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LAC hosts spring semester Join a Club Day indoors

Cain Carbajal
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LAC hosts spring semester Join a Club Day indoors

LAC’s semiannual Join a Club Day fared well even as rainy weather on the morning of Feb 24 forced event coordinators to relocate the festivities indoors to the E building cafeteria.

Several tables and stands were set up for students to join clubs and learn about different cultures, mental health, food nutrition, and black pride. 

Student activities adviser Kim Hamon coordinated the event. Her table was the first one you could see once you entered the cafeteria. 

With a strong passion for inclusivity for all students, Hamon created a space where LBCC students are welcome to gain knowledge and interests through clubs and networking. 

“There is always space for students at LBCC. We strive to have a club that represents every student that we have. Every student is included and a part of our Viking community.” said Hamon. 

In terms of community and being a part of the LBCC space. The Umoja student club made some noise, with many students flocking toward the booth table. We were greeted with a good vibe and Black pride, preaching inclusivity and having vital goals to implement, educate, and celebrate the African American experience for LBCC students. 

LBCC student and member of the Umoja  club Elijah Banks clarified the message the club was sending to its students and the black community. 

“We want to bring the black experience to students here on campus. We want them to be able to have a safe space and have discussions, come to events, and even give suggestions on what they would like to see and be a part of. Anybody who wants to be a part of the culture, you are welcome,” said Banks.

With the welcoming vibe of the Umoja student club, there were also clubs more focused on the promotion and education of students learning about health and nutrition. 

The Student Nutrition and Dietetics club booth was hosted by advisers Jessica Mendez and Alex Corona. The cub is a science-based program focusing on nutrition for nursing students.

Mendez spoke about the science behind processed foods and whole grain nutritious foods and how they can affect one’s health differently. 

“We want to promote that food is more than something you just put in your body. It could help us become better students. It can nourish us. Not many people know how food interacts with your body. There is a field, and there is a growing industry in food and nutrition,” said student adviser Jessica Mendez.

Fun games and candy were available at tables for students to grab and enjoy.

With the bustling energy of the club fair and energetic students wanting to visit as many clubs as possible, there was much more to look forward to. 

Large quantities of pizza boxes were available for students; but with a catch.

To get at least two slices of pizza, students needed to visit  eight clubs and get a signature from each adviser signed off on a yellow slip. These yellow slips were available at every club table. 

Derrick Oriee, student activities adviser who oversees the Viking activities council, handed out pizzas to loyal students who followed the rule. Oriee insisted it was more of an incentive rather than a bargain. 

“We want to incentivize them to check up on all the clubs, not just come get pizza and leave. They come out to visit eight different clubs, and we have a little tic tac toe thing they can fill out,” said Oriee. 

Vikings fall 62-59 in a hard-fought battle against Riverside City College in the CCCAA playoffs

Davis Ramage
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Vikings fall 62-59 in a hard-fought battle against Riverside City College in the CCCAA playoffs

Sophomore point guard Aaliyah Carter supplied a double-double of 12 points and 15 rebounds, but it was not enough for the Vikings to overcome a 16-point deficit in a 62-59 playoff loss to the Riverside City Tigers.

The Vikings clamped down on defense in the fourth quarter with four minutes to go which helped them cut the lead and bring themselves back into the game. 

Carter managed to convert on a traditional three-point play after being fouled on a jump shot to put the Vikings within one. 

A turnover from RCC allowed freshman center Chioma Okenwa to bully a defender and put in the go-ahead basket to give the Vikings a 55-54 lead, their first lead since the first minute of the game.

The lead for both teams stayed within three points and a costly foul by the Vikings that lead to the Tigers converting both free throws put the Vikings down 62-59 with two seconds on the clock. 

The Tigers converted 13 out of 16 free throws on the night.

Viking Head Coach Ollie Brent took a timeout to draw up a play where Amanda Lopez took a shot from three, but missed as time expired.

The Vikings ultimately ran out of gas in the final minutes of the fourth quarter with the Tigers going on a 6-0 run to close out the game.

“We had the chance to win. Crucial turnovers at the end of the game and missed layups…it sucks,” Brent said. 

Sophomore guard Amanda Lopez drives in from the top of the key. The Vikings were defeated by the Tigers 62-59 on Saturday. (Gabriel Medina)

The Vikings got off to a slow start with the Tigers pulling away 25-14 in the first quarter.

The trouble for the Vikings seeped into the second quarter as they went down by as much as 16, but managed to go into the half down 39-28.

The 11-point deficit was erased after halftime by the gritty defense as a unit inspired by Carter’s energy and the silky guard play of the Vikings.

