Daily Forty-Niner; April 29, 2024

DAILY FORTY-NINER EST

Vol. XCV, Issue 28

1949

daily49er.com

Monday, April 29, 2024

SETTING THE STAGE

Daily Forty-Niner 1250 Bellflower Blvd., LA4-203 Long Beach, CA, 90804

Editorial Office Phone (562) 985-8000

Christal Gaines-Emory

El Nicklin

Samuel Chacko

Editor in Chief eic@daily49er.com

Multimedia Managing Editor multimedia@daily49er.com

Managing Editor managing@daily49er.com

Sam Farfan

Kristina Agresta

ON THE COVER LORENZO GAYTAN JR. / Daily Forty-Niner The Walter Pyramid is set up and cleaned as the NCAA men’s volleyball tournament draws nearer. The Pyramid will host the tournament starting April 30 to May 6.

NEWS

Community Engagement Editor Director of Business Operations community@daily49er.com business@gobeach.media

Editors News Editor Juan Calvillo news@daily49er.com Arts & Life Editor Natasha Castanedo arts@daily49er.com Opinions Editor Georgie Smith opinions@daily49er.com Sports Editor Davis Ramage sports@daily49er.com Design Editor Mary Catipay design@daily49er.com Copy Editor Jazmin Arellano Gallardo copy@daily49er.com Photo Editor Naoki Gima photo@daily49er.com Social Media Editor Maureen Linzaga socials@daily49er.com Video Editor Alina Ti video@daily49er.com Podcast Editor Aidan Swanepoel podcast@daily49er.com

LINSEY TOWLES / Daily Forty-Niner A man's car was stolen at gunpoint Friday morning in the G8 parking lot, prompting a response from UPD.

UPD search for suspects in campus armed carjacking

Assistants News Assistants

Arts & Life Assistants Opinions Assistants Sports Assistants Design Assistants Copy Editor Assistants Photo Assistants Social Media Assistant Video Assistants Podcast Assistants

Elizabeth Basile Acsah Lemma Anthony Orrico Linsey Towles Samantha Cortes Leila Alarcon Cheyenne Elizarraras Maya-Claire Glenn Matthew Coleman Alyssa De La Cruz Matthew Gomez Luis Castilla Nuelle Obaseki Nick Broadhead Jaylyn Preslicka Khoury Williams Mark Siquig Marlon Villa Maher Basharahil Zachery Durham Steven Matthews Ellie Creighton Julia Goldman Lei Madrigal

Business Advertising Manager Izzy Ahmed advertising@gobeach.media Creative Director Jennix Bien creative@gobeach.media Web & Technology Manager Leila Nuñez web@gobeach.media PR & Promotions Manager Nicollette Combre beach.pr@gobeach.media Distribution Manager Naoki Gima distribution@gobeach.media

Advisers Design Adviser Gary Metzker Content Adviser Barbara Kinglsey-Wilson

BY LINSEY TOWLES News Assistant

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Timely Warning Crime Bulletin released the description of two robbery suspects involved in stealing a car at gunpoint early April 26 on campus.

At around 2 a.m. Friday, Long Beach State's UPD received a report of an armed robbery in which two suspects approached a man leaning on his car in the G8 parking lot.

"The male suspect brandished a gun and told the adult male to give him the keys to his car," Friday's email said.

According to Chief John Brockie, both male and female suspects left the scene in the victim's car described as a white BMW. The male suspect is described as light-skinned, possibly Hispanic, mid-20’s, 6 feet tall, 165 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes and a round face. He was seen wearing a black hooded sweater, blue jeans, black shoes and a light purple or grey backpack.

The female suspect is described as lightskinned, possibly Hispanic, early 20’s, 5-feet-7-inch tall, 120 pounds, with dark red hair. She was last seen wearing a grey hooded sweater, grey sweatpants and white shoes.

In the crime bulletin the UPD advises students follow the following prevention and awareness tips: • Consider carrying a personal alarm device or safety whistle to alert others in the area that you may need help.

• Walk in well-lit, and well-traveled areas if pos-

Courtesy of UPD A male and a female suspect were catpured on security cameras in the G8 Parking Lot. UPD issued in a statement not to approach them if seen. sible. Always take the safest route available, not necessarily the quickest.

• Stay alert and always be aware of your surroundings. Report any crimes in progress, suspicious persons, or suspicious activities immediately.

The UPD also included mental health resources for anyone affected by the incident in their email Friday.

The UPD encourages anyone with information on the incident to contact detectives by phone at (562) 985-4101, or provide information anonymously through the UPD Tip Line at (562) 9850042.

The incident is known as case #24-0268 when reporting.

Advertising & Business Adviser Jennifer Newton

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 Forty-Niner 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.

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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.

Monday, April 29, 2024

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NEWS

BY RAFA RAMACIOTE Staff Writer

D

uring a webinar on April 22 organized by the Food Science Club, students learned about how farms in the Philippines are implementing more sustainable endeavors.

Speaker Bradley Cardozo shared his experience on being an activist in thecountry. Cardozo is a cultural anthropologist and lecturer of Asian American studies and geography at Long Beach State and spent a year in the Philippines as a climate activist.

He began the webinar highlighting the issue of maldistribution of food around the world, arguing that hunger and malnutrition are part of a manufacturing crisis.

