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Health screeners: the unsung heroes of LBCC

Karina Serrano
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Health screeners: the unsung heroes of LBCC

Students are probably fed up with showing health screening survey at every building entrance on campus, as we have had health screeners posted at most building entrances, but what is the perspective of those tasked with minimizing COVID exposure here on campus?

Christie Hernandez started her work as a health screener here on campus back in 2021, originally posted at the library before switching to the P building this year.

“We must ask them to provide proof of vaccination because they are not students here. You guys, it’s only two questions,” Hernandez said, adding that the primary function of the health screeners is to prevent visitors here on campus. 

According to Hernandez, “Building A has to turn away more people.” This is because building A houses the administration office, and they are more likely to receive people who don’t have classes.

Hernandez also explains that the A building often receives visitors that are not familiar with the health screening process. “Some of them are older or haven’t been to school in a long time,” Hernandez said.

An email was sent out by LBCC to students and faculty that stated that health screeners would be moved from campus coming this June, with few exceptions.

Another health screener here at LBCC, Donovan Madison doesn’t believe health screeners should be removed from campus yet.

“Every week there is something different or something is changing, and we get an update regarding the news or the vaccinations,” Madison said.

Madison recognizes students’ feelings towards these health screening surveys and has considered a solution. 

“Maybe we could have a digital card that screeners can scan. Some students are already late to class and in a hurry. We could try physical cards, but many students could lose them,” Madison said. 

“Basically, since everything is on our phones, there should be some way to use the same one everyday,” Madison said.

When asked what the function of the health screeners is, Madison’s answer differed from Hernandez’s. 

“The reason why they’re doing this is to make sure that nobody who is sick comes in here. If one person gets sick, then everybody gets sick,”  Hernandez said. 

He also noted that often he directs students if they have any questions about where to go.

While some of our health screeners are hired directly through LBCC, many are hired through third party staffing agencies.

Both Hernandez and Madison insist that they never get bored. They keep up with LBCC news regarding COVID, clean their area, and do anything work or school related. Their shifts are 8 hours long, and each of them gets one hour for lunch.

LBCC women’s softball team defeats Cerritos College 6-2

Frederick Iwuagwu
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LBCC women’s softball team defeats Cerritos College 6-2

Thursday’s win against Cerritos College was a tale of two halves, LBCC was down 2-0 midway through the fourth, then put up six in the final three frames in front of a loud home crowd.

Another packed house was the backdrop for a classic win, with fans today being louder than usual.

This one seemed special today with players in tears, accompanied by smiles, after gutting out a win that won’t be forgotten any time soon.

“That was a lot of energy. I think it was the most this season that we’ve let out as a team,” Alia Marquez Said, one of the team’s captains. “We’ve really gelled and come together, after this game especially. It was a big game for us. I think we’re good now.”

The scoring started in the bottom of the fourth when pinch runner Jasmine Delgado scored from first on a double laced to right center field by the game’s hero Gladys Garcia.

Problems surfaced in the game before the sixth inning’s bat on ball thunderstorm. 

Alia Marquez was thrown out at first on a bunt and Haley Veazie was doubled up at third as a result of a block of the base by the Cerritos catcher, Vicky Najera. 

“An obstruction is when the defensive player is stationary in front of the base before they have the ball, and that’s definitely what happened there.” Coach Martinez said postgame. “But we didn’t let it bother us and we kept going with the bats.”

The five runs scored in the bottom of the sixth inning is all the evidence needed to prove Martinez’s statement. 

After fouling a ball off of her foot, Jade Whittman reached on a line drive dropped by Cerritos right fielder Angelica Gonzolez. Ileana Rivera walked on a full count while the crowd noise was ascending.

Cerritos tried to settle the mood with a mound visit. But Gladys Garcia wasn’t going to let that stop the no out rally that was in the works.

On a 1-1 count Garcia hit a moon shot over the left field fence for a three run home run.

The crowd erupted and everyone supporting the home team was happily on their feet. The Vikings were huddled around home plate to greet Gladys. On her way back to the dugout Garcia addressed the stands with a yell and a fist pump with that gratified emotion as the crowd reverberated her sentiment.

“I just got in the zone and just did it for my team. You know, I just play like it’s my last, never know when I’m going to put my cleats back on,” Gladys Garcia said as emotions were beginning to overwhelm the star of the game, “I’m just going to leave it on the field for my teammates.” 

The bond that holds this group together is considered to be something special.

