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Women and their unique experiences in the workplace

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Women and their unique experiences in the workplace

“Women are often taught to not only be small, but to make everyone else comfortable first. So having the knowledge that it is okay to feel uncomfortable and make others feel uncomfortable if my voice is not being heard,” event host Vanessa Crispin-Peralta said on the challenge of not having her voice feel heard in the workplace.

As women’s history month comes to a close, Erin Murphy the director of special events at LBCC and Vanessa Crispin-Peralta, a history professor who specializes in women’s history at LBCC, hosted the virtual event Workplace Challenges: Then vs Now.

The event had four women panelists, Jane Templin a retired electrictrician, Melissa Infusino the LBCC director of workforce development, Daisy Gonzalas who is the lead organizer of the garment workers center and workers rights organization and Ana de los Rios, a garment worker. All these women shared their unique experiences working in different fields. 

“The challenge I faced was to not get worn down by it. Women want to be under the radar and not create waves,and that is one of the things that I have regretted. Once I began to make waves, I began to advance in my field. Women have to learn to fight for it.” shared Templin when looking back at her time working as an electrician.

Templin continued, “I would get so excited telling and showing people the work that I did, and they would look shocked that I was able to accomplish something that was considered a man’s job.”

Infusino also shared her experiences, “What was happening was I was being spoken over, I was being mansplained, I was being interrupted, my ideas were being taken from me and being used by someone else without credit, I was being passed over for things. I was being treated unfairly and I was led to believe I was being sensitive and overreacting.”

Rios then shared, “Do not let anyone intimidate you.” when it comes to standing up for yourself towards a supervisor. “It is one of the hardest things to overcome.”

Rios had also shared her experiences working in the garment industry, “For a 60 hour work week I would get paid about $300. I have also been fired for taking time off to take my children to the doctor.”

Gonzales now works with Rios to pass the Garment Worker Protection Act. This would eliminate the piece rate system that the workers are being paid under, and create a multilateral accountability. 

To help these women pass this protection act, sign the petition linked below:

https://garmentworkercenter.ourpowerbase.net/civicrm/petition/sign?sid=2

One of the biggest changes that these women wanted to see in the near future is pay equity. 

Crispin-Peralta said,“Pay equity you know and not just literally dollars you know seeing equal pay for equal work that’s obviously really important but honoring women’s work” 

Despite all of the challenges these women have faced, they remain hopeful for the future.

“I have hope that this generation will make waves in improving the workforce.” said Crispin-Peralta.

LBCC Dance Program prepares to release virtual dance concert

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LBCC Dance Program prepares to release virtual dance concert

LBCC Dance Program will launch a virtual dance concert on April 23rd at 6 p.m. through a YouTube link showcasing a variety of dance techniques. 

The YouTube link will be sent out to students through the weekly LBCC email and will also be posted on the LBCC Dance Program social media pages. 

Dance techniques that will be showcased include African dance, modern dance, jazz, and contemporary dance. 

Stephanie Powell, an LBCC dance professor and artistic director, said, “Due to COVID-19, each piece will be a dance for the camera and feature a group of highly dedicated students that auditioned for the performance in February.” 

The concert features 6 faculty choreographers and one student choreographer. 

Choreographers were hand selected by Stephanie Powell and her colleague Martha Pamintuan, who was one of the choreographers for the virtual dance concert. 

“All of our rehearsals took place on ZOOM and filming was done by students and faculty in local areas,” said Powell.

Since all rehearsals have been through zoom, the dance program has faced new challenges in putting together a dance concert.

According to Martha Pamintuan, “So we’ve been doing everything online and it’s been a lot of solo shots from students. It’s been a lot of back-and-forth process.” 

“The students have all different recording devices, so then trying to put together the footage and we have to make sure that it matches,” said Pamintuan, “and when it doesn’t you can tell when you’re viewing it.”

Because of the pandemic, the choreographers have had to find new ways to get the right equipment for the students while still keeping a safe distance and practicing safety protocols. 

“A lot of editing goes on and making sure everyone has the right costume, lighting, and makeup has also been one of the new challenges we have faced,” said Pamintuan. 

