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March 31, 2016 • Volume 89, Issue 11 • Published Since 1927

ROGUE RABBIT WRANGLED- News, Page 2

BRING OBAMATO LBCC

- News, Page 3

Kelli Reynolds/ViKing

LBCC reacts to terrorist attack in Belgium

News, Page 2

Students attend awardluncheon in Sacramento

News, Page 6

“Flashback Friday” themeis this year’s Spring Sing tune

News, Page 7

Despite the risk of a $500 fine for abandoning pets on campus, a single rabbit was recently spotted and removed from the LAC.Story and photo byKelli ReynoldsStaff Writer @kellidelrae

A rabbit was spotted outside the P building on Wednesday, March 23, just be-fore Easter.

Once a common occurrence on the LAC, rabbits have not been sighted since the $10,000 effort to capture and relocate them in 2011.

The school was at one point national-

ly known for the amount of rabbits who ran freely among campus. The Wall Street Journal reported in 2010 that more than 300 rabbits lived on campus.

Many of the rabbits appeared near Easter, as people would pur-chase one in spirit of the holiday then later realizing the care they require, would aban-don it on the campus knowing a small wild population lived at the LAC.

It may sound to many like a pleasant scene to have bunnies hopping by on a sun-ny day as students

make their way to class, but the cute critters proved to become a problem.

They began costing the school substantial amounts of money in the landscaping they devoured, burrowing numerous deep holes all over the span of campus creating a tripping hazard for students and employ-ees.

Not only do the animals prove to be a harmful to the phys-ical campus, but they are also hazardous to each other. According to rabbit.org, rabbits

are extremely ter-ritorial, which can

lead to aggressive fights.Knowing it needed to take action,

LBCC developed a humane plan to remove the rabbits.

They began capturing the rabbits, find-ing homes and sanctuaries for as many as possible and neutering and releasing the remaining back on campus.

In addition, the school began posting signs warning that abandoning pets on campus comes with a $500 fine.

The school now has developed a plan used to deal with any rabbits found on campus, including the one found on March 23.

Communications director John Pope said, “We work with a local person who coordinates the animal rescue. So our pro-cedure is when there’s a bunny found on campus, our facilities team contacts her and she coordinates the neutering and finds homes for them.”

NEWS2 March 31, 2016

Attack reinforces talks of safety

Lone rabbit returns after $10,000 removal

Story and photo byOmar ReyesStaff Writer @salar0895

Tuesday, March 22, may have been an-other day at LBCC, but more than 5,000 miles away, a series of bombings ravaged the city of Brussels, Belgium, with two bombs exploding at an airport and the third at a metro station.

As of Monday March 28, 35 people had died in the attacks, including four Ameri-cans and three suicide bombers, according to NBC News.

“I’m saddened by the attacks,” said Joon Velasco, 22, a deaf-studies major. “I don’t believe innocent people deserve that type of violence. I can’t seem to understand how people can hurt other people.”

Four missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were in-jured in the attacks, according to Fox 13 news. Michael King, director of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints at 4579 E. Carson St, next to the LAC, said he was aware of the injuries.

King said LBCC students, including students who are Mormons, use the insti-tute for studies and activities. King con-siders the church a “safe atmosphere” for students and regarding the bombings, said, “Any act of violence against God’s children is a tragedy.”

In addition, an emergency response training meeting occurred at the PCC on Thursday, March 24, with emergency tips given by communications director John Pope and manager of safety and parking services Brendan Hayes. About 20 employ-ees attended the meeting, which also in-cluded an interactive exercise.

Although Hayes said the specific emer-

Grounds keeper removes rabbit from the LAC on Wednesday, March 23.

gency response meeting was planned for several months and was not conducted in direct response to the Brussels bombings, he said the information given was “applica-ble” to terrorist incidents.

In an interview, Criminal justice teach-er Mike Biggs said, “It’s a tragic incident because it shows that global terror is op-erating pretty much wherever they want in the way they want. The loss of life and injuries are horrific and my heart goes out to all those affected by it.”

On what students can do to report and

prevent attacks at LBCC, Biggs said, “Take a moment to reflect on what’s happened and use that as a motivation to be more aware. Stop walking around looking at your phone and look at what’s going on around you and see what’s out there. That might be just what we need to prevent something like this from happening.”

LBCC students talked about the attacks Thursday and voiced concerns about pos-sibly taking study abroad classes in the fu-ture.

Exgard Parra said, “I have heard about

the attacks, but I would never skip the chance to study overseas because of it. That’s what they want, they want us to live in fear, and we can’t give that to them.”

People may visit lbcc.edu/CollegeSafe-ty for safety tips and evacuation maps for each campus and sign up for text alerts from emergency-responding agencies.

Aubrey Grothe, rhyAun hAmilton-howell And irvin lorenzo contributed to this story.

SAFETY: Employees discuss safety ideas during an emergency-response meeting at the PCC on Thursday, March 24. The meeting was not made in response to the Brussels Bombings, said Brendan Hayes, LBCC’s safety and parking services man-ager, but guidelines presented in the meeting are applicable to incidences like Brussels.

NEWS 3March 31, 2016

LBCC alumni speak in Washington

Obama invited to speak at graduation in support of free Community College#Obama2LBCC used to invite leader to LBCC graduation June, 9.Story by Denise JonesCo-Editor in chief

@DeniseJonesLBCC

Recently, I attended a Reach Higher event at the White House, in Washington, D.C., as a student journalist representing LBCC with President Eloy Oakley.

During my visit, I left an invitation for President Obama to speak at the June 9 graduation ceremony at LBCC, with Eric Waldo.

Waldo is the executive director for Reach Higher, a higher education initiative sponsored by first lady, and designed to in-spire the nation’s youth and young adults to attend college.

Waldo said he would make sure the president received my letter.

By tweeting videos and photos to the official accounts @POTUS and @FLOTUS using the #Obama2lbcc hashtag enables supporters to follow and track the efforts to have Obama or the first lady speak at the gradation. Here is a copy of the letter.

Dear President Obama,My name is Denise Jones and I am a

journalism student at Long Beach City College in California. I am co-editor in chief for the Viking News, an award-win-ning student newspaper.

I am writing this letter on behalf of the Viking News staff, to extend an invitation to you, to speak at our school’s commence-ment ceremony on June 9, 2016.

We believe your presentation would add to your legacy of being perhaps the first U.S. president to speak at a Commu-nity College graduation ceremony, further

demonstrating the value of a Community College education. Because you are pro-moting free Community College tuition nationwide, we believe the stage at Long Beach Veterans Memorial Stadium would serve as an excellent platform for your worthwhile plan.

Long Beach City College includes a student population of over 25,000 diverse people from different cultures, nationalities and many from other countries.

As a student newspaper, Viking News serves as an introduction, training and preparation for students interested in pur-suing careers in journalism. The Viking has been a tradition that is deeply rooted in the community since 1927.

