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International Students Club fundraiser sells Latin American desserts to celebrate heritage

David Sandoval
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International Students Club fundraiser sells Latin American desserts to celebrate heritage

The International Students Club hosted a Latin American Fundraiser that sold homemade Carlota de Limón and frozen candy pops to passing students on the A quad of the Liberal Arts Campus on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. to celebrate Latin American culture and heritage. 

The club was formed to give international students a sense of community and support whilst adjusting to life in the United States.

“We’re trying to welcome international students because they’re far from home and we just want them to feel comfortable on our college campus,” said Jeovanni Acevedo, a club member.

However, the club is not strictly international and is open to all students.

Sebastian Anicama, a club member from Peru, has been a part of the club for two semesters.

“We’re trying to cover a lot of the other cultures of the members. I learned about a lot of new dishes and new things that I didn’t know about,” Anicama said.

“In this case, we’re doing a Latin American dessert and I think it’s a good way to know more about the culture and also engage with more people,” Anicama said.

Carlota de Limón is a no-bake key lime icebox style cake made by layering Maria cookies with a mixture of condensed milk, evaporated milk, and fresh lime juice, and was sold for $5 a slice.

Frozen candy pops were sold in strawberry, pineapple, coconut, and tamarind flavors at $2 per piece.

The International Students Club hosted the fundraiser for general funds and to host more events.

Carlos Isaac Tizcareno, a graphic design major, bought a slice of Carlota de Limón and felt very positive about the fundraiser.

“I feel good. I feel a sense of purpose and that I’m paying the community forward,” Tiscareno said when asked about how he feels about helping the club fundraise.

Anicama feels that the focus on Latin American culture for the fundraiser is a positive, especially with the hostile political and cultural climate today.

“I think these kinds of fundraisers and activities help the members or people participating to connect in a stronger way,” Anicama said.

Conchas, compost and community building for Earth Day

Diosa Hippolyta
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Conchas, compost and community building for Earth Day

Mother Earth was certainly on the menu at the Culinary & Bakery Club’s Earth Day fundraiser on April 22 serving up blue and green conchas and blue spirulina matcha to all Earth lovers in the only Earth Day related event on campus this year. 

The club’s focus is to raise money for a new compost bin system to implement a true “Farm to Table” process that begins in the culinary classroom. Student experience of the management and organizing skills it takes to host events like this for the community was also a goal of the fundraiser.

“Students came up with the whole process. I’m very proud of them because they executed the whole project,” said Marina Krasotkina, chef instructor and culinary and baking club co-advisor.

Krasotkina explains that the club is in charge of taking care of the garden and decided to celebrate the Earth and incorporate it into the design of the program.

The plan is to include the entire process of composting to harvesting of herbs, vegetables and fruits for recipes and new culinary ideas to be developed by students and to include other departments.

“We teach students that come from different skills, backgrounds, education, age, countries, languages. And students have different goals. But I see students getting jobs, starting their own businesses, or just learning how to cook for themselves, how to bake for themselves,” said Krasotkina.

Krasotkina went on to share how the garden would offer a hands-on learning experience. 

“Because right now, I think it’s a funny situation when we live in a culture with culinary shows and competitions and this and that, but at the same time, people don’t even know how to cook it, make a chicken or make a stock,” Krasotkina said. 

The goal is to create a resource where students can learn about what to plant during each season given Southern California’s weather and incorporate it into their cooking recipes. 

Allowing a space to introduce and expose students to natural growth patterns and a variety of herbs, vegetables and fruit used in the kitchen, is an important feature as many students live in apartments and at locations that have limited space for a garden.  

The club focused their menu on Earth Day 2026 celebrated across the country this year and marks the 56th anniversary of the annual event that is aimed at environmental protection with this year’s theme: Our Power, Our Planet as the guiding idea for events and activities.

You could not deny the sweet smell and warmth coming from the trays rolling up straight out of the kitchen with students, faculty, staff and local community members waiting in line to taste the culinary creations.

The fluffy round bakery delights are designed after the Mexican sweet bread (pan dulce) that is shaped like a seashell (concha) with an outside shell made of blue and green sugar.

“It was really good. It’s better than the store. But this one was actually good. But this is like my fourth one,” said Keila Arenas, a first year art major transfer student from Los Angeles City College.

Arenas shared how the commute to Hollywood was becoming difficult and expensive and LBCC was closer to home. The event was a new experience on campus for her.

