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Profesor de LBCC durante el día, Locutor Público de los Anaheim Ducks durante la noche

Camila Vargas
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Disclaimer: The Viking News is translating a number of articles to Spanish throughout the semester. This is one of the articles translated, previously published in English.

La temporada de hockey está a punto de comenzar y el profesor de Long Beach City College, Phil Hulett, no podría estar más emocionado por la próxima temporada, ya que se prepara para su 27º año como locutor público de los Anaheim Ducks.

Phil Hulett ha sido el locutor público de los Anaheim Ducks desde 1996.

“Creo que la pasión creció”, dijo Hullet sobre lo que encendió su pasión por este campo.

Al comienzo de su carrera, Hulett asistió a Cal State Long Beach y obtuvo una licenciatura en radio, televisión y cine, donde descubrió su amor por la radio y rápidamente se hizo cargo de la estación de radio allí, ya que su sueño era ser locutor de radio.

En febrero de 1995, KNAC, una famosa estación de radio de heavy metal de Los Ángeles en los años 80 y 90, terminó convirtiéndose en una estación de radio en español tres años después. Hulett y algunos de sus amigos vieron una oportunidad tan clara como el día al comprar la estación de radio.

Como resultado de la compra, la estación de radio se convirtió en un gran éxito y pudo cumplir su sueño de ser locutor de radio para la estación.

A pesar de que todo parecía ir sobre ruedas, Hulett no estaba muy seguro de su voz hasta más adelante en su carrera.

El profesor de LBCC y locutor de los Anaheim Ducks, Phil Hulett, mostrando algo de personalidad fuera del Honda Center antes del juego. (Brianna Apodaca)

Una vez que captó la atención de las personas que escuchaban la radio, su confianza se disparó, ya que quedó satisfecho con su voz y la calidad de su emisora de radio.

Hulett decidió dirigir su atención hacia los deportes después de su éxito con KNAC. Llamó a los Los Angeles “Angels” para preguntar quién estaba a cargo de los locutores públicos.

La llamada telefónica terminó con Hulett teniendo la oportunidad de anunciar tres juegos con el difunto David Courtney, y al tercer día, Hulett estaba anunciando las tres entradas intermedias contra los Angels y los Mariners.

Hulett centró su atención en el hockey y se convirtió en el locutor público de los Los Angeles Blades.

Hulett nunca fue un aficionado al hockey en su juventud. Seguía el béisbol y el baloncesto, pero la oportunidad de ser un locutor público de hockey lo convirtió en un gran fanático del hockey.

“Pude aprender sobre el hockey haciendo eso”, declaró Hulett en respuesta a convertirse en el locutor público de los Blades.

Al final de la primera temporada con los Blades, Hulett fue contactado por los Long Beach Ice Dogs, que era un equipo de hockey sobre hielo de ligas menores afiliado a los Boston Bruins.

Cuando la temporada con los Ice Dogs llegó a su fin, fue contactado por los Anaheim Mighty Ducks y aceptó su oferta de trabajo para ser el nuevo locutor público de ellos, y ha estado con el equipo desde entonces.

Dado que Phil es solo profesor a tiempo parcial, no tiene problemas para equilibrar su trabajo como profesor y su papel como locutor público de los Ducks.

Dado que Hulett trabajó para la NHL, el profesor de LBCC y jefe del programa de radio y televisión, Robert Hersh, se dio cuenta de que Hulett era la persona perfecta para la clase de producción de radio como profesor en ese momento, ya que el profesor anterior se estaba jubilando.

“Estaba buscando específicamente a personas que trabajan actualmente en la industria”, aclara Hersh al hablar de lo que buscaba en el proceso de contratación.

“Es agradable poder traer a profesores que aporten ese nivel de experiencia a la clase”.

Hulett mencionó que uno de sus juegos favoritos que anunció fue en 2007 cuando los Ducks ganaron la Copa Stanley, ya que tuvo la oportunidad de celebrar en el hielo con el equipo y besar la copa.

