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Mum’s the word after Romali firing

abrielle lopez
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Mum’s the word after Romali firing

A day after the LBCC Board of Trustees fired Reagan Romali, the decision makers, the college administration and its spokesperson have remained silent.

No formal announcement has been made to faculty or students specifying what events transpired, including who is currently filling the superintendent-president role in an acting capacity.

When Viking News reached out to President Trustee Vivian Malauulu for an interview regarding the firing, she responded, “There won’t be an interview but I’ll send you a quote this afternoon. That’s all I can do at this time,” Malauulu said via text message.

As of 6 p.m. today, no quote was provided.

Public relations official Stacey Toda said in an email, “The District is declining the opportunity to comment at this time.”

A day before the board meeting, Vice President Trustee Uduak-Joe Ntuk said he would coordinate an interview with Viking News on Thursday.

After the firing on Wednesday, Viking News reached out to Ntuk via text to confirm an interview time, but he did not respond.

Viking News called Ntuk and left voicemails about the interview today, but Ntuk did not immediately respond.

Despite the school’s and board’s silence with Viking News, Ntuk had been actively retweeting previous articles regarding Romali’s controversies and job-searching across the country, dating back to Miami Dade.

To see a video showing Ntuk’s retweets, click download.

RPReplay_Final1583464164Download

Romali did not respond to two phone calls made today for an interview.

At yesterday’s meeting, Board Member Sunny Zia was not in attendance for roll call and public comment, but then arrived shortly after.

LBCC Student Trustee Jena Jimenez, who serves as the voice of LBCC students as a part of the Board of Trustees, was not in attendance at the board meeting yesterday. 

No phone number was provided for Jimenez on the school’s website. An email had been sent to Jimenez, but got no immediate response.

The vote to fire Romali was 4-1 and it has not been confirmed who was in favor of her firing. 

According to the Long Beach Post, the Board of Trustees hired an investigator in Nov. 2019 for matters concerning misuse of public funds and the mistreatment of staff and faculty.

At yesterday’s meeting, lead faculty negotiator at Community College Association Karen Roberts began public comment on closed session items with a speech regarding the severity of the closed session that would determine Romali’s position at LBCC. 

“I wonder how relevant is the decision you’re about to make to student success in the mission of the college. How relevant is the decision you’re about to make to students trying to succeed this semester under a threat of a possible pandemic,” Roberts said.

Romali began her position as superintendent president in March 2017 after being unanimously selected by the Board, then receiving a contract renewal including a pay raise just one year into the job in Aug. 2018.

The 19-page ledger, dating back to Oct. 2018 allegedly contains information regarding a retaliation against Romali from board members Vivian Malauulu and Uduak-Joe Ntuk, which they have both denied.

In June 2019, it was reported that Romali was up for a superintendent position as Miami-Dade College, a process that ended in controversy questioning Romali’s honesty, culminating with accusations of racism.

The Long Beach Post reported other entries from Romali’s ledger, including details of possible public corruption and a Brown Act Violation. Romali also claimed she was “followed home by a drunk vagrant.” 

A Public Records Act request has been sent out by Viking News to access the 19-page ledger and 1,000-page whistleblower complaint filed by Romali and any reports obtained by trustrees from the private investigator they hired.


LBCC President Reagan Romali fired

martin koev
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LBCC President Reagan Romali fired

Long Beach City College’s Board of Trustees fired District Superintendent-President Reagan Romali Wednesday evening after a closed session meeting.

The Board came to their final decision to fire Romali after a 4-1 vote, placing her on short administrative leave before final termination.

The decision came just days after information of mishandled public funds and accusations of corruption was leaked by the Long Beach Post.

Romali said that she does not have any information as to why she has been fired, but that the board has voted to do so.

Amid the voting period, two other votes were cast by the board members, both of which Trustee Sunny Zia opposed. No information on topics of the votes has been revealed.

In November of 2019, the board had reportedly hired a private investigator to suss out any supporting information on allegations against Romali.

President Trustee Vivian Malauulu, who led today’s meeting, has declined to comment at this time.

The board has confirmed the dismissal of Romali, but no members have been reached for comment.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story.

Cheer ends season on high note

jorge hernandez
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Cheer ends season on high note

On February 16, 2020, the LBCC cheer team placed second in the large co-ed show cheer division at the United Spirit Association USA Collegiate College Championships at the Anaheim Convention Center. 

