CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH
VOL. LXVIX, ISSUE 48 | FEBRUARY 14, 2018
LONG BEACH
Advocates begin crusade for rent control Activists hope to bypass elected officials and have residents help enable protections for renters. By Carlos Villicana Special Projects Editor
Huddling together under the shade of trees at MacArthur Park, about 80 Long Beach residents
gathered Sunday to launch a campaign to bring rent control to the city. The #RentControlNow Coalition, which consists of groups such as Housing Long Beach and the Long Beach Gray Panthers, hosted the event and submitted an intent to circulate a petition to get rent control on the election ballots in November 2018. The ordinance would enact a limit on rent increases for units in Long Beach, except “those exempt under the Costa-Hawkins
Rental Housing Act and certain small second dwelling units,” according to the initiative. It would also include the formation of a mayor-appointed board the city council would have to approve, which would preside over rent adjustments and enforce “just cause for eviction” requirements. Josh Butler, executive director of Housing Long Beach, said the petition needs to be signed by 10 percent of registered voters in Long Beach in order to end up on the ballot. That would be about
27,000 voters, though Butler said they’re looking to get 28,000 signatures to definitively surpass the requirement. The coalition has 180 days to meet that goal. “[The city council] has made comments that don’t seem like they support the idea of rent control,” Butler said. “That’s a big reason why we’re going to the voters directly.” Those gathered at the park consisted of people volunteering to collect signatures for the petition, as well people signing
the petition and others opposing the ordinance. One of the 80 people who arrived was resident and renter Victor Pearson, who signed the petition in the hope of getting rent control implemented in Long Beach. “Last year my rent was $900 a month,” Pearson said. “Then I get a letter saying it’s going up to $1,200. I have 30 days to come up with the extra $300 per month. see RENT, page 3
FUNDING
$60,000 “Go Beach” installation came from construction bond
D49er
The $26 million from the state was allocated to repair and renovate campus’ framework. By James Chow
Senior News Assistant
we want to educate them with, ‘Okay, this is how you correctly use a condom.’” Girling says the booth will be offering free condoms and safer sex materials, such as oral sex barriers, and will be doing a game centered around the male and female condom models in which the contestants can win prizes, including candy to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Although safe sex might be considered a sensitive subject for some, students around campus
Contrary to popular belief, no student fees were spent to build the 6-foot, concrete gold-cast “Go Beach” letters near Brotman Hall. The new “Go Beach” letters were erected the first week of school and stand 6 feet tall by the west turnaround as a byproduct of a $26 million campuswide utility infrastructure project, which was fully compensated by a state bond. According to Mark Zakhour, director of design and construction services, the campus was required to replace rusted, leaky water pipes that were once underneath the west turnaround. Zakhour said the old water pipes were inefficient in providing heating and cooling in a timely fashion. Instead of replacing the wall that once stood in that area, the university and facilities representatives opted to put up the seven letters as a designated “selfie-central” for passersby as well as provide a site that offers shady seating areas and WiFi. The implementation of the letters came to be as part of a way to save money and “enhance the student experience,” Zakhour said. The funds for the infrastructure projects on campus come primarily from state bonds. Tony Malagrino, interim associate vice president for
see CONDOMS, page 3
see CAMPUS, page 2
Photo illustration by Sabrina Flores | Daily 49er
HEALTH
THAT’S A WRAP Students can come and learn about safe sex during National Condom Day. By Grant Hermanns Staff Writer
Valentine’s Day is a day which lovers have classically celebrated by showering each other with red roses, heart-shaped chocolate boxes and heartfelt cards. Student Health Services urges students to add safe sex
to that tradition. National Condom Day is an annual demonstration put on by SHS to help students prepare for a healthy and consensual holiday. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Maxson Plaza outside of Brotman Hall, and will include a booth with activities and panels to encourage the use of condoms. Some of these booths will hand out free condoms, both male and female, to those in attendance, as well as feature anatomical models to illustrate proper use both types of con-
doms. Heidi Girling, health educator and coordinator for the Health Resource Center, has been in charge of the National Condom Day event on campus for six years. Girling is carrying two goals going into this event for students to take away from. “The [first] goal is to educate about safer sex practices, and the second goal would be to teach students how to correctly use condoms,” Girling said. “Obviously many students want to be safer and they want to use the condoms, but sometimes they don’t have the education, so
2 NEWS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM
Hunter Lee | Daily 49er
New waste bins seen on the first floor of the University Library. The “zero waste stations” have been added as part of the Office of Sustainability’s Waste Not project.
