Daily Forty-Niner, November 23, 2020

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Vol. LXXII, Issue 14

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Monday, November 23, 2020

You are not alone

Inside the

Niner

PAGE 4

ARTS & LIFE

SPORTS

Retro Row spotlight

Basketball starts to make hoops

page 7

page 11

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | EIC@DAILY49ER.COM ON THE COVER The Butterfly Effect’s “art piece” in front of the Walter Pyramid is meant to raise awareness of housing and food insecurity that students are grappling with.

Photo by Madalyn Amato

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PHOTO COURTESY OF CSULB’S MOOT COURT WEBSITE

From left to right: Aleece Hanson, Alexis Liautaud, Barry Klein, Vaishalee Chaudhary, assistant coach Judy Hails, Marco Romero, and head coach Lewis Ringel at the 2020 national championship.

Moot Court moves up The third team ever to win a championship, Long Beach strives to regain its title at the 2021 American Moot Court Association National Tournament.

Arts & Life Editor Paris Barraza arts@daily49er.com Opinions Editor Kelsey Brown opinions@daily49er.com Sports Editor Jacob Powers sports@daily49er.com Design Editor Alejandro Vazquez design@daily49er.com Advertising Manager Carter Magee advertising@daily49er.com Business Manager Rani Hanna business@daily49er.com Special Projects Editor Peter Villafane Photo Editor Andrea Ramos Video Editor Pablo Unzueta Social Media Editor Jocelyn Torralba Podcast Editor Cameron Johnston

By Abel Reyes Multimedia Managing Editor

L

ong Beach State’s moot court team will be heading to the 2021 American Moot Court Association National Tournament, after earning its spot at the Frank Guliuzza Memorial Western Regional.

This will mark the fourth regional title for the CSULB team and the ninth straight season that the Beach has made it to the regionals.

“Everyone was pulling on the same end of the rope so to speak,” said Lewis Ringel, head coach for the moot court team and political science professor at CSULB. “We have more teams competing in other regional competitions, and we will do our best to win them all.”

Moot court consists of intercollegiate appellate advocacy and involves students from across the nation arguing a fictional case using real Supreme Court models. Every year the American Moot Court Association releases a fictional case with two constitutional issues, and students, using a list of real Supreme Court cases, have to create arguments for both sides of each issue.

Judges can be anyone familiar with the law or the legal system, typically consisting of lawyers, law students, law school deans and faculty. Undergraduate students are excluded from being judges.

For the second time, the Western Regional trophy was named after Frank Guliuzza, a former coach of moot court teams at Patrick Henry College in Virginia. Guliuzza died in 2018 and was a friend of Ringel, who described him as a “magnificent human being.”

“He was the very best undergraduate moot court coach of all time and a terrific mentor to students and other coaches such as myself,” Ringel said.

“Like myself, Frank was very competitive—but it never got in the way of friendship.”

Only 80 out of 500 teams across the country earn a bid to compete in the national moot court championship and with only 20 colleges taking home first prize, CSULB’s team was the third team in history to win.

Back in 2003, two third-year students from CSULB finished in first place at the ACMA tournament.

Although CSULB’s moot court program consists of five total teams, only two duos have won the Western Regional Tournament thus far, one of which includes second-year political science major Vaishalee Chaudhary and Marco Romero, a third-year political science major.

Before she joined the CSULB’s moot team in 2018, Chaudhary participated in four years of mock trial at her high school.

“Moot Court has been the single best part of my college career so far, and I don’t anticipate there will ever be anything that even comes close,” Chaudhary said.

Romero became involved with moot court during his second semester as a freshman student, after initially searching for open classes he can join.

“Dr. Ringel allowed me to go watch an invitation CSULB was hosting and I was astonished by how prepared, articulate and knowledgeable his teams were and I instantly fell in love with it,” Romero said.

This was the second Western Regional tournament that Chaudhary and Romero have competed in, an event that CSULB used to host.

“Long Beach Moot Court is a prestigious and well-known program, and our mooters are some of the best in the nation,” Chaudhary said. “We want to make that known at the national championship and strive to bring home another win for Long Beach.”

According to Chaudhary, the team was disappointed that competitions were being forced to transition online when virtual instruction began back in March. As the program involved traveling for competitions, the duo initially expressed feelings of frustration over this loss.

“One of the most appealing aspects to joining the moot team is the opportunities to compete in other states,” Chaudhary said. “Once the preparation started, however, we realized that being over Zoom has actually strengthened our bond as a team and has fostered an energetic, supportive and close-knit environment that even traveling couldn’t create.”

CSULB’s moot team has gone on to outperform colleges from across the nation, beating teams from The College of Wooster in Ohio, Colorado Christian University and most recently University of California, San Bernardino.

“People pour countless hours into preparation, practice and crafting their arguments so typically it is very much competitive,” Romero said. “Competitors and coaches take Moot Court very seriously, so often the rounds are very very close.”

Both Romero and Chaudhary plan to return to CSULB’s moot team next fall.

CSULB will compete in the 2021 AMCA National Tournament, which will be held virtually by the AMCA on Friday, Jan. 22 and Saturday, Jan. 23.