The Vikings earned a score of 86.72 after a two-day-long competition being bested only by Northeastern Oklahoma A&M who took first place with a score of 90.36.

Student Marlin Castillo is being hoisted up by spotters while performing a heel stretch during practice in Building R on the upper gym level on Feb. 25, 2020. The LBCC cheer team recently placed second in the United Spirit Association USA Collegiate Champonship. Photo by Lloyd Bravo.

“Strong competition breeds strong competitive spirit,” said Head Coach David Shaw, who has been with LBCC cheer since 2002 as a student player and eventually becoming a coach. “When we go to a larger stage, such as nationals, they give us a run for our money.”  

21-year-old business major Laina Gabrielle Isida said about her team’s performance, “Coming in second at Nationals is not bad and I am happy with the way things turned out this year. I am grateful to have such a great team.” 

The Vikings competed in early January before the USA Collegiate National Competition. The team participated in the US Spirit Leaders Regionals and the CheerPros State Competitions including competing for the Championship Cup, placing first in all three events.  

“It is a lot of hard work to be on this team. You cannot give up and have to commit,” said Ina Timbo, a 20-year-old Pre-Med student and spotter on the team. Timbo is responsible for hoisting, holding and catching the nimble flyers.  “You’re putting your body on the line, it’s not just cheering.”

Ronaldo Vicencio is the Assistant Cheer Coach who has been involved with cheer since 2009. “The goal is to compete in nationals at the National Cheer Association in Daytona, Florida,” Vicencio said, which has been a recurring thought among the team.

Due to a lack of funds and high cost, the Vikings have not been to the NCA National Championships since 2005 when Coach Shaw was the team captain. “The cost lies on the cheerleaders themselves which is expensive,” said the former captain. 

Head coach David Shaw (left) and student Tyler Mitchell (right) discuss backflip technique during practice in Building R on the upper level gym on Feb. 25, 2020. The LBCC cheer team recently placed second in the United Spirit Association USA Collegiate Champonship. Photo by Lloyd Bravo.

Vicencio added, “We pay for everything on our own, but we’re in college and still have to pay for books, rent, bills and other personal things.”

Kinesiology professor and cheer advisor Diana Galias has been with LBCC for 25 years and explained that the team will be looking into possible grants along with the traditional fundraising methods to help her students get to Daytona next year. 

“We are a fabulous school, but it’s just hard to afford extras including going to Florida which would mean great exposure for our team,” said Galias. 

Even though the cheer team has been struggling, Galias is grateful for all that the school has provided and feels that her team’s limitations have made them stronger. “The school has been more than generous and a huge help. We stretch out our funds and are still successful with what we have.”

The cheer team is currently done with their competitive season and will be back next semester for the start of the football season.

Closed session meeting called amid allegations against Romali, Board of Trustees.

savannah gomez
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Closed session meeting called amid allegations against Romali, Board of Trustees.

Long Beach City College Board of Trustees will be holding a closed session meeting today at 4:30 pm at LAC in Board Room T-1100, discussing allegations made against other board members by President Reagan Romali.  

According to the Long Beach Post, Board of Trustees members have been investigating Romali for accusations concerning the mishandling of public funds and accusations of corruption. 

The Tension between Board of Trustees members has been developing since board member Sunny Zia was censured for making comments regarding board member Malauulu’s Christian faith. 

Amid tensions between Romali and other board members, Romali has been interviewing with other potential schools across the country. 

Romali submitted a 1,000-page complaint in September against board members where she accuses them of being unethical and self-serving. 

The Long Beach Post obtained a 19-page ledger dated back to October  2018 summarizing Romali’s written interactions between other board members and herself, which include alleged sexist and racist comments and surveillance of Romali’s family. 

The Board of Trustees board members has called for this meeting to discuss Romali’s performance review and possible dismissal of her position at LBCC. 

Board member Virginia Baxter spoke with the Long Beach Post to discuss the recent events regarding Romali where she said, “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Farewell to the LAC M and N buildings

martin koev
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Farewell to the LAC M and N buildings

Long Beach City College is undergoing major construction at the Liberal Arts Campus. 

The existing M and N Buildings at LAC have remained unchanged since 1935. Unfortunately, the buildings can no longer meet LBCC’s educational and facility master plans.

An alert was brought to the attention of the students attending LAC, stating that the construction phase of the new Building M will commence on February 3rd, 2020 with the start of fences surrounding Buildings M and N. 

