April 26, 2023, Issue 5

Resource Center Radiates Positivity

On Campus

By SARA BHATT Staff Reporter

The California State University, Dominguez Hills Women’s Resource Center (WRC) is known for being a safe and welcoming place for the community, providing a sense of belonging and support for one another in an environment that can otherwise be the opposite. The WRC connects women to beneficial resources, hosts events, and creates opportunities for folks to be empowered and inspire others all while creating a “home away from home” feeling.

The Women’s Resource Center’s mission is to support its community of students and engage with them as much as possible. The WRC held its 7th Annual Women’s Conference on March 16, an all-day affair with various activities

[See Center, page 8]

CSUDH Spirit Teams Are Force to Be Reckoned With.

California State University, Dominguez Hills

Spring Graduation Day Crash Course

Everything Grads Should Know Before the Upcoming Ceremonies

By JULIA M c INTYRE Staff Reporter

As this Spring semester comes to an end, it is time to think about one important thing: graduation. Long study nights, exams, and traffic on the way to school

will all be over soon as seniors prepare to dive into the real world. But before the party starts, it’s time to discuss all things commencement.

The California State University, Dominguez Hills Office of Ceremonies and

Events hosted commencement meetings throughout the month of April for students who are graduating in May.

The commencement ceremonies will be held on Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20. A full list of the

commencement schedules along with commencement celebrations can be found on the iToros App under the commencement section, or on the CSUDH website on the graduation page.

[See Graduation, page 8]

The Good and Bad of Technology

By SARA BHATT Staff Reporter

From restaurants to doctors’ offices to grocery stores, it’s almost guaranteed to find a kid with a device in their hand whether it be an iPad or their parent’s phone. The scene of a child having their eyes glued to a screen has become nothing out of the ordinary yet it’s something that parents and adults should start to reconsider for a multitude of reasons.

In educational environ-

ments where the use of technology is controlled, it can prove to be an impactful and useful tool, however, without supervision, this is not always the case especially when it comes to what happens outside of a classroom setting.

Jessica Smylie, a second-grade teacher and mother of two (ages 1 and 4), shared her perspective on the use of technology from both an educator’s and a mother’s point of view. “In my experience, the real harm of technology stems from unsupervised use at home,” Smylie said.

Without adult supervision, kids can easily access online content that is inappropriate or encourages dangerous activity.

Smylie recalled an incident from earlier in the school year when one of her students was found to be the culprit of writing an expletive phrase on school property. When the student was asked why they wrote this phrase, they responded with, “I don’t know what it means, I heard it on YouTube.” This seems to be

[See Technology, page 8]

Julia McIntyre Bulletin

Congrats Class of 2023. It’s almost time to enter the real world.

Sara Bhatt Bulletin

The computer center in Mrs. Smylie’s second-grade class gives the opportunity for students to safely use internet resources.

Women’s Center Has Become a Beacon of Light

Culture Pits Women Against Other Women

By ALIYAH BROWN Staff Reporter

“I thought I was team Selena and was all for calling out Hailey for being a ‘mean girl’ then I realized that society loves pinning two women against each other when clearly the real villain is the rat of a man who publicly humiliated Selena Gomez,” one person admitted on TikTok.

Doja Cat sings, “They wanna pit us against each other when we succeedin’ for no reason, they wanna see us end up like we Regina on Mean Girls.” I believe we can all relate to the sentiment. This song says a lot about the way in which successful women like Nicki Minaj and Cardi B (two popular female rappers) are pitted against one another and the resulting friction in the industry. Not only in media but in real life, women have gone through this.

If you haven’t been on social media or seen any of the controversies surrounding Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber, let me catch you up. Gomez has a prior romantic history with Justin Bieber, who is currently married to Hailey Bieber. There is speculation among Gomez’s fan base that Hailey exerted influence over Justin, leading to his separation from Gomez and marriage to Hailey.

In early February, Gomez was captured in a swimsuit, indicating a noticeable increase in her body weight. Following her bikini picture, Hailey uploaded a TikTok, wherein she, Kendall Jenner, and Justine Skye lip-synced the lyrics, “I’m not saying she deserved it, but God’s timing is always right.”

She removed it shortly after receiving backlash. Fans assumed the video was meant for Gomez, but she clarified

that it was not. Although there was no explicit correlation between the occurrences, supporters of Gomez accused Hailey of potentially promoting or condoning body shaming towards Gomez through a post on social media.

This was followed by a parade of hate towards the two women, and the internet split into “Team Selena” or “Team Hailey,” and began sending hate to their least favorable celebrity.

Women across several industries have experienced similar treatment on the internet. Whether it is by being compared to another woman with a similar style or looking for drama where there is none, it’s been pounded into our skulls over and again that only one can be on top. The “sexiest” female gets the boy. Women who aren’t appealing, according to societys standards, will be crazy cat or dog ladies which signals that they are unworthy of love.

Women spend a large portion of their life at the gym, monitoring calories, spending money on cosmetics and other extreme ways to attempt to fit into whatever society tells them they need to be. It keeps women constantly busy, seeking men’s and society’s approval and desire, eager to feel “good enough.”

Gender preconceptions and prejudices hinder women’s prospects and potential.

Pitting women against each other based on their beauty, accomplishments or personal decisions perpetuates the idea that women are in competition with each other and that their value is determined by how they compare to other women.

