May 10, 2023, Issue 6

ULLETI B N

CSUDH Student Speaks About AI

By JOSEPH SANKER Staff Reporter

Corvalis Cohen, a sophomore and computer science major at California State University, Dominguez Hills, spoke about AI integrations at the GameDevGuild Conference, a five-day conference centered around video game development for anyone interested in finding a career within the industry.

“Nothing can beat the billions of dollars of infrastructure, support and dedicated engineers used to support these AIs,” Cohen said during his presentation on May 2.

Attendees of the online conference created their own avatars and moved around a virtual expo hall. From there, they could enter a computer-generated version of what would be an in-person

Dolores

California State University, Dominguez Hills

CSUDH Opens Esports Academy University Is Expanding Available Curriculum Through Gaming

By LEAH QUINTERO Managing Editor

Esports is a steadily growing industry that has accumulated a global audience of 540 million. It has its own Olympics, collegiate governing body and now an Esports

Academy at California State University, Dominguez Hills dedicated to bridging the gap between online sports and higher education.

“Our goal has always been to develop a well-rounded Esports program that goes beyond competition and we

believe we’re doing that here today,” Kevin Buchmiller, the director of Esports, said during the Toro Esports Academy ribbon cutting ceremony held on April 24.

As explained during the ceremony, the Esports Academy, which includes 18

gaming and three broadcast stations, was created to give students a home base that allows them to learn the vital skills necessary for their future.

The lab itself, where the

Huerta Graduation Celebration Has Been Renamed

By LICIA SUMMERHILL Staff Reporter

Graduation ceremonies are a time of celebration and culture. As a community, California State University, Dominguez Hills has had a long history of celebrating different cultures within separate ceremonies designed to bring together graduates and their families. However, questions have been raised as to why the Dolores Huerta Graduation Celebration recently changed its name to the Latine Celebration.

Dolores Huerta is a social activist widely recognized as the woman of the “Sí Se Puede’’ movement that mobilized farm workers in the 1960s. Huerta worked alongside Cesar Chavez and together they founded the National Farm Workers Association (now called United Farm Workers’ Union). She was instrumental in the boycott and worked to form unions that brought better wages and better living conditions.

Huerta is a pioneer of the Chicano movement and some CSUDH Toros did not want to

see her name erased from the celebration.

The answer is found in the name. Huerta was a champion for many but not for all. In changing the name to Latine Celebration, no one is left out. The name now accurately reflects every Latin American country, not just Mexico and Indigenous communities displaced by war.

For the expansive Latine community within CSUDH, the celebration now includes all cultures, not just one.

Leah Quintero Bulletin

President Thomas A. Parham, CSU Board of Trustees Chair Wenda Fong, Director of Esports Kevin Buchmiller and President of the CSUDH Esports Association Franky Saldana crowd in front of the Esports lab on the second floor of the Leo F. Cain Library.

Photo Courtesy of CSUDH

CSUDH 2019 Dolores Huerta Graduation.

[See AI, page 11] [See Renamed, page 11]

[See Esports, page 11]

Corvalis Cohen spoke about AI in gaming at conference

Trio Brings EDM To The Forefront At Coachella

By GABRIEL GOMEZ Art Director

Skrillex, Four Tet and Fred

Again walked to the main stage at Coachella on April 23, filling in the headlining slot on very short notice after Frank Ocean’s departure from the Weekend 2 lineup due to an injury. Their set from the Coachella stage was streamed live on YouTube and may have paved the way for encouraging more EDM to take center stage at the festival for years to come.

The trio, also known collectively as Pangbourne House Mafia, was confirmed to join Weekend 2 of Coachella on April 20. The three have already worked together earlier this year, playing for five hours together at New York City’s Madison Square Garden in February.

After Frank Ocean’s controversial Weekend 1 performance left attendees incredibly underwhelmed, Ocean left behind not only the open set time, but an ice-skating rink stage built specifically for his performance that was never used.

The trio ended up refashioning this into a 360 stage and it helped prioritize general admission attendees often left in the dust. Coachella’s structure of hierarchy is that those in possession of VIP and artist wristbands typically get the best view in front of the mainstage. Not this time though. Instead, they played in the center of the GA section who surrounded their stage.

It was symbolic not just because it was an incredible

week for the trio, whose addition to the Coachella lineup was completely unexpected, but a welcome change for Weekend 2 goers. The three producers, who represent different sounds and generations of electronic music, are recognized to be among the best artists in their space of music, and are now also

collaborators and best friends. I believe this was the catalyst in making room for more EDM headliners in the years to come for Coachella.

It would have been hard to predict Skrillex to be a headliner, who has played Coachella’s Outdoor and Sahara Stages multiple times, but who, up until this past Feb-

ruary, hadn’t released a new solo album in nine years.

Despite his legendary status as the godfather of dubstep, Fred’s breakout set at Coachella in 2022 acted as an introduction to his stardom last year. Four Tet has also been an underground legend for the house scene, but never reaching the main -

stream like he has until now. Before this year’s Coachella, it didn’t seem plausible for them to be in a headlining slot.

However, even during their set, the night was full of surprises. Four Tet did an astounding remix of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story,” created this mix of the intro riff of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” which blended into HOL!’s hit “Country Riddim” fitting it not only once into the setlist, but multiple times for good measure. The night became what was arguably the coolest, weirdest and purest EDM-antithesis, of dance music played on the Coachella main stage since the festival’s very early days, when acts like Chemical Brothers and Underworld headlined.

Despite the odds, they were playing for tens of thousands of people and even more watching around the world via the YouTube livestream. The show felt like an exclamation mark and sort of turning point on the current moment of dance music, which feels rejuvenated with new energy, artists, sounds and fans.

In the heydays of EDM, a headlining spot at Coachella was basically the golden ticket of mainstream crossover success. In recent years, dance music on the main stage has given the spots to well-known acts like Swedish House Mafia, who headlined just last year, and Calvin Harris, who closed the main stage on Saturday night, April 22.

Manga Series Blamed For Violence Against Teachers

By JASMINE SANCHEZ Staff Reporter

As news broke out that the popular manga series “Assassination Classroom” was next in line to be challenged in schools, I was left speechless. I was, at the time, rereading the series and could not fathom what the thought process was to contest such work. The series holds a dear place in my heart. It was one of my favorites growing up and learning parents and some organizations have declared it is “inappropriate” to be allowed in schools is just baffling.

I initially read the manga in middle school when I was about 13 years old, so it makes

sense that I have a deep love for the series. However, as I was reading the aspects that raised concerns for these parents, I was still confused as

to how they came to this conclusion. I was having trouble pinpointing these scenes indicated to be unsuitable for children despite having reached

the ninth volume of the series at that point in time.

“Assassination Classroom” is a series that follows a class of lovable characters generalized as “misfits” and “failures” by the administration of their prestigious school and their peers. The class is tasked by the government to covertly assassinate their shady octopus-like teacher, Koro-sensei, who is planning to destroy the world. As they work to carry out their duty, the students are taught valuable life lessons by Koro-sensei along the way.

One of the main issues that I’ve heard being tossed around is that the series perpetuates violence towards teachers, completely ignoring

the fact that the guns in the manga are the equivalent of BB guns and the knives are plastic. These “weapons” aren’t meant to harm humans, only the yellow octopus whose plan is to destroy the world. Not to mention, the students are professionally trained on how to handle these devices.

Another point often brought up is that it’s unrealistic as no real government is offering to pay around 73 million dollars to students to assassinate their teacher. In the show, the students did not wake up one day and decided to attempt to kill their teacher, they were offered a chance

Photo Courtesy of Coachella

Skrillex, Four Tet and Fred Again take in the electric atmosphere of the evening.

Jasmine Sanchez Bulletin

Assassination Classroom has been banned from schools.