The LBCC Dance Program is excited to showcase the hard work that the student dancers and choreographers have put into making this dance concert. 

Stay connected with the LBCC Dance Program by following their instagram and facebook to learn about updates and performances. 

LBCC mental health clinicians host zoom about self-love

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LBCC mental health clinicians host zoom about self-love

LBCC students attend and learn about self-love by attending, Learn to Love Yourself Through Mindfulness: Practicing the Act of Self-Compassion. The zoom event was facilitated by two LBCC Mental Health Clinicians, Daisy Cook and Brianna Reyes on April 2.

While waiting for the workshop to begin, many students participated in an anonymous pre-survey. The pre-surveys goal was to rate students on a few topics including: self love, confidence, positivity,  mindfulness, loving others, forgiveness, and other similar topics. 

Reyes opened the virtual event with the agenda for the workshop and explained thoroughly about what the workshop would consist of. 

Reyes said, “Calming our body with a supportive touch is a good way to feel at ease within yourself, because sometimes as humans we just want a hug from others or just want to feel loved, secured and comforted.”

Some ways you can practice and use supportive touch is through exercises; put one hand on your cheek, gently stroke your arms, one hand holding the other, crossing your arms and giving a gentle squeeze, two hands on your belly. 

You have to keep in mind that when you’re practicing the supportive touch exercises, to take a few slow deep breaths, start by slowly inhaling in and then exhaling.

Cook then asked the participants, what are five good self affirmations you would describe yourself as? Is there anything you would change about yourself like any flaws or bad habits you have?

She explained that the five self affirmations can be said while looking in a mirror, your cell phone screen or just announcing them outloud with confidence. These exercises will allow you to gain more appreciation toward yourself. 

Reyes said, “Self love is known to be the best love ever. You have to give yourself the same exact love and attention that you give others and then just watch how you start to bloom and grow.”

Cook went on to explain the importance of forgiving yourself and most importantly forgiving others in life by using the rule of self-talk. 

Self-talk is the way your inner voice makes sense of the world around you and the way you communicate with your inner self. 

The workshop ended with a reflection for participants to ask themselves some questions like what if they learned anything new about themselves and how did they feel in their body when making self-compassion statements?

For further information you can contact LBCC Student Health Services for the PCC campus at 562-938-3992 and 562-938-4210 for the LAC campus. It is advised to leave a voice message and include: your first and last name, call back number, student ID number and make sure to indicate if it’s for your mental health or if it’s medical. 

Lastly, the hours of LBCC Student Health services are: Monday through Thursday from 8:00am to 5:00pm and Friday from 8am to12:00pm. To be updated with recent news or events you can follow health services on their Instagram by searching @LBCC_Healthyvikings. 

The Lakewood Pacific Theater set to permanently close

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The Lakewood Pacific Theater set to permanently close

As movie theaters begin reopening in California, the Pacific Theaters Lakewood Center 16 near the Lakewood Center is set to close permanently as announced by its parent company, The Decurion Corporation, on Monday.

The company website posted a statement on Monday stating, “After shutting our doors more than a year ago, today we must share the difficult and sad news that Pacific will not be reopening its ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres locations.”

The news of permanent closures coincides with the reopening of other movie theater chains such as Regal and AMC.

“This was not the outcome anyone wanted, but despite a huge effort that exhausted all potential options, the company does not have a viable way forward,” the company added.

The Lakewood Center 16 opened its doors on January 17, 1968 and was in operation until March of last year.

Being a popular theater for surrounding cities in the 80s, local residents shared their memories in local Facebook groups of going to the Lakewood Center 16 and seeing classic films like Alien, The Empire Strikes Back and The Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Jason Ward, a local and Star Wars enthusiast, recalled going to that theater growing up and it being an important theater throughout his life.

“I’ve seen every Star Wars movie there and I can trace every important movie (I’ve seen) to that theater …  It was the best local theater you can go to and it’s where I met all my movie friends locally,” said Ward.

