CURRENT LONG BEACH
LONG BEACH STATE’S NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1949
Vol. XCVIII, Issue 8
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Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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ON THE COVER
JAMES TINOCO | Long Beach Current Bob Goen, a Republican, holds up a “...And I’m A Republican” sign during the No Kings: Vote Early protest at the intersection of Junipero Avenue and East Ocean Boulevard in Long Beach on Oct. 17. Goen urges other Republicans to recognize that President Donald Trump is a criminal.
NEWS
Student workers demand fair, discounted employee parking BY CLAIRE MORRIS News Reporter
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housands of teaching associates, graduate assistants and instructional student assistants across all 23 CSUs are currently fighting for discounted employee parking, after years of paying hundreds of dollars for student permits. Even though they are considered campus employees, CSU student workers are required to pay student parking fees and park in general admission lots. At Long Beach State, that means paying $259 per semester, or $518 for an annual pass. Employees have unionized with the United Auto Workers to handle contract negotiations and requests to the university, fighting for equitable parking access. Founded in 2004, the UAW Local 4123 represents over 10,ooo academic student workers. Under the Unit 11 bargaining agreement, student employees are advocating for higher pay, benefits and overall improved working conditions. The union reached a tentative agreement on Oct. 16, securing an 8% salary raise, paid sick leave, improved job transparency and more. However, the union has yet to reach an agreement with CSUs about parking.
Advertising & Business Adviser
Gary Metzker Barbara Kingsley-Wilson Ashley Hopkins Jennifer Newton
Photo courtesy of DYLAN DELPRATO.
Pictured left to right CSULB student worker Thomas Mendoza and Head Steward of United Auto Workers Local 4123 union’s CSULB chapter Dylan Delprato. Teaching associates, graduate assistants and instructional student assistants unionized with the United Auto Workers are demanding equitable parking access throughout all 23 CSU campuses.
Dylan Delprato, a graduate history student and head steward of the union’s CSULB members, said that student workers have unionized with UAW since its foundation, and have advocated for equitable parking since January of this year. Read the full story at lbcurrent.com.
Land Acknowledgment Here at the Long Beach Current we acknowledge that the school we report on is located on the sacred site of Puvungna, “the gathering place.” We are on the land of the Tongva/ Gabrieleño and the Acjachemen/Juaneño Nations who have lived and continue to live here. We also acknowledge the Gabrieleño/Tongva (pronounced: GABRIEL-EN-YO/TONG – VAH) and Acjachemen/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 opinons 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.
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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.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
NEWS
CSULB competes against California colleges, universities in student voter competition
BY NI BALINESS Arts & Life Reporter
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ith the midterm elections quickly approaching, Long Beach State is racing against other CSUs, UCs, independent universities and California community colleges in a statewide competition for the most registered student voters, aiming to encourage civic engagement. Coordinated by the California Secretary of State, the California University and College Ballot Bowl encourages students to register to vote, submit voting plans and get involved during election season. The competition is hosted every other year ahead of the general election, with over 200 college campuses participating. Colleges can place in four categories: overall champion, highest number of students registered to vote, highest percentage of students registered to vote and most creative approach to register to vote. In 2024, UC Santa Barbara took the overall win with 2,669 registrations, while CSUF won overall in 2020 with 2,716 registrations. While CSULB has not won in the history of the competition, they placed second with the highest number of students registered in 2020 and 2021. According to the state’s Ballot Bowl tracker, CSULB is currently in sixth place with 284 total points, trailing behind Cal Poly Humboldt. The competition started in 2019 as a result of Assembly Bill 963’s Student
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NI BALINESS / Long Beach Current
California University and College Ballot Bowl is a competition among college campuses in California made to encourage students to register to vote. From Aug. 10 to Nov. 3, colleges have the chance to earn up to 2,000 points to win the California Ballot Bowl. Civic and Empowerment Act, requiring higher education campuses in California to provide civic engagement and voter education outreach to students every voting season. Students have until Nov. 3 to participate in the Ballot Bowl and can enter the competition by submitting a form asking if they’ve registered to vote and how they plan on submitting their ballot. Participants are entered into a raffle for Harry Styles concert tickets in 2027. “We have to remember that it’s our freedom to vote and it’s our voice to vote,” said Shaun Uy, a fourth-year political science student and student volunteer who was promoting the competition in front of the University Bookstore. “As students, we are the future.” Uy said he is unable to vote because he is not an American citizen, but that doesn’t stop him from encouraging
others like him to help with the civic process. “You only know your freedom, when it’s being taken away from you,” Uy said. “[Being] civically engaged doesn’t just mean to vote, it means giving back to the community [to] educate, advocate and whatever you can to help make a difference.” David Mei, a fourth-year political science student and Ballot Bowl student volunteer, said the country is at a “critical moment in history.” “Your voice does count,” Mei said. “It may be one in a sea of many, but you’re still there.” Director of University Partnership and Civic Engagement Ricki Burgener assisted at the competition’s campus pop-up earlier this month. “Every semester, I work with student groups and in the past it has always been Lobby Corps,” Burgener said. “I’ve
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worked with them to do tabling events all to encourage students to register to vote.” Burgener is a member of the League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan grassroots organization committed to civic engagement and representing underrepresented voices in politics. The organization is partnering with Burgener to create a summit in March 2027 to push students to become more civically engaged. The League of Women Voters of Long Beach is one of 800 active chapters nationwide. “If we cannot get them [to vote], how about we first talk about how can you get engaged,” Burgener said. “Do you have something that you’re passionate about?” During Week of Welcome earlier this semester, the League of Women Voters conducted a survey asking students to choose three issues they were interested in. The top five topics collected from the survey were job security, housing, climate, and women’s and immigration rights. Based on student answers, Burgener said she is now trying to develop a social media strategy to get more students civically engaged. “Eveybody across the campus has to be involved in [voting],” Burgener said. “It’s not just a student thing; it’s everyone.”
