horror beyond belief. It was just layer, after layer, after layer. There were points where I didn’t think I could push on because it was such a personal and emotional experience. I have the faces of 12 of my ancestors who were slaves and names of 21 who were slaves.” Parham ended the dialogue by thanking not only Toni Scott but also the faculty and staff who assisted with coordinating the event. Parham also mentioned future functions to be held in the upcoming semester showcasing Scott’s work. “We look forward to displaying some of your work that you’ll decide that you want to have us curate here,” Parham said. “When it is safe to do so or if we have to do it virtually, we will figure that out.” He also added the developing events that students can look forward to in the spring semester. “We want to invite you to stay tuned for what we have in store in the future. Coming in January, you will see an announcement… about something special we are about to do,” Parham said. “We’ll turn that one into a Presidential Distinguished Lecture featuring the magnificent genius and artistry of the artist, the one and only, Toni Scott.” For more information about Artist Toni Scott and the Presidential Distinguished Lecture series Please visit: https://www. toniscott.com/about1 https://www.csudh.edu/ president/lecture-series/
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CULTURE
THURSDAY, December 3, 2020
Blow by Blow Account Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: The PS5
Xbox Steps Back Into the Future
By Carlos Martinez | Web Editor
By Luis Joshua Gutierrez | Staff Writer
After a generation of battling Microsoft and Nintendo’s consoles with the successful PlayStation 4, Sony has gone all out in next-generation gaming with the Playstation Five console that literally towers above the rest. With dimensions 15.4 inches tall, 10.24 inches deep and 4.09 inches wide and Daft Punk’s electrifying “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” coursing through its wires and circuit boards, the excitement surrounding the PS5 is a surprising welcome back to gaming that I haven’t experienced since the Playstation 3 in 2013. From just feeling the texture pattern around the base of the console and the grip of the controller, I knew that it was going to be different from the consoles that I typically use: Microsoft’s Xbox One S and the Nintendo Switch. The PlayStation 4 has a big price tag, $800, but the biggest thing about it is its massive size. It showed up on my doorstep in a box so big I thought for sure my knees will buckle carrying it inside. While setting up the white beast on my already cluttered TV stand, it felt like I was being introduced to the Playstation all over again except one that had morphed into the size of Godzilla. I should mention that I didn’t gravitate towards the Playstation 5 because I was unhappy with the Xbox lineage; in fact, the Xbox One S is an amazing system. But my crippling loneliness started to get to me, so my sudden shift of consoles is plain and simple: I have no friends to play with online. My cousins, coworkers and friends all game with either the Switch or PlayStation 4, leaving me out of a casual gaming experience. To get the most out of gaming in a pandemic, I opted to switch back to Sony
After roughly eight years of the Xbox One being released, we finally stepped into the next generation with the launch of The Xbox Series: X and S. With a new range of consoles comes a lot of new features and of course a jump in graphics. But even though the Xbox Series X does come with a lot of new features, it does also includes some faults too. Right away from getting the box, the feeling is very similar to unboxing a brand new phone or opening a new box of expensive shoes. After all, it’s better too because you’ve just spent $500 on this new system. But as soon as you open it you’re greeted with the new slogan for the Xbox, “Power Your Dreams.” One thing the Xbox did right at the beginning of this generation was the presentation. There’s a few noticeable differences on the back end of the Xbox Series X and Xbox One. As somebody who owned the “Master Chief Collection” Xbox One, the power cable had the infamous brick attached to it, taking up a lot of space. As well as a lot of input cables on the back because that’s when Xbox was trying to be an all in one entertainment system. But the Series X differs from that, for starters the power cable doesn’t have the brick to it anymore which is amazing, and the backend input cables only have the essentials to it such as memory storage Card, 2 USB inputs, one HDMI slot, and a internet input. As for the controller, not much was changed from the last generation. The only two noticeable differences is the D-Pad has more details to it on the sides just like the Xbox elite controller as well as an Microsoft Added a share button that’s right in the middle of the start and select. Once you get everything hooked up you’ll notice the dashboard is the exact same as the “Xbox One” which is sort of a let down. However, one great thing I noticed was the really quick load times. It was able to load into huge games such as “Sea Of Thieves,” “Watch Dogs Legion,” “Grand Theft Auto 5” and “Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War” in seconds. As opposed to the older generation that would sometimes take minutes to load into. For instance I would be playing the campaign in “Black Ops Cold War” and whenever I would die, the game would take no longer than 5 seconds to restart prior to my death But the new system does have some faults too. One of the minor ones is the “Quick Resume” option for the system. It was a feature announced by Xbox developers that would
