After a lengthy tug of war between both teams, Compton College proved to be a formidable opponent, beating LBCC 93-85 on Feb. 13.
The match opened with a brief spotlight on LBCC’s sophomores, 4 of which served as the starting lineup for the Vikings.
Initially, the LBCC Vikings were able to close gaps created by 3 pointers by Compton College’s Tartars by making the most out of free throws granted by their opponents tendency to generate fouls.
The Tartars, capitalizing on their offensive upper hand, continued to break through the Viking’s defense, managing to score back to back, and ending the first half 52-43.
“We just had some defensive lapses… we played pretty good but in spots we just didn’t contain the basketball like we wanted to,” said assistant coach Hosea Lewis.
The second half seemed promising for the Vikings, but soon enough the Tartars found the space to continue to score uninterrupted, particularly making the most out of rebound opportunities.
In defiance, Lawrence Brown, the Viking’s freshman point guard, burst onto the court, scoring 18 out of the 19 points he made as the top scorer of the team.
However, the Tartars kept finding openings in the Viking’s defense, with David Garcia, the sophomore point guard who continuously encouraged his team.
“I felt like we were getting a little bit stagnant. We get to a point where all we want to do is to play a little one-on-one ball. I was just trying to get people to emphasize movement and get the ball moving, to not let it stick,” said Garcia.
With multiple strategic timeouts, switch ins and a barrage of traded 2 pointers from each team, the second half of the match closed 93-85.
“The team is doing its best… it took us a minute to get there, but David is definitely a leader for us… we need to keep working, do everything that we can to get better,” said Brown.
In terms of looking forward, Garcia holds high hopes for the team regardless of any shortcomings and is determined to finish on a strong note.
“Hopefully we can go three and three on our last three games and I look forward to encouraging the freshmen and giving them a lot of teaching moments. It’s a tough grind, but as long as they stick together next year, they’ll have a better season,” said Garcia.
A benefit concert to help aid those affected by the Los Angeles fires will take place at Alter Society Brewing and Coffee Co. in Downtown Long Beach on Saturday, Feb. 15.
All of the money earned from ticket sales will go directly towards organizations such as Alta Dena Girls, Pasadena Humane, California Fire Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity which support those affected by the fires.
Tickets for this event are $10 at the door, however a donation box will be available for those who wish to give additional money towards helping Los Angeles fire victims.
The show will be headlined by Fullerton rock band Catammonia, and will be supported by other local bands such as Lizi, Anti-Groupies, Alyssad, Grimson, Azalea, and Another One of Your Tone Deaf Friends.
The event will host various vendors selling handcrafted art and jewelry including Tim Chadez, Artemist, Scarlet Redux, and PoppyRu Jewelry.
Flyers for the show can be seen taped onto bulletin boards, bathroom walls, and classroom windows around the LAC campus.
LBCC student, Allie Swanson, said, “I saw the flyers posted around campus, and it looks like something I’d go to.”
Swanson said she has been to an Anti-Groupies show before at DiPiazza’s and is excited that they’re playing another local show.
LBCC student and coordinator of the event, Audrey Herold said, “I heard about all the fires going on and wanted to help out.”
Herold feels especially motivated to help fire victims because some of her friends were living in evacuation zones and were asked to leave their homes.
Herold notes that she chose the lineup based on bands she really likes and has worked with before.
However, she also added some new bands, like Grimson, that she’s excited to check out.
This all ages event is located in a building that once originated as a Masonic Temple, but was sold to the brewpub in 2023, evolving into a restaurant, brewery, and music venue.
“This venue is the oldest building in Long Beach,” said Mike Cokley, the manager of the brewery.
The temple turned venue is set to hold anywhere from 475 to 600 attendees, while also operating as a restaurant on their first floor.
During the show, attendees are welcome to go downstairs and place an order at their kitchen, to ensure they stay fed in between sets.
The bar inside the venue will be serving both non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks.
Doors to the show open at 4:30 p.m. and music is from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
LBCC hosted the first Pan-African flag raising ceremony at LAC on Feb. 6, a tradition that may carry on for years to come.
