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REHANSA KULATILLEKE/Long Beach Current Makenna Ends, third-year film production major and co-president of the Producer’s club, uses a megaphone to garner attention towards their booth.
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TRiO awarded grant to support underserved students
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BusinEss
BY ANNETTE QUIJADA News Editor
Long Beach State’s TRiO Student Support Services was awarded three grants totaling $1,176,253 per year for the next five years by the United States Department of Education.
TRiO is a federally funded program that serves students who are low-income, are first-generation or have a documented disability. The grant is awarded by the Office of Postsecondary Education and is used to improve college retention and graduation rates among these students.
The OPE grants higher education programs that focus on institutional and student services.
TRiO senior director, Rafael Topete, said the grants are very competitive and are awarded in a fiveyear cycle.
Student Support Services has been around since 1970 and their grant services over 460 students. In 2017, the program received two additional grants, one to focus on STEM majors, which service about 123 students. The second grant was awarded to students with disabilities, serving over 100 students. The grants have been continuously awarded since then, with the program having to re-apply at the end of the five-year cycle.
Services the grant helps the program provide are:
• Academic tutoring
• Scholarship guidance
• Career exploration
• Personal and academic counseling
• Mentoring
• Financial aid assistance
• Cultural activities
Fifth-year kinesiology major Christian Martinez said the program has impacted him by giving him a safe place to come and find support. The program has given him the resources to get to the avenues he wants to reach, from applying to classes or figuring out budgeting.
“I’m a first-generation college student, so I have very limited resources when it comes to managing the ups and downs of trying to get my first bachelors degree,” Martinez said. “I’ve been able to come to the office here and meet with the coaches and they’ve been able to provide a lot of information that’s helped me feel less lost.”
Students looking to apply must be able to fit the eligibility requirements.
Requirements include:
• Being a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• Currently enrolled at CSULB as an undergraduate
• Not enrolled in Educational Opportunity Program
• Not enrolled as an international student
• Shows academic needs
• Must meet one or more of these requirements:
• Considered low-income
• First generation college student
• Have a documented disability
Topete said the program also aims to provide students with experiences they may not otherwise have, such as college visits, etiquette dinners, athletic events, cultural events and plays.
Students can find SSS tabling at Smorgasport and through professor classroom invites, according to Topete.
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The whole program serves over 650 students and provides them with a computer lab on campus, five coaches, over 10 workshops and supplies to succeed during their college journey.
land acknowlEdgmEnt
“We work with different departments based on our students’ needs to help them navigate the college experience,” Topete said. “We make sure to prepare students to graduate in a timely manner.”
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.
Monday, September 8 , 2
Fall enrollment surpasses 42,000 students, breaking university record
BY ETHAN BROWN News Assistant
Arecord-breaking 42,355 students enrolled at Long Beach State this semester.
The high-water mark is an increase from last fall, when around 41,000 Beach-goers started the semester strong.
In fall 2024, CSULB’s enrollment numbers were comparable to those of Cal State Fullerton (42,999), San Diego State (39,373) and Cal State Northridge (36,848).
Fall 2024 still maintains The Beach’s largest class of new undergraduates, with 11,300 first-year students. That same year, Long Beach State was the No. 1 most applied-to campus in the CSU system.
Donna Green, associate vice president of Enrollment Services, worked with every academic college’s associate dean, who
then worked with every department chair, to determine which programs had space to reasonably accommodate more academically-qualified students.
The staggering number of enrollees should come as no surprise, given that CSULB is consistently the most applied-to university in the CSU system.
According to College Transitions, Long Beach State was the 12th most applied-to college in the country this past year, with 79,657 applicants.
Vice President of Student Affairs Beth Lesen said the university is “definitely not a hard sell. This is honestly and undeniably a phenomenal school and campus.”
According to U.S. News and World Report, Long Beach State was ranked No. 3 in the country for social mobility in 2024, enrolling and graduating a large proportion of disadvantaged students.
“Anyone who walks around [at] Day at the Beach knows that our whole campus is involved with helping people decide to call
Cal State Long Beach home,” Lesen said.
Potential issues with a recordbreaking campus population
Such a highly attended and diverse campus provides students with no shortage of new connections to make and activities to be a part of; however, a high student population can also be a cause for concern.
In the case of Long Beach State, parking availability poses a major issue.
While the problem may be attributed to the semester having just begun and students being diligent about attending all their classes, many have voiced their complaints about congestion.
Despite the record-breaking student body, fourth-year psychology major Prescott Neiswender said walking around campus “feels about the same.”
“The only aspect that’s seeming to make mobility more difficult or congested is the construction,” Neiswender said.
Pierre Bellasse, a third-year marketing
major, disagrees.
Describing the parking situation as “disastrous,” he vented his frustration over paying $260 for a permit that does not guarantee a spot whenever he needs it most.
“We have a mission of access, so we want to serve as many eligible students as possible, provided we always serve them well,” Lesen said. “We’re serving students well right now.”
