Daily 49er, February 19, 2018

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH

D49er

The Dirtbags opened up its 2018 season.

To see the top performers from opening weekend, see pages 6 and 7.

VOL. LXVIII, ISSUE 50 | FEBRUARY 19, 2018

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

LBSU defeats UCLA in epic matchup The 49ers remain undefeated in front of record-breaking crowd.

By Zackery Handy Staff Writer

work they have to come up with and the daunting hoops they have to jump through to even be considered for the program.

This gives us a glimpse into the reality of being a dreamer that is often brushed under the figurative rug.

The play spends a significant amount of time establishing this reality, showing the audience the lengthy application process and

The No. 1 Long Beach State men’s volleyball team remained undefeated after beating No. 2 UCLA in an electric four-set match Saturday at the Walter Pyramid.

The match took place in front of a men’s volleyball record-setting crowd of 4,560 people, nearly doubling the previous record of 2,828.

“I think it goes without saying that was a tremendous crowd tonight,” Long Beach head coach Alan Knipe said. “It goes to credit the volleyball that these two teams are playing, but more importantly to the community for coming out.”

LBSU (13-0) would see its consecutive sets streak snapped in the first set at 29, only to come back and dominate the next three frames and finish the match 2325, 25-15, 25-19, 25-21.

see DACA, page 10

see VICTORY, page 5

Courtesy of Keith Ian Polakoff

Cal Rep’s “Dreamers” premiered on Feb. 16 and tells true stories of Deferred Action recipients and calls students to action on the topic.

PLAY REVIEW

From dream to action CalRep’s “Dreamers” humanizes DACA to tell a story of over 800,000 living under the program.

By Samantha Diaz Arts & Life Editor

T

rue accounts were brought to stage in “Dreamers: Aqui y Alla”

to explore today’s political and social climate of being a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival recipient.

California Repertory Company’s latest play follows a handful of DACA recipients through their struggles living under President Donald Trump’s administration.

The play was made in collaboration with the California-Mexico Studies Center to create an authentic retelling of student’s experiences of visiting their

home country and seeing their family, then returning back to the United States.

The story begins with a group of Deferred Action recipients learning about the program and what it could mean for them; the chance to legally work, being able to attain an ID and driver’s license.

We see the joy and excitement in each character’s lives as they consider their life in a new light.

The emotion is quick to falter, as they realize the amount of paper-

SAFETY

Premature evacuation foreshadows campus-wide drill School-wide evacuation planned for Wednesday is prevailed by the real thing Saturday morning.

By Sabrina Flores

Assistant Photo Editor

Less than 24 hours after Cal State Long Beach University Police sent out a campus-wide

email Friday to inform students of an evacuation drill that would take place on Wednesday, buildings were prematurely evacuated Saturday.

Bright white lights flashed as an alarm blared throughout the intercom system on upper campus at approximately 10:15 a.m.

A man’s voice came through the speakers in the University Library ordering everyone inside of the building to evacuate, following with a serious “this is not a drill” disclaimer.

Students reacted accordingly,

I was a bit surprised. I’m not normally here on a Saturday so I was a bit shocked to hear the alarms go off and thought ‘I hope everything’s okay.’

“

Kim Word exiting Academic Services and University Library buildings.

“I was a bit surprised. I’m not

normally here on a Saturday so I was a bit shocked to hear the alarms go off and thought ‘I hope everything’s okay,’” said Kim Word, associate director of the College of Education. “I thought ‘Oh, okay I better get out of here.’

I don’t think anyone would have known I was in my office because I’m not normally here on a Saturday.”

Word’s office is located inside of the Academic Services building, which was evacuated and secured by University Police.

Though the amount of stu-

dents, staff and faculty inside the University Library was minimal compared to the typical number found inside on a school day, those that were remained in the courtyard area of the building.

While some were concerned, others did not feel threatened and saw the evacuation more as an inconvenience.

“At the moment we just froze, like is this for real? ...until we heard ‘this is not a drill please see DRILL, page 4

2 NEWS

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EVENTS

CSULB students lend a hand The Office of Multicultural Affairs hosts a volunteer event in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

By Shyanne Riberal-Norton Staff Writer

The quietness of the early morning was broken Friday as dozens of students gathered to volunteer for Cal State Long Beach’s Martin Luther King Jr. Service Day. Students congregated morning at the Southwest Terrace of the University Student Union to participate in a day of service hosted by The Office of Multicultural Affairs in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Several weeks ago, students registered to volunteer at one of four different organizations from the community. These areas included the Long Beach Organic, Food Finders, Long Beach Rescue Mission and the Salvation Army.

“We want to honor [Martin Luther King Jr.’s] name, his legacy,” said Christian Lozano, assistant director for the office of multicultural affairs. “What better way to do that than going out into the community and doing service?”

When students first arrived at the University Student Union to check in, they each signed a waiver and were given a custom-made black T-shirt with a picture of King on the front.

Students were invited to grab fruit, bagels, juice or water before finding their way to the determined locations.

Presenters motivated partic-

Shyanne Riberal-Norton | Daily 49er

Sophomore Ashley Dawkins addresses students partaking in Martin Luther King Jr. Service Day. The event invited students to volunteer with one of four organizations in Long Beach.

ipants to make the most of the event by encouraging them to keep Martin Luther King Jr. in their thoughts.

Dean of students Piya Bose and James Sauceda, founding director for the office of multicultural affairs, spoke on the correlation between community and the teachings of King.

The two speakers referenced the late reverend’s famous 1968 sermon, “The Drum Major Instinct,” a speech that stresses the importance of serving one another.

“There is no tsunami we can’t

top with love,” Sauceda said.

“There is nothing we can’t overcome with a moral purpose.”

After becoming acquainted with each other, volunteers, with lunch boxes in hand, made their way to their assigned spots.

Some students heard about the service day through word of mouth. Khoi Pham and Gabriel Quick, hospitality management senior and aerospace engineering junior, are members of Phi Kappa Psi. They heard about the opportunity through their fraternity and were both assigned to one of Long Beach Organic’s gardens.

Rockale Bowman, a senior human development major, volunteered as part of her organization, the Black Business Student Association.

