Five years after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico is now fac ing the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona which hit the island on Sept. 18.
After already experiencing Hurricane Maria, a 6.4 mag nitude earthquake, and the COVID pandemic, many worry about how Puerto Rico will rebuild. On Oct. 3, President Biden promised to help.
In his speech announced in the White House Briefing Room he described his personal connections he has to the Puerto Rican community.
He grew up in Delaware with a large Puerto Rican population and has since felt close to them. President Biden then explained an expedited major disaster declaration that he approved for the island.
This declaration promises that the federal government will cover any costs needed to clear debris and search, rescue, and shelter people. The U.S. will give up to $37,900 per person for home repairs and $37,900 for lost property. He also as sured the island that this recon struction will not only rebuild the community but also prevent any more damage from future hurricanes. “Thanks, everybody. We’re going to get this done. We really are,” Biden Said.
Greg Allen, National Public Radio’s Miami correspondent, wrote about his time in Puerto Rico just a week after Hurri cane Fiona. He mentioned that
Hurricane Fiona, luckily, was not as bad as Hurricane Maria.
In a phone interview with The Runner on Oct. 8, Allen described his trip to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona.
“When it happens again, you flashback,” Allen said.
According to Allen, the island remembered that they have faced worse, so they were more hopeful this time around. They knew that if they got past Hurricane Maria, they would be able to make it past this.
Allen said, “There’s a little bit of sadness and despair, but it’s not like others, so they know there will ultimately be help coming.”
Allen has covered many natural disasters before such as Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Maria, and the large oil spill that occurred in the Gulf Coast. He’s done many interviews, so his coverage on Hurricane Fiona was not his first. From his experience, he mentioned that the toughest outcome of Hurricane Fiona was the way it impacted smaller towns, which are mostly populated with elders.
“Small towns don’t have a lot of economic opportunities for people. When it comes to cleanup, it’s up to 80- to 90-yearolds,” said Allen.
Large cities in Puerto Rico are getting past this hurricane quite well, but the more rural areas are having trouble. Allen said he spreads awareness for communities in need by writing stories like “Fiona’s floods devastated their homes. These
residents are ready to start over,” a story about residents in Salinas, Puerto Rico.
“You do whatever you can to represent them fairly and help them in any way. They’re so glad you’re being there and telling their story,” said Allen.
Eighty three year-old Ramon Morales Perez lives in Puerto Rico and spoke about his family who experienced the hurricane. He said, in a phone interview Oct. 4, that it was something unexpected.
“Lo que pasa es que este hu racán decían que hiba entrar al espacio como una onda nomás de viento, pero despues se desarrollo y se hizo un circulo grande, entiendes, se hizo algo grande,” said Morales Perez. Puerto Ricans believed the
hurricane was only going to be gusts of wind, but then it turned into something bigger, he had said.
Luckily he and his family were safe, but others were not as lucky. He described that some neighborhoods became so flooded that they looked like oceans:
“Se enduraron barriadas com pletas, parecía mar, las casas llenas de agua,” said Morales Perez.
Despite the hurricane being extremely damaging for many people, Morales Perez has a positive attitude and is hopeful that President Biden will keep his promise of helping rebuild the island.
Morales Perez explained how he has always said that people
need to be prepared, and right now is also the time when peo ple who want to help, should help:
“Yo siempre he dicho que tienen que estar preparados y también ahorita es tiempo de que el que quiera ayudar a Puerto Rico puede ayudar,” said Morales Perez.