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NEWS BY JOSEPHINE KIM News Reporter
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ocal residents gathered in Downtown Long Beach on Saturday for “No Kings: Vote Early,” the fourth in a series of nationwide rallies protesting the Trump Administration and, this time, encouraging people to vote in the upcoming midterm elections. Demonstrators stood along East Ocean Boulevard, holding signs encouraging residents to vote ‘Yes’ on Prop. 40, urging people to speak up and defend democracy, and rejecting President Trump as their “king” or “dictator.” “Fight for those without your privilege,” “Dump Trump” and “End corruption, impeach Trump” were just a few of the handwritten messages participants conveyed. Inflatable costumes decorated the street, including an inflatable frog costume that went viral from Portland’s anti-ICE raids in 2025. Others were dressed as Lady Liberty and wore pops of red and blue to express their patriotism and call back the values the U.S. was originally founded on. “Every voice and step coalesces into a larger movement for change. We want to afford healthcare, we want to afford groceries, to have a job that we can go to,” said Long Beach resident Mykael McMullen behind the screen of an inflatable bear costume. “These are issues that we are facing today; it's right in our face, and I’m inspired to see people stepping up to fix that.” Unlike previous “No Kings” protests, where the primary message was to reject billionaires, politicians and kings as the only ones to hold power, “No Kings: Vote Early” aimed to target nonpartisan voter participation and early voting for the midterm elections. Saturday’s rallies, which also took place in Downtown L.A. and neighboring cities, encouraged others to make a voting plan and ensured that people understood how to vote. Rep. Robert Garcia also made an appearance at the rally, greeting and hugging demonstrators as he supported the push to vote in the midterms. “Vote, vote, vote, vote, vote, vote,” said Long Beach native Tim Weinell. “Just get out there and vote because that’s literally all we can do right now.” Weinell said it was important to stay educated, especially with the increase of misleading information due to AI. He encouraged voters to stay engaged with the
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Demonstrators call for actio
Top: U.S. Representative Robert Garcia makes an appearance to show his support at the No Kings: Vote Early protest in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 17. Former mayor of Long Beach, Garcia has supported the No Kings movement, in opposition of President Donald Trump’s administration and policies. Top right: A protester walks through a crosswalk holding up a “Speak up! While It’s Still Legal.” sign during the No Kings: Vote Early protest on Junipero Avenue and East Ocean Boulevard in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 17. Many protesters carried creative signs to demonstrate their opposotion President Donald Trump and his actions during the protest. Bottom left: A golden retriever waiting to walk across East Ocean Boulevard wears a bone-shaped necklace that reads “Fluff off! ICEholes” during the No Kings: Vote Early protest in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct 17. Many protestors brought their pets and some were dressed to show their support. Bottom right: Barbra Dorame carries two sign signs, one reads “Release the Trump-Epstein files now!” and the other reads “ No on Prop 45.” Dorame encourages people to vote for this upcoming midterm election and to say no to Prop 45, which would continue to protect the environment and people from anything harmful. Photos by JAMES TINOCO /Long Beach Current
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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NEWS
on before midterm elections
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Tuesday, October 20, 2026
community, talk to fellow constituents and be present. “I'm out here to support early voting, especially in the state of California,” said Audrey Amith, a child and adolescent studies major at Cal State Fullerton. “I feel like people have kind of let these things kind of fly over their heads, and they shouldn’t. They need to have something to stand for and find a purpose to fight for our rights.” Amith expressed her hope for more civic engagement from the younger generation. She said she has friends who are guilty of not being informed and educated because they are focused on other aspects of their lives. “I feel like our younger generation tends to get so caught up in our responsibilities and what's happening in our own lives that we don't realize that whatever's happening around us will also affect us personally,” she said. Long Beach native Gerald Robinson thought differently about Gen Z’s engagement. “The younger generation is doing what they need to do,” said Robinson, who participated in the rally with his nearly 2-year-old granddaughter, Zoe. “I’m proud and pleased with what I’m seeing. They’re recognizing that things are not right, and they have to be changed.” Robinson compared this year’s unrest to the civil rights movements in the 1960s and ‘70s. He said he hopes that he can see change akin to the civil rights era. “I have a lot of hope that what I saw in the civil rights era, back in Dr. King's era, my era, and in the days of John Lewis will resurface and take hold again,” Robinson said. The rallies have arisen amid executive action to exert control over the midterm elections. Last month, President Trump issued an executive order to place restrictions on mail-in voting, which was denied by the Supreme Court. The president also threatened to deploy militarized federal agents to polls during the primary. And most recently, he sued the state of California over 20,000 ballots allegedly being registered under ineligible voters. “Just come out here and get your feet wet … shake some people's hands,” said Joshua Gonzalez, a Long Beach native and friend of Weinell. “Familiarize yourself with the community members of this community. Long Beach is huge, and there are so many different faces and so many different walks of life. [It’s] really just taking that first step.”
