Daily Forty-Niner; February 28, 2022

weekly digital print edition

DAILY FORTY-NINER EST p 1949

Vol. LXXX, Issue 41

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Monday, February 28, 2022

ove in

ong Beach Page 6

2 NEWS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2022 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | EIC@DAILY49ER.COM ON THE COVER Photo by Rosaura Montes

“Show Some Love Long Beach” mural located at 2nd and PCH in Long Beach.

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CINDY AGUILERA | Daily Forty-Niner

Aguilera meets with Black Business Students Association (BBSA) board members Chanda Moore, top left, Maran Yilpet, bottom left and Aquila Jacquette, bottom right.

Q&A: What does Black History Month mean for Black people?

By Cindy Aguilera Podcast Editor

I

n honor of Black History Month, Africana Studies professors and Black Business Students Association (BBSA) members discuss what the month-long celebration means to them.

The history of Black people has been hidden and sanitized, according to Dr. M. Keith Claybrook, co-advisor of the Black Students Union.

“Black history has been minimized and marginalized for a long time,” Claybrook said. “Black History Month is the effort towards correcting the misinformation and focusing the lens on contributions, history, and struggles of Black people.”

49er: How do you celebrate Black History Month?

Claybrook: “I read, write, and speak about Black History.

It is not my information and history to hoard-it’s my information and history to share... I honor those who came before me and who will come after me that have carried the Black legacy from the past to future generations.”

49er: How did Black History Month come into existence?

Claybrook: “Black people had been celebrating Black History Month before it was nationally recognized.”

The effort to create Black History month began with Carter G. Woodson, a Black American historian, author, and journalist, Claybrook said.

In 1926, Dr. Woodson launched Negro History Week to coincide with Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas’ birthdays-- two historically influential people to the Black liberation movement. Negro History Week was later expanded

into Black History Month, officially recognized

by President Gerald Ford.

49er: Do Black people celebrate Black History Month?

Aquila Jacquette, president of BBSA at CSULB: “We are Black every single day. It’s not something we can change or take off... That is why we celebrate other Black people. A win for one is a win for all, and when one of us loses, we all lose.”

49er: How do you like celebrating Black History Month?

Aquila Jacquette, president of the Black Business Students Association (BBSA): “One thing I love to do in February is wear all black and wear my hair out... It’s my way of honoring Black Panthers.”

49er: What do organizations like Black Business Students Association do for Black students on campus?

Maran Yilpet, external vice president of BBSA: “We exist as a way to make Black students feel seen but also empowered to navigate a white supremacist-dominated business world. It’s hard to get your foot in the door, and when we bring other Black professionals to encourage students, we show students they can be successful.”

49er: How do organization leaders at CSULB feel about fake allies only showing up in February?

Chanda Moore, internal vice president of BBSA: “I am not Google, my emotional labor is not free. Are you going to be a fake ally or accomplice? Are you going to talk and do lip service or are you going to hold my hand and help me?”

“The reason why BHM is so important is I grew up with my grandmother talking about segregation,” Moore added. “For us, it’s not far removed, it was not that long ago.”

Land Acknowledgment Here at the 49er we acknowledge that the school we report on is located on the sacred site of Puvungna, “the gathering place”. We are on the land of the Tongva/Gabrieleño and the Acjachemen/ Juaneño Nations who have lived and continue to live here.

We also acknowledge the Gabrieleño/Tongva (pronounced: GABRIEL-EN-YO/TONG – VAH) and Acjachamen/Juaneño (pronounced: AH-HACH-AH-MEN/JUAN-EN-YO) as the traditional custodians of the Los Angeles region along with the Chumash (pronounced: CHOO-MOSH) to the north and west, and the Tataviam (pronounced: TAH-TAH-VEE-YUM) and Cahuilla (pronounced: KAH-WEE-YAH) Nations to the east.

We respect and value the many ways the Tongva/Acjachemen cultural heritage and beliefs continue to have significance to the living people and remind us about the sacred and spiritual relationship that has always existed here at what we now call California State University Long Beach.

