Daily 49er, February 8, 2018

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH

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VOL. LXVIX, ISSUE 46 | FEBRUARY 8, 2018

49er

HOUSING

Increasing rent means increasing homelessness

Hunter Lee | Daily 49er

The African Soul International Association performed at the Speaker’s Platform in traditional African dress to celebrate the beginning of Black History Month.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

By Wayne Camp and Kat Schuster Staff Writers

T

he scent of home-cooking permeated the air around the Speakers Platform, and the banging of drums could be heard meters away, the percussion kicking off Black History Month at Cal State Long Beach Wednesday.

The month-long series of events, hosted by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, began at noon with dancing and chanting from the African Soul International Association. Students and faculty stopped to observe the association as they moved around the platform in vibrant yellow and red African garb.

For the rest of the month, campus members can look forward to a menagerie of similar events including speakers, art installs and many activities to recognize the history and achievements of Black Americans. Here’s a rundown of the events: Blackherstories On Feb. 13 from noon to 1 p.m., there will be a networking event called “Black-

By Sarah Vehrs

Assistant News Editor

MLK Day of Service The third annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service will take place on Feb. 16 and will include an opportunity for students to volunteer for community service projects at various places throughout the city. The event will take place from 8:30 a.m to 3:30 p.m. and volunteers will meet

As California’s economy continues to rise, the cost of living in Long Beach has steadily increased by 30 percent over the past three years. According to Housing Long Beach representative Benyamin Chao, in a major city where 60 percent of residents rent, this creates major problems for the community.

According to Assembly Republican Leader Chad Mayes, poverty in California is the state’s number one issue because it has the highest poverty rate in the nation. Rent Cafe, a website that investigates the average rent market trends, states that the average rent for a one bedroom apartment in Long Beach is $1,688.

Housing Long Beach is an organization that fights for rent control in the city, according to Chao, who was representing the group at Cal State Long Beach’s Week of Welcome. Their goal is to combat the rising number of displaced residents by getting rent protection measures on the November 2018 ballot.

see HISTORY, page 2

see INJUSTICE, page 2

THE COLORS OF CULTURE The Office of Multicultural Affairs presents a monthlong series of events to celebrate Black Americans in February.

Community activists are demanding that Long Beach city officials make housing more affordable for residents.

herstories,” which will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. in the University Student Union Los Alamitos Bay Room. The event will showcase the beauty of black women with art pieces, poetry and other methods by providing a platform for these women to share their stories.

EVENTS

Students spend a night with Diane Guerrero The actress and activist brought laughs, cheers and a call for social change.

By Samantha Diaz Arts & Life Editor

Hundreds of students packed into the University Student Union Ballroom Tuesday night to hear Diane Guerrero’s speech on immigration rights and the realities of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals as part of Associated Student Association’s

Inc. “Evening with” series.

The night marks the sixth event in the annual series, with Guerrero marking the first female to headline the event.

Her speech to students highlighted the need for immigration reform, her journey of becoming an activist icon and a call for action.

In light of her latest novel, “In the Country We Love: My Family Divided” and the spotlight as an immigration reform activist, Guerrero’s life and role as an actor/activist has drastically changed in the past year, which made her the perfect guest to speak to the largely Latinx group

This is the time where your voice matters the most. This is the time to get together and decide what kind of country you want.”

“

Diane Guerrero that filled in the room.

“My whole life I had this experience that shaped me and this whole time I didn’t want this experience to define me,” Guerrero said. “There’s more to me than

my parents being deported at 14.

But when I go to colleges and see students speaking about their own experiences I realize it’s way bigger than me.”

Guerrero came back to this idea multiple times throughout the night, that young people were the ones who inspired her to come out about her story, and encouraged others to do the same.

“If you don’t want to come out about it then you don’t have to,” Guerrero said. “If you want to share your story then we’re here for you and if you can be a leader in this moment then we need you. It’s hard to say don’t

be afraid and keep on going but what’s worse right now is to stay silent and not do anything.”

While Guerrero emphasized the need to find a support group or organization to deal with the fear that comes with being a Deferred Action recipient, she also recognized the reality of struggling to find your place in the world, particularly as a Latina.

She told students about her aspirations to be a journalist, an artist and even a diplomat but seeing the lack of Latinx representation in her life while growsee ACTIVIST, page 4

2 NEWS

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SENATE

From prisons to platforms Activist Susan Burton to share her journey from a sixtime prison mate to founder of a highly successful nonprofit organization.