[See Manga, page 3]

[See Coachella, page 3]

Journalists Hit Hard by Mass Furloughs

By GABRIEL GOMEZ Art Director

The past few months have been tough for journalists across several publications all over the nation. The industry-wide layoffs have left thousands of media workers without jobs. This seems like a harrowing time to be in digital media. With the many job losses journalism is seeing, the future seems to be pretty bleak.

Coalition Rallies For S.T.E.P.S.

By GABRIEL GOMEZ Art Director

On May 1, the California State University (CSU) union and student workers held a May Day rally event for union workers to gather together in solidarity as the labor coalition to support in pushing forward the Senate Bill 410, also known as S.T.E.P.S. (Steps to Economic Parity in Salaries).

This bill is asking for fair and livable wages for all CSU union workers system-wide. It is designed to change CSU’s current salary structure to benefit CSU staff.

California State University Employees Union’s (CSUEU) criticism of the CSU Board of Trustees’ future budget proposal is that it barely covers a 2% general salary increase. This rate does not keep up with current inflation. The proposal also does not prioritize students’ and employees’ basic needs, such as food and housing which are critical to student quality of life on campus.

COACHELLA

From page 2

While Skrillex is certainly a star in his own right, what he’s doing currently with Fred and Four Tet feels more like the future of the genre than looking back to past eras. It felt like the lines between underground to mainstream became somewhat blurrier.

Running over the curfew time, the trio hugged each other, not wanting to leave the crowd too soon without soaking it all in. Four Tet grabbed his tote bag, looking as if he just left Trader Joes on a grocery run and the three exited the stage in a nonchalant fashion. The per-

All CSU labor unions gathered along the east walkway including CSUEU, California Faculty Association, Union of Academic Student Workers, Teamsters, International Union of Operating Engineers and Academic Professionals of California. They rallied on campus to bring attention to their cause in order to push forward the S.T.E.P.S. bill.

Not approving the bill would result in a large turnover rate with staff who find that their salaries are not commensurable to their hands-on experience, skills, knowledge and training.

More often than not, these employees will look to other opportunities outside of CSUDH and leave for other jobs. It also affects staff morale which will impact student life as an end result.

Those who don’t leave, don’t have the incentive to work at the highest performance and produce the quality work that they are known for.

Miguel Terán López, vice president and organizing

formance left the audience with the same starstruck feeling that lingered after past iconic performances. The trio proved that they deserve to hold the crown.

Having a last minute headliner led to such a special moment in the history of the festival. It brought a sense of intrigue and hype that ultimately will be remembered more than the regularly scheduled programming that was intended for both weekends. Coachella may not have planned for disaster to strike when their headliner dropped out, but they turned a train wreck into a unique experience exclusive to Weekend 2 goers.

chair of CSUEU Chapter 314 (Dominguez Hills) explained that the mission objective of the rally was to bring all the campus unions and student workers together so they can fight as one instead of being divided.

They are hoping that CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham and his administration see that they are all working together in this mission for fair wages that keep up with the cost of living and current inflation.

“Unfortunately, it’s getting harder for us to meet our needs. Some of us are living check by check. We want to make sure that we have a living wage and a dignified workplace,” López said.

The labor coalition is hoping to bring more awareness to S.T.E.P.S. and have more action events planned for the future including some in the summer and fall of this year. They want to build momentum and if they don’t reach an agreement in the fall, they are prepared to strike at the end of the year if necessary.

MANGA

From page 2

to save the world and took it.

After learning so much from Koro-sensei, the students have a change of heart and decide to save him. They realized through his teachings that they didn’t want to lose the best teacher they had and were willing to give up life-changing money to spend more time with him.

This brings up the point that the series is about more than just attempting to murder Koro-sensei. He takes the time to recognize each of his student’s strengths and weaknesses and wants them to see a future for themselves despite constantly being ha-

With big companies across the board letting go of staff writers and employees, job security and morale could be at an all-time low. Journalism hasn’t been the only industry that has seen mass layoffs and furloughs with tech being hit hard as well, this still doesn’t bode well for employees who are just scraping by to deliver quality work with little guarantees of a job this year or next.

Insider Inc. announced on April 20 that it would begin cutting an estimated 10% of its staff. At Buzzfeed News, 100% of the online publication’s staff will be out of work. In a memo obtained by the New York Times, Buzzfeed CEO Jonah Peretti told the company’s news workforce that the online publication would be shut down. The company will be shifting toward concentrating on its other outlet, HuffPost.

After years of financial hardship, Vice Media announced on April 27 that it would lay off more than 100 employees and shut down its Vice World News brand. This is a loss for journalists at Vice who have pioneered over the years in bringing hard-hitting stories that deliver insight into domestic and foreign affairs.

Vice employees who were recently laid off are incredibly devastated, but thankful for their time at the company and slightly hopeful for the future.

Elizabeth Landers, who was a chief political correspondent for Vice News wrote on Twitter, “I hope our work has been impactful and illuminating.”

Rachel Cheung of Vice World News tweeted, “I’ve been laid off along with the rest of the crew in Asia Pacific. But I’m so proud of what we accomplished in such a short period, the stories we told and the issues we looked into.”

Though many journalists have been laid off in the past few weeks, a lot are still looking forward to making an impact as freelancers and trying to maintain the narrative that people are valuable as writers and can’t be replaced by AI systems like chatGPT. Only time will tell just how far these layoffs will go.

rassed by the other students.

Including this aspect allows the reader to appreciate teachers who genuinely care for their students and encourages them to create bonds with those they look up to.

Even at the end of the series, the students rush to be with Koro-sensei in his final moments and it is during this time that he takes one last roll call as his students weep. Despite how the story began, they don’t want him to die nor does the reader.

To say the manga breeds violence towards teachers is a disgrace to the themes and context of the story. Violence exists because people choose to commit violent acts towards others. There is no one

pulling the strings. There is no boogie man hiding behind a mask. There are only people who want to hurt others. Words on a page do not compel people to be violent, especially not those in “Assassination Classroom,” which emphasizes student-teacher bonds.

Frankly, the timing of the ban feels a bit convenient. There is an epidemic of school shootings and a rise in violence towards teachers. “Assassination Classroom” is, like many other forms of media before it, used as a smoke screen to distract from the real issues at hand. The manga series is only another placeholder to shoulder the blame.

Labor Coalition rallies in support of S.T.E.P.S. Bill.

Gabriel Gomez Bulletin

Journalists across the U.S. have fallen victim to mass layoffs tearing through the digital media industry.

Photo courtesy of Pexels

The Do’s and Don’ts Of Finding An Internship

By JOSEPH SANKER Staff Reporter

Finding an internship doesn’t have to be stressful, cumbersome, or even particularly difficult. Here are some Do’s and Don’ts to help California State University, Dominguez Hills students successfully land an internship.

Don’t - Start panicking!

A number of studies have shown that when in an anxious, panicked state of mind, poor decisions are often made, leading to undesirable outcomes. Avoid making misjudgments or rushed decisions by taking small steps each day toward the search for an internship.

“One of the ways I deal with things I’m anxious about is I start to make a plan. Just making a plan of how you intend to go about your search is helpful and can be calming,” Lisa Mastramico, CSUDH internship coordinator and lecturer, said. “So what that might look like is starting to put together your documents that you know you’ll need [in order] to submit a strong application to the internships that you find… it might sound like a small detail but it’s actually really helpful and can be the start of your search and that can take the anxiety down.”

Do - Utilize the CSUDH Career Center

The CSUDH career center is the ideal resource to take advantage of when searching for an internship.

“We always recommend

students come to visit us,” Brenda Mendez, interim director and lead career coach at the CSUDH career center, said. “Through your MyCSUDH portal…you can make an appointment to meet with a career coach. And what you can expect in that 30-minute meeting is to answer a couple of questions…see what your career goals are because ideally, we want to try to help look for an internship that allows you to connect what you’re learning in the classrooms and the skills that you’re developing with your career goal. We wish we’d seen more students because oftentimes what ends up happening is students get to the end and they’re like

‘I’m graduating, I have this degree and now I don’t know what to do.’”

