May 25, 2017 • Volume 90 • Issue 14 • Published since 1927 March 27, 2017 • Volume 90 • Issue 1• Published since
Jorgel Chavez elected student trustee - page 3
City magazine set for publication - page 5
Baseball player declines pros for school - page 8 Photos by Darlene Maes/Viking/@dawrlean Multiple LBCC organizations expressed support by attending the 34th Annual Long Beach Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade on Sunday, May 21. The organizations included Pasifika Pride, Queer Space and ASB Cabinet as they marched down Ocean Boulevard from Lindero Avenue to Alamitos Avenue.
WAVES OF VIKINGS SUPPORT 34TH ANNUAL PRIDE MARCH IN LONG BEACH — See story on page 2
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NEWS
Gay Pride parades in LB
Story and photo by Darlene Maes Staff @dawrlean
Students from LBCC’s Queer Space marched in the Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride Parade on Sunday, May 21, along Ocean Boulevard in downtown Long Beach. Queer Space marched alongside Pasifika Pride, a Pacific Islander organization with a mission of being a “collaborative effort of Pacific Islander community organizations, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, queer and questioning organizations, health providers and the community-at-large that address LGBTQIA community issues and cultural pride,” according to Pasifika Pride’s website. Pasifika Pride and Queer Space were welcomed to participate in the parade among hundreds of participants and groups such as banks, businesses, healthcare providers and other organizations. Tanuoma'aleu Ah You or Tanu, Pasifika Pride steering committee member and founder of the non-profit Project Another Loving Opportunity For All, described the importance of their participation in the parade: “It is an honor any time we can share our voices collectively. We were honored to have our Queer Space members join us and they added so much gender expression and gender fluidity to our contingency. They were the perfect ambassadors to march with Pasifika Pride.” Nina Vasqueza psychology major and resource coordinator for Queer Space, participated in the parade and said, “I think it’s awesome. Being able to have this day we get to celebrate the things that make us part of the queer community.” Vasquez and other members of Queer
Mixer ‘connects students’
Story by Danny Rivera News editor @dannyriveralbcc
PRIDE: Parade participants wave on LBCC’s Long Beach Gay Pride Parade float featuring the school’s mascot Ole.
Space participated in a day filled with music, food, shows and acceptance. Karen Torres, 22, an art major and the creative coordinator for Queer Space, said, “It's my first time being in the parade, it’s amazing. There are different subsets of the LGBT community and there is no judgment here.” Pasifika Pride has contributed to other events aside from the parade. Ah You detailed what Pasifika has done to inform the community of their organization. “We were sponsored by Long Beach Pride Week. In addition we had our inaugural Pasifika Pride summit at LBCC’s LAC on May 19 and 20,” Ah You said. LBCC was represented not only by the partnership of Pasifika and Queer Space, but the college as well. LBCC had its own decorated truck that drove through the parade filled with supporting students and Viking mascot Ole. Aside from Torres and Vazquez, oth-
er students from Queer Space marched alongside Pasifika to show support. Kammie Rose, 21, double major in biology and nursing and the Queer Space fundraising coordinator, joined her fellow members who carried signs and wished “Happy Pride” to the spectators who watched the parade. Although she was unable to attend the Parade, Celene Reyes, 27, a psychology major and president of Queer Space, expressed her gratitude for the community and said, “Queer Space's involvement in the parade is exciting. It also makes me very proud to be part of a group at LBCC that is recognized by the community. This is the second year Queer Space has been a part of the L.B. Pride Parade. We're actually just wrapping up our second year as a club and hope to continue participating in Pride in the years to come.”
300 attend annual male summit Story and photo by Adrian Arvizu Staff @adrian7192
The second annual Male Summit drew over 300 students within the Long Beach Unified School District with the purpose to inspire young men to chase their dreams, go to college and become successful in life on. Young men of all ages, color and different backgrounds gathered Friday, May 19, in the Hall of Champions gym at LBCC, greeted by mentors who would guide them through the seminar in workshops. Business owner Brian Sibley, a mentor invited to the college, wanted to share his story to the young men. Sibley said, “I was in the Navy for a few years, then I experienced a few years being homeless in Chicago, then I turned my life around and became a motivation speaker. That lead to starting my own business.” With his real-life experiences, Sibley
May, 25 2017
SUMMIT: LBCC freshman basketball player Marco Vasquez, right, interacts and gives advice to students attending the second annual Male Summit on Friday, May 19, at the LAC.
