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Appu’s Turmeric Cafe serves Indo-Mexican meals with health, heart and hospitality

Addie Farris
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Appu’s Turmeric Cafe serves Indo-Mexican meals with health, heart and hospitality

Flavorful, authentic, health-centered, and quick, Appu’s Turmeric Cafe calls their menu “Indo-Mexican,” after observing their audience’s need for a quick and yummy meal while still keeping the integrity of the food.

Catering to the “meat eaters” and “non-meat eaters,” Appu’s Cafe takes traditional Indian meals and brings them to an American audience.

First, I was given a veggie Samosa as a “palate cleanser” to “wake up [my] tongue,” according to the owner and head chef, Chef VR.

Simple and crunchy, with a hint of mild spices, I can see how this small treat makes way for more flavor.

Next was the Vegan Mango Lassi, a subtly creamy, noticeably seasoned Indian sweet mango drink made with coconut milk and subtle flavors.

“There’s cardamom and turmeric. Every item on the menu has turmeric which you need to pair with a spice,” Chef VR said.

According to the chef, turmeric is not only a magic spice for getting rid of any inflammation in the body, but it also helps to keep your brain sharp and focused.

Not only are the flavors fresh, but the food is medicine for the body and soul.

“I’ve learned that eating and health are much more intertwined than I thought,” Jack Carson, an intern at Appu’s Cafe said. 

The Mix and Match Tacos, which consisted of the Paneer Tikka Taco, Turmeric Potato Taco and the Vegetable Mushroom Masala Taco solidifies this.

These three tacos are made with fresh, recognizable foods and are a surprisingly filling trio.

The Mix & Match Tacos and Vegan Mango Lassi at Appu’s. Appu’s Turmeric Cafe on Palo Verde Ave in Long Beach serves healthy Indian-Mexican fusion food with a welcoming and cheerful atmosphere. (Katherine Elizabeth Jackson)

Chef VR is a man with a constant smile who looks to keep the smile on his customer’s faces as well.

“Wow, this is mango? It’s really thick, but really good,” said Yaya, an 8 year old customer after drinking the Vegan Mango Lassi for the first time with her family.

Although it’s been a few years since Appu’s Cafe was voted Top 100 Restaurants in America by Yelp, Appu’s is still keeping the vibrancy alive.

Appu’s wouldn’t be your first idea of quality dining by looking at its humble exterior and location right next to the 405 freeway, however the service, food and decor bring a specific atmosphere that cannot be replaced.

The chef even takes the time to memorize and call his customers by name, whether it’s their first or 15th visit.

The heart of the owner is in this place, with customers being treated like guests in his home to a meal with more than temporary benefits.

The owner of Appu’s Turmeric Cafe has generously offered a recurring 10% discount for every Long Beach City College student who reads this article.

LBCC congratulates student clubs at awards ceremony

Addie Farris
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LBCC congratulates student clubs at awards ceremony

Long Beach City College’s Inter Club Council (ICC), Student Life Team and Associated Student Body celebrated students and clubs at an awards ceremony held at the Bob and Barbara Ellis Auditorium, with a reception in the A-Quad on May 20 from 11 a.m.- 2 p.m.

The Student Life reception and celebration is held every year to honor and award clubs. 

ICC is composed of college-sponsored club and organization presidents or their representatives and serves to coordinate club activities to benefit the campus. 

This year had the highest club turnout with 75 chartered clubs. Most of them are new, showing an increase in overall student engagement. 

This year, the ICC was able to celebrate clubs across seven categories. The categories include social, honors, academic, special interest, cultural, and trades and technology. 

Students were provided catered lunch from LV Seafood Restaurant and given a limited LBCC backpack cooler.

“We are here at Student Life to help students organize, plan events and improve their level of engagement. We were so thankful to have the venue today during a time when advisors and clubs can meet and greet with one another,” LBCC Student Activities Coordinator Teila Robertson said. 

Fashion Club Treasurer Jade McNeill, left, and President Andrea Rodriguez, right, celebrate at the reception held after the awards ceremony. The Fashion Club received recognition for the “Most Creative Club Event” for 2024-2025. (Diosa Hippolyta)

ICC President Samuel Perez is trying to develop relationships between LBCC and local businesses.

“We want local restaurants to work with the LBCC Student Life Team to offer students more options on campus instead of having to leave for lunch,” Perez said. 

ICC Vice President Jesus Dominguez will be leaving Long Beach City College with an AA in Biology and heading to Cal State Dominguez Hills to pursue his bachelor’s degree.  

“This was a celebration to honor clubs and to celebrate their overall achievements throughout the year,” Dominguez said. 

