Trustee calls faculty protest over lack of new contract: ‘bad tactics’ News | Page 3
VIKING NEWS Long Beach City College November 9, 2023 • Volume 96 • Issue 2 • Published since 1927
AN IMAGE OF THE AFTERLIFE Cain Carbajal
‘When my mom died, I felt like I lost a part of me, so my costumes are what I think my mom would look like in the afterlife’
Lifestyle Page 5
NEWS
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Faculty, students displaced after fire By Cain Carbajal
LBCC faculty and students are still dealing with the fallout of the T building fire, which was caused by a torch used for adhering roofing material that fell into a wall according to school administrators, one month after the T building fire on Oct. 11. While the official investigation report has yet to be released, director of business support services, Bob Rapoza shared that after the torch fell into the wall, the torch was likely caught in some electrical wires, advancing the flames. Professors with offices in the T building no longer have access to their offices to work and conduct office hours. They have been offered the option to take up an office in the M building, or work in the Online Learning and Education Technology department meeting rooms in the LAC library.
According to Rapoza, the school brought in a fire damage restoration company to clean the rooms affected by the fire, and ensure that the air quality is safe enough for classes to resume. The air quality in those rooms has yet to return to prefire levels. After the fire, Rapoza explained that LBCC requested all workers on the crew be replaced, and had a safety officer and overseer added to the crew to ensure workers are complying with safety standards and taking extra precautions to make sure an accident like the one that caused the fire does not happen again. “It was an accident that happened when doing roof work, it could have happened with anyone,” Rapoza said. Since the fire, Rapoza said the company working on roofing has gone above and beyond in implementing safety measures. Alongside the new safety officer, the crew has safety meetings prior to every
November 9, 2023
Izzy Juarez Firefighters spray down a T building wall where a small fire ignited at LAC. The fire was likely caused by a torch used for adhering roofing material that fell into the wall on Oct. 11.
shift to make sure the crew is aware of any potential hazards to avoid while working. “We asked (the construction company) to institute a protocol that went above and beyond standard safety guidelines,” said Rapoza. “Admin has been trying to accommodate those displaced by the fire, right now
I’m working in the OLET offices, and do my office hours via Zoom,” said psychology professor, Edward Chen. According to an email correspondence a week after the fire, it will be about a month before faculty can return to their offices and for classes to return to their original rooms, but there is no hard date set.
Student, community activist dies in car crash By Lolita Mojica
An LBCC student who worked closely with the Justice Scholars Program died on Halloween after his truck flipped on the 101 freeway near Humboldt County on his drive back from Oregon. Irving Alvarez, 28,was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash according to the California Highway Patrol(CHP). Alvarez was traveling with his dog Pete, whom he’d rescued from a life of neglect, along with a friend and her dog. The passenger, Ariella Gaughan, survived sustaining major injuries as did her dog, Zeke. Alvarez’s dog was unable to be saved and died. “It was a long day,” Gaughan said while recounting the events leading up to the accident. “I was asleep and woke up to the sound of a loud bang. Then I felt us rolling.” Alvarez was traveling southbound when his car swerved, hitting a tree before rolling multiple times, coming to a stop in the northbound lane. CHP reported that neither passenger was wearing a seatbelt. While no cause has been officially established for the accident, Gaughan thinks Alvarez may have fallen asleep at the wheel. “It truly was just an accident,” Gaughan said. Gaughan, who faces up to 6 months of recovery for fractures to her foot, spine, collarbone and femur, considers herself lucky to be alive to tell the world about Irving and his impact. “Those last days were so beautiful,” Gaughan said.