By Sarah Amaral Staff Writer

Drugs, death and heartbreak; these are just a few of the areas of turmoil Susan Burton has faced throughout her life. A six-time returnee to prison, Burton is now an activist working with ex-convicts, and has created the nonprofit organization, A New Way of Life.

Her organization is dedicated to providing assistance with housing, and any social or legal issues these women may face.

She has become passionate in helping women in their transformations from prison to a life on the outside.

Cal State Long Beach will be hosting “An Evening with Susan Burton” at the Karl Anatol Center this upcoming Tuesday, Feb. 13 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Guests are invited to hear the CNN Top Ten Hero tell her

story, and how she has helped thousands of women overcome the same challenges throughout the past 20 years.

Tiffany Johnson was one of the women Susan helped.

“I was a lifer at the time, at the Central California Women’s Facility,” Johnson said. “I would reach out to organizations across California but I kept getting denied. A New Way of Life is the only one that got back to me, and from day

I’m all about women helping women, and providing resources to women who need them...

The fact that the justice system isn’t rehabilitative, often leading to people reoffending, is something that needs to be fixed.”

“

Samantha Chaffee one they promised me that I had a bed waiting for me when I was out. It took me six years to get there, but once I was out, there was that bed waiting for me.”

Johnson was incarcerated for 16 years, but has spent every

day since working with A New Way of Life making it her life goal to help these women in need. “Being able to help my fellow sisters coming out of incarceration and helping them grab hold of the life they deserve [is the goal].”

Not only has Burton touched the lives of those who were incarcerated, she is speaking publicly to empower women of all ages to do their part in fighting for such a powerful cause.

“I’m all about women helping women, and providing resources to women who need them,” said Samantha Chaffee, a junior. “The fact that the justice system isn’t rehabilitative, often leading to people reoffending, is something that needs to be fixed.”

Burton’s organization thus far has helped more than 1,000 women and their children find safety through re-entry homes, and over 3,500 formerly homeless individuals were able to acquire enough items in order to establish homes for themselves.

“I believe every woman should go to an event like this,” said Jordan Mejia, a senior.

“She has come such a long way and I would love to go and support her and show her that people really care for her and what she has done in her life thus far.”

INJUSTICE

continued from page 2

“One thing we want from rent control measures is to avoid landlords being able to evict people without notice,” Chao said. “In most major cities, landlords have to give reason for eviction, but not in Long Beach.”

The group not only aims to lower housing prices, but they also want the city to require landlords to maintain buildings and to refrain from drastically hiking up prices for tenants.

According to Chao, the organization conducted a survey and found that 70 percent of renters would support some sort of renter protection measure.

“I get they want to make it nicer, but it would be nice to be able to afford to live [somewhere],” said Amelia Le, a freshman business major.

In addition, the LA Times reported in 2017 that Los Angeles County’s homeless population reached 58,000 despite attempts from support services to find housing and resources for these people.

The Housing Long Beach website states that the city’s diverse population is not well represented by politicians, adding to the gentri-

HISTORY

continued from page 1

up at the student union Southwest Terrace before carpooling to these places.

Students must register to volunteer on BeachSync by Feb. 9.

Hunter Lee | Daily 49er

The performers invited students and faculty from Cal State Long Beach to join them on stage as they danced to the beating of drums.

Blackhistories On the evening of Feb. 20, from 6 to 8 p.m., “Blackhistories” will take place in the Multicultural Center Conference Room, FO3-02. This event will mirror some of the same elements as “Blackherstories,” but will be geared toward men, giving them an opportunity to vent and express themselves.

“I think events like these are important for men, especially African American men, because it gives us a chance to express ourselves,” said Donge Tucker, a junior theatre major. “Getting things off your chest is important because it allows you to let go and most of the time you realize that you aren’t

fication crisis.

In order to combat homelessness amongst the student population, the university has created the Student Emergency Intervention and Wellness Program, which the Daily 49er has previously reported on.

The program uses a holistic approach to serve students through the Student Emergency Grant, which is immediate aid in the form of money, the Meals Assistance Program and the Short-Term Housing Program.

This three-pronged approach is a part of the CSU Chancellor’s Office Basic Needs Initiative to help students in a time of emergency or crisis situations.

“Off campus living is really expensive,” said Veronica Casas, a senior speech and language pathology major. “I feel [the university] could maybe look into having an area close to campus similar but not exactly like the dorms for students.”

The university targets the most vulnerable students, according to the program’s website, so that their housing and food needs are met.

This is done so that students will focus on their health and education, rather than worrying about where their next meal will come from.

the only one going through those types of situations.”

