REBECCA LAVOND/Long Beach Current
In this special OUTober issue of the Long Beach Current, campus and LGBTQ+ iconography come together to celebrate belonging and to recognize the struggle to retain visibility when many attempt to erase it. The Current sees you and stands with you.
BY KHOURY WILLIAMS Editor-in-Chief
Every October, both college and high school campuses across the nation come alive with events, conversations and celebrations to honor our LGBTQ+ communities. At Long Beach State, this month-long recognition is known as OUTober—a time to reflect on history, build community and reaffirm our commitment to supporting and uplifting voices in the LGBTQ+ community.
Traditionally known as LGBTQ+ History Month, the nationwide observance was established in 1994 by Rodney Wilson, a history teacher from Missouri. Wilson chose October because of “National Coming Out Day” on Oct. 11 and the many historical milestones for gay and lesbian rights that have also occurred during the month.
Today, OUTober has become a cornerstone for CSULB, reminding us that pride is not only about identity but also about resilience, visibility and solidarity.
However, celebrating pride is not without its challenges. Recently, President Donald Trump’s administration has advanced efforts to roll back protections for trans people, restrict inclusive healthcare and silence the broader LGBTQ+ community.
These moves are not just policy decisions; they are attempts to erase identities, diminish lived experiences and fracture years of hard work and progress made by LGBTQ+ communities. These moves make it more of a necessity for the CSULB community to honor OUTober, not only as a historical reflection, but also as a call to action.
Throughout this month, the Current will highlight stories that reflect both the triumphs and the struggles of LGBTQ+ communities. In this issue, you’ll find coverage of Long Beach’s LGBTQ+ Center volunteers responding with resilience after acts of vandalism, resources available to LGBTQ+ students,
Land acknowLedgment
DIEGO PEREZ/Long Beach Current Long Beach Current Editor-In Chief Khoury Williams pictured on Oct. 3, smiling in front of a poster featuring the former Daily Forty-Niner's "Love is Love" cover photo from the 2022 OUTober issue.
CSULB’s “Banned Books Read-In,” coaching with pride and more.
OUTober is a reminder of the responsibility we all share in helping to create a campus environment where pride can thrive. The Long Beach Current stands in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ community.
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.
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The Nugget Grill & Pub at Long Beach State will close after damage from failing infrastructure. The restaurant, a longtime spot where students gathered to dine and relax, is shutting down among a throng of other campus closures during the Future U construction project.
BY ETHAN BROWN News Assistant
Since 1973, the Nugget Grill & Pub has been the only establishment of its kind at Long Beach State, serving as a sports bar that offers a diverse menu of food and beverages to students, staff and faculty.
On Monday, Sept. 29, Beach Shops announced the termination of operations in the Nugget’s home building at the University Dining Plaza on upper campus.
Continued operations were deemed impossible due to significant electrical damage. University officials have yet to respond to the Current’s inquiry on whether the power outage on Monday, Sept. 15, was a contributing factor to the accelerated timeline.
Beach Shops said in a press release
Monday afternoon that the reason for the closure was “unforeseen damage caused by failing infrastructure, the electrical transformer experienced catastrophic failure after aging, corroded water heaters leaked and water intruded the rooms.”
“This is an unfortunate and deeply disappointing loss for our campus community,” said Cyndi Farrington, chief business officer for Beach Shops, in the press release.
Until the new University Student Union is unveiled, the Nugget Grill Express, located near the Health and Human Services buildings on lower campus, is the closest alternative.
The Nugget drew students with its reasonable prices, ranging from $6 to $10 for an assortment of sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and salads as well as breakfast and freshly brewed coffee.
The restaurant, which had been closed since the power outage two weeks ago, was
expected to remain open until the end of the fall 2025 semester, according to the press release.
The University Dining Plaza is scheduled to be decommissioned by the end of 2025 to make way for the Future U project, which will include a new Nugget along with seven additional food vendors.
The press release noted that all of the damaged equipment at the Nugget’s defunct home of more than 50 years was already awaiting replacement as part of the upcoming renovation.
“We were looking forward to one final semester,” Farrington said in the press release. “Like many of you, we share in the sadness of its sudden closure.”
Several dining options are still available across campus.
Students, staff and faculty can find current information and locations on CSULB’s “Where to Eat and Shop” webpage.
Update: According to Shannon Couey, the communications manager for Beach Shops, the damage was unrelated to the Future U project, but “resulted from aging infrastructure in the University Dining Plaza, a facility that has been on campus since the late 1950s.”
Couey “cannot confirm whether outages elsewhere on Sept. 15 were connected to this failure.”
“While we are saddened by the sudden closure, the restaurant was already scheduled for demolition in December,” Couey said.
READ STUDENT REACTIONS ON PAGE 11
LGBTQ+ organization takes the pride back by standing united against hate with a rally hosted by Councilwoman Cindy Allen, Long Beach Pride and the LGBTQ+ Center Long Beach
BY ETHAN BROWN News Assistant
Long Beach Pride, a non-profit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to "PRIDE, inclusion and respect," was vandalized on Sept. 20.
Anti-LBGTQ+ messages were graffitied on three sides of a utility box outside their home and headquarters.
The vandalism, which has now been painted over, included the Nazi symbol, MAGA and the f-slur directed at various LGBTQ+ groups. “All should die” and “go to hell” were among the malicious sentiments targeted at Long Beach Pride.
In response, Long Beach Pride is partnering with The LGBTQ Center Long Beach for a “No Hate in LBC” resilience rally, scheduled to take place at Bixby Park on Oct. 24.
Long Beach Pride, located on the corner of East 10th Street and Obispo Avenue, puts on the third-largest pride parade in California.
Over 40 years since hosting their first pride parade in 1984, the 2025 edition was themed “The Power of Community” and featured over 150 arts and crafts vendors on May 18.
Long Beach Pride Vice President of Production Christopher Duvali and a volunteer were in the Pride Center headquarters when neighbors made them aware of the vandalism on Sept. 20.
“It was heartwarming, that one of the neighbors was like, ‘I'm going right now to my garage, I have paint and we’re painting over that filth.’ Just a straight ally,” Duvali said.
Duvali said this isn’t the first time the headquarters has experienced an incident like this one.