Pero en cuanto a lo más emocionante, dijo que fue cuando anunció el Clásico Mundial de Béisbol en el estadio de los Angel contra Corea del Norte y México, en el que Hulett afirmó: “La multitud estaba absolutamente emocionada” como razón.

“La multitud estaba absolutamente emocionada”, dijo Hulett.

Hulett está ansioso y listo para anunciar una vez más para los Anaheim Ducks, ya que la temporada comenzó el 14 de octubre de 2023.

Complexcon blends fashion, music, technology and art

Matthew Gregory
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Complexcon blends fashion, music, technology and art

Hundreds of people, dressed in flashy sneakers and bold outfits, milled about the convention center in Long Beach for Complexcon, a festival highlighting the latest in fashion, music, art and innovation on Nov. 18 and 19.

The festival is an opportunity for attendees to shop the latest sneakers and clothing while taking in art and live music. Many brands use Complexcon as a stage to introduce exclusive merch drops and innovations in shoe technology.

With 2-day tickets starting at $144, the festival tends to attract those who are serious about staying on trend.

For those with a casual interest in the scene, they feel the ticket price is worth being able to see the likes of Chris Brown, Lauren London and Russell Westbrook who visited booths and strolled the festival grounds over the weekend. 

One such attendee is Christian Augustine who traveled from Canada to attend Complexcon and shelled out $600 for a VIP pass. 

In addition to the benefits of regular admission he was also able to get first access to the items he wanted to buy.

“We get to shop two hours earlier than everyone else, which is cool because things tend to sell out,” Augustine said. 

Ticket holders were able to attend star studded panels taking place over the weekend, titled Complexcon(versations). 

For the first panel, former Nike marketer Bimma Willaims hosted a live taping of his podcast with rapper and producer IDK for Williams’ podcast “Claima.”

“Claima” explores the idea of turning one’s hobbies into lucrative businesses and ushering in the next generation of creatives. 

Shoes from an exclusive Saucony brand drop were given away at the end of the panel.

Throughout the weekend, other panels included rapper T.I. promoting his new indie film, Oakley’s creative executives and collaborators discussing the legacy of the brand and a panel on the future of streetwear.

Sneaker of the year was announced at one of the most anticipated panels on day two.

As in years past, the conversation around the hottest sneaker drew heavy contention. 

For 2023, a New Balance collaboration with rapper Action Bronson was named as the sneaker of the year to a crowd of mixed reactions. 

“The shoe kinda looks like him. If he was a shoe, that’d be him (Action Bronson),” rapper Lil Yachty, who sat on the panel joked.

Streetwear brand RTFKT and Nike collaborated on the Dunk Genesis OG, a futuristic looking shoe in a silver and blue colorway with detachable components and a metallic overlay which created a buzz over the weekend.

Other brands with exclusive merch drops for the weekend were Members of the Rage (MOTR) owned by Kid Cudi, Open Air, and Adidas. 

Aside from sneakers and fashion, art was at the forefront of Complexcon which for 2023, featured work from the likes of Takashi Murakami and Rello from Chicago. 

Rello’s art takes notable pop culture icons such as Astro Boy and reimagines them as Black characters. 

“The overarching story (in my art) is a question of representation,” Rello said. 

“The astroboy piece was inspired by Billy Dee Williams who played Lando Calrissian in Star Wars. It’s like taking these characters and telling Black stories from a universal view, ” Rello said, alluding to the fact that most of these characters are widely known.

Nostalgia was a theme throughout Complexcon this year with some brands collaborating with icons such as Barney, the dinosaur and the Minions from “Despicable Me”. 

Some brands leaned into the idea of nostalgia by incorporating interactive elements like vintage video games for attendees to play with. 

The weekend ended with an hour-long set from Kid Cudi, who performed a mix of newer tunes and classic hits, “for the OG fans”. 