Rockale and other members joined students stationed at the Salvation Army, on the corner of Long Beach Boulevard and East 31st Street, where they sorted through food donations and packed items into boxes to be dispersed to those in need.

“We made 288 boxes of food in one day,” said Bowman. “This means more families will be able to receive food.”

Another student stationed at the Salvation Army was senior psychology major, Erica Chavez.

Chavez said she volunteered as part of an agreement for her Coca-Cola Scholarship, which requires that recipients attend community service opportunities.

Even though Chavez volunteered to fulfill a requirement, it is something she would consider doing again in the future.

“I like the idea of volunteering with a group,” Chavez said.

“When you work alone, it looks like you didn’t do much because you are only one person.”

EDUCATION

Research students put their best foot forward Students compete for $100 and the opportunity to present their research statewide.

By Joel Vaughn Staff Writer

From Nietzsche’s thoughts on theatre to heart rate variability among transgender men, Cal State Long Beach’s 30th annual Student Research Competition covered it all.

The competition, which took place on Friday, provided an opportunity for 55 Long Beach graduate and undergraduate students to bring research they’ve conducted under disciplines in the humanities, sciences, administration and education to the forefront. Participants were judged on their research proposal, rigor, implications, methodology and oral presentation.

First place for any of the nine categories received a $100 cash prize and 10 of the first and second place winners will have the opportunity to present their research at Cal State Sacramento

for the 32nd CSU Statewide Research Competition May 4.

Director Simon Kim, associate vice president of research and sponsored programs, was elated to be taking up the 30-year legacy of organizing the event.

Kim said this excitement comes from providing students with an opportunity to refine their research skills and find applications for their education.

“Students learn when they actually get their hands dirty,” Kim said.

Kim sees education as further developed through discovery and formulating questions

outside of what is presented in lecture halls. In addition to this, he sees students presenting their findings as a way to validate their field of study.

“It’s not so important [whether] or not they win,” Kim said.

“My hope is that every student on this campus is given the opportunity to conduct research.”

Kim went on to express his pride in the variety of subjects by explaining that whoever comes to the competition will be able to find a subject that is relevant and interesting to them.

“When people think of research in higher education, they

assume it has to be at a level that no one else can understand, but that’s not the case,” Kim said.

“We’re trying to solve everyday problems.”

Part of this learning experience is participants being encouraged to experiment with the means of presenting their research, whether it’s a powerpoint presentation on housing or demonstrations of interpretive dance.

Here are some of the presenters: see COMPETE, page 4

NEWS 3

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM

MEETING

LONG BEACH

Senate talks gender-neutral restrooms and academia

Brunch with a side of political discourse

The Academic Senate passes two proposals to offer additional degrees.

Residents and candidates had the opportunity to meet in a casual environment.

By Carlos Villicana Special Projects Editor

By Lauren Martinez Staff Writer

Heavy applause filled the Towner Auditorium Thursday as Cal State Long Beach’s Academic Senate passed not one, but two new proposals that could offer students additional degree and certificate plans.

Members came to the unanimous decision to offer a new business analysis certificate, while 98 percent of members voted in favor of adding a bachelor’s in biochemistry.

“The primary reason for this is to increase the flexibility for our students and give them more opportunities to proceed with their educational objectives,” said Chris Brazier, academic senate chair, during the initial proposal for the Bachelor of Arts Biochemistry Feb 2.

Following the meeting, the proposed additions will be submitted to the Chancellor’s office for further authorization.

The senate also discussed plans to increase the number of gender neutral bathrooms on campus.

“We have some long-term plans for building on campus,” said Scott Apel, newly-appointed vice president of administration and finance. “We look to provide facilities for everybody.”

Jordan Doering, Associated Students Inc. chief academic officer, echoed Apel’s statements, explaining ASI also feels additional gender neutral bathrooms on campus are necessary.

“We feel this is super important to a lot of students, especially gender neutral students,” Doering said. “I think gendered bathrooms are going to go away at some point in the future, so might as well get on it.”

The sounds of friendly chatter could not be avoided throughout the Long Beach Dairy and Creamery on 167 E. South St., as citizens and candidates met over brunch in a casual mingling event that resembled a party.

Held during every election cycle and referred to as “The 2018 Congressional, State, County and City of LB Candidate Brunch” in an email by organizer Dan Pressburg, the informal event took place Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Attendees would enter and leave as they pleased, as the event was open to the public.

“This [event] gives me a chance to meet the candidates one on one in a more relaxed atmosphere,” said Shirin Senegal, president of V.I.P. Records.

Pressburg said that a unique quality of the event, which he hosts every election cycle, as compared to other “meet and greet” style gatherings, is its informal nature. People could be seen dressed casually, sitting and moving throughout Pressburg’s home as they talked about local politics.

In an email sent out by Pressburg, candidates listed as invited and attending included those running for the governor, congressional districts, state assembly districts and city council positions in Long Beach.

“I like the variety of the candidates who have been here,” Long Beach resident Keith Oddie said. “I get to learn about other elected officials from different levels of government, [both] local and federal.”

Though many were invited, not all of them ended up attending.

“If they come, then they come,” Pressburg said.

“If they say they’re coming and they don’t come, then they don’t come. I don’t lose any sleep over it.”

Candidates present at the event included third district representative Suzie Price, fifth district candidate Corliss Lee, seventh district candidate Jared Milrad and ninth district representative Rex Richardson.

All are vying for seats on the Long Beach City Council, with the primary nominating election taking place Apr. 10.

James Henry Conn, who is running against Mayor Robert Garcia for his current position, was also present at the event.

Though Conn was not listed in an email announcing the invited and attending candidates, he could be seen chatting with people seated on a couch

Someone is opposing the mayor and I have a platform... I’m not here to cast malevolent canards averse to the personal reputation of Dr. Robert Garcia.”

“

James Henry Conn throughout the day. Event organizer Dan Pressburg said that Conn was invited to attend.

“Someone is opposing the mayor and I have a platform,” Conn said. “I’m not here to cast malevolent canards averse to the personal reputation of Dr. Robert Garcia.”

Meeting the candidates is a draw for attendees of the event, but some believe that there are also others there worth talking to.

“You want to find out who the assistants and the chief of staff are in case you need something done,” said Long Beach resident Tim Gilmore.

