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Long Beach celebrates Earth Day

Karina Serrano
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Long Beach celebrates Earth Day

Long Beach celebrated Earth Day by throwing a block party on Saturday on 1st street between Linden and Elm in the East Village.

The party had panel discussions, clothing swaps, mending & dye station, vintage & upcycled clothing, compost collection, native plant education, art show, Live DJs, roller skating, Connect 4, and many other fun environmental friendly activities. 

The event was free to attend and was open to the public from 12pm to 5pm.

Ever since 1970 the world has observed Earth Day, a holiday focused on protecting the environment and has been given more awareness in the past several years. 

The event not only highlighted Earth Day, but was also educational and brought light to several environmental issues plaguing Long Beach. 

One issue brought up was the fact that Long Beach is no longer a member of Tree City USA. In order to have Tree City USA status, a city must maintain a tree board or tree department, have a community tree ordinance, spend at least $2 per capita on urban forestry, and celebrate Arbor Day. 

Another issue that was being battled was the destruction that the fast fashion industry caused. Today, fast fashion uses tons of water to create a few garments that contain tons of microplastics and are only worn a few times before they are thrown away or replaced. 

To combat this, Keith Stearns opened ‘Vintage Warrior’, a business that sells 90’s and older vintage clothing. Keith believes in vintage clothing.  “Everything I wear or buy is vintage. A lot of people, even younger generations are starting to understand that they do not need to go buy fast fashion. They are buying vintage clothes because the quality is better and it lasts a lot longer,” Stearns said. 

The Long Beach Farmers Market attended the block party advocating for people to shop for their crops locally. When a person shops at a grocery store, there is a chance that their food has traveled thousands of miles to get to the store, but local food only travels about 100 miles.

They offered free vegetables and fruits showing the differences in taste and quality from store-bought food.

Katie Allen was at the event representing her company, Algalita, a company that was founded by the man who discovered the pacific garbage patch, Captain Charles Moore. Algalita investigates ocean pollution and sells the findings to schools as teachable packages.

Katie had scheduled a special beach cleanup for the following day. “We have a beach cleanup tomorrow. But we don’t just clean up the beach. We have people help us collect microplastics,” Allen said. 

Earth Day festival was very informative and it is clear that there are many different ways to be sustainable and help the environment for future generations.

Viking Closet reopens for LBCC students

Karina Serrano
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Viking Closet reopens for LBCC students

School can be so time consuming and demanding for some students, which is why the Viking Closet is here to help by offering free clothing for anyone who may need it. 

The Viking Closet is a donation-run clothing store that has recently reopened on April 11 for all LBCC Students in building E.

Jacqueline Evans is an aspiring actress that is in the Performing Arts program at Long Beach City College. She enjoys taking trips to the Viking Closet to find cool merchandise.

“There is so much good stuff in there, from clothes to shoes and accessories. This really helps me out,” Evans said.

They cater to both men and women, and soon they will be having a section for kids and babies. They always have new arrivals and try to rotate stock with the seasons. 

There’s all sorts of varieties of clothing that are for free, including business attire, formal wear, athletic and casual wear to name a few.

Clothes are not the only thing they carry in the Vikings Closet. They also have some hygiene products, school supplies and snacks for you while you’re shopping.

Nayzeth Nolasco-Romos, the Viking Closet coordinator, informed us that club members go through every piece of clothing. They wash and even mend some of them, but only if they’re in good condition.

Nolasco-Romos says they only like to have things in there that are nice and not worn down and old.

The men’s section of the AGS-KAPPA Viking Closet. (Photo by Desary Vailencour)

Then, they organize all the clothing in the closet into their proper destination of categories, so it’s easy for the students to find whatever they may be looking for.

The club members take inventory of everything that comes in and out of the facility, so they can have a better idea of what students need. “We are really here to cater to the students’ needs. That’s our main priority,” Nolasco-Romos said.

The Viking Closet is run by Alpha Gamma Sigma-Kappa which is the Scholastic Honor Society for the California Community Colleges.

The hours of operation are from 10am-11:30am and 1:15pm-3pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They are looking to expand the hours soon.

Evans enjoys reusing clothes because it helps save the planet and second-hand fashion has really come into popularity within recent years. She thinks going to the Viking Closet is better than going to the thrift store because it’s free.

Come and see the Viking closet for yourself anytime during their operating hours. You may be surprised at what you may be able to find.