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NEWS
The Latinx Student Union (LSU) provides educational workshops and community outreach. The LSU organizes events such as Breaking Fronteras 5K, Noche de Banda, and Nuestra Graduación. CHARLOTTE LOCICERO /
Long Beach Current
3 Latinx Student Union events you can attend this year to celebrate culture, community BY ISABEL MURTY Contributer
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he Latinx Student Union has announced a series of events this year aiming to highlight Hispanic culture and foster community for students, faculty and staff. The LSU is a coalition of student representatives from Latinx organizations, including the Hispanic Students Business Association, the Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity Inc., and the Dream Success Center. The organization aims to foster community and promote political and cultural awareness. Here are three LSU events you can attend this year. Día de los Muertos event The annual celebration honors the lives of loved ones who have passed away
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with ofrendas (altars), documentary viewings, and performances from Mariachi Los Tiburones and CSULB Community Drum. Where: The Pointe, located in the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid When: Oct. 27, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Leading up to the event, the LSU has already hosted their mini ofrenda workshop and unveiled their community ofrenda on Oct. 6, which will be on display until Nov. 4 at the Horn Center, in front of the Carolyn Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum. Breaking Fronteras 5K, 1K races The LSU also announced the return of their annual Breaking Fronteras 5K and 1k runs to raise funding to support undocumented and AB 540 students. AB 540, or the California Nonresident Tuition Exemption, is a state law that allows eligible students
to pay in-state tuition and qualify for state and institutional financial aid at California colleges, even if the student is not classified as a resident. Breaking Fronteras raises funds to provide scholarships to AB 540 students. “We host [Breaking Fronteras] to bring community to the students, staff, and departments,” said Sebastian Rosano, LSU president and Associated Students, Inc. Senator at-Large. Scholarship applications will open Jan. 1, 2027 and close on March 2, 2027. Eligible students must be a member of a Latin American support organization, a CSULB undergraduate student with a 2.0 GPA or a CSULB graduate or doctorate student with a 3.0 GPA, a resident of the U.S., and demonstrate financial need. “Last year we had roughly about 400 participants, so we’re really hoping to get support [from the Latino organizations]
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to increase that number,” Rosano said at a LSU council meeting. Where: LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid When: March 6, 2027, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nuestra Graduación LSU also outlined their Nuestra Graduación, an annual cultural graduation ceremony celebrating the academic accomplishments of Latinx students prior to CSULB commencement ceremonies in May. Last year's theme was “Roots that inspire, futures that shine.” The union hopes to have this year’s theme finalized by November. When: May 2027 Where: TBA
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ARTS & LIFE
Long Beach State alum makes waves with award-winning AIDS research paper
CSULB '26 alum and now graduate student Kass Malcor walks at the Orange County Pride Parade representing "Pride at the Pier" on Oct. 10. Malcor returned to the Beach to study AIDs and HIV history in Southern California this year. Photo courtesy of KASS MALCOR
BY DOMINIC MADDAN Arts & Life Reporter
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ith an award-winning research paper, an inaugural scholarship award and a rainbow crosswalk under their belt in the matter of a few months, this Long Beach State alumnus is making an impact upon their return to The Beach as a graduate student. Recipient of the inaugural Susan M. Rigney Scholarship for their work in queer studies on campus, Kass Malcor has returned to Long Beach State this semester to conduct more research regarding the history of HIV and AIDS in Southern California. During their time as a history student, Malcor won an award at the 2025 CSULB Student Research Competition for their research paper, “Moralization and Mystification: Rhetoric of California AIDS Propositions 1986-1988,” in which they explored how the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s impacted the queer community. Their newly-started graduate research project looks to further explore the AIDS panic in Southern California during the same time period. This region served as an epicenter in the
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U.S. for the AIDS epidemic, defined by early medical discoveries, political tensions and one of the largest and most politically influential queer populations in the country. Malcor’s passion for this subject began as a new transfer student from Irvine Valley College in 2024, after learning more about the history of the epidemic and the subsequent discrimination and dehumanization of queer individuals. “I’m interested in this idea of moralizing about HIV/AIDS being used as a cudgel against queer people,” Malcor said. “Even though it wasn’t and isn’t something that exclusively affects queer people at large, I wanted to understand how that was coming about.” This theme of “moralization” is a major focus within Malcor’s research and study, especially due to the oppression and demonization the LGBTQ+ community faced back then and to this day. “I still meet people who don’t know how HIV is spread and I have to correct them,” Malcor said. “There’s clearly still gaps in our education. It all leads back to ‘that it comes from gay men’ because ‘they’re just too promiscuous, it was a divine right, this was God’s punishment.’”