Daniel Green contributed reporting to this article.

CRIME BLOTTER

A cocktail of public intoxication, vandalism and petty theft

By Sabrina Flores

Assistant Photo Editor

Vandalism A case of vandalism was reported to University Police at 9:20 a.m. Feb. 13.

The report cited the concrete garden bed near the pedestrian bridge in the area of the CBA building as the location of the crime.

“It looks like they wrote in black writing; [it] is unknown what was written,” Goodwin said. “I would presume that facilities cleaned up whatever it was. If it was racially motivated or otherwise, it will be investigated by our detectives.”

University Police received another report citing an act of vandalism at 8:10 p.m. Feb. 12 in the Fine Arts 4

building.

“The caller on that was an off-campus person; this one does say racial graffiti.” Goodwin said.

The graffiti was written in pink marker and located under a bathroom stall door latch.

According to the report, a picture of the graffiti made its way onto an individual’s Instagram page, where the subject saw it and called the University Police to report it.

Police received the call and arrived at the scene of the crime to document the graffiti. Due to the graffiti being racially motivated, authorities will continue to investigate the crime and an update will be provided.

Public Intoxication A rowdy individual was reported to

be publicly intoxicated at the Nugget Pub and Grill at 5:19 p.m. Feb. 15.

“The subject went inside the nugget, he was intoxicated [and] possibly hit another subject,” said Lt. Richard Goodwin of the University Police Department. “Medical aid was refused by the subject.”

The intoxicated male was then arrested by campus authorities for being drunk in public and unable to care for himself as well as engaging in a “minor physical altercation with another patron.”

Gone with the wind The University Police substation received notice from a male student concerning the disappearance of a laptop at 1:07 p.m. Feb. 15.

A theft report was filed document-

ing the computer as a silver MacBook Air with a 13-inch screen valued at $930. According to Goodwin, there is no suspect information at this time.

The report did not specify the location the computer was taken from.

Suspicious person cited Authorities received a call from an individual at the Beachside off-campus dorms at 2:52 p.m. Feb 14. The individual was reported to be at the southeast side of the complex when authorities were notified of his presence.

“We contacted an individual at Beachside,” Goodwin said. “During the course of the investigation we found this individual had warrants.”

Due to these warrants, which could not be specified, the individual was cited but then released.

4 NEWS

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COMPETE

continued from page 2 Humanities and Letters Elaine Chen, a German studies graduate student, presented her research on Friedrich Nietzsche’s thoughts on theatre and an existential approach to meaning.

Chen started by unpacking the idea that the role of theatre traditionally is to impart a specific moral or meaning, whereas Nietzsche puts forward that the purpose of theatre isn’t to impart dogma, but to encourage individuals to create their own ethical guidelines and discover what meanings are worth pursuit. “[Nietzsche] has very ambivalent ideas of how the theatre is supposed to help people determine what their own motivations are,” Chen said.

Chen sees this as extending beyond the theatre to the college classroom, so that a student isn’t taught what to think but pursue how they want to think.

Nietzsche expressed that people leaving the theatre should be better equipped to do what it is they’re meant for; Chen sees this as just as relevant at college.

“Are we teaching people to think critically, to fight for what they believe is right, to push back against what they think is unjust or are we teaching people to be submissive,” Chen said. “We as teachers are sort of directors and actors.”

Business, Economics, and Public Administration Research centering around the

Joel Vaughn | Daily 49er

Students and faculty pose for a picture during the annual Research Competition. Fifty-five undergraduate and graduate students presented research they’ve conducted.

city of Long Beach was also present at the competition. Geography masters student Will Shaw focused his research on housing affordability in the city, specifically alternatives to apartments and homes, repurposing out-ofuse buildings and tiny homes.

Through this research, he’s found there is no easy solution to housing in Long Beach or southern California in general, but parts of a solution, such as homeowners renting portions of their property or repurposing old buildings, are some areas that may be underutilized.

One of the main benefits Shaw got out of the research experience was working with a nonprofit and getting a look into the housing market he may be entering into.

“It was really rewarding, you get to meet lots of people throughout the interview process and I got to learn a concept I wouldn’t have really explored without it,” Shaw said.

He’s now a research analyst at City Fabrick, a Long Beach non-profit urban design studio.

Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Sciences (Including Psychology) Tian Walker, a senior majoring in anthropology, presented and participated in research on heart rate variability and social stress among transgender men who undergo hormone therapy.

Walker started off dreading the work involved in statistic-based research and data input but slowly came to love the

process through seeing the end result.

“I started knowing nothing,” Walker said. “I got to start from inputting numbers for hours to the point where we started seeing results.”

That end result is that heart rate variability increased during sleep. For Walker, this presents a need for more research to be put into minority groups undergoing social pressures and their overall health.

“Our study is in part to shine light on an experience but also to alleviate negative health outcomes,” Walker said.

Walker was also able to present these findings at the Human Biological Association.

Performing arts senior Kayla Manuel, presented her research and experience touring with “Flight,” a performing arts adaptation of “The Little Prince,” over last summer.

Touring from San Diego to Boulder gave Manuel the chance to work behind the scenes of in the performing arts, learning about social media promotion, rehearsal organizing and ticket sales.

“It took me out of my element,” Manuel said. “I felt like I was enlisting in the army, but in doing so it took me out of my comfort zone and made me grow.”

Out of presenting to an audience, she explained she was able to take into account what she experienced and accomplished.

FAST FACTS

LIST OF WINNERS • Behavioral and Social Sciences, Hannah Liska • Biological and Agricultural Sciences, Tina Nguyen • Business, Economics, and Public Administration, Zahra Aghababa • Creative Arts and Design, Thomas Trudgeon • Education, Nathalie Larissa Nann • Engineering and Computer Science, Joshuah Gagan • Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Sciences (Including Psychology), Jocelyne Mendez and Richard Chyann • Humanities and Letters, Anastasia Nesbitt • Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Raphael Monroy

Creative Arts and Design

DRILL

continued from page 1

Sabrina Flores | Daily 49er

Students, staff and faculty on upper campus in the Academic Services and Library buildings were forced to evacuate as University Police officers secured the area.

evacuate.’ We had just got there [the library] and were about to start working on our presentations.” said Monica Valverde, a senior majoring in sociology. “Then we had to evacuate so it felt more like, ugh they’re interrupting us and things that we need to do.

