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LBCC jazz vocals and big bands concert set to happen Dec. 8

Matthew Gregory
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LBCC jazz vocals and big bands concert set to happen Dec. 8

High hats sizzle and horns blare in the small room where one of LBCC’s big bands is practicing for their jazz concert on Dec. 8 during which they will be paying homage to jazz legend Thad Jones and will be joined by saxophonist Kirsten Edkins.

“We’ve been rehearsing for about a month,” director Patrick Sheng said. 

The choice to pay homage to Thad Jones, trumpeter and composer, was deliberate and a nod to jazz history.

“Thad Jones used to play with his band on Mondays at the Village Vanguard (a prominent New York jazz club),” Sheng said, “ (LBCC’s) Big band practices on Mondays.”

During the show, the bands will be joined on stage by Kirtsen Edkins, a saxophonist, educator and recording artist.

Throughout her career, Edkins has made an effort to uplift the next generation of jazz musicians.

Part of what draws her to jazz music is the way in which musicians are able to tell a story through their songs. 

Given the complex nature of jazz music, Thad Jones’s pieces in particular, learning the tunes for Friday’s show was a challenge to some of the students, but a labor of love nonetheless.

“It’s been fun,” said Jocelyn Beery who plays the trumpet and sings, “I really hope my dad enjoys it.”

Beery, who has a vocal solo in the show, says the ability to perform makes her feel close to her father who’s a percussionist. 

For other students, like Vaughn Forsyth a former member of the U.S. Army band from 1966 to 1969, the opportunity to play and perform is a welcome respite from his busy day to day life. 

Sheng hopes that lovers of jazz music will enjoy the show and gain a new appreciation for the musicians at LBCC.

He also hopes that the show will inspire younger musicians to continue to pursue their endeavors.

The show is at 7 p.m. on Friday and free to students with an active ASB sticker.

Belmont shore holds it’s 39th annual Christmas parade

Matthew Gregory
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Belmont shore holds it’s 39th annual Christmas parade

Christmas sweaters, lit Christmas light necklaces and hot chocolate were on display Saturday for the 39th Annual Belmont Shore Christmas Parade.

Every year the Belmont Shore Business Association hosts the parade which starts at Second Street and Ocean Blvd. and continues through 2nd Street and Bayshore Ave.

“(I am) here to enjoy the Christmas lights and hang out,” Karla Rodgriuez, Long Beach City College student, was sitting along the street waiting for the parade to start.

Rodriguez is in her second year at LBCC on her way to become an licensed vocational nurse. 

“(I) am looking forward to seeing LBCC’s float, I heard they will be here too,” Rodriguez said.

With heavy anticipation for the parade, spectators piled in by the hundreds all looking for the best seat for the celebration.

Dave Osborne, an LBCC Alumni (1979), was in attendance with his wife Donna.

“I used to attend LBCC and I am currently retired, but I used to play clarinet in the school’s band so I am still a fan,” Osborne said. “We have been coming here for years. When we were in college we used to hang out at the bars with friends and watch the parade.”

As the skies darkened, numerous floats began to drive by. The Lit Riders, who are a group of bicyclists with Christmas lights, rode across 2nd Street.  

With the parade in full effect, the LBCC’s Board of Trustee President Herlinda Chico walked along with students of LBCC.

There was also the LBCC Carole Choir singing some 30 different Christmas Carole’s while on their float.

“We are excited to perform this year at the parade,” Skye Angulo, LBCC’s choir director said. “We will be featuring our newest rendition of Jingle Bell Rock, which the students have worked very hard at this year.”

Cheerleaders from LBCC were also in attendance as well. Sky Mckall, who is on the cheer team, embraced the crowd with a few back handsprings to get onlookers excited.

Spectators were filled with holiday spirit and those walking the float gave another season to celebrate the holiday next year. 