wanted to relate to the young men and instill the hunger for success. The workshops gave the young men real life scenarios to talk about and how they would approach a certain opportunity with the mentors guiding them the whole way. Brandon Minton, a mentor and a junior at Jordan High School, is co-captain of Omega Brothers, a school group that had students participating in the event. Minton said, “It is great that I get to be here and
help motivate these guys.” Guest speaker Ralph Holguin shared his story about growing up in a rough neighborhood. Holguin said, “I don't want to give you a sad story. With my experiences, I want to motivate those who are in a situation that it doesn't matter you can still succeed.” Christopher Trujillo, 9th grade student at Jordan High School said, “I was glad to leave school for the day, but I did not to expect to learn so much.”
The Development of Afro-American Professionals organization hosted its bi-annual Faculty Mixer in LAC’s Nordic Lounge on Thursday, May 18. Participants had opportunities for oneon-one conversations with representatives from LBCC’s Transfer Center, Admission and Records and Counseling departments. The goal, says DAAP President Imani Onyia, was to offer students an opportunity “to interact with the employees and see the services offered to them.” “Our main mission was to connect students with some of the employees so they know that they’re not just behind their desks and behind email addresses,” Onyia said. “But also, we wanted to give students an opportunity to just socialize with employees, to eat and hang out.”
“I’m a real big believer in student development and leadership.” -Lee Douglas
Dean of Language Arts and Comm. Studies
The mixer also helped shed light on the benefits club participation offers. Quinton Henderson, 25, a music major and Marine veteran, talked about his experience joining DAAP when he started at LBCC after moving from Virginia. “DAAP gave me an almost instant family feeling,” Henderson said. “It gave me a purpose and support when I moved here, like I didn’t have to be alone.” Dean of Language Arts and Communication Studies Lee Douglas said events like the mixer allow for increased engagement from students in both their social and academic lives and that increased promotion from LBCC and student organizations would benefit both. “I am a real big believer in student development and leadership,” Douglas said. “If there’s anything we can do to inform and support students, we should try it.” DAAP will also sponsor its 3rd annual symposium and leadership conference in T-1200 on Friday, May 26. The free event for LBCC students will discuss the rebirth of the Black Wall Street, a prominent African-American neighborhood in Tulsa, Okla. that was destroyed by race riots in 1921. Networking and career development workshops will also be available throughout the day.
NEWS
May 25, 2017
2017-18 ASB Cabinet elected Story by Danny Rivera News editor @dannyriveralbcc
VISITOR SPEAKS: LBCC journalism students and teachers welcome Rich Cameron, Cerritos College journalism teacher to their classroom to discuss his career and answers questions on Monday, May 22.
Cerritos journalism professor retires Story by Darlene Maes Staff @dawrlean After spending two decades at Cerritos College as a Journalism teacher, Rich Cameron decided to retire. This year is his last as a full-time teacher. LBCC students and teachers welcomed Cameron to their classroom Monday, May 22, with a special page marking his retirement. Cameron’s interest in journalism was sparked by a creative writing Summer class in the sixth grade. The desire to follow the subject was when a short story was written about him owning gumball machines in his high school newspaper. From then on, he made his mark on various papers throughout Northern California.
“I consider the work I have been able to assist in with this initiative to be to be the most significant contribution to journalism education I have ever made” -Rich Cameron
Journalism teacher
According to the Cerritos College website, “Rich has advised on 419 issues of Talon Marks. He served as department chair and served as curriculum chair for seven years. He was also a member of the Instructional Technology Committee, Student Learning Outcomes Committee, Enrollment Management Committee, Planning and Budget Committee, and co-chaired the Department Chair Council. At the statewide level, he helped create the model transfer degree in journalism.” Rich describes assisting the modeling
of the statewide associate in arts for a journalism transfer degree for college on his website richsmusings.wordpress.com, as his “most significant contribution.” “I consider the work I have been able to assist in with this initiative to be the most significant contribution to journalism education I have ever made,” Rich said. LBCC journalism teacher Patrick McKean, LBCC Viking News advisor, discussed how Cameron has influenced him and LBCC. “Rich has been a major influence since I began teaching at LBCC in 1988, especially regarding technology. He brought Community College into the digital age with computers in the 1980s, email in the 1990s and websites near the turn of the century. He is going out in style, still on top of his field. I hope I can finish merely decently in 2018,” McKean said. Students have gathered respect for Rich. Lissette Mendoza, 21, a journalism major and LBCC co-editor-in-chief for the Viking News, discussed how his influence has reached her: “His efforts allowed for journalists to pursue their education outside of the Community College level, allowing more students such as myself to continue their path and empower more aspiring journalists. He seems to genuinely care about journalism education, so I hope Rich continues to contribute to journalism.” With the announcement of his retirement, teachers and students are interested in how he plans to leave his mark. Rich said the overall lessons he hopes to leave upon his retirement. “This one is tougher. I will have to think about it. Maybe it is another 10-part series I need to develop. It is important for students to learn that they are their own safety nets. Better that they make embarrassing mistakes in college than move on and expect that someone else will catch everything they do wrong.”
