RS 2 E P A P S NEW EDITION SPECIAL August 26, 2016 • Volume 90 • Issue 1 • Published since 1927
OLYMPIAN HOLDS COURT AT BEACH
Gold medalist Misty May-Treanor to coach Viking volleyball teams
-Page 8
Campus maps
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High schoolers hunt Pokémon
- Page 6
1,700 graduate or earn certificate
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Photo by Darrell James
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NEWSPAPERS2
Global citizen inspires with one story at a time Human-rights activist talks about his global experiences.
Story by Megan Vlietstra, Mia Gambero, Isabella Mora, Christina Acevedo, Krystal Gallegos and Kamryn George Newspapers2 writers Sitting outside the Library at LBCC on Aug. 3 was Atotesfaye Abdu-Hakim, a student, teacher and most importantly, a human rights activist. Abdu-Hakim spoke of the importance of understanding cultures. “Exposures to new cultures has made me a better person,” Abdu-Hakim said regarding his extensive travels. Since childhood, he has known that human rights is an important topic, which came from growing up in the diversity of Southern California. By learning languages such as Korean, sign language, French, Spanish and Swahili, Abdu-Hakim was able to understand other cultures better. “We don’t really respect each other or our differences,” Abdu-Hakim said. “We don’t really know (different cultures) and that people are so diverse.” His answer to solving the ignorance was travel. In traveling to Ethiopia to build wells for the people living in poverty, he learned
Photo by Krystal Gallegos CROSSING THE LANGUAGE BARRIER: A current Japanese 2 student with proficiency in Spanish, Swahili and French, Abdu-Hakim, said he believes in the importance of appreciating different cultures and languages.
human interaction is enough to connect and break down language barriers. “We’re all one human family and we need to embrace that,” Abdu-Hakim said. Abdu-Hakim was inspired to begin teaching after his experience entering to a classroom and witnessing the enthusiasm of students who wanted to learn. Currently, he works to motivate students through his teaching. He has taught for the Compton
Unified School District, the Los Angeles Unified School District and UCLA, and in Korea. Among his favorite subjects to teach are human rights and the arts. Abdu-Hakim’s goals include extending his travels to include South America and earning his doctorate in expressive arts. His hopes for people who are passionate about becoming human rights activists is to “listen with your heart.”
Police provide safety amid concern Public safety officers help to keep students and employees safe and comfortable.
Story by Aditya Vunnum, Angel Miranda, Raul D’souza , Nina Chiuchiarelli and Tommy Lee Newspapers2 writers Contrary to the public tension between police and the citizens across the U.S., students at LBCC feel safe and comfortable with the Department of Public Safety and its officers on the campuses. At LBCC, Public Safety has implemented numerous drills, accessible information and precautions to ensure the safety of its students. Brendan Hayes, manager of environmental health and safety, has been involved in the creation of these drills. “We have installed active-shooter drills. In these drills, we have victims running out of classrooms and the police then go into
the building to take care of the situation. We also do shakeout (earthquake) drills,” Hayes said. The department does not take crime on campus lightly and assures that if issues arise at LBCC, they are resolved promptly and efficiently. Tai Do, officer for the Long Beach Police, said, “There are a lot of auto crimes happening, so we started patrolling more and put more officers on duty, and that made the crime percentage go down.” The change has made students at the college feel more secure. Diego Duarte, second-year student, said, “yes, I feel safe on campus and around the police. I see the police cars patrolling a lot.” In one instance, a suspicious man lingered in the women’s restroom, causing a potentially dangerous situation on campus. Daisy Cano, second-year student, said “The police here are good but after there was a man in the women’s bathroom, I feel like there needs to be more security.” Even though Cano said she felt en-
dangered, she acknowledges the police responded as they informed the students of LBCC with an email. Additionally, a female sophomore who takes classes at night and did not want to be identified, said she has never felt threatened on campus because she sees the police patrolling even at night. However, she does believe that improvements could be made and would like more lighting around the school as well as more emergency blue phones. Overall, the majority of students at LBCC said they have had a safe experience attending school. The numbers concur with the emotions, as the 2015 annual security report released to the public reveals that most of the crimes involve property losses such as car thefts and break-ins. The goal of the Department of Public Safety is not only to maintain these statistics, but also to improve the relationship between the police and the students. As Hayes said, “In some countries people are afraid of the police, so we are trying to get that out of their heads here.”
