Dec. 7, 2022, Vol. 37, #2

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CSUEU Won’t Back Down on S.T.E.P.S. Bill

CSU Employees Union getting vocal following Newsom veto

By GABRIEL GOMEZ Art Director

Gov. Gavin Newsom recently vetoed SB 410 in Sep tember, also known as “The Steps to Economic Parity in Salaries” (S.T.E.P.S.). Written by Sen. Connie Levya, this bill was designed to change California State University’s current salary structure to benefit CSU staff.

Students Stressed About Living Conditions

Occupants said they receive little to no help from housing department

By MELISSA MELGAR Staff Reporter

Students living in the uni versity apartments have been promised better amenities throughout past semesters, but the lack of action from the housing department has many questioning if it is even worth paying to live there.

From having no air condi tioning or heating system to grout and mold build-up from past tenants, students are beginning to lose their patience.

At the beginning of the fall semester, record-breaking heat waves struck California with temperatures reaching up to 110 degrees. With no

form of air conditioning or ventilation, housing students were forced to find other al ternatives to stay cool. When students expressed their con cerns to the housing depart ment, they were promised fans yet never received any. Now that fall is here and temperatures are dropping significantly, many students

have become frustrated with housing once again because the gas heaters installed in the apartments rattle and heat up the walls so drastical ly, they fear for their safety.

Joeilin Abcede, a junior and clinical science major at California State University,

With the veto came a mes sage that cited, “cost pressures of $287 million in the first year” and rising costs in the ongoing general fund within the state or CSU budget plans as the reason for not signing the legislation. This came with bipartisan support from the state legislature. The gover nor said he is aware that a more equitable pay structure is needed at the CSU level, stating that raising wages and creating salary equity for non-faculty staff is a goal the Cal States should strive to achieve given that it is strug gling with hiring and retention

API Center Gets Space In Welch Hall

By DANIEL RIVERA Web Editor

Since coverage began last spring, the Asian Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) has gained a director, but still no physical space on campus. After months of negotiations with the Asian Pacific Islander (API) community, the admin istration has announced that a new room in Welch Hall has been selected.

This has come after a

commitment by Parham in a meeting promising to have a place selected for a center following protests led by numerous student groups in October.

Ongoing negotiations were starting with a place selected initially in the Loker Stu dent Union (LSU) building, meeting room 13, which was deemed too small and was rejected.

Eventually, a new room was selected, Welch Hall

room 250 for the center, ac cording to an announcement by the API Cultural Center on Instagram on Nov. 22. Welch Hall 250 is located on level 2 or the ground level for the rest of the campus and it’s also near the welcome center instead of deeper inside the building.

“Currently, there are two people in that space that they need to move out, and then

California State University, Dominguez Hills

Kimberly Resendiz Bulletin

Living conditions in the CSUDH apartments have not improved.

Daniel Rivera Bulletin

In October, Parham and Nguyen discussed the various grievances of the API community.

When Games Hit Theatres – Good, Bad, Mario

By YENNIFER HO Culture Editor

Video games and movies are two of the biggest en tertainment industries. The movie industry has adapted popular video games into movies and made some mov ies into TV series. Recently, we’ve had interesting video game adaptations like “Sonic the Hedgehog” (2020) and PlayStation’s “Uncharted” (2022). Soon Mario will join them with “The Super Mario Bros.” a film that has yet to be released but is already being bashed by critics and fans. But we’ll get into that later.

“Sonic the Hedgehog,” directed by Jeff Fowler, was largely a success in my opinion. It won three awards with a sequel released this year. The characters were de tailed and the plot wasn’t too “childish.” I don’t tend to like animated or cartoon movies, but I genuinely enjoyed seeing Sonic navigating through different environments and interacting with humans.

I think this movie is nota ble because the producers ac cepted the viewers’ and fans’ feedback on their first trailer and reworked Sonic’s appear ance. Originally, Sonic looked like a nightmare version of himself and not as refined. His eyes were ridiculously smaller than they should’ve been. He reminded me of the beat-up animatronics from the horror game “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” definitely not kid-friendly.

The “Uncharted” movie, on the other hand, was horrible. It felt like they put everything in their budget to cast Tom Hol land and Mark Wahlberg. Even with these star actors, nobody cared about this adaptation. The characters had no chemis try and the plot was a predict able snooze-fest. The “Un charted” games are all about adventure, mystery and thrill, and the movie did not measure up to those standards.

Now, what is this about a Mario movie? It felt kind of unexpected. Who asked for this? The main stars in this movie are Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi and Jack Black as Bowser. I think Jack Black was a decent pick for this

voice-acting role, but casting Chris Pratt as Mario seems like a publicity stunt!

I’m not the only one who hates the idea of Chris Pratt starring in the movie, every one else on the internet is also criticizing and making memes about it. What makes it worse is that the teaser trailer for the movie didn’t win any hearts when they heard what Mario’s supposed to sound like.

The art style was decent overall and I admire the different settings such as the iconic Mushroom Kingdom. I think the characters look a little odd though, maybe because I’m so used to seeing them two-dimensional.

But, here they went over board in trying to make things look modern. Their eyes are

scary like a doll, especially Toad’s beady black eyes. You are probably thinking I care too much about what eyes look like, but they can make or break a character whether it is in an animated movie or a live-action one.

Fellow CSUDH student Francisco Noble-Waters has been a Mario fan since he was introduced to gaming with his favorites being “Super Mario Odyssey,” “Super Mario Galaxy,” and “Super Mario World.” As someone who has not yet been beaten in “Ma rio Kart,” right from the bat, you can tell he will be a little critical of this movie.

“Chris Pratt is obviously a fake Mario fan, he spent 500% of his brain power to re member what a Koopa is,” he

said. “His performance seems like he isn’t trying to sound like Mario, it sounds like his normal voice with a tiny bit of accent.”

Noble-Waters hoped that Pratt was chosen for this mov ie because it was beneficial, but so far, he thinks it’s due to his popularity and fame.

“[A voice actory] that could’ve done better [is] obviously Mario’s actual voice actor Charles Martinet. He has been voicing Mario for de cades, and he is obviously the best choice. If they didn’t want to go that route, I would’ve had Charlie Day voice Mario as well as Luigi or maybe even Jack Black because he can do accents as seen in Nacho Libre,” he added.

However, he thinks the movie looks more promising than expected if you don’t include Mario’s character design and voice. Noble-Wa ters said, “I like the anima tion, I think Toad and Bowser look good, and have excellent voice acting, although, I do think Bowser would benefit from voice filters to make it sound deeper and more gravelly.”

The “Super Mario Bros.” movie is expected to jump into theaters next April, but in the meantime, check out their first official trailer that was just released which in cludes Luigi, Princess Peach, Donkey Kong, and Mario Kart. Even if you aren’t fa miliar with video games, the movie will surely revive some nostalgia.