FACILITIES
Waste not, want not Zero Waste Stations added to the library to help achieve zero-waste-goal. By Sahara Barba
Contributing Writer
In an attempt to become more eco-friendly, a new project called “Waste Not” was implemented this semester by the Office of Sustainability to achieve a goal of zero waste by 2030. The “Zero Waste Stations,” similar to those in the University Student Union, are labeled with either “compost,” “recycle,” or “landfill” icons to help students organize their waste. However, the project is already facing a few challenges that must be resolved if it is to continue. Part of the
problem is confusion among students who have been unintentionally sorting waste in the wrong bin. Even students who try to sort their trash properly are confused about which bin they should use. “Sometimes I would dispose of my trash in the wrong bin unintentionally,” said senior english major Soun Oeng. “The pictures do help, but I do think it can be kind of overwhelming, because there’s a lot of information to inform you how to throw away your trash.” Though waste hauler company Athens and compost facility American Organics haven’t actually mentioned cutting off their partnership with the university, sustainability coordinator Holli Fajack still expressed her concern. Fajack said that if Athens takes a bag of waste to American Organics only to
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be told that it’s non-compostable, the companies may decide that doing business with the university is more trouble than it’s worth. The issue that the Office of Sustainability is facing is the fine line between providing too much sorting instruction on the Zero Waste Stations and not enough. Veronica Salcido, a sophomore marketing major, thinks that the bins are labeled clearly, but it takes more effort to separate waste correctly. “I think if they expand [the Zero Waste Stations] to the entire campus, it will force people to take the few extra seconds,” Salcido said. “Once it becomes normal, people won’t even think about it and it won’t be as much of a hassle.” Senior film major Erika Jenkins would like to see an educational course. She believes that if students understood how to organize their waste on campus, it would leave a positive impact on Long Beach. “If you’ve been to the beach, then you know that it’s really bad out there,” Jenkins said. Long Beach isn’t the only California State University working toward zero waste. In the 2014 CSU Sustainability Report, a policy was announced requiring campuses to strive for an 80 percent decrease in waste by 2020, but achieving zero waste is a task that several campuses in the university system have yet to set a deadline for. Cal State Los Angeles has its own program, but aims to move to zero waste by 2036. Other campuses such as Northridge, Channel Islands and Monterey Bay are working toward reducing waste, but not necessarily eliminating it entirely. The waste stations will branch out to the rest of campus over a three-year period. Until then, the Office of Sustainability is monitoring the usage of the bins to figure out how to make the program run most effectively. Students can reduce, reuse and recycle, but according to Fajack, it’s more important that they learn how to rethink what they should and should not be consuming.
CAMPUS
continued from page 1 physical planning & facilities management, confirmed the cost of the seven “Go Beach” letters to be $60,000. The cost came as part of the state allocation for infrastructure funds. “Not a dollar [of student fees] was used for the ‘Go Beach’ letters,” Zakhour said. Within the state allocation, the university has also committed to putting in a new line of reclaimed water and fixing the storm drains streaming from behind Family and Consumer services to the creek by the College of Continuing and Professional Education. Currently, the campus has three ongoing construction projects: a campuswide utility infrastructure project; the renovation of Peterson Hall with the addition of the student success center; and the creation of a new classroom building in the College of Continuing and Professional Education. The $44 million renovation of Peterson Hall is part of a separate funding allocation by the state and by donor Bob Murphy. The disabled student center within the new success center will be rebranded as the Murphy Access Center. According to Zakhour, the project is slated to finish by December 2018 and will be open the following spring semester. Although many students find this new hallmark on campus gravitating, not all were accepting. Holly Frazier, a senior education major, said she was not fond of barless “A” letter, which is also being promoted on university athletic jerseys. “Well the ‘A’ is kind of weird,” Frazier said. “Still, it is nice they are trying to make this part of campus aesthetically pleasing.” Zakhour noted the unfavorable condition the letters initially came in. Nevertheless, the letters will continue to be repainted until they are deemed acceptable by facilities management. “When we took them off the truck with a crane, some of the paint was damaged,” Zakhour said. “So they have to go out there and repaint it before it’s accepted.” The College of Continuing and Professional Education will be paying for their new building. “Since they create their own revenue…they’re able to pool alone which is called a state revenue bond and then they pay that back over the next 30 years,” Zakhour said. The building is expected to be fully constructed by August 2018. Diego Gomez contributed to this story.