August 26, 2016
High school students report About 85 high school students from as far away as Fresno and Escondido spent four days at LBCC in early August to learn journalism in the Newspapers2 program directed by Konnie Krislock and Zak Krislock. The students covered stories at the LAC and their work is published here on pages 2, 3, 6 and 7. The students interviewed and photographed many people at the LAC. Students from the following high schools and Community College attended the Newspapers2 program at LBCC from Aug. 1-4: Archer School for Girls, Carson, Daniel Pearl, Downey, El Monte, El Toro, Esperanza, Fairfax, Flintridge Sacred Heart, Fountain Valley, Godinez, Hollywood, Laguna Beach, Long Beach Poly, Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies, Mater Dei, Mayfair, Middle College, Newbury Park, Orange Glen, Sage Hill, San Joaquin Memorial, San Marino, Woodbridge and East Los Angeles College. The students were taught by Viking photo and online adviser Chris Viola, new journalism teacher Walter Hammerwold, Viking adviser Patrick McKean and Gary Metzger, Maryanne Shults and Jessica Young, teachers from off-campus. Administration of justice teacher Grant Boyer, theater director Greg Mortensen, three of the stars from “The Nerd” and baseball coach Casey Crook made presentations to the high school students. The Library, art program, office technology and English Department staff opened their computer labs for the guests, while Joy Yanga from facilities coordinated room reservation with support from Language Arts Dean Lee Douglas. Parking coordinator Brendan Hayes and the Long Beach police provided free parking access and food services coordinator Dave McDonald worked with the Krislocks to supply a closing luncheon. Viking staff members Hayley Hart, Joshua Miller, Denise Jones, Omar Reyes, Darrell James, Melina Paris, Carlos Ochoa, Charles Hall, Jeff Dahlquist and Brandon Richardson contributed to this special edition.
VIKING NEWS
The deadline for news, advertisements and letters to the editor is the Thursday before publication. The Viking will be published Sept. 15 & 29, Oct. 13 & 27, Nov. 10 and Dec. 1. The Viking is published by Journalism 80, 81, 82, 83, 86, 87 and 88 students of the LBCC English Department, with funding from the Associated Student Body. The Viking newsroom is located at LBCC, LAC 4901 E. Carson St., Long Beach, Calif., 90808, Room P125, mail code Y-16, Telephone (562) 938-4285 or contact the staff by email to vikingnews@lbcc.edu or on social media. The views expressed in the Viking do not reflect the views of the advisers, administration or the ASB. First copy free, each additional $1.
NEWS
August 26, 2016
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Financial Aid helps Students praise the benefits of government funds. By Maya Chari and Kavita Rai Newspaper2 writers The three things an incoming college freshman frets about are eating right, sleeping right, and paying right, paying right being the No. 1 concern for most students, especially at Long Beach City College. “I chose LBCC because it’s close to home. And it’s cheaper,” said Dylan Roberts, 18. Roberts even looked at universities, but chose to go to LBCC expecting it to be at “low
cost.” He said Financial Aid covered part of his tuition, but the other part he pays for with the help of his parents and by babysitting. He said he wants to enjoy his education without being worried about being able to afford it. Mirtha Lopez, 25, is trying to transfer to LBCC from Pasadena City College. Having not qualified for Financial Aid at her previous college, she is hoping because she supports herself now she will receive aid. Lopez expressed a fear that her tuition won’t be covered, because “two classes already cost $400.” “I want to be in the RN program for nursing, which is really expensive,” Lopez said. The Financial Aid system, as Mario Fabian said, can be
Hands for Africa reach out
Photo by Sarah Lu FUNDRAISER: Priscilla, a member of the organization Hands For Africa, tries to convince people at the LAC to donate.