After three days of open elections, LBCC students elected their representatives for the Associated Student Body’s 2017-2018 executive Cabinet members. Jorgel Chavez defeated Wendy Mora to become LBCC’s next student trustee by a margin of 65 votes. Chavez will replace current Student Trustee Alejandro Lomeli on LBCC’s Board of Trustees. Jan Paolo Canteras defeated Joe E. Sanchez for ASB secretary by a margin of 46 votes. ASB President Javier Salcedo, Treasurer Nash Neyra, PCC Vice President Jonathan Anicete and LAC Vice President Edwin Martinez ran unchallenged and won their
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elections. ASB adviser Camille Bolton said while the overall election process went well, she “was surprised” how their efforts only resulted in 789 votes, which was short of their 1,000-vote goal. “We had three days of voting and two election events and while we didn’t get the votes we wanted, we’ll learn what worked for next time.” Along with Cabinet elections, students voted on a number of amendments to the ASB constitution, including allowing students with College Services cards to be eligible for Cabinet and Senate positions, retaining the “Associated Student Body” name and increasing the number of eligible semesters for club participation from five to six.
GRADUATION 2017
Hip-hop artist, scholar and class of 2008 valedictorian Ahmad Ali Lewis will return to LBCC to deliver this year's commencement address to the graduating class of 2017. Graduating students are encouraged to attend rehearsal on Wednesday, June 7 at 4pm. Commencement ceremony will be Thursday, June 8, from 4-6 p.m. in Veteran's Stadium. Tickets are not required and seating is open.
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CITYSTYLE
May 25, 2017
Two films bring festival to an end
First Foreign Film festival concludes with Italian and Japanese movies. Story and Photo by Adrian Arvizu Staff @adrian7192
The third week of the film festival featured an Italian film “Terraferma,” directed by Emanuele Crialese, telling a tale about a young fisherman torn between two sides. Political science major Matt Salazar, 20, said Friday, May 19, “It was interesting to see that there are struggles with immigration on a different side of the world.” In Linosa, an island in Italy, fishermen are banned from helping the immigrants. As a result, main character Fillippo, 20, takes it upon himself to help an immigrant family. Salazar explained it was easier to re-
RESPONSE: Italian teacher Mihaela Mehr provides feedback during the Q&A session after the screening of “Terraferma” on Friday, May 19.
late to the character since he’s also 20, facing different, but difficult decisions.
interpreted the style of film as a scullion culture. Mehr said, “The film represented adolescents coming to age, while highlighting the immigrant backlash. During the question-and-answer session, she informed the audience the Sicilian culture is welcoming, but lack the resources to deal with incoming immigrants. The head of the festival, Foreign Language Department Chair Cynthia Quintero, said she was satisfied with the turnout. She said the cinematography was intense, but shaped a powerful movie. When talking about continuing the film festival, Quintero said, “We plan on continuing the festival onto next year and discussing with the committee on which new languages we would like to offer the community.” The festival ended with “The Wind Rises,” a Japanese film. The movie was shown in LAC’s D135 on Friday, May 19.