Our college is one of the leaders in implementing innovative educational pro-grams and policies to help serve the best interest of the community and students. The Long Beach Promise is one of the pro-grams.

The College Promise is a partnership between Long Beach Unified School Dis-trict, Long Beach City College, California State University, Long Beach and the City of Long Beach. Qualifying students from the Long Beach Unified School District re-ceive one year of free tuition at Long Beach City College, and given priority registra-tion for students transferring to Cal State Long Beach. So far, over 12,000 students have received free tuition through the Col-lege Promise since 2008.

An article entitled “The Long Beach Miracle” published Feb. 2, 2016, by The Atlantic features the Long Beach Col-lege Promise: theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/02/the-long-beach-mira-cle/459315/.

We look forward to hearing from your staff about our unique invitation.

Former Promise participants speak in support of free Community College.

Story by Denise JonesCo-Editor in chief

@DeniseJonesLBCC

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Former Long Beach Promise participants, LBCC Presi-dent Eloy Oakley and other education lead-ers gathered at the White House on Thurs-day, March, 17, to participate in a Reach Higher event.

As part of first lady Michelle Obama’s Beating the Odds focus, Reach Higher targets under-privileged students in un-der-served communities with opportu-nities for higher education and careers. The day-long event, to highlight the Long Beach Promise and other successful school initiatives, was hosted in the Eisenhow-er Executive Office Building, part of the White House complex.

LBCC alumnus Keyon Anderson, rep-resenting the Long Beach Promise, spoke of growing up with survival as the main goal in his home, not education. Diagnosed as dyslexic, Anderson said, “I never thought college was an option.”

Through his attendance at Cabrillo High School, Anderson received the need-ed support, guidance and confidence of feeling “disabled” to “abled” and enrolled in an auto mechanics class at LBCC, which led

to an internship at Boeing. “The Long Beach Promise showed me that even I could go to college,” Anderson said.

Long Beach Promise delegates joined speakers from Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School in the Bronx, N.Y., and Niswonger Foun-dation of Eastern Tennessee in a workshop discus-sion of what works and why.

During the panel discussion, Dominique Vera discussed her ex-perience with the Promise. Vera and her two sisters were raised by her sin-gle-parent mom and emigrated from Ec-uador. After graduating from Long Beach Poly High School and accepted at her “dream school,” the University of Massa-chusetts at Amherst, Vera found herself in a difficult position. “I was so excited to be there. This was my dream school,” Vera said emotionally, “But I didn’t have the finances to stay.”

Once back at home, Vera enrolled at LBCC and participated in the Beach Path-ways, whose guidance and support helped

to continue her education at Cal State Long Beach. The opportunity to work abroad in France offered her global business experi-ence.

The small setting allowed participants from across all sectors of education and youth development asked questions on stu-dent follow-up and long-range tracking.

Oakley said, “Reducing some of the burden of state and federal reporting to allowing resources to be utilized for other activities” is what LBCC needs to do to in-crease the bandwidth for that tracking. He further went to add that the L.B. Promise is

not funded by any agency or person. Anderson is finishing his master’s de-

gree in social work and attending USC in August to pursue a doctorate in education. “I’m claiming that,” Anderson said of his Twitter handle @dr_Keyon.

Vera works for recruitment and place-ment firm in Los Angeles as a marketing and events specialist. She credits her in-volvement in the Promise for allowing her to pursue her passion for business. “The L.B. Promise was the light at the end of the tunnel,” Vera said.

L.B. PROMISE IN D.C.: LBCC President Oakley, Cal State Long Beach’s Terri Carbaugh and LBCC alumni Keyon Anderson and Dominique Vera participate in a panel discussion on the Long Beach Promise and why it works at the Reach Higher event at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, March 17.

NEWS4 March 31, 2016

The Spirit Award will operate on a points system where LBCC independent students as well as clubs/organizations will receive points for any of the actions listed below. The Spirit Award and a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card will be given to the winners. Please contact asb@lbcc.edu with any questions you may have.

Starting April 1, earn Points for: • 1 point for posting about an ASB sponsored event (Athletics, Performing Arts, etc.).• 1 point for retweeting or sharing any ASB tweets or Facebook posts.

(Maximum of 5 retweets and shares per day.)• 1 point for posting a picture with an ASB cabinet member on campus.• 2 points for attending an ASB Cabinet meeting and posting a picture

as proof of attendance. • 2 points for attending any ASB committee meeting. • 2 points for documenting a good deed (Picking up trash, recycling, etc.). • 3 points for posting your participation in an ASB sponsored event. • 5 points for attending any ASB sponsored event with a group of 3 or more and

posting a picture on social media. • 5 points for following all ASB social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter)• 5 Points for voting and providing proof of voting in an ASB Election.

Double points will be given duringSustainability Week April 18 - 22 and Elections May 10 - 12!

IMPORTANT: Students must tag LBCC ASB and use the hashtag, #LBCCASB, on every post in order to earn points towards the Spirit award.

Follow Us, Get Informed, and WIN!Facebook Instagram Twitter ASB Hashtag Snapchat ASB E-mail

Lbcc Asb LBCCASB @LbccAsb #LBCCASB LBCCASB asb@lbcc.edu

Follow Us and WINthe ASB Spirit Award!

Calendar committee considers children of students and employees when scheduling time off.

Story and PhotoBy Jerick E LeblancStaff Writer @jerickjake

For over 20 years, LBCC has scheduled Spring Break to fall the week after Easter Sunday, the same week when the Long Beach Unified School District scheduled its vacation for all elementary, middle and high schools.

This year, LBCC will take its Spring Break from Sunday, April 3, through Sun-day, April 10.

Greg Peterson, vice president of Stu-dent Support Services said, the decision was made to change the schedule by the Academic Calendar Committee, composed of three teachers, three administrators, a staff member, and a student.

“The challenge with scheduling Spring Break after Easter Sunday is that Easter

Sunday fluctuates each year and can occur in mid-March through the end of April,” Peterson said.

“The committee felt that it was import-ant for our students with children to be off when their children were off for the Spring Break,” Peterson said. “The calendar com-mittee conducted a survey of faculty, and the results confirmed that the faculty felt Spring Break had a negative impact on stu-dent learning when it occurred too early or too late in the semester.”

Fine arts major Susan Ahearn, 55, said she is excited about having the week off, “I feel like a kid because my kids are all grown and in college. I plan on going hiking and not turning on my alarm clock to wake me up.”

Ahearn added that next week is a good time for her to finish preparing her taxes.

Peterson said the Calendar Commit-tee conducted a survey of students, which had a mixed result and about half of the students surveyed wanted Spring Break to coincide with Long Beach Unified School District’s Spring break, and the other half wanted it in the middle of the semester.

