California State University, Bakersfield
therunneronline.com February 19, 2020
Vol. 45, No. 11
Sanders campaign rolls through CSUB amid 2020 primary election
Get The Daily Update
By Marcia Ruiz, Reporter and Paige Atkison, Assistant News Editor Following a major win in the New Hampshire primary, Bernie Sanders is increasing his campaign presence across the United States, including California’s Central Valley. Sanders’ campaign team visited CSU Bakersfield to host a campaign rally in the Alumni Plaza on Feb. 12 in the hopes of garnering new voters. Rather than Sanders attending himself, he sent campaign surrogates Phillip Agnew and Xiuhtezcatl Martinez to the rally. Around two dozen attendees gathered at the Alumni Plaza to hear Sanders’ team make their case for a Bernie presidency. Martinez, a 19-year-old Sanders surrogate and hip-hop artist, has worked for the campaign for just under a year. Martinez expressed his belief in Sanders, and emphasized that coming to places like the Central Valley is a necessary part of gathering enough voters for Sanders to win the Democratic primary. “Everyone is inspired by the
Scan the QR code to subscribe to The Daily Update, The Runner’s daily email giving you the most up to date content from therunneronline.com. For multimedia coverage, scan the QR code.
Clarissa Alderete/The Runner
CSUB students, (left to right) Samantha Rojas, Cindy Perrusquia, and Areli Lopez, using their phones to sign up to volunteer for Bernie Sanders’ California State Wide Call at the Bernie Sanders campaign rally held at CSUB’s Alumni Plaza on Feb. 12.
wins taken and Sanders is no longer the underdog. With the winning in Iowa and New Hampshire just continues to prove people wrong and it is also making them nervous,” Martinez said. CSUB student and Sanders
campaign volunteer Andrea Guevarra spoke at the rally, focusing on environmental issues. “Bernie Sanders is the right candidate,” Guevarra said. To Guevarra, waiting for politicians to address issues like
A new method of financial aid disbursement is being proposed by Student Financial Services. If implemented, this change will hand over financial aid disbursements from the current in-house method, where refunds are disbursed directly by Student Financial Services, to a private banking service called BankMobile, a division of Customers Bank. Financial aid disbursement can be a significant part of a student’s experience at CSU Bakersfield. Chad Morris, director of Financial Aid, commented during an interview that roughly 90% of CSUB students receive some form of aid. These CSUB students areSwim familiar with the current system,
@csub_runner
which offers two options for disbursement: direct depositing into a personal checking account, or receiving a paper check by mail. Over time, those proposing the new disbursement method considered and examined the issues with the existing system. An issue of note is the lack of options for students who are unable to open a checking account. Reasons for this can range from “burned bridges” with banks (chronic overdrafts, defaulted pg. 6 loans) to a lack of identifying documents, such as a Social Se-
Illustration by Adriana Hernandez
curity number, required to work with a reputable bank. The lack of a checking account leaves these students with only the option to receive a check, which can be stolen or lost in the mail. Another issue of concern is the amount of time it takes to refund aid to students. The current system takes a minimum of two days after financial aid has processed the payment of tuition and fees to process direct deposits or send out checks. Horacio Garcia, a business
Pg. 2
climate change is not enough. She believes Sanders will bring swift changes. Though many attendees were dressed in campaign attire, not all were decided on Sanders as
See BERNIE, Page 2
ASI votes for new financial aid disbursement By Adriana Hernandez Reporter
What’s inside
major, has had issues with the amount of time it takes to receive his refunds under the current system. “It takes too long. I didn’t receive my financial aid until after the semester had already started,” Garcia said. To combat these issues, Associate Controller of Student Financial Services Julie Oberlies was the first to propose contracting out refund processing to BankMobile’s disbursement services. BankMobile has a reputation with other colleges and is known for its willingness to help all types of students. The service may already be familiar to some of CSUB’s transfer students, as it is used at local community colleges, including Taft College, Bakersfield College, and Antelope Valley
See FINANCIAL, Page 2
facebook.com/runnercsub
Pg. 3
Pg. 4
Pg. 6 @therunner_csub
News
2
The Runner
February 19, 2020
Canvas debate: Switch or ditch Katrina Singleton News Editor
The debate about CSU Bakersfield joining in on the trend of switching to Canvas and ditching Blackboard continues even after the open forum on Feb. 12. The forum was led by Brian Street, a kinesiology professor, and Faust Gorham, the Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer of CSUB Information Technology Services. The forum opened with an explanation of the difference between Canvas and Blackboard. “Canvas is a very student-centric system. Blackboard is more grader-centric,” Gorham said. Canvas is more user friendly in comparison to Blackboard. Canvas does not rely on third party software for submitting grades, whereas Blackboard requires faculty to submit grades using Peoplesoft.