“We have to redirect that [hateful] energy," Duvali said. "That’s what Long Beach Pride is all about. Our whole purpose is to support, encourage and celebrate pride. Which is inclusion with all beings on this earth."
The utility box in front of the Long Beach Pride facility was vandalized with hateful messages on Sept. 20. Long Beach Pride, located on Obispo Avenue and Seventh Street, has since cleared all vandalism messages.
In a Sept. 24 press release addressing the incident, First District Councilwoman Mary Zendejas said she was appalled to learn about the hateful graffiti in front of the Long Beach Pride office.
“Hate and intolerance have no place in our city," Zendejas said in the press release. "As elected leaders, community partners, and residents, it is our shared responsibility to stand together in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ community, not only in moments of celebration, but especially in times when they are targeted by acts of hate."
Earlier this year, Long Beach was named a sanctuary city for people identi-
fying as LGBTQ+ and is one of only 47 cities nationally to receive a perfect score on the Municipal Equality Index.
Devised by the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ+ civil rights advocacy group in the U.S., the Municipal Equality Index measures the level of inclusion LGBTQ+ communities have achieved in different cities nationwide.
A GoFundMe titled “Stand Against Hate: Secure Long Beach Pride” was issued by the organization on Sept. 21, with $780 currently raised toward their $4,000 goal.
On Wednesday, Oct. 8, Long Beach Pride will host their general meeting,
joined by Sgt. Lisa McCourt and Councilwoman Cindy Allen. Duvali said they are inviting the community to talk about the vandalism.
According to Duvali, action being taken by Long Beach Pride and the community includes establishing a tight-knit neighborhood watch and rally.
“The essence of Long Beach Pride is to not be consumed by those shadows of darkness and hate, but to be that shining bright light,” Duvali said.
The caption on the joint Instagram announcement from the two centers said, “Hate has no home here – our voices are louder, our community stronger.”
BY SKYLAR STOCK
Video Editor
Rainbow balloon towers were arranged around the club and resource booths, pride flags were passed out by the Queer Students’ Alliance and snacks, including chips and popcorn, satisfied the cravings of those who attended the OUTober Kickoff on Wednesday, Oct. 1.
Associated Students, Inc. and the LGBTQ+ Resource Center hosted the OUTober Kickoff, bringing arts and crafts, a photo booth, music and campus resources to the campus community.
Students were encouraged to visit each station to receive stamps during the event, which celebrated LGBTQ+.
Some booths included Counseling and Psychological Services, which hosts drop-in spaces like Rainbow Cafe and Pride Talk. Turnout was not as high as previous years, with five resource booths at noon and a light collection of students coming and go-
KULATILLEKE/Long Beach Current Counseling and Psychological Services' Outreach Coordinator, Christopher Leal is one of the many hosts who attended the OUTober Kickoff on Oct. 1.
ing.
Since class is not in session during Pride Month in June, Long Beach State celebrates LGBTQ+ students in October, as the month represents LGBTQ+ History and Breast Cancer Awareness.
To organizer Ash Preston, the assistant director of the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, events like these are necessary to connect individuals from different identities, especially on a college campus as big as CSULB.
“Not everyone comes from the most accepting places; some [are from] places where they maybe couldn’t be out before,” Preston said. “This is a chance for them when they’re on campus to feel comfortable through seeing others like them.”
Many LGBTQ+ resources nationwide have been reduced over the past year. The 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline ended its LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services on July 17. This resource provided service to around 1.5 million LGBTQ+ contacts since its inception in 2022, according to federal data.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, one
of the oldest gender-affirming care providers in the country, also closed its gender-affirming care center in July, which marked a loss to transgender individuals under 21 receiving care.
Even locally in Long Beach, anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment has been spreading, as hate speech was written in front of Long Beach Pride’s administrative office.
“I am transgender, a lot of my friends are,” said James Henderson, a Queer Students’ Alliance historian and a second-year classics major with a focus in classical archaeology. “A lot of people are just on edge right now, and sometimes being able to walk into a room for a little bit hanging out with other people to build that sense of community makes you feel less alone in the sea of negativity that we see from the administration, from the Supreme Court, from Congress, from the Senate, everything going on right now.”
The Queer Students’ Alliance booth was stationed with stickers, stamps and an interactive whiteboard at the event, encouraging communication between visitors. Their goal is to create unity among
members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies.
“We really value the meaning of community here and our love for each other, especially in these times, it’s harder than ever to be out,” said Caleb Edwards, QSA President and fourth-year English major with a focus in creative writing.
While QSA’s Halloween Dance is not taking place this year due to the University Student Union closure, Edwards is looking forward to their Queer Prom in the spring.
OUTober events will take place throughout October, including Drag Lotería in collaboration with the Latine Resource Center and a “not-so-midnight” showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
Preston recommended students visit the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, located on campus at Faculty Office 4, Room 165.
“There are a lot of attacks going on in our community, from the political side, societal things, there’s always gonna be folks, unfortunately, who do not agree with our community, but Cal State Long Beach is a very accepting campus,” Preston said.
REHANSA KULATILLEKE/Long Beach Current
Counseling and Psychological Services offers resources to support mental health and student wellness for both transgender and gender-diverse students.
BY ANNETTE QUIJADA News Editor
Long Beach State is hosting several events at The Beach in honor of OUTober, a month dedicated to LGBTQ+ history and awareness. OUTober kicked off at CSULB on Wednesday, Oct. 1, and will run through Oct. 31.
From pride popsicles to drag lotería, here are eight events happening on campus this month.
Drag Loteria
Oct. 7 | The Pointe | 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Play several rounds of lotería, hang out with drag queens and enter to win prizes in collaboration with the Latine Resource Center.
Express Yourself! An LGBTQ+ Button-Making Event
Oct. 9 | Peterson Hall 1-230 | 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
A space for participants to make their own buttons that celebrate identity, pride and self-expression.
LGTBQ&A: A Graduate School
Social and Q&A
Oct. 14 | Graduate Student Center (Library 201) | 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
A Q&A social for undergraduate and graduate students to connect and share their experiences and learn about the
LGBTQ+ graduate experience.
Pride Popsicles and Zine Making
Oct. 15 | Faculty Office 1 and Faculty Office 2 Courtyard | noon to 2 p.m.
