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Ribbon ceremony for the new Welcome Center

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LBCC celebrated the opening of the Welcome Center at LAC. The head of the organization, DeWayne Sheaffer, cut the ribbon to open the Welcome Center that was located in front of the campus on Thursday, Sept. 6.

 

Sheaffer’s role in the organization is to keep the Welcome Center working and keeping it staffed as much as possible. He is responsible to oversee so that everything is in order and nothing is hindering it from growing.

 

Sheaffer states that, “New and returning students must have an understanding of how to enroll, navigate and understand the college life.” Sheaffer emphasizes the role of the welcome center which is to assist those students who has difficulty of what to exactly do in the college grounds.

 

The Welcome Center is not only staffed with those who have been working at LBCC, but even the students are getting in the action through CalWorks.  

 

In speaking with the College Director of Community Resources, Marcia Parker also shared her own point of view of how students should be welcomed in college.

 

Parker shares it by saying, “Anytime a new student enters college, they need to have a welcoming to where they will be able to navigate and get to know the school. They also may need to know how to join student organizations.”

 

The staffer’s generalization of the school wants to genuinely care for the student’s well-being and assisting them in all things so that they can have the best experience in college. This is the mission of the welcome center.

 

Vice President of the Welcome Center Dr. Mike Muñoz was there to present. He gave some insight on how the Welcome Center impact the lives of the students.

 

When asked about this, he responded, “When the student arrives, he or she does not know the steps of college. The center is here to break down these steps so the student can become a true viking.”

 

He then goes on with explaining the necessities of how a student should be properly “welcomed”.

“You have to stay connected with the student and always come up to them with a smile. They must know the ‘hidden rules’ and questions must be answered.” He quotes, “No question is a dumb question” can be seen as an encouragement for students to open up with their problems that they face in life and school.

 

With the Welcome Center opened, students new and returning have all the reason to go. The school is there for you. If counseling is needed, Dr. Muñoz is located in T-2046 for any questions about school or general questions. Long Beach City College is a school where we want all to succeed. Take the chance, and visit the Welcome Center.

Freshman heavy women’s water polo team gears up for upcoming season

anna karkalik
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Freshman heavy women’s water polo team gears up for upcoming season

Coming off a 20-9 win-loss season last year, winning South Coast conference, and losing to Golden State in the second round of regional playoffs the women’s water polo team nonetheless finished top 8 in the state.

Coach Chris Oeding’s goal this upcoming season is to go further. He wants the team to defend their conference championship title, win their division and qualify for state playoffs.

“This year’s team is freshman heavy, we have two returners but I feel that it is a very well balanced team,” Oeding said. “There is a lot of potential in this years team. It’s just a matter of who steps up and shines.”

The teams that have given LBCC the most trouble in the past are Mount San Antonio and Cerritos College but Oeding and the team are ready to take on the challenge of defeating them.

“We don’t really know what these teams have to offer so we just have to focus on our team here and whatever they put in front of us we have to be ready,” said assistant coach Djoko Radunovic.

“The biggest thing is working together and working off each other’s strengths and weaknesses to build off each other and beat our rivals.” Sophomore and goalkeeper Cami Owens said.

As a returner of the team Owens said, “My favorite part about being on this team is just the bond you make with the girls on the team and the coaches.”

Oeding is a former Olympic athlete as he competed in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney Australia. In 2016 Oeding was also the assistant coach at the Rio Olympics for the women’s water polo team.

“Your goal as a coach is to always get your athletes from one level to the next, in terms of coaching whether it’s the national level or the college level you’re just trying to push them to the next level in hopes that what they learn here they can take to wherever they transfer,” said Oeding.

Assistant Coach Bradley Adamson says “I am the conditioning coach but we each have our own little piece to the puzzle and we have a great coaching staff to make this a successful season.”

The women’s water polo team will be playing against L.A Trade-Tech on Saturday, Sept. 15.

