Daily Forty-Niner, March 15, 2021

weekly digital print edition

DAILY FORTY-NINER EST p 1949

Vol. LXXII, Issue 24

www.daily49er.com

Monday, March 15, 2021

GAS & GOWNS

Inside the

Niner

Page 2

ARTS & LIFE

SPORTS

Student businesses on the rise

A look into the season

pg 7

pg 10

2 NEWS

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM ON THE COVER PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONBY ANDREA RAMOS

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News Editor Julia Terbeche news@daily49er.com Arts & Life Editor Paris Barraza arts@daily49er.com Opinions Editor Kelsey Brown opinions@daily49er.com Sports Editor Samantha Diaz sports@daily49er.com Design Editor Alejandro Vazquez design@daily49er.com Advertising Manager Carter Magee advertising@daily49er.com Business Manager Sai Zin Phyo Lwin business@daily49er.com

ALEJANDRO VAZQUEZ | Daily Forty-Niner

Commencement will be held in a hybrid ceremony this May, pending approval from city health officials.

Grads, get ready Students are able to purchase their commencement gear and can expect an email later this month to register for their 30-minute time slot in the caravan event.

Special Projects Editor Peter Villafañe Photo Editor Andrea Ramos Video Editor Abel Reyes Social Media Editor Celeste Huecias Podcast Editor Cameron Johnston Podcast Assistant Luke Pajari Design Assistant Anna Karkalik News Assistant Iman Palm News Assistant Fernando Haro Opinions Assistant Bella Arnold Special Projects Assistant Giselle Alexandra Ormeño Photo Assistant Richard Grant

By Julia Terbeche News Editor

L

ong Beach State graduates from the classes of 2020 and 2021 will be able to register for commencement beginning Monday, March 22. The car caravan ceremony will be taking place from May 18 through 21.

Students will be honored by their colleges throughout the week: • • • • • • •

College of Health & Human Services — May 18 and 19 College of Liberal Arts — May 18 and 19 College of Business — May 20 College of Engineering — May 20 College of the Arts — May 21 College of Education — May 21 College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics — May 21

Any graduates planning to attend the event must register for a time slot using a unique registration link that will be sent to their student emails, according to the university commencement page. Registration will close Friday, April 9.

The 49er Shops Bookstore hosted its annual Grad Fair from March 8 to 12 for graduates to purchase their caps, gowns, sashes, class rings and other memorabilia.

Though the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has approved vehicle-based parades, the plan is still pending approval from the Long Beach Department of Public Health.

Occurring simultaneously at two locations, the GO BEACH sign and the west side of the Walter Pyramid, the ceremony will feature a

live-stream of graduates passing across the vehicle stage “with their name and major proudly displayed on the screen” which will be “done by professional voice actors,” according to the website.

Participating graduates are each allocated one vehicle pass, which they must claim starting April 19 to attend the in-person ceremony, and allows members of the student’s household to join. When claiming their pass, students will be given their 30-minute slot.

Also included in the March 22 email from commencement@csulb.edu will be information on how students can upload photos to personalize their graduation slides, which will be due by May 1.

“The statement can be a quote that inspired them while working toward their degree, a word of thanks to any family, friends and faculty members that helped them during their journey or a reflection on their time as a Beach student,” the website reads.

Graduates planning to participate in the caravan event should refer to the commencement checklist found on the university’s webpage: • • • • • • •

Share information with friends and family Get commencement gear RSVP to attend commencement: March 22 to April 9 Submit name pronunciation information: March 22 to April 9 Submit custom grad slide photo and quote

by May 1 Claim vehicle pass from April 19 to May 3 Participants are encouraged to decorate their vehicles with magnets and personalize their caps.

More information is available at https://www. csulb.edu/commencement/ceremony.

Social Media Assistants Ashley Ramos Desiree Aguilera Dominique Hernandez Briet Sarthak Sheladia Webmaster Dinesh Reddy Kommera Community Engagement Ashley Ramos Manager PR & Promotions Manager Alejandro Vazquez Distribution Manager Carter Magee Design Adviser Gary Metzker Content Adviser Barbara Kinglsey-Wilson Advertising & Business Jennifer Newton Adviser

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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, MARCH 15, 2021 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM

ASI presidential candidates Jesus Gonzalez and Shay Hashemi discuss issues facing the student body during their virtual debate Thursday.