As Complexcon drew to a close, Cudi threw merch from his MOTR brand into the crowd and signed autographs.

Rapper Kid Cudi’s performs at Complexcon, which blends music,fashion, technology and art. The convention took place in Long Beach on Nov. 18 and 19, 2023. (Lolita Mojica)
Rapper Kid Cudi’s performs at Complexcon, which blends music,fashion, technology and art. The convention took place in Long Beach on Nov. 18 and 19, 2023. (Lolita Mojica)
Rapper Luh Tyler and some friends performs at Complexcon, which blends music,fashion, technology and art. The convention took place in Long Beach on Nov. 18 and 19, 2023. (Lolita Mojica)
Holiday’s booth displays trash bags at Complexcon, which blends music,fashion, technology and art. The convention took place in Long Beach on Nov. 18 and 19, 2023. (Lolita Mojica)
An attendee gets a tattoo at Complexcon, which blends music,fashion, technology and art. The convention took place in Long Beach on Nov. 18 and 19, 2023. (Lolita Mojica)
Rapper IDK sits on a panel hosted by Bimma Williams at Complexcon, which blends music,fashion, technology and art. The convention took place in Long Beach on Nov. 18 and 19, 2023. (Lolita Mojica)
Rapper T.I. and his son King Harris greet the crowd after a panel to promote their new movie at Complexcon, which blends music, fashion, technology and art. The convention took place in Long Beach on Nov. 18 and 19, 2023. (Lolita Mojica)

Women’s soccer secures a close-call win against Ventura, advancing to the second round of Southern California Regional competition

Andrea Alonso
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Women’s soccer secures a close-call win against Ventura, advancing to the second round of Southern California Regional competition

Forward Genesis Lopez scored the game winning goal that secured Long Beach City College’s 1-0 victory against visiting Ventura College women’s soccer team as well as its spot in the second round of Southern California Regionals, on Saturday.

LBCC had 16 shot attempts, with eight corner kicks and four shots on goal. Midfielder Paige Rodriguez led with four shot attempts, midfielder Aimee McSparren was close behind with three attempts and two shots on goal.

The score remained 0-0 by halftime. An intense back and forth between LBCC and Ventura’s defenses kept both sides alert for the 45 minute duration as both sides racked up shot attempts.

LBCC steamed forward at the start of the second half with three shot attempts. The fourth attempt was the deciding goal.

Lopez’s scoring shot was the first of her two shot attempts during the game. That one shot made all the difference in the last 20 minutes of the second half, with LBCC’s intent to defend their lead.

“It was really a group effort. We just kept pushing in. (Making the goal) was scary, there were a couple other shots we took, but mine was the one that made it in. It was just in the moment,” Lopez said.

The final stretch of the second quarter remained high pace, with both teams attempting two shots, but goalkeeper Veronica Salcido kept it tight with two saves, while LBCC’s final attempts were blocked by Ventura’s defenders.

“(Ventura) defended so well and made it so hard for us to score, but we’re fortunate to have so many different players, and we could throw different strategies at them,” head coach Eduardo Nunes said.

Just a year ago, the Vikings were in the same position, securing a win against the first team they played in regional competition as the No. 5 seed, but their second game knocked them out of the running.

“Now we need to recover and sharpen our existing plays,” Nunes said.

This year, LBCC was seeded No. 3 in competition, showing a marked improvement in its standing from last season.

Midfielder Melanie Guerrero, another sophomore player who played in last year’s regional game, was substituted out in the last 11 minutes of the game after a ball in play hit her square in the face and sustained minor injuries.

Despite it, Guerrero was all smiles as she talked about the team’s win against Ventura.

“(Lopez) was just hungry for the goal and made the shot. I think it shows that in the end it just comes down to who wants it more,” Guerrero said.

“We’ve been here before, with Mt. SAC (San Antonio College),” Guerrero said, referencing the close score game. “ It’s just cool we can face off such a tough team and win.”

