The Runner 4-28-21

therunneronline.com California State University, Bakersfield

April 28, 2021

Vol. 46, No. 15

Breaking the Silence CSUB recognizes Sexual Assault Awareness Month (Reader discretion is advised)

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Features: Turning crafts into careers Pg. 7

Opinions: Chauvin verdict is not enough Pg. 9

Sports: Esports gains success Pg. 10

facebook.com/runnercsub

@therunner_csub

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@csub_runner

News: Vaccine Hub to close May 14 Pg. 2

News

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The Runner

April 28, 2021

The Runner Staff The Runner California State University, Bakersfield 9001 Stockdale Highway The Runner California State University, Bakersfield 9001 Stockdale Highway Bakersfield, CA 93311-1099 661-654-2165 runner@csub.edu FACULTY ADVISER Jennifer Burger jburger1@csub.edu EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Damian Lopez dlopez57@csub.edu NEWS EDITOR Rosa Salazar rsalazar27@csub.edu FEATURES EDITOR Chase Anderson canderson39@csub.edu OPINIONS EDITOR McKenna Tessandori mtessandori@csub.edu COPY CHIEF Taylor Redstone tredstone@csub.edu ART DIRECTOR Faith Okoli fokoli@csub.edu PHOTO EDITOR Ellen Kommel ekommel@csub.edu SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Allea Paguia apaguia@csub.edu ADVERTISING MANAGER Kristofer Rogic krogic@csub.edu ABOUT US The Runner is a laboratory newspaper published daily online with a biweekly PDF e-edition, in conjunction with the Department of Communications at CSU Bakersfield.

DISCLAIMERS Views and opinions expressed in The Runner are not necessarily those of the editors, staff or the Department of Communications. The staff of The Runner reserve the right to refuse or omit any advertising or material which advocates illegal activity, or which may be considered libelous, irresponsible or tasteless.

COPYRIGHT Copyright belongs to the Department of Communications at CSU Bakersfield.

CORRECTIONS Help us ensure accuracy by sending corrections requests to runner@csub.edu.

Vaccination Hub at CSUB to close May 14

By Jordan Frazier Special to The Runner The CSU Bakersfield mass vaccine hub will be closing its clinic to the community on May 14.

Anyone 16 or older is eligible to receive their first dose of the vaccine at the Student Recreation Center from 8:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. throughout the seven-day week.

To make an appointment visit MyTurn website; walk-ins are welcome.

Second-does appointments for the Pfizer vaccine will be offered at Kaiser Permanente Medical Offices at Discovery Plaza located at 1200 Discovery Drive, Bakersfield.

“The consortium announced a shift in strategy to a community-focused clinic approach. The goal of the consortium is to remove all barriers by taking vaccine directly to the neighborhoods where people live and work,” according to an email sent

by CSUB President Lynnette Zelezny to the campus community.

Since its opening, the hub has given a total of over 35,000 vaccines to people across Kern County including individuals from other counties between March 26 and April 26.

This amounts to an average 1,130 vaccines administered per day; far below the anticipated 5,400 the hub was set to handle.

Kaiser Permanente and the Kern County Public Health Department declined to release the daily number of administered vaccines given at the hub and the percentage of vaccines given to local residents as opposed to out-ofcounty residents.

According to Michelle Corson, public information officer for the Kern County Public Health Department, a total of 70,876 COVID-19 vaccines were given to eligible people at the Fairgrounds Mass Vaccination Clinic from Jan.11 through April 24.

As stated in a news release from The CSU Office of Chancellor, vaccines will be mandatory for students, staff and faculty at CSUB pending an FDA approval.

Photo by Ellen Kommel/The Runner

People age 16 and older wait to be vaccinated inside the Student Recreation Center at CSUB on April 12, 2021.

Proof of the vaccine will be needed upon the return of in-person instruction for the fall 2021 semester.

“The vaccination requirement would allow for students or employees to seek an exemption based on medical or religious grounds, and further grounds for exemption are being considered,” Zelezny said in an email to the university on April 22, following the announcement from the CSU Chancellors Office.

According to a later email from the California Faculty Association, there are different health reasons why individuals cannot get a COVID-19 vaccine.

CFA President Charles Toombs wrote in a letter on behalf of the union leadership, “We do not oppose a policy of mandatory vac-

cinations. Our concern is with the implementation and enforcement of the policy and the lack of consultation thus far with CFA and other unions.”

Vanessa Chicaiza, president of the sudent government at CSUB, Associated Student Inc., said she thinks it is essential for the CSUB community and members around Kern County become vaccinated.

“I received the vaccination to protect myself and those within my community from contracting COVID-19,” she said.

“I believe it is essential for our community members to get vaccinated to protect our vulnerable populations; luckily, it is now incredibly easy to get vaccinated at the CSUB Vaccination Hub. Transitioning

“back to normal” means that we must all do our part to ensure our community is safe when doing so,” Chicaiza said.

Sammy Cortez, a junior at CSUB shared why it was important to receive the vaccine.

“I wanted to get the vaccine to protect my family if I ever become infected. I also wanted to do my part to protect my community,” Cortez said.

Walk in appointments are still offered until May 14, the final day of operation.

Appointments can also be made online at myturn. ca.gov.

The public can call a vaccination hotline from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at (661) 6774177. Public health nurses are available to answer vaccine questions.

News

The Runner

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April 28, 2021

New bus center opens on campus

By Braden Moss-Ennis Special to The Runner In the past, CSUB’s main entrance which leads to a turn-about circle with flags in center would be seen filled with a line of buses.

Now, new transit stations allow for the buses to be parked diagonally, providing more space for the buses and clearing the up the circle.

On April 4, 2021, Golden Empire Transit began operating their buses out of their new transit station at California State University, Bakersfield on Don Hart Drive West.

