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R&B artist Kehlani pulls up for meet-and-greet with fans at Fingerprints

Keith Lewis
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R&B artist Kehlani pulls up for meet-and-greet with fans at Fingerprints

Grammy Award-winning R&B artist Kehlani hosted a meet-and-greet photo-op event on Friday at Fingerprints Music in Long Beach, in celebration of the release of their fifth self-titled album, “Kehlani”.  Kehlani’s career has reached new heights this past year with the release of their Billboard Top 100 hit single “Folded,” which is featured on the new album. 

A line of fans stretched across several blocks on Atlantic Ave. Friday morning, with some getting there as early as 7 a.m. to line up for the meet and greet at noon.

Owner and founder of Fingerprints, Rand Foster, weighed in on having Kehlani stop by the record store, which was once located on the famous Retro Row on 4th Street.

 “We host a wide variety of artists and events, but today is definitely a big one,” Foster said. 

The meet-and-greet was originally scheduled for Tuesday, April 28, but was postponed by the artist via Instagram due to illness, with many fans driving out for a second time that week to line up for a chance for their photo op with Kehlani.

Long-time fan Emma Doung and her friends drove two hours away from Temecula to be in line before 9 a.m.

“We came originally on Tuesday, and found out last minute that she was moving it to Friday,” said Duong.

Fans waited in line and posed for pictures before their opportunity to meet the Grammy Award-winning R&B artist, Kehlani, at her meet-and-greet pop-up held at Long Beach’s Fingerprints Music on Friday. Fans arrived as early as 7 a.m. to secure there spot in line. (Alyssa Redrup)

Duong and her friends were not bothered by the cancellation of Tuesday’s event and wished the artist a speedy recovery while standing in line with a speaker blasting Kehlani classics and singing along together.

The new album titled “Kehlani” features 17 tracks and features mega-artists such as Cardi B, Usher, Lil-Wayne, Leon Thomas, Big Sean and more. The song that stands out most is her breakout single that won Kehlani her first two Grammys this year, “Folded”. 

“We love the new album. It’s an all-in-one, it’s heartbreak, recovery, and then finding self-love and new love. She’s just grown so much personally and as an artist,” said Duong.

Fans in line ranged across all ages, races, genders, and walks of life. 
“I’ve loved watching her transition from each album, each one has its own theme and reminds me of a different point in my life,” Brianne Marquez said, who has been a fan of Kehlani since her debut mixtape in 2014, Cloud 19. 

Brianne was in line with her twelve-year-old daughter, Eileen, who wore a red leather bomber jacket with a hand-painted portrait of Kehlani on the back by her mother.

 “Certain songs I hear and it reminds me of Eileen being little and singing it to her in her car seat, now she’s up front singing it along with me,” Marquez said. 

“I remember listening to Kehlani with my mom even when I was five or six; she is our favorite artist together, and she reminds me of my childhood,” Brianne’s twelve-year-old daughter, Eileen, said.

Many fans noted a nostalgic connection to Kehlani’s discography, which spans across the past decade, with certain albums marking specific eras of their own lives. 

LBCC alumni and Kehlani fan, Elisa Castillo, recalls the first time she heard Kehlani’s music.

“My friend showed me one song of hers in 2018 and I remember going home and downloading her whole album,” Castillo said.

Fans described Kehlani’s album as “Confident. Sexy. Sultry. Grown. Authentic. Creative,” according to Castillo. Many fans noted Kehlani’s confidence as a major draw to her sound.

“She’s very herself, she’s not afraid to say what she thinks, and I love that. I wish I could be a little more like that; maybe that’s why I like her music so much,” Castillo said. 

At noon, doors opened and fans filed inside Fingerprints for their photo op and purchased a CD or vinyl record. Many fans were seen leaving their meet and greet with smiles plastered across their faces, or some even in complete tears.