This event gives clubs the opportunity to be celebrated. 

“We want to make this a tradition that clubs look forward to every year,” Dominguez said. 

LBCC hosts jazz workshop featuring professional jazz musicians

Addie Farris
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LBCC hosts jazz workshop featuring professional jazz musicians

Long Beach City College Music Department and ASB hosted a jazz workshop opened to jazz musicians of all ages and skill levels who got to learn from featured guest musicians Nicole McCabe and Logan Kane. 

Every seat of room H-110 was filled with students eager to learn from the guest speakers, many of whom were Professor Patrick Sheng’s jazz students.  

McCabe and Kane, who have reached musical credibility separately, have joined forces in their band Dolphin Hyper Space. 

The pair began the workshop by performing an original piece written by McCabe, titled “Landscape.” 

With Kane on the upright bass and McCabe on the saxophone, the two captured the audience’s attention. As soon as the performance ended, hands shot up, with students enamored with their performance, ready to learn. 

The students and speakers immediately fell into a conversational rhythm, speaking the same musical language, referring to the chords and notes within each song. 

When asked about their songwriting processes they both shared their different routines. 

“I like to start with a bass line, I write with a mini keyboard and sing a melody first. I tend to write the bassline, melody, root note under the melody, then core quality under melody,” McCabe said. 

However, Kane seems to have a more relaxed approach. “I try not to think at all. The hardest part of writing is when you think to yourself ‘I don’t like this anymore,’ it’s natural to judge your conscious choices while you’re writing, so I try not to overthink it,” Kane said.  

But both of their processes share one unique quality, which is the unconscious decisions that drive their songwriting. 

They feel stray notes can redirect the music, forming the final version of their tune.

To keep their high skill level, McCabe and Kane make sure to carve practice time into their daily routines, practicing no less than one hour each day. 

“Consistency beats one day of six hour practice,” said Kane, reminding students that even a short amount of practice each day, is better than an entire day of practice once a week.  

After the guest speakers finished their presentation, students were invited to play and receive feedback. 

Students from Professor Sheng’s jazz class were put into randomized groups to see how they could improvise together. 

“I want people who have never played together before…if you know tunes you get to play,” said Sheng. 

Incorporating the saxophone, piano, upright bass and electric bass, students both improvised solos and played established jazz tunes. 

After each performance, students received detailed feedback from McCabe and Kane, where they advised students to be more experimental in their playing, especially when they solo, encouraging them to take that time to make a piece their own.  

Students were able to use this knowledge at their jazz-concert on Friday, where they performed as a part of LBCC’s Big Band.  

Featured artist wins second place prize with artwork ‘Wetback’

Enrique Martinez
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Featured artist wins second place prize with artwork ‘Wetback’

Featured artist Juan Pablo Rodriguez Villegas used the current political climate of the United States to create an art piece that addressed immigration issues and the stigma around immigrants.

Rodriguez Villegas is the second place winner of the Juried Art Student Exhibition, which is open until Saturday. 

He considers his most recent work titled “Wetback” as his most influential and impactful piece he has created to date. 

Utilizing the current administration as inspiration for the piece, he shared that although he was privileged, he was still scared to exist, due to the fear of being deported.

“I noticed myself being stressed and I realize I couldn’t really live normally…I got the idea when I was literally cleaning the gallery, I was zoning out and I saw a wet floor sign and all of the sudden it was silence. I thought ‘wet floor, wet back,’” Rodriguez Villegas said.

The word “wetback” is used as a derogatory term in American language, but Rodriguez Villegas felt called make something that called for attention. 

“I think he took a bold risk creating art that was conceptual and I hope that it starts dialogue about current policies, labor laws and immigration,” art gallery manager Karla Aguiniga said. 

He shared a story of his parents’ memory of being at the immigration office and seeing an older man be denied a United States visa to see his son, who immigrated to the U.S. illegally.

The man was seen by Rodirguez Villegas’ parents begging the woman behind the counter to ‘please get him a visa’ and ‘that he had the money,’ and he had a feeling he wouldn’t be alive for much longer and was hoping to see his son one last time before he died. 

“That type of thing is why I make art actually. That type of things is why I keep doing what I do, not just drawing cars or something. I want to do something that’s impactful and makes you think about this type of stuff,” Rodriguez Villegas said.

He is a first generation student who was faced with learning a new language at a later age in order to communicate with teachers, fellow students and friends. 

Rodriguez Villegas spoke about his life in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, where he had immigrated from in 2022. 

“I’ve lived there all my life, it’s home for me. I didn’t really know what I was doing, I kind of just lived, you know, I had a few friends, I played a lot of Xbox. If I stayed there, I would probably be studying real estate,” Rodriguez Villegas said. 

