Daily 49er, Feb. 17, 2016

DAILY 49ER California State University, Long Beach

See page 8 for baseball coverage.

www.daily49er.com

Vol. LXVII, Issue 76

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

A stand against sexual assault

La Raza made a silent plea to raise sexual assault awareness.

By Amanda Mayberry Staff Writer

In response to the recent allegations of sexual assault on and off campus, cultural and political organization La Raza and Cal State Long Beach students staged a silent protest against sexual assault Tuesday.

The group sported posters cut into silhouettes of women and lined up along one of the pathways in the free speech area on campus. The 10 silhouettes represented the 10 sexual assaults that have been reported on campus in the 2015-16 academic year.

“We wanted to do a banner, but I feel like so many people are so desensitized to reading banners that if you use something physical to create and embody this message, I felt like it would be stronger,” said Karla Camacho, a former officer of La Raza and a member of the club for the past three years.

University police sent out a standard email on Monday reporting that there had been a sexual assault over the

News 2

weekend in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure Act. According to the email, a “CSULB student reported she was sexually assaulted at a party where alcoholic beverages are reported to have been widely consumed.”

The assault had been reported to the CSULB Police Department on Monday and is said to have taken place early Sunday morning.

“It was in direct response to that email,” said Jessie Lopez, a La Raza officer and sociology graduate student.

“We were going to try and do it yesterday, but the sun just came down too quick, and we ran out of sunlight. We had to reschedule it for today at rush hour.”

La Raza members stood in silence for 30 minutes to show their solidarity with the recent sexual assault survivors.

Some students and faculty joined in on the protest. Other students disregarded or sneered at the demonstrators.

Second year psychology major Juvonne McNeill said she happened to walk by the event and decided to join.

“This is happening all the time, and the campus and a lot of other campuses are treating this as if it’s not happening,”

see PROTEST, page 3

Arts & Life 4

Students stand along the path of the Free Speech Lawn to provide awareness of cases of sexual assault Tuesday. There have been 10 reports of sexual assault at CSULB this academic year.

P hotos by Trang L e | Daily 49er

Kappa Sigma formally suspended In the wake of sexual assault claims against fraternity, operations are suspended pending further investigation.

By Micayla Vermeeren Opinions Editor

The Kappa Sigma chapter at Cal State Long Beach has been suspended from campus, pending a legal investigation into a sexual assault that allegedly took place at the fraternity’s house off-campus.

On Monday, an unnamed female student reported she was sexually assaulted in the early hours of Sunday morning after a party hosted at the fraternity house Saturday night.

Campus police notified the student

Opinions 5

body of the report via a Timely Warning email later that afternoon.

Timely Warning emails are sent in accordance with the Clery Act of 1990, which “requires all colleges and universities who receive federal funding to share information about crime on campus and their efforts to improve campus safety as well as

see KAPPA SIGMA, page 3

Sports 6

2

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

www.daily49er.com

CityD49er@gmail.com

News

Column

No selfies in the voting booth! cial media).

If an official catches someone, it could result in a nullified vote, where they basically just throw the ballot away. That person would be left with no

“ W

By Lisa Williston Staff Writer

hether voters are mailing it in or headed to the booths, snapping a picture of their ballot could disqualify the vote and potentially ruin their permanent record.

Millennials are known for posting about every single facet of life and, though expressing their right to vote is not a trivial matter, they should be aware of the consequences a seemingly simple ballot Snapchat may have.

In some states, taking a photo of a completed ballot can result in a misdemeanor or even a felony. California’s Election Code states that after a ballot is complete, the voter is not allowed to reveal its contents to anyone (sorry so-

In reality, the voter is probably posting a “humble-brag” on Snapchat, telling the virtual world that they are somewhat involved in politics. Or they may have a nobler agenda and are trying to encourage their friends to vote. Whichever it is, they are still in danger of receiving felony charges.

“

California State law shows that taking a picture of your ballot is illegal.

vote, but, instead, a picture of their sad, invalid ballot.

Californians are also not allowed to take a picture or video of anyone who has not voted entering or exiting within

100 feet of a polling area, according to the code The state assumes the perpetrator is attempting to intimidate or persuade a voter to support a specific candidate or to prevent the voter from participating in polling.

