Long Beach Current; March 23, 2026

Long Beach current

1250 Bellflower Blvd., LA4-203 Long Beach, CA, 90804

Editorial Office

Phone (562) 985-8000

Dante Estrada

Multimedia Managing Editor multimedia@lbcurrent.com

Grace Lawson

Community Engagement Editor community@lbcurrent.com

News Editor

Arts & Life Editor

Opinions Editor

Sports Editor

Design Editor

Chief Copy Editor

Photo Editor

Social Media Editor

Video Editor

Podcast Editor

News Assistants

Arts & Life Assistants

Opinions Assistants

Sports Assistants

Design Assistants

Copy Assistants

Photo Assistants

Social Media Assistants

Video Assistants

Podcast Assistants

Khoury Williams Editor-in-Chief eic@lbcurrent.com

Isabella Garcia Managing Editor managing@lbcurrent.com

Third-year political science major Sonny Ciampa will serve a second term as ASI President, winning the election with 1,856 votes, leading the top 51% among the other two candidates.

Annette Quijada news@lbcurrent.com

Delfino Camacho arts@lbcurrent.com

Leyna Vu opinions@lbcurrent.com

Timothy Hessen sports@lbcurrent.com

Rebecca Lavond design@lbcurrent.com

Angela Osorio copy@lbcurrent.com

Charlotte LoCicero photo@lbcurrent.com

Erinna Lam socials@lbcurrent.com

Skylar Stock video@lbcurrent.com

Gianna Echeverria podcast@lbcurrent.com

Ethan Brown Jayden Sandstrom

Josephine Robinson

Joshua Flores

Nasai Rivas

Ni Baliness

Jason Green

Lila Mukasa

Joseph Lee

Monica Garcia

Christian Robledo

Alexys DeMaria

Monica Badolian

Xavier Constantino

Brianna Apodaca

Alan Ibarra

Junior Contreras

Brooke Williams

Gabrielle Lashley

Nhi Ho

Leyla Crail

Sasha Marantz

Josephine Kim

Joshua Min

Diego Perez

Eddy Cermeno

Rehansa Kulatilleke

Jorge Hernandez

Ethan Cohen

Valentina Villarreal

Alejandra Guerra

Mikaela Perez

Kiara Fillingim

Eli Vice

Bryan Viteri

Ava Richards

Brandon Rodriguez Crow Vides

Business

Creative Director

Web & Technology Director

PR & Marketing Manager

Distribution Manager

editors assistants advisers

Design Adviser

Content Adviser

Advertising & Business Adviser

Alicia Taylor creative@gobeach.media

Tasneem Iqbal web@gobeach.media

Erika Lacy pr@gobeach.media

Seiana Spencer-Kendrick distribution@gobeach.media

Gary Metzker

Barbara Kingsley-Wilson

Jennifer Newton

ASI president re-elected, new board announced

BY ANNETTE QUIJADA AND NATALY VALENCIA News Editor and Contributor

SCHARLOTTE LOCICERO/Long Beach

Current

CSULB released its final winners for the next government officials at the Speakers’ Platform on March 20. From left: Executive Vice President Samantha Renee Valdez, ASI President Sonny Ciampa, and Vice President of Finance Itzel Huerta.

onny Ciampa will serve as student president for a second term, along with an entirely new board of Associated Students, Inc. members, starting this fall.

“It’s an honor to be elected again,” Ciampa said, hands trembling with joy after Vice President of Student Affairs Beth Lesen made the announcement. “We’ve got to rebuild our campus community immediately, and that’s something I’m going [to work for] immediately.”

Dozens of students gathered to hear the election results at the Speaker’s Platform on Friday, following the recent elections from March 16–19.

3,702 students voted this year, which makes up 9% of the eligible-to-vote student population. Last year saw a similar number of voters, at 3,532.

Ciampa, a third-year political science major who won with 1,865 votes, said he plans to continue talking to students and visiting student spaces and clubs.

land acknowlEdgmEnt

The runner-up for ASI president was Nathan Garcia, at 1,780 votes.

Ciampa will be joined by Executive Vice President-elect Samantha Renee Valdez and Vice President of Finance-elect Itzel Huerta.

Valdez, a second-year business marketing major, currently serves as the University Student Union and Student Recreational and Wellness Center Board of Trustees vice chair. She proposed a weekly night market that contracts student vendors and brings more food variety to campus, compensating for the loss of the USU.

“I want to [build] a community where students can come back to campus and feel [an] environment and feel welcome,” Valdez said.

Valdez was the sole candidate running for her position and won with 3,541 votes.

Click here for the full story.

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:

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.

lEttEr Policy

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.

Haley Lopez Business Manager business@gobeach.media Monday, March 23, 2026

Commuter students struggle as gas prices surge amid global conflict

BY JOSHUA FLORES AND SKYLAR STOCK News Assistant and Video Editor

He watched the meter rise as his Kia K4’s gas tank filled up, what would have been a full tank at $35 has now changed to $70, a reality most students face at a commuter campus.

“I bought a car that was supposed to save me on gas, but now I’m going to my closest Arco or gas station next to me… it used to be $4 and then today I just saw it at $5.20,” third-year nursing major Jiovanni Fernandez said. “So that’s why it’s like, damn, I bought this [car] and now… I’m paying for the amount of a 20 miles per gallon car.”

Fernandez, who works as an EMT in addition to being a student, has to drive to Orange County for work during the week, and feels the price impact every time he has to fill his tank.