During the second half, the Vikings forced an abundance of turnovers with their fundamental defense. 

Sophomore guard Jaden Sanderson contributed 14 points, nine rebounds, and four steals.

Her strong finishes, silky layups, and jump shot helped the Vikings crawl back into the game.

“Devastated,” said Assistant Coach Vince Nicholson explaining his feelings after the game. 

“Mentally we were prepared to go all the way (to the championship). This was a great group of sophomore girls and they gave it their all,” said Nicholson. 

This loss eliminates the Vikings from the playoffs and ends their 21-7 season.

 P Building at LBCC endures internet shutdown

Damien Cortez
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 P Building at LBCC endures internet shutdown

The south side of the P Building at the Liberal Arts Campus endured an unscheduled internet shutdown Tuesday morning.

It was first discovered and reported shortly before Professor Gary Metzker’s Journalism 20 News Writing class at approximately 9 a.m. However, it was not fixed until 3:10 p.m. during Professor Walter Hammerwold’s Journalism 80 class for the Viking News.

Gary Metzker expressed his feelings on going through the unexpected shutdown. He exclaimed “I did everything I could to get it to work, but nothing was working!” 

Metzker quickly thought of a work around to preserve some of the functionality of the class by writing vital information on the white board, despite the mild frustration.

Faculty from the Information Technology Department were sent out after their lunch breaks to address the lack of internet and were able to solve it within a couple hours

Rob Carman, the executive director of the IT Department, discussed what exactly had caused the internet issue and how it was fixed 

According to Carman, two of the general hubs of communication batteries had died and needed to be replaced. 

A transceiver is a device responsible for boosting the strength of a signal so that it covers a large distance. If it gets damaged or loses its battery life, then the signal is greatly weakened and the outer radius of the area being serviced may lose connection.

Once new transceivers were installed the internet was able to return to full capacity.

Carman mentioned one of the larger projects the IT Department has been put in charge of is updating the technological infrastructure in almost all LBCC buildings.

“We are investing in upgrading the campus infrastructure over the spring term,” Carman said.

This major infrastructure overhaul has a particular focus on some of the older buildings present on both the Liberal Arts and Pacific Coast campuses.

In the event that a similar incident occurs patience is recommended as the IT Department works as quickly as they can to restore things back to function properly.

LBCC Viking vault remains open as the cafeteria remains closed

Veronica Towers
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LBCC Viking vault remains open as the cafeteria remains closed

The Viking Vault served 1,200 students last week, providing groceries, hygiene and parenting items on campus.  

The primary mission of the vault is to help students suffering from food scarcity and assist LBCC-eligible students in completing federal CalFresh applications for free groceries.

The Viking vaults, provided by the college’s Basic Needs Program, caters to all students enrolled at LBCC and are located on both LAC and PCC. 

According to Justin Mendez, the Basic Needs Program manager, the vault’s success has served 16,690 students and has distributed 103,967 pounds of food for 2022.

Various items to select from can be found in the vaults, such as beans, rice, ramen soup, eggs, apple sauce, fruit, hygiene items and diapers. 

Due to the closure of the cafeteria last semester, students were left with overpriced snacks and off-campus foods. The vault has had an increase in student participants this semester. 

 While they want to accommodate everyone, their main focus is those suffering from food insecurities.

“One in five community college students is experiencing homelessness,” said Jesse Marroquin, Basic Needs Outreach Specialist employee of the Viking Vault.

Marroquin has been serving the LBCC student community for approximately 8 months and has noticed a drastic positive response to such resources being available for students. 

“If you are suffering from food scarcity, they are there for you. No student is turned away,” Marroquin said. 

The Viking Vault is sponsored by both Long Beach City College and donors.

If you would like to help out a fellow student who is unable to obtain necessities, you can donate food or hygiene items.  

Only unopened, unexpired, and undamaged items are accepted and distributed.

 If you would like to donate money, the link to donate is https://lbcc.edu/pod/makeagift select: Student Emergency Fund and Basic Needs Fund for funds to go directly to support the Vault.

The vault can be reached at (562) 938-5045 or  basicneeds@lbcc.edu, for more information: www.tinyurl.com/vikingvault.

Vikings open up conference play with a 6-2 victory over L.A Harbor

Davis Ramage
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Vikings open up conference play with a 6-2 victory over L.A Harbor

The Vikings came out swinging to open up conference play as they scored all their runs in the first three innings of a 6-2 victory over L.A Harbor. 