Don’t - Procrastinate

Alyce Cornyn-Selby, author of “Procrastinator’s Success Kit” once said, “Procrastination is, hands down, our favorite form of self-sabotage.” With that being said, for procrastinating students hoping to land an internship in a timely manner, self-sabotage appears imminent unless action is taken right away.

“The worst thing to do is just wait,” Mastramico said. “Sometimes students will wait until fall [semester] starts, like September. [For students that] are trying to

Self-Improvement Art of ‘LooksMaxxing’

By MARCELO MAXIMILIAN Staff Reporter

Steve Urkel was a fictional character from the 90s sitcom Family Matters.

Urkel is easily one of the most famous examples of a nerd in pop culture, known for his signature look of large bifocal glasses, colorful suspenders and holding his pants ridiculously high on his thin and frail stature.

In between the silliness of Urkel’s constant references to highly intellectual trivia as if it were common knowledge, the running joke was his persistence in stealing the heart of Laura Winslow, the crush that humorously rejected him in almost every episode... Almost.

One of the show’s most memorable episodes was when Steve becomes Stefan; a handsome, stylish, suave, sexy version of himself, gaining the

attention of Laura.

Urkel’s extreme transformation is a prime example of “Lookmaxxing,” the present-day term for when a person who is generally a “nerd” puts in the effort to “max out” their looks.

“Looksmaxxing” can be a wide array of actions a person can do to improve their appearance such as a skincare routine to clear up acne, creating a new wardrobe with better fitting and stylish clothes, a haircut that compliments the shape of your face and overall improving grooming standards.

“Looksmaxxing” is an umbrella term for self-improvement and can often be broken down into more specific categories. For example, the commonly used term “gymaxxing” is a term for those who work to get physically fit from exercise.

The “looksmaxxing” com-

munity is refreshing especially because many communities within “nerd” culture accept their fate and blame their poor appearance on bad genetics, lack of motivation and other factors.

The “looksmaxxing” community are supportive of each other with discussion boards where people can give and receive advice, upload before and after content and ask for advice.

Folks interested in getting into “looksmaxxing” can start where I did: YouTube. I’ve caught myself on YouTube watching endless hours of “looksmaxxing” videos and filtering through the suggestions I could apply to myself. One can start slowly by scheduling barber appointments more frequently, adding accessories to outfits and being more active.

This idea can be applied to all aspects of one’s life.

tion in those areas…take that look inward to help narrow down your search.”

Don’t - Be unprepared for the interview

Many factors come into play when it comes to interviewing for an internship. Being prepared is key. Unpreparedness in an interview will likely show and when one is “not dressing professionally, like coming in jeans and a T-shirt. Not researching the organization that they’re going to interview with, so not knowing really anything about the company is a bad thing to do,” Mastramico said. “Not having questions prepared [is bad] because, at the end of an interview, they’re always going to ask, ‘Do you have any questions for us?’...and you always should have a couple [of] questions for them.”

find a fall internship, that’s too late…one of the bigger mistakes is just waiting too long to start your search.”

Do - Reflect on what you want

Internships vary across the board, so deciding what you want before seeking one is very beneficial in the search process.

“You have to take a look inward. You have to see what your values are, what’s important to you, what you envision yourself doing,” Mendez said. “‘What is it that I want to do? Who do I want to work with? What are the things that I like? What are the things that I don’t like?’ [Do] a lot more reflec -

Do - Remember that this internship is for you!

An internship is meant to take what students have done in the classroom and apply it out into the world where they explore a preview of what’s to come in their chosen career field via internship.

“It’s a bridge from campus to career. There’s research that shows doing an internship before you graduate makes you more marketable when you’re searching for a job,” Mastramico said. “It’s helpful because otherwise, you’re just graduating out into the world without that help, without that little bit of direction as you graduate.”

There’s “gymmaxxing,” “financesmaxxing,” “networkmaxxing” and “businessmaxxing.” The point of it all is to

give yourself space to work on yourself, whatever that may look like is completely up to you.

Finding an internship can be a challenge. Here are some do’s and don’ts to help you in your search.

Art by Joseph Sanker Bulletin

These gym bros are “gymaxxing” at Fitness Con.

Marcelo Maximilian Bulletin

Glowing up this summer doesn’t have to be difficult

Are Twilight and Harry Potter Reboots Needed?

By JASMINE SANCHEZ Staff Reporter

In more recent times, Hollywood has grasped onto the idea of rebooting beloved shows and movies to make a quick profit. Some explore the cinematic world and fix errors of the past while others fail to live up to the originals.

As reboots are becoming a normal concept, announcements have become less shocking as of late. However, two big franchises have left fans speechless. “Harry Potter” and “Twilight” announced the early productions of their TV reboots. The original movies are dearly loved by some and hated by others, but fans of both franchises expressed it was too soon for a reboot of the movies.

This raises the question of whether there is even enough content within the original source material to keep a steady pace throughout the TV reboots.

Harry Potter

The streaming service HBO Max, currently being rebranded as Max, announced news of their upcoming “Harry Potter” television adaptation based on the series of novels by author J.K. Rowling. Fans were left stunned as the original movies have left an indelible mark on popular culture. The original movie franchise, while beloved, altered various aspects from the books while also leaving out fundamental and anticipated scenes found in the series.

One of the most prominent differences comes from the characterization of all three of the main characters. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley each suffered in their characterization throughout the movies. Some suffered more than others, as their

movie counterparts tend to be a shell of who they are throughout the series.

Harry, the boy who lived, lost his flare during the transition from page to screen. His snarkiness and quips were left out entirely, his personality dwindled into a blank slate, and his emotional development hindered tremendously. The movies minimized Harry’s traumatizing experience and anguish.

Hermione is a completely different character from the version of the books. She is a flawless character, restricted from growing, and placed onto a pedestal by the director. Hermione is given many lines and aspects from other characters, thus erasing the foundation of her core character.

Ron’s character was reduced to comic relief while his book counterpart was multidimensional. His personality and character suffered the most

from the movie adaptations. Many of his lines were given to other characters and the movie didn’t know how to fit the new version of the character to the story. As the characters suffered through many changes when written for the movies, it is not the only aspect that left fans disappointed. Crucial events and moments were excluded due to screen time limitations. One event that was teased throughout various movies but never occurred on screen was the Quidditch World Cup, despite it being incredibly significant to Harry and other characters in the book. The television adaptation might be able to fix these errors by giving the characters and their development justice that was unseen from its predecessors.

Twilight

One of the more shocking announcements was from

Lionsgate Television which confirmed a new adaptation of Stephanie Meyer’s “The Twilight Saga.” It is currently in the early stages of development. The series consists of five books with three companion novels and five movies.

The books follow Bella Swan, a normal teenage girl who falls in love with a boy named Edward Cullen. Her world is turned upside down when she soon learns that he is a vampire. Turning “Twilight” into a TV series could lead to some horrendous pacing. The show would primarily focus on the relationship between Bella and Edward, but the problem lies with the rapid progression of the original series. The pacing of the overall story works well in the books and films, but the TV adaptation may suffer if every variable is not considered.

The average number of episodes for a TV series, made for

streaming, varies between eight to 13. The standard length of an episode is around 37 minutes to a full hour. The series must maintain a steady pace while compellingly capturing the audience’s attention. However, if structured like this, the story and Bella and Edwards overall relationship will be crammed into a very short timeframe.

Not to mention, the portrayal of the shapeshifters, individuals descended from ancient spirit warriors from the Quileute Tribe, is a major aspect that would have to be changed as it is dredged in harmful and offensive stereotypes. The Quileute Tribe, a real Indigenous tribe in the United States, are depicted as emotional and violent after their shifter gene, an extra chromosome presumed to carry the gene needed for the shape-shifting ability, is activated. They are forced to cut their hair due to the length corresponding with the length of their fur, despite the cultural significance, stripping themselves of their culture and identity.