According to the novel Blockbuster How Hollywood Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Summer written by Tom Shone, Steven Spielberg test screened his final cut of Jaws at the Lakewood Center 16 on March 28, 1975. 

A test screen is a preview of a movie before it releases to the public and allows the audience to react and give their feedback on it.

Ward added, “It’s nostalgia. There are so many memories that are from that specific theater, it’s just not going to be the same going to a different theater.”

The movie theater industry has been devastated by the pandemic as on demand entertainment has risen in popularity because of stay at home orders set last year. 

According to a report conducted by Antenna Analytics, in 2020 the U.S streaming market grew 37% in subscriptions from the previous year.

Movie studios now recognized a profitable market for getting new movies out to viewers making them available to watch on their respected streaming service.

New movies such as Godzilla vs Kong and Raya and the Last Dragon are titles recently released simultaneously with theatrical releases giving the viewer new options to watch them.

Brett Tomberlin, producer of the Queen Mary movie set to film in Long Beach doesn’t see a hopeful future for smaller owned theaters to survive the next five years.

Tomberlin said, “Out of the 5000  movie theaters that are out there, I personally think that in the next five years it’ll be around 3000-3500 at most. I think it’ll be cut down by a third.”

The beloved Cinerama Dome in Hollywood is set to close permanently with the rest of the chain theaters.

“The biggest problem with theaters moving forward is you’re basically going to a movie theater for nostalgia and wanting to experience a movie with fellow human beings,” said Tomberlin.

In the meantime of theaters reopening in surrounding cities, the city of Lakewood announced a Drive-In Movies at the Mall event that’ll be a drive-in movie experience in the parking lot of the Lakewood Center Mall. 

The Huntington is reopening select art galleries on April 17

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The Huntington is reopening select art galleries on April 17

The Huntington Library, Museum and Botanical Gardens is now getting ready to reopen some of it’s art galleries to allow guests to see what their collection has to offer.

The Huntington has been a refuge for those who’ve wanted to get outside during the pandemic. 

It closed mid-March with everything else, but since they were classified as an outdoor museum, the gardens have been open since July 1st to the public (members were allowed back in June). So, this is the first phase of reopening for the art galleries they host.

South side of The Huntington rose garden in full bloom. Photo by Katherine Miller/Viking News

The Huntington is reopening the ground floor of the Huntington art gallery, which houses their European art collection as well as different treasures from the 18th and 19th centuries. This is a priority for the Huntington because that gallery houses one of their most famous paintings, which just got restored; The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough. 

“It’s a priority to reopen [that gallery] because so many people are anxious to see the difference and to just experience that…a lot of people, volunteers, and visitors talk about looking at the portraits in the gallery as ‘visiting old friends’ and so I know a lot of people are looking forward to getting back to visiting their old friends,” said Brandi Shawn-Chaparro, the associate director of volunteer and community engagement. 

They are also reopening a space for a temporary exhibition called Made in LA, where The Huntington is doing a collaboration with The Hammer museum in Los Angeles. “It features many contemporary artists, many who are people of color and it is a very exciting opportunity for us to showcase up and coming artists,” said Shawn-Chaporro. 

The exhibition at the Huntington will have a set of work and The Hammer will have a different set of work by the same artists; so in order to see the full exhibit, it is advised to visit both museums. 

Only select galleries will be opening and not everything because it will help with crowd control and to eliminate high-touch surfaces from the equation. The Conservatory and the Children’s Garden are two of those high-touch spaces that will not be reopening with the galleries. “The guidance still suggests we keep those places closed so that we keep the risk as low as possible for transmission via surfaces,” said Susan Turner-Lowe, vice-president for communications and marketing. 

For the sake of crowd control they are waiting to reopen the non high-touch spaces. “We have not opened interior galleries [during the pandemic] so we wanted to do a phased approach and see how it goes from there,” said Turner-Lowe. 

The Huntington will have safety procedures set in place to ensure the visitors are safe. 