Multimedia Assistant Luke Pajari Design Assistant Anna Karkalik Arts and Life Assistant Celeste Huecias Opinions Assistant Jireh Deng Sports Assistant Terran Rodriguez Special Projects Assistant Giselle Alexandra Ormeno Photo Assistant Richard Grant Video Assistant Lauren Berny Social Media Assistants Ashely Ramos Desiree Aguilera Webmaster Assistant Kevin Patel Distribution Manager Rachel Barnes Design Adviser Gary Metzker Content Adviser Barbara Kinglsey-Wilson Advertising and Business Jennifer Newton Adviser

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NEWS 3

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM

Securing campus As students attend classes from home, Long Beach State moves forward to install $3 million door lock renovations in response to raised concerns for student and staff safety.

By Xochilt Andrade & Madalyn Amato Staff Writers

A

s the majority of students attend classes from home, Long Beach State moves forward with $3 million door lock renovations in response to raised concerns over student and staff safety.

On Oct. 7, 2019, the campus was placed on lockdown following an email threat of a campus shooter. As students and faculty took refuge in their classrooms, it came to the attention of many that doors across campus did not have adequate locking capabilities or locks at all.

“Honestly, I felt like we were just waiting to die or be attacked,” said Brent Pothoven, a fourthyear history major. “Kinda like in a horror movie where the killer is walking the halls and the victims are just listening for him to open the door.”

Pothoven was in his teaching credential class when the BeachAlert warned students of the potential threat.

Like many other students, his classroom doors could not lock, and the fact that those particular doors opened outward rendered a barricade useless.

“Thankfully nothing happened, but it was a flood of anxiety,” Pothoven said.

According to Director of Facilities Management Josh Cichuniec, who is leading the door lock renovations on campus, there are a series of considerations taken into account before a new lock can be outfitted to buildings’ doors.

These considerations include following building- and fire-code requirements, inspection and permitting, Americans with Disabilities Act path of travel and accessibility, hazardous material work and existing door conditions.

Cichuniec said that there is a “complexity” to the cost of each door lock as not all doors are found to be in the same condition.

Michael Gardner, director of Campus Planning and Sustainability, said the new thumb-turn locks are standard in the industry as they are ADA compliant and easy to use.

Positive identification of whether the door is locked or not is something that Gardner said was of utmost importance when looking at the type of locks to install.

“When you’re in a panic situation, you don’t want to wonder if the door is locked, you want a positive affirmation,” Gardner said.

Although these renovations be-

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL GARDNER

The new locks are being installed as a result of a growing concern from students and staff regarding safety on campus.

gan after the lockdown, Gardner echoed Cichuniec’s concerns being addressed by these changes.

He said that the replaced locks allow for students to still safely exit classrooms while preventing others from entering.

“You can get out of the room but you can keep people from coming in,” Gardner said. “I think a fire is probably a lot more likely than a shooter in terms of emergencies, but either way we want to cover all potential emergencies, and we want people to feel safe. It’s very important the psychology of feeling safe and knowing that if there was a shooter you can lock yourself in the room, it’s just a more secure feeling.”

Of the total $3 million allotment from the California State University system, each door is expected to cost roughly $6,000.

A total of 450 doors are slated to be renovated, however there will be varying price points as not all doors will be receiving the same renovations.

With over 8,000 rooms on campus, installing brand new locks on all doors was something the university could not simply afford, Gardner said. As a solution, resources provided by Beach Building Services on how to properly lock and unlock doors are now posted by each door.

“People have been working long and hard to make this project happen,” Gardner said. “It’s a big campus, and we want everyone to feel as safe as possible.”

Unlike Pothoven, Marissa Espiritu, a CSULB graduate who majored in illustration, was working in the 22 West magazine office during the shooter threat incident and was able to lock the doors.

However, these doors were made of glass and flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows. Because of this, during the BeachAlert she was told by her supervisor to turn off the lights, stay silent and hide.

“I mean, what is a locked glass door versus a man with a gun,” Espiritu said.

According to a Pew Research survey conducted in 2018, 57% of teens reported feeling worried about a potential school shooting occurring at their school.

As student-led organizations such as March For Our Lives gain traction against gun violence, and as legislation continues to enforce stricter background checks such as the 2016 California Proposition 63, installing these locks to CSULB’s campus brings the university one step closer to ensuring student, faculty and staff safety.

“I don’t know if there is a solution,” Espiritu said. “I’m the guy that’s mad that there are school shooters in the first place.”

4 NEWS

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | EIC@DAILY49ER.COM

MADALYN AMATO | Daily Forty-Niner

Morgan Weber, leader of the Butterfly Effect, stands in front of her “piece of art” facing East Atherton Street on Nov. 19.

‘Forgotten students are going to be even more hidden’ The Butterfly Effect, a student advocacy group at Long Beach State, works to raise awareness of challenges students continue to face surrounding housing and food insecurity as the coronavirus pandemic progresses.

By Madalyn Amato Editor in chief

F

acing East Atherton Street, Morgan Weber, leader of the Butterfly Effect, sat on the grass in front of the Walter Pyramid. Signs reading “Help Humanize Homeless” and “End Student Homelessness at the Beach” decorated a small camping tent.