The new facility includes six bus bays, allowing room for four GET buses, a GET On-Demand vehicle, and a Kern Transit vehicle.

In addition to this, there are shelters, signage, and seating at each bay. For safety purposes, there are also new street lighting and security cameras.

Lastly, there is new landscaping and bike racks.

“The project improves access to the campus for students, staff, and faculty, improves community access to the campus, improves the attractiveness of the bus facility, provides a safer more attractive facility for boarding and alighting from the bus, facilitates active transportation (integrating pedestrian, bicycle and bus improvements), expands the capacity for safe operations of transit on campus, and provides for safe transfer to Kern Transit,” Karen King, CEO of Golden Empire Transit, wrote in an email.

GET expects to see many benefits to their company and the community from this project. CSUB also has hopes that this project will bring them further benefits.

“Our hopes will be the new transit center and routes may increase the opportunity for ridership for our campus community,” Martin Williamson, chief of police and head of the transportation committee at CSUB, wrote in an email.

While construction on the project took roughly two years (completing construction in phases), the project has been in the works for over 10 years.

Various things like the planning process, discussions and agreements, obtaining approvals, finan-

The new GET Bus transit stations at CSUB will provide additional room for transpotation for the campus cial planning, securing grants, designing the facility, selecting a contractor, various starts/stops due to design errors, and constructing when there were minimal students on campus all contributed to the length of the project.

The budget on the project was $1,214,115, which was from funded with $1,074,840 from the Federal Transit Administration and $139,275 from local funding.

Initially, they were phasing the construction throughout the span of a few years to be contained within the months of summer. However, the pandemic ended up advancing the construction.

“COVID-19 and the absence of activity on the campus actually allowed us to continue construction well past the original construction window that was planned,” King wrote.

The new facility also offers sustainability benefits. The project itself was constructed with the incorporation of sustainability practices.

“For instance, when we reconstructed the road there, we used full-depth reclamation for the road which basically reused existing road materials in place and reduced the amount of material needed to be brought in by 70% on the project,” Matt

Photo by Flor Juarez/The Runner

Photo by Flor Juarez/The Runner

After about 10 years of planning and renovation, the transit station was completed on March 23.

Barnes, civil engineer on the project, said in a YouTube video from GET entitled “CSUB Transit Center Ribbon Cutting.”

“Then also just by increasing the traffic flow in the area, we’ve reduced idling time as well to help reduce emissions,” Barnes said.

Izua Banuelos, ASI director of sustainability, said the facility relates to sustainability efforts at CSUB. “This project not only shows how committed CSUB is towards a more sustainable campus, but it also shows just how willing CSUB is in partnering

with the community to create a safe environment by using their resources to improve and create a better access towards sustainable practices,” Banuelos wrote in an email.

She experienced firsthand what it is like taking the bus to campus.

“I often used the bus as a way to get to and from school. It was rather a hassle for busses to line up one after another, causing a blockage on traffic, and a little bit hazardous as some reckless drivers often passed by and got in the way of bus drivers. By adding these stations, the

buses now have better way to line up, passengers have an easier access to go from one station to their next route and creates a safer walkway for all,” Banuelos wrote.

On March 23, 2021, GET held the ribbon cutting ceremony for the project to celebrate its completion and launch. Individuals present at the celebration included King, the GET Board of Directors, CSUB President Lynnette Zelezny, mayor of Bakersfield Karen Goh, and other individuals involved with the project.

“When we have a big

achievement that includes the hard work of many people it is very important to take time to celebrate, not just for our employees who worked hard on the project, but also for the broader community who will benefit from our success. It’s also important to recognize that it took cooperation and support in the CSUB community and beyond to make it happen,” King wrote.

Lastly, King noted that the celebration was a good way to publicize the new facility and GET to the community.

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Sexual Assau

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CSUB offers support to assault survivors

By Zeltzin EstradaRodriguez News Reporter

April is nationally recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and CSU Bakersfield is in full recognition of it.

CSUB’s website provides the school’s legal definition of what sexual assault is: “Any sexual act in which a person is threatened, coerced or forced to comply against her/his will. At its most basic level, sexual assault therefore refers to any form of nonconsensual sexual activity. Sexual assault includes, but is not limited to, rape, forced sodomy, forced oral copulation, rape by a foreign object, sexual battery, or threat of sexual assault.”

“Sexual assault is an issue that is not new, however it has not been talked about for a long time,” says Olivia Warren, the campus advocate for CSUB. According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, America’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, someone is sexually assaulted every 73 seconds. This means that there are over 430,000 victims of sexual

assault each year.

To acknowledge this humanitarian issue, CSUB has observed the month with campus-wide events for all students, faculty, and staff to participate in.

These events were organized by Warren with the help of CSUB’s Division of Equity, Inclusion, and Compliance, the Wellness Committee, and the Student Recreation Center.

Past events included a social media giveaway and a virtual showing of the documentary “Athlete A,” which focuses on how reporters exposed Dr. Larry Nassar for sexually abusing the girls of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team.

Today, April 28, is Denim Day and students are encouraged to wear denim to support survivors of sexual assault.

Also today, there will be a Wellness Chat from noon to 1 p.m. This talk entitled “Teal Talk,” since teal is the color used to represent sexual assault, will address topics including consent and healthy relationships.

CSUB student Alissa Montejo said, “Talking about sexual assault should be normalized because then other people

can come out about their stories. Also, if people normalize talking about it then they will also normalize teaching younger individuals about it.”

According to CSUB’s website, the university is mandated by Title IX to protect students, staff, and faculty “against discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation includes sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and gender based dating and domestic violence and stalking.”

Additionally, under the Jeanne Clery Act, CSUB is required to report crime statistics of the school, including those having to do with sexual assault.

The annual reports can be found on CSUB’s website.

There are on-campus options for the CSUB community to report sexual assault and/or receive support for instances involving sexual assault.