“pretty picky.” He added, “a lot of people need it but can’t get it because their parents make ‘too much’.” Steven Piper, 28, has his bacholar of arts, and came to LBCC to get his prerequisites done so he can get his masters and become a physician’s assistant. Having only part of his tuition paid for, Piper, who works at Long Beach Memorial Hospital, said life is difficult and life would be different if he didn’t have to stress about paying for school. These students have encountered many obstacles involving their education and Financial Aid. Varying from different ages, different backgrounds, all have the same question: how do I pay for my education?
By Ana Sayre and Ashima Kundu and Anahi Martinez and Kristy Hernandez Newspaper2 writers Priscilla (who wishes to keep her last name concealed) and her partner started with warm smiles and excited to present their pitch about their cause, called Hands for Africa, a cause that helps provide natural resources, shelter, and clothing for people in need in Africa. “I want to make people aware of this cause,” said Priscilla, a 19year-old college student who was sitting under a tent promoting her cause at LBCC’s LAC.
He has code words By Dailyn Simmons and Annie Palos and Alyssa Leyva Newspaper2 writers From his burning desire to write fantasy novels to taking on the coding of virtual fantasy worlds, 20-year-old computer science major Jay Mott is on the path of an exciting journey. On the steps of the LBCC Library on Aug. 3, Mott mentioned he is in his second year and had many interesting things to say about his chosen
major. “People (need to) realize it’s so easy to start programming and a lot of people think that computers are nerdy. If you look around, everything is going toward programming,” Mott said. Another topic Mott ventures into concerning the field of computer science is the lack of diversity, specifically in terms of gender. “But one thing that I’ve noticed recently are that there is no women.
That’s something that all the teachers are trying to push the females to stay in classes,” Mott said. Mott acknowledged the issues in his field, however, he still plans to further pursue a career in coding. “After I finish my A.A. here, I want to go down to (CSU) East Bay, (because) there are many big companies (like) Google, so I’m hoping to try and get into that program,” Mott said.
Photo by Conner Schwengel SEEKING ASSISTANCE: Incoming freshman Ashlee Croft waits in line for a consultation with the school’s Financial Aid department.
Priscilla explains that being in the organization helped her discover her humanitarian side. She expressed she didn’t expect to see the humanitarian side in her, being an environmental biology major herself. “This organization is a starter for my career,” she said. She explains she has only been with Hands for Africa for less than a month. Today was her first time being completely involved in one of the donation processes. She spoke to people throughout the day, trying to get donations. “I’m a patient person, but some people are closed minded,” Priscilla said. Priscilla expressed frustration
from some people whose behavior she found close-minded, because of their reluctance to donate money to help people in Africa, rather than the U. S. However, her partner in promoting the organization himself was reluctant to publicize the organization by declining requests for people to take images of the booth and interview him. “He was a bit hostile because the students kind of ignored his service,” said, a witness of his lack of cooperation. Unlike his partner Priscilla, who was eager and even happy to answer questions.
