BLXST what a
long BEach currEnt
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Blxst took center stage to the crowd’s anticipation as the headliner of Long Beach State’s Beach Bash hosted by ASI.
Visas restored to CSULB international students
BY LINSEY TOWLES Managing Editor
Of the six CSULB students who experienced visa revocations, one student was deported to Tokyo, Japan, at an airport in Honolulu while traveling back to California.
University officials confirmed on Friday that international student visas had been restored to the six students affected by recent cancellations at Long Beach State.
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Conoley said there has been no word on whether or not the student who was deported will be able to return to the United States, but university officials have been working with her to allow her to take online classes and finish the year.
According to university officials, all the students have been added back to the SEVIS system, a database that tracks international students.
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In an email sent to campus administrators, Assistant Director of International Students and Scholars Mayra Serna-Gallegos confirmed that all students affected by the visa revocations have had their visa status reinstated.
The email read, “We have reached out to students accordingly and will continue to support them with any additional assistance they need to navigate this fast-moving situation.”
Long Beach State President Jane Close Conoley confirmed the restorations in an interview on Friday.
“There was such an outcry from universities, and there was no rhyme or reason to why these students were getting their visas revoked,” she said.
Conoley said the university was not told the reasons for revocations and, in one instance, was told it was because the student had an unpaid parking ticket.
The recent restorations come as the Trump administration has reversed over 1,500 visa cancellations nationwide, due in part to hundreds of lawsuits spanning at least 23 states.
DOJ said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is working on a new policy regarding F-1 visas, which is a non-immigrant visa that allows an individual to enter the U.S. to pursue full-time academic studies at an accredited institution.
Of the six CSULB students who experienced terminations, four had F-1 visas.
Additional reporting for this article was provided by Khoury Williams.
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Here at the Long Beach Current we acknowledge that the school we report on is located on the sacred site of Puvungna, “the gathering place”. We are on the land of the Tongva/Gabrieleño and the Acjachemen/Juaneño Nations who have lived and continue to live here.
We also acknowledge the Gabrieleño/Tongva (pronounced: GABRIEL-EN-YO/TONG –VAH) and Acjachamen/Juaneño (pronounced: AH-HACH-AH-MEN/JUAN-EN-YO) as the traditional custodians of the Los Angeles region along with the Chumash (pronounced: CHOOMOSH) to the north and west, and the Tataviam (pronounced: TAH-TAH-VEE-YUM) and Cahuilla (pronounced: KAH-WEE-YAH) Nations to the east.
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‘Totally unprecedented’ visa revocations leave the university, CSU system in the dark
BY LINSEY TOWLES Managing Editor
Editor’s note: Since the publication of this story, the six visas revoked from Long Beach State students have been reinstated, as of 4:17 p.m. on Friday, April 25.
Universities across the country have seen the sudden revocation of visas for international student populations, including six revocations at Long Beach State and one deportation.
Last week, CSULB President Jane Close Conoley confirmed six international students had their visas revoked within one week, including one student who was deported to Japan from an airport in Honolulu.
At the time of the publication of this article, the number of revocations at CSULB remains the same.
According to CSU officials, 70 students across the CSU system’s 23 campuses have had visas revoked.
“This is totally unprecedented. It has never happened before in my career of 30-plus years in international education,” Jeet Joshee, CSULB International Education and Global Engagement associate vice president, said.
Joshee has served as the AVP for the university for 14 years, overseeing all international students and faculty.
There are several agencies in the federal government, including the Department of Homeland Security, with the authority to cancel a student visa. However, in the past, it was largely the university’s responsibility to cancel a student’s visa if the terms had been violated.
“The system is set up so that we do that for students,” Joshee said. “It’s not the other way around. Somebody out there is doing this, and we have no idea why.”
Joshee said the cancellations are likely coming from the DHS and the university is only made aware of the change in students’ status by manually logging into the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, a database that tracks international students.
Graphic credit: LINSEY TOWLES/Long Beach Current Only 14% of international students are a part of the Optional Training Program, which provides students with an extension of their visa to participate in a 1-3 year occupation training after graduation.
Currently, there is a designated staff member who checks for terminations each morning on SEVIS.
For students whose visas have been recently terminated, the university notified them, not the federal government.
“We send out an email and ask the student to reach out to an adviser,” Joshee said. “We sit down with them and explain to the extent that we can because we don’t know exactly why this is being done either.”
According to Conoley, the university has supported the students, helping them obtain legal counsel. Conoley said
the university does not plan to disenroll the students.
Joshee said the university is bracing for more terminations and a negative effect on the future enrollment of international students.
“There will be more. To what extent, it’s very hard to say,” Joshee said. “It certainly doesn’t send a very positive message. International students who want to study here will think twice.”
At CSULB, there is a total international population of 2,486 on visas, according to Joshee.
There are 2,150 students with F-1 vi-
sas. This is a non-immigrant visa that allows an individual to enter the United States to pursue full-time academic studies at an accredited institution.
There are 336 people with J-1 visas, which are non-immigrant visas for international participants in work and studybased exchange programs.
