The red, white, blue, and yellow balloons themed after the Filipino flag strongly contrasted the overcast sky at the third annual Filipino American history month kick-off event on Thursday in the A quad in LBCC’s Liberal Arts Campus (LAC).
The sense of Filipino pride and community was strong throughout the event, as students and faculty lined up for adobo and lumpia, two dishes synonymous with Filipino culture.
The event was host to many performances by students, including both traditional and modern Filipino songs and dances.
Pakaraguian Kulintang, a group that performs traditional Filipino music and dances, put on a performance donned in colorful garb and traditional instruments, helping to connect the generations.
Jenelle Macapaz, a new member of the LBCC Asian Pacific Islander Desi (APID) club sang “Your Love” by Juris, and “Huwag Na Huwag Mong Sasabihin” by Kitchie Nadal, two modern Filipino songs that were both featured in popular television shows in the Philippines.
Jenelle Macapaz, a member of the LBCC Asian Pacific Islander Desi club singing a modern Filipino rock song at the Filipino American history month kick-off event at LBCC on Oct. 17, 2024. (AJ Mohammed)
“I chose those songs because they really capture the essence of Filipino rock,” Macapaz said when asked about what they represented to her.
The APID club was responsible for most of the organization of the event, and was present for the whole thing to help run it and put on many of the performances.
A few speakers also gave some words, one of whom was president of the board of trustees Vivian Malauulu, who spoke about her ties to the Filipino community in Long Beach.
“I grew up in Carson, which has the largest Filipino population outside of the Philippines, and my best friend growing up was Filipino,” Malauulu said.
She also went on to mention her role as a trustee member, “I represent west Long Beach, which is known as Little Manila due the approximately 14,000 Filipinos that reside there, so Filipino heritage is something that matters to me,” Malauulu said.
Another performer, Siva Aguilar, brought a guitar on stage to perform “Hanggang Kailan” by Orange & Lemons, a song about longing for a loved one that Aguilar reinterpreted as the longing that Filipino immigrants have for their sense of home.
“I was born and raised in the Philippines and I moved here when I was 14. I didn’t realize until I was older how much I missed it,” Aguilar said.
Helping to comfort that sense of longing, Filipino American history month seeks to celebrate the rich culture that those with ties to the Philippines share, and to bring them together to be able to feel at home again.
Filipino American history month events will run from Oct. 17 to Oct. 30, with more information available on the LBCC website.
Discussion board posts are often assigned as a convenient way for students to share ideas about in-class materials; however, they are lazy, thoughtless, and add nothing insightful to classes or for students.
Professors who teach in-person classes should consider holding in person discussions instead, so that students can directly communicate with one another.
Students are typically given the same instructions from their professors in order to receive credit for discussion board post assignments, which are to answer the prompt, meet a certain word count and respond to a certain number of classmates.
Professors often create simple prompts for these discussion board posts, leading to uncreative and nearly identical responses from students.
Although discussion board posts are intended to spark conversations between classmates, students only respond to the number of people they need to get credit for the assignment.
After students originally make their posts, they do not bother responding back to those who leave replies.
Additionally, discussion board posts are rarely, if ever, talked about in class.
This ultimately defeats the purpose of the assignment, which is to encourage students to engage with their peers and express their thoughts.
The monotonous and basic nature of discussion board assignments leave little room for students to develop their ideas or learn something new.
This is a disservice to students seeking a higher education.
Professors should not be creating assignments that feel like thoughtless busy work, and students should not feel forced to engage with their peers.
Assignments should be used to help college students improve their knowledge and better their understanding of in-class materials.
Without the barriers of online anonymity, students will have a more personalized approach to developing their ideas which in turn can lead to more engagement between classmates.
Professors will also have the opportunity to expand the discussion beyond a simple prompt.
Turning discussion board posts into in-class conversations will benefit both students and instructors in the long run.
It is time for professors who teach in-person classes to stop relying on discussion board posts and start allowing students’ education to flourish.
In a political climate that Americans are calling one of the most important for democracy, many college students are considering voting third party this election.
Many young voters are looking to create an immediate change, which is why they look to vote for third parties who push that idea.
While third parties are great in some eyes, our system isn’t built for it.
According to The Pew Research Center in Aug. 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are tied among registered voters at 49% each.