Guest speaker Mihaela Mehr teaches Italian at LBCC and Santa Ana College. She
Movie raises awareness Dance show draws crowds for LGBT community “Longtime Companion” tells story of New York Times alluding to discrimination. Story by Carlos Ochoa Co-editor-in-chief @carlosochoala In the spirit of LGBT Pride month, the PCC Cultural Affairs Council screened the film “Longtime Companion” on Wednesday, May 17, for the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia movie night. “The movie is to celebrate the LGBT movement,” said Anthony Moguel, 20, a social work major, “We are planning next year to have more students involved.” The 1989 drama and romance film chronicles the lives and friendships between gay males and a straight female living in the 1980s during the emergence of the AIDS epidemic. The title originated from the New York Times’ refusal to acknowledge homosexual relationships in obituaries, instead calling the relationships between the deceased and survived as “longtime companions.” Meng Yang, 24, a film major and member of PCC Cultural Affairs, said, “This movie night was to raise awareness and help erase stigmas associated with homosexuality and other sexualities. The turnout was low because it was held at PCC and students had to go to class, but we expect the turnouts to increase the more we hold these events.”
According to a UCLA Williams School of Law LGBT statistics report, from 2014 to 2015, same-sex marriages tripled after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage on June 26, 2015. Even though the legality persists, culture still holds back the LGBT community in other aspects, they say. UCLA’s Williams distinguished senior scholar, Ilan H. Meyer, said, “Mass incarceration in the U.S. cannot be addressed without considering the over-incarceration of lesbian, gay and bisexual people.” A 2012 study by the Scholars at the Williams Institute reported that sexual minorities are incarcerated at disproportionately high rate and are more likely to experience mistreatment, harsh treatment and sexual victimization. About 238,000 incarcerated individuals were sexual minorities and over 40 percent of incarcerated women were sexual minorities and the title of the report points out the rate of incarceration for members of the LGBT community to be three times higher than that of the general population, the report stated. The film did not touch on incarceration, but does touch on the culture of treatment toward the LGBT community and its implications on the future of America’s movement toward social equality. The title originated from the New York Times’ refusal to acknowledge homosexual relationships in obituaries, instead calling the relationships between the deceased and survived as “longtime companions.”
Story and Photo by Brigid Mclaughlin Staff @brig_mc
Crowds flocked to the Auditorium on May 11-13 to see what the LBCC dancers had created for the Spring Dance Ensemble at LBCC. Student choreographer, dancer and dance major Thomas Harlin, 22, who performed all three days said, “I think the show went very well. Of course on the first day, our nerves really got to us. But those last two days we really killed it.” Harlin, who has been in five dance shows at LBCC, admitted the work is hard and stressful, with planning starting months in advance, but their director gives them deadlines to keep them on track. Leonor Bautista, 25, a civil engineering major, had never attended a dance show before this one: “I love the level of diversity. Not just the show, but also body-wise. Dance is usually dominated by slender
bodies, but seeing the diversity here makes it more appealing to watch.” The show featured dances from a wide range of cultures, including salsa-inspired, jazz, Arabic and Asian flairs. In addition, the show took a strong political stance by including “protesting” for the Black Lives Matter movement. “Seeing things like this being performed is very encouraging,” Bautista said. In addition to students and teachers as choreographers, guest choreographer Bernard Gaddis, founder and director of the Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater, directed students in performing his piece “Ebony Suite,” which also was selected to be performed in the American College Dance Associated Gala performance in April. Harlin said his goals for performing in the show are to always do better than the last show: “This concert was my 5th here at LBCC and I’m just trying to really outdo myself and make sure I’m really hitting my mark.”
STRIKE A POSE: Dancers perform a routine titled “Unity” at the Spring Dance Ensemble on Thursday, May 11.