The journey has been long for Malcor, who started at community college in 2019. They graduated from Irvine Valley College in 2024 before transferring to CSULB, where they graduated in May with a Bachelor of Science in History. “If it was not evident from spending five years at community college, it took a while to figure out what exactly I was doing,” Malcor said. “I've always been interested in a broad variety of things. It's a blessing and a curse.” Around this time, they had also come to a realization of their transgender identity. “I wasn’t really out about it and I didn’t really know how to envision a future, so that was my hoorah on this ‘being trans’ thing,” Malcor said. “I was bouncing around … and then I wandered into a California history class in 2021.” While taking this class, Malcor connected with their professor, who became a close confidant and mentor during their academic and self-identity journeys. “[They were] one of the first people to independently respect my identity and treat me with basic human decency,” Malcor said.
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From that point on, Malcor stuck with history throughout community college and university. “The department wound up being very supportive of me,” Malcor said. “I realized that this was maybe something I could do not only as a person, but particularly as a trans person; there was this path forward for me in this.” Malcor also noted the importance of studying humanities and liberal arts in the modern day, especially in the age of AI. “As a humanities major, I think the human component of it should be a standout reason” Malcor said. "The thing that makes you stand apart is your ability to think critically and to engage with humans … the thing that makes you different is the fact that you are human.” On campus, Malcor has served as an outspoken advocate for more queer visibility, especially in art form. These calls to action proved to not be unheard as they helped cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony for CSULB’s new pride crosswalk on Oct. 14, which Malcor has been championing since last year. Enrique Rivas contributed to this story.
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ARTS & LIFE
Night at the Observatory makes stars and community feel within reach
Brandon Noguera, first-year civil engineering major, (center), Chloe Vu, first-year pre-civil engineering major (right) and other Long Beach State students use binoculars to see stars in the sky during a Nights at the Observatory session at the rooftop of the Hall of Science building on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
EDDY CERMENO / Long Beach Current BY NATALY VALENCIA Arts & Life Reporter
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y the time nightfall arrives, the campus of Long Beach State has transformed into a ghost town. Most classrooms are dark, and few people linger, far less than the bustling crowds that fill campus in the daytime. Up a winding staircase, every Tuesday at 8 p.m., students gather on the rooftop of the Hall of Science building, eager to explore a night sky pulsing with starlight. Here, the soft melody of SZA’s “Saturn” can be heard flowing from a speaker, its twinkly instrumental and lyrics setting the mood for stargazing. Dim red light emanates from the rooftop’s light sources, its soft glow illuminating the ground as people peer into the four telescopes pointed towards Deneb and Altair, two of the three stars
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that form the asterism known as the Summer Triangle. Every week, the department of physics and astronomy’s Night at the Observatory attempts to teach physics in a less intimidating manner through a hands-on experience open to the public, with all ages welcome to observe the moon, stars, planets and nebulae. Former astronomy lecturer Jessica Asbell started the community-driven event a decade ago in fall 2016. Assistant professor Joel Zinn began hosting the event in 2023. “How I view a lot of our mission is to be that new experience people might not have had up to this point,” Zinn said. “I think seeing the joy on people’s faces when maybe they haven’t seen something through a telescope before is a big motivator for me.” Fourth-year physics majors Eriel Jan Jasmin and Christopher Perez help
Zinn make this event possible, teaching people space fun facts at every meeting. Physics can be an intimidating topic, so Jasmin tries his best to answer all the questions he receives, even astrology ones. Children often tag along with the families that attend the event. “It makes me really happy honestly, because as a kid I was always interested in space, it’s definitely a way for families to get their kids kick-started on some of their interests,” Jasmin said. “We did get stools actually, because some of the kids that have visited had trouble looking through the [telescopes].” Taking place after most classes have concluded, Night at the Observatory provides a space for people to unwind from the stress of school and work. “The rooftops are a nice, informal get-together. We have the astronomy club come in every time they have a
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meeting, and I know that’s a fun gettogether,” Zinn said. “We have students coming after class, we have students coming for a study break, so it’s just a chill night out at the end of the day.” Alumna Charley Soa decided to attend the event when Jasmin invited her to attend. “I go to grad school at [CSU] Fullerton right now, and I’ve never heard of them having something like [this],” Soa said. “I didn’t know this was a thing when I was in undergrad, so it’s like, really interesting to see how they have it here.” The community is seeking clubs and organizations on campus to collaborate with throughout this year to host public observations on Tuesday nights and private-special observations on any other night.
