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The Black Student Success Center demonstrates Black student excellence at its one year anniversary

Addie Farris
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The Black Student Success Center demonstrates Black student excellence at its one year anniversary

The Black Student Success Center (BSSC) recently hosted its one year anniversary to celebrate the safe and welcoming community for students that gives them the opportunity to grow in their education and personal wellbeing at Long Beach City College. 

The celebration was attended by faculty, students, trustees, and school leaders including LBCC’s Superintendent-President Mike Munoz. 

Attendees were in agreement that without the Black Student Success coordinator, Angela Fowlkes, the center and its reach would not be as impactful as it has been.

“The BSSC has created a space for all who visit to feel seen, heard, and understood. Angela Fowlkes has curated the center in a way that makes it feel like home,” said Executive Director of Public Affairs and Marketing Carl Kemp, who was surprised with a Certificate of Recognition by Fowlkes during the event. 

Black Student Success Coordinator Angela Fowlkes, bottom, and Executive Director of Public Affairs and Marketing Carl Kemp, top, embrace in an emotional hug during the one year anniversary of the Black Student Success Center. Photo taken at Long Beach City College on Tuesday, April 22, in the Black Student Success Center. (Katherine Elizabeth Jackson)

“On a personal level, as a formerly incarcerated person, I never thought I’d have the opportunity to do meaningful work to help our community again. So when I was presented with that beautiful certificate, (it) filled me all the way up,” Kemp said. 

A panel titled “When Queen Mothers Speak” was held immediately before the event, featuring Black female leaders at LBCC.

“The center has been in existence for a year, and that was a major accomplishment. In one year, you can see the transformational work that’s taken place in the center. The students feel a sense of belonging, they feel a sense of mattering, they see themselves as they come into the center, it feels like home,” Dean of Academic Success, Inclusion, and Support Services, Erainia Freeman said.

Students talked about their introduction to the center and how both the BSSC and Fowlkes have helped them on their personal and educational journeys.

“As I reflect on my growth in the Black Student Success Center, I believe God has allowed me to become even more impactful and resilient,” Fowlkes said.

Fowlkes shared her gratitude about how the BSSC promoted her purpose, connected her to students and faculty and gained her recognition.

“The dedication and commitment to the work has allowed me to be nominated for the 2025 Black Excellence Educator Award Classified Professional of the Year at the state level and this year’s prestigious 2025 LBCC Viking Impact Award,” Fowlkes added.

Over this past year, the BSSC has elevated both the coordinator and its students, not only by being present, but by addressing the needs of the students prior to its arrival.

“The Black Student Success Center has grown immensely in its first year. The space has evolved into a sanctuary for scholars to grow, heal and achieve,” Fowlkes said.

Older woman drives onto campus, nearly hits student

Kay Pham-Nguyen
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Older woman drives onto campus, nearly hits student

An older woman drove onto campus through the LAC A quad, nearly hitting a student around 11:45 a.m. today.

“She was an elderly woman who was driving on Carson and got disoriented and turned onto here (the A quad) maybe thought these were roads and started driving on them,” police officer Kevin Stinson said. 

Police detained the woman, but one of the officers on scene drove her to her doctor’s appointment and then to her home in Seal Beach. 

Police have decided to keep her car on campus until somebody can safely drive it back to her home.

The driver did not make it very far through the A quad, as police officers in the quad had seen the woman and stopped her near the P building. 

“We have what we call a wrong way driver here,” Stinson said.

Bystanders in the A quad expressed confusion as to what was happening.

“She could’ve ran over me and a couple other people, but I wasn’t paying attention so if it was a terrorist I’d be screwed,” witness John Henkis said. 

An LBCC student who refused to give her name was at the start of the incident on Carson.

“I saw that where there’s a ramp and she went through the curb and she didn’t hit anyone but she slowed down. There was a kid, but she didn’t hit him and he just moved out of the way,” the student said. 

The incident was cleared within 30 minutes. 

Spring Dance Ensemble in Concert showcases various genres and emotions

Enrique Martinez
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Spring Dance Ensemble in Concert showcases various genres and emotions

CORRECTION: A previous version of the story spelled Natalia Carrera’s name incorrectly.

