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Dante Estrada
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The California Faculty Association demand different uses of the $144 million state loan obtained by the CSU, instead of the one-time employment compensation CSU is planning.
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land acknowlEdgmEnt
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: CHOO-MOSH) to the north and west, and the Tataviam (pronounced: TAH-TAH-VEE-YUM) and Cahuilla (pronounced: KAH-WEE-YAH) Nations to the east.
We respect and value the many ways the Tongva/Acjachemen cultural heritage and beliefs continue to have significance to the living people and remind us about the sacred and spiritual relationship that has always existed here at what we now call California State University Long Beach.
Editorials: All opinions expressed in the columns, letters and cartoons in the issue are those of the writers or artists. The opinions of the Long Beach Current are expressed only in unsigned editorials and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the journalism department or the views of all staff members. All such editorials are written by the editorial board of the Long Beach Current.
lEttEr Policy: All letters and emails must bear the phone number of the writer and must be no more than 300 words. The Long Beach Current reserves the right to edit letters for publication in regard to space.
University officials reveal Pyramid name change
BY TIMOTHY HESSEN Sports Editor
Long Beach State officials formally announced the renaming of the Walter Pyramid to the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid at a press conference on Thursday, Nov. 20, after the CSU Board of Trustees voted to approve the sponsorship deal.
“This alignment of mission and values makes LBS Financial Credit Union and [LBSU] unique, natural partners in an endeavor that will secure the future of the Pyramid, which is one of the most iconic symbols that we have and a showcase for Beach excellence,” CSULB Interim President Andrew Jones said.
The 12-year, $8.5 million naming rights agreement took roughly a year to finalize and was aided by LBS Financial Credit Union’s willingness to award LBSU the entire sum upfront, according to Executive Director of Athletics Bobby Smitheran.
“The upfront money is a game changer,” Smitheran said. “You don’t really see that in these naming rights
JORGE HERNANDEZ/Long
The LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid had its name changed for the first time in over 20 years.
opportunities, so that’s where the competitiveness of [LBS Financial Credit Union] was tremendous, because it gives us flexibility to do some immediate things.”
The university’s announcement came today, coinciding with the LBSU women’s basketball team matchup against the University of San Francisco at 6 p.m., being moved to the Gold Mine due to another water leak at the Pyramid.
The roof’s susceptibility to leaks during rainy weather has been a longstanding issue for the newly-named LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid, which has now added significantly more financial resources through the naming rights deal to support LBSU Athletics.
The university underwent a study in 2021 that determined the costs of repairing the facility’s roof would be $55 million.
“As we think about the roof, that’s a bigger discussion that happens with the university,” Smitheran said. “We have a second study taking place that I don’t have the results for yet, so I want to get those results, then dive into that with campus leadership and figure out what is the long-range plan.”
According to the university, the
majority of the money from this deal will go toward student-athlete scholarships.
This scholarship money will aid LBSU in navigating the unique challenges posed by the modern Name, Image, and Likeness era of collegiate athletics, chief among them being roster retention.
For example, The Beach’s men’s basketball program, which just snapped a 312-day losing streak, returned just one player this season from its team a year ago.
“The state of college athletics is certainly requiring people in my position to look at any and all alternatives to generate revenue that we can drive back to our student athletes,” Smitheran said.
Following the CSU Board of Trustees’ official approval of the deal on Wednesday, the overwhelming student reaction online has been criticism of the new name.
However, Smitheran emphasizes that the tangible benefits of this deal are ultimately what make a difference for the campus community.
“Regardless of the name, it’s the money that impacts the experience for our students,” Smitheran said. “The fact that LBS Financial Credit Union is a local organization brings tremendous value to
Beach Current
[students] because of the other benefits the organization can bring.”
According to President and CEO Sean Hardeman, this partnership between LBS Financial Credit Union and LBSU was aided by their long-standing relationship.
LBS Financial Credit Union was first founded in 1935 and operated out of Wilson High School classrooms, and has historically been a major donor to the university, according to the CSU Committee on Institutional Advancement.
“If you think about the economic engine of Long Beach, this university is part of that; we feel that LBS Financial is a part of that, and our history with the university goes back to its inception,” Hardeman said.
After finalizing the name change that will hold for at least 12 years, Smitheran considers this an opportunity for a major shift in the university’s future.
“I would hope that people see this as a transformational moment in LBSU Athletics history,” Smitheran said. “I think it really matches up with what is taking place in college athletics and that we took the opportunity to do our best to meet that moment.”
CSU uses loan to pay employees, sparking faculty and union protests
BY ANNETTE QUIJADA AND JOSEPHINE ROBINSON News Editor and Contributor
CSU unionized faculty and staff assembled on Tuesday to demand the CSU use a $144 million state loan to meet their requests rather than distribute a one-time employee payment.
The CSU announced in October that it would use the loan to compensate employees, sparking disagreement among faculty who want the loan to go toward programs, college budgets, raises and more.
“We’re here to demand the chancellor, the CSU and the Board of Trustees [to] stop focusing all their time on their economic oblivion, and instead focus on our students, to invest in the classroom, invest in faculty and make college education affordable and accessible,” said Akhila Ananth, associate professor for Criminal Justice and Criminalistics at Cal State Los Angeles.
The California Faculty Association, CSU Employees Union and Teamsters Local 2010 gathered outside the Chancellor’s Office in Downtown Long Beach, holding signs and chanting, “CSU, you can’t hide, we can see your greedy side,” as they marched around the perimeter of the building.
In an email sent by Chancellor Mildred Garcia to CSU employees, she said: “This is more than a financial decision – it is well-deserved recognition for the extraordinary skill and dedication you demonstrate across our campuses every day. And it advances our priority of becoming the employer of choice in higher education, a pillar of the CSU’s new systemwide strategic plan, CSU Forward.”
According to their website, the CSU states that because the loan is non-recurring and they must pay it by July, using the funds for a one-time employee compensation “is the most responsible and values-aligned choice.”
“In contrast, addressing issues such as federal funding gaps or capital needs requires sustained, ongoing appropriations, which we continue to advocate for through the state budget process,” the website states.
We have the power, union power!" on Nov. 18 in front of the CSU Chancellor's office
CFA president Margarita Berta-Avila said the association had been pushing for the chancellor to take the loan, but the CSU initially responded with hesitation.
Berta-Avila said each union had a specific focus on what they wanted the chancellor to use the loan money for.
“We [the CFA] wanted the money to be used to rescind programs, to bring them back, to bring back folks that were teaching those jobs and our students can have access to the courses that they need and the programs they need to graduate,” Berta-Avila said.
