The former home of the cafeteria, Nordic Lounge and Nordic Cup was leveled, completing its above-ground demolition on Saturday with a groundbreaking ceremony scheduled later this month.
The last stretch of the above-ground demolitions began on Oct. 30 with excavators using concrete busters to tear down the remaining walls, with nearby students and staff watching the crumbling structure fall to the ground.
An excavator with a concrete buster attachment tears down a wall of the LAC E Building on Oct. 31. (Diosa Hippolyta)
Concerns about possible asbestos exposure were addressed by Senior Project Manager Brian Watt, following an abatement process to clear walls of asbestos and clean off lead paint.
“The asbestos material and lead paint were removed on an earlier project prior to demolition,” Watt said.
By Saturday, only four steel pillars remained, with the site being hosed down by water to reduce the dust kicked up by the rubble.
Construction worker Frank Torres, left, looks over the last four stell pillars of the LAC E Building with his father and Site Supervisor Carlos Torres on Saturday. The next few weeks will see the demolition of the basement and the grading of the site for the new Student Center. (Diosa Hippolyta)
“I see old history being demolished and new history being started,” Horticulture student Sebastian Lockett said.
According to an update to LBCC’s 2041 Facilities Master Plan, Building E was originally scheduled for renovation, but became slated for full demolition in the update.
An air conditioning unit and old satellite dish left standing on the partial remains of the LAC E Building after weeks of demolition work on Oct. 30. (Diosa Hippolyta)
The new College Center will house food services, student activities and multi-purpose rooms for students according to the 2024 Master Plan
The basement is currently being dug up and will be filled to accommodate for the new building.
“We are done with the ground level demolition and beginning the basement demolition and in a few weeks we will begin the dirt and grading operation to fill in the basement area,” Site Supervisor Carlos Torres said.
Construction worker Jayme Garcia hoses down the rubble of LAC’s E Building on Saturday. The basement will also be dug out of the ground and filled with dirt. (Diosa Hippolyta)
For now, the remains of the rubble of the basement will be cleaned off of the site.
“In the next few weeks you will see hauling trucks removing debris to the proper disposal facilities, but not too much activity,” Assistant Construction Manager Siddhant Somani said.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Student Center is scheduled for Nov. 19 at 9 a.m. located where the original E building was.
Ventura running back Javarien Salter scored two touchdowns with 51 rushing yards against the Vikings in a 45-24 loss for LBCC on Saturday.
Before the game, the Vikings celebrated their sophomores, as it was the last home game of the season.
“(Ventura) is the number two team in the state. I’m happy that we took them down, all the way to the second half. We a young team, I love the fight in the team. They fought to the end, so that’s all I could ask for” head coach Marques Cooper said.
The first half of the game went back and forth, leaving the game tied at 24 going into half time.
One of LBCCs’ touchdowns was a four yard rushing touchdown from running back Imari Conway, and the other was a 31 yard pass from quarterback Allen Fernett to wide receiver Justin Auston.
Quarterback Allen Fernett prepares to make a pass while avoiding a tackle. The Vikings lost 45-24 to Ventura on Nov. 1 at Long Beach City College. (Bella Schultz)
Ventura started to pull away, scoring under three minutes into the second half.
Wide receiver Owen Tomich talked about the team doing good in the first half and how to improve for their final game of the season.
“I think the first half, we look great playing together as a team. Little sparks here and there, but it’s about playing the full 60 minutes, we only played 30 minutes,” Tomich said.
Defensive back Alex Koulovatos intercepted a pass being made by Ventura quarterback Braesen Leon.
“I feel good. … good to get another one on the year so definitely felt good. It was a hard play too because the receiver tipped it in front of me too. I was playing it before he tipped it, I had to tip it back to myself,” Koulovatos said.
The interception made by Koulovatos was late in the second quarter and allowed the Vikings to tie the game with a field goal from kicker Ethan Smithlin.