Accepting Exceptionality: International student cements her place at LBCC through community leadership, outreach and mentorship  

Matthew Gregory
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Accepting Exceptionality: International student cements her place at LBCC through community leadership, outreach and mentorship  

In 81 degree heat, with the sun beating down almost directly overhead, international student Shamonique Harris stood proudly, wearing a soccer jersey of her home country of Jamaica and fleece leggings, barely breaking a sweat.

“It’s cold here, a lot colder than back home,” Harris said.

As an international student, Harris found herself unemployed for eight months, resigning from her job as a childcare provider at a military base to abide by international student visa regulations.

“It was hard, because I’m not a child, I’m an adult, so I needed to find some way to sustain myself once I got here,” Harris said.

So Harris did what she knew best and put her best foot forward.

“My mother taught me not to wear my struggles on my face,” Harris said.

Harris has to follow certain guidelines on when and what she can do for work. Her work must in some way be part of her course curriculum and for her first year in the U.S., she can only work on campus.

This rule led her to apply to several different departments on campus as a student assistant, including the financial aid department, counseling center and the welcome center.

Harris began attending LBCC in the spring of 2022 and since then, has completely enmeshed herself with the campus, taking up various roles in different school programs as she works toward getting her associates degree in social work.

One of those programs includes the Sankofa Adjustments with Great Expectations (SAGE) program, a mentorship group aimed to help African and Black students find success in higher education through creating a culture of acceptance and support.

With SAGE, Harris works as a mentor, providing one-on-one support as well as conducting presentations for the entire group and connecting mentees with potentially suitable internships, jobs or support programs as needed.

“It feels a little weird sometimes standing there telling students that go here how to use these programs that I can’t use myself, but I think it’s important that they know (these programs) are there for them,” Harris said. “I always talk to the students about how important it is to be punctual, to dress professionally and act professional when needed. I always emphasize that those skills are what are going to help you get what you want in life.”

As her involvement with the school grew, Harris heard about the President’s Ambassador program, a cohort of students hand selected to be the face of LBCC’s student population and what they have to offer.

The President’s Ambassadors cohort is a scholarship program funded by the LBCC Foundation focused on giving back to the community, volunteer work, leadership training and student outreach, Harris knew she wanted in.

When she got the notification that she had been accepted into the program, she was elated.

President’s ambassadors go through a rigorous application process, often selected due to their high academic achievement and pre-existing campus involvement.

With her involvement in SAGE, her role as an international student program ambassador, as well as her high academic standing as an honors student, made Harris a perfect fit for the program.

When Harris shared the news with her former English 1 professor, Lisa Fitzgerald, the look of pride was clear on both women’s faces.

Fitzgerald was the professor to recommend Harris for the honors program, recognizing Harris’ hunger to learn and passion to be the best student she could be.

“She just stood out from the first day, sitting right up front. She would always ask questions and be generally inquisitive when it came to class material,” Fitzgerald said.

As an honors program professor, Fitzgerald recognized that Harris had the drive to succeed in an honors classroom and approached her about it.

“One of the things honors students display is a level of maturity and desire to be the best student they can be. I wanted (Harris) to be in an environment where she could be challenged in a way that entertained her curiosity,” Fitzgerald said. “She was always desirous to hear more and wasn’t okay with just getting by. She wanted to be the best she could be.”

Harris was referred to LBCC by a family member who was an alumni of the school. She had applied to other schools in the U.S., but ultimately decided on LBCC.

LBCC’s international student program was extremely helpful when it came to preparing for the application and interview, Harris said. The school sent her a packet on what to bring and what not to bring to her interview, and was able to secure her visa to attend school.

“I was extremely lucky to get the visa, it’s not something that everyone gets,” Harris said.

Once her visa was approved and her application to LBCC was processed, Harris moved to live with family in Long Beach.