“In 2014-15, Spring Break was officially changed to fall in the middle of the Spring semester. This year, 2015-16, is the second

year that this change has been made,” he said.

Psychology major Burdette Forsch, 20, said, “I am a part of the women’s swim team and I plan on practicing more from 7 -10 a.m. during the break since this part of the campus will be open.”

Forsch added as an athlete, she plans to get plenty of sleep between her swim prac-tice and her job.

In 2013-14, the Calendar Committee began to discuss the impact that Spring Break has on the instructional programs at the college, especially for 8-week courses that start at the beginning and in the mid-dle of the Spring semester.

Kinesiology major Peter Nou, 21, said, “I am passionate about hardcore-free run-ning, which is movement from point A to point B. This is an art to me and during Spring Break I will be going to rehab train-ing because I had an injury in my knee over training doing a stunt off campus.”

Nou added he likes the discipline and focus strength training brings him. “It’s also a form of stress relief and I’m looking for-ward to taking time off from school during Spring Break to heal my injury,” he said.

SWIMMING FOR FUN: Psychology ma-jor Burdette Forsch, 20, sits at LAC pool Wednesday, March 23. She plans on practicing more during Spring Break. “I’d rather go swim than go to school. Some day I want to win the 200-meter butterfly finals,” she said.

Tradition takes a Spring Break

Story and photoBy Denise JonesStaff Writer @DeniseJonesLBCC

After 18 years of reporting at the Long Beach Press-Telegram, former Viking News Editor-in-Chief Tracy Manzer, now has a position on Capitol Hill in Washing-ton, D.C.

Manzer said as director of communications for Congress-woman and Democrat Brenda Lawrence from Southfield, Mich-igan, “I’m kind of like the editor of the communications depart-ment for the congresswoman.”

Viking photo and online ad-visor, Chris Viola, a former Vi-king staff member with Manzer said, “It’s great to see a former classmate’s journey from reporting on local stories at the Press-Telegram to having an impact to policy on Capitol Hill.”

Covering the police and court beat at the Press-Telegram for 10 years, Manzer said wearing a bulletproof vest on pre-dawn raids were some of the best times.

“I was here for the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that dismantled Defense Of Mar-riage Act and made same-sex marriage a right nationwide,” Manzer said, “That was

an incredible moment in history and I still am emotional when I recall that moment when the ruling came down. You could ac-tually feel the joy and relief in the air. It was palpable.”

Manzer said her current boss was the first member of Congress to call for a con-gressional hearing on the Flint water crisis and is at the forefront of the matter. “I am grateful, in a way, that the Flint issue has

been so widely reported on and reviewed, as I believe it’s the best chance we’ve had in years to ad-dress issues of environment jus-tice, particularly as they relate to poor communities and commu-nities of color,” Manzer said.

Lawrence said, “When I hired Tracy as my communications di-rector, I made it clear that I chose her for passion and her drive and

that I had very high expectations. I’m proud and pleased to say that she

has demonstrated that passion and drive on a daily basis and that she truly shares my priorities for making a difference for the people of Michigan’s 14th  District, where I was born and raised. Manzer said, “I am enjoying life on the Hill, and I feel very strongly that Congress needs people who care about core issues that impact the majority of Americans.”

Tracy Manzer

D.C. employs Viking alumna

NEWS 5March 31, 2016

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY LONG BEACHCOLLEGE OF CONTINUING AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

DOERS DOCSULB 2016

Lorinda OwensAd size: 6.06 X 5 in.Long Beach City COllegePub Date: 3/31

More than 75 Online Summer Classes

Registration Begins April 4(800) 963-2250 | CCPE-info@csulb.edu

www.ccpe.csulb.edu/summer

Two 6-Week Sessions May 23–July 1 (S1S)

July 5–August 12 (S3S)

One 12-Week Session May 23–August 12 (SSD)

#DoersDo@CSULBInterSessn

Summer Sessions

Earn units toward your degree

No formal admission to

CSULB required

Enroll on a “space available”

basis

SS_LBCC2v_Ad1_S16.indd 1 3/17/16 10:27 AM

New methods to power vehicles studied in automotive project.Story By Jeff DahlquistStaff Writer @jdahlasign

The Advanced Transportation Technol-ogy Center at LBCC’s PCC is taking strides preparing ecological advancement of to-morrow’s transportation.

The project looks at new methods to power vehicles with alternative fuels be-sides the standard combustion engine.

In a 2006 City magazine article, stu-dents Jason Davenport and Daniel Quinte-ro, as well as others in the class, powered a car using french fry oil. Students obtain valuable skills in the automotive trade.

Student James Romero, said, “We use Cummings insight diagnostic software to find fault codes and diagnose problems.”

Romero said he is studying at the cen-ter to obtain a certificate in alternative-fu-els. According to the curriculum guide, the certificate and degree programs prepare students for an entry-level position as a light-medium or heavy-duty technician.

Students prepare for a career in alterna-tive-fuel vehicle conversion, maintenance and repair using state-of-the-art-equip-ment.

With a heavy emphasis on comput-erized-engine management, the mission of the alternative fuels program provides students training in servicing and main-taining alternatively-fueled vehicles in the light-medium and heavy-duty engine plat-forms, leading to a certificate or an AS de-gree.

Students learn to work on high-pres-sure and low-temperature fuels without injury and diagnose and repair comput-er-controlled, gaseous-fueled engines. They are taught to comply with regulations with installations, inspections and related components.

Advanced transportation technology center coordinator Cal Macy said in an email, the electric vehicle program is pre-paring to purchase a Tesla for use, and met with Tesla management to become a satel-lite training center.

The center has had a site inspection by Tesla and according to Macy, “They are as excited as we are about the program.”

Tesla and the center are planning to structure paid internships at Tesla for grad-uates.

Macy notes that “they are expanding in this area and want us as a partner.”

More information about the center is available online at lbcc.edu/attc, calling (562) 938-3067 or emailing Cal Macy at cmacy@lbcc.edu

Students are also encouraged to visit them at the PCC in Building JJ.

Darrell James/Viking/ @DarrellJames_VROOM, VROOM: A compressed natural-gas engine sits in the LBCC auto mechanics and diesel garage at the PCC. The engine type is often used in Long Beach Public Transportation buses said instructional assistant Demetre Dovalis.

A future fueled by french fries

NEWS6 March 31, 2016

Journalism students win nine honors during convention in Burbank.Story by Joshua MillerCo-editor in chief @joshua_miller8

Joining about 40 community colleges from California to participate in a three-day state journalism conference, the LBCC Viking news-paper and City Magazine staff members won nine awards, including an award in gener-al excellence for the Viking staff, from March 17-19.

The Jour-nalism As-sociation of C o m m u n i t y Colleges and the California N e w s p a p e r Publishers As-sociation host-ed the confer-ence at the Los Angeles Mar-riott Burbank Airport hotel in Burbank. The conference included on-the-spot deadline-based contests and mail-in contests for the 2014-15 academic year. The conference also included workshops from industry professionals, roundtable meetings for students to discuss and share ideas, along with many networking oppor-tunities.

