Long Beach City College softball extended its winning streak as sophomore Jordyn Villanueva had a 3-4 hitting performance which helped give the Vikings a dominant 8-1 win over Pasadena on Tuesday.
“I thought we started off a little slow but in the end our pitching held us down as usual and our hitters made adjustments at the plate, and I’m really proud of them for sticking to the plan,” Megan Martinez said, director of softball operations.
This win marked the Vikings 14th straight win, as they continue to breeze through the South Coast Conference.
Freshman Mariah Zapata pitched all seven innings putting up 11 strikeouts, five hits, and three walks.
“After having a tough time last week, I was able to come back this week and be strong for my team, ” Zapata said.
Freshman Mariah Zapata releases a pitch in the second inning. Zapata pitched all seven innings putting up 11 strikeouts, five hits, and three walks. The Vikings defeated the Pasadena Lancers in a swift 8-1 victory at home on Tuesday. (Izzy Juarez)
The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the third inning when freshman Robin Garcia singled to score Natalie Wilson and make the score 1-0.
In the bottom of the fifth inning the Vikings would add to their lead as Robin Garcia doubled, Jordyn Villanueva singled, and sophomore Alejandra Mota singled to give the Vikings six safety runs and set a 7-0 lead.
“I just told myself to shorten up and just try to keep it simple,” Villanueva said.
Pasadena did not get shut out, as they scored one run off a single in the sixth inning making the score 7-1.
The Vikings were able to get that run right back as Anaya Togia singled in the bottom of the sixth scoring Xiomei Geluz, making the score 8-1.
Freshman Anaya Togia makes contact with a pitch in the third inning. The Vikings defeated the Pasadena Lancers in a swift 8-1 victory at home on Tuesday. (Izzy Juarez)
Pasadena was not able to add any more runs as the Vikings defense was able to put a stop to their offense in the top of the seventh inning.
With this win the Vikings extend their overall record to 20-4 and their conference record to 9-0 as the team gears up to play Mt. San Antonio on Thursday.
Long Beach City College hosted an event called “Keeping It 100”, during which a panel of experts discussed their experiences and offered helpful tips to young students on navigating settings that may not have been traditionally designed with women in mind.
Working in male-dominated careers such as finance, engineering, construction, or jobs in the medical field can lead to women in those fields getting overlooked and undermined, making it difficult for them to succeed.
The panel of experts consisted of Interim vice president Melissa Infusino, planning commissioner Jane Templin, board director member Pearl Hanales and medical aesthetics specialist Dr. Gloria Tumbaga.
The panelists were asked various thought-provoking questions that sparked conversations about their backgrounds, hardships and the obstacles they faced while navigating their careers, all while they maintained honesty and transparency in each of their answers.
Infusino shared a story with the audience about how one of her employees stole her concept for a product.
She emphasized that even in the face of injustice at work, one must trust their gut feelings in the face of difficulty.
Vice chair Jane Templin and interim vice president Melissa Infusino answering student questions during the Keeping it 100 panel on Mar. 19, 2024. (Kassie Sainz)
“It’s crucial to stay true to yourself and your goals, even when the path ahead seems intimidating,” Infusino said.
When asked on how to navigate male-dominant environments Dr. Tumbaga shared her own journey on challenging barriers and stereotypes, “Navigating a male-dominated environment as a woman requires a combination of assertiveness, resilience, and strategic networking. It’s about finding your voice, standing your ground, and building alliances to amplify your influence.”
According to the panel, having role models and surrounding yourself with mentors can give individuals a huge advantage in the future.
“A key element to achieve success is to surround yourself with allies and mentors who will support and guide you toward success,” Hanales said, “These people can provide valuable insights, offer guidance during challenging times, and serve as sources of inspiration and motivation.”
Jane Templin offered insightful advice on overcoming obstacles and accepting failure as a necessary step on the road to achievement, according to Templin, keeping a positive mindset and viewing mistakes made in the past as an opportunity for personal growth.
“Remember that failure is not the end, it’s an opportunity to learn and grow stronger,” Templin said.
Although the panel was a one time event, it laid the foundation for potential conversations about gender equality on campus to continue as students navigate the landscape of future planning.
The Vikings take on GFU Esports in their final match of the regular season. The Vikings have secured a spot in the playoffs and now push to better their seeding as they take on George Fox University. Commentary by Ian Salazar and Zuri Minor.
LBCC Rocket League takes on the Crimson team from New Mexico State in their fifth match of the Spring 2024 season. The Vikings are on a two-game win stream and are currently in good position to secure a spot in the playoffs. Commentary by Ian Salazar and Zuri Minor.
Luke Chibueze is well-known for his remarkable track skills and tenacity at Long Beach City College, which he credits to the lessons and wisdom he received in Nigeria, where his family is from.