Organization such as Project Hope, Hispanic Federation, Direct Relief, and GlobalGiv ing are currently accepting donations to help the island of Puerto Rico: www.projecthope.org/secure www.hispanicfederation.org www.directrelief.org www.globalgiving.org
Contact Jennifer Serrano Ramirez at jserrano24@csub.edu
FACULTY ADVISOR Jennifer Burger jburger1@csub.edu
Vada Hepner vunderwood2@csub.edu Ellice Richman erichman@csub.edu
Haydee Barahona, Ernesto Leon, Frankie Nadal, Faith Okoli, Kiara Zabala
Jaira Arcano, Jennifer Fain, Elizabeth Lackey, Guadalupe Leon
Lila Arambula, Teresa Balmori Perez, Jaylene Collins, Rebekah Corral, Ashleah Flores, Cosme Garcia, Joselyn Green, Hailey Hernandez, Kaitlyn Milam, Priscilia Mugwa, Alexis Robinson, Susan Rodriguez, Amyyah Rogers, Baylie Ruiz, Adriana Ruvalcaba
Alyssa Cantu, Isiah Santana
Julia Cervantes, Maya Morales, Jennifer Serrano
Silvia Catarino, Alea Gaona, Alexis Lynde, Elise Mayer, Courtney Park
Julisa Muñoz
California State University, Bakersfield 9001 Stockdale Highway Bakersfield, CA 93311-1099
The Runner is a laboratory newspaper published daily online with a monthly printed edition and PDF e-edition, in conjunction with the Department of Communications at CSU Bakersfield.
Send corrections requests, letters to the editor, op-ed submissions and press releases to runner@csub.edu.
advertising inquiries to jburger1@csub.edu.
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 belongs to the Depart ment of Communications at CSU Bakersfield.
California State Univer sity, Bakersfield faculty are concerned about the disparity between president and faculty raises.
The 2022-2024 CSU faculty contract included a 4% general salary increase. However, Gov. Gavin Newsom and California legislators cut the allocation for the CSU budget by $100 mil lion in their last revision. This reduction brought the general salary increase to 3%.
Dr. David Gove, department chair and professor of mathe matics, said that faculty mem bers were scheduled to receive the 3% raise in July 2022.
The raise that was supposed to take effect in July 2022 has only appeared in faculty pay checks starting in October, said Gove. He also said that this is a regular occurrence.
A general salary increase of 4% should have also taken effect in July 2021. According to Gove, the raise was effec tive several months later, on different days for different professors.
Gove said that the CSU did send out a back payment equal to the amount that faculty missed between July 2021 and the date that the raise took effect.
“Right now, we’re mostly just upset about what was promised to us,” said Gove. “What we thought was going to be the 4%, which, of course, is still low compared to what the presidents are getting.”
The CSU Board of Trustees also approved raises for CSU presidents and executives. This went into effect in July 2022.
According to the 2022 CSU Executive Compensation Sum mary, CSU Bakersfield Presi dent Lynnette Zelezny received an approximate 18% raise. This
brings her salary to $390,892 from $332,109.
Along with the raise, Zelezny receives an annual housing allowance of $50,000.
Zelezny also received a 10% equity raise in response to her performance reviews.
Zelezny’s salary adjustment makes her salary comparable to other universities, wrote CSUB Public Information Officer Jennifer Self in an email.
Gove said that he is not upset with presidents for accepting the raise that was offered them, but that the decision emphasiz es the misplaced priorities of the CSU Board of Trustees.
“We don’t understand why the Board of Trustees can give them large raises but give us raises that are less than the rate of inflation,” said Gove.
Jannette De La Cruz, a business administration major at CSUB, said that she thinks faculty members deserve higher raises, especially for their work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It seems unfair, the big boss is getting the big raise and all the little guys are not getting as much,” said De La Cruz.
During the President’s Open Forum on Sept. 26, Zelezny said that the faculty and presi dent raises are deserved raises due to inflation, and that the Board of Trustees tried to be fair about this decision.
“We are making strong advocacy to the governor so that that will be covered,” said Zelezny, “but it is very import ant to hold on to our strong faculty and staff.
They should be well com pensated, and that includes administrators as well.”
Dr. Rhonda Dugan, an as sociate professor of sociology, said that it is important to note
that some pay differences are related to the different ranks of faculty, such as full-time lecturers, part-time lecturers, tenured faculty, and tenured track faculty.
The idea of compensation has always been an important topic because faculty want to feel valued and paid, said Dugan.
Dugan explained that this issue is expanding beyond just money. It also includes time and workload.
According to Dugan, many faculty’s workloads increased during the COVID-19 pandem ic to provide the best academic experience for students.