LBCC’s Spring Dance Ensemble in Concert guided the audience through a variety of different emotions and created a diverse and impactful experience paired with unique themes on April 19. 

The concert is a part of the dance program’s tradition of performing one concert each fall and spring semester, where students and faculty come together to choreograph original dances.

This spring semester’s concert featured 11 dances, with four being choreographed by students and the other seven by faculty. 

The first dance, titled “Lost on the Nine,” showcased 1950’s inspired costumes including knee length skirts, dresses and tuxedos.

Directly after this piece, the audience was met with a suspenseful dance titled “Precipice” with chilling music and orchestra strings coupled with a combination of flowy and sharp moves.

Dancer Gwen Casillan, who performed in “Precipice,” explained why that was one of her favorite pieces in the concert. 

“It really resonated with me as I performed it and each reach for me, it was something that I connected to. I was able to perform it in a way where I didn’t have to think about it so much and really just focus on the emotions and expressing feelings of longing and reaching and rowing,” Casillan said. 

After this intense dance, the concert transitioned to more emotional numbers like “Daylight Moon,” which followed a tragic love story where two people long to be with each other, but are forbidden. 

  • Dancer Janell Cobian strikes a pose during the dance “Flower Child” at the dress rehearsal on April 15 in the Bob and Barbara Ellis Auditorium. The Spring 2025 Dance Ensemble In Concert is a large scale production show by the dance program at LBCC and it played three shows. (Sam Villa)
  • Dancer Janell Cobian dances during the dance “Flower Child” at the dress rehearsal on April 15 in the Bob and Barbara Ellis Auditorium. The Spring 2025 Dance Ensemble In Concert is a large scale production show by the dance program at LBCC and it played three shows. (Sam Villa)

“Flower Child,” a hopeful light embodiment of sisterhood with a sorrowful twist, was also performed with the popular song “Je te laisserai des mots” by Patrick Watson.

The most impactful dance of the night was “The Pursuit of Progress” as it illustrated the difference of power that women have in comparison to men in society. 

  • Women dancers reach behind men dancers in the dance “The Pursuit of Progress” as they assert dominance, at the dress rehearsal on April 15. The Spring 2025 Dance Ensemble In Concert is a large scale production show by the dance program at LBCC and it played three shows. (Paloma Maciel)
  • Dancer name, lifts dancer name during the dance “The Pursuit of Progress” at the dress rehearsal on April 15. The Spring 2025 Dance Ensemble In Concert is a large scale production show by the dance program at LBCC and it played three shows. (Paloma Maciel)
  • Male dancers grab dancer Kayla Sarabia during the dance “The Pursuit of Progress” at the dress rehearsal for The Spring 2025 Dance Ensemble In Concert on April 15. The scene represented an enactment of sexual assault. (Paloma Maciel)

Visual differences of power were shown as men stood huddled together, while a woman crouched down on the floor feeling small. While in another scene a group of men tugged at a women’s dress, trying to forcefully undress her. 

Each performer took turns expressing their own view of what it means to be a woman and many details portrayed the realistic exhaustion that women carry as they continue to live in a male dominated world. 

A unique feature of the show was the jazz theme that ran throughout its entirety.

“I thought it was a lot of fun, I thought there were a lot of interesting pieces and I liked that it started with a jazz piece and ended with a jazz piece and then there were some like themes throughout with similar costumes or like suits or kind of different time eras and stuff like that,” said Jessica Lacy, an audience member at the concert who’s in the Dance Program at LBCC and plans to be in next semesters dance concert.

“Si O No,” a Latin jazz dance that mixed the genres of salsa and afro dance, opened the second half of the show and “Toot To the Suit,” a high energy jazz piece inspired by the ‘70s ended the show. 

The closing dance featured bold colored suits, a high platform that dancers took turns spinning and doing jumps on, and a tap break. 

The Spring 2025 Dance Ensemble in Concert marked two student choreographer’s last dance show at LBCC. 

Casillan and Claire Durham shared their favorite part about being in this year’s dance concert. 