MLK Celebration Day The 19th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration will take place on Feb. 26 from noon to 2 p.m. in the University Student Union ballrooms. This event will include singers, dancers, speakers, poets and other types of artists. Refreshments will be served after the celebration.

“I find this event to be even more important because it’s already a struggle to go to school as a black student, now imagine going to college as a gay black student,” said Manny Chinnis, a sophomore communications major.

A Moment of Unity To wrap up the monthlong series of events, on Feb. 28, there will be an event called A Moment of Unity from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the ballrooms. This event aims to facilitate dialogue and reflect on the highlights of “Blackhisstories” and “Blackherstories.”

NEWS 3

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EVENT

Cal State Chancellor sets NAACP meet Students and faculty have a chance to voice concerns with CSU system in a Q&A with Timothy White.

By James Chow

Senior News Assistant

Just two months into the year, news of a potential tuition hike and an overflow of applications have flooded the Cal State system. As concerns regarding these issues reach an all-time high, organizations around Long Beach have begun to take initiative.

For all those concerned, there will be a chance to have burning questions answered as the Long Beach chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is hosting an Up Close and Personal event with Cal State Chancellor Timothy White. The event will take place

Courtesy of CSU

Chancellor of the Cal State University Timothy White will take part in an Up Close and Personal event Sunday to address the growing concern of tuition hikes.

Sunday from 3 to 4:45 p.m. at in Long Beach at Ernest McBride Sr. Park on Martin Luther King, Ave., Long Beach.

According to a press release, the event is an opportunity for

the general public “to hear the Chancellor’s status of the CSU system report.”

The event will begin with a report on the state of the Cal State system delivered by Chancellor

White, followed by a question and answer session.

Naomi Rainey, Long Beach chapter president of the NAACP, affirms this is not a bickering event, but one that allows stu-

dents and faculty, who rarely have direct access to the Chancellor, to voice their concerns.

“It’s not a complaining session,” Rainey said. “It’s to listen to his statements and then to ask our questions and also to give recommendations in different areas.

This is an opportunity to get up close and personal. Not going through somebody else, but going directly to a source.”

According to Rainey, the association’s education committee receives constant calls and complaints about the tuition increase, lack of representation of the student body and retention of faculty.

Since the event is a little under two hours, questions that are not answered on the floor can be written down and answered at a later date.

“I don’t know whether it will be in person or if he will send another staff person,” Rainey said. “But I can speak and attest to this: I know he will make sure that we get the answers that we need.”

CONSTRUCTION

Water Tower revamped Local landmark that overlooks CSULB is covered in scaffolding for routine maintenance.

By Luke Ramirez

Assistant Sports Editor

The sight of ongoing construction is nothing new for students at Cal State Long Beach, but a major landmark located off-campus has induced head-scratching from many walking through the university lately.

The water tower that overlooks the school from the Veterans Affairs Medical Center has been fully wrapped with scaffolding from top to bottom for the past few weeks.

“It’s fairly routine update maintenance we do every five to six years,” said Rich Beam, Veterans Affairs Hospital director of public relations. “They are repainting both the inside and outside of the tower, so it is currently empty and not operating.”

The water in the tower, when in function, circulates in and out of and cools the hospital’s power-generating machinery.

Along with a recoating of the inside, the hospital will be refreshing the outside of the tower along with the Veteran Affairs logos. With the scaffolding up and all the equipment already available, Beam said the university has been in contact with the hospital about the opportunity to make the “Go Beach” logo that faces campus more vibrant as well.

“We want to invite a representative [from Cal State Long Beach] to come and see the site,” Beam said. “It would be ri-

diculously expensive to do it at another time.”

The university was unable to comment on whether or not the logo will be repainted as well.

“I don’t really think about the water tower,” Jessica Mendoza, a junior film major said. “I wasn’t really surprised about all the [scaffolding] because of all the other construction that has been going on.”

Since it is not used for drinking or irrigation, the inside was coated with leadbased paint. Removal and blasting off the paint will take place soon and the inside of the tower will be repainted with a non lead-based paint.

“The scaffolding will be covered to contain old paint during the removal process,” Beam said. “The black tube running down the side of the scaffolding is to capture fine dust created during the blasting of the old paint and coating.”

Because the old material can be harmful to the environment, the main goal of the project is to contain the residue and stop it from spreading around the nearby area.

“Containment is important so people and the environment are not unnecessarily exposed,” Beam said.

Students on campus have been well aware of the metal and wood planks around the tower, but have had a different assumption of what work is being done.