CITYSTYLE
May 25, 2017
City magazine outlasts adversity
Story by Lissette Mendoza Co-editor-in-chief @chingonapicosa
Even with half the students dropping during both semesters and the class facing cancellation twice, City magazine, the journalism program’s student-run magazine publication, persevered through their 8-month production period to ultimately produce the annual 24-page publication. The final production team of City magazine, advised by Journalism teacher Walter Hammerwold, consisted of eight members, including four returning from the original writing team; editor in chief Crystal Adams-King, 25, Danny Rivera, 36, Becky Woods, 20, Hayley Hart, 34, Nick Tate, 22, Melina Paris, 52, Rebecca Vasquez, 23, and Dina Azzam, 34. The magazine is set to publish in June. Adams-King, double majoring in psychology and journalism, said, “First semester was a lot more of a struggle. Half of our class dropped, I think we ended up with five students at the end. This semester, people came with a better attitude and higher expectations for what they wanted in the magazine and more willingness to work. “The entire process was a learning experience, from beginning to end. Not only did I learn the technical ways to be an editor-in-chief and lead, but I learned a lot of
life lessons,” Adams-King said. “I learned a lot about myself and to be more patient when it comes to people and understanding that not everyone’s talent level is what you expect it to be at and that you have to teach them to be better. “The quality of our magazine shows exactly the efforts that were put into it and the level of talent that we had,” Adams-King said. “I think it ended up pretty well. I’m satisfied with the magazine.” Rivera, double majoring in history and journalism, said, “It had its moments of trying everybody’s patience, but throughout the process, I would say that we all connected and became this kind of lovingly dysfunctional family. I look forward to at the very least keeping in contact with everybody involved in this magazine, even the people I had conflicts with.” Regarding Hammerwold as an adviser, Rivera said, “For the most part what I appreciated from Walter’s advising was his real-world insight on how to get the story. … Even though he was very hands-off, it was great for us to be able to grow and to be able to really understand that we have to be self-sufficient. The downside was that every class had a feeling of chaos, but I think that kind of comes with having so many personalities. “Contrary to what people expected from the chaotic year, I think we completed
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a very good product that really reflects not only our talents, but our efforts,” Rivera said. Hart, majoring in journalism, joined the second semester as a “god-send,” Rivera said. Using her bachelor’s degree in graphic design to her advantage, Hart became managing editor and overhauled the design of the magazine, alongside Adams-King. “When we started this semester, we didn’t have content,” Hart said. “The class was sold as editing, designing, when in fact we did the writing and photography that last semester didn’t.” Rivera said about Hart, “If we haven’t have had Hayley, I think we would’ve been in absolute turmoil.” Tate, a journalism major, is transferring to Cal State Long Beach in the fall. “I been here since last fall so I’ve been through the ringer with them, which is nice. I mean you don’t want everything to be roses. You want to almost overcome the bad things. “To even get an issue out with all the adversity we had to deal with last semester, I’m proud of that,” Tate said. “A lot of people don’t realize why we were so thrilled that our issue is going to get out, which is because it almost didn’t even happen because of how crazy last semester was. There was no real cohesion among the staff. That tells you how much we had to work this semester.”
COVERED: The City magazine is set to be published in early June..
Woods started the school year majoring in journalism but changed her major to biology mid-semester: “I picked the magazine because I used to read a lot of magazines so I figured this should be fun. But I realized that I don’t really like getting into people’s business and that I’m not really curious about stuff like that. “I think we did really well, despite the difficulties and people that didn’t really care,” Woods said. “I think the ones who did care, they made it really good.”
Festival unites cultures
Story by Josh Avendano Staff @josh_avendano
LBCC clubs attended the Multi Cultural Festival on Thursday, May 18, in the Central Quad at the LAC where they shared information on their club, networked with other clubs and had the chance to win $250 for best booth design. Cameron Geater, 21, a computer science major and the cultural affairs representative for The Order of Tong International, attended the day’s event and said, “We came out today to make sure everyone knows about Tong and the history, because we’re one of the oldest clubs here at LBCC and we are extremely active on and off campus and we sponsor the blood drive. We currently have 22 active members and we are close with Associated Student Body and this event just helps spread our name.” Mali Hicks, 19, a international business major, said “The Ladies of Athena came out today primarily because this is the cultural event of the year where all the clubs come out and the whole point is to raise awareness of Greek culture and that it is still around today.” The 1-day event was produced by LBCC’s ASB, with two bands and over 10 clubs. The event was organized by the chair
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of cultural affairs, Javier Salcedo, 20, a political science and economics major, who commented on the day’s successful event: “We did this event for the clubs to come out and display their cultures. We wanted a lot of clubs to attend so we had a $250 incentive for clubs to make it out today. It was a successful day, we had some great bands and I wanted this event to be chill and relaxed especially before finals.” The Korean International Club won the $250 grand prize for most creative booth with a spicy ramen challenge where students would try to eat as much spicy ramen in a short period of time. Karla Lopez, 19, a psychology major and founder and president of the club, said she was excited to share Korean culture with students who are unaware of the culture: she said, “I was founder and creator of the club because before there was not enough support of Korean culture and we are growing and spreading awareness of the culture and we are slowly getting more people interested.” With their winnings, Lopez plans to invest the money back into the members of the club: she said, “This is amazing, thank you to all of the members for making the booth amazing. We can now use the winnings to take our members to K-Con and help make our club better.”