ASI presidential debate tackles mental health, inclusivity and student success Jesus Gonzalez and Shay Hashemi discuss their visions as student government leaders.

By Jorge Villa Staff Writer

C

ontinuing with the 2021 Associated Students, Inc. elections, the two presidential candidates participated in a Zoom debate Thursday, in which they discussed issues like inclusivity, food insecurity, homelessness and student engagement in the online landscape.

Moderated by Rachel Thibodeaux of Beach Forensics, the debate featured candidates Jesus Gonzalez, senator for the Board of Control, and Shay Hashemi, vice president of the CSULB Financial Management Association.

Thibodeaux first asked the candidates how they would increase student involvement in an virtual learning environment.

In response, Hashemi said that he would create an outreach committee separate from ASI to help “unify” the three branches of student government.

“I think as chief responsibility to the organizations on campus and in students is to market the benefits of becoming involved in the university. So to do this, what

I’m going to do is I’m going to completely standardize and reorganize the way ASI communicates,” Hashemi said.

Gonzalez said that he would initiate an outreach program that will allow ASI to bridge other organizations in hopes that students will join senate board meetings to discuss issues and concerns.

In rebuttal, Hashemi said he felt that meetings are not enough to engage with students and a line of communication needs to more “standardized,” to which Gonzalez replied saying he uses social media platforms to communicate with the student body.

“I continue these efforts and promoting within our social media accounts hosting Instagram lives, you know, as we also have the Student Recreation and Wellness Center events that will help students become more engaged,” Gonzalez said.

Thibodeaux moved on to ask about how the candidates could ensure the administration provides campus clubs and organizations with sufficient funding.

Acknowledging that many student organizations have limited funding, Gonzalez said he hopes to allocate a $300 grant, like the first reimbursement in fall 2020, to support clubs virtual or restrictive in-person events.

“I hope that the students are

able to get creative ways that we can fundraise,” Gonzalez said.

Hashemi advocated for reopening campus, while operating within Los Angeles County Public Health department guidelines under red tier citing that clubs have been losing out on revenue due to a lack of in-person events affecting recruitment. In response, Gonzalez argued that reopening the campus would risk spreading the coronavirus to students’ households and communities.

“Senator, clubs are dying,” Hashemi said. “There is always going to be a risk, there always has been a risk for whatever, me driving down the street, you can get in a car accident any day.”

The moderator then moved on to ask about how the candidates plan to retain and increase the number of students and faculty from underrepresented communities.

“One thing we have to do is to make sure that we turn to more of an equal representation not just our staff but our student leaders,” Hashemi said. “Over 60% of our students are non-male students, and yet only two people signed up to run for president, right, one person, signed up to run for vice president.”

He said he plans to develop outreach committees that would create networks with students

and their organizations, similar to the university’s outreach for early academic preparation to increase diversity among faculty.

Gonzalez advocated for increasing diversity among staff to more accurately reflect each college, working closely with places like the Career Development Center, the SRWC and the Women’s and Gender Equity Center.

“What kind of systems are you going to place to actually recruit African American students and different demographic of students from our local high schools in Long Beach?” Hashemi asked Gonzalez.

In response, Gonzalez said that he works closely with the university and outreach committee to promote the importance of higher education within high school recruitment.

Moving on, Thibodeaux asked the candidates their thoughts on how students can focus on their emotional well-being and receive mental health care during the pandemic.

Gonzalez said he felt there should be an increase of Counseling and Psychological Services counselors, though he realizes that might be difficult to achieve.

Instead, he suggested that different counselors talk to students depending on their background, like CAPS counselor Nidia Morán

Canales, who works closely with undocumented students.

To assist students facing food insecurity, Hashemi proposed to increase awareness of ASI’s Beach Pantry program by creating pamphlets and sending newsletters.

Gonzalez replied saying that emails are already sent out to advertise issues like food and housing insecurity under the Department of Student Affairs’ Basic Needs Program. Hashemi maintained that the program, and mental health in general, needs more awareness and suggested posting a bulletin “on every single page in CSULB in the footer.”

Hashemi closed out by claiming he advocates for students who are facing issues like housing and food insecurity, and prioritizes mental health. For Gonzalez, he represents students who he feels are struggling during this time.