Chibueze’s journey from the United States to Nigeria during the early years of high school significantly influenced his physical and mental development, shaping him into the athlete and person he is today.
“I was totally in a different environment. I had to get used to how society was structured there, meaning that we didn’t have the fanciest cars or buildings, we didn’t have guaranteed light and water for 24 hours. So that was a big adjustment for me,” Chibueze said.
The reasoning of the big move was so that he wouldn’t pick up a lot of the teen related behaviors that his brother had, such as coming home late, slacking with grades, and talking back.
Chibueze was thrown into a world very different from his familiar surroundings by this decision, which was made in an effort to protect him from harmful influences.
“It was definitely a behavioral issue my brother was demonstrating in his teens that my parents didn’t like. So out of fear, my parents sent me out to Nigeria so that I wouldn’t pick up that same behavior,” Chibueze said.
When moving to Nigeria for his freshman year, Chibueze attended a boarding school and the school system there was completely different from what he was used to.
“You live on the campus with your classmates for six weeks and have a one week break. It’s also not like college where you can roam around the city and come back to your room, like you’re literally staying on campus for six weeks straight,” Chibueze said.
When living on campus, Chimbueze noticed the consistency of mistreatment and bullying that goes on in the rooms, especially coming from the older classmates.
“Pretty much, anybody who’s older than you or in a higher class level than you has more power, so a lot of the older kids would come into the younger kids room and ask for whatever items that they had, like tissue paper, snacks, soap. So they would bully the younger ones to give them whatever they wanted,” Chibueze said.
Despite these challenges, Chibueze found a sense of purpose in sports, particularly in basketball, which he played during his time in Nigeria.
This experience laid the groundwork for his athletic career, teaching him discipline, teamwork and the value of hard work, lessons he carried with him upon his return to the United States.
Choosing to pursue track in his senior year of high school, Chibueze’s athletic career took a significant turn after a stint in basketball, “After basketball season, I had to choose…it ended up being track,” Chibueze said.
This experience laid the groundwork for his athletic career, teaching him discipline, teamwork, and the value of hard work, lessons he carried with him upon his return to the United States.
Oke Okogbue, Chibueze’s cousin who he grew up with, believes that he is encouraging based on many characteristics.
“He’s kind, caring, respectful and always has a positive mindset so he’s always encouraging,” said Okogbue.
Choosing to pursue track in his senior year of high school, Chibueze’s athletic career took a significant turn after a stint in basketball. When he finally had to decide what to pursue, he chose track. (Izzy Juarez)
He also believes that Chibueze can go to a professional level of track if he contains the hard work.
“Hes going pro if he keep this momentum up because he really takes care of himself and always stays training.” said Okogbue
Throughout Chibueze’s journey, his coach, Harley Morrison, provides guidance and support, offering insights into Chibueze’s growth and character.
“Luke’s commitment to his athletic pursuits is truly remarkable. He’s not just a talented athlete; he’s a leader on and off the track,” Morrison said. “His resilience and determination inspire everyone around him to push themselves to new heights.”
When Chibueze reflects on his past and plans his future, one thing never changes: his dedication to lifelong learning and personal growth.
“I’m really trying to get into videography, photography, and films. So, in the next ten years, hopefully, I see myself in a steady position where I have that movement constantly,” Chibueze said.
Family and community remain central to Chibueze’s vision for the future, “I still hope to have my family around me in the next 10 years, wherever life takes all of us,” Chibueze said.
Chibueze’s story, from navigating life’s hardships in Nigeria to excelling as a track athlete and nurturing creative ambitions, is a narrative of overcoming adversity and striving for a future filled with learning, growth, and prosperity, serving as a testament to resilience, growth, and perseverance and inspiring others to overcome adversity and pursue their dreams.
For his freshman and sophomore year of high school Chibueze lived in Nigeria after his parents sent him to get away because of raised concerns of his brothers behavior. (Izzy Juarez)Chibueze was thrown into a world very different from his familiar surroundings by this decision, which was made in an effort to protect him from harmful influences. (Izzy Juarez)When Chibueze reflects on his past and plans his future, one thing never changes: his dedication to lifelong learning and personal growth. (Izzy Juarez)
Confusion over the names of buildings is common for students and even faculty at the Liberal Arts Campus of Long Beach City College.
Buildings on campus are each given letters from A to Z, but their layout on campus does not follow alphabetical order.
There needs to be some improvement. Not only is it an issue to have to look up a map anytime you want to go anywhere, but in case of emergencies, students and especially faculty need to be able to identify buildings quickly.
The first way to improve this would be to change the way they are named as a whole. Letters are generally very forgettable and don’t stand out in people’s minds.