“I think that’s a really good experience. You know, if they were to have their own business, like if they were to open their own store, you know, they actually have some experience and how to deal with customers, how to set everything up,” Arenas said.

The line started to grow as the morning went on attracting more and more students looking for a quick bite before class.

“I saw the post yesterday evening and I was like, oh my goodness, I love it when they do these because every time I’ve gotten something to snack on or just eat from them, it is really good compared to store-bought stuff,” said Bryan Rosas, an engineering major.

Rosas shares how he used to work at a local bakery and, “You know, the funny thing is I used to work at a bakery around in middle school. I want to say that even then, these are still better than the ones I made with the baker that I worked with.”

The Earth drink of the day was the green matcha and blue spirulina that created a mixture of colors giving off the blue ocean and green earth filled with nutrients.

“So, matcha is also very high in antioxidants. And the caffeine content, it’s not as high as, like, a normal coffee, but it won’t give the cash out coffee. So, it’s a very slow-releasing. It absorbs better into the body,” said Kathleen Talamantes, a first year culinary student preparing the ingredients for the event.

According to the club’s Facebook, the club is designed to promote and teach healthy living within the surrounding communities, especially aimed towards the youth of today. Also, to improve their culinary skills and learn more about the culinary industry.

The club is known as Taste of LBCC on Instagram and states they are a Culinary and Baking Club located on the LAC campus of Long Beach City College

The club meets every other Wednesday with the next meeting being on May 6 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in room V-112 honoring Cinco de Mayo with birria tacos, churros and more food. 

LBCC falls to L.A. Harbor 6-4 on Sophomore Night

Dezaray Jimenez
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LBCC falls to L.A. Harbor 6-4 on Sophomore Night

The Vikings lose to L.A. Harbor on their Sophomore Night 6-4

L.A. Harbor’s third baseman, Aiden Brasher, hit a sacrifice fly to center to score one, breaking the 4-4 tie in the top of the ninth, which eventually became the game-winning run in the Vikings’ loss 6-4, in the last home game of the season. 

Despite the result, head coach Phillip Visico said he was proud of the group.

“I’m really proud of those guys, they’ve worked hard all year long,” Visico said.

Long Beach took a 2-0 lead early in the second inning after a throwing error scored left fielder Erick Espinoza and then designated hitter Cross Stephens hit a single that scored shortstop Ben Howard.  

In the fourth, Stephens hit another single, scoring Espinoza.

Long Beach stayed in the lead until the seventh inning, where seahawks would get two singles to score two, taking a 4-3 lead. 

In the eighth inning, second baseman Garret Rodriguez would single to score Howard tying the game at 4. 

L.A Harbor would go on to score two in the top of the ninth and keep the Vikings off the score sheet in the bottom of the ninth.   

First baseman Aaron Mingo said the team’s biggest takeaway is slowing the game down at the plate.

“The biggest takeaway is just kind of slowing down and working the count,” Mingo said.

#8 Aaron Mingo catches a ball in an attempt to tag out La Harbor player running to third base who ended up being safe. The game took place April 23 at LAC where the Vikings lost 6-4. (Thavarath Ellis)

Mingo added that forcing at-bats led to missed opportunities for the offense and said the team needs to make pitchers work rather than giving away outs.

Howard pointed to defense as a major difference in the game.

“We started out strong but didn’t finish that way, definitely our defense,” Howard said.

Howard said he takes accountability and believes the team can improve in that area.

Mingo also emphasized that the team is mentally prepared but needs to execute physically.

“I think we just need to work deeper in counts and play cleaner on defense,” Mingo said.

Despite the loss, Howard highlighted pitching as a positive takeaway from the game.

The Vikings ended the season with a 12-6 win over L.A. Harbor on April 24.  

The team also ended with an overall record of 18-21, but a winning 13-11 conference record. 

Spring Market Sale showcases student artwork at TTC garden

Keith Lewis
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Spring Market Sale showcases student artwork at TTC garden

LBCC’s annual Spring Market Sale filled the horticulture garden at the Trades Technology and Community Learning campus from April 17 to 18, drawing students and faculty for plants, custom goods and community spirit.

The event was hosted and coordinated by ceramics professor Gerardo Monterrubio and Jennifer Morales, an instructional associate in ceramics, in collaboration with the horticulture department. 

There were various stands where visitors were able to buy handcrafted jewelry, pottery and bouquets made by LBCC students and faculty. 