Fourth-year finance major Liam Barajas said he had to “completely adjust his schedule recently to find parking on campus,” oftentimes “leaving 30 to 45 minutes earlier than normal.”
When asked if there was a threshold limit of enrolled students where CSULB would feel the population amount would cause more harm than good, Lesen replied, “We’re not interested in growth for growth’s sake. Our campus is in a very good place.”
JORGE HERNANDEZ/Long Beach Current
Students arrive on campus heading to their respective classes as the fall semester begins in full swing on Aug. 25.
ARTS & LIFE
EDDY CERMENO/Long Beach Current
Travis Edmondson, PizzaForno President, takes a pizza out of the PizzaForno vending machine on Tuesday, Sept. 2. Edmondson said there are plans to have another machine at another location on campus.
ANGELA OSORIO/Long Beach Current
The Crave Robotics vending machine, located near the Liberal Arts and Psychology buildings, offers “gourmet meals” ready in under three minutes.
ANGELA OSORIO/Long Beach Current
The InstaChef vending machine, pictured here on Sept. 2., was relocated from the USU after its recent closure. The machine offers fresh, hand-prepared meals ready in minutes, ranging from pasta to pizza and wraps.
Hungry? Just ‘vend’ it over: Spotlighting 3 gourmet campus vending machines
BY ANGELA OSORIO Chief Copy Editor
Taste, price and accessibility are the leading factors in students’ food choices, according to a 2022 dietary behaviors study.
For under $10, it is no surprise that students are gravitating toward vending machines that offer pizza, macaroni and cheese, fettuccine Alfredo and other “gourmet meals.”
Why leave campus when you can get a hot meal at the press of a button in under three minutes?
With returning customers raving about the food and others questioning its quality, here is an overview of the machines on campus and what students have to say about the food.
PizzaForno
Pricing: $9.99 for cheese pizza, $12.99 for all other flavors
Location: Friendship Walk
Offering six flavors of personal-sized pizza, PizzaForno is one of over 60 locations in North America offering “above-average, convenience pizza,” according to master licensee Travis Musser.
The automated pizza supplier is owned by French parent company Adial. Canadian Will Moyer updated the machines and brought them to Canada and the U.S. over five years ago.
“It’s a good taste in pizza but it’s not gourmet,” Musser said. “We don’t try to be the best pizza in town – we try to be the most convenient.”
To order from the machine, you can walk up to the 13-inch screen or use the app.
After choosing your pizza (cheese, pepperoni, meat-lover, vegetarian, breakfast or barbecue) and whether you want it hot or cold, the machine will then scan your payment (debit, credit or Beach Bucks) and have you wait two and a half minutes.
More flavors are coming within the next few months, including margarita, hot honey and jalapeño. Musser said they also plan on serving an eight-inch chocolate chip cookie.
PizzaForno President Travis Edmonson, who attended the machine’s grand opening event on Tuesday, said students told him they were happy about the pricing
and about having a food option on campus with late hours.
“The size is just right for two people so it’s great for sharing,” recreational therapy major Miya Jauregui said.
Crave Robotics
Pricing: $6 to $12.99
Location: Liberal Arts breezeway
Originating in Taiwan, Crave Robotics machines serve hot, “gourmet meals” ready in under three minutes.
Ranging from Chinese-inspired to American classics, the CraveBot offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert, including burgers, nuggets, pizza and ice cream.
The machine on campus, which opened about two weeks ago, sold 150 food items over the last two weeks, Crave Robotics marketing representative Eugene Chang said.
Their bestsellers? Macaroni and cheese and pizza, according to Chang.
“It felt like the mac and cheese that I’ve had, like, homemade. It was so delicious,” child development major Zero Perez said. “It’s so convenient and the food is really good.
Jenny Pham, a fourth-year graphic design major, thought otherwise.
“I think it’s really cool and interesting, but after trying it, I don’t think it’s worth the price,” she said. “It was 13 bucks for this.”
InstaChef
Pricing: $3.49 to $9.99
Location: Liberal Arts breezeway
Relocated from the University Student Union, InstaChef offers hand-prepared, “gourmet” meals made by local chefs.
The food, which includes fettuccine, Kung Pao chicken and rice, pan pizza and veggie wraps, is prepared by chefs in Orange County and delivered to the machines.
The machine, which can hold up to 104 meals, has been on campus for about one year, InstaChef admin assistant Vera Zhang said. It is one of five in the U.S., with other locations at Orange Coast College and Saddleback College.
The machine has five induction chambers, cooking the food evenly by rotating it at different speeds and temperatures, Zhang said.
To order from InstaChef, you can walk up to the screen or order on the app. Eddy Cermeno and Jason Green contributed to this story.
ARTS & LIFE
STEM students rebuild diverse science community
The once dormant SACNAS club on campus is back and has held its first appearance at Week of Welcome.
BY JOSHUA FLORES News Assistant
After becoming defunct following the COVID-19 pandemic, the campus chapter of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/ Hispanics and Native Americans in Science returned last spring, joining over 100 national chapters.
SACNAS is a national organization with a mission to advance diversity in STEM, specifically science, for people of Hispanic or Indigenous descent, although the group allows anyone to join.