The war with Iran continues to drive up gas prices globally as the Strait of Hormuz, a vital strait located in the Persian Gulf that sees nearly 25% of the world’s oil moved through it, remains closed with no signs of it opening.

California has always had the highest gas price average in the United States

as well as the highest total gas tax. The average currently sits at $5.56 compared to the current national average of $3.84. However, the day prior to the war in Iran, gas prices averaged $4.64 and the national average was $2.98.

“Part of it is due to the war and then also right now in our region we see upward pressure of prices of gasoline because we are getting close to the warmer months,” Long Beach State professor of economics Herman Singh said. “We have a summer blend that we use so it requires more refining which increases the cost of producing it.”

Singh explained that as crude oil the U.S. imports gets more expensive, that is already in addition to the cost it takes to refine the oil for usage, as well as the implementation of the “summer blend” of gasoline, which is more complex to produce. Meaning gas prices were already set to rise as the months got warmer.

“So there’s a lot of upward pressure

that’s forcing our gas prices to still remain high, but a lot of it can be from the war that’s taking place in the Middle East,” Singh said.

As a commuter campus, students are feeling the impact of the increase at the pump and are trying to mitigate costs where they can.

“It’s crazy I’ve been like looking on Google Maps because they show the gas price before you go so I’ve been trying to find the cheapest thing,” fourth-year child development major Samaria Medina said. “Yeah, I’ve been skipping weekly matchas for sure and especially working part-time now, it’s just not cutting it with rent and stuff.”

Medina, who commutes from Downey, said that she sometimes opts to take the bus to campus to save on gas.

“I commute from East L.A. ...usually I drive 40 minutes here and back and I usually spend $50 every four days on gas so it does affect me a lot,” second-year

civil engineering major Joshua Pedroza said. “I don’t think the school can do much…a couple months ago the gas prices were definitely lower, I was paying $35 for half a tank now it’s around like $55.”

Despite military victories in the joint U.S.-Israeli Operation Epic Fury, the flow of oil has not returned to what it was before the war and prices continue to increase amid the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz to the U.S. and their allies’ ships.

With no definitive end in sight to the war and the price of gas continuing to increase, Americans are incurring a cost that has no signs of relenting soon.

“Prices are going to continue to increase as we get into the warmer months and again, if we lack that crude oil that we get from different parts of the world, that increases our cost of production and firms are going to follow suit accordingly and produce less at a higher price,” Singh said.

Renewed funding for College Corps secures limitless futures

BY ETHAN BROWN News Assistant

College Corps at The Beach has received three more years of funding from the state to continue to tailor students with paid internships at nonprofit organizations that combine the promotion of student success with meaningful community service.

The program, which is currently recruiting students for its fifth cohort in the fall, has ordained 217 Beachgoers since 2022 with the confidence and transferable

skills to find their future job.

“We run a very holistic program that is about creating those safe spaces for students to be themselves and lean into those strengths and skills that they have,” program director and co-principal investigator Beth Manke said. “And to figure out what their next step is.”

College Corps at Long Beach State offers undergraduate students the opportunity to complete two paid semester internships where they are paired with campus and community partners.

“It’s so important that we create match-

es that have the greatest potential to benefit both our students and the organization; that is what lends itself to these transformative experiences,” Manke said. “If the organization is hiring at the end, they are more likely to hire our students.”

Focusing on four key areas that help the community—K-12 education, food insecurity, healthy futures and environmental stewardship—participants have represented over 45 different majors.

The internship requires 450 hours, which 99% of student interns have successfully finished. Last year’s cohort completed

31,842 hours of service, contributed $1.1 million to the Long Beach economy and were paid in experience as well.

Manke encourages students to get 250 of the 450 hours done in the fall to make spring more viable.

“We are really committed to providing what we call wraparound services or a scaf fold approach,” Manke said. “Where our students have support from their site su pervisor and faculty fellows.”

College Corps is a governor’s initiative led by California Volunteers that collab orates with dozens of colleges and uni

versities across the state where qualified students can earn up to $10,000, reducing their debt and graduating on time while engaging with their community.

CSULB is part of the Coastal California Consortium branch, along with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Allan Hancock College, Cuesta College and Long Beach City Colleg.

“We are super excited to have a local collaborator here at LBCC,” Manke said. “We worked with them to hit the ground running—the consortium allows for the sharing of the best practices.”

Manke, who also teaches human development at Long Beach State, said students are still learning transferable skills like leadership, collaboration and time management even if they later realize that their future is down a different avenue.

“It’s really relationship building,” Manke said. “It’s a professional experience of

how I find my voice at my internship, make meaningful contributions and learn how to engage professionally.”

Data from the 2024–2025 cohort revealed that 96% of students identified as people of color, 70% self-identified as women and 59% were first-generation college students.

“Particularly first-generation students see this idea of getting an internship and graduating as really scary,” Manke said. “As stressful as college can be, there’s still a comfort in the rhythm and flow of knowing what is going to happen over the course of a semester.”

New cultural graduation celebration is coming to The Beach

BY KIMBERLY ROSS AND NATALIA CASTILLO Contributors

The Middle Eastern North African student group is bringing a new cultural graduation ceremony to Long Beach State’s spring commencement.

The ceremony will be held at The Pointe on Saturday, April 18 at 6 p.m., where graduating students will be able to immerse themselves in their culture while receiving their diplomas.

The graduation will offer the opportunity to be a part of a cultural dance, listen to music and wear custom sashes while they walk knowing that faculty will pronounce their names correctly.

The secretary of the Middle Eastern and North African Student Association, Danya Ali, will be attending the commencement as a third-year psychology student, graduating early from CSULB.

