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Drain rescue in Lakewood

savannah gomez
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Drain rescue in Lakewood

Two people were rescued on Thursday afternoon at a drain canal in Lakewood, due to heavy rains that began early that morning. 

The L.A. County Fire Department had multiple stations set up in response to a report of two people who were trapped in a drainage canal near Clark Avenue and Del Amo Boulevard at around 2:09 p.m. according to Inspector/PIO Sky Cornell.

It is currently unknown as to how they got stuck in the canal.

Fire Crews at each set up station were waiting on the edge of the canals for a potential rescue.

Additional emergency help arrived on scene to aid in the rescue of the two drain canal victims who got stuck, while water levels were slowly rising. Photo by Syan Haghiri

 The Los Angeles County Fire Department’s twitter reported the following, “One victim precariously positioned in a dry location under the bridge as the waters rise.”

By approximately 4:15 p.m. both people were successfully rescued. No further information regarding the condition of both rescue victims was given.

“L.A. County took 4 minutes to arrive on the scene, we were able to set up multiple checkpoints and receive the person of interest, neither one had complaints other than they were cold.” Cornell added.

 According to Cornell both rescue victims signed against medical advice agreements (AMA) which means they refused further medical recommendations from medical professionals.

LBCC suspends most in-person classes and events due to virus

tess kazenoff
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LBCC suspends most in-person classes and events due to virus

Due to the increasing threat of Coronavirus, most LBCC classes will transition to online-only beginning Wed., March 18th.

According to today’s email from Vice President Kathy Scott, all school-sponsored events will also be cancelled until April 12th.

Campus is not officially closing and operations will continue as normal until Wed.

Stacey Toda clarified to Viking News that while events are cancelled effective immediately, there are no instructions indicating that students should stop attending classes until Wed. 

All classified employees will still be required to stay on campus, but LBCC plans to have its faculty and students transition to an online-only format by March 18, utilizing Canvas, ConferZoom, and other modalities.

There are no known cases of COVID-19 at LBCC currently.

Today, Cal State Long Beach halted all in-person classes, along with numerous other local schools.

A list of classes that will not be moving online will be available on the www.LBCC.edu/CoronaVirus website by the end of the week.

The LBCC COVID-19 Response Team is taking further action by bringing in extra cleaning crews to perform a deep clean on high-traffic areas, and stocking up on cleaning supplies.

Board Editorial: Ignore aggressive petitioners

tess kazenoff
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Board Editorial: Ignore aggressive petitioners

Petitioners on Long Beach City College campuses are a nuisance. They are strangers who aggressively ask students for personal information, harass students despite their submission to sign and pose a threat to student safety and a student-organized boycott ought to be enacted to combat this issue.

So far this semester, LBCC has been subject to a severe increase in petitioner groups on campus who are hired by independent companies with a common goal of getting different measures on voter ballots.

The measures successfully reach voter ballots when a quota of signatures is reached and there is a pay-rate associated with each signature obtained, meaning each signature is more money in the petitioner’s pockets.

The petitioner’s presence at an institution where majority of student ages range from seventeen to late twenties, assumes a manipulative agenda on their part, as they’re likely to assume young adults are naive and easy to persuade.

The agenda to make money is objectifying and insensitive to all LBCC students because sometimes petitioners become aggressive in their determination to get signatures, increase their quota and get paid more.

Understanding that petitioners are willing to do anything to get paid, the boundary of respect for students has been completely displaced.

Some female-identifying members of Viking News have shared personal accounts of sexual harassment from male petitioners and have also witnessed the same conduct directed to female peers.

One detailed account of harassment continued without an obtained signature from students and became an aggressive request for a Valentine’s Day date.

Collectively, Viking News has observed the majority of petitioners on campus this semester are male.

Male petitioners have targeted individuals they assume feminine in an effort to manipulate signatures and it is harassment. It is sexist, animalistic, vile, disrespectful and coercive.

Gender aside, there is a safety issue for LBCC students in contact with petitioners.

A signature is not completed without the inclusion of personal information like one’s full legal name, home address and a face-to-face interaction with a stranger that must not be overlooked when it comes to a person’s safety.