Reporting options include the University Police Department and the Title IX Coordinator, Marcus Brown. Support options include the Campus Advocate, Counseling Center, and Student Health Services.

Warren, who provides confidential assistance to

any CSUB community member who is struggling with sexual assault, assures that you do not have to report to receive support.

“You never have to report to receive support from CSUB. Title IX and the campus advocate is able to refer you to resources and help with accommodations with housing, classes, counseling and more,” said Warren. “If you or someone you know needs to talk or is going through anything please email me at advocate@csub.edu and I am here for you.”

Montejo does not believe SAAM and the one-hour Title IX course students are required to take each calendar year are enough to adequately inform students about and prevent students from experiencing sexual assault.

“I think it’s great that they’re [dedicating a whole month to it]...but I think there should be more,” began Montejo.

“Sexual assault is such a large problem that they should include [a required class in their curriculum].

Title IX is not doing enough or preventing enough. Make a course about it.”

From assualt victim to advocate Olivia Warren, Campus Advocate When I was young, I was always told that college was somewhere that I would learn, flourish, and grow.

No one told me that it would also be the home to one of the most traumatic experiences that will ever happen to me.

No one told me that 1 in every 5 college-age women will be sexually assaulted in their time in school.

In 2016, I was one of them.

I was 19. It was before the Me-Too movement had gained traction and it was normalized sharing experiences to help others.

I did not realize what was happening until it was too late. I then forgot about it for months. Very few people knew, and I tried to forget it happened.

I had already been elected into student government and one of my main jobs was to head the Sexual Assault Awareness Committee. I could not bring myself to start the committee for that school year.

About a year after it happened in 2017, all the hurt came back. I was so depressed. I did not sleep, I kept playing in my head what happened and how I could have stopped it. I pushed away my friends, I told my parents, and always just wanted to be

Photo provided by Olivia Warren

alone.

After a month I decided to pick myself up, get a therapist, and make a conscious decision to find the strength within me to move forward.

Eventually, I came to the realization that every survivor’s journey is different.

I came to realize a powerful truth that just because I was not ready to stand up and talk about my experience, it did not make me incapable of helping others through similar traumas.

I had to heal in my own time and get through it the way I thought was best.

After shutting down the committee for a few months because of what

had happened, I restarted the committee, wanting to help others that were survivors as well. I worked tirelessly to provide resources for survivors and to meet their needs wherever they might be in their journey.

The very events that I thought might break me instead made me stronger.

I do not hate him. I am mad at what he did and how it made me feel months and years later.

In my current role, as the Campus Advocate for CSU Bakersfield, I am able to be the resource for college students that I needed. I hope my story illustrates how important it is to bring awareness and that you are not alone.

ult Awareness

April 28, 2021

5

Breaking the Silence

Siblings share their stories of sexual assault Editor’s Note: Names have been changed to include only first initials on 4/30/2021 Zeltzin Estradahe was going to do it, and a Rodriguez second later, he did it.

Senior He did not give me a chance to tell him what I was in the seventh grade I wanted. I had told him the first time I was sexualcountless times in the past ly assaulted. A boy on my I never wanted him to do school bus sat me on his that. lap and made comments Yet, he still did it. with another boy about my He bought me a morning “bony ass.” after pill.

Since then, I’ve been I still ended up pregnant sexually assaulted many — for 10 seconds worth of with him. I was just there times, both by strangers his pleasure. to support him as a friend. and by people I know.

And now, for two months, The next morning, I woke while taking seven classes, My three worst experiup to him kissing me. I told working, and trying to ences have happened in him to stop. I pulled up my maintain my physical and college. underwear as he was trying emotional health, I’ve been My first experience was when I was 18, with some- to pull them down— but he the one who has to deal overpowered me; he forced with the consequences of one who I thought was my my bottoms down, forced friend. His name is L. that selfish action — not me down, then proceeded One night, at a get-tohim. He has left me alone to have sex with me. gether with friends, he to deal with it.

I thought, “Was that rape? told me to take shots with I decided to get an aborHow could someone who I tion. him. I got drunk to the point where I was not fully used to love rape me?”

It has taken a lot of A therapist had to explain support from my family, aware. to me a couple of months Next thing I knew, he friends, other survivors, later that relationship status coworkers, understandgrabbed my hand and took is not the same as consent. me to his room. I was ing professors, and my He raped me. aware enough to tell him I therapist to help me heal My third experience hapdid not want to have sex. from these incredibly dispened a couple of months He did not rape me but he empowering and belittling ago. I am now 22. It was did sexually assault me. assaults. with another emotionalMy second experience This is my first time ly and verbally abusive happened when I was 19. publicly coming out with ex-boyfriend trying to It was with my verbally my story. reconnect with me. His and emotionally abusive, I share my story to enname is B. stalker ex-boyfriend who courage other survivors to We had consensual sex, was trying to reconnect acknowledge their stories but he came inside of me with me. His name is G. and find the validity and without my consent.

One night, he texted me healing in the physical, He had me in a position saying he had nowhere to mental, and emotional where I was completely sleep. So, I let him sleep experiences that come with constrained from being over at my apartment. them. able to move or push him I specifically told him I Sharing mine has certainoff me. He simply told me did not want to have sex ly helped me.

Armando EstradaRodriguez Credential Student My first experience with sexual assault is probably a story like other kids who grew up in poverty. My parents left me with family in Mexico for the summers as we did not have funds for a caretaker during summer breaks. An older relative took advantage of the situation and raped me.

Being in a foreign country and so young, communication is tough. It’s even tougher when you’re a child and you’re unsure whether your parents will be upset or even believe you. Thankfully, they supported me and we stopped going to Mexico for the summer.

Another experience I had was with a peer. This person, we’ll call him Matt, had expressed interest in me several times before, but I had always turned him down as I am not attracted to men.