Even though the PlayStation 5 is one of the most beautiful gaming experiences that I have tested so far, there’s no rose without a thorn. because who really likes to game alone? Powering it on, everything felt fluid, minimalistic, and easy to understand as I navigate through the set-up process. While providing the best resolution I’ve seen so far, the PlayStation 5 also makes it easy for people to flex their skills by linking accounts to social and streaming sites such as Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch with no hassle at all. While playing “Spider-Man Remastered,” it’s noticeable how powerful and fast the console is when compared to my Xbox One S. Load times are nonexistent as the game transports gamers to New York in a matter of seconds. The graphics inject a new level of life and immersion that it’s easy to forget that I’m gaming and get killed off in the game for being idle for too long. Even though the PlayStation 5 is one of the most beautiful gaming experiences that
Photo by Carlos Martinez
The literal towering powerhouse has cool surprises up its sleeve despite having some drawbacks I have tested so far, there’s no rose without a thorn. One of the key issues that I have is how monstrous the console came to be. Whenever I have to pick up the Xbox One S I can easily pick up and grip onto it with ease. The PlayStation 5 is basically a boulder. Its towering presence doesn’t leave one with a lot of options on where to keep it either. As much as I love having it sit up tall and mighty like the U.S. Bank Tower in Downtown L.A., I have to have it horizontally due to the space that I have on the TV stand. Sony provides a puck-like stand for the console to be securely placed in whichever way you choose. Unfortunately, the instructions weren’t very clear and I ended up having to look through YouTube videos on how to latch it on, taking almost a half-hour to complete. Another issue is that the console’s fans would go from a quiet hum to a jarring blare of a jet turbine on a few occasions such as leaving a game on pause for a little longer than five minutes. Honestly, this only lasts for about 10-20 seconds before it slowly goes back to a hum so it’s not as distracting as one would expect. Lastly, the console storage is lower than the Xbox One Series. Although I typically only have four games on a console at a time and would have no issue with space, gamers who want more than 10 games saved at a time might have to make choices on what stays and what goes. Despite some challenges, the Playstation 5 is still a pretty spectacular experience with a great lineup of first-party games coming up. Seeing how fast the games load and how powerful the console, it’s a great investment towards the next generation of gaming; if you can get your hands on one that is.
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allow you to jump in between games without restarting them. So in theory, I could be playing “Black Ops Cold War” and jump to “Minecraft” without either game shutting down. It would only take a few seconds to load wherever I last left off but it almost never works for me. The only time I was able to get the “Quick Resume” to work was when I was jumping in between “Red Dead Redemption 2”, “Grand Theft Auto 5” and “Tetris Effect Connected”. When it did work it was really impressive to see my game pick up where I had left it off in only a matter of seconds. Another big issue I’ve been facing is particularly odd is whenever I’m playing “Black Ops Cold War,” my Series X would just straight up shut off on me. It’s only happened a few times but enough for me to notice. I would be in the middle of a mission in the story or a game online and BOOM my Xbox decides to turn off. It even got so bad to one point it straight up deleted my Xbox Account on my Series X and I was forced to log back into it on the Xbox. As for setbacks, that’s probably the biggest and although it hasn’t happened to me too often but enough to notice A big thing about the “Series X’ is the memory. Microsoft claims you’ll have 1 Terabyte of memory which is a lot but after the initial update, you’re left with 802 GB of memory. And d Depending on what you have, that can fill up fast with games like “Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War” which sits at 133.4 GB so you can only imagine what “Cyberpunk 2077” is going to eat up. The only option as of right now for more storage is to buy an expansion card that only Microsoft is currently making for a high price of $219.99 (USD) for an extra 1 Terabyte. With that being said I’m still very much enjoying my “Series X” and do not regret my purchase at all. Being able to play my games in 4k and in 60Hz (My 4K TV doesn’t go up to 120Hz) is stunning. Seeing my games fully optimized using the HDR feature and seeing things like ray tracing is insane. Even though there aren’t many games out right now that doesn’t mean Xbox isn’t going to have some great hits this generation and that makes me truly excited. Be sure to go to http://www.csudhbulletin.com/ to check out a full unboxing video of the “Xbox Series X” so you can see how awesome the next gen console looks for itself. As well as an unboxing video of the new “PlayStation 5” as well.
Photo by Luis Joshua Gutierrez
After seven years of overcoming the disaster of the Xbox One, Microsoft is finally back on track with the new Series X.
