Elon Musk comes to Cal State Bakersfield

Winning in dramatic fashion:

Gaming for a cause:

Up in the air:

‘Ender’s Game’ controversy leaves potential sequel uncertain.

Page 5

Men’s soccer wins in shootout. Page 6

Nov. 13, 2013

Tesla founder comes to campus Vol. 39, No. 8

By Michael Wafford News Editor

World renowned inventor and designer Elon Musk brought his soft-spoken demeanor and depth of knowledge to California State University, Bakersfield.

The Doré Theatre overflowed as more than 450 people crowded inside the room to hear Musk speak about his beginnings as a co-founder of PayPal to his current endeavors in renewable energy, electric vehicles and space exploration.

Due to an effort by both CSUB President Horace Mitchell and Congressman Kevin McCarthy, Elon Musk was brought to CSUB to speak to students, staff and the Bakersfield community as part of CSUB’s Distinguished Speaker Series.

Musk was introduced by Mitchell and McCarthy while the last few bodies crowded into the Doré Theatre and others crammed themselves into the Albertson Room.

“His work is very innovative in his fields,” said Sofia Sorn, a senior biology major who attended the event.

Musk is the first of many speakers in the series, according to Mitchell.

“The distinguished speaker series is about celebrating what Bakersfield and Kern County do well,” McCarthy said.

“My whole goal inside this series is to bring more entrepreneurs to town. Why? Because, I do want this college, at the end of the day, to be

therunneronline.com

known as the entrepreneurial college of this country,” McCarthy said.

“Unique things that have changed our country already. He didn’t want to make a car like everybody else. He made it different for the future.

Space-X – NASA contracts with him. The only private company going up [to the International Space Station]. He proved that he could do it cheaper,” McCarthy said.

The multi-billionaire is the CEO and chief designer of his companies Space-X and Tesla Motors. Musk is also a chairman for the company SolarCity which he co-founded in 2006.

Throughout the night Musk was compared to Marvel Comic’s Tony Stark, better known as Iron Man, by the audience. This isn’t a coincidence; Jon Favreau, director of “Iron Man” and “Iron Man 2” said he based Stark’s persona on Musk in a 2010 issue of Time.

The Marvel avenger and Musk are at both the forefront of their fields with Musk winning awards and recognition from the National Wildlife Federation, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Like Stark, Musk is obsessed with providing the world with clean, renewable energy. However, Musk doesn’t make use of an arc reactor like Iron Man. Instead, he looks toward the stars for the future of Earth’s energy needs.

Musk is a believer in solar energy and said that he sees most forms of transport, aside from space [See MUSK, Page 3]

FREE

By Shelby Parker Staff Writer

Brandon Mann/The Runner

Elon Musk speaks in the Doré Theatre on Nov. 6. He is the first speaker of CSUB’s Distinguished Speaker Series.

By Myra Maldonado Staff Writer

Myra Maldonado/The Runner

Author’s curiosity leads her on ‘Immortal’ journey

By Bailey Torres Staff Writer

Rebecca Skloot, author of “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” spoke Nov. 6 in the Icardo Center at California State University, Bakersfield to about 1,000 students and community members.

Skloot said that she was challenging as a child, and “everything changed in a basic biology class at a community college.”

That class is where she was first introduced to HeLa cells and Henrietta Lacks. Her curiosity about Lacks led her to do better in school and eventually to become an author.

Previously, Skloot had wanted to be a veterinarian, but a professor encouraged her to pursue her writing, saying, “Letting go of a goal does not mean you

A mix of CSUB cheerleaders and dancers pose with the Korean War Association Chapter 211 members at the Veterans Day Parade in downtown Bakersfield on Monday, Nov. 11.

have failed…” Skloot encouraged students to follow their curiosity and not to be afraid to change directions.

Aside from the book, Skloot’s science writing has been in The New York Times and Discover.

She has also taught creative writing and science journalism at the University of Memphis and New York University.

Rolinda Hodson, a senior sociology major, said she found this admonition to be “uplifting,” because “women tend to feel like they have failed if they change directions, but it can be a good thing.”

Skloot’s 10-year writing journey was a difficult one. At first, she faced resistance from the Lacks family, but she slowly built a bond with Deborah Lacks, Henrietta’s daughter.

Deborah was desperate to know

her mother who died when she was a toddler.

Though Skloot built a deep bond with Deborah, Deborah still had issues with trust and paranoia. There were days when she was completely on board with the writing of the book and days she wondered if Skloot was truly trustworthy. She told Skloot, “No matter what I do to you, don’t stop.”

Skloot credits the Lacks family, scientists and her insatiable curiosity for keeping her going during her research and writing.

Sadly, Deborah passed away just before the book was published.

Skloot said that while her ethical views had not been changed through the writing of this book, her social views were greatly impacted.

She said, “I did not have a lot

Film festival debuts at Fox Theater

One copy per person of each edition is free.

Additional copies 50 cents each.

CSUB Spirit Squad honors veterans

CSUB cheerleaders and dancers honored veterans by walking with the Korean War Veterans Association in the Veterans Day parade. They also sold T-shirts at Monday’s basketball game with all proceeds going to Wounded Warriors, which provides assistance to veterans and those who have been injured in war.

“I love being a part of something positive. We do this to recognize those people who have fought for our country. I can’t think of a better way to give our time,” said dancer Kendra Watkin, 19, a child adolescent family studies major.

Rain For Rent owner Cynthia Lake, 51, donated the use of a flatbed for the veterans to ride in the parade, along with all the patriotic streamers and flags that decorated the float.

“We enjoy doing charity work with the community because it brings us together,” said Lake.

“My dad who passed away last year was a World War veteran, [See VETERANS, Page 3]

Campus Gamers host Extra Life to benefit children’s hospital.

Page 4

of experience with diversity when I was young.” It wasn’t until writing her book that Skloot said she began to understand “white privilege”.

Henrietta was a poor black woman, and the Lacks family has faced many challenges that they attribute to race. While talking to a scientist involved with the HeLa cells during her research, Skloot said he referred to the Lack’s family as “those people.” She said that she had come to believe that a black writer would never have been given “access to the same information” that she was able to access in order to tell Henrietta’s story.

At the close of the presentation, a student praised Skloot for her ability to write a readable book without sacrificing the quality during the question

Image from rebeccaskloot.com

Author Rebecca Skloot

and answer session. He asked, “How did you do it?”

