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Opinion: Having an undeclared major should be normalized

Eduardo Gomez
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Opinion: Having an undeclared major should be normalized

Entering college and being undeclared can make some students feel as though they are setting themselves up for failure. This doesn’t have to be the case, as making the first semester of college devoted to general education classes would relieve this issue.

Students being undeclared during their first year allows them to not only be more flexible in selecting classes, it will also relieve the pressure of having to choose a major straight away.

Yet, despite its benefits, a notable stigma still exists surrounding being undeclared in college.

According to an article by the Appalachian State Newspaper, undeclared students are often characterized as being “lazy” or “unmotivated”.

However, the reality is that if you are undeclared it grants you a much larger range of flexibility when exploring your options for your first foray into college level education. 

In high school, college is painted as the place where you select the career that you will dedicate most of your adult life to. 

Despite the weight of this seemingly life altering decision, most high schools seem to not do an effective job when it comes to preparing students so that they can choose their major when the time comes. 

Being undeclared in college should not be seen in a negative light; however, seeing that the issue is not with the undeclared student, but rather with the school’s system is unfair.

At the same time, this system also pressures students to choose their major before completing their first semester of college, which in turn affects the courses that are selected and can sometimes lead to students taking classes that end up being of no use to them when the time comes to either graduate or transfer. 

According to an article posted on the website Frank, at least 80% of college students will change their major at some point in their college journey. 

Students being capable of switching majors is somewhat of a solution to the problem at hand, but changing your major does have its drawbacks.

When a student decides to switch their major, they have no choice but to reassess which classes they need to take and often the case will be that a number of classes they have already taken become irrelevant in regards to their new educational plan.

One of the goals of a community college such as LBCC is getting students through their curriculum in a timely manner and onto a university or complete trade programs. 

As would be expected,  a student being undeclared in their first year may be an obstacle to this goal. 

This pressure from the college to finish as quickly as possible also contributes to the negative stigma surrounding being undeclared. 

Stopping this cycle of indecision in the first place is also a valid solution to the issue, namely by properly informing students about different career paths before they enter college.

Classes that involve teaching students about different careers, their expectations, and a small amount of first hand experiences should be provided at no cost. 

These types of classes would provide students a heightened level of understanding for different careers and how they operate.

College and career centers provide a similar role to these types of classes, but are less effective in both college and high school.

By properly informing future college students about a wide range of career options and the specifics of what each one entails, students will be better prepared to select the major that best suits them. 

It is very possible for high schools to be successful in properly preparing students to make the leap from high school to college while at the same time reassuring them that it is completely normal to be unsure of exactly which path they want to go down.

LBCC and American Red Cross team up to host blood drive

Moises
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LBCC and American Red Cross team up to host blood drive

Long Beach City College held its first set of blood drives last week, since the school closed due to the pandemic in early 2020. 

The next two sets of blood drives are scheduled for later this semester in April and May. 

Prior to the school’s closure in 2020, The American Red Cross were frequent visitors on LBCC’s campus and would hold multiple blood drives each semester. 

On Tuesday, Mar.1 and Wednesday, Mar.2, students who signed up and made an appointment to donate were able to stop by the blood drive sites on campus between 10 a.m – 4 p.m to contribute to this worthy cause.

Mario Martinez gets processed to give blood in the Fish Bowl. He was previously given blood after being injured in an accident, coming to the blood drive to give back. (Photo by Matthew Walker)

There were multiple stations set up, about half of the stations had chairs and the other half had beds for those who preferred to be lying down during the process. 

Diana Boyd, who was working at the event, was happy to see so many students take up the opportunity to donate blood. 

“The more drives we have, the better, because that way it is more convenient for the students and more donations will be made,” Boyd said. 

This was Boyd’s first time working at a drive at LBCC and she hopes to see an even bigger turnout at the drives in April and May. 

For the students who were donating, there were tables set up in the middle of the stations with a variety of both snacks and beverages, ranging from chips to water bottles to fruit snacks. 

In addition to these accommodations, there was also light music playing in the background to somewhat soften the possibly stress inducing environment, with the tracks including the likes of Bob Marley and Journey. 

Vivienne Holmarsdottir (right) gets blood drawn as other students wait atop stretchers. Holmarsdottir was one of the first time donors at the event. (Photo by Matthew Walker)

There was a mix of both first time donors and donors who had prior experience. 

