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Opinion: LBCC needs an actionable policy regarding AI to benefit students and staff

Emma Lloyd
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Opinion: LBCC needs an actionable policy regarding AI to benefit students and staff

Long Beach City College needs a definitive and comprehensive AI policy as the technology continues to advance. 

As of yet, LBCC has not shown to be outwardly against AI and in fact has provided resources for instructors on how to tackle AI in the classroom.

The Online Education Committee, OEC, provided the resource in 2023 and even noted that AI can be beneficial inside classrooms and linked to several articles showing real world examples and inputs from professionals.

The school should continue taking an open but cautious approach towards AI and LBCC could start implementing AI to help streamline services at school.

LBCC’s website already implements an AI chatbot, but its functionality is limited as it only appears on admissions and aids but not in other sections of the site. 

Using AI should be taken a step further by incorporating some of these technologies into the college’s library database search. 

It can assist in acquiring information through the digital library, by using machine learning AI it can curate and streamline results for students looking for relevant sources.

AI can also provide help with financial services and class registration by creating plans and guidelines that are tailored to individual students based on their input.

Like any tool, AI needs more regulation, and by implementing AI on a larger scale, it forces institutions to think about where and how to properly regulate these systems.

However, implementing AI would not be so straightforward, and there will be pros and cons in major applications.

The immediate pros would be the ease of access to information and school services. 

On the other hand, building and maintaining AI for LBCC’s use would be costly. 

According to Walturn, a consultant agency that specializes in AI, creating a powerful enough AI from the ground up would range from $100,000 all the way up to $500,000.

This estimate is for an AI that is mid-sized and used for more advanced features and does not take into account the additional costs of maintaining and updating the AI system over the long term.

Regardless of the costs, the use of AI at LBCC would be beneficial for students.

Now more than ever, there needs to be a mode of thought regarding AI going forward and how that integration will look. 

Implementing these measures despite some of the costs will ultimately help take off some of the burdens of work for students and staff on campus.

Vikings Track and Field prepare for SoCal Finals

Isabel Murty
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Vikings Track and Field prepare for SoCal Finals

The Vikings Track and Field athletes will compete in the California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A) Southern California Finals and are expected to take part in the State Championship. 

If the athletes score high enough in the SoCal Finals, they will advance to the State Championship.

Runners Marqus Guzman, Nevaeh Lane and Javelin throwers Gavin Wang and Lauren Ferguson all have the ability to advance to State. 

“All of those specific athletes have the ability and chance to advance to the state finals. As well as our relays, if we put it all together, we can pull off some upsets and get our relay teams in the state meets,” Coach Marcus Caroll said.

Guzman placed third overall in the men’s 100-meter dash and fourth in the 200-meter for his races during the SoCal prelims, while Lane came fifth overall in the women’s 100-meter and 200-meter races.

“We have a couple of them that are really talented, we have Marques Guzman, he’s number two in the state for the 200, but one number one in our region and so he is favored to win,” Caroll said.

Wang came in third place for javelin and hopes to beat Mt. SAC javelin thrower Taiyo Ishiguro, who came in first place during the SoCal prelims. 

“This guy from Mt. Sac named Taiyo Ishiguro, at the conference finals I lost to him by a few centimeters, so I’m trying to beat him, ” Wang said when asked about who his biggest competition is. 

The team is preparing for the finals by having quick workouts and focusing on the body so that the Vikings come into these races in peak form.  

From left, Jahphet Welch, Justin Auston, Malaki Alexander-Fonfara and Khalil Warren running during practice on Tuesday May 6. (Isabel Murty)

“Right now we are doing a lot of fine tuning, making sure our athletes are completely healthy, mentally and physically,” Caroll said. 

According to the coaching staff, the team has to believe in themselves as individuals.

“They can compete with anybody else that we go against. It’s just that they’re their biggest rivals. They have to believe that they can do and not have self doubt,” women’s head coach Karen Vigilant said. 

The SoCal finals take place on Saturday at Saddleback College at 10:20 a.m. and the State Championship at San Mateo College on May 16 at 9:30 a.m. and May 17 at 9 a.m.