I didn’t really care what was going on, I just wanted them hurry up so we [could] start this [presentation].”

Valverde and other students were able to return to the University Library as well as the Academic Services building after the Long Beach Fire Department arrived on scene and determined there was no threat present.

The reason for this evacuation and alarm is not known at this time.

A BeachALERT Emergency Notification will be sent out during the campus-wide evacuation drill on Wednesday. Students and staff will not be able to reenter buildings until after 10:45 when the drill is officially over.

This story will be updated.

Follow @49erSports on Twitter

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SPORTS 5

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VICTORY

continued from page 1

Jarrod Castillo | Daily 49er

Long Beach State senior guard Cecily Wilson scored a career-high 24 points in Saturday’s game against Cal State Fullerton.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

49ers topple the Titans Senior guard Cecily Wilson’s 24 points earn Long Beach first win at the Walter Pyramid.

By Jarrod Castillo Staff Writer

Amid a flurry of slapping hands as she grabbed an offensive rebound, senior guard Cecily Wilson kept her composure and snatched the ball in mid-air, forcing the referee to call a foul.

Smiling as she walked to the free-throw line, she knocked down both, adding to her career-high 24 points. That effort exemplified the 49ers’ night as they defeated Fullerton, 67-47.

This marked Long Beach State women’s basketball team’s first home win in conference play. Although the game was mired in sloppy play in the third quarter, Long Beach’s (422, 2-10 Big West) overall effort on both ends downed Fullerton (7-18, 2-10 Big West) to gain ground in the Big West Confer-

BIG WEST STANDINGS SCHOOL

OVERALL W-L

CONFERENCE W-L

1 UC Davis 2 UC Irvine

22-4 17-9

3 Cal Poly 4 Santa Barbara

14-11 11-14

5 Cal State Northridge 6 UC Riverside

14-13 8-18

7 Hawai’i 8 Cal State Fullerton 9 Long Beach State

10-15 7-18

7-6 5-7 3-9 2-10

4-22

2-10

ence.

“Finally, we got a home win,” said head coach Jeff Cammon.

“It feels really good.”

Long Beach started the game with energy, with Wilson was active on the offensive end, racking up seven quick points for the 49ers.

Not only were the players energized, but assistant coach Bryan Camacho was especially lively on the sidelines. He was urging the team to get into proper defensive positions and

12-1 9-3 8-5 8-5

made sure no easy baskets were to be had by Fullerton.

“It’s a credit to the kids,” assistant coach Bryan Camacho said of the defense. “They definitely sacrificed today, very unselfish.”

After Fullerton whittled the lead to eight, Freshman guard Shanaijah Davison extended the lead back up to 10 with a 3-pointer in the waning moments of the first half. At the end of the first half, Wilson led all scorers with 16 points as the 49ers led 33-23 while freshman

forward Triann Thompson had seven points for the Titans.

Though a Thompson 3-pointer would cut the Titan deficit to five with 2:31 left in the third quarter, the 49ers would go on an 8-0 run capped off by a 3-pointer off an elevator play by freshman guard Mason VanHouten to extend the lead to 13, 51-38, going into the fourth.

The Titans became complacent on offense and began taking bad shots in the final period. This allowed the lead to go up to as much as 24, with Wilson scoring six of her 24 in the fourth.

“I was feeling good earlier today in shootaround and throughout the game,” Wilson said. “I think my teammates did a really good job of getting me the ball.”

In the end, the hole that the Titans found themselves in was just too deep to climb out of. Wilson led all scorers with 24 points and seven rebounds, while junior guard Jade Vega led the way for the Titans with 14 points.

The 49ers have a quick one-game road trip at 7 p.m.

Wednesday against UC Irvine.

Long Beach was led by its core three juniors; outside hitter TJ DeFalco, opposite hitter Kyle Ensing, and setter Josh Tuaniga.

DeFalco turned in a breakout performance, notching a double-double with 17 kills (.419) and 12 digs to go with five blocks.

DeFalco would lead all competitors in all three categories and claim sole possession of 18th place on the Long Beach all-time kill list.

Ensing finished the night with 16 kills, nine digs and two blocks.

Tuaniga would prove to be pivotal in leading the offense to a .343 hitting percentage by adding 39 assists, eight digs and a block.

He also recorded a 7-0 run while serving in the final set to bring the 49ers back from a 18-15 deficit.

The Bruins (14-2) struck first and won the first set, which saw 12 ties and four lead changes.

That is as good as it would get, as the Bruins would seem scattered offensively the rest of the match.

“They’re a great volleyball team and they started putting some pressure on us and making plays,” said UCLA head coach John Speraw. “We struggled to figure out ways to respond.”

After dumping the first set, Long Beach would make a complete turnaround, answering with a resounding second set win.

DeFalco took over, recording five kills, four digs and three blocks.

“It was a big focus of mine to get the energy back in the team and get the cylinders rolling again,” DeFalco said.

The Bruins were neutralized at the net, hitting an abysmal .191 in the match after entering the game hitting at least .400 for six straight matches.

“TJ [DeFalco] started digging every ball in his area code, and defense wins a lot of volleyball games,” Knipe said.

Long Beach would also become the first team all season to out block UCLA, edging them by two-and-a-half blocks.

The matchup was the first time the 49ers had faced an above .500 team since Jan. 13 in a game against Loyola who was 2-1 at the time.

“I think regardless if you talk to either head coach they will tell you these are important matches right now,” Knipe said. “You need to go through these matches, you need to go through this adversity.”

The atmosphere nearly took the roof off of the Walter Pyramid as the record-setting crowd completely took over the venue.

“I congratulated Alan [Knipe] at the end, I think it’s great for volleyball that we can attract fans like this and fill stadiums,” Speraw said.

The nations’ top two teams will get another chance to face off at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Pauley Pavilion.