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What Your Teachers Never Taught You Who are Republicans? Dr. George A. Kuck (galbertk@aol.com)
What identifies a “Republican”? Most Republicans are conservatives. Studies show that conservatives give more money as individuals to charity than liberals at every economic level. Republicans wish to make changes slowly so that harmful dislocations can be evaluated. Thus we like change but do not wish hurt individuals by rapid changes that bring chaos. This is in contrast to most liberals who want to make the changes rapidly, overturning what is being done without understanding the harm that their changes will cause. Republicans have a big tent philosophy that includes people with three very different philosophies. The first group consists of social conservatives. We believe in the sanctity of human life and the importance of strong traditional, child centered families. The second group emphasizes fiscal discipline that will stop government generational theft from you, our children and grandchildren. In the main, we believe as a nation we must pay as we go, not charge our national credit card. The third group is both socially and economically conservative. All our members believe that the individual, not the state, is all important. Thus debate sometimes gets out of hand. Is it a good thing to have this debate? Yes, because this debate allows us to get practical solutions to national problems. Without debate, the solutions will be emotionally based, not logically based. Test your ideas. Is health insurance the same as health care? If you add 30 million patients to the system, how many new doctors do you need to keep the system from crashing? Did Obamacare increase your health care or has it harmed health care? Liberals believe in charging excess spending on a credit card ($6 Trillion in the last 4 years!) I’m afraid our current president may not be any better, however, since we are looking at another trillion dollar addition to the national debt. Thank heavens the economy is again growing at over 3% a year after 8 years of 2% growth. Who pays the debt interest? My Facebook page, “Blue Republican”, is open for civil discussions. My e-mail address is at the top of the article so you can also e-mail me. I promise to be civil and hope you will be also.
NEWS 3
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM
CONDOMS
continued from page 1
Carlos Villicana | Daily 49er
Long Beach residents line up to sign a petition by #RentControlNow at MacArthur Park on Sunday. The petition is aimed at getting rent control to be added to the election ballots this upcoming November.
RENT
continued from page 1 Then, on top of that, if I couldn’t pay the rent I had to give the landlord a 60-day notice which was also difficult to do.” Pearson explained that providing that notice would have been difficult because he would have been required to pay $1,200 in rent for those 60 days. “Low-income people should have some type of right to prevent them from being inadver-
tently or abusively kicked out of their residence with the inability to find adequate housing,” Pearson declared during the event. Opposers to rent control present at the event included Better Housing for Long Beach, broker Robert Fox and Long Beach resident Robert Peete. Better Housing members placed anti-rent control fliers on vehicle windows, while Peete voiced his feelings via megaphone. Fox stood silently at a distance from the rent control advocates. The fliers circulated by Better
Housing for Long Beach said that rent control “puts small mom and pop property owners out of business,” “kills jobs,” “increases rents,” “displaces tenants” and “creates homelessness.” Both Fox and Peete expressed similar feelings, with Fox adding a concern that property owners would sell their buildings to developers due to fear of losing potential profits from rent. “Those are my own opinions [about rent control] but if someone comes up with a better method, I’ll listen to them,” Fox
Counselors Unlock
True Potential Tony Morrow has one goal for the students of Fallbrook High School— graduate ready for what comes next. With his guidance, young scholars and families put their plans for the future into action.
said. The Daily 49er reached out to Josh Butler about how many signatures were obtained as of Sunday, but he was not able to reply. If the petition meets its signature requirement, the ordinance will be placed on ballots in November, where voters will decide if it will be implemented across the city. The ordinance can be read in full online by searching for the “Long Beach Fair Rent, Just Cause for Eviction and Homeowner Protection Ordinance.”