“My favorite part about performing in the dance show is definitely the reactions of the audience and the feeling of performing, because whenever I perform on stage, it’s like I come alive with the dance and it’s almost as if the movement changes from the rehearsal process to being on stage and having that live audience because it’s almost electrifying and empowering when there’s a live audience watching us do what we’re passionate about, which is dance,” said Casillan, who choreographed “Daylight Moon” and has performed in four dance ensembles concerts at LBCC. 

After graduating from LBCC this Spring semester, Casillian will be completing her bachelor’s of arts in dance at Cal State Fullerton and hopes to dance professionally in the near future. 

Claire Durham choreographed the dance “Flower Child” and has performed in two dance ensemble concerts during her time at LBCC. 

“My favorite (part) is the week of performance because the energy is super high and everyone’s super nervous and just seeing everything come together on stage is really a beautiful thing. I just feel like there’s just so much energy and it’s really good energy, mutual energy between the whole cast,” Durham said. 

Opinion: LBCC needs allergy-safe foods 

Emma Lloyd
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Opinion: LBCC needs allergy-safe foods 

LBCC has many underrepresented groups and associations, but it lacks any inclusivity regarding its array of food and snack options. 

There are many students with food limitations, such as Celiac disease, who are not able to eat foods with gluten. 

LBCC is in a drought of options for those who have dietary restrictions. 

While the LAC location is a lot more considerate towards students with these special dietary restrictions, the TTC campus fails to provide snacks other than anything that caters to students with common eating habits. 

Not all students want a $4 Starbucks coffee or Celsius, so other options should be present. 

There needs to be multiple options for students to include those with allergies and dietary restrictions. 

It’s unfair to assume that all LBCC students have the same eating habits. 

Not only are students limited in choices, but some students are generally restricted. 

Many of the shelved goods are not safe for students who have serious allergies. 

Gluten and peanuts are present on both campuses, especially on LAC.

With no regard for these individuals with these allergies, some students are unable to buy food from LBCC throughout the day. 

Improvements can be made to the lack of healthy and allergy-safe food options at the LAC location. 

Students deserve to be able to purchase snacks and food without the worry of not being able to eat what is on the shelves. 

Keeping these snacks separated for students who have serious allergies, as well as students who want healthier alternatives, is a needed precaution.

Having aisles catered to those who have specific dietary restrictions would solve this issue as an addition to the student store and vending machines. 

Vikings softball playoffs end after tight loss against El Camino

Isabel Murty
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Vikings softball playoffs end after tight loss against El Camino

First baseman Anaya Togia hit a single to score two runs and a solo home run in game two of the second round of the 3C2A playoffs on Saturday but lost 4-3 to El Camino after extending the game an extra inning. 

Game one was played on Friday, and the Vikings put up a close game but still struggled to get past El Camino’s offense. 

“Yesterday we knew that we didn’t play our own game so today we came in just thinking we had to play to our own level,” center fielder Alesa Gonzalez said. 

The Vikings struck first in game two with two RBI runs scored, putting the Vikings up 2-0 in the top of the third inning. 

El Camino answered right back in the bottom of the third inning scoring three runs and putting them in the lead 3-2. 

The Vikings weren’t done yet as they put on one more run to tie the game in the top of the fifth with a home run hit by Togia. 

It wasn’t until the bottom of the eighth inning when El Camino was able to get an RBI run to score, winning the game and ending the Viking’s postseason run. 

The Vikings didn’t make it to the next round, but they did bring home a conference championship for the first time in 22 years. 

“We just didn’t take advantage of opportunities and we didn’t stick to our plan but overall super proud of the program and where it’s come to a conference championship for the first time in 22 years is a big deal so we hold our heads up high and live to fight another day next year,” head coach Megan Martinez said. 

During the offseason, the team plans to focus on getting well-rested, more time in the batting cages and building up more strength overall. 

“Just hitting in the cage like normal and practicing as much as I can to come back stronger,” outfielder Lala Asi said. 

Despite the loss, the Vikings had a great season, finishing 38-6 overall and winning a conference championship.  

Opinion: LBCC fails to emphasize the importance of Narcan education

Emma Lloyd
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Opinion: LBCC fails to emphasize the importance of Narcan education

LBCC needs to emphasize the importance of Narcan education and promote the free product availability on both campuses to students. 