Skloot responded, “I wanted it to read like fiction, but be entirely true…it took a ton of research and attention to detail.” She encouraged aspiring writers to “have a lot of readers and don’t be afraid to rewrite.”

The red carpet was rolled out and ready to go F r i d a y, Nov. 8 at the Fox Theater, as Hollywood came to town for the first ever “Outside The Box” film festival. It is a three-day event that ran through Sunday, Nov. 10, previewing and debuting films of many different genres.

“Bakersfield has been home to local film festivals for years,” said Rick Davis, president of the Fox Theater Foundation and co-producer of the festival. “Outside the Box” is the first national film festival to be held in town.

With so many travelers coming to Bakersfield, it was a great way to showcase the city and all that it has to offer.

Davis said, “People coming from all over the country helps our image.” He adds that it’s also helpful from an economic standpoint, because tourists are staying in the hotels and eating at local restaurants here.

There were 44 entries from all different parts of the country, including people from southern California, Pennsylvania, Chicago, Alabama, Utah and even Toronto.

[See FILM, Page 4]

Garden to grace grounds near SRC

By Sandy Ornelas Staff Writer

With three construction projects underway, the next important project for CSUB is the University Garden which is opening in the spring of next year and for which the ground will be cleared in the winter.

The President’s Sustainability Committee will be placing a University Garden next to the Student Recreation Center for faculty, staff and students. The goal of the University Garden is to place a fruit and vegetable garden that will be operated by the university community.

The President’s Sustainability Committee was formed in 2007 as a result of President Horace Mitchell signing a letter stating that the university will commit to becoming carbon neutral.

According to Aaron Hegde, the co-chair of the President’s Committee on Sustainability and coordinator of the Agricultural Business Program, [See GARDEN, Page 4]

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Opinion

Volume XXXIX, Issue 8

THE RUNNER The Runner California State University, Bakersfield 9001 Stockdale Hwy. Bakersfield, CA 93311-1099 Telephone 661.654.2165 Fax 661.654.6905 E-mail runner@csub.edu therunneronline.com

editorialstaff

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robin Gracia Robin.gracia88@gmail.com MANAGING EDITOR Steven Barker SBarker220@gmail.com NEWS EDITOR Michael Wafford OPINION EDITOR Cache Cantrell FEATURES EDITOR Athena Skapinakis SPORTS EDITOR Nathan Sanchez PHOTO EDITOR Rebecca Grant WEB EDITOR Casey Webb BUSINESS MANAGER Brandon Mann BUSINESS TEAM Daysi Meza, Kassie Mullican, Brian Willhite ADVISER Jennifer Burger jburger1@csub.edu

newsroomstaff COPY CHIEF Melissa Taylor

WRITERS Monica Martinez, Selene Sorto, Ryan Barrera, Jacquelyn Russo, Myra Maldonado, Andrew Rivera, Selene Sorto, Shelby Parker, Jessica Martinez, Alexander Ripepi, David Aliaga, Josh Bennett, Sandy Ornelas, Bailey Torres, Elizabeth Cortez, Esteban Lopez, Josh Lofy PHOTOGRAPHERS Elyse Rivas, Tara Baraceros, Abi Khan, Juana Martinez

ABOUT The Runner is a laboratory newspaper published weekly, in conjunction with the Department of Communications at California State University, Bakersfield.

The Runner believes all advertising to be correct but cannot guarantee its accuracy or be responsible for its outcome.

ADVERTISING For information about placing an ad in The Runner, go to therunneronline.com/category/advertising/.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Send letters to the editor to runner@csub.edu. All letters must be signed and verified for publication and should be no more than 300 words in length.

Letters may be edited for clarity and length.

DISCLAIMERS Views and opinions expressed in the Runner are not necessarily those of the editors, staff or the Department of Communications. Each quarter’s student staff determines content/advertising choices, with advice only from the adviser. Content creation and selection are all made by student editors. The staff of the Runner reserves the right to refuse or omit any advertising or material which advocates illegal activity, or which many be considered libelous, irresponsible or tasteless. The Runner does not accept tobacco-related advertising.

COPYRIGHT Copyright belongs to the Department of Communications at California State University, Bakersfield.

Could you live on $4.50 a day?

Nov. 13, 2013

By Caché Cantrell Opinion Editor

How much do you think you spend on food in a day?

Fifteen dollars? Twenty? Personally, I could easily spend $20 on one meal. What would you think if all you had to spend was $4.50 for an entire day’s worth of meals? That is exactly the amount 47 million lowincome Americans on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, otherwise known as the food stamp program.

In order to spread awareness about the 15 percent of Americans on SNAP, people across the U.S. are taking on the challenge of trying to survive on less than $5 a day for meals. Hunger relief charity Feeding America is calling it the SNAP Challenge.

To partake in the SNAP Challenge individuals pledge three, seven or 30 days to live like those Americans receiving food stamps. To pledge, go to www.hungeractionmonth.org.

The site also has rules for the challenge including the eligibility to use coupons but not to shop at membership clubs, not to eat any food that participants have purchased prior to taking the challenge, not to take free food from others and that the $4.50 also includes beverages.

Even those in the culinary industry are getting involved. Panera Bread CEO Ron Shaich took the seven-day challenge and blogged about his experience on the website LinkedIn. “…I wasn’t able to afford the fruits, vegetables and meats that most would say belong in a balanced diet. I ultimately tried to go heavy on the grains, under the belief that I can eat cereal in the morning, lentils and chickpeas for lunch, and then cap each day with a pasta dinner,” said Shaich.

The first thing I thought when I heard “$4.50 a day” was Top Ramen. How many ways can I make Top Ramen? I wanted to know exactly how much food I could get if I decided to take the seven-day challenge. This would mean a budget of $31.50 for a week’s worth of groceries. I made a list of the items I usually purchase to find out how many of the items I would actually be able to afford.

Before I got to the store, I knew this was going to be an interesting experiment. Although I appear to be thin and moderately fit, I have been told that I can eat like a grown man.

In the end I was only able to purchase the items I would normally buy for breakfast: eggs, milk, oatmeal, cottage cheese and strawberries. When I began to go down my list of lunch items I was already over budget by the time I got to the third Photo from www.linkedin.com item. When I realized I was CEO of Panera Bread, Ron Shaich, documents his SNAP Challenge shopping experience. over the $31.50 limit I began to gain an overwhelming respect for those who have to struggle and prioritize when it fits by $36 a month, taking almost $400 a year in food from these families. comes to buying food for their families on such a small While some of us walk into a grocery store looking for budget, focusing on quantity and not always quality. the healthiest choice in foods, other must buy what they Even though these families were already financially can afford. For some, the kinds of food they consume stressed, beginning on Nov. 1 the average family of isn’t necessarily about health but more about sustaining four who received SNAP saw a decrease in their beneand survival.