Irving Alvarez On Oct. 28, Guaghan and Alvarez ventured up North to meet with members of the Chickasaw Nation to speak to them about plans for outreach programs. “We decided to make a trip of the whole thing. We ventured to Oregon. We drove along the coast. The dogs got to run around and play. It was so special,” said Gaughan. While her time with Alvarez was brief, they’d only met in May of this year, Gaughan is grateful for the time they spent together as partners in advocacy and community outreach. “In a way, I feel like he and Pete were two underappreciated souls that found each other and now, people will know just how great they were,” Gaughan said. Alvarez assisted with the Justice Scholars Program at LBCC, a program that supports formerly incarcerated and system-impacted students. As a re-entry navigator, his role within
the program was to provide guidance to students re-entering society after incarceration. “He was a leader and made such a great impact in such a short amount of time,” Sara Rodriguez, of the Justice Scholars program said. For students in the program, Alvarez’s death came as a shocking blow. “They’re out of that lifestyle and trying to better their lives so things like this aren’t supposed to happen, you know,” Rodriguez said. The program reserves Mondays for a talk entitled, “Recovery Matters,” during which students are able to speak on their struggles and triumphs while navigating their new lives. This Monday, the conversation was centered on how Alvarez’s passing affected them. Originally a Georgia native, Alvarez always possessed the qualities of a leader. His family, who still live in Athens, are proud of the outreach work he’s done in California. His younger sister Lynsey Alvarez recalled fond memories of being nurtured and cared for by her brother while their parents worked long hours to support them. In contemplating the life of her brother, she spoke of his involvement with the street life that would lead to a series of incarcerations for him throughout his teens. “He was diagnosed with cancer at 13,” Lynsey Alvarez said. “He saw so many other people with cancer die so when he didn’t, I guess that made him feel invincible.” Due in part to the environment they grew up in and his desire to seem tough and in control after a diagnosis that once
made him feel helpless, Alvarez became entrenched in a rough crowd. At 19, Alvarez came to visit family in California where he fell into trouble, leading to an arrest, and spending five years in prison. In prison, Alvarez developed what he would later express to his sister as “both soft and hard skills.” After his release, he kept his focus on education and rehabilitation. In 2018, Alvarez enrolled in the YouthBuild Charter School of California and graduated last fall. He went on to pursue an education at LBCC and involved himself with nonprofits such as Brothers Sons Selves who advocate for young men of color and Sunflower Foster Youth Investment who provide assistance to former and current foster care youth. Alvarez’s family arrived in Los Angeles on Nov. 7 for a final viewing before he was cremated. “There are so many people who want to pay their respects so there will be a couple of ceremonies,” said Lynsey Alvarez. “We figured this would be the easiest way to make sure that he’ll be with us for all of it.” Lynsey Alvarez is touched by the outpouring of love she and her family have received from those who worked closely with her brother. “What happened was sad and devastating but I have grown to appreciate his work. He did so much in such a short amount of time,” she said. “In a way, he kind of lives in all of us.”
November 9, 2023
NEWS
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Fired worker finds job after grad incident By Dame Cortez
Andrea Alonso LBCCFA President Suzanne Engelhardt gives a fiery speech to faculty at the protest at the Board of Trustees meeting in the T Building at LAC on Oct. 18, 2023. The part time and full time faculty have been working without a contract for over 110 days.
Board says ‘bad tactics’ by union By Dame Cortez
The part-time and full-time faculty displayed their frustration in working without a contract for over 110 days through a protest, shouting chants like “show us respect” and “let us speak” at the October board of trustees meeting. “The (board) president has not responded to my calls, has not responded to my emails. If you are offended, we have to keep moving,” said Suzanne Engelhardt, Long Beach City College Faculty Association president. Engelhardt said they have discussed the matter personally, but did not provide details on the lack of communication between her and Board of Trustee President Herlinda Chico. Engelhardt claimed she received a text saying “bad tactics” the same night from one of the trustees, but did not name the trustee. Engelhardt discussed how the union’s way of negotiation has changed from a lead negotiator directing the conversation, a single person that discusses all the wants of the union, to negotiations being led by a committee. Engelhardt explained that she has multiple people doing the research for each point of the new contract, the person doing the research explains their own findings to negotiate, rather than Engelhardt speaking on behalf of the whole union. Engelhardt claimed that her committee led approach keeps the faculty more engaged and allows different voices to be heard. “We do so much for social justice, why not at the negotiation table? The other side is focusing on it. (They ask) questions like ‘who do I talk to?’ In my opinion, they made it an obstacle. You are hearing what you want from different voices,” said Engelhardt