“Of course, we want salaries to survive, pay our bills, rent, mortgage. But I think in many ways, it comes to workload,” said Dugan. “It’s maybe not just the amount of work, but the type of work that is tied to why faculty want a more equitable
Aside from teaching, Dugan said faculty have other re sponsibilities, such as doing research and service. Faculty often engage through com mittee work and serving the students, departments, and local community.
Dugan said that she sees advocacy at an organization al level, but that advocacy is sometimes tied to the individual faculty members who look for ways to boost their salaries.
“Faculty are aware of what they earn and compare it to, not someone who is in their department, but looking at someone who is comparable at another university,” said Dugan. “Sometimes that can be a way to advocate, by saying, ‘Here’s someone who does the work that I do, but they’re at another university. How can I get to where they are?’”
Gove is also the president of
the Bakersfield chapter of the California Faculty Association.
CFA is the only authorized body to negotiate with the CSU regarding faculty contracts every three years.
According to Gove, demon strators from CFA and Students for Quality Education attended a CSU Board of Trustees meet ing on Sept. 15.
Gove was a speaker at a virtual session.
“At that point, every speaker was allowed one minute. So, in one minute, I just said that it was a shame that they couldn’t prioritize faculty as much as they were prioritizing the presi dents,” said Gove.
According to Gove, CFA plans to hold more information campaigns to bring awareness to the issue.
A new proposition on the ballot for the General Election on Nov. 8, 2022 is supposed to provide additional funding for music and art education in K-12 public and charter schools.
In past years there has been a dramatic decline in enroll ment and offered curriculum in music education because of inadequate and unstable funding, according to the ballot initiative “Re-Initiative 21-0036 - Amendment Number One” by Austin Beutner, the Superin tendent of Los Angeles Unified School District in Section 1 parts C. and D.
According to the article “Cal ifornia Proposition 28, Art and Music K-12 Education Funding Initiative (2022)” on Ballotpe dia, Proposition 28 would allot a minimum of 1% of the state and local revenues.
Spending would increase from $800 million to $100 billion each fiscal year.
Public policy and adminis tration lecturer Fred Plane said “We funnel a lot [of money] into the standard things like the STEM programs: mathematics, science, English, and history. But there’s not always enough money plugged into those arts and there’s an interest and need for that.”
In Section 1 part A., Beutner states that studies have found that art and music programs have been linked to increased cognitive development, spatial reasoning, and reading compre hension. They also increased attendance, self-confidence in students, and their motivation to learn.
Dr. Bre Evans-Santiago, chair and an associate professor of Teacher Education, said that
when you intertwine art and music with STEM programs, it provides confidence and helps to improve the growth mindset of students.
Combining both areas of these curriculums may also help students focus more in STEM programs as well.
Savi Hasan, a second-year English major, said that “cre ative industries are important in modern civilization, art and music programs develop this creativity in children. I think that’s necessary for them to grow up to be fully rounded
individuals.”
Voting “yes” on Proposi tion 28 will require an annual source of at least 1% of funding for arts and music programs in K-12 public and charter schools.
It will also require schools with 500 or more students to use 80% of the funding to employ teachers and the other 20% to train the teachers and buy supplies.
Evans-Santiago said that it’s important to find ways to inte grate art and music into schools so students can feel good about themselves and motivated to
learn.
The article, “California Proposition 28, Art and Music K-12 Education Funding Ini tiative (2022),” provides a list of endorsements that support this proposition, including the Superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District Austin Beutner, the former U.S. Secre tary of Education Arne Duncan, the Universal Music Group, the California Teachers Asso ciation, the California Dance Education Association, the California Educational Theater Association, and the Los Ange les Unified School District.
Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman and chief executive officer of the Universal Music Group, said that “Music education sup ports all education - it fosters reasoning and skills that are the building block for learning other subjects. This measure is critical not only for education and learning but also to mental well-being.”
Plane said, “It’s a good prop osition because there’s always a need for funding for arts and music. Students need to be ex posed to all the different types of fields they can go into.”
Voting “no” on Proposition 28 would oppose the require ment of allocating the minimum 1% of funds for music and arts programs in K-12 public and charter schools.