A fan of Grammy Award-winning R&B recording artist Khelani is overwhelmed with joy after buying her vinyl record at the meet-and-greet at Fingerprints Music on Friday, May 1. Many fans were having a hard time controlling their emotions after meeting the music star. (Alyssa Redrup)

Like many others waiting for the chance to meet Kehlani, super fan Adeola Swaby was overwhelmed with excitement, even crying when she got to meet her.

“She’s just so beautiful, and means so much to me,” Swaby said.

Record stores like Fingerprints, hosting events for fans to interact with or even see their favorite artists perform, allow music to be accessible for the fans, who most resonate with the artist and their message.

Hand-painted tote bags, giveaways and live music at this years Spring Resource Fair

Keith Lewis
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Hand-painted tote bags, giveaways and live music at this years Spring Resource Fair

Students and faculty were all hands on deck with information and activities at this year’s Spring Resource Fair, held at Long Beach City College’s Liberal Arts campus on Friday, Apr. 3, in the courtyard entrance from 10 a.m to 1 p.m.

Every semester, LBCC provides opportunities such as the Spring Resource Fair to inform students of the assistance that is offered on campus. 

Various departments and clubs provided students with resources available to them, ranging from basic needs food, important scholarship information and financial aid assistance on hand.

One booth featured both the LBCC basic needs program and CalFresh, which allowed students to know more about the Viking Vault, located at both the LAC and TTC campuses.

A student is painting his LBCC basic needs tote bag at the Spring Resource Fair on Friday, Apr. 3. Students were encouraged to do a creative activity while informing students to be more eco-friendly and answer questions related to the basic needs program, including the Viking Vault. (Keith Lewis)

Students and faculty were encouraged to paint their own LBCC tote bag, emphasizing the need to use them instead of the brown paper bags offered at most grocery stores.

LBCC Student Success Coach, Nicole DeLeon, was setting up more tote bags and getting students to paint while she emphasized what the basic needs program is supporting.

“The basic needs program is collaborating with CalFresh today to promote the use of a reusable tote bag and stop using paper bags,” DeLeon said.

CalFresh is a statewide government-funded food assistance program that is offered to low-income students to ensure they do not go without eating.

English major William Strang, who is attending his second semester at LBCC, found out about the event two days prior and stopped by specifically to paint his very own tote bag.

“Yes, I came just for the tote bag. I saw on campus that they were having this event two days ago, and thought it was something I wanted to make,” Strang said.

LBCC English major William Strang is painting a tote bag provided by the Basic Needs program and collaborator CalFresh at the Spring Resource Fair on Friday, Apr. 3 at the Liberal Arts campus. Strang heard about the event two days prior from a campus flyer. (Keith Lewis)

Another popular event was the booth held by the LBCC counseling department featuring rocks that students or faculty were able to paint, take home after drying and use as an art piece in their own personal space.

LBCC counselor Joan Lee and student success coach Wendy Camacho were facilitating the booth’s activity. 

“We’re here to answer any questions that students have regarding their credits or graduation, Joan is actually a student counselor on campus,” Camacho said, who also added, “and if you enjoy painting, or you just need to take a break from class, we’re here for that too.”

A display of painted rocks was drying at LBCC’s Spring Resource Fair. Students were encouraged to participate in the creative activity while asking counseling-related questions during on-site counselor sessions on Friday, Apr. 3. (Keith Lewis)

Aside from activities and live music provided by the LBCC resident DJ, Mr. Quick, a booth held by the scholarship office and financial aid department was there to assist students with related questions.

LBCC scholarship faculty member Megann Jenkins was assisting students in signing up for a raffle in which the office was offering a $25 gift card to those who stopped by.

Jenkins also shared some exciting news for students, like most, who are facing financial hardships at LBCC.

“Compared to last year, we have more students applying for scholarships; there is definitely more of a need, and we have extended the deadline for students to apply for scholarships,” Jenkins said.

