Daily Forty-Niner; September 5, 2022

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Vol. LXXXVIII, Issue 49

www.daily49er.com

Monday, September 5, 2022

Student debt cancellation

DO YOU QUALIFY? Page 2

2 NEWS

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2022 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | EIC@DAILY49ER.COM ON THE COVER Illustration by Jasmine Lee

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Editors News Editor Hannah Shields news@daily49er.com Arts & Life Editor Jonathan Bigall arts@daily49er.com VINCENT MEDINA | Daily Forty-Niner

President Biden’s plan to cancel student debt would forgive $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients.

Loan forgiveness encourages higher education for students

Opinions Editor Georgie Smith opinions@daily49er.com Sports Editor Nicholas Broadhead sports@daily49er.com Creative Director Gisele Robinett design@daily49er.com Chief Copy Editor Rosaura Montes Special Projects Editor Briana Mendez-Padilla Photo Editor Renzo Pocasangre Video Editor Luke Wines

By Hannah Shields News Editor

P

resident Biden signed a three-part student debt cancellation plan on Aug. 24 that benefits approximately 43 million borrowers and aims to encourage higher rates of college enrollment for low-income stu-

dents.

His plan will cancel $20,000 of student debt for Pell Grant recipients and $10,000 for nonPell Grant recipients while extending the pause on student loan payments until December.

“This decision is not for people that have been attending expensive colleges and can afford it,” said Laura Gonzalez, associate professor of finance at Long Beach State. “Since covid has started, especially for first-generation students, [college] registration has declined.”

College enrollment rates in fall 2020 saw the most significant decline since 1951. In July 2020, 39 million college students dropped out of school, and fewer than one million re-enrolled for the fall semester.

In a study released in June, data showed that students who identified as members of a minority race made up less than half of total college graduates, with white students making up nearly 60%.

The Biden administration aims to close the country’s racial wealth gap by targeting relief for individuals who come from low-income backgrounds.

The White House fact sheet included an Urban Institute study where results found that programs providing debt relief for college Pell Grant recipients could “advance racial equity.”

Approximately 58% of students who identified as Black received the Pell Grant, and 32% of white students received the Pell Grant, a de-

mographic with the lowest recipient percentage, according to the Education Data Initiative, The high-interest rates on student loan debt, combined with the rate of inflation in health care and the cost of living, have put the United States on track to enter another recession, according to Gonzalez.

“At the time of crisis and growing unemployment, the greatest generation of employment does not come from corporations; it’s actually small businesses,” Gonzalez said.

Earlier this month, Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law on Aug. 16, which created a minimum 15% tax on corporate companies.

Gonzalez anticipated that this new raise on corporate tax has helped the Biden administration find the funds to cancel federal student loan debt.

Gonzalez said that undergraduates are more likely to create new businesses, which will generate more jobs and contribute tax money back into the economy.

With the new student debt cancellation signed into law, Gonzalez said this will encourage individuals to register for college and help them graduate on time.

CSULB offers a Financial Literacy 101 course, which Gonzalez said is a nonpartisan, trusted source of financial information that students may access for free as long as they register before graduating from the university.

Those who have borrowed student loans from the federal government have until the end of 2023 to apply for student debt cancellation.

Borrowers can register at ed.gov/subscriptions for future notifications

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

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

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

Social Media Editor Mia Morales Podcast Editor Isabel Silagy Public Relations Editor Kaitlyn Rowell Community Engagement Richie Rodriguez Editor

Assistants News Assistants Elizabeth Basile Vincent Medina Arts Assistant Stacey Chen Opinions Assistant Kadie Gurley Sports Assistant Andrea Lopez Graphic Design Assistant Jasmine Lee Copy Editor Assistant Kimberly Estrada Jazmin Gallardo Photo Assistants Naoki Gima Anthony Ngo Video Assistant Andy Nguyen Social Media Assistants Maureen Linzaga Podcast Assistant Calla Delos Reyes

Business Advertising Manager Purva Rao advertising@daily49er.com Creative Director Jasmine Lee creative@daily49er.com Web & Technology Manager Zenil Vaghasiya web@daily49er.com PR & Promotions Manager Kaitlyn Rowell PR@daily49er.com Distribution Manager Jesse Kalamian distribution@daily49er.com Web Assistant Vidyadhari Raghunadha Naid

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

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

NEWS 3

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2022 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | NEWS@DAILY49ER.COM

CSULB offers various resources for students that struggle with mental wellness.