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ARTS & LIFE
Aquarium raises endangered frog species to release back into the wild
Photo courtesy of AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC A Southern Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog sits in its natural habitat. The endangered frog species is endemic to California mountain ranges including the San Gabriel Mountains.
BY LUKE HARRIS Contributor
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ith the Southern Mountain Yellow-Legged frogs on the verge of extinction, the conservation team at the Aquarium of the Pacific raises them for release in an effort to repopulate their natural habitats. Multiple facilities throughout California are involved in the recovery effort, including the Aquarium of the Pacific, the Los Angeles Zoo, the San Diego Zoo, the Wildlife Alliance and more. “They’re listed under the federal law, the Endangered Species Act,” said Jenny Dean, the aquarium’s vice president of conservation and policy. “And it’s thought that here in Southern California, there’s less than 200 individuals of sexual maturity.” The tadpoles were produced at the Los Angeles Zoo’s Southern Mountain Yellow-Legged frog breeding program, then transferred to the aquarium. The recent release brought the total number of released frogs to a little over a thousand.
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On Sept. 10, the Aquarium released approximately 653 frogs into their natural habitats, including the San Gabriel Mountains. About 394 of these frogs were headstarted at the Aquarium, marking their largest release of this species since they began the program in 2020. “We currently have about 700 tadpoles on site that are midway through metamorphosing into being frogs,” said Erin Lundy, the aquarium’s senior manager of conservation initiatives. “They can take up to four to five years to fully metamorphose into a frog, which is a bit unusual for most amphibian species.” Most tadpoles take approximately 14 weeks to metamorphose into frogs, according to the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. “Because tadpoles are a little bit more sensitive to things like a waterway drying up or poor water quality. They don’t have a lot of options to leave. Whereas frogs can ideally move away from an impacted habitat should they have to.” The space where they keep the frogs is deep in the aquarium, in their
laboratory space, in what they call their barn. “So where we mostly have them is behind our shark lagoon in our barn area,” Lundy said. “We’ve actually set up a room that is sort of a laboratory space for these animals. We have three of our systems in there and one that is separate from those that exist behind our giant Pacific octopus system.” According to Lundy, the Aquarium has noted progress in the restoration of the species following the start of their recovery efforts. This project, headstarting the mountain yellow-legged frogs, has been ongoing at the Aquarium for six years now. Brett Long, the vice president of animal care at the Aquarium of the Pacific, highlights the start of this program. “Other things happened in 2020 besides COVID, which were some local wildfires that went through the San Gabriel Mountains and sort of devastated some of the habitat that these frogs generally live in,” Long said. “So we were asked to receive some salvaged tadpoles so that they wouldn’t get influenced by
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the debris left over from the fires that follow[ed] winter.” The Mountain yellow-legged frogs have had to face lots of adversity, including the 2020 Bobcat Fire, which burned approximately 95% of the species’ habitat. In 2021, there were less than 200 mountain yellow-legged frogs in the wild. In 2025, the Aquarium of the Pacific raised and released 638 frogs to the wild. That number only increased in 2026, when the Aquarium released 653 frogs to the wild. Though the Aquarium of the Pacific has only been a part of this program for about six years, this program has been going on for over a decade, according to Brett Long. “As the program has evolved, the amount of partners that are involved has also grown,” said Lundy. “It’s given us a little bit more flexibility to do different things with it rather than just housing tadpoles to be released immediately. We can house them for a couple of years to ensure that they are [at] a good size and fully through metamorphosis before they’re released.”