He expressed that pursuing art while he was living in Mexico was not a profitable career, and it felt like it was out of reach for him to continue to try for it as a career. 

Rodriguez Villegas flew to the U.S. with his family, which includes his mother, stepdad and two siblings. 

“I’m very grateful that they’re very supportive of my art and never say that I need to go into something that just makes a lot of money like a lot of immigrant parents do. Even if she does think like that, she never says that, she’s always there,” Rodriguez Villegas said.

The experience of moving to an entirely new country with a different culture, education system and language was a barrier that Rodriguez Villegas broke down within five years. 

“It was a living hell, but I was just doing my best in everything. I had this method where I would try to find words that sounded similar in English to words in Spanish and try to understand what teachers and people were saying but sometimes I would get a D on my tests and have to find someone to explain my method to my teachers,” Rodriguez Villegas said.

When he was creating art during his time in Mexico, he described it as a hobby, and art was considered a luxury and not a necessity. 

Art became something he pursued seriously during his time at Long Beach City College, as he chose to major in art history and to work in the LBCC Art Gallery under Federal Work-Study. 

“Art is a way to show emotions in a visual way, in a way you can hear or, you know, in many ways. It’s a way to get your emotions out of you and out to the world,” Rodriguez Villegas said. 

LBCC esports hosts ‘Don’t Pass on Smash’ event to boost campus community 

Enrique Martinez
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LBCC esports hosts ‘Don’t Pass on Smash’ event to boost campus community 

LBCC’s esports club hosted its “Don’t Pass on Smash” event which aims to enhance community engagement to students on campus with casual video game competitiveness on May 15.

The event’s game of choice was Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, played on two screens with up to two players each. 

Hosted in the LAC Student Union, the event was open to all, and snacks and refreshments were provided.

Each attendee was given a chance of at least one turn to play against one another at the end of each match.

“It’s more player-friendly, a lot of people know Smash more than Valorant… or all these games that have a lot of micro movements. Super Smash Bros is really easy, open game to get into,” esports representative Paul Cayden Madrazo-Sim III said. 

Madrazo-Sim competitively plays Valorant on the esports team and acts as a substitute player for Super Smash Bros. games.                  

For students interested in joining the esports team, esports director of media Ramzi Steenhoek mentions the guidelines that NACE (National Association of Collegiate Esports) has put in place. 

“In order to compete in NACE you have to hit all the athletics criteria, you have to be in an athletic program, each student has to carry 12 units, full time, they have to have good grades,” Steenhoek said.

Steenhoek also mentioned that joining the esports program comes with access to the newly opened esports lab.

Madrozo-Sim explains that the team is very open to new people, even when playing competitively, and describes them as a fun community.

Esports coach Matthew Dalton helped introduce Super Smash Bros. to their selection of competitive games.

“At the beginning of fall 2024 was the first year that Smash came to esports, it was very bare bones. We only had a couple of players and (I) came in (and) built the Smash Bros. program from the ground up,” Dalton said.

Long Beach MemorialCare holds first healthcare strike in 15 years

Rafael Gomez
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Long Beach MemorialCare holds first healthcare strike in 15 years

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson made a surprise guest appearance in support of Long Beach’s first healthcare strike since 2011 on May 22. 

The one day strike was an organized collaboration between the California Nurses Association (CNA) and National Nurses United (NNU) for Long Beach MemorialCare nurses in demand of a fair contract, which included patient safety and fair wage negotiations. 

Long Beach MemorialCare pushed back at the strike by doing a four day employee lockout, meaning any nurses who went on strike were unable to work until Tuesday.

Healthcare worker Stephanie Bobe shared that she was on strike due to workplace violence, nurse retention issues and the recruitment of new nurses. 

“We have a lot of issues recently, just within the last couple years, where patients or family members, or everybody has been, unfortunately, been affected by workplace violence concerns. We continue to bring it up to the medical center and they continue to want to delay installing metal detectors or weapons detections system. They don’t seem to care about the patients’ safety or workers’ safety and we’re tired of that,” Bobe said.

Bobe elaborated on workplace violence issues, such as patients having loaded guns and machetes in their belongings, as well as staff being attacked physically and verbally and being followed out of work. 

“This is a hospital that has a history of a mass shooting already and yet the hospital still remains unwilling to install metal detectors now,” Bobe said. 

The incident happened in April 2009, when a hospital pharmacy worker brought a gun to work and shot his two managers and took his own life.  