Of the on-the-spot contests, LBCC gained one first place, two third places, one

fourth place, and one honorable mention award. Brandon Richardson, finished first for News Judgment/Layout Tabloid con-test and third for the news-writing contest, Carlos Ochoa secured third in the opinion writing contest Joshua Miller took fourth in the News Photo and Caption contest, and Juan Galvez received Honorable Men-tion for the Editorial Cartoon contest.

Richardson, 28, a journalism major, said, “This was my second state convention and it was another great experience. I was

surprised after winning first place in news judgment and layout for tab-loid because it wasn’t an event I initial-ly intended to participate in, but our adviser Pat McKean in-sisted I signed up. I’m really grateful that he pushed me.”

Along with the on-the-spot contests, the Viking and City Magazine submitted en-tires for nu-merous con-tests. Miller

won a $500 scholarship, Aaron Wiseman took first for the mail in Magazine Illustra-tion, Jon Peacock took second for the On-line Photo Story/Essay contest. Miller, 19, a journalism major, said, “It was an amazing experience. The conference gives students such valuable insight to what it takes to be a professional photojournalist in the indus-try. I cannot wait to attend the next SoCal conference in the Fall.”

Viking News gains top state award

By Irvin LorenzoContributing Writer

Phi Theta Kappa is a national honors society club that will be going to Sacramen-to with three students who will be accept-ing medals on March 24.

Karen Rose is an adviser for Phi Theta Kappa and she said the three students from Long Beach City College will receive award medals in Sacramento. LBCC Vice Presi-dent Greg Peterson also will be going with the three students.

The three students receiving medals are

Jordan Ewing, Christine Fuller and Carrie Fuhrer. The medals will be worn at gradu-ation June 9.

Rose has been an adviser for the club since 2011 and she said, “I think it’s fun and the students enjoy it.”

The club has an orientation where in-terested students can sign up, however they must have a 3.5 or higher gpa. The induc-tion ceremony is in June when students light a candle along with the other students who will be accepted into the club and then blow the candle out altogether.

FM radio progresses

Three honored in Sacramento

By Joseph HerreraContributing Writer

With the television and radio program expanding its creativity, students are em-bracing the possibility of a new source of expression, a Long Beach FM station.

For years, the FM station 99.1 has been nothing but static. Recently, Ken Roth, Long Beach Community Television and Media Corporation president, conducted meetings with broadcasting students of LBCC and discussed the steps to create a new radio format. The group has received word from the Federal Communications Commission that it has been granted a con-struction permit, which says they have 18

months to erect a tower or show progress.Once progress is made, the Federal

Communications Commission will allow airwaves to be broadcast in Long Beach, San Pedro, parts of Wilmington and even reach Palos Verdes. Recently, LBCC Radio Club members have attended meetings and are in the process of designing a logo for the station. When revealed at the club's weekly meetings that a local radio station will take on Long Beach, several members rejoiced.

Communication major Elizabeth Waite, who also serves as club president, said, “This is a big deal for aspiring broad-casters in Long Beach and every one of them should embrace this opportunity.”

The December 4th issue of Viking news featured a brand new design and 24 pages, helping the paper receive the general excellence award.

Jordan Ewing Carrie FuhrerChristine Fuller

NEWS 7March 31, 2016

‘Flashback Friday’ hits the stage in Spring Sing

Students, employees and alumni will participate in this year’s Spring Sing on Friday, April 1, at 7 p.m. in the LAC Auditorium.

Sylvia Gar-cia, student con-duct specialist of student affairs, worked with Teila Robertson, Stu-dent Life coordi-nator, to organize the event.

“We’re very excited about the theme, ‘Flashback Friday,’” Garcia said. “The stu-dents picked that themselves and one of our stu-dents designed the fliers. I’m very ex-cited that we got a lot of student clubs par-ticipating including community members. It should be a fun night.”

Clubs and individuals in the past have performed skits, dance routines, show-

cased musical and acting talents and even recited poet-ry.

Lexi Mixson, 20, a criminal jus-tice major who is performing in Spring Sing and is part of Athena. “We (Athena) won last year so we’re hoping to win again this year. I’m really excited to perform in it and it’s my first time. I’m a little nervous, but I’m hoping to do well.”

General ad-mission is $5 and

all proceeds raised by the event goes to help students receive scholarships.

PCC program was cut during budget crisis.Story and photo byCarlos OchoaStaff Writer @carlosochoaLBCC

The construction trades teacher at PCC voiced concern over the future of the con-struction programs at LBCC on Tuesday, March 29.

Javier Rivera instructs classes such as cabinet making, carpentry and horticul-ture at the PCC and said he is concerned about the state of education in the field due to the discontinuation of the construction program and degrees in 2013.

On Wednesday, March 30, during Ri-vera’s morning blueprint class, student Lise Carter, 59, said, “I come from an admin-istrative background and I want hands-on and more in-depth experience. These class-es are helping me do that.”

Along with the negativity she said she thinks the field receives, another obstacle she said she faces is being a woman in the field.

“In the media, the earning potential is talked about for people with degrees in non-infrastructural jobs, but not every-one is outfitted for those jobs. … It doesn’t

mean they are less intelligent, their pas-sions are simply somewhere else.”

Heberto Trahin, 19, an undecided ma-jor, said, “These classes don’t get the credit they deserve. There are a variety of students who come here. People think these jobs are easy and undesirable, but to be honest, not everyone has what it takes to do these jobs,

you have to love doing it.”Rivera said, “These classes are now only

for personal enhancement,” referring to the class credits that no longer contribute to-ward a major.

He said he blames the removal of the construction program on improper eco-nomic decisions from college officials. He

also said an “outside job” carries a negative connotation when high school and college counselors discuss careers with students.

Rivera said, “People don’t realize there is a huge construction boom, where more people are retiring than being hired, which is creating a gap in jobs needed here in Long Beach.”

With the Project Labor Agreement from the Long Beach Port, a certain per-centage of jobs must come from Long Beach, which Rivera used to ridicule the statistics, which administrators used to jus-tify the halting of the program in 2013.

He said, “I don’t know where they did their research. … Labor statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor showed a rebound of workers. … It was a total mis-take.”

He said inquiries from the port within the last six months would justify the con-tinuation of a program that would create jobs.

Rivera has taken initiatives such as sub-mitting a proposal for a new construction technology and management program to replace the discontinued program.

The advice Rivera gives for to students pursuing a career in a trade is, “There is a lot of miscommunication when it comes to employment in trades. Make sure you do your research.”

Prof tries to rebuild construction

PROGRESS: Student Mark Williams II, 33, a carpentry major, drills during his cabinet making class Tuesday, March 29. The class is one of many that no longer count toward achieving a degree in construction.