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OPINIONS
‘The Social Reckoning’ review: Does the sequel click like the original? BY CARLOS ACEDO Contributor
does he really understand pop culture, almost as if he was frozen in the past and sent to the future. He was brought into irector Aaron Sorkin’s “The So- the Wall Street Journal to investigate and cial Reckoning” has a difficult report on tech giants such as Facebook. Together, these characters work to task: following David Fincher’s 2010 movie “The Social Net- expose Facebook’s internal problems work,” a movie that has become a mod- concerning the platform’s algorithms ern classic. and the effects on users. “The Social Network” is a classic However, this is where some flaws story on the lead-up to the creation of begin to show. Facebook. Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of The relationship between Haugen Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, and Horwitz occasionally feels strangely combined with memorable performances framed. For example, some of their from Andrew Garfield and Justin secret meetings create a sense of Timberlake, made for a captivating story romantic tension that feels irrelevant to about ambition, friendship and betrayal. the greater storyline. “The Social Reckoning” is a The humor is inconsistent. Horwitz completely different movie. repeatedly references older movies, Sorkin, who wrote the first film, takes but most of the audience is unlikely to over as director and focuses on the 2021 understand the allusions due to it being Facebook Files. too niche for younger audiences. This time around, Zuckerberg is The movie’s biggest problem is its not the center of the story. Instead, the dialogue. In the previous movie, it was film focuses on Facebook whistleblower also dialogue heavy, but its conversations Frances Haugen and Wall Street were fast, captivating and felt realistic. In journalist Jeff Horwitz’s investigation this movie, characters would monologue into the hidden secrets of Facebook and in length with technological and political Instagram, such as false information and jargon, resulting in viewers unfamiliar harmful content spreading, affecting with the Facebook Files becoming lost. mental health. Their investigation The message that social media also looked into Facebook’s algorithm prioritizes engagement over democracy promoting angry and controversial posts and mental health is repeatedly pushed to ensure more engagement. and emphasized, making the film and Mikey Madison, coming off her its themes feel frustratingly unnatural. Oscar-winning performance in Anora, Though themes of social media’s effect convincingly portrays Haugen as a nerdy on mental health and political extremism character who feels isolated from the rest are important, the film spends more time of the company. Costume design helps to explaining its message than developing show the different side of her character; its characters. from her more reserved and nerdy On the bright side, the film becomes appearance inside the Facebook office, significantly more interesting when to the classy and extravagant outfits she Jeremy Strong appears as Zuckerberg. wears outside the office, whether it be on Although it is disappointing that a date or secretly meeting Horwitz. Eisenberg did not return to reprise his Jeremy Allen White brings a strong role, Strong is an excellent replacement performance as Horwitz, settling into the and convincingly portrays an older, more role of an investigative reporter. White powerful Zuckerberg who is out of touch doesn’t have a Facebook account, nor with reality.
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CJ RIVERA / Associated Press Jeremy Allen White attends the world premiere of “The Social Reckoning” at Regal Union Square on Oct. 4, in New York. Jeremy Strong’s appearance however, hardly saves the rest of the movie from feeling like a slog. Despite being presented as a follow-up, “The Social Reckoning” does not feel like a worthy sequel to “The Social Network.” The original film made the story of Facebook
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not only interesting, but relatable to the average person. “The Social Reckoning” arguably presents as more of a thought piece about what Facebook came to be, but struggles to make it a story equally as interesting.
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OPINIONS
3 film festival movies to look out for during award season
Graphic by ELLIE NAKAMURA/Long Beach Current
BY TYLER KOLS Opinions Writer
C
oming off a summer of blockbusters such as “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” audiences are wondering what other movies there are to look forward to for the rest of the year. Although the obvious answers include Marvel’s highly-anticipated “Avengers: Doomsday” or “Dune: Part Three,” the year’s international film festivals give us far more movies to anticipate for. As of writing, prestigious festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Telluride and Toronto have already completed their annual editions, with additional events such as London, AFI and even the nearby Newport Beach festival awaiting to showcase their slate of films. Though we may already feel satisfied with our lineup of popular blockbusters for the year, audiences should take into consideration these festival movies that will likely be a part of the awards conversation later this November.
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Fjord The film, distributed by Neon and directed by Cristian Mungiu, follows a family living in Norway as they confront a legal crisis that threatens to split them apart. The legal drama premiered at Cannes, where it won the festival’s highest honor, the Palme D’Or. It is Romania’s official entry for Best International Feature at the 2027 Academy Awards. The film is praised for its complex moral dilemmas and grounded conflict. The film started a limited theatrical release in Los Angeles on Oct. 9th, and will be followed by a wider release on Oct. 23rd. La Bola Negra After the Spanish-language melodrama, directed by Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, premiered at Cannes, it was picked up by Netflix for U.S. distribution. The film, following three men across different time periods, was praised for its exploration of love, war, history and queer representation. Additionally, it went on to win Ambrossi
and Calvo the Best Director award at Cannes, and was screened in Toronto, where it won the festival’s People’s Choice Award. It is also Spain’s official entry for Best International Film at the 2027 Academy Awards. The film will receive a limited theatrical release in Los Angeles and New York on Oct. 16th, with additional screenings rolling out in different cities in the following weeks. It will premiere Dec. 2nd on Netflix. Wild Horse Nine Directed by Martin McDonagh, the political comedy follows two CIA agents dispatched to Easter Island shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup. The film, starring John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell, premiered at Venice Film Festival, where Malkovich won the Coppa Volpi for Best Actor. Receiving high praise for Malkovich’s performance, along with his on-screen chemistry with Rockwell, this comedy is highly anticipated following critical acclaim for McDonagh’s previous films like “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “In Bruges.”
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The film will screen at Newport Beach Film Fest and AFI Fest in Los Angeles on Oct. 17th and Oct. 24th, respectively. It will be followed by a wide theatrical release on Oct. 30th. All of these movies are original ideas developed without the hundreds of millions of dollars that fund major releases such as superhero films or sci-fi epics. At a time when audiences are arguably growing tired of generic, repetitive stories, it is worth taking note of original films that have already received acclaim. This comes after “Obsession,” a movie that first premiered at Toronto International Film Festival in 2025, sold to Focus Features and became a breakout hit over the summer. So, as you plan out the rest of your remaining visits to movie theaters for 2026, consider more movies that come out of these prestigious festivals. In doing so, you may find your next obsession.