LBCC will be facing off against Cypress College for the second round of competition on Tuesday. The hosting team is yet to be announced.

Los estudiantes deben responsabilizar a la ASB por no publicar los resultados de las elecciones.

Camila Vargas
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Los estudiantes deben responsabilizar a la ASB por no publicar los resultados de las elecciones.

Disclaimer: The Viking News is translating a number of articles to Spanish throughout the semester. This is one of the articles translated, previously published in English.

¿Cuál es el propósito de una elección sin resultados?

¿Cuál es el punto de alentar a los estudiantes a hacer oír sus voces si nadie les da respuestas?

Es hora de que los estudiantes empiecen a responsabilizar a la ASB, han pasado tres semanas desde que la ASB celebró su elección especial más reciente y los resultados siguen siendo desconocidos. Además, nadie parece saber por qué.

Uno pensaría que una elección realizada completamente en línea produciría resultados instantáneos, pero claramente no es el caso.

Todos en el campus han quedado en la oscuridad en cuanto a estos resultados, incluso los propios miembros de la ASB. Además, los administradores de la escuela parecen estar demasiado ocupados para responder preguntas sobre la elección.

Es una perjudicacion  al cuerpo estudiantil de LBCC retrasar el anuncio de los resultados de la elección sin explicación.

La ASB no puede pretender ser “la voz del cuerpo estudiantil” si ni siquiera los estudiantes saben quién los representa.

Las instrucciones para votar a través de Viking Engagement eran poco claras y difíciles de navegar. Un estudiante primero debía iniciar sesión en el Portal Viking, luego hacer clic en la pestaña Viking Engagement. El sitio web requería que el estudiante hiciera clic en un oscuro botón de “iniciar sesión” en la parte superior derecha del sitio web.

Además de ser difícil de acceder, ninguno de los candidatos ni la propia ASB hizo campaña. Los estudiantes tuvieron que elegir entre nombres sin rostros o conocer lo que estas personas representaban y por qué se postulaban en primer lugar.

Si la ASB muestra falta de interés en la campaña y los resultados de las elecciones, ¿cómo se preocupan por los 26 mil estudiantes a quienes se supone que representan?

Seamos realistas: la mayoría de los estudiantes de LBCC no se preocupan por la ASB o sus elecciones, pero es hora de cambiar nuestra actitud.

Este fiasco de elección les da a los estudiantes muy pocas razones para tener fe en que están siendo representados al máximo.

Los estudiantes deben empezar a prestar atención a las elecciones y eventos de la ASB, y ser alentados a dar retroalimentación sobre los cambios que deben realizarse.

Esto permitiría a los representantes de la ASB obtener una visión valiosa de la experiencia real de los estudiantes.

Los resultados de la elección deben anunciarse lo antes posible, sin embargo, la ASB debería esforzarse al máximo para restaurar su credibilidad con los estudiantes.

Realicen una reunión con los nuevos miembros de la ASB. Denles la oportunidad de contar al cuerpo estudiantil de LBCC en qué creen y qué cambios están comprometidos a realizar.

Para que los estudiantes realmente hagan oír sus voces, debemos exigir una representación adecuada.

An emergency meeting was held by the Long Beach City Council

Andrea Alonso
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An emergency meeting was held by the Long Beach City Council

Correction: A previous version of this story included an error in reporting that said city public safety systems such as the fire and police department were shut down by a cybersecurity attack, when those systems remained in place even after Long Beach decided to take down its website and some city systems such as the main city website, utility billing systems, digital resources and checkout at public libraries and online registration for classes offered by the city to prevent any further damage from the potential threat. A misquoted statement from city clerk Monique De La Garza where she was misunderstood to be referencing city manager Tom Modica was also removed due to its inaccuracy.

The Long Beach city council held an emergency meeting on Friday in response to a cyber attack that caused the city to shut down its website and portions of the city’s public services.

The city announced on Tuesday that it was subject to a possible cyber-attack incident.