 

LBCC Film Professors look forward to improving the department

Alyssa Vega
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LBCC Film Professors look forward to improving the department

The film program at LBCC is a transferred-based program that allows students to learn the fundamentals of film production. The college offers courses in film studies and production. The film professors at LBCC explain the progress of the film department and how it has expanded.

Film professor Alison Hoffman, teaches introduction to film and fundamentals of digital film production. Hoffman earned her Ph.D in cinema and media studies from UCLA in 2010, and has wheeled projects for people such as Bette Midler. Professor Hoffman expresses on her love of film, “It’s a huge part of my life and that it’s my passion and it has changed my life. These students haven’t seen good films enough to appreciate them.”

Film professor, Elias Daughdrill, has worked on his own projects such as Jonas a documentary about his brother and has just finished filming his new film Faith. Professor Daughdrill explains that introduction to film is a class meant for both film and non-film majors.   

Professors Hoffman and Daughdrill have the same love in film and educate their students with how much more they can do while majoring in film such as becoming film editors, producers, and screenwriters.

While pursuing a career in film students also learn a variety of skills such as product management, organization, logistics, and patience.

Alyssa House is a mortuary science major at LBCC and is taking a course in film. She explains that she is only taking the course in order to earn units and to be able to transfer.

Professor Daughdrill encourages students to take a film course, “It’s American culture, education is about learning more,” Daughdrill said.

A common ground that both professors have is the future of film at LBCC where they hope to see it expand into more classes, more online classes, dedicated classrooms, hands-on equipment, and more space.

This past spring LBCC held the Foreign Language Film Festival and the upcoming film festival will have students work being shown.

 

Former President Barack Obama rallies for Californians to vote

anna karkalik
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Former President Barack Obama rallies for Californians to vote

Former President Barack Obama appeared at his first rally this political season to advocate for seven California Democratic Congressional candidates at the Anaheim Convention Center on Saturday, Sept. 8.

The invitation-only rally took place with the message of reminding people to get motivated and vote in the upcoming elections in November.

Media sets up before Former President Barack Obama speaks to Democrats at a rally held at the Anaheim Convention Center on Saturday, Sept. 8. Photo by Anna Karkalik

The rally also promoted the ideas for candidates to reach out to college students and young adults to vote for this upcoming election as LBCC and other colleges have a diverse crowd of students where their voices should be heard.

“This is a government for everybody, it’s not for sale and that is what we believe in” Obama said in response to the crowds concern that minorities voices are not being accounted for in the current Congress.

Former President Barack Obama speaks at rally held at the Anaheim Convention Center on Saturday, Sept. 8. Photo by Sydney Fredericks-Selby

With Orange County traditionally having a strong Republican presence, the “Take it Back” movement hopes to inspire change by winning some California Republican seats in Congress.

People in the crowd hold signs saying #TakeItBack at rally. Photo by Sydney Fredericks-Selby

“The biggest threat to our democracy is not one individual. It is not one big Super PAC of billionaires. It is apathy, it is indifference, it is us not doing what we are supposed to do” Obama said.

Obama stood beside candidates Harley Rouda (CA-48), Katie Hill (CA-25), Josh Harder (CA-10), TJ Cox (CA-21), Gil Cisneros (CA- 39), Katie Porter (CA- 45) and Mike Levin (CA-49) and gave support to each during his speech.

“What’s interesting about each candidate is they are very focused on things that are going on in Orange County, LA County, San Diego but at the same time they are thinking much broader terms. They are thinking about the effects on the United States as well as worldwide. They are global thinkers” local supporter in the Orange County area Dena LeCave said.

LeCave and other crowd members filled with campaign volunteers that were present shared the common belief that these candidates can change the current state of our Congress.  

“We have to get out there and vote. Vote to get this nimrod out of office.” Steve Velasco a campaign supporter of candidate TJ Cox said after attending the rally.