For Vivienne Holmarsdottir, a student at LBCC, she was not too phased by the idea of donating blood despite being a first time donor. 

“Growing up, I would have blood drawn fairly often and eventually I became accustomed to the feeling. When I saw that they were doing a blood drive, I figured why not donate to such a good cause” Holmarsdottir said. 

According to Dr. Andrey Barry who was working at the drive, the blood that was collected at these two sites will be transferred to a medical facility in Pomona, where it will then be repackaged and redistributed to all the other medical facilities where it will be put to use.

Political philosopher Cornel West attends LBCC Webinar for Black Heritage Month 

Marlon Villa
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Political philosopher Cornel West attends LBCC Webinar for Black Heritage Month 

Philosopher, political activist, author, and public intellectual Cornel West concluded a series of month-long events for Black Heritage Month At Long Beach City College with a webinar. 

During the webinar, West discussed what his Black heritage meant to him, the people who have motivated him, and the tough circumstances Black people had to endure. 

“We the quick, we the living, we the breathing must never forget those who came before who sacrificed so much for us. We are who we are because someone loved us.” West said. 

West discussed how although Black individuals have dealt with hatred for over 400 years, every generation has produced individuals who have contributed in many ways to Black heritage.

He cites abolitionist Harriet Tubman as a warrior because of how she “went back into the belly of the beast” to rescue enslaved African Americans and bring them to the north.  

As well as Frederick Douglass, who was one of the finest orators of his day despite the fact he never went to college. 

He believes that one of the lessons of Black history is that you don’t respond to trauma by being a wounded hunter, but rather by being a wounded healer. 

West considers his parents Clifton L. West and Irene B. West, as well as his brother Clifton West to have made a major influence and impact on his life’s choices. 

He emphasizes how it is impossible for him to consider anyone outside of his family to be a major influence. 

West also feels he will never be the human his brother or parents are, but considers himself lucky to be more visible and to be able to share some wisdom. 

“The ways in which no one of us is self made, not one of us gave birth to ourselves, our loved ones were already there to help shape us which is what makes it hard for me to look outside the family,” West said. 

West advises young activists to always think about exactly what their calling is before thinking about how to act on it.

According to him, a calling happens when someone has been touched in such a way that they’re willing to move in any direction necessary, not just in the name of popularity. A calling is not about popularity, but about integrity. 

Jerome Hunt, host of the zoom concluded the event by thanking Cornel West for 

closing out Black Heritage Month with the webinar.

“Thank you very much, Dr. West for honoring the late Bell Hooks and sharing your profile,wisdom, and experiences with our students,” Hunt said. 

Pitchers Duel Ends With Walk-Off in the 7th

Frederick Iwuagwu
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Pitchers Duel Ends With Walk-Off in the 7th

The Vikings won a pitcher’s duel, after seven innings, in front of a crowded home-house Tuesday against the Dons of Santa Ana. The Dons came into the matchup at 11-1 and the Vikings 8-3.

Behind the clutch pitching of Daisy Torres, and their situational offense, LBCC was able to win in the seventh inning with a walk-off walk earned by pinch hitter Racine Ruacho. The final score was 1-0.

Emily Rosas was pitching for Santa Ana, She was bringing some heat on a hot afternoon.

Torres had control of her pitches. She switched it up at the right time and it kept the Dons off balance.

Her change was deadly throwing the ball, slowing it for the split second the ball left her hand and eventually hit the catcher’s glove, or harmlessly made contact with the opposition’s bat, only to be safely secured for an out.

“Her changeup is killer. It’s always like that,” Jaylene Ross said.

It was a matchup of power vs. finesse.  

The setting was a pristine softball complex, with a new car-smell-feel to it. Fans were crowding the stands on both sides of the diamond. Chatter poured out of each dugout. Allia Marquez’s lucky ribbon was in her hair.

“Since I’ve been here, we haven’t had a consistent field. We’ve had to change fields many times, and even to a park. And now finally we’re here,” Jade Wittman said.

Both pitchers split time in the pitcher’s circle for seven innings. The Dons had six hits going into the seventh and the Vikings had one. Neither had a run.

After starting the inning with a 3-0 count, Torres came up clutch and struck out Santa Ana’s Breanna Padilla for the first out of the extra inning. The next two outs were just a formality. The LBCC ace was ready to end it.