Inside a local Long Beach cannabis testing lab

Craig Roberts
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Inside a local Long Beach cannabis testing lab

BelCosta Labs is one of the 41 operational facilities that is expanding in California. One of Long Beach City College’s cannabis course instructors gave students a tour of their cannabis testing lab in North Long Beach.

This lab operates seven days a week and tests cannabis goods from all over the state, having worked with notable Long Beach based brands, such as Wonderbrett and Fresh Baked since May 2018. 

The lab is an Industrial Organization for Standard (ISO) certified building and uses millions of dollars worth of Certified Research Materials (CRM) to establish the quality and provenance of cannabis goods.

In accordance with the Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) requirements, the lab provides all three phases of lab testing services for cannabis compliance. The following services are some of the tests offered: THC potency tests, residual pesticides testing, and homogeneity tests for edible products.

The lab is broken down into four parts: intake, prep, instrument, and microbial.

When entering intake, you will see employees receiving packages and relabeling samples of brands sent to prevent lab shopping.

Lab shopping is sourcing for labs that have a reputation of being easy to work with. Since California has yet to bring better standardization to cannabis testing it is easy to find labs who would accidentally or purposely falsify tests.

According to Nick Morris, territory supervisor at Kinda High responded that it’s difficult to give an estimate of how much is sent to a lab. In California, the maximum batch size allowed is 50 pounds.

A 2020 study on cannabis testing compliance found “testing cost per pound of cannabis marketed is particularly sensitive to batch size. Testing labs report that batch size varies widely,” Morris said.  

This lack of data is largely due to the fact that the cannabis industry is still developing.

“Cannabis is a fairly new industry, the process of testing cannabis has been by trial and error,” Nate Winkour said, vice president of strategy and operations at BelCosta Lab, and a 22-year veteran in the cannabis industry.

From intake, the sample will be sent to prep, where samples are received and taken through a unique scientific method, allowing the lab to focus on accomplishing homogeneity amongst samples. 

Part of preparing the samples is to reach homogeneity. This is accomplished by grabbing different batches of the samples sent by brands and mixing it together. The lab has a unique process of mixing the batches before testing.

You will also see flowers, cultivated cannabis, being prepared before testing. Lab technicians prepare the flower by covering it in a solvent that deprives the moisture from the sample. This practice can help give better data to consumers at the retail stores. 

In the industry, cannabis goods take a while to reach retail stores because it has to go through manufacturing, testing, distribution, and then retail. If the sample tested above the acceptable amount of pesticides, a new sample must be sent to the lab by law. 

By that time, the flower can lose much of its moisture. Therefore, extracting the moisture before testing can give real time data about the flower.

In the instrument area, the samples are tested for pesticides, mold, heavy metals, THC potency or for terpenes. 

An instrument called LCMS is present which tests for pesticides and mycotoxin. In order for a brand’s sample to pass the test, it needs to meet a criteria.

One of the most popular and important tests for many brands is testing for potency. BelCosta Labs uses two UHPLCs, an instrument for cannabinoid potency, to meet this demand.

The last part of the lab is for microbial tests. In this area you will find QPCR, an instrument for microbio tests, and PCR instruments to study microorganisms.

Once samples have been tested, the results will determine whether a brands’ sample passed or failed.

Most of these tests, like terpenes and potency, will be showcased to the consumer at a retail store.

However, cannabis consumption is rapidly changing and what we know about cannabis is only the surface. Winokur told us that the increased buzz on terpenes is why the company is planning to open another lab in Sacramento that will explore terpenes, flavonoids, and cannabinoids. 

Labs like BelCosta Labs are expanding. In 2023, CA senators will present rules on standardization for cannabis testing. Lab technicians, science directors, and workers will be needed.

Since state legalization, the industry has had a 27% growth rate and lacks an educated and qualified workforce.

For physical science majors, this is an opportunity to tap into an industry that needs innovation and creativity. For labs like BelCosta Labs, science directors, lab technicians, and lab directors are needed to present data that is reliable and accurate.
If you would like to learn more about BelCosta Labs, visit https://www.belcostalabs.com

LBCC warned of potential threat

Craig Roberts
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LBCC warned of potential threat

Long Beach City College received a message last night that consisted of a threat to our campus, which the Long Beach Police Department determined as not credible at this time.