Of the six students at CSULB with terminated visas, two were under J-1 visas and three had F-1 visas.
University officials once again confirmed the students were seemingly chosen at random, with no connecting factors between them.
Meet the new ASI president
Photo credit: NASAI RIVAS/Long Beach Current
ASI President-elect Sonny Ciampa stands in front of the University Student Union stairs. Ciampa said he is excited and ready to go for the presidency.
BY NASAI RIVAS News Assistant
Sonny Ciampa was once a member of Long Beach State’s Camp Nugget program. Now, the political science and economics major is going to be the future Associated Students Inc. president.
Ciampa was born and raised in Long Beach and always wanted to go to CSULB since he was a 7-year-old at Camp Nugget.
Once on campus, Ciampa joined ASI and became a Senator-at-Large in the ASI Senate. Ciampa said his passion for change and working with others was one of the reasons he decided to run for president in the ASI elections in March.
“I see these students facing so many issues and stuff, I just really want to help them,” Ciampa said. “I honestly hate seeing people suffering and seeing them upset, I knew that I needed to fight and that’s why I decided to run.”
”
We [ASI] are there for students, no matter what.
Sonny Ciampa
Incoming ASI President
Ciampa will be ASI President for the 2025-26 school year, entering the office on June 1. He and his executive cabinet will face major issues on campus during his term.
“He is stepping in with a new university president. He is stepping in with no [University Student Union]. He is stepping in when we are facing federal grant cuts and also an 8% budget cut. He is stepping in to a time when it is crucial to be listening to students,” current ASI President Nikki Majidi said.
Ciampa said his first day in office will be focused on letting students know where food and resources in the USU will be relocated due to the Future U project.
“I want to ensure that when that building is actually gone, which will be in
two months, students will have a place to go,” Ciampa said.
He said he will inform students about the relocation of resources and where their new locations are by using social media.
Another issue Ciampa will face during his term is the safety of undocumented and international students on campus. Recently, six international students at CSULB had their visas revoked.
Ciampa said educating students through red cards, tabling and social media will help inform them of the Dream Success Center’s resources and about
their constitutional rights.
Ciampa said resources like the DSC will help protect students.
“[ASI] are there for students, no matter what,” Ciampa said.
Ciampa stated there should be more focus on deterring ICE on campus by training University Police to deal with agents.
“They should not be deporting these students that are just trying to earn an education in the first place,” Ciampa said. “They are not criminals, they are students.”
On budget cuts, Ciampa said he will use ASI’s Lobby Corp to put pressure on politicians to get rid of the cuts on education. He said an alternative place to cut for the budget could be focused on prisons rather than on the CSU.
Ciampa will not be working alone.
ASI Executive Vice President-elect Shelton King Jr. and Vice President of Finance-elect Kim Nguyen will fill out the executive branch of ASI.
“It really is a friendship rather than a partnership,” King Jr. said.
Beyond CSULB and ASI, Ciampa said he wants to get into politics.
“I’ve seen people think that our world is doomed and we’re done. I really want to change that narrative,” Ciampa said.
Court date set for CSULB employees accused of conspiracy, grand theft
BY JUAN CALVILLO News Editor
Hender Noe Maxwell and Oscar Perez Almanza pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit grand theft on March 3. During a pre-trial hearing on April 14, they were told to return to court on June 14.
Both men are former Long Beach State Athletics Department employees.
Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney in the public integrity division, Bobby Zoumberakis, said the District Attorney’s office’s first goal for the case is to make Long Beach State whole financially.
While that is a priority, he said there is also an additional goal.
“And then after that it’s, you know, holding the defendants accountable for their conduct, and hopefully sending a message to other individuals to deter them from committing crimes like this,” Zoumberakis said.
Complaint documents from the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center against Almanza and Maxwell show 33 overt acts committed in their conspiracy to commit grand theft.
The documents focus on the period between Jan. 15, 2022, and Dec. 1, 2022, for the count of conspiracy.
It shows a pattern of Maxwell submitting a timesheet certifying hours while working for the LBSU Athletics Department.
According to the documents, Almanza approved the submitted timesheet, and CSULB officials then deposited funds into Maxwell’s chosen bank account. Afterward, Maxwell transferred funds from that account into Almanza’s bank account.
In one of the overt acts, it is noted that CSULB officials renewed a “parttime, hourly and contractual position” for Maxwell after Almanza requested it.
“In Overt Act 7, the prosecution alleges that Oscar Almanza requested the renewal of Hender’s contract in furtherance of a conspiracy to commit grand
Photo credit: JUAN CALVILLO/Long Beach Current
The April 14 court appearance of Hender Noe Maxwell and Oscar Perez Almanza was held at the Central Arraignment Courts in Los Angeles. The case was presided over by the Honorable Kerry L. White.
theft,” Zoumberakis said via email.
He said the not-guilty pleas from the defendants are quite common and that it is rare for an accused person to plead guilty or no contest to charges.
