Beach Weekly S14E2: Black History Month events, a commercial airplane collision & more

Black History Month events on campus this week include a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, a Coded Bias Viewing Party and a Meet the Greeks event. On Thursday, Feb. 6 at 11 a.m., join the Black Resource Center and ASI Beach Pride Events for their 27th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration in the USU Ballrooms. The celebration is a free, informational event where students and staff can commemorate the civil rights leader. Coded Bias is a focus group that will be meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6 in LH-150. The group is researching algorithmic bias and the way it affects people of color within our society. Also on Thursday is the Meet the Greeks event at 7 p.m. in the USU Ballrooms. Students are urged to wear business attire as they meet and talk with members of the Panhellenic community.  Wellness and health are important while moving through the school year. A way to participate in something for yourself is Yoga on the Bluff by Yogalution. Available seven days a week from 11 a.m. to noon near Junipero Beach, this free yoga class is open to everyone regardless of yoga experience. Another way to stay active and involved is the Student Recreation and Wellness Center's Run Club. Starting Feb. 6, there will be a weekly run every Thursday at 2 p.m. throughout the spring semester. 48-year-old Mark Allen Barger was caught by police on at least two occasions pointing his lasers at aircraft coming in and out of the Long Beach airport. The aircraft included were Long Beach Police Department helicopters and other commercial flights. He pled guilty in October 2023 and was sentenced on Thursday, Jan. 30 to six months in jail.  To celebrate Black History Month, the Legacy & Unity Festival will be held this Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Downtown Long Beach Promenade. Starting at noon guests can visit cultural exhibits, booths featuring local black-owned businesses and much more. The main event stage will be hosting live music, keynote speakers and an open mic for anyone wanting to speak. The event will end at 4 p.m. With the start of President Trump's second term, new executive orders that ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs will pause the recognition of cultural or historical events such as Black History Month. An internal memo published by the Defense Intelligence Agency listed 11 special observances they will stop observing effective immediately. Other federal agencies such as the the CIA and Justice Department are also making changes to their DEI initiatives. A US Army helicopter fatally collided with an American Airlines flight arriving from Kansas on Wednesday, Jan. 29. Both aircrafts crash-landed in the Potomac River. It was confirmed that all 67 people aboard both flights were killed. Investigations into the crash are still underway.   Super Bowl LIX will be in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Sunday, Feb. 9 and is being played by the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Halftime Show will be performed by Kendrick Lamar. Host & Editor: Gianna Echeverria Producers: El Nicklin, Aidan Swanepoel Like, comment, and follow us on your favorite platform for more content! Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/long-beach-current-podcasts/id1488484518 Spotify⁠ https://open.spotify.com/show/4HJaqJep02kHeIQy8op1n1⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Overcast https://overcast.fm/itunes1488484518/long-beach-current-podcasts