The faculty is currently in negotiations over both the part-time contract and fulltime contract after negotiations had stalled over summer. The contract offered to the LBCCFA (full-time faculty union) was a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the first year, and COLA minus one percent for the next two years which the union refused to accept. COLA is a number that accounts for inflation for living a certain standard of living. The college receives the amount of money that COLA accounts for, which has raised to 8.22% according to the California Department of Education, but does not need to use the money for faculty salaries. The full-time faculty’s main points in the new contract are full COLA for all three years. They are asking for lecture and lab parity, meaning a professor who teaches a lab gets paid full salary for the time spent in the lab. As of the current contract, they are only paid 90% of the money they make for their lab hours. Lastly, faculty called for increased department head compensation. This pays the department head more for the work they do in that position alongside their regular position. “The faculty is standing their ground, holding fast to the needs that they have shared. It’s not just salary, it’s working conditions,” said Veronica Alvarez, a member of the negotiation team and faculty development coordinator. The last few years have shown labor forces such as the writers, actors and recently auto workers strike for their needs and receive general public support. “Other industries have won their labor protest. We want attractive salaries to attract young professors. Los Angeles community colleges had a significant raise and it surprised me we aren’t neck and neck,”
said Maragaret Shanon, who’s worked at LBCC for over 23 years. The faculty were allotted 20 minutes of time to speak on topics that are on the agenda. It was not enough time for all faculty to give their prepared statements. Faculty asked for the time for public comments without topic to be moved from the end of the meeting to directly after the topical public comments to allow themselves another 20 minutes to speak. The faculty exited the room booing and continued chanting outside after their request was unmet. Trustee Sunny Zia motioned to vote after they exited, but no one seconded the motion, and the meeting continued. The faculty reentered the meeting to honor the new faculty hires that were being presented. “I will say it would have been an easier accumulation if we weren’t still going through negotiations after 110 days,” said Vanna Nauk, newly hired associate ethnic studies professor. Trustee Uduak-Joe Ntuk declined an interview when asked after the closed session portion of the meeting. Reports from multiple faculty members followed the introduction of the new faculty members. “We are only paid to teach, we are not compensated for office hours, grading or any non-instructional hours. We do not have health care benefits even though the state is providing funds for said health care benefits, it will cost the district nothing to implement them,” Crystal Huckabee, Certificated Hourly Instructors union president and part time faculty said. “We ask that you give us a living wage, pay us for the work that we do, provide us with health care benefits and I’ll have to insist that we receive respect,” said Huckabee. The faculty exited the room shortly after the announcements.
Former LBCC counselor, who was fired after an incident at the 2022 graduation ceremony, choked up as she revealed she finally found full-time employment at Saddleback College after being fired from LBCC in Sept. 2022. “I applied all across the state. A whole year without income, completing applications, and receiving rejection notifications. Three interviews. The first two were ‘nos.’ The third one was finally ‘yes’,” Kashara Moore said. Moore mispronounced a graduate’s name at the 2022 graduation ceremony and then nudged her elbow in the direction of the graduate. The investigative report summary deemed that Moore did mispronounce Carmina Barraza’s name, the nudging motion likely caused contact and the elbow was intentional due to the unnatural position of Moore’s elbow. This resulted in her termination with the Board of Trustees voting 3-2. Moore took the chance to thank those who helped her get a position at an institution again. “I’m so grateful to Dr. (Eliott) Stern (president at Saddleback College) for giving me a chance in the community college system again,” said Moore. “I still love LBCC. My heart is in Long Beach. I have a full time job now, but still want to come back.” Moore showed up to LBCC in support of her former coworkers protesting at the latest Board of Trustee meeting over the lack of a new contract for faculty. “There was a conflict. Some people have their names said wrong every day. (Moore) didn’t see her. There was nobody on that stage to help both of them,” said Suzanne Engelhardt, LBCC Faculty Association and leader of the protest. Moore summed up the incident as a misunderstanding and having no hard feelings over the decision. “If they can do it again, I hope they can make it different. I hold no ill will,” said Moore.
Maisie Vilchis Kashara Moore speaks at trustees meeting at LBCC on Sept. 14, 2022.
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LIFESTYLE
November 9, 2023
Professor gets student designed ink By Cain Carbajal
Zuri Minor Professor Edward Chen on Halloween showing off the tattoo designed by his students.
