Daily Forty-Niner; August 30, 2021

biweekly digital print edition

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Vol. LXXII, Issue 33

www.daily49er.com

Monday, August 30, 2021

WELCOME TO BACK

2 NEWS

MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 2021 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | EIC@DAILY49ER.COM ON THE COVER

Students spending time on campus after two and a half semesters of being fully online.

Photos by Ulysses Villa

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News Editor Nick James Lauren Ramirez news@daily49er.com Arts & Life Editor Christal Gaines Emory arts@daily49er.com Opinions Editor Giselle Palomera opinions@daily49er.com Sports Editor Thomas Murray sports@daily49er.com Design Editor Gisele Robinett design@daily49er.com Community Engagement Kevin Caparaso Manager Advertising Manager Ramsha Shaiman Hasan advertising@daily49er.com Business Manager Sai Zin Phyo Lwin business@daily49er.com

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Special Projects Editor Lillian Li Photo courtesy of Ashley Ramos

Video Editor Reyn Ou

Letter from the editor

Social Media Editor Hikaru Tamashiro Podcast Editor Jeremy Taylor Podcast Host Aziza Gomez Graphic Designer Aaray Amano

his upcoming school year will mark my fifth and final year attending CSULB. I almost forgot how sore walking around school made me or how heavy backpacks are or HOW MANY STAIRS

THERE ARE ON CAMPUS! But what I forgot the most was the charm and excitement that comes from entering a new place.

I loved hearing people say it was their first time on campus and how much they were loving it.

Working this summer in the quiet newsroom has allowed me to reflect on my years at university. I’m proud of how far I’ve come and excited for where I’ll go.

But most of all I’m ready to GRADUATE! Best of luck to everyone,

Photo Editor Ulysses Villa

Ashley Ramos

Arts & Life Intern Christina Merino Sports Intern Matthew Brown Photo Intern Tin Huyuh Video Intern Erik Zamora Social Media Intern Krystal Ordonez Public Relations Intern Jason Coronel Advertising Executives Angela Martin Purva Rao Distribution Analyst Jacob Patrick Mitchell Webmaster Zenil Vaghasiya PR & Promotions Manager Kate Michel Distribution Manager Darlene Malolos Design Adviser Gary Metzker Content Adviser Barbara Kinglsey-Wilson Advertising & Business Jennifer Newton Adviser Creative Director Wendy Rangel Letters to Editor editor@daily49er.com

Story Ideas tips@daily49er.com

Corrections correction@daily49er.com

Job Inquiries jobs@daily49er.com

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, AUGUST 30, 2021 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM

Administration enforces COVID-19 vaccinations for in-person attendance

By Lauren Ramirez News Editor

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o maintain health and safety precautions on campus, Long Beach State has enforced COVID-19 vaccinations for those wishing to attend in-person classes and events for the foreseeable future.

As of Friday, Aug. 13, CSULB has required a COVID-19 vaccination self-certification that must be completed by Thursday, Sept. 30, through the single sign-on website.

The vaccination self-certification requires proof of vaccination in the form of a picture or digital file of a COVID-19 vaccination card, uploaded online to the patient’s CSULB health portfolio.

According to CSULB, those who do not comply with campus policy will face consequences. For example, “students not in compliance with campus policy will be subject to a hold being placed on their record,” Jeff Cook, associate vice president of strategic communications, said.

Although CSULB is enforcing these health policies for in-person attendance, students or employees may request a medical or religious exemption.

The Daily Forty-Niner received little to no responses regarding the religious exemption after reaching out to several religious organizations and students on campus.

One religious organization on campus responded, “thank you for thinking of us, but we would not like to make a comment due to opposing opinions on this topic.”

They also stated they would like anonymity “to protect their privacy on this sensitive topic” Students and employees eligible for medical or reli-

gious exemption must adhere to getting free, weekly COVID-19 tests on-campus, according to the CSULB COVID-19 information website.