The CFA’s demands for the use of the loan include:
• Restoration of college budgets
• Raises
• Funding to go to faculty and not
CSU administration
Funding to go to the “Future U,” without imposing student fees
“They accepted the loan, but not with the intentions we wanted,” Berta-Avila said.
Earlier this year, the CSU faced a $375 million cut in the 2025-26 state budget, which was later lowered to $144 million by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Berta-Avila said they pushed for the loan to make up for the money they lost.
“Once the loan was received, there was never any discussion with the unions as far as where this money should go,” Berta-Avila said. “We didn’t know about the chancellor taking this loan until it was announced to everyone else.”
As they head into bargaining for the CFA’s new contract, Berta-Avila said she
questions the compensation that mirrors staff bonuses and the motive behind them.
“All the people in there are making big money,” said Scott Carneghi, a plumber at Cal State Northridge. “The chancellor, she gets a housing budget, a car budget, a gas budget; everything’s taken care of. It’s very frustrating because we come down here and we say speeches, but they don’t care.”
As collective bargaining discussions continue, it’s unclear when employees will receive payments and how much they will receive.
The Current reached out to the CSU for comment. Director of Media Relations and Public Affairs Amy Bentley-Smith responded with a link to the loan FAQ.
DIEGO PEREZ/Long Beach Current
BY JOSH GENTLE AND MARIANA RAMOS Contributors
Renewable energy, water conservation, and a zero-waste commitment are among the methods Long Beach State has used to advance its sustainability efforts.
The university has strived for an eco-friendly campus for decades, making progress toward a 2030 goal of carbon neutrality for operational emissions and a 2040 goal for commute-related emissions.
However, buildings and construction projects have been identified as among the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions by the UN Environment Programme. This means the Future U Project could put CSULB’s sustainability goals and accomplishments at risk.
To combat this, Beach Building Services has set standards to ensure the University Student Union renovation remains within the scope of its sustainability efforts.
Last May, the university received a STARS Silver Rating for its sustainability efforts. The STARS organization seeks to recognize and foster sustainability efforts in educational institutions, awarding them performance-based seals.
The seals are based on a range of criteria under campus operations, including, but not limited to, waste and water management, groundskeeping and energy usage.
CSULB improved by 17% from 2021’s score of 53.82 points, and by 19% from 2017’s 45.39 points.
To maintain these standards, Lisa Salgado, Capital Projects Program manager at Beach Building Services, said in an email exchange with the Current that the university is using many strategies to remain sustainable, including a low-carbon design.
“Nearly 90% of the existing building structure is being reused—an approach that avoids thousands of tons of embodied carbon typically associated with demolition and new construction,” Salgado said.
Additionally, a rooftop solar panel array on the new USU will seek to offset energy consumption as a part of their climate-responsive site design and energy stewardship, Salgado said.
CSULB is also following sustainable construction practices by monitoring disposed waste during construction.
How CSULB is navigating sustainable construction of the Future U
“At least 75% of construction and demolition waste will be recycled or salvaged, diverting materials from landfills,” Salgado said.
This regulation also aligns with the Design Standards Manual developed by Beach Building Services.
The sustainability section of the manual requires contractors to submit a sustainable waste-management plan for university approval.
Salgado said these plans have already been submitted in accordance with the Design Standards Manual and will continue to be updated throughout the construction process.
In addition to university standards, CSULB must also follow the U.S. Green Building Council’s Silver Level building standard, as mandated by the CSU policy.
The LEED standard, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, sets regulations for buildings to be considered “green.” These regulations consider energy performance, water efficiency, sustainable site development and materials selection.
According to the U.S. Green Building Council, to receive LEED certification, a building must earn points by meeting
sustainability goals and criteria.
The number of points determines the type of certification awarded. CSULB currently has 10 LEED-certified buildings.
In regards to sustainable landscaping, the university’s urban forest has not been forgotten in the construction process.
Trees, especially mature trees, reduce carbon emissions and enhance water filtration. This makes them crucial to campus sustainability. The last recorded number of trees on campus was nearly 7,000.
Salgado said that while preserving existing trees near the USU is important, the university must remove trees that have been assessed as safety hazards. Trees identified as a safety hazard are too sick to save or pose risks to people or property.
Several trees have already been removed during the renovation of the Friendship Walk Stairs. To offset the loss, Salgado said two trees will be planted for every tree cut down. This is in accordance with CSULB’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.
It is unclear how many trees have been cut during construction and how many will be planted, as the data is preliminary and will not be available until the design process for the Future U Project is completed, Salgado said.
As for the existing trees that will remain, the university requires an arborist to monitor the treatment of trees during construction.
The Current attempted to contact the arborist involved in USU construction, but was unable to secure an interview due to contractual agreements with the school.
The CSULB Master Plan Environmental Impact Report seeks to “advance the CSULB mission, vision, and values by guiding the physical development of the campus.” It outlines specifications and controls for contractors who are involved in construction to protect these biological resources.
While there have been extensive standards set in place by the university to combat the negative impacts of a large construction project such as the Future U, it is uncertain how it will impact the overall sustainability score for CSULB until the project is complete.
The current STARS silver rating is valid through June 5. 2027. The university is hoping for a gold rating next review period and is developing a roadmap to achieve that goal, sustainability manager Holli Fajack said in a campus press release.
JOSH GENTLE/Long Beach Current
The remains of a matured tree on the site of USU construction on Oct. 21.
AIDEN REDSTEER/Long Beach Current
The above graph is the number of involuntary holds reported by the California Department of Health Care Services.
BY: AIDEN REDSTEER
Contributor
Despite the number of involuntary psychiatric hospitalizations decreasing in Los Angeles, Long Beach State has seen an increase in mental health crisis calls on campus.
“They continue to go up,” University Police Chief John Brockie said. “We’ve seen that trend from 2017.”
With 96 calls already logged through September, this year is projected to reach a similar number as 2024, suggesting a continued pattern of increased mental health crisis events on campus.
The increasing number of mental health crisis events on campus was one of the issues that led to the creation of the CSULB Campus Assessment and Stabilization Team.
CAST is composed of social workers Graciela Lopez and Donna De Loera and law enforcement, who work directly with campus police officers to respond to mental health crisis calls on campus.
CAST is similar to the psychiatric evaluation teams that work with Long Beach and Los Angeles police departments.
The team is dispatched once university police have identified a mental health crisis. When responding to calls, CAST
Surge in mental health calls increases demand for CSULB crisis unit
will attempt to de-escalate situations and assess the need for mental health stabilization at a psychiatric hospital.
CAST has been tracking an increasing number of mental health crisis calls on campus since its creation in 2022.
The rise of CSULB mental health crisis calls is incongruent with the pattern of 5150 calls in L.A. County.
5150 is a police term for an adult who has been assessed by a police department mental health professional and is found to be a danger to themselves or others.