LBCC scholarship assistant Megann Jenkins passed out raffle tickets at the scholarship department’s vendor booth at the Spring Resource Fair held on Friday, Apr. 3, at the Liberal Arts campus. Jenkins also answered students’ questions and informed them that the scholarship application deadline had been extended due to additional funding available. (Keith Lewis)

The deadline for students to apply for scholarships this year was on Thursday, Feb. 26, according to the student portal website given to LBCC students to apply.

Ultimately, the Spring Resource Fair served as a reminder that LBCC’s dedication to supporting students both inside and outside the classroom, with resources ranging from basic needs to scholarship awareness, reinforces LBCC’s mission to help every student excel.

ASB elections results invalidated, causing a re-election

Paloma Maciel
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ASB elections results invalidated, causing a re-election

ASB has declared the ASB election invalid and called a re-election due to concerns about verifying student voters. (Graphic by Sam Villa)

The results of the recent ASB election at LBCC have been invalidated over concerns that non-active students and others, like faculty and alumni, may have been able to vote, as well as voter margins, according to ASB student leaders who attended Monday’s ASB meeting. 

According to ASB President Priince Bass and Interclub Council President Samuel Perez, the announcement was given during Monday’s ASB meeting, and they explained the reasons given to them. 

Perez clarified that he and other cabinet members don’t determine election results. Instead, Dean of Student Affairs Deborah Miller-Calvert and other members of the administration are the ones responsible for overseeing and communicating the results. 

According to Perez, the advisor for ASB Kim Hamon, Student Life Derek Oriee and Teila Robertson, and the Director of Student Life and Conduct Sylvia Garcia are the ones in charge of handling the election process and results.

Hamon said last week while in the process of validating results that the team plans to verify each vote by checking student IDs to make sure each voter is an active student. 

Perez said it was communicated to him and others that the reason for the re-election was caused by issues with the digital voting system used to collect results. According to him, administrators aren’t able to see the information of each student, just the final results. 

“The dean of the department, Deborah, said that we have invalidated the election because.. the system didn’t recognize if you’re active as a student or not. You have to be an active student to vote. But if you left the college, for example, in fall, you have a student number and you log in and you can vote, when you’re not supposed to be voting because you’re not a student any more,”  Perez said. 

He continued, “The system automatically generates the results.. But they don’t share with us because the system was programmed to everyone voting, not active students.”

He added, “Because that program does not belong to us, we pay a company that manages Viking Engagement and its a private company that we pay, and that company they need to fix the problem.”

In a text interview with ASB President Bass, he mentioned that he asked ASB election officials why they needed to verify the votes, given that the login system uses a multifactor identification login and asked why the verification hadn’t been done in the past.

“..They said last year the margins weren’t this close which lead to the to further investigation on the votes, we asked for the results and (they) say we couldn’t get that information,” Bass said.

Bass asked ASB why ASB could not see the number of votes or share the results, even if they were to remove the unverified voters.

Bass continued, “We were repeatedly told there was no further information that can be provided, it will be a future election…”

He goes on to say, which Perez also mentioned, that the dates for the upcoming re-election are not determined yet. 

Perez said the school is waiting to resolve the voting issue and “make sure the system is working correctly,” before holding the next election. 

LAC Interclub Council Vice President Usama Habash was contacted for comment regarding the re-election but denied, saying, “I am willing to talk to you when the ASB Board has something to share.”

ASB’s weekly cabinet meetings are open for all students to attend, although students are rarely seen in attendance. 

As of now, no public statement has been released mentioning the invalidation of the election that closed on April 23 or plans for a re-election. 

The dean of student affairs, Deborah Miller-Calvert was not readily available to comment but agreed to an interview Friday. 

The investigation is still developing and more details are expected to come soon. 

Students are locked out of Canvas due to a recent cyberattack

Dom Maddan
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Students are locked out of Canvas due to a recent cyberattack

A screenshot of Canvas that says “Canvas is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance” on Thursday due to a cyberattack that has caused students to not be able to access the website. ShinyHunters is a group that has hacked websites like Ticketmaster, Microsoft and more. (Alexandra Rios)

A group called ShinyHunters, known for hacking into Microsoft and Ticketmaster, has hacked into LBCC’s Canvas along with 9,000 other K-12 and higher education schools. 