As a result of the threat, Long Beach City College contacted LBPD and they began an investigation. With the threat not seeming credible to the Long Beach Police Department, they decided to continue all in-person classes and keep the campus open with increased patrols.

Superintendent-president Mike Munoz claims he can’t discuss the threat, as it is an ongoing case. 

This threat adds to past threats that Long Beach City College has received, including one in the form of graffiti with the word “shooting”, a date in a women’s restroom in 2019, and one including a professor who was mistaken for a gunman by carrying a prop gun at PCC in 2019 as well. 

Two LBCC Women’s Soccer Players have signed for Division One Colleges

Frederick Iwuagwu
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Two LBCC Women’s Soccer Players have signed for Division One Colleges

Long Beach City College women’s soccer team players Alieza Vargas Deason ended her conference season with eight goals and eight assists in 17 games while Sophomore forward Allison Rose Veloz ended the conference season scoring 20 goals and assisting nine times in 18 games, both of them signed for division one colleges.

“We’re going to miss them. They’re very impactful on our team, but that’s what we’re here for, to give our players an opportunity. Give them a stage and a spotlight, so that they can get the offers to a 4-year school and leave here on a really good note,” said Eduardo Nunes, the Lbcc Women’s Soccer. 

Veloz earned offensive player of the year, making it both into the South All-Region and All-State teams including being invited to participate in the sophomore showcase at the California Community College Athletic Association State Championships. 

As for Deason she made the South All-Region team and collected the South Coast Conference first-team honors.  

Deason has chosen to keep playing college soccer at the University of Maine, Fort Kent, and Veloz is committed to furthering her athletic career at Northern Arizona University.

“I enjoyed the campus when I went and I connected well with the coaches there,” Veloz said.  “I feel that I can make a big difference for NAU as they compliment me as a player”.

Veloz earned offensive player of the year, making it both into the South All-Region and All-State teams including being invited to participate in the sophomore showcase at the California Community College Athletic Association State Championships. 

The LBCC women’s soccer team finished the conference season with a record of 7-4, losing round 1 of the SoCal regional playoffs to Saddleback 4-0. 

“I think the players around me really shaped me, especially coach Eddie. He was a really big part of me, picking the school I should go to and shaping the player who I am right now,” Deason said. 

During the season, the team beat El Camino in the third-place game in the South Coast Conference Tournament with Veloz scoring the winning goal.

Before joining LBCC, Deason played three years on the women’s soccer varsity team at Katella High School scoring a total of 55 goals in 67 games.

Veloz played at Willow Canyon High School for three years on the women’s varsity team scoring a total of 75 goals in 59 games. 

“I expect big things from them. I’m looking forward to following their path and keeping up with what they’re doing. I anticipate they’re going to do a lot of good things,” Nunes said.

LA Metro GoPass: exploring Olvera Street

Karina Serrano
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LA Metro GoPass: exploring Olvera Street

With the LA Metro GoPass recently offered by the school, LBCC students can visit several of LA’s historic landmarks, such as Olvera Street.

The GoPass offers free unlimited rides through Long Beach Transit and all of Los Angeles County Transit.

Olvera Street, also known as the “Placita Olvera” or “Calle Olvera” in the present day. It was originally referred to as Calle de los Vignes, Vine Street, and Wine Street.

In order to get there, take the Metro A line (Blue) on  7th Street/metro Center Station for 19 stops to the Metro D Line (Purple), where you would arrive at Union Station. Directly across Alameda Street would be Olvera Street which is only a 3-minute walk.

The advantage of traveling on the Metro Pass to Olvera Street is it only takes one hour and 15 minutes to arrive via the metro. It could take more time in your own personal vehicle on an average day driving through LA traffic.

The time difference is a fair deal considering today’s inflated gas prices and a parking price tag of $20-$30 dollars you will have to pay upon your arrival, that is if you are lucky enough to even find a parking space.

Those who have visited Olvera Street would attest to the rich Mexican culture, history and traditions that still live today. There is a wide variety of the traditional Mexican foods, gift shops and entertainment.

This historical monument has been around since the early 1820’s in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles.  

Gina Rodriguez, a proud family business owner of Mr. Churro, Hecho con Carino, Casa Rodriguez, Marta’s Imports, Catalina’s imports and Gina’s has a family business legacy of over one hundred years. 

Rodriguez’s great grandmother Catalina Cruz Delgadillo from Nayarit, Mexico envisioned and set a foundation of this dream since 1920 that still lives on today.