The movies touch upon important aspects of the books and pace the storyline as well as it could. The television adaptation has the potential to delve deeper into the Cullens’ backstory, explore relationships more thoroughly and offer complexity towards minor characters. However, the issues the adaptation would face might bypass the audience’s interest if not handled correctly. Taking in these hurdles, a TV adaptation appears to be unnecessary.

The reboots for Harry Potter and Twilight are currently in the early stages of production. For better or worse, they will grace the screens of television and possibly overshadow the originals. As the future is uncertain, only time will tell.

DC Studios Release Of ‘Blue Beetle’ Breaking Barriers

By ANTHONY ARROYO Staff Reporter

DC Studios’ upcoming “Blue Beetle” will mark history, as the title character will be the first-ever live-action Latino superhero.

While “Blue Beetle” has been part of the DC Universe for over 80 years, this will be the first time the character will be presented on the big screen.

Xolo Maridueña, who is of Mexican, Cuban and Ecuadorian descent, will play the role of Jaime Reyes and his alter ego, Blue Beetle. Maridueña is most known for his role as Miguel Diaz in “Cobra Kai.” In an interview with Los Angeles hip-hop radio station Power 106, Maridueña expressed his pleasure with being able to positively represent the Latinx community with this role.

“There’s Latinos that we’ve seen in movies, but it’s the gang banger, the housemaid, the person struggling with immigration,” said Maridueña. “We’ve seen those stories before, but to see a Latino in a positive light and who’s the hero of the story… it’s going to be really crazy for the world. It’s gonna really show the world that Latinos are not a monolith.”

For decades, superhero films have typically cast white males as the main protagonist. People of color have traditionally been given supporting or antagonist roles. However, this has started to change in recent years as there has been a shift to include more representation in the superhero genre.

2018’s “Black Panther” starring the late Chadwick Boseman solidified this shift, as it was the first mainstream

superhero film to have an African American lead. “Black Panther” was embraced and celebrated by African culture, and many African American children were ecstatic to see a superhero that looked like them.

That same year, the animated film “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” strayed away from the typical Peter Parker story. The film featured a protagonist named Miles Morales, who is both African American and Puerto Rican. The mov-

ie’s message was built upon the foundation set by “Black Panther.” That is: Anyone can wear the mask, no matter who you are or what you look like, you can be a hero.

Just like those films, “Blue Beetle” has the potential to have a positive impact on the Latinx community. Susan Sarandon, who will play the main antagonist in “Blue Beetle,” revealed that much of the film’s dialogue will feature Spanish with English subtitles. The majority of the cast is of Latinx background; this representation in media can show that Latinos are more than just side characters.

Along with the upcoming film “The Flash,” “Blue Beetle” is expected to be critical in the future success of the DC Extended Universe. Will “Blue Beetle” live up to expectations? We will find out on Aug. 18.

Jasmine Sanchez Bulletin

The box covers of the DVDs.

Anthony Arroyo Bulletin

Shot of the “Blue Beetle” trailer.

Who Is 15-Year-Old Matan Even?

By ANTHONY ARROYO Staff Reporter

Many may not be familiar with the name Matan Even, but the 15-year-old boy seems to be popping up on everyone’s social media timeline. Even gained much attention after interrupting the 2022 Game Awards by sneaking up on stage and thanking his “reformed orthodox rabbi Bill Clinton” before being escorted out by security. Due to this stunt, he became known as “The Bill Clinton Kid.” The internet was shocked to find out that Even’s antics go back even further than the 2022 incident. Recent footage surfaced of him holding up a pro-Hong Kong shirt during a dance cam at an LA Clippers game in Oct. 2019. The camera immediately panned away when Even raised the shirt, as the NBA did not want to upset Chinese partners. Hong Kong is still having conflicts with China, as they are trying to gain independence from the latter. The video gained 10 million views in the span of four years and Even capitalized on this attention as he created his YouTube channel later that same year, with his first video being an interview with Owen Shroyer of InfoWars discussing the situation.

“Now that I have done that, when I go to the Clipper

performing on stage with rapper Denzel Curry. Overnight, Even became a meme and a sensation, with many calling him the main character and jokingly photoshopping him into historical photos saying that he really is everywhere.

While Even’s true motives remain a mystery, he has revealed how he feels about the celebrities and influencers he disrupts.

“I don’t like famous people with big egos,” said Even on his livestream. “They think they are the top echelon of the world. Most people are intimidated by them because they’re rich and powerful. I’m not and I never was so I like bothering them and teaching them the lesson that they’re on my level as well.”

Queer Art Seen

games, they never put me on,” said Even. “They don’t even put the camera near me.” Since then, Even has seemingly made it his mission to cause waves everywhere he goes. He is notorious for “trolling” celebrities, influencers and notable public figures by tracking them down and crashing their public appear-

ances and live streams. Some of his adventures include showing up at a restaurant to give YouTuber IShowSpeed a signed Lionel Messi jersey (Speed is a Cristiano Ronaldo fan), following Twitch star Kai Cenat around during his live stream, bothering NBA player Javale McGee at a soccer match and

As shown by his videos and streams, Even is very outspoken and is not afraid to speak his mind on controversial topics including politics, free speech, activism and homelessness. While many believe that Even is playing a character and faking his accent, he insists that he is not.

Even currently has 1.1 million followers on TikTok and 129,000 subscribers on YouTube. His profile bio states that, “Everybody talks, but nobody listens.” While his true motives may never be discovered, there is no doubt that he will create waves wherever he decides to show up next.

‘Suzume’: Learning How To Live Again

By LEAH QUINTERO Managing Editor

There is a line in the recently released anime film, “Suzume” that perfectly captures what the main protagonist’s perilous journey is all about: discovering a will to live and a reason to survive even when hope seems impossible.

“I know that life is fleeting. We live side-by-side with death. Even then…once more…even for just one moment more, we wish to live,” is what Shouta Munakata shouts as he and Suzume Iwato call on the gods for help before the supernatural “worm” wreaking havoc on Japan escapes into the world of the living.

As a story that takes place in Japan, a place ridden with natural tragedies and the like, finding hope in the hopeless is exactly what director Makoto Shinkai had in mind when he decided to base “Suzume” on one of Japan’s most devastating earthquakes, the 2011 Tohoku earthquakes that took the lives of 15,000 people.

At first glance, viewers may be convinced that the film will be about a romance between a young girl and a man who mysteriously turns into a chair. In reality, it’s more than that.

In an interview with

Crunchyroll, Shinkai explains that he had a hard time determining whether it was ethical for him to depict a factual tragedy in an entertainment film. However, after much deliberation, he decided to go through with it.

“I thought it could connect the generation that knows it and the one that does not,” he said. “Suzume was made with the idea of connecting the younger and older generations of Japan. If it could also bring together the audience in Japan and the world, I couldn’t be happier.”

And after becoming the fourth highest-grossing anime film, surpassing “One Piece Film: Red” at the box office in five months’ time, it has done just that.

Released in Japan in Nov.

2022, the story follows Suzume, a young girl forced to

live with the grief caused by the Tohoku earthquakes that took her mother’s life when she was only four years old. At the beginning of the film, Suzume is on her way to school when she runs into university student, Shouta, who suddenly asks her where the closest abandoned location is. It’s after their brief conversation and Suzume’s ever-growing curiosity that leads her to see the supernatural being threatening to upend her life.

When Shouta is rendered useless by a seemingly evil cat and turned into a chair, their adventure to close the doors connecting the past with the present and return Shouta to his normal state, begins. Shinkai has a reputation for bringing awareness to global warming through his films.

For instance, his 2019 project, “Weathering With You,”

focuses on the unprecedented rains, typhoons and other climate crises in Japan to create this dramatic fantasy.

In “Weathering With You,” instead of avoiding and hiding from the disasters taking place, Shinkai allows the characters to embrace it, giving them the chance to face the issue together.