Harry’s House: The Home We All Deserve Where We Can Be Ourselves

By BRENDA SANCHEZ BARRERA Editor-in-Chief

On Tuesday, Nov. 15, Harry Styles got on stage for the final show of his Los Angeles residency, having com pleted 12 out of the 15 original nights scheduled at the Kia Forum. Though Styles rescheduled three shows due to health issues, he continued the tradition of providing a safe space where LBGTQ fans can openly be themselves.

Ever since the pop artist kicked off his previously postponed “Love On Tour” (LOT) tour last year, his concerts have become a safe haven for many fans who are a part of the LGBTQ com munity — myself included.

For Caitlin Donida, a 25-year-old fan who identifies as bisexual, Styles’ concerts provides comfort because she can be her truest self.

“I am not openly out to my family so being around my straight friends

who accept me, and other queers in the room, makes [me] feel comfortable like I can be myself,” Donida said.

Last November, when I saw Styles for the first time, I was fortunate enough to find a general admission (GA) ticket, which meant that there was a (very slim) chance that Styles could make eye contact with me. The One Direction fan in me was both incredibly nervous and excited. I had held onto my ticket when LOT was postponed in 2020 due to Covid-19, and once it was deemed safe to tour again, I impatiently waited until No vember 2021 to see him again.

During that standstill, I kept up to date with the shows that Styles played by following update accounts on social media. Other fans, also called “Harries,” on Twitter would wait in anticipation for the moment he got on stage, eager to see what outfit he would be wearing for the night. The waiting game looked very similar this

time around.

He made numerous stops in differ ent countries in which he helped one individual come out during a show, and waved fans’ pride flags in several oth ers. To this day, there are no words that can describe the warm, intense feeling of love that this action blossomed in the chest of the LGBTQ community.

For me, a closeted (at the time) person who identifies as bisexual, the coming out videos circulating social media often brought me to tears.

By the time my date rolled around, Nov. 17, 2021, I stood in the pit with a sign in one hand, a bisexual flag in the other, and very, very high hopes. “Help me come out, wave my flag” the sign read.

The moment he came on stage, my original mission took a backseat. I was so entranced by Styles’ beauty and so overwhelmed with emotions, that I forgot that I went to the Kia Forum with the mission to get Styles

to change my life forever.

Most of the show went by quickly. The beat of “Sunflower, Vol. 6” was loud in my ribs, making every hair on my body stand. The deafening sounds of fans yell ing louder whenever Styles came to our side of the stage made me just a little bit concerned for my hearing. My smile was hurting my cheeks. It felt like there were small zaps of electricity running through my veins. I was in a daze.

The beginning notes of “Lights Up” started up, and for a moment I froze. The song was known amongst LBGTQ Harries as a comfort song about fig uring out who you are and accepting yourself.

Traditionally, fans who brought their pride flags would hold their flags up high during “Lights Up.” I had a flag. It hid in the back of my closet for months before the concert, and I brought it with me that night.

and is protected by, the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Comments, criticism, and story ideas can be emailed to bulletin@ csudh.edu. We reserve the right to edit any letters for length, grammar and punctuation, and libel.

Stevey Williams CONTRIBUTOR

Dylan Bertani COPY EDITOR Frank Rojas ADVISER Destiny Torres

Ryan Quintal Unsplash

Nintendo amiibo toys of characters Mario, Peach, and Luigi, the main protagonists of the Super Mario Franchise.

What Prop 31 Means for Tobacco and Vape Businesses

By YENNIFER HO Culture Editor

California’s Proposition 31, which bans certain flavored tobacco products including vapes, passed on Nov. 9 with 76% of votes for the ban. It directly impacts in-person stores and vending machines from selling these products.

“The proponents of [Propo sition] 31 are very uninformed and misled,” said Cesar Meyer, former owner of Crown Vapors and Smoke Shop in Garden Grove, Calif. “E-cigarettes are a major threat to [the tobac co] revenue so the state of California is doing everything they can to demonetize it and they claim that ‘big tobacco’ is trying to get kids hooked on e-cigarettes. This claim is false, 95% of e-cigarette smokers were tobacco smokers.”

Vaping is believed to be a healthier alternative to tra ditional cigarettes, although the long-term effects are still largely unknown. Compared to smoking tobacco, vaping delivers nicotine to the brain using electronic devices, without the need for using a lighter and dealing with the lingering burnt smell. These devices sometimes called “e-cigarettes” can be recharged or simply disposed of when the battery or e-juice runs out. Va ping has grown popular over the years, especially among teenagers. However, in Califor nia, you have to be 21 years old or older to legally vape.

Proposition 31 was not the

first attack against vaping. In 2020, the FDA banned JUUL’s flavored nicotine pods throughout the U.S. that many felt were “attracting kids.” The company was ordered to pull most of its flavors, including cucumber, creme, fruit, mint and mango. With the banning of most of their inventory, they are down to selling only two flavors: menthol and Virginia Tobacco.

“Saying that flavors hook kids is also very deceptive,” Meyers added. “Does this imply that adults don’t like flavors? If so, then why do adults buy flavored ice cream, flavored gum, flavored liquor?”

But the FDA didn’t stop there, they ordered all Juul products to pull its e-ciga rettes off the U.S. market entirely in June 2022. Recent ly, it was reported that JUUL had to lay off 400 workers and industry analysts predict that the company will go bankrupt.

“I don’t think [Proposition] 31 does more harm than good necessarily but I do feel like the ban of flavored tobac co products would benefit citizens’ health,” said Elson Liang, a student at University of California Riverside. “Since a lot of those products contain nicotine as it is, there’s not really that big of a difference between the use of tobacco and vape-flavored products.”

Even with the ban that is set to fully take place this month, Californians are still able to purchase flavored products online.

One-on-One with President Parham

By SAIDA MAALIN Staff Reporter

As I sat in a Starbucks coffee shop waiting ner vously to begin a Zoom interview with California State University, Dominguez Hills, President Thomas A. Parham, I glazed over my interview questions thinking if it would be enough to get to know him in such a short amount of time.

Early morning traffic roared in the background but that wasn’t going to stop me from connecting with President Parham. While in the waiting room via Zoom, I wondered if asking an icebreaker would calm my nerves, but Parham’s enthu siastic introduction allowed me to relax. He said, “tell us a little about yourself,” and so our conversation began.

committed to the students and the mission, not the money. When I first walked in the door, I said that I came to be a servant leader,” Parham continued. “I came because I was committed to work for the mission and the students and this faculty and this cam pus and this community.”

Do you understand why the faculty is reacting so strongly to the pay raise?