There is not a list of oppo nents or arguments against Proposition 28 at this time. If there are any who oppose this proposition and want to provide an argument against it, they may send an email to editior@ ballotpedia.org
Evans-Santiago said that those who oppose Proposition 28 might follow this logic, “So often education is short, we are short with resources: funding and money. We [teachers or professors] are always having to beg people to write grants and help us. If that’s the case, I can see people thinking that this funding should go towards something else instead of art.”
Proposition 28 will be on the ballot for voting in the General Election on Nov. 8, 2022.
For more information on Proposition 28 and other prop ositions on the ballot, you can visit https://ballotpedia.org
Contact (Kaitlyn Milam) at kmilam1@csub.edu
By Kiara Zabala Opinion Editor
If you were to look at me, you would see a number of things. A girl who dyes their hair crazy colors. A person with a collection of tattoos. Some one in a “straight” relationship.
However, I am so much more than what lies above the surface.
Hello, my name is Kiara and I am bisexual. My pronouns are she/they, with more of a preference of they.
The world is not as easy as one may think. People have this strange belief that once you come out, the battle is over. But really, that is where the battle finally begins.
In my case, I am out to the world, but not my family.
With this piece, I am putting it out there for all who choose to see. Even my family, who hopefully understand why I did not say anything about this to them.
With being bisexual, there come certain things along with it, also because I am a female.
For example, people think that my sexuality is a phase simply because my partner is male.
This is not the case at all. My sexuality does not waiver depending on who I choose to date at the time.
My sexuality is a constant that does not falter. Just be cause I am dating a man does not mean that I am suddenly straight, it just means I am dating a man.
I also have been asked by numerous men to partake in various activities because I am attracted to both men and women.
Just because I go both ways in the laws of attraction, this does not mean that I wish to partake in such activities.
Now, to be told that my sexuality does not exist from (the community I was sup posed to be welcomed in, the
LGBTQ+,) is quite damaging to my self-image. I either am told that my sexuality does not exist, or I am sexualized for be ing attracted to who I choose. It seems to me as if there is no winning.
I feel as though I am drown ing, trying to stay afloat in such a confusing world.
Add onto all this the fact of my pronouns being she/they. Where some days I feel more masculine than feminine, and vice versa.
It is troubling at times, being in a world where you hate the reflection looking back at you in the mirror and you want to scream when someone calls you “ma’am.”
However, I am thankful that my current partner understands that somedays are more mas culine presenting than others, where I cannot stand to dress even remotely feminine.
I am writing this because I want people to be aware of just how difficult it is to be bisexu
By Hailey Hernandez Features Writer
As we approach the month of OUTober, it is important to remember to respect everyone’s identity and pronouns. Some people are nonbinary and use different pronouns such as they and them.
Nonbinary refers to people who don’t identify as the binary genders: male and female. There is no one way to be non binary, as gender is very fluid in terms of expression.
There are many ways to be an ally to nonbinary people. You can help by asking for people’s pronouns instead of assuming and possibly misgen dering them.
Misgendering is when you refer to people by the wrong
pronouns and/or identity.
The University of Wisconsin wrote a piece on pronouns, stat ing, “When someone is referred to with the wrong pronoun, it can make them feel disrespect ed, invalidated, dismissed, alienated, or dysphoric.”
With this in mind, always ask for people’s pronouns instead of assuming. However, if you do happen to misgender some one by accident, make sure to correct yourself and move on. It’s important to not dwell on your mistake because exces sively apologizing can make the other person feel guilty and like an inconvenience.
A guide created by the Trevor Project states, “The most au thentic apology is meaningless if there is no change or if the behavior is repeated consistent
ly in the future.” Actions speak louder than words. Another way to support nonbinary people is by using inclusive language such as gender-neutral terms. Instead of greeting people with ‘ladies and gentlemen,’ you can say ‘everyone’ or ‘pals.’ It’s important to ask your nonbinary friends’ what terms they are comfortable with. While some nonbinary people are okay with gendered terms such as ‘bro, dude, queen, or sis,’ others might find it dys phoric. Every nonbinary person is different, so it can’t always be assumed what they’re okay with.