MARLON VILLA | Daily Forty-Niner

New proactive mental wellness program Long Beach State is creating a strategic plan that is meant to help students cope with their mental health issues.

By Marlon Villa Staff Writer

With support from faculty members, individual counseling, therapy groups, and case managers, the Beach Well: Mental Health Strategic Plan prioritizes the mental health of students, acknowledging that some find it difficult to ask for help.

“Beach Well is an ambitious strategic mental health plan that includes goals and a transformational approach to supporting thriving minds, healthy

“

lives, and bright futures for all CSULB students,” Damian Zavala said, vice president of health and wellness.

The plan includes a four-level evaluation to help students understand where they are at and who they need to speak to for help. The levels range from help from faculty members, peer mentors and advisors to individual counseling, therapy groups, case managers.

A report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in 2021 stated one in five Americans will experience a mental health related illness each year.

And data of the campus gathered by the American College Health Association

Beach Well is an ambitious strategic mental health plan that includes goals and a transformational approach to supporting thriving minds, healthy lives, and bright futures for all CSULB students

Damian Zavala

Vice president of health and wellness

demonstrated that the leading mental health diagnoses of CSULB students is anxiety 22% and depression 18%.

Students may know of the mental health services that the school has to offer but they don’t access the services frequently, it was seen that out of the 79% of students considering getting help from a medical professional only 21% did so in the last year. It was stated by the Healthy Minds Network in 2021 that first generation students, minority students, and low-income students typically seek help far less than their peers.

One of the services that the school plans to offer is to create more physical spaces where students are comfortable sharing sensitive experiences and diving in deep into topics of their well-being.

Another service that the beach plans on offering is a mobile crisis team of social workers, that responds to community concerns on behalf of uniformed police officers Beach Well offers training opportunities for faculty and staff in areas such as suicide prevention and first aid crisis response.

One of the main concepts of the plan is to understand why some stu-

dents hesitate to reach out for help.

This strategic plan aims to support students before their struggles become urgent.

“The plan strives to mobilize campus and community resources to anticipate the challenges students will face and reach out to them proactively, early and often,” Zavala said.

A new program introduced by the Beach Well plan is providing a crisis line students can call or text in emergency cases. This crisis line has confidential counselors available 24 hours, seven days a week for students, faculty/staff or anyone who is acting in support of students. Individuals can text BEACH to 741741 or visit the crisis text line website for help.

“By 2025, it is expected that the plan can create a strong foundation on which CSULB can build a campus wide culture that addresses the mental health needs of students, faculty, and staff,” Zavala said.

Zavala added the university’s objective is to introduce a mental wellness program that is “proactive, preventative, and de-stigmatizes asking for help.”

4 ARTS & LIFE

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2022 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | ARTS@DAILY49ER.COM

Xicano Reggae band Quinto Sol made at the intimate and closely packed show on a makeshift carpet stage.

Backyard Boogie brings live art to Grey LB

Story and Photos by Renzo Pocasangre

L

ocal art studio Grey LB, in collaboration with Los Angeles-based photographer James Alvidrez, came together for a community live art experience in the heart of Downtown Long

Beach.

“Photography, art, tattoos, music… it’s all a form of art, so with this we decided to make a collaboration to celebrate the culture around us,” Alvidrez said.

Alvidrez, known around the photography community as “OG BillyTheKid,” grew a keen eye for the city of Los Angeles. Born out of South Central L.A., Alvidrez developed a style of photography influenced by his transition from the prison system to reaching sobriety and his connection to the church. Alvidrez now has five years under his belt as an experienced photographer, with a successful network of driven artists and collaborators.

Robert Marquez, co-owner of Grey LB, explained how mutual friends quickly transitioned into a small, community driven live art event. Marquez expressed his desire to expand reach to the community of Long Beach through art. After frequent traveling for events, and the birth of two kids, Marquez felt inclined to work with events closer

“

I picked up a camera about one year after I got out of prison, and it changed my life around.

James Alvidrez Los Angeles-based photographer

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2022 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | ARTS@DAILY49ER.COM

Backyard Boogie was held Aug. 27, only four months after its first event in the same location.

ARTS & LIFE 5

Alvidrez’s photos were printed on canvas and later painted on by varying tattoo artists, placed on display.