agree it’s important to discuss and educate themselves on. “I can see it as something that’s probably hard to do, because it is embarrassing for a lot of people,” said Josh Pickett, first year graduate student majoring in science and counseling. “But I think it’s one of those things that goes unspoken most of the time, but is just really important, and I applaud the people doing it.” Pickett won’t be able to attend the event himself, but he does believe other students should attend to learn more about practicing safe sex. Melida Villalobos, a second-year psychology major, believes the event is a “positive thing” for those on campus. “Everybody should have that [proper condom use] visual,” Villalobos laughed. “I think many people don’t know how to put it on. Overall, many people are not informed well, so it’d be better [for them] to have something like that [event].” Villalobos said that free condoms are a great incentive to attend the event, as some people “don’t want to go out and buy them.” She noted condoms’ importance in preventing pregnancy and against sexually transmitted diseases.
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4 ARTS & LIFE
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | ARTSNLIFED49ER@GMAIL.COM
HOLIDAY
Good Valentimes, bad Valentimes Our staff reflects on some of their fondest memories — sarcasm implied.
time it literally makes me want to puke. Also I still had braces on, so that sours the memory even more. Jade Inglada, Design Editor I wish I had some kind of Valentine’s Day story to share, but I’ve never confessed to anyone around this time of year, nor has anyone tried to surprise me. I don’t think it’s totally bad though — there’s something about grand romantic gestures being tied to this specific day that doesn’t sound appealing.
By The Daily 49er Editorial Board
Every February, shelves are filled and subliminal messages are sent telling us one thing: Valentine’s Day is upon us. Some people love it, some people hate it. Turns out most people in the newsroom hate it — maybe the ink is getting to us. No matter your feelings about the holiday, almost everyone has an embarrassing memory to look back on. Sabrina Flores, Assistant Photo Editor Cue the dark clouds and dismal music — Valentine’s Day is by far my least favorite holiday, saved only by the fact that my mom buys me chocolate every year. When I was in the fourth grade, she bought me a plethora
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While some people approach Valentine’s Day with a Spongebob attitude, others feel more aligned with Squidward on this holiday.
of FunDip candies to distribute to my entire class. I dutifully passed out my delicious FunDips, only to have my crush snap his dipstick and toss his packet in the trash. Needless to say, this definitely set the
mood for the day for the rest of my adult years. Hunter Lee, Photo Editor Not necessarily a bad story but during my freshman year
of high school I went out with this girl I had been talking to. We went on a date to the park to have lunch and I had made a pizza with pepperoni spelling out “BE MY GF?” She said yes, but every time I think of that
Kevin Colindres, Assistant Sports Editor I fell in love with basketball when I was a young boy. Every Valentine’s Day I take time to appreciate the game and play all day. This year I have work, so I will have to play after. Also the Lakers play tomorrow against the Pelicans and we need that win for the playoff push. These see LOVE, page 5
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ARTS & LIFE 5
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | ARTSNLIFED49ER@GMAIL.COM
LOVE continued from page 4
short Isaiah Thomas jokes have keeping me alive. Go Lakers. Go Beach. Happy Valentine’s Day. Bobby Yagake, Multimedia Managing Editor I wanted to give my crush a Valentine’s gram when I was a high school sophomore, but I found out that she wouldn’t get it until the week after Valentine’s Day because she was attending a Model United Nations conference in Washington, D.C. I heard she received it the week she came back. I’m not sure if she felt that Valentine was a pleasant surprise or if it came out of nowhere. Samantha Diaz, Arts and Life Editor My first Valentine’s Day I was actually dating someone was in 2016, my senior year of high school. That was cool and all, but there was something much more important going on that day: the NBA All-Star Game. It was Kobe’s 18th and last All-Star appearance, so it
