Beach Weekly S10E11: Students protest commencement procedures, new anti-trans laws & more

In Season 10: Episode 11 of Beach Weekly, Lei Madrigal discusses the latest happening on campus, locally, and nationwide. In an interview with Hannah Shields, the news editor for the Daily Forty-Niner, we learned the details of a recent student protest about this year’s commencement ceremonies. The protest, led by fourth-year student Zeina Elrachid, was in opposition to the university’s decision to hold very minimal commencement ceremonies this year where graduates will neither walk across the stage nor have their names called. Long Beach State students will pay $65 during the fall semester and $89 in the spring for the Instructionally Related Activities fee. During the Spring 2023 semester, students paid $25. The money put towards the activities fee will pull athletics out of their budget deficit of $4.5 million, help fund the school’s 19 sports teams, provide internship opportunities and more. An increase in deaths on LA Metro public transportation this year has prompted Metro to try to decrease crime rates by playing loud, nonstop classical music at the Westlake/MacArthur stop. The music is meant to be too unbearable to hear all day and would deter people from lingering in stations. Metro hopes a decrease in crime will increase ridership. Kansas lawmakers have voted to ban transgender women from women’s bathrooms, prisons and domestic violence shelters. Other states are also trying to limit transgender rights. Idaho and Indiana both signed a bill that criminalizes gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth, and 12 other states already have bans on it. Paris residents have voted to ban e-scooters from the city because they are eyesores, traffic disruptions and safety hazards. About 15,000 e-scooters could be taken off the streets of Paris as soon as August when the city’s contracts with the scooter companies expire. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles which was originally built by real estate developers in 1923 to attract new residents. The sign was only supposed to be standing for 18 months, but a century later, it is an iconic part of Los Angeles culture. The creator of Cashapp, Bob Lee, was stabbed to death in San Francisco last Tuesday. The investigation is still open and active as there is no suspect in custody. Host: Lei Madrigal Editor: Andy Nguyen Producers: Leila Nunez, Isabel Silagy Like, comment, and follow us on your favorite platform for more content! Apple Podcasts ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beach-weekly/id1488484518?uo=4⁠ Google Podcasts ⁠https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9kMzEwMjEwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz⁠ Spotify ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4HJaqJep02kHeIQy8op1n1⁠ Overcast ⁠https://overcast.fm/itunes1488484518/beach-weekly