Canvas offers tier one support for faculty members. This support is strictly for faculty members. This service will be specialized in the instructor aspect of Canvas. Gorham also brought up the cost of jumping from Blackboard to Canvas, as well as the timeline. If the decision to switch to Canvas is made, CSUB will still need to buy licensing from Blackboard for the 2020-2021 academic year, so faculty members who have their classroom materials archived on Blackboard will have enough time to transfer the materials over and familiarize themselves with Canvas. The base licensing pricing for Canvas is $109,019. In this basic licensing, the campus is contracted for 5 years, and there would be a three percent annual increase to cover updates. However, due to waves of campuses leaving Blackboard and going to Canvas,
Blackboard has lowered its base license to $85,000. CSUB administration has sent out two surveys to CSUB faculty members who were given the opportunity to pilot Canvas. One survey asked for faculty opinion about which service they prefer. 90% of the faculty members who took the survey preferred Canvas. 10% of the faculty members who took the survey preferred Blackboard. Another survey measured which learning management system CSUB faculty preferred between the two mediums. 88% of faculty who took the survey preferred Canvas’s learning management system, whereas 12% of faculty members responded that they preferred Blackboard’s. A third survey was sent to out to CSUB students who were taking courses on Canvas. Of the students who took the survey, 70% preferred using Canvas.
30% preferred using Blackboard. Tracey Salisbury, an assistant professor of interdisciplinary studies, gave a demonstration on how Canvas works for her own classes. She also explained why she wants to change to Canvas. “The number one reason for me wanting to switch is almost all students in the state of California and in the community college system already use Canvas, and the one thing I’m running into and cannot stand is showing students how to sign into Blackboard and how to use Blackboard,” Salisbury said. BreAnna Evans-Santiago, a CSUB assistant professor for teacher education, took part in the Canvas pilot program and had her own feedback via e-mail. “I loved that the assignments directly connected with the calendar and syllabus links. The students were able to see what assignment was next very easily,” Evans-Santiago
Eli Miranda/The Runner
Faust Gorham discussing the differences between Canvas and Black board at the Canvas Faculty Forum in the Health care center conference room on Wednesday, February 12th
said. The majority of the uncertainty heard from faculty members that were in the meeting was about the weak grading and testing within Canvas. At the moment, Canvas does not allow for “hotspot testing,” which is defined as randomized test questions. Many of the faculty members at this forum believe this is what makes them lean more towards Blackboard. They believe that Canvas not having the
“hotspot testing” option is going to cause an increase in cheating and plagiarism with their students. “I think Canvas has a test bank that is pretty good, but I like to mix up my classes’ tests online, and I think Canvas has some issues with that,” Salisbury said. Faculty were given time to cast their votes on index cards, which Street collected. The result of the faculty vote will be brought to the Academic Senate where
Cont’d: Sanders rally [SANDERS RALLY cont. from p 1] their preferred candidate. CSUB student and firsttime voter Jazmine Garcia said she is undecided. Having heard of Sanders’ policies from her friends, she decided to attend the event. Garcia viewed the event as an opportunity to be exposed to more ideas before she casts her first ballot.
Garcia attended with fellow CSUB student Penelope Valle, another undecided voter. Valle, however, has a strong preference for Sanders as a presidential candidate. Like Garcia, Valle saw the rally as a way to expand her horizons. “I’m here to examine the candidates,” Valle said,
“both Republicans and Democrats.” Following the rally, Sanders surrogates Martinez and Agnew took back to the campaign trail. The Sanders campaign will continue to make appearances throughout California.
Cont’d: Financial aid [BANKMOBILE cont. from p 1] College. BankMobile offers solutions to the issues that plague the current system. With it, students who are unable to open a traditional checking account would be offered the option to get one through BankMobile and Customers Bank. The BankMobile checking account carries a monthly maintenance fee of $2.99, which can be waived with a monthly deposit into the account not related to financial aid. Students may also continue to have their aid deposited into their personal checking account,
or if they still prefer, they can ask to be mailed a paper check. Additionally, BankMobile promises to be a faster option for receiving funds. “BankMobile is able to deposit funds either same day or next day,” Oberlies said. BankMobile offers additional resources that could significantly improve students’ experience, such as 24-hour customer service, a strong messaging system to keep students informed of their refund process, and additional financial literacy tools.
“We’re always looking for more efficient ways to do business,” said Morris. The move to BankMobile is currently underway. It was approved by ASI during their meeting on Feb. 7 and is awaiting approval from other related departments on campus. Should the changeover be fully approved, Oberlies hopes to see the service implemented by summer 2020. Students who would like to know more about BankMobile’s services before then can visit BankMobileDisbursements. com.