Entrance to the Japanese Garden, photo by Katherine Miller/Viking News
Entrance to the Japanese Garden. Photo by Katherine Miller/Viking News

Firstly, when purchasing tickets online, guests will be asked to pick a time to come. There will be temperature checks upon entry and face coverings required at all times (unless eating or drinking). Social distancing will also be in place and there will be regular sanitation of common places.

The galleries will have limited capacity (with security monitoring at both the entrances and exits in the galleries) and there will be a one way route inside. There will be stickers on the ground guiding people as well. 

Shawn-Chaparro described her feelings on the reopening as wonderful and strange.“It seems like a short amount of time since we’ve been closed but also a very long time since we’ve been open. Hopefully, [the artwork] is still familiar to people and they feel a sense of enjoyment.” 

The Huntington will be opening the European art gallery and the Made in LA exhibition on April 17. 

Housing resources available at LBCC

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Housing resources available at LBCC

Students facing housing insecurity and homelessness can find help through the Basic Needs program at Long Beach City College. 

The Basic Needs Program addresses housing insecurities, offers free groceries through the Viking Vault, helps with the application process for CalFresh and more.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were already homeless and housing insecure students and with the pandemic the number of students has risen, according to The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice.

The eligibility requirements for housing help are to be enrolled in six units and in good academic standing. 

“Do not let the minimum requirements discourage you from contacting us because even if you’re not eligible we still have community resources that may help,” said Justin Mendez, Basic Needs Program manager.

Most recently the program was given a grant that can help students who are behind on rent and students who are experiencing homelessness. 

“I’m so grateful that as a MSW and LBCC’s Basic Needs Coordinator, I am able to provide students with the same types of resources I, myself, used when I was a community college student and throughout my graduate school experience. As a single mother of three, I know how hard it is to make it through school with limited resources and competing needs. I am very transparent about my own journey and I hope that helps students know they are not alone,” said Dianka Lohay, Master Social Worker and Basic Needs Coordinator.

“It’s okay for students to ask for help. The only way for us to help you is if you reach out,” said Mendez. 

The housing program works with CalWORKs, Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), and Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE) students as well.

Another housing resource is a direct housing help through the Basic Needs Program with Hoveness partnership. The requirements for eligibility are that students need to be enrolled in nine units and have completed nine units. This is subject to change because of the recent pandemic.

If students do not qualify for the program there is still help available. The program can connect you to other resources in the community. 

There is the emergency CARES fund for students who need emergency assistance. It provides an additional grant. The only requirements are that students are in need and you can apply for the grant through the LBCC website.

“There is no shame in asking for help because there are so many students struggling right now. You are not alone,” said Mendez.

Students who use their cars as homes may also get the chance to safely park on their community college campus according to California Legislative Information Assembly Bill number 302. 

This bill has been amended four times prior with its most recent amendment stating July 1, 2021 as an effective start date. There are restrictions to the bill and to which colleges are eligible to allow students to safely park on campus overnight.

Other than the Basic Needs Program, there is the Helping Homeless Students Group who works with the Basic Needs Program. The group is a resource for the program and can help students who are homeless.

To contact the program email basicneeds@lbcc.edu or call (562) 938-5054. Use the link to access the Student Resource Guide.

Some high school football athletes return for the season.

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Some high school football athletes return for the season.

Football games in Long Beach will take place Fridays for Friday Night Lights and on Saturdays but this year the public won’t be allowed to come watch the games. 

Only a limited number of the players’ parents and close family members will only be able to attend games while also following safety protocols like social distancing and wearing face masks in the stands of course. 

Not all Long Beach high school football teams returned this season, the Cabrillo Jaguars chose to opt out due to lack of players and getting student athletes medically cleared to play. 

“I have trust in my team because I know what my team is capable of. They give their full potential in each game they play but with a long offseason it’s still my job as a coach to make sure the team is conditioning and still practicing,” said Wilson high school football coach Mark Ziegenhagen. 

Wilson Bruins are one of the local high schools in Long Beach who had a victorious season during the year of 2019. They reached the CIF-SS Division seven quarterfinals and won ten games.

This year the Wilson Bruins are 3-1, with three wins and one loss this season putting them in the third spot for Moore League division. 