The April 14 court appearance was to give all attorneys a chance to discuss the case and ensure that all parties had the discovery items.
According to Zoumberakis, discovery items can include documents, reports and witness statements.
He said the Long Beach State University Police Department investigated the case, conducted interviews and reviewed documents related to it.
From there, this information was presented to the District Attorney’s office.
Zoumberakis said the case documentation focused on the timesheets submitted by Maxwell, which Almanza then approved.
He also stated that the fraudulent timesheets and their approval “...ultimately led to Maxwell being paid for work that he had not performed, and then Maxwell was splitting that money with Almanza.”
According to court documents for case 25CJCF01062-02, defendants Maxwell and Almanza are charged with conspiracy to commit a crime, Penal Code
section 182(a)(1).
In addition, they are both charged with one count each of grand theft, Penal Code section 487(a), for “unlawfully stealing, taking, carrying, leading and driving away with personal property of California State University, Long Beach,” according to court documents.
The complaint against Maxwell and Almanza, originally filed Feb. 27 in the Los Angeles Superior Court, also alleges California Rules of Court Rule 4.421(a) (8) and (a)(9) apply to the counts the pair is charged with.
Almanza and Maxwell are charged with the grand theft of $36,560.28.
BY ETHAN COHEN News Assistant
Yetta Kane’s first experience of the Nazis came when she was just a little girl.
Kane, a Jew, was playing with a friend in the Polish neighborhood where she was born when the Gestapo shot a Jewish man right in front of her.
As the war escalated and the plight of Poland’s Jewish people grew more dire, Kane and her family fled their hometown in 1940, beginning nearly three years on the run.
They endured horrific conditions, eventually reaching Siberia, just 100 miles from the North Pole, where she fought the bitter cold and averted starvation by eating pig feed and stealing milk until the war’s end.
Now 92, Kane is among the last generation of Holocaust survivors still telling their stories firsthand, speaking to students across the country in what she says is her life’s mission.
“Maybe that’s why I survived,” Kane said. “That was my mission, that God wanted me to speak to people, to tell them those things did happen to people and two-legged animals decided who should live and who should die.”
Kane spoke to a room full of students at Long Beach State on Thursday, April 24, during a public event to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day hosted in the Liberal Arts Building.
Holocaust survivor brings her story to CSULB
fessor and director of the Jewish Studies program at CSULB, saw it as a chance for students to hear history directly from someone who lived through it.
“I think any time a student has a chance to hear someone like this, it’s important, particularly for me, who teaches history, to be able to bring in because the Holocaust is still within living history,” Blutinger said. “Within 10 years, that won’t be true. Within 10 years, we will have no survivors left… so it’s important for people to hear them now while they have a chance, because that chance is going to disappear really, really soon.”
She highlighted her experience escaping the Nazis and the role that her faith played in her survival.
“The German people, the Nazis, stripped us of everything, but they couldn’t take away our belief in God and our humanity,” Kane said. “That nobody could take away from us. That’s why we’re here.”
Kane has spoken at schools across the country, sharing her story in hopes of keeping alive the memory of the 6 million Jewish people killed in the Holocaust.
When the opportunity arose to bring Kane to campus, Jeffrey Blutinger, pro-
The German people, the Nazis, they stripped us of everything, but they couldn’t take away our belief in God and our humanity. ”
Yetta Kane Holocaust survivor
For many students in the room, hearing directly from a Holocaust survivor added an important, personal layer to what they had only read about in textbooks.
Among them was Deborah Valenzuela, 21, a political science major, who said Kane’s story left a lasting impression.
“I’m very fortunate enough to come into this place and listen to her words, her story and her experience, to be reminded of that horrible occurrence in history and to make sure it never happens again,” Valenzuela said. “In a time where antisemitism is rising so much once again, it’s important to be reminded of what happened, what could happen and what humans are capable of doing to other humans.”
As the event came to a close, Kane left the students with a message that she hopes they take with them into the future—a call to live with purpose, compassion and responsibility.
“I hope you’ll be able to say ‘Yes, I met a 92-year-old plus lady that survived hell, chose life, chose to be a good human being, chose to be helping other people, chose to raise children that are healers, that are law-abiding citizens,’” Kane said.
She said, “It’s up to you what you do with your life, and I hope and pray that what you do with your life is make an impression on a lot of people—to help, by kindness, by knowledge, by giving so those things never happen to other human beings, no matter what house of worship we go to.”
Photo credit: ETHAN COHEN/Long Beach Current
Holocaust survivor Yetta Kane speaks to a classroom of students at Long Beach State on Holocaust Remembrance Day. Kane said it was her life’s mission to speak about her experience as a child.
Losing her religion: Exploring a growing gender gap in faith
BY NIA WILLIAMS Contributor
Los Angeles local Malikka McDuffie, 34, was in high school when she began to question organized religion.
Growing up in a religious, Panamanian household, McDuffie was raised in the Episcopal Church and attended Catholic school.
One day, she recounts, her father decided that he was Jewish.