One night while out with fellow students, he got wildly drunk. He began explicitly requesting that I allow him to perform sexual acts on me. He expressed that if I would only try him that I could enjoy being gay too. I insisted that I was not interested.

I said no multiple times, but he persisted. He even groped my penis at the bar.

I was designated driver

that night and was pretty uncomfortable with driving us home. But I decided to anyway because my other friend needed it. She assured me she would keep him under control.

The three of us sat in the front, with him in the middle. He tried to unzip my pants while I was driving.

I forced him off and threatened to leave them, but our other friend begged me not to. “He is just really drunk,” she defended, and I ultimately let it go.

Months later, Matt posted on Facebook that all hetero men are trash, and a couple of us commented on his past sexual assaults.

I thought it was pathetic he was pretending to be a good guy.

My most traumatic experience with sexual assault was with an ex-girlfriend.

She tried to control my life. At first, I tried to resist her control, but she would challenge my manhood.

She would abuse me and try to make up for it with sex rather than an apology.

I would say no, and she would proceed anyways.

At the time, I couldn’t put into words why, but it felt dirty and wrong. It was not until a therapist told me that I understood: “She raped you. You say no, but then she unzips your pantsand what guy is going to say no to a blowjob?”

One time, after I refused to have sex with her, she physically attacked me and said the rape of my childhood was my fault.

She said if I were more of a man, then it would not have happened.

I locked myself in the bathroom to take a bath and get space from her.

She broke the door and tried to force me to have sex. I refused.

I slept on the couch that night. I woke up to her trying to force me into bed. I didn’t move. She then grabbed my head and kneed me in the nose.

I bled like a faucet, all over my favorite white shirt. Her response? “I got you that shirt so it doesn’t matter, a man wouldn’t be hurt by me. A man would fuck me and get over it.”

Too often I believed her.

It wasn’t until the campus police caught her one day in action that I realized I had to walk away. A policewoman told me people like her never change. My heart didn’t believe it but my head knew it was true.

Faculty view: Sexual assault is not normal Desiree Sams Psychology Professor Sexual Assault is a normal part of our culture and that is a problem. About 17 years ago I was sexually assaulted, and I did not tell anyone about it. I thought it was important to discuss since it happened on a campus I once attended and now teach for.

I was a freshman at CSU Bakersfield when a student would chat with me during one of my classes.

One day he asked if we could hang out after class.

I said sure, so we walked to my car. He seemed to have a plan where to go because I remember him

directing me where to drive. We parked near the dorms, which I was unfamiliar with.

He asked me to follow him. I was confused. He was not saying much and seemed like he was in a hurry. I asked where we were going, and he kept saying that I would see.

I barely realized where we were before everything started happening. He had taken me to a dorm bathroom. Before I knew it, he grabbed me and put me in what I think was a shower stall. He started kissing me and putting his hands up my shirt and down my pants. Everything was happening so quickly that

my brain could not comprehend it.

He started taking off his pants when I noticed someone’s feet walk into a bathroom stall. The next thing I know, I was running as fast as I could. I ran to my car and drove away.

Had I flirted with him before? Why did he think any

of that was okay? I asked myself these questions to try to gain some sort of control over the situation.

Later I would find out this is a way survivors cope, but also a way people try to blame victims.

The situation left me feeling scared, humiliated, but also somehow normal.

Similar situations had happened to me before. This was just something girls and women had to deal with, so what was the point of telling anyone?

There was a large focus on sexual assault being a woman’s problem. Any gender of people can be perpetrators or victims, but survivorship dispropor-

tionately affects women.

Women needed to walk in groups, park near streetlights, be aware of our surroundings, not drink too much at parties, all to avoid being assaulted by men. This was normal.

When I was assaulted, this was the height of “Girls Gone Wild” videos.

Could he have seen mainstream porn about sexy things that happen in co-ed bathrooms? Were there a ton of Cosmopolitan articles discussing how sex needs to be spontaneous and something to surprise people with? Do we coach men to be overly confident, to keep trying even if people are not interest-

ed, and give very little consequences for sexual violence? Yes. Luckily, the focus is shifting. Sexual assault should not be normal, and it should not be a woman’s problem. This should be an issue everyone has a problem with. Sexual assault will stop happening once we change the culture, and teach boys and girls about consent and sex.

Just because sexual assault is common does not make it okay. It should not be normal. We should continue dismantling rape culture, raise children to understand consent, and hold people accountable for their actions.

News

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The Runner

April 28, 2021

What to expect for graduation

By McKenna Tessandori Opinions Editor It has been a little over a year since the COVID-19 pandemic began causing schools to shut down and graduation ceremonies to quicky come to a halt.

Students that were on track to graduate in the spring or summer of 2020 were unable to walk across the stage but with the vaccine readily available and the slowing of the spread of the virus there is hope

in sight.

According to an email sent out to all students by Jennifer Self, CSU Bakersfield’s Public Information Officer, the President’s Cabinet has come to a decision on if the spring graduation ceremony will take place face to face.

According to the President’s Cabinet, “It is with joy that we announce some truly wonderful news: This spring, CSUB will host a series of face-to-face commencement ceremonies

from Thursday, May 20, through Sunday, May 23, for the classes of Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021 and Summer 2021.”

Although graduation may look a little bit different this year, it came as a relief to many students that they would have the choice to participate in the graduation ceremony.

According to the commencement page on CSUB’s website, “The first set of ceremonies will be

for the Class of 2021 between the dates of Thursday, May 20 - Saturday, May 22.”

According to CSUB’s website the class of 2020 will also have a chance to walk across the stage, “The second set of ceremonies will be for the Class of 2020 between the dates of Saturday, May 22 - Sunday, May 23.”