Catcher Jaylene Ross started the bottom of the seventh with an opposite-field double to deep left field.

“It was an outside fastball, or it could have been a screwball, but she had been throwing that all game,” Ross said.

Haley Veazie entered the game to pinch run for Ileana Rivera after Ileana was intentionally walked. 

Pop-out to the pitcher, Hit by a pitch. The bases were loaded.

Right fielder Kristin Sanchez made good contact, but she reached base by fielder’s choice on a force out at home.

There were two outs and the bases were loaded. 

Coach Megan Martinez turned to her bench in the most crucial moment in the game. Not only by bringing in Racine Ruacho to pinch-hit with the game on the line but the pinch-runner Veazie was also on third base.

“Our energy and resilience allowed us to be victorious in the 7th inning”. Coach Martinez said.

Ruacho walked and Veazie scored the game-winning run.

“Yeah, it was a good game,” said Veronica Torres.

LBCC Cheer wins National Championships

Frederick Iwuagwu
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LBCC Cheer wins National Championships

LBCC’s Cheer team participated last weekend in the USA Collegiate Championships for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Which resulted with them coming home as 2022’s National Champions.

On the first day of this two day competition, LBCC Cheer started with a strong lead, hitting all of the stunts in their routine, ranking number one with only 1.5 deductions. In comparison to their competitors from Utah, Snow College finished with 10.5 deductions. 

The second day they brought the same energy back out onto the mats, which led the team to their first place victory.

A cheer spectator this weekend commented on the competitor team, traveling all the way from Utah saying, “They must be hungry for a win,” LBCC cheerleader Ronaldo Vicencio responded by saying, “Yeah well we’re starving.” 

Ina-Marie Timbo, who has been with this team for five years and is one of the team captains says, “routing each other on, being very encouraging, saying you got this let’s go, ”are some of the attributes that helped make this team successful.

This Championship isn’t the only title LBCC cheer has won this year. At the end of January, they competed in Ontario and came out as the CheerPro California State Champions. This competition helped lead them to Anaheim this February. 

Their first place win at the CheerPro State competition is not just a token to show the skill and hard work this team has, but this achievement proved that LBCC Cheer takes the meaning of dedication farther than most. 

Coach Diana Galias said that “their love for each other, their consistency, their dedication, their work ethic,” is what sets this team apart from others and raises them to the top. 

LBCC Cheer has prospered through the difficulties of practicing and working as a team through the pandemic. They even made a nickname for this team, calling themselves “TheZoomSquad”

Due to the surge of another COVID variant in January, the team suffered by not being able to attend practices when they were supposed to be perfecting the finishing touches for their routine.

Galias said, “We’ve had so many obstacles. When we came back to school in January we had an outbreak of covid, we had to shut down. We only had two practices before we went to state… which we took first place.”

Each week has about 8 hours of practice, excluding the open gym hours available to the athletes, which most of the team always attends. 

The main goal for this team is to get a bid for the NCA College National competition in Daytona held every April. 

Competing at the NCA competition would set LBCC as not simply the number one college for the two-year cheer division, but would bring in the top of all recruits. 

 LBCC Men’s Volleyball Team Off To A Great Start

Frederick Iwuagwu
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 LBCC Men’s Volleyball Team Off To A Great Start

Long Beach City College men’s volleyball team is off to a strong start after winning 7 out of their first 8 games, recently getting shut out against Santa Barbara Community College by a score of 3-0.

Last season, the team couldn’t compete in the season due to the pandemic because it was canceled. This year they have a strong group of players excited and ready to play in the upcoming games.

“We have 14 guys who can step on the court to contribute, which has been a huge advantage. a couple of guys couldn’t play last year due to covid,” head coach Jonathan Charette said. “So we’re really eager to represent LBCC athletics.”

With a record of 6-1, the team has shown their eagerness to play and have a winning mentality. The team overall has created a strong chemistry with each other and their roles, effectively playing as a group versus individually. 

The team has put up great fights against schools such as Irvine Valley, Orange Coast and San Diego Mesa claiming the victory against all. Currently the team is on a win streak of 3 victories.  

Focusing on their goals the players are hoping for success in all areas on and off the field.

“We have a lot of goals for this season. We want to get closer as a team and build team chemistry, but overall, we’d like to win the state championship,” middle blocker James Ulugalu said. 