Ali said she is excited for the music and performances so others will be able to witness something memorable that she grew up with. Beyond that, Ali said she feels responsible to lead by example and make sure that every Middle Eastern North African person on campus is able to find community in the ceremony.

“People from North Africa, Southwest Asia, they all deserve that kind of representation and deserve to be able to look someone in the eye and feel understood without even sharing a conversation,” she said.

The founder and previous president of MENA, graduate student Lavinia Badrous, led the efforts to get their own graduation ceremony. Despite it being their first ceremony, it is predominantly student-led and won’t receive much assistance from the administration.

Badrous said the idea for a cultural graduation began while she was in search of more resources for Middle Eastern and North African students on campus.

After establishing the student association, she met with campus administrators to ask whether a cultural ceremony could be created for the community.

“I was just trying to advocate for as many resources as possible before I ended up leaving,” Badrous said. “I knew other cultural groups on campus had heritage months and cultural graduation[s], so I wanted to see what the process would be for us.”

Badrous and a committee of students are currently working with faculty to organize details such as ordering sashes, planning performances and coordinating the program. While administrators provide guidance, students are responsible for much of the planning process.

For Badrous, the ceremony is going to be meaningful for students who may feel disconnected from their cultural roots while navigating college in the United States.

“I come from an Egyptian background, and a lot of immigrants and

first-generation students can feel a sense of not belonging,” Badrous said. “The cultural graduation is important to create that sense of belonging and pride in one’s own culture and community.”

Since announcing the ceremony, Badrous said students have responded enthusiastically, many offering to contribute ideas for the event.

“A lot of students are coming to me personally and requesting songs that they want to hear,” Badrous said. “Even students who aren’t formally part of the committee still want to help and see the event succeed.”

Students don’t have to be part of the student club to participate in the graduation ceremony.

“Our differences don’t divide us but instead bring us together,” Badrous said. “Highlighting those differences is important for our identity and for building community.”

New bill would grant associate degrees to former CSULB students

BY ETHAN BROWN News Assiant

An unprecedented partnership between Long Beach State and Long Beach City College has been introduced to the California legislature by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach).

Lowenthal, who represents the 69th district, is piloting a program to retroactively award joint associate degrees to former Long Beach State students to close the “some college, no degree” gap.

“The path to success is often not linear,” Lowenthal said. “Many of these students withdrew due to circumstances such as family caregiving obligations or personal and financial challenges.”

If Gov. Gavin Newsom signs the bill in late summer, AB 1858 would authorize CSULB and LBCC to pilot a joint associate degree program that gives qualified former students a diploma.

The requirements to qualify for a joint associate degree:

• Completion of at least 60 units overall

• 2.0 overall GPA

• 2.0 CSULB GPA

• At least 12 units at CSULB

• Left school within the last decade

Data provided by CSULB shows that 1,103 former students would qualify –which counts for over 11% of discontinued Beachgoers within the past 10 years.

The way Vice Provost of Academic Planning Dhushy Sathianathan explains it, were students to have taken courses at LBCC, and provided they passed the classes, these students would have been awarded an associate degree, and community college is a free education.

“This is sort of a way of reimbursing them,” Sathianathan said. “Since they had to pay for classes here at CSULB, we should be rewarding them for the units they have completed.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, associate degree holders earn 18% more than individuals with only a high school diploma.

For Lowenthal, this is all about meet-

More than 1,000 former Long Beach State students could soon receive diplomas for work they already

Beach Assemblymember becomes law this summer.

ing former students where they are at. When introducing AB 1858, Lowenthal said, “This pilot will help former students earn a meaningful degree that supports better jobs, higher wages, and economic mobility.”

The pilot program requires three more CSU universities and community college districts to participate. The eligibility extends back 10 years to ensure transcript validity.

Sathianathan said that although the program is concerned with awarding former students, if the pilot succeeds and the system is put in place, the partnership has an eye toward the future.

“It may be hard to find, ask and cre-

dential people if they want their diploma retroactively,” Sathianathan said. “But the goal is eventually to inform students thinking about dropping out that they are only however many units away from being eligible for this incentive.”

According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, more than 6 million Californians have attended some college without earning a degree or credential.

“CSULB and LBCC are flagship institutions among their peers, the best of the best,” Lowenthal said. “If the pilot is successful, there is no reason it cannot be implemented statewide.”

The program’s trial period would

go through until January 1, 2032, when community colleges and CSU chancellors would jointly submit a report evaluating its effectiveness.

“The system needs to signal to the job market, acknowledging the work that people have done and broadcasting it to the world,” Lowenthal said. “This program does exactly that.”

ARTS & LIFE

The LGBTQ+ Resource Center will host the annual Trans Week of Joy from March 23 to 27.

BY MONICA GARCIA Arts & Life Assistant

The LGBTQ+ Resource Center will host the annual Trans Week of Joy celebration at Long Beach State for a series of events including mural decorating, boba mixers and live drag shows.

Trans Week of Joy will be celebrated from March 23 to 27 in various locations around campus.

Trans Education for Trans Futures: Community Chalk Mural

Trans Week of Joy will be kicked off with a community chalk mural scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, March 23 in the Upper Quad center walkway.

Participants will have to check in with the LGBTQ+ Resource Center to participate and photos will be taken throughout the event to capture the art process.

“I think a lot of times when folks talk about the trans community, it can be a little little down, and there’s so much light and so much joy that comes in the community as well,” Ash Preston, assistant director of the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, said.