was a very emotional day and the guy who I was dating at the time — not a basketball fan — had to sit there and watch me watch the game and cry about Kobe. I can’t speak for the guy I was dating, but I had fun; the West won 196-173. Sarah Vehrs, Assistant News Editor There was a boy in my English class who clearly had a crush on me my freshman year of high school, and I, being single and fresh out of Catholic school, was very oblivious. Innocent me received a note on Feb. 14 that read, “will you be my Valentine?” So, I decided to say, “yes,” and oh, what a mistake. He came to school the next day with a teddy bear, which he gave to me the next day during passing period. When he handed it to me, he tried to take my hand to kiss it, but he was so stiff and uncharming, I went rigid and tried to pull my hand back because I didn’t know what was happening. He had to bend so low to kiss me because he was a foot taller and had already committed. We were both bright red after that. Christian Gonzales, Sports Editor I don’t like Valentine’s Day due to the
fact that everything is expensive. All the places to go eat are full and have a crazy wait time attached to it. What I do with my girlfriend is celebrate Valentine’s Day another day and skip all of the pricey things that are attached. Amanda Recio, Social Media Editor I once went out on a date in one of my early years of college. We went to get dinner and a movie. It had been a particularly long day of classes so I was a bit exhausted. The food coma must have been real because the next thing I know I was knocked out with my head leaned on his shoulder. I woke up after the movie ended...MORTIFIED. I apologized a bunch of times and made sure he knew it had nothing to do with him and everything to do with being in a comfortable chair in a dark room. Luckily he understood, but I make it a point never to go to the movies on a first date again. Drew Mametsuka, Assistant Design Editor My high school girlfriend planned a “special” day for me as a way to celebrate the holiday. Throughout the day she would leave little notes in my locker expressing her love toward me. I wasn’t about it.
At the end of the day, she surprised me with a cake in the shape of a heart and about five minutes later, she knocked it out of my hands as she tried to jump on my back for a piggy back ride. The force of her jumping on me and the wonders of gravity made me fall into the cake on the floor. We broke up a week later. Carlos Villicana, Special Projects Editor Valentine’s Day is a fiction used by business people to get you to buy stuff. Don’t do it. Unless you’re buying chocolates… for me. Better yet, go buy a meal for a homeless person or animal. Do something nice, don’t be a chud. James Chow, Senior News Assistant I thought Valentine’s Day was not a thing, like something that happens every four years. Oh, but happy condom day! Adriana Ramirez, Executive Video Producer I don’t have any bad Valentine’s Day memories but my most memorable one is when my date and I laid in the middle of the street. We stayed there laughing and talking for a good five minutes until a car nearly ran us over.
Please refer to www.daily49er.com to read the latest column “Negative Space: The Blank Panther.”
JOB & INTERNSHIP FAIRS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 careers.csulb.edu 562-985-4151
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22
Individuals with disabilities who need reasonable accommodations, please contact the CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTER 48 hours prior to the event. The Career Development Center is a department of the Division of Student Affairs. CSULB is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Educational Institution.
OPINIONS 6
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | OPEDD49ER@GMAIL.COM OP-ED
Ready or not, here comes Valentine’s Day When did we let this holiday of love and romance start to mean so much to us? By Sarah Amaral Staff Writer
A