“IF YOU LOOK AROUND EVERYTHING, IS GOING TOWARD PROGRAMMING” --Jay Mott
Photo by Natalie Sarkissian
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Over 1,700 students Limited free parking graduate from LBCC offered until Sept. 4
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Admissions & Records/Transcripts procession, in which the highest honor stu- By Carlos Ochoa ATM Air Conditioning/Refrigeration CalWORKSdents (4.0 GPA) entered first followed byMMStaff Writer Construction Trades Cashiers the high honors (3.75-3.99 GPA). They had Free parking will be available in Lots 6 and 10 at the PCC and Veterans Stadium More than 1,700 LBCC studentsClassrooms earned a black gown with an honor hood with a Counseling parking lot at the LAC until Sunday Sept. 4. Student parking permits are required in all Horticulture NN a degree or certificate of achievement in gold braid trim and gold tassel. oms DSPS other lots at PCC and LAC at all times, officials said. 2016 while nearly 500 participated in the Followed were honors (3.5-3.74 GPA) EOPS/CARE QQ Under Construction Emily Ramirez, 22, a kinesiology major said, “I understand why they would do it. I commencement ceremony at Veterans Sta- Aid with a regular hood and gold tassel, associlogy Financial hope it actually works and free parking is not a bad idea either.” ate’s with a regular hood and red tassel and Center dium on Thursday, June 9. Gender Neutral Restrooms Underillegally Construction Parking in a handicap stall without a placard will result in a $340 ticket. ParkRR “I feel great, just like everyone else. Dining certificates with a red gown and red tassel. Student ing without a permit could lead to a $49 citation. A day parking pass may be purchased oms This moment is a stepping-stone to where Health TheServices national anthem was then preStudent UU for $2 at kiosks in most lots and a semester pass for $30 may be purchased in the cashier’s Foster Kinship Care Trio/GO I need to be,” said Kenneth Counts, 20, a Project sented by the Barbershop Quartet. Then, oms/Labs Trailers office at either campus or online. Viking Express physical science major who took 2 and a Dalziel Arambula, president of the Associs Store (Bookstore) Students parking near Veterans Stadium are advised to avoid Lew Davis Drive off “My ated Student Body, presented the Pledge of s Police half years to get an associate’s degree. YY CentralatPlant Clark Avenue the LAC due to a planned traffic closure from 7-10 a.m. every day beChild Development Center HH of the greatest Allegiance. experience & Transfer Services at LBCC was one
I could ever take.” Next, Academic Senate President and II by Industrial According to a press release director Technology kinesiology professor Karen Kane gave cement/Career Planning Metal Fabrication of public relations Stacey Toda, 1,307 gradcongratulatory remarks to the graduates, ng Resources Computeruates Lab earned an associates of arts or science delivered LBCC’s first pledge and introTechnology GO/Project Launch JJ of Automotive degrees, 414 earned certificates achieve- duced valedictorian Sam Brooks, who Transportation t Union ments and 138 students received Advanced honors, maintained a 4.0 GPA and spoke of her beTechnolgy Center t Success72Center received high honors and 10 graduated ing invited to make a speech as well as her with highest honors. leaving school but returning. Graduates entered in aKK special Greenhouse order of
tween Aug. 29 and Sept. 9. Instead, students will need to enter those lots from Conant Street. The Long Beach Police Department is closing the street to reduce traffic congestion and provide safe pedestrian access on Lew Davis. Additional closures of the street may occur if necessary, police said. Parking structure J may also be closed during that time if maximum capacity is reached officials added. Meanwhile, the Viking Voyager shuttle will operate beginning Monday, Building ServicesAug. 29, between PCC and LAC. Long Beach Transit buses arrive at and depart from both campuses, but will be congested.
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LBCC President Eloy Oakley was selected in July to be the next chancellor of the California Community Colleges starting in mid-December. Serving as president since 2007, Oakley will be the first Latino to hold the position overseeing the 113-campus system. Oakley will continue in his current position until December, adding the search for a replacement to the list of duties for the Board of Trustees in the next year. At the July 26 Board meeting, Trustee-elect Vivian Malauulu was sworn in as its newest member along with re-elected Trustee Doug Otto, for his fourth and final term. Malauulu said, “LBCC is very proud that one of our own has been chosen to lead the state’s Community College system.” Trustee Ginny Baxter, who has worked with Oakley since he arrived at LBCC in 2002, said, “President Oakley has been a strong, capable leader here at LBCC for many years and I’m so proud that the next chancellor for the California Community Colleges will be one of our own. “ As reported by the Long Beach Press-Telegram, Oakley will replace Brice Harris, who announced his retirement in April after more than three years as chancellor. Community Colleges administrator Erik Skinner has served as the system’s interim chancellor since April. Student Trustee Alejandro Lomeli said, “Superintendent-President Oakley’s recent appointment is a huge accomplishment for Long Beach, Time and time again, we discuss how our faculty, staff and administrators are some of the best across the state and this serves as another example that LBCC provides many opportunities for not only students, but also the administrators at the college.” According to its website cccco.edu, the California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation, with 2.1 million students attending 113 colleges.