Students, staff and faculty members will have the opportunity to add their message and art to a chalk mural, which will remain displayed throughout the week as a symbol of visibility.

Boba Mixer with the Trans and Queer Faculty Staff Association

The LGTBQ+ Resource Center and the Trans and Queen Faculty Staff Association are collaborating to host a social boba mixer from 4 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25 in PH1-230.

“Being able to see yourself beyond the boundaries of typical gender that it’s presented to us in society, I think, is real-

ly groundbreaking,” Preston said.

Students and staff are invited to enjoy a drink, socialize and celebrate the community together,

“Trans joy is not about just the individual, but really about the community aspect of our joy put together and celebrating ourselves and our ability to be as authentic to ourselves as possible,” Preston said.

Name and Gender Change Information Workshop

The LGBTQ+ Center’s Legal Services department will host a name change information workshop from 3 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 26 in PH1-230.

The legal services team will provide legal information on California’s name change process and regulations.

Students will have the opportunity to ask questions and get connected with services to file if interested.

Trans Week of Joy coming to The Beach soon

Care Fair

The CSULB student-led Radical Hope Project will organize a free resource fair with art activities and drag performances from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, March 26 at the Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum. Attendees of all ages are invited to attend the Care Fair to partake in community building, improv and craft-making. Visitors are encouraged to RSVP through the CSULB Events and Orgs page before the event to help accommodate guests.

“We’re all humans. We’re all growing and learning together and moving through this world together,” Preston said. “I think by allowing that diversity and the differences in those stories, we’re able to see so much more of opportunities life can offer us.”

Campus study spots that help students stay on track

NATALIA CASTILLO

Contributor

Construction, heat and midterms aren’t the ideal mix for Long Beach State students this spring semester.

While midterms can be stressful and overwhelming, there are specific places on campus where students can study in a relaxing and productive atmosphere.

Second-year English literature student Lesly Agustin Hernandez said she prefers sitting outside on the lawn in upper campus when studying.

She enjoys being in the fresh air without being so close to others.

“The noise level is good too,” said Agustine. “People are walking by, but it’s not constant loud noise.”

Even with the recent heat wave affecting Long Beach, shady areas across the lawn keep people cool and are ideal places to wind down and focus. The scenic area gives students an open space to enjoy nature while reviewing lecture notes or cramming for an exam.

Fourth-year psychology student Emily Mueller says she enjoys studying on the fifth floor of the library. Designated as one of the University Library’s group

study floors, many people are socializing and working in groups.

“I like a little background noise,” said Mueller. “As long as I’m not actively hearing people’s conversations, it’s nice.”

A portion of the second floor of the library, the children’s section, is another good study spot. While there are rarely children there, the area is a no-shushing zone that never gets too loud.

Midterms are ongoing, and students have to navigate stress, heat and continuing construction. However, one of these study spots can be the perfect environment for a student preparing for their midterms.

First-year art student Sona Matsunami acts as a mediator in the friendly debate of outdoor study spots versus indoor, and said that she likes being both outdoors and indoors when studying.

Matsunami comes to campus and studies four days a week. She frequents the first floor of the library or the tables outside the Fine Arts buildings, but slightly favors the outdoors.

“Weirdly, I feel like being outside is more private than being in the library,” said Matsunami. “I stay outside when I don’t want to feel like I’m in an enclosed space and I don’t want to interact with people.”

ARTS & LIFE

HASHER GHAFOOR/Long Beach Current

The Muslim Resource Center on campus was host to Ramadan-themed decorations, as many students participated in the monthlong fast.

BY HASHER GHAFOOR Contributor

On March 19, Muslims across campus and the nation broke their fast at sundown—following 12 hours without water and food across 30 consecutive days.

Ramadan is the ninth and holiest month in the Islamic Calendar, Muslims fast from dawn until sunset while they increase prayers, study and give charity.

The month commemorates when the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.

During Ramadan, many Muslim students at Long Beach State reflect on their faith, build discipline and connect with their community. The challenges of fasting as a student reflect in balancing their academics, commutes and campus life with their faith.

Fasting CSULB students voluntarily go without water or food for several hours on campus.

Despite the challenges, many Muslim students stay motivated, committed to their beliefs and their academics. The 37 student members of the Muslim Student Association made efforts to support one another throughout the 30 days.

“Fasting while being on campus is very interesting since we want to focus

on our worship while also staying on top of classwork, exams and other commitments,” psychology major Lujain Almahdi said. “I make sure to set my intentions like my classwork and degree as I’ll be rewarded one day for my hard work through fasting and being a Muslim.”

Almahdi has been the president of the MSA at CSULB since May 2025, now with nearly 40 students.

She joined to surround herself with Muslim students who prioritize success.

Despite the faith-based side of fasting, it affects students’ physical routines.

Headaches and migraines are common for many students.

“Many of us experience headaches from caffeine withdrawals, while others get really tired throughout the day from a lack of food,” said Almahdi. “At the end of the day, we underestimate how much time we spend eating since I have more time for other things while staying away from hydration and food.”

Observing Ramadan requires every Muslim to fast – unless they are a child, an adult who is pregnant or sick.

“When I was a kid, I used to fast for half days just to practice and be included with everyone around me who was fasting,” Almahdi said. “I found it very fun and relaxing growing up and once I matured, Ramadan became [easier] and

Breaking fast, building community during Ramadan

comforting to fast for all thirty days.”

Some students, like communications major Nadia Alamad, find ways to keep themselves busy until they can break fast.

“It’ll surprise some people but [going to] school here at CSULB has made my fasts easy since I keep myself busy throughout the day,” said Alamad. “It only gets difficult when I’m constantly walking to my classes but outside of that, it’s very doable.”