Those in attendance also acknowledged that the change needed in the White House may not come easily but are prepared to undertake the task.

Carol Adamski a member of South Bay Swing Left and Orchard City Indivisible said, “My heart is open and ready to go for as long as it takes.”

While leaving Samantha Garcia, an active volunteer in her high school and resident in the LA area, was asked if she decided who she was going to vote for.

“No not yet. I haven’t done my research on it but I do plan to vote. I’m not exactly sure who is in my district. Whoever is in my district that is democratic I will” Garcia said.

The already enthusiastic crowd left the rally with the drive to continue pushing for these candidates and inspiring others who do not partake in voting to evoke change with them.

Rally participates leave the convention center after listening to President Barack Obama speak. Photo by Anna Karkalik

LBCC fashion department trending in the right direction

Alyssa Vega
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LBCC fashion department trending in the right direction

Although the fashion department is not having its biennial Fashion Show this semester at LBCC, they are still having many equally exciting events coming up this fall.

The fashion department is having many events this semester from scholarships and helping students find their style. The fashion department now has been able to subscribe to WGSN which is the world’s best fashion trend forecaster and it’s being offered this semester.

Pamela Knights, head of the fashion department stated, “Our students are now able to have access to WGSN to see all the trend forecasting, all of the runway shows, the most up and coming and most current just happened runway shows and they are really excited about that.”

This subscription will help students be aware of the upcoming trends and will allow students to plan in advance and get inspired.

“We’re going on a research field trip. We’re going up to Los Angeles to a really nice fabric store called Mood Fabrics. It is the one that they go to in New York on Project Runway,” Knights said.

Knights will go to this research field trip with as many students who want to go so the students have the opportunity to look at the various different fabrics and how they can be used. “We’ll be going to Moschino to look at the products and just be inspired and then we’re going to go to Melrose place and the stores over there are Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs, Theory, Chloe, and Vivenene Westwood,” Knights said.

Students will go on that field trip in order to be inspired by the designer stores so they can help with establishing their style.

Knight’s student, Mumina Ryan is considering going to these field trips and it’s her first semester here at Long Beach City College as a fashion design major.

“I am just trying to get my AA Degree and start my own business back in Gandhi, Africa. My style is going to be Abayas. It is like Muslim clothing, like hijabs and undergarments for the dresses I’m going to make,” Ryan stated.

The fashion department is there to help students with their goals and helping them find their styles so they can be prepared when they graduate.

Gayle Short, one of Knight’s sewing class student, said, “I’m taking classes because I want to become an accomplished seamstress. I’ve known for years that there was a degree in fashion and sewing here.”

“They offer many classes. They offer beginning to advance. They used to offer tailoring which is very important, costume, production and bathing suits,” Short said. “So they really give you a lot of courses that will teach you to become an accomplished seamstress.”

Short came to LBCC so she can one day become a professional seamstress but is undecided in her major. “I want to learn how to do everything. I want to become professional or have professional skills,” Short said.

This semester at the fashion department also offers a scholarship from the California Fashion Foundation where at least one student will win and will be decided later in the semester.

 

Opinion: Long Beach City College not user friendly

Sabrina Picou
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Opinion: Long Beach City College not user friendly

As a first year student at Long Beach City College I was generally curious about this new mysterious environment. Walking around the school made me notice multiple things: one, I have no idea where anything is and two, the school seems a little behind for the times.

The printer around the Assessment & Orientation office was broken, the desk in the library by classroom L167 are damaged and written on and the buildings look old.

If you were to compare LBCC to other community colleges you’ll see the clear difference in protection, technology, and design.

The school’s campus is huge, it’s amazing and there’s many students. From someone who came from a somewhat small high school I completely understand being behind on improvements due to budget cuts. And the improvements are not just about aesthetics, protection on campus could be improved.

LBCC being a campus with more or less 22,000 students should have better security. When I walk around there are not a sufficient amount of blue pillars that have emergency buttons throughout the campus. For a college with around 22,000 students, security should be improved.