“I just thought they were going to take it down,” Leslie Rodriguez, a junior biology major said. “I don’t like it because it doesn’t look cool and you can’t really see what it says.”

Beam said that the water tower has always been up to code as far as earthquake safety regulations, and that no other structural work is being done.

Hunter Lee | Daily 49er

The water tower at the Veteran Affairs Medical Center is currently undergoing routine maintenance to remove lead based paint located inside of the structure.

4 ARTS & LIFE

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THE ARTS

COLUMN

Theater blooming at CSULB The spring theater schedule includes performances of cultural and political issues.

By Samantha Diaz Arts & Life Editor

The upcoming spring schedule from the California Repertory Company and University Art Theater will include plays of cultural exploration, a modern telling of a Sophocles story and a humorous imagining of the rapture.

CalRep will kick off the semester with “Dreamers: Aqui y Alla,” directed by Andrea Caban and Julie Granata-Hunicutt, which touches on issues of Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals. It’s an original story put on by the CSULB Studio Theater and devised by the University Art Theater ensemble.

The production was made in collaboration with the California-Mexico Studies Center to tell true stories of Deferred Action recipients grappling with the fear of the current political administration, their journey of crossing the border to Mexico to visit their familiesies and the heartache of returning back to the United States.

“There was a lot of anxiety and fear and we tried to absorb as much as that story into the play as possible,” Caban said. “We

want to make good use of their stories and tie it into what happens everyday in the news.”

The play is part of the Devising Democracy series, which aims to produce original work that addresses issues facing students and Californians in our time.

Four cast members in the play travelled to Mexico with dreamers to receive a firsthand experience of the fear Deferred Action recipients go through while crossing

I think for everyone the purpose of theater is to tell human stories and to remind us of the power of those stories.”

“

Jeff Janisheski the border and seeing their family.

The second play to hit the stage will be “We are proud to present…” by Jackie Sibblies Drury, and will be directed by Chris Anthony, the CalRep managing editor. The story of an African genocide and their unlikely heroes is a self-reflective piece that flips the mirror on the audience and invites them to examine their own strengths and weaknesses.

An old Sophocles tale will be modernized in “Antigone X,” the third production

of the season by Paula Cizmar, directed by Jeff Janisheski. Much like the original play, the message of defying power in the name of higher decency will be woven in with modern issues of police brutality, refugee camps and terrorists.

“We’re living in an Antigone world,” Janisheski said. “A world of resistance and whistleblowers and of people speaking up and rejecting oppression and racism and misogyny. It’s just saying we need to speak up. Antigone will only become more and more relevant in the age were in right now.”

“Antigone X” will be told in multiple forms of media, connecting videos, songs and live acting in front of audiences.

The spring theater season will come to a close with “End days,” by Deborah Zoe Laufer. The quirky comedy follows a 16-year-old goth and features an Elvis-impersonating neighbor, a paranoid mother and an impending apocalypse.

While the play is meant to connect to the audience’s struggles and current issues, it’s overall a message of hope to people on how to keep trucking on — even when it feels like the world is ending.

“I think for everyone the purpose of theater is to tell human stories and to remind us of the power of those stories,” Janisheski said. “I hope that all of our plays provoke those kinds of reactions where they’re moving and they help people pay attention to those stories, some of which they might not know anything about.”

ACTIVIST

continued from page 1

ing up, and why it’s up to students to change that.

“Be out there looking out for what happens on a daily basis,” Guerrero said. “This is the time where your voice matters the most. This is the time to get together and decide what kind of country you want.”

The night was sprinkled with humorous stories from Guerrero’s childhood, constant jokes and references to her characters from “Orange is the New Black” and “Jane the Virgin,” even Guerrero breaking out into song and endorsing pineapples on pizza. These tangents filled the room with laughter and applause.

“My first day on set [of Orange is the New Black], everyone knew each other and I had no friends and I didn’t know who to ask about what I was supposed to be doing,” Guerrero said. “I just waited a long time to get on, it was like 3 a.m. and I had gotten there at 2 a.m. Luckily that didn’t happen again because after that I got a hang of things.”

Through the humor and motivational speeches, first year journalism major Melanie Morales felt as though Guerrero was the perfect speaker to invite given the political climate.

“She’s very strong and I’m glad she’s the role model for many people in the Latinx community,” Morales said. “She gave credit to a lot of Latinx women because we often don’t get enough representation and she’s great representation for what it means to be a Latinx woman.”