In reality, the voter is probably posting a “humble-brag” on Snapchat, telling the virtual world that they are somewhat involved in politics. Or they may have a nobler agenda and are trying to encourage their friends to vote.

Whichever it is, they are still in danger of receiving felony charges.

According to the California Election Code 18541, Section 3B, “Any violation of this section is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than 12 months, or in the state prison.

Any person who conspires to violate this section is guilty of a felony.”

Other states, like Delaware, have less restricting laws on photographs or video outside of the voting booth. Instagram away, Delaware!

There are voting booths that have posters up in designated areas where voters can legally selfie and Snapchat.

So fear not! The social media world can still know millennials voted.

I llustration by M iranda A ndrade -Ceja

20% OFF PRESCRIPTION SUNGLASSES

Vincent Close | Daily 49er

The Beach Mobile visits the campus Tuesday to provide private HIV testing for students.

Testing: 1, 2, 3 Long Beach Department of Health mobile unit offers free HIV testing on campus.

By Lindsey Maeda Assistant Design Editor

In part with Student Health Services, the Long Beach Health Department’s mobile unit offered free, rapid HIV testing for students on campus yesterday.

Rosario Rivas, a health educator for the Long Beach Health Department, said that more students get tested for HIV during the “party seasons.”

“The number of students who get tested varies each month, but we’re more busy after spring break and times like Valentine’s Day,” Rivas said.

Rivas said that students are more likely to have sexual encounters during times that involve heavy drinking, which can lead to unprotected sex.

Rapid HIV testing takes around 25 minutes. First, students fill out a questionnaire regarding their sexual history.

Then, students are tested using a sample of their saliva from an oral swab.

While students are waiting for their test results, health professionals counsel them about at-risk behavior and provide information about safe sex.

If students test preliminary-positive, health professionals will refer them to a facility where they can take an additional blood test.

The city of Long Beach has one of the highest number of reported HIV/AIDS cases in Los Angeles County and the state.

According to the California Department of Public Health HIV/AIDS surveillance report, 1,605 cases of HIV have been reported in Long Beach between April 2006 and June 2014. “[Long Beach] is a big beach city,” Rivas said. “There are a lot of bars, and people like to party. There’s also a lot of diversity, much like Cal State Long Beach.”

Oscar Sandoval, sports exercise and psychology graduate student, said that students may be embarrassed if people they knew saw them going into the mobile testing unit.

“It’d probably be more convenient for students to get tested [at the Student Health Center], but I think that the fact that the mobile unit is here is a good thing,” Sandoval said. “It is something that students need to be aware about.

Rivas said she thinks the mobile unit is convenient because students can just walk in without making an appointment, whereas the Student Health Center requires an appointment.

The Long Beach Health Department offers free, rapid HIV testing on campus twice a month.

The mobile testing unit will return to campus on March 10 in front of the Social Sciences and Public Administration lawn.

Students can also schedule an appointment for free HIV testing at the Health Resource Center by calling 562-985-4609.

News

CityD49er@gmail.com

KAPPA SIGMA

continued from page 1

inform the public of crime in or around campus.”

On Tuesday, CSULB Student Life and Development Director Brett Waterfield confirmed that Kappa Sigma was suspended until further notice while the Long Beach Police Department investigates the allegations. He also said Kappa Sigma nationals will be conducting an investigation of their own to identify components of Saturday’s party that could have led to the creation of an unsafe environment.

PROTEST

continued from page 1

McNeill said. “They’re not addressing it, and they’re blaming it on the alcohol or the victims and it’s just not supposed to be happening like this.”

After the 30 minutes of silence, the demonstrators walked down to The Nugget and circled back

www.daily49er.com

3

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

CSULB Executive Director of Media and Digital News Michael Uhlenkamp noted that it has not yet been made clear whether the alleged perpetrator was a member of the fraternity.

Kappa Sigma is the third campus fraternity to be suspended this academic year. Last semester, Sigma Alpha Epsilon was suspended after reports of two sexual assaults were reported. In the same semester, Sigma Pi was suspended for repeated domestic complaints from the community.

Waterfield said Sigma Alpha Epsilon has been formally disbanded as of this week by their national council for violating codes of conduct, but Sigma Pi will be reinstituted to good standing next semester.