Mike Reisbig retires after 32 years with LBCC football

Zack Siedel
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Mike Reisbig retires after 32 years with LBCC football

Correction: An initial version of this story had Mike Reisbig’s coaching career starting at Long Beach City College, which was incorrect. The initial version of the story did not clarify between Mike Reisbig and Larry Reisbig. Mike Reisbig first coached at Pasadena City College in 1982 until 1987. He became the head coach for St. Anthony High School in 1988 and then the head coach for Aquinas High School from 1989 to 1991 before joining LBCC’s coaching staff part-time in 1992. A quote was added from Mike Reisbig that reflected on his time at Aquinas and his decision to leave. Mike Reisbig went onto become a full-time coach at LBCC after he got his masters degree from Azusa College in 1988.

Former LBCC head coach and long-time LBCC offensive line coach Mike Reisbig has retired after 32 years with the program.

“I loved my time here. This is a good institution. I’ve worked with a lot of excellent coaches and I’ve been blessed to coach a lot of outstanding football players,” Mike Reisbig stated. “I’m also glad that it’s coming to an end. I’m looking forward to spending time with my family and I’m looking forward to going to other games. I’m a huge fan of college sports, I’m very fortunate my wife likes it, so we’re gonna be able to go and do things together.”

Mike Reisbig first became part of the coaching staff in 1992 when his dad, the late Larry Reisbig, brought him on the coaching staff as the new offensive line coach.

Three years later, the Larry Reisbig-led LBCC team struck gold as they won the National Championship in 1995.

LBCC assistant coach Neo Aoga, who was also the quarterback for LBCC in its 1995 championship season, chimed in on what Mike Reisbig has meant to him and the impact he’s made on his life.

“He’s been a mentor of trying to get through things with how to coach, how to take care of classes and helping the kids out. But he’s also become one of my best friends, a big brother that I’ve never had. So that’s how much he means to me,” Aoga said.

Mike Reisbig played wide receiver at College of the Canyons, and with him being raised in a football household and being a struggling student at the time, he said football seemed like “the natural thing to do.”

With his dad also being the coach at Canyons, that made the decision easier for him to play football there.

As he finished at Canyons in 1979, Mike Reisbig accepted an offensive line coaching job by his father at Pasadena City College in 1982, originally thinking he would coach wide receivers, but instead got the offensive line coaching position.

“I said ‘I don’t know anything about the offensive line, I’ve got no clue.’ And (Larry) said ‘You’ll be taught. If you can learn how to coach the offensive line, you’ll have a job forever’ because no one wants to coach the offensive line,” Mike Reisbig said.

Mike Reisbig ended his coaching stint at PCC in 1987 and then became the sports dean and athletic director at St. Anthony High School the year after.

While having these positions, he also wanted to be the offensive line coach, but as the St. Anthony coach quit right before the season started, Mike Reisbig filled in as the head coach.

After his coaching career at St. Anthony, he went on to become the head coach of Aquinas High School in San Bernadino from 1989 to 1991.

Mike Reisbig made the decision to coach there as it was closer to his home in Corona and that “the grass would be greener on the other side.”

According to him, it wasn’t the right fit and he ended up rejoining his dad’s coaching staff in 1992, this time at Long Beach City College.

“I didn’t do very well there. It wasn’t the right fit, not a lot of money, and it ended up being a one man band, and that was very tough,” Mike Reisbig said in regards to Aquinas.

Mike Reisbig was nervous going into his first year as the new offensive line coach for LBCC, but he became a staple in LBCC’s coaching staff with the help of the coaches around him and with the knowledge he gained.

Mike Reisbig then became a full-time coach at LBCC instead of part-time after he got his masters degree from Azusa College in 1998.

During the 2008 season, Mike Reisbig became the head coach for LBCC and kept his position for five years.

His biggest accomplishment was leading LBCC to a Central West Conference Championship in 2011 and reached the Central West Bowl game that same year against Golden West College, which ended up in a high-scoring 51-36 loss.

In 2013, he resigned from his position as head coach, paving the way for Brett Peabody to take over the team.