An investigation is ongoing with help from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and council members had no information on the investigation at this time.

Most of the city council members attended the meeting in person except for Mayor Rex Richardson and council member Roberto Uranga, who were off on official business for Long Beach city but attended the meeting through Zoom.

The cyber breach led the city to shut down certain online systems that were put at risk by the attack, including the main Long Beach website as well as utility billing systems, digital resources and checkout at public libraries and online registration for classes offered by the city.

The emergency phone numbers for the police and fire department remain online for the public to use.

The airport, trash and recycling collection and phone line to report gas and water leaks are still available as well.

Dallas faced a similar attack just weeks ago and other cities have dealt with security breaches and ransomware incidents such as Atlanta and Baltimore in years prior.

Atlanta and Baltimore did not meet the demands of the ransom and instead paid upwards of $17 million dollars to increase cyber security and fix some of the issues.

An emergency resolution was discussed at the meeting that would give Modica more purchasing authority to respond to the situation from the cyber attack that targeted the city of Long Beach.

The members voted and everyone agreed to pass the motion.

As Mayor Richardson concluded his message on the motion, he gave the floor to the city clerk for further information, at which point city manager Thomas Modica began speaking.

Long Beach City Clerk Monique de la Garza stands in front of LBCC’s chamber council desk, ready to field questions from reporters about the recent cybersecurity threat to Long Beach city’s computer systems. The city council held a special meeting on Friday, Nov. 17, in the LAC board of trustees meeting room after they were informed of the attack on Tuesday, Nov. 14. (Cain Carbajal)

After the roll call vote concluded and the meeting was adjourned, De La Garza walked over to discuss something with Modica.

The emergency meeting was held at LBCC Liberal Arts Campus instead of City Hall.

“(LBCC’s) partnership with the city council has existed since our foundation started,” Stacy Toda, LBCC public relations spokesperson said.

Long Beach City will be releasing updates on their social media accounts.

Rising star Ryannah Gagau sets her sights on volleyball glory at LBCC and beyond

Izzy Juarez
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Rising star Ryannah Gagau sets her sights on volleyball glory at LBCC and beyond

In the heart of Colorado Springs, a spirited young girl with a penchant for adventure and a vibrant personality, Ryannah Gagau freshman middle blocker, found her calling thousands of miles away, on the volleyball courts of Long Beach City College in sunny California. 

Born and raised in Colorado Springs with a big family of two older sisters and two younger brothers, Gagau’s life was nothing short of chaotic.

“Being raised with Ryannah was anything but dull. She always moved to the beat of her own drum and has always been very outgoing and fearless,” said Gagau’s sister Ruby Ford.

Gagau started playing volleyball in eighth grade but it wasn’t something that she thought she would pursue at all.

“I definitely took it as a joke at first, thinking I wasn’t going anywhere with it, but then COVID hit and I used those two years to train myself where I started to get the feel of volleyball and actually wanting to play at the next level,” Gagau said.

Gagau’s sister made an impact by becoming her social media manager to help film her games and post them on different platforms.

“I just figured that if she wanted to go far with her volleyball career that she was going to be under a microscope with what she posts. That schools have certain expectations, so if she wanted to be considered she really had to take into account that coaches watch what she posts,” Ford explained.

LBCC women’s volleyball freshman middle blocker, Ryannah Gagau poses with a ball at the Hall of Champions gymnasium. Gagau is a native to Colorado Springs and moved to California in 2023 to pursue her volleyball career at LBCC. (Izzy Juarez)

After graduating from Vista Ridge High School in Colorado Springs, she wanted to move away to Southern California because it was a big dream of hers to pursue her volleyball career in California.

After that process, Gagau reached out to different schools from LBCC, Cerritos, and many more around the area.

Long Beach City College head coach Tyler Jackson reached out to Gagau letting her know that she’d be more than happy to have her join the team.