Additionally, it’s important to recognize that gender expres sion does not equal gender identity.
No matter how nonbinary
al. People like to think we have it all figured out.
That we know exactly what we want. That being bisexual is an “easier” route because we have more options of partners to choose from.
But sometimes I feel I do not belong anywhere. I don’t belong in “straight culture” and some of the LGBTQ+ commu nity don’t even believe bisexu ality is even a real thing.
How am I supposed to be myself, be comfortable in my own skin if I do not even know where I belong?
When you come out, everyone just thinks all your problems get fixed.
But in my case, sometimes I wonder just how much easier my life would be if I just stayed in the closet because with that closet door wide open, more questions lay within.
Contact Kiara Zabala at kzaba la1@csub.edupeople present themselves, whether feminine, masculine, or androgynous, they are still nonbinary.
Someone’s appearance is not an indicator of their gender. There is an infinite number of ways to express yourself and your gender.
Remember to always to be kind and respectful of other people’s identities. Nonbinary people just want to be able to express themselves freely. It’s a right that we all deserve.
Contact Hailey Hernandez at hhernandez34@csub.edu
I am really struggling to find an appropriate opener here, but I think it best if I simply come out and say — I am bisexual.
Now that I’ve got the most obvious pun I could make out of the way, I should introduce myself. I am Frankie Nadal, the features editor for the Runner for Fall 2022. I am also a host of other titles, but for now, I would like to focus on my ex periences as a bisexual man.
Well, I use “man” in quite a relative sense. I use he/ him pronouns, yes, but I most certainly do not meet many of the societal implications therein. Emphasis on ‘societal.’ Sure, I am big and strong, with a deep voice and a background in STEM. Couple that with my enjoyment of video games, and boom, typical ‘manly-man.’ But… that is not me.
I adore cooking. Baking. Arts and crafts. Cleaning.
These are all things society often deems as stereotypically ‘feminine.’ I wear cardigans, have long hair that I am quite proud of, and, most important ly, I know myself.
I have been through my fair share of heartache and other tribulations, just like everybody else; however, everybody else is not me. For example, when I discovered I was bisexual, it was not some monumental revelation that uprooted my en tire sense of self. It was, quite literally, just an ‘oh’ moment. I was eight years old; I was in the library reading some long-forgotten book, and I sim ply realized I was bisexual.
This brings me to something I would very much like to clar ify regarding bisexuality. I am not attracted to just men and women, no, for bisexuality is the attraction one feels towards two or more genders similar to or opposite of one’s own. This includes those who are trans gender, nonbinary, fluid, or oth
The sun shone brightly on the CSUB campus as students and faculty gathered to see the pride flag raised in the Admin Quad. The flag-raising event kicked off CSUB’s OUTober pride month.
The event opened with a speech from Ignacio Castillo, who is double majoring in political science and crimi nal justice in his senior year.
Castillo spoke about what it means to have representation on campus, “With this flag being raised today, we want all of our LGBTQIA+ friends and col leagues to know that we at ASI hear you, we see you, and are here for you.” The event was organized by Castillo, the vice
president of ASI.
When speaking with Castil lo, he said what it was like to plan this event, “It was really amazing. I think last year we really wanted to do this because we really saw a need of action.” Watching the CSUB community show up to share this moment was an amazing sight. Castillo also spoke of the number of people in attendance, “I really think the turnout was much greater this year.”
The show of support lends to the fact that CSUB is a welcoming space where all are made to feel safe. Hopefully, the turnout will continue to grow each year.
Student Loe Eoff, a junior studying human biology, spoke of what brought them out this year, “I heard about it last year,
but I didn’t go. I made sure to attend and dress up this year.” When asked what they thought of the event, they said, “It’s amazing to show the school stands alongside the LGBTQ+ students.”
Guest speaker President lyn nette Zelezny spoke of CSUB’s support, “Today we are here to proclaim our unity at California State University, Bakersfield, and we raise our rainbow flag, and those beautiful colors fly high above our campus, we’re sending a clear message to our entire community… every voice matters at CSUB.” Seeing the show of support from the university at this kick-off event was uplifting.