The whole petitioner’s process is unbelievable and completely negligent of student safety. 

Offering your home address to a complete stranger is dangerous and it ultimately compromises student safety.

Although these ballot measures are constantly described vaguely, a student rushing to class does not have time to fully understand what they are signing and the consequences of their signature.

We should also be questioning the background and character of these strangers that ask for our personal information.

Petitioners can be potentially violent and unstable without our awareness as a community.

In an article published by college newspaper the American River Current in 2015, a story unfolded about a petitioner slapping a student and shortly after getting convicted for the murder of a fellow petitioner that was working on campus at American River College in Sacramento. 

Slapping petitioner sentenced for murder

There is evidence to support this situation can turn sour at any moment and we leave our doors open to anything when we allow strangers with no credentials to come onto campus.

The standards for this job are low, often detailed in a Craigslist ad, urging people to apply in masses and promising a hefty paycheck with hard work.

Contrarily, the law allows petitioners to be on college campuses and these people are exercising their rights. 

LBCC administration cannot push petitioners off campuses, but can make legislative changes and set limitations- that would simply take a lot of time to do.

A student-organized boycott against petitioners is an immediate solution to LBCC’s petitioner problem and it is perfectly legal and easy to establish.

LBCC students need to ignore petitioners, refuse to sign petitions and actively encourage each other to do the same. 

In this case, petitioners will be deprived every opportunity to obtain signatures and will naturally migrate elsewhere.

This does not solve the aggression and determination that petitioners have exhibited, but there is a solution to that problem, as well.

LBCC students need to speak up for each other and offer assistance when they witness anyone being treated disrespectfully, whether by a petitioner or anyone else.

If a person is being bombarded for signatures or sexually harassed in any context, witnesses ought to speak up and help the person being subjected to these injustices.

The alliance and mass-resistance of all LBCC students is the solution to eliminate bothersome petitioners and Viking News proposes a student-organized boycott in an effort to combat this issue.

Guest Speaker: NBC News Political Reporter Shaquille Brewster at LAC

Tyana Sallis
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Guest Speaker: NBC News Political Reporter Shaquille Brewster at LAC

NBC News Political Reporter Shaquille Brewster discussed his journey to NBC News at LBCC Thursday evening.

Brewster sparked an interest in journalism during his high school years because of his admiration for politics that was passed onto him by his grandmother, Alfreda Brewster.

Brewster decided to continue his educational journey at Howard University in Washington, D.C. and studied broadcast journalism with a minor in political science.

When Brewster found out about the student-run newspaper and television program, The Spotlight Network, he was optimistic about the possibilities this would lead to.

The NBC News reporter shared some of his lessons that he learned during the conversation. 

“Make whatever opportunity you can. Create whatever opportunity you can,” Brewster said. 

Prior to graduating from Howard University, he attended a job fair and met with a local station. Instead of initially becoming a local reporter, Brewster was hired as an associate producer for Hearst Television’s Washington Bureau and was able to do national and political news for 27 stations.

Brewster explains his hectic schedule during his time as an associate producer for Hearst Television.

 “I would wake up at 12 AM, get into work at 1-1:30 AM, and I would stay until 9:30 AM. I was still wrapping up my final semester of classes, so I would go straight to class; I had two classes. Then get back home, try to sleep and do it all again the next day. You just have to take the opportunity that you have there and be open to whatever you can do,” Brewster said.

Brewster was always fond of mentors who are knowledgeable about his specific interests. He met his mentor at the National Associations of Black Journalists conference and stayed in contact. His mentor brought him to the NBC Washington, D.C. bureau to gain insight and make contacts during his visit. 

After he made connections and relationships at the NABJ conference, Brewster received a call from NBC News to inform him about a political Tim Russert fellowship that had opened. 

He got the Tim Russert fellowship and had three rotations: meet the press, research and write stories and cover the assignment desk.

The NBC News sent Brewster in replacement of another producer to Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray. Brewster arrived in Baltimore amid violence surrounding Gray’s death. He attended a protest during the time of the incident, which suddenly turned into a riot involving citizens and the Baltimore Police Department. 