Suddenly her family was not celebrating Christmas and they could not eat certain foods. She stopped taking religion seriously, growing to believe people only followed what was popular or what their parents believed.
“I think that started my first battle with my faith and just religion as a whole, because how can somebody just say no to Jesus,” McDuffie said. “How do you just move away from that?”
After taking a religious course, McDuffie considered Buddhism. She felt like her father’s switch-up gave her a pass to do the same.
Now an adult, McDuffie classifies herself as a spiritual person and began using crystals, affirmations and psychic readings but denies any religious affiliation.
McDuffie represents a growing trend, where Generation Z and millennial women are leaving organized religion while Gen Z and millennial men are clinging to it, leading to a new religion gender gap.
As of last year, 39% of Gen Z women identified as religiously unaffiliated compared to 34% of men according to the Survey Center of American Life.
Another survey from the Public Religion Research Institute found that 39% of Gen Z women identify as religiously unaffiliated as opposed to 31% of Gen Z men.
Sophia Pandya, the chair of Long Beach State’s Department of Religious Studies, said recent events are affecting Gen Z churchgoing.
She described the “Rise of the Nones” phenomenon, where young groups of people report themselves as spiritual, non-religious or atheist.
“You’ve got women leaving their houses of worship for obvious reasons, right?” Pandya said. “Why stay, if you’re a second-class citizen in your church, temple, mosque, et cetera. Why stay if you’re facing patriarchy, if you’re facing lack of opportunities and leadership within those structures?”
Currently, Black women are facing challenges as they seek leadership roles in Black churches.
Martha Simmons, founder of the Women of Color in Ministry, told the Associated Press that she “estimates that less than one in 10 Black Protestant congregations are led by a woman, even as more Black women are attending seminary.”
One reason for the exodus that Pandya touches on, is that churches— especially conservative ones— do not prioritize women when it comes to leadership roles or political stances on bodily rights, she said.
The rise of the #MeToo movement, which aimed to hold sexual assaulters accountable, also contributed to the gender gap.
A survey from the Pew Research Center shows that 69% of U.S. Catholics
Members of the church Empowered Faith LA pray during Sunday Service on April 6.
thinks sexual abuse from the Catholic clergy is an ongoing issue. The church has a recorded history of sexual assault scandals.
The #MeToo movement also criticized traditional notions, like toxic masculinity, that negatively affect women. However, some saw the critiques as a rebuke of traditional manhood— a view Pandya says is a reason why Gen Z men are now clinging to church and religion.
“These religious institutions are offering them purpose and meaning, and offering them a way to see their own masculinity as something positive in a
world in which masculinity— in the post #MeToo era— masculinity was seen as something, you know, negative,” Pandya said.
Traditional religion glorifies masculinity, Pandya said, giving men a safe space.
Elie Thomas, 27, is a leader of praise and worship at Empowered Faith LA.
“I’ve experienced so many things. I’ve seen other people come out here and lose themselves,” Thomas said. “I’ve seen so many corrupt things go on. I think that was my reason for going back to church.”
Photos courtesy of Malikka McDuffie
Malikka McDuffie, 34, is one in a growing national trend of women who have left organized religion as they grow up.
Clockwise from right: Blxst performed with confidence and ease on stage at Long Beach State’s Beach Bash hosted by ASI. Attendees were handed light-up foam wands at the event, which was held at Walter Pyramid. After two DJ sets, SiR opened the night for Blxst.
Photos by LAUREN BENSON
Long Beach Current
Blxst, SiR concert unites ‘Die Hard’ lovers at The Beach
ARTS & LIFE
BY JAZMYN DE JESUS Social Media Editor
Students rushed to the floor and the stands of Walter Pyramid on April 25 to witness Inglewood native and R&B artist SiR and two-time Grammy nominated headliner Blxst.
Formerly known as the Big Event, Associated Students, Inc.’s Beach Bash kicked off at 6 p.m.
Despite that, students lined up far before the doors opened to see the rapper and singer take the stage at The Beach.
Before the main acts came on stage, DJ Havni, a Long Beach State student and team DJ for 22 West Radio, opened up with a set of her own to warm up the crowd.
As the crowd began to file in, another DJ known as B-ROKK and his MC, Ray on the Mic took the stage to “turn Long Beach State into the club” before SiR made his appearance.
Classic R&B hits and other dance tracks got the crowd singing and matching the vibe of the performances to come.
Izzy Garcia and Melissa Martinez, two criminal justice majors at CSULB who were waiting anxiously to enjoy the show, stood front and center of the barricade soon after people began filing in.
“People were complaining that they didn’t know who [Blxst] is, but I thought that’s better for me,” Garcia said. “I love Blxst so I’m excited to see what’s about to happen.”
Upon announcing the headliner for Beach Bash in an Instagram post by ASI, a notable amount of comments like “From Daniel Caesar, Giveon, T-Pain, to this?” and “Ain’t nobody going to this” questioned or ridiculed the headliner of choice, causing bickering amongst Blxst fans on campus who were happy to see the news.
Nearly one week later, ASI announced SiR as the co-headliner for the night of the bash in a follow-up post.