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THURSDAY, December 3, 2020
SPORTS
CSUDH BULLETIN
Life of a Student-Athlete: Dance Team By Melany Ruiz | Assistant Opinion Editor Seven months ago CSUDH sporting events consisted of students cheering on athletes, cheerleaders leading chants for their school, and athletes swirling around the court or field itching to win the game while the crowd in attendance is engulfed in school pride. Now, athletes are stuck at home, due to Covid-19, to be students, work, and keep up with their workouts from home. Ariana Jaramillo, one of the four captains for the CSUDH dance team, moves her team forward and keeps them motivated despite COVID-19 isolation. While being a student-athlete comes with a lot of responsibilities, Jaramillo holds daily virtual workouts for her team. Prior to the isolation order, the CSUDH Dance team would do have training that began at 7 a.m. and varied from three to five days a week. When sports tournaments and dance competitions were taking place, the team would do
weekend practices and “two-adays” where the coaches would work around the student-athletes’ work and school schedule, requiring them to work practice twice a day, once in the morning and again in the night. Currently, all 28 dance team members are required to report to daily training at 7 a.m through zoom, with their camera on at all times. Every week the coach provides a detailed list of instructions and needed supplies that the student-athletes need for that specific workout on Blackboard. The dance team focuses on a variation of training that consists of cardio and choreography overview. Practices are held on a preference and sign up basis, all around the athlete’s work and academic schedule. Dedication to the team goes beyond the physical training exercises as a 2-hour virtual study hall is required for all members to ensure they maintain good grades.
Currently, the CSUDH dance team is not doing anything in person and is not planning to perform at any sporting events or dance tournaments in the near future since the CSU Chancellor’s announcement that Spring 2021 will remain virtual. This announcement brought a lot of frustration and created a lack of motivation for the team. Jaramillo mentions that the team has something called “families” and “littles” where each captain is the head of their families and their “littles” are their mentees. Jaramillo consistently checks up on her littles to make sure that they are staying on top of their training and their work in such difficult times. “As a captain, I think it’s really important to just keep a positive mindset, keep an open mindset,” Jaramillo said. “They do what you do, [and] they look up to you, you just have to really watch what you do and say because it will trickle down
and affect everyone else on the team.” Though motivation is something that can be difficult to maintain, during these times, Jaramillo keeps her team united and assures that her team
moves forward successfully. “At the end of the day it’s your responsibility as a captain to not only hold yourself accountable but be able to hold a team accountable too,” Jaramillo said.
Photo by Toro Athletics
Ariana Jaramillo is one of four captains of the CSUDH dance team. Photo by Toro Athletics.
No Fans, No Problem
USC Athletics
USC QB Kedon Slovis threw two TDs in the final three minutes to complete an unlikely comeback over ASU.
By Jeremy Gonzalez | Sports Editor In any normal home opener for the USC Trojans, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum would host a near sell-out crowd of 75,000plus spectators that would make life very difficult for any incoming opponent. But the Trojans’ matchup on Nov. 7 against the Arizona State Sun Devils in Los Angeles was no ordinary home opener, as the stadium was empty due to the LA County guidelines that prevent large gatherings of people at sporting events. “I don’t think any of us have ever played in an empty stadium at any point of our lives,” said junior wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown ahead of the game. “Even in pop warner, you had your parents there and you had people watching you. Playing in an empty stadium is going to be different.”
The morning was eerily quiet at Exposition Park. The notorious heavy traffic that has become part of daily life in the heart of Los Angeles was absent for Saturday’s game as there were no long lines of cars waiting to get into the various parking lots. The sidewalks that usually bustled with Trojans fans walking to the entrance gates were empty. No tailgate barbecues and festivities were held outside the Coliseum ahead of the game. There was no band to play pep songs during the game or perform a halftime show. There were no cheerleaders to pump up the crowd and celebrate a big play. And most notably, there were no fans in attendance to pump energy into the team itself, taking away the true home field advantage that the
Trojans have when the team plays in the Coliseum. Some schools in other Power 5 conferences have allowed a limited number of fans inside the stadiums for the college football games. The number of spectators allowed inside varies with each state and city as they all have their own health and safety guidelines, but the Los Angeles area will not allow fans at outdoor events during this Pac-12 season, meaning the Trojans home games against Arizona State, Colorado and Washington State will not have fans. “It’s really about just playing together, doing it for your brothers and doing it for one another,” Pola-Mao said. “The people on the sideline have to bring more juice and even when we’re on the field, we have
to bring more juice. It’s going to be tough without the crowd behind us but we can create that same energy within ourselves.” Pola-Mao and the Trojans defense brought all the energy they could congregate when they faced dual-threat quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Sun Devils as Fox’s early morning primetime matchup, recovering three fumbles and sacking Daniels once on the day. The Trojans completed an improbable 4th quarter comeback over the Sun Devils, defeating them 28-27. “Jayden is a great player,” Pola-Mao said. “We definitely struggled getting started here in this game. I think we need to get started a little bit faster. But he’s just a great player and I think we stepped up to the
challenge.” Freshman wide receiver Bru McCoy, who made a crucial deflected touchdown catch on fourth down and recovered the onside kick on the following play, talked about the emotional experience of coming from behind to win in an empty stadium. “I think not having fans played a huge factor,” McCoy said. “We had to lean on each other. You could feel the energy pick up as people realized we weren’t out of the game and could still put something together if we wanted to. For the chips to fall the way they did and for the number of turnovers we had, and still managing to win, it says a lot about the character of this team and how we’re going to continue moving forward.”