“And the idea is to bring the community together, to share the talents of our students and alumni, so that we could showcase what students do,” Monterrubio said. 

The horticulture garden brought life to the event because of the various flowers that were in bloom that indicated spring time and the active roosters in the background. 

“It’s spring, you know, the flowers are blooming, because you can hear the birds in the background,” Monterrubio said. 

Not only were there various appliances made via pottery being purchased, but also eye-catching bouquets were purchased by those in attendance. 

Most, if not all, items for sale were made by students and faculty who carry a passion for art. 

Amy Solis, left, a local jewelry maker and designer who’s an LBCC alumnus, shows an attendee her jewelry line based on the Native American agriculture technique named “Three Sisters” at the Spring Market Sale inside the TTC Campus’s garden on Saturday, April 18. The Spring Market Sale was an event for LBCC students, alumni and instructors of various art disciplines to sell their works. (Jacyn King)

Faculty members like Angel Bermudez-Vong, a pottery instructor, want his students and those interested in attending LBCC to learn about the various art programs available for those who carry that same passion and may not have had a chance to explore it in high school.

“These programs, and honestly, this horticulture center as well, I think is something that needs to stay in these educational establishments,” Bermudez-Vongs said. 

Students, faculty and Long Beach residents were allowed to pick various pieces from the horticulture garden and have club members make a personal bouquet of their choosing.

Besides the plethora of flowers featured, there were also pottery wheels that demonstrated how the pottery shown throughout the event that was available to purchase was made. 

LBCC studio arts major Helen Soto, sculpting clay on a potter’s wheel during the Spring Market Sale inside the TTC campus garden on Saturday, April 18. Multiple artists were showcasing their disciplines which included painting, ceramics and sgraffito. (Jacyn King)

LBCC student Khalid Al-Ajlouni described one of his favorite parts of the Spring Market Sale, “Interactions with the students themselves that made it, and (when they) show me how they made all the hard work,” Al-Ajlouni said. 

Monterrubio said the market is a continuing event, however, it mainly depends on when the horticulture and art department has an opportunity. 

Artist Lizbeth Navarro demonstrating sgraffito, which involved scratching designs onto a hard surface to reveal a contrasting color underneath, in this case painted clay, during a workshop at the Spring Market Sale on Saturday, April 18 at the TTC campus garden. The Spring Market Sale was an event for LBCC students and instructors of various art disciplines to sell their works. (Jacyn King)

Watch Me! Women’s Sports Bar provides safe space in Long Beach

Alyssa Redrup
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Watch Me! Women’s Sports Bar provides safe space in Long Beach

The first-ever women’s sports bar in California opened up right in the heart of Long Beach. The bar was opened by LA native and queer business owner, Jax Diener, who wanted a space where women’s sports fans could come and cheer on their favorite teams.

Since opening day, Watch Me! has become a safe haven for women sports fans all over Southern California, as well as the LGBTQ+ community.

As a lifelong sports fan, Diener reflects on the weekly ritual of attending her own local sports bar. 

“Even after pouring hundreds of dollars into these establishments, we always felt like we were never really accepted there. I would leave every Sunday saying, ‘I’m going to open my own sports bar.’” said Diener and that is exactly what she did. 

Diener found herself inspired by the story of Billie Jean King, the former World No.1 tennis player and pioneer of women’s sports. 

“That athlete mindset where you’re just busting through barriers, that mentality, that’s what Watch me! is about,” said Diener. 

Decorative murals on the outside of Watch me! of Billie Jean King and Megan Rapinoe. Throughout Watch me! there is memorabilia of many different female athlete icons. (Alyssa Redrup)

Watch me! is the first bar of its kind in California, opened on July 26, 2024, with three more women’s sports bars opening across California within a year and a half after its launch. 

“There’s a women’s sports movement and women’s sports bar movement,” said Diener.

As of today, there are 27 women’s sports bars in total across the United States, a number roughly quadruple what it was just three years ago. 

“They should be just as common as your standard sports bar, where you see one in every city,” said Assistant Manager and former Long Beach City College student Megan McCoy.  

“The fact that women’s sports and sports announcers are mainstream now was unheard of, the little girl in me that never saw women in sports on tv, now she can see it everywhere she looks. It’s really special.” said McCoy.

Watch me! has become a center of the community not only for women’s sports fans but also for the queer community in Long Beach, and across Southern California. 