Gina Rodriguez, a proud family business owner of Hecho con Carino (made with Love) poses next to her great grandmother Catalina Cruz Delgadillo from Nayarit, Mexico,the original founder of one of six family owned businesses at Olvera Street since 1920. (Photo by Moises Vargas)

“I am so happy to see all walks of life visiting here,” Rodriguez said.

“Kids, especially, bring so much great energy. You can see it in their eyes of how happy they are. It fills my heart with so much joy,” Rodriguez said.

Not only will you find the traditional gift shops and great dining, but if you get lucky and plan accordingly, you can take advantage of great traditional Mexican music, such as live female mariachi.

“I love coming here to drink and eat carnitas tacos. I was raised in Los Angeles, and I feel more Mexican-American, though I am half Chinese and Ecuadorian,” Antonio Sanchez, a local resident said.

Olvera Street has great dining, such as La Luz del Día, El Paseo and Cielito Lindo.

And for those who are within the legal drinking age, you can get home safely without having to worry about having a designated driver.

Jordan High School students visit LBCC

Matthew Walker
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Jordan High School students visit LBCC

The students of Jordan High School came to LBCC for a regular campus tour, but ended up getting more than they bargained for. 

While they were visiting, LBCC was holding a Disability Awareness Resource Fair designed to bring attention to the various resources and programs offered to disabled individuals. 

They weren’t on official school business, so they had to take two different buses to visit Long Beach City College.

Organizations like Social Vocational Services and various other groups were in attendance.

The high school students were able to enjoy the campus tour by seeing all of the different buildings of the LBCC Liberal Arts campus and even learned about Financial Aid. 

One of their teachers and chaperones, Dawn Ide, has been coming to the LBCC campus tours for many years but was especially pleased during the visit because of the resource fair for students with invisible problems. 

“Tours are good for students especially when they are targeted. Sometimes they are just too broad,” Ide said.

She expressed interest in doing a tour of the PCC campus, but mentioned she does not know how to get that set up.

The students received lots of information during their tour and some free school supplies.

Graduating senior Antonio Jones received some disinfectant Clorox wipes, along with a notebook which he was enthused about. Jones mentioned that he wants to be an actor and a journalist.

Teacher and chaperone Marieta Hammond thought the day was a success.

“Seeing what’s available makes the kids excited,” Hammond said, who believes the students are inspired by seeing the campus. 

Jordan High School seniors will be visiting the Liberal Arts Campus on June 14, 2022 for their graduation. 

LBCC men’s baseball team defeats East Los Angeles College 7-3

Frederick Iwuagwu
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LBCC men’s baseball team defeats East Los Angeles College 7-3

With a rocky start being down 0-2 in the first inning, but as a result of accumulated errors of the opposing team the Long Beach City College baseball team opened their 3 game series against East Los Angeles with a 7-3 win on Tuesday. 

After allowing 2 runs to be scored in the first inning, Lbcc pitcher Jake Habelitz was locked in and didn’t allow any more runs to be scored in the remaining 6 innings he pitched.

Despite a shaky start for Habelitz, the pitcher quickly found his stride and didn’t let the 2 early runs shake him for the remainder of the game.

The Vikings put on a strong hitting performance from the start and immediately stole the lead from the Huskies in their first at-bat. 

Long Beach scored 2 runs in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a single from Moises Guzman, with the bases loaded it led to bringing in 2 of the players that had gotten on base. 

An error by the East Los Angeles defense allowed the Vikings baseball team to score a third run and go up 3-2 before heading to the second inning.  

Justin Santiago added another run in the fourth by hitting a single that brought in Brian Sanders to give Long Beach a two-run lead.

By the end of the 6th inning, the Vikings were up 7-2 thanks to hits from Sanders and a triple from Santiago that brought in two more runs. 

“I started getting confident and getting ahead of guys. The curveball was definitely the game changer today,”  Habelitz said. 

“My last outing was probably my worst outing,” Habelitz added. “So it’s about bouncing back and having that confidence and knowing that I’m a good pitcher.” 

Head coach Casey Crooks talked about how he was happy with Habelitz’s body language after the first inning since that is something that they have been working on. 

“It’s a pretty common thing in baseball as a starting pitcher to struggle to get ready for that first inning,” Crooks said. 

“I think it’s a challenge for every starting pitcher to figure out what my routine is going to be so I can go out there and hit the ground running,” Crooks said. 