“It’s a great thing. It’s really emotional, your teammates come together, and we have each other’s back. It’s really emotional. It’s a great feeling.” Garcia said about the scene after her go ahead home run. “I’m just speechless”

The Vikings look to carry their momentum into their matchup against College of the Canyons in a doubleheader tomorrow at home. The first game is at noon and the second game is at 2 p.m.

Video game industry growing in the Long Beach community

Sophia Cobb
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Video game industry growing in the Long Beach community

Long Beach does not have a video game scene, but that could possibly change in the near future. 

Educational Youtuber with over 3.6 million subscribers, JayzTwoCents built 10 high end computers that were donated to Scholar’s Collective.

Scholar’s Collective is a place that specializes in teaching children science, technology, engineering, art, and math.

Ed Valdez, manager of Scholar’s Collective explained that, “Although they are mainly about teaching kids to game and code, we also want to have the whole community here; something for nerds to geek out on.”

Scholar’s Collective is located at 236 E 3rd St Suite 100C, Long Beach in a downtown basement and has a very advanced technology lab that offers over 10 gaming computers with GEFORCE RTX3080’s, Playstation5, Nintendo Switch, virtual reality, and a stream lab.

Scholars Collective will host 18+ game nights the first Saturday of every month.

Saturday March 5 was the second LAN (local area network) party game night.

Only two people, Ezekiel Moore and DJ Westerfield showed up to the event, but everyone had a good time.

Although they had never met, the two quickly bonded over Truly’s and Valorant. 

The gaming itself was quite an experience for the duo. Moore really enjoyed playing on the powerful computers.

“I’m a poor college student. I have a $750 gaming laptop. This was a much better experience. I could see things more clearly, way less lag, it was very smooth,” Moore said. 

If you want to meet some new people or prove you’re the best gamer in Long Beach, try virtual reality, or see what it’s like to play on a real gaming computer.

At these parties you can bring your own beer and food. Proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test is required to enter.

A glimpse into one of Long Beach’s hidden gems

Karina Serrano
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A glimpse into one of Long Beach’s hidden gems

Hidden behind gates near the California State University of Long Beach is a storied and verdant rancho that smells of roses and livestock, one which carries part of the origins of what is now the greater Los Angeles area adobe brick by adobe brick.

Rancho Los Alamitos is one of five ranches that came as a result of the 1790 Los Coyotes land grant to Manuel Nieto, who aided in the Gaspar de Portolá expedition which was the first Spanish expedition of California responsible for San Diego and the Camino Real.

A custom made horse stock for fitting horseshoes inside what was once the blacksmith at Rancho Los Alamitos on March 30, 2022. Photo by Craig Roberts.

Established as Rancho Los Alamitos, or the Ranch of the Little Cottonwoods due to its cottonwood trees in 1833, the property had several owners such as Governor José Figueroa and Yankee Don Abel Stearns. The ranch was last owned by the wealthy Bixby family, who in 1968 donated the ranch to the city. 

Even as Long Beach developed around the ranch area which caused it to continually shrink in size, especially as oil was found on Signal Hill, the ranch continued to function due to many Belgian, Mexican and Japanese immigrants coming to work the fields and shops as they settled in the United States through the early 1900s.

A south facing view at Rancho Los Alamitos on March 30, 2022 that once used to look out to the ocean before the city developed and isolating foliage was planted. Photo by Craig Roberts.

Today, the rancho sits at 7.5 acres of its initial 25,500 acres where much of the original buildings, such as the ranch house, equipment from the blacksmith and relics of the ranch have been kept intact. Around the site, you can find plenty of volunteers who help keep the place running and share its history with visitors.

Before all of this however, the land belonged to the Tongva people of Povuun’nga.

“The Tongva people believe their spirits come from this whole area, being these hills that the ranch and CSULB sit on,” Mitch Wellsteed said, a student at LBCC who volunteers at the ranch.

Through the fencing and wired wood posts, the Rancho Los Alamitos rose garden can be seen on March 30, 2022. Photo by Craig Roberts.

Gabrielinos, now known as the Tongva people, held a great deal of the land that is the Los Angeles Basin which the Los Coyotes land grant sat within. When the San Gabriel Mission was built on Nieto’s land, many of the Tongva were forced into brutal conditions and worked harshly which fueled the California economy at the time.

For some, the site is a reminder of what the state came from, while for others it serves as a means to unwind. Wellsteed sees the site as a chance to do both.