As the flag made it to the top of the flagpole, an African drum group called “Dembrebrah” paraded their way to the T building, leading all the attendees to the North-side hall for the Black History Month kickoff, which included food and performances of traditional dances of Africa.
Carl Kemp, executive director of public affairs and marketing was the first to speak at the podium with comments about delays in the event.
“We’re starting this thing off late, but that’s not unusual to us though,” Kemp said.
The Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was played as the flag was raised by Professor Jerome Hunt.
Lee Douglas, the vice-president of academic affairs, came to the event wearing cultural West African garb, summing up his feelings towards the ceremony in one word: “proud.”
Douglas expressed his gratitude for being a part of the LBCC community.
“We were just a part of history,” Douglas said regarding the ceremony.
Kemp gave praise to LBCC President Mike Muñoz for fostering a safe space for marginalized student groups.
“I have a very open heart and it’s important to me that every student truly feels heard and that they matter,” said Muñoz, who also helped organize the event.
Board President Udauk-Joe Ntuk came up with the idea and called the event a milestone.
Ntuk and his team are working on creating a Black Student Institution (BSI), which will result in more state funding for programs like UMOJA.
LBCC is big on celebrating the diversity of cultures and making the students and staff feel that they belong.
The Long Beach City College’s beach volleyball team lost their second game of the season 3-2 to Santa Barbara college on Friday.
“We can have more of a sense of urgency. I think everyone wants to win, I think the players are still trying to figure out how. It’s a new sport for a lot of them,” said coach Tyler Jackson.
Court one was played by sophomore Mikayla Curry and sophomore Enaya Vaielua who lost both sets to Santa Barbara College 21-11 and 21-14.
“Our strategy is just to have fun and just not be mentally in the game but just enjoy the game instead of wondering about what mistake I did,” said Vaielua.
Court two was played by sophomore Kaylani Moncada and freshman Tyreana Allen who were able to win the sets 21-14 and 21-13.
“My personal strategy would be just going anywhere deep. I feel like when it’s a deep shot, it’s harder to have a better pass, so I guess I’m off guard and I mess up,” said Moncada.
As for court three, freshman Alexandra Rosquin and sophomore Ryannah Gagau also won both sets with the scores beginning 23-21 and 21-19.
However both court four and court five were not able to keep up, as Santa Barbara had seven to five point leads throughout both sets.
On court four freshmen Camille Agrupis and freshman Alanna Jones, lost their sets with scores 21-11 and 21-18.
Court five was played by freshman Maggie Acevedo and freshman Veronica Lanuza who lost both sets with a score of 21-17.
The team currently has an overall record of 0-2, lost 3-2 to Orange Coast college and are yet to play a conference team which makes their record in the conference 0-0.
“Honestly we lost today 0-2 but just to see where they started from day one of practice to now, I’m still really proud of them, they have been grasping and entertaining a fair amount of information in such a short amount of time,” said Jackson.
LBCC undocumented student club members speak out about new immigration laws alongside a proposal about a “DREAM” center to be built on campus to protect migrant students and offer more resources.
The California Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM) has provided undocumented students with financial and university aid for about six years and all undocumented students should be protected under the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA).
There has been a proposal to LBCC about building a DREAM center on campus for all students who are a part of the DREAM program.
Having a DREAM center could provide a number of resources for migrant students, however, it has not been decided whether or not it will be built according to members of the undocumented students club.
President Donald Trump has enacted many changes as a result of his recent inauguration, including an influx of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) raids in numerous states and cities, creating an overall sense of fear in many communities.
“It’s not right our families are getting torn apart and there isn’t much we could do about it, we don’t have the authority,” said LBCC student and secretary of the Undocumented Students club, Jesus Bernabed.
Advocating for LBCC students, President Mike Munoz sent out emails on Nov. 6, 2024 to students post-election saying that LBCC will not honor immigration holds and will not work with any federal agencies or law enforcement.
A new immigration law, the Laken Riley Act, was signed by Trump which mandates the federal detention of any migrants who have come to the country illegally who have been charged with a crime such as theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, or any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury.