You could feel the joy when walking around the campus af ter the event was over. Rainbow
erwise genderqueer. Yes, that sounds like pansexuality, but consider—pansexuality is the attraction to someone regard less of their gender identity.
That said, being bisexual has been… Well, it hasn’t been anything, really. I know, for a lot of people, exploring their sexual and/or gender identi ty is a massive undertaking, but for me, it simply is. Now, please do not misconstrue my experiences for that of an entire group. As a man, I can say I am bisexual, and hardly anyone will bat an eye. I might even get ‘compliments’ about how ‘open’ I am or how I am a ‘player’ despite not dating anyone. Disgusting, but it could be worse.
Admittedly, it can be… demoralizing when an implicit part of who you are is often objectified and twisted into a rather carnal visage, espe cially when you are seen as little more than your identity. It becomes even worse when
members of your community make that objectification.
All of this to say something someone much wiser and more eloquent than I could say quite aptly: While my experi ences may not be unique, my reactions most certainly are. Realizing I am bisexual was only the beginning. I cannot control how others react to my orientation, nor can I manage what peculiarities they spew; however, what they think mat ters not.
For I am a multitude of happenstance with an infinites imally small chance of existing in an indifferent universe so incomprehensibly vast that one can only marvel at all the won ders it contains. I am Frankie Nadal, a bisexual, Indigenous/ Latine, gender-nonconforming man.
I, quite simply, am me.
Contact Frankie Nadal at fnadal@csub.edu
flags were passed out at the event, and they could be spotted throughout the campus for the rest of the day. However, there is no need to wait for OUTober or any other special reason to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community.
Castillo made an important point in his speech, “Let us remember that not just in this month, but in every month of
the year, we uplift and raise the voices of our LGBT community members and provide nurturing support in whichever stage they are in their journey.”
The event was filled with bright colors, food by Moo Creamery, and inspirational speeches.
Contact Jennifer Fain at jfain@ csub.edu
I was interested in seeing the movie “The Invitation.” The trailer made the film appear mysterious, possibly, a supernatural murder mystery. It came across as dark similar to “Crimson Peak” or the 2016 suspense thriller also titled “The Invitation.”
Honestly, the vagueness of the trailer only led me to fill in the blanks with the best possible scenarios. Critics gave this movie 26% and a 60% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
This movie centers on the concept of a modern-day vampire and his three brides, which is drawn from the 1897 novel “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, where he has three similar women living in his castle.
If anyone is looking for a genuinely
terrifying and layered portrait of Dracu la, Gary Oldman in Francis Ford Coppo la’s 1992 film “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” is as scary as it gets.
Oldman draws from the original Max Schreck who gave one hell of a performance in the 1922 silent German expressionist film “Nosferatu.”
I don’t know how I missed the hints that this was a vampire movie.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good, cheesy vampire movie; it’s a weakness.
This movie, though, laid it on thick with the handsome, wealthy vampire seducing the young girl.
It is clear from the moment the male leads steps onto the scene that there is no doubt he is up to no good.
I thought they would make the girl
clever enough to know something’s out of the ordinary, but no, she takes his pathetic excuses.
She later catches him with a dossier on her, including her entire life and criminal history.
I have no clue as to why they had to make her have a criminal record. They initially develop the female lead character as a struggling artist devoted to her work.
Yet when questioned about her actual life goals by this guy, she ditches the persona and chooses to admit that her one true purpose in life is to be sponta neous and throw caution to the wind.
Let’s not even get into the problem atic characterization this movie makes of women in low economic classes.
The main male character gives a lot of typical compliments. There was even the cliché scene where he picked out an expensive dress for her to wear to din ner. She, of course, is thrilled by what is an outdated and overused trope.
In a world where all these amazing portrayals of Dracula exist, “The Invita tion” looks like a transparent reflection lacking the horror, love, or imagination that makes this type of character so entertaining to watch.
So, when it comes to “The Invita tion”, I give it a sad 1.5/10 rating. Don’t waste your time.
Fentanyl is a deadly drug af fecting numerous people across America in recent years.