[See Women, page 8]

Working Four the Weekends

By MARCELO MAXIMILIAN Staff Reporter

It’s Friday and the relief of clocking out at the end of the work week kicks in as my shift ends. My coworkers ask the same question after every shift “Workin’ tomorrow?” I say no and don’t give them the day I return just in case I hit the lottery.

Everyone is grinning at my youthfulness, the extra hours on my schedule, and living vicariously through my life without kids, a mortgage or a car note. They’ll praise my overtime as my sore feet walk away drained. They laugh at me proudly and joke that I’m making too much money.

Immediately when arriving home, I’ll take off my uniform which was conveniently the last uniform that I had cleaned and ironed for the week. I toss the pile of my dirty clothes with plans to do laundry at some point throughout my three-day weekend. My days off happen to be three consecutive days, so I’ll rest immediately after work, the next day will be a fresh start and I’ll plan to run errands and socialize.

Picture this: it’s day one of three, and it’s five in the morning. I stayed up late and could hear my phone buzz from texts and missed calls. When I muster up the strength to open my eyelids, I see my supervisor’s name flash on my screen.

He needs me to cover a shift of call-offs, no-shows and being understaffed, and because I had the mindset not to pass up work, they knew I would always say yes.

I would proceed to take my uniform from the dirty hamper and head to work again. My 4-day work week

turned into a 7-day work week of 12 or more hour shifts. That cycle of expecting days off and not receiving them has been my reality for years. I’ve gone weeks without days off due to the demands of the workplace.

I grew up in a household where I was expected to go to work early in the morning, every day. A day off of work to rest was automatically considered lazy and will count as fuel to be scolded for “being home all the time.”

Working hard labor for long hours is the only real form of work in the eyes of my parents who are older in age and can’t quite grasp the concept of me working remotely. For most of my life I binged myself with the schedule of being a workaholic, volunteered to stay later and even worked more than one job; sometimes one after another so I wouldn’t be given the guilt and shameful label of being a bum.

A work week for me has been physical labor, ever since I began working.

Hands-on work was never my preference but it’s all I’ve ever known. But, times are changing, and especially in this age of technology, work can look like anything, such as eating on camera as a mukbang influencer on social media, being a driver, working in an office or working from home.

According to a report from AP News, the world’s largest trial of a 4-day work week was a sample size of 61 companies in 6 months. Employees reported less stress and a greater work-life balance. Employees were 71% less burned out, 39% less stressed and 48% more satisfied with their job after the trial, the report said.

From experience, working jobs where I made my own

schedule and or when work was sometimes slow, I realized that after not working, I was refreshed, rested and grateful for my hours.

I am currently a student and dedicate four days out of my week to that role. Even now, I noticed my grades and the quality of work I submit to my professors is better when I take fewer courses.

My employers tend to get annoyed by how much I request my hours to be cut each semester, but I remind myself that these jobs are temporary until I complete my college degree. I tend to be appreciative of school because it gets me out of the mundane daily cycle of being at work daily.

Because of my long work hours, the farmer’s markets, post offices, dry cleaners, and other services I need are closed before and after my shifts. I have more work days on my schedule than uniforms. When I factor in my commute, my time is limited to how much I have off in the end and I’m more aware now of the impact of not having a social life from being so busy.

With a day off during the week, I can complete my errands and take care of my physical and mental well-being.

Work has been such an obtrusive slowdown in my life, but it only works for me in moderation. A job is supplementary help until I complete my education and have the preparation I need to pursue business ventures to work for myself. So much of my life has been given to businesses that treat me as replaceable labor. Being around that toxic environment should be limited, weaning off work down to a four-day week is a decent beginning.

Photo Courtesy of Pexels

The four-day workweek has been up for debate for years.

Aliyah Brown Bulletin

Boxing match between Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber.

A Former President Indicted; Now What?

By GABRIEL GOMEZ Art Director

Former President Donald Trump was charged in an indictment with 34 felony counts of falsification of business records in the first degree. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The charges come as a result of an investigation into hush-money payments that Trump paid before the 2016 election to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged affair.

If Trump were ultimately convicted, he would face a maximum sentence of four years, though prison time would not be mandatory. The next court date is Dec. 4. The prosecution said it hoped to have a trial in Jan. 2024; the defense asked for the spring of 2024.

The criminal charges are a historic first against a sitting or former president.

New York prosecutors have never before combined the falsifying business records charge with a violation of state election law in a case involving a presidential election, or any federal campaign. If the prosecutors choose to use a state election law as a secondary crime, a possibility that Bragg mentioned, it is possible that a judge could throw it out or reduce the felony charge to a misdemeanor.

Under New York state law, it is a felony to falsify business records with the intent to defraud or the intent to conceal another crime. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a news conference after Trump’s arraignment, “These are felony crimes in New York State no matter

who you are. We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct.”

The case against Trump stems from a 2018 guilty plea by Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal attorney, who admitted to making illegal campaign contributions in the form of buying women’s silence about their alleged relationships with Trump.

According to Cohen, he paid $130,000 to silence Daniels in 2016, who claimed she had an affair with Trump. Cohen received the money from a home equity line of credit. He arranged to be reimbursed over the course of the next year by Trump.