“I was among the presi dents…who advocated that nobody on this campus gets paid enough. Nobody does,” Parham answered. “We ad vocated for them, but if they want to get mad at me, that’s just what we do, but I can’t apologize for the salary they decided to give me.”

“A model urban university is one that is not just in the community but of the com munity,” Parham explained.

Parham said he was proud to see CSUDH rated #2 in the nation for improving the social and economic mobility of students and their fam ilies, not so much because of the place they scored, but because it shows that the university is successfully building up students from marginalized communities who have been traditionally blocked out of higher educa tion.

the space would have to get a cleaning and some temporary furniture brought in… my goal is to have that space acces sible to students by the first week of the spring semester,” API director Nathan Nguyen explained.

One of the people who need to be moved from this room is from enrollment services and the other person is from the presidential scholars.

Nguyen said that perhaps in the next 2-5 years, another room might be sought out for the APCC. He has the desire to have a center in the LSU due to the proximity to other cultural centers but says the Welch Hall is adequate for the time being.

Among the various API demands made over a month ago, the principal one the cen ter with some exceptions, has been filled. In the meantime, Nguyen has been promised that several of the other de mands are being worked on.

One of the remaining de mands is to, “hire an API ther

apist or counselor,” to have a counselor who can speak to API struggles and needs in a more culturally sensitive way. As of now, a committee is being assembled to start deliberating on who to fill that position. Nguyen hopes to have that person selected and hired before they open access to the various students, most likely in a room adjacent to the center itself.

Some of the demands are promised to be fulfilled according to Nguyen, one of which was raising API enroll ment rates to 10% by fall 2024, and have a report on how that will be done around the end of this semester. Another demand was to document the gap in achievement and oppor tunity and to redefine the API community as an underrepre sented community.

Parham’s commitment to API demands started after a protest back in October, bringing to light that the API had gone without a center since last spring. Nguyen said that he will continue to advo cate for the various communi ties on campus.

During the meeting, I was able to ask a range of questions to get to know our president and get some answers to questions CSUDH students and faculty have had including the lack of space on campus, infrastruc ture project updates and his pay raise.

President Parham’s Pay Raise

“There’s not a lot of detail I can go into about that even though I want to be trans parent. I do not control the pay raises that a president receives, that is purely the notion of the chancellor’s of fice and the board of trustees who decides what we merit,” Parham explained.

When Parham first trans ferred from the University of California Irvine, where he worked for 33 years, he could not make more than his predecessor. This meant that although the position of president would be a pro motion for Parham, it also meant he’d be paid $27,000 less than in his previous role at UCI.

“[At CSUDH] I’m more

He went on explaining that in his most recent performance review, it was discovered that he was under-compensated, “But again, I’m not part of that committee. My evaluation is derived from my meeting with my bosses.”

Retaining Black Students

One of the critiques Parham received when he arrived was the decline in the African American population on campus. “Is there a com mitment to want to continue to manage the diversity of the campus in ways that grow the African American pop ulation? The answer is yes. Do we recruit specifically on race? The answer is no. Do we want to create the kind of environment that excites Af rican American students and Latinx students and Asian students and white students and the Native American students and international students to be able to come to Dominguez Hills? Yes,” Parham said.

What is a model uni versity and why is that what you want CSUDH to embody?

“Urban universities can’t be resource constrained. We’re resource constrained in space because we don’t have enough space on campus. And we don’t have enough money to do what we need to do because of the way the budget formulas are. So when those resource con straints happen, this is how the dynamics of oppression work. Whether you’re faculty or president, whether you’re the groundskeeper or a staff person working in communi cations, nobody has enough. We don’t have enough space. We don’t have enough people and we don’t have enough money and nobody gets paid enough. But if we all work together, then together we thrive in the space that al lows us to move through that collective survival,” Parham said.

There are no fire sprin klers in the Leo Cain Library and other build ing improvements are being delayed. What’s the holdup?

Parham explained that since the construction of these buildings, safety codes have changed and the campus is currently awaiting approval from the state fire marshal’s office on a revised drawing. He wasn’t too sure when the construction would

Photo of CSUDH President Thomas Parham.

Photo courtesy of CSUDH

Stress Relief Tips During Finals Week

By KIMBERLY RESENDIZ Staff Reporter

Tick-tock, tick-tock. Finals are right around the corner. Time is running out and students are starting to face overwhelming feelings as assignments, projects and ex ams pile high before the end of the semester. With the right amount of dialogue, California State University, Dominguez Hills can help its students keep their stress in check.

It’s no surprise that exam season is the peak time for stress which can lead to other mental health conditions, such as anxiety, substance misuse, depression and chronic pain. According to Research.com, finals and mid terms account for the top 31% of students’ stress, and 40% of college and university stu dents believe they experience more than average stress.

Olivia Serrano, a sociolo gy student at CSUDH, said that throughout the years she has worked to learn how to manage stress during finals week in order to keep herself motivated.

Serrano mentioned she uses positive affirmations and knowing her limits has helped her stay motivated. The sup port from professors and peers has also helped her to be more optimistic throughout her years as a college student.

In a workshop hosted on Nov. 16, Annie Gonzales, Toro success advisor, and Dr. Katie Johnson, a licensed

psychologist at the CSUDH Student Counseling Center, talked about what a student can do to manage their stress both during the school year and finals week.

Johnson explained that there are different types of stress such as acute stress and chronic stress. Acute stress is day-to-day stressors that fade

quickly having little impact on mental or physical health, such as being late to class. Chronic Stress is a constant feeling of stress that can neg atively impact the individual’s health, such as struggling with accomplishing multiple assignments.

According to the Nimble Foundation Blog, stress can

be “experienced in an array of physical, emotional, behavior al, and cognitive reactions.” Some of the common stress symptoms are fatigue, head aches, increased worry, mood changes, binge or reduced eating, sleep disturbance, neg ative outlook, and dissociation.

In Johnson’s presenta tion, she further explained

that great stress relievers are physical such as taking deep breaths, eating a well-balanced diet, exercising and sleeping well. Living in the moment is another helpful reliever, so it is recommended that people under great stress take time to do things they enjoy.

The Ultimate Toro Holiday Gift Guide To Get You Started

By TIERRA BOOTH Campus Life Editor

With Thanksgiving out the door and the holiday season quickly approaching, sticking to a budget while choosing the perfect gift can be stressful. However, the holidays don’t have to be a stressful time and even if you missed Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, there are still a bunch of cost-friendly gifts out there. Check out these different gift ideas that will guarantee you ease during your present hunt.

Gifts for Mom

1. Personalized JewelryMost mothers love anything that holds meaning and getting your mother a personalized piece of jewelry is one of the best ways to present this feeling. Engraving a bracelet or necklace with her name or a heartfelt message could be the way to go. Either way, she would love this gift and cherish it forever. Personalized jewelry can be made at Pandora or Alex and Ani for affordable prices.