Doctors have lesson to learn in ethics

By Krystal Bradford Special to The Runner

Editor’s Note: This essay won first place in the Runner Reader essay contest. The essay was originally titled “There is a Thin Line between Helping and Making a Name for Yourself.”

For years, doctors and researchers have taken samples from medical patients, many times without the full understanding and consent of their patients. They have passed pieces of patients around the world without their consent as if they are something disposable and less than human. Although, it may seem fun for people to blame doctors solely; it is doctors mainly who have turned away from a good deal of this. It is medical researchers with the help of some doctors that run tests and biopsies, collecting samples from well-meaning patients who want to get better that push the problems in the medical research industry. These problems are doctors and researchers spreading around patients’ information without their knowledge or consent to other doctors and researchers.

Another problem that this creates is a breach in doctor-patientconfidentiality and a blurred line between what doctorpatient information can and cannot be shared.

In the novel The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, the woman, Henrietta Lacks discovered a lump on her cervix and went to her normal physician for an exam where she was redirected to Johns Hopkins Hospital for further tests. After being examined, it was established that Henrietta had cervical cancer and that she would begin receiving treatment.

For her first treatment, Henrietta was put under anesthesia for surgery to implant radium into her cervix to try to combat and kill the cells. Before the radium could be implanted into Henrietta; however, Skloot writes that Dr. Lawrence Wharton Jr., her surgeon, “picked up a sharp knife and shaved two dime-sized pieces of tis-

sue from Henrietta’s cervix: one from her tumor, and one from the healthy cervical tissue nearby” (p. 33).

These two samples were labeled “Henrietta Lacks…Biopsy of cervical tissue…Tissue given to Dr. George Gey” (33). Henrietta had yet to tell her family that she had cancer because she did not want to, and here these two doctors are with samples cervical cancer from her body without her permission or knowledge, with Dr. Wharton, Henrietta’s surgeon not only telling Dr. Gey about it, but also giving them to him. The problem in the case between Dr. Wharton and Dr. Gey is that they did neither told Henrietta what was happening, nor did they seek her permission to do so. Their focus was centered around their research, instead of the wellbeing and consideration of the patient and what she would have wanted had she known.

Looking at all of what Henrietta Lacks’ cells have done fore medicine today, people can see that it was beneficial and her cells were essentially the key that medical researchers needed then to unlock the cures and vaccines for the many diseases that have been circulating for years. However, viewers can also see the way the doctors handled the situation was unnecessary and should have been illegal had the laws of that time been reformed sooner. People can see the pros of Mrs. Henrietta Lacks’ cells easily when they see the cures and new medicine they’ve helped create, from the common cold and flu vaccines to: how cancer can reproduce and spread. The cons of the discovery of these vaccines all come from Dr. Wharton and Dr. George Gey with a focus on Dr. Gey. Dr. Wharton should not have taken samples from Henrietta Lacks’ cervix without her permission, told another doctor about her cancer, and he should not have given samples of her cervix away. Where Dr. Gey went wrong is that he forgot to think about Henrietta Lacks as a human being with a family friends and feelings, and only thought of her as HeLa, her cells’ name, and passed it on to every other researcher that he gave the HeLa cells

“The sad lesson learned in this true life story... is that regulation in medicine and medical research is essential to make sure that the main priority is the nondisposable and nonreplaceable patient.”

to.

What happened to Henrietta Lacks and her cells, and too many other African Americans in the 1900s shows the problem that occurs when people do not see their patient as a human being, but a source of endless and disposable information. This needs to be prevented and there have been many steps taken and rules and guidelines set in place to prevent people from seeing other people as sources of information for their lab experiments, and to create a sort of balance to allow researchers to keep doing their research and keep patients safe. Now, doctors and researchers have to make sure their patients are fully informed and understanding what will be done to their bodies and are allowed to make decisions on what will and will not be done to them. Just because there are laws and regulations in place does not mean that every doctor and medical researcher will follow them, but this does cut down on situations such as Henrietta Lacks’ and provides repercussions for the people who choose not to follow them. The only other way to keep pushing the balancing of the need for medical researchers and patients to both have what they want is to keep the laws that are in place and regular checkups on institutions practicing medicine and research.

As for Henrietta Lacks and her family, Mrs. Lacks did not survive her fight with cancer. Her cancer won in their fight, causing her to leave her husband, babies, and other loved ones behind. Many years later, her family found out about what Dr. Wharton and Dr. Gey did and how her cells had reproduced so much by the time they found out that put together, HeLa cells could cover the earth. When Henrietta Lacks finally passed away from her cancer, there were several masses on almost all of her vital organs. The masses on her vital organs are what caused her loss against cancer, or rather the one on blocking her bladder which caused the toxins in her body to not be able to pass through. Even this could have been avoided had her doctors listened to her claims that her cancer was spreading and had checked to see if her claim was valid. The sad lesson learned in this true life story of Mrs. Henrietta Lacks, more commonly known as HeLa, is that regulation in medicine and medical research is essential to make sure that the main priority is the non-disposable and non-replaceable patient.

Texting while out with friends is not cool

By Melissa Taylor Copy Chief

Texting etiquette isn’t a formal thing, but is now becoming an unwritten law. Sometimes people feel ignored when they’re with someThey do it at dinner, at school, and they even one constantly on their phone, especially do it at their friends’ houses – texting. Most of during conversation. us are guilty of performing this mainstream act, Henry Ngo, a senior biology major, states but it’s not an easy habit to break, especially his opinion by saying, “It’s obnoxious and when cell phones do much more than just make inconsiderate – it’s implied they do that phone calls. It’s now considered one of the because they feel bored or uncomfortable.” most valuable things used on a daily basis. It Ngo adds, “The only time when I feel it’s organizes peoples’ lives, wakes them up, acts as appropriate to constantly be on the phone is a flashlight, etc. when I’m texting my friends to talk to them Cell phones, whether it be an iPhone, Android, because I cant be with them hanging out.” or other brand, stays close to its owner – espeOne of the new trends that avid cell phone cially for college students. All around campus users do is play a game. When out at dinner, everyone puts their phone in a pile on the there are students using their phones to comphoto from www.textsmash.com table. The loser is the one who caves first municate, tapping into the social media craze, People who text in the middle of a conversation can be annoying. and touches their phone. Said loser must or simply using it to keep busy between classes. If you really want to see a ton of cell phone use, walk into a boring lecture and also pick up the bill at the end of their meal. The reason why this game was inventsit in the back. It’s guaranteed that the majority of students will find themselves pre- ed was because people started going out to dinner, hopefully enjoying their company, but instead experienced looking at the tops of the heads of their partner thanks to occupied with their phones or laptops.