CSUDH BULLETIN
Sports
Thursday, December 4, 2020
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Former Toro Coach Joins List of Legends
By Jonathan Ghattas | Staff Writer
CSUDH Sports Athletics Archives
Coach Yanai spent over 19 seasons as the head coach of CSUDH’s men’s program.
Past John R. Wooden Award Winners If there was a Mount Rushmore of college basketball coaches, there would only be one face etched on that mountain: John Wooden’s. The Wizard of Westwood coached the UCLA men’s basketball team to 10 NCAA championships in 12 seasons from 1963-1975, and is quite possibly one of the most revered coaches in sports history. Adopted in 1999 by the John R. Wooden Committee, the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award was created to recognize those who exemplify coach Wooden’s high standards of coaching success and personal achievement. When considering a candidate, the committee not only looks at a coach’s success on the court, but as well as the coach’s character, graduating rate of the student-athletes under their watch, and coaching philosophy. All of these characteristics can be found in former CSUDH head coach Dave Yanai. As the first division II coach to receive this honor, Yanai joins a long list of Hall of Fame head coaches and quietly finds himself along side some of the best to ever coach the game. With a handful of awards already, being recognized in the same breathe as one of his mentors is a fitting end to an illustrious career.
2020 - C. Vivian Stringer, Rutgers University 2019 - Lon Kruger, University of Oklahoma 2018 - Jay Wright, Villanova University 2017 - Muffet McGraw, University of Notre Dame 2016 - Tubby Smith, Texas Tech University 2015 - Steve Fisher, San Diego State University 2014 - Tara Vanderveer, Stanford University 2013 - Bill Self, University of Kansas 2012 - Geno Auriemma, University of Connecticut 2011 - Tom Izzo, Michigan State University 2010 - Billy Donovan, University of Florida 2009 - Rick Barnes, University of Texas 2008 - Pat Summitt, University of Tennessee 2007 - Gene Keady, Purdue University 2006 - Jim Boeheim, Syracuse University 2005 - Jim Calhoun, University of Connecticut 2004 - Mike Montgomery, Stanford University 2003 - Roy Williams, University of Kansas 2002 - Denny Crum, University of Louisville 2001 - Lute Olson, University of Arizona 2000 - Mike Kryzyzewski, Duke University 1999 - Dean Smith, University of North Carolina
When building a successful sports program, finding stability and leadership at the head coach position is almost always the first step needed for a successful program to thrive. For California State University Dominguez Hills, this stability was created 40 years ago when then school’s president Donald Gerth took a chance on a high school coach to lead the men’s basketball team. In 1977, Dave Yanai was hired to lead the charge for the Toros’ men’s basketball program as he became the first ever Japanese-American basektball head coach at the collegiate level. As head coach of the program from 1977 through his final season in 1996, Yanai guided CSUDH to their first California Collegiate Athletic Association postseason berth the same year the team joined the CCAA as a division II team back in 1980. Little did Yanai know that after 19 seasons with the university and piling up a CSUDH basketball record 288 career wins, along with two CCAA regular season titles, he would have one final piece of hardware to add to his lustrous collection. In a virtual ceremony that included coaches from multipe division I men’s basketball programs in Southern California, Yanai was named the 2021 recipient of the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award.