LBCC Men’s Volleyball team’s only loss has come against Orange Coast, one of the best teams in California. The game itself was closely contested with close scores. Long Beach City College fell in the last set 15-8, losing the game 3-2.  

“Although we’ve been winning games so far, there are a few things we can improve. We need to learn how to trust each other and communicate better,” middle blocker Amery Leomiti said on the weaknesses of the team. “Also, we need to be more consistent and have more energy.”

As the team keeps winning the goals are looking likely to come as the team is hoping to add another win to their winning streak and aiming for winning conference and state championships this year.  

This record should not surprise anyone as the Long Beach City College men’s volleyball team has been traditionally dominant, winning the state championship in 2019 and had an 11-1 record in 2020 before the covid shutdown. 

Their next game is March 4th at the LBCC gym against Antelope Valley College (3-4) at 6 pm.

Students and staff express mixed emotions being back on campus

Karina Serrano
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Students and staff express mixed emotions being back on campus

The Spring semester of 2022 has resumed at Long Beach City College and students and staff have mixed feelings about returning back to campus to take their classes after spending the last couple of years taking courses online.

Ever since the COVID-19 outbreak forced schools to shut down in March of 2020, teachers and students have been forced to adapt to a new way of providing and receiving an education. 

However, now that society has adjusted and learned to live safely amidst a pandemic, schools have begun to allow students to return back to campus. In spite of this, students and staff still feel wary about coming back to school.

“School feels a lot different. Before, students would gather in groups and talk to each other. Now that school has restarted, everyone is scared to be around anyone, and there’s not as much interaction as before,” Crisi Hernandez, a school staff member said.

“I believe that kids prefer to stay home because there is the fear that they may get sick. Also, some may face issues such as anxiety,” Hernandez added.

Donavan Madison, another staff member went on to add what he has observed.

“Students are less engaged while being more distant from one another. They refuse to socialize and go straight to class then straight home. School used to be packed with people and full of activities before COVID-19,” Madison said.

It is no surprise that interaction amongst students has decreased.  Social distancing and mask mandates are still in effect, and nobody wants to risk the chance of getting sick. 

Although classes have resumed on campus, some courses offer students the choice to take their classes online. Because of this, the majority of the online classes are full and have a long waitlist, while most in-person classes still have availability.

Amy Tripolites, a creative writing major and military veteran, feels like the reason students are hesitant to return to school is because of “the uncertainty of what’s going on, it feels like something is changing everyday.”

After spending significant time taking classes online, students have been able to notice the pros and cons between physically coming to school and taking classes versus sitting in front of a computer listening to lectures. 

When asked about which teaching style she prefers, student Leann Barcelona says, “I definitely think taking classes is way easier in person because I can ask the professor questions after class and I can feel the connection with my classmates and make friends a lot easier. Most of the classes that I took online were asynchronous and those classes were pretty hard. Overall, I prefer in-person classes.” 

Students who have used the action of coming to campus as an incentive to be social are enduring a different experience.  

Mohammed Alfayez, a student with hearing loss shares how difficult it is to be on campus wearing a mask and not being able to communicate clearly with those who do not know sign language.

“I like to be here at school for good advice, to hang out, meet new friends, and have clubs to attend because everyone deals with their own mental health and may feel lonely. I’m here alone, trying to make new friends but I am unable to read lips and I can’t always have an ASL interpreter. This is really hard for me. I just miss 2019 and before,” Alfayez said.

Although there is joy in reuniting with classmates, friends, and staff, students like Alfayez now find that it has become difficult to be social on campus due to the mask mandate and the inability to communicate through lip-reading. 

From the limited resources to social distancing, returning to campus does not feel like how it once did before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Heated redistricting efforts ensue at LBCC

Marlon Villa
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Heated redistricting efforts ensue at LBCC

Redistricting efforts which occur every ten years after the census have heated up as drama ensues between the trustees who have a history of bad blood. 

As a public institution, LBCC must adjust its districts based on the census. The education code says that the districts must be proportional and fair. 

However, in a suggested map one of the trustees, Sunny Zia, would be written out of her district and be forced to run the next time a seat opened. This opening wouldn’t present itself until 2024 by running against Vivian Malauulu of District 2. 

On February 15 a special meeting was held in which this map was presented. In a comment to the Long Beach Post, Zia said it was, “a purely political ploy.” This map was rejected to diffuse the situation with a less controversial one being accepted in the interim. 