Without Sigma Alpha Epsilon, the CSULB Interfraternity Council will recognize twelve official fraternal organizations as being part of the Greek community.

When a fraternity is suspended from campus, all organized activity must cease and desist until the chapter is fully reinstated. On Tuesday, Kappa Sigma preemptively canceled two philanthropy events that were scheduled for this week before school officials could issue a cease and desist letter to bring chapter activity to a halt, according to Waterfield.

There were plans for a petting zoo to be brought to the Kappa Sigma house on Wednesday afternoon, with entry fees being donated to Wounded Warriors, and a Greek soccer tournament to be held on Satur-

day afternoon with team entry fees also being donated.

Interfraternity Council, an executive council comprised of academic advisors and student representatives from a variety of fraternities that oversee the goings-on of each chapter, handle any and all disciplinary action that needs to be taken in response to infractions.

One chapter president, speaking under condition of anonymity, said that presidents across IFC were encouraged not to comment on the issues surrounding Kappa Sigma while there is an ongoing investigation.

James Conley also contributed to this article.

around past the bookstore and up the corridor to the library. As they marched, they came into contact with Tau Kappa Epsilon, who were also set up on campus to spread awareness of sexual assault.

Tau Kappa Epsilon asked students and fellow fraternity members to take a pledge against sexual assault. They also shared resources which assist anyone who has ever been sexually assaulted before.

John Broadway, a third year journalism major and president of Tau Kappa Epsilon, said that the fraternity has been promoting awareness of sex-

ual assault for the past three years. The fact that the event took place right after the news of the past weekend is completely coincidental, Broadway said.

“We do this event every semester,” Broadway said. “We just happened to have it on a date right after that whole thing happened.”

According to Broadway, Tau Kappa Epsilon reached out to other fraternities before the event and asked for support to help make a stand. He said some members of Kappa Sigma, Phi Kappa Alpha, and Theta Chi showed up to support

the event.

“When [sexual assault] happens, it doesn’t just make one fraternity look bad, it makes us all look bad, so we’re hoping to make a stand and make a difference,” Broadway said. “There’s been a lot of incidents in the Greek system where there’s been sexual assault so we just wanted to take a stand against that and show that it’s not how we all are.”

Available resources on campus for student survivors of sexual assault include Not Alone at the Beach and Counseling and Psychological Services.

got opinions?

politics.gover nment.lear n.presidential.candidates.celebrity.audit.money.finances.majors.department.professors.schedule.work.paycheck.taxes.budgetcuts.news.media.life.sex.entertainment.relationship.need.politics.government.politics. learn.presidential.candidates.celebrity.technology.family.tests.life.publicschool.tuition.personal.education.books.health.science.sex.enter tai nm ent. re lat ionship.need.politics. gover n men t. p r o fes s o r s. li fe. email opedD49er@gmail.com

4

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

www.daily49er.com

ArtsnlifeD49er@gmail.com

Arts & Life

‘Love is Not Illegal’ tries to open borders An event hosted by FUEL hopes to invite the undocumented campus community to a night of song, rap or poetry.

By Miranda Andrade-Ceja Arts & Life Editor

Amidst the clatter and ever-present level of noise at the intimate Cal State Long Beach venue The Nugget, undocumented students stand at the forefront of the stage to deliver self-written songs, raps and poems.

The fourth annual open mic event entitled “Love is Not Illegal” was put on by the Cal State Long Beach organization Future Educated Undocumented Leaders. The event offered undocumented students in the CSULB community to step out of the

shadows for a night of sung and spoken words.

Tailored toward undocumented students at CSULB, the event is intended to reach out to the expansive population of undocumented students on campus. However, membership officer of FUEL Jose Urias said that the event was open to any student who wished to tell their stories through any artistic means.

“FUEL is all about being able to express your feelings, for the open mic night you can share your stories,” Urias said. “If you’re an undocumented student, you can share your story about how you came to the U.S. or if you had any issues you might have dealt with, with being undocumented. But it’s not limited just to that.”

The event lasted for two hours, and despite the noisy atmosphere of the late-night Nugget crowd, students participating in the open mic entered and left the stage in a boom of communal applause from the audience.

Gabriel Avile performs inside the Nugget Pub and Grill Tuesday at the FUEL open mic.