At first, Daniels’ represen-

tatives contacted the National Enquirer in an attempt to sell the exclusive rights to her story. David Pecker, the tabloid’s publisher and a longtime ally of Trump, had agreed to look out for damaging stories about him during the 2016 campaign. At one point, Pecker even agreed to buy the story of another woman’s affair with Trump and never publish it, a practice known as “catch and kill.”

The charges allege that beginning in mid-2015, Trump orchestrated a plan with others to influence the 2016 presidential election. They allegedly identified and bought negative claims about him to suppress their publication to boost his electoral

prospects. By doing this, they allegedly violated election laws and made false entries in the business records of various entities in New York. They also allegedly took steps that mischaracterized, for tax purposes, the true nature of the payments made in the scheme.

The charges also allege that around October or November 2015, the owner of the National Enquirer learned that a former Trump Tower doorman was trying to sell information regarding a child that Trump had allegedly fathered out of wedlock. At the owner’s direction, his publishing company negotiated and signed an agreement to pay the former

doorman $30,000 to acquire exclusive rights to the story. The company then allegedly falsely characterized this payment in its records. It bought the information from the former doorman without fully investigating his claims and later concluded that it was not true, but the owner directed that the deal take place because of his agreement with Trump and his lawyer.

Falsifying business records could be a felony under New York law if it was done in furtherance of another crime, such as a campaign finance violation. Cohen said he discussed the checks with Trump inside the Oval Office at the White House.

ChatGPT Pioneers a New Landscape With AI Leading the Way

By JASMINE SANCHEZ Staff Reporter

The rapid progress in recent developments of artificial intelligence (AI) has skyrocketed. With this, OpenAI, an AI research and development company, has pioneered the landscape of artificial intelligence by focusing on building a generative model using a system called “deep learning” to teach computers to process data from a similar perspective as the human brain.

Using deep learning, OpenAI has created a language processing tool called ChatGPT, which has only continued to grow in popularity.

Last November, ChatGPT was first launched as a prototype to garner attention and learn more about its system’s strengths and weaknesses through user feedback. It is powered by OpenAI’s Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (GPT) models, a deep learning model trained by relying on human-like text. With each request, artificial intelligence

learns more about subjects and how to address them.

ChatGPT presents users with a human-like conversational tone when generating responses to commands or questions and often fulfills commands to the best of its ability or requests more clarification to promptly execute directives.

According to the ChatGPT AI Team at OpenAI, “[ChatGPT’s]… ability to generate contextually relevant responses, learn from interactions, and adapt to user needs has made it a transformative technology with immense potential across various industries.”

OpenAI’s website affirms, “Since [the launch], millions of people have given us feedback [and] we’ve made several important updates and… seen users find value across a range of professional use-cases…”

During the first few months of the release of ChatGPT, access to the software was completely free; however, OpenAI made their intentions clear that they intended to monetize their

software in the future. Their attempts to generate revenue came in the form of a premium subscription of $20 a month that comprises a short but growing list of benefits such as general access to ChatGPT, faster response times and priority access to new features and improvements. However, having a premium subscription is not a requirement to have access to ChatGPT.

OpenAI expands on the variety of capabilities ChatGPT has to offer. The program has

the ability to remember what the user has said or asked in the chat earlier, is trained to dismiss requests it deems inappropriate and allows the user to provide corrections to any inaccurate information.

Despite the impressive abilities of ChatGPT, the software does have its limitations. As users start a new chat, a list of the programs’ drawbacks is given. The list consists of “occasionally [generates plausible sounding but] incorrect information,” “[can]

produce harmful instructions of biased content,” and it has “limited knowledge of [the] world and events after 2021.”

As technology, such as ChatGPT, steadily advances, AI systems are bound to become part of everyday life. Glimpses of its potential have already glimmered into existence, shining upon certain industries and assisting human workers with simple tasks such as market research and generating product descriptions.

The progression of technology has raised concerns about jobs in certain industries becoming obsolete and decimating the livelihood of many. Throughout history, industries have learned to adapt, quickly making new jobs as swiftly as old jobs become redundant.

“This technology will profoundly transform how we live. There is still time to guide its trajectory, limit abuse and secure the most broadly beneficial outcomes,” Anna Makanju, head of public policy at OpenAI, said.

Conversational AI waiting for a directive.

Jasmine Sanchez Bulletin

Donald Trump allegedly paid hush money to Stormy Daniels.

Photo courtesy of Business Insider

CSUDH Spirit Teams A Force to Be Reckoned With

By ALIYAH BROWN Staff Reporter

The spirit teams at California State University, Dominguez Hills are more than just a group of students who perform at athletic events. The dance, cheer and majorette teams are a spirited and passionate group of individuals who bring energy and excitement to campus life.

These groups of athletes are committed to creating school spirit and supporting the Toros both on and off the field. Whether executing acrobatics, tumbling, dancing or leading the crowd in chants, the CSUDH spirit team is always on point and ready to inspire.

The CSUDH cheer squad is made up of students that work tirelessly to polish their routines, stunts and shouts. They not only cheer during basketball and volleyball games, but they also perform at community events and compete throughout the year.

This year, the DH cheer team welcomed new coaches to their roster. The team was excited to work with their new coaches and look forward to more of the upcoming season under their guidance.