Opinions Editor Christina Merino opinions@daily49er.com Sports Editor Thomas Murray sports@daily49er.com Creative Director Gisele Robinett design@daily49er.com Chief Copy Editor Ana Acosta Deputy Copy Editor Rosaura Montes Special Projects Editor Photo Editor Video Editor Social Media Editor

Lillian Li Ulysses Villa Reyn Ou Kristina Agresta

Podcast Editor Cindy Aguilera Public Relations Editor Kaitlyn Rowell Community Engagement Isabel Silagy Editor

Assistants News Assistants Hannah Shields Vincent Medina Arts Assistant Julissa Villalobos Opinions Assistant Jonathan Bigall Sports Assistant Matthew Brown Graphic Design Assistant Eunice Barron Special Projects Assistant Sebastian Perez Social Media Assistants Krystal Ordonez Michael Carcano Podcast Assistants Aziza Gomez Cristian Vasquez

Business Advertising Manager Reilly Jonna Guzman advertising@daily49er.com Account Executives Zayra Rodriguez Purva Rao Graphic Designer Aaray Amano Webmaster Zenilkumar Vaghasiya PR & Promotions Manager Kate Michel Distribution Manager Darlene Malolos Distribution Analyst Jacob Patrick Mitchell Creative Director Wendy Rangel Web Assistant Vidyadhari Raghunadha Naid PR & Promotions Intern Alyssa Cristina Canales Nadia Melina Vazquez

Advisers Design Adviser Gary Metzker Content Adviser Barbara Kinglsey-Wilson Advertising & Business Jennifer Newton Adviser Letters Policy: All letters and emails must bear the phone number of the writer and must be no more than 300 words. The Daily Forty-Niner reserves the right to edit letters for publication in regard to space.

Editorials: All opinions expressed in the columns, letters and cartoons in the issue are those of the writers or artists. The opinons of the Daily FortyNiner are expressed only in unsigned editorials and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the journalism department or the views of all staff members. All such editorials are written by the editorial board of the Daily Forty-Niner.

NEWS 3

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2022 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM

CSULB confirms socially distanced ceremony plan will move forward

By Lauren Ramirez News Editor

L GISELE ROBINETT | Daily Forty-Niner

CSULB President Jane Close Conoley sent a campus-wide email regarding the original commencement plan.

ong Beach State President Jane Close Conoley announced via email on Friday, Feb. 25 that the university would be moving forward with its original socially distanced commencement ceremony plan.

The campus-wide email stated CSULB “explored many options to see what is possible within Angel Stadium” in order for the 12,000 graduates to be able to have their names read and walk the stage.

“Despite my genuine gratitude for our students’ advocacy and our best problem solving efforts, staffing availability and cost cause me to decide we will move forward with the original plan,” Conoley wrote in the email.

Conoley also mentioned the recent commencement survey that was offered to graduating seniors received a 33% response and “more than half of respondents signaled interest in this approach.”

“While I understand that many students and families will be disappointed, and I regret that very much, we will take this feedback and work into our planning for the future,” she wrote.

Due to the university’s decision to continue with the original plan, Conoley wrote she was “confident that Commencement 2022 will be a rewarding and celebratory experience” for Beach graduates because “Commencement 2021 was so well received.”

Beach graduates will also be receiving a minimum of 10 guest tickets for this year’s ceremony, which is a “significant increase from last year, and creating a unique experience for more than 120,000 guests,” according to the email.

“I look forward to seeing all of our graduating students at May’s commencement ceremonies,” Conoley wrote. “I offer to them now, as I will offer them then, our most enthusiastic best wishes and congratulations.”

See timeline on CSULB’s graduation on pages 4 and 5

ASI Senate confirms new CSULB Wellness Affairs Commissioner

By Vincent Medina News Assistant

L

ong Beach State’s Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) senate voted to confirm a new Commissioner for Wellness Affairs on Wednesday afternoon to serve on the ASI president’s cabinet to advise on wellness matters.

Jeremy Ramos, a liberal arts major, will be responsible for promoting wellness program awareness on campus to ensure it remains a priority on campus.

“My goal is to provide an open space where students are able to ask about health without any nervousness or shyness,” he said.

Ramos said he also wants to bring awareness towards other forms of health besides physical and mental.