“My efforts basically is to support underrepresented students, the low income communities, the first generations, undocumented students, students of color, because they’re the ones who are struggling, especially during this virtual formatting,” Gonzalez said.

ASI presidential elections will be held virtually March 15 through 17.

4 NEWS

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM

Credit: covid19.ca.gov

Much of California has moved into the red tier under the Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

Long Beach moves into red tier The city is progressing into the substantial risk category on Monday under the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

By Julia Terbeche News Editor

S

tarting Monday, businesses in Long Beach will be reopening with limited capacity including indoor dining at restaurants, indoor gym facilities and movie theaters, officials announced in a press release Friday.

Under California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, the city will be transitioning from the purple tier to the red effective March 15, indicating substantial risk rather than widespread. Los Angeles County has also moved into the red tier.

“Moving into the Red Tier shows we are making progress in reducing the spread of COVID-19,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in the statement. “We can begin to expand business operations in the Red Tier, but we still have work to do and we must remain vigilant. Our actions will continue to guide our progress.”

Restaurants will be able to reopen under 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer. To maintain social distancing standards, tables must have tables separated by at least eight feet, and customers and workers must be separated by six feet.

Bars with no meal service must continue with outdoor operations, according to the city measure.

Gyms and fitness centers will

Qualifications for each risk category under the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. be able to operate at 10% capacity, though outdoor operations are “strongly encouraged” by city officials. Movie theaters, places of worship, aquariums, museums, galleries and botanical gardens may reopen indoors at 25% capacity.

An increase from 25% capacity, retail businesses may operate at 50% starting Monday.

Also permitted are private gatherings among three households and no more than 15 people, as long as everyone wears face masks. Those who are fully vaccinated, however, may congregate in private settings without facial coverings.

Although the red tier permits

institutes of higher education to allow indoor lectures and student gatherings with proper safety modifications at 25% capacity or 100 people maximum, Long Beach State is continuing with only 4% face-to-face courses this spring.

Starting April 1, outdoor live events, including sports and live performances, may become eligible to operate at 20% capacity as long as venues enforce worker coronavirus testing and enforce safety regulations.

“It is critical to the long term safety, recovery and stability of Long Beach that everyone remains vigilant in practicing all health and safety protocols outlined in

the Safer at Home Health Order, including wearing a face covering and maintaining proper physical distance from others, even if they have received COVID-19 vaccinations,” the statement said.

According to the press release, the city takes into account three factors when determining whether to progress into a new tier: the number of new cases daily, the positivity rate of COVID-19 tests and the health equity metric, which is “designed to address the disproportionate case rate of COVID-19 among certain populations” and is based on economic, social, education, transportation, housing and environmental factors.

Credit: covid19.ca.gov

“In order to move to a less restrictive tier, the lowest-resourced areas must meet a certain positivity threshold,” the statement said.

“The health equity metric ensures that individuals affected most by the pandemic are doing well enough that moving the county to the next tier is safe for everyone.”

To progress from the red tier to the orange tier, or moderate risk, LA County must remain in the red tier for at least three weeks and maintain “orange tier numbers” for two consecutive weeks.

As of March 11, Long Beach has seen 51,600 total cases and 882 total deaths and has vaccinated 85,638 residents.

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6 ARTS & LIFE

By Kelsey Brown Opinions Editor

H

anging on Jasmine Moore’s wall is a photo of her from 2002. She is small in stature, standing on Rollerblades. Nearly two decades later, Moore and her affinity for skating have grown considerably, while catching the attention of thousands of people.

Moore’s skating clips are short but chock-full of lively dancing, vibrant outfits and smiles. Her jovial roller skating style has gained her about 80,000 followers of skaters and non-skaters alike on her Instagram account for roller skating, @justseconds.

Though skating started as a hobby for Moore, a 21-year-old Long Beach State student, in the past year the leisurely activity has shifted into a full-time job. She started posting on Instagram hoping to document her progress like many skaters do, never intending for her passion to pick up so much attention on social media.

For Moore, it was odd gaining such visibility online. Being held on some pedestal has never been the goal for Moore as she wants to continue to be active in the community.

“I still want to feel like I’m within reach to people,” Moore said. “And that was something that kind of freaked me out in the beginning was that I didn’t want to feel too out of touch. Because I’m still a skater. I’m still in the skate community. I still want to make skate friends.”

