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Premier air force band performs stunning jazz number at LAC

Matthew Walker
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Premier air force band performs stunning jazz number at LAC

U.S. Air Force band, the “Airmen of Note,” received a warm welcome from guests on Nov. 19 in front of LBCC’s own LAC Auditorium. Preluded by a special military guest, which featured a Sergeant on vocal accompaniment, the Airmen of Note made a notable impression on its Long Beach audience.

“No one had to twist our arms to get us to Long Beach from Washington D.C.,” Chief Master Sergeant Kevin Burns said, after the band performed a rousing opening jazz number.

The audience replied with enthusiastic cheers and laughter, flattering the city’s sunny reputation.

“Only in sunny California would we schedule an outdoor performance six months in advance in November and know the weather will be perfect,” he said.

Master Sergeant Lucas A. Brandon plays the trumpet at the Airmen of Note. (Jacqueline Prado)

The band was joined by Master Sergeant Emily Wellington, a vocalist for original compositions such as “I Love Being Here With You” and “My One and Only Love,” providing a stunning jazz performance with her powerful, show-stealing voice.

Seats were quick to fill up, with the warm California weather and free admission drawing in crowds. The crowd’s attention gripped from the first opening number, a high-pitched tune drew their eyes and ears straight toward the stage.

The band also received an introduction from local Space Force Commander Mia Walsh, giving the Airmen of Note recognition for the work in creating “positive, and long lasting impressions” of the United States Air Force, and commended them for their efforts in carrying on the legacy established by Glenn Miller, the founder of the Army Air Forces Band.

The United States Air Force Band Airmen of Note members Master Sgt. Kevin Cerovich, Technical Sgt. Mathew Hettwer and Master Sgt. Mathew Benjamin F. Polk perform. (Jacqueline Prado)

What came next was about an hour of songs, solos, and anecdotes from a variety of the band’s musicians. This highlighted some of the country’s best jazz solos in front of a captivated audience.

The concert ended with a performance of the Airmen’s own arrangement of “America the Beautiful,”which embedded the American spirit of jazz into the patriotic closing number.

Colonel Ryan Zyler, one of the benefactors of the Airmen of Note, also gifted a plaque to LBCC’s own Professor of Jazz, Patrick Sheng, to thank him for his participation in the effort to get the Airmen of Note out for such a beneficial performance.

Patrick Sheng is presented with a photo from the Airmen of Note for his contributions in getting the band to perform on campus. (Jacqueline Prado)

After the concert, members of the band remained in front of the stage, eagerly interacting with audience members who had made a beeline towards the uniformed men.

Walking through the throng of people near the stage, choruses of praise could be heard, everyone making their appreciation for the Airmen of Note clear. In this mass, stood the director of the ensemble, Master Sergeant Lucas Brandon.

When asked about the importance of highlighting performing arts in the military, especially for the public, Brandon smiled, and asked for a second to think.

“We get to carry on one of America’s original traditions…we get to exemplify the excellence of precision in the air force,” said Brandon.

International Tamale fest coming to spice up PCC

Matthew Walker
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International Tamale fest coming to spice up PCC

A present in itself that is a staple in Latino homes across the world. It comes in many shapes and sizes with countless iterations, and luckily we have a festival for it right on Long Beach City Colleges PCC campus. The Long Beach International Tamales Festival is back for a second year on Sunday, Dec. 4.

The event celebrates a humble food item that many are familiar with in some form. The event will show you how unique and different tamales can get. A tamale is a treat usually made with masa, a type of dough made from corn, with a filling of some sort, wrapped with either corn husks or banana leaves before being steamed in large pots.

One of the participants taking on the standard idea of a tamale in this festival is Los Angeles catering company and pop-up Evil Cooks, run by Elvia Huerta and Alex Garcia. Evil Cooks started as a T-shirt brand, while Garcia had been a chef for over 17 years. He started taking on private catering events, under the same name, and eventually left his chef position to work for himself and pursue the growth of the Evil Cooks business full time .