The Vikings hold a current record of 3-6, and will play their final away game of the season on Saturday at 1 p.m. against Moorpark.
LBCC defense lines up against Ventura offense in the game on Saturday, where the Vikings lost 45-24 at Long Beach City College. This game was sophomore night and the last home game of the season. (Heaven Herrera)
The LBCC architecture program is working on a project at TTC called the “Mobile Tiny House,” which will offer housing for students in need for $1 per year.
According to Professor Lilliana Castro, the project’s lead, the purpose is to help students who are housing insecurity while providing hands-on experience for students in design and construction courses.
Architecture Professor Lilliana Castro looks at the door of the Tiny House 1 at TTC Building MM on Oct. 30. The LBCC architecture program is working on the Tiny House project to provide low-cost housing for students. (Tien Nguyen)
The Strong Workforce and Perkins grants fund the project; therefore, it belongs to LBCC. The rental cost is only $1 per year for each student, with a lease term likely as long as they study at the school.
To apply, students must be enrolled at LBCC, write a statement of the program they study, the classes they take and why they should be considered as a candidate for the house.
“The project started off with just designing it. So, thinking of it was more focused on fire resistance. We were designing with that in mind, making sure materials were fire-resistant, the building techniques, all of that, like what type of framing, what type of exterior cladding. So we started off with designing, and then, probably a month into designing is when we got the trailer, like just a trailer by itself. And so that’s when we started actually building,” Architecture student Sydney Melendrez Campos said.
Conceived in 2023, Castro’s idea was a solution in response to expensive ADUs in Los Angeles. She wanted “housing for students by students,” which is powered by education instead of profit.
“A lot of students that we get here are already under a lot of stress. They’re already facing these economical marginal differences of ‘I have to go to community college because I can’t get into a university, and I don’t even know where I’m going to live, and rent is going up, and I have to work full time.’ All of these topics really started to educate me on how we solve some of the barriers that we’re facing already,” Castro said.
Castro stated that the houses are custom-designed, custom-built, have passed through inspection by the state of California and can be anchored to land or remain mobile.
They feature cross-ventilation, transom windows, a mini-split system and optional green walls. Residents will have access to manuals and tutorial videos for self-repair and maintenance of the home.
“While Tiny House 1 is very manual in the sense that the windows operate manually, the doors, everything, the skylight is manual, we still have an electric and a tank water heater in the back. Like all of these things are very standard, but a manual process. Tiny House 2 is embarking on a quest of how we combine electrical technology to basically shut out the house if it detects fires, if it detects smoke, almost like a sprinkler system in a building,” Castro said.
The door of the Tiny House 1 opens to a space dedicated to the kitchen and living room. Behind the white wall on the left is the bathroom. The LBCC architecture program is working on the Tiny House project to provide low-cost housing for students. (Tien Nguyen)
The Tiny House 2 in the early stages of building with wood frames and some other materials on the floor at TTC Building MM on Oct. 30. The LBCC architecture program is working on the Tiny House project to provide low-cost housing for students. (Tien Nguyen)
Castro oversees the entire project, from design to construction, and manages the inspectors for each phase and development.
Under her direction, students in ARCHT 71 Design/Build Studio, ARCHT 671 non-credit Design/Build Studio, DSGN 50 Design Materials and Tools and the Architecture and Design Justice Club come together to build the houses.
There are also collaborations with the Electrical Technology and Welding departments “to work on residential scale” and volunteers from USC who were attracted by the project’s uniqueness and wanted to gain more educational and practical experience.
“I learned about the interdisciplinary like nature of collaboration and the fact that we can’t just do it all as our teacher students alone. That’s valuable to build relationships and connections across disciplines that we are able to get involved with the electrical students, the welding students; that otherwise, everyone’s a little, like I said, solid to their own facilities, especially here on this campus, where students may be at LAC for general academic stuff and here for trades,” Architecture Instructional Assistant Kaferman Guan said.