LBCC holds cultural graduation events

Sofia Hopkins
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LBCC holds cultural graduation events

Long Beach City College will host five cultural graduation celebrations for upcoming graduates. These events are free, open to anyone and will take place on May 9, 16, 17 and 31 at the LAC campus, all at various times. 

These events are offered by LBCC’s Office of Student Equity as well as individual clubs and faculty that are providing each event with its own unique celebration.

It is important to note that the cultural graduation celebrations are separate from the college’s commencement ceremony, which will be held on June 5 at 9:30 a.m. in Veterans Stadium. 

Students will receive their degrees at the commencement ceremony, not at the cultural grad celebrations.  

“Each event is very different, it’s based on the committee, they get to decide how they want to run their cultural grad celebration,” Itzel Marin, an employee at the Social Justice Intercultural Center, who has attended events in the past, said.  

The first event, Lavender Grad, is in celebration of students who are part of the LGBTQ+ community and will take place on Friday from 5–7 p.m. in room W201 on the LAC campus.  

Hosting events like the Lavender Grad celebration gives the queer community a chance to come together and celebrate each other’s achievements in a loving and supportive environment.  

The Lavender Grad celebration is being organized by Jerome Hunt, a professor at Long Beach City College that specializes in History, Political Science, and African American LGBTQIA+ Politics. 

“One beautiful thing about the Lavender Graduation is that it is not as formalized as the other celebrations. We really encourage our students to come as they are to really feel comfortable in this space, we know that they may not be out, on campus or at home, so this allows for them to participate in the celebration as they are, as their true authentic selves,” Hunt said. 

Previous Lavender Grad celebrations gave students the chance to decorate graduation caps, make friendship bracelets and write letters to incarcerated LGBTQ+ individuals. 

On May 16 from 5 – 7 p.m., the Native Cultural Grad Celebration will be held in room W201 on the LAC campus.  

This event will include performances from Native dancers, drummers, and singers. 

Graduates will receive feathered tassels that they can wear to the official commencement ceremony that will take place on June 5. 

The Asian Pacific Islander Desi (APID) Grad Celebration will take place on May 17, from 9:30 – 11 a.m. in room T1200 on the LAC campus. 

Graduates in attendance will receive pins representing their culture that can be worn at the commencement ceremony. 

The Black Grad Celebration will also be offered to celebrate Black and African American students later that day from 12:30-2 p.m. at the LAC L Quad located outside of the Black Student Success Center.  

Both the APID and Black Grad Celebrations are hosted as a ceremony, and students have the opportunity to have their name called out to recognize their academic achievement. 

The RAICES Grad Celebration for Latino students will be a bilingual event held on May 31, from 9-11:30 a.m. at the LAC Hall of Champions (R Gym).  

“I would like to bring my family to this, so I can celebrate my achievements with my friends and family,” Mia Corral, an upcoming LBCC graduate, said about attending the RAICES Grad Celebration. 

The RAICES and Black Grad Celebrations have the highest number of attendees with a more traditional format.

The Grad Celebrations focus on heritage and culture and offer a chance for students to celebrate their academic success with their families.

The new face of leadership in education with LBCC Board of Trustees President, Uduak-Joe Ntuk

Kay Pham-Nguyen
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The new face of leadership in education with LBCC Board of Trustees President, Uduak-Joe Ntuk

Uduak-Joe Ntuk is the LBCC Board of Trustee President, Long Beach native and community leader serving the city that led him to leadership from humble beginnings.

Ntuk and his son Justice sat down to give essential wisdom on the importance of influencing government if you want to change your city and even the world.

In knowing the power of your purpose, the help of a great team, and by continuing to work toward the goal, Uduak breaks down how he got to his position as a changemaker and how today’s LBCC students can as well.

‘Stages of Understanding’: Portraying Black history through dramatic monologue poetry

Enrique Martinez
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‘Stages of Understanding’: Portraying Black history through dramatic monologue poetry

LBCC invited Joandrea Reynolds and her production company JTainment to LAC to perform their show “Stages of Understanding Volume Two: A Journey Through Black History” on April 22.

The play showcased representations of Jim Crow laws, racism in the south, and the fight for equal rights that led Black people to where they are today. 