“While I respect everyone’s freedom to practice the religion of their choosing, a person’s freedom to practice religion isn’t a free pass to place others in harm’s way,” Laura Hardin, a senior biology major, said.“Exemptions to vaccines should be reserved for those with legitimate medical conditions.

By allowing religious exemptions the CSU system has paved the way for this pandemic to persist.”

Since receiving its first shipment of Pfizer vaccines in February, Long Beach State launched its university vaccination program, distributing over 13,140 vaccines amongst students, faculty, and staff members, school health officials said.

“This program started in February as a drive-thru clinic and has continued to operate at the Student Health Center,” Student Health Services Health Educator Holly Boettner said.

At this time, Student Health Services continues to

administer the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine through walk-ins on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., located at the back entrance of their building via Lot G3, according to the Vaccine Clinic.

In addition, CSULB works alongside the Long Beach Health Department twice a week to provide “COVID-19 testing and three vaccines, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna,” Boettner said.

Boettner said that the three vaccines will be distributed near the University Bookstore on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., with no appointment necessary.

Through recent news, the Pfizer vaccine was approved by the Food & Drug Administration to prevent the further spread of the COVID-19 disease among individuals who are 16 years old and over.

This vaccine will also “be available for Emergency Use Authorization” for those who are 12 to 15 years old and “for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals,” according to the FDA. “Requiring the vaccine definitely makes me feel safe and at ease,” Juan Carlos Mendoza, a third-year journalism

ULYSSES VILLA | Daily Forty-Niner

Misaki Hashimoto (top), 20, receives her second shot of the Pfizer vaccine from Alfred Olusanya near the Bookstore on Wednesday, Aug. 25. Miguel Macias Casas (above), 19, is taking a COVID-19 test, to provide his catholic retreat in San Bernardino.

major, said. “I’m honestly so happy to be back on campus.”

Ashley Ramos contributed to this article.

4 NEWS

MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 2021 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM

Back to campus: A guide to what is open

By Ashley Ramos Editor in chief

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ith the return of in-person classes this fall semester, students, both new and returning, roam the campus once more following an isolated period during the first year of the pandemic.

To help you get comfortable with the campus, here’s a list of some of the places that are open on campus:

University Library Upper Campus The computer lab, all floors and restrooms in the library will be open.

Hours of operation: Monday to Thursday: 7:45 a.m to 9 p.m.

Friday: 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Student Recreation and Wellness Center Lower Campus The Student Recreation and Wellness Center (SRWC) is back up and running with cardio machines, indoor track, rock wall, free weights, racquetball courts, fitness rooms, strength equipment, locker rooms and showers now available.

Reservations will no longer be required to access the building. However, reservations will be required to use the lap lanes, participate in in-person events and group exercise classes.

Hours of operation: Monday to Thursday: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Friday: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

ASHLEY RAMOS | Daily Forty-Niner

Next to the bookstore is a convenience store where you can buy snacks, drinks and limited school supplies.

Robeks University Student Union For more information, call 562-961-3645 Hours of operation: Monday to Thursday: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Outpost Grill Lower Campus

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf University Student Union For more information, call 562-985-3477

Hours of operation: Monday to Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Closed on weekends.

Hours of operation: Monday to Friday: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. *For more information, check out daily49er.com

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6 ARTS & LIFE

MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 2021 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | ARTS@DAILY49ER.COM

Must-try locations in Long Beach Photos and story by Christina Merino Long Beach Creamery 222 E Broadway Ave, Long Beach, CA Located in Downtown Long Beach, the Long Beach Creamery is an excellent place to get a tasty frozen treat. They use local, organic ingredients to create their unique flavors of ice creams. With the cute vibe inside their shop, you will want to come back time and time again. You can also enjoy eating your ice cream in their outdoor seating area.