After Gagau’s tour of LBCC, she decided to commit because of the powerhouse that LBCC is and the diversity that the coaching staff had. So Gagau made the decision to move from Colorado to California in 2023 to play for LBCC.

“I was excited for Ryannah’s move to Long Beach. She was born and raised in Colorado and that’s all she’s ever known and she needed this opportunity to grow in so many aspects of life – the diversity and the environment,” Ford said.

Since the start of playing with LBCC, Gagu feels as though both the team and coaches made a positive impact on her as a team player and individual.

“I didn’t think I was gonna get along with the teammates, only because it’s hard for me to open up to anyone that I don’t know, but then I opened up so quickly because the girls and I had more in common,” said Gagau. 

Their connection on and off the court is the important part for her because without that connection it can affect how she plays as a player.

  • Ryannah Gagau poses with a ball in the Hall of Champions gymnasium. Gagau is LBCC’s women’s volleyball freshman middle blocker. (Izzy Juarez)
  • LBCC women’s volleyball freshman middle blocker, Ryannah Gagau sits alongside volleyballs at the Hall of Champions gymnasium. Gagau hopes to encourage aspiring girls to pursue their volleyball dreams. (Izzy Juarez)
  • Ryannah Gagau poses with a ball in the Hall of Champions gymnasium. Gagau is LBCC’s women’s volleyball freshman middle blocker. (Izzy Juarez)
  • LBCC women’s volleyball freshman middle blocker, Ryannah Gagau tosses a ball in the air at the Hall of Champions gymnasium. Gagau is a native to Colorado Springs and moved to California to pursue her volleyball career. (Izzy Juarez)
  • LBCC women’s volleyball freshman middle blocker, Ryannah Gagau sits alongside volleyballs at the Hall of Champions gymnasium. Gagau hopes to encourage aspiring girls to pursue their volleyball dreams. (Izzy Juarez)
  • LBCC women’s volleyball freshman middle blocker, Ryannah Gagau sits alongside volleyballs at the Hall of Champions gymnasium. Gagau hopes to encourage aspiring girls to pursue their volleyball dreams. (Izzy Juarez)
  • LBCC women’s volleyball freshman middle blocker, Ryannah Gagau holds a ball at the Hall of Champions gymnasium. Gagau is a native to Colorado Springs and moved to California to pursue her volleyball career. (Izzy Juarez)

Gagau admittedly is nervous at the beginning of games but her teammates’ energy rubs off on her.

“I get nervous when the game starts, but once I start getting into the groove of it, that’s where that fire comes from, once the team starts showcasing their skills, it gets me hyped up that it’ll make me want to make a big play too,” Gagau said.

Ford said: “I feel like female athletes who are passionate and vocal on the court tend to be misunderstood and come off aggressive or cocky but I feel like (Gagau) has the ability to change how females are viewed when it comes to that.”

Gagau believes keeping her head up high through tough times is a key to being a student athlete.

“My core value is always having a stronger mentality, where if something bad happens to me, like a tough loss or tough test, to not only forget about but ask ‘what can I do to make these things better’,” said Gagau.

With her experience as a student athlete, she is happy to encourage the aspiring girls who would want to become volleyball players and set an example.

“I just want them to know that it’s okay to make mistakes, but never dwell on those mistakes, because the more we dwell on them it just carries right after us,” Gagau said`.  

LBCC women’s volleyball freshman middle blocker, Ryannah Gagau holds a ball at the Hall of Champions gymnasium. Gagau is a native to Colorado Springs and moved to California in 2023 to pursue her volleyball career at LBCC. (Izzy Juarez)

Ford said: “I also believe my sister has the influence to encourage young athletes to focus on their academics and to make that a priority because as the saying goes ‘you’re a student before an athlete’ and I feel like she has truly taken that seriously and made her studies a priority.”

Gagau plans to stay at LBCC and after sophomore year her goal is to attend a four year university to continue her academic and athletic career in hopes of a division one team, specifically the University of Southern California. 