Moore’s Instagram following grew as roller skating experienced a resurge in popularity summer 2020. Nationwide, skates were out of stock due to the influx of interest in the activity.

Though Moore’s following had been incrementally growing since she created her Instagram account, Moore said she experienced spikes around May to August 2020 when her follower count grew exponentially. Moore explained that the sudden interest behind skating is partly due to the pandemic.

“People are realizing like, ‘Oh my god. Why am I spending so much time inside?’” Moore said.

“Especially with the constraint of the actual quarantine itself. It’s like you were dying almost for those moments where you could get outside.”

Since gaining a following online, Moore has been able to monetize her page. Moore was previously a business major with an emphasis in social media marketing, a blessing in disguise as Moore has relevant knowledge for managing her page in her “tool belt.”

This past August, Moore was able to make more money in one month than she did in a year working as a barista shift supervisor for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. In the last year, skating has opened doors for Moore, who has done a Nike shoot and a Motorola

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | ARTS@DAILY49ER.COM

A positive roll model CSULB student Jasmine Moore has amassed a large following on Instagram for her rollerskating videos. Now, she’s using her platform for advocacy while pursuing a career in sustainability.

Jasmine Moore poses in her Moxi roller skates. commercial. Though Moore has been able to support herself with her skating, she urges others to not only skate in pursuit of financial gain.

“Now that people have seen that there’s money to be made or there’s potential to make money

or have these opportunities, that is their main intention behind learning rather than to actually learn and progress and enjoy the journey of skating,” Moore said. “That’s was the reason why I started my account. I just wanted to document myself learning how

Photo courtesy of Jasmine Moore

to skate.”

Though many influencers avoid addressing topics that may be deemed too political in fear of losing followers, Moore said she sees the necessity in speaking out about issues valuable to her.

“Through my skating, it’s al-

ways really important to me to share resources and utilize my platform in a way that I can enlighten people about the injustices that are happening because we become very blind or numb to them over time,” Moore said.

Recently, Moore has been advocating for accessibility for all on Instagram.

“Even if it’s a little bit of extra work for me, I don’t care if I need to put closed captions on,” Moore said. “I don’t care if I need to put an image description. I don’t mind if I need to go the little extra way for someone because I personally feel that is one of the greatest human things you can do, making someone feel seen and appreciated.”

Kristel Aranas, a CSULB alumna, met Moore through an on-campus organization. Aranas recalled their meeting during Moore’s freshman year.

“I remember her telling me how she valued sharing in different experiences and cultures,” Aranas said. “I think her platform as an influencer really allows her to do that on a larger scale.”

Despite Moore’s sizable platform, her main priority is school.

Moore, a fourth-year studying sociology and minoring in human development, takes 20 units while managing and creating content for her Instagram.

“This is just a stepping stone for me,” Moore explained. “Not that I’m not enjoying the moment, or not invested. But my long-term goal in life is not to become a social media star or influencer.

That’s not the lifelong job I want.”

Recently, Moore applied to graduate school for urban and regional planning. She hopes to work with city policymakers and architects to help make communities more sustainable.

“Whether that’s through transportation, waterways, waste management, things like that, they help to strengthen communities by making sure that housing is still aware of their cultural ties to the places where they live, and also making sure that environment injustices aren’t taking place, whether that be excessive pollution, dumping waste or things like that,” Moore said.

For Moore, this career avenue was a clear choice for her as she has the ability to implement change and help better communities.

“The way that we live needs a drastic restructuring. Not only in infrastructure, but also social relationships,” Moore said. “So many communities are being mowed over by gentrification. I want people to understand, gentrification doesn’t have to be a negative thing. We have greatly made it a negative thing. But as long as the community is very much involved in creating the changes that they want to see, it’s something that will ultimately better the community and make communities safer.”

As Moore advances toward her career goals to instigate change in the community on a larger and long-standing scale, she will continue to use her platform and her roller skates to be a positive influence in her personal life and community.

“I’m already very focused and driven in what I want to do,” Moore said. “For me, skating is just the glimmer of positivity that I get to just enjoy on the way to reaching my career goals.”

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | ARTS@DAILY49ER.COM

ARTS & LIFE 7

Setting up shop, virtually With stay-at-home orders keeping students at home, some have turned their craft into an online business.

By Jose Roldan Staff Writer

A

lthough the coronavirus pandemic took a toll on students’ finances, studies and career paths, the sudden available time became an opportunity for several Long Beach State students to take their creativity and turn it into a business.