Assistant Biology professor Peter Ramirez is one of two faculty advisers for the club.
Ramirez said the group originated in the ’70s at an American Association for the Advancement of Science conference.
“The joke was, there were a handful of PhD-trained Chicanos or Mexican Americans, as well as Native Americans, and they were all at this conference. They were all in an elevator and someone joked that if the elevator crashed, there’d be no more PhD Chicanos or Native Americans in the [U.S.],” Ramirez said. “In order to do something about that, they created SACNAS.”
There was no official Long Beach State SACNAS chapter for years until students filed the necessary paperwork at the end of last semester.
Jennifer Johnston, Biological Sciences assistant professor and club adviser, said it was not a lack of interest that initially led to the end of SACNAS, but rather a lack of successors to continue the mission of providing a science space for vulnerable communities.
“I think there just wasn’t someone to take over, and then it just kind of fell through the gaps, unfortunately,” Johnston said.
Johnston and Ramirez were determined to revive SACNAS last fall.
“We wanted to reignite the excitement because as soon as I suggested it to someone, I had tons of students interested,” Johnston said. “I think students are interested, but I don’t think they knew that it was an opportunity.”
Ramirez was a part of SACNAS
during his university years.
“I have been involved in SACNAS since I was an undergrad, and it had really helped me to find a learning community,” Ramirez said. “Whether those are cultural or scientific [interests]…I wanted to also try and bring that here.”
SACNAS offers professional development opportunities specifically designed for STEM students, including networking and educational sessions, resume building, graduate school preparation, research presentation opportunities and more.
“I was recruited by Dr. Johnston, and she had this club going at San Jose State,” Isabella Monje, biology major and president of the SACNAS club, said. “I thought it was really interesting.”
Monje explained that the club officers struggled last semester to navigate the complexities of restarting an established club while also being new to the process.
“It was pretty difficult last semester because the whole board, we were all new to joining a club, so to run it was very trial and error,” she said.
Monje said this semester has been smoother as officers have more experience.
Despite a rocky start last spring, Monje remains optimistic about the club and the opportunities it can offer science students, including those from underrepresented groups.
Monje, along with club treasurer and organismal biology major Kelly Herrera, were at Week of Welcome looking for new recruits.
“It’s been pretty fun, it’s been a good experience getting to know people, kind of build a community, and getting to know others,” Herrera said. “Especially as minorities, Hispanics and Chicanos, sometimes we have a hard time looking for other opportunities, but I feel like here we could help each other out.”
The club’s first general body is scheduled for Sept. 16.
“Since we’re on the new side, we’re open to suggestions and stuff like that. We also have a couple officer positions open,” Monje said. “So, for people who want a leadership role in a club, this is a good club to be a part of because we have opportunities.”
More information about the club can be found on its Instagram and website pages.
Photos by CHARLOTTE LOCICERO/Long Beach Current Molecular Cell Biology major and secretary of SACNAS Yasmin Ortega (far right) and Biology major and Vice President of SACNAS Grace Armendariz (left) talk to CSULB students during Week of Welcome on Sept. 4 to bring awareness to their club, the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science.
CSULB STEM students walk past the Molecular & Life Science Center on Aug. 28. After over four years of vacancy, interested STEM students can now join the SACNAS group, which helps to bridge an opportunity gap for Hispanic and Indigenous students.
ARTS & LIFE
Above: Nikki Vanelli, a graduate student in the Wetland Ecology Lab, is one of many students who greeted others during the Week of Welcome. The Society of Wetland Scientists aims to involve students in the wonders of local wetlands while raising awareness about their ecological importance. Right: Second year Business Finance major, Mailee Ung is this year’s Co-President for the CSS (Cambodian Student Society). This year CSS aims to bring awareness towards the Cambodian community by opening up the club to other people to educate others on Cambodian culture. Far right: Fourth-year Communications Studies Major Brooklynn Bardasian is this year’s Student Communication Association (SCA) president. SCA focuses on social, professional, and academic development, offering workshops on public speaking, time management, and LinkedIn to help students prepare for life beyond college.
Waves of welcome: Connecting CSULB’s campus community
The Central Quad area on campus came alive as students discovered clubs, resources and local eats during the school’s bi-annual Week of Welcome event.
& STORY BY
REHANSA KULATILLEKE
Over 200 student organizations and campus departments gathered for the university’s annual Week of Welcome event, organized by ASI, at the Speaker’s Platform and Central Quad on Sept. 3-4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Week of Welcome is designed to encourage students to engage with the broader Long Beach State community beyond their classes.
This year, ASI distributed club scavenger hunts to encourage students to get involved in the community by visiting each of the featured booths. Once the hunt was completed, students were entered into a raffle, where they had the chance to win a Kodak Megapixel Camera or a pair of Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarers.
The event highlighted the diverse community that CSULB has to offer, featuring dozens of clubs including the Bird Watching Club, Campus Couture and the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists.
Other booths provided additional information for students interested in getting involved in the school’s community, offering them the chance to learn more about sorority and fraternity life on campus.