“Enough food is produced for all eight billion people in the world, ...and yet we are still seeing that hundreds of millions of people are chronically undernourished,” Cardozo said.

Cardozo also spoke about the flaws of the food system and the changes he saw while being an activist in the Philippines.

“Food producers and democracy being at the center of our food systems, food is a right and a public good, not a commodity,” Cardozo said. “It is about bringing more fairness and more equitability inside the food system.”

Many scientists have already shared their predictions about the climate changes for the future and they don’t look good.

According to Cardozo, big companies need space in order to enlarge agricultural production. This deforestation contributes to climate change, increasing flooding, drought and storm occur-

Professor educates students on climate change

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Cultural anthropologist and lecturer Bradley Cardozo delivered a webinar for Long Beach State's Food Science Club, explaining new sustainability practices for healthy eating and biodiversity, such as in this tropical forest in Palawan, Philippines. rences and forms a vicious cycle that starts and ends with lack of food.

However, Cardozo says that countries do not experience climate change the same way. Most of the countries that are affected most heavily by climate crises are not the ones who produce the largest numbers of greenhouse gasses.

The United States and Japan are examples of countries he named.

When it comes to the future of the Earth, “we are not just speaking of the rights of us right now - our own rights to food and access to nutrition - but that future humans and future other species

deserve the opportunity to live here,” Cardozo said.

In addition to his beliefs on sustainability, Cardozo shared his experiences in the Philippines and how he was able to help the country’s climate preparations, focusing on switching their energy system to a 100% clean and renewable one.

During his time in the Philippines the activist noticed that because of the wage gap between the rich and poor, there was much inequality in terms of land ownership. Many farms were forced to focus on selling first and consuming second.

Motivated by a desire to fight against this land division issue, he volunteered and worked alongside a farmer-led network of people’s organization called MASIPAG (Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura, translated as the Farmer-Scientist Partnership for Agricultural Development).

With the aid of the organization, Cardozo helped to implement sustainable initiatives in the Philippines’ farm lands. Farms started using more organic methods such as composting, green maneuvers and avoiding agro-chemical input. This allowed for many farms to fight for equal land division and control over what they were producing.

Compared to conventional farms, the MASIPAG ones are eating a more diverse, secure and nutritious diet, are able to increase farm diversity and biodiversity and have better soil fertility and farm management skills, according to Cardozo.

Piper Roth, the treasurer of the Food Science Club, met Cardozo by taking one of his climate justice classes and had the idea of inviting him to talk in the webinar to share his knowledge and experience on the topic.

Although Roth admitted to having a more pessimistic image of the future of our planet’s climate, she set a goal of inspiring others to do everything they can to ensure a better future for the climate.

The Food Science Club often organizes accessible and interactive workshops and meetings for people to join. The club does not hold any fees to memberships and welcomes anyone who is willing to participate in the events. Those interested can sign up the weekly email to be notified about their next events on their Instagram page @foodscicsulb.

Long Beach to receive funding for youth-focused climate causes

BY JACK HASLETT Staff Writer

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ong Beach City Council voted to accept the grant at a meeting Tuesday, April 23.

The money will be put toward Mayor Rex Richardson’s West Side Promise Initiative and a new system of micro-grants to fund climate-focused projects in West Long Beach.

According to a press release by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Long Beach was selected as one of 100 cities worldwide to receive the first-ever Youth Climate Action Fund, a grant of $50,000 to be divided into smaller payments to fund local youth-led environmental conservation organizations.

The fund’s focus on youth is in response to reports that roughly 60% of young people feel that their government does not do enough to combat the climate crisis, according to a report by the Lancet Planetary Health journal.

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“Climate change is an all-handson-deck challenge, and it’s critical that young people – who have the most at stake – help lead the way,” Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions and 108th mayor of New York City said.

The funds are to be distributed as, “[...] micro grants to fund a groundswell of youth-led climate initiatives that meet local contexts and objectives,” according to the press release.

Long Beach will use the $50,000 grant to establish the Climate LB Microgrant Program, which will provide funding to organizations addressing climate issues primarily in West Long Beach within the first six months of the grant’s performance period according to an email by Deputy City Manager Meredith Reynolds.

The program will also receive open submissions for organizations to apply for projects ranging from tree-planting programs to art and climate awareness campaigns.

The proposed program’s focus on

JACK HASLETT / Daily Forty-Niner Long Beach Port, located in West Long Beach, has historically been a major factor in the pollution and other environmental impacts in the area.

West Long Beach, home to the port, comes in addition to Mayor Rex Richardson’s “West Side Promise” initiative. The initiative is a 10-year plan proposed last year to reduce pollution and increase development in the area of West Long Beach.

“We are proud that our city was selected to participate in this transformational initiative,” Richardson said in an email. “These funds will allow Long Beach youth ... to engage in climate action through community development

Monday, April 29, 2024

efforts like the Westside Promise Initiative.”

Long Beach is incentivized to commit the grant money quickly.

“Cities that respond to the urgency of the moment and commit the initial $50,000 within six months will receive an additional $100,000 to support more youth-driven projects over the course of one year,” Bloomberg Philanthropies said in a press release.

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NEWS

The beginning of no confidence in ASI President Mitali Jain

SAMUEL CHACKO / Daily Forty-Niner During the Senate meeting on March 27, President Mitali Jain was allowed to defend herself against the criticisms the Senate had. She listed her duties in the ASI bylaws and gave examples of how she felt she adequately fulfilled them.