Alamad is a new student at CSULB and member of the Muslim Student Association.

“Students are very kind towards my faith,” Alamad said. “Anytime fasting is mentioned, they approach me with a lot of nice questions and sincerity.”

Some students felt more connected with Islam through Ramadan as it was their first time fasting.

“I reverted from being Agnostic since I always believed in one God,” mechanical engineering major Darian Javaheri said. “I did my research on Islam as I found it to be very serious and simple just the way I wanted a religion to be.”

Javaheri is used to fasting while playing sports.

“Having no water while being an athlete was somewhat hard but it allowed me to become closer to God which helped me push forward,” Javaheri said.

Biomedical engineer Tala Almnini has been part of MSA for over a year, fasting for almost a decade.

“It’s hard fasting while having exams and projects but being able to at least break my fast with a date while being on campus is really helpful,” Almnini said. “I’ve made so many friends through this club and have experienced positive manners from my professors this month.”

Almini said that fasting is a necessary and important sacrifice for all Muslims. She has found self-discipline and peace in fasting throughout her life.

“It truly humbles you and it’s beautiful to feel for yourself,” Almnini said.

During Ramdan, the Muslim Resource Center offers student space to rest, pray, study and find community.

But with Ramadan over and Eid alFitr, or the “Festival of Breaking the Fast,” occurring this past weekend, Muslim students will continue being close to their faith in other ways, while managing their education.

Family photos: Happy memories or unseen chaos?

BY EVA LEBLANC Contributor

Family gatherings are supposed to be about catching up, hearing new stories and simply being together, but they always end with a time-consuming family photo.

Pictures of family should reflect good times spent with loved ones, but in my family, they reflect chaos, complaining and sometimes irritation.

Even though I’m an only child, my great-grandmother had 13 children, so our family gatherings have turned into a hectic crowd of relatives. Family reunions mean trying to fit over 80 family members into one photo, where even smaller gatherings try to slot more than 30 people together.

With my extremely large family of numerous aunts, uncles and cousins, taking a family photo is never easy. People complain about where they should

stand, how they don’t look good or ask to take one more because they may have blinked. Other times, some people don’t even make it into the frame because someone is in the bathroom, an annoyed cousin doesn’t want to be in the photo or someone is too busy eating to notice we are taking a picture.

My family photos end up taking 30 minutes to an hour because most of the time is spent complaining or talking over each other. This time could be spent making memories and being in the moment with family, yet these photos are often the finale of the gathering. By the time the photo is taken, everyone’s social battery is drained. Instead of genuine smiles, everyone is making an “Are we done yet?” face.

Although pictures with family can help create lifelong memories, they often create unnecessary stress.

Students with large families like mine have to endure the constant arguing and nitpicking that takes place while

posing for the “perfect” family photo.

“I feel like taking photos feels staged and a little inauthentic,” fourth-year biomedical engineering student Ava Eazor said. “After all the stress and fighting, I don’t think genuine smiles are easy to find.”

I’m not saying photos aren’t important. Memories matter, and moments with family should be remembered.

“Though taking family photos is a whole routine and stressful, I never regret taking them,” second-year nursing student Mia Isabella Jen said.

When the time comes to take pictures, it shouldn’t mean that conversations, eating and reminiscing have to come to an end. When I am with my family, my first thought is not, “Let me take out my phone and take a picture with EVERYONE here.” Instead, it is something like, “Wow, there is my cousin who I haven’t seen in a long time. I wonder what they have been up to?”

I would enjoy family photos more if

they weren’t as chaotic. I love my family, but I wish family photos could happen without five aunts giving directions over each other, a baby fussing or an uncle asking “What?” constantly.

Pictures are important because they are a visible memory of loved ones and generations of a family coming together. Being with family should feel natural and comforting. I am grateful to spend time with my extended family because I don’t see them often, but when a camera is put in front of everyone, postures tense up and smiles look forced.

I think candid family photos would make gatherings more enjoyable because they do a better job of portraying the moment. When looking back at family photos, I would rather see pictures of family casually laughing mid-conversation or all the children circling around grandma, not family members being perfectly placed with fake smiles.

Family photos should be authentic, not stressful and overly coordinated.

Taking portraits: Reframing our perspective in the way we frame photos

BY JOSEPHINE ROBINSON News Assistant

My favorite photo of my mom is damaged.

It’s a seemingly “spur of the moment” shot. She’s sitting on a plastic fold-out chair, leaning on a guitar laid across her lap, when someone snapped her portrait with a disposable camera on its last leg of life.

The photo looks like someone lit half of it on fire. You can hardly see her face with the film consumed in burnt orange and the photographer’s thumb smudging one corner of the uneven frame, but

in my opinion, it’s one of the most genuine photos ever taken of my mom.

Authenticity in photos is a tall order.

With social media hot on our tails to post what we’re doing at all times, we expect our photos to perfectly sum up how we look, how much fun we had or how put together our lives appear to be.

Photos no longer feel like they’re memorializing a fleeting moment; instead, they feel like a desperate attempt to obtain proof that it happened, leading us to manufacture a candid moment or even put it through a series of filters to get that final effect of, well, perfection.

As a consequence, we get angry at ourselves for not being “photogenic” or

that a moment isn’t captured perfectly, invariably missing it all together.

It’s incredibly easy to get swept up in this line of thinking, both as a participant and a viewer. In these moments, I think back to that photo of my mom, how its imperfections require the viewer to instead imagine what life was like then, to wonder what was happening only minutes before someone decided they had to stop everything to take a picture.

