No one could escape the music and cheers of Pride in Long Beach on May 19, in an event capturing some of the most important aspects people say about pride, such as unity, celebration, and politics.
From companies to nonprofits to political leaders in Long Beach, people gathered in the streets of Ocean Boulevard to celebrate the march.
The event was attended by both community members and protesters alike, each creating noise that brought this year’s theme, “Rhythm of the Rainbow” to life.
“Being able to see everyone just be on their own and appreciate being gay in a public space all together,” said Casey Rubenfeld, onlooker and CSULB student.
Friendship brought people into the streets as attendees saw people in the march they knew. People participating in the march made an emphasis on interacting with attendees during the 2024 Pride Parade in Long Beach. (Sam Villa)
LBCC marched alongside the many parade floats, with Superintendent Mike Munoz at the head of the group.
“It’s all community at the end of the day, which I believe is very uplifting,” said Anahi Chavez.
The parade began that Sunday morning at 10 a.m., providing the start of the 41st march of 2024.
Members of Triple AAA march during the 2024 pride parade in Long Beach. One of many companies that celebrated and promoted during the parade. (Sam Villa)
Of the notable people in attendance, one of the loudest crowd engagements rallied from the Stonewall organization float.
The Stonewall organization comes from the original Stonewall riots, a movement that pivoted LGBTQ+ civil rights in the late ‘60s, early ‘70s and beyond.
With this year’s election coming to a head, there was an emphasis on voting at this year’s pride parade.
“Being Lgbtq means having to be involved with politics whether we like it or not,” said Audrey Broughton, an LBCC student who marched.
In 2024 alone, 32 anti-Lgbtq bills were passed into law in states across the U.S., either limiting or outright banning Lgbtq rights.
“A march is still a form of protest at the end of the day, we attend these things to have fun but also to be seen and heard,” said Broughton.
Long Beach City College trustees voted to recognize May as Jewish American Heritage Month alongside Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi Heritage Month on Wednesday night, following a slew of public comments in support of the Jewish American Heritage Month.
During the trustee comment portion of the resolution, trustee member Sunny Zia spoke at length about her support for this type of recognition for the Jewish community.
“It is important as one of your two Jewish elected officials in Long Beach for me personally to have this representation,” Zia said.
The trustee emphasized her belief in this resolution, seven months after the Oct. 7 escalation in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“Many of you have been going through this shared trauma that we have been experiencing since Oct. 7, the second-worst tragedy since we had the Holocaust, some of the things that have been said have been not just derogatory and offensive but misinformation about our community and it has been proliferating,” said Zia.
Zia then continued to give her own personal experiences with the conflict.
“When Hamas attacked our communities, I had loved ones in Sderot that I couldn’t get a hold of. Imagine if it was your kin, just forget about Jewish, Arab, American, Iranian, who I am one, imagine you can’t hold a of your loved ones, and finally they are accounted for, and that has been our experience, it is an experience of trauma and retraumatization,” Zia said.
Members of Jewish Long Beach’s board of directors attended the meeting to express their support for LBCC trustees move to recognize Jewish American Heritage Month, including director at-large Ken Schlesinger and Anna Salusky, vice president of programs for Jewish Long Beach.
“What you are doing here tonight sends a message that it is important that we all are treated with dignity and respect and I feel very lucky to be part of such a diverse community here in Long Beach where we can embrace not only our similarities but our differences as well,” Salusky said.
Richard Marcus, professor of international politics at Cal State Long Beach, and president of Jewish Long Beach speaking about Jewish Heritage Month.
The board of trustee meeting was held on May 22nd in the T-Building (Zuri Minor)
Before Salusky, Schlesinger took to the podium to thank the board of trustees for recognition of the Jewish community in Long Beach.
“The resolution recognizing May as Jewish American Heritage Month comes at a significantly challenging time for American Jews and those living around the world. We are living in unimaginable times,” Schlesinger said.
Schlesinger also acknowledged the growing reports of Jewish college students and faculty facing discrimination amidst growing tensions over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“The extreme challenges that American Jewsih college students, faculty and staff across the country confront daily is beyond unacceptable. No American, Jewish or otherwise should be harassed or denied the ability to learn, teach or to do their job freely and effectively,” said Schlesinger.