When designing a tattoo, people put their trust in a skilled artist or trusted friend. Not everyone would put their trust in a group of first year college students. That is exactly what assistant psychology professor Edward Chen did during his first year as a professor, collaborating with his students to create a piece of art that will forever be memorialized in skin and ink. “It was my first semester as an adjunct professor at (Orange Coast College), and one girl in my class came up to me on the first day and asked ‘hey, can you be the adviser for our club?’” Chen said when beginning his story behind the tattoo. Ann Tran, the club president during the 2022 fall and 2023 spring semesters, was the one to ask Chen to be their new adviser. “I asked all my professors and the first one to say yes was professor Chen,” Tran said. Tran and another club member, Andrea Santos, began work on a project for their college’s annual student project and research symposium with Chen as their project adviser. “He helped us a lot. We were also in his research class so we got the chance to practice our presentation,” Tran said. Combining their knowledge of user interface and design as well as Tran’s experience as a psychology student and Santos’ interest in graphic design, the pair designed an app meant to help students regulate and maintain a study schedule. When the pair presented their project at the 2023 symposium in April, they received second place in the oral presentation
category and a $200 check. Proud of his students’ work, Chen asked Tran, Santos, and some members of the club board if they would like to design a tattoo to commemorate his time with them at OCC,. “I was really surprised that he wanted to get a tattoo to remember us,” Santos – who designed the final version of the tattoo Chen would get, said. Chen and his students eventually decided on a tattoo of Snoopy, a character from the “Peanuts” comic and show. “He has this catchphrase that was ‘do good science, be good people’ and I thought it would be a good idea to incorporate that in the tattoo design,” Santos said. Santos’ friend, Alex Purcer, was the one who ultimately tattooed Santos’ design on Chen. “When I tell students to ‘do good science’ and ‘be good people’ I just want to remind them to care about ethics and science and people,” Chen said. Chen was unsure of why his students all agreed to the design, but was happy to have found a design both he and his students thought was representative of his time as their professor and adviser. Prior to starting as an adjunct professor, Chen already had three tattoos, both of which he got to commemorate milestones in his life, and wanted to include his students in this tradition by having them design a tattoo. “I’ve actually been thinking of continuing the tradition now that I’m (at LBCC). But I might have to reserve it to just one semester per year, otherwise I’d have a lot of tattoos,” Chen said.
Fillipino-American struggles tackled by panel By Taylor Robinson
In honor of Filipino American Heritage Month, LBCC held a panel about Filipino community struggles and highlighted what the community has dealt with for the past 100 years. The event started with the assistant professor of ethnic studies and host, Stef Lira, asking what it meant to be a Filipino and a Filipino American. A lot of people had many different answers like karaoke and workers movements. Lira talked about the United States methods of benevolent colonization such as the Pensionado Act. Under this act, the U.S. gave scholarships to Filipinos so they can go to school in the states. This was the U.S. way of recivilizing Filipinos. “It is very important for people to understand the struggles the Filipino culture has had to deal with for a long time,” Alex
Liong, director of the FYE said. Lira moved on to talking about Filipino forced migration. The Filipinos were forced to do labor overseas. Despite trying to fight back, the Filipinos unfortunately had to accept that they were being forced to leave their home. Over 6,000 Fillipinos leave the country everyday with 17% of them being either refugees or indoctrinated. “When we think about the message I want to get across in this talk is to talk to each other, to other communities and start an organization because it can help the people out a lot,” Lira said. Dr. Lira then asked “how do Filipino people reconnect with their roots after many years living in the U.S?” A lot of people came up with many different answers like eating at Filipino establishments, learning and teaching about Filipino culture, continuing cultural practices and prioritizing their culture.
Andrea Alonso Third year student, Kennesha Johnson,(Black cap) writing what she believes it means to be Filipino.The panel was held on Oct. 24 at LAC.