Trustee Uduak-Joe Ntuk of District 1 who also serves as the president of the board responded on the matter calling it, “false hysteria.”

“What I saw was misinformation that she (Sunny) put out in specific. She misrepresented the nature of the meeting, that it was about her and not the input or laws.”

Upon reaching out to Sunny Zia with multiple messages, no call was returned for a comment on the situation.

The census, which faced its own national controversy, yielded a change in demographics that required two districts to grow and one to shrink which would thus require all the districts to change to meet this according to Ntuk. Sunny Zia, isn’t buying this.

Sunny has been the subject of intense scrutiny from her colleagues, having faced a censure from the board in 2019 and even a lawsuit when the board tried to block her from closed door meetings.

The board will hold a regularly scheduled meeting on February 23 to make a final decision on the new map.

Vikings baseball wins third game against El Camino

Sophia Cobb
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Vikings baseball wins third game against El Camino

LBCC Vikings baseball closed out their three game series against the El Camino Warriors on Saturday at El Camino with a 16-10 win. The team swept the Warriors in all three games of their series.

The Vikings trailed the Warriors 2-0 in the first and second inning. With two on base at the top of the third inning, Moises Guzman (31)  hit a home run putting the Vikings on the board and in the lead.

By the end of the sixth inning, the team had increased their runs to 8, with starting pitcher Evan Vazquez (2), holding the Warriors to only two runs.

“Vazquez came out a little timid in the first inning, but he got stronger as it went on,” said head coach Casey Crook.

At the top of the seventh, the Vikings brought their runs up to ten. After El Camino scored a third run, a pitching change was made by the Vikings and Max Shea (40), was brought in. A final pitching change was made again after the Warriors scored a fourth run and the Vikings brought in their closing pitcher, Marcellus Henry (24).

Vikings starting pitcher Evan Vazquez (2) throwing a strike to hold their lead against the Warriors. (Photo by: Emily D’Amico)

“We have to get better in the bullpen; more consistent, throwing strikes and coming out,” Crook said.

The seventh inning ended with the Vikings only holding a two point lead to the Warriors. However, the eighth inning was where they secured their place for a win.

An additional six runs were scored in the eighth by Raul Garcia (19), Evan Vazquez (2), Alex Seguine (3), Malik Clayton (6), Justin Santoyo (10), and Kamau Neighbors (1). Henry held the Warriors to 8 for the rest of the inning.

The Vikings stayed at 16 for the final inning, while the Warriors scored two more runs. The Vikings took the victory at the end of the ninth inning, making the final score 16-10.

“I played pretty good. I had a better game last week, but throughout the week I did good and I’m happy we won,” Guzman (31) said.

Guzman had four runs batted in during his six chances this game, and has been a strong hitter for the Vikings so far this season

Crook said, “Even though it was sloppy, I’m pretty happy with these guys. We messed up a pop-up play today, but our guys at the plate are taking great at bats.”
The Vikings have another three game series this week versus Mt. Sac on Tuesday at Mt. Sac, Thursday at home, and Saturday at Mt. Sac.

City of Long Beach updates event health guidelines

Marlon Villa
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City of Long Beach updates event health guidelines

On February 15 the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services posted new safety guidelines for events regarding the pandemic, which removes the outdoor mask mandate for events.

According to the press release the new threshold for attendance is 1,000 people for indoor mega events and 10,000 for outdoor mega events which is in line with the California Department of Health updated Mega Events Guidance. 

The largest change to the guidelines comes in the form of removing the mask mandate for outdoor events. 

Despite the removal of the mandate, masking is still encouraged where physical distancing isn’t possible. 

Another section of Tuesday’s update is for youth sporting events as well, some of which are held just across the street from Long Beach City College at Heartwell Park. 

The new guidance fits with the outdoor mega events and their removal of a mask mandate. However, indoor events require masking regardless of vaccination status.

Several calls were made to try and reach the Public Affairs Officer at the Department of Health and Human Services for a comment on the new protocol, however these calls were not returned. 

What do students  here at LBCC think of this? David Reid, had this to say on the matter.

“Feels kinda weird that there’s no mask mandate on large outdoor events. It seems a little rushed.”

This response shows a favor for masks but two students is not indicative of the entire student population, especially in such a rapidly evolving situation.

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