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OPINION
EDITORIAL
Ratings are overrated
As the end of the LBCC school year and graduation on June 8 approaches, LBCC prepares for final exams, final assignments and projects due before the student’s final grade is achieved and submitted. Most instructors grade students based on their assignments turned in, participation in class, attendance and how well they are prepared for tests and quizzes. But what if roles were reversed? What if students graded each teacher after every semester? Or after every lecture? What is mind boggling is that students have somehow become entitled to “grade” their teachers. Students have expanded their reviews from ratemyprofessor.com to Facebook and Twitter posts. Many factors go into teaching a course and to classify someone by the number of bullet points in their lecture, or the amount of homework they assign is illogical. For example, the workload a film class requires is likely less than what math or biology might demand. Sometimes teachers do not need to make PowerPoint presentations as the textbook provides all the information. Sometimes they need to highlight sections in the text to guide a student’s focus. Students shouldn’t have the right to pigeonhole their teachers because it may cause other students planning to take the class to have a preconception about the course. It’s nearly impossible to judge how well a teacher did or did not do during a semester without a biased opinion. We see benefits to students grading their teachers. The site ratemyprofessors. com is a great tool for students to get an idea of what the teacher is like from stu-
dents who have taken the course. On the ratings site, students can essentially “grade” their teacher by adding a review and rating them. Another form of students voicing their opinions is through class evaluations. An expression we’re all familiar with is everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Yes, that may be true, but when it comes to taking college courses, not everyone is going to be completely satisfied. Something we forget is that with each word we post, we have the power over a teacher’s reputation. It’s bad enough that social media makes it easier for students to roast their instructor on a day-to-day basis. Classes can be filled before the semester even begins with
a positive review or contribute to the fear teachers have of being replaced or fired because they have a “low” rating. Instead of giving students the liberty to write about the reasons why they liked or did not like a particular teacher, they should have pre-filled boxes with statements that asks if certain criteria were met. Teachers want their students to succeed and the students need the teacher’s help to succeed. In college, whether it feels like it or not, we’re all on the same team and we all desire the same outcome. Education is not a reality TV show where teachers are graded based on ratings. They should be based on their academic knowledge and their ability to teach.
Co-Editors in Chief
Lissette Mendoza @chingonapicosa Carlos Ochoa @carlosochoaLA
Images Editor
Amanda Rodriguez @arod_mandy
News Editors
Sienna Thomas @moodynature Danny Rivera @dannyriveralbcc
Calendar Editor
Katie Jackson @therealbuiscuit
Citystyle Editor
Erin Asis @erin_asis
Opinion Editor
Hayley Hart @hayleylhart
Sports Editors
Fantacie Jackson @_fantaciejm Isabelle Cheam @bellybelle_ Susan Usas @suzyq_445
Staff
Adrian Arvizu Denny Han Darlene Maes Brigid McLaughlin Presley Swearingen
Josh Avendano Melissa Ibarra Jaycob Martinez Patty Miramontes Liliana Piedra
Adviser
Patrick McKean
Photo and Online Adviser Chris Viola
Retired Photo Adviser Jim Truitt
Advertising Manager Hayley Hart
Illustration by Darlene Maes/Viking/@Dawrlean
Farewell to my porcelain Xanadu What started as a second chance after an unexpected layoff from work four years ago has finally come to an end. In just a few weeks, I, along with a few hundred other well-deserving students, will be graduating from LBCC. Leaving a place I’ve considered a second home for so long is bittersweet. In my time here, I’ve met great people, worked alongside some of the brightest individuals, and have Danny Rivera gained a newfound appreciation for the dedication of this school’s faculty, support staff and administration in providing the best Community College experience possible.