“I feel so excited to start off conference play with a win. We were lucky enough to start off here at home and we caught a rhythm. Our pitching was good and our hitters did a fantastic job to get ahead in the count” Said head coach Megan Martinez.

Sophomore pitcher Olivia Ramirez threw a complete game striking out 7 batters and giving up 2 runs on 4 hits.

When asked about what was working for her on the mound, Ramirez said, “definitely my curveball (to righties) and to lefties my screwball.” 

Freshman third baseman and leadoff batter Alejandra Mota had two hits along with a stolen base and an RBI to help jump-start the Vikings. 

Sophomore outfielder Alia Marquez dives in the right-center field gap to stop the ball from rolling to the fence. The Vikings defeated L.A. harbor 6-2 on February 24, 2023, at Long Beach City College. (Davis Ramage)

Mota also flashed the leather with a diving play in the third.

Ramirez got into a rhythm early striking out the side to start the game. 

The Vikings were able to get on the board early as Mota scored on an error by L.A. Harbor, giving the Vikings a 1-0 lead. 

Small ball sparked a 4-run second inning as a sacrifice bunt by freshman catcher Breanna Lucero was followed by a 2-run single by freshman shortstop Jaela Ruiz, who would later score on a triple from Mota, bringing the score to 5-0. 

During the rally the energy in the stands was high, led by LBCC volleyball player Cian Slade. 

“I was just supporting all the sports on campus, just showing my love.” 

Sophomore pitcher Olivia Ramirez throws one of many pitches in her complete game performance. The Vikings defeated L.A. harbor 6-2 on February 24, 2023, at Long Beach City College. (Davis Ramage)

Cian’s high energy was responded to with some words from L.A. Harbor, led by reliever Janell Brown. 

When asked about his impact on the game Cian responded “It feels good, that’s what you call home-field advantage.”

“It’s really important to have our Viking support from our baseball and men’s volleyball team. We go to a lot of their games, and it’s a small campus. We really try to take care of each other and rally each other.” said coach Martinez. 

The Vikings would extend their lead to 6-0 in the third with an RBI single by sophomore left fielder Jasmine Delgado.

The Vikings would go on to win the game 6-2 and they hope to extend their four-game win streak at Compton on February 28th at 3:00 p.m.

Women’s Beach Volleyball completes double sweep over SDCC and Miramar

Davis Ramage
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Women’s Beach Volleyball completes double sweep over SDCC and Miramar

Correction: A previous version of this article misidentified some of the women’s beach volleyball team in a photo caption. The caption has been updated to show this correction.

LBCC’s Women’s Beach Volleyball team swept San Diego City College and Miramar with a 5-0 victory over both teams on Wednesday. 

This is the Vikings’ third win of the season and the first double sweep, pushing their overall record to 3-1.

Partners Lizbeth Lopez and Jennifer Lias each battled hard at the first court in their wins against San Diego City and Miramar by providing solid defense and communicating throughout the game.

Lopez and Lias beat Miramar 3-2 and San Diego City College 2-1.

On the second court partners Destynie Viliamu and Caleyse Saunders played a nail-biting match against San Diego City College that ultimately ended in a 3-2 series win and successfully clinched the sweep.

“As pairs we just kind of depend on each other to finish the game and it’s really about teamwork out there so I feel like we work well together to keep it calm and just play our game,”  said Viliamu.

Ultimately all four pairs on the court contributed to a huge win for the program.

Jennifer Lias (left) receives the service from the opponent. Women’s Beach Volleyball double swept San Diego City and Miramar on February 22, 2023, at Long Beach City College. (Lesly Gonzalez)

The games were played under a high wind advisory issued for the Long Beach area, which added a level of difficulty the team had never encountered before.

Head Coach Tyler Jackson said that the team practiced in the high winds on Tuesday to prepare for Wednesday’s games, but they only had a small amount of time to practice in the conditions. 

“Overall I’m really proud of them. This is the first time competing in the wind so it was a huge challenge, but we did really well,” said Jackson. 

The wind forced the team to adjust their strategies at times to make sure that they could remain focused and competitive.

“We only had one practice with the wind this bad so adjusting today was kind of hard, but we kind of figured it out so I’m glad we did,” said Viliamu. 

The Vikings are looking to extend their win streak on Friday, February 24 when they take on Bakersfield College and Cypress in another doubleheader set to start at 11 a.m.

Hare Krishna Monks berated by woman on campus

Veronica Towers
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Hare Krishna Monks berated by woman on campus

A verbal altercation between two differing religious beliefs at LAC prompted police to be called early afternoon on Feb. 16.

According to the Long Beach Police Department, a woman was upset that two Hare Krishna monks had a booth to share their beliefs with the campus.