Mike Reisbig then returned to being the offensive line coach the same year with LBCC.

Throughout his 32-year tenure, Mike Reisbig has made countless impacts for LBCC football and its players, and according to Peabody, he has also meant a lot to the kinesiology department.

“He’s been a critical asset to the kinesiology department and to the football program. He’s one of the reasons why I’m personally here,” Peabody said. “He’s a remarkable man, incredibly loyal, he did a great job coaching the offensive line under me since I’ve been here and he’s gonna be sorely missed.”

As Mike Reisbig’s coaching career ends, he mentioned how much he’s loved his time at LBCC and the people he’s met over the years.

“I want to thank the administration at this school from the people that hired me to the people that are here now and all of the students and student-athletes,” Reisbig said. “I’ve made a lot of friends, there are a lot of good people here, and I’m going to miss them.”

Parker’s double-double and LBCC’s second-half comeback led to 83-79 win vs Canyons

Zack Siedel
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Parker’s double-double and LBCC’s second-half comeback led to 83-79 win vs Canyons

Long Beach City College guard Kunique Yandall Parker’s 16-point, 13-rebound double-double off the bench helped LBCC get the 83-79 victory over College of the Canyons in LBCC’s first home game of the year on Tuesday.

“I’m glad I went out there and did what I needed to do and help my team out. The first half, we were slow on defense, so when we came back, we made sure to give them pressure,” Parker stated after the game.

Guard Kunique Yandall Parker goes for the layup past a defender to increase the lead. The Vikings won 83-79 in their home opener against the Cougars on Tuesday. (Ian Salazar)

Aside from defense, LBCC was also shaky on offense in the first half, only converting on nearly 41% of their shot attempts.

LBCC’s offensive struggles plus multiple defensive lapses gave them an eight-point deficit heading into halftime.

Once LBCC came out of the locker room in the second half, the players stepped up as the team converted on 57% of their shot attempts and 60% from three-point range.

The scoring attack was led by Parker’s 13 second-half points and teammate guard Brandon Cerda’s nine points.

Cerda had better shot selection after going 3-10 on shot attempts in the first half, going 4-9. Cerda also shared the wealth as he had half of his team’s 10 second-half assists.

The one player for the Cougars that LBCC had to work on containing to complete the comeback victory was forward Jonah El-Farrah, as he was already flirting with a double-double in the first half.

El Farrah was a rebounding machine for College of the Canyons, as his double-double consisted of 15 points and 17 rebounds, both being the most on his team.

With El-Farrah’s rebounding, LBCC improved its glass crashing in the second half, as the team had 24 second-half rebounds compared to its 19 in the first.

“We gotta play better defense and rebound to win, I don’t know why our guys think offensively,” LBCC head coach Barry Barnes stated after the game. “By December 2, we want to be 4-2, playing in the championship game at West LA.”

Barnes’s goal for his team was unfortunately unsuccessful, winning two out of the three games he planned on winning at the West LA Wild West Shootout.

LBCC will take its 4-4 record to Santa Barbara as the Vikings participate in the Santa Barbara Classic, with their first game being against Oxnard College as their first opponent of the 3-game road trip starting Thursday.

Navegando por el laberinto: El reciente cambio de LBCC a un nuevo portal de horario de clases es confuso e inconfiable

Camila Vargas
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Navegando por el laberinto: El reciente cambio de LBCC a un nuevo portal de horario de clases es confuso e inconfiable

Disclaimer: The Viking News is translating a number of articles to Spanish throughout the semester. This is one of the articles translated, previously published in English.

LBCC ha implementado recientemente un cambio significativo y confuso en el acceso al horario de clases, lo que ha sorprendido a muchos estudiantes y los ha dejado desconcertados. Por ello, se argumenta que LBCC debería volver al horario de clases anterior.

Anteriormente, los estudiantes podían depender de un calendario maestro organizado alfabéticamente, que ofrecía una visión general completa de números de clase, títulos, horarios, ubicaciones, notas de clase y requisitos de libros.