VIKING NEWS
General Copy Editor
OPINION
Story by Danny Rivera Staff @dannyriveralbcc
May 25, 2017
Like many of my fellow graduates, I have accomplished a lot in my time here. But to me, my greatest achievement at LBCC was finding the only clean bathroom on campus. Bathroom breaks are my moments of zen. When the rigors of higher learning got me down, retreating to my porcelain Xanadu was my respite to regain my composure and be alone with my thoughts...Okay, my thoughts and my Twitter feed. While this piece may seem like a cheeky bit for cheap laughs, my fellow students still working towards their goals at this great institution should take this as sage advice: Do yourself a favor and find your happy place. Higher learning isn’t easy. Just earning my AA degrees took two attempts with a seven-year lull in between. And all the studying, textbooks, essays, research, group projects and other knowledge you cram into your dome four days a week, you
need to get away from it all while you’re here - even if for only a few minutes. I found mine by luck, but finding yours can be as easy as getting a granola bar from the Health Services office. Just explore this amazing campus a little bit at a time. Don’t trudge from the parking lot to your first class and back. Walk through the different buildings, get some lunch with a new classmate, join a club, see a theatre show or an art exhibit. Heck, even have a conversation with one of your professors that doesn’t involve extra credit! Just keep your earbuds in your pocket sometimes and appreciate all this second home has to offer. And if you happen to find your proverbial island in the sun, use it to your advantage and make this whole multi-year trip a little easier on yourself. But don’t ask me where that bathroom is. I’m taking that secret to the grave. Peace out, LBCC. Thanks for all the air freshener.
The deadline for news, advertisements and letters to the editor is the Thursday before publication. The Viking is published by Journalism 80, 81, 82, 83, 86, 87 and 88 students of the LBCC English Department. The Viking newsroom is located at LBCC, LAC, 4901 E. Carson St., Long Beach, Calif., 90808, Room N108, 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. The Viking is funded by the Associated Student Body Delivered with the help of the PCC Student Life Staff.
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The Viking welcomes letters to the editor. Writers must identify themselves by showing their ASB card, driver’s license or ID card and email. Only names and major will be published with the letter.
May 25, 2017
Swimming team breaks records
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Story and photo by Presley Swearingen Staff @pres711 As the season comes to an end, the men’s and women’s swim team and their coach reflected on their accomplishments. Freshman Lindsey Mizrahi said, “The challenge makes everything worth it and you just have to work hard and the results will show. I think my favorite part was seeing all my hard work pay off in the end.” Freshman Chaz Harker said, “My favorite part was that we all trained really hard as a group.” Coach Chris Oeding said, “I thought it was successful. The men ended up getting 2nd in conference and with a smaller women’s team, I thought they maximized their potential and swam their best until the end of the year and that’s what our goal was from day 1. “We broke two school records that have been standing for 15 years. Samantha Wooley broke the 100 backstroke record and Mark Denison broke the 100 freestyle record.” The swim season will start again this Summer.
DIVE IN: Samantha Wooley dives into LAC pool on Wednesday, May 24, during the swim team practice.
Baseball Vikes runs out of steam in sectionals Story by Darlene Maes Staff @dawrlean
With the rush of graduation and summer quickly approaching, nothing was going to get in the way for the Vikings to seek redemption. After playing against the Grossmont Griffins’ several times over the season, they will battle it out once again with LBCC in the sectional playoff rounds. The California Community College Athletic Association's state championship is next for the team. Throughout their practice on Wednesday May 17, the Vikings showed focus running plays and perfecting their abilities. Assistant coach Rylie Ogle commented on how the team has progressed: “We have been very consistent executing what we have done in practice I couldn't ask for a better group of guys. They have figured out themselves and it’s paying off.” Josh Agnew, freshman pitcher, discussed how important the games are against Grossmont. He said, “They spanked us the last time, now it’s up to who wants it more. We are playing to our potential and the intensity is up.”
Coach Casey Crook detailed how the upcoming game will go based on the team's preparation: “When you make the playoffs, you keep doing what you're doing. This team has gotten the most out of themselves and figured out how to compete, we are going to play well.” The Vikings played in El Cajon, near San Diego against the Griffins’ on Friday, May 19, at 2 p.m. The series was continued on the Griffins’ turf throughout the weekend with a second game on Saturday, May 20, at 1 p.m and a third game on Sunday, May 21, at noon. The Vikings went 30-16-1 overall and 17-5 in conference. The team ended the season with a loss in the second round of the California Community College Athletics Association. Byrd hit 11 homeruns, 50 RBIs and had a batting average of .371.