BY LEILA ALARCON Arts & Life Assistant

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efore Associated Students Incorporated (ASI) senators gave President Mitali Jain a letter on March 29 containing their reasons for a vote of no confidence in her role, students had already voiced disappointment in Jain's performance.

Among those students was Ashton Ramos, the Queer Student Alliance (QSA) President, who spoke about the club's disappointment in the differences between Jain's campaign and her actions during her presidency. Ramos pointed out, in an article released by the Daily Forty-Niner, that Jain said she would advocate for the cultural resource centers, but Ramos never saw Jain take any initiative to do so.

Ramos said Jain would speak to the administration about improving the resource centers, but the resource centers wanted her to talk to students to understand their needs.

“You need to talk to the students. But not only did she lie about talking to the students and lie about wanting to care about the resource centers, she never showed up, never talked to any student leadership,” Ramos said.

Luis Ortiz, a member of LA F.U.E.R.Z.A. and board member of Students for Quality Education, said Jain lacked initiative when it came to the university’s cultural center. He said being located at Faculty Office 4 had issues like lack of ADA accessibility, no running water and rats in the vents and main room of the Latinx center.

Jain’s promises of cultural center advocacy and lack of follow-through disappointed cultural organizations.

“They (ASI) promised better cultural centers for us, and they have not done a single thing. Mitali Jain did promise us to have better cultural centers and to be in contact with us. That has not happened,” Ortiz said. “Even during that meeting (the Senate meetings), they claimed to have representatives visit the center, but that never happened.”

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With the vote of no confidence passed, some students feel enough has been done while others feel ASI should move forward with a recall election.

Ramos said cultural organizations were bothered Jain used her class load and job as a defense for not reaching out, as well as Jain saying organizations could reach out to her.

Fatima Zerefino, current director of advocacy and former president of For Undocumented Empowered Leaders, said she and Jain met in 2022. Zerefino said that at the time Jain talked about supporting undocumented students.

Later Zerefino was told about a private discussion Jain allegedly participated in.

Zerefino said ASI employees told her Jain was involved in a conversation about immigrants using “legal” and “illegal” to refer to people who came to the United States the “right” and “wrong” way.

“And she was talking about herself as an immigrant that came here the legal way, because she came here on a visa.

This year they (ASI individuals) have come forward that she's more specifically referring to Mexican immigrants.”

Not all cultural organizations have negative experiences with Jain. Both Beach Hillel and South Asian Student Association students attended the special meeting on April 29 to speak in favor of Jain.

However, when contacted for an interview neither group responded to the Daily Forty-Niner for comment.

Students' comments and the issues addressed in the letter took place throughout the year and pushed ASI Senators to take action.

“I think it's just been a lead up for

the past couple of months. Especially like when we heard from the public comments from different communities on campus,” Senator Matt Melendrez said.

“When students show their concern, then, you know, that solidified really the initiative for the vote of no confidence.”

With the vote of no confidence passed, some students feel enough has been done while others feel ASI should move forward with a recall election. Ramos is among the group who believes a recall should be pushed but also recognizes that the time frame will most likely not allow it.

While Ramos is grateful that ASI listened to students and voted no confidence, Ramos also address that it took ASI almost the entire academic year resulting in delayed action.

In an email interview, Jain expressed her own concerns with the vote of no confidence. She said it was made in haste rather than fully considered. She said the topic was brought up at a point where Roberts Rules of Order wouldn’t have allowed for it.

Jain said she was disappointed the weight of positive versus negative student experiences was not considered.

“So naturally, the no-confidence vote has been deeply concerning to me. It's disheartening to see a lack of confidence expressed by some members of the Senate. However, I remain committed to serving the student body and addressing their concerns in a constructive manner," Jain said.

Monday, April 29, 2024

Even with the vote of no confidence coming late in the academic year, both Ortiz and Zeferino believe a recall election should be held. Melendrez agrees with LA F.U.E.R.Z.A, For Undocumented Empowered Leaders and QSA about moving forward with a recall election.

He believes it would set the proper precedent that ASI will hold its members accountable at any time of the year.

Senator Claire Pearson, of the College of Arts, differs from Melendrez, Senator at Large,. She believes moving forward with a recall wouldn’t have the impact it would have had earlier in the year. She is also concerned with the time it would take to move forward with the recall, with the election most likely having to take place during finals week and results coming out after everyone has already left campus.

This would be the first time a recall election would be done if the decision to recall Jain is made, so ASI bylaws would be reviewed. ASI bylaws can be vague, something Pearson believes should change to better outline responsibilities and perhaps prevent another vote of no confidence from taking place.

Senator Pearson and Melendrez believe in rewriting the ASI bylaws to focus on students rather than the administration. The president's duties do not include specifics like "visiting cultural centers" or "talking with students," but if rewritten to include those specifics students may become more involved in ASI. As the end of the academic year approaches, the likelihood of a recall election lessens. Scheduled senate meetings for April 10 and 17, when the recall discussion would take place, were canceled and the recall was not discussed at the meeting on April 24.

Despite the vote of no confidence, Jain continues to serve as president hoping students know she will continue to advocate for their needs.