“I had never covered barely a protest, let alone a full-on situation like this, and I was just thrown into it. That’s the final lesson I’ll get to, which is be ready for whatever opportunity may come your way,” Brewster said.

He continued sharing his lessons. “Be ready for the moment. Be ready for the people you can talk to. Have those mentors and lock in those mentors. Be open to opportunities because you’ll never know where they’ll lead to.”

Kamelia Brooks, a student at LBCC, said, “My favorite part was his Do’s and Don’ts about college, being a college student and how that relates to us.”

After Brewster’s involvement with the Freddie Gray incident, he moved onto reporting daily on the 2016 campaign, from July 2015- August 2016. He followed candidates to gather information for NBC News. 

Once his role as a 2016 campaign reporter finished, he applied to become a general assignment producer for the NBC Chicago Bureau. The position didn’t involve politics however Brewster took the opportunity. He covered events such as Hurricane Maria, and also became a member of the political team for the 2018 midterm elections.

Two weeks before the 2018 election, the NBC producer was sent out to Indiana to meet with a reporter, but the reporter didn’t arrive. On short notice, Brewster was given the authority to be the reporter on early voting. After reporting that day, NBC asked him to report on-air two weeks straight into the 2018 election. 

Currently, Brewster is called a “Road Warrior” to cover the 2020 presidential election across television and digital platforms. 

Political Science Professor Dr. Jerome Hunt said, “We’re thrilled to have our speaker, Shaquille Brewster. Personally, what I try to do in my class is bring in the voice of the marginalized communities and I feel like this event is one way, as a college, we are being able to do so.”

XFL Wildcats Rush to LBCC

jorge hernandez
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XFL Wildcats Rush to LBCC

The Los Angeles Wildcats of the new and highly anticipated Xtreme Football League (XFL) are having their practices at Long Beach City College this season. 

The XFL is its own football association separate from the NFL and they are currently in week 6 of the football season. The first game was on Feb. 8th.

 The Athletic Director of Long Beach City College, William Husak spoke on the privilege of having the L.A. Wildcats practicing at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

 “It was a wonderful opportunity for the college to go ahead and get exposure, exposure not just in Southern California but, the XFL is a national brand and so, Long Beach City college now gets exposure all across the country that maybe otherwise we wouldn’t have, and that’s really one of the benefits of athletics, and certainly a benefit of being associated with the XFL,” Husak said.  

This isn’t the first time the XFL has come around. The league started up in 2001, but unfortunately didn’t last more than just that year. 

The unique thing about the XFL is that it starts the weekend after the Superbowl, timed intentionally for the die-hard football fans who are eager to watch more football and don’t want to wait until the NFL season starts back up in Sept. 

Former Baylor defensive-end and now Wildcat, Shawn Oakman was upfront in saying he likes the team having their practices at Long Beach City College for the weather purposes.

“The hotter the better, the hotter the heat the hotter the steel, that isn’t going to do nothing other than make you better,” Oakman said.

The Wildcats faced tough opponents in the first five weeks of action, ultimately coming out 2-3.

Following their rough 0-2 start, the Wildcats bounced back and trampled the D.C. Defenders led by former NFL Quarterback Cardale Jones, 39-9 at home to achieve the teams first win of the season.

Two weeks ago they traveled to the East Coast to face the New York Guardians and lost 14-17, leaving the Wildcats with a 1-3 record going into week 5.

The Wildcats came back home to Los Angeles on Sunday to face the Tampa Bay Vipers at Dignity Health Sports Park, in a game where they scored 27 unanswered points to erase a 24-6 deficit and ultimately came out on top with a win 41-34.

“Great complimentary football, we got to go back to work, have another great week of work, have some more fun. …knowing when to work hard, knowing when you’re off the clock, how to have some fun, we’ll be moving forward in a positive direction,” Head Coach Winston Moss said after the game.

The Wildcats will practice this week at Veterans Memorial Stadium to prepare for the Seattle Dragons, as they try to get their first road win of the season.

LBCC celebrates Women’s History Month

talia coeshott
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LBCC celebrates Women’s History Month

Clubs and speakers came together on Tuesday, March 3rd to honor influential women of the past who have paved the way for the women of the present in political, social and day to day life. 