Prints on canvas or gloss were available for purchase.

to home. The move back to Long Beach with the newly acquired co-ownership of Grey LB provided the perfect location for Backyard Boogie. Alvidrez has managed to create a network of expressive artists, despite focusing on his goals as a photographer “I picked up a camera about one year after I got out of prison, and it changed my life around. It kind of gives me a space to be creative and also keeps me grounded with freedom of expression,” Alvidrez said.

With the help of the CEO of SRVNTZ, Alvidrez’s friend and fellow brand collaborator named Los, Los and Alvidrez developed a creative outlet for themselves through their branding and art collaborations. Backyard Boogie is gaining traction among the local photography community of Los Angeles, and with the event based out of Long Beach, it represents a vital part of the Long Beach artists community.

Be sure to follow Alvidrez’s social media at ogbillythekid and Los at srvntz for future popup events coming to Long Beach. Check out local art studio GreyLB located in downtown Long Beach for more information regarding local art displays.

The second story of the building was filled with event attendees and tattoo artists.

6 ARTS & LIFE

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2022 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | ARTS@DAILY49ER.COM

Taste of Downtown event spotlights small businesses

By Kadie Gurley Opinions Assistant

Long Beach residents and visitors commuted by the coast and socialized with various vendors and local small businesses in attendance at the two day Taste of Downtown event at the Waterfront between Shoreline Village and Pine Avenue Pier on Aug. 24 and Aug. 25.

Coordinated by the Downtown Long Beach Alliance, the third and final event of their Taste of Downtown series showcased what small businesses in Downtown Long Beach have to offer.

Live music, food samples, games, painting classes and clothing merchandise were all available to the public.

“We have 10 different restaurants, a couple of different music bands and a lot of bars along with drinks where people can come down,” DLBA Community Manager Mike Berman said.

“It is a really great place to get together especially for families.”

With the success of the first two events of the Taste of Downtown series, DLBA wanted to create a spotlight for local businesses to help promote their companies.

“We have a black-owned business grant, woman-owned business grant accelerator,” Berman said. “We are trying to help the community, those smaller companies, who are in the very beginning stages, we’re trying to give them free training to lift them up and give them opportunity.”

DLBA wanted to get the community together while also bringing awareness to these businesses.

“The main purpose for us is to bring the community together and we haven’t done it in two years because of the pandemic,” said Berman. “It gives us an opportunity to market the restaurants downtown because part of what DLBA does is that we are trying to build the economic piece of downtown to help restaurants succeed and this is a wonderful marketing opportunity.”

A few newer businesses had booths set up to display what their services had to offer. Vanessa Hernandez, owner of Mobile Winebar SoCal, was one of the woman-owned businesses at the event to get more exposure as a brand new service.

“We’re a mobile bartending service and we’re out here just trying to promote and trying to get more exposure,” Hernandez said.

She had doubts coming out to the event because of the amount of people present.

“Just to mention that scares me,” Hernandez said. “I am taking the leap.

I’ve been doing smaller events over the years and this is my very first experience with this many people. It’s my way of facing my fear and going for it.”

Another woman-owned business, Ash Bay Soap Co. by Cathleen Cleveland, makes a variety of natural and

A patio area was set up for guests to sit down and socialize.

Photos by KADIE GURLEY | Daily Forty-Niner

Auld Dubliner serving food samples for guests that brought tickets.

vegan soaps along with other products.

She built her brand from personal experience.

“I initially got into this because of my own allergies caused by skin issues about 16 years ago and at that time, you could not find products like this in the stores,” said Cleveland. “So, I had to come up with my own stuff.”

Auld Dubliner owner David Cop-

ley has been around the heart of Long Beach for over 18 years. He describes his business as “a contemporary Irish pop that reflects the traditional values of hospitality, warmth and welcoming.”

Being open for all those years, Copley still attends these events to interact with the community.

“We love events,” he said. “We do

these events for years and years and it really gets us out in front of people.

It’s amazing how many residents have lived here for years who don’t know that we’re here and you get to talk to people and explain what we do.”

Pedal Movement provides a way for people around DTLB to commute across the city. Also, they offer bike education classes, bike repair, valet, merchandise for sale and wheelhouse rentals. Digital Marketing Coordinator Jocelyn Velasquez was one of the representatives at their booth.

“We do this to help out the local community to make it easier for them to come down here,” she said.

Taste of Downtown was one of their biggest events since the beginning of COVID-19, and they are planning more with public safety in mind.