Jack Dang, a Long Beach MemorialCare registered nurse for 12 years, spoke about the layoffs that began in 2024, including management, pharmacy, a large percentage of outpatient pediatric nurses and night shift secretaries.

“They’re (management) asking a lot more of the staff, and we’re getting a lot less in terms of our contract, so that’s what we’re fighting for. We’re trying to make sure that first and foremost, staffing is accurate and safe for both us and the patients, as well,” Dang said. 

Dang mentioned that upper management had been proposing wages that would eventually not be able to support the cost of living.

“The middle and lower management have been very supportive of us, and understanding. Upper management we don’t really hear too much from them, but they’re not doing a whole lot to help out. The increases and the wages they’re proposing will not even offset the inflation, and there’s a lot of things they’re not bringing to the table or addressing during negotiations,” Dang said. 

Kurt Thodi joined the strikers on the picket line in solidarity for his wife, who is a nurse at the hospital. Thodi worked at the hospital as a case manager for 30 years, but is now retired.

“I was here before the union, so I saw the abuse that the management just did whatever they wanted to. After the union, certainly it was much better for all employees, but certainly better for the nurses as well,” Thodi said.  

The strike lasted from 7 a.m.-8 p.m., with thousands of workers participating in the strike. 

“We’re not asking for too much. We’re asking for what is fair, in terms of wages and the rights we need to have in order to take care of our patients,” Dang said.

Update: College sends new information on machete arrest 

Sofia Hopkins
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Update: College sends new information on machete arrest 

Long Beach City College has updated its response after initially failing to provide clear information to students and faculty on the arrest of a man who came onto LAC with a machete today.

LBCC’s initial email to students failed to mention that the man, Rudy Revell, was armed with a machete, only stating that there was police activity on campus and that the situation was contained.

Director of Communications and Community Engagement Stacey Toda provided a statement shortly after she failed to provide an immediate comment on the arrest.

“On Friday, May 30, 2025, at approximately 8:49 a.m., the Long Beach Police Department responded to a report of an individual on the Liberal Arts Campus armed with a machete. A 9-1-1 call was placed at 8:49 a.m., and LBPD arrived on scene that same minute. The suspect was taken into custody within minutes of the initial call. We are relieved to report that no Long Beach City College students, employees, or community members were harmed during this incident.” 

When asked why LBCC’s initial email withheld this information, Director of Communications and Community Engagement Stacey Toda did not immediately provide a comment, only responding to the Viking News via text, “Just wanted to let you know that I got your message and your request is going through our media process. Send me your email again please so I don’t have to dig through my emails. Please and thanks!” 

LBCC has since sent out a second email to students and employees with the same message and an outline of safety reminders. 

The Long Beach Police Department has also released more information regarding the arrest. 

“On May 30, 2025 at approximately 8:40 a.m., officers were dispatched to the area of Carson Street and Douglas Drive regarding a person with a knife. Upon arrival, officers located a male adult subject on the Long Beach City College campus. Officers established a perimeter, and the campus was placed on a brief lockdown. Officers began to de-escalate the situation, and after several minutes, the subject surrendered. He was arrested and transported to Long Beach City Jail for booking and was identified as Rudy Revell, a 29-year-old resident of the City of Orange.  He was booked for brandishing a weapon, vandalism, court ordered violation, and possession of a weapon on school grounds. Bail is pending magistrate review. The investigation is ongoing.”

The Viking will provide updates on this story as needed.

Man found with machete on campus

Sofia Hopkins
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Man found with machete on campus

A man carrying a machete at LAC was arrested by Long Beach Police at 9:02 a.m today.

“Someone came onto campus with a machete, which he refused to drop. The police arrived and they asked to be taken to a hospital to be mentally evaluated. We transported them to a hospital for a mental checkup,” LBPD Officer Kevin Stinson said. 

Rudy Revell, whose name was confirmed by the LBPD, appeared at LAC around 8:40 a.m. according to Stinson. 

“I can tell you that he’s here in our jail. The charges are for vandalism, possession of a weapon, I can say that that wasn’t a firearm, but it could have been a knife, violation of a protective order, and exhibiting a deadly weapon,” LBPD confirmed.

LBCC sent out an email regarding police activity on campus to students at 9:23 a.m. and confirmed that classes have resumed as normal. 

LBCC Superintendent-President Mike Munoz did not immediately respond for comment. 

Director of Communications and Community Engagement Stacey Toda was asked to provide a comment as to why LBCC’s email did not mention that there was a machete, to which she responded via text, “Just wanted to let you know that I got your message and your request is going through our media process. Send me your email again please so I don’t have to dig through my emails. Please and thanks!” 

The Viking News will provide updates on this story as needed.