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The first part of registering for classes at LBCC is to complete the online application, followed by assessment testing and orientation for new and firsttime college students, all of which can be completed at the PCC and LAC. Kiyana Hendrix, a student assistant working in the Assessment Office at LAC, said all students are required to take the assessment tests and orientation unless they have proof of completing college level classes or transcripts from another institution. Hendrix, a criminal justice major, said, “Initially I wanted to do juvenile probation, but I’ve changed my mind and want to open a center for at-risk youth.” Ann Marie Sanchez, 22, a liberal arts major, stood in the admission and records line Wednesday Aug. 24 with her younger sister, Ashley Juarez, 18, as she helped her through the different stations to finish registering for classes that start Monday Aug. 29. Juarez, who plans to study criminal justice, said, “Registering was easy. Just finding the classes I need, since I’m registering late, was hard.” Hendrix said, “Coming to college, students should be prepared to work hard. You have to be responsible for your own time, assignments and attendance.” All recent high school graduates and students who have never attended college are required to take the English, math and reading assessment tests to evaluate their skill level. High school transcripts and other school records are also used to place students in the appropriate classes. Counselors and Financial Aid assistance are available at both campuses, in the Building GG at the PCC and Building A at the LAC.
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NEWSPAPERS2
August 26, 2016
Professor serves volleyballs and fitness
Photo by Sarah Lu BUSY: After picking up a phone call while doing an interview, John Smith laughs as he explains to the reporters his brother was calling.
Story by Vanessa Centeno, Nallely DeLara, Daisy Espinoza, Lindsay Filgas and Sarah Lu Newspaper2 writer With a diploma in one hand and a volleyball in the other, young high school
graduate, John Gregory Smith, 16, spiked his way into a career in athletic fitness and wellness. “I was so young, I had just got a car, you know I was free,” Smith said. “I didn't know what I wanted to do; I tried three different majors and I didn't do well in any of them
because all I wanted to do was go to the beach, play volleyball and surf.” Starting college at such a young age and on the verge of getting kicked out, Smith had to come to a decision quickly. Smith trusted his instinct and passion for volleyball and athletics and entered the net of the kinesiology profession. As a young beach volleyball player, Smith had an athletic background and decided to put it into practice during and after his collegiate career. “I thought to myself, I'm always in a gym or something and I'm always playing some type of sport, so I thought about this field, I didn't know there was such a thing, but I explored it and got into it and when I finished, my teachers were telling me to go to graduate school,” Smith said. Smith went to USC under a full ride scholarship granted to him because of his academic excellence. During his stay, Smith started and began his own and the very first volleyball program at USC. For the first time, the Trojans welcomed the sport of men’s volleyball. With no budget and only his hands to work with, Smith came to LBCC and built the fitness and wellness center with the parts of old machines. Smith put them into new equipment, removed the rust and painted them. After 6 months, Smith was ready to
open his gym. On the first day, 18 people arrived and by the end of the week, he had more than he could handle. He ended up closing sign-ups after realizing the growing popularity of his fitness center. “The first class meeting I had 18 people show up. You need more than 18 people to have a class and I was so busy still putting the room together that I forgot to tell people we needed more students. This was fun because the first class meeting was on a Tuesday and on a Thursday with my forgetting to telling people we need more students, I had 45. They were bringing their friends and their relatives. By the beginning of the next week, I had 80 and then I closed the class.” Smith, who did not want to give his age, is now well over 50 and continues to work at LBCC. Thirty years later, he is continuing to develop and maintain his program. His most recent success was getting new equipment and machines, which he is still arranging. “I’m just showing how you can go from nothing to success if you find out from experts what they are doing, pick out their brains for good ideas and throw away the not-so-good ones,” Smith said.