Johnny Romero | Daily 49er

Soulection returns the love to its roots Record label panel hopes to inspire listeners

By Jorge Paniagua Staff Writer

Johnny Romero | Daily 49er

A group of panelists at Beachpride event “Soulection” speak to the crowd about the journey they took to get where they are at the USU Beach Auditorium Tuesday.

TEST PREPARATION WORKSHOPS

GRE LSAT GMAT SAT CBEST

CSET R IC A

As educators, we know that great teachers make for great classes so our philosophy has always been to use fully credentialed teachers with advanced or specialized

$280-$470 (Materials Included) REPEAT FOR FREE Programs Offered By:

California State University Long Beach Continuing and Professional Education 562-985-5561 • www.ccpe.csulb.edu BTPS TESTING 800-426-2769 • www.btpstesting.com

Record label Soulection returned to its humble KBeach Radio origins at Cal State Long Beach.

Sponsored by Beach Pride, the Soulection Panel took place Tuesday and invited the record label members to not only share their experiences, but inspire the audience to pursue their own business ambitions through dedication and constant determination.

Soulection is an acclaimed Long Beach-based record label that holds an array of disc jockeys who collaborate with one another as well as create individually.

A panel consisting of co-founder Joe Kay, director of strategic communications Jacqueline Schneider and DJs LAKIM and Andres Uribe told a packed audience how the one-time university broadcasters blew up while recording for KBeach radio. The four speakers elaborated on the need for hard work when trying to pursue business goals.

“In order to have longevity, you have to start a real business,” Kay said, elaborating on his experience moving forward with his projects to reach a larger audience by quitting his job at ASI in order to pursue his shared vision.

The members of Soulection spoke for two hours at the panel and accepted questions from the audience throughout the event.

Soulection’s visit provided both a look into how a local name became a global company and offered advice for those who want to succeed in an impacted industry.

GOT AN OPINION? LET US KNOW OPEDD49ER@GMAIL.COM

Opinions

OpedD49er@gmail.com

5

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

www.daily49er.com

The calendar is whitewashed enough Black History Month was designed to counter the white ethnocentric view of American history.

By Micayla Vermeeren Opinions Editor

T

here seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding of Black History Month and why we as Americans need to recognize it — teaching history from a white perspective is America’s default.

According to Washington Post, an educational video explaining the idea of structural racism providing more opportunities for white Americans was banned after backlash from students and their families flooded districts.

Believe it or not, America is not completely white. Neither are the people our Founding Fathers wholly abused to make their dream nation a reality.

Black History Month isn’t around to glorify black history and elevate it above all other aspects of history, but rather give recognition to the chapters of our past that often get glossed over.

Not only were Native Americans slaughtered by the thousands, with survivors usually relocating out of their territory to create plots of land deemed suitable for development, but

B

asic math says U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders should be ahead in the delegate count, except he is not.

According to Bloomberg, Hillary Clinton won the Iowa primary by .3 percent, with 52 delegates at stake.

Bernie Sanders won the New Hampshire primary by 22.4 percent, with 32 delegates at stake.

Each state has superdelegates that are allowed to vote for any candidate they wish. That’s right, they do not have to cast their vote based on the wishes of the people, and they can change their mind. In fact, a con-

Olivier Douliery | A baca P ress | TNS

Black History: The exhibit on the Emancipation Proclamation is seen at the National Museum of American History, which is the temporary home of the African American Museum in Washington, D.C., December 13, 2012.

the slave trade brought millions of Africans to the New World to be exploited for back-breaking physical labor and domestic toil.

With children’s books like “A Birthday Cake for George Washington” framing slaves as happy-go-lucky domestic servants with deep emotional attachments to their masters and a textbook still being used in 276 Texas school districts calling slaves nothing more than “work-

siderable portion of superdelegates have already pledged their vote to Secretary Clinton. They have done this even before their states have held a primary.

As it stands, Hillary Clinton has 394 delegate votes and Bernie Sanders has 44 delegate votes.

There are 4,325 delegates not yet allocated and 2,382 pledges are needed in order to win the nomination.

Why is this not being vigorously covered in the media?

Why do we continue to use a truly

Editor-in-Chief eicd49er@gmail.com (562) 985-7998

Madison D’Ornellas Managing Editor managingd49er@gmail.com

LETTER

NEWS

Daily 49er Greg Diaz

ers,” it can be hard to remember what, or who, really built America.