“The cheer team is adjusting fine,” said Iris Udemezue, a member of the cheer team. “[The coaches] are both young and very inspiring as they continuously put their all into seeing us succeed.”

The team has also worked hard to balance their sport and studies. This can be challenging, but it is crucial to maintaining a balance between academics and athletics.

“I’m someone who likes to stay busy, so I keep a schedule of all events, practices, assignments and classes on my phone. That way I know what I am supposed to be doing and when it needs to be completed,” Undemezue said, adding that although sometimes

What’s

becoming the National Dance Alliance (NDA) Division II dance spirit rally national champions and also won an award for inventive choreography.

The team members put in extra hours of practice, both during games and in the studio. They focused on building their stamina, improving their techniques and strengthening their teamwork.

Dancer Anika Vega said she loves to travel and perform with her teammates.

“Not all dance teams get the chance to travel and compete, so I am grateful for those opportunities we get,” Vega said. “My coaches have definitely motivated me to continue dancing as well as my family because they know how much I love it and that I want to keep it in my life for as long as I can.”

The team follows a strict practice schedule, pushing their bodies and brains to their limits in order to perfect their routines.

“We are a team who loves to perfect things count by count,” Vega said. “Sometimes we will be in practice just going through our dances motion by motion to make sure everyone looks the same. We also perform our dances one by one to watch each other and give our teammates constructive criticism so we can all learn from each other.”

They have demonstrated that dancing is about more than just honing movements; it is also about creating a sense of community, encouraging others and pushing boundaries.

the team practices outside of set practice time, she manages her time well.

Undemezue said she has learned a lot and is motivated by observing her development as the team grows.

“Being a part of the cheer team had a positive impact on my life,” Udemezue said. “It has kept me physically

active and provided me with two close friends. Personally, I’ve developed a lot, especially since taking on a leadership role this year and having to learn to be accountable for others.”

Another spirit team at CSUDH is the dance squad. This team just competed at nationals and made history by

“Being a part of the dance team has made me a very organized person,” Vega said. “This team brings me so many skills that I used outside of just being on the team which is so beneficial.”

The CSUDH spirit team is holding auditions April 28-30. Students can audition for the dance, cheer or majorette teams.

in My Bag? There’s No Such Thing as Being Too Prepared

By MARCELO MAXIMILIAN Staff Reporter

We’ve all heard some variation of the saying, “It’s better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.”

Me? I can count how many times I’ve had to ask to borrow a pen, the times my phone died without access to a charger or the times I’ve made it to the cash register just to realize my wallet is in the pocket of the pants I wore yesterday.

Thanks to my everyday carry, or EDC for short, my life has found more order. I’ve been more prepared with everything I need to get through my day. Everyday carry is anything a person carries daily (duh!), either in their pockets or in their bag.

EDC can also include simple things such as fidget toys, handheld gaming consoles, and collectible coins.

My mother always stressed the importance of always carrying an identification card, a bag and money. I feel like that’s one of the most valuable

lessons I’ve learned from her and I frown upon those who don’t carry all the items they need for the day.

When someone asks to borrow items, I view them as irresponsible. It’s my pet peeve when people ask to borrow things from me and treat me like an office supply store.

I used to work at an electronics store. One night right

at closing, a woman frantically begged to be let in because her phone died. She said she desperately needed our store’s charger because she couldn’t start her Tesla without access to the car’s controls on her phone.

I remember thinking how pathetic the situation was. If it were an emergency where she had to evacuate or the store was empty, she would be

stuck. She could have easily packed a charger for her phone.

We all have essentials we bring with us constantly such as car keys, phones and wallets, but everyday carry enthusiasts, like myself, take it further.

My everyday carry varies but my minimum almost always includes a knife, pens, notebook, chargers, lip balm, hand sanitizer, masks, a mini first aid kit, a pair of gloves and a power bank. And that’s on a light day.

As a multimedia journalist, if I’m planning on reporting that day, I pack my bare minimum and my bag for the day will be a camera bag, equipped with memory cards, lenses, a memory card reader, a tripod, a reporter’s notebook and a secondary camera.

I was always impressed with the person who always had everything they needed and enough to share with someone else. I used to look at people who carried large bags filled with way too many items as if they were psycho-

paths, but as I got older, I have grown to admire them and now try to emulate their carrying styles.

I tend to reflect on all the times I’ve forgotten my wallet or had to wait to borrow someone’s pen or asked complete strangers for a charger for my dead phone. I now carry a 4-in-1 screwdriver and jumping cables with me everywhere because more than once I’ve been stuck with a dead battery and no idea of how I’m going to get home.

As a full-time student and a worker with long hours, waking up in the early morning and getting home late at night has been a routine that has stuck with me throughout most of my adult life. My everyday carry needs to be fully functional and get me through the tasks of my day. It’s my urban survival kit.

I encourage people to be more mindful of what they carry every day and to even carry more than they usually do to avoid being faced with being underprepared.

CSUDH dance and cheer team members showcase their talent and passion for dance.

Photo courtesy of CSUDH Cheer and dance team

A customized EDC that suits my day as an individual.

Marcelo Maximilian Bulletin

A New, Progressive Spin on ‘Romeo & Juliet’

By JOSEPH SANKER Staff Reporter

“Help! ¡Ayuda! She’s Dead! ¡La Muerta!” screamed Lady Capulet, portrayed by Andrea Velazquez. This is exclaimed after Lady Capulet discovers her daughter, Juliet’s lifeless body during the final act of “R&J.”