“I'm constantly listening to students' feedback and addressing their concerns in my capacity as President. My door is always open, and I'm committed to continuing to work in partnership with students to build a stronger and more vibrant campus community,” Jain said.

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NEWS

A clean slate: Meet the future leaders of ASI With fresh perspectives and renewed energy, ASI's newly elected representatives discuss how their backgrounds and experiences have led them to drive positive change throughout Long Beach State.

BY LINSEY TOWLES News Assistant

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ikki Majidi, Matt Melendrez and Andre Achacon swept the Associated Student Inc. (ASI) election season as a slate and will be the new leaders of Long Beach State ASI during the next academic year.

Running as a joint ticket under the slogan "Forward for the Future," all three leaders started at CSULB eager to become involved.

Passion in the Presidency: Nikki Majidi Entering CSULB as a freshman criminal justice major in 2022, Majidi never imagined the trajectory her first year would take her.

"I was a shy girl, very anxious but I really wanted to make the most out of my time here," Majidi said.

September of 2022 would prove to be a defining time for Majidi and her passion for advocacy as civil unrest and protests broke out in her birth country of Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.

"It’s my home country, my family is there," Majidi, who was born and adopted in Iran before being brought to the U.S. and raised in Mission Viejo, said.

"My mom was almost taken by the morality police. It struck me. It was so hard watching so many women fighting for their lives," Majidi said. Through Beach Forensics, Majidi was able to write a speech on the situation in Iran and went as far as the national competition.

Feeling isolated on campus, she was one of the founding members of the Iranian Student Association at CSULB. Majidi also joined Delta Sigma Pi, a co-ed business fraternity where she was introduced to student government.

"I started to feel like I belonged, like I had a place," Majidi said.

Changing her major to political science, Majidi joined ASI and Lobby Corp where she met her future team members.

Juggling participation in multiple organizations, Majidi was hesitant to consider a run for ASI President.

"At first I wanted to take a year off. I was doing a lot and honestly, I had imposter syndrome. A couple months went by and I thought about it more. Mostly the reason I ran is I want to give back because CSULB has changed me," Majidi said.

Majidi's win was a moment she described as "surreal." Majidi said she hopes to demonstrate her passion for ad-

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Photo courtesy of CARLOS HENRIQUEZ (Left to Right) Andre Achacon, Nikki Majidi and Matt Melendrez win as a complete slate in the ASI elections. They are set to enter office in fall 2024.

”

[Iran is] my home country, my family is there...

My mom was almost taken by the morality police. It struck me. It was so hard watching so many women fighting for their lives.

Nikki Majidi ASI president elect vocacy through her actions as president, with outreach first on the agenda.

Marching to a new beat: Matt Melendrez Before beginning at Long Beach State, much of Melendrez's life revolved around music. Born and raised in Downey, he found community through music, playing piano and alto saxophone as well as serving as drum major in his high school band.

"For me, music meant expressing myself without using words. It let me find who I was before coming to college," Melendrez said.

A commuter student, he did not envision himself becoming involved in student government until meeting current ASI Vice President Teresa Falcon in his astronomy class.

"I saw that a lot of the topics ASI talked about were things I was also passionate about," Melendrez said.

His interest in advocacy stems from his experience with the immigration system when his parents came to the U.S. from the Philippines.

"I still have siblings in the Philippines trying to immigrate here. Some of them have been waiting over a decade. It was a hard decision for my dad to leave the country when a lot of his children were still there," Melendrez said.

A second-year political science major, Melendrez hopes to become an immigration attorney after experiencing the hardships of the immigration process first-hand.

He became a senator in ASI and worked in the first-year programs, emphasizing one of his campaign's core values: transparency.

"At the time I was really thinking about my experience as a student who commutes. I was so surprised to learn about programs like Beach Balance and Beach Wellness. I thought, 'Shouldn't other students know about this?'" Melendrez said.

Motivated to bring school resources and programs to students, Melendrez won 66% of the votes for Vice President.

"The gravity of it hits you and it's a full circle moment. Now It’s all about getting that work done," Melendrez said.

Monday, April 29, 2024

Betting on the freshman: Andre Achacon A first year from northern California, Achacon's first year at CSULB was unconventional from the start.

Raised in Santa Rosa, Achacon decided Long Beach State was the school for him, both academically and financially.

"I wanted to get out of Santa Rosa and CSULB was an affordable option for me. As soon as I was admitted, I knew I wanted to get involved in advocacy," Achacon said.

He was involved in advocacy in high school, leading the movement "Value life not violence" and demonstrations for school safety. Like Melendrez, Achacon's parents came from the Philippines, making him a first-generation student.

"They came to the U.S. for more opportunities. Both my parents work physically taxing jobs and it was tough growing up," Achacon said.

In junior year of high school, he came out as a part of the LGBTQ+ community, an emotional experience after fearing he would not be accepted.

"All these intersecting identities have shown me the struggles a lot of communities have faced," Achacon said.

Before attending Long Beach, Achacon contacted ASI to ask about how to become involved on campus, leading to him joining Lobby Corps during his first semester.

"I felt like I needed to work extra hard for people's respect and show that I could do my job," Achacon said.

The decision to run for VP of Finance came after weeks of deliberation.

"I was like, 'you’re crazy, I’m literally a freshman,'" Achacon said. "But I thought to myself that I have the same qualities as an executive officer for ASI and just because I’m a freshman it doesn’t mean I can’t do it."