ShinyHunters wrote a message on Canvas saying, “If any of the schools in the affected list are interested in preventing the release of their data, please consult with a cyber advisory firm and contact us privately at TOX to negotiate a settlement. You have till the end of the day by 12 May 2026 before everything is leaked”.   

LBCC’s Information Technology Services, ITS, sent out an email saying they are aware of the issue and will be blocking access to Canvas until the matter is resolved. They also took it off of Viking Portal until further notice. 

“Information Technology Services (ITS) is aware of the messages appearing when someone accesses Canvas. This is affecting all users of Canvas, not just users from LBCC. Instructure will be responding to this incident and will provide an update as soon as possible.” 

ITS also said to close out of Canvas on your browsers, do not open the links and be cautious towards suspicious emails regarding the incident.  

Vikings host SCC Pairs Tournament 

Adam Reed
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Vikings host SCC Pairs Tournament 

The Vikings hosted the South Coast Conference Beach Volleyball Pairs Championship on April 17.

El Camino, Mt. San Antonio, Rio Hondo, Cerritos, College of the Desert and LBCC were the six teams competing, with five total pairs per institution.

The tournament bracket continues through Saturday, with both the semifinals and finals concluding then.

Beginning at 9 a.m., pairs played through the heat and kept rallies going. 

Throughout the event, fans and players alike were bouncing energy off of each other. The venue seemed electric at one point.

When asked who stood out in Friday’s match(es), player Tyreana Allen stated, “I’d say all of us. All of our pairs made it into the next rounds.”

Desire Iosua jumps to slap ball at SCC Pairs tournament, Friday, April 17, 2026.
The SCC tournament occurred at LBCC. (Asa Liberty)

Allen is the reigning individual’s champion. Despite her new pair in freshman Kyla Jones, a repeat seems inevitable.

”I’m still getting over being sick, but I also think we all pushed,” stated Jones when asked about the strong points of Friday. 

When asked about potential improvements, she stated, “I can work on reading. I cheated a bit.”

The Vikings swept the SCC conference for the first time since 2019, and currently hold a 20-3 record. A huge part of that is their energy. 

“They’re all so fun to watch. They always have big reactions and a good time on the court,” said Freddy Ponce, a sports photographer for LBCC. 

The beach volleyball team will play in the team state championships on Thursday while the pairs will play Friday and could advance for more on Saturday.   

Vikings’ Kyla Jones takes a knee to hit the ball against Cerritos College during their pairs match on Saturday, Apr. 18, 2026, at The Beach Volleyball Complex in Long Beach, Calif.
(Alexandra Rios)

LBCC secures spot at Super Regionals and repeats as Regional champions

Alejandro Diaz Lopez
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LBCC secures spot at Super Regionals and repeats as Regional champions

The Vikings defeated Chaffey College 8-5 at home with a come-from-behind win, securing their spot in the Super Regionals playoff round and repeating as Regional champions on Saturday. 

On the mound was LBCC’s ace starting pitcher Ella Huago again for the second day in a row, but she would get into trouble as she gave up a grand slam to Chaffey’s power-hitting third baseman Fernanda Cano in the top of the first inning, making it 4-0 Chaffey, ending Huago’s day on the mound.

In relief came starting pitcher Adalise “AV” Valenzuela, as she pitched a dominant complete game for her team to stay in the game, only giving up one run in her heroic performance.

Shortstop Madison Fao would get the scoring for LBCC with an RBI groundout, driving in first baseman Natania Leomiti for their first run in the game. 

Left fielder Ali Calderon would add another run, an RBI single with an error from Chaffey, moving Calderon to third and driving in third baseman Michelle Cervantes to make it 4-2 in the bottom of the second inning.