Throughout the afternoon, students were given the opportunity to learn about the university resources from across campus while also forming connections with other students.
While students had the chance to introduce themselves to the numerous clubs and organizations present, various vendors were also on campus for the students’ enjoyment. Food from local Long Beach restaurants, including Cha for Tea and Jan’s Health Bar, were also made available during the welcome festivities.
PHOTOS
Photo Assisant
ARTS & LIFE
Lights, Camera, Q! Highlighting 4 days of queer cinema
BY DELFINO CAMACHO Arts & Life Editor
“Row of Life” – Thursday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m.
Directed by Soraya Simi | 82 minutes
“I have a vision of getting to the finish line.”
Paralympian and Marine Corps veteran Angela Madsen’s opening line of the documentary chronicling her 2020 attempt to solo-row the 2,400 nautical miles from Long Beach to Hawaii becomes even more poignant as the story unfolds.
Weaved into the film’s narrative of Madsen preparing and ultimately attempting to row, alone, across the Pacific Ocean, the documentary also covers Angela and her wife Debra Madsen’s early struggles that ultimately led them to fall in love.
The film hooks audiences with raw and at times hair-raising video of Madsen rowing against hurricane winds and waves.
Showcasing beautiful ocean footage along with raw video diaries of Angela, some of the most touching and revealing moments are from footage carefully curated during the couple’s years-long relationship.
“Row of Life” is a riveting portrait of a woman who persevered against incredible odds, years before her attempt to solo-row the Pacific Ocean.
Renowned ocean rower and three-time
DELFINO CAMACHO/Long Beach Current
The Art Theatre marquee lists showtimes for “Sorry Baby” as the sun sets over the Fourth Street corridor.
Paralympian Angela Madsen (right) and her wife Debra Madsen (left) before Angela’s attempt at her 2020 Pacific Ocean trek. Debra will take part in a Q&A at the QFilm Festival on Thursday. Photo courtesy of the Film Collaborative
“Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion” –Friday, Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Directed by Matthew Miele | 105 minutes
From as recent as Miley Cyrus’s 2024 “Flowers” performance to as far back as styling Cher during her ‘70’s variety show era, legendary fashion and costume designer Bob Mackie has spent six decades dressing and styling celebrity icons.
Filmgoers recognize him as the stylist who could give us both Elton John in a diamond-encrusted Dodgers uniform and Carol Burnett’s hilarious “drape dress.”
If “Row of Life” is an intimate contemplation of its subject, “Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion” is an extravagant and celebratory declaration of the legendary fashion and costume designer.
The film tackles the mythical fashion icon by centering him in a dizzying array of contemporary interviews, old footage and file photos. The documentary also showcases an impressive and revolving display of celebrities telling first-hand anecdotes about Mackie.
While the film does explore and acknowledge some of the tragic and personal events in Mackie’s life, the documentary is a mostly positive celebration.
“The biggest stars wore Bob Mackie,” famous drag queen Rupaul once said.
LatinX Shorts – Saturday, Sept. 6 at 5 p.m.
Seven short films with various directors | 95 minutes total
The seven Latinx short films included in this collection span several genres and forms including comedies, dramas, documentaries and animation.
All out comedy “Mean Goals” directed by Ahuatl Amaro manages to blend in sentiment while maintaining crass.
In an effort to make his ailing father proud, wanna-be soccer star Tenoch attempts to join the West Hollywood Tricks and win the Gay Soccer World Cup. When his hopes are dashed, Tenoch decides to build back his old team.
Director Daniel Eduvijes Carrera’s scifi short “Fiat Lux 5000” explores similar themes of queer Latin men caring for ailing fathers, but takes it in a completely different direction. The story blends plausible sci-fi with grounded drama in the style of “Black Mirror” and “Her.”
“I love genre films because they really allow you to kind of push the boundaries on what is essentially a semi-autobiographical story,” Carrera said.
Carrera and his nine siblings began caring for his father after he developed Alzheimer’s. Carrera said the idea was born out of the “what-ifs” that sci-fi can pry out of simpler premises.
In the film, a piece of sci-fi hardware allows a caretaker son to bring his father back from his mental fog with unforeseen consequences.
The titular sci-fi device in the short film “FIAT LUX 5000” helps the Alzheimer’s-ridden Leonidas (played by Francisco Javier Gómez) to regain his memories. But it also exposes his son to some hidden truths. Photo Courtesy of “FIAT LUX 5000” film.
Queermation Animation Shorts –Sunday, Sept. 7 at 5 p.m.
Seven short films with various directors | 94 minutes total
This animated shorts collection is the penultimate showcase of the entire festival.
“I’m a big fan of animation,” festival founder Robert Cano said. “Now we get so many animated films that we get an animation category this year.
Running at 30 minutes, “Anima,” directed by Fabio Bonvicini, is the longest short in the collection and perhaps one of the most ambitious. The computer-animated film features a dancer in a sci-fi, dystopian world inhabited by warrior animals.