November 9, 2023
LIFESTYLE
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Heartfelt stories shared by attendees By Cain Carbajal
Skeletal face paint, a deep-red dress dotted with flowers and lights, accompanied by a backpiece decorated in flowers, skulls and a sun and moon silhouette were La Catrina performer Amber Orosco’s perception of her mother in the afterlife. “When my mom died, I felt like I lost a part of me, so my costumes are what I think my mom would look like in the afterlife,” Orosco said. Orosco’s Catrina is an extravagant creation, her dress, a floor length red ball gown dotted with fabric flowers and small lights is entirely handmade, as is the circular backpiece she wears as La Catrina. The backpiece, studded with skulls, small skeletons, flowers and even a small bird figurine, alongside a sun and moon looms over her figure, creating a silhouette that would be difficult to ignore. Students, faculty and community members all came together for LBCC’s Day of the Dead celebration on Thursday in the LAC A building quad. The event was complete with a live band, folkloric dancers and a performance from Orosco as La Calavera Catrina, one of the most recognizable symbols for Day of the Dead. Orosco, a professional Catrina and dress maker, began making appearances as La Catrina at Day of the Dead events after her grandmother died, seeing no one else taking up the mantle of La Catrina during events, but only decided to pursue it professionally when her mother died. “My mom was extravagant, larger than life. She would light up the whole room when she walked in, I wanted to show that,” Orosco said. Oliver Booth, a member of LBCC’s art club (Club D’Art), helped their club set up the altar and placed a photo of their twin sister alongside some of her art. “She dealt with a lot of demons, she was smart, beautiful and she was just, her,” said Booth.
Cain Carbajal Folkloric dancers from the dance troupe “Nadino” perform a traditional dance to LBCC’s Day of the Dead celebration attendants on Nov. 2
“When I saw the procession coming, I was really moved. As cheesy as it sounds it was beautiful,” Booth said. Booth, a member of the Lakota nation, had never participated in Day of the Dead prior, but decided to this year after the death of their sister in May of 2023, who committed suicide after three prior failed attempts. “It was in May, after powwow. She and my dad ate dinner together, but I went to work. It was after dinner that my dad found her, she had hung herself in the bathroom. When I got back from work, I thought she was still alive, but I saw the police outside and one of them said ‘I’m sorry for your loss,’ and I realized she was gone,” Booth said. An altar was something Booth thought would best honor her memory, knowing how much she adored the tradition in life.
Cain Carbajal Folkloric dancers from the dance troupe “Nadino” perform a traditional dance to LBCC’s Day of the Dead celebration attendants on Nov. 2
The bistro is open and offers affordable meals By Mari Kebede
The Long Beach City College bistro has finally opened for all students, faculty, and the public to give the food a try. It took some time to open because the head chef thought it was a good idea to refresh all the students’ memories and train them a bit before they officially open. “The main reason that the bistro does not open on the first day of the semester is because (head chef) Chef Haley wanted to use the first few weeks to train the students and refresh our memories,” says culinary
art student Mateo Peregrina. The class goes over the fundamentals of front of house service and back of house procedures, so that they are able to move efficiently in the kitchen.. Students can now make reservations by sending an email to bistro@lbcc.edu. “No-shows do happen, and we are encouraged to take walk-ins when they do,” says culinary arts student Laura Watson. The menu changes on a weekly basis, however the region the menu is based on is on a biweekly schedule. “The bistro students can shoot out any
ideas or recommendations to Chef Haley about the menu and we are given creative freedom to ensure that everyone creates a menu that we are all on board with,” says Peregrina. “We’d love for students to come in and eat. Not only do we get a wider demographic of customers, they also get a three course meal for less than 20 bucks,” said Watson. Students also receive a discount of five dollars from the original $20 price coming out to $15 for a three course meal. Most of these students have a purpose of getting into the Culinary Arts program.
“I have always loved cooking as a kid. I feel like food is one of those few things that can bring people together and truly just sit down and enjoy each other’s company. As I have taken this course, I have grown as a person, and as a cook,” said Peregrina. “Cooking is something I had always been interested in, despite not doing a whole ton of it, but it made me happy watching my friends enjoy the food I worked so hard for them,” said Watson. The bistro is open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
SPORTS
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November 9, 2023
SPORTS BRIEFS
Women’s Volleyball
Women’s volleyball has dominated this season as they look toward a successful playoff run. Aside from its recent loss to Pasadena, they were on a five-game winning streak to help add to their current 17-3 overall record. The three losses came in conference match ups resulting in a 11-3 conference record. This keeps them in second place in conference rankings as Rio Hondo is the first-place team with a conference record of 13-1. The first round of the volleyball Regional Playoffs begins on Nov. 18 as LBCC currently holds the No. 12 spot in the state rankings.