Heather Sexton, a fifth year student in the credential program, said, “At first I think the cell phone.

It’s disappointing for the couple or group of friends that go out to enjoy conversait’s a little rude that they can’t wait, but then I remind myself that it has become a social crutch for many people.” Often times people avoid uncomfortable situations tion and are let down when talking is kept to a minimum. With heads buried in cell by using their phone as an escape. Whether it’s during an awkward one-on-one phone screens, it’s hard to fight for the attention of someone with the gadget that moment, or walking in a crowd by themselves, it might help to have that stability of offers them hours of entertainment. Texting isn’t necessarily bad or good – it’s how we use it. a cell phone to turn to.

3

Bakersfieldʼs faculty 10th most diverse News

Nov. 13, 2013

By Steven Barker Managing Editor

California State University, Bakersfield’s faculty ranks the 10th-most ethnically-diverse in the state university system.

According to a report released by the Chancellor’s Office, of the 244 faculty members employed at CSUB as of Oct. 31, 2012, 85 were of non-white heritage. Minorities, as a result, constituted almost 35 percent of CSUB’s faculty. CSUB’s ethnicity percentage ranks ahead of the CSU systemwide average, which is nearly 33 percent.

CSU Los Angeles’ faculty ranks as the most diverse, with nearly 48 percent of their staff representing minorities.

The report excluded all librarians, coaches and counselors, who were listed in a separate report.

Horace Mitchell, president of CSUB, has stressed the importance of ethnic diversity among the university’s personnel.

Since the start of his presidency in 2004, Mitchell wrote in his vision statement of that same year that CSUB would be the “leading campus in the CSU system” in a number of cate-

Editor’s Note: This is the fourth installment of By the Numbers, a news series comparing CSUB’s statistical rankings to other CSU campuses.

gories, of which faculty diversity was included.

However, citing “draconian” cuts to the CSU budget, Mitchell said that progress regarding faculty diversity has been limited. From 2008 to 2012, the CSU budget was slashed by more than $1 billion, 33 percent of the CSU’s total budget.

In response to such issues, Mitchell has created a new position, the Assistant to the President for Equity, Inclusion and Compliance, whose role is to advise him on “issues around diversity, particularly diversity in the faculty,” Mitchell said.

Claudia Catota currently works in that position.

Student opinions on the significance of CSUB’s faculty diversity differed.

“I think it’s a big deal,” said Rebecca Simensky, a junior psychology major. “It can encourage students to further

their education if they come from a particular background where education is not pushed so hard.”

Anis Sakr, a junior philosophy major, agrees.

“It’s significant because, since our campus is diverse, it gives first-hand opportunities to see and meet faculty from different

backgrounds,” he said.

“In a sense, diversity doesn’t limit us to a black and white boundary,” he continued. “But rather, a diverse group of faculty … exposes us to different cultures and races, which, I think, are essential for us to understand, especially at a university.”

Saleh Obeid, a junior economics major, thinks faculty diversity isn’t as significant as others believe it to be.

“I would say that, because of how interconnected everyone becomes through social media and through growing up in California, which is a diverse state itself, race becomes just

another detail in knowing or classifying a person,” said Obeid.

“Along with race comes many stereotypes and expectations, and now those same stereotypes and expectations are downplayed because race itself isn’t as important.”

about what would have the most impact on society. Those things were space travel, sustainable energy, travel, genetics and artificial intelligence,” said Musk who is already at the forefront of three of those five fields.

Musk hurried through his speech so that the audience would have time for a question and answer session.

During the session Musk answered the question of why he bases his business in

California, where he admits that the taxes and industry regulation can be counter-intuitive to his goals at times.

“Due to the great concentration of engineering talent in northern California. . . southern California has the highest concentration of aerospace talent in the country.”

Musk did admit that if California lost its pool of talent that the allure of California wold be lost. However, Musk

did say that Heʼs thinking of good endeavgovernments or, he said in California things that no one t h a t are coopera- else is pursuing. Heʼs California’s tive with his sysstepping out beyond planned c o m p a n y ’s tem is worse goals and what normal humans than Japan’s work to keep do. and doesn’t them in state. “hold a canCSUB student Sean Acord dle” Musk was to critical of China’s.

California’s high speed rail iniHe said that California tiative. While Musk said he deserves a “badass” rail system believes high-speed rail is a that goes beyond what anyone

else is doing at the moment while still being sustainable and affordable for the average person.

“He was great. He spoke about everything he’s been doing. You expect him to be like Tony Stark but when gets up there he’s soft spoken,” said Sean Acord, a junior engineering major.

“He’s thinking of things that no one else is pursuing. He’s stepping out beyond what normal humans do.”

Casey Webb/The Runner

Of the faculty members employed by CSUB as of Oct. 31, 2012, nearly 35 percent are minorities. That percentage is the 10thhighest in the California State University system.

Billionaire touts solar energy as worldʼs future

[MUSK, Page 1] travel, relying on electricity in the future.

Musk said that the goal of Tesla motors is be a catalyst for the advancement of sustainable transport. To do this, Musk said he sees Tesla Motors entering the mass market – producing a large amount of cars at prices below the current $63,000 price for the Tesla Model S. His interests exist outside of land travel. “When I was studying in college I was thinking

4

News

Coca-Cola: The last can standing at CSUB

By Jacquie Russo Staff Writer

It’s official, Pepsi is no longer sold at California State University, Bakersfield. On Oct. 11, CSUB signed a partnership with Coca-Cola to be the sole beverage provider on campus.

Coca-Cola brings many resources to CSUB. It ranks No. 57 on Fortune 500’s 2013 list of largest companies with revenue of $48 billion and profits exceeding $9 billion, according to money.cnn.com. This partnership is contracted to last for seven years with the option for one or three more years thereafter.

This means no brand, including Pepsi, may be sold on campus or at school events other than Coca-Cola products.

Coca-Cola’s many products

Students play for a cause

include Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Fuze Tea, Minute Maid, PowerAde, Dasani water and Glacéau Smartwater.