Some of the booths at the event were the Feminist Club, American Association for University Women, Women’s Shelter of Long Beach, sexual violence prevention and many more. 

Club members were actively reaching out to students to inform them of the importance behind celebrating women and their history. 

The event also had a few speakers who shared stories of influential women of history and in the modern world. 

Student speakers, Claire Sala and Guadalupe Del Cid, shared some of the women they admire and the strides they have made to pave the way for women of today.

Sierra Kerr, an LBCC student performed a song in which she relayed the message that women are not the color of their skin or the hair on their head but they are, “the soul that lives within.”

Denise Montaya of the American Association of University Women stated that, “outreaching to LBCC students,” was the most important part of the event. Montaya said,“advocating for equity for women and girls,” was an important aspect of their association. 

Fellow member, Deedee Catalano, shared about the values and importance behind the association and the benefits for women of today. 

Feminist club member, Sasha Ramariez, discussed the importance of celebrating women’s’ history. 

“Everybody’s story is important to tell. Josephine Baker is an important woman in history. She was born out of wedlock, bi-sexual, she helped with the French Resistance and I named my cat after her,” Ramariez said.

Kelly Martinez, a member of the Feminist Club, spoke about what the main purpose and value behind their club is.

“It is important to get it out there. We need to stand up and stand out and be appreciated,” said Martinez.

Women’s History Month celebrates the strides made throughout history and the strength women have gained through enduring all forms of discrimination. The event, along with this month is a celebration for the women of the past and present, inspiring women of the future. 

Emergency preparations for COVID-19 are underway at LBCC

savannah gomez
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Emergency preparations for COVID-19 are underway at LBCC

LBCC is taking advanced necessary steps to prepare for possible school shut down following the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, with several confirmed cases in Long Beach.

As of Monday, Long Beach officials confirmed the first three cases of COVID-19 belonging to two men and a woman at Long Beach Memorial Care Center.

This was following the self-quarantine of ten CSULB students who were at risk for infection after attending a Washington D.C. conference, where one other attendee tested positive.

Areas struck the hardest by the COVID-19 virus include all of California, Seattle, and New York, and some major universities have begun replacing in-person courses with online instruction in order to reduce the risk of viral transmission.

Universities that have shutdown due to the coronavirus include UC Berkeley, Stanford University, Harvard University and Hofstra University in the East Coast.

The school closures are significant measures against the disease, as in the United States, 26 deaths and 624 cases of COVID-19 had been reported since Monday. 

The worldwide death toll is now at 4,025 and continues to grow, worrying many who fear there will be no end in sight to this pandemic.

LBCC Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Kathleen Scott sent an email to colleagues on Wednesday, Sept. 4, in order to address updates on emergency remote teaching plans.

In the email that is now available to students on the LBCC website, Scott wrote, “In an abundance of caution, we are developing plans for a variety of potential situations, including remote teaching.”

“LBCC is just one of many community colleges that are acting responsibly to prepare for all possible scenarios in the best interests of our students. We have done research on best practices at other institutions and will continue gathering information as we monitor the situation,” Scott said.

During a phone interview on Tuesday, Scott shared information regarding how COVID-19 has impacted LBCC.

“There are currently no confirmed cases of coronavirus infection on the LBCC campus, so for now it’s business as usual,” Scott said.

Scott also addressed barriers that could hinder the education of students in an online setting, such as the inability to access the Canvas website, not having access to computers, disabilities and lack of equipment and software for certain classes such as art, welding, and sports to name a few.

“How we could work with those departments is still under discussion. We don’t have the answers, but we are asking our instructors to be as creative as possible,” Scott said.

 According to Scott, classes cannot be cancelled outright.

“There needs to be a certain amount of instruction needed to receive credit for courses, prerequisites in order to obtain a certain amount of knowledge, and when transferring, and we want to make sure we’re protecting our students in that way too.”

Scott also said faculty and students must be taught how to navigate our online system, “Currently we have two workshops a day for faculty and additional workshops are to be prepared. Students can prepare more by using QUEST for online instruction.”

QUEST can be reached through the LBCC online student readiness website and it is a free and ungraded self-paced course for students, designed to help them prepare for online remote learning. 