The woman was a local bystander walking down the street and had no affiliation with the school.

The woman called the police to have Hare Krishna monks removed. Some students also called the police to complain about the way the woman was treating the monks.

When the police came, they diffused the situation. They talked to the parties separately and helped everyone come to an understanding of rights.

Keir Reid, one of the monks that were harassed said, “It was actually the students who called the cops and were trying to defend us.”

The monks did not provoke the woman. They were spreading their beliefs, handing out free books, and asking for donations.

The policemen explained to the woman that it was the monks’ right to be on a public campus spreading whatever beliefs or speech they wanted to.

“This was a misunderstanding,” said Long Beach Police officer Tai Dinh Do. “People have the right of freedom of speech. This is allowed.”

The First Amendment protects free speech on a public campus like LBCC, no matter how offensive the content. Restricting free speech on a public campus is in violation of the United States Constitution.

The religion of the woman responsible for calling the police is unknown. The woman fled the campus soon after her conversation with the police ended.

“If you want to hold a sign that says ‘I love Jesus’ you can hold your sign over there,” said officer Do, signaling to the opposite side of where the monks had their booth set up.

Planned Parenthood workshop educates LBCC students on sexually transmitted diseases

Veronica Towers
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Planned Parenthood workshop educates LBCC students on sexually transmitted diseases

LBCC students joined the Healthy Viking Initiative, alongside Planned Parenthood LA, in a virtual workshop on the topic of sexually transmitted diseases and safe sex on Wednesday, Feb. 15.

During the Zoom, students learned about different types of STDs, the stigma around them, how to prevent them, and ways to implement safe practices in their intimate lives.

Guiding the conversation was Planned Parenthood educator Brittinae Phillips, alongside technology coordinator TiYuana Morehead, manning the keyboard and occasionally adding information to Phillips’ information.

Students were given the opportunity to share their opinions without bias, with Phillips asking several questions to participants. Getting them to think more deeply about their preconceptions in relation to diseases spread through sex.

“We don’t talk about [STDs] enough, we think it won’t affect us, so we ignore it,” said Ezra Rodriguez, a student participant in the workshop.

Different stigmas on the matter could be explored and broken down in this free space. On the false rumor that AIDS is only a gay disease, Phillips said, “Sexual orientation does not equate to sexual partners.”

Phillips wanted to teach students how to make informed decisions for themselves. She gave students information on how STDS spread and the best ways to prevent them so they could make informed decisions. 

Proper condom use was an important subject that was touched upon by the speakers. Condoms should be stored carefully, avoiding wallets, cars, or free-falling in pockets, as the friction and heat in these places lead to degradation in the latex. 

Another form of protection mentioned in the discussion was homemade dental dams, a cost-friendly alternative to traditional ones. 

Dental dams are single-use, flat pieces of latex for oral sex. 

A video on how to create the dental dams was shown, giving step-by-step directions. Using a condom, cut off the top, then slit it down the side, creating a flat piece of latex-free to use as desired.

According to Morehead, when using protection, it’s good to “remove the gender aspect” that is often associated with it. 

Phillips also encouraged attendees to regularly get STD testing, regardless of their relationship status (monogamous, non-monogamous, very sexually active, or not) and continually use physical barriers like dental dams and condoms to prevent the spread of these diseases.

By giving students access to this seminar, they could further explore different ideas and form their own opinions. Phillips gently guided them throughout, telling students to “Do what you need to do to take care of yourself.”

Long Beach QingDao Association brings the Lunar Festival to LAC

Veronica Towers
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Long Beach QingDao Association brings the Lunar Festival to LAC

Long Beach’s Qingdao Association brought Lunar New Year festivities to LAC, with stunning performances, dinner and a children’s lantern parade to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit this past Saturday. 

The association’s mission is to foster friendships between Long Beach and its sister city, Qingdao in China. Family and friends in the Long Beach area came out to partake in the festivities, filling the atmosphere with tones of unity and prosperity.

Wendy Le, the Lunar Festival’s event chair, explained the goals of the event were to, “Bring the experience of Chinese traditions to Long Beach.”

The nordic lounge at LAC was draped in red as were its guests, which is recognized as the color of luck in Chinese culture. The tables were decorated with little red envelopes adorned with golden rabbits.

Red lanterns lined the walls of the lounge, each attached with a riddle, some in English and some in Chinese. Children and adults alike hurried around attempting to answer them.

Stuffed pandas awaited on a table as everyone turned in slips of paper marked with stickers for correct answers. There was a prize for the person who solved the most.