In “How a River is Made” directed by Luma Flôres, the concept of a woman exploring the joys of another woman is seen through both nature and abstract imagery. Told in animated, soft palettes, the watercolor-inspired short is beautiful to watch.
Visit the QFilm Festival website for more ticket and schedule information.
5 quick questions with the director of “Plainclothes”
After debuting to critical acclaim earlier this year, filmmaker Carmen Emmi is touring his new film nationwide, which is originally inspired by Long Beach events.
BY DELFINO CAMACHO Arts & Life Editor
‘90s set thriller “Plainclothes,” directed by first-time feature film director and writer Carmen Emmi, debuted earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival where it won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast.
Starring Tom Blyth and Russel Tovey, the film about an undercover police officer entrapping gay men while grappling with his own sexuality will screen at the Art Theatre on Retro Row on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 9 p.m as part of the Long Beach QFilm Festival.
The Current spoke with Emmi about his writing process, Sundance and the Long Beach connection that first sparked his imagination.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: An L.A. Times article about police entrapping gay men in Long Beach and your brother getting a job in law enforcement is what initially sparked the idea for this film. What was it about the article that made you think there was a bigger story here?
A: I was just shocked that that kind of policing was still happening in 2014. That was just really shocking to me. I came out shortly after and it really jarred me. You get to a certain place when you come out, where you accept yourself, where I accepted myself and I felt good.
But when I read that, I suddenly felt myself regressing and having these old
Photo courtesy of Obscured Pictures Writer and director Carmen Emmi is visiting Long Beach from his home state of New York to attend the screening of his film “Plainclothes” at the local QFilm Festival on Thursday.
anxieties that hadn’t come up for quite a while. So I had no other option, really, but to write down my feelings. That’s why I started writing this.
Q: Since this was your first fulllength screenplay, how did you approach the writing process and find a structure that worked for you?
A: [The film] is not in a linear timeline and I think that really freed my mind when it came to thinking about how I was going to approach the screenplay. When I reflect-
ed on my coming out experience, I realized I didn’t really see it in a linear way and trying to fit this story in a chronological fashion just didn’t make sense to me. I realized I remembered my coming out experience in bits and pieces that really affected me. So once I allowed myself to approach the structure it kind of flowed out of me.
I always start by free writing, by journaling. And then from there, scenes started happening, started coming to life. Like I wrote a lot of scenes with him and his girlfriend, Lucas and his girlfriend in their
apartment that I didn’t necessarily use in the film now, but it really helped me understand how the characters talked and what they would have gone through before the film started. Q: “Plainclothes” had its debut in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at Sundance, introduced by Sundance senior director of programming Kim Yutani. How did it feel to step into that space as a first-time feature director?
A: It truly is a dream come true. It’s a huge honor. I keep saying that, but it’s just every time someone tells me that my film was introduced by Kim Yutani, I can’t help but feel emotional. Kim is such a legend in the film community, and her programming is incredible, and so to be selected by her and her team is a huge honor and that night felt like such a blur. But I’ll never forget like waiting in the wings and watching Kim introduce, “Plain Clothes,” like, that’s something I think I’ll just carry with me for the rest of my life.
Q: “Plainclothes” was inspired by events in Long Beach, and now it’s screening at the city’s longest-running queer film festival. How does it feel to see the project come full circle in this way?
A: I’m so honored to screen at the Long Beach QFilm Festival, and the fact that I’m going to get to speak with Rory Moroney, who was arrested in a bathroom in Long Beach and featured in the LA Times article. I spoke to him at the beginning, and now I’m speaking it with him towards the end of the journey and it’s a beautiful whole circle moment.
Seeing different audiences react to the story and to the film around the world is just a dream come true. The fact that the festivals are so kind enough to, you know, bring me out so I can experience it with the audiences there. I’m on cloud nine.
Q: What advice would you give to today’s film students who are developing their own ideas and hoping to bring them to the screen?
A: Work on the script.
I think that the script is the most important part, and it’s something that doesn’t cost a lot of money to develop, and it can be done on your own time. So there’s really no reason to make the script as good as you can and spend time on it. Work with your friends and work on your friends projects, and have your friends help you on your projects.
The film will open to a wider, limited release in LA on Sept. 26.
Success is often quantified by metrics and output, making it easy to lose sight of the person behind the product.
Failure, mediocrity and death: Why we write
BY LEYNA VU Opinions Editor
Albert Einstein once said that success was 1% aptitude and 99% attitude. If talent did not matter, he would have said that success was proportional to effort, 100%.
This was a truth I came face-to-face with during my time at the Long Beach Current.
Fundamentally, I am a hobbyist. I write birthday cards; never in a million years did I think I would write outside of my coursework.
I had only started to take my writing seriously in the last semester of my bachelor’s program, and have worked diligently to hone my craft since then.
I had modest success, but for a while, I thought, “Maybe I am cut out for this.”
That modest success led me to the Long Beach Current, where I serve as the opin-
ions editor. I had never set foot in a newsroom, but when I received my acceptance letter, I felt like I could change the world.