Evil Cooks plans on bringing a variety of different tamales to the event, including an extraordinary take on a sweet tamale known as their Gansito tamale, a small chocolate covered cake with cream and strawberry jelly. He brings the idea from the streets of Mexico City where instead of a savory masa, they use a sweet version in this iteration.

They’re also bringing corundas, a style of tamale from the Mexican state of Michoacan that is filled with pork belly and topped with crème fraîche and guajolotas, a type of street food from Mexico City where the tamales are served in a bread roll usually with all the toppings on the side.

“For us it’s really important to bring these things to the table, to open your mind up a little bit to this stuff,” Garcia said, “people usually say my mom doesn’t do it like that, and I like that challenge, I say ok at least try it out and usually I change their mind.”

Another contributor to the tamale lineup is Long Beach’s own Axiom Kitchen, who has a popup right down the street from LBCC’s LAC on Norse way. This kitchen is run by two LBCC Vikings themselves, Ian and Qiana Mafnas, and came about to honor the memory of their son that died in 2018.

This duo and their squad is bringing two different takes on the versatile tamale.

The first is a tamale gisu from Guam, which is a tamale that has two different types of masa. One half of the tamale is red and spicy, the other half is white and a mix of masa and cream of rice (an islander influence). The masa itself has meat mixed into it, and as the filling they add a strip of bacon.

“It’s an exclusive tamale,” Ian Mafna said, “you can’t get one in a 6,000 mile radius, you gotta go to Guam.”

They’re also bringing an all smoked tamale with brisket, masa and tomatillo salsa, all smoked individually before cooking. This lineup is also accompanied by their other offerings of brisket, ribs, pulled pork, corn, and mac and cheese.

“Community events help build community,” Ian said when asked about the importance of the festival, “it’s important for people to come together to collaborate and to be able to bring their differences to the table. Communication and unity makes community.”

These two culinary experts are joined by many others at this event. With traditional tamales from various parts of the world and innovative tamales from right here in our local area. There will also be offerings for the vegan and vegetarian guests.

The festival also boasts a full bar, live music, performances, tequila tastings, art workshops and retail vendors. Early bird tickets are sold out on their website but there are different tiers of tickets still up for sale all the way until the day of the event. Each tier comes with different perks, swag and special experiences for everybody to enjoy.

The veteran oriented production ‘Bringing it Home’ aims to share the experience of being in military service

Matthew Walker
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The Deploy the Arts program will be putting on the production ‘Bringing it Home,’ a series of veteran driven performances and stories about understanding the veteran experience through theater.

‘Bringing it Home’ acts as both a theme and a title for the production, created by a collaboration of students with and without military backgrounds in the Deploy the Arts program.

The director of the performance is Dr. Gregory Mortenson, a theater professor and head of the program who wants people to understand the importance of allowing veterans to express themselves through art.

The Viking sat down for an interview with Mortenson to understand both the origin of the Deploy the Arts program and his reasoning for creating the program.

Mortenson spoke about the concept of regressive narrative therapy, a way of releasing emotions through narrative performance to help cope with emotions that were repressed during traumatic experiences.

“Rather than ignore it or take a drug to numb yourself, by retelling (the experience) and telling it, maybe even performing it, it drastically reduces the (PTSD) symptoms,” Mortenson said. “These narratives are astonishingly effective, and that’s why they do it.”

John Wilcox, left, and Brody Fitzpatrich, right, perform during the rehearsal of ‘Bringing it Home’ in the LBCC Auditorium on Nov. 28, 2022. The production will perform from Dec.1 to Dec. 4 and showcase narratives from veterans and civilians to bring more understanding to the experiences of veterans. (Desary Vailencour)

Mortenson spoke of the importance of trying to understand the experience of veterans through both trust and conversation.

“People will thank (veterans), saying ‘Thank you for your service’ when they don’t really want to be thanked,” Mortenson said, “If you see somebody with a hat that says veteran on it, just say ‘how are you doing,’ that will open a door.”

“The irony is that most people think you are not really a veteran unless you saw combat, which is patently false,” Mortenson said. “People will say ‘well, they didn’t really go the full distance,’  but yes they did, they swore an oath and gave up their freedom for you.”

“Some are narratives that they have written or narratives they’ve found that spoke to them, and others are from the classics,” Mortenson said when asked about the content of the performances.