Much like her novel, Guerrero ended the night with a call to action for students

Hunter Lee | Daily 49er

“Orange is the New Black,” and “Jane the Virgin,” actress Diane Guerrero spoke to students Tuesday night as part of ASI’s “Evening With” series.

about deferred action recipients, the need for immigration reform and the importance of voting.

“I talk to a lot of DACA students who are afraid but I know your strength and I see your strength because I come from that community,” Guerrero said. “Immigration and DACA is not just a Latinx issue. DACA isn’t the solution…we need a comprehensive reform bill and a real path for citizenship.”

While answering a question during the student Q&A session, Guerrero struggled to hold back tears as she spoke about her family not being a large part in her life.

“I’ve been going through these experiences on my own and not being able to share my lows and high moments with my

family and that’s been really hard for me,” Guerrero said. “When my parents called me to tell me they saw me on the newspaper in Colombia and they were so excited and proud of me, I feel like that’s been the most rewarding moment since my career has started.”

The message of becoming part of a community and fighting for the people in that group stuck with students after the event, including fourth year psychology major Luz Laveles.

“She was telling us to not be afraid and to follow our dreams and just get out there and get it done,” Laveles said. “My main takeaway would be to not be afraid and to get involved in the community and keep pushing forward.”

Beer Posting: So Sweet it’s almost saccharine

JOEL VAUGHN

I

STAFF WRITER

’m more than willing to admit that beer doesn’t taste good.

It can be complex, interesting and fun to write a pretentious 300 word column about, but not accessible without pretending to have a developed palate.

However, Mother Earth’s Cali Creamin bypasses the barrier of acceptability by adding an overwhelming flavor of vanilla.

Coming out of my hometown of Vista, this cream and vanilla bean flavored ale rides a thin line between sweet cream soda and malty light ale. That sweetness is more creme brulee than corn syrup, more overpriced restaurant dessert than bargain bin Halloween candy.

The ale has the added benefit of going down smooth like seltzer while accumulating a coating tongue like spliff tar, except it tastes like whip cream and liver disease rather than burnt tobacco and lung cancer.

With accolades out of the way, this cream ales prominent vanilla note both helps and hurts it. No adult should enjoy drinking essentially four Coke Classics in a row. While the sweetness is subdued, it builds up fast and after finishing the first 22 oz tall, I didn’t want to bother with a second.

It’s never a frequent buy for me because of that escalating sweetness, but when I want to relive being 19 and sneaking this sweet elixir into movie theatres, it’s my go-to.

While the nostalgia of the beer is housed in amber glass bottles and 12 ounce cans, I would recommend getting this on Nitro at their tap house in North County San Diego for an added velvety smoothness.

If you stole your grandmother’s vanilla wafers as a kid and got drunk off vanilla extract as a teenager, Cali Creamin would be at the top of my list of recommendations.

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OPINIONS 6

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SUPERBOWL

TUITION

Was Justin Timberlake’s Prince tribute disrespectful?

Raising tuition places an unnecessary burden on CSULB students

Timberlake’s use of a projection earned scorn from fans.

By Grant Hermanns Staff Writer

T

he Super Bowl halftime show is often more talked about than the game itself, whether it be a controversy as scandalous as a wardrobe malfunction, or a powerful performance given by an acclaimed artist. Justin Timberlake’s return earned widespread praise aside from one element: his Prince tribute. The moment happened when he sat down at a white piano and performed “I Would Die 4 U” alongside an enormous screen projection of Prince, the original artist of the song.

Timberlake’s attempt at honoring Prince’s rich musical legacy was deeply flawed and actively worked against the pop singer’s beliefs.

While some have seen it as a worthy tribute to the Minneapolis-born artist, where the game was being played, most have seen it as a slight to the late singer, who passed away in 2016.

Prince stated in a 1998 interview with Guitar World Magazine that he felt the use of holograms during a performance was “demonic,” and said “if I was meant to jam with Duke Ellington, we would have lived in the same age.”

By using the video projection of Prince during the performance, Timberlake went directly against his wishes for the show.

Among the reasons for Prince’s fight for artistic control was working to keep his image from being distorted, saying he wanted to “prevent that kind of thing from happening,” and yet using the hologram is going against his fight.

Prince’s history of protecting his work was seen throughout his career, as he even denied digital outlets YouTube and eBay his music for copyright infringement and had them take down any videos with his music.

A small group of fans are trying to argue that because it was a projection and not an actual hologram of the artist he didn’t technically go against his wishes,

Brown’s new budget proposal will leave the Cal State system severely underfunded.