A poll was posted on The Runner’s Instagram asking if graduating students were going to participate in the

ceremony in May. Of the 38 graduating students who responded, 63% said they would be attending and 37% said they would not be attending.

A response box was also posted on Instagram asking graduating students what they were looking forward to after graduation.

According to Luz Robles, a senior majoring in psychology, she’s looking forward to “not worrying about exams or studying and a raise at work.”

Although graduation may look different this year, this is a step towards returning to some sort of normality.

Anyone participating in the face-to-face graduation ceremony will receive three tickets for guests to attend. Masks are mandatory for both guests and graduates and other safety precautions will be put in place.

The deadline to RSVP is Friday, April 30. Visit csub.edu/commencement.

New ASI leaders advocate student voices

By Rosa Salazar News Editor The Associated Students Inc. at CSU Bakersfield fills 13 positions of student leaders for the upcoming year.

Many students ran unopposed. One of the open positions was for ASI President. Stephanie Magana was elected as the new president.

Magana, a senior majoring in computer engineering is also a first-generation student.

Magana explained why she chose to run for ASI President.

“With my current position as ASI Executive Vice President, I learned so much about leadership, our university, and our students. I am confident I can be a great student leader as we transition back to on-campus learning. It grew my passion for advocating and I wanted to continue serving students in my last year at CSUB,” she said.

This is Magana’s third year in ASI. Her previous position was Director of Sustainability. Magana said she loves being part of ASI and that it has helped her grow as a person.

“When I first came to CSUB, I was never involved in clubs or participated in events. I came on campus for class and went straight home. There was even a point in my life where I felt like dropping out of school because I felt so lost with classes and felt like I had no one helping me navigate college. That’s when I knew I wanted to be part of ASI, I wanted to be that helping hand for a student, that resource, that friend, etc… because I

didn’t have that,” she said.

The newly elected Vice President of Campus Life, Divyang Motavar, is a junior majoring in computer science and a theater double major. Motavar is also an international student from India and this is his third year in ASI. He was previously the Director of International Students and is currently serving as Director of student housing relations. Both positions are part of the campus life committee which Motavar has been a part of.

Motavar felt it was his time to run for his current position and give back.

Motavar has student-based goals in his new position in ASI, specifically regarding the fall semester.

“Try to help everyone back to campus and make them feel welcome, even if they’ve been here before or if this is their first time on campus,” he said.

Motavar advices to those interested in running for ASI. “It’s so good to help students; even if you are a freshman you know some things that others may not,” he said.

The new Vice President of Legislative Affairs is Gurvir Sidhu. Sidhu is a freshman who is a prehealth major who hopes to major in nursing.

Sidhu talked about how he ended up becoming part of the student government at CSUB. “I actually became a part of ASI by joining Lobby Corp at the beginning of this school year and became really passionate about we do. So, I took the opportunity to run for the position of VP of Legislative Affairs and get more involved this upcoming

year,” he said.

So far Sidhu said that his experience in ASI has been great and that he has learned a lot over the past few months despite it being his first time running for elections.

Emma Gillian, the director of student support is a senior and she started as a computer science major but changed her major to biology and biochemistry.

“I’ve always wanted to be part of ASI,” she said.

“As I was going into my senior year all I wanted to do was have a seat at the table...I put so much time and effort and energy into this school. I wanted to make sure that I’m leaving this school in a better place than when I came in,” she said.

Gillian encourages students to run for ASI because it will help them develop skills for the future.

“Do it! Get involved,” she said.

Ignasio Castillo is the newly appointed vice president of university affairs.

Castillo is a sophomore majoring in political science and criminal justice.

Castillo shared why he decided to run in ASI. “When it comes to the reopening process and listening to students and hearing wondering what they think about campus and hearing their concerns, I think you need a leader in this position to make sure that we hear these students,” he said.

In regard to running for ASI, Castillo said, “Honestly just run. If you feel passionate and you have a voice, if you feel that you are not being represented then do something and run,” he said.

Divang Motavar, vice president of campus life.

Emma Gillian, director of student support.

Screenshot by Rosa Salazar/The Runner

Screenshot by Rosa Salazar/The Runner

Screenshot by Rosa Salazar/The Runner

Ignasio Castillo, vice president of university affairs.

Features

The Runner

7

April 28, 2021

Turning a craft into a career

Digital artist went from logos to videos Chase Anderson Features Editor EJ Medellin is a local graphic design artist that for the past five years has channeled his passion and artistry through photography and videography.

Medellin was an oilfields worker for six years but decided that he wanted a more stable and fulfilling career. That led him to pursue his talent for graphic design. His love of hockey was the catalyst that started his interest, “I am a big hockey fan and started making wallpapers of players for fun. From there I decided to try and pursue a career in graphic design. Due to my love for hockey, I decided to reach out to the Bakersfield Condors. I was relentless, and finally I was offered an internship,” said Medellin.

Medellin made the leap from graphic design to photography and videography and through that found he had true talent and love for his art.

“I decided to purchase a camera, and from there I was really just amazed that something inside of

Photos taken and provided by Ej Medellin

me, that I had no idea, my true calling was with me the entire time. I felt like I found it late, but maybe I found it right when I was supposed to,” Medellin said.

Medellin draws inspiration for his art through the world around him which is expressed through his scenic shots and candid portraits.

“I am completely and wholly inspired by this incredible world we live in, but also by where I have been. I have an eye for aesthetically pleasing visuals and with each and every project that comes

to completion, it is rare that I am not surprised at my work. I finish each job thinking there is no way I can improve upon this and time and time again, I prove myself wrong,” Medellin said.

Medellin’s favorite part of his art is the story that he tells with each photo.

His dark but vibrant tones and gritty images are what makes his photos so unique and allows him to tell the stories that he stives convey with each of his works.

Like any artist and entrepreneur Medellin faced challenges trying to

discover and cultivate his art and found his biggest obstacle to be himself.