Center fielder Alesa Gonzalez added another run for the Vikings in the bottom of the second inning with an RBI sac bunt to Chaffey’s starting pitcher Mia Britt, driving in Calderon, followed by another run from Leomiti’s RBI single, evening up the game 4-4.

Gonzalez broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth inning with a kerfuffle sequence, where errors were committed by Chaffey’s first baseman Britt and third baseman Cano, driving in Calderon and pinch runner Jeneva Fletcher, and Gonzalez scoring herself in to make it 7-4 Vikings. 

Catcher Zara Mineo then added an insurance run with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning, making it 8-5, and completing the sweep of Chaffey, advancing to the Super Regionals round, and repeating as Regional champions.

Coach Megan Martinez gave her takeaways on the performances of outfielders Alesa Gonzalez and Ali Calderon.

“They are just so fast, and they had to really choose what the speed that we had going on and we knew that coming in, we wanted to play small ball a lot better and utilize the speed we have. So we were just really excited that the bottom of the lineup once again came through for us and put pressure on the (Chaffey’s) defense,” said Martinez.

Vikings softball players Ali Calderon, left, and Alesa Gonzalez, right, celebrate after Gonzalez hit a in the park home run during their game against Chaffey College on Saturday at the Vikings’ Softball Complex in Long Beach, Calif. (Alexandra Rios)

Left fielder Ali Calderon talked about her performance today that came up huge for her team.

“I became unselfish and I wanted to put my team first ahead of myself and I wanted to just get those runs and I ran no matter if it was an out or not. I just wanted to put that on base and put pressure, knowing my speed and knowing Gonzo behind me, we both have very good speeds, so whatever was the outcome, I just wanted to get on with my speed, I knew I could do it,” said Calderon.

Center fielder Alesa Gonzalez talked about her bat in the bottom of the fourth inning that gave the Vikings the lead.

“I was just thinking to get it (bunt) down, make sure it’s not directly at the pitcher, and then I wasn’t expecting them to mess up and for me to get on. But once I saw that no one was at second, I took off, then I saw the ball was behind third, so I left and then the ball went away again, so I kept going,” said Gonzalez

Vikings catcher Zara Mineo runs to home plate after she hit a home run against Chaffey College during the game on Saturday. (Alexandra Rios)

The Vikings will play on Friday against Mt. San Antonio, in the first game of the 3C2A SoCal Super Regional round.

The game starts at 4 p.m. and will be at Mt. San Antonio, and the competition will continue there on Saturday at 2 p.m..

‘Don’t know, don’t sign’: Club flyers warn students about signing petitions 

Chloe Hall
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‘Don’t know, don’t sign’: Club flyers warn students about signing petitions 

Within the past month, flyers made by the Lavender Collective, a club for BIPOC queer students, have been posted across the LAC campus, offering tips for students on how to address on-campus petitioners.

Rather than focusing on the individuals collecting the signatures, these flyers brought attention to the act of signing itself and the level of awareness students should have when signing petitions.

The messaging reflects the growing concern about how students can be approached and persuaded in fast-moving environments. Many interactions between students and petitioners are often quick, leaving little room for consideration of what is being signed. 

Shei Wright, the club’s founder, is a petitioner themself, and created the posters.

“I’m very involved with political organizing and part of that is educating the masses on how to get properly involved with organizing, how to spot fake petitioners, people who are cash grabbing, and using false petitions or shady companies,” Wright said.

Wright says the purpose of the flyers was to encourage students to be mindful when they are signing petitions on campus.

“Don’t know don’t sign means that if you don’t know something don’t sign something….You can say that same about any other contract, any other thing that you are putting your sensitive information on. I understand how students can feel seeing it at face value but that was the point,” Wright said.

Wright also addressed concerns about how some students were being approached by petitioners.

“During the first and second week of school I was being harassed sexually and being verbally accosted by petitioners….” Wright said. 