6 SPORTS

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Diamond of

Dirtbags CLAYTON ANDREWS CENTER FIELD

TRISTAN MERCADEL LEFT FIELD

LAINE HUFFMAN

JARREN DU

SHORTSTOP

SECOND B

SHAQ ROBINSON THIRD BASE

ZAK BAAYOUN

STARTING PITCHER

TOP PERFORMER STATS • Chris Jimenez: Freshman, Catcher .237 BA, 2 RBIs, 1-2 runners caught stealing • Luke Rasmussen: Senior, First Base .182 BA, 3 strikeouts, 1-1 stolen bases • Jarren Duran: Junior, Second Base .000, 1 RBI, 1 hit by pitch • Shaq Robinson: Junior, Third Base Game 1: 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI • Laine Huffman: Senior, Shortstop .500 BA, 1 HR, .900 SLG

• Tristan Mercadel: Senior, Left Field .000 BA, 2 strikeouts • Clayton Andrews: Junior, Center Field .444 BA, 3 BBs, 1-3 stolen bases • Brooks Stotler: Junior, Right Field .333 BA, 1 R, 1 RBI • Zak Baayoun: Sophomore, Starting Pitcher W, 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 12 K • Chris Rivera: Junior, Reliever 1 SV, 2.0 IP, 0 H, 4 K

CHRIS JIMENEZ CATCHER

SPORTS 7

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KEY 2018 SERIES:

AT

When: Feb. 23-25 Where: Fort Worth, Texas Why: Long Beach gets its first test on the road against Texas Christian University, who advanced all the way to the College World Series after going 50-18 last year. One of the 18 losses was dealt by the Dirtbags who won 7-0 on March 14. It will be interesting to see how Long Beach’s new team will respond to the challenge by a national powerhouse early on in the season.

VS

BROOKS STOTLER RIGHT FIELD

When: March 2-4 Where: Blair Field Why: The first weekend in March will provide fans a chance to see an SEC team play on Bohl Diamond when the Dirtbags host Mississippi. They entered the season ranked 16th on BaseballAmerica.com’s preseason rankings after a 32-15 campaign in 2017. The Rebels are led by junior closer Dallas Woolfork and sophomore starting pitcher Ryan Rolison. Both earned numerous preseason All-American honors prior to this season.

URAN

VS

BASE

When: March 7 Where: Blair Field Why: Head coach Troy Buckley was not shy about selecting non-conference opponents after realizing the importance of Rated Power Index, a system used to rank teams based on strength of schedule etc., last season when Long Beach hosted a regional and Super Regional. A visit from Vanderbilt, ranked 18th on BaseballAmerica.com’s preseason ranking, will put the Long Beach pitching staff to the test on a rare Wednesday game at Blair Field.

LUKE RASMUSSEN FIRST BASE

AT

When: March 9-11 Where: College Station, Texas Why: Long Beach makes its second trip to Texas in as many weeks for a road series against Texas A&M. The Aggies were 41-23 in 2017 and because of that are ranked 10th to start the season. The three game set will take place in one of college baseball’s most hostile settings, Blue Bell Park in College Station.

AT

CHRIS RIVERA RELIEVER

When: March 23-25, May 24-26 Where: Fullerton Why: Last year, the rivalry between Long Beach and Cal St. Fullerton was re-invented after the Titans advanced past the Dirtbags in the Super Regional held at Blair Field. Before that historic series, Long Beach had a regular season record of 5-1 against Fullerton, one of the best six game records in history between either team. Both the non-conference series at Goodwin Field and the Big West Conference series at Blair Field will draw large crowds from both sides. The Titans also enter 2018 ranked 11th after a 39-24 record in 2017.

8 SPORTS

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BASEBALL

Dirtbags drop season opener to St. Mary’s

A lack of offense in games two and three of the series resulted in a series loss to start 2018.

By Luke Ramirez

Assistant Sports Editor

After opening the season with a Friday night win over St. Mary’s, Long Beach State dropped its next two games to lose the first series of 2018. The Dirtbags were stifled on offense, hitting .236 over the weekend and being held to only two hits in Sunday’s 4-1 loss.

St. Mary’s lineup carried them in the rubber match, collecting nine hits against Long Beach pitchers.

Long Beach (1-2) senior shortstop Laine Huffman led off the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run off St. Mary’s sophomore starting pitcher Ken Waldichuk. The shot came on a fastball that Huffman was able to jump all over and send just over the wall in left field.

“I was leading off the inning so I was trying to have a quality at bat and just hit the ball hard,” Huffman said.

The Dirtbags went on to record only one more hit in the game, in what was a tough day at the plate.

“I just thought the approach was not very good,” Long Beach head coach Troy Buckley said.

“That was the most alarming and the most apparent thing I noticed

Luke Ramirez | Daily 49er

Junior starting pitcher Clayton Andrews upset with himself after allowing a two run top of the fifth in game three against St. Mary’s.

watching the [offense] today.”

Junior Clayton Andrews made his first start of the season on the mound, after starting both games one and two in centerfield and at the top of the Long Beach order.

The outing was highly anticipated, as players who can hit, play the field and pitch are few and far between at the college level.

The Gaels (2-1) opened the scoring against Dirtbags’ Andrews in the top of the fifth inning after two hits brought home two runs.

The Gaels executed a squeeze play after senior left fielder Brett Rasso dropped down a bunt, allowing ju-

nior third baseman Dylan Robertson to score without a play.

Andrews faced trouble again the following inning, when St. Mary’s loaded the bases with two singles and a walk. With one out, pitching coach Dan Ricabal held conference with Andrews and the infield at the pitchers mound. The next batter was Robertson, who hit a sharp ground ball to Long Beach second baseman Jarren Duran and induced an inning ending double play.

“We wanted to slow the game down a little bit in that spot,” Ricabal said. “The main message was to

talk about how to attack that hitter and Andrews was able to execute the pitches and get the double play ball we talked about in the meeting.”

Andrews’ first pitching performance for Long Beach resulted in six innings, while giving up seven hits, two earned runs and striking out six.

“He kept us in the game,” Buckley said. “That’s what a starting pitcher needs to do...I thought he did a good job but today, two runs felt like nine.”

St. Mary’s tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh

against sophomore relief pitcher Dylan Spacke to extend its lead to 4-1, where the score would stand after Dirtbags hitters went 0-for-16 to end the game.

“I think we are a lot better team offensively than what we showed today,” Buckley said.