LBCC’s Big Band to play at Latin Jazz Concert on Friday

Addie Farris
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LBCC’s Big Band to play at Latin Jazz Concert on Friday

Long Beach City College’s Performing Arts and ASB are hosting their final concert of the year with a Latin Jazz performance Friday. 

This event will be held in front of the Bob and Barbara Ellis Auditorium from 6 – 8 p.m., and is free to all attendees. 

There will be a small concession stand and limited edition commemorative T-shirts available as fundraisers for the event.

Afro-Cuban tones and rhythms are on the music menu for the evening with guest trombonist Doug Beavers and conga drummer Jesus Diaz. 

Director of Instrumental Jazz Studies, Patrick Sheng is inviting the entire LBCC community to enjoy LBCC’s Big Band play with additional musical guests. 

This year has allowed artists to travel to campus from other parts of the state and country.   

“Usually my budget is pretty light and I don’t get anyone outside the Los Angeles area,” said Sheng. This year’s budget allowed funding to bring in artists from the Bay Area and New York.  

Students have been rehearsing music written by Doug Beavers who will be traveling from New York and they will have the honor to play alongside him on Friday.   

Sheng hopes to continue this event next year with more guest musicians.

Highlights for the evening include performances from the student LBCC Big Band and the Long Beach Big Band that is made up of semi-professional, professional, LBCC Alumni and local weekend warrior musicians.

Wilson High School graduate and LBCC Big Band member, Jack James will play the alto saxophone at the concert. 

“A lot of the music we are playing you don’t really find when you think of a big band. We will be playing along with the actual artist which is very exciting for us. Don’t expect the normal style of jazz, come open minded,” James said.

“Every concert I have been to so far this year has been so professional and exciting. I think that students are really lucky to have this community college near their homes. They have free access to professional musicians and classes,” student jazz vocalist Jennifer Abod said. 

All are welcome to bring their chairs, blankets, and picnic-dinners for a night of jazz performances. 

The Vikings head coach Casey Crook retires after 32 seasons

Isabel Murty
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The Vikings head coach Casey Crook retires after 32 seasons

After 32 seasons of leading the Vikings baseball program as head coach, Casey Crook announced his retirement from the team after the conclusion of the 2025 season.

“I’ve slowed down, I don’t put in the same energy and passion. There’s a lot that goes into it other than making a line up and putting it on the board on game day,” Crook said. 

Crook comes from an athletic family where he and his siblings grew up playing many sports including baseball and as he entered high school he found a bigger connection to the sport.

Continuing his career in baseball after high school, Crook attended Briar Cliff College in Iowa where he played shortstop for four seasons and helped the team to two NAIA District 15 Championships and was inducted into the athletic hall of fame in 2005.

After his college career concluded, he knew some coaches at Long Beach State who helped him get a small role as a coach where the team made an appearance in the College World Series in 1991. 

“It definitely sparked the fire and I thought I wanna do this and figure out a way to make a living as a career,” Crook said 

Crook coached one more season with Long Beach State and then found himself at LBCC with an assistant coach position in 1993, and then took the role as head coach in 1994.

Since 1994, Crook has led the program to four conference championships with seven playoff appearances and was named SCC Coach of the Year for the 1996 season. 

In 2006, Crook was able to lead the Vikings to the greatest season in LBCC history. The team won a school record of 41 games and concluded the year with a 41-10 record overall.

That same year, Crook was named California Community College Coach of the Year for his outstanding season.  

Crook not only coaches the baseball team but he is also a professor on campus and teaches a weight training class, which he will continue to do for the next few years following his retirement from coaching. 

These past couple of seasons, Crook had some help leading the team with assistant coach Josh Frye and Ken Furuya the strength and conditioning coach. 

Furuya has worked alongside Crook for the past three years and was his former student in his weight training class, he volunteered his time to the team and now fully takes on the role. 

“I think students would be shocked to see his intensity in the dugout because on campus he’s just like any other professor, very warm and friendly,” Furuya said 

Assistant and pitching coach Josh Frye also works alongside Crook and has been for the last two full seasons. Frye met Crook during his recruiting process back in 2010 and although he didn’t end up playing for LBCC, Frye kept in touch. 

“Because of his mentorship I’ve been able to feel a lot more confident with what I do, I feel like I know what I want to do and I feel like if I can be half the man that he is out there on the field then I would have a lot of success in my career. It’s been an absolute pleasure and I can’t thank him enough for everything just in this short amount of time learning from him, the knowledge he’s been able to give me,” Frye said. 

Furuya and Frye both plan on continuing to grow the program alongside new interim head coach Philip Visico. 

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