Enjoy a popsicle and contribute to a community zine themed around “coming out” with writings, drawings and collages. PrEP for me
Oct. 21 | Peterson Hall-1 201 | noon to 1:30 p.m.
An informative event about HIV awareness and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, filled with interactive activities, free food and prizes.
Career Insights for LGBTQ+ Students
Oct. 28 | Zoom | noon to 1 p.m.
A virtual workshop for students to connect and explore what it means to be LGBTQ+ in the workplace.
Boba Mixer with TQFSA
Oct. 29 | Peterson Hall-1 230 | 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
A social gathering with boba drinks, the LGBTQ+ resource center and the Trans and Queer Staff and Faculty Affinity Group.
“Not So Midnight Showing:” The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Oct. 30 | Peterson Hall-1 141 | 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
A screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” to wrap up OUTober, hosted by the LGBTQ+ Resource Center.
BY MONICA GARCIA Contributor
In honor of Long Beach State’s OUTober celebration highlighting the LGBTQ+ community, here are six LGBTQ+ resources available on campus.
Counseling and support Color Me Queer
Color Me Queer is a community-led space for queer, transgender, Black, Indigenous and people of color hosted by alumni and student assistants.
“I think it’s really important right now, and that’s also how we can build [a] stronger community all together, right?” Ash Preston, assistant director of the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, said. “How we’re able to advocate for each other and really make sure that we’re providing a more inclusive support network for all of our students on campus.”
CHARLOTTE LOCICERO/Long Beach
Current
academic and identity support for LGBTQ+
Gender Universe
Gender Universe is a group dedicated to supporting transgender, non-binary and gender-questioning students.
The Health Services Department assists with hormone replacement therapy and the Counseling and Psychological Services Department provides a transgender care team.
Students can find more information on the LGBTQ+ Resource Center Instagram or contact the center’s assistant director, Ash Preston, at ash.preston@csulb.edu.
Rainbow Cafe and Pride Talk
According to Preston, Counseling and Psychological Services counselor Lauren Jensen has run Rainbow Cafe for 11 years.
The community space allows students to explore their sexual, gender and queer identities and decompress from their emotions. Although Rainbow Cafe is not a therapy group, it serves as a space for students to feel supported.
Meetings are on Mondays from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Brotman Hall, Room 226.
Pride Talk is a set of community dropin sessions for students provided by CAPS and led by counselors.
More information can be found
Meetings are held on the first and third Thursdays of each month from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Peterson Hall 1, Room 230. The upcoming Oct. 7 meeting will be moved to 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at The Pointe Conference Center.
on the CAPS page.
Student leadership and volunteering
Student assistant job listings are posted before the fall semester for the LGBTQ+ Resource Center and the general Office of Belonging and Inclusion.
The center provides free printing services, snacks and a fridge for students.
Preston said the center is developing a curriculum-driven student volunteer opportunity for the 2026-27 academic year.
“I want my volunteers to really be able to gain from their experience, and really gain leadership skills from that experience,” Preston said.
Fun and community Movies Across the Rainbow
These screenings, provided by the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, serve as a space for students to explore diverse LGBTQ+ stories in cinema.
Film screenings are every second and fourth Monday of the month from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Faculty Office 4, Room 165.
Information on movie titles and dates can be found on the LGBTQ+ Resource Center Instagram.
Queer Students’ Alliance
QSA holds weekly meetings on Mondays from noon to 2 p.m.
The first meeting, scheduled for Mon-
day, Oct. 6, aims to introduce the board and provide an opportunity for members to get to know each other. The room approval is still in progress, but updated information will be posted on the QSA Instagram and Discord.
“We are going to be dipping a little bit into the political aspect of life, both here on campus and outside of campus with some of our meetings,” QSA President Caleb Edwards said.
Topics, including ICE safety and sex education, will be covered in the meetings.
“It is very scary to be queer right now. It is and oftentimes the safest place for a lot of people they feel with other queer people with similar backgrounds and experiences towards them,” QSA historian James Henderson said.
A Halloween-themed meeting with costumes and candy is planned for the end of October. Past QSA events included a “Gay Fish” Jeopardy game in collaboration with the Marine Biology Club and a tea party.
Edwards said QSA events aim to focus on students’ social life while educating on important topics affecting the LGBTQ+ community.
“It’s just another way of showing that queerness is in everything. Queerness is in all aspects of life,” Edwards said.
BY GRACE LAWSON Community Engagement Editor
With OUTober here, Long Beach boasts several LGBTQ+ owned and operated businesses in the city to support and explore.
Looking to visit some rainbow-friendly businesses? From restaurants and cafes to bars and record stores, here are just a few of the many that The International City has to offer.
1. Plantiitas
Location: 2011 E. 4th St, Long Beach, CA 90814; a 10-minute drive from campus
A sprawling rainbow twists its way across the front windows of Plantiitas on Fourth Street.
LGBTQ-friendly and immigrant-owned, this whimsical, brightly colored shop boasts a wide variety of plants, pots and supplies.
Having grown from a small business run outside of a garage, Plantiitas has laid its roots in Long Beach’s historic “Retro Row,” hosting events that range from repotting workshops to drag bingo.
Melissa Cervantes-Anguas, the community outreach director for Plantiitas, said, “We try to collaborate with a lot of community members, Long Beach locals, and organizations that align in our vision in terms of working with organizations that will foster this kind of positive, welcoming communities to people that might not have safe spaces to be in.”
The shop will host a pot painting and drag show event on Oct. 17.
Hours:
Monday-Friday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
2. Hot Java
Location: 2101 E. Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90803; an 11-minute drive from campus
Located on East Broadway, Hot Java has become a supportive hub for the surrounding community.
The neighborhood coffee joint takes pride in displaying local art on its walls and selling pastries and coffee sourced from Southern California-based companies.
“We’re pretty in touch just with the queer community, here in Long Beach, and queer events,” Amanda Guthmann, a manager at Hot Java, said.
The cafe also hosts open mic nights and offers a community posting board to post local events or promote other businesses.
“The LBians group, they’re this Long Beach bike riding group, they meet here as well, and we just host other queer events like that and have connections in the community,” Guthmann said.