GAMES 47 RUNS 293 BATTING AVERAGE .298 ON BASE PERCENTAGE .374 SLUGGING PERCENTAGE.406 HOME RUNS 26
SPORTS
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May 25, 2017
Star on the rise, aims for the majors Story and photo by Darlene Maes Staff @dawrlean
MAJOR LEAGUE PROSPECT: Vincent Byrd II, sophomore first baseman and pitcher, takes a break at Joe Hicks Field at LAC on Wednesday, May 17.
At a young age, Vincent Byrd II developed an admiration for a sport that would ultimately become his life. Byrd was introduced to baseball by his father Vincent Byrd Sr., enrolled him in T-ball. In addition to that, watching baseball games, decorating his room with baseball memorabilia and relating baseball to school as much as possible added interest. Growing up with the height advantage, he was always questioned of his age due to his physique and at times even asked to not participate in games. Byrd, now 19 years old and standing 6 feet, 7 inches, said, “I was always bigger than most people and would protest off the field. My last year of Little League I didn’t get to play because they thought I was too old to.” With the support system from his father and his mother Shervaughnna Byrd, he knew baseball was his destiny: He expressed this by by saying, “Baseball changed my life and has taught me a lot about it, that you can’t give up.” As a baseball player, the top career would be to signed to a Major League team. He detailed how playing baseball has laid out a pathway to his goals as well as continuing his academic career: “That’s my No. 1 dream job, I am ready to start my career.” With a major in petroleum engineering and a minor in African studies, Byrd
is signed to Cal State University, of Bakersfield. Byrd said, “I would like to finish college and make my parents proud and be the first child to graduate from college.” He also added the importance of gaining a minor in African studies. “My grandma passed away this past fall and one of her majors was African studies. Following her footsteps would mean a lot to me and my mom who loved her dearly.” Byrd was drafted last year in the 30th round by the Cincinnati Reds, as their 888th pick in the draft. His reasoning for not signing to them was, “It was the 30th round and I was 18 last year and I told myself I can do better than that. And that this year I would have a breakout year and potentially be higher in the draft.” LBCC coach Casey Crook described the qualities Byrd has as an athlete: He said, “He is a leader and great to have a on the team. As he understands his strengths and gets better with his weaknesses, he can definitely be a guy who you have to pay to watch play someday.” Byrd describes himself as a, “I’m a gentle giant and always smiling.” As the season is coming to an end, Byrd detailed the best memory is, “The third game against El Camino, putting up 20 runs and being in the playoffs with my team.” The Vikings went 30-16-1 overall and 17-5 in conference. The team ended the season with a loss in the second round of the California Community College Athletics Association. Byrd hit 11 homeruns, 50 RBIs and had a batting average of .371.
Beach volleyball team captures silver plaque Story By Fantacie Jackson Sports editor @_fantaciej
Earning a second-place finish at the State Championships in the first-year program, history was made in Northern California for LBCC’s beach volleyball team. The team traveled to West Valley College on Friday, May 5, to compete in the California Community College Athletic Association State Championships. As a team, the Vikings came back with silver as they placed second in the championships after defeating Feather River, 4-1, and Grossmont, 3-2. The Vikings entered into a state tournament of four that included three Pacific Coast Conference teams, Long Beach,
Grossmont and MiraCosta. LBCC began the day with a contest against MiraCosta, but fell, 4-1. However, the Vikings rebounded against Feather River and gave them their second loss of the year. LBCC also took down Grossmont after losing to the Griffins in their previous three meetings. Freshman Viking Valeria Payan said, “This season was a major step up for the athletics department of LBCC expanding to beach volleyball and it’s going to bring in more athletes for our indoor program as well.” The Viking duo of sophomores Sarah Miller and Paige Panter were supreme in the Individual State Championships and earned first place.
Miller and Panter entered the individual championships with 31 other teams. The pair was the fourth seed and began the championships with a 2-set sweep over No. 29 Gavilan, 21-12 and 21-10, to reach the second round. They also cruised through No. 20 Ventura, 21-10 and 21-12, to advance to the quarterfinals. There, Miller and Panter matched up against MiraCosta’s team ranked 28th. The pair eventually advanced through MiraCosta, 22-20 and 23-21. Miller and Panter defeated the pair twice on the season in set-sweeps. They continued the streak with scores of 21-18 and 21-18 which ended in a gold medal.
Beach volleyball Overall games 17-5 Streak 2 wins Conference 8-4 Home 6-1 Away 6-1 Neutral court 5-3