While the bar itself is lesbian owned, they also host a wide variety of community events such as karaoke, queer line dancing, stand-up comedy nights, screenings of queer TV shows, trivia nights, queer book club, and party buses that ship patrons to and from local games.

“Being able to step in here and know you’re in a safe space is really cool,” said Cole Whiter, a bartender of two years at Watch Me!

Whiter identifies as nonbinary and said that out of 13 years working in the food service industry, there is a “unique level of safety and comfort here, you can feel it when you walk in.” 

Watch me! is not exclusive to residents of Long Beach and has become a phenomenon across Southern California. Women’s sports fans and queer people alike find themselves a part of the community at Watch me! 

Bar regular Vivian S. makes the drive from Laguna Niguel to watch her favorite games at the “Watch me!” bartop. 

It was on Super Bowl Sunday 2026 when she met her now partner, Christine Padua, at a watch party in the bar. Padua had come all the way from Thousand Oaks to watch the game that Sunday. 

“She stole me and I stole her,” recalled Vivian. 

Bar owner Diener described Watch me! As “Welcoming, inclusive, and inviting.” 

Although the focus of Watch me! is women’s sports and queer events, this does not mean that people who are not members of either of those groups cannot attend. 

“I like to say all ages, races, and genders are welcome here”, mentioned Diener. 

“We always get the question: ‘Well, are men allowed in here?’ We want them to know it’s not a bar only for women, we just focus on showing women’s sports, we love when men come in here and cheer for us because we’ve been cheering them on for decades,” said McCoy. 

By providing a safe space for their patrons of every walk of life, they facilitate a place where women’s sports fans can come together and support one another. 

Candidates are missing the point of California’s housing crisis

Chloe Hall
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CORRECTION: An earlier graphic did not meet our publication standards

Candidates like Matt Mahan are pushing aggressive plans to build more homes by reducing restrictions on building housing and speeding up construction. 

California’s 2026 governor’s race has made one thing clear. Housing is not just a policy issue, it’s the issue to focus on. 

Other candidates like Xavier Becerra emphasize housing affordability, making sure housing is actually accessible to working people. 

However, neither approach works on its own.

Candidates aligned with development policies argue that California’s core problem is supply. This means the ratio of the number of people who want to live here to homes available isn’t proportional. 

Candidates such as Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco often point to zoning laws and the California Environmental Quality Act as major barriers to building more housing and making construction cheaper.

Zoning laws are local rules that determine what can be built in certain areas, such as there are certain height limits on buildings in some areas. 

The California Environmental Quality Act is a law requiring extensive studies to be done during the earliest planning stage that look into the effects of the building in its placed environment. 

The “build more housing” side of the argument isn’t completely wrong. California doesn’t have enough homes. 

The state would need to build hundreds of thousands of units each year to keep up with the housing crisis. More supply should, in theory, lower prices. But a lot of new housing ends up being expensive anyway, which doesn’t help the people who are struggling. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, millions of Americans spend more than 30% of their income on rent. While jobs may offer annual raises typically from 3% to 5%, rent also increases at the same rate annually, sometimes at a capped rate of 10%, according to the California Department of Justice. 

Renters are stuck in a continuous cycle of spending more on rent. 

When the focus is shifted to affordable housing, the argument has its own issues. 

Affordable housing refers to homes that cost no more than 30% of a household’s income, making it more manageable for low income or middle-class families. Democratic candidates support government funding to help maintain housing at lower prices. 

Many Californians, even with stable jobs, are priced out of their own neighborhoods. Affordable housing projects are often slow to complete and rely on inconsistent funding. 

According to Enterprise Community, in 2026 there are nearly 40,000 housing units in California that are approved for construction but are stuck in financial limbo.

The affordability versus availability problem overlaps. It can never be one over the other due to both problems being a consistent factor in the lives of many who live in the state. A realistic solution would address both problems together. 

You can promise affordability all day, but without funding to build housing, it won’t work.

California’s housing crisis shows that politicians should start treating housing as a connected system instead of as separate issues. 

When Newsom was running for Governor in 2018, he had high ambitions to fix the housing crisis, stating that he wanted to build 3.5 million new units by 2025. 

Later in 2022, Newsom refined his goal to that of building 2.5 million units by 2030, however according to a report by Better Cities, as of 2026 only 1.1 million of the units have been planned. 

In 2025, Newsom signed legislation remodeling the California Environmental Quality Act in order to speed up the process of housing development. The changes aim to reduce the months or years that are added due to approval timelines. 