2. Candles - There is a candle fragrance out there for everyone no matter what you like. Candles make for simple

yet classy home decor piec es, great to place around the house. If you’re unsure what scent she might like there are candle sets with various scents as well. Target, Bath and Body Works, and HomeGoods have a variety of candles in different sizes for unbeatable prices.

3. Yeti - Whether your mom likes her coffee iced or hot, the Yeti, a reusable cup, can hold both temperature drinks and keep them feeling just right for several hours. The Yeti is a practical gift for moms who love taking their drinks on the go without having to worry about them getting cold or warm. Yetis can be found on Amazon for as low as $20 and come in different sizes and colors so you can pick out the perfect one for mom.

Gifts for Dad

1. Sports gear - It’s always a good idea to give your dad some new gear from his favor ite sports teams. These gifts never go unnoticed and like other sports fans, you can never have enough. You can locate sports gear on Amazon, Target, Walmart, Lids, and Fanatics where there are varying types of gear to choose from such as clothing, caps, earbuds, lunch

boxes and more.

2. Luxury Shaving & Shower Kit - For those fathers who like to shave with the best razor out there, there are luxury shaving sets that make their experience easier than usual. The shaving brand, Harry’s offers a shaving set that includes a razor, shave gel, balm, face wash, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. This gift will also be good for those fathers who are active travelers.

3. Personalized Apron - Get ting your dad his own personal ized apron will be a memorable gift especially when it’s time for family barbecues and spending time with each other around the holidays. This apron will become a staple for your dad in the kitchen and he will abso lutely love showing it off when guests come over. Whenever he cooks something he will be able to use this special apron which will make him feel appreciated. You can create custom aprons or pick one with a catchphrase on Zazzle for as low as $20.

Gifts for Sister

1. Matching PJ Sets/ Slippers - Adding in a set of matching pj’s with the slippers would almost make you the best sibling ever. Snuggling up

in your bed with a matching pajama set can instantly make your sister happier than ever. Stores such as Target, Victoria’s Secret, and Old Navy even have holiday-specific pajama sets that can help get you both in the spirit. You can also find a variety of different colors and styles on places like Amazon or Target for prices as low as $15.

2. Portable Vanity Mirror (LED) - If your sister loves doing her makeup and hair all the time, vanity mirrors are the way to go. There are different mirror options such as those with built-in LED lights that give the perfect lighting one could wish for. These mirrors can be found on Amazon for affordable prices and come in a variety of different colors.

3. Beauty gift sets - If your sister has a favorite beauty brand, there are mini beauty gift sets that come out around the holidays. These sets give someone the chance to try out a specific brand without the commitment of buying a fullsized product. They are afford able and are sold at places such as Target, Ulta, and Sephora. Some of the popular brand beauty sets include Kiehls, Fen ty Beauty, Olaplex, and more.

Gifts for Brother

1. Noise-canceling head phones - If your brother is into video games or just enjoys listening to music, gifting him a pair of noise-canceling headphones would most likely make his day. Those who spend time playing video games often prefer to be focused and having the noise canceling effect helps them to stay in the zone. These headphones can be found at Best Buy, Target, or Amazon at different price points.

2. Video Games - Through out the year, many new games were released and if your brother missed one now might be the perfect time to pick up that game he’s been wanting. Video game prices can be affordable depending on the game and where it is sold. You can pick up most video games at GameStop or Target.

3. Personalized Wallet - Gift ing your brother a personalized wallet is a great gift idea not only because it counts as a sen timental piece but it can also be easily found if it is ever mis placed. By making this wallet custom to him, it will become a special gift that he won’t ever forget. You can find personal ized wallets at Fossil.

Katie Johnson, a licensed psychologist at the CSUDH Student Counseling Center, explained sleep hygiene tips and other stress-relieving methods at a recent workshop.

Photo courtesy of CSUDH

Program Seeks to Break Barriers in Reenrollment

By MAYA GARIBAY News Editor

Around 3,500 California State University, Domin guez Hills students that had unenrolled within the last five years received a message from the Once a Toro, Always a Toro program. For the past four years, the number of returning students has re mained between 128-193 until the initiative prompted a huge leap. This year 390 former Toros returned.

The program supplements the CSU Graduation Initiative 2025, which looks to double graduation rates and address equity gaps. The initiative also examines working students and low-income population students to determine how their completion rates differ.

Once a Toro, Always a Toro, reimagined the return ing student process to make reenrollment more accessible by simplifying reentry forms and procedures, waiving the application fee, and offering flexible courses and financial resources.

In Oct. 2021, CSUDH surveyed a group of previ ously enrolled students to understand why they left, why they haven’t returned and what the university could do to draw them back in. The Toro Reengagement Program director, Sabrina Sanders, said they found that 48% were first-generation students.

Many were proud to pursue their education and didn’t

want to leave school but felt they had no other option. Some dealt with overwhelm ing circumstances that had driven them away from col lege, and others had lost their jobs, moved or just needed a break.

In terms of reapplying, many found the process overcomplicated, and others required that little push.

Kameron Swint, a human services major who initially transferred to CSUDH at the peak of COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions in 2020,

found it difficult to balance the transition while dealing with personal issues. He needed to refresh and focus on himself. Thanks to the sup port from this program, Swint returned last semester.

“They started reaching out and figuring out what I can do to reenroll,” he said. “I think coming back was a smoother process than transferring just because everything was in person and there were plenty of people available to reach out to.”

Swint explains that since

his reenrollment, he has been working towards becom ing more familiar with the campus resources now that COVID-19 restrictions have loosened.

According to the Strada Ed ucation Network, the number one reason for pausing one’s educational endeavors was due to difficulties balancing work and school life, followed by financial pressures and other personal struggles. Sanders said that although there are several reasons students may not complete

school, the pandemic’s effects saw more students drop out than ever.

She says even with the in flux of returning students this year, they focus on evaluating the wins, challenges and les sons learned to improve even more next year. In addition, they will continue to hold dis cussions across campus about how to make the reenrollment process more equitable and attainable. Despite that, there are still issues regarding reen rollment they are working on addressing.

“What does this mean for some of these students that walked away mid-semester and got all F’s and maybe lost their academic standing? How about these students that don’t live in the area?”

Sanders said these are the questions being asked regard ing reenrollment issues that the program is working on addressing. Trying to figure out what were students’ last academic standing before they unenrolled and whether or not that will be an obstacle for them when they return is one of them.

“How do we get them their classes and advise them to complete those courses? What about the students that are executives and running their own businesses? They may not have time,” Sanders explained. “Should [those stu dents] be taking business 101 when they [already] have

How A Toro Studied 6,000 Miles Away From Her Home

By DANIEL RIVERA Web Editor

Katie Alvarez, a CSUDH student majoring in marketing and minoring in advertising, traveled to South Korea in 2020 through the university’s study abroad program.