Hours:
Every day from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
3. The Silver Fox
Location: 411 Redondo Ave., Long Beach, CA 90814; a nine-minute drive from campus
With a 1940s Art Deco-style exterior, distinguished by its silver lettering and theater-style doorway illuminated by royal blue hues, The Silver Fox is a city nightlife staple.
Founded by partners John Schinnerer and Ron Waddell, the historic gay bar has been open since 1981.
Located on Redondo Avenue, The Silver Fox offers events including karaoke and “Thirsty Thursicals,” and promotes a welcoming environment.
Hours:
Monday-Friday: 4 p.m. to 2 a.m
Saturday and Sunday: noon to 2 a.m.
4. Toxic Toast Records
Location: 757 Pine Ave., Long Beach, CA 90813; a 14-minute drive from campus
Located on the corner of Pine Avenue and Eighth Street, Toxic Toast Records’ nondescript, white brick exterior conceals an interior filled with music and punk sensibilities.
A brightly lit rainbow “OPEN” sign on the window beckons patrons inside, where they are greeted by walls adorned with posters and shelves filled with music.
Since 2014, Toxic Toast Records has offered a diverse range of genres, including Japanese imports, punk, metal and classic rock.
Owner Andy George also owns a nearby space called the Toxic Toast Theatre, which hosts musical performances for all ages and is LGBTQ+ friendly.
Hours: Closed on Mondays Tuesday-Sunday: noon to 7 p.m.
5. Good Time Cafe
Location: 1322 Coronado Ave., Long Beach, CA 90804; a nine-minute drive from campus
Characterized by its colorful and lively menu, hanging plants and branded stickers, Good Time Cafe offers the perfect spot to meet with a friend, read a book or work alone.
Previously known as Commodity, co-owner Joey Villalobos worked at the
Photos by JORGE HERNANDEZ/Long Beach Current Hot Java is located at East Broadway, near Bixby Park. The LGBTQ-friendly coffeehouse serves specialty coffee and hosts community events and art displays.
Toxic Toast Records, located at Pine Avenue, provides customers with classic and modern records selections. The catalog features several genres including goth, punk rock and ska.
previous space until 2023, when he and other employees took over the spot and relaunched it with a more hip, LGBTQ+ friendly face.
In addition to the ceiling plant life, an array of local artisans are featured on the cafe’s walls and merchandise corner.
The spot offers a wide-ranging drinks
menu that even includes select beers and wines.
Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
A University Library display features some of the most commonly challenged books in anticipation for Banned Books Week, starting Oct. 6. "And Tango Makes Three," a children's book by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, was published in 2005 but is constantly challenged or banned. While book bans are not inherently anti-LGBTQ+, many leading book-banning proponents seem to target these themes.
BY JASON GREEN Arts & Life Assistant
Should a picture book about two male penguins taking care of a hatchling be banned? A Florida school board thought so.
In 2022, the Lake County board barred some students from reading “And Tango Makes Three,” a children’s book depicting the real-life story of two male penguins who take care of their nestling. This was due to a Florida law that restricts discussions of sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten to third grade.
The Escambia County School Board in Florida also removed the book.
In recent years, attempts at banning or censoring children’s books have surged.
According to the PEN America Organization, which primarily monitors book bans in school districts nationwide, there were 6,870 instances of book bans in the 2024-2025 school year. These bans affected 3,752 titles.
The organization tracks challenged books that lead to restrictions or bans, whether the bans are limited or indefinite. They also count multiple bans per book title.
Often, book bans come from the notion that restricting books with LGBTQ+ themes will protect children.
“A lot of times these are political-leaning groups or religious groups that have a particular point of view that they think everybody should have,” said Cathy Outten, a librarian for children’s and young adult literature at the University Library.
Parents and community members with conservative-leaning viewpoints seem to be major proponents of LGBTQ+ book bans.
Outten said these groups often express their negative opinions of certain books and look to limit access to them, even at schools that their children do not attend.
“Parents should be able to talk about what their own children read, but it’s challenging to say that they should be able to dictate what other children, other parents’ children, read,” said Rebecca Wendt, deputy state librarian at the California State Library.
Moms for Liberty is a prominent organization that opposes LGBTQ+ books in schools in the name of protecting children. The organization began during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 and continues to function nationwide today.
Book bans and challenges experienced a drastic surge following the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Florida and Texas contributed heavily to this increase.
“Our community is not just our sexualities. We are human beings. We have a multitude of experiences, and I think there’s a pushback because of that inherent assumption of the sexual component of it,” Ash Preston, assistant director of the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, said.
Some of the banned books in school districts this year include “A Clockwork Orange,” “Last Night at the Telegraph Club” and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.”
Books like these are not only banned for depictions of LGBTQ+ themes but also for sexual violence.
California has demonstrated a commitment to upholding this literature.
The state has passed anti-book-ban policies, including Assembly Bill 1078, which prohibits school boards from banning instructional materials and curriculum with diverse perspectives.
In September 2024, the state passed the California Freedom to Read Act, which has a similar function to AB 1078, with a focus on public library collections.
“So it's not even a red state versus blue state kind of issue, right. It's an all-over issue [we’re] talking about just access to
knowledge,” Preston said.
Even in reader-friendly California, the state is not impenetrable to these ban occurrences.
The Huntington Beach Library has garnered attention for its frequent attempts at restricting book access to underage patrons. So far, judge rulings have not been in the library’s favor.
The Long Beach Public Library had only three book challenges filed between 2008 to 2021, but all attempts failed.
Even so, Lynda Poling, a senior librarian at the Billie Jean King Main Library in Long Beach, acknowledged that book bans are always a possibility.
“It's always possible that [book bans] could happen. And I feel like this is a community that really doesn't respond well to censorship and book bans. There's been a real embrace in Long Beach of freedom of information,” she said.
The University Library will host a week-long “Banned Books Read In” event running from Oct. 6-9, offering a selection of popular banned books.
For more information, check out the list of challenged and banned books on the library’s website.
BY DELFINO CAMACHO Arts & Life Editor
What is love?
Besides being a sick '90s dance single, this question is the central theme of CalRep’s latest production, “Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea.”