Narcan is a nasal spray that can reverse an opioid overdose and provide enough time to get the person to professional help. 

LBCC hosts an on-campus training event twice a month, but no students have shown up to a majority of the events.

The 20-30 minute training is hosted by Gabriel Paz from the Helping Youth Counseling organization on LAC in room D135.

Students are unaware of the fact that when they complete Narcan training at the event, they will also receive a completion certification, which acknowledges that they were educated properly on the administration of Narcan and how to recognize the signs of an overdose.

Narcan certifications are also available through Overdose Lifeline for $25, but if the school were to emphasize that they provide free services and certifications, more students may be apt to attend.

LBCC not only provides the training but also the product itself on campus at Student Health Services on both LAC and TTC campuses. 

The retail cost of Narcan is $58, but it is available at no cost for students and is displayed to be accessible in the LAC Student Health Services Center.

The product is on display for students to be able to grab and go, without needing to talk to anyone behind the counter. 

Fentanyl test strips are also available at the Student Health Services Center, though students will need to speak to the person at the counter to obtain them.

As the rate of festival and live entertainment attendance rises among college students, both students and faculty should stress the importance of Narcan and its effects in these scenarios. 

Major music festivals, such as Coachella, Lollapalooza and Beyond Wonderland tend to have heavy recreational drug use during their weekends. 

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), California had a rate of 26.9 deaths due to drug overdose per 100,000 people in 2022.

The population of California in 2022 was 39.1 million, leaving the total number of deaths to be 10,952 people. 

Promotional flyers are posted around high traffic areas such as the bulletin boards in each building and the Coffee Pavilion, but the flyers are boring, lack necessary information and students often pass them by. 

LBCC needs to emphasize the importance of Narcan education, the free availability of the product to students, as well as how the convenience of free on-campus programs allow students to have the privilege of getting certified within 30 minutes.

Poet Lynne Thompson shares her writing during the Writers Reading Series event

Jose Rivera
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Poet Lynne Thompson shares her writing during the Writers Reading Series event

Guest speaker Lynne Thompson read her poetry at the Writers Reading Series event, and focused on themes such as women, religion, culture and her travels to Kenya and Tahiti.  

The event took place on April 30 and was coordinated by English professor Jeff Epley and sponsored by LBCC Library Learning Resources.

“I woke up one day and thought, ‘What’s wrong with my life, I should be writing poetry,’” Thompson said. 

Thompson read poems from her book “Blue on a Blue Palette” as well as other poems she has written in the past.

The Writers Reading Series takes place twice a semester, where different writers come and share their work.

“These events get more recognition from students in the English program, however better outreach for these events around campus would allow for more students from different programs to attend,” Epley said. 

Before reading her poems, Thompson would provide listeners with a more in depth understanding of what her poems mean, and the type of poem structure she uses.

Thompson went on to speak about her past career as a lawyer and how that inspired her to get out and become a poet.

A passion for creating poetry has always been inside Thompson, as her father used to read poems to her as a young girl.

“My only goal has always been to write the best poem possible,” Thompson said.

Thompson served on the Board of Trustees at Scripps College, the board of Los Angeles Review of Books and the Poetry Foundation, and is currently the president of the Board of Trustees at Cave Canem, a literary organization that focuses on poets in the African Diaspora.  

After speaking, Thompson allowed for students to ask questions about her career and how she views poetry.

“For me the poem isn’t done until I can read it out loud and I can hear the music in the lines,” Thompson said. 

The event offered a space for students to connect with the art form of poetry, as expressed by LBCC student Halleena Pratte who said, “Writing my own poetry is hard for me but I love listening to poetry. It’s like music.”

Thompson’s book “Blue on a Blue Palette” was available for purchase after the event, where attendees could get their copies signed by Thompson. 

 LBCC’s Juried Student Art Exhibition highlights immigration, self-reflection and female anatomy

Enrique Martinez
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 LBCC’s Juried Student Art Exhibition highlights immigration, self-reflection and female anatomy

The Juried Student Art Exhibition’s opening ceremony on May 1 had 265 attendees within the first hour, making it one of the most attended in recent years.