The stories in the performances range from Afghanistan, Iraq, Cuba, San Juan Hill 1898, Korea 1954, Ancient Troy, and the Roman War.

“The main thread through all is that we are all damaged goods, but we’re surviving and we’re repairing the damage as we go,” said Mortenson

The production will even feature Trustee Vivian Malauulu, playing the role of Athena during a scene involving the death of Achellies and the toll it took on his friend Ajax.

The ‘Bringing it Home’ productions will performed in the auditorium of the Liberal Arts Campus; Building J. The showtimes are Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 3 at 2 p.m., Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m., and Dec. 4 at 2 p.m.

Admission is free for all LBCC students (with a valid ASB card), $10 for seniors, staff, and other students, and $15 for general admission.

Vikings defeat Rio Hondo in a thrilling playoffs penalty shootout 

Maisie Vilchis
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Vikings defeat Rio Hondo in a thrilling playoffs penalty shootout 

The LBCC men’s soccer team overcame the Rio Hondo Roadrunners 4-2 by penalties in round one of the Southern California Regional Playoffs. 

The crowd showed up for this game as people were lined up on the fence outside the field because there were not enough seats in the bleachers, the crowd already knowing they would not be disappointed. 

The Vikings deployed a high press on defense that was giving the Roadrunners trouble, and as a result, the Vikings possessed the ball for most of the first half, controlling the pace, but no goals came of it. 

LBCC forward Jose Ventura weaves past Rio Hondo players in the match against Rio Hondo on Nov. 19, 2022 at Long Beach City College. The match went full-time, resulting in both overtime and penalty kicks. (Matthew Walker)

Sophomore midfielder Jonath Grado played a major role for the Vikings, drastically contributing to their aggression during this game.

“Johnny sets the tempo, he keeps the ball for us, we can play our game… he’s humongous,” said Vikings head coach Jorge Reyes.

The Vikings were able to create a few opportunities, but their best chance came when sophomore midfielder Leo Sanchez took a shot on goal that was cleared off the line by the Roadrunners’ sophomore center-back, Sebastian Bibian. 

Adrian Acevedo of the Vikings speeds across the field towards the ball in the match against Rio Hondo on Nov. 19, 2022 at Long Beach City College. The match was decided with penalty kicks in LBCC’s favor. (Matthew Walker)

This shifted the momentum for the Roadrunners as they made every counterattack count, but just like the Vikings, they could not convert. 

Tensions began to rise across the field as injuries started to occur and yellow cards were being handed out as no team was able to score causing the game to continue with extra time. 

The atmosphere was tense as both teams were under pressure to score after being given an extra thirty minutes, but the theme and score of the match remained the same as neither team could convert. 

LBCC forward Jesus Moreno attempts a goal run on Rio Hondo on Nov. 19, 2022 at Long Beach City College. The match was decided with penalty kicks with LBCC coming out on top 4-2. (Matthew Walker)

The Vikings gained the upper hand as they netted the first penalty kick and freshman keeper Ryan Swan saved the Roadrunners’ first attempt. 

After three penalties were taken each, it was 3-2 with LBCC leading. 

The Vikings’ fourth penalty was saved and Rio Hondo was given a chance to tie up the score, but Swan came in clutch and saved it as his tram sprinted to the goal to congratulate him.  

LBCC’s Adam Quijano evades a Rio Hondo player during the match against Rio Hondo on Nov. 19, 2022 at Long Beach City College. The match was decided with penalty kicks in LBCC’s favor. (Matthew Walker)

“They were a good team, they worked hard, but we just fought hard until the end,” said Sanchez. 

The Vikings were not able to keep this newfound momentum going when they played against Fullerton College on November 22, resulting in a 1-0 defeat.

Feminine hygiene products need to be kept in stock

Matthew Walker
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Feminine hygiene products need to be kept in stock

Long Beach City College needs to step up their game on ensuring that the restrooms are stocked with feminine hygiene products.

Feminine hygiene products are supposed to be in all California public school, college, and university restrooms for gender neutral, men’s, and women’s restrooms.