Even with policies today by Newsom in California, we see how solving different aspects of the housing crisis separately, but not getting to the root of the problem isn’t very effective.

His policies make it easier for housing to be approved, but there is a gap between approval and completion, leading to the thousands of housing units that sit unfinished. 

Approvals alone don’t guarantee affordable housing. 

California needs to ensure that projects are actually completed. This could mean creating more state-backed funding guarantees, faster approval timelines and stricter accountability for developers who receive permits but fail to build. 

One of the most effective ways to ensure affordable housing is through social housing. Social housing is a government-led housing model where the state government plays a direct role in building, owning or managing housing so it doesn’t fall victim to market rates. 

That way it is kept affordable in the long term for families across different income levels is that a household would pay no more than 30% of their income on rent. With a mixed income across all tenants, model costs are stabilized. 

Policies are often created to focus on one problem which can lead to isolating others.  

Until housing is treated as a complete solution, gaps will be greeted in policies leaving California with a year’s long persistent problem. 

The current debates over housing in the governor’s race reflect a larger political problem. “Build more” and “make it affordable” are both feasible ideas, but they hardly work alone. 

California needs candidates who are willing to recognize that the housing crisis is both a shortage and affordability problem, and also who are equally willing to act accordingly to fix the problems.

California could increase housing productions by making the approval system more coordinated. Many delays happen because projects go through many reviews and hearings, creating inconsistent timelines. 

According to Housing and Community Development, the process of getting housing approved involves, “lengthy processing time, unclear permitting procedures, layered reviews, multiple discretionary review requirements, and costly conditions of approval.” 

Streamlining this system would not only help speed up construction but also make it easier to implement policies like inclusionary housing, where a portion of housing and new developments are set aside for lower-income residents. 

By combining faster approvals with affordability requirements, California can ensure that new housing is both built efficiently and is accessible for those who need it. 

Vikings stop a ninth inning rally by L.A. Harbor to win 

David Sandoval
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Vikings stop a ninth inning rally by L.A. Harbor to win 

Right fielder Aaron Mingo had three base hits and an RBI as the Vikings defeated the L. A. Harbor Seahawks 14-8 at home on Tuesday.

The Vikings came into the game winning six of their last eight games and have a record of 17-20. 

The Vikings found themselves down early in the game as the Seahawks scored a run in the first inning on an RBI hit by left fielder Andres Roman.

The Vikings responded by scoring a run in the second inning by an RBI double by left fielder Dylan Mayorga that scored Mingo and a solo home run by second baseman Garret Rodriguez in the fourth inning.

Right fielder Branden Lepe tied the game in the fourth for the Seahawks on an RBI hit with two outs.

The Vikings would explode in the fifth inning, putting up eight runs and putting the game out of reach for a comeback.

Designated hitter Cross Stephens had the biggest hit, knocking a two RBI triple to right field and then Stephen scored after center fielder Myles Fendrick collected an infield hit.

The Vikings tacked on four more runs, two in the sixth inning and two in the seventh inning.

On the pitching side, it was a collective effort with right handed pitcher Anthony Buenasada going four full innings with only two earned runs but  secured the win.

Third baseman Seth Dahlenburg batting against L.A. Harbor. LBCC defeats L.A. 14-8. (Photos by Alejandro Diaz Lopez)

LA Harbor would score a run in the sixth inning and try to rally in the ninth, putting up five runs against pitcher Tyzer Handy, but ultimately falling short.

Mingo went 3-3 with an RBI, a walk, a stolen base, three runs scored, and a hit by pitch.

“Just playing free, honestly, trusting in my game and my teammates and just allowing me to go out there and just play my game,” Mingo said when asked why he performed well.

Rodriguez went 4-6 with a homer, three RBIs, and three runs scored.

“Hitting is all about rhythm and getting a little rhythm going. Right now everybody kind of found their swing and everybody’s putting good swings on the ball and it’s helping us put up a lot of runs,” Rodriguez said when asked about how the team has been finding offensive success.

Head coach Philip Visico looks to finish the season strong as his team will continue their final series.

“I’m definitely looking forward to these guys who are going to come back next year and build something off that. All I asked is we just finish the season strong and we continue this run into the next year and prepare for the upcoming year,” Visico said.

The Vikings ended the season with a 12-6 victory against L. A. Harbor and an overall record of 18-21. 