Being the first ever division II coach to receive the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award, coach Yanai joins a long list of coaching legends that have been awarded this prestigious accolade. “There would have to be a long list of people I’d have to thank for this long journey,” Yanai said. “But my best assistant coach during all those years was my wife.” Having been married over 54 years, Yanai understood the importance of not only teaching basketball to his players but also teaching them how to become better men. “Teaching basketball was pure joy for me, but more importantly teaching them to be better human beings during my time there was the most important,” Yanai said. This attitude of teaching and sharing knowledge is one that the great John Wooden passed onto Yanai. Being kind to others and helping them through the coaching profession was simply second nature for the head coach. “Every year was a successful life journey with those young men,” Yanai said. For the head coach the opportunity to lead CSUDH for all those years helped cement a bond with himself and the community that will last a lifetime. As for the future of the men’s basketball program at CSUDH, Yanai believes the team is in good hands with current head coach Steve Becker.
“The coach there now is a wonderful coach and the program is in great hands for years to come,” Yanai said. Becker has been the Toros’ head coach since 2014 and has steadily improved the program since his takeover. Having reached the CCAA tournament for the last four straight years, the team will have to look to next season as this year’s campaign has been postponed due to the pandemic. On the women’s side of the ball, the program has also provided the stability needed at the head coach position with current coach John Bonner entering a fifth season with the team. With two CCAA tournament appearances in his first four seasons with the team, Bonner can only hope to match the nine tournament appearances that took place under head coach Van Girard. Van Girard coached the women’s program from 1988 through 2012 and racked up 302 wins, including two of the four women’s basketball CCAA Championship titles. But for coach Bonner, a focus on recruiting during this past off-season which included seven under-classman will be the true measure of success for the program for the years to come. As both basketball programs look to continue the success of their past teams, each one must wait to take the court again as the doors to the Torodome will remain closed.
CSUDH Sports Athletics Archives
The Torodome was renamed “Dave Yanai Court” in 2010 to honor the long time head coach.
Dave Yanai Career Highlights Spent 19 seasons as head coach at Cal State Dominguez Hills, followed by nine seasons at Cal State Los Angeles. Guilded the Toros to the 1979 NAIA National Championship Elite Eight
402 Career Wins, one of three head coaches to reach milestone in CCAA Coached 55 All-CCAA Selections, Two CCAA Athletes of the Year Two consecutive CCAA Coach of the Year Awards (1987, 1988)
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THURSDAY, December 3, 2020
FlipKicks From Page 6
The initial purchases he made were from Supreme’s 2017 fall/ winter collection which he sold on eBay and he made more than enough money to pay off his fees. The reward that came with selling his first items gave him a new sense of purpose, so he decided to change his major from political science to business administration. At the start, he had no idea the platform he had launched for himself would be so successful. The birth of The FlipKicks began on Instagram during his sophomore year in 2018. What started off as a side hustle to pay off school debt became a fullfledged business with over six thousand followers. The sneaker and streetwear reselling business operates online through platforms like eBay, Grailed, OfferUp, and his own website, but he also locally sells at flea markets.
He nearly made $7 thousand his first year which served as enough revenue to keep him enticed to see his business through. He said that at the time it was worth a shot to seize the opportunity to grow and lead him to his version of success. “I ended up [earning] $30 thousand in sales last year, and this year I’m aiming for $80 thousand,” he said. He enjoys using Excel to see his profits and see how much he’s able to sell each shoe for, along with the increase in their value over time. Marquez builds his inventory by researching sneakers using reselling sites like eBay, GOAT, and Grailed. He also receives messages from new and returning customers who are interested in buying and selling shoes to him. While sneakers are his main inventory, he also buys used/vintage clothing he feels have the potential for profit. “I stay away from buying items from Goodwill or Salvation Army because those places are where I once shopped and it doesn’t feel right to buy from
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there and resell,” he said regarding resellers who scalp from these locations that typically serve as resources for lower-income. The platform he created led him to famous clientele like former professional basketball player, Nate Robinson, and Alex Walter, a popular Youtuber who customizes and reviews sneakers. His plans to expand his business were delayed because of COVID-19. This year’s sneaker-related conventions like SneakerCon and ComplexCon, which are central locations to buy, sell and network with other sneakerheads and streetwear entrepreneurs, were canceled. Marquez also wants to give back to his community Marquez is currently working with Segerstrom High School and giving away sneakers to members of the school’s football team who demonstrate hard work throughout the season, in hopes of motivating them. For more information about FlipKicks follow their Instagram page, and website.