“The hardest challenge that I have had is confidence. I have now made it to a place where I am really confident in my work and my style, but it wasn’t always that way. I would second guess myself, I would be a nervous wreck as big jobs would come my way,” Medellin said.

Medellin compares finding confidence and success in his work to sports, “Do the best athletes in the world, not feel nerves before a big game?

Undoubtedbly they do! It

Photo provided by EJ Medellin

is no different for content creators. We have the same nerves and same feelings regardless of how good and how confident we are.

Every shoot is a big game.

A moment you cannot get back,” Medellin said.

Medellin now operates his own licensed business Einstein Visuals and takes photos and video for Visit Bakersfield, a local tourism website. Find Medellin on Facebook, Instagram, or einsteinvisuals.com.

Nail artist draws from her inner child

Chase Anderson Features Editor

Pamela Mears is a local nail artist, traveler, and festivalgoer that for the past 10 years has been wowing her clients with her unique and vibrant designs.

Mears has always had a flair for artistry since she was a child and even today still paints and crafts when she is not busy sculpting and designing nails.

From Mears the joy of her work comes from the happiness of her clients and her ability to express herself through her work.

“All my clients tell me that getting their nails done is their therapy, but I would love to express servicing my clients is my therapy. Expressing art and getting creative is my escape. It’s really rewarding helping my clients feel good, beautiful and I can be someone they can come to as their safe place and to

Photo provided by Pamela Mears

Photos provided by Pamela Mears

relax!” Mears said.

Mears draws inspiration for her designs from her various clients and as well likes to freestyle with

bright, neon colors and glitter that she describes as “rave-like”. Mears did not always intend to be a nail technician as she originally

planned for a career in the medical field.

“My whole life I’ve been guided to work in the healthcare field which I did

but after having the love and support from friends and family I decided I wanted to do something for me and do something I love and enjoy!” Mears said.

Mears had done many different designs and styles that and like any artist has her favorites among her

works.

One of her favorite sets that she has done was her “baby Yoda” inspired design and more recently set of nails that were inspired by and done in memory of her client’s late brother.

Contact Mears through her Facebook or Instagram nailsby_pamelam.

Features

8

The Runner

April 28, 2021

Runner Nights brings live music to CSUB Danielle Coryell News Reporter Although this year’s Runner Nights looked pretty different from those of years past, the ability to enjoy live music from your living room (or bedroom, or car, or anywhere really) helped alleviate some of the end of semester stress that students are feeling.

This year’s performers were Hunter Hayes, Hippie Sabotage, Paloma Mami, and Giveon. Those who tuned in were able to hear the top hits from these artists in intimate performances that felt like private concerts.

Not only was the audience able to listen to great music, but they were also able to learn a little more about these artists in a Q&A. On Monday night, Hunter Hayes spoke with Myrah Salinas who was able to ask him some questions.

From these questions we learned that Hunter Hayes is not only an artist who can play 30 instruments, but is also a pilot, and an avid leggo builder. He also prefers the nighttime to the daytime, pasta over pizza, waffles to pancakes, and TV shows to movies.

Illustration of Giveon from flyer by Campus Programming

When asked to give advice to those listening that may want to become artists themselves, Hayes used his hobby of Leggo building as an example.

He said that all the boxes of Leggos come with the instruction manual and the picture on the box of what you are supposed to build, but when you are done building it you should throw away the box and the manual.

That you shouldn’t be afraid to build something else.

Tuesday’s performance of the Runner Nights happened to fall on 4/20 this year. Hippie Sabotage were the performers chosen and it seemed like a perfect fit.

This duo is composed of two brothers, Kevin and Jeff Saurer. They were born in Sacramento, California but raised in Los Angeles. They make elec-

being tagged with an NC17 rating.

“You can get to NC-17 territory pretty quick. It’s different in a video game when it’s not real human beings. When you move this across to reality, a different set of things start to happen in your mind, and you get rated slightly differently…So we were balancing that stuff all the time,” Mcquoid said in an interview with Screen Rant.

The fans can rest easy that the film was made with the iconic lines and “fatalities” from the video games in mind. These fun nods to the video games are perfectly sprinkled in throughout the film and are incredibly satisfying for long-time fans.

Audiences who are not aware or never played the video games are still in for a fun ride with this film, as the action is fast-paced and entertaining from beginning to end. The film is visually impressive, with many of the visual

effects with Sub-Zero’s ice powers or Kung-Lao’s hat tricks.

The film is set around retired MMA fighter Cole Young, a new character developed just for the film, who is being hunted

by Sub-Zero. Cole finds himself apart of something bigger than he could have ever imagined, being a champion of Earthrealm to fight in the legendary high-stakes Mortal Kombat tournament for the fate of the Universe. He trains with other heroes such as Raiden, Kung-Lao, and mercenary Kano, to fight against the fighters of the Outerworld led by longtime series antagonist Shang Tsung.

Since it’s April 23rd release, Mortal Kombat is currently sitting well with audiences with a score of 87% and impressive box-office numbers post COVID-19. You can see Mortal Kombat in theaters near you or streaming on HBO Max.

tric dance music and were vibing off of each other the entire performance.

In the background of the performance, they had a large screen which was playing videos of the brothers dancing, blowing smoke rings, and various other scenes that moved in a way I’ve only seen in a kaleidoscope.

On Thursday night, Paloma Mami, a Chilian born, New York raised artist performed for the Runner Nights. Paloma Mami is a bilingual artist and she performed in both English and Spanish, often switching between the two in a single song.

During the Q&A, she opened up about growing up in New York in a predominately white school.

She talked about how she went through some troubling times and that there was a time in her life that she was embarrassed of her upbringing and even her name.

She has since realized how powerful it is to be Latina in today’s world and is educating whoever she can about her culture and where Chile is on a map.