“Suzume” acts in a similar way. Shouta is fairly adamant about closing the doors by himself but when he realizes that that is not possible in his new body, he accepts Suzume’s help bringing the two together.

Like many of Shinkai’s films, there is a light sprinkle of romance featured in the film. Although, despite how much the trailer focuses on Suzume and Shouta’s tender moments, that’s not the only place love seems to flourish here.

It appears in the people Suzume meets along her journey. From Chika Amabe to Suzume’s aunt Tamaki Iwato, who has raised her since she was young, there wasn’t a time when Suzume wasn’t shrouded in love.

Seeing it all come together full circle until the very last moment when Suzume realizes that a happy future is attainable, drives home just how well Shinkais feelings were conveyed.

By MARCELO MAXIMILIAN Staff Reporter

The student-run art gallery Office Hours is a collection of audio and visual artworks, each uniquely displaying their interpretation of queer expression.

The gallery is a mixture of different mediums from former and current students and is curated by student artists Birdie Rojo, Gabe Medina and Art Professor Jimena Sarno.

Birdie Rojo stands proud next to her creation, “La Frutería,” an acrylic painting on stretched canvas. Written on the corner of the painting is 2019, the year she began working at the Queer Culture Resource Center, at CSUDH and where Rojo said she met her “chosen” family.

The painting is a medley of symbolism to pay tribute to both her queer and Mexican culture. Rojo said her mother would always bring her chopped fruit, as an act of endearment but once she came out as queer, Rojo noticed she no longer received fruit. She described the Mexican-native fruits in her art as being symbolic to “fruity.” The self-portrait of her hand penetrating the center of a fruit symbolizes her queer sensuality, she said. The background of the painting is the pattern of a sarape and “La Frutería” is written in old English to represent the Mexican tattoo culture which Rojo appreciates.

“El Nopal” is a handmade piece by South Central native, Gabe Medina. Medina combined inspiration from the neighborhood he grew up in, the queer experience and his Mexican culture.

“El Nopal” was purposely created with red clay without the use of a potter’s wheel to add character that emphasizes that the piece was made by hand. The exterior of “El Nopal” has green cactuses which Medina explains are grown around Mexican households, used in Mexican cuisine and displayed on the Mexican flag.

In addition to his Mexican culture, Medina said the cactus also represents the resiliency and adaptability of the queer and LGBTQ+ experience.

“El Nopal” sits on top of cement cinder blocks which Medina said is a “Visual language from home, like whenever you’re in Compton, Watts or South Central, you’ll see a lot of houses with cinder blocks. I feel like my ceramic vessels are stand-ins for home.”

The art exhibit is currently on display until May 11.

The kid just spawns everywhere.

Art by Anthony Arroyo Bulletin

Makoto Shinkai’s “Suzume,” becomes the fourth highest-grossing anime ever.

Leah Quintero Bulletin

The student-run art exhibit, Office Hours, is a collection of audio and visual artworks, each uniquely displaying each artist’s interpretation of queer expression.

Photos by Marcelo Maximilian Bulletin

‘Office Hours’ displays a collection of audio and visual artwork interpretations of queer expression

The gallery is on display until May 11.

Above, Birdie Rojo, a senior at CSUDH, stands alongside her art piece. Left, Being from South Central, Gabe Medina, a senior at CSUDH, set his piece, “El Nopal,” on top of cinder blocks representing the homes in his neighborhood.

Year In Review: 2022-23 Athletics

By RAYMOND CASTILLO Sports Editor

112 total program wins and counting, 6 postseason wins and more to come, one Men’s Soccer Super Region 4 championship, and of course, everyone’s favorite, one NCAA Women’s West Regional championship and a trip to the Elite 8. All of this has been accomplished in one academic year for California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) Athletics.

A Legacy Defined: Cilecia Foster

From Club Dancer to Head Coach of National Champions

By RAYMOND CASTILLO Sports Editor

If you have been to a game at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) then chances are you have seen the incredible show that the Toro Dance Team puts on every single time they step on the floor. What is not seen, however, is the years of hard work, sacrifice and dedication that these athletes have had

to endure to build their legacy and finally be crowned the 2023 Division II Spirit Rally National Champion.

Led by their founder and current head coach, Cilecia Foster, also known as Cici, the Toros Dance Team has gone from a student-organized club to a full-fledged national powerhouse. Those who know Cici describe her as a delight, someone who is willing to do whatever she

can to help.

Cici is more than a dance coach, she is a mentor, therapist and even a life coach among her other duties. She loves all of her athletes as her own. She loves winning and knows how important it is, but also recognizes that it’s not everything.

“My goal is to keep helping young people see their worth and learn the value in setting goals and seeing

them through no matter how challenging the journey may seem,” Cici said.

Although the Dance Team is fully-funded by university athletics, it was not always that way. Foster said the early days of trying to get the Dance Team recognized were tough.

“It was a process of elimination to be honest. We were bounced around from being

While the juggernaut Toro softball team secured its first California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) conference tournament championship in program history and has another round of playoffs with the potential for their first-ever National Championship in program history. They look to join the ranks of the 1991-92 Women’s Soccer and 2000-01 and 2008-09 Men’s Soccer teams as the only National Championship teams in CSUDH athletics history.

Under new athletic director, Eric McCurdy and with the help of CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham and Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. William Franklin, the department has completely revamped its culture and outlook.

“The first 100 days, I did what is called ‘the three L’s’. I looked, listened, and learned,” said McCurdy.

McCurdy learned that the department has always had

[See Review, page 9]

Toros Sweep Stanislaus State, Start CCAA Championships

By JULIA M c INTYRE Staff Reporter

The California State University, Dominguez Hills Women’s Softball ended the season on a high note when they swept Stanislaus State and were one game away from another sweep against their next competitor, Sonoma State. The Toros record for the regular season is 30-16 and now the focus has changed to the CCAA Championships and defending their West Region title.

CSUDH had an eventful few games against Stan State. A sweep with records broken by the women and their leader on the frontlines, head coach Jim Maier. Coach Maier clocked in his 700th win during game one while in game two senior Raquel Jaime, set the single-season record for walks. Another star Toro, Alyssa Olague, struck out her

500th career batter.

I asked junior Jay Ross what it is like being a part of such a successful program. “Being able to play for Coach Maier and defend behind Lala [Olague] has been so much fun. They both lead our team in such a positive way,” said Ross.

Ross had successful gameplay on the field during the series against Sonoma State. She earned her season high three hits and stole her first base of the year. Ross also was recently named to the 2023 All-CCAA Second Team for the season. The Toro said she did not expect the achieve-

ment.

“I was really honored. I did not know this accomplishment was coming,” said Ross.

Ross’ teammates were also part of the honor. Senior Alyssa Olagu, and Raquel Jaime, earned All-CCAA first team for the second time in their career. Sophomore, Alex Davis and senior, Alani Nguyen were placed in second team alongside Ross.

Aside from these accomplishments, the team has been on a steady incline towards their goals.

When asked how the team continues to stay on the path of momentum, Ross said, “We play the invisible opponent meaning we just focus on ourselves and the circumstances we can control. Once we figure that out, the good things come.”

It is obvious the Toros mainly focus on their over-

all work as a team, which makes them strong when they compete. As they find themselves champions of the CCAA Championships, the competition increases but they maintain their strategies and focus on the group as a whole. Ross said when it comes to the Championships, her personal goal is to keep playing her game and “have fun with the girls.”

Last season, the Toros had their best season in CSUDH softball history. They earned the NCAA West Region Championship title, made it to the World Series and competed in the Championship Finals. It was the first time in program history that the CSUDH Women’s Softball team earned these achievements. The Toros continue on the same track this season and have the opportunity to continue their trailblazing legacy.

The Toros celebrate after their game against Sonoma State.

Jena Rouser, Chris Perry CSUDH Athletics

Cilecia Foster poses with all four trophies and banner at the 2023 CSUDH Dance Team Celebration.