Students speak about their worries, fears, and thoughts in terms of how LBCC plans to help.
“I feel it’s not many resources for undocumented students at LBCC, they are trying their best to make LBCC inclusive for us, their slogan is ‘you belong’ and over the years it wasn’t many of us but we’ve been growing, it’s been a positive change,” said Bernabed.
The Undocumented Students Club was started by their President Melany Murrillo and fellow member Bernabed in 2023.
“LBCC needs to support undocumented students more than ever and mental health workshops would be more than effective, but specifically putting money into a DREAM center will change the perspective of how undocumented students feel. Many undocumented students don’t open up about their social status which deters them from scholarships/opportunities just because they’re scared and a DREAM center will show us that we are accepted, helping us in the long run,” Murillo said
There are some programs to help students or anyone who needs resources about their rights like the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (also known as CHIRLA).
CHIRLA services offer equal protection to immigrants with legal services, and CHIRLA has been around for more than 30 years.
LBCC student, Nadia Aguilar, is also a member of the Undocumented Student club and volunteers for CHIRLA.
“I feel CHIRLA has changed my life and I feel that I wasn’t as open as I am now…This is who I am as a person, yeah I’m an immigrant and I will continue to stick up for my people,” said Aguilar.
Aguilar attended the Fifth Circuit Courts of Appeals in New Orleans in Oct. 2024 which was a case that challenged the Biden administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) rule.
DACA is a U.S. immigration policy that allows some undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children to live and work legally in the country.
This left the fate of DACA in the hands of the upcoming Trump administration and allowed DACA to go into effect in every state except Texas.
“We were waiting for the results and it was so heartbreaking to see DACA being shut down like that. The Texas team was so unprepared and they were talking about migrants like we weren’t even there. The judges gave good numbers about how DACA influences the economy and it just wasn’t enough, now with all the raids it just feels scary,” Aguilar said.
LBCC Department of Communications and college advancement personnel have sent out emails of bulletins regarding drop-in hours with mental health clinicians on both campuses, for any students who may be experiencing stress due to federal immigration policies.
“I am recommending that students use this service if they are feeling overwhelmed. We are actively messaging students to make sure they feel validated and President Munoz has been supporting undocumented students. We will not release any information to authorities without a valid subpoena or court order and our students are protected under FERPA,” LBCC DREAM services counselor, Jose Gutierez said.
Many undocumented students attend LBCC, but it is still unclear what LBCC staff is doing to protect them.
“The DREAM center is much needed for students to connect, build community, and feel safe. We are looking for spots on campus already and are talking to senior administrators about this,” Gutierez said.
If any students need resources with these new immigration laws contact CHIRLA at 888-624-4752 or visit https://www.chirla.org/.
The head football coach at Long Beach City College sent a hostile direct message to an anti-Trump journalist on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday.
The journalist, Aaron Rupar, took to X to post a screenshot of the DM sent by football coach Brett Peabody.
“You’re done for you sorry fascist scumbag, hope you get held accountable for the bullshit you’ve spread. Justice is in the horizon kiddo,” Peabody wrote in his message.
Rupar is an X user with over 900,000 followers who often posts anti-Trump and left-leaning content.
The original X post from Rupar shows Peabody’s name, occupation and football championship dates, making him easily recognizable.
The Viking News is currently unable to receive any comments from LBCC officials regarding the situation due to offices being closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
“Campus is closed in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We are aware of the situation. This is a pending personnel matter and we will be better able to provide comments tomorrow when campus reopens and our Human Resources department is back in the office,” Stacey Toda, LBCC’s communications director, wrote in an email to the Viking News.
Peabody made his X account private after the post from Rupar.
Peabody has been the head coach at LBCC since 2013 and was previously the head coach at South High School in Torrance.
Rupar used to be a writer at Vox in 2021 writing political pieces often centered around Trump and those associated with him, but now labels himself an “independent journalist.”
Since the initial encounter, several people have reached out to the Viking News regarding Peabody’s message.
“Dang coach should be working on improving the team, not threatening reporters on Twitter,” Instagram user @willraschke commented on a post by the Viking.