The Gaels made a big statement coming onto Blair Field opening weekend and coming back from a blown lead in the seventh inning of Friday’s game to salvage the series.

“To come back against a very good club showed a lot of resiliency and I’m proud of them,” said St. Mary’s head coach Eric Valenzuela. “It was good to get two [wins] out of a tough place with a [NCAA] regional environment.”

Sophomore starting pitcher Zak Baayoun had the performance of the weekend after throwing seven innings and striking out 12 batters to help Long Beach to its lone win of the weekend Friday. The Dirtbags also collected 13 hits for a crowd of 2,468, most of which stayed for the post game fireworks following the victory.

Sophomore Eli Villalobos didn’t fare as well on Saturday, with a stat line of 2.1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, and 3 K. “We’ve got work to do,” Ricabal said. “Baayoun gave us a good outing on Friday...Eli [Villalobos] had a short stint on Saturday, but I thought Andrews handled today pretty well.”

Looking ahead, Long Beach will host USC at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Blair Field.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

TJ DeFalco was the spark against UCLA The reigning AVCA player of the year took over at the perfect time to lead No.1 Long Beach to a 3-1 win.

By Luke Ramirez

Assistant Sports Editor

Joseph Kling | Daily 49er

Long Beach State junior TJ DeFalco spikes a ball in Saturday’s game against No. 2 UCLA at the Walter Pyramid.

A men’s volleyball record crowd of 4,560 inside the Walter Pyramid Saturday sat in near silence after No. 2 UCLA won the first set 25-23 over No. 1 Long Beach State men’s volleyball.

A kill by senior opposite Christian Hessenauer snapped a 29 set win streak, but more importantly gave the Bruins the early advantage in a highly-anticipated battle of two volleyball goliaths.

“It’s been a long while since we dropped a set,” Long beach head coach Alan Knipe said.

Long Beach needed a spark.

Junior outside hitter TJ DeFalco, the reigning AVCA player of the year, provided just that for the top team in the country that went on win the match 3-1.

DeFalco connected for five vio-

lent kills and four digs in the second set, as Long Beach cruised to a 25-15 win to answer the statement made by UCLA to open the contest.

“In the second set, I told myself to lock in on anything that I could, whether it was defense, offense or helping our guys refocus,” DeFalco said.

The energy of the game shifted with each ball shot out of the cannon that is DeFalco’s right arm.

The home team’s celebrations after each point in the set intensified, and the bright expressions on the faces of the Bruins players slowly dimmed. Long Beach’s star player had almost single handedly swung the momentum back to their side.

“It’s almost like going on a ride and letting him [DeFalco] do his thing,” said junior setter Josh Tuaniga.

Knipe has stressed all season that one of his main goals is to balance the offensive effort, and it has shown on the stat sheet as well. Junior outside hitter Kyle Ensing led Long Beach in kills leading up to Saturday’s match.

But already down one game, it was time for the ball to start going

DeFalco’s way.

“It is nice when you need to set [DeFalco] a few more balls than you have in the past because you’re going to be able to go to him,” Knipe said. “That’s just a competitor taking over.”

The 49ers defense was also energized in the second set as DeFalco was a part of three blocks, each one more impressive than the last. Leading 12-9, he had a solo block on an attempt by Hessenauer and motioned to the home crowd, which responded with one of the loudest roars in the game.

“My thing in that point in time was blocking and making the best move I possibly [could] to put myself in position,” DeFalco said.

He would eventually record a double-double with 17 kills and 12 digs in the game.

Long Beach went on to win the third set 25-19 and clinch the match with a 25-21 victory in the fourth to retain its perfect record.

“That’s an internal clock right there,” Knipe said. “An internal engine to drive and [say] ‘I’m going to do even more to win the match’ and that’s what the great players do.”

OPINIONS 9

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EDUCATION

Students struggling with college debt will find no relief in Trump Board of Education proposes policies that will cut essential student debtrelief programs.

By Sabrina Flores

Assistant Photo Editor

G

rowing up underprivileged in today’s society is hard — just ask any of the 12.7 percent of individuals that live below the poverty line in America as of 2017. But what’s even more taxing and seemingly impossible than growing up in destitution?

Try being born into these circumstances and living in a neighborhood of subpar schools with crumbling infrastructure and teachers who aren’t paid enough to care about the education they are giving. Better yet, try being met with the reality that due to a lack of funding encouraging economic growth and prosperity, a higher education is unachievable.

This is the unfortunate reality for many students enrolled in the American education system. Students in possession of incredible potential and aspirations are deterred every day because of the lack of funding for education.

In fact, according to the article “Here’s How Military and Education Spending Compare in America” written by Kyle Jaeger, the government spends eight times more on military funding than education. Because yeah, knowledge obviously isn’t power anymore and war will always be the answer.

And it’s only projected to get worse under the reign of Donald Trump.

Now, it’s no secret the nation is split between those who either radically support his far-right alternative ideals or flat out hate his guts.

If you haven’t already guessed, I’m not a fan of the man. Every morning I open my hand-dandy NPR application on my phone and I am greeted with the rude awakening of his failure. Recently, my disappointment has

Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images

President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy Devos pose for photographs with members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s champion University of Virginia men’s tennis team in the East Room of the White House November 17, 2017 in Washington, DC.

been directed toward his, as well as the Board of Education’s, blatant disregard for struggling students relying on federal aid for higher education.

Grants such as the Pell Grant come in a variety of amounts and provide students with money that can be used for various expenses, such as housing, tuition and overall survival.

Many students rely heavily on these grants and would not be capable of accessing higher education without them.

Betsy DeVos, Trump’s watchdog — I mean appointed secretary of education — expresses the desire to get rid of many other essential grants students utilize, such as Cal grants A and B. And while DeVos grudgingly accepts the existence of the Pell grant, she has voiced that she intends to reduce funding for the government subsidy by $3.9 billion. Yet this isn’t the only budget cut the department will experience.

Trump’s budget proposal for 2018 calls for a whopping $9.2 billion total cut in educational funding, a staggering 13.9 percent decrease in

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the current budget. They also plan to cease subsidizing interest on loans students often take out to help pay for high education, and phase out student loan forgiveness.

Those unfamiliar with these terms may be wondering why the elimination of both could spell catastrophe, as well as leave thousands of students with an unreasonable amount of school loan debt.