The adult is then involuntarily placed in a mental health hospital or psychiatric ward for at least 72 hours.
Data from the California Department of Health Care Services show that the number of 5150 holds for adults declined over seven years, with the most recent data from the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
The idea is that these individuals will be stabilized and then referred out for continued care, following their stay in
the psychiatric facility. Patients can be referred to mental health outpatient level of care or, if the case is severe enough, a longer-term inpatient setting.
While CSULB’s mental health crisis calls are on the rise, LA County’s number of involuntary holds, or 5150 calls, is decreasing.
It is unclear whether LA County’s mental health crisis calls are rising or declining, as LA County does not track the number of calls.
It is also unclear how many CSULB mental health calls lead to a psychiatric hospitalization or involuntary holds, as the police department is not tracking this information.
This means that even though the mental health crisis calls on campus are on the rise, actual hospitalizations of CSULB students and staff may not be increasing.
A meta-analysis compiled by Cureus, published in 2023, shows that individuals
who have been hospitalized in psychiatric facilities have an increased chance of readmission to a similar facility within 30 days of the initial hold.
Patients who struggle with schizophrenia, personality disorders, bipolar disorders, depression and substance use have the greatest chance of a 30-day readmission.
Thoughts of suicide, self-harm behaviors and homicidal thoughts are a common pattern in these patients.
Since the criteria for a 5150 hold are a person who is a danger to themselves or others, these patients are close to meeting the required risk factors needed for an involuntary hold, even after being stabilized in a hospital for 72 hours.
Brockie explained that CAST, unlike its L.A. or Long Beach counterparts, maintains contact with students following times of mental health crisis.
Students have the opportunity to meet with Lopez and De Loera following these events. However, this team is a reaction to the existing times of crisis and not a preventative solution for mental health needs on campus.
Students looking to initiate a CAST mental health call can call 911 or the university police non-emergency line at (562) 985-4101.
Students who are unsure what resources they need can use HelpCompass to find the right ones.
Lock it or lose it: e-bike, e-scooter thefts increase on campus
BY NIKOLETTA ANAGNOSTOU Contributors
Long Beach State students may need to double—or triple-check— their e-bike and e-scooter locks, as the theft of these motor vehicles now accounts for the largest share of crime on campus.
The 2025 Clery Report, released on Sept. 15, showed a high number of motor vehicle thefts in 2024. At first glance, thefts appear to have more than doubled—from 16 in 2023 to 35 in 2024— as 2024 was the first year e-bikes and e-scooters were accounted for.
While annual automobile theft numbers have hovered in the mid-to-low teens over the past eight years (with a dip from 2020 to 2021 due to COVID), University Police Chief John Brockie said that motorized two-wheelers were the real culprit behind the statistical jump.
Of the 35 motor vehicles stolen in 2024, 10 were automobiles and 25 were e-bikes or e-scooters.
Stolen e-bikes and e-scooters now account for the largest share of on-campus crimes, making up 44% of on-campus reported incidents for 2024.
As of Oct. 9, the University Police Department reported 18 motor vehicle thefts this year, 14 of which were e-bikes or e-scooters. Just this fall semester, six e-bikes or e-scooters and one motorcycle have been stolen.
In addition to increased thefts, the rate at which police resolve crime and recover stolen motor vehicles, also known as the clearance rate, has decreased.
In 2022 and 2023, the percentage of cases closed was around 65%, but in 2024, it dropped to 23%.
Brockie said the drop in the clearance rate is because e-bikes and e-scooters are much more challenging to find than automobiles.
What should students do to protect their vehicles from being stolen?
Brockie said the answer is to lock them up—and use a U-lock.
“Whether it’s an electric bike, an electric scooter, a regular bike, most of the locks that are defeated are cable
NIKOLETTA ANAGNOSTOU/Long Beach Current
Data from the 2025 Clery reports and Public Records Request for on-campus motor vehicle thefts in CSULB and neighboring CSUs.
locks that can be cut with a pair of cable cutters,” Brockie said. “If it’s any type of wheeled vehicle—bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters—lock it, and if you can, with a U-lock.”
Brockie said, from his experience, most thefts are committed by people not affiliated with CSULB, and many are crimes of opportunity. Even if a student leaves their bike or scooter unattended for a short time, they risk their property being stolen.
“I know of at least one e-scooter stolen, [where the owner was] only going to be in the building for a minute, so they just parked it and didn’t lock it, and it was gone when they came back,” Brockie said.
To help combat theft, Brockie and the police department launched the “Bike U-Lock Program” in fall 2023. Students can register their bikes and e-bikes with the police department and receive a free U-lock, but the program does not include scooters as of yet.
Compared to neighboring campuses Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Northridge, CSULB reported lower rates of motor vehicle theft, but when compared to Cal State Los Angeles, CSULB’s count is much higher.
The 2024 Clery Reports from Cal Poly Pomona and CSUN specified that they began including motorized bikes, scooters and skateboards in their total motor vehicle theft count.
Though Cal State LA does not spec-
ify this in its Clery Report, a public records request for motor vehicle thefts from 2024 revealed that they also included e-bikes and e-scooters.
Both Cal Poly Pomona and CSUN said they included e-skateboards in their counts, but CSULB does not.
Emma Wong, a first-year kinesiology student at CSULB, uses a cable lock to lock her e-scooter, which she often brings to campus. She said that so far, she has not had any problems with theft, but she’s witnessed many incidents and social media complaints about bike and scooter theft.
“There’s always a little bit of paranoia about it, but that’s why I lock it,” Wong said.
ARTS & LIFE
CSULB professor’s new book on exiled Chilean filmakers draws big turnout
BY VIOLETA ZARATE Contributor
When Long Beach State film historian José Miguel Palacios arrived at the University Library for his book launch on Nov. 6, he was met with a packed room of students, faculty and community members.
“I wasn’t expecting such a good turnout,” he said. “It was very lovely, and it was quite moving for me.”
One of his closest colleagues, Associate Cinematic Arts Professor Seunghoon Jeong, described the event even more emphatically. “I have never seen such a big academic event on campus–so many people came.”
The excitement reflects Palacios’ own regarding his newly published book, “Transnational Cinema Solidarity: Chilean Exile Film and Video after 1973.”
The project follows the global history of Chilean filmmakers who were forced into exile during the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship, which lasted from 1973 to 1990.
His book is the first comprehensive study of that specific Latin American film movement, focusing on the network of solidarity that kept Chilean cinema alive across borders.
The project began during Palacios’ doctoral research.
“The writing of the book kept me busy for the past five years, but the project began 15 years ago,” he said. “There was still not much knowledge about this phenomenon.”
His book follows Chilean filmmakers who were exiled to Canada, Sweden, Mozambique, Venezuela, the United States and beyond.