Women’s Soccer
Women’s soccer has yet to lose a game this season as their current record is 12-0-5 with their conference record being 7-0-2. They are currently ranked No. 5 in state rankings and No. 1 in conference. LBCC’s played on Tuesday where the Vikings won against Rio Hondo at home 6-2 in an SCC tournament game. The SCC Conference Tournament Championship takes place on Friday as the Vikings take on Mt. SAC for the conference title. Round one of Regionals begin on Wednesday
Men’s Soccer
Men’s soccer team is currently in third place in the conference standings with an 11-5-3 overall record and a 5-32 conference record. Their decent records have helped them currently rank No. 15 in state rankings. This season has been led by star forward, Kayvon Monfared, as he has scored 13 out of the team’s 28 goals of the season. LBCC recently defeated Rio Hondo on Nov. 03 in the first round of the SCC Tournament. Round two of conference brought the Vikings to a tie as they played Mt. SAC on Tuesday. Men’s soccer will play their first Regional game on Nov. 18.
Men’s Water polo
Men’s water polo has had a mediocre season with a record of 12-15. Even with more losses than wins, the Vikings finished third place in their conference with a 3-3 record. LBCC is now headed into SoCal Regionals as they take on Cypress College on Thursday.
Ian Salazar Olivia Slavens winds back and scores the first goal for the Vikings only a few seconds into the match to start with the lead. The Vikings took down El Camino 23-1 on Nov. 3 and ended up winning the SCC Championships during the weekend.
Vikings crowned SCC champions By Keith Lewis
Attacker Katie Juarez racked up 12 goals in LBCC women’s water polo 23-1 win against El Camino College. With this victory, LBCC advanced to the South Coast Conference Championship game and ended up winning 1st place. From the start, LBCC came out the gates strong, with attacker Olivia Slavens scoring the team’s first goal within the first 12 seconds of the game. Slavens, Juarez, and center Emily Moldendyk scored a combined eight goals at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was all gas and no brakes for LBCC as Juarez scored five out of their next six goals, helping them finish the half with a 16-1 lead. “Every game we play we like to bring a lot of energy, and today we were able to do that,” said Juarez. As the second half kicked off, LBCC kept their foot on the gas pedal as they continued to pick apart El Camino. LBCC continued to swim past ECC and score, and their defense was even better as they didn’t allow El Camino to score a single point in the second half. The game ended with a 23-1 blowout
victory for LBCC as they made a huge statement heading into their championship game. LBCC showed tremendous sportsmanship, and according to LBCC utility player Kaylee Vanasopha, their head coach Chris Oeding plays a key role in teaching that to his team. “We definitely like to be in a good state of mind. Chris (Odeing) makes us play hard, it’s not always about winning, but he teaches us to be humble,” Vanasopha said. LBCC won the SCC Championship game 19-3 against Mt. SAC on Nov. 4, securing first place in the conference.
Women’s cross country falls short, misses state By Zack Siedel
LBCC women’s cross country did not qualify for the State Championship as they finished 21 out of 32 in the rankings in the 5k mile run. El Dorado had the same route from earlier in the season at the SoCal Regional Preview, where LBCC finished 15th. The placement was six spots below the place they finished in the preview. LBCC star sophomore runner Lorena Galaviz led the way for the Vikings in this race as she finished with the fastest Viking time of 22:05.01. Even though that was the best time out of the LBCC runners for the race, she finished near the same time she had in the preview, and Galaviz hinted how physical health could have played a factor. “I’ve been having a lot of bumps in the road physically. I went into it to give it my best effort. I was reminding myself to just
stay calm, control what you can control, and take it step by step,” Galaviz said. Fellow sophomore runner Melanie Moreno had a personal day to remember. The hard work she’s put in the whole season paid off as she finished this race with a time of 24:53.3. Moreno’s time was a full minute faster than the time she had in the SoCal Regional Preview. “I was hitting the same times that I was hitting at practice, so I wasn’t sure to go faster or keep it the same pace. But I kept it the same pace because I didn’t want to die out in the third mile,” Moreno said. Head coach Karen Vigilant is getting ready to prepare for the track season coming up ahead. “My goal is to make sure they’re ready for track. The goal is to stay in shape and get mentally tough so that we can make it far in track. So our goal is to make it to state in track since we didn’t do it in cross country,” said Vigilant. The track season starts in the spring.