I can understand the arguments that if the black population gets a month of their own to acknowledge their contributions to history, all minority groups should. But, most do have an equivalent month throughout the year, though they may not all be as publicized as Black History Month. November is Native American Heritage

FROM THE

‘S EDITOR MOTHER archaic and rigged system? How can every vote count if some of the delegates are allowed to vote against the populous in their state?

I understand the need for delegates and electors when we traveled by horse and buggy. I do not understand

Editorial Office

Sports Editor Josh Barajas sportsd49er@gmail.com

Trang Le Emilio Aldea Liam Brown Yasmin Cortez Kevin Flores Johnny Romero

Opinions Editor Micayla Vermeeren opedd49er@gmail.com

Editorials: All opinions expressed in the columns, letters and cartoons in this issue are those of the writers or artists. The opinions of the Daily 49er 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 49er.

—Tammy Sawyer

Phone (562) 985-8001 Fax (562) 985-1740

Design Adviser Gary Metzker Content Adviser Barbara Kingsley-Wilson Photo Editor Design Editor Copy Editor Social Media Editor Special Projects Editor Exec. Video Producer

I have always told my children: Take what I did right, and carry it forward, take what I did wrong, and do it better.

Shouldn’t all of humanity do the same? There is always room for improvement. Nothing and no one is perfect, but shouldn’t we always strive to be our best selves?

Our political system needs a serious overhaul. Every single person needs to cast a ballot. Let all of our voices be heard.

We cannot and should not be denied the right to elect our officials.

Business Office

Beverly Munson (562) 985-5736

1250 Bellflower Blvd., LA4-201 Long Beach, CA 90840-4601

Arts and Life Editor Miranda Andrade-Ceja artsnlifed49er@gmail.com

the need for them in modern times. We have the computer technology to truly make every single vote count. We should be electing all of our officials by popular vote, especially our president.

True democracy is a government voted in by the people. How dare anyone tell a voter, ‘You did it wrong, so I will fix it.’

We are not children. We have a right to be heard and represented. Is this really the best we can do?

I don’t believe it is.

General Manager

Phone (562) 985-8000 Fax (562) 985-7994

News Editor Ariana Sawyer cityd49er@gmail.com

Month, while Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month occurs in May and Hispanic Heritage Month is honored from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

The general public just doesn’t like to acknowledge them, for whatever reason.

And, no, there isn’t a specific Caucasian/White Heritage or History Month. There is just no reason for one to exist. In fact, the entire reason race-specific representation months

exist is because those avenues of the past are so rarely traversed in standard history lessons.

If African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans and Asian-Americans were thoroughly integrated into curriculums and common knowledge, we as a population wouldn’t need to set aside specific times to give them the credit they deserve in our collective past.

Historians often say that history is written by the victors, and in no minced terms, white Americans made sure they were victorious in the early days of our formation. The narratives providing the foundation for the way American history were told almost exclusively by white men, especially before the turn of the new millennium.

Even in the modern day, there are subtle reminders that whiteness is America’s default setting when sharing history. Literature classes revolve almost exclusively around white authors, unless there is a section of the curriculum dedicated to more “ethnic” pieces.

So, maybe we should shift our focus to empowering the minorities that are only given one-twelfth of the year to be recognized as players in American history. Maybe we should start to actively break down the walls that keep them in “other” categories.

And maybe, just maybe, we should stop trying to make White History Month happen.

1250 Bellflower Blvd., LA4-203A Long Beach, CA 90840-4601

Assistant News Editor Assistant News Editor Assistant Sports Editor Assistant Arts & Life Editor Assistant Design Editor Assistant Design Editor Assistant Photo Editor Assistant Social Media Editor Assistant Copy Editor

Valerie Osier Abilene Carrillo William Hernandez Shawnkira Sanchez Lindsey Maeda Lindsay Peters Bobby Yagake Armando Jacobo Alisia Ruble

Letters Policy: All letters and e-mail must bear the phone number of the writer and must be no more than 300 words. The Daily 49er reserves the right to edit letters for publication in regard to space.

6

Sports

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

BLAIR

continued from page 8

“We’re using a shotgun approach,” Stickney said. “We’re hitting the masses and we launched a marketing campaign around Blair Field and distributing the information. We’ve been very intentional about getting the word out.”