Paloma Mami said she is inspired musically by Kanye West, Frank Ocean,

Rhianna, and Beyonce.

She likes artists who are genuinely themselves and confident. She is also inspired by those who are involved in every aspect of making music and hopes to produce her own music one day.

On the last night of the Runner Nights, Giveon was the featured artist. He is a relatively new R&B artist from Long Beach, California.

Giveon’s performance felt like the most intimate of the week’s concerts, and not only because he sings love songs.

He sang next to his guitarist, David, and was really vulnerable and conversational between songs.

During the Q&A portion of the night we were able to get to know him a little better.

We learn that he is a Pixar fan, his career really took off during the pandemic, he was studying Communications with hopes to work at an ad agency, and he worked at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. He said that the best things in life happen unplanned, that you shouldn’t waste time planning out how you want your life to be but instead be prepared

for anything to happen.

Ashley Lane, a Junior at CSU Bakersfield majoring in Liberal Studies, attended the Runner Nights performances by Hunter Hayes and Giveon. She is a transfer student this semester, so this was her first experience with the Runner Nights, and she told me she was mostly excited for Giveon when she saw the promotional material in her email. She said her favorite song was Heartbreak Anniversary and she was excited he performed it.

Another CSUB student, senior Denessi Beltran who is a Mathematics major attended this year’s virtual Runner Nights as well as all others that CSUB has put on since her freshman year. She said this year’s performance was “a lot calmer” than those of the years past.

She reminisced about going out together with friends, getting excited for the concerts, and singing and dancing along to the music.

There may not be any alternative to the feeling you get from live shows, but overall, the Runner Nights were a happy distraction for a bit.

‘Get over here’ and watch Mortal Kombat Landon Logue Features Writer

FIGHT! Mortal Kombat is upon us as this action-adventure movie reboots the franchise based on the video game series of the same name. Fans of the notoriously violent video game series can rest easy knowing the film does not pull any punches and delivers on the fight choreography and gore.

This movie truly is one for the fans of the video game series. Most of the characters on the roster are here to fight with few exceptions, with those missing being teased to appear in the next installment. The cast is mainly comprised of unknown actors, which allows each character to come into their own without being attached to a mega-star name.

The film serves as the directorial debut of Simon Mcquoid, who during development struggled with the amount of violence to include in the film without

Cover art retrieved from IMDb

Opinions

9

The Runner

April 28, 2021

Chauvin verdict isn’t enough

By Rosa Salazar News Editor

Derek Chauvin, responsible for George Floyd’s unjustified murder that ignited the world-wide Black Lives Matter Movement, has been found guilty of all charges against him, which is a step in the right direction, but it’s not enough.

After about 10 hours of deliberation, the jury convicted Chauvin of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter on April 20. Chauvin faces anywhere from a maximum of 40 to 75 years behind bars.

When Judge Peter A. Cahill read the charges, Chauvin looked puzzled, almost in disbelief that murdering someone has consequences. Perhaps he thought being a white cop would help his case.

CSUB President Lynnette Zelezny released a written statement regarding the George Floyd trial.

“The reckoning on race has reached every corner of the country, forcing us to confront our own biases, both overt and implicit,” Zelezny wrote.

“CSUB understands that rejecting racism and creating opportunity is a mission that does not have a fixed destination; rather, it is a compact we renew with ourselves and our community every day, in every interaction.”

Zelezny added that at CSUB everyone is welcome here and deserves to feel safe on campus.

But before you go and celebrate and think that justice is served, remember all of the innocent Black people who were murdered and continue to be murdered.

Remember that their perpetrators remain unpunished by the so-called ‘Justice System.’”

Civil Rights leader, Rev. Jesse Jackson told CNN that Chauvin’s verdict is a relief but there is more work to be done. Jackson referenced the recent killing of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was shot and killed by police near where Floyd died.

“We’re going to bury Daunte Thursday, the killing continues. We must break the backbone of legal lynching forever. Police killing people is getting away with legal lynching,” Jackson said.

The officer who killed Wright, Kim Potter, said she meant to tase him but instead shot him. There are two possible explanations to this incident. Either Potter can’t tell her left from her right and is actually so stupid and accidentally mixed up her two weapons. If this was the case how can you possibly rely on the police to protect its citizens if they can’t tell a taser and a dangerous weapon apart? Another theory, which is much more believable is that Potter is just another racist white vessel of hate who saw a chance to end a young Black man’s life and she took it.

Breonna Taylor, 26, was another Black person who was killed by police. On March 13, 2020 Taylor was asleep in her bedroom with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, when officers showed up to her apartment unannounced, in plain clothes, and without body cams; a violation. They showed up as part of an investigation into drug dealing operations. After Walker shot at the officers thinking they were intruders

three of the seven officers returned fire; killing Taylor in the process. No one has been charged for Taylor’s death.

These three killings of Black people by those in uniform are only a small percentage that have received national media attention.

Not only does the killing of Black people continue but so does the lack of consequences for these avoidable deaths.

We can’t only hope for change, we have to continue to demand change by continuing to protest and support the idea that all human beings are created equal and deserve the same rights.

Chauvin’s conviction is the sacrificial lamb of police brutality. Instead of reforming the Justice Department to de-escalate situations and cease to use excessive force among other changes, Chauvin’s verdict places a Band-Aid against a broken system whose main purpose was designed to protect and serve.

SHARE YOUR VOICE One of our missions at The Runner is to facilitate dialogue and create community by sharing the diverse voices of our campus. Do you have an opinion or experience you’d like to share with readers?

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR These are short commentaries or responses to content in The Runner. Letters must be less than 300 words and include the name of the writer and contaction information for verification.

CAMPUS VOICES These longer op-eds allow you to express your viewpoints on important issues in our university, community, and world. Op-eds should be 500-700 words and include supporting facts from credible sources.