Asian American playwright Julia Izumi brings to the surface a modern adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” with the sea maiden replaced by a little cloud who falls in love with a human who loves rain so much he actively dislikes umbrellas.
Izumi dives below the “Little Mermaid” framework to explore complex themes of love.
“For this play, I was really intrigued by the different levels of the meta-theatrical storytelling and even now, I’m still sort of peeling those apart and trying to understand exactly what’s going on in certain moments,” show director and Theatre Arts lecturer Alana Dietze said.
What starts as a whimsical yet straightforward fairy tale adaptation evolves into a self-referential dramedy farce. The script subtly transforms from simple to a multifaceted rumination on love, sacrifice and storytelling itself.
As the story slowly unravels, fourthwall-breaking narrators and parallel worlds storm the stage.
Established characters take on other minor roles in vignettes woven throughout the storyline. Never confusing, the stage action comes across as carefully controlled and visually compelling chaos, thanks in part to Dietze’s direction and heavy lifting by the stage design.
“I lean heavily on my design collaborators. Most of the time when I’m directing, I’ll come in with a sense of how I want the play to feel and what ideas I want to emphasize in the work and the practicalities of what I need to make the scenes happen,” Dietze said. “But I really like to turn to my designers and let them be artists, and let them bring what they think is exciting.”
Izumi’s script demands two distinct worlds: the Sky Kingdom, where Little Cloud dwells, and the modern city, where mortals live.
“I knew I wanted levels,” Dietze said. “I knew I wanted some height to it, and I was trying to solve the problem of how do
CAMACHO/Long Beach Current Japanese-born student actress Himika Kaku portrays “Little Cloud” during the final Sept. 30 dress rehearsal for “Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea.” Kaku said it was a fun challenge portraying a cloud in human form, a feat she achieved by incorporating physical acting techniques. Set design plays a big role in the production, with a slide serving as a portal between the sky and the earth.
we get Rain Cloud delivered to the ground in a way that she’s supposed to feel like she’s falling from the sky when we don’t have harnesses.”
Dietze worked closely with set designer and fourth-year technical theatre major Ellie Montenegro.
“We were trying to create these different spaces on stage, just because there [are] so many different settings, and there are so many different places,” Montenegro said. Montenegro, who has worked as an assistant set designer and assistant prop designer in past shows, started working on design in April.
“The process starts by you reading the play and kind of breaking down the imagery that you get from it,” Montenegro said. “I was getting a lot of imagery of an industrial city, but also very magical, whimsical.”
Dietze and the design team settled on a slide as one of the set's central pieces, serving as the portal that connects the sky realm to earth.
Beyond design, the production’s vibrancy is brought to life via the costumes and performances, especially the Little Cloud, portrayed by student actor Himika Kaku, and the narrator, Dolan, portrayed by Cole Hendrickson.
Both actors have the challenging task of bringing otherworldly and nonhuman characters to life in different ways.
Kaku, a Japanese-born actor, said she felt a kinship with the Little Cloud character. Kaku felt her personality and life experience fit the part.
“Rain Cloud is kind of linked with my persona, I’m not fully that pure, and I can be silly, but I’m not that silly, but just the
way she loves, how she adores everything and loves everyone,” Kaku said. “And I wanted to play that, I wanted to present her.”
Ultimately, a rumination and critique of the original story’s portrayal of romantic love reveals the play’s central message is that love comes in many forms, not unlike water.
“I think it’s really important to understand that love doesn’t just have to be between two people in a romantic way. It can be between a father and daughter, between two best friends,” Montenegro said. “You can love the world and life.”
The show will feature six additional performances, running from Oct. 7 to Oct. 11.
Tickets can be purchased on the Theatre Arts website.
BY LILA MUKASA Arts & Life Assistant
Long Beach State’s Nugget Grill & Pub, known as a beloved campus grill, sports bar and concert location, has permanently closed due to irreparable damage.
Beach Shops announced the closure on Sept. 29.
The Nugget Grill Express continues to offer many of the Nugget’s menu items, including burgers, sandwiches and the grill’s signature crispy tater nuggets.
The Nugget’s decades-long history
The Nugget has a rich and complex history as a campus eatery and entertainment hotspot. It offered a broad range of food and beverages to students, staff and faculty, including flatbread pizzas, burgers and beers as well as breakfast items, freshly brewed coffee and vegan options.
It also hosted live music performances, open mic nights and viewing parties for Beach Athletics.
An especially notable aspect of the campus eatery is its history as a live music venue. Many artists and bands have performed live concerts on the Nugget’s stage over the years, with alternative and rock genres being the most frequently performed. Performers have included the Eagles, Sublime, Red Hot Chili Peppers and No Doubt.
The Nugget made its long-awaited debut as a campus eatery and bar on Jan. 26, 1976, marking the first time alcohol could be legally sold on campus after CSULB successfully obtained a liquor license from the state.
The grand opening featured a selection of beers, including Budweiser, while the
Patrons at The Nugget Grill & Pub gather to watch a soccer game. While the Nugget served different purposes for many CSULB students, it was mainly recognized as an entertainment sports bar.
first food options featured hamburgers, hot dogs and taquitos. The opening was met with great enthusiasm from students.
However, the new, strictly enforced age requirement of 21 to enter the Nugget was met with some disdain.
That summer, the Nugget underwent a $45k “facelift” to increase its seating capacity and audience appeal. The renovation included moving the stage to the center and adding a pizza kitchen and bar.
Before its grand opening on Jan. 26, 1976, the Nugget was known as the Bristol Bay Trading Company, which emerged as a campus coffeehouse and entertainment spot in 1971.
The Bristol Bay coffeehouse was highly popular among students, hosting live music performances on Friday nights. Early performers included electric blues guitarist Albert Collins, as well as jazz guitarists Gábor Szabó and Tim Buckley.
Other notable performers at the then-Bristol Bay included George Carlin, The Persuasions and Leo Kottke.
Following the 1973 murder of James Perry Marsh, 25, commissioner of Bristol Bay, the coffeehouse was briefly known as JP’s Bristol Bay. It was renamed in honor of Marsh by its then-new manager, Kenny Kahn, in 1974.
Despite its popularity among students, the coffeehouse closed amid financial issues and low bookings in spring 1974.