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ARTS & LIFE Grow Beach’s Plant a Plant: Delving into the world of succulents

BY ELLIE CREIGHTON Video Assistant

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midst the background scenery of Grow Beach Garden, students got their green thumb ready at Grow Beach’s hosted event Plant a Plant, where they were invited to plant their own succulent and learn more about the program.

Potting stations were set up right next to the Grow Beach Garden. Tables were equipped with an array of different gardening essentials including gloves, soil, planting pots, succulents and more.

Students who RSVP’d ahead of time signed in to the exclusive, hands-on event and sat at one of the many potting stations with their friends. The event began shortly after everyone joined, where one of the hosts gave the initial instructions on potting succulents.

Participants were directed to put on gloves and place a small amount of dirt into the bottom of the planting pot, patting it down with a trowel. The hosts circulated the potting stations, giving tips

and gardening information to students during the succulent potting process.

After the first step was completed, students then repotted the succulents by removing the plastic planters and transferring them into their pot.

For the last step, students filled any remaining gaps around the planted succulents with soil and watered them.

After successfully potting their succulents, Parth Balchandani, a USU sustainability assistant and one of event hosts, guided attendees to the Grow Beach Garden for a tour.

Walking around the garden, Balchandani showed participants different types of edible plants and grown herbs such as strawberries, broccoli and rosemary.

What is grown in the Grow Beach Garden is harvested and donated to ASI’s Laurén Chalmers ‘83 Beach Pantry for students to enjoy, promoting sustainability and food security efforts on campus.

Students were also informed on how to volunteer and participate at the Grow Beach Garden.

“They can work with us, they can volunteer with us, so we just need to

ELLIE CREIGHTON / Daily Forty-Niner A Plant a Plant attendee carefully transfers their succulents into a planting pot, with their trowels ready to fill the remainder of any gaps in the pot's soil. spread the word for our garden because not many people know about the Grow Beach Garden,” Balchandani said.

After the tour, students returned back to their potting stations and picked up their succulents. “[Succulents] are good for the environment obviously, because they’re plants, and learning something new isn’t bad. Planting and getting a succulent in their (students’) house(s), there are health and environmental benefits

just to plant at your home,” Balchandani said.

Through hands-on engagement, Grow Beach’s Plant a Plant event promoted student interest in campus sustainability and its environment. By planting and learning how to take care of their succulents, students not only learned gardening skills, but also cultivated environmentally conscious minds.

Keep on the look out for future Grow Beach and Sustain U events here.

From religion to spirituality: A shifting landscape

BY IGOR COLONNO & FATIMA DURRANI Staff Writers

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s Americans seek deeper connections and personal fulfillment, traditional religious affiliations have dwindled, giving way to a surge in spirituality.

Fueled by a quest for personal growth, bolstered mental health and the widespread adoption of practices like meditation, spirituality has emerged as a prominent force reshaping individual beliefs and communal practices.

In the United States, 41% of Americans have become more spiritual over time while 24% said they have become more religious, according to Pew Research Center.

According to an article by The Washington Post, a variety of demographics within the U.S. are also identifying as “less religious” or not affiliated with any religion.

Cierra Smith, a communication studies major at Long Beach State, is part of the Jewish faith. Smith said she thinks that religion is not becoming irrelevant, but rather it’s changing and adapting in a newer society.

“I still think that a lot of people subscribe to faith in some sort of way, whether it’s like believing in a God or higher power, but just the way we practice is changing,” Smith said.

Smith also said she sees spirituality increasing among younger generations and believes it does not detract from any religion.

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IGOR COLONNO / Daily Forty-Niner Long Beach State students from the CSULB Music Meditation Club meditate to help release stress. Meditation is one of the most common practices associated with spirituality, helping students be stress-free.

Smith believes people can use faith and spirituality simultaneously without any interference, but said she personally would not practice that way since her connection to Judaism is already very strong.

English major and former Christian Madeline Popovich said she is no longer part of any religious group, but still considers herself a spiritual person.

Even though Popovich is no longer religious, she said she enjoys listening to the perspectives of different religions and believes social media has had a role in familiarizing different communities with religious culture. “[In] Christianity, we looked at different religions like they were wrong, but…I think being able to see everything from more of an outside perspective, everyone is pretty much on the same page,” Popovich said. “It’s just little small differences where your family comes from and what traditions they follow.”

Smith said that growing up interfaith allowed her the opportunity to see two different perspectives from Judaism and Christianity, and noticed that both support a moral good to each person’s values.

The growing importance of mental health has also led to an increase in spirituality.

According to an Alcoholics Anonymous press release from August 2023, "At A.A. meetings, spiritual themes are often highlighted in members’ personal sharing or in readings at meetings from the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions or the book Alcoholics Anonymous— commonly called 'The Big Book.'"

The group is focused on helping alcoholics heal and recover from their addiction, emphasizing that they don’t identify as a religious organization. Their main focus is to find a bond together whether it’s through spirituality, religion or other sources.

According to Pew Research Center, a survey conducted in 2023 showed that 83% of U.S. adults “believe people have a soul or spirit in addition to their physical body.” The survey also confirms an overall decline in those who attend religious services regularly and participate in religious practices.