This change has issues however, since there are many buildings at the Liberal Arts Campus and coming up with names for all of those could be difficult.
Another way to improve the names could be to name them very literal names such as the “English Building,” or “Student Services Building.”
Another solution could be to show off the buildings’ names more prominently by locating them in significant spots inside the buildings as well.
A solution to the issue that would not require any name change at all would be to individualize buildings by adding art or painting them different colors to better differentiate between buildings.
Long Beach City College also has to take in consideration people with visual impairment as well since they could very easily mistake a letter they thought they saw with a different building on the opposite side of campus.
The only reliable way to know where everything on campus is would be the digital map on their website, however this could prove an issue for someone with bad service or a dead phone.
While these are afflictions and situations that may not apply to the majority of students, Long Beach City College should be a place that is accessible for everyone and considers the needs of its students.
By changing the names of buildings or at least installing more prominent signage, Long Beach City College can not only make their campus more safe in an emergency, but also more accessible for visually impaired or otherwise disabled students.
Students and faculty believe that the Board of Trustees rushed in making the new name for the PCC campus, which is now called Trade Tech and Community Learning Campus.
The Board of Trustees gave everyone an option of names to choose from with surveys, but yet with those two names, neither of them made the cut.
Even with the two names given as options, the board could not come to a consensus, so they instead combined the two names together to create a third option that would appeal to everyone.
The name they settled on does not seem authentic or representative, the way that the name “Liberal Arts campus” sounds.
If they had put in more time with the name options given to us, then the name would have felt more developed, catchy and simple.
Many of the students and faculty from PCC emphasized to the board that they did not feel represented or involved with the decision process.
The new name having the words “trade” and “tech” doesn’t really reside or represent the campus itself.
This is because the name can be misleading, making it sound as though the PCC campus only offers specific technology classes when that is not the case.
The name makes the concept of the word “community” seem tacked on, as if it was an afterthought to Trade and Tech.
During the board meeting, trustees shared that the reason they wanted to decide on a new name immediately was because of preparation for PCC’s 75th anniversary.
If they delayed the time of deciding the new name, then it would have interrupted the marketing and promotion of the campus.
This shows that the decision to change the name was not properly prioritized the way we hoped it would.
Students and faculty need to be bigger parts of decisions like these.
The college’s board needs to reach out to its students, faculty and the residents of Long Beach and maintain that communication with them to rethink this decision, rather than making this rushed decision that many seem unhappy with.
The Vikings finished in second place with a total of one hundred points at the Viking Invitational due largely in part to sophomore Kai Lauderdale, who finished first in the men’s 100 meters in 11.11 seconds.
Freshman Lou Chukwu expressed his displeasure towards the way the judge was measuring his jumps.
“I jumped 21 feet for my first time. I was feeling pretty good about the following one, but I never leaped the 18 feet that they marked. That absolutely infuriated me,” Chukwu said.
Sophomore, Jeremiah Artis, also criticized what he thought was unfair treatment.
Artis pointed out the judges inconsistency with the jump measurements on his last two attempts, causing the attempts to be disqualified.
“Everybody saw it was not a scratch, even other coaches told me I got cheated.”, Artis said.
According to Artis the competitor that jumped after him should’ve been marked as an invalid attempt.
“The next person that went after me, scratched and the judge marked it as fair,”Artis said.
Besides all the controversy, the Vikings proved their strength at a number of competitions.
In the men’s 3000 steeplechase, sophomore Noah Macias dominated, taking first place in 10:37.78.
“My strategy was getting lane one right from the beginning. When I took that spot, I asked myself, am I going to slow down? I might as well start picking it up and finish strong.” Macias said.
Sophomore Kai Lauderdale of Long Beach City College, won the men’s 100 meter race in 11.11 seconds.
“As the season progresses, my goal is just to go out there, compete, and do the best I can. I aim to get my time down to 10.2 by the end of the season,” Lauderdale said.
Lauderdale finished in second place with a time of 22.05 seconds in the men’s 200 meter competition.
In the Men’s 800 Meters, where sophomore Franklyn Taylor finished third in a time of 2:00.15, the Vikings showed off their depth in a number of events.
The Vikings also performed well in relay competitions, their men’s 4 x 100 Relay team placed second with a time of 42.50 seconds.
Sprinter coach Harley Morrison emphasized that smooth handoffs are crucial in relay events, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and accuracy. He underlined that the ability of teammates to pass the baton flawlessly is crucial for success in relays.
“Being able to work on those handoffs, that is what the relay is about, being able to pass the baton around,” Morrison said. “If we don’t get the stick around the race doesn’t matter. That’s what it has to be worked on in practice consistently.”
