For the record, it’s time to face the music

BY ANA SOPHIA PAPA Staff Writer

Although vinyl was popular in the 1980s, its resurgence is due to the millennial and Gen Z population rather than the adults who lived through that particular time period.

Once a novelty, vinyl records give listeners a personal connection to music in a field dominated by deceptive advertising techniques and cheap tricks. Not to mention that, for some, it’s not just about the music itself, but the memories attached to them.

“I like records because they make me feel nostalgic. They remind me of when I spent time with my grandparents when I was younger,” said Jensen Puckett, fellow Long Beach State student and vinyl owner.

Puckett also states that it allows her to focus more on the music as a whole. Not to mention the aesthetic of the records is just as appealing to her as the sound.

Puckett thinks it’s great younger people are discovering artists from past decades, as her parents have always exposed her and her siblings to older music.

With that, some of Puckett’s favorite artists happen to be The Wallflowers, James Blunt, The Backseat Lovers and The Lumineers.

Mia Villalobos, another student who owns vinyl, possesses a similar mindset.

“It’s interesting how a simple interest in records can pique someone’s interest in music from different generations as well as different genres,” Villalobos said.

Being so passionate about music, Villalobos’ favorite artists consist of Omar Apollo, Thee Sacred Souls, Amy Wine-

BY LEILA ALARCON Staff Writer

While walking to class, there are often several students who are passing by on their skateboards, roller skates or Rollerblades. Some students skate just to get to their classes faster, but others further immerse themselves in skate culture.

Freshman Joao Stable started skating when he was 8 years old and learning tricks at 12 years old. While visiting friends in Hawaii, he went to a skatepark that allowed him to get comfortable with doing more than just coasting.

“It [skateboarding] definitely helped me realize that many things in life, there’s always a mental barrier that makes you believe that you can’t do something,” Stable said. “And it’s when you really trust in the process and go through the process of things that you realize that maybe you’re more capable of doing things that you didn’t think you could possibly do.”

According to Stable, skaters typically struggle with learning to drop in, the act of going from a flat platform into a steep transition. At most skate parks, there are rails, staircases, ramps and a “bowl.” house, Hozier, Santana, Måneskin, Bad Bunny and Pink Sweat$.

Skaters stand at the edge of the bowl and drop in when they’re ready to skate. Bowls vary in depth and can be daunting.

“I remember the first time I was just standing there basically the whole day, trying to overcome that mental barrier,” Stable said.

In terms of why they love vinyl so much, Villalobos touched on the history behind the records themselves.

“It became really interesting to me how something as simple as a piece of plastic can change the way people experience music. But I’ve also always been heavily influenced and exposed to 1970s and ‘80s culture and music because of family,” Villalobos said.

When it came to buying vinyl, there was excitement that came from the idea of it being something their family used to use. Nothing compared to how liberating it was to actually hear the music and how it sounded using different mediums.

Five years ago, the local record store Record Box in Long Beach started off as a renovated FedEx truck.

Within the substantial time the shop has been open, owner Jose Jurado has noticed there is no specific group of people they cater to.

“Our main demographic is really wide. Teenagers to retirees come into the store to discover something they haven’t heard or

Coasting across campus

re-discover something from their past. Music serves as a memory and can take you back to when you first heard a song,” Jurado said.

Not to mention, at $2 per vinyl in particular selections, it gives the younger audience and many others an opportunity to satisfy their experience affordably.

Altogether, the running theme here would be the connection of songs to personal memories. That is likely why the younger generation has taken up an interest in the different physical mediums of listening to music.

Lopez started skating when he was in fourth grade but took a break. He picked it up again during the pandemic.

“You could do whatever you want with it. It’s you versus yourself,” Lopez said.

Lopez is currently perfecting his ollie, but also skates with his friend Ashton Noyes, a freshman psychology major. Noyes has been skating for seven years, picking it up after a friend of his started skating.

“It’s a good way to just like relax and just get a clear headspace,” Noyes said.

Noyes’ favorite trick is kick-flips, but he wants to work on his treflip. He has been using an eight-five board, which is heavier than the board he used before. He is getting used to doing the treflip on it.

Not all students have been skating since they were kids. Sophomore political science major Rohan Bhardwaj has been skating for about four years.

Bhardwaj uses a longboard to get to his class, which takes him five instead of 15 minutes to get to the Kinesiology building from his dorm. On top of longboard being efficient for travel, it gives him a good workout and opened the door to other recreational activities.

While there aren’t any bowls on campus, there are other obstacles that skaters frequent. There are stair sets, benches and rails. The parking lot by the College of Business is popular for its curbs.

Freshman business administration major Ryan Lopez likes skating stairs. The staircases by Brotman Hall and the eightstair by the theater building are some of his favorites.

“I learned a lot about snowboarding through skating and skaters,” Bhardwaj said. “A lot of that [skating and snowboarding] goes hand in hand, like the muscles you use.”

Regardless of at what point students picked up skateboarding, it has provided them with experiences that are not only special to them, but convenient.