Museum of Latin American Art 628 Alamitos Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802 For art enthusiasts, the Museum of Latin American Art is a great attraction in Long Beach. For college students on a budget, the museum is open free to the public on Sundays. The three exhibits at the moment are showing breathtaking work done by female Latin American artists. The pieces spark conversations of world topics and are worth a visit.

Plantiitas 4003 E 4th St., Long Beach, CA 90814 For plant parents or those wanting to start incorporating plants into their decor, Plantiitas is the shop to visit.

Plant prices vary from $8.00 and even up to $400.00 due to the wide variety of plants that they have. The staff is friendly and willing to answer any of your questions. They strive to not only be a safe space in the Long Beach community but also create a family connection between customers and staff.

Plantiitas is

Aquarium of the Pacific 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802 The Aquarium of the Pacific is one of the places that Long Beach is well known for, but many people have never been to. Set aside a whole day when you have finished your homework, and visit the seals, otters, sharks and more critters of the sea.

Swan Boat Rentals at Rainbow Lagoon Shoreline Drive at Pine Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802 Take a ride around the Rainbow Lagoon when you rent a swan boat to paddle around. The hour rental rates are $11.00. It is a great first date idea or just a fun time to spend with friends. There is also a path around the lagoon to watch the swans and the sunset.

MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 2021 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | ARTS@DAILY49ER.COM

ARTS & LIFE 7 The Long Beach Creamery is known for its unique ice cream flavors made with organic ingredients.

s for plant lovers and beginner plant parents.

Many people enjoy paddling the swan boats (right) around the Rainbow Lagoon in Long Beach. The Museum of Latin American Art (left) is the only museum in the United States dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin American and Latino art.

*For more spots, check out daily49er.com

8 ARTS & LIFE

MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 2021 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | ARTS@DAILY49ER.COM

DORM

s n o i t a r o c e D

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By Christal Gaines-Emory Arts & Life Editor

Photos courtesy of Kristen Grandin and Zen Li Kristen Grandin (above) utilizes plants, beloved posters and photos to create a welcoming, yet simple space in her dorm room. Freshman Zen Li (below) adapts to his new environment at CSULB by creating a comfortable space in his room using live plants and posters of greenery.

fter having the opportunity to return to campus, students were eager to move in and start making their rooms feel like home.

Many students decorated using string lights, posters, plants, stuffed animals, photos, and more. Whether the dorms are decorated using a specific color palette or style, each room is unique and represents the resident.

Chloe Stickler, a sophomore residing in the Parkside North building, wanted to showcase her bubbly personality through her dorm decorations.

“I really wanted my room to feel like my home and a place that represented me,” said Stickler. “I love the energy my room gives off, it makes me so happy. I think it shows a lot of my personality and my sense of humor.”

Stickler’s room has a unique style, through her placement of her butterfly stickers and Minecraft bee merchandise to the earthy posters and hanging vines, she showcased her love for nature and living things. Her roommate, Kayla Galo, also represented her love for nature as a theme in her room by using the color green in her bedding, string lights, and posters as well as in a collage of photos taken in nature.

Another standout dorm room belonged to Alyssa Gonzalez, a second year student living in Beachside. Gonzalez’s room also featured a very unique aesthetic in comparison to other rooms, her goal was to showcase her love for minimalism in her decorations.

“Since COVID, my style has become a lot more minimal,” she said. “I like my space to be clean, simple, and organized, but I also wanted to incorporate photos of my friends back home in my room.”

Gonzalez decided to decorate her room using a black and white color palette because she enjoys the combo and it reminds her of home.

“It was really important to me to decorate my room,” she said.

“My room has been used as a hangout spot in my building which is exactly what I wanted to achieve when decorating my room.”

Juliana Jordan was also eager to showcase her optimistic personality through adding pops of color throughout her room. Jordan said that COVID allowed her to learn more about herself and her style, and she wanted to showcase this in her room.