Michael Chavez, CSUB Director of Contract Services and Procurement, said that Coca-Cola and Pepsi were both invited to CSUB to determine which company would best benefit the campus. Chavez said even though the campus has a positive relationship with Pepsi, Coca-Cola brought more to the table.

Coca-Cola is providing the school with $5,000 for an athletics video board, as well as donating cases of free beverages in support of campus clubs. Clubs will then be able to request to sell the product to assist in their fundraising.

Another big perk Coca-Cola has offered is an internship program. A single internship has

been offered so far, but the school hopes to gain two more, said Chavez.

The change of products has pleased many people on campus. Junior Kayla Bailey, a communications major, loves Coca-Cola and even said she is a “Coca-Cola connoisseur.”

Bailey has worked at the Runner Café for a year and said, “A lot of people come through lines and say they are happy with the options (provided by) the Coca-Cola products.”

Bailey said, “Coca-Cola products have more range (compared to) Pepsi; there were not many options with Pepsi, so people are happier with CocaCola.”

According to the Coca-Cola and Pepsi websites, both beverage providers have a similar variety. For example, instead of Coca-Cola’s Minute Maid,

PowerAde, Vitamin Water, Coca-Cola and Fuze Tea, Pepsi has Tropicana, Gatorade, LifeWater, Pepsi Cola and Lipton Tea. Of course, with any change, not everyone is pleased. Bailey said one customer told her about a debate in her office over Pepsi and Coke. The consensus was that they missed Pepsi.

Kaitlyn Rogers, a freshman psychology major, is a Pepsi fan. Rogers said the partnership “really sucks, because I really don’t like Coke.”

The change will obviously mean a period of adjustment for many, but in the end the decision was not based on taste tests or personal opinion. The scholarships and the internship provided the deciding factors in choosing Coca-Cola as CSUB’s sole carbonated brand of choice.

By Brian N. Willhite Distribution Manager

Nov. 13, 2013

Juana Martinez/The Runner

A male student selects a drink from the Coca-Cola machine near Dorothy Donahoe Hall Nov. 1.

University garden to provide food for hungry students

[GARDEN, Page 1] Hegde

As gamers mashed buttons and competed against each other they did so not for bragging rights or claiming top honors but in a unified effort to support a nationwide charity event known as Extra Life, which benefits Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

The event was held in the Student Union on the California State University, Bakersfield campus for all gamers that signed up to represent team CSUB in the nationwide gaming event Nov. 9, with proceeds directly benefitting the Lauren Small Children’s Medical Center at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital. Students, members of the community and game enthusiasts of all kinds reached out and garnered donations of at least $20 to participate in the 12-hour event, many raising more than that.

“We raised $6,000 online and another $3,001 at the event. So our unofficial total is $9,001,” said Ed Webb, founder of Campus Gamers. “Last year we raised $4,300 and that was our final total, so we destroyed that.”

Webb added that they are still receiving donations, including another $165 from a supporting vendor and $500 for a community engagement project proposal written by Webb that was selected to receive funding.

Donations for the event will continue until Dec. 31 when the program officially closes.

Webb said that he believes the grand total will be upward of $13,000 once the event closes.

During the event, gamers lined the walls and corridor of the Student Union, and filled the lounge area, multipurpose room, Rowdy’s Place and the hallways with a plethora of

gaming consoles. Some played a “Marvel Vs. Capcom 3” tournament, which was featured on the big screen in the multipurpose room and streamed live over the Internet.

Others took to the non-digital entertainment and played card games like “Magic the Gathering” or “Cards Against Humanity,” like graduate student Robin Richardson, who said that she enjoyed the opportunity to be around like-minded people.

“I think gaming is so much more mainstream and acceptable now. People aren’t necessarily hiding in their basements, they’re actually coming out and socializing,” Richardson said.

Richardson arrived when the doors opened at 10 a.m. and contributed to the festive occasion by cosplaying as Zoey from the “Left for Dead” series.

Shane Elliot, an outside adviser to The Ascend club at CSUB added that the event was very relaxing and created an inviting atmosphere.

“This is probably like most of these grown up people’s dream of still being child-like. You get to just chill all day and play video games with no stress or

pressure,” Elliot said.

Together with friend Justin Greer they volunteered to run the sports gaming section and spent their day playing football and basketball video games.

Bakersfield College student Matthew Cecil, who was playing in a “Street Fighter 4” match with recent CSUB graduate Giovanni Quebral, said that students at BC were talking about Extra Life and he decided to check it out and was happy he did.

He added that getting to support the children’s hospital and meet new people was a unique experience.

“It brings people closer together than other charity events because you’re interacting with people at the event that you don’t even know — you’re meeting people, playing games with them and forming these connections and possibly friendships,” said Cecil.

There were approximately 200 gamers that attended the event this year, including people from Lancaster and Ridgecrest, compared to the 80 from last year, according to Webb. He added that next year they will be looking to expand to possibly add

100 more spots but said that it wouldn’t be possible without all the support.

“We received tremendous support from Emily Poole, E.J. Callahan and the rest of the staff in the Student Union. Members of the National Honor Society, the Sensational Sophomores, students from the CSUB Nursing program, [the computer science and engineering club], and Japan and Beyond were absolutely instrumental to the success of the event. And, of course, CSUB members who donated their equipment,” Webb said, giving a special thanks to Lourdes Nilon with the Children’s Miracle Network and the Lauren Small Children’s Medical Center who “helped make our marathon a huge success.”

Along with the many sponsors that donated food, prizes, and their time, there were two individuals who raised a large portion of the proceeds, including CSUB alum Mickey Mello who raised more than $1,000 and Ed’s wife C.J., who raised more than $500.

“The list of ‘thank you’s’ is seemingly endless,” Webb said.

states that the objective is to make the campus more green and more sustainable in its practices.

The campus will also add a food pantry in collaboration with the University Garden.

The goal for the food pantry on campus is to have it prepared during the winter quarter.

“A survey conducted during the spring quarter found that approximately 40 percent of our campus community identified itself as being food insecure, which is defined as not being able to afford food more than a few times,” Hegde said.

Savannah Andrews, 20, a psychology major, is the Vice President of Programming for ASI. Andrews is on the Student Sustainability Committee that is helping create the University Garden.

Andrews said she believes CSUB students will benefit greatly from having the University Garden.

“Students do want healthier options while eating, which make this perfect for our students. The students who are interested in agriculture will greatly benefit from this garden as well,” Andrews says.