By Daniel Green Opinions Editor

Carlos Gonzalez | Minneapolis Star Tribune

Justin Timberlake pays tribute to Prince, singing “I Would Die 4 U,” as video of the music icon performing in “Purple Rain” is projected on a large screen during the Super Bowl halftime show Sunday, Feb. 4, in Minneapolis, Minn.

but they miss the point.

The whole reason behind Prince’s distaste with the hologram technology was not the fact that a false version of an artist is performing, but this version of a dead performer is right there on stage with another artist. According to his interview with Guitar World, if Timberlake wanted to perform alongside Prince, he should’ve done so while Prince was still alive.

Instead of the large projection of Prince, Timberlake and the crew could have included him in another way, like a video of him on the big screens or dancers dressed in the style of Prince.

Given that he wasn’t a fan of sharing his music with anyone without his consent, it makes the usage of both his video and audio for the halftime performance all the more disrespectful.

In addition to the technology, there was also the fact that Timberlake and Prince famously had a public feud beginning in 2006 when Prince criticized Timberlake’s hit “SexyBack” on TMZ. Timberlake followed this up with diss lyrics in the track “Give it to Me,” as well as making fun of Prince’s height while

Daily 49er Miranda Andrade-Ceja Editor-in-Chief eicd49er@gmail.com

Mac Walby Managing Editor managingd49er@gmail.com

T

he Cal State system received a shock when Governor Jerry Brown released his proposal for the 2018-19 state budget.

The biggest news was the decrease in funding from the expected $263 million, to a much smaller $92.1 million. This leaves a $171 million gap in funding that is likely going to be forced on students.

Unfortunately, the first reaction from the Cal State Board of Trustees is to fall back on an increase in tuition. While this may seem like the easiest way to make up the funds needed, it once again hurts students by pricing out those who can’t make up the difference.

This especially hurts considering the board increased the salaries for all executive members and campus presidents by 2.5 percent late last year. It raises the question of why the board did not wait to learn what the budget would be this year before voting.

The board should have waited to learn what the proposed budget would look like before deciding to give themselves raises.

accepting an award on his behalf at the 2007 Golden Globes.

Considering the two artists’ distaste for each other, it makes it all the more questionable why the producers thought that Timberlake was the best performer to pay “respect” to Prince. Wanting to include some kind of tribute in a halftime show game set in Minneapolis, Prince’s hometown, is honorable,Timberlake was not the best choice.

Those defending Timberlake can’t use the technical point as their only argument, because it ignores the artistic issue. Despite Prince’s distaste for artists performing alongside recreations of dead ones, Timberlake did just that with his video and audio recreation of Prince performing.

Timberlake had countless opportunities to pay homage, even just sticking to performing the song by himself, but yet still proved disrespectful in his use of the video duet. No matter whose idea it was to feature the projection, an apology should be given to family, friends and fans of Prince, even if the family approved of the performance.

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SPORTS 7

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | SPORTSD49ER@GMAIL.COM SOFTBALL

49ers look to bounce back in Big West Conference

With a team half-full of new players, softball seeks to make it further into the Big West Conference play.

By Grant Hermanns Staff Writer

It’s a crisp January morning, with the only sounds on the northeast side of campus coming from the University Music Center in the distance and some construction nearby.

“Let’s go, Beach!” breaks the silence in this corner of campus as the players of the Long Beach State Softball team take the field Wednesday, Jan. 31, for one of its final practices at home. The team will hit the road for a 20 games beginning with the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Mexico on Thursday.

Last year saw the softball team finish its regular season at just under .500 and the squad ranked No. 71 in the Top 100 RPI in the whole country, while finishing fourth in the Big West Conference. The team’s 11-10 Big West Conference record marked the tenth time head coach Kim Sowder has finished over .500 in her 11 years at Long Beach State.

Heading into this season, their goal is to improve not just their conference record, but their overall record.

“Our major goal is to win the Big West Championship,” Sowder said. “Ultimately we’d like to get to the College World Series, but right now, our focus is making it to the postseason and making it to the Big West championship.”

Sowder has been working with the team to improve every aspect of play during the off-season, but noted the most important area of improvement was leadership among the players. She cited the seniors as doing a “great job” of

Grant Hermanns | Daily 49er

Long Beach State senior catcher Lauren MacLeod gathers her team for a speech urging to push themselves a little harder during Wednesday’s practice to prepare for their upcoming road series beginning Friday.

leading the team and helping the new players “mesh” with the rest of the team.