Weber has been organizing a “Sleep In” event for several semesters in order to raise awareness of the housing and food insecurity crisis college students, including those at Long Beach State, are facing.

Only this year, the sleep-in event looked much different.

Just nine months ago, Weber along with her fellow Butterfly Effect leader, Christopher Stevenson, were advocating with tents and other materials in front of Faculty Office-3, where much of the on-campus student body, faculty and staff could see.

Due to on-campus restrictions this fall, however, Weber said the “event” wasn’t an actual event, but rather a “piece of art while she was studying.”

The coronavirus pandemic has not only changed how the group advocates, Weber said, but how students are able to access resources.

“When you’re experiencing food insecurity and homelessness, you get a lot of your resources on campus that are physical campus with your feet on the ground, you’re not getting it through the computer,” Weber said. “So right now there are students that are having to choose between their basic needs being met and a higher education, and that should not be the case, it just shouldn’t exist..”

Weber has been advocating for an expansion of basic needs accessibility for years. Houselessness continues to affect the Long Beach area, and although data on those experiencing housing insecurity currently won’t be available for sometime, Weber said, she feels it’s clear that COVID-19 is exacerbating existing problems.

In the 2019 Point-in-Time Homeless Count conducted on Jan. 24, data showed that there were a total of 1,894 people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach, 4% being students.

As campuses in the California State University system continue with virtual instruction into the spring 2021 semester, access to on campus resources will again be altered.

“We’re going to go into another semester next semester where there is no on-campus, in-person contact,” Weber said. “Hidden students, forgotten students are going to be even more hidden.”

Weber said she believes that professors can make resources more readily available to students by adding information on accessibility to basic needs initiatives on their course syllabi, for instance.

“We have [information on] our disability department, we have no plagiarism, we have the teacher’s rules. But why can’t we have a basic needs paragraph?” Weber said. “Why [isn’t it required that every] professor puts the phone number of the basic needs program on there, the contact information [for the] basic needs initiative?”

Other solutions include, Weber said, establishing a community book exchange program to help alleviate costs of textbooks, and requiring professors to learn how the basic needs initiative works and how to appropriately refer students in need.

She said that although she is and “always has been housing secure” and food secure, she feels compelled to continue to advocate for these students.

“I’m not the person experiencing this on a daily basis, but I am the person that understands that people that are experiencing this have a lot more to handle,” Weber said. “They have a lot more to wake up in the morning and find a safe place to study, wake up in the morning and find a place to eat. The least I can do is come out on a day for five hours by myself and set up my tent, so I make everyone around my environment know that this is happening.”

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM

NEWS 5

Inforgraphic by Andrea Ramos

6 ARTS & LIFE

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | ARTS@DAILY49ER.COM

Priscilla’s palette Artist Priscilla Moreno shares her journey with art, how it became a tool for selfacceptance and her transformation into a full-time artist in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

By Berenize Montoya Staff Writer

I

n the middle of chaos, Priscilla Moreno, 28, took a leap of faith and launched herself as a full-time artist.

Moreno hung up her apron, picked up her brushes and committed to dedicating all her time to what she loves the most, illustrating. She went from responding to a boss to making her own schedule on her own terms and time.

But this was not a spontaneous decision for Moreno.

Moreno is a surreal illustrator out of Long Beach who has been creating since she was a child. She is a self-taught artist whose artistic skills have grown throughout the years.

“I was a waitress for so many years and I finally just decided to go full-time on my artwork,” Moreno said. “I couldn’t be happier. It was a really stressful decision to make but it just takes a lot of discipline and being organized with my time.”

Moreno’s art has been featured in a number of art galleries and shows.

She had the opportunity to work with Saturday Night Live’s Melissa Villaseñor to design the cover art for Villaseñor’s “Laughing With Myself” podcast. Moreno has also worked with various companies including Meow Skateboards and Gusto Bread.

Arturo Alonso Enciso, 30, is the co-owner of the bakery Gusto Bread.

Moreno designed merchandise for the bakery located in Long Beach. Enciso said that he was drawn to Moreno’s retro style.

“That’s what I really loved about her artwork,” Enciso said. “It has this classic kind of feel to it. Almost like The Beatles’ ‘Yellow Submarine’ type stuff. I like her approach to it.”

Moreno said her grandfather played a huge role in her career as an artist, given that he was a painter himself. She recalled seeing him paint beautiful portraits of people when she was younger.

“He would always be drawing,” Moreno said. “I think that’s what got us into [art].”

Although their styles are different, his artistic genes were passed down to Moreno.

She joked that his creativity skipped a generation since her parents are not artistic, but Moreno and her siblings are.

Although they were not artists themselves, Moreno said that her parents were there every step of the way to ensure that she and her siblings had everything they needed to pursue their dreams as creatives.

When Moreno was growing up, she said that she struggled to accept her “big nose” because she was constantly teased for it.

Through her art, Moreno explained that she was able to reclaim her nose as something that makes her who she is.

