ISSUE 62.10
STEVEN CAREY Art Director
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ERIN HICKEY, JOSEPH BRYANT, RYAN ZUMMALLEN
Copy Editors
RYAN KOBANE Advertising Representative
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BREE HOPWOOD, ALLAN STEINER Advertising Representatives CHRIS BARRETT Internet Caregiver
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PHILIP VARGAS On-Campus Distribution VINCENT GIRIMONTE Off-Campus Distribution
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR MY VEGAS VEINS
RYAN KOBANE
T
hree years ago, I made my first pilgrimage to Las Vegas. I was only twenty-years-old at the time. I had a great job (lots of expendable income), and my best friend was turning twenty-one. “What could go wrong?” I asked myself. My ID was completely legit, I was an experienced gambler (or so I thought), and we were only staying two nights. Thirteen hundred dollars later and all I had to show for it was a massive whiskey-induced hangover and a complete disdain for everything Vegas had to offer. I swore to myself that I would never again choose to visit this place. I’ve been asked numerous times to join friends, I’ve even been offered to have my room paid for, but I just wasn’t ready. The thought of another “free” Corona at the Bellogio’s sports book still makes me cringe. And no matter how good the Mos Def show was that we saw, it couldn’t make up for my propensity to bet on the long
INSIDE THE UNION OPINIONS PAGE 3
Dean Riposa fires back... CHE YAAAA
MUSIC PAGE 10
Katrina Sawhney and Erin Hickey salute Don DeLillo and Madlibs (which are pretty much the same thing anyway).
DARREN DAVIS, MILES LEMAIRE, CHRIS BARRETT, ANDREW WILSON, MICHAEL VEREMANS, CHRISTINE HODINH, JESSE BLAKE, DEREK CROSSLEY, CHRISTOPHER TROUTMAN, JAMES KISLINGBURY, PHILIP VARGAS, DAVID FAULK, PAUL HOVLAND, KATRINA SAWHNEY, ALLAN STEINER, RUSSELL CONROY, KEN C., JOSEPH BRYANT, BRIAN NEWHARD, LAURA SARDISCO, ERIC BRYAN, LEAH MCKISSOCK, MARCUS BOCKMAN
COMICS PAGE 16
Contributors
The stories just keep on keepin on.
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 the writer, and are not necessarily the opinions of the Union Weekly, the ASI, or of 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. All outside submissions are due by Thursday, 5 PM to be considered for publishing the following week and become property of the Union Weekly. Please include name, major, class standing, and phone number for all submissions. They are subject to editing and will not be returned. Letters will be edited for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and length. The Union Weekly will publish anonymous letters, articles, editorials and illustrations, but they 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. Questions? Comments? MAIL : 1212 Bellflower Blvd. Suite 256A, Long Beach, CA 90815 PHONE : 562.985.4867 FAX : 562.985.5684 E-MAIL : info@lbunion.com WEB : www.lbunion.com
LITERATURE PAGE 15
CULTURE PAGE 18
RANDOM RANTS PAGE 6
Ryan Kobane and Kathy Miranda bitch about cell phones and closed roads.
SPORTS PAGE 7
A diagnosis of the Dirtbags slide and why the rest of the Big West Conference should be thanking us.
A trip to Vegas sends Matt Dupree on a wild drug-induced ride...what a surprise. Also Sean Boulger runs his mouth off about Daft Punk.
RYAN KOBANE
VINCENT GIRIMONTE News Director KATHY MIRANDA Opinions Editor RYAN ZUMMALLEN Sports Editor VICTOR CAMBA Comics Editor KATIE REINMAN Creative Arts Editor EARL GREY Grunion Editor ERIN HICKEY Literature Editor & PR MIKE PALLOTTA Entertainment Editor SEAN BOULGER Music Editor & PR RACHEL RUFRANO Culture Editor RYAN KOBANE Photography Director
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showed up at the House of Blues only moments before Justice was to take the stage. As I handed a few extra tickets to someone in line and our nearly fifteen-person group took to the venue, I felt as if my luck was finally changing. Vegas decided to embrace me. When the Justice cross lit up and I turned around from the photo pit to see the crowd, I was stunned. Hundreds of robots moving, jumping, waving, sweating, dancing, and what seemed like praying stood before me. Never before had I seen such a spectacle at a concert. I was in a daze when I finally escaped after the first encore (not knowing that bands still play two encores). I was smiling from ear to ear and ready for anything Vegas was willing to throw at me. Ideas and words were tossed around but nothing stuck, that is until someone suggested karaoke. The rest of the night was innocently spent drinking cheap drinks and watching what had to be Vegas locals wail over tracks of metal and hip hop. Or at least that’s what I’m willing to tell you guys. As we checked out of the room the next morning I searched through my pockets for any loose change that was left. I had to play at least one slot machine. I left with empty pockets.
Learn how to date in Long Beach. We don’t really know, but we like giving advice on stuff we know nothing about. UNION WEEKLY
9 APRIL 2008
Cover Photo
RYAN KOBANE Editor-In-Chief ERIN HICKEY Managing Editor MIKE PALLOTTA Associate Editor MATT DUPREE Associate Editor RYAN KOBANE Business Manager
shot or my determination to “learn” the game of craps. Vegas scared me for far too long, and just as many other college students did on their spring break, I revisited the scene of the crime, by choice. Thanks to our fellow student media practitioners down at Kbeach, I finally had a reason to go back, and it came in the form of a bright neon cross and two Frenchmen. I had cold sweats when I woke up from a short siesta during the final leg of our drive. The second the Vegas skyline was visible I started to panic. A strange desire to put it all on black and drink single-malt scotches started to course it’s way through my veins. At the same time I wanted to puke. I guess I’ve never been able to properly adjust to this place. But on we went. As I walked through the casino floor the sounds of slots and chips played a symphony of agony for my ears. I wanted the bitter taste defeat, I wanted to enjoy losing. I wanted out and I wanted to stay for the rest of my life. I was a mess. I convinced my group that staying in the room for a few hours while we pre-partied was a good idea for not only my pocket book but my sanity and thankfully they were nice enough to indulge me. Not knowing that a show could ever start before 8 p.m., our group