They described what they and others perceived as coercive tactics.

“[Petitioners] were violating federal and state laws, such as handing out food to students in exchange.”

Wright said that emotional appeals combined with the lack of information can lead students to make decisions they can’t fully understand, with students impacted by immigration enforcement being a particular target.

“Most of the petitioners were targeting those affected by ICE and they were trying to garner our emotions into signing,” Wright said.

Student Abi Altamirano recounts the times she’s encountered petitioners on her way to class, “I’m usually in such a rush, I never think to ask that. They never really state the company or organization, they just explain what it’s for and they’ll ask you to sign. It’s kind of like that pressure to sign… They stop you and call you out, they use that word, ‘help’ and it makes you feel like if you don’t help you’re doing something wrong not helping out.”

Altamirano mentioned how the flyers have influenced her to consider what she might be participating in, “Lately I’ve been seeing postings of signs and flyers… I think that’s really helpful because it makes you stop and think that I shouldn’t be signing all of these things blindly,” she said. 

ASB president Prince Bass said concerns about petitioner behavior had been built over time, particularly through incident reports from students.

“This past fall, we had several instances with students who were harassed and assaulted by petitioners and it was kind of being brushed under the rug,” Bass said.

He emphasized that student leadership has been trying to balance support for free expression with concerns about safety.

“Were advocates for free speech but we’re also advocates of student safety,” Bass said.

Bass said the goal is not to discourage petitioning outright but to reframe the conversation around awareness and education.

“It becomes an educational thing as opposed to a stigma,” he said. “We don’t even want to create a stigma that petitions are bad, …You’re petitioning for something…There’s something that you want to see change, that doesn’t make you a bad person.”

Wright also added that while petitioners may be motivated by pay, they do not feel that law enforcement should be a solution.

“The way that I wanted to approach it was not by saying we need law enforcement on campus, I wanted it to be geared more towards the students, know what you’re doing before you do it. 

These petitioners just want to get paid and I understand and that’s no reason to have the cops called on them so we can just shift the focus towards the students to discourage them from being on campus,” Wright said.

According to LBCC’s student life policies, individuals seeking to circulate petitions on campus must first apply and be approved by the college.

LBCC’s guidelines also state that interactions must remain voluntary, requiring students to approach petitioners on their own. Petitioners are prohibited from approaching, confronting or intimidating individuals while gathering signatures.   

Emergency boxes are painted to show empowerment, resilience, community

Keith Lewis
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Emergency boxes are painted to show empowerment, resilience, community

Following up to its LAC tour last November, LBCC’s Public Art Advisory Group and Facilities Department held a walking tour for TCC’s painted emergency boxes on April 13.

Once dull gray and black, the boxes were then adopted by student groups and campus organizations, who transformed them into works of art reflecting a variety of themes including culture and language.

Before the tour began, attendees gathered to create their very own miniature painted boxes using provided supplies, while music from KLBC, the campus radio station, played in the background.

Bruce Morris, an LBCC Communications major, pencils out artwork to add to the sides of his own miniature painted emergency box on Monday, April 13. Before the tour of the emergency boxes, LBCC’s Public Art Advisory Group & Facilities Department provided art supplies so attendees could create their own custom boxes. (Jacyn King)

The boxes that are around campus are stocked with crucial supplies for use during a campus emergency, including survival essentials, protective lockdown tools, and equipment for communication and lighting.

The tour included stops at all five emergency boxes where artists explained the significance of their imagery, with a stop at the Rising Tides mural in Building AA.

A box adopted by the Math Success Center, focused on the balance between ambition and staying grounded can be found outside the LL building.

Jay Rubin, one of the artists for the Math Success Center’s emergency box, speaks to the crowd about the inspiration behind the box’s artwork on Monday, April 13. The box is located outside of Building LL, and was the second stop on the tour. (Jacyn King)

“You’ve got to stay rooted in the ground, but still reach for the sky,” said Jay Rubin, one of the artists, describing the piece’s message of growth without losing connection to one’s roots.