A house typically takes one to two years to complete. Tiny House 1 was started in Spring 2024 and is still in progress, while Tiny House 2 was launched in 2025.
“It’s been very rewarding to kind of see underclassmen go through the same struggle as I have, but come out of it with a more positive experience and really see that there is growth in the struggle and appreciate everything that Castro has been doing for the students… Even though it is challenging at times, once they get through that challenging part, they can see the payoff and see that, oh, the stress is worth it,” Architecture student Silvestre Murillo said.
“Everything we’re designing can be made into reality. And they do see the value in that. And I just think that’s great because when I took the class, we didn’t have any real funding for our projects. A lot of it was coming out of Castro’s pocket. And that was money that she just wasn’t going to get back. And I think now we have, there’s a bit more of a budget, there’s more eyes on the class… My class was only like 8 people and the newer classes are at least 20 students,” Murillo said.
About the future of affordable student housing, Castro said that the solution lies within us “instead of relying on the systems… that have been employed by large organizations because it rarely benefits us at the end of it.”
At the community college level, the Tiny House project gives students real-world skills in sustainable construction and regulatory processes, promotes community building through interdisciplinary teamwork and redefines affordable housing as communal and educational, not profit-driven.
“I think one of the fun facts, personally, is that for me, Long Beach City College is one of the few city colleges that you get this type of education. You don’t, as a four-year. Like, if you go to a four-year university, you don’t get the opportunity to already be building something that someone’s going to live in. So that’s huge… As a senior in college, you might be able to do it, but Long Beach City College has the opportunity for you to do that within the first year, your first semester. And that’s exciting because you’re already getting the hands-on experience that a lot of students don’t even get to, maybe even after they’ve graduated college or university,” Architecture student Karla Barahona said.
HBCU Caravan welcomed multiple universities, including Fisk University, Xavier University of Louisiana and Morris Brown College, to LBCC helping Black students, including high school students, find their way to their future school for success and community.
Coppin State University’s advisor Brandon Herring gave his thoughts about LBCC hosting the second HBCU caravan event at LBCC, since 2017.
“I think it’s really big because California does not have any HBCUs so I think it’s an amazing opportunity for Black students and students of color and other students to see what all the amazing things HBCU’s have to offer… We come up here every year to showcase all the different aspects the HBCUs bring to the college experience in particular for Black students,” Herring said.
LBCC student Kylie Thompson shared that the transfer fair guided her through her options and what she was looking for at a university, which is community.
“It’s helped me look at other campuses and schools to see where I can further my major and really put my foot through the door in predominantly Black communities and further my education,” Thompson said.
Bowie State University transfer admission coordinator, Jasmin Hurling Spears informed what programs Bowie State University has to offer compared to the other Universities.
“Some programs that we offer are going to be our health services administration program, our virtual reality and gaming program, digital media communications, digital media arts that cover advertising design animation, and fashion design”, Spears said.
Alain Leroy Locke High school student, Ronald Simmons shared what encouraged him to come for the HBCU Caravan.
“To experience this college and see what opportunities they have and be open to all the opportunities they have,” Simmons said.
Simmons also mentioned what he looks forward to admitting to an HBCU.
“Being surrounded by your own folks and bonding with people you don’t know,” Simmons said.
Briana Brooks, Dillard University’s transfer enrollment specialist, elaborated how Dillard University helps to transfer their students.
“We help our students by basically giving them a free space to voice whatever they might need from us and just being patient knowing that it does get frustrating sometimes especially as a transfer student. … We try to make it an easy process and let them know ‘hey slow down a little bit we’re gonna take very good care of you, you don’t have to worry about anything,’” Brooks said.
pushing far into the playoffs. They will face Mt. Sac at home, Friday afternoon at 4pm.The Long Beach City College Vikings women’s soccer team were unable to hold off Pasadena in the second half as Pasadena’s forward Alexandra Lopez scored, causing the game to end in a 2-2 tie.