Because their stories were dispersed across continents, much of the research required digging through personal and institutional archives from different countries.
“A lot of these materials have been forgotten or silenced,” he said.
Jeong noted the significance of this recovery for the Latin American film field.
“Chilean cinema has not been well-advertised or promoted in the world of cinema studies,” Jeong said. “Even within Latin American cinema, the major references were Argentinian, Brazilian, Bolivian, not Chilean.”
CHARLOTTE LOCICERO/Long Beach Current
Jose Miguel Palacios, assistant professor in the Department of Cinematic Arts at CSULB, on Nov. 19.
Jeong emphasized that the information in Palacios’ book extends beyond national cinema, as many of the filmmakers featured in the book worked outside Chile and contributed to film collections in other countries.
“What is the concept of nation in this case? This is at the borderline between national cinema and transnational cinema,” Jeong said. “[The work is] very sensitive to the danger of nationalism… even though he wants to write a book about Chilean cinema. That’s the dilemma.”
At CSULB, Palacios teaches transnational cinemas and Latin American film, among other subjects, but students say his impact extends beyond his courses.
Jimena Meza Gonzales, a film production major, credits Jeong with helping shape her academic confidence. Even though she’s not in his class this semester, she said Palacios still checks in on her.
“I had him for Film History 1 [CINE
201], but I felt I learned more from him than the actual class,” Gonzales said. “He was really a support system for me, and helped me find resources.”
Gonzales said seeing his book published only reinforced her admiration.
“I think he’s accomplished as an academic, and he really cares about his students,” she said.
For Palacios, studying exile cinema meant examining how artists pushed past borders to create political and artistic alliances.
“Solidarity creates these bonds despite our linguistic, cultural [and] national differences,” he said. “It enables us to have a more global history.”
He argues that the history of exile did not end with the fall of the dictatorship. Many artists never returned to Chile, and their children and grandchildren continue exploring themes of displacement to this day.
“We live in a world ruled by social explosion and displacement,” Palacios said.
“Newer generations have found value in these histories of solidarity.”
Palacios brings this global and political approach to the university through courses such as Cinemas of Rebellion and Resistance. “Everything I do is connected to a more politicized understanding of filmmaking,” he said.
Jeong said his presence strengthens the department. “He has been my best colleague and friend.”
Palacipos will present his research at Tulane University this December and travel to Barcelona for a retrospective on two filmmakers featured in his book.
He plans new archival research centered on exile and displacement, and seeing the campus respond so strongly to his book renewed his motivation.
For students like Gonzales, the excitement is contagious.
“He’s accomplished,” she said. “But also, he’s just a really good professor.”
ARTS & LIFE
Barnes & Noble reopens in Long Beach with new look, less floors
BY JASON GREEN Arts & Life Assistant
Long Beach book lovers, the beloved Barnes & Noble in the Marina Pacifica Shopping Center has reopened to the community with a new look after a months-long renovation project.
Renovations began in May, with the grand reopening taking place on Nov. 19.
Staff welcomed back customers with children’s book author and illustrator Salina Yoon, who participated in the celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony and signed books at the store’s reopening.
The event also drew strong community support, including Councilmember Kristina Duggan of District 3, who reflected on the importance and value that community spaces such as bookstores bring to Long Beach.
“I love going to bookstores,” Duggan said. “That’s why when I walked in and just the smell brings back all the memories of bringing my, well, when I was a kid going to bookstores and then bringing my own kids to the bookstore...”
Those who visited the bookstore prior to renovations will notice significant physical changes upon reopening.
The store now only has one floor, located on the second story of the building.
Previously, the bookstore had a second floor downstairs, on the ground level, with a large children’s and music section.
The change now sees all sections organized onto one floor, and the in-store Starbucks has been removed.
The sections seem to blend into each other – a customer can quickly go from browsing the horror section to finding themselves among a vinyl collection.
Replacing the bottom floor is nonprofit organization Interval House, which is a domestic abuse treatment center, according to Duggan.
The organization already has a presence in Long Beach, but its new location under Barnes & Noble is not open yet.
The original Long Beach Barnes & Noble location first opened nearly 30 years ago in November 1996.
Now, along with a new store layout, the bookstore also has a new store manager.
Luisa Guardado stepped into the position about a month ago and said she is excited about the role.
Guardado said she does not believe the removal of the bottom floor is a huge loss for the store.
“I do think this store is more designed now to have more face-to-face conversations with customers,” Guardado said. “It’s [a] more intimate shopping experience because we get to interact with so many more people as opposed to having a bigger floor map.”
However, some customers are not completely fond of the change.
“I do miss the uniqueness of the old one,” said Isabel Wagner, who visited the bookstore several times a month before the renovation. “It had the double stories. It had the escalator. I feel like the individual sections for each genre were very unique and tailored like the kids section was almost like a playground and the manga section was extremely engaging.”
Children’s book author and illustrator Salina Yoon cut a ribbon to open the Barnes & Noble during its grand reopening on Nov. 19.
JASON GREEN/ Long Beach Current
Wagner said the new layout feels like a generic corporate design and is slightly claustrophobic.
While Wagner shared her dislike of the new layout, she said the staff has put care into welcoming the community back.
“The other one [before the renovation] was more open and more cozy. It’s like for readers; this one’s for shoppers, almost,” attendee Ashleigh Wroten said.
Isabeth Mendoza complimented the new layout.
“I don’t know, it feels nice and like more earthy and like clean-ish,” she said.
Yoon, the award-winning children’s author of hundreds of books, signed copies of her newest release, “Kat & Mouse: I Like Cheese!” while meeting customers at the grand reopening.
Yoon had only passed through Long Beach before her book signing, as she lives in San Diego.
“I would like to explore [Long Beach],” she said.” I mean, it’s a beautiful community, of course, and I look forward to returning. I’m hoping to do a story time event here at this particular store.”
She said childhood literacy is important because it shapes people and makes them more empathetic.
“[Shaping children’s] feels amazing because I visit kids, all over the country actually, um, doing school visits and see the impact that I’ve made on kids and also just to be able to engage with them,” Yoon said.
ARTS & LIFE Autumn
STORY AND PHOTOS DIEGO PEREZ
Assistant
With every season, closet changes. type of aesthetics Long Beach dents aiming for this fall? Autumn typically brings earthy tones, including low and orange.
However, the fall season only way students find inspiration. forms such as Pinterest allow users to brainstorm fits.
Lindsey Johnson, a fourth-year glish education major, said her inspiration comes from is mostly from her own taste
First-year general biology vin Nguyen follows in similar “I follow these Instagram ators, and basically copy en said.
Additionally, Nguyen cousin, who fell into a hole,” introduced him to Despite autumn being cooler weather, Long Beach’s allows some students to lighter layers.