“I ended up accepting it and actually loving it to the point where I just love drawing

people [like that],” Moreno said. “It’s just fun and quirky and I love it.”

Moreno created many characters with big noses and it eventually became a staple in her illustrations. Now, her art is easily recognizable due to the consistent way she illustrates her characters.

But inspiration for her characters can come to Moreno at any given time, regardless of where she is or what she is doing.

“It’s one of the things I love to do,” Moreno said. “Especially if I’m travelling, me and my boyfriend just sit down, either have a coffee or a cocktail, and just people watch.

It’s always the people that have those eccentric characteristics, whether it’s a nose or big glasses or something that catches my eye and I want to draw it.”

Each character Moreno creates must have more to them than just pretty colors.

“That’s one thing I like to do with my characters,” Moreno said. “I usually have a story behind what that person is. It’s not just a painting on a paper.”

Moreno drew inspiration from not only her grandfather and herself, but from other artists too. She recalled seeing work from artists like Pablo Picasso, Virgil Partch and Saul Steinberg and used their artistry to later incorporate in her own illustrations.

But, Moreno expressed she was deeply inspired by her own sister.

That feeling of inspiration is mutual among the Moreno sisters. Heidi Moreno described her sister as someone who is an “energy giver.”

“Just as her paintings are super bright and colorful, her house is like that, her outfits are like that,” Heidi Moreno said.

“When you talk to her, you’re happy when you’re with her. She’s just really fun to be around and funny all the time.”

The Moreno sisters share a bond like no other. They have repeatedly worked together as illustrators and have been each other’s motivation to illustrate daily.

“We feed off of each other’s energy since we are both ambitious,” Moreno said.

Their most recent project is “Inktober,” a 31-day challenge where other artists and illustrators can join in on the fun of completing the daily prompts. The Moreno sisters incorporated their Mexican culture in the challenge by including prompts like Calavera, or human skull and Chamuco, a devil or evil person and Alebrije, which is Mexican folk art of fantastical creatures to keep in touch with their roots.

In the future, Moreno aspires to rent out a studio alongside her sister where she can continue to create art.

“One day it would be nice if we have this place we can go to and work together,” Moreno said. “Maybe have a shared space where my cousin can come over. He does artwork too, more like street art. But we could all work together and kind of have an art community. I think that’s important.”

Priscilla Moreno, top, wearing merchandise designed by her.

Priscilla Moreno working, left, on art pieces outside. Priscilla Moreno in her home studio, bottom, where she creates all of her characters.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PRISCILLA MORENO

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | ARTS@DAILY49ER.COM

ARTS & LIFE 7

ANDREA RAMOS | Daily Forty-Niner

Jennifer Hill owns Songbird Boutique on the corner of Junipero Avenue and Fourth Street. The store opens at 11 a.m. except on Saturdays, when it opens at 10:30 a.m.

A unique boutique in Long Beach Jennifer Hill, owner of the longtime storefront in Retro Row known for its one-of-a-kind goods, shares how the business is an extension of who she is and how it’s survived in the middle of the pandemic.

By Paris Barraza Arts and Life Editor

S

tepping inside Songbird Boutique is like stepping inside owner Jennifer Hill’s brain.

That’s what a customer told her one day inside her eccentric shop off of Fourth Street in Long Beach, part of the Retro Row community.

Hill understands why, considering the store is sectioned off with all types of eccentric themes like zombies or unicorns featuring matching goods.

But it is apparent from the boutique’s merchandise-crocheted earrings, a candle called Fart Extinguisher and a print of Ruth Bader Ginsburg-to the boutique’s name that Hill has built this business with a thoughtful, intentional eye.

While Songbird Boutique is the place to visit for those looking to purchase a one-ofa-kind gift, it’s the attention that Hill gives to her customers when they step inside that keeps people coming back.

“I love finding things that are different, or that make you laugh,” Hill said. “...Seeing people’s reactions when they find something they really like, just learning about people that live around your store, or, you become friends with your customers over the years, like they’ve all seen me pregnant with two different kids and so it’s almost like a family.”

The boutique was crucial in artist and writer Alice LeFae’s decision to move to California.

LeFae, who has been an artist her entire life, moved from New York City after living there for six years and found herself drawn to Songbird Boutique. She said that

ANDREA RAMOS | Daily Forty-Niner she loved the store so much, she knew she wanted to sell her work there.

At Songbird Boutique, Lefae said that Hill gives her the space to be creative and try things out as she sells at the shop.

But LeFae is careful with who she works with.

She explained that she needs to know the moral and ethical standards a person has before working with them.

It’s what makes Hill stand out.

“She’s always working to learn more and be a better person and a better business person and she’s already a great, amazing person,” LeFae said.

LeFae has since worked with Hill both as a seller and at the boutique, and commended Hill for creating such a welcoming shop that people can feel comfortable browsing around in.

Songbird Boutique has been open for 11 years.

The store’s name is an ode to Hill’s history with birds. She grew up in a neighbor-

hood in Garden Grove called The Bird Cage off of Flamingo Drive. Hill’s mom loves birds, her aging grandfather fed them and her husband collected bird eggs when he was young, quickly amassing a wealth of knowledge on the species.