Before kickoff, the Vikings started off with an honoring ceremony to the team’s sophomores as they prepare for their last regular season home games this week.
Sophomore goalkeeper Mary Valenzuela, said the team pushed well keeping the ball close, but was hoping to secure the win. “It was an important game and it was sophomore night and we definitely wanted that win, we just needed more of that finish.” she said.
The Vikings set the tone early as they opened into the game, as Vikings midfielder Laila Alfadhiel took on the early lead of 1-0.
With six minutes left in the first half, Pasadena struck back, evening the scoreboard to 1-1.
Just three minutes later, Vikings forward Kiana Moore responds back with a goal to take the lead once again.
Sophomore forward Kiana Moore, said facing Pasadena was a good challenge for them to have ahead of playoffs. “This was a harder opponent, you know, they’re very good as well, so I think it was an even matchup,” Moore said. “All of us were challenged in both fitness level and skill level as a whole.”
After halftime, Pasadena ties the game again in the early second half, drawing up the score 2-2.
LBCC forward Lorena Moreno, right, tries to dribble past a Pasadena defender at the LBCC soccer field. The Vikings tied Pasadena Community College 2-2 on Oct. 28. (Liam Hollon)
Both teams continued the tight match, unable to find another lead again on either side.
Vikings Head Coach Tino Nunez reacted to the neutral finish. “It’s kind of mixed feelings, right? It’s like you feel like you could have maybe got the win, but you end up walking away with the draw,” Nunez said. “You don’t lose, and it could be worse, so I guess.”
Coach Nunez adds to describe the team’s need for composure in order to prepare for their game against Mt. Sac College on Friday. “We need to do a better job of settling the game down and connecting that second pass,” he said. “We need to see where we can slow it down and connect the second pass to be ready for another tough match.”.
The Vikings look forward to keeping that win streak alive, they will play the second round of the South Conference Championships match at home on Monday with the opponent still to be decided.
Wing Kamron Fontenot had 21 points, seven rebounds and a block in a 73-62 loss to Santa Ana on Wednesday at Long Beach City College.
The Vikings started the first half with a drive-in layup by Kamron Fontenot, who had a dominant game and was unstoppable in the paint.
Fontenot commented on his first time playing in half a year due to injuries and talked about what he felt went wrong in the game for the Vikings.
“It was a good first game , first time playing in a year in a half after injuries , just getting my wind back and everything.Could have been better on the boards for sure thats where we lost the game on the boards, I’m suppose to be inside doing that so I take a lot of responsibility for that lackluster effort right there. Took a few bad shots and should have stuck to my bread and butter you know, getting to the rack. Shot wasn’t falling in this game should have recognized that earlier, you know first game we got time to work on stuff like that, we’ll be alright”. Fontenot said.
As the first half progressed, point guard Laerence Brown started to score and drive into the basket making layups while also getting fouled in the process. Santa Ana was in the bonus and Brown was a big part of that having eight free throw attempts.
Brown talked about his performance and how he has improved his mentally and physically from his freshman year, being a sophomore he is becoming a leader for the new players. Brown was the second leading scorer for the Vikings with fourteen points along with five rebounds and three assists.
“I feel like I did solid, good first game, obviously always trying to get better game by game, just gotta take it every minute, every practice. For the first game I feel like we did pretty solid. Definitely mentally with most of my game, physically got in the weight room,mentally just became more of a leader for the team being one of the four sophomores just trying to be the best as I can leading the younger group coming in, mentally I feel like that was my biggest thing” Brown said.
The game was going back and forth with both teams responding when the other scored, as the first half ended the Vikings had a 35-32 lead going into halftime .
During the second half Santa Ana started to gain momentum and kept scoring on the Vikings defense, making multiple shots including key three pointers.
The lack of offensive and defensive rebounds gave Santa Ana more opportunities to have possessions and score. Along with not being able to shoot the ball well the vikings were trialing Santa Ana.