The Sustainability Committee is forming events surrounding the University Garden. The first dig in is planned in April for the Celebrate CSUB event.

Evelyn Young, Executive Assistant to the President at

Several celebrities also participated in the event, including Michael O’Hara, Joe Mantegna from “Criminal Minds” and Joey Travolta, brother to John Travolta and an actor himself.

Travolta had showcased a movie at the Fox Theater last year. He runs a practical film workshop to help people with developmental disabili-

ties and teaches them the art of filmmaking. That includes working with cameras, lighting, and scripts. So, he thought they would come up with something that was “the size of a hamster,” and it ended up turning into an event, “the size of a herd of elephants.” They wanted to bring a first-rate film festival to the area, and it looks like they succeeded.

The night started off with a history of Hollywood and a look back at how the city has changed.

Peggy Darling from Spotlight Theatre told the story of how her grandfather’s barn was used to help Cecil B. Demille make the first motion picture, “Squaw Man,” and turned it into the first major studio, Paramount. She described

“Hollywood” at the time as being a very small country town.

Joey Travolta also showed his movie, “The Heart of Tango,” Friday evening. It is a documentary that follows four young men, three who have autism and one who has Down’s Syndrome, as they are paired with four other strangers to learn the dance style of tango. It’s a beautiful

film on how the art of dance can help people connect with one another.

Lastly, Joe Mantegna’s film, “Choc’late Soldiers from the USA” premiered. It told the story of 140,000 black American soldiers and some of the struggles they faced during their time of service to our country during a time of war.

Davis said that he hopes

Tara Baraceros/The Runner

Travis Burus, Kevin Ciruz, Talia Thomas, John Harden, and Joel McKenna, all CSUB students, play a game called “Munchkin” during the Extra Life fundraiser Nov. 9.

CSUB, is also taking part of the University Garden.

Young is the daughter of a farmer, so this project hits close to home with her.

“It’s beyond just planting and harvesting. It’s about creating a culture about people who care about each other and who care enough to meet each other’s needs by having a community collaboration,” Young said.

Young states that it makes sense that CSUB will be adding a University Garden to the school because CSUB is located in an agricultural town.

One of the programs that will be offered as part of the University Garden is sustainable agriculture training.

Students will have the opportunity to take it as a class, take it as a credit, or volunteer.

The purpose of the University Garden is to not just meet student’s academic needs, but to make their school experience fuller and richer. Adding a garden on campus will show that CSUB not only cares about student’s academics but their health as well.

“We are a university and we are expecting students to perform at their optimal level, so it’s difficult to do that when you are hungry or you don’t know where your next meal is coming from or you don’t know how you are going to feed your children as you are trying to further your education,” Young said.

Film festival brings celebrities to Bakersfield

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the audience “furthers their appreciation for creativity” after this weekend and also adds that “a world without art would be a pretty boring place.”

This was the perfect event for people to express their passion and creativity.

“The driving force is the passion, and this is the start to get to that Hollywood level,” Davis said.

5 ʻPrismʼ shows the dimensions of Katy Perry Features

Nov. 13, 2013

By Athena Skapinakis Features Editor

Katy Perry embarks on a journey of enlightenment in her quasi-spiritual album “Prism.” She delves beyond the sugary-sweet confection of “Teenage Dream,” her sophomore album, and touches on reflection and recapturing self-worth as she reinstates her confidence after surviving her turbulent 2012 divorce.

I’ll outline some of her most promising songs.

“Roar” Katy Perry asserts herself as the queen of the pop star jungle with her hit “Roar.” This selfempowerment breakup anthem, full of glam rock, is sure to be heard blasting on every woman’s radio. “You’re gonna hear me roar,” has turned into a scorned woman’s battle cry. With the song’s upbeat melody and uplifting lyrics, it’s easy to see why the catchy power pop tune has hit the Billboard Top 100 as No. 1 (and as Perry’s eighth single to top charts).

“This is How We Do” As Perry says, “This one goes out to ladies, at breakfast, in last night's dress.” This is the song to play in the car on the way to get #turnup and then lose yourself to it again on the dance floor. The hook, “It’s no big deal,” is especially catchy. I see it easily becoming the summer anthem as it embodies a lighthearted yet thrill-seeking attitude.

“International Smile” It echoes KT Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See” with its lyrics, but is a more infectious upbeat pop version. This song is about being fabulous. It’s a confidence-blaring tune that will make you want to grab a pair of your most expensive (and tallest) high heels and favorite vibrant lipstick to show off your sassiness to the world. It’s full of fun as well as cute sound bites. It even features some funky elements reminiscent of Daft Punk. This song is destined for the club and I definitely can’t

Image from muumuse.com

Katy Perry stuns us with her new album “Prism” by taking us into her unfiltered world.

wait to hear the remixes.

“Ghost” This song is mesmerizing as a dark and powerful ballad. The pain she experienced through the loss of her best friend and lover rolls through like a thick blanket of fog. She refers to him as just a ghost whom she never could have thought would be so cold. As if haunted by an apparition, Perry sings mournfully, “Rest in peace/I’ll see you on the other side.” This is easily my favorite from the album, comparable to “Wide Awake” in its delivery and heartache.

“Double Rainbow” Aside from the title of the song making me gig-

gle (because it reminded me of the viral YouTube video), this track is all optimism and hope. Cowritten by Sia Furler, there is a brilliant clarity in Perry’s vocals that allows you to escape briefly for nearly four minutes within your own world.

Much like the moment before the appearance of a rainbow, the chorus rains down as a shower of splendor. It has all the subtle and climactic build of Sia’s empowering “Titanium.”

This is the kind of song to listen to in the morning as I put makeup on or drive to school and calmly reflect on life.

“By The Grace of God” We’ve entered the darkest parts of Perry’s mind

and heart, and find her in a place we never expected: lying on the bathroom floor as she contemplates taking her own life. This suicidal nightmare is a far cry from the “Teenage Dream” she once cooed about in her prior album. However, the track takes on a more lyrically uplifting and inspirational mood as she declares, “I looked in the mirror and decided to stay/Wasn’t gonna let love take me out that way.”

I have to say that I was surprised by the powerful emotion of this piano ballad as Perry shares her vulnerability, pain and anguish with us from separating from ex-hubby Russell Brand. With a head held high, Perry, “By The Grace of God,” was able to pick up the pieces of her broken marriage and move forward as a stronger individual.