Hill would later have two English budgies at the store, as well as birds at her home.

Also at home are Hill’s two children, who had to adapt to virtual learning like Hill had to adapt to a quasi-virtual, later socially-distanced business.

It has not been easy for her youngest to make the transition to online schooling, and Hill has had her hands full helping them adjust, staying at during their schooling and heading to work when she can.

“It’s a lot,” Hill said. “But you know what, women are resilient. Right? We’re strong, and we can multitask. And my mom was a strong woman. I watched her and she had her own business...I knew that when I opened my own business, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. But, you know, I just

wasn’t happy doing anything else. So I can truly say that I love what I do.”

But March had been frightening for Hill.

Like many business owners, the coronavirus pandemic brought a wealth of new protocols and sudden changes that people had to adapt to. Still, the possibility that she may lose her business was not something Hill was going to dwell on.

Hill had just launched a functioning website, something she had been pursuing for years that unexpectedly came at the right time. She turned Songbird Boutique into a literal window shop, complete with items with price tags on display through the windows that customers could message Hill to purchase.

“I just keep wondering if it’s going to end,” Hill said. “It’s just amazing, the support that I’ve gotten from my community.”

LeFae said that people were happy to return to the store when it reopened under limited capacity. She saw how much effort Hill had put into maintaining the business and engaging with the community.

“She always has ideas for how to make things new and fresh and exciting, and how to make people feel excited about life,” LeFae said.

While the coronavirus pandemic threw obstacles at Hill, all these months later have shown Hill her ability to adapt and get creative in order to maintain business operations.

She said that it has helped her analyze her business and become more of a critical thinker as opposed to an artistic one, and took pride in being surrounded by a good team of people who see her vision.

“I’m stronger than I think, [am] stronger than I thought,” Hill said. “I have always viewed myself as a strong person, but this has been a little much. I’m proud of my strengths.”

8 OPINION

Why COVID-19 regulations matter more than ever Would you rather follow coronavirus regulations or die in a hospital bed?

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | OPINION@DAILY49ER.COM

By Fernando Haro Staff Writer

M

y head hurts and my eyes are red, as my back aches after another day leaning over a computer screen to attend my Zoom lectures.

As much as I want to get back to how life used to be, I know the regulations preventing me from attending in-person classes are to protect my health and my peers.

While society may be disgruntled and burnt out from the regulations set forth to minimize the harm of this pandemic, they are necessary to prevent a further inconvenience: death.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been more than 246,000 COVID deaths in the United States since Jan. 21.

In addition, more than 11.3 million cases have been reported, with over 1 million based in California; a state allowing several counties to operate businesses at 25% capacity, including those in Long Beach.

With people flooding hospitals, I think Gov. Gavin Newsom has made the appropriate effort to impose new restrictions that limit business hours in an effort to encourage people to stay home.

I understand that people have jobs and need to make ends meet.

But at what cost?

Individuals from racial and ethnic groups with lower educational attainment are more likely to be employed as “essential workers” during this pandemic.

These working-class families rely on their front-line jobs, which often require them to leave the safety of their home to serve others, in an effort to make ends meet. For them, working from the safety of their home is not an option.

Through these essential jobs, they may be disproportionately exposed to the virus due to their increased interaction with the public for long periods of time. This situation worsens when they are exposed to inconsiderate

people not wanting to wear masks.

According to John Hopkins University, the United States holds a mortality rate of 2.2 deaths per 100 confirmed cases. There are higher risks associated with social factors, including income and legal status or lack of access to adequate health care.

These families that rely on one or two breadwinners to make ends meet and live paycheck to paycheck would be heavily impacted if that person were to get sick or die.

But by continuing to follow regulations set in place to limit people’s exposure to each other, including wearing a mask, social distancing and practicing good hygiene, we can reduce the number of people harmed by the virus.

I wear a mask every time I go to work in Long Beach State’s mailroom to protect myself and the faculty and students that I deliver mail to on a routine basis.

While it is annoying that my vision is compromised as the mask fogs up my glasses often, I would still rather wait for the fog to clear than be stuck in a hospital, hoping I’m not just another COVID statistic in a body bag.

If implementing a four to six week lockdown and other regulations will guarantee the safety of our communities and help us get back on track to what we considered normal, then by all means establish them today.

Health care workers are putting in long hours in hospitals alongside COVID patients, risking their lives. Essential workers keep the economy up and running by risking their lives as well to serve the general public.

These workers are expected to follow regulations for the entirety of their shifts in order to create a safe environment for customers.

Yet, there are people who feel as if they can’t adhere to regulations while they enter the store for just a few minutes.

Those people must remember that it is better to wear a mask over your face for a couple of hours than have a plastic tube stuck down your throat helping you breathe.

We have to keep in mind that we’ve made it this far because of regulations, and if we ever want normality again then everyone must do their part to stop the spread of germs by wearing a mask and social distancing.

OPINION 9

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | OPINION@DAILY49ER.COM

Why “Trumpism” and democracy are irreconcilable American democracy is under attack and President Donald J. Trump is to blame.