Delusion From Page 2
reasons. Being at least nice, accommodating, and understandable of the situation to the plights of retail workers would not only make their time working on Black Friday or any other day smoother but improve on everyone’s shopping time. Patience is going to be the key skill for many to be able to get through the in-store Black Friday, while tensions will be high with possible sightings of Karens looking for the nearest manager. In California, people are continuing to struggle while trying to jobs and Black Friday just so happens to offer these individuals perfect opportunity to secure some sort of financial stability during the busiest time of the year. According to the Employment Development Department, “September’s
unemployment rate of 11.0 percent marked the second consecutive month since March 2020 that California’s unemployment rate was lower than the 12.3 percent mark set during the height of the Great Recession.” People going out to shop are waiting in long lines to get into the store, but also waiting in long lines to pay at the register. Even though the lines are long due to social distancing, people are still standing in hour-long queues to buy one or two things most of the time. While online shopping gives more availability for people to buy in the comfort of their home, why would anyone want to be standing in line next to a minimum of 20 people in an enclosed store? Black Friday certainly won’t be the same delusional night adventure that seems like a dream this year but will show the people taking this pandemic seriously at the end of the night.
NEWS
Covid-19, You are not Welcome in my Home By Melany Ruiz | Staff Reporter For the past two weeks, my house smelled like bleach. My nose would burn from the stench of it all over the house, my absolute nightmare became a reality. My grandma tested positive for COVID-19. It’s been something I’ve dreaded since the start of the pandemic. Eight months ago I remember being on the phone with her, weeping, telling her to go back home and to leave the supermarket instantly. I was on my way to work when we were told to turn back and start reporting from home. I knew things were getting serious and my grandma, who is diabetic and has low blood pressure, I knew the virus was going to affect her more. Flash forward to now, an innocent cough turned into a fever, resulting in the infamous COVID-19. I am the only one who works from home, I had to notify my family to come home and figure out our new living situation. In a blink of an eye, all surfaces, furniture, sheets were cleaned. My grandpa who is at the highest risk from the virus was sent to live with my uncle, my mom moved into my grandpa’s room, and masks, face shields, and hand sanitizers were in every corner of our house. Everyone else got tested, including me two weeks after my grandma’s COVID test, everyone was negative. WE think my grandma might have contracted COVID-19 at a quick supermarket run. I felt this great remorse for my grandma as she coughed,
By wuestenigel is licensed under CC BY 2.0
You never know who you know around you can get COVID-19. SO please wear your masks. sneezed, threw up, and suffered from high fevers. Due to her pre-existing conditions, she was sent to the hospital to ensure her vitals were strong enough. It’s times like these where you want to hug and keep close to the ones you love, but unfortunately, that was all taken from me. I wasn’t able to see her or check up on her for almost three weeks, the amount of work that my job and school demanded made it impossible for me to check in on my grandma, I was forced to stay strapped to my desk and work away The place where I was sup-
posed to feel the safest, was now infested with COVID-19. My home’s walls crawling with the virus. Everyone had to be isolated in their own room, only leave if they needed food or to use the restroom, all while wearing a mask and sanitizing everything you use/touch with bleach. For 14 days it was just my cat, me, and my room. If being stuck at home sucks, now imagine being stuck in your room, not even being able to freely roam around your own house. It sucked. This affected my produc-
tivity and mood. Even my cat wanted to run around the house besides my tiny room. My anxiety was blasting through the roof as I wanted to know how my grandma was doing. I wanted to make sure she could breathe, I wanted to make sure that the rest of my family weren’t infected, that I wasn’t infected. My anxiety filled up in my chest and into my mind, I couldn’t relax with the worry of my grandma’s health and the worry of my job and school workload. To top it off, the worlds longest election was happening during this time, I had to be anxious
about who will be in charge of running the country for the next four years. My anxiety was booming. I always heard of people being affected by Covid-19 and knew how tragic it was based on what you hear on the news, but I got to see the reality of it through my grandma’s own battle with it. After hearing so many cases of people dying and not being able to breathe I caught myself yelling through the wall every few minutes, hoping my voice echoed to her room, asking her if she could breathe. Its been a month since she tested positive and I am thankful that she is alive and slowly recovering. It is really unfortunate that not every person had the same luck as my grandma, especially with having preexisting conditions. I can now confess that I truly didn’t take Covid-19 seriously until it hit my home. I didn’t understand the severity and the physical, mental, and emotional toll it takes on you and your family. It’s been a month and we are still being affected. We’re constantly getting tested and we are trying to keep up with purchasing masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting supplies all while the second wave of COVID-19 is on the rise. Let this serve as a reminder to please wear your mask, stay six feet apart, and stay home.