It reopened that fall with live performances by R&B, blues, soul and jazz art-
ist Etta James. Local artists were also frequently featured, including a bluegrass trio composed of Dan Murphy, Richard McEwen and John Penn.
Student reactions to the Nugget closure
Students have had mixed reactions to the news of the Nugget’s closure. Some students, including junior psychology major Sam Francisco, expressed sadness at the news.
“When I went onto Instagram and I saw the post, I almost shed some tears,” Francisco said.
Francisco was fond of the menu. The Nugget’s pesto flatbread pizza was her goto option. Paired with her enthusiasm for the pesto pizza, it served as a memory of hangouts with friends and her first year in college.
“When I was a freshman, I had this peer mentor thing and she’d say, ‘Oh let’s go [to] The Nugget,’” Francisco said. “That was like the spot.”
Similarly, for junior recreation and leisure studies major Raiden Vander Horck, the Nugget carries meaningful memories. Along with his love for the patty melt, Vander Horck was first introduced to his fraternity, Theta Chi, at the Nugget.
“One of the guys who got me interested in rushing, sat me down at The Nugget and that’s where I got interested,” Vander Horck said.
For Vander Horck, news of the closure has been disappointing for both himself
and his parents, who are CSULB alumni. His parents were saddened to see a piece of the university’s history close, he said.
For senior fashion merchandising major Aaron McDonald, the Nugget had “the best food on campus with a great price,” he said.
McDonald said he enjoyed the Nugget’s versatility and that the space allowed him to study, eat lunch, watch TV or have drinks.
McDonald’s favorite menu item was the Cali burger.
Sophomore Juan Samperio said he rarely went to the Nugget and isn’t personally affected by the closure, but feels a need for campus food options open later in the day.
Samperio said he often finds himself unsure of what to eat on campus due to the limited options that fit his class schedule.
“I have later classes, and they always close really early,” he said. “Even the vending machines, I’ll go to them, and a lot of the food is sold out.”
Freshman Jimmy Saw was indifferent to the Nugget’s closure, having never visited it. He said he wishes there were more food options available on campus.
“Anything the community wants,” he said. “I think the school should just run a poll, whatever’s the most popular gets put in.”
After investigating through the University Library Archives, The Current’s staff could not find a date for the main featured photo.
DANTE ESTRADA/Long Beach Current Neopronouns are words outside of gender-specific terms used to refer to oneself. People use these pronouns according to what best aligns with their gender identity.
BY CHRISTIAN ROBLEDO Contributor
Whatever happened to black and white movies? The answer to that is simple: they evolved.
Filmmakers stepped out of the constraints of the binary and added color to their worlds. Now, people are trying to create this same evolution in their own lives.
In a society set by the binary, some LGBTQ+ individuals seek an evolution like that of colored movies by using neopronouns.
Understanding neopronouns and the importance of healthy expression is not only valuable but necessary in a society that seeks to unite through diversity rather than be divided by it.
Luckily, with the help of CSULB’s Queer Students’ Alliance, understanding this topic can be easier.
The alliance made clear that, by definition, neopronouns are the use of words outside of the gender-specific terms to refer to oneself.
Some examples are xe, xir, fae, faer and more. It is common to see these pronouns in members of the LGBTQ+ community who identify as nonbinary or gender nonconforming, although anyone can use the pronouns.
against neopronoun users and wishes they were not present. West, a self-proclaimed neopronoun adjacent person, uses the pronouns it and its.
“There’s a very strong divide between people who do accept neopronouns and the people who don’t,” West said. “And I don’t see a reason why we shouldn’t be accepting of neopronouns because it makes someone happy.”
Unfortunately, West made it clear that in many spaces – like the Midwest town where West grew up – some LGBTQ+ community members deem it “not safe” to use neopronouns.
This is, of course, due to the misunderstanding and insensitive ways of our society, where even identifying as queer can be a means for discrimination, let alone this added aspect of gender nonconforming pronouns.
West also shared that those who disagree with neopronouns usually mention that pronouns are not grammatically correct when used in a sentence.
Yet, as West and any English professor will tell you, English is a complex and ever-evolving language. Meaning that if it were desired, the integration of neopronouns into daily vernacular would not be as difficult as people think.
Rest assured, Edwards said, there is a place for neopronouns in our society as long as we take steps to make it that way.
Here at Long Beach, it’s very culturally diverse and I’ve seen people from all spectrums of life. Honestly, I’ve never not felt love from a multicultural space. ”
Caleb Edwards Queer Students’ Alliance President
Queer Students’ Alliance President Caleb Edwards is well-versed in the subject of neopronouns, as Edwards uses the terms and prefers to go by the pronouns mix or mixture.
“I use [neopronouns] more as a moniker, so that when I am doing poetry out in public, people don’t have to refer to me as a man or woman and more so refer to me as some kind of thing, but with a more pronounced being,” Edwards said. “Just refer to me by a more neutral term that kind of encompasses the same respect.”
Of course, respect is what is most wanted by those in the community. Online discourse likes to discredit those who use neopronouns by saying they are a new occurrence, but this is not true.
According to Edwards, there have been records of LGBTQ+ community members using neopronouns as far back as the 1980s and 1990s.
Though not a necessarily new phenomenon, neopronouns still receive criticism from those inside and outside of the queer space.
Payn West is a member of QSA who sees the misunderstandings taking place
“Here at Long Beach, it’s very culturally diverse and I’ve seen people from all spectrums of life. Honestly, I’ve never not felt love from a multicultural space,” Edwards said. “It’s the more monocultural areas that aren’t accepting ... it makes it harder to be queer, [but] queerness is freedom, and we should be allowed to do this forever.”
Knowing that our world – and the language within it – is in constant renovation, it seems that neopronouns can soon be as acceptable as colored TV if we choose to make it that way.
Although prejudices remain, many can find comfort in the fact that here at Long Beach State and in other surrounding communities, people who defy the norm are not shunned, but rather an integral part of our diverse environment.
For those still undecided about whether to use someone’s preferred pronouns— whether neopronouns or otherwise—the sentiment is best described by West.
“Don’t yuck somebody else’s yum. If someone likes it and it’s not hurting anybody, leave them alone,” West said with a charming and understanding smile on its face.