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OPINIONS
Diversify your reading list, pick up a queer novel
Graphic by GABRIELLE LASHLEY /Long Beach Current
BY DOMINIC MADDAN Arts & Life Reporter
S
ince the pandemic, hobbies, especially hands-on ones that require low screen usage (aptly titled “Grandma Hobbies”), have been on the rise among adults. One such hobby is reading, with more than 66% of Gen Z adults reading books for pleasure. This resurgence may likely be attributed to the rise of “BookTok,” a subcommunity on the social media app TikTok, where content creators racking up millions of views share book recommendations, reading challenges and their current reads to a large audience. Not all, but many of these books shared on BookTok (and thus contributing to book sales) are either usually smutty romances featuring typical straight couples, or fantasy novels set in a generic pseudo-medieval setting. These stories sell for a reason; nine times out of ten, they may genuinely be a great read and are accessible to a wide
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audience. However, there are a couple of shelves in the bookstore that intrigue me much more. Filled with untapped value and amazing stories, of course, this section is the one that houses LGBTQIA+ stories. Queer stories have been around for a very long time, with hundreds of literature predating the Stonewall riots of 1969. One of the most significant and pioneering queer novels is “The City and the Pillar,” written by Gore Vidal and published in 1948. The book chronicles Jim, a young gay man figuring out his sexuality, his various affairs and his semi-unrequited love for his childhood friend, Bob, who joins the Marines. Widely recognized and lauded for its queer themes and semi-sympathetic protagonist (apart from the ending), the book explores Jim dealing with his sexuality as a typically “macho” man and the self-destructive behaviors he goes through with selfish desires. Vidal wrote the book to convey it as a “real” story rather than in a comedic or
satirical manner. He shows Jim’s sexuality as natural, defying the usual portrayal of gay men at the time, avoiding stereotypes in which they are usually portrayed as effeminate, walking jokes. While many stories throughout history have portrayed the LGBTQIA+ community through harmful stereotypes, queer novelists have sought to change the narrative by depicting queer individuals as real people rather than caricatures. This is indicative of a positive trend among queer novelists and how they choose to tell their stories. Reading books by queer authors allows the opportunity to combat stereotypes and help readers understand queer identity and experiences. One great example of this is “The Friend Scheme” by Cale Dietrich, which tells the story of Matt, a closeted gay teen who falls in love with the cool new boy in town, Jason, who seems to share his interests. Matt’s conflict in the book is punctuated not just by his closeted sexuality, but also by the fact that he is
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the son of an organized crime boss. To add to the conflict, the boy he is in love with is part of the rival mob. The story highlights conflict in Matt’s disdain for his family and crime and him learning his place in the world, while also showing him being in love with a boy, putting a queer experience in the mix. As a queer man, Dietrich writes a compelling story about gay teenagers just being teenagers while also dealing with the very real lived experience of being closeted and gay. Both romance lovers and thriller readers can enjoy the story of Matt and Jason for its romantic aspects and the thrilling criminal syndicate exploits, while also learning more about queer experiences which is important in this day and age. In order to fully understand the queer community, I encourage you to read books with heavy queer readership alongside other books that you love. Doing so will help you understand the LGBTQIA+ experience and expose you to some amazing narratives and stories.
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SPORTS
Rivalry showdown ends in heartbreak for LBSU women’s soccer DIEGO PEREZ /Long Beach Current
Junior forward, Kailey Supa, chases for repossesion of the ball in attempt to create an opportunity for another goal during the first half. LBSU lost to Fullerton after losing the lead during the second half at George Allen Field on Oct. 14.