At 7 p.m., SiR’s set opened up with songs off his most recent album, “HEAVY.”
Throughout the set, he joked about how much of the audience may not know his music but appreciated the energy he was receiving from the crowd.
“I’m happy to be here in Long Beach with y’all, I’m just around the corner so I’m probably gonna be home by like 8:43 p.m. which is awesome,” SiR said to the audience, as his time came to an end.
In between the two performances, Ray on the Mic came back out to host a dance competition. Audience members who participated could win CSULB merch from ASI, filling the Pyramid with laughs as a twerk-off commenced.
Finally, Blxst took the audience on a wave of West Coast rap and R&B with the help of a powerhouse backup vocalist and an Eagle mascot dancing on stage in honor of his label, EVGLE Records.
He encouraged the crowd to chant “Eagle gang” with him, in between hits like “Chosen,” “Be Alone” and “Fck Boys.”
Students were not the only ones excited to see the multi-hyphenate artist, as security guards, Walter Pyramid staff and ASI staff were seen dancing and singing the lyrics around the barricade.
To Bella Perez, an athletic event staff who helped usher students to the floor section, the negative response to Beach Bash was unnecessary.
“People should be open to new music and embrace it,” Perez said. “Blxst would not have been hired if he wasn’t talented and we all clearly had a good time so that’s all that matters.”
Throughout Blxst’s performance, the crowd sang back to him with the volume of a rehearsed chorus, proving that his “Die Hards” did show out for him at The Beach.
“Give it up for y’all selves for being students and having dreams,” Blxst said, as he closed out the bash. “You’re all in the right place right now so thank you for having me.”
‘Wicked’ actress Marissa Bode shares disability story, advocacy
BY JASON GREEN Contributor
Welcomed by the sound of cheers and applause from a large audience, Marissa Bode wheeled her way to the center of Long Beach State’s University Student Union Ballroom Stage in her wheelchair to share her journey into “Wicked” and being a disabled individual.
Bode, 24, skyrocketed in popularity after acting in her first major role as Nessarose Thropp in the 2024 Broadway movie adaptation of “Wicked.”
Nessarose is the little sister of Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo, who has a physical disability that requires her to use a wheelchair.
Through this role, the Wisconsin native set a precedent as the first actor to use a wheelchair in real life to portray the character.
Bode became paralyzed from the waist down at 11-years-old after a car accident, but she has been in musicals since she was young.
One year after graduating from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in 2021, Bode auditioned for the role of Nessarose.
“[I’ve] never been more anxious in my life,” Bode said, while describing the callback process for “Wicked” during the Q&A. Bode spoke with Long Beach Disability Pride founder, voice of Dahlia in “Wish” and communication studies major Jennifer Kumiyama.After not hearing back for a couple of days, Bode said she wanted to distract herself by making a self-made short film that was incidentally called “Witches.”
Two days after posting the short film on Instagram, she got a callback from “Wicked” casting.
“Did I accidentally create a spell or something?” Bode said, laughing along with attendees.
Throughout the callback process, Bode recounts an experience where she was on a Zoom call with “Wicked” Director Jon M. Chu regarding casting when he said someone was at his door.
“He shows me - he opens the door and it’s Ariana and Cynthia, and they
have a sign that says, ‘Welcome to Oz. Will you be our Nessarose?’” Bode said.
As Bode recalled the memory, the crowd reacted in a chorus of “awws.”
Not only was Bode warmly welcomed to “Wicked,” the environment and set was accessible for her as well.
She describes that during filming, there was a disability advisor for the cast and set. For her, communication seemed easy, as the crew would ask questions when needed and were available for her questions.
Bode recalled the scene in the film where she is flown up into the air with her wheelchair. Though the crew wor-
ried that Bode would be anxious, she said it was hard for her to take the scene seriously, as she enjoyed being in the air.
“I really didn’t have to do much in terms of my own accessibility because it was just already there,” Bode said.
“Which I think should be standard not only on set but just everywhere else, like in the workforce and everyday life.”
Historically, disabled people have been heavily discriminated against or underrepresented, whether that be in the workplace or everyday life.
In 2023, Disability Scoop reported that while disabled people make up 26% of the population, disabled people make
up 12.2% of leads on broadcast shows. Even Bode mentioned that some people were surprised or confused to discover that she is disabled in real life. However, she is not surprised by this as she noticed a lack of disabled representation.
“I know I speak for a lot of disabled people when I say we’re advocates, not necessarily because we want to, but because we basically have to because things just aren’t as accessible as they should be,” she said.
Photo credit: LAUREN BENSON/Long Beach Current “Wicked” actress Marissa Bode made an appearance at CSULB on April 21 to discuss her experience as the first actress with a disability to portray the character “Nessarose.”
Venezuela-born silversmith shares craft, forges community in Long Beach
BY ELIZABETH CARROLL
Contributor
From hobby to full-time job opportunity, Hellbent Silversmith offers the unique trade of handmade silver jewelry and hands-on classes in Long Beach to locals and natives alike.