All trustees voted in favor of the resolution with little discussion after Zia’s comments. They then went down to the meeting room floor to take photos with community members involved with pushing the resolution, proudly displaying the flag of Israel while they posed.
The board of trustees will meet again on June 26 in room T-1100.
In his two seasons at Long Beach City College, humble and passionate dive coach and alumnus Shane Butler has impressively transformed the Viking dive program with state-qualifying athletes and his detail-oriented coaching method.
This season at LBCC, three divers qualified for state championships with one female diver taking 4th place, while a male diver placed 10th.
32 years ago, the wheels started turning for Butler when he began diving at LBCC as a student, kickstarting his diving and coaching career.
Trained by three Chinese Olympic coaches and an American Olympic dive coach, Butler guides athletes with a dynamic background in diving mechanics.
Butler still holds the school records on both the 1m and 3m boards, and following his time at LBCC, he received a scholarship to CSU Bakersfield where he earned a bachelor of science in Physical Education and a master of science in Coaching and Athletic Administration.
Diving is a family affair for the Butler family, as he has had the opportunity to coach two of his daughters and his son Jake, who competed in the Olympic trials, from an early age to an elite level.
Shane grew up an avid adventurist, venturing into sports like mogul skiing, water skiing, and racing motorcycles, all leading to knee injuries prior to beginning his diving career.
He began noticing discomfort in his knees in his early days of diving, resulting in double knee replacements.
Despite this challenge, Shane is eager to get back on the board and continue diving for a masters program.
gymnast, mogul skier, raced motorcycles, and water skier.
Shane also earned 3rd at NCAA Division II championships.
“I do it for the athletes, it has never been about the money for me. I am trying to help grow their future and get my divers to wherever they need to go,” Butler said.
He humbly prides himself on his passion for diving, emphasizing that his dedication to the sport outweighs any desire for prestige or working with the most esteemed programs.
“Shane is super fun to be around. He’s one of the best coaches I have ever had. He really understands how to take people with zero prior experience and make them great athletes,” LBCC diver Katie Juarez said.
LBCC Swim and Dive Coach Shane Butler posing at LBCC Swimming pool on May 8 2024
Butler still holds the school records on the 1m and 3m boards.
(Brianna Apodaca)
Prior to coaching at LBCC, Butler played an integral role in the dive program at Cypress College, where he spent nine years coaching, sending an athlete to state championships on both boards two years in a row.
Another diver is currently being nominated into the hall of fame as one of the most decorated athletes at Cypress College.
“I try to take athletes from point A to point B and help them accomplish the goals that they set for themselves both in the short-term and the long-term, whether that is to transfer or they are just diving for fun,” Butler said.
In addition to his position as dive coach at LBCC, Butler also coaches both JV and Varsity at Los Alamitos High School, and at McCormick Divers, a Long Beach dive club, where four of his divers will qualify for the national dive meet in West Virginia.
The small and supportive dive culture is something Butler appreciates deeply.
“Dive culture is incredibly unique. Everyone is proud of one another regardless of the team you’re on, your competitor will clap for you, everyone is excited when someone does something good,” he said.
Recently, Shane received what he felt was ultimate validation that he was a high-quality coach at the last senior national meet, where he had the opportunity to speak with four Chinese coaches.
“Despite being a high school and junior college coach, they said I was one of the best coaches they had seen because of the mechanics I teach my divers,” he said.
The LBCC dive program had dissolved for a few years, but in 2023, with a new aquatic facility under construction, Butler joined the team to reboot the program after learning from the head swim coach that they were seeking a new dive coach.
After double knee replacements, Shane is still eager to get back on the board and continue diving for a masters program.
“What an amazing journey I get to be a part of. There is something so beautiful about being a part of growing both individuals and programs to improvement and success in whatever their goals are,” said Butler.
Butler is confident LBCC will have a state champion in 2025.
Long Beach City College President’s ambassador Shamonique Harris has been announced as the incoming Associated Student Body president for the 2024-25 school year.
With over 50% of the 106 student voters casting their vote for Harris, she won the election by a 30% margin according to data given to the Viking by ASB advisor Kim Hamon.
That percentage translates to 58 total votes for Harris with both other candidates receiving under 30 votes.