For instance, fourth-year tice major Naobi Orozco overalls layered with her Overall, the autumn students to blend their creativity ration for self-expression. by social media, thrift style, each outfit showcases pretation of the fall trend.
Naobi Orozco, fourth-year criminal justice major
Joshua Florn, Computer science, 3rd year
Photo
aesthetics: fashion at The Beach
Through thrifting or Instagram feeds, tune in spending fall in a fashion frenzy.
season, every changes. What aesthetics are Beach State stufall? brings warm, dark red, yel-
season isn’t the inspiration. Platand Instagram brainstorm potential out-
fourth-year Ensaid that though from Pinterest, it taste and style. biology major Kelsimilar fashion.
Instagram content cretheir fits,” Nguy -
Nguyen added that his a “fashion rabbit to thrifting. being associated with Beach’s mild climate to experiment with
fourth-year criminal jusOrozco wears her Levi’s brown cardigan. autumn aesthetic allows creativity and inspiself-expression. Whether inspired stores or personal showcases students’ intertrend.
Lindsey Johnson, a fourth-year
English education major
Hayden Radonsky, second year theater arts; Jacob Koclanis, second year theater arts
Alina Le, Criminal Justice, 1st year
PHOTOS BY
ARTS & LIFE
Students step into tribal culture through traditional pow wow dances
BY MIKAELA PEREZ Video Assistant
Asteady pulse rises and cuts the silence in the room.
The drum thumps like a ticking clock while dancers stand in a uniform line.
The tempo is steady as the dancers bob up and down, bending their knees and mimicking rabbit ears with their pointer fingers.
The singers bang their drums in sync while one singer projects their voice, singing in tribal language.
The drumming and dancing abruptly stops, and the dancers shout three times.
“Now you’re rabbits,” said head Southern singer Steve Bohay from the Kiowa Tribe.
The rabbit dance was one of four dances taught at the Pow Wow 101: Social Dance Workshop hosted by the Amer-
EDDY CERMENO/Long Beach Current Attendees of the Pow Wow social dance workshop learn how to perform a traditional American Indian rabbit dance in the Karl Anatol Center on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
ican Indian Student Council at Long Beach State on Nov. 19.
Les Peters, a part-time professor for American Indian Studies, led and taught the dances.
Powwows are celebrations and get-togethers in Native American culture. At CSULB, the Pow Wow has been a beloved tradition for 53 years.
“It’s one of the longest-running student-led powwows here west of the Mississippi,” Peters said.
The annual Pow Wow takes place in the second week of March on the sacred Indigenous land of Puvungna, which the university is built on.
The remaining Puvungna land is about 22 acres and remains undeveloped despite various construction attempts.
“Puvungna holds a very special place in the heart of the American Indian Student Council,” said Mia Nuñez, kinesiology major and president of the American Indian Student Council.
Attendees learned four powwow
dances at the workshop: the Round Dance, Owl Dance, Rabbit Dance and Two-Step.
Each dance’s origin varies from Northern and Southern regions and among individual tribes. Peters taught a Northern-style variation of the dances while Bohay and the singers sang Southern-style songs.
Traditional tribal singing is a lifelong, generational commitment passed down through generations.
“[It’s] how we communicate with the creator ... how we recognize and honor Mother Nature,” Peters said.
Singing is also a traditional way to mourn and celebrate birthdays.
“Tonight they were singing social dance songs, so you did hear English words in there,” Peters said. “A lot of the songs talk about lost love and new love.”
As the night progressed, so did the complexities of the dances.
“You’ll be a little sweaty and your hips will get sore after a while,” Peters said.
The Round Dance had dancers moving clockwise in a circle. The drums kept a steady tempo as the dancers bopped up and down by bending their knees.
Gently, they stomped their left feet, with their right feet closely following. While the Round Dance was the base for the footwork, other dances, such as the Rabbit and Two-Step, required more effort with the arms and feet.
The Owl, Rabbit and Two-Step dances required partners.
For the Rabbit Dance, couples stood together while locking their arms in criss-cross style from the back or front.
The Two-Step allowed the dancers some wiggle room to add variations of moves while continuing to follow the tempo of the drums.
Reinforcing its cultural importance, the CSULB Pow Wow is open to community participation.
“Just like how we shared the social dances we did this evening, those are open to anybody,” Peters said.
Tired of Thanksgiving turkey? Try these 3 alternatives
BY AIDEN EISEL Contributor
As Thanksgiving approaches, kitchens all across the nation will soon be filled with familiar aromas—and at the heart of it all, a golden-roasted turkey ready to take center stage on the family dinner table.
On average, 46 million turkeys are consumed in the United States on Thanksgiving Day, according to Vice.
That represents 21% of the annual turkey production, and it equates to almost 1.4 billion pounds of turkey.
However, I’m not a huge turkey fan. It’s very dry; it tastes like unseasoned chicken and requires a sauce, like gravy, to improve its taste.
Fan or not, there are several other meats you can eat on Thanksgiving. As a faithful ham consumer, here are the top three Thanksgiving meat alternatives if you’re tired of turkey.
I’ll be ranking them based on personal preference, taste and how well they pair with favorite Thanksgiving side
Current
BY: LEYNA VU Opinions Editor
Q: As the semester starts to wind down, a lot of my professors are starting to introduce group projects. I am acquainted with many of my classmates, but I do not know whom to ap-
dishes such as mashed potatoes, green beans and stuffing.
Ham
My favorite Thanksgiving meat is simple but a classic: ham. I eat ham every Thanksgiving, and it never fails to hit the spot. It’s a far better alternative to turkey on Thanksgiving—and you’re missing out if you skip on this juicy, savory and flavorful meat.
Chicken
Next, I’ll have to go with chicken. Although it’s not the most alluring option, roasted chicken is a classic. When cooked correctly, this meat is too good not to enjoy.
Despite a similar texture to turkey, chicken has much more flavor—rich, juicy, tender and moist. It’s also much simpler to prepare, taking about two hours versus the three to four hours needed to prepare a roasted turkey.
Prime rib
Perhaps a little less common at Thanksgiving, prime rib can be a tasty alternative when seasoned with the
DANTE ESTRADA/Long Beach Current
According to the National Turkey Federation, “87% of those who celebrate [Thanksgiving] say turkey is part of their holiday every year.”
right amount of salt and garlic herbs. It’s packed with flavor and considered a lowfat, heart-healthy choice.
While I haven’t tried many other Thanksgiving meats, there are several other options, including duck, lamb and pork.
Many countries also have their own centerpiece dish for holiday meals. For example, China celebrates with moon-
cakes, Jamaica has spicy turkey, Colombia serves arroz con pollo (chicken with rice) and Puerto Rico uses roasted pork (lechon).