“Most people likely don’t know the other aspects of health because most of us started young,” he said. “Our teachers don’t know about vocational health, spiritual health, and social health. I want to bring more awareness to those aspects.”

Ramos became involved with ASI by showing the value of student government and campus involvement promotion during his time on the Beach Team in the fall semester.

VINCENT MEDINA | Daily Forty-Niner

The ASI Senate listens as Jeremy Ramos makes his case for Health and Wellness Commissioner during their meeting.

“I think it’s really great for students to have a voice,” Ramos said. “I know it’s not easy for students who have not joined any clubs, hopefully in the future, I will be making a difference.”

ASI Senator, Giselle Garcia asked

Ramos how he could use what he’s learned in the major to help as Wellness Affairs Commissioner.

“I struggled with health, but the more knowledge I gained, the better I became at helping students who also

struggle with their health,” Ramos said.

“Through that, I was also able to better understand what else affects health.”

ASI Senate will reconvene at 3:30 p.m Wednesday, March 2.

4 NEWS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2022 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM

The long road to grad

“Despite my genuine gratitude for our students’ advocacy and our best problem solvin staffing availability and cost cause me to decide we will move forward with the origin said President Jane Close Conoley.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2022 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM

duation

ng efforts, nal plan,”

NEWS 5

6 ARTS & LIFE

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2022 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | ARTS@DAILY49ER.COM

ROSAURA MONTES | Daily Forty-Niner

The “Show Some Love Long Beach” mural is located at 2nd and PCH.

Vibrant mural celebrates Long Beach community $2,000 was raised for two organizations through a Valentine’s Day mural.

By Rosaura Montes Deputy Copy Editor

A

mural decorated with painted candy hearts by local Long Beach artist Andrea James raised $2,000 that will benefit two local organizations, including Precious Lamb Preschool that supports homeless families with children, according to James.

The school recently celebrated its 20th anniversary.

“We’re always honored to receive any opportunity to get our name in the community and be a voice for the voiceless,” Alexandra Gray, Precious Lamb development director, said.

“Homelessness is a policy issue and not with people. We’re making sure access arrives to those who need it,” she added.

Long Beach citizens were given three days to purchase a heart with a personalized message on the mural titled “Show Some Love Long Beach” for Valentine’s Day with a minimum fee of $40 before the holiday arrived.

Messages such as, “Spread love and kindness,” “We beat as one,” “All we need is love,” and more are inscribed

ROSAURA MONTES | Daily Forty-Niner

Hearts filled with messages that people in the community dedicated to their loved ones. on the mural.

The mural will be located on 2nd and PCH in Long Beach until March 10.

James said the idea came from Leadership Long Beach which also received a small fund from the mural

proceeds.

She was accompanied by five volunteers to help create the mural. The original design changed a day before they started painting on an empty wall in front of Boba Guys. James said the group had to work overnight when 2nd

and PCH was closed to complete the mural.

“We all come from different backgrounds and ethnicities,” James said.

“We made it into a celebration of Long Beach. [The city] is full of different colors, shapes, and sizes.”

According to James, she imagined herself as a child from Precious Lamb and thought what kind of image the children would enjoy. Her idea came to life with the help of the vibrant colors she’s known for as an artist.

“My ideal perfect mural would be a rainbow heart mural,” she said. “I put a little of my 5-year-old self into that wall.”

James is the owner of Create A Canvas, which includes a monthly art subscription, paint and sip party sessions, private canvas Zoom parties, and more. She created her company when she lived in Hawaii for fifteen years until she moved back to Long Beach.

James is also an art teacher for an online charter school that serves California. She said the school focuses heavily on students that have anxiety and social issues.

“Art heals,” James said. “I’m a strong believer in that and I think especially right now we need as much positive healing as possible.”

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2022 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | ARTS@DAILY49ER.COM

ARTS & LIFE 7

“We All Exist Right Now”

an exhibit up for your own interpretation Story and photos by Georgie Smith Contributor

F

eatured on the first floor of the Long Beach Museum of Art are the introspective works of artist Alex Gardner in his solo exhibition, We All Exist Right Now. Long Beach-native, Alex Gardner, has been making art full-time since 2015. Upon realizing the importance of being able to put all his time into something meaningful, the 34-year-old artist quit his day job to pursue his artistic passion.