Dr. Hussam Kashou, the Associate Dean of Online Learning and Technology did not return an interview request through public representative Stacey Toda for comment.

Scott emphasized the presence of the COVID-19 response team, and assured students that deep cleaning of high traffic areas are being conducted daily and additional emergency supplies are available on campus.

“We have to be responsible. Our biggest concern is for the safety of students and also staff and faculty.”

Some staff at LBCC remain hopeful that the COVID-19 virus will not affect the school, and want to focus more on prevention rather than a shutdown.

Brian Doan, a photography professor at LBCC whose mother died two weeks ago from a different strain of coronavirus, spoke about his hopes for LBCC students to be responsible for their health and for the virus itself.

“The COVID-19 is like biological warfare. It’s an invisible enemy, it’s contagious and we don’t have a cure yet. The last thing we want is to shut down the school, but unfortunately as a teacher, we have to touch maybe 60 students a day. I touch the tables, touch cameras, hand them over to everyone,” Doan said.

Doan, who is originally from Vietnam added, “We have a good system, but students have to quarantine themselves, clean their hands in public spaces. You’re your own worst enemy, but if you take care of yourself, you should be okay.”

Beside hopes of seeing students take responsibility for their health, Doan said he wants to see more classrooms have hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies, as it is drastically low outside classrooms.

“These are things that we can do now, before a shutdown, before it spreads. If we shutdown I don’t know what we’ll do. Youtube [to teach lectures] is nice, but we’re in a [photography] darkroom. Student’s can’t see the chemical temperature, look or feel in person, but we do the best that we can. We’re not scared… We’re gonna be strong,” Doan said.

Staff, faculty, employees and students all remain hopeful that a vaccine for COVID-19 will be found soon and though it has already invaded countless other schools, does not invade and shut down LBCC.


NBC reporter speaks at PCC

abrielle lopez
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NBC reporter speaks at PCC

 Political Reporter Shaquille Brewster discussed his journey working at NBC News as an African American man and his work that has covered an abundance of news about the 2020 presidential campaign worldwide.

Across television and digital platforms, Brewster was a general assignment producer in the NBC Chicago bureau, covering various national headlines as a journalist.

Brewster explains that being a journalist takes steps, and to get to those steps, you have to believe that you can do it, to become more proficient.

“I went to Howard University and I studied journalism and political science at Howard, then right after that, I was a fellow at NBC News,” Brewster said.

Brewster started at Tim Russert Fellowship, a political journalism boot camp program, where he worked as a lowest level production assistant with Meet the Press.

“You can start from the lowest point in life and go up to the highest point of life and become who you desire to be,” Brewster said.

Brewster brought out the quietness of  black voices within political news, because up until recently, there has been very minimal black opinion in politics.

“Once I became a reporter and a journalist, I really got to learn the power of stories, the power of being able to talk to people and hear what they have to say,” Brewster said. 

Brewster has always wanted to help others understand the important side of politics and to let people understand that it’s not just about going back and forth with one another.

Vice President of Student Services Mike Munoz shared his opinion on Brewster and how it impacts the black community. 

“It was a great venue to bring Shaquille Brewster here on campus to talk to students for him to share the experience report on NBC and bringing the black community together,” Munoz said.

Brewster has helped others to cut the tension on black political concerns and wants to continue to use his platform for the advancement of the black community.

Higher level math shouldn’t be required of non-stem majors

sam huff
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Higher level math shouldn’t be required of non-stem majors


Statistics courses are a strenuous and unnecessary task for students pursuing a major in humanities or liberal arts and a personal-finance course could be a viable option instead, emphasizing necessary mathematics and relevant to the majority of students.

High level math is a misuse of time and resources for students not pursuing STEM-related majors and who are likely to never use these skills again following the completion of the course.

California community college system chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley was quoted in a 2017 NPR interview stating that taking math classes like algebra is a hindrance to graduation rates, particularly affecting students of color in their pursuit of a degree. 

Oakley is head of the country’s largest community college system of 114 schools told The LA Times ¾ of students who transfer to four-year institutions are non-STEM majors. 