“All of these pieces you saw today were my poems. I just formulated them into monologues to make it into a production. They all come from my book, ‘Journey of Discovery,’” Reynolds said.

The play featured emotional moments and inspiring monologues, as each scene led the viewer through different periods of time.

One scene consisted of a mother grieving her child that had been shot while another portrayed a couple getting separated after running away from a plantation, both of which were intense and moving. 

Actor Joseph Proctor played two characters in the show, Titus Wise and Moses Freeman.

The couple played by Octavia Anthony, left, and Joseph Proctor, right, are in despair as they have to separate after having ran away from a plantation together in the play “Stages of Understanding: Volume 2” performed on April 22. “Stages of Understanding: Volume 2” is a traveling play that told Black history in America through different decades in time. (Paloma Maciel)

“I feel like Titus and Moses are two sides of the same person. Titus is a protector and somebody who has a vision and a purpose, whereas Moses has a vision as well, but is more militant about it,” Proctor said.

“Stages of Understanding” had a scene solely focused on a historical plantation owner whose character was named Henry Oliver.

Oliver was played by Shane Weikel who delivered a monologue where he said, “Those maroon communities must be found and destroyed.”

“It’s hard to play the villain in a show, but Henry Oliver definitely fills the role of the villain,” Weikel said. 

Towards the end of the show, many of the actors came out in new roles with picket signs and walked around the room chanting to represent the George Floyd protests. 

“We’re living in an age where we’re not shown much of the systemic racism, so this show really kind of brings it to the front lines,” Weikel said.

Opinion: First year students can get more out of their college experience

Emma Lloyd
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Opinion: First year students can get more out of their college experience

Despite Long Beach City College’s numerous attempts to help students transition into their first year, these opportunities aren’t often taken advantage of, leaving a feeling of isolation on campus. 

The transition out of high school into college can be rough, but on top of that, it can be hard to get involved. 

This feeling, along with the pressure to have the classic “college experience,” can be discouraging for students that are watching their friends start their new lives at their four year universities. 

LBCC is a commuter school, so it can be difficult to make friends and take advantage of the on-campus opportunities. 

Most people go to class and then go home, with little to no time spent actually on campus, removing the option to attend any of the events LBCC has to offer.

These events are designed for students to mix with one another, which gives them the chance to socialize and form connections on campus, making their time at LBCC more meaningful. 

This combination of not meeting people and not spending a lot of time on campus can be very isolating. 

This isolation is not due to LBCC’s lack of opportunities to meet people, but rather students’ reluctance to get involved. 

Before the school year starts, incoming students are offered the opportunity to join Viking Summer Voyage, an eight-day, in person, program designed specifically for integrating new students into LBCC and aiding them into their college transition.  

The school also offers the First Year Experience program, which hosts an orientation at the beginning of the school year where students can meet others in the same position as them. 

This is a great opportunity for new students making the transition from high school to college to get to know both the school and other new students, making the process a lot less daunting.

LBCC also has 127 clubs, most of which host weekly meetings. 

Clubs are a great opportunity for students to interact with other students that share the same interests and goals.

Most of these clubs also offer various events and fundraising opportunities that can help with on-campus involvement. 

Along with its various clubs, LBCC has 18 intercollegiate sports teams. 

Joining a sport is an amazing opportunity to grow close with other students and turn your peers into teammates. 

Another way to get involved is by checking out the Viking Engagement page on the Long Beach City College website. 

The Viking Engagement page showcases various events happening on campus that week, or in upcoming weeks.

This is a great place for students to stay up to date on fundraisers, movie showings, and club meetings. 

For students who are not interested in joining a group or team, the easiest way to get involved is to be intentional with your time on campus. 

This means showing up to class, talking to the people around you and not rushing home once class ends. 

LBCC has created many areas for students to hang out and connect with each other, so taking advantage of those spaces will be really helpful in having a more meaningful on-campus experience.  

These areas include the Connections Cafe, the various tables located all around campus, and the ASB building. 

There are also more specific areas that students can visit such as the Black Student Success Center, the Veterans Center, and the Justice Scholars Program.

As a first year student it is important to turn to these groups and various events to meet other students and make your time at LBCC more impactful. 