Emily Marin, a second-year student majoring in computer engineering with a minor in cybersecurity, began painting in high school but decided to take it more seriously by opening an art account on Instagram during the pandemic.

Marin said she remembered charging someone $25 for her first art painting thinking it was a lot, but now she realized that her paintings are more valuable than that because they could take up to seven or eight hours. Marin said her most expensive paintings were three pieces sold for $320.

Although Marin continues to improve her art and master her work, art isn’t her endgame.

“I couldn’t see myself doing art as something serious in the future,” Marin said. “Maybe I’ll start doing murals or commissions for small businesses in my free time or when needed.”

Even though Marin doesn’t see her painting business as a possibility to turn into something more, she said, it is a way to earn some money for her books, art, school supplies and tuition.

While being a full-time student at CSULB can be hectic, Marin is able to manage her time by not scheduling her commissions when she is busy with school.

Marin said school is always the priority, something she lets her buyers be aware of.

“My support system is for sure my family who has always believed in my creative side, my friends who convinced me into making the Instagram account and my followers,” Marin said.

Marin said she is thankful for anyone who views, likes and shares any of her art pieces from her account. The experience, she said, has been an escape from her classes and responsibilities.

“The things that motivate me to keep my business going is to be able to save money, help others get the painting they want and most of all, the support of my family, friends and followers who are always waiting to see my next art project,” Marin said.

Like Marin selling paintings, Jia Ning Lim used her time at home during the coronavirus pandemic to open up her business.

Lim, a fourth-year international student from Malaysia majoring in journalism, said she began

Floweeryy, her online business on Instagram, as a gift to herself in December 2020, selling handknitted bags, handmade clay earrings, customized jewelry like earrings, necklaces and bracelets and trendy, fluffy bags.

“I started my brand for one reason, to build an environment where I could put my skills to good use,” Lim said.

Lim considers herself diverse in many trades as she has managed to learn skills including dancing, singing, baking, painting, drawing and sewing.

“I made the business kind of like my own creative space where everything is limited, trendy, affordable and just whatever I want to make,” Lim said.

Unlike Marin, Lim is striving for her business to become a full-time job soon. Lim recently added a new member to her team who is her best friend, and Lim said they’re excited for the next collection.

According to Lim, Floweeryy seems to be getting more attention due to the fact that people aren’t comfortable shopping inside a store. Lim said that the coronavirus pandemic is helping her business do better.

School is Lim’s main priority, and she said that the business is more of a hobby and a relaxing activity that helps her wind down.

But, she is active with it, selling her products at flea markets and farmers markets.

Lim said she is motivated to keep her business going as she sees how much people love the things she makes, and with the support of her friends and family, Lim plans to sell at different markets and add more employees to potentially grow the business.

Ryann Ippolito, who is completing a Master of Social Work program at CSULB, began a new venture during the coronavirus pandemic and opened up an online business.

Alien Peach Designs focuses on custom, handmade embroidery and vintage Polaroids.

Ippolito, who said her favorite embroideries to do are portraits of celebrities and families, picked this hobby up during quarantine.

She said she didn’t have a hobby and wanted to change that, and when she came across an embroidery kit on Etsy, she was hooked right away.

As Ippolito posted her designs on her Instagram account, Ippolito immediately received requests from people asking for commissions. Not too long after that, Ippolito opened an Etsy shop and expanded her business to include vintage-edited Polaroids.

Ippolito said she began this venture as a complete beginner and had no idea on how to even thread a needle. Within a short amount of time, Ippolito said Alien Peach Designs currently pays the bills and is getting her through graduate school.

“I am enjoying this journey so much and I see my skills increase

Emily Marin, a second-year student majoring in computer engineering with a minor in cybersecurity, showcases her original paintings. Photo courtesy of Emily Marin.

Left to right: Ryann Ippolito is perusing a master’s degree in social work while operating her business Alien Peach Designs, available on Instagram and Etsy. Photo courtesy of Ryann Ippolito. Jia Ning Lim, a fourth-year journalism major, shows her handmade bag. Photo courtesy of Jia Ning Lim.

with every piece I embroider,” Ippolito said, who plans to keep her business steady and hopes to have more time for it as soon as she completes her master’s degree.