Historically by voting third party, one of the two major parties loses votes, since many voters are likely to favor either the democratic or republican party.
Voting third party impacts voting not just on a local level but also a national one.
In the 2016 elections, four states earned more votes for the third party candidate and in Florida alone, third party candidates won more than double of Donald Trump’s votes.
Many Americans attribute the win of Donald Trump because of the popular vote to Gary Johnson, a candidate that many chose over Hillary Clinton, reflecting back to the polls that Clinton was on track to win that election.
Two major third parties in this election include Green Party candidate Jill Stein and “Peoples Party” Independent candidate Cornel West.
The closest an election has seen to a third party candidate winning the presidency was Ross Perot of the Reform Party with only 19% of the popular vote, over two decades ago in the 1996 election.
Along with the popular vote, our democracy fails with the electoral college, in which a third party has little to no chance of winning but can cause a loss for a bigger candidate.
While this may seem like a small percentage, in a race that is already showing close polls, a third party vote could possibly hinder either side of the scale.
In this election, your vote does count, so if you’re planning to choose a third party, consider the facts of the race and vote for a popular candidate who reflects most of your values.
If you’re looking to make a change, vote third party in your local elections, that is where the change is made.
LBCC students voiced their opinions about food options, evening classes, and on-campus events during a town hall meeting in the T Building on Tuesday.
The meeting, hosted by ASB president Shamonique Harris, Student Trustee G Gonzalez, and members of LBCC leadership, was created to give students the opportunity to provide in-person feedback about their experiences at Long Beach City College.
“Quite often in our roles, we don’t get the opportunity to interact with students face to face as much as we’d like,” said Dr. Lee Douglas, vice president of academic affairs. “Getting information from students is important.”
Dr. Nohel Corral, executive vice president of student services, shared similar sentiments about interacting directly with students.
“It’s about being able to respond to questions as best we can, being able to research the questions we don’t have the answers to, and making the student experience better,” Corral said.
One of the various concerns voiced by the students was a lack of accessible food options on campus, including those that do not accept EBT cards.
Corral ensured those in attendance that the school is working closely with its new food vendor to make food on campus available to all.
“It’s one of the first things we talked about with them,” Corral said.
Another topic brought up by students was the availability of weekend classes in the evening.
“It ultimately comes down to student demand,” Douglas said. “We can put out a survey to see if there is enough demand for these classes.”
Student Trustee G Gonzalez, left, and Dr. Lee Douglas, vice president of academic affairs, listen to student concerns during the town hall meeting at the Liberal Arts Campus on Tuesday. (Destiny Garcia)
Corral and Douglas also shared important updates during the meeting, including the hiring of 19 new faculty members, introducing online only degrees, and giving students the option of taking classes only at the Liberal Arts Campus or the Trade Tech and Community Learning Campus (formerly PCC).
For ASB President Shamonique Harris, the importance of the meeting was to listen to the feedback and concerns the students had to share.
“We appreciate the time students took out of their day and the questions they asked,” Harris said.
Student Trustee G Gonzalez’s first town hall meeting provided insight on the student experience.
“A lot goes under the table and unnoticed. Concerns from food to evening students, I never thought about that myself,” Gonzalez said. “It’s important for me and the (ASB) president to listen to the students and go from there.”
Gonzalez also appreciated the opportunity to work with Corral and Douglas.
“They know the ins and outs of the school. They know about the departments and internal affairs and who to talk to. Being student leaders, we are kind of limited. By having them, we can better understand the questions,” Gonzalez said.
According to Harris, more town hall meetings will take place in the future.
“We will have a survey to find out how often we should hold these meetings,” Harris said.
Students can find information about upcoming ASB events through flyers posted at the quad, on LBCC’s website, and through the ASB newsletter.
An ex-felon charged with murder, gang involvement, and gun charges who got a pardon from California governor Gavin Newsom spoke at an event at LBCC on Sept. 12.
Mir Aminy, a former gang member and convict, is now the director of Project Rebound, a resource program at Cal State Fullerton.
The program, available in nine of the 23 California State Universities, focuses on providing formerly incarcerated students with a higher education and tools to reintegrate back into society.
The program aims to shut down mass incarceration while providing community strength and safety.
Project Rebound and programs like it have reduced the chances of repeat offenses, with the rate dropping to between 13.7% and 5.6%, depending on what type of degree the individual seeks.