For many students, you are only at LBCC for two years, so take the opportunity to make your time at LBCC meaningful. 

Get involved, get to know your peers, and take advantage of what LBCC has to offer, it will make the experience much more enjoyable and less isolating. 

Vikings softball advance to Super Regionals after another shutout against Bakersfield College

Isabel Murty
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Vikings softball advance to Super Regionals after another shutout against Bakersfield College

An RBI hit by left outfielder Sienna Rievely in the seventh inning closed out the first round of softball playoffs, ending in a 5-0 win against Bakersfield College on Saturday.

As this game was the second in a possible double-header, the Vikings were set as the away team and began the game at-bat.

Third baseman Michelle Cervantes throws ball to first base to get out the opposing runner out on Saturday. (Isabel Murty)

Pitcher Hailey Harris took the mound again and pitched a complete game, allowing one hit, and played a key part in keeping Bakersfield in a deadlock until the fifth inning.

Rievely scored an inside-the-park home run during the fifth inning, determined to put the team into motion.

“I really wanted to get the ball rolling… I realized we needed to wake up, ” Rievely said.

In the seventh inning, Bakersfield made crucial errors in catches at first base, and allowed for the Vikings to make the plays they needed.

Right fielder Mikaela Pacheco singled with a two RBI hit, followed by two one RBI hits by center fielder Alesa Gonzalez and Rievely.

First baseman and conference MVP for two years in a row, Anaya Togia believed that the team played better than Friday by making the most out of their opportunities. 

“We started by focusing on the pitcher, but it wasn’t working out so we changed… [first base] came in late, we got on top of her, and we won,” said Togia. 

The upswing of the seventh inning was interrupted by a direct hit to the forehead taken by Michelle Cervantes, who was downed, but was able to stand and left the field to a standing ovation.

Head coach Megan Martinez got a medic to Cervantes as soon as she was downed.

“She was taken to urgent care and was declared fit to play after 48 hours had passed. She’s already met with the college’s doctor and has to meet with our two trainers to see if she’s fit to continue practicing [on Tuesday]. It was a scary moment for her, a lot of emotions were involved,” said Martinez.  

After the game, Martinez expressed that the team is defined by every single player.

The Vikings softball athletes and coaching staff pose around the pitchers mound on Saturday as the team advances to the second round of playoffs. (Isabel Murty)

“We’re one through 22 deep, it’s not just about the nine players on the field… 22 players is what matters. We’re excited to be regional champions and look forward to hosting super regionals next weekend,” said Martinez. 

Round two of the CCCAA SoCal Regional Playoffs will be hosted at the LBCC Softball complex on May 9 and 10 against El Camino College. 

‘Black Rosie the Riveter’ speaks on her hardships in the workforce

Kay Pham-Nguyen
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‘Black Rosie the Riveter’ speaks on her hardships in the workforce

Continuing to foster community and provide resources to Black students, the Black Student Success Center hosted its “Black Rosie the Riveter” speaker to close out Black student success week on April 23 at LAC.

The title “Black Rosie the Riveter” for the event was designed to evoke the image of the original hard working female character “Rosie the Riveter” created during World War II. 

Zella Johnson, a senior construction manager for CTI Environmental, the company currently working on LAC’s G building, spoke about her experience as a Black woman in the construction industry.

During her speech, Johnson told a story about taking a job far away from where she lived at the time, and not having a car suitable enough to drive the distance.

“I was getting up at 4:30 in the morning to take the blue line to my job. This bus pass has seen a lot: fights, drug deals, people doing drugs, I didn’t complain,” Johnson said. 

Being part of Black student success week, Johnson spoke on the unique challenges she faced as a Black woman.

“Being a Black person in this position, being a female in this position, I deal with a lot,” Johnson said.

Johnson described how her race and gender have shaped her experiences, citing instances of microaggressions against her that occur regularly.

“I get men who try to cut me off and people who respond to my emails who get nasty,” Johnson said.

One of the main points Johnson wanted to impress upon the audience was the importance of punctuality, as several times throughout her speech she stressed that being on time always sets a good example.

The presentation was made to be very personable, and Johnson made sure to answer any questions from students in the audience, remaining warm and inclusive throughout the discussion.