Just 10 games into her LBSU career, freshman forward
Natelle El Mokbel has quickly made a name for herself
BY JUNIOR CONTRERAS Sports Assistant
Achild of immigrant parents, Long Beach State women’s soccer freshman forward Natelle El Mokbel's “mamba mentality” drives her to one day become the best in the world in the sport she calls her life.
The Lebanese-Canadian grew up in Montreal as a multi-sport athlete, playing basketball, handball and tennis, the sport in which she excelled alongside soccer.
Mokbel first played soccer for fun with boys at school, but her father tried to separate her from the sport.
“I had a bad grade at school…so he threw all my soccer balls in the garbage,” Mokbel said. “I was super mad and sad.”
But nothing could separate Mokbel and her love for soccer.
“I took some paper, and I started making a ball, and I put Scotch tape over it, and then I was playing,” Mokbel said. “And then I said, ‘See if you’re gonna throw it, I’m going to make another one so you can’t stop me from playing.’”
Mokbel said her father tried to stop her from continuing soccer a second time, after her older sister broke her teeth from playing basketball. He never registered her to play youth soccer.
The “hero” of Mokbel’s early soccer career was her mother, who signed her up to play soccer at the age of 12 without her
ETHAN COHEN/Long Beach Current Long Beach State freshman forward Natelle El Mokbel (right) fights for possession of the ball against Nevada junior forward Olivia Loomis during a match at George Allen Field on Thursday, Sept. 4.
father knowing.
“That’s why I have a lot of passion for the game, because I kept on asking, asking, asking, every year, ‘Register me to soccer, please, dad and mom,’” Mokbel said.
Her passion and love for soccer developed into a skill, as Mokbel credits her early success to playing soccer along with the boys at school, which “helped shape her identity.”
Mokbel excelled in soccer and tennis, earning invitations from the Quebec provincial team for both sports. However, at 12 years old, Mokbel had to decide which sport to pursue at the higher level.
For Mokbel, the choice was easy.
As her success in soccer continued, Mokbel proved she had chosen the right sport to pursue, and she represented the U-20 Canadian national team in the CONCACAF Championship qualifiers.
Mokbel felt a “different sense of pride” when playing for the Canadian national team.
“They only take 20 girls and it was U-20, so it’s like you’re the best from all Canada that’s under 20 years old, so it means a lot to me,” Mokbel said. “It’s an experience that not everyone gets to experience.”
Mokbel said she felt relieved when she made the team, knowing that her hard work was paying off, but she will continue to be “hungry” to make the Canadian national team for the years to come.
Mokbel made a name for herself immediately as a freshman, as she was awarded the Big West Freshman of the Week title after her second game-winning goal in her career against New Mexico State.
The freshman forward chose to leave Canada to play at LBSU because of head coach Mauricio Ingrassia.
“He’s [Ingrassia] literally the reason why I came, he’s such a great coach with so much experience… I’ve never had a coach like him, so obviously I want to learn more and more from him every day,” Mokbel said.
The promising freshman said she is grateful that Ingrassia found her and recruited her to The Beach, as he has taught her things that she never would have learned if she went “somewhere else.”
“Natelle is adapting to the collegiate game as every freshman needs to and I see a lot of improvement little by little, layer by layer,” Ingrassia said. “The thing I enjoy the most about Natelle is how hard she works off the field to become better each and every day.”
Mokbel has her eyes past collegiate soccer, pushing herself to work hard every day towards her bigger goals.
“My goal is not just to be a professional soccer player, but it’s to be the best, playing in Europe, competing for [the] Ballon d’Or, competing for the best trophies and everything,” Mokbel said. “I think that everything is possible, I just gotta put the work into it…I think it’s going to pay off, and I know for sure it will.”
BY TIMOTHY HESSEN Sports Editor
When Gabi Acosta arrived at Long Beach State in 2024, the 19-year-old Spaniard center struggled at first with the language barrier.
Coming to the U.S. to learn and develop under the tutelage of LBSU men’s water polo head coach Gavin Arroyo, a man considered an icon in his sport with an extensive background in Team USA coaching, Acosta was challenged to find his role on the team and focus on his academics in a new country.
“It was difficult, but everybody on the team and [coaching] staff helped me get comfortable in Long Beach and have a good time,” Acosta said. “They knew I had bad English, but everybody understood I was trying and improving.”
What followed Acosta’s arrival was a historic freshman season that was a surprise to both Arroyo and Acosta himself.
An apex predator in the water, Acosta’s conference-leading 64 goals, along with 28 steals, helped earn him the coveted Big West Player of the Year award as a freshman, making him the second recipient of
the accolade in LBSU history.
Acosta was additionally named Big West Freshman of the Year in 2024 and received Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches Second Team All-American honors.
“My contacts in Spain said that he was good, but he’s better than we thought he was going to be,” Arroyo said.
Acosta’s personality as an athlete is humility personified.
When asked about his immediate success with The Beach, Acosta credits his teammates for building up his comfort level in and outside the pool, but downplays the significance of his own individual achievements.
“I didn’t think I could win these things, but I also think these awards are not that important, but I’m grateful,” Acosta said.
Before his first season at LBSU, Acosta refined his skills in international play, representing Spain in the U20 European Championships.
“To have the chance to participate representing my country was an amazing experience,” Acosta said. “I learned a lot on how to play on the biggest level and how to manage the most important games.”
In his sophomore season, Acosta has continued his brilliance for a Beach team ranked No. 9 in the country.
REHANSA KULATILLEKE/Long Beach
LBSU star sophomore center Gabi Acosta swims across the pool with ball in hand in The Beach's 17-16 sudden death overtime loss to Pepperdine on Friday, Oct. 3. Acosta leads the Big West Conference in goals per game this season with 3.1 per contest.
Averaging a staggering 3.1 goals per match, a slight uptick from his 2.98 rate in 2024, Acosta is the focal point of an offensive attack that has led LBSU to three victories over nationally ranked teams this season.
Arroyo credits Acosta’s rapid ascension as a star athlete to his passion for the sport and his ability to study game film.
“He’s the guy that’s watching every game on his phone constantly; he’s a water polo enthusiast,” Arroyo said.