Sin embargo, el nuevo sistema coloca el horario de clases detrás de un portal, lo que requiere que los estudiantes busquen clases específicas para obtener la información que anteriormente estaba disponible de un vistazo. No solo es difícil navegar por el nuevo horario, sino que también presenta inexactitudes. La no aparición de clases al buscarlas en el nuevo portal genera preocupaciones.

Esta alteración abrupta ha provocado descontento entre el cuerpo estudiantil y el profesorado, especialmente con el periodo de inscripción de primavera en el horizonte.

La simplicidad del calendario maestro anterior permitía una planificación eficiente y un acceso fácil a la información, lo que permitía a los estudiantes tomar decisiones informadas sobre sus selecciones de cursos. El nuevo sistema basado en portal, por otro lado, introduce una complejidad y confusión innecesarias en un proceso de inscripción ya estresante.

La oportunidad de este cambio es particularmente cuestionable, ya que llega justo antes del período de inscripción de invierno y primavera. Los estudiantes acostumbrados al sistema anterior y directo del calendario maestro ahora están lidiando con las complejidades del nuevo portal, lo que genera estrés y posibles interrupciones en sus planes académicos.

El argumento para regresar al sistema anterior del calendario maestro está directamente relacionado con la facilidad de uso. El antiguo sistema era accesible para todos, ofreciendo una forma eficiente de obtener información crucial sobre las clases.

Este cambio contradice el objetivo de los colegios comunitarios, que es priorizar la accesibilidad y el apoyo a las diversas poblaciones estudiantiles.

LBCC debería reconsiderar su decisión y restablecer el sistema original del horario de clases. El actual sistema basado en portal corre el riesgo de confundir aún más a los estudiantes que ya podrían estar luchando con la navegación del sitio web.

Los estudiantes son actores clave en el éxito del colegio y cualquier cambio en los sistemas que impacte directamente a los estudiantes debería implicar una comunicación transparente y mecanismos de retroalimentación. La falta de consulta sobre un cambio significativo socava el objetivo de LBCC de fomentar un entorno de aprendizaje de apoyo.

Si bien el cambio a menudo es necesario para el crecimiento, no debería ser a expensas del bienestar estudiantil. LBCC debe priorizar las necesidades de sus estudiantes, lo que incluye un sistema de horario de clases fácil de usar.

Volver al sistema anterior del calendario maestro es un paso práctico para mejorar la eficiencia y asegurar que los estudiantes puedan concentrarse en sus estudios en lugar de luchar con un complicado portal de programación.

El éxito de LBCC está vinculado al éxito de sus estudiantes, y un enfoque receptivo y centrado en el estudiante para este problema contribuirá a un entorno de aprendizaje más armonioso y de apoyo.

Siete estudiantes quedaron atrapados en un ascensor del edificio M durante 40 minutos

Camila Vargas
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Siete estudiantes quedaron atrapados en un ascensor del edificio M durante 40 minutos

Disclaimer: The Viking News is translating a number of articles to Spanish throughout the semester. This is one of the articles translated, previously published in English.

Siete estudiantes quedaron atrapados en un ascensor del edificio M en el Campus de Artes Liberales durante 40 minutos, según la policía.

“Fue un mal funcionamiento del ascensor, todos los estudiantes están a salvo y no se necesitó atención médica seria”, dijo Tiffany Griego, una oficial de policía.

Los estudiantes intentaban llegar a sus clases cuando el ascensor se averió y los atrapó en el tercer piso.

“Estar en el tercer piso fue aterrador porque no sabíamos si íbamos a bajar muy rápido o algo así”, dijo Shai Channel, una estudiante que quedó atrapada en el ascensor.

Los ascensores del edificio M tienen antecedentes de mal funcionamiento desde la construcción del edificio durante la pandemia.

Uno de los estudiantes comenzó a entrar en pánico y a ponerse ansiosos cuando las puertas del ascensor se abrían y cerraban.