The comedic tragedy follows a contemporary student’s journey after a mistake at a party.By Carlos OchoaStaff Writer @carlosochoalbcc

The Perform-ing Arts Department and Associated Stu-dent Body will pres-ent “Really, Really,” a play written by Paul Downs Colaizzo, at the LAC Studio Theatre in H103.

The play focuses on a student at an elite university who makes a mistake at a party and must deal with the consequences.

The play will be directed by Anthony

Carreiro, a professor in the performing arts program who teaches acting, theatre and production performance classes.

The play will be performed April 21-23 at 8 p.m., April 24 at 2 p.m. and April 28-30 at 8 p.m.

The New York Times theater review described Collaizzo in 2013 as someone who “already possesses an assured appreciation of the addictive power of ambiguity, which he manipulates with bait-and-switch mastery that never lets up.”

Due to mature sub-ject matter, no one un-der the age of 16 will be admitted.

Free parking will be in lots D, E and F.

Tickets may be purchased online at lbcc.edu/performingarts or by calling Ovation Tix, a ticket purchasing company, at (866) 811-4111.

New play ‘Really, Really’ not suitable for children

Open-house plant sale raises thousands for horticulture8 FOCUS March 31, 2016

Jorge Ochoa, head of the horticulture program, center, speaks to shoppers about the best way to care for the plants they are purchasing at the Horticulture Club’s annual plant sale at the PCC on Saturday, March 26.

Metal signs created by students in the Metal Fabrication and Welding Club are for sale.

A chicken at the PCC garden during the annual sale is seen

Vegetables in 4 inch pots being sold for $2 in the PCC’s horticulture garden.

Open-house plant sale raises thousands for horticultureFOCUS 9March 31, 2016

Story and photos byHayley HartOnline Editor @hayleylhart

The Horticulture Club’s annual plant sale at the PCC began Saturday and Sun-day, March 26 and 27, and resumes Satur-day and Sunday, April 2 and 3 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Javier Reyes, 20, a horticulture major, said the plants for sale are grown by stu-dents in the club. Reyes said, “We have indoor and outdoor plants” and fruits and vegetables. Reyes pointed out one of the ex-otic species for sale is the staghorn fern. It is being sold by being mounted on boards as the plant typically grows at the top of tree trunks or in ruts of the tree trunks or branches.

Amanda Paiz, 22, a double major in human development and childhood devel-opment at Cal State Long Beach, is taking a chemistry class at the PCC and saw the plant sale signs around campus. She said she had no idea the garden was on campus. Paiz said, “It’s like a hidden secret.”

Paiz stopped at the sale after church on Easter Sunday. Paiz purchased jalapeños, zucchini, a plum tree and Thai chilies. Paiz said, “When I cook I use a lot of chilies. I’m excited to grow these.”

Paiz spoke with Brian Hastie, the voca-tional instruction technician in the horti-culture program, about growth space for the zucchini. She said she was pleased they don’t need much room to grow.

Hastie said the official beginning of the plant sale is unknown, but believes it began shortly after the program was established in 1973. Hastie said, “We see people we haven’t seen all year, but they come out for the plant sale.” Hastie said the plant sale is, “really an open house. We give advice on

planting, on gardening, on irrigation, any-thing to do with gardening for free.”

Robert Johnson, a teacher in sheet met-al and fabrication at LBCC and adviser for the Metal Fabrication and Welding Club, was at the plant sale with students from the club selling items made by students.

Some of the items are decorative metal wall hangings with humming birds, Amer-ican flags or mermaids plasma cut into the metal, birdhouses and pit grills ranging in price from $5-$150.

Johnson said, “I truly enjoy seeing our students learn. They develop their creative side and math skills and they make tangi-ble objects to bring home.” The proceeds are used by the club primarily for field trips to facilities that value the skills the students are learning.

Edgar Pelayo, 27, a horticulture major, was volunteering March 27 for the first time. Pelayo started in the program be-cause “I love the outdoors and wanted to work with plants. It’s a good program. Peo-ple should look into it. It’s kind of a dying lifestyle.”

During the first few hours of the sale March 26, Reyes said, “Milkweed is the most popular and it is sold out.” He said milkweed is good for the butterfly popula-tion, specifically the Monarch butterfly as when in caterpillar form they eat the plant.

Ty Elijah, a culinary arts alumna and EOPS student assistant, was at the plant sale March 26 as a plant sale volunteer. Eli-jah said, “The plant sale is going well. It’s going on next week too.”

According to statistics of prior plant sales given by the horticulture program an average of $20,000-$30,000 may be raised, up to 10,000 buyers may attend, 10,000 plants are available to purchase and over 100 species of plants are at the sale.

Brian Hastie, left, instructional assistant for the horticulture program, speaks with Cal State Long Beach and LBCC student Amanda Paiz, 22, a human and child development double major, about gardening tips, Edgar Pe-layo, 27, a horticulture major, right, listens with his dog Skyflower Durantha.

Vegetables in 4 inch pots being sold for $2 in the PCC’s horticulture garden.

In addition to tomatoes, signs were also being sold.

The milkweed plant sold out within the first few hours on the first day of the plant sale Saturday, March 26, said Javier Reyes, 22, a horticulture major.

CITYSTYLE10 March 31, 2016

BLENDED: Everett Babcock, 25, an art major, mixes paint with a brush while paint-ing a portrait of Gio Molina.

TAKING THE STAND: Everett Babcock, 25, an art major at LBCC, begins painting Gio Molina’s portrait.

A VIEW TO REMEMBER: Guests walk in to enjoy the fine arts reception as Everett Babcock adds color to his portrait of Gio Molina.

Color and music combine for artStory and Photos byJoshua MillerCo-editor in chief

@joshua_miller8

Students, employees and friends of LBCC gathered for an evening of food, wine, music and portrait painting at a gallery on Pine Avenue in Downtown Long Beach on Thursday, March 24.

The LBCC Foundation Fine Arts Associates hosted a reception that in-cluded a live portrait painting session of John Molina, son of Mary Rose Molina, matriarch of one of Long Beach’s most prominent families, and Gio Molina, 14, a student at Westerly School of Long Beach, and son of John Molina.

The live portrait art was painted by Everett Babcock, 25, an art major at LBCC, and Christopher Chinn, a drawing and painting professor at LBCC.

The event also included a perfor-mance by LBCC theater majors Frania Duenas, 32, and Jason Bowe, 35, in a comedic-skit that reflected the topic of getting a divorce “Brooklyn-style.”

At the event, the music was played by brothers and LBCC music majors Bryan Baker, 19, and Brandon Baker, 22.

Trustee Ginny Baxter, executive director for the Foundation attended the art event. “I think it’s a good part-nership between the art community here in Long Beach and the students.”