Guard Kaileb Webb draws an offensive foul on Santa Ana’s Cameron Swist. The Vikings lost the first game of the season 73-62 at home on Oct. 29. (Matthew Bautista)
Head Coach Barry Barnes talked about the lack of offensive rebounds and not being able to contain the ball down the stretch
“ We hit ourselves in the foot, number one couldn’t contain the basketball, number two did a terrible job at offensive rebounding and free throws and we didn’t get the tough possession man. We didn’t battle and get the tough possession you win games like this with heart and battle and compete and we didn’t do it down the stretch” Coach Barnes said.
At the end the Vikings attempted to comeback but Santa Ana kept making shots and getting to the free throw line to extend their lead and the Vikings lost the game 73-62 falling to a 0-1 record to start the season.
The Vikings will have their next game at home vs Rio Hondo College on Friday Nov. 7 at 5 p.m.
Both students and faculty flaunted their costumes down the stage in the auditorium at the LBCC Halloween costume contest, hosted on Thursday.
The contest had four categories; student solo acts, student groups, staff solo acts and staff groups.
Winners and runner ups were given prizes like gift cards and swag bags for each category that were determined by the audience and an official judge panel made up of LBCC faculty.
A large group of LBCC staff dressed as a variety of characters from “The Addams Family” series snap to the series’ musical motif during the costume contest at LBCC’s Halloween Party on Oct. 30 at the Bob and Barbara Ellis Auditorium. (Matthew C. Bautista)
Costume contest participants wait for their turn to introduce themselves during a costume contest at LBCC’s Halloween Party on Oct. 30 at the Bob and Barbara Ellis Auditorium. (Dom Maddan)
LBCC student Angel Valencia poses as Springtrap from the series “Five Nights at Freddy’s” during LBCC’s Halloween Party on Oct. 30 at the Bob and Barbara Ellis Auditorium. Valencia was the first place winner for the costume contest. (Matthew C. Bautista)
An LBCC student dressed up as Lord Farquaad from the animated movie “Shrek” introduces himself to the audience during a costume contest at LBCC’s Halloween Party on Oct. 30 at the Bob and Barbara Ellis Auditorium. (Matthew C. Bautista)
An LBCC student dressed as a ballerina does pirouettes across the stage at LBCC’s Halloween Party on Oct. 30 at the Bob and Barbara Ellis Auditorium. This student was the first contender for the contest. (Matthew C. Bautista)
LBCC staff that help students with scholarships dress in “Men in Black” inspired costumes, with their team name being “The Scholarship Force” during a costume contest at LBCC’s Halloween Party on Oct. 30 at the Bob and Barbara Ellis Auditorium. (Dom Maddan)
Three of the teams in the group portion of the costume contest await to be told the winner by audience selection during LBCC’s Halloween Party on Oct. 30 at the Bob and Barbara Ellis Auditorium. (Dom Maddan)
LBCC staff members dress up as “Wicked” characters for their submission for the costume contest at LBCC’s Halloween Party on Oct. 30 at the Bob and Barbara Ellis Auditorium. (Dom Maddan)
LBCC faculty member Jose Ibarra dresses up as the “Beetlejuice” character Bob at LBCC’s Halloween Party on Oct. 30 at the Bob and Barbara Ellis Auditorium. (Dom Maddan)
LBCC students dressed as Denji, left, and Reze from the anime “Chainsaw Man” walk on stage to introduce themselves during the costume contest at LBCC’s Halloween Party on Oct. 30 at the Bob and Barbara Ellis Auditorium. (Matthew C. Bautista)
An LBCC student flaunts as a “masquerade Harley Quinn” during a costume contest at LBCC’s Halloween Party on Oct. 30 at the Bob and Barbara Ellis Auditorium. (Matthew C. Bautista)
The Trump Administration’s mixed messages on the late funding for SNAP benefits has left LBCC students like Juan Rosales, who is a SNAP recipient already struggling with food insecurity, with more uncertainty than ever.