Off to the side stood Andy and Susan Young, long-time attendees of the festival, manning the Kid’s Korner. The children gathered around the table all night to color and assemble rabbit-themed paper lanterns that Andy Young had illustrated himself.

Wendy Le explained the importance of sharing the lantern-making tradition with the Long Beach community. She said, “When I look back, I remember making the lanterns as a kid, but we want the whole family to partake in the experience of these traditions.”

The evening kicked off with a traditional Lion Dance performed by a local troupe, Awakened Blessing Lion Dancers, a tradition in Southern China. The vibrant lions playfully taunted one another before leaving the stage to flow through the crowd. The guests erupted with delight and took snapshots on their phones to capture the wild moment.

The lions returned to the stage and per tradition were given heads of lettuce and red envelopes. The lions then ‘spit’ the lettuce towards the adoring audience members. It is tradition for the lions to ‘bless’ the crowd with prosperity by doing this.

A yellow lion dancer, part of the Awakened Blessing Lion Dancers, teases guest Maya Mahoney, as her mother captures the moment on her phone. (Lauren Benson)

The room was now buzzing with energy as Ling’s Dance Academy took the stage to perform traditional dances. With the gentle fluttering of fans and the swirling of vibrant red dresses, they performed routines entitled ‘Shanghai at Dawn’ and ‘Fragrant Flowers’ in the latter.

In attendance was Nancy Luong, winner of the miss Southern California title, who expressed a deep appreciation for the Lunar New Year and family. Luong, a proud daughter of Asian immigrants, grew up fondly partaking in these traditions and sharing the memories with family.

She reflected that “It’s the time of year that the family gets to come together and celebrate, show their love and spend quality time. Doing things for good luck. It’s all about prosperity, positivity and fortune.”

Luong was joined onstage by Stan Dewitt, the executive director of the Long Beach Youth Chorus, to teach the guests the popular new year song, Gong Xi. Everyone sang along and learned the proper hand gestures. 

Dinner was provided by Nomad Asian Bistro and served by LBCC’s own Culinary Department. The hungry guests lined up to enjoy Kung Pao Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Shrimp, and Mapo Tofu along with some customary sides.

Face Changer, Master Weiqi Zhong, switches masks in seconds. This time he morphed into a familiar mouse. (Lauren Benson)

After dinner, there was a thrilling performance by ‘Face Changer’, Master Weiqi Zhong. Taunting the crowd with a flick of the robe, the face changer morphed into one surprise mask after another.  The masks would change in a matter of seconds as the guests cheered on.

With the event winding down, the children gathered on stage to proudly show off the rabbit lanterns they had been working on all night. 

The big sendoff included an encore of the Gong Xi song and now everyone was singing along in unison.

Long Beach community comes together for free laundry

Juleah Corzantes
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Long Beach community comes together for free laundry

Wavemax Laundromat in Long Beach had a busy start to their free laundry event on Feb 17.

From 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the first 150 people to arrive received a voucher for a maximum of 6 loads of free laundry along with soap, softener, and snacks. 

Over 40 people arrived within the first hour, and more than 350 loads of laundry were completed by the end of the day.

During the event patrons were offered flyers with information for other basic support needs, such as free wifi hotspots, technical support and local food pantries scattered all around the Los Angeles County area.

Participants learned about this resource through multiple avenues of advertising, both online and in person, like Instagram and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.

Wavemax owner Melissa Doupounce has teamed up with multiple nonprofit organizations as well as our campus’s basic needs department to make this event happen

(Left to right) LBCC nursing student Jenifer Apolonio, with friend Joyce Ruiz, and sister Andrea Apolonio going over homework while waiting for their laundry. (Desary Vailencour)

Marcus Hobbs, an LBCC alumni and community activist working for Project X LB, and Emily Kazin, the Executive Director of the Long Beach Center for Economic Inclusion were two of the primary organizers of this project.

“Being clean is a matter of dignity,” Kazin said.

This was the first project Hobbs had the opportunity to plan and with the successful turn-out and high number of participants, he has high hopes that the free laundry days can happen at least once every other month.

“Having clean clothes shouldn’t be a luxury,” said Hobbs.  

Stephanie Vasquez was one of the participants as well as a federal work-study student assistant for LBCC’s basic needs department. 

She left the event carrying two loads full of school clothes, remarking, “It is excellent that the school is offering resources like this, it has helped out a lot.”

Stephanie’s story is far from unique. Many students and staff attending LBCC also struggle with disadvantages such as poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity.

A free load of laundry for them makes the difference between being able to afford a meal and transportation fees without sacrificing access to clean clothes.

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