“No matter how far you reach in life, there’s always an opportunity to be humble,” said Rubin, an LBCC alum and current Cal Poly Pomona student.

Outside the BB Building, members of the Justice Scholars program shared a design rooted in transformation and second chances. Their box featured imagery of struggle and freedom, including handcuffs and a key with butterfly wings.

Painted by the Justice Scholars, the BB Building emergency box shows a key butterfly unlocking handcuffs. This box was the fourth stop on the walking tour on Monday, Apr. 13. (Jacyn King)

“The key is a butterfly, and that represents freedom, like finding a way out and moving forward,” said Edward Valencia, an LBCC student who was one of the artists for the box.

 “Our message is ‘education, not incarceration,’ and we wanted that to come through in the design,” said Valencia of more artwork on the box that also included a graduate and the Long Beach skyline.

After a brief walk to an area between the FF and GG buildings, the Social Work Club gave a presentation about their box, a red, black and white scene with silhouetted hands and the palm prints of some of the club members and artists.

“The silhouettes represent the different populations social workers serve. We have the graduate, the young child, the veterans, men and women, the elderly population and teens. We’re a helping career,” Roman Roseborough told the attendees.

The backside of the emergency box, painted by the Social Work Club, shows the handprints belonging to members of the club who worked on their box. The box is located between the FF and GG Building, and was a stop on a tour of the boxes on Monday, Apr. 13. (Jacyn King)

The final stop outside the EE Building featured a box presented by the ESL Club celebrating language, culture and perseverance. Painted in bright light blue and depicting a globe with children standing atop it, each speaking a different language.

“We chose the children because children never see color, race or language. They’re always happy, and they love to play together.” said Eloina Aguilar, an LBCC ESL student.

She goes on to describe the value ESL holds and how it can help drive you to new places.

“Just open your wings and go ahead towards your dreams. Language is the bridge to your dreams,” Aguilar said.

Each box, though distinct, formed a larger narrative across TCC, one that turned ignored campus fixtures into platforms for expression, advocacy and connection.

Outside of Building YY a painted emergency box shows two cats with a book accompanied by a quote from Helen Keller. The box artwork was created by members of TTC’s Multidisciplinary Success Center and was the first stop on the tour. (Jacyn King)

Hawaiian volleyball player leads LBCC into championship push 

Sydney Lowe
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Hawaiian volleyball player leads LBCC into championship push 

On April 17, in the 3C2A Regional Round 1, Ezekiel Sablan led the LBCC Vikings with 12 kills in a straight-sets win over Miramar. 

Ezekial Sablan is an outside hitter for the Vikings, known for being able to get around blocks and as his teammate Sergio Garcia shared, “He’s a baller and is definitely a teammate you can count on.”

Sablan has posted 233 kills on a .250 hitting percentage, along with 29 total blocks, with more matches still ahead to add to those totals.

Sablan had planned to play at GCU, but when the program was cut, he reached out to the Vikings’ coach and found another opportunity to keep his career going. 

Ezekial stands in dim light, April 16,2026.
Photos shot at Hall of Champions building. (Asa Liberty)

He attended Moanalua High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, where the team went 10–0 during his junior year. After graduating, he joined the Vikings in October, arriving just in time for the 2025–26 season.

Sablan also isn’t the only Moanalua alum at LBCC, as another former teammate from his high school played as well just a couple years before him. 

Having spent most of his life in Hawaii, Sablan grew up surrounded by family, which remains central to who he is. 

“My family is the most important thing to me, fun fact I have six sisters and no brothers,” Sablan said.

Ezekiel Sablan reaches for banner with American Samoa flag around neck, April 16,2026.
Photos shot at Hall of Champions building. (Asa Liberty)

Sablan comes from a strong volleyball lineage and when asked how he got started, he credited his family. 

His aunt, a two-time All-American, and his uncle, who played at the University of Hawaii and had a major influence on his development. As well as his mom who played professional indoor and beach volleyball. 