After taking the Big West crown in a shocking tournament run last season, defeating three higher-seeded teams in a row to secure an NCAA tournament playoff berth, Acosta and The Beach look to cap-
BY TIMOTHY HESSEN Sports Editor
While major women’s sports leagues have become increasingly inclusive for gay athletes, with nearly 31% of the WNBA’s players identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community in 2025, there are currently zero openly gay male athletes in any of the five major sports leagues in the country.
What is the cause of this giant disparity? Cyd Zeigler, cofounder of Outsports, a publication focused on LGBTQ+ issues in sports, said he has firsthand knowledge
that agents actively discourage the athletes they represent from coming out, due to its impact on their marketability.
But if these agents are worried that the homophobia of sports fans will affect their bottom dollar, then collegiate and professional sports leagues have certainly done nothing to quell that concern.
In June of this year, when Wake Forest University’s baseball coach Tom Walter was caught on camera saying a homophobic slur, the NCAA took no punitive action against him after the coach apologized for his comments.
The NBA was host to its own case of homophobia in September 2022 when the Minnesota Timberwolves’ rising superstar Anthony Edwards posted a video
on social media, making disparaging insults towards a group of men he assumed to be gay.
Edwards was hit with no suspension for his actions, only a $40,000 fine from the NBA, a total that equals less than 1% of his annual salary today.
Major sports leagues cannot do Pride Night events in June but turn a blind eye to the rampant homophobia in sports culture for the rest of the year.
In America’s current political climate, we are teetering on the edge of normalized and openly encouraged bigotry.
President Donald Trump’s administration has tirelessly sought to target the LGBTQ+ community since his election, terminating the nation’s mental health
ture their second conference title in program history.
To repeat as champions, LBSU will need to overcome one of the best water polo conferences in the nation, as the Big West boasts five of the top-16 ranked teams in the country.
The Beach will begin their conference schedule on the road against Cal State Fullerton, the lone non-ranked team in the Big West, on Oct. 9.
“It’s going to be a tough year because the Big West teams are playing so well and they’re getting better, but we’re focused on winning our conference, and if we can win, we’re going for everything in the NCAA [Championships],” Acosta said.
hotline for LGBTQ+ youth and signing an order banning gender-affirming care.
For the culture of sports not to slip further into the abyss of bigotry that Trump aims to drive the nation into, major sports leagues must take a stronger stand against homophobia and support LGBTQ+ sports fans in tangible, monetary ways through organizations like Athlete Ally and The OUT Foundation.
BY TIMOTHY HESSEN
Sports Editor
Long Beach State women’s basketball head coach Amy Wright has always lived and breathed the game of basketball.
Growing up in Indiana, a place dubbed the “center of the sport” by basketball’s inventor James Naismith, Wright developed a love for the game at an early age, leading her to the University of Arkansas in 1999.
The Razorback point guard set the school’s all-time assist record with 717, a mark that remains unbroken. She has since embarked on a 20+ year coaching career that finally culminated in her first Division I head coaching position at LBSU in 2023.
Through the winding road of her basketball journey, it was not until her mid30s, several years into her tenure as an assistant coach at Texas A&M University, that Wright felt comfortable coming out about her sexuality.
Wright credits the strength of her support system at Texas A&M for empowering her to express herself, and she strives to create that same comforting team environment with her squad at LBSU.
“I think it’s important to create that environment within a program, because these women are around each other literally all the time, so I want them to be able to be themselves and that way they feel that support and connection to elevate who they are as students and athletes,” Wright said.
As a woman in the LGBTQ+ community, Wright said women’s sports have always been a place for inclusivity.
Today, the standards set by women have helped create an environment in sports where LGBTQ+ athletes feel emboldened to express their identity freely.
“Women in general have always had to fight and claw for something to be equal, and so the more things are inclusive, the more we are together in our fight to have
equality, and it’s just going to make everybody more empowered,” Wright said.
Wright points to star examples in women’s sports today as figures that are pushing sports forward to a place that is inclusive for all.
Star WNBA couples, including DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas and Natasha Cloud and Isabelle Harrison, represent their sexual identity on a national stage. Each player’s individual success and popularity has helped dismantle negative stereotypes and reshape sports fans’ perceptions of LGBTQ+ athletes.
“Political views have changed because women are at the forefront, leading to make [sports] inclusive and OK to be who you are,” Wright said. “I think we’ve had great leadership and examples on television that we can all see and hear to lead us in the right direction.”
Looking ahead to this season, Wright enters her third year at the helm fresh off a 16-14 campaign, as LBSU begins its season on the road on Nov. 7 against the University of Wyoming.
While The Beach has nine returning players from last season, the team on the court will look starkly different from the team that exited the Big West Tournament in the first round.
Five of The Beach’s seven leaders in minutes played from the previous year have either graduated or departed through the transfer portal.
Despite the roster turnover, Wright remains committed to her “fun” and fastpaced offensive philosophy.
“We’re going to have some bumps and bruises along the way, but as long as we’re learning and growing, that’s all you can ask for,” Wright said. “We still want to get shots up eight-to-12 seconds into the shot clock and find the hot hand.”
The Beach’s energetic and dynamic offensive style helped fuel great individual seasons for several stars.
Guard Savannah Tucker led the Big West with 16.6 points averaged per game while guard Patricia Chung orchestrated
Long Beach State women's volleyball celebrates its 3-0 match sweep of UC Irvine at the Bren Events Center in Irvine on Friday, Sept. 26.
the offense, averaging the second-most assists in the conference at 3.1.
Forward Rachel Loobie was able to take advantage of The Beach, quickly getting up shots to average a Big West-leading 3.2 offensive boards a game.
All three standout players have finished their careers with The Beach, leaving massive opportunities on the table for Wright’s young squad.
“It’s exciting to see who’s really going to step up to the plate,” Wright said.
Despite her extensive experience in the sport, whether as a record-shattering play-
er or as a recruiting coordinator or coach, Wright said she is still learning something new at The Beach every day.
According to Wright, the most significant aspect of being a head coach is her role in developing athletes as individuals. She refers to former players returning to visit her on campus, including Tucker and Chung, as an example of what makes her job so rewarding.
“That’s the trophy at the end of the road, is making sure that they’re the best versions of themselves after they leave Long Beach,” Wright said.