Ani Gabrielson, the 31-year-old, Venezuelan-born owner of Hellbent Silversmithing, said she was introduced to silversmithing at the age of 16.
Over time, and especially through the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic, silversmithing became a more prominent hobby in Gabrielson’s life.
With dreams to eventually open up her own storefront, Gabrielson eventually left her home in Utah for Los Angeles, where she would take on part-time jobs to save towards her goal.
“[Moving] was something I wanted to do for a really long time,” Gabrielson said. “I worked a few odd-end jobs and was just really unhappy working there and that really pushed me to do my own thing again.”
Knowing prices in the city were high and incomes were low, Gabrielson borrowed space in a friend’s motorcycle shop, Off Track, to practice her silver work, sell her jewelry through Etsy and promote her work on social media websites such as Instagram and TikTok.
People quickly took to Gabrielson’s work, and the dream of her own studio became a reality.
“I had one TikTok blowup, and I got booked out three or four months in advance,” Gabrielson said. “That gave me the confidence to be like, ‘Okay, I can get my own space.’”
Now, Hellbent Silversmith has lived in Downtown Long Beach at its E. 1st Street location for a little over two years.
The small, minimalist space is fully designed and crafted by Gabrielson. Upon entry, guests are greeted with an array of plants, refurbished and handmade furniture and Gabrielson’s personal motorcycle, which stands statuesquely in the corner of the shop.
The shop sells rings, necklaces and pendants, as well as hands-on opportunities for customers to make their own jewelry.
“I think people come in without re-
ally knowing what to expect or what their abilities are,” Gabrielson said. “I think it’s just so fulfilling to see people do something that they didn’t think they could do.”
The hands-on experience goes through all the steps of making a silver ring or necklace; participants get to measure their rings, cut, shape and sand their work, resulting in a finished product to take home.
In recent years, Hellbent has also begun hosting four-week silversmith courses for those interested in further pursuing the hobby.
Participants, like longtime customer Oona Bruss, can learn more in-depth on how to begin silversmithing at home through four consecutive weeks of putting together four silver jewelry pieces.
“After taking my first class, I realized how accessible they make it,” Bruss said. “I think there is something really special about jewelry making specifically, it’s the type of thing where someone’s going to make something and wear it all of the time.”
Now, Bruss is a silversmithing class instructor at Hellbent.
To her, Gabrielson’s desire to make Hellbent a welcoming space for people of all ages, genders and identities to enter reflects throughout her time there.
“It is super inclusive of women and people of color, and that was really important to me of being in a creative space, but also in a space that creates that inclusivity and accessibility for creative work,” Bruss said.
Private and group sessions are available year-round on Hellbent’s website, along with their next four-week course, starting in May.
Additionally, Gabrielson invites the general public to celebrate Hellbent’s second birthday on May 10 alongside other small businesses, with special instore pricing, food, flash tattoos, up-cycled vintage clothes and tarot readings.
“The current goal is to continue to adapt and offer a space and community for people to come create and share memories with someone, creating something together,” Gabrielson said. “I think my greatest joy is being able to provide a space where people have that feeling of creating art again, like being a little kid again.”
Gabrielson works on a ring inside of her shop, Hellbent Silversmith on April 22. Stages of jewelry creation can range from cutting, filing, soldering, texturing and polishing.
Photos by: ISABELLA SIQUEIRA/Long Beach Current Hellbent Silversmith shop owner Ani Gabrielson transformed her passion into a thriving business in the heart of Downtown Long Beach.
According to Nature.com, at least $6 billion in research funding for universities in the U.S. have been frozen or canceled by President Donald Trump’s administration.
Societal progress stalls when research funding is cut
BY JACKIE PENA Contributor
Imagine a world where research in health, the environment and education is halted or diminished. What changes would this create for our future?
Government grants cover the costs of materials and resources for research, making them extremely essential.
Unlike loans, grants do not need to be repaid. They are awarded to universities, nonprofits, businesses and individuals based on merit, need or national interests.
Student-led projects specifically provide hands-on experience, preparing them for future careers.
Federal grants offer financial support and foster collaborations with government agencies and private companies
that open opportunities for student internships and jobs.
Grants help Long Beach State expand its research facilities, labs, technology and learning environment for all students.
On March 6, CSULB President Jane Close Conoley stated to the Press-Telegram, “If the National Institutes of Health capped their indirect costs to 15%, we’d be faced with laying off dozens of employees.”
These funding cuts halt student research indefinitely, hindering their academic and career development.
We cannot ignore this ongoing conflict. It will only worsen.
People dedicate their lives to research that ensures our safety and security, doing so with great diligence.
Research on critical topics, such as improving groundwater quality, effective online treatment for youth with anxiety or depression and climate change, are all at risk of being discontinued.
“Shutting down climate research alone would result in a $1.6 million dollar loss. We calculate that, in addition to our employee’s loss, our local economy would take an $11 [million] dollar hit,” Conoley had said in the article.