Like many others before her, Alva rez could not receive financial support from her family to fund her travels. “I am a student that has no financial support from my parents. One of them because they don’t want to and the second one, my mom is a single mom and she couldn’t afford to,” she said.

Because of this, she applied to the California State University Interna tional Program (CSUIP), which makes it affordable by allowing students to pay the homeschool tuition rather than the full tuition required at the international university they are attending. “The program was super competitive, I believe only 30 of us got in,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez said that studying abroad has positively impacted her life and caused her to change the direction of her career.

During her year in South Korea, she attended Yonsei University, learn ing alongside Korean students and absorbing the culture. She studied mostly English, along with her major courses, went to some concerts and did some volunteer work. She also made friends and learned how to be

independent, but often struggled with self-doubt.

“When I was feeling lonely, I was like, ‘why am I feeling like this? I’m doing so good,’ then the imposter syn drome came in,” she explained.

Her time abroad changed her perspective and helped her overcome her imposter syndrome. “Friendships have no languages, so some of my best friends don’t speak the best English and obviously, I’m not fluent in Kore an,” she said.

She began to talk about how her life has changed because of study ing abroad. This combined with the culture shock made her learn about herself and made her change old hab its like being a picky eater, “ I learned how to be super independent.”

South Korea wasn’t what came to mind at first when she thought about going abroad. It began with Europe, but over time she began to think more about going to Asia. One of the reasons she wanted to go was her love of Korean pop music which would eventually evolve into a broader appreciation of Korean music, “I [listened to] K-pop… when I was there, I realized that I actually listen to less and less K-pop but I would listen to more… [Korean] R&B and hip hop.”

This experience was made possible in great part due to the various schol arships for the exchange program. She earned several scholarships including the Freeman Asia Scholarship that amounted to about $16,000.

For those interested in studying abroad, but are worried about fund ing, Alvarez advises that they apply for scholarships. “So there are schol arships, I am the biggest advocate for the scholarships,” she said. “Have three main essays, and use those three essays to apply for all scholarships.”

Alvarez said most scholarships mainly ask these three questions: What is the hardest thing you’ve done in your life? What’s your biggest ac complishment? What do you want to do in life?

She stressed to fellow students that they are not alone and that they can find the resources and support they need if they want to study abroad. To students who might be consider ing going abroad, she encourages it because it is an opportunity to learn about yourself through exposure to a new culture and learn how to be independent.

The study abroad adviser Racheal Wangui explained the various finan cial plans someone can use, “We have programs that provide study abroad opportunities in usually… four differ ent levels.”

These four levels include the CSU international program which pro vides semester-long and year-long programs, faculty-led programs and exchange programs. There are also programs brought in by organizations outside of CSUDH. All of these can be paid in part by financial aid, except

for the programs from the providers which have to be paid for out of pocket or through scholarships.

Wangui said that it’s the finances that are the primary barrier to entry for many students while also ex plaining one of the most affordable programs in study abroad, the ex change programs, which still requires students to pay for food, board, travel and insurance.

She pushed for those interested in the study abroad program to apply for scholarships so that they may take advantage of what Wangui calls “high impact courses,” which is essentially a program or course meant to have a large impact on a student’s life.

Wangui explained how COVID-19 has impacted attendance for the study abroad program. “You’re used to your life in lockdown for almost two years, you have started on Zoom and now you have to be reintroduced again to go into classes, taking classes in per son,” she said.

She went on to talk about how now the various bans and restrictions have been loosened, the study abroad program started up again only slow ly as the countries lift restrictions at different rates.

Both Alvarez and Sangui push for this program because they think it will positively impact students and that there are ways to access these programs for people in all financial situations.

Photo courtesy of CSUDH Communications and Marketing CSUDH’s celebration event for returning Toros.

Two Sides of the Same Coin

MexicanAmericans and Mexico vs US Team Rivalry

By JAVIER PEREZ Sports Editor

The hot California sun beams down on 93,000 soc cer fans in the Rose Bowl in the city of Pasadena. Mexico and the United States are in a deadlock as they square off in the 2011 Gold Cup Final. Af ter coming down from a 2-0 deficit, Mexico now has the U.S. Men’s National Team in a 3-2 chokehold. They contin ue to relentlessly attack, look ing for a fourth goal to seal the victory. Stakes run high, and both Mexico and the U.S. hang the pride of their coun try on the score sitting on the giant screen above the crowd. At the peak of the match, in the 76th minute, Mexi can star player Giovani Dos Santos picks up a pass from midfielder Andres Guardado. Dos Santos dribbles into the box, picking off two defend ers. USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard closes in on Dos Santos but his feet are too quick. Leaving the net wide open, Dos Santos dribbles around Howard and floats the ball into the top corner of the goal.

Although the game is being played in the United States, a sea of green erupts as Mexico clinches yet another Gold Cup, winning the game 4-2. The moment would be immortalized in the lore of the biggest rivalry in the Confederation of North, Central America and Carib bean Association Football, CONCACAF for short, but its influence would leave its mark on a watchful genera tion of kids.

Such was the case for then-15-year-old Julio Teodoro. Growing up in Virginia, soccer was never a prominent sport. Teodoro’s parents weren’t big on soc cer, despite migrating from Mexico to find a better life in the United States, but ever since that game, Teodoro was set on rooting for Mexico. Now 25, he runs a news page

dedicated to Mexican soccer, Jóvenes Futbolistas MX. He follows the careers of young Mexican footballers who are rising through the ranks of the academies of teams in the dominant Liga MX and its competitor, Major League Soccer.

Soccer has exponentially grown in the United States, with more franchises being added to the now 28-team league, soccer’s populari ty has now expanded into the midwest and southern sections of the United States, with Charlotte FC being the newest addition to the roster of MLS clubs.

“There are more USMNT fans here in Virginia. There’s less Mexicans around here so it’s common to see more U.S. fans,” Teodoro said.

Going back a year before the famous - or infamousGiovanni Dos Santos goal, the USMNT was in Loftus Versfeld Stadium, in Preto ria, South Africa playing the 2010 World Cup. The United States needed to score one goal to break their tie against African giants Algeria in the final group stage match to ad

vance to the knockout stage. A draw would not help. Then, in a moment of brilliance, USMNT legend Landon Don ovan breaks off a shot from Clint Dempsey to slot the ball past Algeria’s goalkeeper to send the U.S. into a 1-0 lead and through to the next round. For then-13-year-old Edgar Moreno, that moment captured the essence of the USMNT – persistence.