Gardner describes being a full-time contemporary artist as a freeing experience with a variety of positive and negative consequences.

“With freedom also comes the ability to self-destruct,” Gardner said.

Gardner continued to work consistently at becoming successful within his realm of art to avoid this ability of self-destruction. No matter what he was doing, there was always a part of his mind trying to grab and process ideas to be used for future work.

“To be successful at anything, one must consume things and surround themselves with people that keep your work ethic and confidence as high as possible,” he said. “Everything else is interchangeable.”

Gardner’s persistence when it came to creating new pieces is what landed him the opportunity to show off his work at the Long Beach Museum of Art. He was approached with the offer

by LBMA curator/director Paul Loya.

For Gardner, the chance to display his art at such a museum was a dream come true.

“The LBMA is a beautiful little museum with a lot of character and history, but it is forgotten about,” he said.

“I’m happy to try to help bring some contemporary energy and attention to the museum and make it a regular destination in the L.A. art circuit.”

The exhibition, We All Exist Right Now, features 17 of Gardner’s new works, all depicting scenes of faceless and androgynous figures.

“I’m trying to create the absence of identity. They are a default avatar. You

customize them,” he said.

By stripping these beings of their facial features and defining characteristics, Gardner creates a sense of anonymity amongst his subjects, leaving all interpretations solely based upon the figures body language.

The artist also uses titles that are reflective of the pieces subject matter, such as Don’t Hate Yourself, Spectator, and Looking for the Bright Side. The subtlety of these titles gives consumers the chance to further interpret and find parts of themselves within his artwork.

The main goal of the exhibit is to elicit empathy and a general feeling of connectivity to humanity. It is meant to represent the idea that as humans, we are all interconnected and are all existing right now, hence the name of his exhibition.

Although his art has an underlying message, Gardner had the goal of making a name for himself through the production of this exhibit.

“It’s always a little nerve-racking to present yourself publicly and open yourself up to criticism. But I live for attention,” he said.

As a contemporary artist, Gardner feels that prior to visiting his exhibit, it is important to know that all his efforts are based on optimism.

“All good art is doing is capturing what it feels like to be alive and communicating it in a way that reflects that moment of time,” he said.

Gardners’ pieces mainly consist of acrylic paintings on canvas, but he describes his style as “always adjusting.”

Inside Alex Gardner’s exhibit, located at the Long Beach Museum of Art.

The main goal of Gardner’s exhibit is to elicit empathy and a feeling of connectivity to humanity.

The Long Beach Museum of Art is open Thursday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and We All Exist Right Now will be open for viewing until May 1.

Visit Gardner’s Instagram (@artposer) for more information.

Inside Gardner’s first solo museum exhibition, We All Exist Right Now.

8 OPINIONS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2022 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | OPINIONS@DAILY49ER.COM

Fake Ally vs. Accomplice: How to know which one you are

By Cindy Aguilera Podcast Editor

B

lack History Month is upon us and performative allyship can be seen everywhere.

Companies like Costco, Target, and Bath & Body Works stamp “Black History Month” all over their ads without any intention to turn over those earnings to Black people.

So, how can companies and individuals be sure their effort to support Black people is effective and how can they know their “effort” is not translating as fake?

Jeremy Scruggs, assistant director of Black Pan-African Cultural Resource center, explained how these companies’ fake allyship comes across as counterfeit.

“You can’t simply go to Canva premium and put on the African clipart on a product,” he said. “That poor effort shows that there needs to be more diverse hiring in corporate rooms.”

And this is what “Black Twitter” was screaming about on Feb. 1, during a Bath & Body Works product launch for Black History Month which according to the company, featured an “African motif in a modern way.” This print was stamped on their already existing scents and it came off as a weak attempt to show solidarity for Black people.

A Black woman-owned candle company (@shicandco) was among those calling out the company on Twitter and said, “It’s disgraceful that you slapped on some tacky labels with the same scents thinking the black community should be proud of this.”

Black users on Twitter could recognize this generic pattern was in poor taste and reflects that there are few if any, Black people in corporate rooms where these design

decisions are being made.