Believing the government was spending excessively, the administration of President Donald Trump imposed a pause on all grant agencies.
However, this “pause” appears to offer little to no benefit and may aggravate the issues it intended to address. Without further research in areas like health, diseases could worsen and physical well-being could decrease.
This pause will affect communities worldwide, threatening the safety and security of all American citizens.
Many Ivy League universities, including Columbia, Duke, Harvard and University of Pennsylvania, have reported a suspension of their research funding due to federal cuts under the Trump administration.
In an email to CNN, Perry Halkitis, a professor and dean at Rutgers University, stated, “The termination of numerous federal grants for HIV prevention and treatment is a cause for alarm.”
Federal research funding plays a role in advancing public health by supporting medical health, preventing diseases and healthcare upheaval.
Cutting federal research will slow scientific and technological progress, impede economic growth and weaken public well-being. For example, without continued research on AIDS, the epidemic could worsen significantly.
People will lose their jobs, universities will struggle to support graduate students and organizations reliant on federal research funding may face financial instability.
Research helps us understand global issues– both large and small– and allows us to gain more knowledge from the endeavors of others.
Graphic credit: EL NICKLIN/Long Beach Current
The hard knock (down) life for retail stores
BY CHRISTINE NADER Opinions Assistant
The future of retail stores proves to be a weary one with longtime fast fashion retailer Forever 21 announcing the closure of all their U.S. operations in May of 2025.
Founded in 1984 in Los Angeles, the company was known for their fluorescent-lit lighting and white brick interior that housed affordable clothes for teens on disheveled racks.
Despite filing for their second bankruptcy, the mega retailer plans to keep all international operations open for business, but the store shuttering signifies that a darker future is approaching quicker for brick-and-mortar lovers.
Brick-and-mortar stores saw a decline in demand way before Forever 21’s closure, but the COVID-19 lockdown led consumers to online markets and consumers stayed for the comfort of it.
This comfort is what is literally and physically tearing down the significance of retail stores. No one wants to leave their digital sphere.
Brad Sell, chief financial officer of F21 OpCo, the operating company for F21, said in a statement that the increase in competition abroad has made the Forever 21 model of business unsustainable.
Young Ha, an area coordinator and professor of fashion merchandising and design at Long Beach State, notes that in order for a retail store to keep up with online shopping, they need to combine sustainability, affordability and a strong online presence.
Online competitors like Temu and Shein skyrocketed to the top alongside shopping leaders like Amazon due to the convenience of finding every possible product on the market for ground-level affordability.
Shay Anderson-Morgan, a fourthyear marketing major, said that depending on whatever item she is looking for, she will head to Amazon to see if it is available there.
Online shopping provides opportunities for shoppers to branch out in the type of items that they buy, but it robs
a lot of people of first-hand experiences.
Shoppers would no longer experience the journey of browsing and trying on clothes in store. The excitement that comes with shopping with your friends is one that can’t be reciprocated anywhere else for a cheaper price.
Retail stores also provide more ease, like the free clothes hemming offered by Lululemon, or the simple fact that returning items in-store is quicker and easier.
On an economic note, retail stores provide are huge participants in economic growth. If retail stores can no
longer provide physical jobs, that is also robbing people of honing specific work skills.
Retail management is no easy feat and requires people gain expertise in interpersonal and communication skills, like problem solving, people skills, teamwork and time management. These skills are extremely beneficial in and out of the workplace.
Online shopping isn’t a bad thing, but the dependence on the online market has sped up so many shifts in culture. Mall culture is only thriving in locations that still want it to thrive.
Monday, April 28, 2025
The best way for consumers to nurture the dying mall trend is to make it appealing to the newer generations. Social media has worked overtime with trinkets, bookstores and even the Stanley craze of 2024-and it brought people to the stores.
The future of retail shopping is dependent on the society around it. People aren’t ready for a full-blown, Wall-E-esque shift onto the digital sphere just yet, even if they think they are. The discussion of how important retail stores are has become more prevalent with the closure of Forever 21 stores nationwide.
Photo credit: CHRISTINE NADER/Long Beach Current Forever 21 has seen an increase in customers to take advantage of the closing sale during their final days.
Jack Cantlay is a Long Beach local born to golf
BY MADISON LE Contributor
For junior Long Beach State men’s golfer Jack Cantlay, being able to golf is in his blood.
Born in Long Beach, Cantlay comes from a family of golfers and is the youngest of four collegiate golfers. His oldest brother, Patrick Cantlay, is currently ranked 15th on the PGA Tour, previously playing at UCLA.
His sister, Caroline Cantlay, played collegiate golf at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and his brother, Nick
Cantlay, played at LBSU and Loyola Marymount University.
Matching the long lineage of Cantlay collegiate golfers, Cantlay is making his own mark on the LBSU men’s golf team.
His strong competitive drive first sparked at the Virginia Country Club in Long Beach, where his grandfather introduced him to golf by taking him to practice putting at age five.
“My grandpa would always say, ‘practice does not make perfect, but perfect practice makes perfect,’” Cantlay said. “This taught me that working hard was not enough to be good, but you have to work smart and hard at the same time to be good.”