Back then, capturing a moment like this came with a tax. Cameras didn’t have the unlimited capacity our phones do today, and you wouldn’t know if that split second you tried to capture was worth it until you got a print weeks later.

While photos today are taken with the intent to tell viewers everything that happened in that moment, there’s solace in the ones that require you to wonder.

Photo courtesy

of

JOSEPHINE ROBINSON

After all that effort, it’d be silly to discard something just because it wasn’t “perfect,” especially when it encourages you to remember how you were feeling then, what you were thinking and the conversations you were having.

How did we let perfect become the enemy of good when it comes to snapping moments of ourselves or the experiences we’re living through?

If we compare a photo of a sunset to the real thing, we can accept that the camera will be inadequate in capturing the beauty of it, not that the sunset wasn’t beautiful to begin with. It is hardly fair to expect the contrary to ourselves.

Photos are meant to encompass a brief second within our larger life. We shouldn’t be discouraged that something so brief doesn’t live up to the real thing.

Perhaps if the opportunity to take a photo were scarcer again, we can appreciate the ones we do manage to capture, or, we simply acknowledge that a photo shouldn’t adequately capture the fullness of a person, place or moment. Maybe then, will we allow ourselves the chance to live the life we wish to commemorate in the first place.

Why African American representation in cinema matters

BY RAFA GABRIEL ADRID Contributor

For audiences familiar with Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” the power of African American storytelling and performance is unmistakable. However, Black cinema’s influence extends far beyond the present moment — its history reveals an established role in shaping culture and amplifying voices during pivotal movements, including the fight for civil rights.

By analyzing these films with a critical eye, people can observe how they not only reflect African American stories, but the stories of our changing society.

In particular, Daniel Petrie’s 1961 film “A Raisin in the Sun” demonstrated the struggles of an African American household in the 50s.

In the movie, Sidney Poitier plays the so-called head of the household, Walter

Lee Younger, an extremely ambitious man desperate to attain long-lasting wealth, even at the cost of gambling away his mother’s $10,000 insurance check.

“A Raisin in the Sun” is a powerful and enduring work that displays the horrid nature of toxic masculinity and greed, while also showcasing the strong familial bonds that can overcome any adversity.

This film makes the effort to depict the African American family in a way similar to how a white family would be shown in a movie, a modern choice for a film made in this era.

Over the years, African American cinema has moved away from period dramas like Petrie’s and toward a vibrant style better suited to attracting a mainstream audience.

Nowadays, Black cinema has moved toward blending African American culture with a variety of genres, including

horror, comedy, musicals and animation, to name a few.

Jordan Peele’s “Us” is a perfect example of this evolution in Black cinema. Peele’s directorial cinematography has garnered praise for its thematic elements that address systemic racism in the United States.

The film follows Adelaide and her family trying to enjoy their vacation in Santa Cruz. During the night, the family is ambushed by people who look exactly like them.

The film’s biggest takeaway is the portrayal of the Tethered, doppelganger-like humans that live underground.

The Tethered can be viewed as a metaphor for the oppressed and marginalized groups in the United States. Moreover, Peele’s “Us” is filled with many hidden meanings and Easter eggs that viewers should unpack for themselves.

In short, films such as “A Raisin in the Sun” and “Us” show us how Black films can educate viewers, provide space to feel seen and create an appreciation of a culture that has been undermined for generations, furthering their importance and proving why projects like these remain crucial to a developing society.

On March 15, Michael B. Jordan won the coveted Best Actor Oscar award for his work on “Sinners.” During his speech, Jordan emphasized that his success is rooted in those who paved the way before him, naming Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington and countless other Black artists who have performed on screens around the world.

African American representation is vital in cinema for fighting against stereotypes while continuing to uplift and inspire Black Americans across the country, proving that their stories matter.

‘Pick me, choose me, hate me’: The weaponization of pick-me culture in girl friendships

BY LEYLA CRAIL AND JOSEPHINE KIM Copy Assistants

Lately, it seems like a “pick-me girl” is one of the worst things a woman can be called.

She is characterized as someone who doesn’t wear heels or makeup but rather watches football and considers themselves “one of the boys.” However, a “pick-me girl” can also be someone who puts herself down and makes herself look weak to receive male validation and be seen as “cute.”

The idea of a “social chameleon” takes shape with this concept, where some women try to blend into a situation to be liked by those around them, using any means necessary. Essentially, this mirrors a performance and makes the characterization of a “pick-me” so broad.

The rise of the term is attributed to the growth of social media platforms but is now being carelessly thrown around— another word added to the growing thesaurus of misogynistic terms used to berate women.

Across social media, girls are doing “POV” skits of “pick-me” girls, acting out the persona of a male-centered girl who performs to feed into the male gaze.

The “pick-me” trend started with an audio clip from the TV show “Grey’s Anatomy,” where Meredith Grey pleads to Derek Shepherd, “Pick me, choose me, love me.” Though the term did not originate from this clip, it did spark the rise in “pick-me”-centered POV skits on TikTok.

This phrase is now overused and diluted, serving as an umbrella term for any behavior that other girls may not agree with.

She doesn’t care for her physical appearance? Pick-me. She’s invested in her physical appearance? Pick-me. She’s too dressed up for a night out? Pick-me. She’s not dressed up enough for a night out? Pick-me.

We can truly never win.

Because of this, it almost seems like women are living in this constant fear of being “too much” when they are simply trying to be themselves. Who says girls can’t like football or be invested in how they look? The term has simply become a new way for women to hate on each other under the guise of looking out for other girls, without being seen as a “mean girl.”