“R&J,” an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” was presented earlier this month by California State University, Dominguez Hills’ Department of Theatre and Dance.

Set in modern-day Verona, California, the play had a seamless runtime of two hours and 20 minutes with a 15-minute intermission. The production steadily entertained audiences for four nights with comedy, music, dance and choreography numbers soundtracked by Spanish guitar-laden music.

In the original “Romeo and Juliet” and many adaptations, Romeo is cast as a male. However, in the CSUDH production of “R&J,” Romeo is a female character, “Romea”, and is portrayed by Imelda C. Franco.

Kelly Herman, professor of theatre at CSUDH and co-director of “R&J,” shared the inspiration for specifically casting two Latinas for the characters of Romea and Juliet.

“I had two students several years ago that were Latinas who were in love…they were terrified of telling their parents and they’re like ‘You don’t understand, you’re not

Latina,” Herman said in a zine that accompanied the adaptation.

The zine, titled “Deconstructing R&J,” was a collaboration between students in Women’s Studies 490: Senior Seminar and Design 470: Portfolio II. It was inspired by CSUDH’s retelling of “Romeo and Juliet” and includes stories and articles centered around the themes of “R&J.”

One article included in the zine was “A Night with

The Cast and Crew of R&J” by Carerra Williams, which discusses the adaptation in greater detail and includes an interview with the cast and crew of the play.

In the interview with Williams, Kimberly Huth, co-director of “R&J” and associate professor of English at CSUDH, also commented on the use of a Shakespearean play as a vehicle to discuss issues in communities.

“We can make use of

Shakespeare’s position as a cultural figure to talk about the things we want to talk about. This is what this campus and this cast wants to talk about and Shakespeare’s just a tool to do that,” Huth said.

In her zine article, Williams also states the importance of representation in a theatrical play such as “R&J.”

“If people don’t see healthy, loving, supportive representations of relationships between people of color

and queer people, it’s difficult, if not impossible for you to see it for yourself,” Williams said. “So, a [theater] performance where queer women of color are given the space to fall in love and have complexity is new territory, even in 2023.”

Another article in the zine titled “Heteronormativity Hurts Queer Teens,” written by Shalece Prejean, uses “R&J” as an example of how heteronormativity can harm LGBTQ+ youth.

“Some teens come from nuclear families who believe that being in a heterosexual relation is the perfect relationship, which can lead to queer teens facing suicide due to fear of family rejection,” Prejean said. “Having parents who aren’t accepting adds to the need to feel loved from somewhere else. [Romea and Juliet] wanted to be together so badly that they felt the need to fake death and later die together.”

A theater program that accompanied the zine for the production of “R&J” included a director’s note that informed theater-goers of the overall underlying message regarding the CSUDH production.

“Lin Manuel Miranda said, ‘Love is love, is love, is love’ when speaking at the Tony Awards following the tragic 2016 shootings at a gay nightclub in Orlando. It is up to us to learn from R&J and make love, as Miranda so passionately suggested, our response to hatred, bias and intolerance.”

Movie Announcement Shocks Fans of ‘Dead By Daylight’

By JASMINE SANCHEZ Staff Reporter

With the growing popularity of video games to film adaptations, more movie studios have been eyeing their next potential success.

Realizing the budding progress of the genre, many have attempted to accomplish the seamless transition from pixels to film. In recent years, the genre has achieved major wins.

Adaptations, such as HBO’s hit show “The Last of Us” (2023) and Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” franchise, have garnered the attention of the film industry. Bridging the prospect of more video games to film adaptations for the future.

On March 3, studios Atomic Monster and Blumhouse, announced they would be working with Behaviour Interactive, a Canadian video game development studio, to make a feature film for their hit multiplayer horror game “Dead by Daylight.” The game becoming a film leaves many

questions unanswered.

“Dead by Daylight” provides a thrilling experience as maps and spawn-points are randomized. It consists of its own gallery of killers and survivors. Leaving nothing for gamers to grasp as they anticipate more information. The randomization of the game generates each experience to be new and exciting. However, it also leaves many unknowns for the development of a film, as there are many possibilities of the direction it may take.

The game itself doesn’t provide a set story mode for the movie to follow, instead it contains lore through Benedict Baker’s, an unseen character, journal. Each entry contains bits and pieces of information scattered throughout the game.

This makes it difficult to choose between which ones the film will feature. Looking through the gallery of killers, the film has to choose one of the more iconic original killers that was added into the game. One of the recognizable killers

is referred to as “The Trapper,” or Evan MacMillian, and as his nickname suggests, he uses bear traps to capture his victims.

The movie might feature “The Trapper” because he is typically used as the face of the game. He was the first killer created and became sort of a mascot for the game.

He can be found on the loading scene before moving to the skippable cutscene. A few years ago, the cutscene would feature “The Trapper” capturing two survivors. Hence giving more grounds for “The Trapper” to be included in the film.

The film’s story can be the tale of wealth and power

that strays from the path of righteousness. A story of a boy suffering at the hands of the man he calls father. The complexity of the father-son relationship and Evan descending into madness can be the focus point of the film. The ending might be a bit ambiguous for audiences who haven’t played the game.