Scruggs added his opinion on the Bath & Body Works fiasco, “It also harms your company. It backfired on you, and shows you won’t invest in actual people who can give you real feedback.”

Fake allyship from corporate companies can be seen, but what about individuals who are fake allies? How can someone tell the difference?

According to Scruggs, the real difference between an ally and an accomplice is that a fake ally knows about issues concerning Black people but doesn’t know where to begin or why they should get involved.

However, an accomplice has self-awareness and has a concrete purpose to fight for Black rights. They also demonstrate a heartfelt desire to make a change and have a genuine and constant connection with the Black community. An accomplice listens, knows when to stand up, and more importantly when to sit down.

“Also understand your lane,” Scruggs said. “It doesn’t mean you can’t support their issues, but know your place and when is the right time to get involved and when to sit back and listen.”

Scruggs recognizes its trendy to support Black lives, but Black issues and the Black experience is not a temporary fad. It is an everlasting movement that requires more than 28 days of awareness a year.

If taking interest and learning more about Black culture appeals to you and you are interested in being an accomplice, then attend Black History celebrations, take Africana Studies courses and like Scruggs said, “do a heart-check”, meaning analyze yourself internally and ask ‘Am I really passionate? If so, why? What are my intentions?’

It is never too late to unlearn the lies we were taught since grade school about Black history but true reflection is followed by applied effort. Be an accomplice, not a fake ally.

OPINIONS 9

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2022 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | OPINIONS@DAILY49ER.COM

Journey of a first generation college student Being the first person to attend college in my family, let alone on the journey to graduate, can bring a lot of pressure.

By Julia Simpson Contributor

G

rowing up, throughout the years I was in school, there was an overwhelming amount of pressure on me to take the highest honors classes, get the best grades, and make sure I get into a decent college.

After years of dedication, hours of studying, and struggles inside and outside of school, here I am attending Long Beach State to get my bachelor’s in journalism as a first generation college student.

To say I’m proud of myself is an understatement because it is a huge accomplishment. My father never graduated high school and my mother never attended college to my knowledge. They struggled a lot to find their way, so when it came to me, it was a no-brainer if whether or not I was attending college.

According to the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, as of 2021 only one third of college students are first generation. Of those first generation students only 27% of them graduated within 4 years, the rest graduated in 6 or more.

I obtained my Associate Degree for transfer in 4 years, so I am a prime example of one of those 27%. I used to be so hard on myself about finishing in two years, but I realized after a while it’s a marathon, not a race.

According to the Education Advisory Board, “Nearly half of first-gen students attend community college, compared to 25% of students with college-educated parents.”

In my experience, attending a community college was the best option for me for many reasons.

Along with the classes being way

“

Julia Simpson graduating from Mission Viejo High School in 2016.

cheaper than university courses, Saddleback Community College was only a little over a mile away from my house.

Community college was an amazing way to save money, yet I still gained the same education as I would if I attended a 4-year institution.

According to Brandeis University, “81% of first-gen college students reported financial stability as their goal for attending college.”

Having a single father, school was and still is hard to financially manage, so attending a community college for my first couple of years was the way to go.

It can be hard for a parent that didn’t attend college to be able to afford their child’s tuition, so I’m very grateful I had the opportunity to utilize Saddleback College for my education.

Saddleback provided an easy, accessible way to transfer to my

JULIA SIMPSON | Daily Forty-Niner

dream college, CSULB, and it was a lot easier for me to transfer than it would have been to get in straight out of high school.

As overwhelming and challenging this journey has been, it has also brought great pride to not only my family, but to myself. Being a first generation graduate-to-be is something I look forward to, and I’m grateful for all the opportunities that lie ahead.

As overwhelming and challenging this journey has been, it has also brought great pride to not only my family, but to myself.

”

Julia Simpson | CSULB journalism student

10 SPORTS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2022 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | SPORTS@DAILY49ER.COM

ULYSSES VILLA | Daily Forty-Niner

In the middle is Coach Dan Monson as he is talking to his team during a timeout.