SIDE BY SIDE: Everett Babcock, foreground, paints with LBCC professor Christopher Chinn.

CALENDAR 11March 31, 2016

ART GALLERY

Gallery hours: Monday and Thursdays 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday noon-8 p.m. Located in K100 Gallery director Trevor Norris (562) 938-4815 tnorris@lbcc.edu for more information

POETRY MONTH

All events are located in the Marian Sims Baughn center in P104 and are free to stu-dents and public.

Friday, April 11, 1 p.m.Writer’s reading series

Friday, April 15, 7-9 p.m.Student open mic night

Tuesday, April 19, noon-1 p.m.Open mic reading for national poetry month

Wednesday, April 27, 1 p.m.-2 p.m.Advanced poetry workshop showcaseFor more information people may visit cre-ativewritinglbcc.org

COUNSELING

ELECTIONS

PCC-LAC SHUTTLE

Viking Voyager runs every 30 minutes Monday-Thursday: 7:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.Last run leaves at 9 p.m.Friday : 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.Last run leaves at 3 p.m.Saturday: 8:30-3:30 p.m.Stops at PCC, LAC D Building and Veter-ans Stadium

SPECIAL EVENTS

Saturday, April 2, 1-7 p.m.LBCC students will dance for a cure in the Hollywood dance marathon at the Avalon Theater. lightscameracure.com

Sunday, April 3, 2 p.m.Spring Orchestra Concert in the LAC Au-ditorium Free parking in lots D, E and FTickets at lbcc.edu/performingarts

Tuesday. April 12, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.Sponsored by student health services and the office of student life Free health services; department of health and human services mobile vans will be making stopsPCC in parking lot 3

Tuesday, April 12, noon in LAC T1200Free show on historical women “A’nt I a Woman”

Wednesday, April 13, 2-3 p.m.PCC EE102GBehavioral Social Service Club collecting canned food. dsteele@lbcc.edu

Monday, April 14, noon-1 p.m.Homeless student outreach event(310) 850-5918

Saturday, April 23 all day eventMini Grand Prix at PCC

Voter registration has ended for: Tuesday, April 12, LBCC Board and other local races

Voter registration deadline is15 days before election day.Tuesday, June 7, LBCC bond measure LB and presidential and state offices pri-mary.

BAKERY AND BISTROTRANSFER

ASB ELECTIONS

SPRING SING

Bakery openMonday-Wednesday 10:30-1:30 p.m.Bistro openTuesday and Wednesday 11:30-1:30 p.m.(562) 938-4757 for reservations facebook.com/LBCCBakery forweekly menu updates

Saturdays and Sundays,April 2 and 3, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Hosted by the LBCC Horticulture Club at the PCC. Cash and checks accepted. Metal sculptures and other garden items for saleby the LBCC Fabrication and Welding As-sociation.

Cal State Long Beach drop-in sessions9 a.m.-2 p.m. front of A Building at LACTuesday, April 129 a.m.-2 p.m. in LAC A1097 Wednesday, April 13(562) 938-4670

U.C. Berkeley drop-in sessions9 a.m.-2 p.m. in LAC A1097 Tuesday, April 12 No appointments or sign-up required (562) 938-4670

Cal State Dominguez Hills drop-in sessions9 a.m. - 2 p.m. in LAC A1097Wednesday, April 13No appointments or sign-up required

U.C. Irvine appointments Monday, April 11 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in LAC A1097(562) 938-4670 for an appointment

Talent showFriday, April 1, at 7 p.m.LAC Auditorium Proceeds go to student scholarships.(562) 938-4978 or trobertson@lbcc.edu

POLICE SERVICES

The Long Beach Police Department serves LBCC with issues regarding security, lost and found items, thefts or other crimes.Evening safety escorts available for stu-dents and employees at LAC and PCC.(562) 938-4910 or (562) 435-6711 to report a crime or arrange a safety escort

PCC PLANT SALE

PCC and LACMonday to Thursday 8 a.m.-6 p.m.Friday 8 a.m.-noonOnline counseling services available at lbcc.edu/counseling.

Applications due Thursday, May 12, by end of day to Camille Bolton at LAC in E119 or Roberta Maroney at PCC Student Center in EE Buildingasb@lbcc.edu, cbolton@lbcc.edu

SUMMER REGISTRATION

April 25-June 12, 6 a.m.-11 p.m. Online registration at lbcc.edu In-person registration hours:Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.- 6 p.m.Friday 8 a.m.-noon

OPINION12 March 31, 2016

Media coverage skewed against Bernie Sanders

Co-Editors in Chief:Denise Jones @DeniseJonesLBCC

Joshua Miller @joshua_miller8Managing Editor

Brandon Richardson @_Brandon_EOpinion Editor:

Melina Paris @parismelinaSports Editor:

Juan Carlos Galvez @J_Images1Online Editor:

Hayley Hart @hayleylhartPhoto and Images Editor:

Darrell James @darrelljames_News Editor:

Glen Starks @gstarksviking15Calendar Editor:

Fantacie JacksonChief Copy Editor

Susan Usas @suzyq_445Citystyle Editor

George Zuniga @GeorgeZLBCCStaff Names:

Jeff Dahlquist Jordan HortonJerick E. LeBlanc Carlos OchoaOmar Reyes Kelli Reynolds

Adviser: Patrick McKean

Photo and Online Adviser: Chris Viola

Retired Photo Adviser: Jim Truitt

Advertising Manager: Michal Olszewski

VIKING NEWS

The deadline for news, advertisements and letters to the editor is the Thursday before pub-lication.

The Viking will be published April 21, May 5 and 19 and June 2. 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 viking-news@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.

Have an opinion? 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.

By Jerick E. LeBlanc and Kelli Reynolds on Monday, March 28.

Randy GuRley, 21,undeclaRed majoR

“In all honesty, I’m go-ing to a rave on Satur-day in San Bernardino. Also, I’m working a lot of hours.”

Pablo baRahona, 20,bio-chemisty majoR

“I plan on working, sleeping and catching up on homework.”

anGela dubuque, 20,undeclaRed majoR

“I have been practic-ing a lot for the dance concert. For Spring Break, I plan on sleep-ing a lot.”

RaPhael Gonzalez, 19undeclaRed majoR

“Nothing, whatever happens, happens.”

maRia baRahona, 21,nuRsinG majoR

“First I plan on catch-ing sleep and then I have a bucket list with my best friend in Palos Verdes so we are go-ing there.”

michelle hoRnilla, 24,bioloGy majoR

“My plans for Spring Break is to study a lot.”

thomas haRlin, 21,dance KinesioloGy majoR

“I am going to San Di-ego to have fun and to get away from Long Beach.”

CITY VIEWS“What are your plans from Spring Break?”

bRandy FactoRy, 21,dance majoR

“I am going to Joshua Tree Natural Park near Palm Springs and I’m also going to Disney-land.”