An entrance outside the library at the LAC campus displays a tarnished sign directing students to the drop off location. This a busy place on campus where an emergency pillar should be stationed.

When considering the technological difficulties the school is not always efficient on fixing the issues. Around the campus almost all the printers are somewhat out of date as well. There are some areas that like the Assessment & Orientation center that have broken machines. For example, if you were to go to the library you will encounter issues trying to pay for your pages with a card. To find a printer that works with your card will be a miracle.

A printer available for students in the A building by the financial aid office is just one of the many printers on campus that was out of order on Wednesday, Sep. 4. Some library printers have also experienced credit card payment issues.

Protection, and technology are one thing but not being able to find your way around the school can make a new student feel helpless. The maps around the school is another area that might need improvement as well. If you look at the maps you will see words and symbols that can easily leave a new student overwhelmed and lost. This can easily be fixed if the school suggested on the map to look at the school website where a digital version of the map can be found. Having some maps to take as well would help students find their way to their destination.

Although there is a legend explaining the symbols it is still not an easy task while you are in a rush. Trying to remember what you just saw on the map and then walking away from it will stress you out and probably make you late.

The improvements and repairs that the school needs to make are not going to be instant or light on the school’s budget but I believe over time the school can make an effort to help students feel more at ease and not lost. Until then let’s just be patient.

Like father like son; head coach takes son under his wing

anna karkalik
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Like father like son; head coach takes son under his wing

The Vikings football team has a new starting quarterback for this fall season.

The Vikings football team introduces the new starting quarterback for the fall season as Drake Peabody, the son of the head coach Brett Peabody.

The father and son duo will be anticipated on how they interact on the field.

Drake mentions, “He is a good coach. He tells me what to do. He makes corrections if I mess up. It is not as brutal as people think.”

Brett Peabody’s son, Drake has always played quarterback throughout his high school experience. Drake Peabody graduated in 2017 from West Torrance high school.

Drake took the year off from playing junior college football to focus on his studies at Long Beach City before stepping back on the field as a freshman player.

Drake pulled his hamstring while playing football and wanted to have a successful recovery but is very excited to be playing for the first time since high school.

Quarterback #0 Drake Peabody during drills in football practice on Thursday, September 31.

The head coach of the Vikings football, Brett Peabody said, “We sat him out. Which is a really good thing. He got ahead in school academically. He changed his body. He put a lot of time in weight room and taking care of his diet.”

He has been practicing very hard and the way he plays on the field shows a lot of credibility. His teammates are very respectful of him.

The team captain of the defense Vikings football team, Cross Poyer, quotes “I have high expectations on the new freshman’s that are coming up and what they can do.”

The all-men’s social club prepares for recruitment

Alyssa Vega
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The all-men’s social club prepares for recruitment

The Order of Thor club prepares for the upcoming rush week by searching for students to recruit at LAC on Monday, September 17-24.

The social club will be parked south of the A building at the LAC campus underneath a purple tent that reads THOR.

Established in 1927, The Order of Thor is an all-men’s social club established to provide students with the chance to be active and social within the local community.

Students who come to the club interested in joining will be able to participate in the activities that occur.

“The events include taco tuesday handout for students on campus, a bonfire, and billiards at the Lakewood Family Billiards,” said club foreman, Diego Duarte.

 LBCC student Pablo Martinez shares his thoughts about the club. “ I like the camaraderie,” Martinez said. “It’s a great way to meet people and socialize.”

Student clubs offer more benefits than just socializing with people. LBCC student Isai Soliz mentioned the benefits it adds to transferring.

“It looks good on your transfer, some schools want you to build a resume,” Soliz said.

Soliz has been a student at LBCC for about two and a half years and is looking to transfer to CSULB to pursue a major in Hospitality Management by fall 2019.

The club will be recruiting students at the LAC campus for the next two weeks. They will be located south of the A building from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday – Thursday and at club day on Thursday, September 13.   