Shivani Bothra, assistant professor in the religious studies department said newer generations are becoming more spiritual due to the core ethical values

Monday, April 29, 2024

that come with it.

“The younger generation is getting more into spirituality, that means they are looking at the religious tradition through a scientific lens,” Bothra said.

“They are not diverting away from religions, what they are diverting away is from some kind of a creed or ritualistic practices, some dogmas that do not appeal to the logic mind.”

Bothra also said that common practices often associated with spirituality like meditation are attractive to younger audiences due to the inclusivity with other people that help foster internal growth.

“We look at religion more from dogmatic practices but today’s generation is more looking at rational practice,” Bothra said.

Bothra suggested that if religions want to increase their turnout rates, they should have a new approach that would appeal more to younger generations.

This would include adding a more approachable and comprehensive form of teaching for younger people, rather than the old school practices that churches might still follow.

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ARTS & LIFE

Be Here Now takes Long Beach on a trip

Photos by MARY CATIPAY / Daily Forty-Niner Clockwise from top: The Long Beach-based band Sound From performed at the Edison Theatre on Saturday night. As the opening performance of Be Here Now's Trip Out event, the group set the mood for the night with a setlist comprised of drone music and ambient noise; Stranger Liquids projected a liquid light show onto the walls of the Edison Theatre, creating a kinetic backdrop for the event's musical performances; As attendees entered the Edison Theatre for the Trip Out event curated by Be Here Now, they were greeted with psychedelic projections and a photo gallery by Carlos Garcia.

With experimental music and psychedelic visuals, the “Trip Out” event Saturday night brought together a variety of creatives for a unique experience.

BY MARY CATIPAY Design Editor

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n Saturday night, the white walls of the Edison Theatre were transformed into colorful, kaleidoscopic patterns, as local bands performed an assortment of genres ranging from rock to drone music.

Presented by the Be Here Now organization, which hosts creative showcases around the Long Beach area, the Trip Out event on April 27 enchanted attendees with an eclectic mix of visual artists and musical guests for a psychedelic experience.

As attendees stepped into the Edison Theatre’s entrance hall, they were instantly immersed in projections of multicolored bubbles against one wall, which many used for mind-bending photo opportunities.

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On the other walls, photographer Carlos Garcia displayed a gallery of his work, spanning from concert photography to experimental photo manipulation.

“It’s nice printing things out again.

It’s online all the time. Photography, graph—people forget there’s actually the 'graph' part,” Garcia said. “A lot of these [photos], some of them are kind of old, but I’d never printed them up. But seeing them out, it’s like, ‘Oh!’ It’s pretty cool.”

Garcia felt drawn to showcase his work at Trip Out considering his background shooting in creative musical spaces.

“A lot of my stuff is live music, so just growing up, taking photos of shows, then showing at shows is a nice experience,” Garcia said.

Inside the event’s main space, artists Moirebender and Stranger Liquids projected visuals of computer static and multicolored dripping liquids onto the

walls and musical performers, building a lively, frenetic energy.

Throughout the evening, a wide array of musical performers took to the stage, including Healing Gems, DJ Rumpershaker Maker and Pleasures.

The first performance on the event’s lineup was Sound From, a Long Beachbased band with experimental, otherworldly music that set the tone for the night.

“We’re really into drone music and krautrock,” said Eden Berg, the band’s guitarist and vocalist. “We definitely try to capture tension. It sounds so basic to put it that way, but just kind of a dissonant feeling.

“It’s funny, I feel like we’re way heavier than all the other bands. Everyone else is bringing a very peaceful kind of vibe, and we’re very angsty,” Berg said.

Much like the dynamic projections on the wall, the energy in the room constantly shifted, transforming with each

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musical performance. By the end of Southern California-based band Little Sister’s set, their upbeat final song, “Ven Aqui,” had the entire theater dancing along.

Jasmin Mizen, a sociology major and senior at Long Beach State, came to the event with friends to enjoy a night of live music.

“I felt really inclined to just be in a creative space, and it’s really, really sick,” Mizen said “So far, I feel like I’ve just been through an entire acid trip and back.”

“It was really awesome to see just, like, art and music being combined. I really liked the visuals on the wall. That was an added element that really made it come alive.”

For more information and updates on future events, Be Here Now can be found on Instagram @beherenowaffairs.

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OPINION

Fining people experiencing homelessness is not the answer

BY ETHAN BROWN Staff Writer

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he cost of living is at an alltime high. It is estimated that a single person is paying $2,433 a month to survive, according to Living Cost. Clearly, not everyone can stay afloat at this inflated juncture.

According to AP News, more than 582,000 people in the United States live without a roof over their head. There are more people experiencing homelessness now than in any other point in recorded history.

The issue of homelessness has piqued the attention of the Supreme Court in a manner that has not been dealt with in decades.

Grants Pass, a rural Oregon town, enacted a law fining people almost $300 for sleeping outside. In adherence to the “cruel and unusual punishment” clause in the Eighth Amendment, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the law.

If the homelessness crisis had a quick fix, we the people would have come to an agreement on how to address the ever-growing problem affecting the U.S. and California specifically.

Rent costs never seem to fall and the taco stand on Clark and Atherton just increased the price for their Taco Tuesday special. Businesses constantly adjust their rates to mirror the economy’s fluctuations, so why are people not afforded the same leniency?