The 75 art pieces, which consisted of ceramics, paintings and mixed media, were accepted by a jury made up of faculty members and selected out of 129 submissions. 

“The curation of the gallery is collaborative. The theme for this exhibition was all students and we really try to organize the exhibition in a way to give each piece enough space and even have a dialogue between the pieces,” art gallery manager Karla Aguiniga said. 

Many of the featured artists were first year students and experienced their first time being displayed in an art gallery.

Student artists Hannah Justesen, left, and Ashlyn Hairston, right, talk about Justesen’s piece, “Visceral” at the Juried Student Art Exhibition at LAC in the K-Building on May 1. (Enrique Martinez)

Art on display ranged a multitude of topics, including politics, self-reflection and female anatomy.

“My piece is a wet floor sign and I thought we always see these signs and walk past them, and I felt the same way about immigrants. As a society, we look past their hardships and hard work and just keep moving,” Pablo Rodriguez Villegas said about his piece, “Wetback” which was heavily influenced by the current political state under the Trump administration.  

Rodriguez Villegas noted that he found himself scared under the current administration and realized art is used to express emotions.

Art piece “Wetback” by featured artist Juan Pablo Rodriguez Villegas, is displayed at the Juried Student Art Exhibition at LAC in the K-Building on May 8. (Enrique Martinez)

“I can’t live scared and I had to put all of my fear somewhere,” Rodriguez Villegas said. 

Another first year student, Gage Vaughn, was featured in the gallery setting for the first time due to the encouragement of his professor, Chris Chinn. 

“I did a charcoal still life piece for the class and he really liked it and held onto it, and then submitted it to the gallery,” Vaughn said.

Vaughn attended the exhibit with his two friends, Deshawn Mitchell and Joseph Vigen.

“I really hope people stop to take a minute to have a second and look at it,” Vaughn said.

Both Mitchell and Vigen expressed their happiness for their friend as his work was highlighted in the exhibit. 

“I’m happy for him, he’s one of my closest friends so this is really cool for him,” Mitchell said. 

The exhibit is open for viewing through May 31 and the closing ceremony will announce the three winners of the $2000 prizes.

‘Spring Sing’ showcases a variety of musical, dance, and poetry performances

Enrique Martinez
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‘Spring Sing’ showcases a variety of musical, dance, and poetry performances

Six student acts recently competed against each other for a $300 first place prize at LBCC’s annual Spring Sing, which featured an array of musical, dance and poetic performances. 

The show opened with a play-like presentation by the PNK club, where group members dressed in attire from different decades and popped out of lifesize boxes, imitating Barbies.

Zaida Gutierrez, second vice president of PNK, explained the message of the group’s act. 

“Women had to change their style so many times just to prove a point to people. I know that back in the day a lot of people told women what to wear, what they should wear but women didn’t listen to that so they just went ahead and wore what they wanted to wear,” Gutierrez said. 

The next act was by the Tong Lil Sisters, April Aguila and Lupe Martinez, who sang “I Can’t Stop Singing” from Teen Beach Movie while dancing along to a choreographed routine. 

After the Tong Lil Sisters, two more duos took the stage, with the International Student’s Club being represented by two singers who covered “Cherry Wine” by Grent Perez and “Love Never Felt So Good” by Michael Jackson. 

The Seaside Music Duo featured William Su on electric guitar and Alexander Vega on double bass who covered Laufey’s song “From the Start” together. 

Seaside Music Duo guitarrist William Su performing in the 2025 LBCC Spring Sing talent show on Thursday, April 24. (Jose Calix)

Tulaly Olgin followed with a short poem about moving on from a romantic relationship, and ultimately having to let that person go. 

Markus Lim was the last act of the night and he broke out in high runs as he passionately sang “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing” by Tori Kelly.

Markus Lim singing into his mic during his performance of “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing” by Tori Kelly at the Spring Sing on April 24. (Paloma Maciel)

Soon after, eight golden plaque awards were given out to contestants with PNK winning half of them. 

PNK won Best Props, Best Costume Design, Best Dramatic Performance, and Best Club Act.