Dan Monson achieves 400th career win and proves why he has been vital to The Beach’s success

By Thomas Murray Sports Editor

W

hile the road hasn’t always been pretty, the rise and grind to the top has been limitless for LBSU Men’s basketball coach Dan Monson.

On Feb. 8, Monson reached an alltime milestone and collected his 400th career win.

Monson has coached at Long Beach State since 2007, but before he joined The Beach, he was the head coach for two other NCAA Division 1 institutions, including Gonzaga University from 1997-1999 and University of Minnesota from 1999-2006.

After his departure from Minnesota, Monson immediately found himself a new home at LBSU and became the top-winning coach in program history.

“Obviously you do that because you’ve had some administrators along the way support you,” Monson said.

“You’re not going to win 400 games without going through some tough times and some losses.”

Monson expressed his gratitude to the three administrations he has worked with, saying that he is fortunate and thankful for their support.

“There’s not very many places that you know are patient and let you stay around as long as those three places let me,” Monsoon said. “It just brings back a lot of memories, a lot of good feelings, a lot of good people and players along the way that made it all possible.”

When entering the game that night, Monson and some of his players admitted they weren’t aware that it was going to be his 400th career win. It wasn’t until after the game when the announcement of the win was made that he became aware of it.

“I didn’t really realize it until that day when the TV announcer David

Miller said, it was my 400,” Monsoon said. “I should have known something because my son works for Boise State basketball, and he found a plane ticket that day, and came in for the game and was the first one to give me a hug on the floor after it was over.”

Monson explained the most important thing for him and the 400-win milestone was to just have his family in the audience. His wife, two sons, and youngest daughter were all in attendance.

While this milestone is incredible for Monson, this year has not been the prettiest for the team as they started conference play 5-8. It wasn’t until Jan. 13 in a home game against UC Santa Barbara that The Beach had started to find its groove.

The team caught fire and went on an 11-game winning streak, putting them in first place in the Big West Conference. The streak ended on Feb. 19 when the team lost to UC Santa Barbara.

Early in the season, Monson faced heavy criticism for the team’s poor performance. Right now, The Beach are in first place and are looking for its first

“

conference championship since 2012.

The team has not had a winning season since 2015-16 when The Beach finished 28-17.

Monson has faced some adversity, but he said he doesn’t pay attention to criticism much and focuses on the next game.

“The only thing you can control is your attitude and your effort... I think it would be disrespectful [the team] if I’m worried about what other people are saying,” Monson said. “I’ve been doing this long enough to know that it’s out there, but what can I do about that?”

Even with the team’s current win streak, Monson believes that there are still people who will second guess what he and the program are doing.

While there has been some criticism of coach Monson over the years, LBSU athletic director Andy Fee has trusted and believed in him since he was hired at Long Beach in 2017.

“Relationships take time, you know, coaches, administration, y’all have to kind of figure each other out, right? You want to align, and you want to support one another.” Fee said.

When you can rely on

someone, when you can trust someone, you can do amazing things.

”

Andy Fee | LBSU athletic director

Relationships, trust, and support are things that Fee encourages in the midst of his fifth year as an athletic director at The Beach.

“I mean, you come to a basketball game you’re gonna see the volleyball team and volleyball coach and baseball players. You go to a men’s volleyball match, you’re gonna see coach Monson and coach Cammon,” Fee said. “When you can rely on someone, when you can trust someone, you can do amazing things.”

In regard to the team’s 11-game win streak, Fee believes that coach Monson is doing what he and the team talked about and that’s focusing on adjustments throughout the season.

“Adjusting some of the things that he was doing, you know, whether it’s the recruiting or just the management of the program,” Fee said.

Every Monday, coach Monson takes it easy on the team where they have a short practice and study film. More importantly, coach Monson does what he calls “Mental Mondays.”

This is a day dedicated to giving back to his team and focusing on their mental health. Fee said coach Monson will bring in different speakers to come and talk to the team at the beginning of the week and he believes this has been a big part of the team’s recent success.

“I think the commitment and the buy-in from the players has been the difference,” Fee said.

Senior guard Drew Cobb expressed that he is proud of coach Monson and everything he has overcome during his time at Long Beach.