Stickney said that Cal State Long Beach students won’t pay an athletics fee for the Blair Field upgrades, all the renovations will be funded 100 percent by donations.

The new renovations are the first since the city of Long Beach invested $1.4 million to upgrade the stadium in 1992. Those renovations included new seats, a new roof, new paint, a new backstop and Triple A-standard lighting. The Dirtbags moved into the stadium the following year.

The donations this time around have come largely from Marilyn Bohl and former Dirtbag Troy Tulowitzki, who donated $1 million each.

Former Dirtbag and current Angels’ pitcher Jered Weaver donated $500,000 and Tampa Bay Rays’ Evan Longoria donated $100,000. Another former player, who chose to remain

anonymous, donated an additional $100,000.

“I’m extremely humbled and grateful,” Buckley said. “They have a lot of buckets to fill. They’ve given a huge amount of money back to a program I believe they had a good time at and they respected and that they want to see do well. We are extremely fortunate.”

This is the largest donation the athletic program has received since the Bickerstaff family donated $2 million to help upgrade facilities in the Walter Pyramid in 2012. “[Former players] have wanted to do it instead of being pushed in to do it,” Buckley said. “That’s what I feel good about. I never once asked them for this, that or the other. They know what we’re doing and they’ve graciously gave us money.”

Along with the cosmetics of the renovations, junior shortstop Garrett Hampson is excited that ex-players that walked the same field are giving back.

“It’s special,” Hampson said.

“When you’re part of a program that people, who aren’t part of it this year, want to give back is pretty cool. It makes us want to win for them.”

Stickney said LBSU is still looking for donations to complete the Blair Field renovations. He said the six and seven-figure donations have been helpful, but any amount is welcome.

Sportsd49er@gmail.com

$17 million renovation plan Blair Field

$10,950,000

Ball park Main entrance/plaza Practice field Dugouts Visiting team locker room Bullpens Press box 3rd base picnic patio Umpire dressing room 26 superboxes

Club house

$5,550,000

Team building Meeting room Lounge and pavilion Outdoor deck Patio area Dirtbags locker room Coaches’ offices Training room 35 lockers

Troy and Danyll Tulowitzki Batting Facility

$400,000

List of major donors Marilyn Bohl

$1 million

Troy Tulowitzki

$1 million

Jered Weaver

$500,000

Evan Longoria

$100,000 An artist’s rendering of the completed renovations at Blair Field.

LBSU Athletics

Anonymous former Dirtbag

$100,000

D i d yo u k n ow t h e Daily 49er has a Yo u Tu b e c h a n n e l? ?

YOUTUBE.COM/VIDEOD49ER

Sports

Sportsd49er@gmail.com

BASEBALL

continued from page 8 collected the freshman pitcher of the year award in 2015.

Although all eyes are on Hampson and Mathewson in 2016, each player mentioned a few teammates fans at Blair Field should keep an eye on.

“I want to see what [sophomore outfielder] Brock Lundquist does this year,” Mathewson said. “[I also want to see sophomore infielder] Luke Rasmussen and [infielder] Jarren Duran. [Duran] is a freshman, he’s a new guy, but he’s got some speed so I’m excited to see what he can do.”

Lundquist will take his place in left field and at the heart of the lineup after a strong offensive showing in 2015

where had a .289 batting average, 19 RBIs and three home runs.

Rasmussen will also anchor the lineup as the designated hitter after smashing a team-leading six home runs and a .315 batting average.

Duran will likely start at second base and his speed will make him the leadoff man. Senior infielder Zack Domingues will take over at third base and junior transfer Lucas Tancas and freshman Garrett Nelson are competing to start at first.

Sophomore Tristan Mercadel made 41 starts in the outfield in 2015, but sophomore Joey Sanchez will vie for playing time at center field. Senior outfielder Zack Rivera, who led the team with 26 RBI last season, will remain the starter in right field.

“I’m excited to watch [sophomore pitcher] Darren McCaughan,” Hamp-

son said. “I think he’s had a really good fall and kind of just taken good steps forward. He grew, added some weight and he has really fine-tuned a lot of his pitching mechanics.”