Joseph Sanker Bulletin

Romea, portrayed by Imelda C. Franco (left), and Juliet, portrayed by Emma Soltero, come together at the conclusion of opening night at CSUDH’s Romeo & Juliet adaptation titled “R&J.” The production featured LGBTQ+ and Latinx representation as well.

Jasmine Sanchez Bulletin Game players can choose which monster to play as in the “Dead by Daylight” video game.

LA Teams Fight to Stay Alive in Playoffs

By JULIA M c INTYRE Staff Reporter

It is the NBA playoffs and that means it is time for intense basketball, close-call games and rowdy fans. Both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers are competing in the playoffs this season as well as for the title of the better L.A. team.

Toros Push Through as Season Closes

CSUDH Women’s Softball Fights To Defend Their Championship

By JULIA M c INTYRE Staff Reporter

As California State University, Dominguez Hills Softball inches closer to the end of the regular season, the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) regular season champion will soon be crowned and give way to the annual end of season conference tournament, hosted this year at Toro Diamond.

In the past weeks, the women swept Biola University, split two games at Concordia, lost by one run in all three games against Chico State and took turns with the Otters to split a four-game series against Cal State Monterey Bay.

During the Biola sweep, pitcher Alyssa Olague threw a

shut-out in game one, ending the game 6-0, while she, Sara Bhatt, and Ashley Weis kept the defense alert on the mound and finished game two, 8-3.

Kaylee Hull, Alex Davis, and Maiya Lopez were strong with the bats and made moves during the Biola series. The sophomore, Hull, had a season-high of three hits in the final game against Biola while her partner in crime and fellow sophomore, Davis, had a combined total of two hits and two runs during the two games.

Davis has been on the front lines consistently and commented on her recent aggressive plays.

“It’s most important to get the amount of reps you need before leaving practice every

day. I’ve taken this year to especially focus on being and feeling prepared for every weekend…what helps me the most is envisioning the best outcome during the play,” Davis said.

The Toro backstop, Lopez, was on the top of the fielding leaderboard with eight putouts in the first matchup and six putouts in game two.

“Going into the Biola game or any other game defensively I prepared myself to always be ready when runners are on and think ball first and have my teammates’ backs. It felt good that I could have my teammates back when finding out I had 15 POs (putouts) in total that day,” Lopez said.

The Toros lost 2-0 in the first game of their doubleheader against Concordia but

finished on top in the second game, 2-0. Hull and Davis persisted with two hits each during the first game. They made a comeback for game two when shortstop, Raquel Jaime, doubled in the third inning and brought home Davis, followed by Hull hitting a home run in the fourth to build the lead.

The next series was more of a bummer for CSUDH as they lost by one run in each game. However, they started to get their groove back when they returned home and faced off against Cal State Monterey Bay. The Toros won two out of four games ending each win with a one-run victory, 2-1 and 1-0 respectively.

The Lakers only had a 0.3% chance of competing in the playoffs this postseason while the Clippers were expected to be there after staying around seed five and seed six towards the end of the regular season. As both L.A.teams fight for the finish, it will be exciting to see who comes up on top. Obviously, Lebron James and Anthony Davis are fan favorites for the Lakers franchise but the team has not been in the best position after their low chances of being considered, and point guard D’Angelo Russell has been on and off his game. However, rising Laker star Austin Reaves has been pulling through for the team and carrying a handful of their guys on his back as he dominates his first playoff season.

In an interview with Spectrum SportsNet, James praised Reaves’ skill and said, “I knew from the first practice that he wasn’t going to be a two-way player for long…I know the type of players that fit with my game and I knew Austin would be that.”

In February, the Lakers sent Russell Westbrook to the

[See Playoffs, page 7]

Tale of Two Halves Has Wright And The Boys On The Ropes

By RAYMOND CASTILLO Sports Editor

The 2023 baseball season has been a tale of two halves for the California State University, Dominguez Hills Toros. One half saw them demolish a team in a four-game sweep by a total combined score of 44-4, and throw a no-hitter in the first home weekend of the season. The other tale, however, witnessed the same team get outscored by nearly 20 runs at home over the course of a four-game series and lose three out of four to the last-placed team in the league.

The Toros, led by head coach Tyler Wright, started out blistering hot, sweeping New Mexico University, Highlands and their rival, the Golden Eagles of California State University, Los Angeles. The Toros smashed the baseball all over the yard and

pitched well enough to keep the leads at what they were.

It all changed when a good, Stanislaus State Warriors team marched into Carson and pounded the Toros to the tune of 46 hits and 26 runs and took three of four games on the weekend. Although two of the four games went into extra innings, the Toros had

their confidence and swagger snatched away from them that weekend.

From that point on, the Toros never fully recovered. They have managed to work splits in series against San Francisco State University and Cal Poly Pomona, but have relinquished bad losses to teams that are below them

in the standings in Sonoma State University and California State University, San Marcos while allowing California State University, East Bay to bump them out of playoff contention by losing three out of four games in a series played in Carson on April 14-16.

While the Toro team has struggled in the latter part of the season, there has been a singular standout that has kept them afloat, their leader and number three, Eric Smelko.