Sometimes this might mean spending a night or a week sleeping outside in a tent. Despite being considered an eyesore, who is this really affecting, when we lay our collective head to rest in our small apartment for $800 plus utilities a month?

The city of Long Beach is one of the

ETHAN BROWN / Daily Forty -Niner A squatter forms a makeshift shelter from drizzling rain on a Thursday morning. The Supreme Court is voting on whether to ban people experiencing homelessness from sleeping outside. most diverse big cities in the U.S., both culturally and economically.

I used to notice that, the farther one drives west down Anaheim Street, PCH or 7th Street, the more people experiencing homelessness one sees, but that is changing. We all know this is a problem.

The Traffic Circle area is a unique place. Close to campus, many students live in the various apartment complexes surrounding it. A strikingly broad collection of popular fast food chains, grocery and retail stores render it unnecessary to leave the vicinity.

It is a relatively safe area, all things considered. It does not possess the dangerous, cramped mystique of downtown Long Beach. However, where there is commerce, the less fortunate congregate.

I feel for the guy always asking to wash my windows for spare change as I walk out of Ralphs. What are we doing to help people like him?

Fining him $295 for sleeping on the cement is not the solution.

When the Rite Aid on the corner of Ximeno and PCH shut down in late 2023, the lot quickly became a refuge for squatters. Multiple times a day, I ride my skateboard through this parking lot, traveling from the Circle Apartments to my truck parked on Outer Traffic Circle Drive.

I pass the tents they have set up, sometimes catching glimpses of people, and I contemplate their existence. I think about the current economic climate and the cost of living in California.

It has been said before and I’ll say it again, this problem is just getting worse.

We need to find places for people experiencing homelessness to live in and not fine them hundreds of dollars.

According to the Signal Tribune, 53% of people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach became homeless within the last year.

Accommodating people who appear downtrodden and haggard involves sacrifices on a local, state and national level. It invokes a sense of sympathy, but a common response sounds something like “It’s just not that simple.”

Our city seems to be taking the right steps, at least. Long Beach is going to invest parts of $4.6 million in excess revenue towards renovating a motel for temporary housing, according to the Long Beach Post.

If Long Beach, with its population of 437,000 people and its hand in many pots, can take steps to help people experiencing homelessness, then so can Grants Pass. Instead of charging people experiencing homelessness a fine that they cannot afford to pay, they should be finding ways to help.

The Supreme Court is expected to reach a decision by the end of June.

Students’ right to peacefully protest on campus

BY MARIANA RAMOS Staff Writer

A

ccording to the Associated Press, on April 18, 108 demonstrators at a pro-Palestinian encampment at Columbia University were arrested and charged with trespassing after the New York Police Department was called by university president, Nemat Shafik.

The events at Columbia University ignited action in students across the U.S. as they assembled to stand for Palestine, but many were met with a similar fate.

Hundreds of arrests have been made.

The students rallied on campuses asking for universities to end any ties with companies that support Israel. The protests were peaceful.

The call to end university ties to pro-Israel companies is a reasonable request. Students pay thousands of dollars in tuition. For them to be treated with police threats, arrests and suspensions when they ask to have some say in the relations the school has with certain companies, is a dramatic response.

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Additionally, the form of action being taken by universities towards protestors goes against everything that they claim to stand for.

The USC missions statement says, “We strive constantly for excellence in teaching knowledge and skills to our students, while at the same time helping them to acquire wisdom and insight, love of truth and beauty, moral discernment, understanding of self, and respect and appreciation for others.”

On Wednesday, April 24, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested 93 of the demonstrators at the protests against the Israel-Hamas war at USC. Instead of resisting protests and meeting students with police force, universities should be applauding students for standing up for what they believe is right.

These protests are a perfect example of the “moral discernment” that is mentioned in the USC mission statement, but it has become clear that universities only like for their students to exhibit these characteristics if it aligns with the university’s views.

The way administrations have re-

Graphic by MARIANA RAMOS / Daily Forty-Niner Hundreds of students across the country have been arrested for pro-Palestine protests on their college campuses. sponded to the protests doesn’t come as a surprise though, this isn’t the first-time universities have called police forces on student protests.

In 1968, students at Columbia University occupied a building on campus in protest of the construction of a gym and the Vietnam War. Over 700 students were arrested, but the school met

Monday, April 29, 2024

their demands and the president of the university later resigned because of the events.

History repeats itself and universities continue to berate students for their efforts. The pattern of students not being taken seriously needs to end and the violent treatment that seems to be so easily sent to them seems unprofessional and

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SPORTS

Courtesy of LBSU Athletics Led by back-to-back Big West Coach of the Year Alyssa Waite and the award-winning youth of freshman Andee Avery and sophomores Jasmine and Janae Leovao, The Beach is competing in the NCAA Regionals for the first time since its back-to-back trips in 2018 and 2019.

LBSU women’s golf ’s outstanding season sends them to the NCAA Regionals The Beach will make its fifth NCAA postseason appearance, its first since 2019 after claiming the 2024 Big West Championship.

BY MATTHEW COLEMAN Sports Assistant

L

ong Beach State women’s golf’s road to their first NCAA tournament birth in five years featured plenty of Big West award-winning honorees. They will look to these players to continue to leave their mark on this season in what they hope is a deep tournament run.