This is because of the “Menstrual Equity Act of 2021” signed by Governor Gavin Newsom last October, but since the start of this semester there has been a struggle to keep these machines properly stocked.

This school year, LBCC has been lacking at keeping up with supply. So far, most restrooms are found to be empty of one or both of the product items offered. 

Since the beginning of fall semester at the Liberal Arts Campus, the restrooms in buildings T, V, P, L, and E have been checked twice a week between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. only to find their dispensers empty every time.

A thorough sweep of LAC in October between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. found that not all buildings even had dispensers. Buildings A and M had no machines in their bathrooms while buildings B, C, and D only had dispensers on the first floor restrooms which were empty.

The Art Department restrooms in building K shares their restrooms with the Performing Arts from Lot D, and have always come up empty as well.

Buildings G and H were closed for construction at the time of checking and the Pacific Coast Campus was not included.

Despite these empty machines, Kyle Padron of the Facilities Department said that the dispensers were stocked each night.

So what is happening? Are people taking more than their fair share?

Yes, it is understandable that people using menstrual cycle products may need more than one product for the day, so it should be okay to take a couple at a time to stock up for the day.

However, it’s hard to believe that the machines are getting filled up everyday, because the spring semester had a surplus everyday. There would usually even be a few products already dispensed at the bottom of the machine.

The associate director of Public Relations and Marketing for LBCC, Stacy Toda, informed the Viking they have installed 75 dispensers throughout both campuses even though the Assembly Bill 367 only requires LBCC to install one dispenser on each campus.

According to Padron, the dispensers only hold 16 maxi-pads and 22 tampons.

With 75 machines able to hold 16 maxi-pads and 22 tampons there should be no problem finding these products, yet there is. 

There needs to be a more concerted effort on the part of the school to ensure that these dispensers can actually be utilized.

Transferring 101: the basics every student should know

Jeanette Lem
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Transferring 101: the basics every student should know

The deadline to send applications to California State Universities and Universities of California is drawing near. In case you haven’t done so already or you’re thinking about starting the process next year, here is some general information every college student should know about transferring. 

The deadline to apply for the 2023 fall semester for most universities is Nov. 30. Private and out-of-state university application deadlines vary by school, so be sure to check with a counselor or visit the university’s website for those dates. 

In past years, some universities have extended their deadlines to accept college applications, so in case you happen to miss the deadline, check in with the transfer center or colleges’ websites to see if you can still apply. 

Schools like Cal State Long Beach, however, strictly adhere to the November deadline, so the transfer center strongly recommends you apply before the month is over to have a fair chance at getting into any of the schools you wish to attend. 

Cal States, which are the most popular universities students transfer to, require you to apply by creating an account on calstate.edu/apply. The application website for UCs is admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply-now, and private/out-of-state university applications can be found on their individual websites or on commonapp.org.

When you are ready to begin the process, you’ll need your transcripts from LBCC and any other college you have attended. Your LBCC transcripts can be found in your Viking Portal by clicking the Vikings Student System tab and then selecting Academic Records. 

You will be inputting all the grades found on your “unofficial transcripts,” into your university applications, including every “W” and Academic Renewal grade if you have any. 

If you need transcripts from other colleges you have attended, you can reach out to their admissions and records office and ask for a copy to be sent to LBCC. Note that some colleges may require you to pay a fee to send your transcripts. 

You will also need a tax form (usually 1040) that shows you and your parent or guardian’s adjusted gross income (AGI). If you are over 24, you will only need to input your own AGI in your college application. 

Once you’ve submitted your applications to universities, you’ll need to apply for a FAFSA to see what financial assistance you qualify for to help pay for college. 

Applications for FAFSA are currently open, and the deadline to apply to FAFSA for the 2023 – 2024 year is March 2, 2023. 

According to Judy Quilaton, an enrollment specialist at LAC: “The most common misconception students have about transferring to a university is that it is too expensive. There are so many support sources in terms of FAFSA. There’s even a program called Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan for low-income students applying to UCs.” 

According to the University of California’s website, UC’s Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan promises to pay the tuition fees of students who are within their first two years of community college and whose total family income is less than $80,000. 