One candidate stands out among a spe-cific demographic all across the U.S. I’m talking about Bernie Sanders. College students love Bernie, except for maybe those who go to Trump University.

Personally, I can say that I’d vote Democrat, especially with a more liberal, left-wing candi-date like Bernie. I follow Sand-ers on Twitter, Facebook and other varieties of social media. But something has come to my attention.

Sanders is getting little cov-erage on television.

Somebody might think, “Oh, who cares. It’s just TV. Nobody watches regular televi-sion anyways.” Wrong. That is dead wrong. More wrong than anyone could possibly imagine. According to the Nielsen ratings

from this year, 99 percent of households own a TV, an average of 5 hours are spent

watching that television. Where does all of this

draw into good ol’ Bern? Well, it starts with Trump. He is a media sensation. Anything Trump says, whether behind a podium, at a conference, on Twitter, on the street, it makes the news. Literally anything the guy does makes the news through headlines on your TV screen

You tune into any scheduled hour of news on your local or nationwide channels, I can almost guarantee you there’s some-thing about Trump in the newscast. Ac-cording to The Nation magazine, it’s been calculated that Trump gets 23 times more

coverage than Bernie does, we all know that Trump gets the most.

What sickens me is how anything Trump says is swallowed up by every major news outlet in the nation. But what about Bernie?

The latest big thing the media has covered on Bernie was a bird flying up to his podium. Sure, it was cute, sure, it was fitting for his speech but that’s it? It also seems like news outlets are posting articles on “why Bernie would be the biggest story now if it weren’t for Trump”.

Nobody cares about why you could be covering him right now. It’s why you aren’t.

To me, this is a man who’s going to change America for the better. A man who’s going to carry the nation forward and leave a positive impact. So I have to keep asking, “Why doesn’t anyone cover him like they should?”

George Zuniga

COMMENTARY

Cartoon illustration By Carlos oChoa/ @CarlosoChoalBCC

OPINION 13March 31, 2016

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

It started with an email. An email wedged between a “Star Wars” newsletter and a $5 footlong coupon.

It seemed unimportant at first, until I read who sent it. “LBCC honors pro-gram.”

It was my second semester back at LBCC Fall 2013. I had tried earning a de-gree in 2006. It didn’t work.

I wasn’t focused. I cared too much about going out, late-night shows, parties, working for extra scratch to fund those adventures.

Several years and one big layoff later, I told myself it was time to take my ed-ucation seriously. Time to stop playing games and work toward a beneficial goal: An education.

My only problem was that I didn’t know how.

My first semester back at LBCC was an endless cycle of closed classes, failed petitions and sprints from one end of campus to another, which tested my physical and mental fortitude. Thankful-ly, I had an English 105 professor, Nancy Darr, who gave me a chance with her last enrollment slot. I took the opportunity and ran with it, earning the highest grade in the class.

But getting that email from the honors program still came as a surprise, mainly because I felt I hadn’t earned it. I was tak-ing classes and earning solid grades, but I still didn’t know if I was advancing to-

ward anything tangible. I was beginning to think that I was wasting my time, that I should give up and start looking for an-other meaningless job to keep the party rolling.

Truthfully, that email could not have come at a better time. As fantastic as the teachers are at LBCC, many of my stan-dard classes lean heavily towards lec-tures and… more lectures. Dictation and memorization takes priority over explo-ration and critical thought.

The smaller-class sizes in honors en-courages me and my classmates to partic-ipate in thoughtful conversations and de-bate openly over our texts and readings. We become more engaged with the sub-ject matter and work harder to complete the rigorous assignments.

On top of that, LBCC’s honors pro-gram provides a number of services to help qualifying students including priori-ty registration, a private study room with computer and printing access and dedi-cated college counselors.

For me, the program gives me some-thing more important than all of the perks. And that’s saying something, be-cause the printing access alone is amaz-ing to someone who’s had to try his or her luck printing in the computer lab.

Danny rivera

Journalism anD history maJor

The entire letter is on LBCCViking.com

‘Star Wars’ awakens academic pursuits

EDITORIAL

Positives outweigh the negatives in nationwide debate over pay increase.

Thousands of LBCC students deserve an increase in their minimum wages.

The nationwide debate is a divisive sub-ject among blue-collar and professional workers that crosses racial lines and cer-tainly both sides of the political spectrum.

Currently, the minimum wage in Cali-fornia is $10 per hour. In Long Beach, the rate will rise to $10.50 per hour on Jan. 1, 2017.

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, a former LBCC teacher and public relations director, and the City Council should be commended for helping student and the rest of the population receive a pay raise.

Gov. Jerry Brown’s campaign to raise the minimum wage statewide was spear-headed by the Service Employee’s Interna-tional Union representing healthcare work-ers and caregivers.

When the Long Beach Economic De-velopment Commission decided to support raising the minimum to $13 over five years,

that was a much needed boost for residents working and living on minimum wage.

President Obama since 2013 has pressed for an increase to the national minimum wage: “Of course, nothing helps families make ends meet like higher wages. ...

“And to everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the minimum wage, I say this, if you truly believe you could work full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, go try it and if not, vote to give millions of the hardest-working peo-ple in America a raise,” Obama said in his State of the Union address Jan. 20, 2015.

Another side to the issue of raising the minimum wage exists. Many economists, including the Congressional Budget Office, a non-partisan think tank for the White House, has said 500,000 jobs could be lost if the minimum wage were increased to $15 per hour.

While people make valid arguments for both sides of the issue, the minimum wage should be increased. The process to make decisions that may help the country cannot be clouded by our inability to try to make things work.

Minimum wage should be raised to help students

SPORTS14 March 31, 2016

Story and photo by Jeff DahlquistStaff Writer @jdahlasign

Tennis team suffers loss against Cerritos Falcons to drop to 2-13 overall.

The competition was rough for the Vi-kings who took on their crosstown rivals Cerritos Falcons on Thursday, March 17.

The Falcons were recently named the No. 1 team in Southern California for Community Colleges by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

The Vikings suffered 8-1 losses in all three doubles matches. In singles, the top three matches were all lost, 6-0.

However, freshman Brittany Ruelas did not go down without a fight, totaling three points against Cerritos’ Danielle Pastor in the No. 5 match, which ended 6-1, 6-2.

The loss puts LBCC at 2-13 in overall matches and 2-7 in the South Coast Con-ference.

Cerritos has now improved with its triumph over the Vikings, making the Fal-cons undefeated in the conference at 8-0 and 14-1 overall.

During the match, coaches Renzo Mag-gi and Kim Stern offer quick tips to players and words of encouragement.

After the loss against the Falcons, Vi-kings hosted Colby College of Maine in a non-conference match on Monday, March 21. The friendly match ended in a 9-0 win for Colby.