By Danielle Dougall Staff Writer

T

he hallmark of American democracy is more than casting a ballot. Over 200 years of history demonstrate the peaceful transition of power between U.S. administrations and 45 presidents who willingly surrendered control when their office expired.

Until President Donald Trump, no sitting U.S. president has ever refused to abide by democratic rules guiding a federal election. Refusing to leave office was always his plan. In the 2016 presidential race, Trump declined to answer whether he would accept the results if he lost. His daughter and campaign manager, Ivanka Trump, assured the American people that he would.

After Joe Biden became the president-elect on Nov.7, Trump rallied sympathizers to march on his behalf, filed election lawsuits in six key swing states and asserted he would bring his fight to the Supreme Court after stacking it with three justices.

A look at Trump’s authoritarian tendencies Presidential historian Michael Beschloss tweeted, “Trump claiming a victory he never won, and saying he will take it to the Supreme Court. This is what dictators do. Stop.”

Trump forces the American people to confront an unprecedented domestic threat: the executive office. When comparing his actions to autocratic leaders, there are many frightening similarities.

Here is the list: Targeted attacks on the free press Trump’s media criticism is no secret.

He has often described the press as the “enemy of the American people” and journalists as “the most dishonest people.”

In July, the Washington Post released an article detailing more than 20,000 false or misleading claims that the president made within 14 months.

Trump’s harmful behavior includes accusations of “fake news,” barring reporters such as Jim Acosta from the White House, threatening to revoke news licenses and issuing a gag order to prevent information from being posted on government websites.

In May, he signed an internet censorship executive order to allow the federal government to monitor free political speech on the web during the same week that Twitter flagged his tweets for fact-checking.

Equally frightening is that Trump’s vicious attacks on the news media are coupled with rewriting the truth. It’s hard to forget about former Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway’s defense of “alternative facts” as we enter into an age of post-truth politics.

When Trump was elected four years ago, America was already in a stage of heightened and emotional partisan politics. Even in Nov. 2016, polls showed that Trump supporters and opponents staunchly divided on what they believed

the truth was, choosing media that reinforced their pre-existing beliefs.

Trump’s significant effect on partisanship is seen in the 2020 presidential election exit polls. Of Republican voters, 52% believe that Trump ‘rightfully won’ the election despite lacking evidence to support their claim. Partisanship in the age of Trump has transcended facts, and that is what he wanted.

Purging top U.S. officials to replace yhem with Trump loyalists Trump is leading a post-election purge of top government officials. Since Election Day, at least 12 senior administration members have been fired and resigned from their positions.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency , Christopher Krebbs, is the latest official Trump fired. His removal from the DHS came after the CISA declared that the 2020 presidential election was the most secure in U.S. history.

The Washington Post reported that thirty-year-old Trump aide Johnny McEntee is tasked with firing administration officials and replacing them with loyalists. The Secretary of Defense Mark Esper was booted out of office even before Krebbs after he rejected election conspiracy theories.

Insiders expect more firings are underway, including another cybersecurity official who disputed Trump’s claim of election fraud. A presidential transition is one of the most delicate periods, especially when the two-party system is wrought

with tension and hostility. Trump’s refusal to concede increases instability during a global pandemic and economic turmoil.

It is no wonder that Trump’s presidential administration has had a 91% turnover rate in top officials. The count has not stopped yet. Even some GOP lawmakers weigh in on who they believe will be next to go. One thing is clear,the politicization of federal intelligence agencies is a flagrant abuse of power.

Use of state force against Black Lives Matter protestors In August, President Trump and Attorney General William Barr used a legal loophole to deploy the national guard against Black Lives Matter protestors in Washington, D.C. In 1878, Congress passed the Posse Comitatus Act to prevent federal troops from being used for purposes outside of law. Barr’s interpretation of the act allowed President Trump to categorize state force against protestors as part of the national guard’s training.

The Trump administration also stretched this law to deploy unidentified federal law enforcement officers from the Department of Homeland Security against protestors in Oregon, many of whom were injured, mistreated, unlawfully arrested and shoved into unmarked vans. These repressive actions are expected from authoritarian regimes, not the president of the United States.

Abusing the executive office through nepotism Nepotism is a long-standing problem in American politics. While government of-

ficials have involved their families in their campaigns and office in previous administrations, Trump brings an unprecedented corruption level into the Oval Office.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are uniquely unqualified to hold some of the nation’s highest government offices. The Trump family’s use of power dynamics was problematic from the outset of Trump’s entry into office. Former White House Chief of Staff Stephen Bannon was asked to resign after a verbal clash with Trump’s son-in-law and appointed Senior Adviser, Jared Kushner.

Both Ivanka and Jared have been given enormous responsibilities despite lacking political experience. Ivanka’s pre-White House resume included serving on her father’s Trump Organization board, running a name-brand clothing line and acting as a reality TV show judge on The Apprentice. Now, she is the White House senior staffer.

Ivanka is involved in policy-making at an unprecedented level for someone with zero political experience. Vox reports that she has overseen “hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants,” as well as represented the U.S. at the G20 Summit, shaped the 2017 tax cut and even searched to appoint a new World Bank President.