The thing about lofty ambitions is that without solid ground, falls can be deadly.
Joining an enterprise where my peers were well-acclimated to the newsroom and my fellow editors were former editors-in-chief themselves, I started to question my ability.
With writing, there is a saying that you can have all the schooling imaginable, but without talent, you will always be second to someone who has both. How do you find your place in a world where your colleagues are both driven and gifted?
Up until now, I had only thought of writing as something I had to do for the Current, but I have been trying to recall why I even picked up a pencil.
I have always viewed writing as a skill with a low barrier to entry. We write every day without much deliberation, whether it is drafting an essay or sending a lengthy text.
There are 26 letters in the English alphabet, but an infinite number of combinations exist, giving rise to words, paragraphs and ideas. In my personal writing, every word matters. One syllable more, and the entire composition loses balance.
On certain days, I feel so faint that I cannot type. However, physical strain does not impede my ability to think.
Reading and re-reading muddles my brain to the extent that I see fog when contemplating what word should come next, but mental exhaustion does not inhibit my ability to type, bewitching these fingers to move on their own.
On most days, I feel tired—the sort of tired that morphs into frustration because I have not yet finished what I wanted to do.
Occasionally, I set projects aside because they do not turn out the way I want them to. I wake up scared, thinking I have lost my touch, that I write worse these days. When I ruminate over these things, I break my heart without meaning to.
But I put up with it because I love to write.
When readers tell me they feel acknowledged in my work, I exhale without realizing I had been holding in my breath. When I read back my essays, I feel pride in my literary talent. Some say that writing necessitates a resolve greater than love, but is there a force that weighs heavier than one’s love for a subject?
Losing sight of myself, I inadvertently equated writing with prestige. But setting aside titles, accolades and the fear of being seen as lesser, I never wrote because I wanted to be the best.
I have only ever wanted to be a better writer.
There will be a day when my voice will draw its last sound, but writing transcends lifetimes. The act of placing pen to paper is not just an action but a feeling. However, conveying feelings without control can come off as sloppy.
Without measured spurts of effort, I would have been stuck in mediocrity, forever alone.
DANTE ESTRADA/Long Beach Current
Top 5 name ideas for new minor league baseball team
From Pilots to Seals, the Current suggests five ideas for the Long Beach Baseball Club’s permanent name.
BY JOSHUA MIN Opinions Assistant
With Long Beach State in negotiations to share Blair Field with a minor league baseball club in 2026, the new team, temporarily dubbed The Long Beach Baseball Club, is turning to the Long Beach community for help with naming the team.
While the LBBC has posted a form for fans to submit their ideas, here are the Long Beach Current’s top five name suggestions to consider.
Pilots
In addition to the airplanes found at Long Beach Airport, this name also refers to those who steer the cargo ships at the Port of Long Beach. Being a pilot requires precision, focus and reliability—traits a ballplayer should also possess.
This would also restore the Pilots’ name in professional baseball after the Seattle Pilots had a short stint in Major League Baseball. That franchise played at Sick’s Stadium, which soon became a biohazard when the plumbing lost all water pressure.
Those Pilots played in the American League for one season in 1969 and then moved to Milwaukee and became the Brewers for generations to come.
Seals
This name has a marine connection but draws inspiration from the wildlife, as many sports teams do. Sea lions and harbor seals can be found along the California coast, and at the Aquarium of the Pacific, one of Long Beach’s landmark spots.
Despite their friendly appearance, seals are not afraid to use their sharp teeth and strong jaws as weapons when threatened. The Seals is another nickname that was used in professional sports decades ago with the California Golden Seals in the National Hockey League from 1967 to 1976. California is long overdue for a team named the Seals.
Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds pay homage to the Tongva people, who first inhabited the
DANTE ESTRADA/Long Beach Current
Long Beach Baseball Club will have many options for a nickname after inviting fans to submit ideas. Hopefully they pick something that has ties to the city.
land where CSULB is located. These birds are an important part of the Tongva culture, as they are both native to the area and are known as “medicine birds.”
Using this name demonstrates respect and effort that goes far beyond the typical land acknowledgement. A pitcher who is performing well on the mound is also said to be “humming” the ball.
Goldfish
Not the typical ferocious beast, but mascots do not have to be intimidating.
The beauty of minor league baseball is that wacky nicknames are scattered every-
where. Goldfish is also a reference to Long Beach rapper Vince Staples and his critically acclaimed album “Big Fish Theory,” which features a zoomed-in orange goldfish in a blue glass bowl.
Regulators
Speaking of rappers, Long Beach’s own Warren Griffin III, known as Warren G, will be part of the ownership group of the LBBC.
Warren G is credited with immortalizing Long Beach in hip-hop history along with Nate Dogg after his breakout single “Regulate” reached the No. 2 spot on the
Billboard Hot 100.
It may sound silly to name the team after the hit song of one of the owners, but sports teams are no stranger to owner-based names.
The Cleveland Browns of the National Football League got their name from their first coach and co-founder Paul Brown. When Charlotte returned to the NBA in 2004, their expansion franchise was named the Bobcats, likely after owner Bob Johnson.