The Vikings were scheduled to compete against El Camino on Tuesday, March 29, at 2 p.m. and then end the season against Rio Hondo today, Thursday, March 31, at 2 p.m.

The coaches in the league soon will be voting for All-Conference players and some will be advancing to regional compe-tition in hopes of reaching the state finals.

Vikes defeated by crosstown rival

SERVE: Sophomore Jasmine Hyacinth returns a volley in the No. 1 doubles match at home against Cerritos on Thursday, March 17.

Story and photosby Omar ReyesStaff Writer @salar0895

LBCC athletes are getting ready to run, throw and show potential progress as the women’s track and field team head to the Arnie Robinson Invitational at San Diego Mesa College on Saturday, April 2.

“We have been conditioning more and

have been doing Olympic weightlifting more to improve and practice on being more explosive,” said Jacqueline Samson, a freshman.

Viking field coach Alex Godoy said she is looking forward to the next meet in terms of “improvement and to see what the women have in store.”

Godoy said, “The athletes have im-proved a lot. They are getting stronger, moving quicker, more explosive and grasp-

ing the idea of putting all their training to-gether.”

Sophomore Shavone Nora said she wants to improve. Nora said, “We’ve been practicing. Hopefully, we’ll drop a better time to qualify for upcoming meets.”

The Vikings have not been in a meet since March 11 at Occidental College. Vi-king track coach Karen Vigilant said the Vikings haven’t made higher rankings since other colleges have been in meets recently.

Vigilant said “I think going into this meet will be more competitive. Being that it’s our crunch time and our sophomore (Nora) is stepping up. It feels good for her to have a leadership role because it helps the freshman step us as well.”

After San Diego, the Vikings will com-pete at Cerritos College on Saturday, April 9.

Athletes condition for invitational meetTHROW: Freshman Jacqueline Samson trains by throwing a discus at the LAC in Veterans Stadium on Tuesday, March 29. The women’s track and field will head to San Diego on Saturday, April 2.

SPORTS 15March 31, 2016

Trade-Tech and Cerritos finish well behind LBCC.

Story and Photos by Jerick LeblancStaff Writer

@JerickJake

With competition from Los Angeles Trade-Tech College and host Cerritos Col-lege, LBCC men’s swimming and diving team proved victorious and earned a pair of South Coast Conference dual-meet wins on Friday, March 18, to move to 3-0 on the season.

LBCC took first place in 11 of 15 events at the three-way meet on its way to a 210-34 win over Los Angeles Trade-Tech and a 166-108 victory against Cerritos.

Viking head coach David Kasa said, “We train Monday–Friday to get the team ready for the swim conference.” Kasa, coaches the women’s and men’s swim teams who will compete Friday, April 1, at 12:30 p.m. at Rio Hondo College against El Camino College.

Sophomore Conor Schuey, 20, said, “I hope to do well in conference and later I want to win the 500-yard freestyle and the 100-yard breast stroke.”

Vikes easily outpace 2 opponents

On Friday and Saturday, April 8-9, the LBCC swim teams will be at the Pasadena Invitational at Pasadena City College and then prepare for the April 21-23 South

Coast Conference championships at Cerri-tos College.

“We want to be ready to go to State Championship,” Kasa said.

The state championship will be at East Los Angeles College from Thursday-Satur-day, May 5-7 all day races.

PRACTICE: Sophomore Conor Schuey practices in the LAC pool on Monday, March 28 with the men’s swim team. “I hope to do well in the conference and I want to win the 500-yard freestyle and 100-yard breast stroke,” he said.

BACK COVER PHOTO: Sophomore Eric Espinoza, 19, swims in the LAC pool Wednesday, March 28. He takes swimming classes and said, “I enjoy swimming because it give me a great workout and it relaxes me when I’m going through tough times.”

Story by Darell JamesStaff Writer

@darrelljames_

Bringing their record to 15-7 overall and 7-0 in the South Coast Conference, the LBCC baseball team defeated Mt. San An-tonio, 10-2, Wednesday, March 29, at Joe Hicks Memorial Field.

Standout players for LBCC highlighted on lbccvikings.com/sports were freshman pitcher Daniel Rocha, who threw eight shutout innings, and freshman second baseman Tanner Moore who went 4-for-4 with 4 runs batted in at the plate.

Freshman 1st baseman Vincent Byrd II and sophomore outfielder Tai Tiedemann scored the first two Viking runs in the

Six members of the men’s squad on LB-CC’s track and field team went to the San Diego State University Aztec Invitational on March 25. They returned with three sea-son-best marks.

Phillip Powell lead the way in the 800 meters. He finished in seventh-place over-all with a season-best time of 1:54.83. Other

fourth inning. Moore ripped an RBI dou-ble in the seventh and a RBI single in the eighth.

The win was the sixth straight in the conference for LBCC, which has triumphed in nine of their last 10 games.

“It was a really good team win for us. We hit the ball well and our pitcher Dan-iel Rocha threw a solid game then Steven Nuno came and closed it out.” Freshman Relief Pitcher, Jay Rohman said.

“Were looking to three peat in the con-ference championships and make a run for State playoffs, that’s the goal for this year.” Rohman added.

The Vikings will face Mt. San Antonio again today, Thursday, March 31, at 6 p.m. on the road.

Pitcher leads Vikesto 7-0 league mark

Runners, shot-putter shineseason-best performances included Akiem Brown in the 100 meters at 12.20 and Jar-rod Amyx in the shot put at 12.63 meters.

Both the men’s and women’s track and field teams will be back in action on April 2 when the Vikings will compete at the Arnie Robinson Invitational, hosted by San Diego Mesa College.

1

Join LBCC’s efforts to be aresourceful, eco-conscious campus!

For more information, e-mail Shannon Trisler at asb@lbcc.edu or Lbcc.sustainability@gmail.com

APRIL 18-22Monday April 18 Pledge Days to do your part towards

conservation in your community and get a prize for pledging!

LAC 11am–2pm

Tuesday, April 19 PCC 11am–2pm

Wednesday April 20 Sustainability Fair with our partners in efficiency & local guest organizations!

LAC 11am–2pm

Thursday April 21 PCC 11am–2pm

Friday April 22– National Earth Day!

Community Gathering at the PCC Horticulture Garden to wrap up the week. B.Y.O. chair or blanket and optional snack while hanging out enjoying music, friends, and the beautiful surroundings.

PCC 1–3 pm

SUSTAINABILITY WEEK

JOIN US FOR LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE’S FIRST

TENNIS TEAM SUFFERS LOSS TO CERRITOS FALCONS

- Sports, Page 14

Runners and throwers set sights on San Diego

Sports, Page 14

Men’s track and field team records 3 season-best marks

Sports, Page 15

Baseball team plays a “solid game” against Mt. San Antonio

Sports, Page 15

STRESS-BREAKER- Sports, Page 15

Jerick e. LebLanc/Viking

Jeff DahLquist/Viking