Features
The Runner
February 19, 2020
Library Dean Curt Asher set to retire By Estefany Henriquez Reporter Walter Stiern Library Dean Curt Asher recently announced his upcoming retirement from CSU Bakersfield. Dean Asher will depart in June 2020. Asher was chartered as a librarian in 1998, having the roles of interlibrary loan and grants coordinator as well as campus archivist. Later, he became the library’s collection development coordinator and co-director of the Title V library internship program. Asher has shown a passion for giving the students at CSUB an improving library, along with more resources to benefit them in the long run. According to Asher, his time at CSUB has been the greatest experience of his life. He says that the library has made a huge
contribution to the success of students. Many students utilize the library and its resources, and are able to get the help they need. Over his 22 years at CSUB, Asher has contributed to the library’s success in many ways, such as extending the library’s hours. He did this through a survey asking students “What is the most important thing to you?” Seeing multiple responses stating that students wanted longer library hours and more study space, Asher extended the library hours to be open until 1 a.m. and opened up a 24-hour study space. Asher also implemented more group study rooms, added a number of quiet study areas, and opened Walter’s Coffee and Snack Bar. Another of Asher’s accomplishments as dean is
Photo Contributed by Curt Asher
Profile photo of Curt Asher in the Walter Stiern Library at CSU Bakersfield.
bringing in lecturers, poets, artists, musicians, events, panel discussions to the library. “I believe that bringing
knowledge to people is not just about bringing books but bringing information from people who have stories to tell,” said Asher.
According to Asher, the library is the hub of the campus, going on to explain that the library is “where people come and take what they learn in the classroom and apply it here by doing research and the papers one writes.” The library staff has shared that it has been a pleasure working alongside Asher. Genesis Ramirez, the electronic resource manager, said, “He presents himself in a professional manner but is also very approachable.” According to Ramirez, Asher has always been present and available for the students, and holds the mentality of catering to the students’ needs as well as the staff’s. Library Chair Sandra Bozarth has been working with Asher for about 15 years. “It has always been very
3
positive to work with him, and as an administrator he has been very open-minded to ideas and projects we come to him with.” said Bozarth. Bozarth also acts as the Affordable Learning Solutions coordinator, a campus project that works to drive down the costs of textbooks. According to Bozarth, Asher was very supportive about this program, and he knew it was going to be something big. She was hesitant to join this program at first, but with Asher’s support. Bozarth was able to become the coordinator for this very helpful project. As much as it pains the staff to see Asher off, they appreciate the work he has put into making the library the “hub of campus.” We thank you for your accomplishments and achievements, Dean Asher.
“Consider Me, Include Me” Bakersfield police chief speaks on leadership ethics By Yoana Andrade Reporter
Bullying is an emotional topic, but that shouldn’t stop teachers, students, parents, etc. from teaching what it is and how to prevent it in schools and households. Bullying happens all over the world to people of all ages. In an article posted on VeryWellFamily.com entitled “How Strong is the Link Between Bullying and Suicide?” by Sherri Gordon, 16% of students consider suicide, 13% create a plan, and 8% have made a serious attempt. CSU Bakersfield has students who advocate for anti-bullying in different ways, one of those students being Kimberly Zepeda. Zepeda created a documentary on anti-bullying titled “Consider Me, Include Me.” In the film, she introduces strategies for students, teachers, and parents alike to prevent bullying. Zepeda starts the documentary with the names of kids who took their own lives ultimately due to bullying. The impact was to show that bullying is serious and needs action to stop it. Zepeda defines different types of bullying: physical
her realize that she wants to continue being an advocate against bullying. She plans on doing this by making more documentaries and going to different cities to talk about the subject. CSUB Student Judith Diaz attended Zepeda’s showing of her documentary. According to Diaz, who is a Minicorps Tutor, she Carlos Hernandez/The Runner is around children all the “Consider Me, Include Me” time, and she appreciated director Kimberly Zepeda talks this documentary. She says to her audience on Feb. 13. it opened her eyes to inclusivity and how including bullying, verbal bullying, others in conversations can cyber bullying, and social really make a difference. bullying. Diaz goes on to say how Physical bullying is when creating a safe space for someone physically hurts others to communicate another person, leaving about their emotions can damage to their body. make a difference in someVerbal bullying is when one’s life who feels like someone is insulted with they have no one. words that make them feel CSUB professor and bad about themselves. co-advisor for the Cyber bullying is a form LGBTQ+ Network Bre of bullying that takes place Evans-Santiago helped online, and social bullying Zepeda with her documenis when someone tries to tary by showing support ruin another’s reputation or throughout the process. tries to humiliate them in According to Evans-Sanfront of others. tiago, she is very proud of According to Zepeda, Zepeda for the documentathe documentary took her ry. She wants everyone to about two years to make, know that there are people but that the journey of who support them, and she making it was worth it. hopes that all of the stuShe says that the research dents feel safe and loved opened her mind and made on campus.