SPORTS
DANTE ESTRADA/Long Beach Current
The Beach by the numbers
BY TIMOTHY HESSEN Sports Editor
The start to the fall semester for Long Beach State athletics has seen several standout athletes and teams impress. This week’s column takes a by-thenumbers look at the current state of LBSU sports.
3.86
After redshirting in 2024, freshman opposite Logan King has had a tremendous start to 2025.
Prior to the start of the women’s volleyball season, King was selected for Canada’s U21 Women’s Volleyball National Team for the U21 Pan American Cup, where she was named Best Opposite for leading her country to the bronze medal game before losing to Costa Rica.
Picking up right where she left off, the hellacious hitter has been the offensive nucleus for The Beach (3-3) so far this season, as she is fourth in the Big West with 3.86 kills per set on the 12th highest hitting percentage in the conference at .295.
King credits the culture set by head coach Natalie Reagan and the camaraderie of her teammates as reasons for her success.
“When we find ourselves in ruts, [we] trust each other and help each other out,” King said.
King won her first Big West Freshman of the Week award on Sept. 1 after a 17-kill night against Oregon State University, and if she keeps up the pace she has set with her special start to the
season, it will not be her last.
300
It was a milestone weekend for No. 7 LBSU (6-2) men’s water polo head coach Gavin Arroyo, who recorded his 300th win with The Beach on Saturday with a 20-8 win over Chapman University.
The former Olympian and six-time Big West Coach of the Year is only the second coach in program history to reach the 300 milestone, and trails only Ken Lindgren, the namesake of LBSU’s Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center, by 35 wins for the school record.
On Saturday, sophomore center and reigning Big West Player of the Year Gabi Acosta once again led The Beach to victory with a team-high five goals. Acosta leads the conference with 31 goals, and has already claimed his first Big West Player of the Week award this season.
12
Six games into the season, the strong suit of LBSU women’s soccer (24) has been made clear: ball movement and unselfish play.
The team has recorded 12 assists through six contests, averaging two per game, which leads the Big West Conference.
The Beach’s passing ability was put on full display in their shutout win against the University of Nevada on Thursday, as the team racked up eight assists to amass a program record-tying six goals in the victory.
Junior forwards Cherrie Cox and Radisson Banks lead the way with a pair of assists a piece this season.
ETHAN COHEN/Long
Long Beach State junior forward Cherrie Cox moves with the ball up the sideline as Nevada Fong chases behind at George Allen Field on Sept. 4. Despite playing in just four games, Cox ing scorer this season.
More than a comeback: A season of resilience
BY JUNIOR CONTRERAS Sports Assistant
After a challenging year that forced her to step away from collegiate soccer, Long Beach State junior forward Cherrie Cox has returned to the pitch after getting back on track for the 2025 season.
The Torrance native made an immediate impact during her first year at LBSU, scoring five goals, contributing five assists and tying second for points on the team with 15.
The impressive start to Cox’s young collegiate career earned her the 2022 Big West Freshman of the Year award, just the sixth in LBSU program history.
Despite missing three games due to an injury suffered against Brigham Young University on Aug. 24, 2023, Cox dominated at an even higher level in 2023, leading the Big West in goals with 13, points with 30 and shots on goal with 33.
The playmaking forward was honored as the 2023 Big West Offensive Player of the Year, United Soccer Coaches All-West
COHEN/Long Beach Current Nevada senior defender Sydnie Cox is LBSU’s second lead-
DANTE ESTRADA/Long
Beach Current Long Beach State junior forward Cherrie Cox was named the 2023 Big West Offensive after ranking first in most goals, points, shots on goal and ranking second on scoring two game-winning goals.
Region First-Team honors and first-team all-conference honors.
“It’s more of a personal thing, and it shows my true potential, but I couldn’t have been there without these girls,” Cox said. “All my goals, it’s not me dribbling 11 people, it all starts from our keeper and then works through everyone. It’s a team thing.”
After already being in the top 10 of LBSU career goal scorers, the 2024 season seemed to be another fascinating year for Cox before unexpected hardships took a toll.
Sitting in the bleachers at George Allen Field, Cox took in the scene of an empty pitch as she began to share the adversity she faced in 2024.
“I lost my track a little bit, and I not necessarily spiraled, but I wasn’t doing the right things academically wise…stuff like that kind of prolonged stuff, and then the passing of my older brother, it was kind of all adding up together,” Cox said. “Everyone has their own journey and I’m not ashamed of it.”
Cox had decided to step away from the 2024 season after the obstacles began to pile up on her.
“I decided to focus on myself, be with
family, and really just kind of take a step back from soccer, and that really made me realize that I can’t take it for granted,” she said.
After the passing of her brother, Cox’s sisterhood of teammates were there to support her.
“Right after my brother’s passing, we had a mass, and some of the girls that [are] a little bit more religious, they actually ended up coming to support and sat with us, that was really nice,” Cox said. “We built that sisterhood that we can just all rely on each other, and if anything goes wrong, they’re kind of the first people we turn to.”