“It has been a crazy season this year with COVID and since the return of sports so we want to build on this team and build on what we have and hopefully bring more talent on the roster and on the field,” said Ziegenhagen. 

Despite only twelve seniors being on their roster, the Wilson Bruins won big on April 2 which was their senior night game. 

Wilson high schools Athletic Director Jeffrey Evans said, “Some athletes at the school are still being recruited for college. We celebrate all the seniors who are going on to play any college athletic sports usually towards the end of May, and that is when we start compiling our list of all seniors going on to play any college sports.”

This year is a more challenging season and the reason for that is scheduling games and practices with so many teams and sharing facilities with sports being in season all at one time. 

Evans said, “I am hopeful that the COVID numbers are continuing to decline and will get us back to normal going forward, and hopefully beginning in the fall 2022 things will be on a more traditional schedule for athletics.”

There is a less numbered amount of athletes playing this season compared to any of the other seasons.

All outdoor sports have returned this spring school year for high school athletes; football, water polo, tennis, golf, baseball, track and field, cross country, surfing, and lacrosse. In addition, indoor sports like basketball, badminton, volleyball and wrestling are now able to resume.

Due to a positive test with Poly high school football, the Moore League had to cancel and rearrange a game not too long ago.

But the reopening process continues with schools like Wilson High being slated to play against Lakewood High School Lancers at Lakewood on April 16. 

Two students talk about how they spent their stimulus money

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Two students talk about how they spent their stimulus money

Correction: Was missing caption and photo credit in initial post.

Two Long Beach City College students gave insight on where they spent the stimulus money they were sent from President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 relief plan. On March 11, Biden signed the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan, beginning the rollout of the third round of stimulus checks.

This third round of payment is included as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. It allows for all eligible individuals to receive a base amount of $1,400 depending on their adjusted gross income.   

The first stimulus check was disbursed a year ago and since then a total of $3,200 has been paid to every qualifying taxpayer as a way to assist them financially through the pandemic.

Myra Khensovan is a first-year student at LBCC who has received all three checks. She’s spent her money on a variety of needs throughout the year.

“A good chunk of it goes to school supplies,” said Khensovan. “I’m trying to earn my welding certificate and it feels like I constantly need supplies for that.”

Along with this, she’s also put money towards a home improvement project.

“I’ve been remodeling my room,” Khensovan said. “I’ve wanted to for a couple of years and with this money plus the fact that I’ve been spending a lot more time at home, I guess it just seemed like the right time.”  

In April of 2020, as a result of the pandemic, unemployment across the board in the United States hit a high. For example, according to the Brookings Institution, the unemployment rate for those aged 16-19, increased by almost 21%. Khensovan was a student who fell into this category.

However, with the assistance of the federal funding she has received assistance.

“I’m on unemployment,” Khensovan said.  “So, I’ve actually received an extra couple hundred every week. Of course, it’s not as much as I’d get having a job … but I guess it’s helped. Better than getting nothing.”

Myra Khensovan isn’t the only one in her family who’s recently benefited from COVID-19 relief funding.

Rena Khensovan, Myra’s sister, is a biology major at LBCC. Last month, she spent $700 on a wisdom teeth removal surgery. Three days after her procedure she was fired from her part-time job due to overstaffing.

“Without that (stimulus) money, things probably would’ve been really bad,” said Rena Khensovan. “I was caught off guard by getting let go but I had that extra money as sort of a cushion to buy food and necessities like that … It’s not really a lot of money in the grand scheme of things I guess, but it’s something. But if I had kids and was really on my own struggling, I can understand how it might not be enough.”

Recently, there’s been discussion over whether or not a fourth stimulus check will go out and if so, how much it would be. According to a report by CNBC, 1 in 6 Americans say that the checks have been too small to make a significant impact on their finances.

Yet despite this, it’s clear that the money has had an impact on students, if even minimal.   

This week’s Thursday take out review: Cluck and Blaze

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This week’s Thursday take out review: Cluck and Blaze

Correction: Article has been updated to give photo credit.