Izzy Juarez LBCC sophomore runner Lorena Galaviz crosses the finish line. Galaviz placed 87th with a time of 22:05.01. The SoCal Regional Championship took place on Friday at El Dorado East Regional Park.
November 9, 2023
SPORTS
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Men’s cross country qualifies for state By Zack Siedel
Sophomore Riki Moscoso’s time of 21:42 secured 16th place for the team to qualify for the State Championship, narrowly clinching the final spot. In this run, the top 16 teams qualified for state, and LBCC secured the number 16 spot in the rankings, edging out Santa Monica College by 14 points. “Early on, we were never ranked in the top 16 in SoCals, so we knew we had to upset some teams today,” LBCC head coach Julio Jimenez stated. Moscoso finished with the best time for LBCC in the race. “Since I got injured early in the season, my whole goal since then was to qualify for state either individually or as a team, and I feel like that was a big achievement since it was a hard time when the doctors told me I wasn’t gonna be able to compete for the season,” Moscoso stated in regards to what was going through his mind before and after the race. LBCC ran better as a team this time around as freshman Joshua Jung finished the race three seconds after Moscoso. Shortly after Jung crossed the finish line, sophomore Leonardo Acevedo came across with the time of 21:54. For completion of the run, LBCC’s runners averaged 22:21 and the runners’ times added all together was 1:51:45. Compared to the SoCal Regional Preview that took place earlier in the season the times added up all together were three
Kassie Sainz Leonardo Acevedo finishes strong in the SoCal Championship meet. The men’s team qualified for the State race as they placed 16th in the SoCal Regionals Championship on Friday at El Dorado East Regional Park.
minutes faster in Friday’s Championship. The improvements and mentality by LBCC’s top three runners, Moscoso, Jung and Acevedo caught the eye of Jimenez, as this was a key factor in his team qualifying for the State Championship.
“We had Leonardo Acevedo improving throughout the season, Riki Moscoso battling with an injury, and then Joshua (Jung) getting used to the new distance, so we had a spectrum of challenges within our top three. But they worked together today and
they were passing people together and pack running,” Jimenez stated. LBCC looks to take home the gold when they head to Fresno on Nov. 18 to compete in the 3C2A State Championship at Woodward Park.
Vikings football destroyed in 70-14 loss against Mt. SAC By Zack Siedel LBCC struggled badly on both sides of the ball as they suffered a 70-14 blowout loss against Mt. SAC, which worsens matters for LBCC’s chances of qualifying for a bowl game. Mt. SAC started the game explosively scoring in only four plays on the first drive of the game. That drive was capped off with a 26yard touchdown pass from Mt. SAC quarterback Alex Flores to wide receiver Dedrek Taylor-Akins. As for LBCC, quarterback Will Madonna’s struggles from the last game continued to this one, as he completed only four of his 13 pass attempts before being benched near the end of the first quarter in favor of freshman quarterback Jett Peddy. “He (Madonna) was kind of struggling and we decided we had to give Jett Peddy an opportunity,” said LBCC head coach
Brett Peabody on benching Madonna for Peddy. Peddy and the LBCC offense couldn’t muster much as Mt. SAC’s defense was stifling throughout the majority of the game. Peddy’s woes continued the next drive as he gave up a 52-yard pick-six to Mt. SAC defensive back Branyden Hapner. Mt. SAC tallied three more touchdowns in the third quarter and another two in the fourth before ultimately ending LBCC’s nightmare of a game. In Peddy’s first near-full game, he completed 15 of 41 passes for 171 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. “The results didn’t come out the way I wanted, but I’m gonna take this game and move forward for next year for sure,” Peddy said after the game. With this loss, LBCC needs to win their next game to have any chance at qualifying for a bowl game. Peabody described the quarterback sit-
Ian Salazar Jett Peddy throws to the sideline, but misses his target receiver for the incompletion. The Vikings lost to Mt. SAC 70-14 on Saturday, Nov. 4 at their home turf.
uation as well as his team’s game plan for next week as they have their “backs against the wall”. “We’re gonna play both of them. Whichever one plays better will get the start. We just have to get back to playing fundamental, consistent football. You can’t have the
number of turnovers that we had and you can’t give up big plays and blow coverages,” Peabody stated. Hopes for a bowl game comes down to their final game on the road against Citrus College on Nov. 11.