By Francisco Ruiz Reporter The room was filled with guests from all around the community. Most of the guests were dressed up in tuxedos, waiting patiently and talking to one another. As time was getting closer to start the event, guests were beginning to get anxious to see what would take place. Lyle D. Martin, adjunct professor of psychology at CSU Bakersfield and chief of the Bakersfield Police Department, stepped on stage to speak at a panel interview about ethical leadership that took place on CSUB’s campus on Wednesday, Feb. 12. “Well first of all, leadership is getting people to move in a positive direction towards a goal. Ethical is a little more complex, based on a person’s background, education, and experience they are tasked with making valued decisions regarding right and wrong. So, ethical leadership is about balancing the values and needs of others towards achieving that goal,” said Martin. Throughout the panel, Martin explained that he had a lot of individuals
who inspired him to be a role model in leadership, and he feels grateful for that opportunity. CSUB student Corbin Harrison said, “The chief is really personal, giving experience both from life experience and work experience. He really knows how to explain specific scenarios and always emphasizes followers and leadership roles,” According to Harrison he felt it was beneficial to come to the panel because he learned things about ethical leadership that he didn’t know before. “I’m in the military, so I have a leadership role, so it’s always good to hear about the top leaders’ perspectives and their journeys,” said Harrison Event attendee Amanda Nyack said, “I do think it is important to learn about ethical leadership because the people here have gone through life and they are sharing their wisdom with us. Especially Lyle D. Martin, because we learned about his personal life and values.” Nyack explains that ethical leadership is important to learn because all of us at some point in our lives have experienced personal
problems, and if we share these experiences with others, they can learn what to do or expect from others. Martin said, “I feel that it is important for me to give back to my community every day, and the students of this campus are the future of our community, so this is a quality and personal investment bottom line. I love my community and that’s why I am here.”
“I feel that it is important for me to give back to my community every day, and the students of this campus are the future of our community, so this is a quality and personal investment bottom line.” Lyle D. Martin, Chief of Police
Opinions
4
The Runner
February 19, 2020
The Runner Staff Volume 45, Issue 11
The Runner California State University, Bakersfield 9001 Stockdale Hwy. Bakersfield, CA 93311-1099 661-654-2165 runner@csub.edu ADVISER Jennifer Burger jburger1@csub.edu EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sam Underwood sunderwood6@csub.edu PHOTO EDITOR Mari Woodmansee mwoodmansee@csub.edu PODCAST EDITOR Damian Lopez dlopez@csub.edu ASST PODCAST EDITOR Briana Lopez blopez51@csub.edu SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Allea Nalaine Paguia apaguia@csub.edu NEWS EDITOR Katrina Singleton ksingleton@csub.edu ASST NEWS EDITOR Paige Atkison patkison@csub.edu FEATURES EDITOR Lauren Hill lhill17@csub.edu OPINIONS EDITOR Destinee Sims dsims7@csub.edu CO-SPORTS EDITOR Elisa Fuentes efuentes18@csub.edu CO-SPORTS EDITOR Chris Burdick cburdick@csub.edu COPY CHIEF Amy Pachla apachla@csub.edu MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Ace Harrison aharrison5@csub.edu BUSINESS MANAGER
Sidney Wicks swicks1@csub.edu MARKETING MANAGER Edgar Noriega enoriega-banos@csub.edu DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Kimberly Benitez-Anguiano kbenites@csub.edu STAFF Marci Ruiz, Adriana Hernandez, Megan Tishman, Gabriela Reyes, Rachel Russ, Yoana Andrade, Francisco Ruiz, Estafany Henriquez, Braden Moss-Ennis, Erin Dailey, Chase Anderson, Angela Jordan, Brian Melgar, Pearl Hernandez, Carla Alvarado, Dalton Bell, Eli Miranda, Clarissa Alderete, Chasadee Sims, Caleb Melson, Joe Youngblood, Jenn Pardinas, Rosie Callejas, Gabriella Lopez, Faith Okoli, Briana G. Hendrix. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Send letters to runner@ csub.edu All letters must be signed, verified, and be no more than 300 words in length. Letters may be edited for clarity and length. ABOUT US The Runner is a laboratory newspaper published biweekly, in conjunction with the Communications Department at California State University, Bakersfield. DISCLAIMERS Views and opinions expressed in The Runner are not necessarily those of the editors, staff or the Communications Department. 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 Communications Department at California State University, Bakersfield.
For exclusive online-only content, please visit therunneronline.com.