Ivanka has consistently violated the Hatch Act, which the Departmental Ethics Office describes as generally prohibiting “federal employees from any activity directed toward the success or failure of a political party, candidate for partisan political office or partisan political group.”

Before Trump appointed Kushner as his top aide, he was a real estate mogul and publisher of the “New York Observer.”

Kushner has been tasked with overseeing the U.S. border wall, intervening in the Israeli-Palestine conflict, addressing the opioid crisis and managing America’s medical stockpile during a global pandemic. Kushner’s firm Cadre likely benefited from the 2017 tax reform law Ivanka shaped, receiving $90 million in offshore investments.

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump are following suit, expanding their father’s Trump Organization interests worldwide.

Where Are We Now? Defining “Trumpism” is problematic because it lacks a clear policy agenda or ideology. Instead, it reflects the problem caused by an uninformed electorate and their non-attitudes. However, a close look at the Trump administration will reveal one distinctive quality: it is fiercely committed to promoting self-interest.

The 2020 election results show us that this brand of anti-intellectualism and unapologetic corruption appealed to more than 73 million Americans. Although Biden will assume office on Jan. 20, 2021, Trumpism is here to stay.

The events we witness are no longer ones of political attitudes, clashes of Democrats and Republicans, but rather a blatant and brutal attack on American freedoms, laws and sacred institutions.

Fear and anger are an appropriate response to Trumpism by anyone who believes in the integrity of democracy and places their hope in the value of American ideals.

10 SPORTS

By Madalyn Amato Editor in chief

L

ong Beach State athletics assistant strength and conditioning coach Jackson Reedwas once used to arriving at the Walter Pyramid weight room at 5 a.m. to train Beach athletes.

As the head trainer for six teams, Reed previously spent his weekdays on campus until all teams cycled through by 5:30 p.m. This was halted when the coronavirus pandemic forced college athletics to take a pause.

“Once COVID hit and we got shut down, there was no coming onto campus, no going into the weight room.t was a little bit of a scramble at first to figure out how we were going to structure getting our athletes the ability to train,” Reed said.

“And not necessarily in the capacity of where they’re going to train, but how we are going to program for them and adjust the programs.”

Together with Laura Teel, director of sport performance, Reed worked to transition athletes to new workout plans that not only accommodate their individual needs, but the needs of the athletic department as well to keep them in competitive shape.

Utilizing Zoom, the trainers worked with athletes through the end of the spring 2020 semester and throughout the summer to assign workouts and coach their performance.

Teel and Reed together worked alongside coaches to create team-specific training plans that were distributed each week. As contact between trainers and athletes was limited to a digital-only format, athletes had to resort to sending trainers videos asking for feedback on their form.

Teel said that training “looks different for every athlete” right now as each player has different equipment at their disposal.

“Some have gym equipment at home, some are in another state where they’re not as restricted as people are here. Some have one set of dumbbells and a band, and some people have no equipment,” Teel said. “Our goal is always to train our muscles and our goal is to get a specific outcome from a training session, and how that looks like can be a million different variations.”

Both trainers have a background in what Reed calls “functional fitness,” meaning they focus on building an overall healthy lifestyle rather than just one muscle group or goal. This approach, Teel said, has been crucial in keeping athletes on track while away from campus.

“This is an opportunity to work on things that maybe we don’t have the time to during the year.

You might have a little bit more to give in your workouts at home right now because you’re not having all these other life stressors that are just general that come with school and training,” Teel said. “So, although it’s not your ideal situation, you still have to look at ‘Wow, this gives me an opportunity to do this.’”

Initially approved on Sept. 15 by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, basketball was slated to begin outdoor practice on Oct. 1. Due to an outbreak of COVID-19 in on-campus housing, that start date at the Beach was pushed back until Oct. 14.

Now that athletes are back to practice, Reed said they’re starting from scratch. Voluntary participation over the summer led a few athletes to take some time off, while some athletes didn’t have access to the same resources for conditioning as others.

“It is really exciting, actually. It’s nice to be back and get them moving and to see athletes just kind of back in their element,” Reed said.

“We start everybody from basically square one to assess where they’re at and make sure we’re appropriately getting them back, so we’re not falling into any injury risk by trying to get them back too soon.”

Reed said that these first few weeks of practice are for “gauging where the team is as a whole” to figure out how to move forward.

Limited access to equipment, a change in scenery and strict regulations have all changed the way practice looks, but Reed said athletes are already finding their rhythm.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | SPORTS@DAILY49ER.COM

Beach trainers virtually prepare student athletes for success As Long Beach State athletics face a future of uncertainty, trainers Jackson Reed and Laura Teel have been working hard to keep the Beach’s players in shape.

“We don’t have both of the teams on campus at the same time so that we’re able to have a proper flow to follow protocol,” Reed said.

Reed meets with the women’s basketball team in the morning, and Teel meets with the men’s at night. Each team is split into two separate groups, and athletes alternate between working with the trainer and working with the coach on basketball-specific drills.

Jordan Roberts, senior guard for the men’s basketball team, said that although it has been hard being away from the day-to-day structure of practice, the work Teel has put into providing a sense of direction with her training plans has made a huge difference.