Johnson ended her speech with a kind message, which continued to add to the inclusivity and positivity that she sought to foster.

“Everybody here is loved, everybody here is valued, everybody here is seen,” Johnson said.

Angela Fowlkes, the Black student success coordinator, then handed Johnson a certificate of recognition in honor of her contribution to Black student success week.

The Black Student Success Center has been running for close to a year, under the guidance of Fowlkes, who has made it her mission to provide a center for resources and services to Black students.

“I feel like this is all part of my creativity, to provide equitable experiences for Black scholars. The resources are all here,” Fowlkes said.

Fowlkes aims to meet students where they’re at, providing resources and services to meet all kinds of needs.

“A lot of people have mental health challenges, financial challenges, you name it, so I maintain all the resources in the center,” Fowlkes said.

Chris Moye, the counsellor for the Umoja Scholars Program, a program that works heavily with the Black Student Success Center, also attended the presentation.

“The center has been fantastic, always a breath of life for the students. You can always tell students enjoy being in the space, and enjoy the leadership of Ms. Angela (Fowlkes),” Moye said.

“If it didn’t work for Fleetwood Mac, it won’t work for you”: Easy Betty discusses the do’s and don’ts of dating while in music

Jose Rivera
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“If it didn’t work for Fleetwood Mac, it won’t work for you”: Easy Betty discusses the do’s and don’ts of dating while in music

Local SKA band, Easy Betty talks about dating within the band, their contributions to the revival of the SKA genre and the evolution of their band members on Small Sounds, a live performance video series for artists to showcase their music. 

This episode features a stripped version of seven piece SKA band Easy Betty, made up of lead singer Abby Chen, bassist Nat Bogert and guitarist Sean Temple, who frequent Long Beach venues such as The Sardine and Alex’s Bar.

Vikings baseball put up a fight during regionals but couldn’t move on to second round

Isabel Murty
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Vikings baseball put up a fight during regionals but couldn’t move on to second round

The Vikings fought hard in game two of regionals against Glendale College on Saturday with a walk off home run hit by Eshua Desai forcing a game three later that same day, but couldn’t get that win to advance them to the next round.

Glendale College did not wait to strike by putting up five runs in the first inning and followed that with adding three more in the top of the second in game two making the score 9-0 very early on in the game.

The Vikings responded in the bottom of the third by adding three runs making the score 9-3 in the bottom of the third inning.

Shortstop Eshua Desai throws a ball to first base to get the opposing runner out at first. (Brianna Apodaca)

In the innings to come the Vikings got their bats to work, from being down 9-0 they added more runs on the board by RBI’s and a walk off home run to get the Vikings the win, after ending the regular season with a nine game losing streak.

“We tend to wait until we have to really score to put up some numbers and put some runs in,” starting pitcher Myles Dismute said.

Coming off a big win from game two, the Vikings had some trouble finding momentum to put more runs on the board early in game three.

Pinch hitter Myles Fendrick celebrates with his teammate after winning game two. (Brianna Apodaca)

Glendale put up seven runs in total in the four innings of game three leaving the Vikings scoreless until the top of the fifth.

The Vikings were able to get five runs in the top of the fifth and top of the seventh but couldn’t score more runs to get the win and advance to the second round. 

Center fielder Danny Rodriguez at bat against opposing team pitcher on Saturday. (Brianna Apodaca)

Head coach Casey Crook coached the team for the last 30 plus years and this was his last game coaching for the program.

“It’s time for me to step down and get some new blood and some new energy into the program,” Crook said.

During the off season, players’ plans are to continue working hard both mentally and physically. 

“Mentally I’m trying to be more of a leader and bring the team together,” catcher Alex Yin said.

The Vikings ended game three with a final score of 12-5 and their season came to an end. 

The Vikings in a team pre-game huddle before game two of the playoffs against Glendale College. (Brianna Apodaca)

Second basemen Cross Stephens slides into home in game three putting the Vikings on the board Saturday. (Brianna Apodaca)

The Vikings baseball team celebrates after walk off home run by Eshua Desai in game two on Saturday. (Brianna Apodaca)

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