Pokémon GO(es) viral at the PCC and LAC Story by Emily Nagamoto, Gary Schwarz, and Miranda Ramirez Newspaper2 writers
Arcanine, Combat Power 936. Eevee, Combat Power 210. Charizard, Combat Power 888. These names are not of animals found in the Los Angeles Zoo, quite the contrary. The list is of virtual characters found in the game Pokémon GO. These are kinds of Pokémon that can be caught and evolved by Pokémon GO players. On the LAC in early August people gave opinions of how the trending game affects the people on campus. When Pokémon GO came out, the game caused a multitude of different reactions. For student Erick Cornelio, 20, the game was an opportunity to relive his childhood. Now as an adult, he enjoys playing the game casually with his friends. “It’s something that has been around a long time, it’s something I really enjoyed,” Cornelio said. The LAC has four gyms and nine Pokéstops, making the college a hot spot for people to want to pull out their phones and play. However, Cornelio said he believes the game means students might not attend class but instead go hunting. “Most likely there are students that ditch class to play Pokémon, I’m not one of them though,” said Cornelio. Current controversy with the game
includes the subtraction of the three step symbols under Pokémon in a pop-up slide. Originally, three steps would turn to two or one when someone came close to a Pokémon, but that feature is no longer in the game. “It could be good. It makes you actually look around more, that helps you judge the distance. But it also can be kind of bad. The people who wanted to catch a specific Pokémon can’t really as easily,” Cornelio said. He said he believes people will not have the temptation of jumping into their car and driving around for Pokémon now because it is harder to find Pokémon and they will not want to waste gas. Sometimes even the mention of the app can spark a reaction, and Stefan Chan, 17, a volunteer at the information center in Building E, was not afraid to share his opinion. “It’s kinda stupid. You are wasting your time and people get hurt,” Chan said. The self-proclaimed gamer said he tried the game two weeks ago, but when trying to catch a Pokémon, he was almost run over by a car and has since stopped playing the game. He said it also wastes money and time. Two officers from the Long Beach Police Department, Chi and Harris, shared their personal observations and thoughts as well. Neither play the game, however, both
Photo by Connor Schwengel ON THE HUNT: Friends Blake Newlin and Kireran Reed search for Pokémon around LBCC with Pokémon GO, a downloadable game for mobile devices.
mention they have seen people not paying attention to their surroundings when they are playing. Chi said he saw someone driving in circles around the parking lot. “People aren’t aware of their surroundings and that leads them to be victims of crime, having their phones snatched out of their hands,” Harris said. Both wanted to advise all Pokémon GO players to be responsible and not do anything regrettable.
Chris Lee a student on campus said, “I would like to play, but it will take too much time.” Lee was enjoying his day spending time drawing in the Quad, but said he has no experience with Pokémon GO. “It doesn’t affect me directly but I have three classmates very excited about Pokémon GO, they love the game!” Lee said.
August 26, 2016
NEWSPAPERS2
Mission statement applauded
By Olivia Luby, Jaycen Sussman, Caitlin Henderson, Joseph Barnes, Jenny Park and Jessica Lipaz Newspaper2 writers
Purposeful. Focused. Nurturing. Connected. Respectful. The five words describe the core values of LBCC mission statement. On Aug. 3, a group of high school journalists walked around LBCC asking students and employees on campus if they knew their school’s values and if their experience reflected the morals. After conducting extensive interviews, the group concluded most
students were aware of the existence of the values. However, no one the group spoke to could name them. Once the students were informed of the five words, a majority believed their school has been upholding the principles. “They’ve been very respectful and helpful and I’ve been very happy here,” Brian Cuff, 67,said. “The professor is very good and all the students are very friendly and you know when you’re coming back to school at the age I am, you wonder how you will get along to the students and whether that will be strange. But everyone has been so nice to me. And I feel that everyone in my drawing class has been very engaged.”