The big blue Rowdy who? Daniel Tapia Guest Columnist Do you ever hear about the group that is present at our basketball games? No, I do not mean the Spirit Squad. I am talking about the group that has the instruments in their arms and is being conducted by one of our very own students here at CSU Bakersfield. The group that spends most of their nights rehearsing and playing their hearts out in order to build a sense of school pride. It is CSUB’s Pep Band that is making all of that noise in order to enhance our experience at these games. Our Pep Band is made up of both music and non-music majors who devote their time to our school in order to liven up our games. These are students who juggle up to twelve classes,
as music majors take seven to 12 classes regularly, and/or work full-time. This group also currently has 40 students enrolled who meet every Thursday night at 7 p.m. Think of it though, some of these students are here from 8:45 a.m. until their rehearsal and/or a game is over. That makes for almost a 12 hour school day. Most of these students are in at least three ensembles due to their love for music, and the growth they receive by working with their conductor and with one another. It is the
Mari Woodmansee/The Runner
The Pep Band plays during a CSUB basketball game at the Icardo Center on on Feb. 15.
dedication of our students in the Pep Band that keep our games going. Remember being in high school and having a field show that everyone was obsessed with? I sure do. But, did we think of thanking the students then? No. Here we are now at a university where we are blessed to have a band to cheer for our teams. It may not be a large-scale field show, but when did we last look over to our Pep Band
and see what they had going on? When was the last time the spotlight was on our band? With that being said, when was the last time we all thanked our Pep Band? When was the last time we attended a band or orchestra concert? We all regularly attend a basketball game to cheer on our school’s team, but what about the group that sometimes makes up half of our audience? How many of our students are at the band’s events? Now that these questions have been raised, if we want to change our culture and promote unity, then shouldn’t we start by acknowledging the group that cheers the loudest? Our loud, enthusiastic, talented Big Blue Rowdy Crew?
Self-expression in the workplace should be encouraged By Braden Moss-Ennis Opinions Columnist In recent years, we’ve seen a rise in the discussion of a variety of occupational issues like the wage gap, sexual harassment in the workplace, and equal opportunities for women and minorities. Another important workplace issue that often gets overlooked is the policies that are established that prohibit self-expression in various forms like tattoos, hair color, hair style, and piercings. Self-expression, or lack thereof, can be important for one’s individuality, confidence, and happiness. Workplaces need to remove these policies, or at least become more lenient toward potential and current employees. “Other nontraditional appearance-altering practices are also prevalent among Gen Nexters: About half (54 percent) have done one or more of the following: gotten a tattoo, dyed their hair an untraditional color, or had a body piercing in a place other than their ear lobe,” the Pew Research Center stated after conducting a survey on Gen Nexters, individuals from the ages of 18 to 25, and tattoos. The research suggests that despite piercing, tattoos,
and dyed hair being commonly viewed as nontraditional or taboo among some individuals, they are fairly common among the younger generation. By placing heavy restrictions on these forms of self-expression, establishments are not only harming individuals seeking an income, but they are also preventing themselves from acquiring youthful, willing, and capable workers. Another reason these policies are an issue is because they are not always applied fairly to all individuals, and can often be discriminatory towards others. “In 2013, one woman was even fired from her server job at Hooters because of her blonde highlights. Her manager claimed, ‘Black women don’t have blonde in their hair, so you need to take it out’,” Forbes’ writer Janice Gassam wrote. The argument made by the woman’s employer in this incident was not that her hair color was unnatural, but that the hair color was unnatural for her race. This highlights the unequal application of the policy. Many caucasian women have highlights and they are still considered natural and acceptable in the workplace. In 2015, the woman was awarded $250,000 in a racial discrimination case, according to NBC News’
Elizabeth Chuck. While this particular case highlights discrimination based on race, which is illegal across the United States, discrimination can also be based on appearance alone. “Research reveals that women with this form of body art [tattoos] are perceived as more promiscuous, as being heavy drinkers, less attractive, less caring, less intelligent, and less honest. Moreover, tattooed individuals are particularly vulnerable to workplace discrimination, as it is legal to discriminate for being in violation of company policies concerning appearance,” Dr. Vinita Mehta, clinical psychologist and journalist for Psychology Today, wrote. The simple fact of the matter is that no one can draw these conclusions merely from someone’s appearance, and any of attempt to do so is irresponsible and harmful. One of the main arguments made by individuals who support these policies will argue is that tattoos, unnatural hair color, unique hair styles, and piercings come across as unprofessional. The most important part of being a professional isn’t one’s appearance but one’s work habits. If a person works hard and does their job well, they are a pro-
fessional. This isn’t to say that tidiness or a dress code shouldn’t be required, but employees should also be able to be themselves. Some people will argue that some tattoos are offensive. There are tattoos that are indeed hateful or inappropriate, which shouldn’t be allowed because they can give people ideas or promote specific messages that aren’t condoned by the business. However, people can get offended at relatively small things too, like the mere fact that an individual has tattoos. Simply put, individuals shouldn’t be punished because someone else doesn’t identify with or like the things they do, and the same can be said with piercings, hair color, and hair style. As long as it isn’t harmful or hateful to others, self-expression should be considered a basic human right, even within the workplace. Let people with sleeves of tattoos, exuberant hair colors, peculiarly-fashioned hair, and lip piercings express themselves as they please. The only thing that matters is their work habits. In all likelihood, they’ll work just as hard as any other employee and be happier because they can finally express themselves freely at work.