The estimated cost of the Multi-Disciplinary Facility Replacement Project is $70,096,798. State funding of nearly $21 million may be provided to help neutralize the construction cost. 

The Building M Multi-Disciplinary Facility Replacement Project requires the demolition of the existing Buildings M and N. 

Assistant project manager, Vincent Holguin, and Field Engineer, Kevin Chicot, provided insight on the demolition plan. 

Chicot said, “The demolition process will commence with the N building during the second week of March.”

With the closure and demolition of Buildings M and N, the Foreign Language Department Office has been relocated in B-101 and foreign language classes are temporarily held within the B building. 

The newly added U- Bungalows consist of reading and English classes during the construction of the M building. 

Jeff Wheeler, a member of the History Archive Group and an English Professor at LBCC said, “The M and N buildings have been around for 85 years. It’s an interesting problem. You restore it and keep working with it for a while, but at a certain point, they decided that it wasn’t worth it to continue fixing it. They’d rather start over and do something a little bit different.” 

The outdated M and N buildings are in need of significant repair. The heating and cooling systems were outworn and the electrical systems were insufficient to meet current demands for technology. 

Elizabeth Cabral, an LBCC student said, “I took language courses in the M Building. It was always hot on the second floor and the restroom stall doors were hard to open and close.”

The new Multidisciplinary Facility is prospected to be a 3-story building of 81,970 GSF and will house Language Arts, Foreign Language, and Computer and Office Studies. 

Vincent Holguin said, “I measured the height of the M building yesterday and it was 28 feet. The expected building is going to be 60 feet. It will be double the height of the current building.”

In addition, the new construction will hold a modern technology center for the Computer Information Systems and Business Technology Departments, including conference areas as well as some larger classrooms to support educational objectives.

Film Club recruits cinema fanatics at LBCC

talia coeshott
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Film Club recruits cinema fanatics at LBCC

The Film Club assembled a booth to promote their club and recruit members at Join a Club Day at LAC in the A-Quad on Feb. 20.

“The Film Club wants to promote the conservation of film and positions and create a community for students interested in film,” Vice President of Film Club Mark Sosa said.

Makayla Williams, President of the Film Club was also present and she was eager to take pictures in order to recruit members. 

“This will get more people to know about our club,” Williams said.

The club puts on an Annual Film Festival at the end of the spring semester. 

The Annual Film Festival features short films created by LBCC students and an awards ceremony to acknowledge students with the best films.

The date of the film festival is to be determined, but the Film Club welcomes students to come out and support LBCC’s student film creators.

“The Film Club meets on Tuesdays from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at LAC in room B211, so stop on by if you have the chance,” Sosa said.

Rachel Green, a new student at LBCC, was very interested in the Film Club.

“I never knew we had a Film Club on campus,” Green said.

Sosa explained why the Film Club was working to gain student involvement at Join a Club Day.

“A lot of new students don’t know that we have a film club, which is why we are promoting it today as much as we can,” Sosa said. 

Students at Join a Club Day had the opportunity to meet with organizations like the Film Club that they were unaware of on campus.

Ash Wednesday at LAC campus

savannah gomez
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Ash Wednesday at LAC campus

Students celebrated mass for Ash Wednesday, held by Father Brian Doran of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church at the T building of the LAC campus on Wednesday, Feb. 26.

Coordinator of the event and former club advisor for LBCC’s Catholic group  “Be the Change,” Dele C. Ladejobi, spoke about the meaning of Ash Wednesday and the logistics of the event.

“The celebration of Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and the 40 days of fasting before Easter,” Ladejobi said. 

During the event, Ladejobi added, “Ashes are placed on the foreheads of mass attendees as a sign of human mortality and repentance to God.” 

Ladejobi said the ashes used for mass were also significant because they were made from the incinerated palm trees dedicated to Palm Sunday of the previous year in April.

Ladejobi, who is also a tenured librarian at LBCC began the tradition of Ash Wednesday in order to make it more convenient for students to attend mass.

St. Anthony Parish has provided LBCC with resources that include priests and nuns to hold the mass, and Ladejobi expressed her gratitude for their cooperation. 

She said, “Ash Wednesday is very busy, and it’s not easy to get someone here. But people benefit from it, some come for confessions, some between classes, and it’s one of the things for outreach that we want to continue to hold.”

 “It’s a wonderful religion. The message is diverse, neutral, inclusive, and all are welcome to come.”