The Vikings are looking to improve as their season goes on and are looking to perform better in the upcoming Mar. 15 RCC Open Riverside Community College, which is set for 11 a.m.
After losing a 13 game winning streak, Freshmen Myles Dismute pitched a dominant seven innings to lead Long Beach City College baseball to a 6-0 shutout against El Camino on Thursday.
This comes after the Viking lost to El Camino 6-2 which ultimately ended their 13 game win streak.
“It was outstanding because we had that big long win streak and then we lost on Tuesday so it was great to see them bounce back and play a really good game today,” head coach Casey Crook said.
Dismute pitched seven innings putting up a total of seven strikeouts, four walks, and two hits.
“It’s always expected. Every inning I just go in with the same mind set to just be aggressive and attack,” Dismute said.
Freshman pitcher Myles Dismute throws a pitch in the first inning. Dismute pitched seven innings allowing two hits and no runs to lead the Vikings to a 6-0 shutout against El Camino College on Mar. 21 at home. (Izzy Juarez)
The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning where both freshman Caleb Brandon and sophomore AJ Quezada hit a double and a single making the score 3-0 Vikings.
The Vikings added to the lead in the fifth inning with a sacrifice fly by aophomore Ryan Geck which allowed the runner third to come in and score one run for the Vikings.
In the bottom sixth inning the Vikings took advantage of a pitching change made by El Camino by loading bases but only scored on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Olin Sankenborg.
Sophomore Olin Snakenborg dives back to first base in a pick off attempt. The Vikings held El Camino scoreless in a 6-0 shutout at home on Mar. 21. (Izzy Juarez)
Sophomore Max Sasaki came in for Dismute in the eighth inning which ultimately helped complete the shutout by putting up only two strikeout and two hits.
“Pitchers, they just want shutouts and then the runs. No runs is very big for the pitchers, they want no runs,” Sasaki said.
Sophomore Reef Danner hit a single in the bottom of the eighth inning to bring home another run and make the score 6-0.
With this win the Vikings would extend their overall record to 20-4 and their conference record to 10-1 as they look to play El Camino again on Saturday.
Correction: A previous version of this story contained an error, referring to the play as “The Hatbox”. The article has been changed to reflect the correct title.
Finding inspiration in the unlikeliest of places, Lola Binks of Long Beach’s Garage Theatre, makes her directorial debut with, “Hatbox”, a show that she wrote during the pandemic while pondering the complexities of plural marriages, also known as polgamy.
“During the pandemic, I lived in a house in Salt Lake City that was actually overflow housing for polygamists in 1910”, said Binks.
Binks is no stranger to the world of polygamy. Growing up in Utah, she was made privy to the unspoken secret world of plural marriages.
For Binks, writing the play was a way to fulfill the need for live theatre during a time when it was non-existent due to the world being shut down.
“I wrote it with love to show the strength and resilience of women who have experienced similar experiences,” Binks said.
The play centers around four women who share a husband whose idea of matrimony has little to do with wedded bliss and everything to do with narcissistic control.
Binks said she formulated the characters in “Hatbox” with some of her Garage Theatre castmates in mind.
In particular, she wrote the leading role of Helen for LBCC alumni, Craig Johnson.
Johnson attended LBCC in the 1980’s and credits his time at the college with providing him with a solid foundation in theater.
LBCC alumni, Craig Johnson stars as Helen in “Hatbox”, now showing at the Garage Theatre in Long Beach from Mar. 15-23 and Apr. 5-20. The show is Lola Binks’s directorial debut and her first, ever play. (Lolita Mojica)
When he learned that Binks had written a role for him as a woman, Johnson’s initial reaction was mild skepticism but he lept head first into bringing the character, a stern matriarch, to life.
“I had to go in with an open mind, for sure,” Johnson said. “I think the immediate reaction is to assume that polygamy is like a cult but it’s more complex than that.”
“Hatbox” marks Johnson’s first ever time playing a woman.
“I feel like I grew to understand her (Helen) beyond gender,” Johnson said. “I felt like I knew her.”
The characters in the play are relatable to anyone who has ever experienced something like being entrenched in high-control religion or having dealt with a controlling romantic partner.
LBCC alumni, Craig Johson stars as Helen in “Hatbox”, now showing at the Garage Theatre in Long Beach from Mar. 15-23 and Apr. 5-20. Set pieces include photoshopped images such as this one which features the faces of the cast superimposed onto vintage photos. (Lolita Mojica)
The show is a dark comedy with a heartfelt commentary on the lives of the many women who still experience being in situations in which they may feel as though they lack control.
Through her words, Lola Binks looks to give a voice to the voiceless. “Hatbox” is now showing at the Mar. 15-23 and Apr. 5-20 at the Garage Theatre. Tickets are available here.
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