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CTE shows up in a big way at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

Lineth Murillo
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CTE shows up in a big way at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

At the heart of LBCC’s approach to education lies a knowledgeable staff eager to connect students to the various industries that excite them as they navigate potential careers after their studies. 

This dedication to hands-on, industry specific exposure has been on full display at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach where the Career Technical Education (CTE) Program has been stationed in the center of the Lifestyle Expo. 

CTE’s exhibition features a wheel that race fans can spin to score free prizes like frisbees and foam fingers, along with interactive displays like mini golf and a race simulator.

Current students were also around to share how the program has inspired them to pursue their goals, like president of the automotive club on campus, Jose Espinoza.

Damon Skinner, department chair of trades at LBCC, controls a robot dog at the CTE exhibition at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Apr. 20, 2024. The CTE program introduces students to a wide variety of subjects within the field of career technical education such as automotive and TV/Radio production. (Lolita Mojica)

“It’s (CTE) to help students who want to go a bit further, this helps them get exposure,” Espinoza said. “No matter what they want to pursue within the industry, even if it’s something like admin work.”

Espinoza went on to say that for anyone interested, they should simply dive in and take an entry-level automotive class and see how they feel. 

For another member of the CTE program, Antonio Pantoja, being a part of the automotive program has led to great opportunities. 

“My favorite thing was going to SEMA(an annual auto show in Las Vegas). We got to take a trip to Vegas and got to see a lot of specialty equipment,” Pantoja said, “I hope to be a technician after my studies here.”

The Culinary at program at LBCC works closely with CTE to bring concepts to life, like this food truck stationed at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Apr.20, 2024. (Lolita Mojica)

The CTE program does not just focus on the automotive industry, however. 

At the Lifestyle Expo, people were introduced to the many opportunities the program has to offer within various fields such as welding and TV/radio broadcasting. 

Throughout the weekend, co-department chair of digital media Robert Hersh was overseeing a control booth as students live streamed on 4k televisions throughout Grand Prix weekend. 

Across the way from the Lifestyle Expo on a grassy lawn in the food truck village, the culinary arts department served Bahn Mi sandwiches out of a food truck, sporting the CTE logo, shining a light on the intersectionality of applied technology.

Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach day one picks up steam for the weekend

Cain Carbajal
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Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach day one picks up steam for the weekend

Ready your engines folks, because the Grand Prix has begun and day one started off explosively.

The Grand Prix held two practice laps for the qualifiers but also held some practice rounds for the NTT Indycar Series, the Historic Indy Car Challenge, and the Stadium Super Trucks.

Conquest Racing driver Albert Costa Balboa drives a Ferrari 296 GT3 through turn one of the Downtown Long Beach Circuit. (Izzy Juarez)

Guests were able to witness racers and the pit crews adjust the vehicles at lightning-like speeds while the pit crews and racers adjusted their cars to make sure they ran nice and smooth.

Felix Rosenqvist, new member to team Meyer Shank Racing and driver for number 60, was asked what he brought to the team during a press conference.

Rosenqvist stated “I think it goes both ways I think they’ve taught me a lot obviously, I’ve brought some stuff to them.. I’ve been with two big teams before there’s some good bits you can bring.”

During day one of the Grand Prix the focus was on 3 main events, the GT America qualifiers, the IMSA qualifiers, and the Formula Drift Super Drift Challenge competition.

The crowd favorite was the Super drift competition held at the end of the night, hosted by Formula Drift, where eight racers battled it out.

The super drift event was so popular that guests filled the stands at every turn on the track, even filling up walkways to where it was difficult to move just a couple feet.

The Super Drift event was won by Forrest Wang with the runner up being Rome Charpentier. 

Prior to the Drift event the GT America qualifiers took place followed by the IMSA qualifying race.

The GT America qualifier is a 40-minute sprint race that features Audi, Aston Martin, Porsche, Ford, McLaren, and Toyota.

Johnny O’Connell claimed pole in GT America with a best lap of 1:19:670 where he outpaced James Sofronas by 0.269 seconds. 

The IMSA qualifiers finished up with Pipo Derani qualifying with the fastest lap at 1:11:338 getting him his third consecutive pole.

Compared to last year’s Filipe Albuquerque’s pole time, Derani was nearly 1.5s off from last year’s time.