Sablan’s uncle, Malu Sagiao and former volleyball player as well, said his nephew “is a great person on and off the court, and an excellent player.”

“I’ve learned a lot from my family and appreciate their guidance” said Sablan. 

Ezekiel Sablan jumps for banner with American Samoa flag around neck, April 16,2026.
Photos shot at Hall of Champions building. (Asa Liberty)

When asked about his approach on the court, Sablan said, “I try to correct my errors, fix them, and be intentional with all of my plays.”

Looking ahead, Sablan hopes to continue his career at the Division I level, with aspirations of playing for programs like Long Beach State or the University of Hawaii.

The Vikings have carried solid momentum into the final stretch, focusing on cleaning up.

They finished 2nd in the 3C2A State Championship game vs Golden West.

Skaters gonna skate: Roller rink and friendly competition come to LBCC

Heaven Herrera
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Skaters gonna skate: Roller rink and friendly competition come to LBCC

The sound of popular music, laughs from children and adults in the roller rink and the sweet sticky smells of shaved ice syrup, were in the air during LBCC’s second Sports Night on April 23 which featured community fun, friendly competition and, for the first time, roller skating!

The event featured a mix of team sports competitions in various events like beach volleyball, pickleball and dodgeball. Students, faculty and LBCC organizations came together to duke it out to secure the first place trophy.

Though most teams were made up of people who were already familiar with each other, there was a unique emphasis on “community” on some teams, where some people didn’t even know each other.

This was seen the most between the members of Ya Voy, the team who got third place in the dodgeball competition, whose members only met either during the competition or just a few hours before during a previous event on campus. These members created the team motto, “First in our hearts,” meaning they were first place winners to everyone even if they got third place. 

Students and faculty came out with their friends and families on Thursday, April 23rd for the second annual LBCC Sports Night. Many gathered throughout the volleyball courts for tense volleyball matches and a volleyball tournament. (Destiny Castillo)

“A lot of us just showed up to hang out, we were in the middle of the skating rink and just decided to get together and form a team,” said LBCC student Andres Murillo, who became the impromptu team captain.

Ya Voy team member Jorge Martinez barely joined the team a few minutes before the dodgeball competition started and was immediately accepted by his teammates, something he contributes to the camaraderie that LBCC and events like these bring.

“Here in LBCC it’s like the place to be, we’re the comunidad (community), and we’re always happy to know each other, that’s the key because…we were like the most hype team out there and we barely know each other,” Martinez said.

That seemed to be a shared sentiment throughout the night, especially with the new novelty of a roller skating rink being a way students found community between each other.

“We’re all skating around each other and interacting, it’s like a community and it’s homey, it feels like a family reunion with random people,”said Phyre Romero an LBCC student. 

Sunshine Skate, a roller skating organization based in Long Beach, collabed with LBCC to bring the temporary roller skating rink to the school where participants were able to skate for hours on end for free, laughing and falling all the while.

Students and faculty came out with their friends and families on Thursday, April 23rd for the second annual LBCC Sports Night. Many gathered throughout the volleyball courts for tense volleyball matches and a volleyball tournament. (Destiny Castillo)

“We are complementing the usual sports night on campus, a lot of the faculty are familiar with us and wanted to bring roller skating into the college…we aim to bring our services to over 100 schools and other community events here in the area,” said Cory Joseph, who is the executive director of Sunshine Skate.

Samuel Perez, the advisor of the Inter-club Council board and overseer on the event shared that the skating rink was an overall success, especially compared to last year’s novelty, which was a band.

“Last time was good, we had a band come, there was no roller skating. We just had the empty space and the band, everybody liked the band but not everybody liked to dance. With this one, there was a mix of roller skating, the sports and the dancing and it is great,” Perez said.

Sunshine Skate teased that they will also be doing a similar event on the TTC campus, however no specific details have been announced as of yet.

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