 

Straws Upon Request

Alyssa Vega
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Straws Upon Request

Over the summer a new fad of not using straws has emerged likely in result of the bill in California that was introduced back in January. Assembly man Ian Calderon, introduced the bill (AB1884) also known as Straws Upon Request. This will impact sit-down restaurants only and will limit straws from being handed out by default by encouraging servers to only provide straws if requested by the customer.

The majority leader of California’s lower house has made it clear via his Twitter account that the bill is not a ban, but rather a way to encourage the state to care for the environment and avoid polluting the landfills and oceans.

Currently, the bill indicates that if servers do not comply with the possible new legislation there can be several consequences. These can include possible jail time up to six months, up to a $1,000 dollar fine, and misdemeanor penalties. The repercussions of not abiding by the bill once it becomes law will depend on different amendments. Calderon has stated that these consequences will not be included in the final version of AB1884.

Long Beach City College political science major, Christopher Lavery, is in favor of the new bill because he is not a regular straw user. “I personally don’t use straws, if they [servers] give me a straw I’m not gonna use it. When I do use straws it’s usually my own and it is reusable,” Lavery said.

Long Beach City College Political Science major, Christopher Lavery, shares his opinion for the new California bill, Straws Upon Request. “I rarely use straws,” Lavery said.

Newly introduced this semester Starbucks is now being served at the coffee cart inside the school cafeteria. Fine arts major, Fengze Yang, shared her thoughts on the straw movement while grabbing an iced coffee. “I think now they [people] just take straws but they don’t know how bad straws are bad in effecting the environment. At first I didn’t know bad straws were until I saw a video of a turtle that had a straw stuck in his body and there were animal protections helping him to remove the straws,” Yang said.

For some the issue of straws is not an environmental issue but a personal cleanliness preference. Harry Weiss, student at LBCC, comments on the lack of cleanliness of straws. “It’s just kind of a waste of plastic it is everywhere, it is kind of gross. When I generally see straws in restaurants I get grossed out because I always see it littered everywhere,” Weiss said.

The bill passed in the Senate on Monday, Aug., 20 and will only impact sit down restaurants as it is currently written.

Minimum wage increase is coming to the “Happiest Place On Earth”

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Minimum wage increase is coming to the “Happiest Place On Earth”

Disneyland has been facing protests from union workers regarding wages since last year. The Walt Disney Company came to an agreement to increase their workers minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2021. The company was paying some workers less than $11 an hour. This upset many workers causing unions to form protests and ask the company for an increase in their wages.

The wage increase at the Disneyland theme park has affected employees that are students at Long Beach City College. Film major and Starbucks barista at the Market House on Disneyland’s main street, Gabby Abir, mentions how the new minimum wage increase is a move in the right direction.

“I think that it’s a good thing, I just wish it would apply to more people so I think it is a good push in the direction in getting wage increases for the rest of the park. The place that I work at we actually get a $.75 premium because of the job being so difficult in comparison to other ones so we didn’t come in with a minimum wage and so I think we deserve getting the wage increase as well,” said Abir.

As students, Disney provides a job that can be ideal for some full-time college students here in the city of Long Beach.

Cal State Long Beach student, Brenda Velasco, shares how the company is flexible with her schedule. “As a student at CSULB, working at Disney is beneficial to my class schedule and expenses. Scheduling at Disney is very responsive in giving me days off for school and studying,” Velasco said.

The “happiest place on earth” employs many students in the Long Beach area. It has an impact on students lives that is not just a positive one.

Andrea Martinez, student at CSULB said, “I think it is both a positive and negative impact because students will be making more which allows to par for some living expenses. It is negative because with minimum wage being higher it is most likely that companies will cut people and hours to reduce labor cost.”

The new wage increase will impact the service employees represented by the unions and will be increasing by $1increments each year, reaching $15 by October 2021.

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