The Leovao twins, sophomores Jasmine and Janae, and freshman Andee Avery all earned Big West First-Team honors. The Second-Team featured sophomore Madison Le and senior Angelina Kim came in as an honorable mention.

After being appointed to lead the junior girls’ team for Team USA in the

Junior Golf World Cup last month, head coach Alyssa Waite repeated as Big West Coach of the Year in her third season at the helm of The Beach.

“It’s been an interesting year, we had a really good fall, we won twice backto-back to finish the fall season,” Waite said. “We felt pretty good going into the spring season, but then we had some injuries and some illness that carried us through two or three events in March which put us in a position where we had to shift things.”

“Our team never got down ourselves, we knew we had the ability to win our conference championship and they were able to do that pretty palpably,” Waite said.

LBSU repeated in another award category, this time with Avery winning Big West Freshman of the Year, marking the

second straight year a player from The Beach has won it.

“I didn’t really come into this with the mentality of trying to get Freshman of the Year, but I had a really good fall season and it was kind of a goal throughout the spring season,” Avery said.

Avery finished in the top 10 of four tournaments this year, including a podium finish at the Big West Championship in Las Vegas. She credits the coaching staff with their one-shot-at-a-time approach and teammate Jasmine Leovao for inspiring her last year with her play.

“My roommate is amazing, she is super supportive and everyone on the team is super close and I am really happy here,” Avery said.

Last year’s Big West Freshman of the Year winner Jasmine Leovao continued to shine this year with another success-

ful season, including defending her title as individual champion at the Big West Championship, becoming the first player in 20 years to repeat as the individual champ.

“I’m really proud of all the work we’ve put in this season as a team, we had really early workouts and stayed late for practice and it’s just been a grind all season,” Leovao said.

The Beach drew the No. 10 seed in the twelve-team field for the Cle Elum Regional in Washington, which will take place at the Tumble Creek Club from May 6-8.

“I’m really looking forward to regionals, it’s a stacked field but I think there’s no expectations. We are going to try and go in with the same mentality as we did in conference and see where it takes us,” Leovao said.

”

Our team never got down ourselves, we knew we had the ability to win our conference championship and they were able to do that pretty palpably.

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Monday, April 29, 2024

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SPORTS

DEVIN MALAST / Daily Forty-Niner The student section held their breath as match point was served against UC Irvine on April 13. The Pyramid is set to be sold out for the NCAA tournament, but single session ticket sales begin April 30 at 10 a.m.

Setting the scene: Walter Pyramid ahead of NCAA Tournament The Walter Pyramid will host the 2024 NCAA men’s volleyball tournament taking place April 30 through May 4. Seeded at No. 2 Long Beach hopes to clinch the championship for the first time since 2019.

BY DEVIN MALAST, ZACH DURHAM & LORENZO GAYTAN Staff Writers

T

he Beach are the No. 2 seed in the tournament and will be taking on the No. 7 seed Belmont Abbey on Tuesday. The eight team bracket includes top-seeded UCLA, No. 3 seed Grand Canyon University and No. 4 seed UC Irvine.

LBSU are hosting the tournament for the first time since their 2019 victory against Hawaii to complete back-to-back national championship seasons.

“We want to make sure that we represent ourselves and our university and our community as best we can and do it again this coming week.” athletic director of communications and broadcast Roger Kirk said.

“Everybody’s hoping for a repeat of 2019 where we came together, the city really got behind the team and [we] came in and won the national championship,” Kirk said.

Ahead of the tournament, ticket prices and parking has sparked concerns as classes will still be in session during the start of games. Tickets are available

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DEVIN MALAST / Daily Forty-Niner Long Beach State men’s volleyball junior, Nato Dickinson, DiAeris McRaven, and senior, Clarke Godbold face off against UC Irvine on senior night. LBSU may have the opportunity to play UCI in the finals of the NCAA tournament. for $90 that includes all sessions, while single session tickets will go on sale April 30 at 10 a.m. for around $25.

The marketing team for the athletic department held an event outside of Brotman Hall on Wed. 24 as the first 300 students were given free game tickets. Students also had the opportunity

to take photos with the men’s volleyball team.

As the tournament draws near, the issue of parking is being examined. The NCAA requires a minimum of 25 reserved parking spots, space for broadcast trucks and to unload media equipment. Students are concerned whether

Monday, April 29, 2024

lot G11 will be open for the duration of the tournament.

“Visiting teams will travel by bus to limit the impact on parking,” athletic director of facilities and event operations, Mike Habura said. “We are fortunate to have several parking lots surrounding the Pyramid that will accommodate students and additional media.”

Head coach Alan Knipe knows how much the Long Beach community supports men’s volleyball and its pursuit of a national championship.

“The last time we did it [in 2019], as happy as I was for our players and coaches it was wonderful for everyone in the community that supported the program,” Knipe said.

If The Beach defeat Belmont Abbey in Tuesday’s quarterfinal they will face the winner of No. 3 seed GCU versus No. 6 seed Ohio State. The potential semifinal matchup is on Thursday, May 2 at 6:30 p.m.

Not only are Long Beach State hosting the 2024 NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championships, they will be hosting the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, for their first five games of their season, which includes WNBA No.1 draft pick, Caitlin Clark’s first trip to L.A. as part of the Indiana Fever. The Beach will also be hosting the NCAA’s Beach Volleyball National Championships in 2025 and 2026.

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