Jena Rouser, Chris Perry CSUDH Athletics

Bonner Crowned: The Fearless Leader

By RAYMOND CASTILLO Sports Editor

It is one thing to say that you care about your players, but it is a completely different ball game to actually do it. Head coach of the California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) Women’s Basketball team, John Bonner gets it.

“Every player deserved to be coached the same way…. It wouldn’t be right if our top six players got a really intense coach and the others get ehh whatever,” said Bonner.

On the court, Bonner is intense and fiery, but this drive is not by accident.

“It’s up to them, I ask them if they want me to let them figure it out and just sit back but they don’t want it,” Bonner said. “They want to be coached hard, they want to be great, so they allow me to do that.”

Off the court, Bonner is known for his frequent check-ins with players. They all have a weekly meeting called “Tens,” where the players come in individually and talk about everything but basketball for as little as 10 minutes or as long as they want the conversation to go. Topics such as social justice, new tv show recommendations, social identities and

REVIEW

From page 8

the potential to be great, but just needed a little bit of love.

“Our staff is outstanding. They do everything in their power to serve our athletes and strive to make their experience at CSUDH the best it can be,” said McCurdy.

With over 110,000 alumni and 60% of them living within 25 miles of campus, CSUDH athletics has felt and appreciated the increase in interest and engagement. Although they know they are just getting started, they hope to grow their relationship together.

The increase in interest was well deserved as the Toros yielded stars and were well-decorated all over the playing surfaces this year.

According to CSUDH Athletics, Angel Sayama:

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Alyssa Newsom awarded CCAA Player of the Week selected to the Cardinal & Gold Academic Fall Honor Roll

MEN’S SOCCER

• Finished with 15 wins and 5 ties

• Coach Eddie Soto was awarded Coach of the Year

• Ranked top 5 in the United

•

how to navigate life are just a few of the topics discussed in these sessions. This allows Bonner to tap into his masters degree in marriage and family therapy from Fresno Pacific University.

“If you can find a way to create memories, you’re going to make their experience better,” Bonner said.

Those memories are why Bonner originally fell in love with basketball growing up in Bakersfield, Calif. Being raised by his grandparents and mother with his three

Soccer Coaches since 2008

4 All-CCAA Honorable Mention (Sebastian Ascencio, Nick Walker, Martin Velasquez, Martin Velasquez)

• 2 All-CCAA Second Team (Zane Bumgardt, Michael McKibbin)

1 First team All-American (Suliman Bah)

1 First-Team All-CCAA (Suliman Bah) Suliman Bah was named CCAA Player of The Week

5 Times

• Suliman Bah was named CCAA Offensive Player of the Year

• 1 West Region Player of the Year (Suliman Bah)

• selected to the Cardinal & Gold Academic Fall Honor Roll

• Volleyball:

• 1 All-CCAA Honorable Mention (Ava Hurry)

• selected to the Cardinal & Gold Academic Fall Honor Roll

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Finished with 31 wins, 21 in conference

CCAA regular season champions

Coach John Bonner was awarded Coach of the Year

• Qualified for the CCAA Tournament

• Qualified for the DII West Region Tournament; West

siblings, the constant theme of hard work was always present. After his grandmother passed away, Bonner found an escape at the local hoop that allowed him to experience solace and joy amongst the struggles of the reality he was currently facing.

“I did not grow up in an environment that saw a lot of people make it out. You sold drugs, hope to not get shot, hope to not go to jail,” Bonner said.

Those stark realities

shaped Bonner into who he is today. He was forced to work hard for everything he had. His mother worked multiple jobs to try to provide for him and his three siblings. Even while attempting to latch on as a full time coach, Bonner worked at Target and as a therapist to pay the bills and fund his dream.

Bonner Started with his first coaching job at Hamilton Middle School in Fresno, Calif., then moved on to be a basketball manager and graduate assistant at Fresno State.

From there, he volunteered at Fresno Pacific University for four years. He then received his first assistant job there and became the interim head coach, and finally the fulltime head coach at CSUDH.

“It’s kind of crazy… I worked multiple jobs. It was great for me to just grind. I didn’t sleep much, but I needed it,” Bonner explained.

The life that Bonner has lived, one of sacrifice, dedication and hard work, exemplify the very school he works at. That is why Bonner and CSUDH are a perfect fit for each other.

“We want tough, gritty but also respectful people that care about others and want to put in the time to be great on and off the court,” said Bonner.

Bonner is not interested in the glitz and glamor that can come with winning. He is much more comfortable hanging out in the background and allowing the attention to be on everyone else. He is much more concerned with the people he meets, the lives he changes, and the smiles he produces rather than what his win-loss record is or what the score is.

Being a good human being will always mean more to him than a championship, and that is exemplified in Bonner’s coaching.

• Placed 4th overall in conference

• Qualified for the CCAA tournament

• All-CCAA Players

• selected to the Cardinal & Gold Academic Fall Honor Roll

MEN’S GOLF

Finished the CCAA Championship in 8th place Andy Yoon qualifies for NCAA West Regional selected to the Cardinal & Gold Academic Fall Honor Roll

BASEBALL

• 23-27 Overall record, 1822 CCAA record

• All conference team members

Region Champions

• Qualified for the Elite Eight

• Dawnyel Lair was awarded CCAA Player of the Week four times Dawnyel Lair was awarded CCAA Player of the Year and Defensive Player

• of the Year, DII CCA First-Team All-Region Honor, WBCA First-Team All-American

• Nala Williams was named CCAA Freshman of the Year; Second Team AllCCAA

• 2 First-team All-CCAA (Asia Jordan, Dawnyel Lair)

• Dawnyel Lair was named

to Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-American team 2 All-CCAA Honorable Mention (Joe’l Benoit, Danyell Booker)

• selected to the Cardinal & Gold Academic Fall Honor Roll

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Finished with 12 wins

• 1 All-CCAA second team (DJ Guest)

• selected to the Cardinal & Gold Academic Fall Honor Roll

• Softball

• Finished with 30 wins, 19 in conference play

• Six CCAA Players of the week (Anthony Accordino, Vincent Temesvary, Nico Martinez, Aaron Greenfield, Julian Diaz, and Eric Smelko)

Nico Martinez threw a No-hitter against New Mexico Highlands University

Julian Diaz named NCBWA West Region Pitcher of the Week

The Toros athletics department led by Eric McCurdy has started a new day in CSUDH history. Brick by brick, they are building a foundation of academic and athletic excellence.

John Bonner celebrates after winning the NCAA West Regional on his home floor for the first time in program history.

Jena Rouser, Chris Perry CSUDH Athletics

Nayah Pola celebrates with her teammates after winning the 2023 CCAA Tournament.

Chris Perry CSUDH Athletics

Prayer Is Just A Zoom Call Away

InterVarsity group leads prayer call for graduate students, faculty

By LICIA SUMMERHILL Staff Reporter

Many believe faith in God offers hope.

For staff members and graduate students attending California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), their faith continues on campus partly because of Gary Hogans, also known as the campus pastor. Hogans is the pastor of the local InterVarsity group, a Christian outreach that believes in “reaching every corner of every campus.”

Examining The Experience Of Graduating Journalism Students

By ALIYAH BROWN Staff Reporter

California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) has played an important role in the education of students in Southern California for many years. By looking at the experiences of CSUDH graduates and students, we gain valuable insights into the college experience and how it impacts personal growth and career development. To better understand the mark these past years have left on them, we asked students about the challenges and opportunities that they faced and how they might approach their education differently if given the chance.

Saida Maalin, a journalism and transfer student, had her time at CSUDH limited. However, she utilized the resources presented to her and made the most of her time.

“I would have joined different clubs to connect more on campus,” Maalin said in regard to what she would do differently. “I would also have taken more advertising and public relations classes and maybe minored in Ad and PR. After taking a class or two, I found them to be really interesting and could see myself utilizing the skills in my multimedia journalism career.”