This is perhaps the most moving song on the album.

From whimsy to reality Perry dabbles in electronic, rock, house and pop in this album. She has a fascinating transformation from her previous albums of whimsical fun to this expression of real feeling.

Trent Wolbe from Verge.com said, “The only thing I know for sure about her new album is that it feels at home as a real portrait of America’s sweetheart: a capitalist diva with all the selfdoubt of a teenager and the confidence to deliver all of it without the slightest hint of regret.”

She has moved on from the “Teenage Dream” and established herself as a matured woman and artist.

Perry mentioned in a 2012 interview with Billboard that she wasn’t interested in writing a “Teenage Dream 2.0” and that it “would be silly.”

In “Prism” we see Perry lose herself, hit her lowest point, then pluck herself up and find her inner strength again.

It’s absolutely inspirational to see her transition from darkness to the light. She emerges victorious from her inner warfare and breaks through like a dazzling spectrum after the storm.

Controversy and mixed reviews orbit ʻEnderʼs Gameʼ

By Robin Gracia Editor-in-Chief

In “Ender’s Game,” the Nebula Award-winning 1985 novel by Orson Scott Card, Earth was invaded by an alien race called the Formics. Millions of people fought and died to protect the planet’s water supply. All would have been lost if not for the International Military Fleet Commander Mazer Rackham, who flew his jet into the mothership and destroyed it. To avoid being unprepared for a future attack, the fleet began recruiting child prodigies into their academy to groom future strategists. The book was recently adapted into a futuristic thriller for moviegoers to enjoy.

The film follows the life of adolescent Ender Wiggin, played by Asa Butterfield, and his struggles with fellow cadets and authority figures in Battle School. Ender’s character is an enigma; while he carries himself in a passive and detached manner, he justifies an assault against a bully who was already down on the ground by claiming it was “to stop all of the future fights.”

The head of Battle School, Colonel Hyrum Graff, played by Harrison Ford, pushes Ender both mentally and physically in the hopes Ender will rise as a tactical yet merciless leader of the International Military Fleet.

“Ender’s Game” contains a good cast but the dark emotions become lost in stoic translation. Ender appears to distance himself from his propensity toward violence while understanding the necessity to strike an enemy swiftly and without hesitation.

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In private, however, he cries in frustration over not being able to understand his enemy. According to Ender, one must comprehend the mindset of his opponent in order to defeat them. One must also love his enemy before destroying them.

While the movie tackles quite a few story lines into its 114-minute run time, it can leave some viewers with more questions than answers.

“I wanted to like ‘Ender’s Game’ but barely anything seemed to work for me,” said Aaron D., a movie reviewer on RottenTomatoes.com. “The worst problem is that it feels very rushed. The story moves quickly and I felt there were characters we were supposed to care about but I didn’t. Harrison Ford and Asa Butterfield do a great job but the overwhelming cheesiness and super speed like story telling pretty much ruined it for me.”

Many other people didn’t enjoy “Ender’s Game” but not because the film left them dissatisfied. According to The Huffington Post, gay rights groups have called for a boycott of the film, citing Card’s history of opposition to gay rights. The author has been an outspoken advocate against same-sex marriages, which he has claimed is “the end of democracy in America” and refers to homosexuality as a “tragic genetic mix-up.” Card has also claimed that anti-sodomy laws should be upheld in states to punish “unruly gays.”

Card seems to be unmoved by the calling for boycotts. He rebuffs critical remarks of his viewpoints as “savage, lying personal attacks” which do nothing to affect the reception of “Ender’s Game,” claims the author, except “generate additional publicity.”

“I hope that people will realize that they are not getting a true picture of me from these comments,” Card said in the October 2013 issue of Wired magazine. “They’re certainly not anything to do with ‘Ender’s Game,’ which was written long ago and has nothing whatsoever to do with gay marriage. I’ll just trust the audience to decide for themselves what the movie actually is, not what other people are saying about me.”

According to IMDb.com, “Ender’s Game” opened in more than 3,400 theaters and grossed an estimated $44 million as of Nov. 8 while costing $110 million to make. Due to its lukewarm reception, a sequel could be unlikely.

Chief Executive Officer of Lionsgate Entertainment Jon Feltheimer said that analysts at the studio “will wait another week or two” before it decides if “Ender’s Game” will make another film based on Card’s 13-novel series. He also said that adapting the project to television is being considered.

Amid the boycotts and seeming lack of interest from moviegoers, “Ender’s Game” could follow in the footsteps of other box office sci-fi flops such as Tom Cruise’s film “Oblivion” and Will Smith’s “After Earth.”

“I don’t understand what all the fuss is about,” said Amanda Vaughn, a 22-year-old criminal justice major. “People shouldn’t be swayed to see a movie based on a bad review or a special interest group telling them not to. That’s stupid. I believe in gay marriage and loved ‘Ender’s Game.’ People should make up their own minds.”

6

Sports

Menʼs soccer clinches second seed in the WAC Nov. 13, 2013

By Nate Sanchez Sports Editor

The ’Runners capped off their regular season Saturday, Nov. 9 with a 4-3 win over the UNLV Rebels to clinch second place in the Western Athletic Conference standings. The ’Runners were down two goals early, but came back to get the win.

“It was a strange game,” Head Coach Simon Tobin said afterward.

“We spotted them two goals in the first eight minutes. We have a good enough attacking team where we can score goals.”

Saturday’s match carried more weight than most of the ’Runners’ matches this year in that the ’Runners and the Rebels were both tied for second place. With the critical second seed in their possession, the ’Runners can look forward to taking on the lowly seventh seed Kansas City in the first round of the WAC tournament.

At the beginning of the season, the outlook for the ’Runners looked bleak, particularly for those who only paid attention to their record and average age. The young team, mainly consisting of 12 freshmen and five sophomores, started the season with three wins and six losses with a tie in the first 10 games. In the first half of the season, the ’Runners were outscored 18-15 with three games in which they did not score at all.

Since the season’s median, the ’Runners reversed their win-loss record, going 6-3-1. They outscored their challengers 19-15 in the final 10-game stretch, getting shut out only once while shutting down the opposition twice.

Veteran leadership from senior defenders Scott Leudtke and Zayd Flores and senior midfielder Will Davis provided the balance this young team needed to grow into their game. Most of the revitalized offense that led to the second-half surge came from the new, young core of the ’Runner team.