“We came here to check it out and liked it so much we decided to volunteer,” said Wellsteed, who has been volunteering at the ranch for over a year with his wife. “It’s peaceful and we learn more about both Long Beach and Los Angeles history.”

Preston, an English shire draft horse can be seen eating and being in the presence of visitors at Rancho Los Alamitos on March 30, 2022 which according to staff is something he enjoys. Photo by Craig Roberts.

Wellsteed has lived in Long Beach since the late 70s and only recently learned about the rancho after visiting the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles where the ranch is discussed in the ‘Becoming LA’ exhibit. 

“Not a lot of people really know about it, it’s one of those things where you type into Google what to do in Long Beach. I only recently learned about it after like 40 years,” said Wellsteed. 

A goat watches visitors enter the barn at Rancho Los Alamitos on March 30, 2022. Photo by Craig Roberts.

Rancho Los Alamitos has much to offer, such as workshops, luncheons, field trips and events. The aforementioned relics around the property serve as strong learning pieces and glimpses into the history of the city, county, and state.

“Something I love about the Rancho is how resonant this place is with so many people,” said Katie Lowe who manages education at the ranch.

“This has been a home, a workplace, and a gathering place for people for generations and generations. Through our education programs, we get to help students, families, and community members forge their own connections with this place, which is creative, meaningful work to do,” Lowe continued.

The rancho can be found at 6400 E. Bixby Hill Rd. through the gates for the Bixby Hills community, up the hill, and to the left. Admission and parking are free.

LBCC late start classes are now open for enrollment

Karina Serrano
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LBCC late start classes are now open for enrollment

Looking for a course to enroll in before the semester is over? Late start courses from Long Beach City College are now open with a variety to choose from.

Courses that are offered by LBCC spring late start give students the opportunity to get ahead or recover credits before the semester is completely over.  

General education and elective courses are open for those who are finishing up their college journey with LBCC or need to add more units to their transcript. 

“English courses fulfill a requirement by the end of the semester, as well as they’re important for students who are transferring.” Rodney Rodriguez, who is the Head of the English department, said. 

Other than completing major requirements, students can take advantage of exploring their interests. 

The classes are being offered on both campuses in-person and online for students.

Nichole Dwyer, a professor for the fashion department who offers a late start class explained how these classes have extended their ability to comply with the demand for enrollment. 

“They’re definitely seeing that this is a class that is needed but there is a huge amount of interest in the class and it’s done pretty well in terms of being a fully online course,” Dwyer said.

Intro to fashion is an entry level course for the fashion category and offers knowledge of every aspect of the industry.

Another course being offered is Cultural Anthropology taught by professor Shannon Hodges. The idea of this course is to explore our own culture as well as societies.

“Cultural anthropologists will write their ideas on specific terms, what is gender, what is sex, what is sexuality, and those will differ depending on what society you’re looking at,” Shannon said.

A list of all courses offered for late start can be found on the LBCC Spring schedule.

Tensions continue to rise during the first in-person Board of Trustees meeting since the beginning of the pandemic.

Matthew Walker
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Tensions continue to rise during the first in-person Board of Trustees meeting since the beginning of the pandemic.

The Board of Trustees, during their first in-person meeting since the pandemic, continued their heated exchanges, even after their redistricting controversy.

For the first portion of the meeting things ran smoothly with little evidence of squabbling as reports were given from union representatives to speaking about sabbaticals.

Further into the meeting, things picked up when Sunny Zia, trustee of Area 3, confronted president Mike Muñoz on an important letter from the Foundation which provides scholarships and support for students. She said the letter was withheld from her and “could have affected her decision.”

Trustee of area 2, Vivian Malauulu seconded her statement, but also used it as an opportunity to call out Zia over the same behavior. She suggested that policy be put in place to prevent this from happening again in the future while staring down Zia.

Trustee Malauulu could not be reached for a comment on the matter.

It was then that Zia accused the board of wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars on lawsuits including a current pending court case. When she made this comment though, there was confusion from the board on a current pending case.

Clarification on this matter was needed as the board itself recognized no current case.

“The court case was figurative, a ploy to make a show over the letter,” Zia said in response to the matter. “It’s baseless without merit. He [Uduak-Joe Ntuk] mocks women, his colleagues and those that disagree with him.”

This is not the first time such an accusation has been made by Zia and was even part of the grounds of a 2021 lawsuit against the city and port which tied in trustees Malauulu and Uduak-Joe Ntuk.