With the Friday starter position filled, the Saturday and Sunday starter spots are up for grabs. McCaughan started three games last season and made the majority of his appearances out of the bullpen. Senior right-handers Tanner Brown and Ryan Cruz are starters from last season still on the roster and are likely to make multiple starts this year.

Lastly, senior Eric Hutting will remain as LBSU’s primary catcher and senior right-hander Ty Provencher will stay as the Dirtbags’ closer.

The Dirtbags will field their first nine starters of the season on Friday at Blair Field against Holy Cross at 6 p.m.

Projected Starting Lineup

LF 1B SS

7

CF 2B C SP

RF 3B DH

BROCK LUNDQUIST SOPHOMORE

TRISTAN MERCADEL SOPHOMORE

ZACK RIVERA SENIOR

LUCAS TANCAS JUNIOR

JARREN DURAN FRESHMAN

ZACK DOMINGUES SENIOR

GARRETT HAMPSON JUNIOR

ERIC HUTTING SENIOR

LUKE RASMUSSEN SOPHOMORE

CHRIS MATHEWSON SOPHOMORE * Paid Advertisement *

America – Good or Bad? What your Teachers will not tell you Dr. George A. Kuck (galbertk@aol.com) This advertisement draws heavily upon Prager University internet lectures. Have we been a force for good or bad in the world?

President Obama and the Left want to fundamentally transform America because they see America as a flawed country no better than other countries. They believe our flaws to be many and that we are morally inferior to other countries. Since we were founded by white rich males, they believe our founders wanted to protect their privileges and enslave others.

The left views us as sexist, intolerant, xenophobic, homophobic, racist, bigoted (SIXHRB), unacceptably rich and divided into the rich and poor. This is the view of Howard Zinn who wrote a textbook you may have used. These views are negative, biased and incorrect.

Conservatives agree with Abraham Lincoln – we are the “Last Best Hope of the Earth.”

The United States has flaws but we have given more people with different backgrounds more opportunity, freedom, and affluence than any other country. When we fight a war, we fight for freedom, not tyranny. We had 750,00 Americans die in our Civil War to destroy slavery.

We had 118,000 Americans die in World War I and over 450,000 dead in World War II to keep democracies free. We asked only for a small plot of ground to bury our dead.

The United States was one of the first countries to abolish slavery. Our navy helped to destroy the slave trade. When America withdraws from the world, slavery increases as has happened under ISIL and in Africa.

Conservatives work to improve our society where necessary. We know that the SIXHRB charge is false. We welcome and integrate into society more immigrants than any other country in the world. Women and minorities run our major corporations and have risen to the top of government power. Our goal as Conservatives is to conserve America’s unique greatness and not conform it to unattainable socialist ideals.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Dirtbags Schedule Date

02/19/16 02/20/16 02/21/16 02/23/16 02/26/16 02/27/16 02/28/16 03/01/16 03/04/16 03/05/16 03/06/16 03/07/16 03/11/16 03/12/16 03/13/16 03/15/16 03/17/16 03/18/16 03/19/16 03/20/16 03/24/16 03/25/16 03/26/16 03/29/16 04/01/16 04/02/16 04/03/16 04/05/16 04/08/16 04/09/16 04/10/16 04/15/16 04/16/16 04/17/16 04/19/16 04/22/16 04/23/16 04/24/16 04/26/16 04/29/16 04/30/16 05/01/16 05/03/16 05/06/16 05/07/16 05/08/16 05/13/16 05/14/16 05/15/16 05/17/16 05/20/16 05/21/16 05/22/16 05/26/16 05/27/16 05/28/16

Opponent

vs. Holy Cross vs. Holy Cross vs. Holy Cross at UCLA vs. Arizona State vs. Arizona State vs. Arizona State vs. USC vs. Nebraska vs. Nebraska vs. Nebraska vs. Fresno State at Oklahoma at Oklahoma at Oklahoma vs. Loyola Marymount vs. Columbia vs. Columbia vs. Columbia vs. Columbia at Cal State Fullerton at Cal State Fullerton at Cal State Fullerton at Fresno State vs. UC Santa Barbara * vs. UC Santa Barbara * vs. UC Santa Barbara * at San Diego State at Cal State Northridge * at Cal State Northridge * at Cal State Northridge * vs. UC Irvine * vs. UC Irvine * vs. UC Irvine * at USC at UC Riverside * at UC Riverside * at UC Riverside * vs. San Diego State vs. Cal Poly * vs. Cal Poly * vs. Cal Poly * vs. UCLA at Hawai’i * at Hawai’i * at Hawai’i * vs. San Jose State vs. San Jose State vs. San Jose State at Loyola Marymount at UC Davis * at UC Davis * at UC Davis * vs. Cal State Fullerton * vs. Cal State Fullerton * vs. Cal State Fullerton *