“I feel like my little half of the room should express what I really like,” she said. “In the past, I might have been embarrassed to put up photos of a band I like or my favorite movie, just because I was scared of being different. Now, I love showing my interests in any way that I can.”

Jordan’s room features a vibrant color palette with live plants and bright string lights. Each item she brought from home was meticulously picked in order to successfully represent her personality.

“When choosing things to take from home, I made sure that everything would give my room a positive vibe,” she said. “I would describe myself as an optimistic and joyful person, so I made sure that there were pops of color to liven it up.”

Every decorated dorm room on the CSULB campus is unique, but they all serve the same goal: Remind the residents of home and incorporate their personalities into the decorations. For many residents, this is their first experience living independently from their parents, grandparents, friends, and loved ones. By personalizing their dorm rooms, the students are adapting to their new environment and new challenges, as well as creating a comfortable place they can call home for the next year.

MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 2021 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | ARTS@DAILY49ER.COM

ARTS & LIFE 9 A CSULB student’s outfit worn during the first week of classes.

Photos by Ulysses Villa

By Christina Merino, Ashley Ramos Staff Writers

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fter a year and a half of Zoom classes where fashion was not about dressing to impress but instead to be comfortable at home. All of us were stuck inside tiny boxes only ever seeing each other’s top half.

As students head back on campus, so does wearing bottoms other than sweats. Here are some of our favorite first week outfits with cool pants or skirts.

Check out the different styles CSULB students wore the first week back on campus.

10 SPORTS

MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 2021 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | SPORTS@DAILY49ER.COM

September sports schedule

By Thomas Murray Sports Editor

Men’s water polo Triton Invitational Tournament Located At UC San Diego

Saturday, September 4, 9:20 a.m. | CSULB vs Whittier College Saturday, September 4, 1:50 p.m. | CSULB vs California Baptist University Sunday, September 5, 8:30 a.m. | CSULB vs Occidental College Sunday, September 5, 12:30 p.m. | CSULB vs UC San Diego

Inland Empire Invitational Located at University of Redlands

Saturday, September 11, 10:20 a.m. | CSULB vs Pomona Pitzer Saturday, September 11, 2:40 p.m. | CSULB vs Claremont Mckenna Scripps Sunday, September 12, 10:15 a.m. | CSULB vs Redlands University Sunday, September 12, 2:45 p.m. | CSULB vs Air Force

Non-Tournament Games

Friday, September 17 | Home vs UCLA Wednesday, September 22, 6:00 p.m. | CSULB vs Stanford University

MPSF Tournament Located at UC Berkeley Friday September 24 - Sunday September 26 Teams/Times TBA

Men’s and women’s cross country Saturday, September 18th, 8 a.m. @ UC Riverside

Men’s golf Monday, September 20 @ Husky Invitational (First & Second Rounds) Bremerton, Wash.

Tuesday, September 21 @ Husky Invitational (Final Round) Bremerton, Wash.

Women’s volleyball Long Beach State Tournament

Thursday, September 2, 7 p.m. | Home vs UCLA Friday, September 3, 5 p.m. | Portland State vs UCLA at Long Beach Friday, September 3, 7 p.m. | Home vs Georgia Tech Saturday, September 4, 3 p.m. | UCLA vs Georgia Tech at Long Beach Saturday, September 4, 5 p.m. | Home vs Portland State Vikings

Washington State Tournament

Thursday, September 9, 6 p.m. at Washington State Friday, September 10, 10:30 a.m. | Gonzaga University at Washington State Friday, September 10, 6 p.m. | Home vs Northern Iowa University at Washington State Tuesday, September 14, 7 p.m. | Home vs San Diego State Saturday, September 18, 4 p.m. | Home vs San Diego University Friday, September 24, 7 p.m. | Home vs Cal Poly Pomona Saturday, September 25, 4 p.m. | Home vs CSU Bakersfield Tuesday, September 28, 7 p.m. | Home vs Cal State Fullerton Located at the Walter Pyramid