Candidates for student trustee, G Gonzalez and ASB secretary, Johana Fuentes ran unopposed and will begin their term in the 2024 fall semester.
Harris will be taking the position over from previous ASB President CoCo Dobard, who will be graduating after the semester ends.
“We start campaigning about a week before (elections open). People who ran for election had to submit their campaign statement, a headshot, as well as an agreement that they understand what is written in the constitution,” Dobard said.
Applications are then approved by the current candidate, at which point students can start campaigning.
According to Dobard, this election has had the most candidates running for the presidency compared to recent years.
Students who run unopposed must still campaign and go through an initial vetting process, and the option for students to write in an alternate candidate means there isn’t a 100% chance those who run unopposed will win.
However, with very few students casting votes for this election, only 106 of the reported 20,000 students enrolled at LBCC, it is very likely candidates who run unopposed will win the election.
The voting window for this year’s election was three days, with many students unaware that an election was ongoing.
ASB has struggled to garner student interest in its elections, meaning the voting power of just one student who participates can mean the difference between a candidate winning office or not.
This is an issue Harris hopes to resolve during her presidency, with a desire to increase student involvement not just with ASB elections and activities but the college in general.
Harris hopes to also focus on increasing student success in academics, wanting to encourage students to utilize academic services provided by the school like success centers, professor office hours and free tutoring more frequently.
“The voting process and campaigning was challenging, a lot of students weren’t aware of the Viking Engagement website or how to get there, but those who knew were excited that I was running for president,” Harris said.
Harris also emphasized the need to have students introduced to the Viking Engagement portal as soon as they enroll at LBCC.
“I want to help students navigate the Viking Portal so they can be up-to-date with events, club activities and leadership programs, all of which are available in the Viking Engagement Portal.”
Harris also plans to have the ASB cabinet filled by the 2024 fall semester with a desire to promote open positions, noting that there are currently positions that will be vacant after the current semester comes to a close.
Ten of Long Beach City College’s track and field athletes qualified in this year’s state championships highlighting a successful season for the program.
Although nobody walked out with a state championship, the women’s track & field team finished in 10th place out of 37 schools with the men finishing in 12th out of 35 schools.
“I felt this season was a success, we set out some goals to be top three in the conference, top 10 in the region, and top 15 in the state. We reached all of those goals,” LBCC Director of Track & Field Marcus Carroll said.
LBCC looks to be headed in the right direction with these goals being reached, and one of the women’s athletes who helped her Vikings reach these goals was Mia Jamerson.
The freshman jumper took fifth place in the long jump and second place in the triple jump, paving the way for an exciting sophomore season for Jamerson.
Additionally, freshman hurdler Amareah Hamilton finished fifth in the 100 hurdles race with a time of 14.80 seconds.
For women’s throwing, freshman shot putter Saryah Harris-Davis amazed once again with a fourth-place finish with a shot-put distance of 12.26 meters.
On the men’s side, sophomore mid-distance runner Luke Chibueze finished in sixth place in the men’s 800 run with a time of one minute, 55 seconds, with sophomore Jeremiah Artis finishing eighth in the men’s long jump with a distance of 6.89 meters.
With the Vikings track & field program flourishing, the coaching staff is looking to make the proper adjustments needed to be ranked even higher than what they were this year and improve in different aspects of running and throwing.
“I’ll be implementing a lot of new things that weren’t taking place. Next season will be my first full year as a coach, some coaches have different philosophies so I’ll be coming with different things and what a lot of the kids are used to from high school,” sprints coach Harley Morrison said.
LBCC is on the rise for track & field, and with the arrival of the offseason, the Vikings are now in preparation for the upcoming cross-country season.
Marcus Carroll is now in the recruiting process with many stars graduating, and the athletes returning are looking to build off of a successful 2024 track & field season.
For the people who have to attend them, college graduations are a long, daunting affair that inevitably feels like more of a chore rather than an opportunity to celebrate loved ones.
The most exciting moment is the few seconds during which the person they came to see walks across the stage to receive a blank piece of paper.
Not only are graduation ceremonies too long but they also tend to leave people baking in the sweltering sun.
As Long Beach City College continues to strive for creating an experience that is reflective of the needs of students, it’s time to reconsider their approach to graduation.