Letters and op-eds may be edited for clarity, grammar, spelling and length. Send your submissions to runner@csub.edu.

Sports

10

The Runner

April 28, 2021

Esports club becomes most popular intermural sport

CSUB Men’s baseball team takes win in series against Hawaii

By Emiliano Tristan Podcaster

By Michael Canelo Sports Reporter

From the many changes brought about by COVID-19, extra-curricular activities experienced the most impact. All but one intramural sport is canceled for the spring 2021 semester. With all the advancements in technology to facilitate social distancing, esports is changing the way people view sports.

“Esports is competitive gaming, what we are creating is a domestic competitive setting. What that means is that we’re not putting people against themselves for their benefit, but to test their skills and to use those skills to help others,” Jesus Barajas, president of the Esports Club at CSU, Bakersfield said.

Videogames are becoming increasingly popular due to the pandemic.

Needless to say, if you have ever thought about playing video games at a competitive level, right now is the best time to do so. Invented with the intent to entertain but are now a possibly lucrative hobby.

There are approximately 40 members in the esports team and jerseys make it that much more official.

A major appeal of esports is that the domain of video games is seemingly endless. Some of the more popular games include Rocket League, League of Legends, Counter-Strike Global Offense, and Fortnite.

The esports team is preparing for a Valorant tournament on Friday, April 30 at 5 p.m. Valorant is a 5 versus 5 first-person

Cal State Bakersfield’s baseball team handle their business trip to Hawaii and took three out of four games from the Rainbow Warriors of Hawaii. CSUB won the final game of the series on Sunday, April 18, a score of 7-4.

“This was an important road series for our ball club and our confidence in each other grew substantially. We overcame some mistakes that we’ll learn from moving forward. I’m proud of the effort our guys made to stick together and come out on top in a difficult place to play. Our guys are playing for each other and that led to some quality team wins in this series,” said CSUB head coach Jeremy Beard.

CSUB’s biggest booster came from the bullpen.

CSUB senior pitcher Ethan

Photo provided by Jesus Barajas

Photo of Jesus Barajas, Esports Club president. tactical shooter where teamwork and strategy are crucial. However, registration closed because the team reached their goal of 80 attendees. Anyone is more than welcome to spectate CSUB esports on Twitch.

Competition is the idea that revolves around esports and Barajas takes it a step further to extend the esports spirit into the community.

“I want to get things done. I feel that I have the drive and the strive to progress. I see all the benefits that esports has, and I want to leave a legacy not just for me but for the rest of the officers. And to create opportunities for students,” Barajas said.

The camaraderie valued amongst the members makes it easy to get involved. The Esports team partnered with Instagram, Twitter, Twitch and Extra

Life. Extra Life raises money for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals that includes 170 different hospitals. This includes our local Bakersfield Memorial Hospital.

To add frosting to the cake, Barajas has plans to organize fundraising events so that the esports team can create a sort of nest for gaming. They want to organize computer building workshops, and he affirms his expertise as a computer engineering major to get the job done.

“We are planning to get 6 to 12 rigs. A rig is a personal gaming computer. As soon as we have the funding for one rig, we want to do a workshop for students to teach others who don’t know how to build commuters. Also, provide a leadership opportunity for those who want to teach others how to build computers,” Barajas said.

Skuija came out of the pin and tossed over 5 innings.

Skuija had eight strikeouts, allowed only two hits, and did not allow any earn runs as he earned the win.

“This was an important road series for our ball club and our confidence in each other grew substantially. We overcame some mistakes that we’ll learn from moving forward. I’m proud of the effort our guys made to stick together and come out on top in a difficult place to play. Our guys are playing for each other and that led to some quality team wins in this series,” said Beard.

The CSUB offense quickly had an answer for Hawaii after the Rainbow Warriors scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning. The ‘Runners scored four runs in the top of the second inning. The big hit came from CSUB freshman

infielder Jashia Morrissey.

He hit a two-run double scoring two of the four runs for the ‘Runners in the inning.

Hawaii battled back in the game with one run in the bottom of the third and two more runs in the bottom of the fourth cutting CSUB lead to 5-4.

But that was it for Hawaii because CSUB brought in Skuija and he shut the Rainbow Warriors bats down. CSUB added on two runs, one in the top of the seventh and one in the top of the ninth, giving them the 7-4 win.

CSUB moves to 11-8 overall and 8-4 in the Big West Conference. They will come back home for practice before hitting the road again against UC San Diego. They will begin a four-game series beginning April 23, 2021. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Swimmers prepare for Olympic pursuit

By Joy Gamble Podcaster Autumn D’Arcy, Ryan Brimer, and Kris Rogic are competing in the TYR series for the International Swim Team.

The athletes expressed their dedication and shared their experiences on an episode of The Runner On Air. “It’s been a lot harder this year than other years just making sure we’re doing everything right and still following the CSUB rules when we are traveling to make sure we don’t get COVID and our coach has made it a lot easier.

He has really been on top

of things, I think without him it would’ve been a lot harder,” Brimer said.

All three athletes are vaccinated and wear masks whenever in public. The three have not contracted the virus so their precautions have been effective so far.

D’Arcy is currently training in the Olympic trials accordingly this Summer starting in June which she has been looking forward to since her freshman year when she was qualified to do so.

“Basically, I’ve been training for the next Summer, and I went to a meet last week and tried to better my times but just

a lot of training because there is not a lot of meets available,” D’Arcy said.

Because timing of the trials delayed, she picked up where she left off. Brimer and Rogic are currently devoted to training so that they can qualify as well.

This season has been extra hard on these athletes, but they are devoted to achieving their dreams.

The advice from these athletes for our fellow sports lovers is 1) keep having fun during the process, 2) ensure there is a passion and reason to show up every day, and 3) to learn from the many experiences that were revealed through it all.