Subsidized loans do not charge interest to students while the students are attending higher education institutions, and are income based.

Unsubsidized loans are the opposite and accumulate interest regardless of a student being currently enrolled and are not income based, i.e. available to everyone.

Say theoretically you are the product of a struggling, yet hard-working single mother (as I happen to be).

Your future is dependent solely on the income of one parent who also has four older children.

Determined to go to school but lacking the money, you apply to schools that financial aid might cover

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the cost of tuition for. Whatever isn’t covered is received from loans with the hopes of one day being able to make enough money to pay them back. There’s also loan forgiveness, a program which, if one is lucky enough or gets a job in the right sector, will help to slowly but surely disintegrate the amount of your loans.

Under Trump, you won’t be so lucky as loan forgiveness is tossed out of the door. Despite having no income, despite working for the federal government for 10 plus years, despite contributing to the education sector as a teacher, your loans will still be awaiting repayment, destroying your credit as they accumulate, unpaid.

As a current college student, I am terrified, already drowning under the immense weight of student debt the pursuit of an education has bestowed upon me and see no resolution to the problem without the help of college students like myself. We as students need to come together and use our ability to vote and freedom of speech to fight for a future where higher education is attainable for all.

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

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DACA

continued from page 1 fees, the characters having to notify their employer of their status and the emotional toll it takes on each individual. Most of the students are excited about their prospective changes, but one man named Francisco expresses his fear to the lawyer about giving all of his information to the U.S. government.

While these issues are presented, actors recite passages from actual Deferred Action recipients about their experience with the bill, weaving in these real accounts with those acted out on the stage.

The play travels through years and presidencies, giving us a perspective on what it’s like to be a Deferred Action recipient through the constantly changing political landscape.

We see more of an intersection between the story and reality as the characters embark on a trip to Mexico to visit their family using the Advanced Parole system, drawing directly from actual trips taken by the California-Mexico Studies Center, which worked with CalRep to produce the play. The parole system allows dreamers to travel to return to the U.S. after travelling abroad.

The bulk of the story is taken up by this journey as we follow the students travelling across the border, and the respective struggles each person deals with as a result. One woman is meeting her father for the first time, another visiting her mother who lives in poverty, realizing there’s nothing she can do to help her.

This also provides the emotional drive for the play, as we watch families reunite and come to terms with their situation. You can hear the quiet sniffles of the students slowly realize that this unfamiliar place is their home as well as America. They belong here and there; aqui y alla.

After spending time with their families, it’s time to make the trek back across the border. We feel the fear and

Courtesy of Keith Ian Polakoff

“Dreamers: Aqui y Alla” shows a group of students united under their status as Deferred Action recipients.

anxiety as the room is flooded with sounds of metal detectors and men shouting orders.

This comes to a climax when one of the students is taken into a separate process where she is interrogated and moved around while her peers must wait in uncertainty.

There seems to be a glimpse of hope once the students return to their families. They have a new sense of cultural appreciation and belonging, they feel as though they’ve discovered a new part of themselves.

This feeling is cut short when a sound bite of the news of Trump formally announcing the end of DACA - which happened just Tuesday night is played, and the students have a new fear to face.

Rather than focusing on the bad news, the play makes the choice to call the audience to action, telling them what steps they can take in the next couple of months to make a difference. One woman declares, “they call us dreamers, as if that’s all we’re ever supposed to do, but at some point action needs to follow.”

The call to action is presented in a less conventional method, we take a

momentarily leave from the characters and are taken to a town hall meeting with U.S. Congressman Alan Lowenthal. Here we watch the audience ask Lowenthal questions about the fate of the bill and what we can do to help as Californians.

He claims that although we are a largely blue state, we will be the battleground for the DACA fight in the upcoming months, and urges the audience to volunteer in any way possible.

We never truly return to the characters and their stories — because it’s still taking place. Three of the actors explain that they went on the actual trip to Mexico with the Deferred Action recipients, saw their experiences and pain as “privileged individuals who were born here [America].”

The audience is hit with the realization that this story goes beyond the small theater; the lives that are affected by this bill are people who sit with us in classrooms and plays, people who act in those plays.

The breaking of the fourth wall presents an effective way of humanizing the issue of DACA, showing us that each of these stories — 800,000 across the nation — are more than sta-

tistics, it’s different for every person.

The play makes it a point not to come back to the character’s stories, emphasizing that these lives are still hanging in the balance dependent upon votes and political decisions.

The creative stage decisions bring together all the details of the play by making the characters and issue stand out more than the setting and costumes. A mostly empty stage is brought to life by a few dozen boxes the actors rearrange throughout the play to accommodate each scene.

“Dreamers” is a rare breed of media that uses the perspective and experiences from Deferred Action recipients to create a moving conversation, one that is nowhere near finished.

“Dreamers” will be playing at the Cal State Long Beach Studio Theater through Feb. 25. There will be an Inside Look with the collaborators Feb. 22 following the show.

RATING

ALBUM REVIEW

‘Born 2 Ball’ is lackluster but a fun time

The Lakers rookie point guard’s debut mixtape pays tribute to his upbringing.

By Kevin Colindres Assistant Sports Editor

The Los Angeles Lakers starting point guard, Lonzo Ball, has been sidelined with an injury since Jan. 15, making it the perfect opportunity for the 19-year-old to create a 17-track mixtape titled “Born 2 Ball,” which released Thursday night.

Seventeen tracks for a first project is a bold move, but if anyone could do it, it would be Lonzo Ball.

Ball is not an actual musician, he’s an NBA player who decided to make a mixtape for fun. The mixtape can be streamed on both Spotify and Apple music.

Going into this project, no one should expect to be blown away by illustrious production quality or thought-provoking lyricism. It’s a fun project and if you look past the ridiculousness, you can just sit back and enjoy it.

His playful creativity is apparent from the jump, as Ball creates a double entendre using his last name and jersey number in the title of his album.

In his first track “Grind Mode” Ball says, “I know that she fine, but a dollar worth more than a dime.” My eyes opened immediately as I realized that he was

right, a dollar is 90 cents more than a dime. You can expect these kind of groundbreaking lines throughout the rest of the mixtape; bars that are humorous and not deep in meaning.