Sophomore midfielder Eduardo Calzada has scored six of the ’Runners’ goals, including the two he scored during Saturday’s match. Freshman midfielder Jonathan Colunga’s now-potent presence has been nothing short of a meteoric rise to prominence on this team, scoring three times in the ’Runners’ last five games while recording three assists.

“He’s come on and worked hard, even when he wasn’t playing many minutes,” Tobin said of Colunga. “He’s been one of our most important players. His emergence on the team has coincided with a nice streak of form.”

The ’Runners will need to continue their good form as they begin tournament play Thursday against Kansas City at Air Force Academy in Colorado. The victor will play the winner of the third and sixth seed matchup of UNLV and San Jose State.

Meanwhile, the winner of the fourth and fifth seed matchup of Air Force and Houston Baptist will advance to the semifinals to face Seattle University, who placed first in the conference and therefore won the bye week. The WAC Championship match will take place on Sunday, Nov. 17 at noon.

The winner of the tournament will go on to the NCAA Tournament as the WAC’s representative.

Photos by Abi Khan/The Runner

Sophomore midfielder Dante Niño prepares to take a shot against UNLV on Saturday, Nov. 9. Niño finished the game with two shots, both on-goal.

Casey Webb/The Runner

The WAC tournament bracket has been set. The ʼRunners will take on Kansas City in the first round Thursday.

Roadrunner basketball obliterates UC Merced in home opener

By Josh Bennett Staff Writer

Abi Khan/The Runner

Junior guard Tyrell Corbin drives the ball to the hoop in Mondayʼs 97-54 win over UC Merced. Corbin finished the game with 12 points.

The CSUB men’s basketball team defeated the UC Merced Bobcats by the score of 97-54 Monday at the Icardo Center. Senior guard Matt Ratto led the team with 15 points, all off of three-point shots, off the bench.

The ’Runners (1-1) easily dominated the Bobcats defensively and in the paint throughout the game, outscoring Merced 50-12 in the paint, and outrebounding them 49-22. Redshirt senior guard Brandon Barnes had 13 of those rebounds.

Redshirt senior point guard Issiah Grayson struggled from the field, but was able to still lead his team on the court, and attribute seven assists.

“If I’m not scoring, or if Brandon [Barnes] is not scoring, I try to pick up on something else,” said Grayson. “I had seven assists, so when I saw that my shot was not falling, I had to get somebody else’s shot falling.”

“He’s a good point guard. Whenever you got a guy on the floor that you got confidence in, who’s your floor leader, it just makes your life easier as a coach,” said

Head Coach Rod Barnes.

CSUB opened the game with a vast array of presses and double teams, limiting the Bobcats offensively and giving themselves the opportunity for an early lead.

CSUB was able to connect with a couple of early threes, but with redshirt junior center Abdul Ahmed leading the dominance in the paint – with 12 points and 6 rebounds – the ’Runners got 22 secondchance points. This helped extend the lead, with a 57.6 percent field goal percentage.

A 25-5 run within the first eight minutes of the second half and a Merced scoring drought that lasted more than five minutes, CSUB was able to keep the game under control.

“We had a little bit of fire out there tonight. We had something to prove,” said Grayson, referencing that the team was playing off the Nov. 8 loss to Washington State, 56-62.

Ratto was able to play some minutes because of the large lead, and took advantage by heating up from the three-point line to get his 15 points. Three other players also scored in double figures.

“We have a deep team. Matt Ratto came off the bench and gave us a lift. He’s been

Volleyball continues dominant run against conference rival

By David Aliaga Staff Writer

With high energy from the start, the CSUB women’s volleyball team recorded another home victory as they swept Grand Canyon University 3-0 Saturday, Nov. 9 at the Icardo Center.

The ’Runners opened set one with an early 4-1 lead, but the Antelopes responded with four straight points to take the 4-5 advantage. Both teams kept it close early in the first with nine ties and four lead changes, but Bakersfield’s .375 hitting during the set gave them the edge as they pulled out the 25-20 victory. The first set was as close as Grand Canyon got to a competitive match as the ’Runners continued to pour on the heat in the next two sets.

Seven straight points in the second set

Abi Khan/The Runner

Senior defender Scott Leudtke takes a shot against the Rebels on Nov. 9.

put Bakersfield in the driver’s seat as they hit an impressive game high .432 while taking the set by 16 points, 25-9.

They continued their high .400 hitting percentage in the third set as they shut out Grand Canyon 25-13 to take the match. Senior middle blocker Julia Bowen led CSUB with a game high .562 hitting percentage while junior opposite Molly O’Hagan had an impressive .550 hitting average while recording 12 kills.

Redshirt junior libero Mariah Alvidrez recorded a game high 24 digs and senior outside hitter Shayna Guitare added 13 kills.

Head Coach Jolene Shepardson said, “The girls took charge tonight. They came out really aggressive, we had a really good game plan, and the girls worked for every point.”

The ’Runners will play their final home match against Loyola Marymount on Thursday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. in the Icardo Center. All six senior volleyball players will be recognized for their efforts before they play their last home match as a Roadrunner.

CSUB will close the regular season on a three-game road trip where they will face second-place Utah Valley, Grand Canyon and Texas-Pan American, ranked seventh and eighth respectively in the Western Athletic Conference.

Being one of the top teams in the WAC, the ’Runners hope to continue their successful season into the WAC Tournament. The top six teams in the WAC regular season standings will compete for the WAC championship.

The winner will continue on to the NCAA Tournament.

playing and practicing well. It’s great to see him in the game and make five threes,” said Brandon Barnes. “We have a lot of guns, and we are trying to prove to people that any given night somebody can go off.

That’s what makes us dangerous.”

Free throw shooting was a big concern for the ’Runners, shooting poorly against Washington State, but the team was able to improve on it Monday night.

“Missing 17 free throws [wasn’t] something we intended to do [against Washington State]. We had to put in our extra work,” said Ahmed.

“We had to get in the gym. We got in there and it really paid off for us tonight,” said Grayson.

The ’Runners continue their home stand against Sacramento State tonight at 7 p.m. in the Icardo Center. The team looks to make a statement by avenging a loss to Sac State last year.

“We owe them one. We expect them to come in with a lot of confidence. They are probably not going to respect us because they beat us almost by 20 points,” said Brandon Barnes.

“We’ll be ready for a battle, because that’s what it’s going to be,” said Coach Barnes.

Juana Martinez/The Runner

Junior blocker Molly O'Hagan and senior blocker Julia Bowen made a perfect block against Grand Canyon University on Saturday, Nov. 9.