8
Class rosters need students’ pronouns too
OPINION
November 9, 2023
Editor-in-chief: Dame Cortez Managing editors: Michelle Cardenas
By Marty Triplett
On March 27th, 2018, Long Beach City College officially allowed students to change their name on their college records, but pronouns were not added to this change. This option gave many students the feeling of safety and validation, but there is still more that the college can do to support their transgender, nonbinary and gender non-conforming students. Pronouns are just as important as people’s chosen names. Not adding the option for people to add their pronouns, but allowing people to add their chosen or preferred name is insinuating that one’s name is the only thing that’s important. According to a study by The Trevor Project, one in four LGBTQ youth use pronouns other than he and him and she and her. Someone using other pronouns can use exclusively they and them, or a combination of pronouns such as she and they. Other transgender or gender non-conforming people could use neopronouns such as xe and xem or fae and faer because they and them or other pronouns don’t match one’s personal identities. Many transgender and gender non-conforming students might tell their professors in the beginning of the school year their preferred pronouns, however most often these pronouns are not respected because students get tired of having to correct their professors or feel embarrassed. The student to faculty ratio at Long Beach City college is about 28:1. That means for every professor there’s about 28 students. Mandatory training for professors and staff, listening to the transgender and nonbinary students and more might be needed to begin moving in a progressive direction. The first step that needs to be taken is adding pronouns to your student account as an option, such as how many students added a preferred name. If students were able to fill out a form and have their preferred pro-
News editors: Andrea Alonso Camila Vargas Lifestyle and Opinion editors: Matthew Gregory Taylor Robinson Sports editors: Izzy Juarez Graphic by Marty Triplett
nouns added like so many students have their chosen name or nickname added, professors would be able to learn students’ pronouns as they are learning their names. Not only would adding pronouns to the roster help professors, but it would help normalize the idea that everyone has different pronouns and no one should assume one’s pronouns based on their appearance. While some might not understand why someone might go by a different name or different pronouns, it’s easy to respect the wishes of the person by calling them by their preferred pronouns. Long Beach City College adding the option to put one’s preferred pronouns along with their preferred name is a way the school can show that they respect their transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming students.
Zack Siedel Staff Cain Carbajal Ian Salazar Kassie Sainz Mari Kebede Marty Triplett Lolita Mojica Ryenne Jolliff Zuri Minor
Constant negative news leads to negative impacts By Ryenne Jolliff
A once in a lifetime pandemic, seemingly endless political turmoil, and mass shootings occurring on an almost daily basis; these are the stories that have dominated our news headlines and social media feeds for the last few years. X (the platform formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok have given young adults more access to news than ever before, but it may be doing more harm than good. It’s time for a reality check – we’re damaging our mental health without even realizing it. At the height of the pandemic, many people fell into the habit of constantly checking the news on their phone. At first, it was looking at COVID updates just to pass the time. However, it quickly spiraled into an obsession long after lockdowns ended. Seeing headline after headline about issues we had no control over left us feeling angry, scared, and pessimistic. But, like a terrible car wreck, we couldn’t look away. When horrific events are happening all around, it’s easy to start to
question if these events can happen locally. Will a mass shooting occur? Will COVID force another shutdown? What is the future if more and more rights get stripped away? Constant exposure to news on social media heightens feelings of anxiety and helplessness according to a study conducted by the American Psychological Association. Experiencing body tension before reading the news, decreased ability to cope with everyday life, having intrusive thoughts about news headlines, chronic anger, and increased feelings of hopelessness have all been linked to constant cycles of bad news exposure. It’s impossible to prevent terrible news from pouring in on a daily basis, but people can filter how much of it they consume. College students can take steps to limit their engagement with negative news stories such as monitoring screen time, being mindful of the content they see on social media, or unplugging all together. Ignorance isn’t bliss. Everyone should all be aware of important events happening in the world. People need to have a healthier relationship with news for their mental health’s sake.
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