Many agreed with Cuff and said LBCC held the five standards true in academics and athletics. “Respect stands out to me,” said JJ, an incoming football freshman. “The coach and my teammates (here) actually talked to me.” Contrary to the interviewees above, one student did not have the same experience. After reading the mission statement, Ashley, 20, said, “That’s a joke. I mean the staff is pretty cool, but everything else, that’s a joke. I say this because of the security system here.” The criminal justice major then proceeded to describe a recent incident of a female on campus who was beaten up and robbed while taking night classes. “We have students who volunteer to do security and
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we have police just sitting here. Why was nobody there for her,” Ashley said while she shook her head. Although opposing views were voiced concerning the mission statement, the employees said LBCC is dedicated to ensuring student engagement. “My personal mission statement around here is that if I am not doing my job, then students will not have any place to learn,” said Rogery a technical-support specialist. “A lot of (the staff) in reality can make a lot of money in the outside world, but we do this because we want to help the students out.”
Photo Illustration By Caitlin Henderson and Yechan Yang
Artist offers guide to life in today’s world By Elliott Nerenberg, Victoria Vidales and Victoria Juan Newspaper2 writers
Photo by Natalie Sarkissian FUTURE TEACHER: Coming from a journalism background in high school, Chris Lee spoke of the importance of different art forms in modern society.
Few people in modern society know how to stop, take in their surroundings, learn something from them because of their preoccupation with work and technology. Even fewer people find it necessary to do so, but artist and high school photography teacher Chris Lee, 50, says differently. “Looking at the world differently can teach us how to look at ourselves differently,” Lee said. While sketching a school building Aug. 3 at LBCC, Lee expressed his belief more people need to think about the world differently and this process can be achieved through art. He says he believes art is valuable because it allows human beings to communicate on a spiritual level. “We express ourselves to discover who we are,” he said. Lee, who has always had an interest for photography and art, is pursuing a degree
in art history. His photography career started in 1990 and he was later offered a job to teach photography at a high school. He is taking professor Courtney Murphy’s Art 15 class, a requirement for getting an associate of art degree, and transferring to Cal State Long Beach. When talking about what art meant to him, he said, “Art is an important aspect of human expression. It’s intertwined with human nature.” One of his long-term goals is to teach art history. He also encourages people to think more deeply and creatively about things
“We express ourselves to discover who we are” -Chris Lee Artist
they already know and things they have yet to learn. He himself draws inspiration from artists such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sebastio Salgado and James Nachtwey, a famous photojournalist who also worked to change people’s world perspectives.
Some people have been trying to use art to answer a great question since the dawn of humanity: human existence and spirituality. No definite answer has been found; however, Lee said he believes the historical ties of art to human culture can help find this answer. “The very first selfie took place 10,000 years ago in a cave in France,” Lee said. “I like to share that because high school is so test-oriented. Do we learn how to think differently? Do we learn how to see things differently?” In his eyes, the meaning of art differs from person to person and if they can discover what it means to them, they can learn so much more about themselves and the world. This is why Lee said he believes art is vital to understanding the world as a whole. “Art is taken for granted,” he said. People can view Lee’s art by visiting his website chrisleephotographic.com.