With the rise in popularity among the substance, it has led it into the hands of young teens across the country, causing them harm and even death.
According to the Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration, it was first introduced in the ‘60s and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a pain reliever.
The drug is 100 times stron ger than morphine and 50 times more powerful than heroin.
Unfortunately, since then, many people have abused the drug for the worse.
During the past months, I have seen news reports of young teens using, selling, or overdosing on the drug, which is heartbreaking and mind-blowing.
According to an article, “Young people are being targeted with brightly colored ‘rainbow fentanyl,’ government drug agency warns” by Kate Snow and Safia Samee, Snow and Samed explained that drug dealers are now making the drug more colorful in order to draw in a younger audience. People have even nicknamed the substance as “Sweet Tarts” and “Skittles.”
I think that the drug’s more colorful appearance makes it easier for people to confuse it with hard candy.
It would not surprise me if more news reports come out with young people accidentally overdosing on the drug for this reason.
According to the article by Summer Lin, “Bakersfield stu dent, 13, arrested after middle school employee exposed to fentanyl,” a 13-year-old student from Chipman Junior High School in Bakersfield had been arrested for being responsible for the near-death of a school employee.
The employee overdosed on the drug after being exposed to it, but is in stable condition now.
Bakersfield is not the only city where this has been a problem.
I have seen news reports from young teens overdosing in different cities such as Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and San Diego. With the recent one occurring in Los Angeles.
CBS News reported that two suspects were arrested for sell ing pills to students. A 15-yearold girl named Melanie Ramos sadly overdosed due to this.
According to the Bakersfield City School District Board of Trustees, they passed a policy on Oct. 3 that would allow staff to use Narcan, a prescription medicine used for suspected overdoses on students and staff members.
This a great method in han dling the rise of fentanyl among schools.
With the proper training from the staff, I think they could potentially save many students and employees from a potential overdoes.
I have a sister in high school, and my parents and I are con cerned about what her school will do to prevent this from happening to students.
Parents and schools should start educating students on the dangers of drug use, especially with the popularity of fentanyl.
Whether that means having to inform them on the issue or by having parents checking to see if their kids didn’t bring any suspicious pills.
We’ve seen the rise of vap
ing among teens; now, we’re seeing a rise of fentanyl across schools.
It will only get worse if par ents don’t talk with their kids about this situation.
One of the most guaranteed forms of speaking truth to power and ensuring that your voice is heard is by going to the polls to vote. I want to share with you why voting is still one of our most powerful tools for change, to not fall for the message that it doesn’t make a difference, and to share the projection for the future.
So, I ask, have you voted in the last year? Do you know your vote is of utmost impor tance and could be the decid ing factor in who is elected to represent you in Congress, your local community, and even CSUB?
I hope that this opinion piece will leave you enlightened and motivated to vote and to never miss an opportunity to use your voice through voting whether locally or statewide.
I remember, years ago, when I was 18 years old, running into a friend on the city bus, before I had a car. She and I attended high school together and had just a few months prior to our meeting graduated. She shared with me that she had just be come a registered voter. At that moment I saw her as all grown up, confident and important. I was instantly inspired to be come a registered voter.
Becoming a registered voter and getting my driver’s license were some of the most empowering moments in my life. Being able to participate in the election process was the American way to use my vote to amplify my voice for the change I wanted to see.
Candidates that I voted for did not always win, but I never had a “what if moment” wondering if only I had voted would things be different.
Your vote can make the difference in the kinds of books
and learning materials used in K-12 curriculum, colleges, and universities. Your vote is instrumental in implementing changes in your community and neighborhood and it is the pro cess used for selecting police chiefs, judges, mayors, officials and so much more.
There is a quote that states, “You can’t fix stupid, but you can vote it out.” I am proud to say that I have used my voice by voting out “stupid,” stupid people, stupid laws, and stupid policies and procedures. I have also used that same volume to replace those spaces with people who support the rule of democracy. This could only be accomplished by the power of my vote.
From the 1980s to the present, I have that same sense of empowerment every time I show up at the polls to exercise my right to vote.