The likelihood of going back to jail for students with their masters is “zero,” according to Aminy.
“Give people a chance and opportunity to prosper and they will do amazing things,” Aminy said.
Aminy was diagnosed with polio when he was five years old and was paralyzed from the waist down.
Born in Afghanistan, Aminy’s family immigrated to New York during the Soviet invasion and later settled in California when he was a teenager.
Shortly after graduating high school, Aminy became involved with a street gang in Southern California.
His life would dramatically change after he was stabbed nine times by rival gang members.
As an act of retaliation, Aminy carried out a drive-by shooting, which injured one of his three intended targets.
Aminy initially faced 67 years in prison for attempted murder, gun charges, and participation in organized criminal gang activity, and after taking a plea bargain he was sentenced to 18 years in April 1998.
“I would dream about the day that I got out,” Aminy said. “If I am going to get out, I gotta change my life.”
Aminy was ultimately released from prison after serving 16 years of his sentence.
Upon his release, Aminy was visited by federal agents from the Immigration and Customs Department, also known as ICE, who told him he was going to be deported to Afghanistan.
“You’re not going home today,” Aminy recalled one of the agents telling him.
Aminy remembered feeling anxious and hopeless as he sat in his cell waiting to be deported.
“Cases like this can take up to five years to fight,”Aminy said.
Aminy was not deported to Afghanistan because they could not find a record of his birth.
Although ICE agents tried to deport him to another country, they declined to expedite him due to his criminal history.
President of Jw1 CompanyJoshua Williams, left, sits with Christina Barrios, LBCC’s Intern director of EOPS, CARE, and DREAM and Cal State Fullerton’s Project Rebound director Mir Aminy in the Building B on Sept. 12. (Tenoa Stewart)
Aminy‘s dreams of being a free man became reality.
After his release, Aminy enrolled in school in order to take full advantage of his educational opportunities.
However, he struggled to adjust to life outside of prison.
“I had imposter syndrome. I had a hard time on campus because I felt I was being someone that I wasn’t,” said Aminy.
Despite feeling out of place, Aminy found like-minded individuals to connect with on campus.
“Mir and I went to the same grad school program, and yes, anytime I asked him for help he was available,” said Joshua Williams, CEO and senior consultant of Jw1, a resource company similar to Project Rebound. “I didn’t know my way around campus so he helped me with that.”
Williams and Aminy also bonded through their shared experiences growing up around gang violence.
“We both were able to come out of gang infestation and so we relate in that way too,” Williams said.
Aminy became involved in volunteer work during his time at school as a way to become an asset to his community rather than a liability.
He volunteered at homeless shelters, got multiple jobs on campus, and even joined the program before becoming the director of, Project Rebound.
However, the biggest challenge for Aminy to overcome was asking for help and taking on everything by himself.
In neighborhoods where Aminy grew up, asking for help was for weaklings, and from a young age many people had a distrust for authority.
Many formerly incarcerated students play multiple roles in society, such as parenting and working on top of going to school.
“We become masters at juggling,” Aminy said.
Aminy looked to the community for support, stayed involved with college activities, and was ultimately able to lead students in the direction of success.
Aminy continues to face his challenges head on with a quote of hope and inspiration.
”Remember when you wanted what you have now? Don’t forget that,” Aminy said.
On Jan. 13, 2022, Aminy was granted a pardon from California governor Gavin Newsom for his volunteer work and positive influence on his community.
“I dreamed of the day I would get out of jail and be a free man. I dreamed of the day I would be given the opportunity to change in the community and be in a position to help others,” Aminy said, “Now that I am, I always have to remember that, because sometimes it does get hard, sometimes it does get rough, but as long as I don’t forget, I know that I’ll be okay.”
In his current position of housing coordinator and director of Project Rebound, Aminy is able to provide resources and advice to students who are struggling with the same issues he once faced in the past.
“I always tell students to remain consistent. You have to really follow through, make sure you balance everything out because there are people like us who are still chipping away after that degree, which we don’t always have the luxuries as others do,” Aminy said.
Aminy has been an inspiration to those struggling to reintegrate back into society with the ultimate goal of seeking a higher education, no matter how elusive it may be.
LBCC alumnus and intern director of EOPS, CalWORKs, CARE, and Dream Services Christina Barrios, spoke at another event alongside Aminy and Williams.