Location

Long Beach Long Beach Long Beach Los Angeles Long Beach Long Beach Long Beach Long Beach Long Beach Long Beach Long Beach Long Beach Norman, Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma Long Beach Long Beach Long Beach Long Beach Long Beach Fullerton Fullerton Fullerton Fresno Long Beach Long Beach Long Beach San Diego Northridge Northridge Northridge Long Beach Long Beach Long Beach Los Angeles Riverside Riverside Riverside Long Beach Long Beach Long Beach Long Beach Long Beach Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu, Hawaii Long Beach Long Beach Long Beach Los Angeles Davis Davis Davis Long Beach Long Beach Long Beach

Time

6:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 1:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 1:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 11:30 A.M. 6:00 P.M. 4:00 P.M. 12:00 P.M. 12:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 1:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 7:00 P.M. 1:00 P.M. 6:05 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 1:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 3:00 P.M. 1:00 P.M. 1:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 1:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 1:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 1:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 9:35 P.M. 9:35 P.M. 4:05 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 1:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 2:30 P.M. 1:00 P.M. 1:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M.

* denotes Big West conference matchup A ll times Pacific Standard

8

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Sports

Sportsd49er@gmail.com

PLAY BALL The Long Beach State Dirtbags hope to get a $17 million renovation of Blair Field.

By Matt Simon Staff Writer

B

lair Field, the Long Beach State baseball team’s home for the past 23 years, is undergoing a facelift after the program secured funds to kickstart renovations to the stadium.

The project is estimated to cost $17 million in total and about $2.8 million has been raised so far.

“It’s going to take some time,” head coach Troy Buckley said. “It’s not cheap, so I think overall it’s exciting and you’ve been to Blair Field and you’ve been talking about this thing for six years and you walk into the park; you’re going to see something and that is huge for the momentum for what we’re doing.”

Phase one is currently underway, which includes the new outfield fence. According to the Blair Field Campaign website, there will be a total of four phases throughout the renovation.

“I think it’s a long time coming,” Buckley said. “We’ve been talking about this since I [became] head coach and we’ve been extremely fortunate to have some really generous donors.”

Senior Associate Athletic Director of Major Gifts Wayne Stickney said this project will be made possible by spreading the word everywhere and letting people know that LBSU is looking for donors.

see BLAIR, page 6

Opening Day LBSU vs. Holy Cross Friday at 6 p.m.

Blair Field

Trang L e | Daily 49er

Former Big West freshmen of the the year award winners, junior shortstop Garrett Hampson (left) and sophomore pitcher Chris Mathewson (right), will lead the Long Beach State Dirtbags in 2016.

With the season two days away, two of LBSU’s biggest stars take a look at their team in 2016.

By Josh Barajas Sports Editor

W

ith baseball season just around the foul pole, the weather in Long Beach isn’t the only thing heating up.

The Long Beach State Dirtbags’ season opener against Holy Cross is on Friday and a couple of players are anxious to begin playing for real. “[I’m mostly excited about] getting to play someone else, somebody with a different uniform,” junior shortstop Garrett Hampson said. “It’s kind of a long fall and winter and so that first time when you see a different team over there with different colors it’s kind of fun.”

Sophomore pitcher Chris Mathewson is equally eager for the Holy Cross series, but the right-hander will be more interested in his own dugout on Friday.

“I’m excited to see what [our] team could do,” Mathewson said. “We got a really, really good, strong team this year.”

Hampson and Mathewson are the Dirtbags’ star players this year. Both are entering the season as Louisville Preseason All-American Third-Team selections and both have Big West Player of the Year accolades under their belts. Hampson, LBSU’s starting shortstop, was the freshman of the year in 2014 and Mathewson, this season’s Friday night starter,

see BASEBALL, page 7