Currently Gagau and her teammates have a lot coming for them because they are now facing Regionals with challenging opponents to get into State Championships in early December.

Seven students were stuck in an elevator for 40 minutes in the M building.

Andrea Alonso
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Seven students were stuck in an elevator for 40 minutes in the M building.

Seven students were trapped in an elevator in the M building at the Liberal Arts Campus for 40 minutes according to police.

“It was an elevator malfunction, all students are safe and there was no serious medical attention needed,” Tiffany Griego, police officer said.

Students were trying to reach their classes when the elevator broke down and trapped them on the third floor.

“Being on the third floor was scary because we didn’t know if we were gonna come down very fast or anything,” Shai Channel, a student who was stuck in the elevator said.

The elevators of the M building have a history of malfunctioning since the building’s construction during the pandemic.

One of the students began to panic and became anxious as the elevator doors would open and close.

After nerves had settled, the students that were trapped made a TikTok in the elevator.

The door would crack open aggressively for about 20 seconds and then close. This happened repeatedly the whole 40 minutes the students were in the elevator.

The body heat of the students caused the inside of the elevator to rise in temperature. Students claimed to have heard different loud noises coming from the elevator.

Griego stated the doors were pried open for students to exit the elevator.

Campus police Kevin Stinson and Tiffany Griego arrive on campus to assist with an elevator malfunction on the third level of the M building. Seven students were trapped in the elevator for 45 minutes on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023. (Kassie Sainz)

Students initially called the fire department, but police responded to the scene.

“The call wasn’t made to the police to come assist with the fire department until 11:55 a.m.,” Kevin Stinson, campus officer said.

Professors that were on the third floor, where the elevator was stuck, were helpful and talked to the students the whole time they were in there to make sure the students were safe and not injured.

Elevator technicians declined to comment when asked about the incident that occurred.

Native American event held at PCC has low student attendance

Matthew Gregory
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Native American event held at PCC has low student attendance

A small crowd of students claimed their plates of free food and left, disregarding the cultural event happening before them at LBCC’s Native American heritage month kickoff event at the Pacific Coast Campus.

The event had four booths set up and scattered in the grass of the EE quad, was a total of seven tables.

Off to the side, food began being served and a line formed to receive their fry bread and drinks.

Once people got food, they left the event and did not stay to watch the performances going on.

“I only come to PCC once a week and I had no idea this event was even happening,” LBCC student Nick Wilde said. “It’s not often we have stuff happen at PCC but I also understand why. Not as many students come here.”

The event was held at PCC rather than LAC because “[the school] has to have one at PCC each semester,” said director of student equity, Eric Bacerra.

With less than 100 LBCC students identifying as Native American, it was suspected that may have played a part in why this particular event was held at a smaller campus.

“I think they maybe chose to do it here because it might appeal to less people. Not that it can’t or shouldn’t appeal to everyone, but that just might have been their thought process,” LBCC student Sara Ramirez said. “The school is mainly Latino so of course they wouldn’t do that one at the smaller campus.”

In the crowd there were almost solely faculty members and other non-students. 

The event began with a land acknowledgment like most other kickoff events do.

Member of the Wild Horse Native American organization, Tso Yanez, took the stage to speak on the significance of knowing the roots of a persons’ heritage and why an event like the kickoff was needed.

After speaking, he welcomed up multiple members from the Wild Horse organization to perform dances in their traditional regalia. 

The kickoff was just the start of Native American heritage month peacemaking circle to come throughout the rest of the month.

LBCC needs to address their lack of elevator maintenance

Matthew Gregory
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LBCC needs to address their lack of elevator maintenance

Caring about disabled students’ needs should not start and end with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance.

There should never be a time where there are no functioning elevators in one of the most populous buildings on campus, but for 40 minutes, seven LBCC students were stuck on the only functioning elevator out of three in the M building on Thursday.