Upper-level math classes create a financial strain, requiring additional materials such as graphing calculators and access codes to complete assignments.

For many students, a $120 calculator is an unreasonable price tag for an item that will never be used again following the completion of the course.

The additional supply cost aside, how about the cost of taking the actual class? 

At $46 per credit at Long Beach City College that can be a heavy burden for students to bear, especially regarding a class that is difficult to pass.

Considering the immense cost of college, some students don’t have extrafinancial resources to spend on courses that may serve no purpose other than negatively affecting their GPA.

Learning about paying taxes and how to balance a checkbook is far more crucial to a “well-rounded education” than statistics or calculus. 

Of all Long Beach City College students who took a remedial math course, only 31.2% went on to complete a college-level course (statistics or a course of equal value), according to 2017 Student Success Initiative data.

Many surrounding community colleges such as Cerritos had similar rates.

LBCC Institutional Effectiveness data concluded that only 47% of students enrolled in Math 130 were able to pass the course, and 39% were able to pass Math 110 both are remedial courses. 

58% of students enrolled in statistics have passed the course.

If so many students struggle with passing remedial math, why is an advanced course necessary to complete a degree?

Although larger systematic issues perpetuate this issue- exemplified in public schools’ inability to adequately prepare students for college standards, colleges need to accept the responsibility in efficiently moving students forward in their careers.

In contrast, many European universities only require three years, most U.S. college bachelor’s degrees are four year programs that require two years of completing general education requirements.

European students are expected to have learned general education skills like critical thinking while in high school.

Many students know whether or not they will follow a math-related path in college, being that the U.S. college system emphasizes flexibility and freedom for students to explore their interests. 

For students who have no idea what major or career they want to pursue, taking general education courses may be beneficial, but it is unlikely that undecided students jump into advanced courses like statistics.

For students who have committed to a major that does not relate to science or mathematics, statistics courses can pose a roadblock on the path to graduation.

Not only can many non-mathematically inclined students struggle with passing remedial and advanced courses, but it is also a waste of time and energy that should be put toward classes that are relevant to their interests and majors.

For students interested in communications, arts, languages, or any other pathway that has nothing to do with statistics, their time, money and energy is better spent elsewhere.

LBCC routs Rio Hondo to keep streak alive

jorge hernandez
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LBCC routs Rio Hondo to keep streak alive

LBCC Men’s baseball (14-3) defeats the visiting Rio Hondo Roadrunners (8-8) with help from starting pitcher sophomore Sebastian Irwin and freshman Third Baseman Alex Seguine who went 2-4 with 2 RBIs at Long Beach City College. 

Irwin threw for four innings allowing five hits and striking out four. He also faced a bases-loaded jam in the 4th with one out, however, he kept his cool and managed to get himself out of it.

When asked about his thought process during that fourth-inning jam, Irwin said, “ It’s huge to keep your composure, you don’t want to show the other team that you are scared, especially with being a pitcher and having all eyes on you.”

The Vikings offense started the game off slow and didn’t get their first hit of the game until the 3rd inning. 

photo by Ricardo Martinez/Viking staff. Sophomore Zach Rivas ,27, reaches out to secure last out to close the game against Rio Hondo.

Vikings were able to put the first run of the game in the fourth, then with two outs Seguine delivered the biggest hit of the day and brought in two more runs with a triple, which was one of his two hits of the day. 

“I got down pretty early in the count and I knew that he was working with a lot of off-speed and knew the Curveball was coming so I took advantage of it,” Seguine said when asked about his approach at the plate in the 4th inning. 

The Vikings managed to score two more runs in the 5th inning also with two outs. 

Skipper Casey Crook knew how important it was for his team to be able to get hits when having two outs. 

“It’s really important, lots of times it takes two outs just to get into position to have those base runners,” Crook said. 

The Roadrunners were able to put up three runs in the seventh inning but didn’t manage to score another run in the game. 

Relievers Sophomore Dennis Stevenson and Freshman Matthew Pinal Squandered any hope the Roadrunners had on making a comeback as the two combined for two scoreless innings to ice the game. 

The Vikings are riding a nine-game win streak and will try to extend that streak as they face Mt. San Antonio today March, 7th at 12pm.

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