BY ISABEL MURTY Contributor
L
ong Beach State women’s soccer fell 2-1 against No. 1 conference ranked Cal State Fullerton on Oct. 14, at George Allen Field. Sophomore midfielder Ameera White scored the only goal for The Beach (7-3-5, 1-2-3 Big West) late in the first half on a free kick after the Titans’ (7-25, 4-0-2 Big West) sophomore forward Kayalily Penn was given a yellow card for unsportsman-like conduct. “Those are always big opportunities, so just capitalize,” White said. “We practice that type of stuff, just executing and staying calm in the moment. It’s kind of the big thing for me.” This was White’s third goal of the season for The Beach, which has her tied with junior forward Kailey Supa for third place in the team leaders for goals. In the first half, both teams had early offensive pressure, getting the ball in deep but neither team was able to record
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a shot on goal. Sophomore forward/ midfielder Cassidy Drago got a shot at the goal 19 minutes into the game but was saved by the Titans’ sophomore goalie Allison Craycroft. The Beach was able to record five more shots on goal after Drago, with White recorded two shots on goal, senior forward Radisson Banks recorded two shots on goal and junior defender Natalie Arnold, but all were saved by Craycroft. While the defense in the first half held the Titans to one shot, zero shots on goal, zero goals, zero assists, seven fouls, The Beach recorded nine shots, six shots on goal, one goal and four fouls. “I think we started really strong with our energy, we had our momentum going,” senior midfielder Jordan Candelaria said. “We were moving the ball, we knew what we had to do, like going around them, not trying to play through them.” The Titans also received two yellow cards earlier in the half to junior defender
Skye Johnson and senior midfielder Sail Bozinovic, both for unsportsman-like conduct. In the second half, The Beach’s defense allowed two goals to the Titans while also allowing seven shots, four shots on goal, three assists and eight fouls. Junior midfielder Jenna Rivera scored the first goal for the Titans with an assist from senior midfielder Camryn Cruz and senior defenseman Kaylin Raibon, which tied the game at one with 27 minutes left in the game. With this much time left, The Beach had multiple chances to retake the lead, with two their best chances coming from senior midfielder Cherrie Cox; both shots missed the net. With The Beach being unable to retake the lead, Johnson would score the second goal for the Titans with an assist from freshman defender Riley O’Brien, with only 14 minutes left in the game. The Beach also had chances to end the game tied at two, with their best
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chance again coming from Cox, who had the ball right in front of the tent, but the shot was blocked by the Titans. The Beach challenged the play for a potential foul, but after review it was determined that there was no foul and the Titans held on to take a 2-1 win. “They [the Titans] started taking their chances and we had to change shapes a little and unfortunately we created a lot of chances on the break, but we couldn’t capitalize on any of it,“ head coach Mauricio Ingrassia said. LBSU recorded six shots, zero shots on goal and were unable to score any goals in the second half. LBSU bounced back Saturday, Oct. 17, defeating UC Irvine 2-1 at Anteater Stadium. Junior midfielder Ameera White scored both goals on penalty kicks, securing a road victory for the Beach. LBSU will continue its road trip against UC San Diego on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m.
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SPORTS
LBSU men’s water polo takes down rival Fullerton, in a blowout BY JOHN-WYATT CRISTAN ERVIN Sports Reporter
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o. 10 Long Beach State men's water polo had a dominant 20-7 victory over No. 22 Cal State Fullerton on Friday, Oct. 16, bringing LBSU to a three-game winning streak. LBSU (14-5, 1-1 Big West) had a highscoring game off the backs of strong performances from both junior center Gabi Acosta and senior utility Marc Frigola Navarro, as the two both scored four goals. Additionally, Frigola had an assist, bringing him to five points and 230 points in his career, only one point away from LBSU’s career points record. “He’s [Frigola] the smartest player in the pool,” head coach Gavin Arroyo said. “It’s nice having a guy… that scores
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when he needs to score and can set other people up.” The Titans (17-10, 0-2 Big West) scored the first goal from freshman utility Jason Joseph in the first 20 seconds of the match. The Beach answered right back with their goal of the game at the seven-minute mark from the throw of junior center Corbin Stanley. Acosta finished the first quarter with a goal in the final 20 seconds, giving The Beach a 4-2 lead entering the second quarter. The second quarter was opened by The Beach’s sophomore attacker Federico Gulisano as he scored off the assist of junior attacker Harper Stewart, giving The Beach a 5-2 lead. The Titans answered back, scoring their first goal of the second quarter off the throw from freshman attacker Denes Dobi, cutting the lead to 6-3. The Beach finished the offensive half with a goal from a penalty shot by
Gulisano, giving them an 8-3 lead. They totaled 11 shots, with the Titans taking a total of 10 shots. “It feels really good to focus on us instead of the other team,” Frigola said, “Trying to do our thing, focusing on what we can do, and it worked out to [be] a great game.” The third quarter was opened by Frigola as he scored his third goal of the night with the assist from junior attacker, Olivér Sudár, which brought the lead to 9-3. Senior utility Ethan MacLeod brings the retaliation the Titans needed, scoring a solo goal into the cage and cutting the lead to 9-4. The Beach scored their own trio of goals by junior attacker Keegan Moore, freshman defender Sam Abbott and Acosta, lengthening the lead to 12-4. The Titans’ senior utility, Tony Benedetti, scored a buzzer-beater to end
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the quarter, making the match score 145. The Titans continued to struggle to find the answer for The Beach in the fourth quarter as they were outscored 6-2, which ended the game at a final score of 20-7. “Just trying to build some momentum, entering this latter part of the season,” Arroyo said, “Trying to get our heads right for the conference tournament.” LBSU returned to the pool Saturday, Oct. 17, defeating Chapman University 24-10 at the Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center. Marc Frigola and Federico Gulisano led the Beach with four goals each, improving the team’s overall record to 15-5. The Beach will host Stanford on Friday, Oct. 23, at 3 p.m. at the Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center.
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