According to Ippolito, Alien Peach Designs was able to partner with a group of fans supporting

actor Pedro Pascal to sell Polaroid sets for charity sales, including a set that goes toward Hacking Hate Speech on Social Media in Chile, an organization working to remove the spread of hate speech, fake news and more.

Ippolito said she knew she to stay busy during the coronavirus

pandemic, which motivated her to keep the business going.

“I also love seeing people’s faces when they receive their art or read the happy reviews on my Etsy,” Ippolito said, later adding, “I would definitely not have found this passion if it was not for COVID.”

8 OPINIONS

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | OPINIONS@DAILY49ER.COM

The pandemic killed one of my longest friendships After 10 years, what we shared is now nonexistent.

went, I noticed we hadn’t spoken in a while. I decided to reach out again. To this day I never got a response.

I was upset she wasn’t talking to me. I tried to rationalize her actions thinking maybe she was too busy to respond. After a month of doing that, I started to lose hope she would ever talk to me again, but couldn’t understand why. The question “what did I do” was constantly in my mind.

One day, my insecurities got the best of me. I broke down and cried, grieving the friendship we once shared. I felt upset and angry that she wouldn’t talk to me.

People around me gave me words of encouragement, but I still wasn’t feeling better. I became so upset that I deleted every trace of her I had on my phone—photos, contact information, everything was gone.

What helped me start my healing process was prayer. I don’t come from a deeply religious family, but I learned about God at a very early age. When I was 13, my family and I started attending church regularly, and I really enjoyed it.

The lessons I learned from church helped me navigate my feelings and put my worries in the hands of the Lord. I began to ask the Lord for the power to heal and over time I started feeling better.

I tried to maintain our friendship through the pandemic.

I tried to keep an open line of communication between the two of us. I also made an effort to respond to texts or phone calls if I missed them and even planned social distanced meet-ups when it was safe to do so. The implications of the pandemic were just too severe for our friendship to handle.

Now, I’m not so upset about what happened. I don’t want a friend that can just up and leave my life without trying to have a conversation and resolve whatever issue they have with me.

I will always cherish the times we spent together. She will always have a special place in my heart, but this situation showed that she wasn’t meant to be in my life forever. As hard as it was to accept that, I’m starting to do just that and I know I will be okay.

By Iman Palm Assistant News Editor

T

he coronavirus pandemic fundamentally changed every aspect of my life, but it had the biggest impact on my friendships. During the pandemic, I lost one of my longest friendships.

I’ve had the same group of friends since I was a freshman in high school. I sometimes joked that we were the three amigos because if you saw one the others weren’t far behind. I thought we were inseparable.

We had our share of disagreements, but we always seemed to find our way back to each other.

When this pandemic started, I didn’t think it would harm my longest friendship.

At first, the pandemic helped me grow closer to this friend. We spent hours talking on FaceTime, texting and planning out our post-college lives. I told her things I had never told anyone outside of my family. While the fate of the world was uncertain, I had her.

Then it all started to go downhill.

I talked to her for the last time on Christmas Eve. She FaceTimed me that day because my ex-boyfriend contacted her trying to get in contact with me. The conversation did get intense as we both expressed what the next course of action should be.

However, by the time the conversation ended, I thought everything was fine. I reached out to her on New Year’s Eve and got no response. I didn’t think much of it as I figured she was busy doing something to celebrate the new year.

But as January came and Illustration by Kelsey Brown

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | OPINIONS@DAILY49ER.COM

OPINIONS 9

Returning to normalcy A college student and parent reflects on stay-at-home orders and campus reopening.

O

By Jeremy Taylor Staff Writer

n March 19, 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a stay-at-home order for all California residents in an attempt to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

College, high school and elementary students worldwide were forced to stay at home and learn in a virtual environment.

As a college student and parent of two children, I understand the multi-faceted challenges that came with the shutdown.

There is nothing more challenging than trying to do your assignments, all while keeping an 8-year-old focused and on task while they sit in front of a laptop for six hours a day.

Don’t even get me started on the cruel and unusual punishment this brought upon our household.

Despite a concerted effort, COVID-19 cases continued to surge with no end to the crisis in sight. That is until a ray of hope, a vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, arrived in December.

Over 10 million Californians have been vaccinated, and restrictions have been lifted.

Society is returning to some semblance of normalcy.