Rosales frequents the Viking Vault at LAC, and shared he’s been forced to think about how to stay afloat after the initial SNAP cut, saying he’s “already in survival mode as of right now trying to find part-time jobs that also agree with the student schedule.”
He plans on subsisting on ramen while utilizing a website that gives recipes based on ingredients he sources from the vault and feels as if he can’t afford to think negatively even in his time of need.
“If I ruminate and dwell on it, then I’m gonna be focusing on that rather than my studies and where I’m gonna get food or this or that. So it’s extremely upsetting but there’s really only one way forward, … Because if I’m just sitting here like, ‘Oh, those damn government people or whatever, damn Trump, damn this, damn that,’ when I could, instead of saying damn everyone, be asking or looking or trying to figure something out. So, it sucks, it’s really unfortunate, but I’m trying to make the best out of a crappy situation as best as I can,” Rosales said.
Basic Needs Director Justin Mendez hopes to be able implement new changes that allows the vaults to provide more resources and opportunities.
“We did get an increase in specific funding right now for November, so we are gonna try to purchase more food to get more stuff on shelves anticipating the higher need for our students. … ASB wants to try and see if we can stay open on Fridays now which we usually aren’t, so that’s something we’ve been working on to see if it’s possible,” Mendez said.
SNAP funding is currently halved and delayed following a court order by two judges to use emergency funds on Friday and mixed messages from the Trump Administration on Tuesday, with SNAP recipients expecting to navigate a lack of funds regardless for November.
The LAC Viking Vault underwent renovations that replaced its shelves to hold more items, announcing on Saturday it will be closed on Monday, and reopened on Tuesday.
Students browse the offerings at the LAC Viking Vault on Tuesday in the B Building. The cubbies on the new shelves are used to hold smaller, loose items, while the metal shelves hold larger items. (Rafael Gomez)
“We’ve been waiting for them since the summer, and so they just happened to get here at the end of last week. I thought we were going to have to close for a whole week to get everything ready, but thankfully our team worked really hard. They built most of it (over the weekend), it was bad timing that it happened to be on Monday,” Mendez said
Regarding the LAC vault being closed on Monday, Rosales did not feel strongly about it, and said what mattered most was ability to come into the vault the following day without complications.
“It means a lot to me, it holds a personal place in my heart because it allows me to be able to continue my education without worrying about the basic things like that, … I’m grateful they were able to take the time to renovate the facilities so that they look like a proper little grocery store. It is unfortunate that I did have to scrounge around and make do with what I could that day, but I’m grateful that they’re even open to begin with, it’s not something I am expecting, so for them to even have the generosity to be offering all these things. I’m grateful even if they have to be down one day, even if they could have managed it a bit better. It is what it is as long as they can keep helping out. The student is the more important part to me. … Now I have a full bag of things I didn’t think that I was even ever going to get from here, like toothpaste,” Rosales said.
Mendez said that the Viking Vault will continue to serve students while also operating under this year’s tighter financial conditions, which is why the vaults currently adhere to a one type of item per person rule this semester, and expected pressures from the SNAP delay.
LAC ICC Vice President Usama Habash, right, and student May Tablang browse the food items offered at the LAC Viking Vault on Tuesday. The new shelves increased the carrying capacity of the vault, and there are plans to offer more types of food item to compensate for the SNAP delay. (Rafael Gomez)
“I’m not trying to operate from uncertainties. We’re operating in the understanding that SNAP is not going to happen,” Mendez said. “We’re trying to be more strategic in our ordering and things like that. For example, we would have Arizona teas or something and so maybe now, instead of sparkling waters and the Arizona teas it’s going to be smaller juices. … We have our weekly orders and we try to ration it out because we’d hear all the time that our students get upset when they come on a Thursday and there’s nothing for them. … We’re trying to sustain our budget and try to make it fair and ration out our food with how often we’re putting it on the shelves.”