Cal State Universities do not have this program, but there are other options to pay for school. FAFSA provides financial support to CSU applicants in the form of grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study programs. 

It is important to input every university you’ve applied to on your FAFSA, even if you haven’t been accepted into those schools yet. If you get accepted into a school but didn’t put it on your FAFSA application, your financial assistance will get delayed. 

The counselors and enrollment specialists at the transfer center recommend you speak with them about the application process, even if you feel that you don’t need help. Ruben, the transfer center coordinator at LBCC, expresses that transfer counselors can offer more than academic help.

“I want to encourage students to stay motivated,” Page said. “So many students don’t make it past their first year because they need to work to cover their needs or they don’t know what their major is. I think the best way students can stay motivated is by not focusing on their major, but focusing on what they want their life to look like after they get their university degree.” 

There are two ways you can get help from the counselors at the center: by visiting in person or via Zoom. 

Zoom is currently the most popular way of getting transfer help. Zoom application assistance sessions are held twice a week all the way up until Nov. 30. In the zoom meetings, you can even request to be put into a “break out room” to speak to a counselor privately.  

If you would prefer in-person help, the transfer center at LAC and PCC is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. until the end of the semester. 

Marijuana can be used to help lower anxiety

Emily D'Amico
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Marijuana can be used to help lower anxiety

Stress and anxiety are common issues among college students, but unfortunately not every student has access to mental health professionals or medications to keep these feelings at bay. The idea that marijuana and CBD products can help with managing these feelings should be more accepted instead of looked down upon.

There has always been a negative stigma around the use of marijuana and marijuana related products in any sense. 

The stigma has gone down greatly in California in recent years, partly due to its use in medical cases and its aid in reducing levels of stress and anxiety in individuals.

In a study of 1,746 medical marijuana patients from nine medical marijuana evaluation clinics in California, by the University of Washington in 2017, 37.8% reported that they use marijuana as a way to relieve anxiety, while 16.9% said they use it to relieve and prevent panic attacks.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, as of this past October, around 80% of students report feeling stressed often.

Although most colleges offer mental health services, there is sometimes a limit on how many sessions are available to the student, usually between six to 12 sessions within the year, or the visit numbers are up to the discretion of the counselors.

For students who don’t have the opportunity to speak with these counselors or who don’t have the means to receive treatment elsewhere and get medication, marijuana can be a slightly less expensive alternative to help and reduce these feelings of stress and anxiety at home.

According to a study about the effects of marijuana on mental health, from the University of Washington, THC in low doses has appeared to decrease anxiety while in high doses it has the possibility to increase anxiety.

CBD, a non psychoactive compound in marijuana, has proven to lower anxiety from any dose based on what has been tested, and most CBD products can be found in drug stores and even grocery stores.

The medical and recreational use of marijuana is legal in the state of California for both CBD and THC.

CBD creams and gels can be found in a wide variety of locations, but those are mainly used to relieve physical pain in the body. Ingestible CBD remedies can be found in smoke shops or marijuana dispensaries, with the restriction of being 18 years old and up to purchase at a smoke shop and 21 years and up to enter a dispensary.

With all the different ways to use marijuana products, there is an option for everyone. For THC users you could smoke it, drink a THC infused drink, or eat an edible. CBD users have the same options for use without the infusion of THC.

The use of CBD and marijuana for stress and anxiety need to be more accepted. 

The effects of marijuana are different for everyone and should be used at the user’s own discretion. In lower doses it can positively affect those with anxiety disorders or copious amounts of stress and give them a feeling of relief. There is a method for everyone, even for people who don’t want any psychoactive effect.

The Vikings face a challenge in El Camino, but defeat them 2-1

Soderek San
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The Vikings face a challenge in El Camino, but defeat them 2-1

The LBCC Women’s Soccer team defeated the El Camino Warriors 2-1 in the first round of the CCCAA SoCal Regionals in a hard-fought match by both sides. 

Freshman forward Genesis Lopez wasted no time dribbling through the defense and around the keeper, slotting the ball into the open net within the first minute. 

Starting fast is something that the Vikings have done all year which set the tone for the entire match. 