“We do a public safety survey every year, have a good relationship with the police and have a cleaning team called “Clean and Safe” who help keep the streets along with the sidewalks clean,” said Berman.

Schedule of upcoming events downtownlongbeach.org/events/

OPINIONS 7 Diving into Mac Miller's "Swimming"

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2022 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | OPINIONS@DAILY49ER.COM

By Marlon Villa Staff Writer

S

elf-love, personal healing and psychological growth are just a few of the themes shared in Mac Miller’s 2018 album “Swimming.” In my experience, this album helped me manage both my feelings and my experiences throughout my youth.

“2009,” the 10th track on the album, is the song that has had the biggest impact on me. It talks about having to accept how certain moments that brought joy in your life will eventually pass by.

The lyrics, “It ain’t 2009 no more.

Yeah, I know what’s behind that door.

Yeah, they asking me what I’m smiling for,” gave me a better understanding about being glad that things happened even if it brought me sadness once it was over.

For me, I was able to apply this message to my life when I experienced the loss of a loved one in my family.

Hearing this song and those specific lyrics helped me understand that even though this person was gone, I could still feel joy within me because I was able to share so many experiences with them.

Many people who have listened to this song or album can relate to this feeling. It doesn’t just have to have an impact on listeners because of the loss of a loved one, but it can also be

MARLON VILLA | Daily Forty-Niner

Mac Millers best day ever vinyl (left) and Circles vinyl (right) which have similar messages to the swimming album.

Stranger Things didn’t create fake Metallica fans

COTTONBRO | Pexels

“Gatekeeping” has become a popular term used for people that do not want to share their interests with others for the sake of being unique.

because of a break-up, moving away, or just a big shift in your life.

“Self Care” and “Come Back To Earth” are two songs from the album that share the message that even during the most difficult instances in life, you have to know how to have self control and not let yourself get too caught up in your head. It helps you understand that in the end, things will be alright.

This is an important message because during hard times, a lot of us tend to lose ourselves. In “Self Care,” this message is conveyed through the lyrics, “Somebody save me from myself, yeah. Tell them they can take the b******t elsewhere. Self care, we gonna be good.”

“Self Care” has helped me relate to many experiences in my life, such as when a relationship doesn’t work out and you just want to focus on recovering what once was, but you end up completely ignoring the other things about yourself that need attention too.

Whether it’s school, work or your mental health, they all start with self care. These lyrics give the feeling that things happen for a reason, and sooner or later, everything works out for the best.

To me, the title of the album, “Swimming,” is more than just a cool name for an album. It summarizes what the majority of the songs want to say, which is that we have to keep swimming and not let the hardships that life presents us with drown us.

By Rosaura Montes Copy Editor

I

t’s almost impossible to listen to Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” and not associate as a fan favorite from the latest Stranger Things season.

Eddie Munson, played by Joseph Quinn, performed the song during the show’s intense season

finale.

As someone like myself who was raised with metal music - thank you, dad - it was an honor, as a fan, to hear this song used during an epic scene. My eyes were wide the entire time, my arms up in the air cheering, while my mind was blown away with the way the song was perfect for this moment in television history.

After the scene was over, I had a huge smile on my face. I thought to myself, “Man, they really did that!”

Hours later, I was on Twitter reading tweets, with people calling new Metallica fans fake and telling “real fans” to not share their music.

How can someone try to gatekeep this band? Metallica has been around since the ’80s and is still relevant today. The band still frequently tours and is currently on the road.

You really can’t keep a band like this away from new fans. One way or another, Metallica will enter the lives of younger audiences and the music will continue to live on.

The band was excited to have their song on the show and met with Joseph Quinn backstage at Lollapalooza 2022. Their performance of “Master of Puppets” even included two large screens projecting that scene during the show.

It’s safe to say the band is a fan of the show.

A cool fact about Metallica is that it was formed by Downey native James Hetfield after he responded to a newspaper ad created by Lars Ulrich.

Music is universal and songs are meant to be shared with everyone. Please don’t be that person that keeps music away from someone that’s interested in it. Instead, be glad you were able to introduce great, new music to a potential new fan. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up going to shows with them.

8 SPORTS

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2022 | DAILY49ER.COM | @DAILY49ER | SPORTS@DAILY49ER.COM

U.S. Women’s volleyball team competes at Long Beach State

By Andrea Lopez Sports Assistant

It was a close game for USA v. Turkiye Volleyball Cup held at Walter Pyramid Sunday night.