Smelko, also known as “the best teammate someone can ever have,” is much more than a baseball player to the team and campus community. The star center fielder has not only a ridiculous .369 (66-179) batting average, with 8 home runs and 27 RBI, he plays a platinum glove center field. Smelko’s stellar defense allows Wright to deploy more bat-first type players in the

corner outfield spots because he knows the gaps will be covered by number 3.

As the legendary coach Herm Edwards used to say, “The best ability is availability,” and Smelko is the most valuable in that way. He has played and started in all 42 games this season for the Toros, even playing centerfield right-handed to begin the season out of necessity.

Not only after tough games (which are extremely rare) can Smelko be seen putting in extra cage work to get his swing and timing just right so he can produce the best results for his team. Deep into the night, he is trying to find any edge, devoting the time to his craft to become a better person. Whether it is simply watching the film the second it is posted, studying scouting reports, or even just going

[See Halves, page 7]

#3 Eric Smelko is all business as he continues to pace the CSUDH baseball team.

Jena Rouser, Chris Perry CSUDH Athletics

Toro Alex Davis earned back-to-back RBI doubles during the doubleheader against Cal State Monterey Bay.

Jena Rouser CSUDH Athletics

Phenoms Headline Toro Track Season

By RAYMOND CASTILLO Sports Editor

The California State University, Dominguez Hills track and field team are coming down to the final stretch of the 2023 season that has seen the emergence of two new phenoms and a two-sport superstar. With only four meets left and two of them being the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championships and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Outdoor Championships, time is quickly evaporating for a chance to make their stamp even bigger on the 2023 record books.

One Toro, who is not new to the record books, is shot-putter Danyell Booker. “Book” as she is called by most of her teammates has been putting in the work this school year as she comes off of winning the NCAA Division II West Regional title as a key member of the Toro women’s basketball team. Booker competed in her first shot put event just 19 days after competing in the Elite 8 in St. Joseph, Missouri and put up a season-high mark of 11.48 meters. Her relentless effort and willingness to do whatever for her team to win has carried over and helped bring a winning attitude to the program.

On the track, the Ervin sisters, Leloni and Teloni, are the two freshman phen-

HALVES

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through mental reps while standing in the Athletics office, Smelko is doing everything he can to ensure his team can come out on top.

He does not stop there, Smelko is always the first person to greet everyone with a big smile and a “How are ya?” He genuinely cares about the people he interacts with and wants to see everyone succeed.

Simply put, Eric Smelko is desperately needed by this Toro team and he answers the bell every time.

If the season ended today, the Toros would be on the outside looking in at the California Collegiate Athletic Association conference tournament. With only two regular-season series left, the Toros are two and a half games out of a playoff spot and are running out of time. Once again they will look to their leader in number three to take them back to the playoffs for just the second time since 2015. Smelko and the boys are geared up and ready to take on the challenge.

oms supplying the spark and carrying this season’s edition of the Toro track team. Both of the Ervin sisters compete in sprints (100, 200 and 400-meter events) and have by far the best times on the team.

Teloni set her season-best 100- and 200-meter times at Pt. Loma Nazarene University Invitational on Mar. 25, slightly edging out her sister’s best times by less than a second each time at 12.75 and 26.51 seconds respectively.

She later set her season-best 400-meter time of 59.25 seconds at the same meet her sister had a personal best day.

Leloni was on fire at the 2023 Beach Invitational on Apr. 14 where she posted her best 100 and 200-meter times at 12.99 and 26.79 seconds, respectively. She also posted a season-best 400-meter time at 59.93 seconds at the 2023 Chris Rine Twilight.

The freshman sisters from

Concord, Calif. have put Toro nation and the rest of Division II on notice for what is to come in the near future.

For a roster that lists 12 of the 13 student-athletes as freshmen, the Toros understandably have fallen on tough times while learning how to run the collegiate-style race. With over 20 years of experience as the lead of the Toro track and field program, head coach, Warren Edmonson has his work cut out for him.

PLAYOFFS

From page 6

Clippers and much of Westbrook’s fan base followed him to the neighboring L.A. team. Drama has heightened between fans and players since a source told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin on NBA Today that trading Westbrook was necessary to remove “a vampire from the locker room.”

The Clippers have been consistent with their game plan with stars Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and now Westbrook, but their overall success may depend on how they result in the first series against the Phoenix Suns.

CSUDH student Jarmiah Gerges said to predict the results, the Suns do need to be taken into consideration.

“Lebron wants it,” Gerges said. “But if the Clippers beat the Suns, I don’t know if there’s any stopping the Clippers.”

The Toros will compete four more times in the 2023 season before they give way to an offseason of training and preparation starting with the Steve Scott Invitational at University of California, Irvine followed by the CCAA Championships hosted by California State University, San Marcos before the Toros round out their season at Azusa Pacific for the Franson Last Chance and the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Pueblo, Colorado.

pus, Cindy Mojica, said she is rooting for the Lakers to win compared to the Clippers because she and her family have been Lakers fans since she was a baby.

Another avid Laker fan, Ross Jasso, said, “Reaves is their secret weapon. I don’t think the Lakers will make it all the way but I think they have a strong chance of making it further than the Clippers.”

In a Twitter poll of 353 votes titled “Who is making it further in the playoffs? LA Lakers and LA Clippers?”

67% voted for the Clippers while 33% voted that the Lakers could pull it off.

will make it further

PUSH

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NBA Playoffs.