Peabody has since apologized for his behavior and the attention it brought Long Beach City College according to the Long Beach Post.
The Viking News reached out to Rupar and Peabody, but neither returned phone calls over the MLK break.
LBCC sent texts, emails and phone calls to students and staff, warning them to wear masks due to the poor air quality caused by California wildfires that began on Tuesday, Jan. 7, but both TTC and LAC remain open.
A public safety alert was also sent by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) warning people to stay inside.
“I got the safety alert around 7 a.m. and then the text from the school about 10 a.m,” LBCC student Elaine Pouvi said.
Between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. warning calls, texts, and emails were sent to Long Beach students and staff from LBCC’s public relations department saying to wear masks and limit outdoor activity due to the poor air quality.
“I didn’t know about the fire and stuff, but I wasn’t too worried, I thought it would be perfectly fine,” Pouvi said.
Pouvi was one of the many students and professors who chose not to wear a mask despite the warnings.
“I got the message about 9 a.m. but I wasn’t too worried. I did think it was a good message for the school to send out, it was very responsible.” Professor Jeff Douglas said.
Although most didn’t wear masks, some staff members did take precautions like LBCC matriculation assistant, Mirna Enriquez.
“I’ve been wearing a mask before COVID-19 and it helps with my allergies quite a bit,” Enriquez said.
“I wasn’t too worried about myself and I felt bad regardless of when I got the text because I was more worried about the people it has affected and what they are going through and saying “pray for us,” they are losing their homes,” Enriquez said.
Airbnbhas partnered up with https://211la.org offering temporary homes for anyone who has been forced to evacuate from their homes due to the wildfire.
The Big Blue Bus is offering free transportation every hour to Westwood Recreation center and the pick up location is Lincoln Boulevard and Montana Avenue in Santa Monica.
The skies were clear in Long Beach and were not as thick with smoke as some of the surrounding cities were.
According to fire.ca.gov, in 2024, there were 8,024 wildfires which burnt up approximately 1,050,012 acres and caused one fatality.
There are multiple fires burning in the Los Angeles county areas which include Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Woodley, Olivas, and Sunset.
Five people are known to have died and an estimated 15,000 homes have been in serious risk of being destroyed.
Many evacuations took place in Malibu, Santa Monica, Altadena, and Santa Ana, where the winds got up to 65 miles to 100 miles per hour.
The California forestry and fire detection department has programs to prevent california wildfires called vegetation management, which focuses on the uses of controlled fires to burn excess vegetation.
The program has been in existence since 1982 and has averaged 25,000 acres saved since its inception.
LBCC’s women’s water polo is back on top for the first time since 2006 following a defeat of back-to-back state champs Santa Barbara College on Nov. 29 during the final round of the state championships at the Aquatics Center on the LBCC campus.
The win wrapped up the team’s season with a 39-2 overall record and the number one team in the South Coast Conference.
Olivia Hurley, a sophomore, spoke about what the energy was like before the big game.
“We had the biggest speaker I’ve ever seen. Everyone was picking a song, playing music, and really just hyping each other up. It was just a lot of energy,” Hurley said. “We were pretty calmly confident going into it but there was a lot of energy leading up to it.”
Though the dominant water polo team is no stranger to the playoffs, the highlight of this year was the finals being held at the Vikings’ home pool.
“It was really cool. It was such a unique experience to be at home where we train every day. A lot of my family came and I know a lot of the other girls, all their family and friends and teammates all showed up for us and it was really cool to have that support throughout the game,” Hurley said.
The game was highly competitive and tied at 4-4 going into half-time. Utility player Lola Annear gave an insight on what head coach Chris Oeding told the team going into the second half.
“(He said) our defense was alright but pick up the offense. Make the shots that we were missing and yeah just correct the little mistakes we were making both offense and defense in order to beat them like we had already done before,” Annear said.
In the third period, the Vikings went on a 5-0 run that catapulted their momentum going into the final period.