“The statement made by Ms. Zia is not true and does not reflect my behavior towards women, my colleagues or anyone else who would agree or disagree with me on any matter,” Ntuk said in response to the allegations made by Zia against him. “She has a habit of making false statements and unsubstantiated allegations against me and others.”

During the night’s commotion, Student Trustee Richard Blackmon was sitting silently and listening to everything play out.

“I have no feelings about the exchanges between Sunny and Joe and I think they were handled properly. They’re just passionate,” Blackmon said.

“Keep the political banter behind, I can’t speak on the issues between them but they shouldn’t be the focus with so much good progress being made for students.” he continued when asked if there was any change he’d like to see.

The board holds meetings on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month in the T-building on the Long Beach City College Liberal Arts Campus in room 1100 at 5:30pm.

LBCC students share how the pandemic changed their lives

Frederick Iwuagwu
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LBCC students share how the pandemic changed their lives

Long Beach City College celebrates new Aquatic Center, Kinesiology Labs, & Athletic Facilities with Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

Frederick Iwuagwu
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Long Beach City College celebrates new Aquatic Center, Kinesiology Labs, & Athletic Facilities with Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

Something that is sure to change the experience of athletes, is the recent opening of the new kinesiology lab and aquatics center, where Long Beach City College hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday at the LAC campus. 

“I’m very excited about this great new addition to our campus and the many advantages it will provide our students while honoring our past like legendary Monte Nitzkowski,” Athletics director Randy Totorp said. 

This new facility was named after late water polo coach Monte Nitzkowski, who died in 2016. 

Nitzkowski coached LBCC to six state championships in water polo, between the years 1954 and 1989.

Totorp explained that this new building is “a tribute to the past as much as it is a commitment to the future”

Jeff Wheeler, a member of LBCC’s masters swim team and a current professor in the English department says that “LBCC has always had a great pool, a great aquatics program but this is a huge deal.”

“I know what it was like to go into our team space, and I gotta tell you that as an aspiring 18-year-old, it wasn’t amazing back then,” Totorp said. As for him and other former LBCC athletes who now serve the school as faculty like Totorp and Uduak-Joe Ntuk recall their time at LBCC as a student

This new pool features a 50×25 meter Olympic-sized swimming pool with an adjustable wall to accommodate both Olympic and college competitions. 

Current swimmers like Mazen Abouelela reiterate how much of an improvement this is for current student-athletes, explaining “this will honestly help us so much”

One of the most noticeable differences for Abouelela is the new and improved swimming blocks, the ledge that swimmers dive into the pool from at the start of a race. 

“That was something we always had to deal with before, those old blocks were tiny, you could barely fit both feet on them so these new blocks mean a lot to us,” said Abouelela. 

Abouelela also touches on how the water polo teams and swim teams used to coordinate so that practices didn’t overlap; with this pool, both teams are able to practice simultaneously.

“I believe this new complex is the premier athletic facility in the region. I can tell you this rivals anything you would see at a 4-year university,” superintendent-president Mike Munoz said, during his speech. 

Ntuk sees the facility as “an opportunity for us to engage with our entire campus community.”

Looking to the future, Ntuk says “when the world cup comes, this is somewhere that those athletes from around the world can come and practice and be ready for a competition.”

Long Beach City College faces $10 million claim from former superintendent

Matthew Walker
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Long Beach City College faces $10 million claim from former superintendent

Long Beach City College faces a $10 million claim filed by former superintendent-president Reagan Romali, who was fired in 2020 amid both allegations of misconduct done during her presidency at LBCC, and her own allegations of misconduct levied against members of the board of trustees.

The $10 million claim alleges that Romali’s firing was retaliatory in response to her filing a whistleblower claim against specific members of the LBCC board of trustees and a damage to her reputation that has caused her to be unable to find work at the same level that she had been.

Board President Uduak-Joe Ntuk, who represents Area 1, made a statement regarding the claim.

“There is no justification for the arbitration claims against LBCCD, ​Trustee Malauulu or myself; they were independently investigated two years ago and found to have no merit,” Ntuk said.

The investigation referred to by Ntuk references a whistleblower claim made against the college by Romali, listing Trustees Ntuk and Vivian Malauulu in specific; with claims of defamation, retaliation and gender discrimination.

In the statement, Trustee Ntuk said that the claim would be handled in the same way as the lawsuit against Trustee Sunny Zia, with the cost having no monetary impact to the school’s general funds or student services.

Louis J. Cohen, an attorney representing Romali, called Ntuk’s statement a “Typical Ntuk misdirection.”