Basic Needs Assistant Christian Davis said partnerships with local businesses have been key in keeping the Viking Vault stocked and students supported, and plans for more free food opportunities on campus are in the works.
“We work with Grocery Outlet to provide a discount to students, the one specifically on 7th Street. That’s where we get our food from, so they can either come and get a coupon from us that is reusable throughout the rest of the year, or we can give you a digital one. … It’s five percent off per item as long as you’re a student. We still get our food every Wednesday from Lola’s, they provide up to 50 hot meals a week and then we are also working on a partnership with the restaurant named Nick the Greek. They do Greek food and they’re going to be working with us and the Port of Long Beach to provide more food for students here as well,” Davis said.
The Viking Vault is located at B-103 at LAC and open from Monday through Thursday, and at the GG-Cafeteria at TTC from Tuesday to Thursday.
Both locations are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for every open day.
The first adjunct faculty art exhibition held in three years will feature a painting of family, a sculpture made from an American flag and cacti, handmade performance props and more, with an opening ceremony being held Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the LBCC Art Gallery.
Gallery Director Karla Aguiniga seeks to revive a campus tradition of having adjunct faculty pieces at the gallery with the exhibit, titled “Satellites,” which runs until Dec. 10.
“We (had) at least one exhibition a year where we have either our part-time faculty or our adjuncts to try to have at least one opportunity where we can show the work of our current part-time faculty. This is the first time we’ve done it in three years,” Aguiniga said.
Aguiniga emphasized the importance of spotlighting the faculty who balance their teaching and creative practice, and shared that a wide range of mediums are to be featured at the exhibit.
“There’s painting, there’s drawings, there’s sculptures, there’s mixed media. We have some print making work, there’s even jewelry that’s also a video, so that’s more mixed media …. This one artist, she’s showing a video that is from a performance and then we’re showing some of the props she made for that performance. … We have some work from not just the visual arts, but also film, from our film faculty, there’s set design from our now full-time scenographer,” Aguiniga said.
The decision to name the exhibition “Satellites” served as a metaphor for how adjunct professors work across multiple campuses, with Aguiniga crediting Printmaking Instructor Christian Ward for the name.
When it came to selection, Aguiniga said the process was open and inclusive, allowing faculty members to represent their own field by submitting three pieces, and picking based on what would seem interesting to students.
Adjunct Art Professor Deitra Charles contributed her work titled “My Brother”, which she made with water soluble graphite in 2018, and explained that the piece carries both symbolic and literal meanings saying that the scale of the piece was intentional.
Adjunct Art Professor Deitra Charles below her art piece “My Brother” on display at the LBCC Art Gallery at Building K today.
“It’s actually one of my brothers, he was probably around 21 at the time. … I wanted to kind of demystify a lot of the stereotypes out there about black men and the fear that people have of black men and I wanted to empower him. … I wanted people to see that. I didn’t want it to just be a small piece, I wanted it to be bold, big and in your face, yet approachable,” Charles said.
She hopes the work encourages open interpretation and dialogue.
“I hope they take the many different interpretations that come from this piece. It can stand for social justice, it can stand for empowerment. So I wanted it to be whatever it means to them. Whatever it means to me personally is one thing, but I always want my art to be whatever it means to the viewer looking at it. I also hope that they take away a new medium, perhaps that they can work with,” Charles said.
Participating in “Satellites” also gave Charles a chance to reconnect with the LBCC art community, explaining that it allowed her to “get involved in a way where I can see the work of my peers. I’m excited to see the works that are in the show.”
Adjunct Art Professor Luis Moreno, who is also an LBCC alum, contributed a piece called “Postcolonial Self-Portrait”, a sculpture composed of an American flag cut in strips with its stars cut out, hoisted up by real cacti bearing fruit.