Lola Annear poses with a state championship ball a the LBCC pool on Dec. 5, 2024. The women’s waterpolo team won the state championship at their home pool. (Brianna Apodaca)
“We definitely practiced all season that it’s not over till it’s over so we didn’t really think we had it until just before the last quarter ended because we definitely respect our opponent throughout the entire game until the buzzer goes at the end,” Annear said.
Jennifer Connelly and Olivia Slavens added two more goals for the Vikings in the fourth period. The Vikings only allowed Santa Barbara to score one last goal at the end of the 4th period to make the score 11-6 and clinch the State Championship title.
It was the perfect way for Olivia Hurley and eight of her fellow sophomores to end their water polo collegiate career at LBCC.
Hurley said she hopes the girls who choose to join the team next year are dedicated and work hard to keep the dominant record alive but that above all they enjoy the experience.
“Just work hard, show up and just take time to enjoy it. It’s really been the most unique experience that I’ve had so far and just so enjoyable,” Hurley said. “Really take advantage of all the friendships and connections you’re making.”
Mar Bernal, a freshman who came from Spain to play for LBCC, said she’s already looking forward to next season.
“I’m excited because I think we have really good freshmen this year and we also can play really good next year. Also Coach Chris is gonna get new girls from different places and yeah i’m really excited for next year.”
CORRECTION: A previous version misspelled the name of the company and misrepresented the story of Ron Dizon who’s grandfather served in the military not his father.
Ron Dizon brought the taste and smell of robust award-winning Filipino coffee to LBCC from the farmer to your cup.
Dizon, the founder of Teofilo Coffee company, brings culture and taste together to make a great cup of coffee from beans grown in the Philippines, always looking for ways to rediscover the perfect brew and keep the legacy of the island alive.
Teofilo is a Filipino coffee shop in Los Alamitos, California that opened in 2020 from the ground up, looking to expand to Long Beach soon.
Their motto is, “now you can drink coffee black again” and is known for their smooth tasting award-winning coffee.
Teofilo takes a look into the behind the scenes aspect of the products that they produce and gives back to those who help produce their product with them.
Dizon is very passionate about what he does and sees his dream in a different perspective, with a vision for success.
Peter Ramirez, CEO of Pacrim Global, left, and Ron Dizon, CEO of Teofilo Filipino coffee company, right talking to LBCC students at the Intercultural Festival. (Tenoa J. Stewart)
Dizon was born in the Philippines and came to the United States when he was four years old.
“My dad was a jack of all trades and he petitioned for us to get here,” Dizon said.
Dizon’s grandfather worked for the United States military as a driver for a general when soldiers were stationed in the Philippines and was therefore able to become a U.S. citizen.
This allowed Dizon’s family to come to the United States and go to school.
Despite hardships of a new environment Dizon and his family were able to adapt rather quickly.
“I remember we lived in a garage that was turned into a house … I still spoke our dialect but like a chameleon I learned English very fast and my parents worked hard. We were on government assistance but we never felt the effects of poverty,” Dizon said.
Despite coming to a new country and having to learn a new culture, Dizon stayed in touch with his roots by traveling to the Philippines to visit.
“Our home in the Philippines no longer exists because of natural disasters, it was destroyed by the volcano Mount Pinatubo,” Dizon said.
Dizon comes from a family of engineers starting with his mother and decided to go to Rio Hondo college where he received an A.S. in Automotive Engineering, before he decided to get into the coffee business.
“My first 20 years of engineering I worked for a lot of manufactures like Honda, Toyota, SpaceX, and it was when I worked for an electric company I realized my downfall was not working for myself. In 2017 my mom had mentioned something to me about coffee grown in the Philippines and a light bulb turned on,” Dizon said.
The idea for Teofilo was born and Dizon decided to put his plan into action with the thought of bringing his culture into the vision.
“I wanted to create something and still give back to my culture, and a lot of the things you see in our shop you would see in the culture, the things we grew up with, ” Dizon said.
Dizon started doing his research as his idea unfolded with his entrepreneur mindset, and he built his company from the floor up.
In 1740 coffee was introduced to the Philippines and the island became the world’s fourth largest exporter of coffee by 1860.