Women’s soccer Wednesday, September 1, 3 p.m. @ UCI Thursday, September 2, 7 p.m. @ UC San Diego Sunday, September 5, 7 p.m. @ San Diego State Saturday, September 11, 7 p.m. @ Washington Thursday, September 16, 7 p.m. @ Home vs. Montana Saturday, September 18, 8 a.m. @ UC Riverside Sunday, September 19, 4 p.m. @ Home vs UC Berkeley Thursday, September 23, 6 p.m. @ Home vs UC San Diego Sunday, September 26, 6 p.m. @ Home vs Hawaii Thursday, September 30, 5 p.m. @ UC Riverside

Located at George Allen Field

MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 2021 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | SPORTS@DAILY49ER.COM

SPORTS 11

MATTHEW BROWN | Daily Forty-Niner

Fans are only required to wear masks to attend games at the Walter Pyramid, but will soon need to attest to being vaccinated.

Safety is top priority as fans fill up stands Fans will need to be fully vaccinated to attend games starting Sept. 20.

By Matthew Brown and Thomas Murray Staff Writers

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ith the largest crowd capacities allowed at the Walter Pyramid since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Long Beach State’s athletic department has been working on ways to ensure a safe environment for fans, players, and coaching staff.

As of right now, fans are only required to wear their masks indoors, but are being encouraged to wear their masks at all time while attending games at CSULB, Executive Director of Athletics Andy Fee said.

However, starting Monday, Sept. 20, fans will need to provide proof of vaccination if they would like to attend a game, however, more information will be sent out regarding the process at a later date, Fee said.

“With a testing and vaccination policy that focuses on keeping everyone as safe as possible, we believe we are prepared as best we can for the year ahead knowing that things may change

depending on the virus,” Fee said.

In addition to fans providing proof of vaccination, all players and coaches must be fully vaccinated unless they are exempted for religious or medical reasons by the university.

Currently, 93% of CSULB’s student-athletes are vaccinated and that number is expected to increase over the next two weeks, Fee said.

Furthermore, all athletes must take a weekly PCR test and up to 2 to 3 more rapid antigen tests, depending on the team’s game schedule, an effort taken “to keep COVID-19 cases to a minimum while competing for championships in the classroom and on the field of competition,” Fee said.

“Our mission is to enrich the lives of our student-athletes through academic and athletic success while embracing an inclusive and diverse environment for our Beach family,” Fee added.

Masking and social distancing will also be enforced as much as possible for players during practices and games.

While there are no directives on required social distancing at the moment, venue staff members will be at games to remind fans about wearing their masks properly and enforce campus policy.

Fans have already filled the Walter Pyramid this month as the women’s volleyball team re-

turned to action for the first time in nearly two years on Saturday, Aug. 21, splitting a four-set exhibition match against Pepperdine University.

“We are really grateful that we are back in action,” head coach, Joy McKienzie-Fuerbringer, said. “I want to thank our admin and everyone that has brought us back safely. It was great to see the girls out there, having a good time and compete.”

Following echoing practices with empty stands, the volleyball players once again remembered what it was like to feel the electrifying sounds of fans cheering them on as they went on to tie the match after being down two sets.

“I was so happy to see people I know in the stands, and people I didn’t know cheering us on,” said outside hitter, Kashauna Williams.

“They came out here after 600-something days to support us. That made me feel really good.”

Although sports are making their return to campus, CSULB’s athletic department is still following public health and campus health officials directives, meaning the protocols set in place are subject to change at any time.

“It has been quite a challenge the past 18 months to be certain,” Fee said. “In the end, our student-athletes, coaches, and staff have shown resilience and determination working to train and compete, while fulfilling academic goals.”

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Up at 7. Quick nap at 8.

It’s what we do at The Beach.

Now that you’re back on campus, get back to your routine and ride Long Beach Transit to class.

Rides are FREE for CSULB students for the start of the semester. ridelbt.com/students