Opinions
The Runner
February 19, 2020
Netflix’s “You”: A representation of social media users today Erin Dailey Opinions Columnist Netflix’s millennial romantic thriller “You” has been soaring in popularity with fans, now tuning in for the show’s second season. Joe Goldberg, the show’s main character, is a hopeful romantic. The charming protagonist also turns out to be a serial killer and stalker. Joe is able to stalk his love interest, Beck, through her social media accounts. Joe locates her address with ease using her Instagram. He finds her address by reverse searching a picture she posted of her apartment with Google Maps. The show’s audience may think that finding an address in that way is a stretch, however, tech-savvy students know that gleaning an address in this way is easily possible for many people. “The Netflix drama ‘You’ was created with the intention of bringing awareness to the social media stalking epidemic,” psychology major Nora Alammari stated when explaining her interpretation of the series. Social media is a tool many people use for stalking without even realizing it. People can use social media to see where you hang out, who you hang with, and when you are out of town. People share a lot of information on social media, and they often share too much. Consider a few of the potential risks of posting your every move, like Beck does. What if someone breaks into your apartment because they know
that you are miles away on vacation based on the selfies you post? People often go as far as checking in at a particular town or restaurant on Facebook for everyone to see. Do you really want your hundreds of “friends” to know exactly where you are and when you are there? In the show Joe is able to tell when the apartment is empty after seeing Beck’s posts, and eventually uses the knowledge to sneak in while she isn’t home. Joe is unarguably an extremely obsessive character. Social media can easily incite obsessive behavior in users, just as viewers see in “You.” Joe and Beck’s relationship even begins with Joe secretly standing outside of Beck’s apartment watching her, having located her using information found on social media. Just like Joe, people find themselves checking their person of interest’s social media religiously. A critical analysis of the show leads viewers to see that the drama is cleverly coined “You” because the writers of the show want viewers to understand that the viewers share characteristics with Joe. Consider this: If you have ever gone through your significant other’s phone, then you are like Joe. If you have ever tried to isolate your significant other from friends you deem as “a bad influence,” so has Joe. If you have ever found yourself becoming jealous of your significant other for having a great time without you, then you have felt just like Joe. If you ever feel like you know
someone you have never met but followed on social media, so has Joe. Although you are not Joe, it goes without saying that many people with a social media account share attributes with this killer cyber-stalker. Joe is extremely obsessive, serving as one example of how social media has influenced many people to become more obsessive than they would have been otherwise. “Hello. Who are you? All your accounts are public. You want them to see you, to know you,” Joe assumed while looking at Beck’s social media during the first episode. Despite what people may think, no one can know someone based solely on their social media footprint. Hopefully after watching “You,” students realize that it is probably best to make their accounts private. However, the ideal message one should glean from “You” is that social media is changing people. Social media is making many people extremely obsessive. The theme of the show “You” emphasizes the growing concern that social media has the potential to change people’s behavior. Overindulgence in social media can lead people to act in a way that they normally would not, such as the millions of people obsessing over things outside their realm of control or business. Joe exemplifies how social media can distort a person and change their behaviors. While viewers are not Joe, they likely share at least a few attributes
with Joe. Viewers should consider taking a step back to think about just how impactful social media is on their behavior and thought process. If you are experiencing this or any other type of relationship abuse, CSU Bakersfield has resources to help. Olivia Warren is one of CSUB’s campus advocates against violence. Her job is to help students who are being abused. If you are seeing warning signs from your partner, you can talk to her and she can provide confidential expert advice. Warren aids in obtaining restraining orders, and can place students who are facing abuse into emergency housing. She helps students navigate programs through social services in order to receive benefits, enabling them to become independent. Warren will accompany you to court, police investigations, and medical appointments, ensuring that you never have to face these hardships alone. Her office is located in the old dorms and she can be reached at (661) 654-6210.
Destinee Sims//The Runner
Statistics indicate that many victims of cyberstalking are unaware that they have a stalker. Data was collected from JDP, MSN, CBS 58, Violence Victims, the American Journal of Criminal Justice (2016, 2019). and J Interpers Violence.
Gabriela Lopez/The Runner
RUNNER ON THE STREET By Destinee Sims
“Would you prefer the school use Blackboard or Canvas?” Frank Luna Senior, Sociology “Canvas. I used three, including Moodle. Canvas is a lot better. It has a calander where you can see everything.”
Sydney Pederson Freshman, Liberal Studies “Blackboard. It’s easier to figure out. I turned in an assignment with Google Docs on Canvas, and they couldn’t open my PDF.”
5
Adrian Duenas Junior, Nursing
“Canvas is a lot easier in regards to organization and uploading. Blackboard is more messy.”