“I learned so much, I started seeing what I can do, I saw so much freedom and working for this car company I was able to create things so freely, I applied the same mind set to Teofilo,” Dizon said.
Starting a business from scratch isn’t easy, especially if you have never started one before, so Dizon found a mentor through a non-profit organization called Score, that helps people with small business.
“I started with them because I didn’t know too much about business and my mentor Jim didn’t know too much about coffee but he connected me to the right people,” Dizon said.
Dizon also sought help from Peter Ramirez, CEO of Pacrim Global, a company that specializes in import /export financing, and they were introduced through the Filipino Consulate.
Ramirez had previous knowledge on shipping from the United States to other countries and was able to lead Dizon in the right direction, helping him establish a line of credit with coffee beans.
“I reached out to Ron to help out with Filipino business and saw that he had a very bright future for him, and I told him all the time he will be the future Starbucks for Filipino coffee,” Ramirez said.
Dizon studied the business inside and out, went to visit the farmers in the Philippines and learned the process of how the bean goes from the plant through the farmer, to the roaster and all the way to a customer’s cup.
Teofilo was started right when the heart of COVID-19 hit and it was very challenging for any establishment to thrive during that time.
“When the economy is low people have to work more, so people always go back to coffee,” Dizon said.
Since then Teofilo has been in business for 7 years, opened its first coffee shop in 2020, and even won awards for best tasting coffee at the Boston specialty coffee expo in 2022 with the Sigay coffee that came in first place as well as other selected beans they have.
“We have two awards for number one coffee which is our Sigay and our Balutakay,” General Manager Glenn Gordo said.
Gordo has worked as the general manager for Teofilo for a year and has worked closely with Dizon making sure the vision for the brand is clear.
“Working with Ron is pretty amazing, he sees something he wants and I put my spin on it and together we see a better vision to execute the plan,” Gordo said.
One third of small businesses did not last during COVID-19 and Dizon made sure Teofilo wasn’t going to be one of them by carefully executing marketing strategies that would work well during the pandemic.
“We are a business that thrived through COVID-19, we’ve held social distancing events and grown every year since that, we also held events for the holidays too,” Gordo said.
Dizon also gives back to the community as well, volunteering for Score and now providing mentorship for others the same way it was provided to him.
He also found an eco-friendly way to help the environment by turning burlap bags that the coffee gets shipped in and making them into renewable handbags that could be used for shopping.
They are sold for around $65 and any extra funds that are collected get used to support the farmers’ conditions, providing any resources they may need.
“They’re working hard to provide me with the quality I need, so we take the extra money and get them new tools, clothes, or anything to make their jobs easier,” Dizon said, “We want them to be comfortable.”
Dizon also showed up to LBCC’s Intercultural Festival and gave out samples of coffee to students and staff.
Teofilo coffee shop is located at 10525 Los Alamitos Blvd. Los Alamitos, California and the hours are from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Once performing on the television series American Idol, Long Beach City College student Marcio Donaldson combines business and music to succeed despite the challenges that have come his way.
“I’ve been trying out for the show since I was 16, but I didn’t get on the show until I was 28. So 12 years straight I tried out,” Donaldson said.
American Idol does not allow contestants over the age of 28 to compete on the show.
Donaldson had previously been on American Idol for season 15 but did not make it very far, however that didn’t stop him from auditioning for what was going to be his last opportunity.
As a child, Donaldson oscillated between Norwalk and Compton.
During that time, his mother was unable to care for him, so Donaldson was placed in his father’s care until reunification was possible.
According to his mother, Theresa Payne, Donaldson always had a talent for singing.
“I mean I had to recognize it, he was about one year old hitting high notes,” Payne said.
The career didn’t feel right, so he took a break from school.
“I opted out of college when I was 23. I did everything financially on my own and I was a server at the Cheesecake Factory. I paid for music videos out of my own pocket and played shows,” Donaldson said.
Then, Donaldson’s sister had a baby boy named Rashad that she was unable to care for due to drug addiction.