Después de que los nervios se calmaron, los estudiantes que estaban atrapados hicieron un TikTok en el ascensor.

La puerta se abría agresivamente durante unos 20 segundos y luego se cerraba. Esto sucedió repetidamente durante los 40 minutos completos que los estudiantes estuvieron en el ascensor.

El calor corporal de los estudiantes hizo que la temperatura dentro del ascensor aumentara. Los estudiantes afirmaron haber escuchado diferentes ruidos fuertes procedentes del ascensor.

Griego afirmó que las puertas fueron forzadas para que los estudiantes pudieran salir del ascensor.

La policía del campus, Kevin Stinson y Tiffany Griego, llegan al campus para ayudar con una avería en el ascensor en el tercer nivel del edificio M. Siete estudiantes quedaron atrapados en el ascensor durante 45 minutos el jueves 16 de noviembre de 2023. (Kassie Sainz)

Inicialmente, los estudiantes llamaron al departamento de bomberos, pero la policía respondió a la escena.

“La llamada no se hizo a la policía para que viniera a ayudar al departamento de bomberos hasta las 11:55 a.m.”, dijo Kevin Stinson, oficial del campus.

Los profesores que estaban en el tercer piso, donde quedó atrapado el ascensor, fueron serviciales y hablaron con los estudiantes todo el tiempo que estuvieron allí para asegurarse de que los estudiantes estuvieran a salvo y sin lesiones.

Los técnicos de ascensores declinaron hacer comentarios cuando se les preguntó sobre el incidente que ocurrió.

Power outage forces the LAC to rely on generators 

Camila Vargas
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0
Power outage forces the LAC to rely on generators 

The Liberal Arts Campus suffered a “catastrophic electrical failure” according to the strategic account manager for Sunbelt Rentals, shutting down the campus Tuesday morning until 9 a.m.

The power generator at LBCC’s power building, which is located next to the P building, stopped working, and Southern California Edison (SCE) got a call to find a solution.

“We got the call on Saturday around 12:30 (p.m.). They’re putting in new transformers so the school has more transformation,” William Lee, the strategic account manager for Sunbelt Rentals, said.

A transformer is an electrical device that takes a given input voltage and changes it to a different output voltage according to Maddox Industrial Transformer (MIT), a transformer making company.

Transformers are used to regulate the amount of force the electricity has from the constant flow of electrical energy needed to power things.

No root cause was determined on what happened to make the power go out.

SCE gave its prediction on when the school would have its power back once the work was complete.

“SCE informed LBCC that the power should return by 6 a.m. (Tuesday morning),” Stacey Toda, LBCC’s public relations official said.

Generators stand outside the P building giving power to the Liberal Arts Campus. The generators have been supplying power since Nov. 29. (Kassie Sainz)

Sunbelt Rentals and Walker Bros are the subcontractors that are working on both the temporary and long-term solution to the electrical problem.

With the help of SCE and its subcontractors, LBCC was able to temporarily distribute power to the school with six generators that circled the power building.

The generators were supplied by Sunbelt Rentals as a quick fix before the transformer was replaced.

“There are six 500 kW diesel generators here from Sunset Rentals. These are what’s giving the school power until the generator’s fixed,” Lee stated.

The transformer was set to be removed Tuesday night and the generators continue providing power to the campus on Wednesday.

The Long Beach Playhouse gives their final performances of the musical “Rent”

Matthew Gregory
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The Long Beach Playhouse gives their final performances of the musical “Rent”

The seasons of love filled the air and emotions drove the hearts of the audience as the arts continued to shine with the musical “Rent” and its final weekend of the local production at the Long Beach Playhouse.

The famous Broadway musical finished its month-long run after their final two shows that sold out on Nov. 17 and Nov. 18.

“Rent” was written by Jonathon Larson with its first showing in 1994 and has since become a hit in the theatre industry all over the world.