What began as a feminist term—originally used to call out women who put down others to make themselves look better—has now become unfeminist.

Samantha Lim, a third-year pre-nutrition and dietetics major, defined a pick-me as “a girl who likes and wants to be the center of attention 24/7. A girl who likes to take other girls’ spotlight to gain something and wants attention and approval for everything.”

Lim said the rise of pick-me culture in girls’ groups has led to feeling seclud-

Graphic by GABRIELLE LASHLEY/Long Beach Current With the rise of social media, the term “pick-me girl” has turned into another form of policing for women. Female solidarity is not about harmful labels but, rather, what we can do as women to uplift and support each other.

ed, causing tensions between women.

“Everything becomes about comparison and desire for attention and approval,” Lim said.

However, a “girl’s girl,” which is essentially the opposite of a “pick-me,” can be just as harmful. A “girl’s girl” is someone who views other women as allies and upholds strong loyalty—like never dating an ex or putting down another woman.

The true idea of a “girl’s girl” is a woman who uplifts other women and encourages them in every aspect of their lives. She is someone that can be counted on by supporting, listening and advocating for others.

It could be as simple as discreetly pointing out the lipstick on a girl’s teeth or as big as standing up for another woman when she’s disrespected or criticized unfairly.

But the term has quickly lost its meaning with the influx of social media, and it has driven women farther apart.

In a Medium article, author Julia Borres follows the idea that the term “girl’s girl” has unraveled to become something harmful whenever a man enters the equation.

“What began as a term about women-centered solidarity has, in popular use, become tangled up in male-centered drama,” Borres wrote.

When a woman is interested in her

friend’s former love interest, people rush to point fingers and label her as not a “girl’s girl,” but not even a fraction of that same energy is present when a woman openly insults another’s work ethic.

This creates a double standard for the idea of “girls supporting girls,” pitting us against each other and making women pawns of the patriarchy.

Terms like “pick-me” and “girl’s girl” are becoming another way to generate misogyny and police women’s behavior, fostering hate and division among us. Instead of slapping labels on every woman and trying to decide if she’s a “pick-me” or a “girl’s girl,” we should focus on supporting each other, no matter what.

We are too distracted by these terms, whose social values have been determined and defined by constantly shifting internet narratives and performative social media culture. Instead, we should ask ourselves why our attention isn’t fixed on real and urgent issues that are actively affecting women’s lives, like pregnant women receiving inadequate care in U.S. detention facilities.

If we truly care about women, our solidarity should go beyond simple terminology and labels that pit us against each other. It should extend into real-world advocacy because feminism and women’s rights are far more important than simple internet discourse.

Hawai’i plays spoiler on LBSU’s alumni day

DUPREE DE LA PENA

Contributor

After splitting Friday’s doubleheader with a walk-off win and a mercy-rule shutout loss, Long Beach State could not carry momentum into Saturday as the University of Hawai‘i rallied in the sixth inning for a 3–2 victory on March 21.

A packed LBSU Softball Complex saw both fans and LBSU alumni come out to support in honor of Kim Sowder, the recently retired head coach of 19 years for The Beach.

Before the game started, throwing the honorary first pitch was Sowder with the University of Hawai’i head coach and LBSU alumna Panita Thanatharn at the catcher’s plate.

LBSU head coach Kendall Fearn is currently in her first year as head coach, attempting to fill the 19-year-old shoes of Sowder’s.

“45 years of history in the softball pro-

gram, Kim [Sowder] had an outstanding career, to have the turnout that we did to celebrate her and this great program was pretty special,” Fearn said. “A lot of Long Beach softball love was here today.”

Long Beach State (5–3 Big West, 18–13 overall) fed off the energy from the Beach’s alumni day with a shutout first inning from junior pitcher Kate Barnett.

“Everybody is super excited,” Barnett said. “There’s a lot of familiar faces. The energy was high the entire day, and the team did a really great job of staying positive.”

A quick 1–0 lead from LBSU lead off batter, right fielder Lina Apodaca, who was hit by a pitch and in scoring position off a steal, scored off an RBI sacrifice fly to right field by sophomore first baseman Priscilla Iniguez.

The Rainbow Wahine’s senior designated player Millie Fidge answered with a solo homerun to quiet down the cheerful LBSU alumni in attendance to start the second inning.

For alumni Cassie Camou, who

played for The Beach from 2020 to 2024, the importance of the energy alumni bring to the team was clear.

“It was great to see everybody being able to reconnect with people that I played with in the past,” Camou said. “[Alumni] know that alumni play a big part in our energy in the dugout, so being able to bring that to them was exciting.”

The Beach would start to get the bats rolling with a double from junior designated player Brooklyn Lee and an RBI single from sophomore catcher Audree Mendoza to jump to another lead of 2–1.

Barnett started the day as starting pitcher and was briefly subbed out in the fourth inning, but placed back in when two runners were walked onto base by LBSU freshman pitcher Pricilla Ramirez.

A confident Barnett felt the team’s defensive play was reliant upon one another in the heightened environment of alumni day.

“Every single pitch, I knew my defense and catcher were going to have my back;

Long Beach State freshman third baseman Nina Sepulveda rushes toward a ball hit toward her during a game against Hawai’i on March 21.

ETHAN COHEN/ Long Beach Current

sometimes you do amazing and get out softballed,” Barnett said. “ I think we played amazing and I know we’re going to make adjustments.”