For those who don’t plan on eating turkey this Thanksgiving, skip buying one. Plan Thanksgiving meals more mindfully to help reduce food waste and make choices that benefit your budget and the environment.
How to build the ideal project group
proach to increase my chances of doing well. How would you go about forming a strong project team?
- Oddly Competitive
A: A lot of my peers say that group projects are the bane of their existence, but if done correctly, group projects can boost your grade by a significant margin. You might be friends with some of your classmates, but when it comes to group projects, it helps to know who you work well with.
In my mind, choosing a strong project group is a lot like setting up a team formation in a video game. In running teams, there are indispensable roles, such as the DPS (attacker who delivers the highest Damage Per Second), the tanker and the healer.
A balanced team would not have all
attackers or all tankers; rather, it would have members who each make a valuable contribution.
For example, if your final project is a presentation on statistics, it would help to approach someone who is comfortable speaking in class. Even if they do not say the correct answer 100% of the time, having a strong presenter on your team makes it easier on everyone else who will be up there with you.
In addition to recruiting a strong presenter, it would help to have at least two team members who know the material well. This way, they can coach the presenter beforehand, which is crucial for high marks in the post-presentation Q&A.
Something people often forget when choosing groups is that it is un-
realistic to form a team composed solely of the highest scorers in your class, which is why it is important to approach diligent students who lay low but are willing to do the work.
Ross Garner, professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies and OutBac Challenge Course Manager, said, “Groups always have to balance between ‘tasks’ (getting things done) and ‘relationships’ (our daily interactions and overall feel)... Every group is going to have a wildly different culture, but having no culture at all—I find that generates lackluster performance.”
Of course, the results will vary depending on what the final project actually is, but if you are proactive and choose a strong group beforehand, you should be in a good spot to succeed.
DANTE ESTRADA/Long Beach
OPINION
BY BRANDON DYVIG Contributor
The NBA has a massive viewership problem, and it starts with the number of streaming platforms someone must subscribe to to watch all the games.
The streaming services required to watch nationally televised games are Peacock and Amazon Prime Video, but many people don’t subscribe to either.
The issue is even worse with games not on national television, because every game is behind a paywall.
NBA League Pass is the primary source to watch NBA games, and that alone costs $109.99 per season. That is not even close to the amount of money needed to watch every NBA game this season.
Any fan who wants to watch every NBA game from the regular season opener to the Finals will need to spend nearly $1,000 across five different streaming services to do so, according to MarketWatch.
It is already difficult to figure out
Skyrocketing streaming fees threaten NBA viewership growth
which streaming service you can catch a game on any given night, but the cost makes it not worth watching.
However, this did not bother the NBA commissioner, Adam Silver. In a press conference, Silver called the league a “highlights-based sport,” sending the NBA community into outrage. This was controversial because the ratings would be a top priority.
“There is a huge amount of our content that people can essentially consume for free,” Silver said. “This is very much a highlights-based sport … Instagram, TikTok, Twitter—you name it.”
While that statement is somewhat true, Silver quickly became the league’s laughingstock.
If the commissioner of the NBA says that the majority of the league’s content
can be consumed on social media, why should anyone, especially casual viewers, watch the games on TV?
Compared to other major sports leagues in the United States, the NBA sits behind both the MLB and NFL in viewership for their championship series, which are the biggest games of the season for each sport.
According to Forbes, the average viewership of the 2025 World Series was 15.5 million viewers throughout games one through seven, compared to the 2025 NBA Finals average viewership of 10.27 million.
The 2025 NFL Super Bowl blew both leagues out of the water, reaching 127.7 million viewers.
Front Office Sports claims the NBA’s viewership has declined significantly since 2020. Every finals series from 2020
The NBA Finals viewership has been at a steady decline over the last three seasons, with 11.64 million viewers in 2023, 11.3 million viewers in 2024 and 10.27 million viewers in 2025, the second-least watched Finals in NBA history according to ESPN, TNT and ABC.
BRANDON DYVIG/ Long Beach Current
to 2025 has been in the bottom seven for viewership in the United States.
To increase viewership for the NBA Finals, the league’s games need to be more accessible. Having to subscribe to five different streaming platforms to watch every game makes it way too challenging to enjoy the product.
If people can watch more games during the regular season, they may be more inclined to watch postseason basketball.
The MLB has nearly every game on MLB TV, which you can watch on your phone, tablet or computer for $30 per month.
Having access to almost every game keeps fans engaged with the league, and could be a big reason for their higher postseason ratings.
The NFL offers Sunday Ticket on YouTube for $276 per season, and $318 per season including RedZone, which is a heftier price, but having access to every game of the year is something NFL fans prioritize.
The NBA’s viewership problem starts with the commissioner. Silver needs to fix the viewer accessibility issue before it is too late and the casual viewer base looks for more affordable sports options.
Sophomore tennis star from Mexico slices through Big West season
BY BRIANNA APODACA Sports Assistant
From Puebla, Mexico, to the United States, sophomore tennis star Pamela Badillo continues to show domination on the court with her weapon of a backhand that carried her all the way to a Big West Fall Tournament Singles Championship victory.
Despite losing in the first round, Badillo represented the entire Big West Conference at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Conference Masters Championship on Nov. 6, after emerging as the last woman standing of a 64-player draw at the conference tournament.
Prior to training at LBSU, Badillo was put in tennis at a young age at her uncle’s tennis academy in Mexico. At first, tennis was just a hobby to pass time, but soon enough, Badillo fell in love with the sport.
She decided to move to Long Beach after meeting the coaching staff and team, who welcomed her in like family.
But leaving Mexico behind was not easy—Badillo faced numerous challenges while making the transition.
Badillo has no family in America and often turned to tennis at the most stressful times during this hard transition period.
“Coming here was hard at the start because I needed to meet new people and talk for myself, which is something I’m not used to,” Badillo said. “But then I got used to it and tried new things and it was the best for me.”
Since coming to LBSU, women’s tennis head coach Gertjan De Wilder has seen Badillo transform into the star player she is today.
“She wasn’t the person that talked the most,” Wilder said. “She was a little introverted, but now you can see she starts feeling pretty comfortable, so she starts saying a lot more and making a lot more jokes.”
Badillo had the opportunity to play in the Big West Fall Tournament and showed her skill and dominance throughout, going 6-0 in the main draw to win the singles title.
Despite winning the tournament,
Badillo was playing with a twisted ankle injury and never cracked under pressure.
“When I played, I twisted my ankle, so at that point, I wasn’t thinking about winning or losing, I was just trying to play and whatever happens happens,” Badillo said. “I didn’t even realize I won until I really won. I wasn’t thinking about anything in those moments.”