“Mir’s story inspired me because my father was also an ex gang member and disabled too. My father also turned his life around as well, so seeing similar stories has been a big motivator for me,” Barrios said.
Barrios explained that a community leader can come from anywhere, no matter what challenges they have faced in the past.
“It’s been this stigmatized to see quote on quote what real leadership looks like. I have my struggles, but being able to work through them and building rapport with students which most of us come from the same challenges,” Barrios said.
Aminy is currently pursuing his Ph.D in disability studies at Chapman University after receiving his Masters in counseling from Cal State Long Beach. Aminy also has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Cal State Fullerton.
A new performing arts building is coming to the LBCC Liberal Arts Campus (LAC), located near the corner of Clark Avenue and Harvey Way.
The new G Building has been in progress for multiple years and will be ready for move-in next year with the hope of classes starting in the spring of 2026.
The G Building is going to have new dance studios, practice rooms for instrumental students, recording studios and a pilates room.
“It’s all very exciting. We are all very eager to move in.” Dean of the visual, performing arts, and cultural programs Janet Hund said.
This building is going to have a black box theater, an all-black room that is created to help theater productions pop and be versatile, and a new 236-seat auditorium.
The new building is being built with a focus on sustainability, with energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
An exterior view of the new performing arts building at the Liberal Arts Campus. The G Building, which is set to be completed and operational by Spring 2026. (Nick Eismann)
There will also be designated classrooms for the choir classes and for the band classes that help enhance the acoustics for those classes.
“We are really excited. Personally, I am excited for another performance space,” band director Brian Hamilton said.
Making its return back to LAC from the Trade Tech and Community Learning Campus (formerly known as PCC) are the TV and media classes.
With the music community growing the new space is going to allow students and faculty space and comfort to learn.
“The new building is going to have all new practice facilities and professional recording studios for students both of which give music students better opportunities to learn firsthand about the industry, and a better environment to practice,” LBCC music student Jon Vital said.
School performances can be found on the LBCC events calendar and most theater shows are free for students with an active ASB sticker on the back of their student ID.
LBCC men’s soccer team came out victorious over Rio Hondo 2-1 on Friday, extending their season’s record to 10-1-1 overall.
The win came after a strong showing from freshman forward Asael Sales who scored both of the Vikings’ goals.
Sales had his first goal of the game for the Vikings at the 23-minute mark of the first half with an assist from Carlos Reyes and Edwin Rodriguez.
Rio Hondo attempted to respond many times but had a hard time getting around the Vikings’ quick defense and goalie Abraham Ramirez, who recorded 5 crucial saves in this game.
The rest of the first half remained scoreless as both teams struggled finding their footing and establishing a solid offensive push.
Assistant Head Coach Cameron Beaulac spoke about his frustrations with how the team was playing, noting that they need to bring more intensity to future games.
“We have to take each game as a big game. I think they came into the game with the thought that this team was not gonna be strong, they’ve only won one game this year, and they relaxed on the field too much. You can never take anybody for granted and no matter who your opponent is you always have to play at your highest level because that’s the only thing that’s gonna prepare us for a state title,” Beaulac said.
The second half of the game saw much tighter defense from both teams and a lot more communication on the field.
LBCC’s Asael Sales scored his second goal of the game at the 52-minute mark after a couple hard-fought assists from teammates Antony Martinez and Carlos Reyes.
Rio Hondo’s only point of the game came at the 81 minute mark when midfielder Diego Soto was granted a penalty kick and scored.
Despite the win, there was a feeling of discontentment while the team gathered with their coach for a post-game meeting on the field.
“I think we could’ve done much better and it should’ve been more than 2-0. To us it didn’t feel like a win honestly because we know we can do much better than this,” Martinez said. “We need to work on crashing the ball and working on ambition to want the ball and wanting to score.”
Sales had a similar sentiment and said there’s definitely stuff the team needs to work on during practice before their next game on Tuesday.
“Something we can work on is touching the ball more around, being more effective and not so much in a rush,” Sales said.
Overall, coach Beaulac’s goal is to ensure that he prepares his team to play at the next level.
“At the end of the day for us it’s getting these gentlemen to four year universities and we have to have them play mentally and physically and technically and tactically at their highest level for those opportunities to happen,” Beaulac said.
The Vikings won their next game 3-1 over East Los Angeles extending their record to 11-1-1.