During her time away from what was once her daily routine, Cox picked up “one of the most unexpected sports” for her: golf.
The forward could not stay away from her dominant sport for too long, as she continued to play pickup soccer and tournaments but never returned for the 2024 collegiate soccer season.
“I definitely tried to be outdoors as much, even if I wasn’t on the team, I was still coming to watch and support,” Cox said. “I’d watch every game on ESPN that I can, so I was kind of always there still.”
LBSU head coach Mauricio Ingrassia
has played a significant role in Cox’s life. Cox views Ingrassia as a “second dad” after knowing him since eighth grade, as she played for Beach FC, a youth soccer club.
“Everybody had her back, and what you’re seeing now is a product of having a young person’s back when she needed it the most and for her to be back is tremendous,” Ingrassia said.
Cox said she could not ask for a “better support group” during this difficult time in her life after receiving aid from her coaches, staff, parents and boyfriend.
After the constant support, Cox reciprocates the love she felt during this time back to her team by sharing her experiences and being a mentor to her younger teammates.
“For some of the younger players, I feel like I’m a big sister in that way, like I take them under my wing, because I do definitely feel like they look up to me a little bit,” Cox said. “It’s nice because I get to tell them what I went through and tell them my journey and explain it, and kind of coach them through it a little bit too, so that they can soon be like that.”
The attacking forward overcame her adversities and returned on the pitch for the first time in 647 days in a pre-season exhibi-
tion against No. 5 USC on Aug. 6.
“I did feel pressure just because I felt like my sophomore and freshman year ended off on such a good place and then to have a little setback, it kind of made me wonder, am I gonna be at that same level or even better,” Cox said. “I feel like I should be pursuing that next level.”
The forward has picked up where she left off in 2023, having two goals, two assists and six points in just four games played of the 2025 season.
“Cherrie is kind of like the cherry on top when she comes back,” Ingrassia said. “I’m just happy she’s able to do what she loves, in our jersey in front of our fans, and in front of her parents, and her family and friends, and I’m just really excited for her.” Cox looks forward to the 2025 season in hopes of leading The Beach to being first in the league and becoming Big West champs while hosting the tournament, starting on Nov. 2.
In reflecting on her setbacks and eventual return to the field, Cox shared the lesson she learned from her journey that she holds most dear.
“Trust your path, everything’s going to work out the way it needs to be,” Cox said.
Photo courtesy of LBSU hockey club
Members of Long Beach State club hockey, Zach Nyssen (middle) and Allen Howland race down the rink at Lakewood Ice on Oct. 11, 2024 in their matchup against rival Cal State Fullerton.
CSULB hockey club prepares for season comeback
BY MONICA BADOLIAN
Sports Assistant
Before every game, the Long Beach State club hockey team circles up outside the rink and plays “sui,” a fast-paced soccer game filled with laughs and chaos.
It is a tradition that sets the tone for a program striving to expand its presence on campus and show students that hockey has a home in Long Beach.
Most students are not familiar with CSULB’s club hockey team, and this season, the players are determined to change that.
“We were founded in ‘78, hence our new slogan that we’re bringing back, ‘Since ‘78,’” said Kyle Oki, fourth-year finance major and club president. “We’re trying to revamp the program this year, which is why we’re recruiting.”
Last year, the team finished No. 61 in the American Collegiate Hockey Associa-
tion Men’s Division III rankings with a 7-81 record, but hopes to improve this season.
The hockey club kicks off its season opener on Sept. 19 with a home series against Northern Arizona University at Lakewood Ice, the club’s off-campus rink, located 15 minutes from CSULB.
Oki said the team’s goals are ambitious but straightforward: finish with a winning record, advance deeper into the playoffs and grow the sport in Long Beach.
This year brings familiar rivals back into the division, including Cal State Fullerton and UC Santa Barbara.
“Fullerton blew us out in Irvine pretty badly last season, so this year we’re trying to come back strong,” Oki said. “Same as Santa Barbara, [those are] definitely our biggest games this season.”
The team’s biggest challenge remains visibility.
“No one knows we exist, so we want people to know, even if you don’t like the sport of ice hockey, you never know until you watch it, right?” Oki said. “And it’s a
VIDEO BY SKYLAR STOCK & MONICA BADOLIAN
Video Editor & Sports Assistant
very intense, high-paced game, so we want to get more people, specifically students, to come out and support us.”
Students can attend the games at zero cost.
“You wouldn’t really think of Southern California as a hockey spot, but we’ve got some pro teams around; people really do like the sport. And Long Beach students are super passionate about their school, and so our games are pretty fun too,” said James McGuire, a senior member of the team majoring in kinesiology with a focus in sports psychology.
McGuire said he is most excited to see how the new roster comes together.
“We worked really hard on rebuilding the program the last couple years,” McGuire said. “I’m super excited to see how this team performs as a group, and Long Beach hockey is definitely on its way back.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated to include a missing LBSU hockey club photo credit in the feature image caption at 4:15 p.m. on Sept. 6.