This Thursday’s take out review is on Cluck and Blaze from Long Beach. 

Cluck and Blaze, which is a Nashville-style hot chicken restaurant, opened its doors in September 2019 and it is popular among the Nashville hot chicken trend.

“I enjoy it a lot, I heard about it from a co-worker. The heat levels are one of my favorites. Price range is good and for the price it is pretty filling,” said Joseph Ignacio, Long Beach resident.

Ignacio was currently on his third day in a row going to Cluck and Blaze when I interviewed him.

“I want to try all of the spice levels eventually,” said Ignacio. 

The spice levels have their own individual names like Chicken!? (No heat), You can do better (mild), Better (medium), Feel it twice (hot), Call mom (extra hot), and Call the morgue (death).

My go to order and heat level is the Cluckin’ Mac with the tender in it twice. 

The Cluckin’ Mac order with the side of banana pudding. Photo by Christy Camerino.

The Cluckin’ Mac is served with macaroni and cheese on top of a substantial size chicken tender and fries at the bottom. The way the heat compliments both the macaroni and fries is why it is my favorite order. 

The chicken is juicy with a spice that is not too overbearing. The macaroni and cheese is creamy and the spice on top adds a little something extra. The fries are shoe-string and all the flavors compliment each other well.

I recently tried the Banana Pudding that is on the dessert menu. The pudding, when it was first introduced as the new dessert item, sold out every day for the first two or three months.

The pudding has a nice ratio of vanilla cookies, pudding, and banana. The pudding itself had a very creamy texture with banana chunks inside. There was a pleasant surprise when I realized there was more than one vanilla cookie.

The menu has a variety of food available from chicken tenders, to chicken sandwiches, and their own variation of sides along with traditional ones.

Cluck and Blaze also has the Nashville Hot Breakfast Burrito. The burrito consists of egg, tater tots, cheese, and chicken wrapped in a tortilla. The egg is lined alongside the tortilla which provides extra support for the insides.

The burrito itself is tasty, so if you are looking for comfort breakfast food, Cluck and Blaze has you covered.

“Stop by and try the most authentic Nashville Hot Chicken in Long Beach,” said Johnny Yousoufian, Manager at Cluck and Blaze.

Cluck and Blaze is located in Long Beach at 4501 E Carson St, Unit 107. A new site will be opening in Glendale and they hope to expand even more.

Women’s mental health discussed by LBCC’s health clinicians

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Women’s mental health discussed by LBCC’s health clinicians

LBCC mental health clinicians led a zoom discussion on Tuesday, March 16 to talk about how women’s mental health has been impacted during the pandemic.

The discussion was held to create a safe space for women where they could come together and talk about their mental health and how the pandemic has greatly impacted all of them.

“The pandemic has been a very difficult time,” said Amy La, Long Beach City College (LBCC) mental health clinician. “Managing one’s mental health during this time has been challenging for many of us.” 

During the discussion, it was made known that since the pandemic has started, many women have been forced into many different roles in their households. 

Women have had to learn to integrate the different roles, where they usually only spend a couple hours during the day, into their household environment. Doing this has taken a toll on their mental health. 

Because women have to be mothers, employees, and many different roles, they have been unable to focus on their mental health. 

Daisy Cook, adjunct counselor for student support services and mental health clinician at LBCC, said, “…it is vital for women to practice self-compassion and recognize that they can make small realistic changes to prioritize their mental health.” 

During the discussion, La and Cook made it clear that it is very important for women to prioritize their mental health and to make sure women understand that taking days off are essential and beneficial. 

“…sometimes stepping away to the bathroom, going outside for some sun, going for a walk, taking a mindful shower, or doing other small changes can also help mitigate the compiled stress experienced during COVID-19,” said Cook. 

Drawing of women watering plants. Photo by Victoria Tafoya- Turoldo.

The ending of the discussion was full of advice from participants on different ways that they take care of themselves mentally.  

“During this time, being intentional on caring for yourself is crucial,” said La

For more information on the mental health services offered at LBCC visit https://www.lbcc.edu/mental-health-services. 

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