The Vikings defeated the Cerritos Falcons in a 38-30 victory clinched during a second overtime on Oct. 5.
The winning moment of the game came when Vikings’ wide receiver Troy Crozier caught an 18-yard pass from quarterback Jett Peddy.
Sophomore wide receiver Dylan Clark won it all with his catch securing the successful 2-point conversion.
“Following this match, it’s crucial for drives to be done and for the momentum to remain strong,” Peddy said.
An early penalty was called when players started to throw fists at each other in the heated rivalry.
The opening quarter of the game had a defensive start with both teams struggling to gain any significant yardage.
In the last six minutes of the quarter, Cerritos quarterback Evan Tomich threw a touchdown securing a slight lead on the scoreboard.
In response, the Vikings drove down and tied the game with tight end Kyle Brown taking it to the endzone.
As the match unfolded it became evident that both teams were evenly matched.
In the second quarter wide receiver Semaj Dunn caught a 22-yard pass from Peddy which he took to the endzone for a touchdown.
Cerritos responded one minute later with a touchdown by Michael Hayes and a 2pt conversion by Chase Grosfield.
The half ended in a 14-14 stalemate.
As the second half started, the game was filled with interceptions and holding calls as well as personal fouls that kept the game close.
Some notable highlights were a 72-yard play by linebacker Caleb Nuhi Yandall, from Cerritos.
The game got intense in the fourth quarter when running back Cheo Medina from Cerritos scored a touchdown which expanded the score to 27-17 in Cerritos favor.
LBCC kicker Eric Zavala made a 26-yard field goal which tied the score once again at 30-30, sending them into a second overtime.
“We need to focus on staying disciplined and cutting down on those penalties so that we can be unstoppable,” Vikings linebacker Cordae Jones said.
Tight ends and special teams coordinator Jericho Silvernail spoke highly of how the offense stepped up in the quarter and saw it as a moment in the game’s momentum shift.
“Once our quarterback and offense started to get the ball rolling in the fourth quarter, it took a turn for the better,” Silvernail said.
The Vikings’ next game will be at Veterans Stadium for Homecoming against Orange Coast, scheduled for October 26th, at 1 p.m. The Vikings are eager to maintain their winning streak following this last game.
Four honorees were inducted and two awards were presented by the LBCC Foundation at the 52nd annual LBCC Hall of Fame on Sept. 26 at The Grand.
The Class of 2024 Honorees are Sharifa Batts, Dennis Buchanan, Perette Godwin, and Megan Kerr.
The Community Service Award was granted to the Long Beach Century Club and the Campus Friend Award was received by Justin Mendez.
Friends, family, alumni, staff, and students were in attendance at the gala to celebrate and honor those who were awarded.
The District 5 Councilwoman of Long Beach, Megan Kerr, said that she has had a constant relationship with LBCC her whole life.
As a kid, she attended youth sports camps at the college and then attended for three years after she graduated highschool, ultimately transferring to Cal Poly Pomona.
After that she became a transfer advisor at LBCC and when she started having kids, she took them to the Child Development Center at TTC, formerly PCC.
“The Child Development Center at LBCC taught me many life lessons, that made me a better parent and a better leader, and I still have friendships with folks to this day that I met there, when our kids were really little,” Kerr said.
The Director of Basic Needs at LBCC, Justin Mendez, felt extremely humbled to have been the recipient of the Campus Friend Award and that many of his coworkers came to the event to celebrate him.
“I care about the work I do and we do a lot of great work, and none of it would be possible without this whole community,” Mendez said.
Superintendent-President Mike Munoz, was very excited to recognize some of the distinguished alumni, as LBCC has a deep legacy of producing outstanding civic, entrepreneurial community leaders that make an impact on their community.
“Long Beach City College is a place that transforms lives and I think that as you listen to the testimonials of the different recipients, you’re going to hear the impact Long Beach City College had on them, which allowed them to essentially create impact for others,” Munoz said.
Long Beach Congressman, Robert Garcia, also made an appearance at the event to celebrate all of the honorees, as he knows a few of them very well.
Garcia worked at LBCC for about six years as a communications instructor and was also the Director of Communications on campus for a period of time, prior to being in politics.
“It’s a great college and it’s a great program, so it’s really great to see all the support tonight,” Garcia said.
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