Wine and Holy water used during the Ash Wednesday on the LAC campus. Photo by Veronica Huerta

LBCC IT support specialist Jonathan Tejadas spoke about what the mass means to him.

“I’ve been coming every year since 2015, except last year when we had to cancel because Father Brian got sick. I’m thankful for them being able to do this on campus,” he said. 

“It’s important for us as Catholics to celebrate Ash Wednesday, because it’s a very special day that marks the first day of Lent. The option of also having confession is pretty cool,” Tejada said.

What Tejada is referring to is the confession ritual that Catholics participate in, where penance in the form of prayer is given from a priest for past sins. 

Father Brian Doran held confession at the event and discussed his motivation to continue holding the mass every year.

“Like other people of faith, [holding mass] is partly habit, partly because you want to continue doing something good,” said Father Doran.

The Catholic priest who has been at St. Anthony parish in Long Beach for almost fifty years now said, “These young people have lives ahead of them. When I pass by LBCC, I always feel these young people give me joy, life and so much positive energy. It’s a privilege to be invited to hold mass every year.”

Father Doran, who suffered a stroke last year, but was able to hold mass again this year said, “I hope I can do this again next year, God willing. I’m okay, but I have to use a magnifying glass to see now.”

Mass attendees, Ladejobi, and Father Doran all expressed their appreciation for St. Anthony’s parish and hope to attend the next Ash Wednesday mass next year.

Los Angeles felt the Bern

tess kazenoff
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Los Angeles felt the Bern

The crowd cheered for Senator Bernie Sanders as he spoke at his rally featuring Public Enemy Radio on Mar. 1 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Supporters gathered with Bernie attire, flags, signs and pins outside of the convention center, waiting to hear Sanders speak.

Attendees brought in a giant puppet of Senator Sanders and along with a banner where people can write down their thoughts.

Bernie Sanders supporters bring in a giant puppet of Senator Sanders during Sanders rally on Mar. 1, 2020. Photo by Jorge Hernandez.

Before the rally started, Dominguez Hills Press Chris Sanchez said, “I think I’m going to vote for Bernie because of the marijuana law he will pass.” 

The rally started with a musical performance.

Bernie Sanders supporter Haley Ace waits in line with her sign during the rally on Mar. 1, 2020. Photo by Jorge Hernadez.

Towards the end of the performance, multiple supporters spoke out for Sanders, including comedian Sarah Silverman, Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors, and actor Dick Van Dyke. 

Mijente co-founder Marisa Franco said on stage, “It matters because if you don’t know where you’re from, then you don’t know where you’re at. And if you don’t know where you’re at, you missed history when it’s your turn to make it.”

Sanders and his wife arrived on stage after Franco spoke, thanked the speakers and spoke to his supporters.

Senator Sanders bet on winning the California election on Tuesday and covered several things he’ll do as president, including healthcare for all, raising the federal minimum wage to 15 dollars an hour, and tuition-free college for students.  

“In November of 2020, Donald Trump is gonna learn that we are a democracy, not an autocracy, because we will throw him out of office,” Senator Sanders said.

Senator Sanders concluded his rally speech and invited Public Enemy Radio to perform on stage.

Education and the Presidential election.

sam huff
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Education and the Presidential election.

Super Tuesday is here, and there are many issues on the minds of Democratic voters. 

The top four focus points of most campaign policies (according to a Politico cited poll with all candidates ranked with double digits), these candidates are highly ranked in the polls. The candidates include Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, and Mike Bloomberg.

At the heart of these issues, there were two concerns, tuition and loan debt. 

Here is a brief look at the top four Democratic candidates’ policies regarding student loan debt and cost of tuition, some of which are improvements of existing plans.

Starting with Bernie Sanders, according to his presidential website, he wants to cancel all student loan debt and make college tuition free. He wants to do this by passing his College for All Act. 

This would provide 48 billion dollars a year to eliminate all tuition fees for most higher education. Americans currently owe 1.6 trillion in student debt and, and Sanders intends to place a cap on future loans at 1.88 percent. Some notable changes include closing cost gaps left by the Pell Grant, and tripling funding to the work-study program. 

Next, Joe Biden talks about planning on investing $50 billion into workforce training, including community-college business partnerships and apprenticeships. Alongside this investment, Biden focuses on prioritization of work-study programs and partnerships with businesses to help students earn their degrees faster. 