ttention everyone, prepare your eyes to be overwhelmed with Instagram posts of couples “in love” and floral arrangements; it’s Valentine’s Day. As everyone around you prepares a special gift for their significant other, you might be thinking, what’s the point of Valentine’s Day anyway? Well trust me, you are not alone. While most consumers use this day to determine whether or not they hit the love lottery, most will be surprised to learn that Valentine’s Day actually comes from a violent third century ritual. According to an NPR article, in ancient Roman times, this day of love was celebrated over the course of three days in February. During this time, the Romans celebrated the Lupercalia festival, which was designed to cleanse the city of evil spirits. Men would sacrifice dogs and goats while women would wait in line to be whipped with hides, hoping this would make them fertile. Seriously. After this very romantic whipping ceremony, men would then pick a woman’s name out of a jar to determine who their lucky lady would be for the night. Now we can’t forget how we got the name Valentine, right? This beloved name came from
Daily 49er Miranda Andrade-Ceja Editor-in-Chief eicd49er@gmail.com
Mac Walby Managing Editor managingd49er@gmail.com
the execution of a priest named Valentine on Feb. 14 during third century by Emperor Claudius II. Emperor Claudius II then banned all marriages and engagements in Rome, but Valentine, decided that was an injustice and continued to marry the Romans until he was caught, thus leading to his execution on Feb. 14. His martyrdom was celebrated by the Catholic church and became Valentine’s Day! So if that doesn’t burst your bubble, you’re a true hopeless romantic and I applaud you. However, for all my realists out there, don’t be alarmed if you don’t swoon on Feb. 14, there’s a lot more of us than you think. Now, I know most people look at Valentine’s Day an opportunity to celebrate the people they love, and shower them with gifts. This is a great way to treat the people you care about! However, why is it that we only go above and beyond for our loved ones, one day out of the year? Imagine if we expressed that love every day? What a life that would be. While searching for reasons as to why some people take Valentine’s so seriously, expert Tinder sociologist Dr. Jess Carbino believes she has the answer. Her is that people’s obsession over having a partner on Valen-
“
Courtesy of Freepik.com
tine’s Day comes from a desire to be needed and cared for. Regardless of how successful their lovelife is, having a significant other on Valentine’s Day gives them a sense of validation. Now all those Instagram posts make sense, right? Sadly, it’s so far past posting a photo or a nice shoutout on Facebook, it’s become a fullblown consumer epidemic. According to Statistic Brain Research Institute an average of $13,290,000,000 is spent every year. Ladies and gentlemen, why are we allowing one day a year to determine whether or not we feel loved and appreciated? Your significant other should make
Editorial Office
News Editor Kat Schuster cityd49er@gmail.com
you feel like it’s Valentine’s every day. If you’re rockin’ the single life, know damn well that ain’t nobody going to fill that void honey. Go out there and do you! And please, don’t think I’m a jaded single girl hating on all you happy couples. I have experienced Valentine’s day single and in a relationship, and have always felt this way. So no, I am not rushing to the nearest Anti-Valentine’s Day party, or flocking to the store to buy more chocolate for my boyfriend than we’ll ever need in a lifetime, let alone one sitting. Save yourselves the money and stress this year people, treat yourself instead.
General Manager
Phone (562) 985-8000 Fax (562) 985-7994
1250 Bellflower Blvd., LA4-201 Long Beach, CA 90840-4601
Ladies and gentlemen, why are we allowing one day a year to determine whether or not we feel loved and appreciated?”
Business Office
Jennifer Newton (562) 985-5736
Phone (562) 985-8001 Fax (562) 985-1740
Design Adviser Gary Metzker Content Adviser Barbara Kingsley-Wilson
Multimedia Managing Editor Photo Editor Design Editor Arts and Life Editor Samantha Diaz Social Media Editor artsnlifed49er@gmail.com Copy Editor Exec. Video Editor Sports Editor Christian Gonzales Special Projects Editor sportsd49er@gmail.com
Robert Yagake Hunter Lee Jade Inglada Amanda Recio Nicole Fish Adriana Ramirez Carlos Villicana
1250 Bellflower Blvd., LA4-203A Long Beach, CA 90840-4601
Senior News Assistant Assistant News Editor Assistant Photo Editor Assistant Design Editor Assistant Sports Editor Assistant Sports Editor
James Chow Sarah Verhs Sabrina Flores Drew Mametsuka Luke Ramirez Kevin Colindres
Opinions Editor Daniel Green 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.
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.