The next step for the women is to get past one more regular season series and then prepare for the CCAA conference tournament on their

home field May 4-6.

Lopez explained the team’s game plan, her personal focus, and what she is most excited about as the end of the regular season and conference tournament approaches.

“As a team, our main focus

Another student on cam-

is to play our game and see no opponent. My main focus is to have my pitcher’s back and stay confident…What I am looking forward to the most when thinking about the championship is traveling with my teammates and get-

In the fight for L.A. playoff territory, it will depend on how both teams will approach the upcoming games. The 0.3% chance of the Lakers making it to the playoffs might be the only chance they need to stay alive longer in L.A. than the Clippers.

ting to have that experience again like last year,” Lopez said.

The Toros’ quest to win the West begins to take shape as the season winds down, and the fight to defend their title is only going to get tougher.

The 2023 Toro track and field team poses for a team photo.

Jena Rouser, Chris Perry CSUDH Athletics

Lakers and Clippers fans on Twitter vote which Los Angeles-based team

in the

Julia McIntyre Bulletin

WOMEN

From page 2

Social media can sometimes normalize a culture of bullying and harassment and may cause major mental health issues for the individuals involved. Women might experience severe mental anguish and trauma when they are publicly ridiculed or humiliated on social media or in other public places. My mother always told me that when females spoke about me, it was because they were envious of me. I never understood why fe-

TECHNOLOGY

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CENTER

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and events including a keynote speaker, yoga, shopping vendors and craft tables.

One of the members of the WRC, Susie Lopez-Benitez who works at CSUDH in Student Retention and Success Support, said, “The whole purpose was just to make sure the students feel comfortable in their bodies and in their space,” which is ultimately what the WRC strives to do.

GRADUATION

From page 1

When graduates arrive at the campus, all CSUDH parking lots will be open for free parking. It is advised that graduates arrive 90 minutes before the start of their ceremony dressed to impress in regalia and head to the Track and Field Stadium to check in. There, graduates will be grouped according to their major before being walked to the Dignity Health Sports Park where the ceremonies will be held. The commencement ceremonies usually last between one and a half to two hours.

Any graduates who need assistance during the commencement ceremony can contact the Student Disability Resource Center prior to the event.

There are no tickets required for guests, but if a graduate wants to provide a VIP experience for their friends and family, a premium suite can be purchased for $75 per person. The minimum number of tickets needed to reserve a suite is 10 and the maximum is 15. Food and beverage can be added at an additional cost.

Lopez-Benitez acknowledged the struggles of imposter syndrome and how the WRC aids in helping students overcome this feeling. Imposter syndrome, as defined by the American Psychology Association, is when individuals doubt their abilities and question whether or not they are deserving of the environment that they are in. As students work incredibly hard to make their way towards attaining their degrees, it is easy to fall victim to comparison and eventually imposter

syndrome.

The WRC helps ease this sensation by allowing students to feel like they belong and giving them the space “to feel more comfortable with their identity and know that they’re on campus for a reason,” Lopez-Benitez added.

The WRC is located in the classroom village near parking lot 7. The center is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To stay up-to-date on upcoming events, sign up for the WRC newsletter.

the case for many children who have unsupervised access to technology at home. These children are exposed to inappropriate or hurtful content online due to lack of supervision and then proceed to repeat or reenact what they see online because they think it is okay. “A bulk of the social altercations that happen at school stem from technology use at home in some way,” Smylie said. Without supervision, technology can do much more damage than it can good.

Smylie went on to note that while elementary-age children can definitely benefit from using technology in classroom settings, “students need opportunities to build fine motor and gross skills, and technology shouldn’t take the place of these.” The same thing can be said about

males were interested in my physique. When I realized it was a mirror of themselves and the things that society imposed on them, I began to realize that I wasn’t the cause of the issue.

Pitting women up against one another is damaging to society because it fosters negative gender stereotypes, inhibits solidarity and togetherness, and leads to a bullying and harassing culture. It is critical to building a more welcoming and respectful culture in which women are appreciated and treated with dignity and respect.

settings outside of the classroom. Young children are missing out on building valuable fine motor skills from hands-on toys as it becomes more and more common to put on a video for children just to keep them occupied. Although the rise of technology has its downfalls in regard to the development of children, it can prove to be a useful tool when properly used and supervised. In classroom settings, the use of technology is typically through computers or tablets. Smylie acknowledges that setting strict and clear technology expectations with her students has allowed for in-class computer use to be a positive tool.

When children are supervised with technology use, doors are opened for growth and learning opportunities. However, allowing for unrestricted internet access is bound to create more issues and damage than intended.

With graduation around the corner, the university set up informational sessions to let students know what to expect on the day of their ceremony.

The Dignity Health Sports Park venue has a list of prohibited items for the ceremonies such as any artificial

noisemakers (i.e. air horns), balloons, confetti, smoking, pets, alcoholic beverages, beach balls and umbrellas.

For any additional questions regarding commencement, there is a list of FAQs on the iToros App.

and enjoy your special day!

Photo courtesy of CSUDH

Susie Lopez-Benitez (right) and Megan Tagle Adams (left) of the CSUDH Women’s Resource Center greeted people at the 7th Annual Women’s Conference.

Sara Bhatt Bulletin

On behalf of the Bulletin, congratulations to the Class of 2023,