“I’m used to playing basketball, and I’ve been in a structured system for so long that I’m used to going to a place and then having them structure the workout for me,” Roberts said. “I’m used to working out with Laura and just knocking it out like that, so I decided to improvise from there.”

The coronavirus pandemic isn’t the first challenge the two trainers have faced together.

After completing his masters in exercise science in 2017 at CSULB, Reed was hired as a part-time assistant strength and conditioning coach to work alongside Teel, who was then working as the full-time assistant strength and conditioning coach.

Teel assumed her new role immediately, asReed took Teel’s former position. Normally a three-person team, the two were tasked with overseeing the training and development of all 19 teams on their own.

Although the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic have been difficult in their own right, Reed said their bumpy beginnings helped the two develop a stronger relationship and improve their adaptability.

“We’re very comfortable working with one another,” Reed said. “We know that if somewhere needs to be picked up a little bit of help, then we can rely on one another to do that and to be able to to work through it and to communicate and kind of take the reins and address whatever needs to be done.”

Teel said she feels that athletes keep her focused and able to move forward, despite the challenges she has faced the past few months.

“I decided [to become a trainer] because when I started training myself 15 years ago, I saw such a change in my life outside the gym, from the confidence I gained and what my body was able to do inside the gym. It drastically changed me,” Teel said. “It’s about seeing the change in the athletes and what it does, not just for their sport now, but where it can take them after their sport and those principles they have that can stay with them for the rest of their lives. I just think there’s so much growth that athletics offers individuals, so it’s really rewarding to be a part of it.”

Reed echoed Teel’s sentiments and said that when he first came on staff as the women’s beach volleyball coach, he was faced with a very different team than the one he sees now.

He said he has a “great relationship with the entire team,” including the coaching staff.

“I definitely feel like I’m doing my job, and I’m kind of changing lives for the better, not just athletic ability but teaching different disciplines and characteristics that are important for them,” Reed said. “I feel like that’s one of the biggest shining moments and learning moments for myself that has been a great part of Long Beach State. It keeps me motivated to get in there, even if I’m a little groggy When you have 15 of these young ladies coming in with passion and fire to be there and excited.It makes my job that much more successful and much more fulfilling.”

For now, both Reed and Teel will continue getting the basketball program back up to speed as the future of a spring season schedule has not been finalized.

“My hope is that as soon as possible we can get our athletes back on campus and start training with them all together,” Teel said. “In sport you learn to be very adaptable, [but] that’s my hope, so whatever that looks like, we’ll find a way to get it done.”

“It’s about seeing the change in the athletes and what it does, not just for their sport now, but where it can take them after their sport...”

— Laura Teel, director of sport performance

SPORTS 11

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Women’s basketball early predictions Long Beach State is slated to finish in the middle of the Big West Conference per the coaches and media polls.

By Teran Rodriguez, Assistant Sports Editor

L MARK LINDAHL | Daily Forty-Niner

Long Beach State sophomore guard Ma’Qhi Berry drives past Cal Poly defenders towards the basket in a first-round playoff loss in the Big West tournament Tuesday, March 10 at the Walter Pyramid.

ong Beach State women’s basketball team was recently selected to finish sixth in the Big West Conference coaches’ poll and seventh in the seventh in the media poll.

The Beach garnered 69 points from the coaches’ poll and 120 points from the media poll.

Long Beach will be led by junior guard, Justina King, who made the Preseason Coaches and Media All-Conference Team, as well as redshirt junior forward Naomi Hunt, who missed last season due to an ACL injury.

Other players worth noting are redshirt junior guard Ma’Qhi Berry, who led

the team in steals last seasons with 71 and freshman guard Savannah Tucker.

King led the team in points per game last season with 13.6, scoring 408 in total in the 30 games she started.

King also led the team in assists with 99 and was second on the team in steals with 53.

Last year, the Beach finished the season 13-17 overall, going 8-8 in conference play.

The Beach lost in the first round of the Big West Conference Tournament to California Polytechnic State University, 59-48.

The season is set to open on Sunday Dec. 27, against University of California, Riverside, at the Walter Pyramid. The Highlanders were picked to finish 10th in the coaches poll and last in the media poll.

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California State University Long Beach Research Foundation

Daily Forty-Niner

The Long Beach State men’s basketball team gathers for a prayer after practice Tuesday.

Men’s basketball to open season The Beach will open the season against UCLA.

By Jacob Powers, Sports Editor

T

he Long Beach State men’s basketball program will be playing six non-conference scheduled games in addition to the 20-game Big West conference schedule.

Opening the non-conference season on the road Nov. 30, the Beach will compete

against No. 22 University of California, Los Angeles for the third year in a row. Local road games will continue on Dec. 4 at Loyola Marymount University while hosting the University of Seattle on Dec. 6.

Trips to San Francisco on Dec. 10, California Baptist University on Dec. 19 and the University of San Diego on Dec. 22, will close out the non-conference schedule for the men’s team.

The Beach will start Big West play before the start of 2021 at the University of California, Riverside on Dec. 27 and 28.

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