Cantlay also attributes his success to the lessons he has learned from his father, including the importance of patience.
“When I was young, my dad taught me to take it one shot at a time,” Cantlay said.
Since joining the LBSU men’s golf team, Cantlay has contributed to its growth and success.
He was named Big West Freshman of the Year and named second-team All-Big West in the 2022-23 season, rewarding his determination and hard work. Currently, the team is ranked No.22 in the NCAA Division 1 men’s golf rankings.
LBSU head coach Rob Murray de-
scribed Cantlay as “the ultimate glue guy, bringing steady grit and selfless drive to the Long Beach State golf team, forging a tight-knit squad that thrives together.”
Off the course, Cantlay is majoring in business finance and enjoys cooking as a creative outlet, with his favorite dish being pizza. His hunger stays the same on the course.
He is motivated by his hunger to win and uses his accomplishments as a taste of success that fuels his fire to be better. His advice to young golfers aspiring to play collegiate golf is to work hard and get good grades.
“By working hard in everything you do, you most likely will have success,” Cantlay said.
Looking ahead, Cantlay has his sights on turning pro, joining his brother, Patrick, on the PGA tour.
However, he’s in no rush, focusing on one round and one shot at a time, just like his dad taught him. With his blend of patience, discipline and hard work, Jack Cantlay will be a golfer to watch and a name to remember.
Photos courtesy of LBSU Athletics
LBSU junior men’s golfer Jack Cantlay comes from a long line of collegiate and professional golfers and ultimately hopes to follow his brother Partick to the professional level.
From North to No. 1: Skyler Varga’s impact at The Beach
BY MADISON YANG
Copy Assistant
Watch a Long Beach State men’s volleyball game for five minutes and you will notice that Canadian redshirt junior opposite hitter Skyler Varga is always the most animated presence after each point the team scores; he is the first to initiate a quick team huddle, rallying his teammates with shouts, chants and a vibrantly contagious energy.
Elevating team morale with intensity defines the Canadian who now anchors the top-ranked team in the nation. Varga grew up in Muenster, Canada, a village of about 450 people. He played almost every sport just so their town would have enough people to create teams and conduct games.
In 2022, Varga transferred to The Beach from the University of Saskatchewan and quickly rose as a preeminent player across the board.
“Before coming to America, I didn’t even know anything about NCAA volleyball. I didn’t know Long Beach existed, I didn’t know all these teams existed, and how big of a stage it could actually get to,” Varga said. “I’m grateful that I can be given this opportunity, especially coming from such a small town.”
Though he played many sports growing up, Varga committed to volleyball during the COVID-19 pandemic, knowing he would need to travel to pursue volleyball at a high level.
Playing for his national team and in matches across the globe not only sharpened his ability to handle higher competition, but it also invigorated his passion for the sport.
“He’s been out in the world of volleyball and seen something bigger than college volleyball, so he really knows where he wants to be,” LBSU head coach Alan Knipe said. “It’s not going to shock me at all when you see Sky representing Canada in the Olympics.”
Varga’s first year at The Beach was cut short by a knee surgery, but he returned the following season to be the team leader in aces per set and earn Honorable Mention All-America and All-Conference honors.
Amid LBSU’s historic season this year,
Photo credit: SAMUEL CHACKO/Long Beach Current Redshirt junior opposite hitter Skyler Varga dives to the ball after a UC Santa Barbara kill on April 4 at the Walter Pyramid. Varga’s four kills helped Long Beach State beat UC Santa Barbara 3-0.
Varga has already achieved the most kills of his career with 235 and sits 14th in the nation in attack percentage at .387.
Varga is, as described by Knipe, a “five-tool volleyball player” whose versatile abilities on the court make him a threat at every position he is in.
“There’s nothing on the court that Sky doesn’t do to help us score points, so as a coach, you’re very fortunate,” Knipe said. “Those are rare to get.”
Despite his standout statistics, Varga puts the team’s success above all else.
This season, he admitted he has not been tracking his own numbers; instead, he is fully locked in on the flow of each
game and what the team needs in each moment.
“If I go and kill 20 balls versus two balls, it doesn’t really matter as long as I help the team get the win,” Varga said. “That’s all that matters for me.”
That awareness, shaped by the contrast between playing casually in Muenster and professionally with Team Canada, now fuels the dynamic spark he brings to every LBSU game.
“I just immediately sprung into the role of like, I’m gonna get fired up, and I’m happy that I get to play with people who are just as skilled as me,” Varga said. “It brought me a lot of energy and I
think that’s carried over throughout the years.”
With deep reverence for both volleyball and his team, the LBSU team captain represents what it means to be an inspiring athlete.
Varga leads by example, Knipe said, showing his teammates the ways a top competitor must take care of his own health, training and education through his own daily practices.
“He’s incredible, he’s our captain–he’s, in a lot of ways, our leader,” Knipe said. “As good of a volleyball player he is, he’s an even better human and teammate.”