Yet, she still feels she was able to truly enjoy herself at CSUDH and thanked all of the communication staff for educating and making her feel more confident in her ability to achieve her goals. One thing that Maalin will be taking with her is a quote from Journalism Professor Brant Burkey, “We don’t always have to have things figured out. Sometimes we should go with the flow, and sometimes our plans may not work out

but it will still all be okay.”

Maalin intends to pursue a career as a freelance writer and has aspirations of pursuing graduate studies abroad.

As for what he would do differently, journalism major, Jarmiah Gerges, would have chosen to dorm instead of commute. He explained that his college experience was a bit constrained due to living at home. One thing that stuck out to him was the age range of individuals during their college years which posed a greater challenge than the academic workload.

If he could do it again, Gerges would have prioritized his mental well-being. Even with the challenges he faced during his time at CSUDH, he was able to familiarize himself with the campus prior to enrollment to ensure a smooth transition and a successful academic career.

Gerges intends to take a brief hiatus before pursuing on a career outside his field of study.

“Given the opportunity to revisit my college experience at [CSUDH], I would prioritize greater involvement in school clubs and extracurricular activities,” Tierra Booth, a journalism student at CSUDH, said. As a transfer student, she encountered some challenges in establishing social connections and suggested that engaging in school-related activities could have potentially enhanced her overall college experience.

Booth said her lack of knowledge regarding the various services offered at CSUDH was her weakness. Nonetheless, she used their existing knowledge by taking advantage of the resources offered at the Women’s Resource Center and the Rose

Black Resource Center. She intends to seek employment with either a lifestyle, entertainment or fashion publication.

Catherine Garcia, also a journalism major, said if she were to have the opportunity to repeat her college experience, she would choose to reside on campus for a minimum of one year. This decision would have provided her with better accessibility to participate in various clubs and organizations. Additionally, she would have explored more information on abroad studies. Having participated in the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at CSUDH, Garcia feels gratitude toward the program citing that her involvement as a first-generation Latina allowed for valuable networking opportunities for students.

“All of these opportunities that I have had at CSUDH have been proven to be unexpectedly beneficial,” she said.

Garcia was also involved in the podcast broadcasted with the KDHR Radio Station, LOUD BUZZ, an opportunity that allowed her to fully enjoy her time at CSUDH. She is open to whatever opportunities come her way.

As a graduating student at CSUDH myself, reflecting on the experiences of my peers has been an important part of my college journey. Their thoughts and experiences have helped me understand the obstacles and possibilities of higher education and how CSUDH has uniquely shaped our personal and professional progress. I believe that this exploration of our college experiences can be a powerful tool for future students and the university as a whole and wish nothing but luck to future Toros.

By combining faith and prayer, Hogans has made a support group that unites many students. He holds prayer calls weekly via

LEGACY

From page 8

a club and org to being a club sport under the student union all the while we only focused on performing at athletic events so we then found a home in athletics,” Cici said.

Thanks to the leadership and support of CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham and Vice President for Student Affairs William Franklin, Cici and at the time, the Toro Dance Club, were transitioned into the athletics department and allowed to grow and prosper into what it is today.

Legacy is something that every program talks about, but very few actually mean. She takes that legacy to a whole other level.

Legacy is a group composed of former members who love the team and want to offer support and guidance to help them out. It has become so strong that Foster hand picks her assistant coaches from that pool of talent.

Alumni and former dancers constantly come back to campus, go to practices and competitions to support the current dancers and give them words of encouragement.

“One of the most important facets of the Legacy is that I typically choose my assistant coaches from that group,” Cici said. “This year’s assistant coaches were Marisol Maldonado and Sherry Abboud; both served as former captains on the team. They know what it takes to be successful because they experienced it themselves as student athletes. They both won regional titles while on the team.”

Cici said she would not be

Zoom; Prayer calls for faculty members are held every Monday at 4 p.m. and for graduate students at 7 p.m.

During the Zoom sessions, Hogans shares insight and hope. Callers are split into groups that allow for prayer requests and connection. These calls act as more than just a prayer. For graduate students facing finals on top of life situations, a prayer is a release of the negative, as well as hope for the future.

Even when faculty cannot attend, he offers the option to send in prayers. “The point is just to be there for when people need you,” Hogans said.

[See Prayer, page 11]

here without her own legacy - her mom, Kivia Foster. Kivia is known by all of Legacy and the current team as much more than Cici’s mother. She was Cici’s assistant coach for 13 years while also running the business side of the program. She allowed Cici to focus full-time on coaching which allowed the team to excel on the floor.

That was especially important for Cici who learned how to dance at the age of 14, just two years before she started attending CSUDH. After finding her rhythm and becoming head coach of the dance team, she had to shift her focus from classical to commercial style of dance.

“I had to learn to focus on performances that the crowd would actually enjoy watching. I have always been a very self-reflective person so I studied other dance teams at bigger schools as well as professional dance teams and improved my craft,” Cici said.

Like all good coaches, Cici is not satisfied with just one National Championship on her resume, she wants to add a double National Championship (A National Championship in Hip Hop and Spirit Rally). Not only for herself, she looks to elevate the spirit program entirely.

“I would love to elevate cheer, dance and our mascot Teddy the Toro to National Championship status as well,” Cici said. “We have an amazing group of student athletes so if I had the ability to focus on everyone in a full-time capacity, I know we would grow academically and athletically.”

Cici has already won a National Championship, changed countless lives and created a long-lasting legacy.

Graduation is around the corner. For some students that means reflecting on their time at CSUDH.

Photo Courtesy of Evan Martinez

AI

From page 1

conference, a similar format to a two-dimensional Pokémon video game.

“It feels low-stakes in a sense that I can get up, go to take a drink, use the restroom, in my home,” Cohen, said. “Walking up to people far more experienced or having a conversation is easy. It’s just a very nice environment.”

Cohen’s presentation focused on combining artificial intelligence with video game creation and virtual production. Everyone in attendance, from beginners in the AI environment to the GameDevGuild staff was able to learn something new from his discussion.

“I didn’t expect that much information in that short of a time. It was exactly the kind of thing that I was waiting for,” Jason Weimann, co-founder and host of the GameDevGuild Conference, said. “I’m really excited to rewatch this talk and I’m going to go back through it

PRAYER

From page 10

Their faith turns into a stronger community without trying to fit within a tight schedule.

In addition to InterVarsity for graduate students and staff, there are many other opportunities to bond through faith. CSUDH offers groups within culture and faith such as the campus ministry for the Black, Latinx and AAPI communities, as well as athletes and Greek In-

again at the end of the week… so I can start pulling some of this stuff in.”

Those in attendance shared similar sentiments on Cohen’s talk as well.

“So far, I am totally blown away [by] all this information, which is awesome,” Joe Dispenza, a GameDevGuild attendee, said.

After his talk, Cohen

answered questions from the virtual audience.

“It fascinated me that so many people were obviously following along and had very specific questions about how to integrate AI in their game,” Cohen said. “Those (questions) really got to the heart of (the talk) and I got to talk more about my broader feelings of the technology and its pace

RENAMED

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Ana Medium, a CSUDH Latine Grad said, “I think changing the graduation’s name to Latine is really a great idea. The reason why is because Latine is a lot more inclusive of the Latinx community and those that might be part of the LGBTQ+ community.”

Medium is not alone.

When visiting the Latinx Cultural Resource Center at CSUDH, many students and faculty had positive responses about the name change.

The celebration previously included many Latin American countries represented, including Peru, Columbia, Bolivia, the African Diaspora and more despite the pre-

ESPORTS

From page 1

in the field so those questions were really interesting and really fun to grapple with.”

The Q&A was followed by a lunch break where attendees discussed how AI could potentially affect other industries. These conversations were originally inspired by Cohen’s interest in being a professional voice actor.