Lisa Garcia Sophomore, Psychology “Canvas. The content is more organize. Blackboard is all over the place. ”
6
Sports
The Runner
February 19, 2020
CSUB softball plans to keep things simple in 2020 By: Chris Burdick Sports Co-Editor
CSU Bakersfield softball started up their 2020 season on Feb. 6 as they took part in the Stacey Winsburg Memorial Tournament in Los Angeles and San Diego, California. The Roadrunners faced plenty of tough competition in the tournament, including two games against last season’s NCAA National Champion UCLA Bruins. Head coach Crissy Buck-Ziegler said that the team was not intimidated at all by last year’s national champions, and that they came into the weekend with plenty of excitement for the opportunity to set themselves against some of the best teams in California. “I think we had a lot of really good energy and we were really ready to play,” Ziegler said. This year’s team is led by a group of strong veterans, including senior shortstop Cydney Curran and senior catcher Kara Wiseman, and they have plenty of confidence in their ability to compete against anyone in the country. “I think our biggest strength this year is that anyone in our line-up can hit,” Curran said about this
year’s team. “There’s no automatic outs in our lineup and we have a lot of speed this year, so we can do whatever we want [on the bases].” However, even going into the tournament with nothing but confidence in their play, CSUB got off to a very rough start in their first two games of the weekend. In their games against UCLA and San Diego University, the Roadrunners were outscored 20-0 as problems with defensive communication and difficulty capitalizing on run-scoring opportunities plagued CSUB. From a pitching and defensive standpoint, CSUB got hit early and often in their first two games against UCLA and San Diego University. Junior pitcher Daryn Hitzel and freshman pitcher Talia Neilson learned very quickly that playing the best comes with the challenge of playing almost perfectly in order to give your team an opportunity to win. “When you are playing a team like UCLA you cannot miss, you can’t miss a spot even by 1 inch,” Zeigler said. “So, it exposes that really early on as pitchers, and especially Ta-
lia Neilson who is young. She learned a lot over the weekend, and I’m loving how she is bouncing back and is ready to compete this weekend.” The offensive side of the game was filled with woes as well, as the Roadrunners were over-aggressive at the plate. Problems with swinging at pitches outside the zone caused the ‘Runners to struggle to get anything going. But these problems also caused the team to reevaluate their approach to the weekend and formulate a plan to produce more on offense. “We were able to really collect ourselves afterwards and think about how we are a team that needs a plan and we need to stick to that plan,” Zeigler said. The plan was to simplify the game for the players in their own heads. Slow the game down and take each at-bat one step at a time. CSUB put that plan into action on day two of the tournament when they were able to break into the run column against Pittsburg University thanks to a single by freshman utility player Sam Fontaine. One player who seemed to thrive from CSUB’s new plan at the plate was junior infielder Samantha
Mari Woodmansee/The Runner
Senior Shortstop Cydney Curran taking warm-up swings before practice on Feb 12.
Martinez, who was able to slug out two two-run home runs on the final day of the tournament. “The difference was really just getting to see ball,” Martinez said. “Sticking to a simple plan rather than thinking about the big outcome. Just keep it simple.” Martinez’s first homerun of the day brought CSUB within one run of the former national champion UCLA, at 5-4, in the fifth inning. The Roadrunners battled the Bruins in their rematch on Saturday afternoon, but UCLA was still able to run away with the win with a final of 8-4.
Despite losing every game in the tournament, Ziegler was impressed by the team’s performance in their first weekend of action this season, and said the tournament has exposed the team to what they need to be working on. “I think we are doing all the right things. We are practicing and preparing the right way, and it’s just all now about trusting what we are doing and continuing to do it consistently,” Ziegler continued. “I really like how we competed. The only downside was that Cal Poly game at the
end. We kind of let up, but for the most part overall, it was a fair showing.” The team is currently focused on improving their run production and on their ability to capitalize with runners in scoring position. Curran says that the team is getting the hits necessary, but they are working on being able get them at the right time and take advantage of the opportunities when they arise. The Roadrunners have two tournaments left before their first regular season series against UC Davis on March 14.
CSUB wrestling is blown away by Sun Devils
By: Elisa Fuentes Sports Co-Editor
CSU Bakersfield wrestling faced no. 4 ranked Arizona State University on Feb. 16 on the main soccer field for the second annual “Feud on the Field” meet. A single mat set up on the field in front of filled stands created a livelier atmosphere compared to the typical indoor meet. The first two feuds of the meet resulted in wins, but the momentum was unable to carry through to the end. The Roadrunners fell to the Sun Devils with an overall score of 31-10. CSUB wrestling now holds a 6-6 record in dual meets this season and a 2-2 record in the PAC-12 conference. Redshirt freshman Angelo Martinoni started the day strong for the Roadrunners when he managed to pin his Sun Devil opponent in a quick 16 seconds. He played to his strength for the win, as he said, by not waiting to get the takedown, because being on top is his best position.
Mari Woodmnsee/The Runner
Senior Russell Rohlfing pins wrestler from Arizona State during the feud on the field happening on Sunday Feb. 16.