The Seaside Music Duo won Best Open Act and Best Vocals for a Group, with Lim winning Best Vocals for a solo and the Tong Lil Sisters winning Best Choreography.

Traditionally LBCC’s Spring Sings have held a first, second, and third cash prize, however this year the eight awards were a new addition and only first place won a cash prize of  $300. 

Lim took home the first place prize of $300 alongside the Judges Choice Award plaque. 

When asked if he expected to have won the competition, Lim said, “Not really, no. I don’t think I would of because it was just singing but and there was like other groups who had rehearsed acts like PNK, but I’m really glad.”

Lim also provided insight as to why he chose this song and how long he’s rehearsed it for.

“So this specifically (for this rehearsal) I could really only say like a week, but this song that I did specifically I’ve been working on for maybe a little over two years because this is a song that I perform repeatedly and like it’s my favorite which is why I did it,” Lim said. 

“I’ve been singing my whole life, but seriously singing, I’ve been singing for around nine years,” said Lim. 

The organizer of the Spring Sing, Derek Oriee, gave insight on the history of the Spring Sing. 

“We’re losing momentum with the clubs and stuff, it wasn’t such a big event like it was in the 70s, 80s, 90s, they would sell out the auditorium every year. Sign of the times, you know students were changing, different interests, but we’ve always tried to keep the tradition going,” Oriee said. 

Oriee participated in the Spring Sing in 1989 and 1991 representing The Order of Tong Club, he also created mixtapes for multiple groups performances once he graduated from LBCC. 

“It was just really competitive, it was such a different feel, right now I feel like it’s just fun everyones having fun with each other back then it was really cutthroat. When we practiced, we weren’t allowed to say where we were practicing at because people were spying on each other, seeing what other clubs were doing,” Oriee said. 

Game one of round two of softball super regionals ends in a close loss for Vikings against El Camino, 3-2

Bella Schultz
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Game one of round two of softball super regionals ends in a close loss for Vikings against El Camino, 3-2

First baseman Anaya Togia hit an RBI and stole home to score the only two runs for the Vikings in a 3-2 loss to El Camino College in the first game of the second round of the 3C2A SoCal Regional playoffs. 

El Camino opened the first inning with an inside-the-park home run that produced two runs.

The Vikings were forced to play catch-up the entire game, and the potential for a comeback in the fourth inning was halted by an error made by the umpire. 

“There was a little bit of confusion for the umpire behind the plate. He forgot to write [the substitution] down, so it looked like an illegal substitution,” Martinez said.

Head coach Megan Martinez switched in second baseman and flex Haleigh Jacobs as a pinch runner for designated player Itzel Diaz after walking to first in the fourth inning, which had already been done in the second inning.

Jacobs returned to the field, and the delay continued until the error was noted, where it was then agreed upon that Diaz could run.

Center fielder Alesa Gonzalez had to bat after the pause with pitcher Zara Mineo on second, Diaz on first, and popped up to the opposing shortstop after two strikes.

“I’m mostly a bunter. Tomorrow, we’ll go in knowing ourselves, who’s better at what… when I go up there, I’ll be able to do what I’m good at instead of trying to be a hero,” Gonzalez said.

Togia felt that the position Gonzalez was put in was unfair, but a roadblock that the Vikings should have been prepared to face.

“I didn’t do my best (starting out), so I had to come up with my next at bats and I did, I executed…but I think it was especially hard for (Alesa) after that pause, because (ideally) we could’ve kept it going,” Togia said.

Anaya Togia yells in celebration after a double that led to Sienna Rievley scoring on May 9. This was one of two doubles for Togia in the game. (Ryan Hixson)

After the game, the team locked themselves into an almost hour long meeting, and Martinez assured them that the mistakes made were small setbacks.

“We had the opportunities, we just didn’t capitalize on big moments. The good news is they played their best game and beat us three to two, and we played one of our worst games and lost by one run. Harris didn’t have problems on the mound, no one was affected by the heat, and we’re looking forward to a long day tomorrow,” Martinez said.

Vikings softball is set to play the second game against El Camino on Saturday at noon.

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