SPORTS 7
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | SPORTSD49ER@GMAIL.COM Q&A
A date with head coach Dan Monson
49ers bench boss looks to lead the team back to the final round of the Big West tournament. By Kevin Colindres Assistant Sports Editor
Long Beach State men’s basketball head coach Dan Monson is in his 12th campaign for the 49ers, and is en route to having another run in the Big West tournament. The team is currently 7-3 in conference play, and tied for fourth in the Big West standings with Cal State Fullerton and UC Davis. It’s a tight-knit battle for first place, but their coach believes the team can take the top spot with five games left in the season. The Daily 49er sat down with Monson to discuss what he hopes the team can prove until the Big West tournament. Are you happy with how the team has been performing so far this season, and what are your expectations to end it? DM: Yes and no. We’re coming together. We’re doing a lot of good things. We have to guard the bounce on the perimeter better. We’ve got one big area to fill before we can get to the expectations that we want for the season. We’re just doing too many things well, but were just getting broken down off
of ball screens and off the bounce too much. What are some of the positives you’ve seen from the team this year? DM: Well, I think it’s a really talented offensive team. There’s a lot of ways for us to score. We’ve got two of the best inside players in the league. We have offensively the best tandem of Temidayo Yussuf and Gabe Levin in the post and I think it’s an unselfish team that likes each other, so there’s a lot of positives to it. We just got to show up on the defensive end a little bit. How are you guys preparing for the Big West Tournament? DM: It’s kind of unique—we have back-to-back weeks where we only have one game, so it’s a great two weeks for us to get better and to try and work on some of these things that are limiting our success. The guys are very willing and I think we’re getting better. Are there any big changes you want to see from the team as the season comes to a close? DM: Well, I think they just need to play the next play. They need to continue to work hard to get better defensively. That is what I’d like to see. Again, we’re the number one offense in the league. If we can just shore our defense up, I believe that these guys deserve some success and I think we can go all the way.
Joseph Kling | Daily 49er
Long Beach State men’s basketball head coach Dan Monson looks for an explanation in Dec. 16 game against Eastern Michigan at the Walter Pyramid.
COLUMN
Love letter to what could have been
Your heart only hurts if you are a Lakers fan. By Kevin Colindres Assistant Sports Editor
A
s I sit here at 1:43 a.m., I’ve finally built up the courage to write about the pain lingering in my heart. Let’s start with what happened
Feb. 8. It was a normal Thursday morning, and then it happened. ESPN Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski dropped a trademark “Woj-bomb” that sent my emotions into a frenzy. At 9:05 a.m., my whole world stopped when he tweeted Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. were traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. I’ve been through breakups in my life, but this went beyond anything that came before. My eyes watered up and everything seemed so dark. Going through my day was difficult. The day felt longer, my walk to the newsroom felt harder and even eating felt a lot less enjoyable. My name is Kevin Colindres, and this is my love letter to the men who stole my
heart. It was 2014 and the start of my senior year of high school when I seriously got back into watching Lakers basketball. The team was atrocious, but there was a beacon of hope: Clarkson. The Lakers had a draft day trade with the Washington Wizards that sent the 46th pick to Los Angeles. The rookie from San Antonio did not play for the first half of the season, but would get 38 starts in the last half of the year. Clarkson would average 15.8 points, 5.0 assists and
4.2 rebounds as a starter, and I fell in love. The young buck had a chip on his shoulder and it was exciting to see such a talent prosper. Like all relationships, things didn’t pan out exactly as I would have wanted, but the happy and fun moments outweighed the dark, and sometimes sad moments. Now, let’s talk about this year. For the first time in five years, I felt hopeful with how the Lakers have been playing. A lot of that had to do with how Clarkson has been as a teammate and player. We both matured together in the last four years, and it finally felt like things were going to work out between us. You know how this one ends. It wasn’t enough for me to lose just one player on Thursday; Nance Jr. was gone. A year after Clarkson was drafted, Nance Jr. would be selected with the 27th pick in the draft. The high-flying dunker quickly became a fan favorite for his scrappy play and above average defense. I’ll never forget
his dunks on Brook Lopez and David West. Larry, they were legendary. Seeing him consistently hustle like no one else was always inspiring, which motivated me in my own life when I play basketball. It took me a while to digest the trade as I went back and forth to see what was better for the team, but things only got harder when it was announced that Clarkson would wear number eight, while Nance Jr. would wear 24 to honor Kobe Bryant. The tears were back, but I told myself that it was finally time to move on and let my boys grow into their own. After seeing them play their first game in the Cleveland, I felt happy to see them succeed. Sometimes when you really love someone, you have to let them go. And that’s what I’ve learned in the past week. This has been the hardest breakup I’ve ever gone through, but I know that things are going in the right direction. Better days are ahead, with the likes of Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball, but it’s always hard to get over your first love. Hopefully in the next few weeks my days will be brighter, my walk to the newsroom will be easier and my heart will be fully healed. Love you guys.
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018
WWW.DAILY49ER.COM
Jao San Agustin Mechanical Engineering