Not only did they apply pressure on offense, but they also applied it on defense with their classic press. This led to El Camino’s opportunities coming few and far between. 

When El Camino did get opportunities, they were not able to find the back of the net, but they were able to get close as they got into the box a few times with momentum. 

As for the Vikings, Freshman forward Evelyn Sandoval and Lopez were causing problems down the wings as they do, but they were not able to convert. 

El Camino suddenly became more aggressive in the second half as they realized that they had the Vikings in a position that they were not too familiar with, only being up one at half time. 

“They came back and fought, fought, fought and they controlled a chunk of that game,” said Vikings Head Coach Eduardo Nunes about the Warriors. 

The momentum shifted in the second half with the Warriors controlling most of the possession, which is again unfamiliar territory for the Vikings to have to sit back and defend. 

They did a good job protecting the 1-0 lead and were able to capitalize on the few opportunities that they had when freshman midfielder Melani Guerrero collected the rebound off of a corner and tapped it in. 

This was seen as the dagger until Warrior’s sophomore midfielder Angelica Taylor broke through the middle of the Vikings’ defense and slotted the ball in the back of the net to put them within one. 

El Camino was not able to score the game-tying goal and the Vikings advanced to round 2 of the tournament. 

The Vikings played again against Mt. Sac on Nov. 22, which is a team they have struggled against this season.

Vikings esports loses in quarter finals of St. John Bosco Grim Cup Tournament

Soderek San
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Vikings esports loses in quarter finals of St. John Bosco Grim Cup Tournament

The LBCC esports team made its way to finals on day two of the Grim Cup Valorant tournament, but were eliminated by the eventual winning team, even after pulling off several game winning streaks and clutch plays.

The Grim Cup tournament was held at St. John Bosco High School, and was set up by the Director of Esports at both LBCC and St. John Bosco, Gabe Giangualano.

When asked about the inspiration for the tournament, Giangualano made it clear he wanted the players to experience the feeling of an electrifying crowd found at a traditional sports event.

“When I look at an LBCC esports player now, they are going down a tough road,” said Giangualano. “They are not seeing the fame of scoring a goal, turning around and seeing the Viking[s] crowd just go nuts for them.”

This crowd set-up was provided through the use of the St. John Bosco theater, where computers were set up on either side of the large stage for the audience to watch the players play in person.

The Grim Cup had sponsorship from the gaming world, including 100 Thieves, Envoi, Juvee, Cutting Room, Zotac Gaming, Iconik, MSI, and AWS Game Tech.

“I believe esports is the future of competitive sports for youth that aren’t in traditional athletics,” Nick Stokes, founder of Envoi, said. “I wanted to get involved in that community and that’s why I chose to sponsor the event.”

LBCC had two games on stage at the theater but the first two were held inside the St. John Bosco esports lab, streamed live on Twitch for participant viewing.

The LBCC Valorant team consists of five members, Kasen “Chea” Herroz, Israel “Ghoul” Avila, Calvin “Greenbean” Khim, Brandon “Thermo” Walker, and Elijah “Carbon” Giangualano (the team’s in-game leader) along with the team’s coach, Noah Ferguson.

Prior to the first game, the LBCC players were asked how they felt going into their first games of the day.

“We feel very confident, we are going against high school first and we had a [skrimage] on the stage yesterday,” Walker said.

Before the first game, there was a slight issue with headsets, which caused a delay. 

“We provided headsets, but they are not guaranteed to be the best headsets,” Elijah Giangualano said. “But basically, players couldn’t hear the game, couldn’t hear each other, so the headset was useless.”

For the first two games of the first day, LBCC defeated two high schools teams, Paramount and Schurr, with a victory of 13-0 and 13-2, completely dominating in their offstage matchups.

LBCC was only challenged by their last game of the day against Dominguez Hills where they went from a 9-3 lead to a narrow 13-11 win. 

In their first match in the quarterfinals, Ascent was chosen as the opening map with LBCC starting on defense.

Their opponent, IVC, was a wildcard team that lost in their third game on day one, but were similarly dominant to LBCC in their first two matches, taking two 13-0 wins early in the day.