“I’ve definitely seen ups and downs with Monson and seeing everybody, a lot of people turned on him,” Cobb said. “I got to go through that with him there, I was on all the teams with him.

So just seeing how far he’s come and knowing his history and how legendary he’s been to the sport of college basketball.”

Continued on page 9

SPORTS 11

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2022 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | SPORTS@DAILY49ER.COM

LBSU sweeps Stanford as Nikolov flashes ‘special’ serve The Beach’s blocking defense and quality serves lead to a 3-0 win against the Stanford Cardinal.

there,” Knipe said about being behind and near a loss in set two during Nikolov’s five aces. “I thought he did a great job of not just hitting his heat but mixing it up, giving us some chances and he got us right back in there.”

The Beach needed less than 10 kills per set to win the match, totaling just 29 on the night which was a season low for the No. 2 team in the nation.

The Cardinal’s 18 service errors and .170 hitting percentage left the door open for The Beach to creep back in and take advantage of its opponents that were three points away from evening the match.

Along with his five aces, Nikolov ended the game with a team-high nine kills and one block. Harlan also chipped in on the defensive side with two block assists in his set and a half of action.

Redshirt sophomore setter Aiden Knipe made his return to the starting lineup and had 24 assists after suffering from the stomach flu which kept him from traveling on The Beach’s visit to UCLA last week.

By Ignacio Cervantes Contributor

D

own 22-19 in the second set, Alex Nikolov and the LBSU men’s volleyball team rallied together to switch the momentum in the game that ultimately led to a Beach victory.

LBSU defeated Stanford in a 3-0 match that featured a second set comeback that included five consecutive aces and one error.

“Very unique circumstances at the end of the second set,” said head coach Alan Knipe. “To be down and have Alex go five straight aces.”

Those five straight aces from Nikolov flipped the script on a set that seemed to be out of The Beach’s reach, then became the focal point in its [2519, 25-22, 25-18] win against the Stanford Cardinal at Walter Pyramid.

With a .202 hitting percentage that became the team’s lowest tally in a game, Knipe looked to sophomore opposite/outside hitter Nathan Harlan to “give us an upgrade.”

Harlan came in for redshirt junior Olivier Spencer, whose -.125 hitting percentage was the lowest of the year for any LBSU player, and quickly got his first of four kills on his first play in the game.

“In practice we talk about freeing up,” Harlan said. “Once it comes to competition mode, just free up.

A really short list of what I’m focusing on and when I was told to sub in for [Spencer] that’s all I was thinking about, a few things on my mind and just execute and just go all out basically.”

Seven plays after Harlan’s first kill, Nikolov began a series of serves that muddled the Cardinal defense.

“I’d love to say there were a whole lot of adjustments and things going on

Continued from page 8 Cobb said that one of the things he was always thankful for was that not many people gave him an offer to play for them. He is thankful that Monson gave him the opportunity to play college basketball and welcome him to Long Beach with open arms.

“The one that really always has stuck with me is that he believed in me before a lot of people ever did,” Cobb

LBSU will take on New Jersey Institute of Technology on Friday, March 4 at 7 p.m. in its second of a threegame homestand which continues on Saturday, SONNY TAPIA | Daily Forty-Niner

The ball is set for CSULB outside hitter Alex Nikolov to spike the ball against Stanford University in The Pyramid on Friday.

said. “So, for that, I’ve always respected him and I’m always riding with him for that.”

Fee said that he was excited to see the fans and players cheering and congratulating Monson after the big victory that night.

“I gave him a quick hug as he came off the court, and it’s just really nice to celebrate something like that and be able to be there,” Fee said.

Cobb described Monson’s 400th

win as a legendary moment for the 15year coach.

“The fact that I was a part of it, and I was able to help him get that along with the rest of my guys,” Cobb said.

“Just being here to witness it and on top of that type of game, it was you know, I’m saying it was a perfect atmosphere.”

As Monson has accomplished a huge milestone in his career, his next goal isn’t his 500th win as he is focused

March 5 at 7:30 p.m. against Long Island University.

on this season and winning the Big West.

“The next goal for me is to win the Big West regular season and the Big West tournament,” Monson said. “After that, you know, we’ll see what happens.”