Adjunct Art Professor Luis Moreno prepares a shredded American flag lacking its stars for his sculpture “Postcolonial Self-Portrait” at the LBCC Art Gallery in Building K today. A fan underneath the sculpture is intended to be used to keep the piece moving. (Rafael Gomez)
”The cacti represents my body. I have a lot going on, and wanted to render that through it. … I always want there to be a relationship, that both of these things are in a process of change, always. The cactus is an alive, living thing,” Moreno said.
Adjunct Art Professor Robert Acuna’s work draws inspiration from automotive culture, blending art techniques with materials and aesthetics found in the car industry, describing his process as straightforward and rooted in personal enjoyment rather than interpretation.
“I play with a lot of automotive industry work. So a lot of airbrush metallic paint, metal flake, lowbrow car culture. I try to keep it subtle, … I’m not that deep about my paintings. I just hope that when viewers go see them, I hope they enjoy them visually and that’s enough for me. … I make stuff that I want to see,” Acuna said.
Acuna also mentioned that the upcoming exhibit is a step in the right direction for representing adjunct faculty and the work they do.
“This is the first one I’ve been in that’s just adjunct (faculty) itself so I think it’s a really good representation. … I think that the art department here is really strong, the faculty in general, they are really good,” Acuna said.
An Art Talk will be held on Nov. 15, where students are able to talk to the adjunct faculty who have their work displayed at the gallery.
Downtown LA was packed with Los Angeles Dodgers fans this Monday morning to celebrate the Dodgers back to back World series championship win.
Streets were blocked off from Temple street and Broadway all the way down to north Figueroa street and ending at 5th street.
All of Los Angeles came out to see the Dodgers and celebrate, streets were packed to the point where you couldn’t walk, many of the fans lined up at 3 a.m.just to get front row seats.
Dodgers fans pose for the passing drone cameras while they wait along the sidewalks at the Dodgers’ World Series Parade in downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 3, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. This marks the Dodgers’ second straight championship title. (Emma Rojas)
The environment was filled with music and excitement, many people went as far as to bring a band to perform banda music.
There was a point where everyone in the crowd was waiting for the Dodgers to come down and they started throwing footballs and beach balls just to see if they could make it to the other side.
The fans were ecstatic with joy and were overcome by happiness seeing the entire Los Angeles community come together and celebrate this big win as an entire whole.
“ It was amazing seeing everyone getting along, vibing together and being able to watch them lift up that trophy and celebrate,” Dodgers fan Tracy Hervey said.
There was a bunch of young fans watching and shouting out the names of every player they saw ranging from Shohei Ohtani to Clayton Kershaw and Freddie Freeman.
“I love Kike Hernandez and Mookie Betts,” seven year old fan, Noah Taylor said.
Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell poses and waves to fans from atop of the parade bus at the Dodgers’ World Series Parade in downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 3, 2025. This marks the Dodgers’ second straight championship title. (Emma Rojas)
The parade was about 45 minutes but it took longer since the Dodgers stopped at City Hall to make a speech before they made their way down which took them about half an hour.
“The wait was worth it honestly cause I got to see the players but it was even better because I had my Scooby Snacks,” Taylor said.
The Dodgers had won the world series the year prior and the parade was just as packed and crowded with people who waved their flags representing their nationality or a L.A. flag.
Many fans came from out of state to see the parade and celebrate with the Dodgers so that they could experience this event for the first time.
“The whole game before the Dodgers won the Series had me nervous and once they got that last out it felt amazing…Taking the trip from Florida down to Los Angeles was a great experience I loved the environment and how hyped everyone was and I hope the dodgers can do it again next year,” Florida native Symphony Brown said.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have secured eight world series titles the recent three being in 2020, 2024, and this year 2025 and the fans and community are hoping they do it again in 2026.
A young Dodgers fan poses with her rally towel at the Dodgers’ World Series Parade in downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 3, 2025. This marks the Dodgers’ second straight championship title. (Emma Rojas)
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