One of the players who has taken a major leadership role is senior catcher Lauren MacLeod, who recorded 10 RBIs last season.

“We really want to focus on attacking in the first inning, keeping our energy the whole time and being resilient throughout the whole game,” MacLeod said.

“As a player, since I’m the main catcher, I want to do everything I can to support my team defensively, hitting wise I just want to make sure I get as many runs in as I can, RBIs are the main thing I want to focus on, [as well as] being unselfish offensively and

defensively for my team.”

While the team will have two of its players, senior infielder Lauren Lombardi, and sophomore infielder Alyssa Gonzalez, redshirting this season, both players have still contributed a lot to the team during practices, providing leadership and batters improvement during practice. Redshirt freshman outfielder Taylor Tiger will receive more playing time this year with a focus on pinch hitting and pinch running until her shoulder injury is completely healed.

Sowder is ready for all of her players to break out and shine this season, but is definitely looking forward to getting more play-

ing time from sophomore pitcher Cielo Meza.

“We’re excited to start the season with her,” Sowder said. “We didn’t have her until conference last year and she was freshman pitcher of the year. ,“We’re excited to build our pitching staff around her.”

Meza, Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year last season, is coming into this year fully recovered from an injury that was still affecting her from her 2016 season and ready to bring her strong performance from her conference play to this spring season, citing her drive as “a perfectionist” as a big part of her preparation for this season.

“I’m really excited to keep it going and moving forward and I already feel much stronger and confident in my pitches,” Meza said. “It’s been a while since we’ve had a Big West Championship and I feel really this is the team to do it, I have a lot of confidence in that. We’ve been putting in so much work, more work than we have in the past and I think it’s going to really pay off.”

Sowder also cited senior utility Jessica Flores as another player to look out for, following her strong conference play in which she gained “her confidence,” leading the team in hits during conference play and played solid in a “closer role” in the pitching circle.

“I really see the want to succeed and I appreciate it, there’s so much respect for them coming in and I’m really happy to have them,” Meza said.

McLeod, who carries a leadership position amongst her teammates, has enjoyed seeing the new players grow close with everyone.

“They have adapted to our team and have really become a part of our family and I’m really excited to play a season with them,” MacLeod said.

Among the 10 new players on the team, Naomi Hernandez, the freshman starting outfielder out of Norco high school in Corona, will be one of the standout players this season who is really looking forward to playing with “a bunch of great players.”

“My teammates, I want to do good for them and really not let them down, so I’d say that’s what motivates me to do my best,” Hernandez said. “I’m looking forward to travelling and seeing the road and the different experiences that we’re gonna face.”

After the 20-game road series taking the team through Mexico, Las Vegas, Palm Springs and San Diego, Long Beach will return to host its first home game at 2 p.m. against Baylor College on March 6.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

No. 1 LBSU head east for two game road trip Long beach looks to continue consecutive sets streak alive.

By Zackery Handy Staff Writer

The No.1 ranked Long Beach State men’s volleyball team heads east this week as the players prepare for a two-game road trip against Harvard (1-3) and George Mason (3-6).

LBSU (10-0) looks to improve on a historical start to the sea-

son, as it is now the best start for the program in over 10 years.

The team is also in the midst of a 23 consecutive sets won streak.

The team’s first obstacle waits in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where it will face Harvard Thursday at 4 p.m. PT. The Crimson are lead by senior setter Marko Kostich who leads the team with 87 assists, averaging a stout 5.44 assists per set.

Kostich ranks top five on the squad in kills (26), digs (29), and blocks (8).

“The good thing about them [Harvard] is they are incredibly

well coached,” head coach Alan Knipe said. “They are generally a very good ball-controlled team.

So they are going to create some opportunities for themselves through serving.”

The 49ers are coming off a sweep against Concordia, which saw junior outside hitter Kyle Ensing leave the match late with “tightness” in his shoulder. He was sidelined at Monday’s practice.

“There’s different times early in the week that we give certain guys some rest,” Knipe said.

With Ensing sidelined on Monday, senior opposite Davis

Cannon was seen taking reps in his place.

“We feel like Davis is one of the best opposites in the country,” Knipe said. “We’re just lucky to have him in our gym.”

With two road matches against sub .500 teams, the 6-foot-7 lefty could be a player to watch on the road trip.

Long Beach will be led by a core of three juniors, outside hitters TJ DeFalco, Kyle Ensing and setter Josh Tuaniga.

DeFalco is coming off a match against Concordia in which he recorded a double-double (12 kills, 12 digs) that would pro-

pel him to Big West Conference player of the week.