“We knew how important it was to be on pole here for this race… we can swap the nose but a race here is always important to start on pole so I’m happy with that,” Derani told NBC sports in reference to him running into the barriers.

The first day of the Grand Prix had more than just races. Multiple food stalls and shop stalls were available for guests to attend, guests also had the ability to visit the Super Drift Paddock or many of the other things happening at the Lifestyle Expo. 

LBCC even had their own mini CTE expo, as well as the Culinary program running their own food truck, accessible to the public.

Activities such as aura reading, cornhole to win some tortilla chips, and buying some hot wheels or miniature car models were available at the Lifestyle expo.

The expo also featured a family fun zone where children could get on some rides and jump on a Cars themed jumper that was located next to the Super Drift Paddock.

Tickets for the Grand Prix are still available for Sunday so hurry and race to the track to watch some tires burn and eat some of the culinary programs’ food.

Formula Drift driver Jonathan Hurst drifts at turn 11 after he made contact with an object, partially taking off his side bumper. (Izzy Juarez)
Formula Drift driver and Long Beach native Kyle Mohan greets the crowd during introductions. (Ian Salazar)
Formula Drift driver Forrest Wang drifts at turn 11. (Izzy Juarez)

Low attendance at a workshop leads to a reschedule

Marty Triplett
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Low attendance at a workshop leads to a reschedule

The organizers of a planned Black Mental Health Workshop had to reschedule the program due to insufficient attendance, which was an unanticipated setback.

 The program, which was originally scheduled to take place Mar. 21 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Valhalla room at LBCC, was designed to address important concerns pertaining to the mental health of the Black community.

“We attempted to reschedule, but there was no flexibility because the Black History Month schedule had already been set. The logistics simply didn’t work out this time.” said faculty member of the communication access center Jaymee Hunt.

There were concerns about the underlying causes of the low attendance raised by the rescheduling. 

A faculty member of the communication access center Rebecca Lucas considered that the low attendance at the workshop may have been caused by a lack of knowledge or promotion. 

“It’s possible that the timing wasn’t ideal, or perhaps there wasn’t enough awareness about the event. We had to reschedule the program due to insufficient attendance, which was definitely an unanticipated setback we had to faced” Lucas said.

Faculty member of the communication access center Stephanie Bonales identifies potential contributing factors as systemic obstacles. 

“It is distressing when structural barriers like itinerary prevent the very conversations that are necessary to address mental health.” said Bonales.

The organizers of the black mental health workshop are committed to identifying the underlying reasons for the initial setback, and making sure that important discussions on mental health get the consideration and assistance they require as they work to reschedule and regroup.

While timing was a strong obstacle to the rescheduling of the workshop, itinerary was also a big part of this issue,  organizers need to follow a schedule throughout the month and that typically affects the rescheduling of events.

Mental health workshops are very important for college students while they share a safe space for them to  share their day to day challenges, there will be more workshops in the short term future just like this one.

A good example of this is the “prioritize your mental health workshop” that happened in Apr. 17th at the pcc campus where only two students showed up to the workshop.

This is an issue that keeps on happening with several workshops at LBCC where low attendance events are happening due to the lack of advertisement.  

LBCC partners with The LGBT Center of Long Beach for Trans Day of Visibility

Marty Triplett
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LBCC partners with The LGBT Center of Long Beach for Trans Day of Visibility

A light drizzle began the afternoon of May 30th at Bixby Park, so attendees and event organizers hurriedly moved into the Community Center to celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV). 

Though everyone was in very close quarters, the halls, foyer and main event room were abuzz with activity and filled with laughter.

The LGBTQ Center of Long Beach partnered with LBCC and other community partners to sponsor this annual event to celebrate and uplift the transgender and gender non-forming community in Long Beach. 

Generally observed worldwide on Mar. 31, TDOV recognizes the resilience and celebrates the triumphs of the transgender and gender nonconforming communities.  

These communities face many violations due to respective identities such as stigma, harassment, discrimination, violence, poverty, and among others according to the Human Rights Campaign. 

People mingled and perused the various booths advertising community resources for healthcare, support groups, and even supportive hugs from willing on-the-fly adoptive mothers.

Belladonna Davis, who uses they/them pronouns, is a film major and attended the event with their girlfriend Samantha Flores, an arts major at LBCC.

This was Davis’ second TDOV event attendance, and Flores’ first.