Despite his parents not watching any soccer whatso ever, Moreno found himself deeply invested in Liga MX and Major League Soccer.

“When I was growing up, no one really played it,” Moreno recalled. “Most of the schools out here only had a football and basketball team. Once I got older, I started to see more soccer fields.”

Growing up in Dallas, Moreno was able to begin following FC Dallas, a club that is best known for its pro duction of Mexican-American talent. Now 25, Moreno has become a well-known figure within the USMNT Twitter community.

Identity has always been a struggle for Mexican Amer

icans. Often rejected by both nationalities, it can be difficult to navigate through the various forms of identity politics. So, when there is a rivalry as big as the one between Mexico and the U.S., fans can often be conflicted. Regardless, choosing a na tional team to support results in harsh backlash from both sides of the coin.

“Some people don’t care. There are people that give you negative feedback. They call you ‘pocho’ [a deroga tory term used to describe Mexican-Americans] and ‘whitewashed,’” Moreno said. “It’s expected so I’m not too surprised.”

Teodoro has had similar experiences despite his devo tion to the Mexican National Team.

“I think Mexico fans have called me things like ‘pocho’ and they start telling me I’m American, not Mexican,” Teodoro added.

“To me, it’s a preference. There’s nothing wrong with supporting either country,” Moreno said. “To me, it’s

Every Day is Gameday for Softball Coach Maier

By RAYMOND CASTILLO Staff Reporter

The fresh cut grass, the birds chirping and the sun shining bright are just a few things that keep California State University, Dominguez Hills softball head coach Jim Maier grounded when preparing to enter his 40th season coaching, 17th overall at CSUDH, compiling over 600 wins.

Maier enters the 2023 season fresh off the deepest run in program history, an NCAA West Regional Title followed by an appearance in the NCAA Division II Na tional Championship. Yet, he does not let success cloud what he does day in and day out. “Every day is gameday,” said Maier.

Winning is the most important thing in sports and sustained winning is the hardest. Some programs flash a run deep into the playoffs once in a while, while others like Oklahoma softball and the New England Patriots of the NFL have consistently made deep runs into the play offs and won their fair share of championships. Every coach, player, executive and even fan has their own idea on how to build a winner. The ideas range from hoard ing the most talented ath letes, building the grandest facilities or stacking an easy schedule to look better than the team actually is, but all have one thing in common, a good culture.

What exactly is a good culture? Why does everyone say it is necessary to build a sustained winner, but yet it is so subjective to each person?

To Maier it’s simple, “Get the best athlete available, bring them in and show them you care.” Showing them he cares is displayed in the way Maier runs his team. To him, “Culture is not something you put on the wall, it’s some thing you do every day.”

CSUDH’s Rocket League Team Gains Speed

By JARMIAH GERGES Staff Reporter

As the world of sports is ever evolving, new sports are given a chance to become rec ognized on an Olympic level all the time. With this con tinuous evolution comes an important question; how do we set parameters on what is a sport and what is not? One thing is for sure, sports are not only live players running on a field but also gamers,

trying to digitally secure a win for their team.

Esports is labeled as a sport and broadcasted simi larly to how a sporting event would be with live play-byplay commentating and a live audience with fans of the team or organization.

Esports are professional gaming competitions with teams that represent orga nizations, cities and even colleges that compete at live events in any number of vid

eo games such as “League of Legends,” “Apex” and “Rock et League,” which are some of the biggest names on the market.

Three members of the var sity “Rocket League” team at California State University, Dominguez Hills had a lot to say on the subject of classify ing what they do.

“Rocket League” is a soc cer-like game where teams of

Rocket League is a video game in which a soccer-like game is played using teams of three cars.

Photo courtesy of Rocket League

Mexican-Americans are a big part of the market for the Federación Mexicana de Futbol in the United States.

Javier Perez Bulletin

“We’ve won over 70% of our games,” said Maier. “It isn’t an accident.”

Maier harps on the small details such as greeting any one who walks into the room they are in, being humble and offering to help the commu nity in any way possible. He tells his team all the time, “Be a killer on the field, but a girl scout in the community.”

By raising killers on the field and girl scouts in the community, Maier has won two California Collegiate Athletics Association cham pionships, two CIF Southern Division championships (1988,2014), and made 10 NCAA playoff appearances, and seven CCAA tournament appearances including the most recent run to the NCAA Division II championship last season.

As his biography on the CSUDH Athletics web site reads, “Jim Maier and [CSUDH] softball go handin-hand.”

He does not stop at just softball. Until recently, he was also CSUDH’s interim athletics director. “Mainly I was just there to hold the ship,” Maier said. “I was just there for morale, showing up, letting them know that I’m here for them.” Holding the ship is an understatement as he had to oversee 10 colle giate athletics teams, (four men’s and six women’s) all while still coaching, recruit

PROGRAM

From page 5

a ton of experience? Again, [we’re] rethinking credit for prior learning.”

The following steps for the program are to keep the momentum going, ensure there’s a centralized point of contact, review the academ ic policies that serve as bar

STRESS

From page 4

How one thinks and feels also affects stress. Students should be mind ful of how they perceive things. When a student has detrimental thoughts it can affect their emotions. Reframing thoughts by be ing optimistic and kind to themselves allows students to release stress.

Giving oneself permis sion to identify, feel and understand their emotions can help one to focus on the things within their control.

An example of what is in students’ control during stressful times is time management and balancing responsibilities. As an in dividual, one should know their limits and set realistic expectations. Learning how

ing, and managing his own team.

Maier brought his “every day is gameday” mentality to the front office of the athlet ics department, and was able to accomplish great things for the department as a whole while there, such as summer housing for student-athletes and an overall emphasis on team grade point average which were issues for the de partment before Maier took the helm.

Maier has since given way to the newly hired athlet ics director, Eric McCurdy but the foundation of what Maier started is still being built upon. McCurdy agreed

riers to student success, and visit the financial aid policy for those that have stepped away from college without their degrees.

The Once a Toro, Always a Toro program has allowed students ready and eager to return, to reintegrate smoothly back into their college education and hopes to do so for many more.

to say no and asking for help gives them the oppor tunity to set boundaries that will help their stress. Practicing time manage ment skills allows stress to be released as well. By making plans ahead of time, prioritizing tasks and avoiding distractions, students can feel more pre pared for the future.

CSUDH students don’t have to deal with stress alone. The Student Health Center has many different resources which students can utilize to release stress such as workshops, the Walking for Wellness pro gram and individual coun seling.

Finals week is a very stressful yet important time of the semester, however, prioritizing one’s mental, physical and emotional health is just as important.

saying, “Jim has done some really great things for the softball team and athletics program as a whole while he’s been here, and I look for ward to building upon what he started.”