The next two tracks include “Get off ” and “Zo2” which were released as singles earlier this year. Both tracks are a lot more fast paced, but Ball’s monotone voice can leave you searching for more variety.

A lot of the mixtape focuses on the coming up of the whole Ball family. This is prevalent in tracks like “Putting in work,” “Day 1’s” and “Living Lavish.”

In the opening line of “Living Lavish” Ball says, “Started from see MIXTAPE, page 11

Courtesy of SLAM

Los Angeles Laker’s Lonzo Ball release his debut mixtape Thursday night on Spotify and Apple Music.

ARTS & LIFE 11

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MOVIE REVIEW

‘Black Panther’ is a socially relevant masterpiece Director Ryan Coogler has created a superhero fi lm unlike any other.

By Carlos Villicana Special Projects Editor

It’s become a cliché for reviews to proclaim that Marvel Studios’ newest movie is their best output yet. But “Black Panther” really is the best movie to bear the Marvel name; it’s the only one to draw tears from me. It isn’t just a beautiful or entertaining movie, it’s perfect.

“Black Panther” uses humor not just to entertain, but to tell us something about the characters, and avoids the usual trope of cutting tension for the sake of a laugh. The humorous impact may vary from person to person, but it worked for me. Every character has a meaningful arc brought to life by a fantastic cast.

Action scenes typically featured in superhero movies are present, but these feel different.

The camera moves throughout sets without cutting and pulled back from the action, in a way which helps the viewer keep up on the fight with ease. The focus is on characters and what the fight means for them, not grand displays of acrobatic feats or power. Cinematographer Rachel Morrison makes these scenes dynamic, and a riveting soundtrack which combines the hip-hop rap melodies of Kendrick Lamar and traditional African music makes them better.

The drama of “Black Panther” is elevated because the movie is so well made. But without the drama created by the conflict between the hero and villain,

Courtesy of Marvel

King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) faces off against new foe, Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan).

I doubt that film would have struck so deeply with so many.

The film begins with narration that describes Wakanda’s politics, how it gained its wealth and why it lives in isolation from the rest of the world. Here Coogler begins adding world-building details which are common in these franchise films, but done excellently here because everything factors back into the narrative. Everything you watch matters; there are no details or moments used to set up something which may or may not get resolved in a sequel.

T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) has gained the mantle of the Black Panther and the throne of Wakanda after his father’s assassination in “Captain America: Civil War.” Nearly all are thrilled to see him; they believe he’ll protect their way of life.

MIXTAPE

continued from page 10

the bottom only going up/Started with a bike but now I push a truck.” It’s a simple line, but he gets his point across of rising up.

Things get a little more intense further into the mixtape with tracks “Freestyle,” “Gotta Get it” and “What is you doin,” where Ball praises himself for his hard work on and off the court. He has a much more aggressive tone to go with the uptempo harsh beats that he is presented with. These three tracks are a nice contrast to the more average tempo beats he raps on in the first half of the tape.

The last two tracks “BBB” and “LaVar” are a nice finish to the mixtape, in which Ball focuses on everything that he is appreciative of. The notorious Big Baller Brand is front and center in the first track, and one very insightful line was “The brand is Popeye’s, but I never eat spinach/Eggs in the morning, put syrup on biscuits.” This is the type of lyricism that is highlighted across the tape, but the final track “LaVar” takes a more serious

Everyone is happy in Wakanda, all appear to prosper — but there exists a world beyond their borders where no one, let alone a superhero, has helped liberate millions from their everyday op-

Everything you watch matters, there are no details or moments packed into the film which feel like they’re used to set up something which may get resolved in a sequel.”

“

pression. This is what the villain aims to change.

Erik “Killmonger” Stevens (Michael B. Jordan) is a radical. He’s a man driven by anger that manifests as envy, as he has

tone. As the track begins, we hear Lavar’s infamous line “I’ma speak it into existence,” followed by an audio recording of Ball getting drafted second overall by the Lakers.

The track feels like a thank you letter as he gives shoutouts to his family and even namedrops his teammate Julius Randle. Ball takes his time to reflect on how fortunate he is to have a father who has been there for him and helped guide him to the top.

Comparing Ball to other NBA rappers such as Damian Lillard is not fair. Lillard is to Kendrick Lamar what Ball is to Lil Uzi Vert — they simply are not in the same league. The mixtape isn’t great, but it’s also not the worst thing you’ll listen to. This should go relatively unnoticed in the mainstream music world, but if you happen to listen, don’t take it too seriously. While Ball might have been “Born 2 Ball,” he definitely was not born 2 rap.

watched millions who are also of African descent be impoverished, incarcerated and/or murdered by every state on Earth.

That is why he wants to redistribute Wakanda’s wealth, resources and weapons to the world’s poor, and give them the tools to topple their oppressors.

Killmonger’s hatred of the forces which have molded the modern world is entirely understandable. Director Ryan Coogler knows this, and that is why he portrays the villain as a victim, making him sympathetic. The viewer is forced to confront the reality that our hero, and perhaps many others like him, gained power from corrupt institutions which refuse to incite systematic change.

In a way, the two fight for the same cause. T’Challa’s first appearance in the film features him

slaying men who are trafficking women in Africa. Killmonger murders too, each corpse becoming a step on his attempted ascension to the throne of Wakanda. Both of their actions aim to liberate. The difference is that Killmonger’s plan threatens one group’s way of life: the Wakandan people.

The film recognizes that this is necessary. One group living comfortably while others suffer is an injustice. Bridges, not borders, will make the world better for all — something T’Challa states in the film. The hero has to learn this from the villain, and it’s refreshing to see those set up as antagonists be treated as people with valid feelings and contributions. For far too long, these movies have conveniently reduced the antagonists to terrorists fueled by inexplicable hatred.

“Black Panther” is very much a Marvel Studios superhero movie—all of the familiar elements are still there. But it also feels like a movie born from the vision and perspective of a filmmaker rather than a company.

Details such as the costumes and customs exhibited by the characters feel so authentic that they could only have been visualized by people who are actually connected to those things.

Writer-director Ryan Coogler and his team have created a movie which resembles a declaration of what true heroism is more than it does a product.

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