“It’s really cool and it’s very healing to see trans people anywhere all the time,” said Flores. 

Both shared that TDOV is a welcome respite given the year-round adversity, especially considering the current climate. 

“It’s great to be connected to so many resources for trans people: living and being all facets of trans life is awesome,” Davis shared.

When asked about current feelings about being at the event versus on-campus, Davis shared, “It’s complicated. Sometimes I feel at home and other times I feel very isolated.” 


Flores agreed, sharing that visibility and support for transgender students is a rarity on-campus. “We have Queer Space, a (student) club but the people rarely talk about their meetings or advertise them.”

When asked if a school official such as a Trustee or Superintendent-President should have attended the event to show support, Davis said “Absolutely. I’d also like to see more trans people working at school and being a part of our system.”

LBCC had sponsored the event and had representation in the form of two booths from the ASB, Queer Space and the Native American Indigenous Collaborative. 

Payne West, who uses the pronouns he/they/ it, is an ASL and Deaf Culture Studies student and an officer for Queer Space. They were elated to have a strong sense of connection to the community, recognizing other attendees as friends and students from LBCC.

While West appreciated recognition and support for Native American and Two-Spirit students with the NAIC’s booth, West wished for more on-campus events supported by the District.

“It would be nice to just have more open support from the district for trans healthcare, non-binary healthcare, LGBT resources therapy. Maybe even a mini resource event specifically for trans people,” said West.

While events that recognize unique communities such as TDOV may last only for a day  or month, students seeking stronger connections to campus communities can join a club of their preference by logging into the single sign-on for LBCC, and choosing Viking Engagement title.

Vikings dominant in 9-5 comeback win against Compton

Mari Kebede
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Vikings dominant in 9-5 comeback win against Compton

Sophomore Olin Snakenborg launched a three run home run in the sixth inning as the Vikings were able to comeback and beat Compton 9-5 on Tuesday. 

“It was definitely a lot of energy, something that carried us through the rest of the game offensively and defensively, just bringing a little bit more energy,” Snakenborg said.

Snakenberg had a 1-3 hitting performance and now has a .301 batting average for the season. 

Freshman Dylan Proost pitched six innings putting up three strikeouts, four hits, and four walks.  

Proost did not have the best start as Compton would score three runs  in the first inning putting the Vikings down 3-0 

“I think I just have to warm up a little better, be prepared, and gotta get all the loose stuff out at the beginning of the game, ”Proost said.

The game remained 3-0 until the third inning when the Vikings scored on a bunt by freshmen Caleb Brown making the score 3-1. 

In the fourth inning the Vikings took the lead on a sacrifice fly by Sophomore James Provencio and a double by Sophomore Luke Davis to make the score 6-3. 

The Vikings would go to their bullpen a total of four times as Freshmen Thomas Adair, Sophomore Liam Taylor, Sophomore Luke Pollard, and Sophomore Jay Carr pitched for the seventh, eighth and ninth inning. 

Compton was able to gain two more runs in the ninth inning where they made the score 9-5.

“We started off flat and that comes after not playing really great the last three weeks. The offense we played to get back in the lead with the bunt and steal game, that was big for us because it’s something we had to do a lot of this year,” Head Coach Casey Crook said.

With this win the Vikings now have an overall record of 25-10 and a conference record of 14-5 as they look to play their final game of the series against Compton on Thursday.

Thunder Thursday Gallery

Neil Gagna
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Thunder Thursday Gallery

A collection of the best photos from Thunder Thursday at the Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Santino Ferucci and crew chief celebrate the victory after winning the Pit Stop Competition during Thunder Thursday. Thunder Thursday kicked off the race weekend festivities at the Pike Outlets. (Ian Salazar)
Santino Ferucci along with his pit crew and Grand Prix of Long Beach CEO Jim Michaelian won the Pit Stop Competition and were given prize money for charity. Thunder Thursday kicked off the Long Beach Grand Prix weekend festivities. (Ian Salazar)
Freestyle Kings put on a show during Thunder Thursday performing gravity defying tricks for the crowd. Thunder Thursday kicked off the race weekend festivities for the Long Beach Grand Prix. (Ian Salazar)
Jarryd McNeil faces the crowd during the Freestyle Motorcross Stunt exhibition during Thunder Thursday. Thunder Thursday kicked off the Grand Prix festivities at the Pike. (Ian Salazar)
SKI Autosports driver Johnny O’Connell’s car displayed at the Pike during Thunder Thursday. Thunder Thursday started off the Grand Prix weekend festivities. (Ian Salazar)

Grand Prix Weekend Kicks Off With Thunder Thursday

Neil Gagna
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Grand Prix Weekend Kicks Off With Thunder Thursday

Race fans flocked to Pine Ave. on Thursday for a day of festivities, which included a ceremony at the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame, and culminated with Thunder Thursday, a car show and motocross exhibition, at the Pike Outlets. 