Outside of the inconvenience of being stuck in a small, claustrophobic box with six other people, all the students were late for their classes.

This elevator was the only working elevator available for student use in a three story building that houses a majority of LAC’s communications, English and foreign language classes. 

For that period of time, there were no elevators who could ferry students to their second and third floor classes, leaving students to use the M building stairs instead. 

That two of the three elevators have not been functioning properly for two thirds of the semester is an example of LBCC’s lack of care over maintaining their facilities and in particular shows lack of concern over accessibility.

For able-bodied students, this would only be an inconvenience, but for disabled students, the lack of functioning elevators would leave their second and third floor classes completely inaccessible.

Per the ADA, there should be one elevator for every 50,000 square feet in a multistory building and one extra elevator should be added for every two floors. 

At 97,000 square feet, with three floors and three elevators, two indoors and one outside, the M building more than meets the requirements to abide by the ADA.

 It is apparent that there is not enough concern over the ramifications of poor or inadequate maintenance when two of those three elevators are regularly out of commission and the only available elevator malfunctions.

Elevator maintenance should not be considered a low priority, especially not in the building that houses the offices of disabled student programs and services.

If LBCC’s facilities management team does not have the manpower to facilitate the regular maintenance of elevators, a serious look at the allocation of funds is needed. There needs to be more emphasis on the importance of maintaining accessible features on campus.

Ensuring that accessibility features remain accessible is vital to making sure disabled students can attend their on campus classes with the same dignity as any able-bodied student.

Changes to FAFSA applications expected next month

Andrea Alonso
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Changes to FAFSA applications expected next month

Changes to the 2024-2025 FAFSA application, that will simplify the application process and affect eligibility for financial aid benefits, will be in effect by December.

While the exact nature of the changes are still being finalized, its purpose is to provide students and parents with information in a direct and effective manner.

“The overall attempt is to make it simpler for families to understand and fill out,” Jason Avila, the financial aid director said. 

Applicants will be required to share their tax income information from the IRS with the Department of Education. This will give applicants the ability to transfer information directly to the FAFSA form, rather than having to enter everything manually. 

“We want to roll this out to as many students as possible,” financial aid specialist Benjamin Chase said. “To have information be directly from federal government sources so students don’t have to try to figure out what this is or where it came from.”

These changes come as a result of the FUTURE Act, passed by Congress in December 2019, which simplifies FAFSA applications by reducing the number of questions students need to answer. 

“There were a lot of questions that weren’t applicable anymore,” Avila said. “Many students avoided applying for financial aid services because the process was so daunting.”

The changes will also affect how the federal government determines eligibility for financial aid. 

“The Student Aid Index (SAI) will go all the way down to -1,500 instead of stopping at zero,” said Avila. 

This number will replace the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), and will be used to calculate the amount of aid a student will receive based on their financial needs. 

For example, an applicant with an SAI of zero or lower has a greater chance of receiving more federal aid. 

Eligibility for The Pell Grant will now be calculated based on the number of credits a student is enrolled in for that period, said Avila. 

Additionally, Avila said the new application will no longer take into account the number of family members in college.

FAFSA applications are typically available to students beginning Oct. 1, but because of the incoming changes, the forms will not be available until December. 

This period of uncertainty has made communicating with students stressful. 

“Historically, we do workshops and presentations so students know what they need to get and who they can meet with,” Chase said. “But because they haven’t finalized those changes, we haven’t been able to do any of that.”

Avila said: “A lot of things are still changing on a day to day basis. We haven’t seen the new forms yet.”

Despite the unpredictability, resources are available to help students with any questions they may have. 

“More workshops will be coming in January and February, and computers are available at both campuses,” said Avila. 

Chase said students should make sure their Federal Student Aid (FSA) information, including date of birth, social security number and 2022 tax information is up to date for a smoother application process. 

“We have to be flexible,” said Avila. “It’s allowing (the financial aid department) extra time and students extra time to navigate these changes together.”

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