The first game was not looking good for LBCC at first, with six straight IVC wins, one of which was flawless, but after a timeout to reorient strategy, LBCC began to turn the tables.

After a four game comeback, followed by one win from IVC, LBCC began to gain momentum by scoring four more wins. The first two were victories, tying up the score at 7-7 and switching LBCC’s defense to offense.

Unfortunately, this was not to last, as IVC took a runaway lead and won the next five games.

LBCC called one more timeout, attempting to perform an updated strategy to flip the cards once again, but to no avail. IVC took the last win they needed to win the first match, 13-7.

Starting on the defense again, round two began with the frigid arctic map of Icebox being chosen. LBCC started off strong with three straight wins, working well as a team and collaborating on their plays. LBCC and IVC then exchanged one win each, bringing the score to 4-1 LBCC.

IVC then made a tremendous comeback, winning the next six games straight, followed by another LBCC timeout that resulted in three wins by LBCC, again followed by two IVC wins.

The score was 9-7 with IVC leading.

IVC went on to win the next four matches, achieving victory and eliminating LBCC from the Grim Cup tournament.

LBCC Valorant Players Kasen “Chea” Herroz, left, and Brandon “Thermo” Walker, right, play against the CSUDH Cardinals inside the St. John Bosco theater on day one of the Grim Cup on Nov.19, 2022. They went on to defeat the Cardinals, 13-10. (Matthew Walker)

In a post game interview, the team was asked about how they thought the game went.

“We weren’t really expecting much out of that team, it caught us off guard for sure,” coach Ferguson said. “It was the first time we played them, so they weren’t really on our radar.”

When speaking on how they would improve for next year, the players gave some responses.

“For the first game, I just had the jitters mostly, so I just didn’t perform as well,” Avalia said. “I was able to get my footing in the second game, but that’s just about consistency and that’s something I gotta work on.”

“Understanding more that confidence is key,” Herroz said, “If you play with confidence, it will show up in your gameplay.”

LAC’s Friendsgiving brings students together to celebrate what they are thankful for

Matthew Walker
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LAC’s Friendsgiving brings students together to celebrate what they are thankful for

On Wednesday, students came together for Friendsgiving to celebrate each other and what they’re grateful for.

Games were dotted around the quad at LAC as a live music performance accompanied the festivities. Thanksgiving cards were placed on the tables that filled the quad.

But a Friendsgiving celebration wouldn’t be complete without food which came from Chick-fil-A and vegetarian friendly meal boxes from Subway. 

The musical performance was done by “Cat Hall Band”, who added to the atmosphere of coming together by talking to students while on stage.

The Cat Hall Band performing during an on-campus Friendsgiving event at LBCC’s Liberal Arts Campus. (Paul Jimenez)

“It’s very important to have events like this,” said Buddy Villlalobos, the drummer for Cat Hall Band. “It pulls students together, they need music.”

While students were waiting in line for the food to arrive, student and volunteer Mario Martinez, helped clean and organize the serving table. 

“Since the pandemic, events like the Friendsgiving today have been able to bring everyone closer,” said Martinez. “To anyone who is scared to come to these events, you won’t know what you are missing until you try it out.”

The cards at the many tables on the quad were for students to write what they are grateful for, where many students were writing and talking amongst their peers. 

“I really appreciate LBCC making the cards for us, it’s nice to write about what you’re grateful for,” said Carly Herrera, a student at LBCC. 

LBCC students Kevin Duenas Ortiz, left, and Flor Valencia, right, making popcorn for the on-campus LAC Friendsgiving event. (Paul Jimenez)

Behind the scenes, student life coordinators were seen bringing in the food, talking to students and making sure the music aspect of the event was running smoothly. 

Norman Barsugli, the lead for student life as well as a student at LBCC emphasized the work that is put into organizing events like Friendsgiving. 

“We have to post the event around campus, find volunteers, order food in advance, find live music, and so much more,” said Barsugli. “But it is all worth it for the students. This is where you build friendships that last a lifetime, this is where you network. As a lead, it’s an enriching and rewarding experience.”

After one hour the food ran out, with some students eating their food around campus on their way to classes or between them. 

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