“Clearly, it works. I got on top and secured the pin,” Martinoni said. Redshirt senior Russell Rohlfing was the next win for the ‘Runners. He finished his bout with a major decision of 12-1. Rohlfing was able to get his points in early to secure the win. While this was the ninth straight win of
Rohlfing’s and his 83rd win of his career at CSUB, he said he does work to make adjustments in his game so he has the advantage. “Every day in the room, I’m always finding things, certain positions, certain moves, where I need to stay tighter this way a little bit to get my arm deeper. Yeah, there’s always things
I can improve on,” Rohlfing said. There were a couple of feuds the Roadrunners were favored to win, including redshirt sophomore Josh Loomer’s. Loomer went into his bout with a three-win streak behind him, but even with momentum, he lost the bout in a 2-0 decision and
struggled to perform offensively against his opponent to get the reversal that would have given him the advantage. Another wrestler that CSUB head coach Manny Rivera mentioned to have a possible win against the Sun Devils was Chance Rich. Unfortunately, this was not to be, as Rich’s
bout ended in an unfavorable 8-3 decision due to losing a few points in a row. However, Rich was still able to get a few points in against his opponent thanks to some smart counter-moves. While Rivera said the wrestlers faced a tough team, it was good to be reminded they still have some more work to put in. “We’ve been rolling, so this is good. Good to get a wakeup call before post season,” Rivera said. The team is putting this loss behind them and looking forward to post season. Rohlfing expressed his excitement for the upcoming PAC-12 tournament, saying, “Historically, I haven’t wrestled my best at the PAC-12 tournament, and I’m really looking forward to going out there and wrestling my hardest so I can be the champion.” The next and final regular season dual meet for the Roadrunners will be on Senior Night, Friday Feb. 21, in the Icardo Center against the California Baptist University Lancers.
The Runner
Sports February 19, 2020
The Runner Spotlight: Andie Easley
7
Mari Woodmansee/The Runner Andie Easley graduate student guard attempts a basket with Makenzie Bond blocking Chicago States defense during the game against Chicago State Saturday Jan. 18thin the Icardo Center.
By: Mari Woodmansee Photo Editor
The Runner Spotlight this week is on graduate student and guard for the CSU Bakersfield women’s basketball team, Andie Easley. Even though she was born here in Bakersfield, Easley was raised in Phoenix, AZ. Easley lives and breathes basketball. While growing up in Phoenix, Easley claims that her love for basketball began while playing pick-up games against the other neighborhood kids. She started her collegiate career playing in Hawaii, but didn’t like it, so she finished up with the Eagles at Eastern Washington University. Easley graduated from Eastern Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science. While attending Eastern Washington, she met her boyfriend who was also was a student athlete. “The only person I’m far from now is my boyfriend who is in Washington, so that’s who I missed the most. But he comes down for games and I go to his football games.”While playing for CSUB’s basketball program, Easley is working on her master’s in healthcare administration. Easley has just accepted an internship at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, the same hospital where she was born. Through the internship, she will be able to work in all different areas of the hospital’s administration, but Easley believes her concentration will be in improvement of quality care for patients. Growing up, Easley spent a lot of her childhood in
various doctors’ offices and hospitals while her mother underwent kidney dialysis due to renal failure. Easley took turns with her siblings spending the night with their mother in hospital rooms and taking her to doctor appointments. “So it is nicer, especially because my mom gets a lot of treatment at UCLA Medical Center, and so I get to see her a lot more often. Justdrive down for the day go to doctor’s appointments with her on our off day or she comes down here for a game, so it’s really nice.” When explaining about why she chose CSUB for her master’s, Easley said she felt a close connection to the coaching staff here. Being in Bakersfield has also allowed her to become closer to her aunt, uncle and cousins. “I’m closer now than I ever was, like, at Hawaii or Washington to my family in Phoenix. So that’s nice, because now it’s just a drive away or a short flight away.” Easley was also the hero in CSUB’s last game against the Utah Valley
University Wolverines, where she hit the game winning three-pointer at the buzzer. “It happened so fast! I was just there, my teammates tipped it out to me, and I just didn’tthink about it,” said Easley. “There was a second left and I had to catch and shoot it, so I didn’t even think about it. Most fun part was my teammates’ reactions and how happy and excited they were. For me, it was more surreal and out-of-body experience.” Taking on the nickname “Old Lady,” Easley is teased by her teammates for being the oldest player on this year’s team at 22 years old. Easley states that her body feels old, but “this is really my second full season playing, so I’m still getting used toplaying and practicing so much. Since I am older, I view the younger players as little sisters.” Easley’s goal is to make it to the WNBA. When asked if she has a particular professional women’s basketball team she’d like to play for, Easley replies, “No, I just want to play.”
Mari Woodmansee/The Runner Andie Easley graduate student guard waits for the ball during the game against Chicago State Saturday Jan. 18 in the Icardo Center.