Rather than one large ceremony during which students and their loved ones have to sit through the naming of hundreds of people, individual ceremonies should be held by department.
With less students to accommodate, these ceremonies could be held in the quad or even the auditorium.
Another benefit of smaller ceremonies would be the opportunity for more students to give speeches and share their experiences.
For a college that is big on fostering a sense of belonging, incorporating a variety of personal anecdotes into the graduation ceremony is another way to add to the atmosphere of inclusivity.
Every graduation ceremony comes with a speech from the valedictorian which is great but what about the stories from students who fought through obstacles to reach their goal?
Not every student is going to be at the top of their class but the fact that they finished is a feat worth celebrating.
Smaller graduation ceremonies would make it so that average students don’t get lost in the sea of hundreds but rather have their moment to shine as well.
I’m Smaller graduation ceremonies are ones that students and faculty are more likely to attend. A celebration should not feel like a chore but rather a joyous occasion following one’s dedication to their studies.
Legendary trumpet player famous for his work in “The Incredibles” soundtrack and in Maynard Ferguson’s big band, Wayne Bergeron will headline Long Beach City College’s free spring jazz big band concert on May 31.
The Grammy-nominated musician attended Long Beach City College out of high school after moving from Hartford, Connecticut.
This will be the final concert of the semester for the big band that has been together since fall.
When asked about how the band has improved, sophomore pianist Noah Ishikawa said, “The band has a ton of great individual players that put in the work. All the musicians come together to support each other and bring out the best performances we can.”
Guitarist J Cortes (left) and Pianist Noah Ishikawa (right) jamming while Noah cracks a smile. LBCC jazz is hosting their end of spring jazz big band concert on Friday, May 31. (Neil Gagna)
The jazz professor Patrick Sheng agreed with the sentiment and touched on how they improved.
“Because we spend a lot of time sight reading. It’s mostly the same band from the fall and I would say the band’s ability level and reading level is way higher now,” Sheng said.
The jazz program has many graduating students, and this will be their final performance at the school.
“We have a lot of jazz students graduating, so I programmed the graduates to be featured all over this concert,” Sheng said.
Soloists to look forward to are guitarist J Cortes, saxophonist Gabe Fernando Lopez Rojas and pianist Kenneth Evangelista.
Gabriel Fernando Lopez Rojas(left) raises his eyebrows as Pianist Noah Ishikawa(right) plays the piano. LBCC jazz is hosting their end of spring jazz big band concert on Friday, May 31. (Neil Gagna)
Before the performance, the jazz program had Bergeron practice with the students, and it was a big moment for the students to play with a legend of his caliber.
“It’s pretty incredible to be able to hear such an incredible musician play with us. Everyone in the room was shocked at how good his sound was,” Ishikawa said.
The jazz program uses ASB funds to get notable jazz artists to play with students at performances, making it a big moment at the end of each semester.
Sheng went on to highlight the culture the students have fostered, “Amongst the students, there is a really strong culture of practicing and being really dedicated which is really cool.”
The spring big band jazz concert promises to be an exciting event for the musicians and audience alike and will be free to attend in front of the auditorium on May 31 at 6 p.m.
In a day of protests, social media, international communication, accessible information and critical thinking classes, students need to obtain a similar level of cultural awareness or literacy to keep up with everyone.
Cultural literacy refers to a person’s ability to understand and participate in a given culture’s signs, symbols, stories and entertainment.
The term was coined in academic circles in the 1980s as a means to define a person’s awareness of cultural references.
With the implementation of critical thinking requirements in school and political issues in the world, students need to remain well-rounded in everyday life providing them with the skills to properly articulate their ideas in everyday conversations.
Whether it be through a college or high school class or just through personal day-to-day learning, students should strive to develop a deeper understanding of the culture around them and how that affects the way they communicate with others.
This understanding does not just contribute to one’s ability to communicate effectively, but also develop deeper connections with others.
As of now, a student’s level of cultural understanding depends on their lifestyle, but developing a well-rounded basic cultural knowledge would increase their social ability in school, work and life.
If students were to apply that thinking to a more universal level of learning and communicating, we would be able to create a space where there are connections across ages and backgrounds.
Teaching students cultural literacy also would entail learning about political leaders and important events in time through a more basic and easily consumable manner.