Maier’s softball team has impressively never had below a collective 3.0 GPA during his tenure as head coach. That is something he prides himself on because he knows education is the ticket for most of his players.

“We bring in players from all walks of life,” Maier said. “We don’t know everything that a person will do, but we do know that they will be educated before they do

ROCKET

From page 6

three compete to score goals, however, the challenge lies in that you drive a car and the battle can be on land or in the air. “Rocket League” cars have the ability to boost forward and upward and spin on any axis, the cars can be driven up and on walls. Cars in “Rocket League” can even double-jump. The community over time has become more creative and imaginative in the ways you can maneuver to hit, dribble and score the ball.

The level of competition in “Rocket League” is deter mined by a ranking system that follows the order of bronze, silver, gold, platinum, diamond, champion, grand champion (GC), and super sonic legend (SSL). SSLs are the best players in the world, mostly professionally signed

COIN

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just a team. It’s just weird, let’s say you’re English and Swedish. They’re not rivals but since Mexico and the U.S. are rivals, it adds that extra weight.”

David Ochoa is a young goalkeeper. Last year, he filed

anything.”

Maier encourages his players to branch out and find what interests them out side of softball because “not everyone can play forever.” Maier has coached future doctors, lawyers, executives and future coaches that end ed up on his staff.

Stephanie Guerra, Lexi Madrid and Katie Garcia who make up the coaching staff alongside his son Jared Maier, are all former players of Maier’s at CSUDH.

Even though he has count less wins, Maier said he’s most proud of the promises he’s made, and kept, to the parents. “It’s a really big deal.

players. These players are signed to organizations such as Team SoloMid (TSM) and Team Energy (NRG). These teams are the promised land for a lot of young players who could currently be streamers or college students.

Speaking with the varsi ty “Rocket League” team at CSUDH, they said that due to a lack of a coach, the team takes on the responsibility of training on their own, ideally up to 5 hours a week as a team. Team captain Alex Jeter, Alex Cabazaos and Caleb Roman all joined the school’s team out of interest in both esports and Rocket League. All members of the team have played for multi ple years and are in the rank GC, which is right below SSL. According to activeplayer.io, there are 87,233,560 active players and less than 2% of players are the grand cham pions in standard three vs

a one-time switch to FIFA, switching from the USMNT to Mexico. Once it became public, Ochoa was on the re ceiving end of backlash from USMNT fans as his social media was flooded with xeno phobic rhetoric.

“I’m proud to be American. You grew up watching the Mexican team, you feel proud

I get these kids at 17 some times, 18 years old and their parents are trusting me with their prized possession, their baby. Yeah, it’s a big deal,” he said.

Maier does not take lightly his responsibility to protect those children and infuse them with all the best knowledge of life. He makes promises to the parents that he will not only make their children better softball play ers but upstanding citizens.

“That’s why every day I make sure that we do the little things, we say hello to the maintenance person, the secretary, everyone is big time around here.”

Maier knows that culture and attitude do not matter if you do not win. “If you don’t win, you don’t have a job,” he said. That mentality is what drives coach Maier to be the best that he can be. It drives him to push his team to reach their full potential and even push past it.

As coach Maier said, “It’s the little things that matter in the race.”

The little things have won Jim Maier over 600 colle giate games and nearly 1,000 total. The little things are what made 6 All-Americans, 28 All-West Region players, and 79 All-CCAA players in cluding two CCAA MVPs, one CCAA Freshman of the Year, and one CCAA Newcomer of the Year under his watch.

The little things matter and every day is gameday under Jim Maier.

three.

The CSUDH team does not believe they are athletes. They believe that what they do is high-level competition. They see the professionals as “eAthletes” that participate in sporting events.

The CSUDH “Rocket League” team has to manage its own events, coordinate with other schools and find a time that works for everyone to play. There is no CCAAlike organization that puts together the events like most college sports. The team’s competitive division in school events depends on rank and CSUDH is in the emergence division and has made it to this year’s playoffs.

The interview with the Rocket League team can be heard in a podcast episode coming soon on csudhbulle tin.com.

to be American. You were born here. Just like David Ochoa,” Edgar affirmed.

The Mexican-American experience is unique, creat ing an identity in which both backgrounds are celebrated. However, the intricacy of be ing Mexican-American is lost in the ever-growing fervor of a heated rivalry.

Softball head coach Jim Maier enters the 2023 softball season.

Photo courtesy of The Bulletin archive

exactly begin but estimates that it should occur in Febru ary.

“I should also say that we are not required to install fire sprinkler systems in the building coded under state of California 1967 plans, which is what the library is coded on. However, the campus does have a long-term plan to place sprinklers in all build ings on campus as funding becomes available,” Parham said. “When we don’t have sufficient resources to do that, and we’re on a wait ing list for all these projects to upgrade the dorms, to [install] fire sprinklers,... all these projects are back-or dered. We are simply wait

BILL

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across the entire system.

California State University Employees Union (CSUEU) negotiated a 7% wage increase in the past, but this still isn’t enough for non-academic staff who feel that they are not being seen or heard. The impact of vetoing SB 410 has perpetuated a continued crisis of hiring and retention of employees due to stagnant wages and lack of profession al advancement as outlined in a salary study conducted by Mercer. This includes an impact on services and programs for students such as high turnover in the Title IX office and Human Resources Management office.

CSUEU’s plan is to put pressure on the CSU Board of Trustees and the campus presidents to implement a step system into the CSU.

Miguel Terán López who is vice president and organizing

LIVING

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Dominguez Hills, lived in the residence hall for a semester before moving to the housing apartments. She has lived there for a year and shares her experience as a housing stu dent who has lived in both the apartments and residence hall.

“Being able to live in both types of housing has really opened my eyes to see how poorly done living conditions on campus have been. I was told that the [air conditioner in the residence hall] is controlled by a third party so the school has no access to it whatsoev er, and when it gets really hot students have no way of cooling themselves down,” Joeilin said. “We weren’t allowed to have portable ACs in our rooms, only the [resident assistants] were allowed to. If you were a [resident assistant] you were allowed to be comfortable while other students were not.”

When it comes to the heaters students said that

ing on state investment and dollars.”

Is there an update on the construction of the Stu dent Health, Wellness and Recreation Center or the power grid upgrade?

“We have several con struction projects that are what we call in the schematic design phase of development.

Specifically for the Student Health, Wellness and Rec reation Center project, that construction is slated to begin in August 2023. We are in the midst of doing the schematic design, the plan, and the bud geting [which] will go before the trustees. Before that, we will go before the chancellor’s committee. And then once that’s approved, we’ll then begin construction and it’ll

chair of CSUEU Chapter 314 said, “We want a S.T.E.P.S. system, if we don’t have it, there’s no opportunity for us to grow in our salary scales.

Non-faculty staff stays stag nant and does not scale.”

