Acsah Lemma's Camayak portfolio

EOP, Guardian Scholars alumni panel highlights Black excellence

2/20/24 - Long Beach, Calif: The Psychology department at CSULB houses one of eight locations for the Black Resource Center. The Africana Studies Department is located in the Psychology building in room 306. — Photo credit: Samuel Chacko

In celebration of Black History Month, the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) and Guardian Scholars hosted an alumni panel of first generation students to discuss their unique journeys and provide advice to students. Wednesday’s panel consisted of four CSULB alumni with experience in EOP, Guardian Scholars or the Black Resource Center. The EOP program offers support services to “historically low-income and...

CFA members approve tentative agreement

California Faculty Association faculty striking on the cross walk by the Walter Pyramid entrance on Atherton Street on Jan. 22, 2024. The tentative agreement between the CFA and the CSU was ratified on Monday, Feb. 19, and there have been mixed reactions to the ratification. — Photo credit: Naoki Gima

California Faculty Association (CFA) members approved a tentative agreement with the California State University on Monday with 76% of members voting in favor of ratifying the contract. The agreement now moves to the CSU Board of Trustees for their approval. The board is likely to vote on the agreement at their next meeting on March 24. “We thank members for...

Contract comparisons: Tentative agreement raises the floor for lowest-paid faculty

1/22/23 - Long Beach, Calif: People of all ages showed their support during the anticipated week-long CFA strike Monday afternoon as the official strike began at universities all across the CSU system. However, the CFA agreed upon a tentative labor agreement Monday night, which ended the strike that same day. — Photo credit: Samuel Chacko

By: Linsey Towles and Acsah LemmaMembers of the California Faculty Association (CFA) are set to vote on the tentative agreement that put an end to last week’s strike after one day, an agreement offering a handful of working condition improvements. On Jan. 22, the CFA called off the scheduled week-long strike after accepting a tentative agreement from the CSU. Union...

Mind matters: Sac State excels in mental health care for students

This year will be the 13th annual Sacramento State Out of the Darkness Campus Walk, which started back in 2012. — Photo credit: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Website

By: Cheyenne Elizarraras and Buddy Casiles Sacramento State holds an annual "Out of the Darkness" walk to tackle mental health issues and difficult topics. The events focus on engaging with the youth in the fight to prevent suicide and raise funds for suicide prevention. This walk was similar to Long Beach State's "Take Back the Night" event in 2019. The...

Taking advantage of the Equitable Textbook Access program

12/11/2023 - Long Beach, Calif: With Equitable Textbook Access on the rise, CSULB students are encouraged to look at the best option in buying textbooks to save money. — Photo credit: Mark Siquig

By: Mark Siquig and Melody Ortiz Data from two California universities shows promising results from students after implementing the Equitable Access program (EA), or Equitable Textbook Access program (ETA), which allows students to get all their required books for a flat rate each semester. University of California, Davis (UC Davis) and San Diego State University (SDSU) have implemented this new...

UPD uses decoy bikes to fight bike theft

A bike rack next to the University Police Department at Long Beach State. According to the Jeanne Cleary Report for CSULB, the most recurring crime on campus is bike theft. — Photo credit: Maverick Marcellana

By: Maverick Marcellana and Cynthia Mazariegos The Long Beach State University Police Department (UPD) attempted to fight against campus bike theft through programs like the U-Locks and in 2023, resorted to decoy bikes. The UPD planted decoys around campus to lure in thieves and track them down to find where they keep stolen bikes. “Having your bike stolen may impact...

California state universities develop new housing solutions for students

The Housing and Residential Life Office is in charge of the off-campus resources website. However, they do not regulate any of the activity from the listed resources including Rent College Pads and the Facebook groups. — Photo credit: Erika Figueroa

By: Leila Alarcon and Erika Figueroa As college students struggle to find housing, universities such as Cal Poly Humboldt and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo have developed off-campus housing programs to assist students. While Long Beach State is developing more off-campus resources, students currently looking for off-campus housing are directed to a webpage and a Facebook group run by three...

Israel-Palestine, a Middle Eastern Studies professor’s perspective

Yousef Baker, co-director of the Middle East Studies program, discusses the Israel-Palestine conflict. — Photo credit: Mark Siquig

Yousef Baker is the co-director of the Middle East Studies program at Long Beach State and an associate international studies professor according to his biography from the College of Liberal Arts. His work is centered on the Middle East and North Africa and he has recently been working on “issues of anti-Muslim racism and their connection to larger national and...

Israel-Palestine, a Jewish Studies professor’s perspective

Jeffrey Blutinger, director of the Jewish Studies program poses in front of the Jewish Studies board just outside of his office. — Photo credit: Naoki Gima

Jeffrey Blutinger is the director of the Jewish Studies program at Long Beach State and has spent an accumulated two and a half years living in Israel. According to his College of Liberal Arts biography, his research interests “lie at the intersection of Jewish intellectual and cultural history.” Blutinger teaches classes on Modern Jewish history, Zionism and Jewish Nationalism and...

By Acsah Lemma (Acsah as desk editor) + 4 others for Daily Forty-Niner - 4 min read

‘Do you know where you stand?’: Indigenous perspectives on land acknowledgments

11/14/23 CAL STATE LONG BEACH: Puvunga is marked on the west side of campus near the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden. This is a special site for local indigenous people and is regarded as the birthplace of the Gabrielino-Tongva people. — Photo credit: Linsey Towles

At Long Beach State, land acknowledgments are read before major events and California Faculty Association (CFA) meetings. According to anthropology professor Ronald Loewe, these land acknowledgments serve to recognize Indigenous people as the original inhabitants of the land.“The land acknowledgments [have] become so commonplace and so perfunctory that they kind of lose their meaning,” Loewe said.“It's like reciting a religious...