The jam The Beach found themselves in the fourth inning when both teams cooled off offensively with three consecutive scoreless innings leading into the sixth.

Hawai’i fans would start the sixth inning roaring after an RBI hit by senior centerfielder Maycen Gibbs, followed by a fielding error from LBSU, which would advance Gibbs to third base.

Threatening to score again, Hawai’i junior third baseman Jamie McGaughey would hit a sacrifice fly to right field to bring Gibbs home, giving the Rainbow Wahine their first lead of the day at 3-2.

The Beach would fail to get momentum going into the final inning, with two quick pitches being flyouts and the game concluding with a groundout from freshman catcher Elissa Guerrero.

“It’s learning from this and hitting the reset,” Fearn said. “We’re an offense that is more into throwing punches, and we didn’t see that in the last two games.”

With Hawai’i locking up the third game of the series and taking the tiebreaker, The Beach gear up for a Big West conference road trip series against UC San Diego starting March 27.

No. 3 Hawai’i sweeps No. 2 LBSU to complete doubleheader

BY MONICA BADOLIAN Sports Assistant

In the second match of a back-to-back Big West series, No. 2 Long Beach

State men’s volleyball fell once again to No. 3 University of Hawai’i, this time in straight sets (25-18, 25-22, 25-20) at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid on Saturday.

The night before, The Beach forced the Rainbow Warriors into a five-set match, but this time could not keep up the energy.

Hawai‘i took control with steady pressure and well-timed scoring kills.

LBSU stayed close early in the first set, helped by kills from sophomore outside hitter Alex Kandev and freshman opposite Wojciech Gajek.

However, Hawai‘i pulled ahead with

a mid-set surge and won the set 25-18.

In the second set, The Beach found its rhythm on offense with help from Gajek and senior outside hitter Skyler Varga. A late push brought LBSU to a tie at 19-19, but Hawai’i finished strong to win the set and go up 2-0.

In the third set, The Beach kept battling, with Kandev and Gajek making key plays in the middle and securing multiple kills. However, Hawai‘i stayed in control down the stretch and won the match with a decisive 25-20 set win.

Despite the loss, Gajek followed up his 22 kill performance from the night before with a 16 kill performance.

Varga and Kandev trailed behind Gajek in leading The Beach offense with seven and six kills, respectively.

Leading the Rainbow Warriors to their victory Saturday night was the tan-

JORGE HERNANDEZ/Long Beach Current Long Beach State redshirt freshman setter Jake Pazanti, sophomore middle blocker Braedon Marquardt, and senior outside hitter Skyler Varga stands ready as they take on Hawaii during the second set on March 21. The Beach got swept by the rainbow warriors 3-0 at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid with 44.0 points.

dem of sophomore Kristian Titriyski and junior outside hitter/opposite Louis Sakanoko, who combined for 26 kills.

“We’re going to continue to respond,”

LBSU head coach Nick MacRae said.

“We’re going to continue to lean in, im-

prove, and work on our craft. And from the top down, from our two leaders, [Kandev] and [Varga], they’re going to continue to lead the way.”

Click here for the full story.

Catching The Wave: Another March, another miss for Long Beach State

BY TIMOTHY HESSEN Sports Editor

It was just two years ago when Long Beach State students could get together at The Nugget Grill & Pub to watch their school’s men’s basketball team compete in March Madness.

It was then when longtime LBSU head coach Dan Monson, whose firing had already been announced earlier in the season, led The Beach to an unlikely Big West Championship victory and an ensuing NCAA Tournament appearance.

Two years later, not only is The Nugget no more, but The Beach has yet to reach the illustrious March Madness tournament again and looks nowhere close to being back.

The first two years of head coach Chris Acker’s tenure at LBSU have resulted in uninspiring ninth and 10th place Big West finishes, falling outside the top eight seeds that qualify for the postseason tournament. The eyes of opposing Big West stars must light up

when they see a date at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid on their schedule, as LBSU has ranked consistently as one of the worst defenses in the conference over the last two years.

The Beach ranked 10th and eighth respectively in the Big West the last two seasons in opponent field goal percentage allowed.

Acker and his coaching staff have struggled to find strong defenders or rebounders in the frontcourt, as The Beach have ranked dead last in the conference in rebounds per game in both of the last two seasons.

If LBSU fans are looking for cause for optimism in the program turning things around, look no further than this year’s additions of freshman guard Gavin Sykes and sophomore forward Petar Majstorovic.

In his first season of college ball, Sykes started the year coming off the bench, but quickly blossomed into a scorching scorer for LBSU, finishing second in the Big West in points per game at 19.4.

Sykes was named Big West Freshman of the Year in recognition of his spectacular season.

Meanwhile, the Syracuse transfer in Majstorovic

quickly established himself as leader at The Beach this season, and trailed only Sykes on the team in scoring at 14.4 points per game, good for 13th in the conference.

While these two budding stars are set to be building blocks for a rebuilding LBSU program, the next challenge for The Beach will be to avoid losing these players to the transfer portal.

LBSU assistant coach John Montgomery explained to the Long Beach Current in September how upward mobility is a major selling point when recruiting for a mid-major, referring to Devin Askew, The Beach’s lead scorer from two years ago who transferred to Villanova University.

“We use [Askew] a lot in selling ourselves to recruits,” Montgomery told the Current. “It’s like, ‘Look what happened to him.’ He came here and now he’s getting millions at the high-major level, and you guys will have that same opportunity.”

Whether Sykes and Majstorovic choose to continue at The Beach or take the route Askew did a year ago will play a major role in the success of LBSU’s rebuild.