LBCC
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August 26, 2016
Volleyball director spiked in gold By Hayley Hart Editor-in-chief @hayleylhart And Darrell James Staff writer @darrelljames_ Misty May-Treanor, a 3-time Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball, is the new director of volleyball operations at LBCC and is the coach for women’s indoor
volleyball and the new women’s beach volleyball. May-Treanor said Wednesday Aug. 24, “I heard about the opening and applied. I’ve always wanted to coach at the Community College level I grew up in the same environment and I think it’s a reward to get these kids onto another school to continue their athletics and education.” Margaret Shannon, an English professor at LBCC, said of May-Treanor being an
LBCC coaches lead U.S. to polo gold
By Joshua Miller Managing editor @joshua_miller8
LBCC water polo head coach and the U.S. women’s water polo assistant coach Chris Oeding has returned with his team from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics with a gold medal. The U.S. defeated Italy, 12-5, for the gold medal Friday, Aug. 19. David Kasa, LBCC interim head coach for water polo and swimming, said in an email Wednesday, Aug. 24, “It was a unique and great experience to watch both Coach
employee, “I think it’s amazing. It makes me see how world class our school is now that she is here. It makes me proud to be at LBCC.” May-Treanor said, “I feel excited, I’m here with a great group. We’re pushing them really hard and they want to be pushed, there open minded and here every day to work. “Last year’s record was 7 and 17 so we would like to win conference this year,
there’s some hard work ahead of us because we have a lot of freshman, but it’s possible.” May-Treanor started at the college in July. According to the school’s website, she got her bachelor of arts in kinesiology from Cal State Long Beach and her master’s in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University Irvine. May-Treanor was previously on the volleyball coaching staff at Irvine Valley College.
VIKING BECOMES RANGER
Oeding and 2-time gold medalist Courtney Mathewson Morinello compete at the Rio Olympics.” Mathewson played for the Americans this Summer and was an assistant coach for the Vikings’ women’s water polo team a few years ago. “It was very special moment for me personally watching my friend and long-time colleague coaching and a former player and friend on the team. I have a lot of respect for all the hard work and sacrifice Coach Oeding and Courtney put in to win the gold medal. I am so excited and proud of everything they accomplished,” Kasa said.
Photo courtesy of LBCC Athletic Department LBCC baseball pitcher Tai Tiedemann was selected in the 8th round in the Major League Baseball draft by the Texas Rangers on June 10. He was the 249th pick overall. Tiedemann is the highest-drafted player from LBCC in at least 20 years while Coach Casey Crook guided the Vikings. Tiedemann is a Long Beach Poly High graduate and former football player for the Jackrabbits.
Chris Oeding Assistant U.S. coach
Courtney Morinello Player coached at LBCC
EDITORIAL
Olympians and leaders inspire current students Welcome back! The 2016 Fall semester is upon us. The warm weather doesn’t give any indication that summer break is over, but we haven’t seen any break in the number of continuing historic events this year for LBCC. The upcoming semester is offering more of the same excitement. This past Spring, we saw presidential candidate Hilary Clinton speak to our diverse student body at LBCC. The Viking News published a special edition for the event during the last week of school as students were taking finals. Whichever way your political leanings go, it was an educational experience to see the workings of a
presidential primary, live, on our very own campus. As we moved into summer more historic events, closer to the workings of our college occurred. In July, President Eloy Oakley was named the chancellor, and the first Latino, to lead the California Community Colleges. It is the nation’s largest system of higher education and we’re honored that our president was named for the distinguished position that will begin in December. LBCC has even made its mark on the U.S. Summer Olympics. Our head coach, Chris Oeding, is serving as a member of the coaching staff for the USA water polo
women’s senior national team, which won the gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Brazil. We are proud of his Olympic achievement and his noteworthy coaching record here at home for the last 14 years. Another Olympian has joined LBCC. Misty May-Treanor, the beach volleyball athlete with three Olympic gold medals in the sport, will be the director of volleyball operations and coach for women’s indoor volleyball and the new women’s beach volleyball. Most of all though, LBCC is looking forward to the new semester and welcoming back our entire student body. From all
our various personal histories, we come here together at LBCC with a rich tapestry. We would like to welcome high school seniors, just becoming new kids again, people returning to school after time off, students from abroad and those simply returning from summer break. We also welcome our new employees and of course, the ones returning. We’d be lost without you. So welcome to all and here is to another exciting, active and timely year at LBCC. Put your best foot forward. We’re all here behind you!