The union is becoming vocal with its concerns and hope for written support from President Parham in favor of the step system. “The board of trustees will be more likely to listen if we have the back ing of our president,” López explained. “We are hoping that each campus will or ganize and put pressure on their own presidents and all the presidents in conjunction can speak to the board and express their support for the S.T.E.P.S. system.”

Not approving this system would result in a high turn over rate with staff who find that their salaries are not commensurable to their expe rience, skills, knowledge and training. More often than not, they look at other opportu

they were told by housing to make sure to allow up to 10 feet of space. However, due to the lack of space in the apart ments, students decided to not turn on their heaters at all, choosing safety over warmth.

“The insulation is not the greatest either, I had to bring my own portable heater be cause I can’t trust the one on the wall. They don’t teach you how to use the heater whatso ever, and if something were to happen they cannot blame us because they didn’t teach us how to even turn it on,” Joeilin explained.

Along with heating con cerns, students are also faced with cracked bathroom walls, chipped paint, rust, lizard and bug infestation problems and mold. This is all beginning to put a toll on students’ mental health.

Victor Cano, a junior and computer science major at CSUDH, kicked off the year by moving into the housing apart ment complex to be closer to school. His first impression of

take us probably a year and a half or two to be able to build a facility,” Parham said.

Construction of the uni versity’s improved electrical system is slated to begin next March with a completion date scheduled for around November 2024. “It has to be completed prior to the finalization of other proj ects on campus because we can’t build another building if you don’t have sufficient power,” he said. “The dining commons and phase four housing project … construc tion is slated to begin [next] November and be completed I think by February probably of 2026,” Parham explained. “Everything is on schedule to proceed.”

I finally asked him what the past five years in his position

nities outside of CSUDH and leave campus for other jobs. It also affects morale within the staff. Those who don’t leave, don’t have the incentive to work at high performance and produce quality work.

“We know that administra tion and the CSU don’t value our work because it’s evident from the lack of investment that they don’t provide to the staff in relation to the salaries.

This affects the quality of ser vices to students and student life, their overall experience and journey through their ed ucational system,” López said. “We hope that we will have an impact by this academic year. We want to resolve this with out any impact on students. If this particular situation does not resolve, then strike is an option during the 2023 negotiations.”

Miguel also wanted to cor rect a misconception that has been floating around campus.

“If the S.T.E.P.S. system is passed, students will not be

housing was tainted by all the unexpected issues and incon veniences.

“The heating and cooling is the main problem. I remember there was a promise of fans during the heatwave and my roommates would resort to other places for cooling. They would send out emails to us about going to buildings with air conditioning,” Cano said.

Pricing in the apartments varies from person to person. The overall total cost depends on how many students share one apartment. For instance, a one-bedroom apartment can hold up to two occupants while a three-bedroom allows up to six total occupants.

The housing website has a dos and don’ts that informs students on what they can and cannot do during their time in the apartments. The site tells students to not overpack their refrigerators because “it will not cool properly,” but in an apartment that holds four to six people it almost seems impossible to not do so.

have been like and what he is most proud of. Parham said any leader worth his or her salt has to be cognizant of the fact that they’re only as good as the work produced by the people who work around them.

“It really isn’t what I have accomplished, it’s what we have accomplished togeth er. Both as a team as well as my executive cabinet, all the managers, directors, staff and even the students who are pulling the weight to be able to impact the reputation and ambiance of this campus,” Parham said.

As the fall semester comes to a close, the voices of stu dents, staff and faculty calling on Parham to listen to their needs, concerns and demands continue.

paying for it with their tuition. The last thing we want is staff getting raises that are going to have a direct impact on student fees being raised.”

CSUEU’s criticism of the CSU Board of Trustees (BOT) 2023-24 budget proposal is that it barely covers a 2% general salary increase. That rate will not keep up with inflation. The proposal does not prioritize students’ and employees’ basic needs, such as food and housing which are critical to student life on campus.

López stated that the top priorities for CSUEU in the incoming year include call ing on the CSU to prioritize funding by implementing a salary steps system, as recom mended by a study done by Mercer. They will also contin ue to work with other labor unions and stakeholders, including students, to build a CSU community where all can thrive, not just executives and administrators.

Cano lives in an apartment that holds six people and one of their biggest inconveniences is the refrigerator. There is not enough space for students to store their perishables. When he was first applying for hous ing he read that they would provide each room with a mini refrigerator, but they never received it.

He has since filled out over 12 maintenance forms to housing to help fix the prob lems in the apartment. Cano says that the response back from housing has been a mix of either doing a good job or questioning if any work was ever done.

“You can tell that the apart ments have not been cleaned, the ovens are disgusting, our sink is always clogged, the couch they provide is ripping,” Cano said. He said he filed a complaint, but nothing has been done about it.

Many attempts have been made to hear back from housing but there has been no response.

I thought that would be the highlight of my evening. Like many fans in the arena, I would live my existence loudly for the first time and be fully accepted. For four minutes and 14 seconds, I would know what it felt like to be under stood and seen.

I did not know what the rest of the night held for me. Styles stopped to talk to the fans again after “Lights Up.” It was time to read some signs, and suddenly I was so ner vous, I wanted to throw up.

He came over to the side of the stage where I was at, and he began to look into the crowd for signs. Then, he pointed directly at me. “Are you ready? You want to do this?”

It took me a moment to register that Styles was speak ing to me, but I screamed back, “Yes, please, yes.”

“What’s your name?” “Brenda.”

Within a couple of min utes, Styles was running around the stage with my bisexual pride flag. Shortly after, he kneeled. Waving my flag above his head he said, “Rejoice Brenda! Freedom awaits you!”

To this day, I struggle to find the words to describe what that moment meant for me. Strangers around me congratulated me and hugged me, and the warm feeling in my chest was over whelming. Styles had just single-handedly changed my life.

Although my experience with Styles is a more unique perspective, that doesn’t mean other fans don’t form a similarly strong connection to Styles by just attending his concerts or listening to his music. From his mantra: “Please feel free to be who ever it is you have always wanted to be in this room tonight,” which he repeats at the start of every show, to his reassuring songs such as “Matilda” and “Lights Up,” fans often leave Styles’ concerts feeling protected and loved.

CSUDH alumna Ashley Mitchell explained that she’s met some of her best friends at Styles’ concerts and de scribed the environment as a place where “everyone is so kind and loving towards one another.” Mitchell believes that Styles’ mantra allows individuals to gain comfort in their own skin while being at the concerts or listening to the music. “[His mantra] allows you to feel free, [and] to be who you want to be,” she said.

Those who didn’t get a chance to see Styles this year will get another chance to see him next year, as Styles will return to the Kia Forum in January to complete the last three shows of his LA residency.