By the time Habelitz was pulled out of the game during the top of the 8th inning, and replaced by Marcellus Henry, he had piled up 10 strikeouts and improved to a 3-1 record on the year as a pitcher. 

The 2 runs that East Los Angeles scored early on did not reflect the eventual outcome of the game, as the Huskies’ offense struggled and was only able to add 1 more run to their total in the remaining 8 innings. 

With the win, Long Beach improved to 23-12 on the season and 14-4 at home.

Disability Resource Fair at LBCC

Karina Serrano
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Disability Resource Fair at LBCC

For the first time since students fully returned to campus, Long Beach City College hosted a Disabilities Resource Fair which included a raffle consisting of three winners, with assorted prizes worth up to $100 from LBCC’s Bookstore.

During this fair there were roughly 20 booths bringing attention to their programs on Thursday April 14th.

Each booth brought distinctive material to provide an understanding of the uniqueness regarding each group. 

These tables offered flyers, stickers, ample information to bring light to their cause, and even candies for students to utilize in order to help better grasp the different worlds that DSPS students can thrive in. 

In addition to a courtyard filled with vendors, food was offered as students walked up. Tote bags were given to help collect material from each table, and a chance to enter a raffle.

Not only was this event open to all LBCC students, but three high schools were invited to attend as well. These three highschools being Jordan High, Poly High, and Cabrillo High.

“As the students came up, and the teachers came up, they said it was a very good event and it was informative for the students. And they liked that we had a variety of vendors,” April McGlothan said, as she gave feedback she received from these schools. 

Most booths admitted that COVID was the biggest setback for them however, Elizabeth Diaz, staff and students with DSPS provide  further insight on their biggest hurdle. 

“Stigma against disabilities is probably one of the biggest things that we face I think the connotation is ‘special ed’. Just that negative connotation that comes with that and we want to let them know it’s not negative. Actually, your disability can be one of your biggest assets,” said Diaz.

Mia Tabayoyong, one of the disability support services specialists with the DSPS, has been working with this program for close to three years now. 

During the event, Tabayoyong took a moment to appreciate the production the staff put on to say, “We did it”

These few words aid well in showcasing the victory this program won in spreading awareness and providing resources disabled students can use to help succeed as well as draw others into joining their program to help others thrive in and outside of school.

This resource fair contained groups including the “Able Arts Work”, “OC D.E.A.F”, the “Student Health Services”, “OurTism”, to name a few. 

This event was held outside building A on the LAC campus, and has hopes for returning again in the future to become an annual event.

Black Student Success Week returns to LBCC

Matthew Walker
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Black Student Success Week returns to LBCC

With a trip for students to California State University Northridge (CSUN), Black Student Success Week is returning to Long Beach City College from April 25-29 with a series of programs and events.

This program has returned and though it is geared towards Black students, it welcomes all those who are interested.

There is a wide variety of learning objectives that include extensive and informative webinars, daily small group discussion forums and a shuttled tour to CSUN.

The programs that are taking place on the aforementioned dates are Beyond Mattering: Centering the Student Narrative, No Leaks: Securing the Pipeline for Securing Black Student Success, The Path to Transfer Success: A Clear Highway or a Traffic Jam, Transforming Black Student Success through Courageous State Leadership and Using Radical Action: Showing up as your Authentic Self.

These events are being supported and organized by over 10 organizations, one of which is the Umoja (a Kiswahili word meaning unity) Community Education Foundation.

Chris Moye, an Umoja counselor coordinator, is a key dedicated supporter for these events.

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” Moye said, emphasizing a quote by Carl Bard.

One important event supported and coordinated by the Umoja Community will be on April 29, from 8:00am – 6:00pm where a tour of the CSUN campus and transfer information will be provided.

Interested students must RSVP by April 22 and provide a $5 cash deposit turned into the counseling desk within the Liberal Arts campus A Building, room 111.

“I would really love for my daughter to return back to Long Beach Community College,” Rocio Hernandez said while attending Dr. Mike Munoz induction ceremony, “There are so many programs like these to take advantage of.”

Today’s society is still faced with a plethora of challenges such as discrimination, financial insecurities and the COVID-19 pandemic, and Long Beach City College is making an effort to help with these challenges by giving students equal opportunities.

Events like these help identify the challenges that are faced by Black students, which can lead them to a stronger culture and future leadership.

Registration for all events has been open since the first week of April.

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