The show revolves around a group of young artists who are trying to survive under the rough conditions of Lower Manhattan in New York while dealing with an era of HIV-AIDS.

George Carson played Tom Collins, and got into theatre after a friend asked him if he wanted to join in a rehearsal, and used to be a competitive soloist beforehand.

Carson is also a member of SAG-AFTRA or the Screen Actors Guild that recently ended their three-month long strike and is looking forward to being back on set after the show.

“Coming together with the cast, I feel like a family. It would be really sad to see everyone go their ways,” said Carson about working with the talented cast.

A four-member band played on stage with the loud vibrations of the electric guitar combined with the drums and violins. 

Audiences filled with family members, relatives, and friends packed the seats to the brim and were anticipating an exciting night.

Cast members went through a mix of emotions after the long road that led to the final weekend.

Hannah Fritz, who played Mimi Marquez, started in theatre at a young age and since then, has grown to love it more and stuck with it since then.

“Do what makes you happy, enjoy every second of it. It’s easy to take things for granted,” said Fritz about any advice for those aspiring to grow into the theatre industry.

Long Beach Playhouse will continue to hold more productions throughout the remainder of the year.

Artists at Complexcon discuss whether or not AI will impact their art

Matthew Gregory
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Artists at Complexcon discuss whether or not AI will impact their art

With the rise of AI technology, some artists feel as though it is yet another obstacle they will have to contend with and others look to it as a useful tool.

At this year’s Complexcon, a festival in Long Beach celebrating the latest in fashion, music and innovation, art was at the forefront.

As fashion has evolved, it has incorporated more artistic elements and a lot of the people who seek out the best in fashion have become just as interested in art. 

Complexcon featured artists from all over the country, such as Bloody Dior, hailing from New York.

Originally a streetwear designer, Dior has recently stepped into the art world and had a mini gallery at Complexcon, showing some of his art along with some of his clothing branded Mood Swings. 

“These are from Freddie Peacock,” Dior Said, while motioning to the art on the walls. “I let him know what I’m thinking and he paints it.”

The two art pieces hanging behind Dior are two women, one a Playboy bunny with a single large eye and the other, a pop art kind of character with large, vacant eyes, throwing up a peace sign.

When asked about AI, Dior went on to say that he doesn’t see it as a threat to the art community but rather an easier way to get things done, such as graphic design.

“It’s called Mood Swings because that’s me,” Dior said. “My mood changes a lot.”

Swinging was definitely done by Dior who went on to participate in a brawl that went viral on Day 1 of Complexcon.

Both in the brawl and at Complexcon, Dior was joined by his brother, Bloody Osiris who owns a streetwear brand by the name of Murd333r.FM which had its own booth a few spaces down from Mood Swings. 

Their brand is based on a certain mouse-like theme park character with a dystopian remix. 

Murd333r. FM’s booth featured a carousel, mascots who looked like they’d been blown up and pieced back together contributing to the overall theme of post-apocalyptic youth reclaimed. 

“This is art,” said Tank, co-general manager of the brand. “We refuse to utilize AI for something like this. It cuts out the creative process.” 

Tank went on to say that while AI may have its applications, true art will ultimately prevail given the way the human element contributes to novelty and authenticity. 

While the Bloody brothers remain on opposite sides of the spectrum in regards to the utilization of AI in their creative process, some artists are indifferent to the technology, like Rello from Chicago who feels AI can coexist in the artsphere. 

Rello’s art takes on popular characters from pop culture and reimagines them as Black. 

“I think it takes a lot of talent to take the AI concept and make something out of it,” Rello said. “All of these things can coexist. I think it’s less about looking at AI as a competitor and more about understanding your personal consumer.”

He went on to say that there will always be a market for those who love handmade art and doesn’t see AI as something that will replace that. 

Rello admitted that photography and voice acting are mediums whose creators may suffer as AI introduces the idea of convenience and cost-cutting. 

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