On Feb. 21, Provost Brian Jersky announced that a small number of courses would return to campus for face-to-face class instruction on March 1.

I cannot tell you how happy and excited I was to read this.

I am a transfer student from El Camino College, and this is my second semester at Long Beach.

I have never had the privilege of experiencing campus life, thanks to the pandemic.

The only time I have been on campus was to check out equipment and visit the bookstore.

I can’t wait to eat crappy college food and have genuine human interaction outside of my household. But, with this excitement comes reservations.

Will my fellow students ignore social distancing guidelines? What happens if someone refuses to mask up?

There’s always somebody who is hardheaded and too selfish to follow the rules. There is nothing more uncomfortable and potentially volatile than telling a stranger to put their mask on.

I have yet to be vaccinated, and I, for one, will do my part to ensure that this transition goes as smoothly as possible.

I can only appeal to anyone on campus to do the same. This is bigger than all of us. With the finish line in sight, we can win this race together.

Illustration by Anna Karkalik

10 SPORTS

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | SPORTS@DAILY49ER.COM

CAIN HERNANDEZ | Daily Forty-Niner

The Long Beach State Dirtbags celebrate after redshirt senior Jacob Hughey’s walk-off single against Cal in their first game of the 2020 season Feb. 14 at Blair Field.

Dirtbags prepare for a unique season Less than a week stands between the baseball team and its return to the field against Hawai’i.

By Jose Quevedo Staff Writer

O

ver a year after their spring season came to an abrupt halt, the Long Beach State Dirtbags are ready to dust themselves off and get back up along the baselines on Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.

With only a month of practice since beginning Feb. 15, the Dirtbags will jump right into Big West Conference action March 19 on the road against Hawai’i, who stood fourth in the 2020 season before its cancelation with an 11-6 record.

“Going to Hawaii for the first game, it’s not easy flying five to six hours and practicing in a place like this and playing a very good team,” Dirtbags head coach Eric Valenzuela said.

For their home opener on March 26, the Dirtbags will be up against California State University, Northridge, which will also be the team’s first virtual homecoming.

Despite the shortened practice time, the team should feel confident coming onto the diamond. Before the cancelation of last season, the Dirtbags had won four straight series and were ranked 12th in the nation. The 2021 season will be the second for Valenzuela.

“Preparing has been different for sure, we can make every excuse but we refuse,” Valenzuela said. “Our guys have been working out on their own to get prepared, and we have put in a lot.”

Long Beach State was picked to finish second in the Big West in the 2021 preseason Coaches Poll.

“Our preseason raking is something I’m not sure our guys look at. Winning our conference would be awesome, but coming in second on the poll shows some respect which is awesome,” Valenzuela said.

The Beach finished with a total of 96 first-place votes, one point ahead of Uni-

versity of California, Irvine and two points ahead of Cal Poly. University of California, Santa Barbara finished first in the rankings with 119 points.

Due to the coronavirus-imposed cancelation of last season, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has kept a year of eligibility for all student athletes. Because of this, the roster is made up of mostly young players, with only 12 junior and senior standing players and 29 freshmen and sophomores.

The Beach lost a key player in 2020 in Jacob Hughey, who retired after having his last season cut short. The loss leaves the position of first basemen to senior Cole Joy, who has been active on the team for two years.

With a great number of talented players and depth, Valenzuela said the last week of practice will be spent examining players closely to determine who gets what position.

“There are still some battles going on.

We have a lot of older guys and talented freshmen, so we are going to give guys a lot of different opportunities,” Valenzuela said.

This season will be quite different than past years for the Dirtbags in terms of scheduling, as the team will only play conference opponents in four-game weekend series throughout a 40-game schedule. The team can schedule a game against a non-conference opponent before Big West play begins but can only play one opponent each week.

With the return to the field, the Dirtbags are also welcoming renovations such as the Steve Traschel Bullpen, which was funded by the CSULB Hall of Famer himself. The new bullpen will be along the third baseline and features BATS technology that will allow the team to use video to analyze the mechanics of each player.

Although fans will not be allowed in the stands, games will be streamed on BeachVision or by broadcast partners on ESPN, which will be posted on the team’s schedule page as they become available.

Valenzuela said that the Dirtbags will have to rely on themselves to provide the missing energy in the stands that fans once contributed.

“The guys in the dugout will bring that energy and won’t play with any lack of energy,” Valenzuela said.

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