Biden plans on addressing loans by taking action against loaners who “are misleading students about their options and do not provide affordable payment plans.” If a student has been paying their loans off responsibly and makes below $25k, under his plan, their debt will be forgiven. While those who make more, will pay a 5% tax of their discretionary income. 

Onwards, Mike Bloomberg, talks about incentivizing states and educational institutions to develop new industry-relevant credentials for in-demand jobs. Also, he plans on funding “partnerships between employers and community and technical colleges to prepare people for good jobs.”

Bloomberg plans on streamlining the government’s 43 employment and training programs, shifting focus to programs with high results. And he will increase access to unemployment insurance benefits to pay for programs in school. He will pay for this with a 5% surtax on all labor and capital above $5 million.

Lastly, Elizbeth Warren talks about planning to cancel all debt up to $50,000 for homes with income below $100,000. Her plan for a universal free college program would cost $1.25 trillion over ten years, according to the campaign’s website. 

Warren also plans on expanding the Pell Grant, with an additional investment of $100 billion over the next ten years. Warren would expand the eligibility of those seeking the Pell Grant to disregard one’s citizenship status and criminal history. 

Her plans are paid for by an “ultra millionaire tax,” which taxes on every dollar that the top-earning families make. This includes families who make over $50 million, who will be taxed at 2%, with those who make $3 billion at 6%. 

Most plans on display are comprehensive with the allocation of more resources and consideration for the cost of living. These plans have different approaches and vary on the amount of progress they aim for. 

Bloomberg’s page regarding education was very short compared to the other candidates’ pages regarding education, with very few plans to address the cost of getting a degree. One plan is to expand unemployment insurance plans, and the other is prioritizing programs that already get results with pooled resources. 

While the other three candidates plan to address issues with the existing Pell Grants and tuition cost, Bloomberg wants to address its efficiency, its size, and its results. This is a drastically distant approach from the others, more business-minded, in sharp contrast to the dominant position of massive expansion of existing policies. 

Sanders is the most ambitious with his plans, which would expand the size of the federal government, in terms of funding and bureaucracy. Whether other things like the quality, availability, and equity are maintained, is not assured. 

Biden’s plan is the most incrementalist, as it’s an extension of Obama’s legacies and policies. Most improvements are small. Something significant is creating Title 1 funding for post-secondary schools.  

Warren and Sanders’ positions are similar, save for some very important differences. In some areas, Warren’s positions don’t go as far as Sanders in terms of progressive policy. Examining student debt, Sanders wants full forgiveness of debt while everyone else besides Bloomberg wants partial forgiveness based on income. 

Another difference is the funding for these policies. Sanders’ is based on stock trading, while Warren’s is based on taxing wealthy families. Bloomberg is taxing capital and labor above $5 million. Lastly, Biden plans on taxing families’ discretionary income. 

As mentioned, this is only a sample of what they propose and it’s encouraged to look through each candidate’s policies. As most plans are all comprehensive, while with similar goals, they all differ in regards to the source of the needed revenue.

Vikings cast their ballots for Presidential Primary Election

tess kazenoff
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Vikings cast their ballots for Presidential Primary Election

Eager Long Beach City College students waited patiently to make their voices heard as they lined-up outside of building T on the Liberal Arts Campus to cast their votes for the Presidential Primary Election on March 3, 2020. 

Although he seemed to be the underdog, political science major Kimberlynn Guzman voted for Bernie Sanders since his political ideals matched with her own, she said.

“I hope he changes college debt and Medicare for all,” Guzman said.

Guzman also explained her plight about the current college debt situation, stating, “Everyone knows going into college that they are going to be in debt for a long time and that is scary to think about.”

Wendy Castano cast her vote for Bernie Sanders during the Presidential Primary Election on Tuesday. Photo by Lloyd Bravo.

LBCC students have similar concerns with the current state of the educational system. 

Wendy Castano is an accounting major who also voted for Bernie Sanders, and said she believes a change needs to be made soon regarding education. 

“I hope he appoints a new secretary of education which is what is most important to me right now,” Castano said. 

Although waiting in line can seem tedious to some, Castano welcomed the longer wait time. 

“I am glad that the lines are long because it means that people are going out to vote and that people care,” Castano said. 

Jennifer Escobar-Ramos is a psychology major who has done her research on each candidate and feels that Bernie Sanders was the perfect candidate that met all of her criteria of important issues to be addressed. 

“I hear people saying that Bernie is going to raise taxes, but if it is for something like education I don’t think that should matter,” Escobar-Ramos said. 

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