Donaldson’s sister has been on drugs since she was 21, so he became the caregiver to Rashad, who he calls his “nephew-son”.
“She brought this baby to me and I was at a loss for words, he really pushed me,” Donaldson said.
When his sister brought Rashad to Donaldson, he felt a sense of responsibility for the newborn.
“I had to speak up for this child, I need to feed him and the only thing I could do was sing,” Donaldson said.
American Idol does not allow contestants over the age of 28 to compete on the show, so this would be his last chance.
“American Idol was holding open calls via the internet (for season 16), so I sent in my audition tape. At the time (6-month-old Rashad) was crying and he would not be quiet unless I was singing to him,” Donaldson said.
The audition process was lengthy and included a four-month waiting time according to Donaldson.
During that time, he took the opportunity to travel to Austin, Texas for an open audition to increase his chances.
“I called up my mom one night and asked her if she could watch Rashad while I try because there’s something I know I need to do as an entertainer,” Donaldson said.
Donaldson’s mother continued to support him from home.
“I just wanted everything to go well for him,” Payne said.
After a 17 hour layover in Colorado, Donaldson made it to the open audition and was rejected.
“They looked at me and said, ‘We just aren’t feeling it and you’re not what we’re looking for,’” Donaldson said.
As Donaldson came home feeling defeated, he heard his phone buzz.
His online audition from four months prior had been accepted.
“The email said, ‘We know who you are, we’ve seen you over the years auditioning, you’re going straight to the judges,” Donaldson said.
Donaldson took his nephew-son Rashad to his audition, and from that moment on he was featured on American Idol.
During his televised audition and the performances that followed, he sang for his nephew-son who was still under his care due to his sister’s ongoing drug addiction.
“Not only was I singing to this child, but there’s a million other children and there’s a billion people in this world that go through what Rashad was going through,” Donaldson said.
At 28 years old, Donaldson progressed to the top 14 on American Idol season 16 before being eliminated.
Donaldson believes he didn’t make it all the way because he got in his head.
“I had a dream that I was going to win, I saw myself winning, but I second-guessed myself under the pressure,” Donaldson said.
Naturally, both he and his family were disappointed.
“It was a heavy punch to the gut, but it’s a learning process and he came out better,” Payne said.
American Idol gave him opportunities Donaldson wouldn’t have had otherwise, fans even made a GoFundMe for $7,000 to help him with his bills after hearing his story.
Moving on from American Idol, Donaldson continued his music career and maintained care of Rashad.
Before becoming a student at LBCC, Donaldson released his single ‘Casualty of Love’ in 2021, which has become his favorite.
“‘Casualty of Love’ is universal. Love is tragic, it’s a casualty,” Donaldson said.
While ‘Casualty of Love’ expanded Donaldson’s career, he felt that he was missing what he needed to truly succeed in music.
Donaldson came back to college at LBCC, which has given him insight into aspects of business that are entwined with the music industry.
“I feel like people don’t respect you unless you learn all the facets of what you’re doing. I learned fairly early on in American Idol that there were a lot of business things I did not know,” Donaldson said.
More than that, he has made friends along the way.
Marcio Donaldson laughs in front of the Long Beach City College Welcome Center on Dec. 3 2024. Donaldson is going to school to further his career and prove to his children that they can too. (Sofia Hopkins).
“Marcio is such a genuine person, he’s been through a lot, but even through it he has so much love to give,” said Donaldson’s friend and classmate, Natalie Moumdjian.
Not only is he going to school for himself, but he’s also doing it for his children, which now include seven-year-old Rashad, a two-year-old, and a one-year-old.
“They need to know that through adversity you still need to work hard. I was always a scholar, I just needed to substantiate my place in the industry,” Donaldson explained.
Throughout his education, Donaldson has continued his love for music.
He will be performing in Las Vegas on Dec. 19 and Feb. 25 with Grammy and Emmy winner Diane Warren.
Donaldson learns from his experiences and hardships and turns them into music.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself because you’ve already accomplished so much more than what you thought you could, oftentimes we think too much about winning as opposed to the process alone of getting there, don’t miss that,” Donaldson said.
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