As the city gears up for the 49th annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach this weekend, the free, family friendly events are a way for everyone to get a feel for the days ahead. 

“Thunder Thursday is a community event. It’s free to everyone so that even if they can’t make it, they can still experience what they would see if they were to come the rest of the weekend,” said President and CEO of the Grand Prix Jim Michaelian, “They get to see a car show, motocross, a pit competition and even talk to some of the drivers.”

Before the cars and motocross riders dazzled under a setting sun at the Pike Outlets, two drivers were inducted into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame on Pine Ave. 

This year’s inductees were Takuma Sato and Katherine Legge. 

Sato is the first ever Japanese driver to be inducted and he took to the podium to express his gratitude.

“Being here is such a huge moment, not just for me, but for Japan too,” Sato said, “I am really honored and happy to make a new page in history.”

Takuma Sato flashes a thumbs up after giving a short speech at the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame ceremony on Apr. 18. (Lolita Mojica)

Fellow inductee, Legge is the first-ever female driver to be honored on the walk of fame. 

“It is one of the biggest honors of my career to be here, honestly,” Legge said. “When I first came to America, I came to the streets of Long Beach. This is the most special moment in my racing career, and my life for sure.”

After the Walk of Fame ceremony, fans returned to Pine Avenue a few hours later to enjoy the free fan event, Thunder Thursday. 

The bandstands overlooking Shoreline Drive were full with a crowd whooping and cheering loudly as they watched drivers and their pit crews go head to head in a speed competition. 

The pit competition was followed by stunts performed by motocross riders who soared through the air, much to the excitement of on-lookers. 

Adam Jones performs a stunt at Thunder Thursday. Thunder Thursday was held on Apr. 18 ahead of the 49th Acura Grand Prix. (Lolita Mojica)

After the stunt show, fans trickled into the Pike Outlets where live music was blasting and race cars lined the streets, awaiting photo ops. 

Thunder Thursday may be over but the anticipation for day 1 of the Grand Prix weekend is alive and well. 

Opinion: Advertising issues confuse students and leave them uninformed

Cain Carbajal
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Opinion: Advertising issues confuse students and leave them uninformed

Between falsely advertised events and a lack of efficient advertising all together, Long Beach City College has a significant issue with promoting their events.

A major component of any college are the events they hold and there is no point in holding events if nobody knows they are happening.

This makes advertising an important task and LBCC needs to work on ways to improve the way they distribute information.

Recently the college held an event that was centered around the book “Gender Queer,” by Maia Kobabe, and the advertisements for the event made it seem like the author would be in attendance and Kobabe was not.

While this may not have been on purpose, it is still unacceptable as the presence of this author would change the event entirely.

The issues go on however, as many school events have poor attendance where one, two or no students show up at all.

The school’s inconsistency leads to wasted resources used to put events together like time, money, and wasted venues.

On top of events for students not being well advertised, there is a lack of emphasis put on notable sporting events at LBCC.

Recently, LBCC’s women’s basketball team upset the number one seed in their region, Mount San Antonio, and went on to play for the State Championship. 

This accomplishment was not sent out as an email announcement by the school. 

This was a huge event in the college’s sports scene, yet it received almost no appreciation or recognition from the school itself.

Not recognizing your best teams when they make it to high stakes games is a big problem. 

Not only do you sacrifice the potential attendance of students who would go to the game if they knew it was happening, but it also takes attention away from student athletes who work hard to get to where they are during the season.

By filling out an online contact sheet or non-academic complaint form on the schools website, you can make a difference and show Long Beach City College that their advertising is not to the standard it should be.

The CTE Program gains awareness though sponsorship of the Long Beach Grand Prix

Kassie Sainz
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The CTE Program gains awareness though sponsorship of the Long Beach Grand Prix

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach has become a staple event in the Long Beach community, with meaningful ties to the Long Beach City College Career Technical Education (CTE) Program.

