Beach Blast 2 still on hold

By Lyndsey Shinoda
Daily Forty-Niner

Beach Blast 2 has not quite left the ground yet.

By this time last year, the original Beach Blast had taken place in The Pyramid. The venture that cost $84,000 lost $56,260. This year, Beach Blast 2 aims to be better prepared, said Chance Decker, executive administrator of Associated Students Inc.

In order to put on a more profitable show, Decker said A.S.I. will have better date selection than the last -which was on a Tuesday night - and will allow enough time for marketing. He attributed low attendance at last year's show to a lack of publicity.

"I think that we can definitely throw a successful event," Decker said. "We just need to make sure we have the support of students and other entities on campus. The hardest part is getting there."

Decker is currently working on finding an act for Beach Blast 2, but he said the $50,000 budget makes it difficult to book the big name acts that students want.

"Students always want really big acts like Limp Bizkit or Eminem, but if we want to keep the ticket prices low, we have to get a medium-priced act," Decker said.

"I would go depending on what band was playing," said senior Jaime Sanchez, political science major. "But I don't see the university using their facilities to promote concerts. It's supposed to be a place of higher learning."

Decker said A.S.I. is aiming to keep ticket prices between $15 and $20.

Medium-priced acts Black Eyed Peas, Reel Big Fish and headliner Smashmouth took center stage at last year's concert. Decker said this year, A.S.I. might join forces with MTV's Campus Invasion tour so that there will be free publicity. He said MTV was interested in bringing the tour to CSULB this fall, but the dates did not work because of conflicts with athletics and other events in The Pyramid. Entertainment Commissioner Josh Edrington said A.S.I. has March 22 and April 19 on hold for possible concert dates.

Decker said the MTV event is the best possibility so far because they will provide stage, lighting, sound and entertainment for a set price. The Campus Invasion tour features Wyclef Jean, De La Soul and the Black Eyed Peas.

"It all depends on who's going to play," said junior Carol Tangonan, computer science major. "If it's somebody famous, there wouldn't be a loss, but if it's someone starting out, it's not worth it."

Other possibilities include having a smaller concert in the Carpenter Performing Arts Center. But Decker said the main goal of having Beach Blast 2 is to promote the university and The Pyramid as a concert venue.

"I would be extremely happy if it just broke even," Decker said. "We just want to put on a positive event for students."

Former worker's trial set

By Jina Tedmori
Daily Forty-Niner

After a preliminary hearing in the Municipal Court, a former Cal State Long Beach employee is scheduled for a jury trial Jan. 11.

Fountain Valley resident Roger McGookin, 63, worked in the Educational Psychology Clinic until his arrest last summer. He was brought up on six felony charges, including five for lewd conduct with a minor, and one for distributing pornographic material to a minor under 14 years of age.

"All felonies start out in Municipal Court where the trial is assessed, it then goes to Superior Court," Lesley Klein, deputy district attorney said. "If a case can be solved without a jury it is done so, and if not, a jury date is set."

A jury trial date was set because the case was unable to be resolved in the preliminary hearing Oct 6.

"Normally, they would break it down to a misdemeanor. It's up to the courts and judges," said Sgt. Steve Filippini, a spokesman for the Long Beach Police Department. "But because there's so many counts, he might serve a lot of time."

The employees of the CSULB Educational Psychology Clinic work with students from surrounding schools that need assistance, said Julie Balandran, psychology clinic employee.

"The clinic recruits students and does testing, counseling and remediation," Balandran said. "If a parent suspects learning disabilities the clinic will help any student age 7-to-17. There is also counseling if he or she needs anger management."