“It’s a plain and simple whistleblower retaliatory case” Cohen said, referring to Romali’s termination as “vindictive” and that they believe that the investigation against her had come up with nothing.

Cohen claims that the timeline of her termination is suspicious as well, with Long Beach Post’s reporter Jason Ruiz publishing a story on the whistleblower claim on March 2, Trustee Ntuk requesting the whistleblower ledger from Romali on March 3 (which was provided) and Romali being terminated from her position on March 4.

“If you look at the timeline, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that this is relatitory,” Cohen said.

The LBCC board of trustees does have its share of allegations against Romali as well, including multiple claims of misconduct and inappropriate use of a staff member.

An investigation performed by the board of trustees alleges to have uncovered the following allegations against Romali; including derogatory comments regarding an employee’s sexuality, saying she is unable to fire a gay Black man because he was protected by two identity classifications, allegedly managing other staff’s styling choices as not to compete with her own and calling a dean in her employ “hot.”

Romali is also alleged to have used a staff member for personal errands including babysitting, automotive service, grocery shopping, clothes shopping, and adoption assistance, which the board believes is inappropriate.

On the other side, Romali’s whistleblower claim alleges Brown Act violations, misuse of public funds and concerns over pay-for-play, done by Trustees Ntuk and Malauulu, which Romali had reported to the police in August of 2019, according to Cohen.

Both sides believe the other side’s investigation findings have no merit.

Stacey Toda, Associate Director of Public Relations and Marketing for LBCC, stated that the college gives no comment on pending litigation.

Trustee Sunny Zia, representing Area 3, gave no comment on the situation, but differed to the spokesperson of the board for comment.

Trustee Vivian Malauulu, representing Area 2, gave no comment on the situation at this time.

Trustee Virginia Baxter, representing Area 5, gave no comment on the situation at this time.

LBCC women In STEM share their experiences and struggles to motivate future generations of young women.

Maisie Vilchis
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LBCC women In STEM share their experiences and struggles to motivate future generations of young women.

In honor of Women’s History Month, students had the opportunity to listen to an in person panel of successful women in STEM and share their experiences in building D at LBCC.

By sharing their experiences and struggles while offering guidance, they believe that it can help break barriers into entering a STEM program. They intend to share new avenues of resources that students might not know about. 

The gender disparity in STEM women only makes up 28% of the workforce in STEM, according to the American Association of University Women.

STEM Panelists Patti Valella (Left), speaks with Kimberly Davis (Right), at the end of the LBCC Women In STEM event in the D Building at Long Beach City College on March 30, 2022. (Photo by Desary Vailencour)

The first step is removing the bias from education and creating support groups and mentorship programs for empowering women and girls in the workforce of science, technology, engineering, and math.

Microbiology instructor Erika Calle-Poppe didn’t let motherhood stop her from her STEM education, although it was difficult juggling schoolwork and childcare, she knew she fell in love with cells and the roles that they play because she knows one day that it may change the world.

Chemistry instructor Lizeth Perez explained how she was so shy that she was afraid to ask questions because she was an undocumented student. 

She joined a learning community at LBCC which helped her learn about and join the Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement program. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions,” Perez said.

(From left to right) STEM Panalists Erika Calle-Poppe, Lizeth Perez, Kimberly Davis, and Patti Valella speak with fellow student after the LBCC Women In STEM event in the D Building at Long Beach City College on March 30, 2022. (Photo by Desary Vailencour)

“Create your own community and ask a person in the field what do I need to do?” Kimberly Davis said, assistant professor of Computer Science. A great place to start is to network with your professor. 

Associate professor of life sciences Patti Valella, felt like she was born a scientist, she can remember experimenting and testing things as a young child. Men didn’t think she could succeed in the field, which gave her more motivation that she could succeed. 

“Learn from your failures, move forward with successes. Do it even if you’re scared.” Valella said. 

Before today’s discussion student Madison English felt lost and discouraged about her education.  The panel helped her learn about LBCC Bridges to Baccalaureate, a hands-on collaborative program that helps biology and chemistry students get real world research.

Although these women on the panel had to work hard in this male dominated profession, they feel happy and fulfilled by their careers. 

LBCC offers STEM students a program called DESTINO to assist in various support services. Hours are Monday through Friday 9:30am-6:00pm located at LAC Campus Room D104.
Another great resource for women and girls is www.aauw.org this organization has been around since 1881 and they are the leader in advocating for gender equality.

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