“(Another attendee) had

vious name. However, now with the emphasis on Latine instead of a Chicana activist, students have a stronger voice in being united as they celebrate cultural diversity together.

“I think there’s a problem when we uphold community members like [Huerta] as a hero because we forget to see them holistically,” Medium added. “Let’s not forget that [Huerta] was actually against undocumented immigrants.”

Historically, Huerta advocated for farm workers but her focus and outreach did not include the larger community of undocumented folks.

Nonetheless, this year the celebration will include a new sash representing Latin culture that is different from

mentioned earlier that…AI could potentially destroy that field due to things like (textto-speech) and AI voices,” Cohen said. “Right now, AI voices are far more like an assistant tool to things like producers and production managers, rather than a replacement for voice actors or actresses.”

The future of AI has endless possibilities. Conferences like that of the GameDevGuild can be utilized to arm oneself with knowledge of what can happen.

Cohen recommends more people get involved in AI technology building, instead of running away from it. “By participating, you can help ensure that these technologies are used in constructive and assistant ways as tools… for everyone rather than just in the select hands of the few where it could be abused, misused and harm industries and people rather than used as a nice assistant or accelerant to their capabilities,” he added.

the sarape used in the past to better represent the community. Recently, representatives have used meetings and social media to capture the voice of the graduating class, and with more inclusion, the celebration is set to be one for the masses.

Along with the Latine Graduation Celebration, there are three other annual cultural graduation ceremonies: the Asian & Pacific Islander Graduation Celebration, Douglass-Bethune Africana Graduation Celebration and the Lavender Graduation Celebration for the LGBTQ+ community.

The Latine Graduation Celebration took place on Friday, May 5 in the Torodome. Photos of the event can be found on La Casita’s Instagram: @lacasitadh.

terVarsity. Hogans says, “It’s whichever one you feel a little bit more comfortable with and we don’t try and make all the pegs fit.”

Most days, Hogans can be seen on Instagram posting encouraging memes along with group chats for prayer. His goal is to reach everyone on campus, so he is usually available through social media and text messaging.

Campus pastor Gary Hogans can be reached on Instagram at @toroivgfm.

Toro Esports Academy calls home, is broken down into four parts; a classroom area with 20 stations featuring a whiteboard and podium, a 12-station row of competition equipment, an innovation and incubation section for idea development and graphic design, and lastly a broadcasting room for production, Twitch streams and content creation.

Along with that, the academy promises to assist with students’ career development and guide them through multiple career paths that may or may not be linked to esports.

A big part of getting CSUDH Esports to the place that it is lies in its five pillars; academic and research, career development, community, competition and

entertainment. Each one was developed to aid in the expansion of esports as a whole.

For instance, by including community. The program has succeeded in forming partnerships with Compton Unified School District which allows players to interact with the district’s teams, furthering their vow to give students tangible skills, like coaching.

A goal of the academy is to continue to practice inclusivity. Currently, the program is roughly 20% female which is above the college esports average of 8%, but still needs some work.

“There’s a strong culture of inclusion and belonging within this program and we like to say that our community goes beyond inclusion to that sense of belonging,” Buchmiller said. “We have a lot more work to do in that

space and we’re making the strides there in spring 2023.”

Esports at CSUDH has been continuously making a name for itself ever since the original club first came about around eight years ago and expanded into something bigger than a simple club. The team has since made immense progress with seven of the 13 teams making playoffs in fall 2022 and six making it into the divisional semi-finals.

“We have accomplished so much already, but there is still so much more to do,” Buchmiller said. “Esports is a strategy and not an outcome as we like to say ourselves. We will continue to drive this success within our pillars of easement.”

With three championships under their belts, it won’t be long until Toro Esports surpasses that.

The GameDevGuild conference was a five-day virtual event centered around videogame development that took place May 1-5.

Joseph Sanker Bulletin

Campus Pastor Gary Hogans.

Photo courtesy of Gary Hogans

Letters from the Bulletin Editors, Signing Off

BRENDA SANCHEZ BARRERA, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

As a freshman at CSUDH, I remember walking to my math class with a Lunchable, orange juice and the newest issue of our campus newspaper, the Bulletin. I’d sit down at my desk and read through the issue before class started, hoping I’d get the chance to write for our campus newspaper someday.

Four years later, I’m now sitting here writing this as the editor-in-chief of that very same newspaper. A lot has changed since my freshman year of college; I came into CSUDH feeling scared, confused and alone. And for the first two years, it was just that.

My college experience truly began when I joined The Bulletin in my third year. Being a part of The Bulletin gave me so much to miss when I graduate; All the pitch days, the edits, the late nights in the newsroom tackling Premiere Pro, I’m so grateful to have experienced it all.

Thank you to all the caring professors who supported and cheered me on, to all the friends I’ve made along the way, and to The Bulletin, for providing a space for me to grow and find my passion. The third floor of the library, our newsroom, has become a place of comfort for me and will remain that way.

To the future Bulletin staff, cherish the moments – yes, even the late nights putting the paper to bed, you’ll grow to love it all.

RAYMOND CASTILLO, SPORTS EDITOR

California State University, Dominguez Hills. Home of the Toros. I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

Those three words and one phrase are all I can think about when I think of this great place.

I chose this university because it was the cheapest school in the state of California for tuition and housing. I got the biggest bargain in history. I got a front-row ticket to the beautiful show called Life.

CSUDH chose me and showed me what real life was. In real life there are people who care about you, want you to succeed and will do everything they can to help you.

From the IHeart Toros Scholarship fund to help low-income students like me pay for food, books or any of life’s needs with no strings attached to the Technology Checkout program that allowed students to receive a laptop free of charge to help them do their school work.

There are so many things that deserve to be said about you, DH but not I nor anyone will ever be able to do you justice. You were and still are the beacon of hope for many minority students who just want an opportunity to learn, grow and nurture their communities. Like many of us, you come from humble beginnings. Started in response to the 1965 Watts Rebellion, CSUDH was designed to bring educational opportunities to underserved communities; you do just that and have transformed so many lives.

With only so much time left here, I will leave you with three words and a phrase that you taught me.

I love you.

GOMEZ, ART DIRECTOR

Being a journalism student at CSUDH has been such a unique experience. I am incredibly grateful to all the professors and people that I have met through this program. It’s amazing to have such a tight-knit group of individuals who share the same passion and collectively pull together and lift each other up. Though there were difficult times, they were all made worth it because of the unity.

I’ll miss the collective laughter with colleagues in the newsroom and especially bringing Dr. Burkey donuts in the morning to make up for being fashionably late to class. Old-fashioned glazed anyone? All of the people that I’ve met here made me truly believe in what I was capable of and gave me the confidence to turn things around even when I was at my lowest points. The memories are plentiful and filled with nothing but love.

If there is one thing that I can leave for future students of the Bulletin, it’s to believe and invest in yourself. There is no greater feeling than writing articles on topics you are passionate about and want to bring awareness to. Utilize this program and newspaper as your canvas to make a difference and don’t forget to have fun doing it!

LEAH

If I was told this time last year that I would be in the position that I’m in, discovering what I love to do and pushing through my last months of university feeling exhausted yet strangely fulfilled, I don’t think I would have believed it. Especially not when a year ago I wrote an article about the fears I had becoming a senior and graduating in a field I wasn’t sure about.

Honestly, I’m still fearful, however, I’m forever grateful to have had such a journey.

I won’t lie, things were stressful, but they were also really fun. Meeting new people, making friends and laughing hysterically at ungodly hours of the night in the newsroom: these are some of the moments that I’ll cherish for a long time.

I’ll miss more than I thought I would but most importantly I’ll miss those who have supported, cheered and allowed me to find a voice on our precious third floor.

For me, 200 words aren’t enough to express the past years but because I have a habit of going off on a tangent, I’ll end here with one last thing.

To the future staff of the Bulletin, welcome and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we have. :)

QUINTERO, MANAGING EDITOR

GABRIEL