The CTE Program assists many departments and majors by providing grants and industry connections.

This will be the CTE Program’s third year sponsoring the Grand Prix, the event has helped to raise awareness of the program’s presence at LBCC.

“Enrollments in our programs have gone way up and I know the Grand Prix has a lot to do with it,” Gene Carbonaro said, CTE Director.

CTE students Kenny Ashley, Elijah Berryman, Louis Hardy and Adrian Arcega in a meeting with many CTE representatives. CTE will be featured at the Long Beach Grand Prix Expo from Apr. 19-21. (Ian Salazar)

One of the biggest upsides to CTE is that it’s a tight-knit community where students often take classes together and build unique relationships with their professors.

“I think that’s what CTE builds is communities of students and faculty,” Carbonaro said.

Another direct connection that the Grand Prix has is its connection to the Automotive Technology Program, which the CTE Program is extensively involved in.

The Automotive Technology department has grown especially well since CTE became a Grand Prix sponsor. 

Through watching the Grand Prix, attendees become interested in learning about cars and the role that LBCC plays as a sponsor. 

Long Beach City College and CTE are proud sponsors of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Race weekend is from Apr. 19-21 at the Downtown Streets of the Long Beach circuit. (Ian Salazar)

CTE also runs a booth and sends students to the Grand Prix to help promote the program.

“We have three days and ten students each day market their programs at our tables,” Carbonaro said.

The Long Beach Grand Prix brings together many communities in Long Beach, it’s only fitting that LBCC serves a large role.

“For us to partner with Long Beach City College means a great deal because this event is a city and community event and wraps itself around all the various activities that take place around the city,” Jim Michaelian said, President of the Long Beach Grand Prix.

The Long Beach Grand Prix will take place from Apr. 19 to Apr. 21 and will once again feature LBCC as a sponsor.

LBCC’s Jazz Night at DiPiazza’s musical showcase

Mario Saucedo
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LBCC’s Jazz Night at DiPiazza’s musical showcase

Rhythmic, melodic music filled the room at DiPiazza’s on Thursday night as attendees packed in to grab a drink and pizza to watch LBCC’s music combo class put on a show. 

DiPiazza’s has been a big staple in the Long Beach music scene since 2000 hosting live music and open mic nights in the community. 

The music combo class run by Professor Pat Sheng hosts an annual Jazz Night every month at DiPiazza’s to give students the experience and opportunity to showcase their talents.

The event consisted of multiple combo groups performing a 30-minute set in front of their peers, restaurant-goers and family members. 

One of the jazz groups performing on stage at Dipaizza’s on Apr. 11, 2024. Dipiazza’s holds Jazz Nights for LBCC every month. (Briana Apodaca)

“When I’m performing at a venue with people I don’t know it is a lot easier on the nerves but when it’s a school event you know all your peers are watching and you just want to put on a good show. Everyone is supportive in this class so it makes it lighthearted and fun to perform,” said student performer Myles Mcbride Roach. 

Roach’s combo called Watermelon Men performed a number of songs ranging from “There is no greater love” by Isham Jones to “I Wish” by Stevie Wonder. 

The event was full of high energy from people dancing and cheering on their peers.

Jazz performer backstage after performing with his group at Dipaizza’s Jazz Night on Apr. 11, 2024. Dipaizza’s holds Jazz Nights for the LBCC Jazz program every month. (Briana Apodaca)

“I think Jazz is the ultimate form of expression. One of the coolest things is you truly get to see people’s true self on stage at events like these,” said combo student Mariano Camacho.

For almost 14 years, Professor Sheng has been putting on these combo nights and finds passion through witnessing his students progress in their performances. 

“I do this because I love music. I had a great school experience and I want to recreate what others did for me with all of these incoming music students,” said Professor Sheng. 

 This is one of the largest combo classes they’ve had yet, so four out of many combo groups are picked to perform DiPiazza’s monthly Jazz night.  

One of the jazz groups performing on stage at Dipaizza’s on Apr. 11, 2024. Dipiazza’s holds Jazz Nights for LBCC every month. (Briana Apodaca)

Anyone is free to join this combo class, they’re always looking for new people to welcome.

The music combo class will be hosting a band concert with a special musical guest in the LAC quad for free in May. 31 at 6 p.m.

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