Ensing leads the team in kills with 105 (3.39 per set), ranking 19th in the country in kills per set.

Meanwhile, Tuaniga has cracked into the top ten in the nation in assists per set at seventh with 10.2.

Long Beach will play Harvard at 4 p.m. Thursday in Cambridge, Massachusetts at the Malkin Athletic Center, followed by a match against George Mason at 4 p.m. Saturday in Fairfax, Virginia at the Recreation Athletic Complex.

8 SPORTS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | SPORTSD49ER@GMAIL.COM

Jose De Castro | LBSU Athletics

Long Beach State women’s basketball head coach addresses his team during a game this season at the Walter Pyramid.

PROFILE

Cammon looks to get back on track With years of success as an assistant under his belt, he hopes to transfer that success as a head coach.

By Jarrod Castillo Staff Writer

With Jody Wynn leaving the Long Beach State women’s basketball program, newly-appointed head coach Jeff Cammon has culminated a family culture for his players and staff.

Junior guard Martina McCowan immediately noticed the different coaching styles that Wynn and Cammon implement.

“With Jody [Wynn], it was like intense, kind of up and down,” McCowan said. “But here, everything is pretty lovely. Everything’s fun.”

After four years as an assistant coach at Cal and Colorado, Cammon returns to Long Beach State.

Since leaving, he has seen success with Cal and Colorado as an assistant coach. Now, Cammon is returning to Long Beach in hopes of replicating his previous success.

Despite the challenges that have arisen during his short tenure as head coach, he says that being back in Southern California has been a dream come true.

“Coming into the program, we had to rebuild,” Cammon said.

“Despite the challenges, it’s good.”

It’s rebuilding season for Long Beach currently sits at 2-20 and 0-8 Big West Conference. The

49ers have lost 13 straight games, but even with the difficulties, Cammon says morale hasn’t been affected due to the family-like atmosphere and the industrious, gritty attitude of the team.

“I see a foundation being built that’s going to lead to something really, really great,” he said. “The biggest thing is to establish the culture the way I want it, and I think we’ve done that.”

While away from Long Beach, the coach saw different philosophies and thought processes at Cal and Colorado and decided to implement them into his own coaching style.

But one constant remained: how important laying a foundation was to building a culture of success.

Senior guard Jessica Gertz can attest to the fact that Cammon is laying the foundation for future success.

“He’s [Cammon] focused on, not just right now, but long term,” Gertz said. “Right now with this new team, we’re just not really worried about wins and losses anymore. We’re just focusing on how can we get better each day, I think he definitely focuses on the future and the long term.”

Cammon says that being a part of Wynn’s staff from 2009-2014 has taught him a lot and prepared him to be a head coach, such as recruiting and organizing. More importantly, Wynn gave Cammon the room to grow during his time as an assistant.

“She taught me and she mentored me, to a certain extent,” Cammon said. “But she allowed

me to make mistakes and challenge myself.”

Cammon always had a view of what he wanted his team to be: selfless, unified and playing with fire, effort and passion. Not only that, he says he likes to give his players the freedom to be who they are and play to their strengths.

That said, building a sustainable culture for the future is what means the most to Cammon. The technicalities of the game don’t matter as much as long as a culture is being built.

“It’s just about getting them [the players] better and developing them,” he said.

With eight games left in his first season as head coach, Cammon’s approach is similar to the first eight, with effort and grit. Moreover, the growth of the team is one of the more important factors going into the final stretch of games.

“Are we ready to turn the corner or aren’t we?” he said. “Can we stay disciplined enough to do the things we have to do to win a game?”

McCowan says that the team’s inexperience during close games is holding the team back from taking that next step.

“It’s just the experience; we lack experience,” McCowan said. “I don’t think we really know how to close out games…I just think we have breakdowns and we have a lack of focus at the wrong times.”

Cammon understands that learning from mistakes is how the team can get better and show the growth that had been building throughout the season.

Joseph Kling | Daily 49er

Long Beach State head coach Jeff Cammon talks to freshman guard Shanaijah Davison in Saturday’s game against UC Irvine.

“The big picture is we have young team; they don’t know how to win,” he aid. “We’re learning how to win.”

Though it has been a long season, Cammon sees that the team is making strides and getting better. Not only that, he says that the

team is playing for the seniors, as the 49ers are looking to start off their upcoming three-game road trip at 7 p.m. at Northridge Feb. 8.

“This is their last year,” Cammon said. “We talked about ‘hey, these next eight games, we’re going to play for them.”