USA took the lead of 25-21 in set one, 25-12 in set two and Turkiye taking set three 26-24 and set four getting 25-22.

With many fans cheering and filling the bleachers, USA Women’s Volleyball ended set five with a nail biter, closing the night with a winning set of 15-13, ultimately winning the game.

The win brings the USA 2-0 in the three game tournament against Turkiye, as they won the first game on Saturday, Aug. 27.

USA Team Captain Kelsey Cook guided the team to their victory over the middle eastern team.

“I think a lot of our focus is just like taking it point by point, and really making simple upgrades and just staying together,” Cook said. “I think Turkiye is a very strong team and they always come back no matter what the score is and no matter what the game count is, so you always gotta stay mentally locked in for that.”

The Turkish team had their strong points throughout the game as oppo-

Photo courtesy of Lillian Li

Two USA team members block the ball from Turkiye during a play.

site position player Ebrar Karakurt brought a lot of energy to the team as she entered during set 3, sending strong spikes across the court and helped win sets three and four.

USA player and middle blocker Haleigh Washington kept the team moving and alert with a huge block in the final set, giving the US enough morale to defeat Turkiye.

“My mind set was ‘I’ve been trying to do this freaking move all game, so let’s just keep trying and maybe this one will work’ and then I tried it again and I finally did the move right,” Washington said.

USA player Justine Wong-Orantes kept the game going with strong energy and producing dig after dig during the game that kept the audience cheering. The libero was a huge asset during Sunday’s game, keeping the team at a pace to win.

Being a “calm presence” for the team was Wong-Orantes’ mindset throughout the game.

“Man, we love to go to (set) five with Turkiye in every setting, no matter what tournament it is, even in a friendly match so its always fun,” Wong-Orantes said. “I think just focusing on our side of the run was key and like don’t getting too caught up with what they’re doing, but just stay present home on our side and I think that allowed us to play free and play loose.”

With the potential to have a clean sweep in the tournament, the USA’s final match against Turkiye will be on Aug. 30 at LionTree Arena in San Diego.

“I think when we bring the huddles together and we stay focused on the task at hand it anybody’s game,” Cook said.

Women’s soccer claims first victory after shutout over Fresno State

By Matthew Gomez Staff Writer

Long Beach State came out and played with an edge as they controlled the midfield and exploited Fresno State’s backlines to a comfortable 4-0 victory.

The performance at George Allen Field Thursday was a change of scenery for The Beach who had been bested 5-1 against the University of Washington last weekend.

“We needed to get out on the outside of them,” head coach Mauricio Ingrassia said. “We scored some goals and it felt good.”

Fresno was forced to play on their back foot from kickoff with CSULB drawing a corner 40 seconds into the game, setting a persistent 15 minutes of pressure.

That pressure would result in a penalty, as Long Beach senior forward Lena Silano worked her way to the goal before being clipped and brought down by Fresno’s freshman goalkeeper Kaydence Cortez-Garcia.

The 2021 Big West All-Conference First Team forward stepped up and took on the penalty confidently, firing it into the left-hand corner to put The Beach on top 1-0.

Through the midfield, CSULB was able to dictate how the game was played utilizing lead passes to play

their attackers through, and committing tactical fouls to fizzle out any Fresno breakthroughs.

Their physical style was, “not by design,” Ingrassia said. With the field conditions becoming dewier and dewier, it caused players to have the ball get away from them.

Desperate for a different look, Fresno went to the bench, making four substitutions between the 20th and 25th minute, but a tactical change from CSULB in the 26th minute saw sophomore defender Summer Laskey replace Silano up front.

Laskey’s impact would be imminent, as it took her just 11 minutes to find the net and fire the ball into the roof to extend the CSULB lead 2-0 after 37 minutes of play. She would score into the left corner six minutes later.

With the clock dwindling down in the 84th minute, freshman forward Cherrie Cox built onto the CSULB lead, running onto a ball from freshman midfielder Sara Ybarra before cutting back, taking a shot, and sending the goalie to recover the ball for the final score of the night.

CSULB will finish its home stand Sunday night against the University of San Diego, before going on the road for the first time this season to take on Harvard.

“We’re just going one game at a time,” Ingrassia said. “It would be a really good way to close out the weekend with two wins.”

MATTHEW GOMEZ | Daily Forty-Niner

Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Morgan Houston-Shepherd and junior defender Aimee Medwin come together during pregame.