This wasn’t foreign to Badillo, as her head coach expressed that she is known for playing through anything in highstakes moments.
“[Pamela] doesn’t really show any emotions in any situation; she just plays,” Wilder said. “ Some people get angry, some people get very happy when
they score points, she always stays very neutral, which is good cause she’s always pretty calm, especially when it comes to intense moments.”
With the fall season behind her and fresh off a big win, Badillo doesn’t plan on slowing down. Her grind continues through the winter as she prepares to return even stronger at The Beach Tennis Winter Invite on Jan. 16.
“I think we’re gonna work on the slicing game and the forehand, obviously her backhand is a weapon,” Wilder said. “We also need to develop at the other side where she can go cross and down the line so she can have double weapons.”
Catching The Wave: Predicting Big West women’s volleyball awards
BY TIMOTHY HESSEN Sports Editor
After a season of defying expectations and battling it out with the premier teams of the Big West, Long Beach State women’s volleyball looks to take the conference title and receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Hosting the tournament at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid, No. 3 seed LBSU will first take on No. 6 seed UC Irvine in the first round on Wednesday, Nov. 26, with the winner advancing to the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 28.
Awaiting them should be the No. 2 seed: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
If LBSU reaches the final on Saturday, Nov. 29, they will face the last remaining squad from the other side of the bracket, who will most likely be the top-seeded UC Davis, against whom The Beach went 1-1 this season.
To pull off the upset in the final rounds, The Beach will rely heavily on the arm of two-time Big West Offensive Player of the Week and six-time Freshman of the Week, Logan King.
LBSU’s star redshirt freshman opposite ranks third in the Big West in kills per set this season at 3.62, and has delivered in critical matchups with Big West juggernauts.
King racked up 21 kills against Cal Poly in a win on Oct. 4, and most recently nailed 16 kills in a crucial Gold Mine upset over UC Davis.
King’s connection with LBSU star sophomore setter Madi Maxwell, the three-time Setter of the Week who
ranks third in assists per set in the conference with 9.3, will need to catch fire for The Beach to emerge from the tournament as champions.
A key advantage in LBSU’s favor is a major homecourt advantage as the tournament hosts.
LBSU was a perfect 9-0 at home against Big West opponents this season, and was just 4-4 on the road.
The cream of the crop of Big West women’s volleyball has seen some stark home vs. road splits this season, such as Cal Poly being undefeated at home but 5-4 on the road in conference play.
While it may seem far-fetched, this column predicts the homecourt advantage at the Pyramid will push The Beach past its powerhouse conference foes, beating two higher seeds in the Mustangs and Aggies in the final rounds to take the conference crown.
Photo courtesy of LBSU Athletics
Sophomore Pamela Badillo has emerged as a star for LBSU women's tennis, representing the Big West Conference at the ITA Conference Masters Championship.
Cross country team posts its best NCAA Regional finish in 14 years
BY MONICA BADOLIAN Sports Assistant
Long Beach State cross country closed out its 2025 season on a high note at the NCAA West Regionals in Sacramento, highlighted by the men’s program earning its highest regional finish since 2011.
After recording a fifth-place finish at the Big West Championships on Oct. 31, its best finish since 2021, the men’s team delivered one of its strongest performances in over a decade, placing 16th out of 34 teams at regionals.
Junior Levi Taylor bounced back from a tough conference meet with a standout performance, running a 10K personal best of 30:57.5 to finish 75th overall.
He was followed closely by junior Cameron Rhone, who placed 82nd. Senior Cristian Martinez also shattered his 10K personal best to take 105th, while senior and team captain Cameron Gill and sophomore Miles Jones rounded out
LBSU graduate student and team captain Marikay Schwab finished with 22:07.6 time in the 6k at the NCAA West Regionals on Nov. 14.
the scoring.
For Gill, wrapping up his final cross country season, he reminisced about his time at The Beach and his growth as a leader.
“This team means so much to me,” Gill said. “There’s been some high highs and low lows, but through it all, having this be my last one, knowing I had the opportunity to lead this team, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
He emphasized how much the team has grown in confidence and focus.
“This year, we really committed to running for each other,” Gill said. “Whether someone was having a great race or an off day, the team energy stayed strong; you could feel everyone wanting to elevate the program.”
After losing key members from last season, the women’s team finished 26th out of 39 teams at regionals, a step back from their 18th-place finish a year ago.
Senior Alyssa Tapanes led the Beach with a 6K time of 21:47, while graduate student and team captain Marikay Schwab followed closely at 22:07.6.
Behind them, junior Jadyn Palaschuk, junior Brooke Willoughby and freshman Darcy Ray closed out LBSU’s scoring pack.
For Schwab, the team’s growth from last year to this season was “black and white.”
“I think we’ve really developed more as a team,” Schwab said. “Just having the same coach for two years, hearing [assistant coach Devin Elizondo] remind us we can do hard things, it helped us run more confidently.”
As captain, stepping into a leadership role was new to her but also transformative.
“It taught me to have confidence in myself,” Schwab said. “Knowing that what I say matters. And as an athlete, it taught me that I can do hard things in the face of adversity.”
Now in his second year leading the program, Elizondo emphasized the emotional and cultural growth of both teams throughout the season.
“The biggest thing for us was preparing them for the emotions and expectations of competing at a high level,” Elizondo said. “But the most important takeaway is that they built something sustainable.”
He pointed to the strong leadership from Gill and Schwab as a critical piece in the program’s success.
“We needed athlete-led leadership,”
Elizondo said. “Cam and Marikay really took that mission and executed it. They never put their goals in front of the team.”
Elizondo highlighted specific moments where the culture shift was unmistakable.
On the women’s side, he noted that Schwab and Tapanes found each other during the 6K.
“Marikay got up to Alyssa and helped her stay calm and steady,” Elizondo said. “That’s exactly what we’ve been working on, using your teammates when the race gets tough.”
For the men, he saw the same progress.
“You could see Gill talking to teammates mid-race, or Cristian responding to Levi’s moves,” Elizondo said. “Those are things you can’t coach; that’s culture.”
He believes the foundation is what will carry The Beach forward.
“The teamwork they showed, the belief they reinforced in each other, that’s what makes a program sustainable,” Elizondo said. “That’s what the best teams in this region do, and we’re getting closer every year.”
Photo courtesy of LBSU Athletics
Beach offense stalls late in tight loss to Montana State
BY TIMOTHY HESSEN Sports Editor
Abreakout performance from freshman guard Gavin Sykes could not deliver Long Beach State men’s basketball to a win over Montana State on Friday, Nov. 21, falling 78-72 to conclude the Battle at The Beach Tournament at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid.
After a nearly year-long drought, The Beach (1-5) came up just short of recording consecutive wins for the first time in 334 days.