Campus police presence hurts students more than it helps

Chloe Hall
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Campus police presence hurts students more than it helps

Safety that is provided by police presence on campus is overshadowed by fear and harm, directly impacting the very students they claim to protect. Therefore, due to national issues stemming from how policing operates, LBCC should remove its officers from campus.

The presence of officers on campus changes teachers’ views and begins to make them see police as a tool of discipline. This, in turn, results in the normalization of police being used as a quicker selection tool over time.

According to the Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice, officers on university campuses continue the practices of the larger policing institution and criminalize Black students as well as students from racial minorities at higher rates through over policing.

Normalizing the utilization of law enforcement to deal with student behavior begins to make disciplinary issues seem like they need a police presence. 

These escalated responses of expulsions and referrals to police disproportionately affect students who are Hispanic or Black compared to white students.

Black students face arrest rates that are 3 1/2 times higher than white students, as well as being reported to the police at twice the rate, according to data from NBC News.

This data is mostly collected at a high school level, however the pattern does not stop at graduation.

Data from the journal College of Safety and Emergency Services explains how racial profiling extends to Black Americans on college campuses. They brought up the phrase “driving while Black,” which refers to the fact that Black Americans are pulled over at higher rates than other groups due to racial profiling. 

Black students, even in higher education, face higher rates of arrest and police interference.

Extra persecution is not limited to a racial basis. 

Disabled students are also being referred to police at higher rates and report having more violations of freedoms, such as being arrested without a warrant, having their disability ignored, or being questioned without their rights being read to them, in comparison to other demographics. 

This persecution results in a rate of arrest that is forty-four percent higher than that of someone without a disability and is extended to 55% in the case of Black disabled individuals, according to a study done by Cornell University. 

While positive citizen-initiated interactions resulted in a more positive view of officers, even positive officer-initiated interactions ended up causing students to have a more negative view of the police, according to a study done by Columbia Southern University on four-year universities.

The study found this correlation however, they did not find sufficient evidence in their study to establish causation however, they offered forward a few possible reasons.

One reason the study offers as a counter for why that may have occurred is that most interactions where an officer engages a member of the public is most likely going to be a negative reason, such as a ticket or correcting some behavior.

However, even other studies found similar results that, regardless of interaction type or personally having a bad experience, police presence was negatively perceived by the student body.

According to Iowa State University, this pattern continues with students who did not face any sort of persecution or illegal search and seizure from the police. 

They still held negative views of on-campus police and, at times, had worse attendance rates purely from interacting with a campus officer, with the possible reason that students begin to fear that their own behavior can result in harsh punishment.

There has been little research conducted on the effectiveness of campus policing, as according to the Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice, fewer than ten books have been published on the topic in the last four decades.

The lack of concrete information makes it impossible to see if there are any benefits to the systems implemented and makes the negatives feel that much more unnecessary.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the most common college situation that calls for police intervention is “liquor law violations.”

Some examples of liquor law violations would be consumption or possession of alcohol while underage, or the purchase of alcohol for a minor, such as an older student buying drinks for younger students.

A majority of the time, these are not situations that require the police to intervene and could be much better served by private campus security. Police involvement can result in a permanent mark in the form of a misdemeanor, which is something that will be attached to the students legally for life.

Students would be far better served if there were a non-government force that could intervene in these situations and, at most, punish them within the framework of the school to allow their employment opportunities and ability to function in society to remain.

We now have to ask ourselves whether it is worth it to continue implementing policies that target the most disenfranchised among us, especially when results are so inconclusive, obfuscating the benefits, if there are any to be had.

As well as cost taxpayers over $1.5 billion a year to provide these officers for public four-year institutions, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. 

The solution, while simple in messaging, is complex in application. 

We need to remove and replace these systems with less punitive options, such as a non-police-associated campus security that still protects students from crime and ensures their safety on campus; this has to be done while also protecting students from the extreme consequences that even minor run-ins with the law can result in.

Father and son continue generational racing journey 

Sydney Lowe
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Father and son continue generational racing journey 

Robert Wesley Gordon is an American semi-retired auto racing driver. He has raced in NASCAR, CART, the IndyCar Series, the Trans-Am Series, IMSA, IROC and the Dakar Rally. 

While he no longer races in those series, he is top tier in off-roading and also known for being the president and founder of Stadium Super Trucks (SST). 

Gordon created the SST series after closing his NASCAR team in late 2012, taking inspiration from the original stadium truck racing popularized by Mickey Thompson. 