An effective way to develop this cultural knowledge would be to intertwine students’ interests with topics taught in class, whether that be making connections between mainstream and historical events, or as examples of a concept taught in class.
In everyday life, there are circumstances in which students have to interact with people of different backgrounds, so it is important for them to understand someone culturally on a more modern and universal level.
Something like a class or prerequisite that can be obtained by students of all backgrounds and learning levels, would be an effective way to help them remain up to date in day-to-day situations and conversations.
A new public art mural unveiling at the Pacific Coast Campus will showcase an inspiring design by Indigenous and Chicano artists that focuses on issues of social justice and environmental change.
“Rising Tides” is the name of the mural which will pinpoint the different societies within the Indigenous communities.
The work of the mural was inspired by their research into the history of Long Beach and its port, and goes into depth on displacement and Indigenous communities, with the struggles and achievements of marginalized groups.
The mural was also inspired by a central representation of a portrait of Dolores Huerta as a young activist who symbolizes unity and resilience during the Chicano civil rights movement alongside Cesar Chavez.
Both Huerta and Chavez were the co-founders of the “United Farm Workers Association” which sought to empower migrant farm workers and to improve their wages and working conditions.
The unveiling of the mural took place on Thursday, May 16, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., in the AA building corridor hallway at PCC.
The event was serving free food to all attendees which included pizza, drinks, and cookies.
During the event, LBCC student Alexander Vega was asked if he could speak at the event and he read a poem that he wrote about how the mural made him feel.
“The mural spoke to me in many different ways, but what stood out to me the most was the true meaning of the mural which was the different diversities among the community and cultures,” said Vega.
Oscar Marinades is part of the 3D collective who did all the finishing design work on the mural which included the clean up work before it got introduced to the wall.
“I want students to know that art plays a big role in our life, it’s not something to be seen in a museum, it should play a vital role in our daily lives,” said Marinades.
LBCC students had the opportunity to choose the design for the murals out of 40 options and more artists whose theme was cultural identity.
The mural is now on display for the public at PCC, which brings out a sense of community, raises awareness about social issues and brings out the creativity of a powerful message.
With over 400 registered indigenous tribes in the U.S., visibility for native students at LBCC is especially important. The school’s commitment to visibility was on full display at this year’s Native Graduation Commencement on Friday, May 10.
“Today is a day to be seen, to be celebrated, to be loved, to be heard,” said student equity director Eric Becerra.
The event was hosted by the school’s Native American Indigenous Collaborative (NAIC) where students were encouraged to participate in prayers and ceremonies to celebrate their achievements.
Drums could be heard from the room as attendees listened to guest performers Walter Ahhaitty and Jerry Smith.
Each graduate was given a feather tassel to wear as a symbol of achievement toward their next steps and their walk with the Creator, an entity in native tradition that is said to be the creator of the universe.
Monaliese-Rose Davis (left) receives a turkey feather wrapped in a red bandanna, while Cj Alvarodo (right) gives a commemoration speech. The Native cultural graduation ceremony was held Friday, May 10 at LAC. (Andrea Lawrence)
Feathers are seen as a symbol of honor, power, wisdom, trust, strength and freedom.
“When we make those choices, those decisions in our life, that may be scary or a leap of faith, follow it, believe in it,” said keynote speaker Brian Frejo.
The graduates brought along loved ones to celebrate their goals and were asked to share words of encouragement and pride for their native graduates.
The graduates and significant members of the community also participated in a blanket-wrapping ceremony, a practice that symbolizes achieving a milestone in one’s life.
Blanketing in Native culture signifies respect for those who have made an important contribution to the community.
Cultural activist Brian Frejo performs at LBCC’s Native Cultural graduation celebration. This ceremony took place on Friday, May 10 at LAC.
“Keep learning, don’t think you know everything, when you think you know everything, the Creator is gonna teach you a lesson,” said Frejo.
The ceremony was followed by a buffet-style dinner where fry bread and stew was served.
Fry bread is a dish of the Navajo people who created this filling bread during their “long walk” when they were forced to make it from Arizona to New Mexico.
The official 2024 LBCC commencement ceremony will be held in the Veterans Memorial Stadium on June 6 at 4 p.m.
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