“We’re in a phase where we’re trying to figure out how to win,” LBSU head coach Chris Acker said. “We know we can play hard enough to hang around, we’re just not at the point where we figured out how to close games.”
The mid-range shotmaking of junior guard Cole Farrell led the LBSU scoring attack early. After knocking down two smooth jumpers, Farrell relied on his pump fake to get to the cup for a quick six points in three minutes.
After Farrell kept LBSU close early, the Bobcats (2-4) broke away with a 14-4 run to push their lead to 30-21, as The Beach’s shooting disadvantage was on full display in the first half.
Facing a Montana State team that leads the Big Sky Conference in threepoint shooting percentage, LBSU was outmatched from beyond the arc, ranking just eighth in three-point makes in the Big West entering Friday’s contest.
“When [Montana State] is running and they’re organized and letting it fly with confidence, it’s hard to rectify that by just trading baskets,” Acker said.
Bobcat senior guard Jed Miller and graduate guard Davian Brown, ranking second and fourth in the Big Sky in threepoint makes respectively, each hit a pair of threes in the first, while The Beach were held without a long-range make until just under four minutes remaining in the half.
However, after a timeout from Acker following a defensive breakdown, LBSU seemed to solve its offensive woes.
An emphatic three-point play on a strong drive to the basket from sophomore forward Petar Majstorovic got the party started, sparking a 16-5 run.
The glass lid on the rim seemed to disappear for The Beach, who hit three threes in their extended run, capped off by a buzzer-beating make from junior guard Isaiah Lewis to take a 37-35 lead into the half.
The Bobcats continued to rain threes in the second half, with Brown hitting from distance twice early to recapture the lead, but The Beach were kept afloat by a scorching second half performance from Sykes.
In just the sixth game of his career, Sykes’ ability to break down Bobcat defenders with his dribble in conjunction with his hot shooting night rendered him unguardable for Montana State, as he racked up 19 points in the half to lead LBSU.
“I've learned to really just step into my role and just really be me out there,” Sykes said.
Down five with six minutes remaining, LBSU’s offense went cold, scoring just two points over a nearly four minute stretch.
However, down 72-65, a quick five points from graduate guard Shaquil Bender gave The Beach a breath of life.
With LBSU trailing 73-70 with 23 seconds remaining and a chance to get one stop and have a shot to tie it at regulation, a strong and-one finish from Montana State redshirt senior guard Patrick Mcmahon through Majstorovic was the dagger to end The Beach's hopes of a comeback.
Following the loss, Acker emphasized how the program’s next step in its process to potentially string together wins later in the season is better execution in critical moments.
“You go back and you watch film, and
you show the guys the opportunities that we've had and where we could have met the moment, “ Acker said. “You just trust that ultimately they're going to get tired of hearing the same story over and over again and it’ll click at the right time.”
Sykes led The Beach with a careerhigh 24 points, while Bender added 17 on 6-for-15 shooting.
“Scoring points is cool and all that, but at the end of the day if we don’t win it doesn’t matter,” Sykes said. “I still want to get a real college win and come into the locker room and celebrate with the guys and I haven’t really done that yet.”
Montana State redshirt junior guard Jeremiah Davis and graduate forward Chris Hodges led the Bobcats in the win with 15 and 14 points, respectively.
LBSU will next head to Portland University on Nov. 26 in pursuit of its second win of the season.
REHANSA KULATILLEKE/Long Beach Current LBSU freshman forward Leopold Levillain drives to the basket in The Beach's 78-72 loss to Montana State on Nov. 21 at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid.
SPORTS
LBSU stunned by UC Davis in championship final
BY ALAN IBARRA Sports Assistant
IRVINE, Calif. - Despite a desperate fourth quarter rally, No. 1 seed Long Beach State men’s water polo came up just short of repeating as Big West champions, suffering a 12-11 heartbreaker at the hands of UC Davis in the championship final at the Anteater Aquatics Complex on Sunday, Nov. 23.
After taking down the No. 4 seed UC San Diego Tritons in the semifinals, The Beach's third matchup of the season with the Aggies would decide who took home the Big West title.
The first matchup came in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Invitational on Sept. 20, in a 15-11 LBSU loss that counted toward conference play.
The second installment on Nov. 8 ended in a 11-4 dominant win for The
Beach to claim the Big West regular season title.
After running through their conference schedule undefeated in their quest to win back-to-back conference championships, The Beach fell just one goal short in their rubber match with the Aggies.
“It’s definitely a difficult feeling," assistant coach Austin Ringheim said. “We had really high expectations for this group and to fall just a little bit short is always not ideal."
The Beach got off on the wrong foot early, as the Aggies scored the first two goals of the game in the opening minutes.
The fourth-ranked scorer in goals per game in the Big West, LBSU junior attacker Caleb Francisco got The Beach on the board first, as they would go on to tie it at 2-2.
However, UC Davis remained strong defensively through the first period, limiting LBSU to two scores while Davis
sophomore attacker Thomas Kiesling scored two of his own to put the Aggies ahead 4-2 after the first quarter.
Entering the second quarter, the Aggies quickly extended their run to 3-0.
The Beach managed a brief 2-1 run after star sophomore center and reigning Big West Player of the Year Gabi Acosta’s first goal of the game, and headed into the half down 6-4.
Coming out of the break, the Aggies drew first blood with the second strike of the day from freshman attacker Oriol Viñas.
UC Davis maintained its lead through a tightly-contested third quarter, as Kiesling made it a hat trick with his third goal of the day while Acosta added another score, with the Aggies taking a 9-7 lead into the final quarter.
Sophomore attacker Konstantinos Kapragkos scored his second goal on a power play to bring it within one score to open the fourth.
However, UC Davis continued to stuff
out any possible momentum for LBSU, as Irvine local and sophomore attacker/ utility Oleg Shatskikh scored his second goal of the game to put the Aggies up 118.
In the final two minutes, a late flurry of goals from Francisco, Acosta and sophomore attacker Harper Stewart gave The Beach a chance to win, bringing the score to 12-11.
“We were trying to fight to get our goals and to make sure that we put our team in the best position possible,” Ringheim said.
However, it was not enough, as after a shot from Francisco sailed past the cage, the Aggies wound down the last 1:21 remaining on the clock to be crowned Big West champions.
UC Davis redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Baxter Chelsom was named the Big West Tournament Final MVP.
The Beach finished their season ranked No. 7 in the nation with a 17-9 record.
REHANSA KULATILLEKE/Long Beach Current
LBSU sophomore center Corbin Stanley attempts to block UC Davis's redshirt senior Colin Nicholls near the cage in The Beach's 12-11 loss in the Big West Tournament final at UC Irvine on Nov. 23.