After the trucks were blocked at a bunch of stadiums, Gordon was able to talk to Jim Michaelian, the president of the Long Beach Grand Prix, about bringing the trucks to the grand prix. 

“I was able to convince Jim to let us run stadium trucks as a demo race at the Grand Prix. They are now going on 13 years of Stadium Super Trucks at the Grand Prix,” Robby said. 

Robby’s son, Max Gordon, nicknamed “Mad Max,” is a 17-year-old American professional driver making his mark in off-road racing.

He primarily competes in series such as Stadium Super Trucks (SST), Best in the Desert, and SCORE International. 

When asked about their competitive dynamic, Max Gordon reflected on how it has evolved over time. 

 “Started at Road America when I was about 11 or 12, and now, six years later, we’re competition, and I’m trying to beat him,” Max said. 

This year at the Long Beach Grand Prix, Max went on to win SST Race #1 at the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Saturday, beating his dad in a close race and taking the win on the final lap.

Robby and Max are on a three-generational racing journey as Robby’s dad is a racer as well. 

Racer Max Gordon, nicknamed Mad Max, driving the #7 Eibach-sponsored SPEED UTV Stadium Super Truck, won Race 1 at the 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 17. (Bella Schultz)

Robby has been very fortunate to be able to work on several different cars, with the next project being a super truck for off-roading, saying, “I want to build the next level TRX.” 

On the final day of the Grand Prix of Long Beach, Robby finished second, while Max came in third.

Many families came out to watch the trucks, including one family whose son is especially into them and was excited to see the action up close.

Attendee, Alyssa Palma and her son watching the Stadium Super Trucks practice race at the 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 17. (Emma Rojas)

“We brought our son out to check it out, and he couldn’t take his eyes off the trucks,” Alyssa Palma said. “It’s just cool to see something this different up close, especially with both Robby and Max out there racing.”

Together, Robby Gordon and Max Gordon continue to build their family’s racing legacy, pushing each other on the track while helping shape the future of Stadium Super Trucks.

 LBCC defeats Golden West to move on to Team State Championships 

Liam Hollon
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 LBCC defeats Golden West to move on to Team State Championships 

The LBCC Vikings beach volleyball team edged out a 3-2 victory over Golden West in the SoCal Regionals to propel them into the fight for the Team State Championships tournament. 

The closeness in skill between the teams was clear throughout the match, with 4 of the 5 courts going to a third set.

“It really took everyone today. We know that Golden West is a really good program, but we just said don’t worry about what’s going on in the other courts, just focus on your courts,” head coach Tyler Jackson said. 

Three of the court wins for the Vikings were decided in the third set, showing the grit and stamina the team has developed throughout the season. 

“At first, none of us had our beach legs, no one was really bouncing out of the sand and I feel like now, we all have our shots down,” beach volleyball player Kyla Jones said. 

The Vikings Kyla Jones rockets out of sand to hit ball vs Golden West.

The Vikings won 3-2 as they are headed to team state tournament. (Asa Liberty)

Players also credited the sense of sisterhood that has been fostered in the team with greatly helping their success. 

“I feel like all of us are getting stronger the more we win, especially as partners since there’s only two people on the court,” player Karla Aguirre said. “It’s mentally challenging, but I feel like we always figure it out in the end, even if we’re losing.” 

Jackson also noted how a win against this Golden West team, who came into the match on a 16 game win streak, builds huge momentum for the squad going into the playoffs. 

“Honestly, I think the way we’ve been playing all season, preseason and in conference has helped build our confidence,” Jackson said. 

Vikings’ Kyla Jones jumps to hit ball vs Golden west.

The Vikings won 3-2 as they are headed to team state tournament. (Asa Liberty)

The squad’s entrance into the Team State Championships marks the first time LBCC has qualified for the tournament since 2019. 

“I feel like as a team, we’re even capable of winning state,” Aguirre said. “We’re on a streak, so I think we can keep it going.” 

Despite the 13 game win streak the team is currently on, some of the players still see areas in which improvements can be made. 

“I think on defense we need to stay locked in, sometimes we’ll get tired and play kinda loose,” Jones said. 

LBCC will play its first Team State Championships match on May 7 against an unknown opponent at Mt San Antonio.  

Vikings’ Tyreana Allen lifts off to hit ball vs Golden west.

The Vikings won 3-2 as they are headed to team state tournament. (Asa Liberty)

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