After reading this, my hope is that IF you are not a regis tered voter, you WILL make a conscious decision to become a registered voter and vote like your future depends on it, because it does.
Voting is still one of our most powerful tools for change. As seen in the 2008 presidential elections, did change ever happen that year? Yes, it did. Then-Sen. Barack Obama made history when he became Amer ica’s first African American president.
According to Brittanica. com, “Obama was also the first sitting U.S. senator to win election to the presidency since John F. Kennedy in 1960. With the highest voter turnout rate in four decades, Obama and Delaware senator Joe Biden defeated the Republican ticket John McCain who sought to be come the oldest person elected
president to a first term in U.S. history, and Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who attempted to become the first woman vice president in the country’s history, winning nearly 53% of the vote.”
If you fail to vote, you fail to speak. When you don’t vote, you don’t have a voice.
I believe that we are respon sible for the changes that we want to see, especially when we have an opportunity to vote for that change.
Your voice is only as pow erful as your vote. One vote, your vote, can make the entire difference in the outcome of any election.
According to the National Geographic Society, “In 2000, Al Gore narrowly lost the Elec toral College vote to George W. Bush. Because Bush won the election by such a small margin … it triggered an automatic recount and a Supreme Court case (Bush vs. Gore). Bush won by only 000.9% of the votes which equated to 537 votes in that state … If six hundred more supporters of Gore had gone to the polls in Florida that day, the outcome would have been different.”
A Portland State University study found that fewer than 15% of eligible voters were turning out to vote for mayors, council members, and other lo cal offices. Low turnout means that important local issues are determined by a limited group of voters, making a single vote even more statistically mean ingful.
John Freeman, stated, “Were people to vote at higher per centages, power would lose. So, the vote itself has come under attack.”
Moreover, with all the neg ative rhetoric floating around
Darlene Williams graduated from CSUB in spring 2022.
about voting, it is challenging not to be swept away by the constant waves of lies and misinformation to deter people from voting, but don’t fall for the lie that it doesn’t make a difference.
In the article, “Voter Sup pression in 2020,” “Racial discrimination in voting takes many forms, ranging from blatant and open attempts to restrict access to voting among communities of color to more subtle policies that place heavi er burdens on certain commu nities. In 2020, voters of color faced the full spectrum of racial voter suppression.”
According to The Atlantic, “Some 35% of Americans — including 68% of Republicans — believe the Big Lie, pushed relentlessly by former President Donald Trump and amplified by conservative media, that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.” The election wasn’t stolen, but rather, Americans showed up at the polls and just voted “stupid” out.
Finally, the projection for the future is that Gen Z and Millennial voters will out number previous generations.
According to the article, “The
GOP’s Demographic Doom: Millennials and Gen Z are only a few years away from domi nating the electorate,” “In 2020, for the first time Millennials and Gen Z (which comprise young adults born in 1981 or later) will equal Baby Boomers and prior generations … as a share of all Americans eligible to vote, according to a new study from … States of Change project.”
According to the article, “Young Voters Were Crucial to Biden’s Win,” “Across the country, young voters of color … cast ballots for Biden, including 87 percent of young Black voters, 83 percent of young Asian voters, and 73 percent of young Latino voters. The white you vote also fa vored Biden, but more narrow ly, at 51 percent. ”
As I conclude, why vote you might ask? Dr. Martin Luther King stated, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Your future matters; vote for it.
Contact Darlene Williams at dwilliams@csub.edu. To submit a guest editorial for our campus voices feature email runner@csub.edu
With sports back in full effect, many teams have suc cessfully filled their roster. This is especially true for CSUB’s Women’s Cross Country team and Track and Field.
Amongst the variety of talent on this year’s roster, Junior distance runner Helena Valentic traveled internationally from Croatia this August of 2022 and joined CSUB’s Women’s Cross Country team. Valentic was named a national champion for 2020 U23’s Champion in the 3000-meter steeplechase ranking 75th in Europe.
A 3000-meter steeplechase is a distance of 3000 meters (9,843 ft) and requires the run ner to complete a circuit of four ordinary barriers and one water jump. During the course of the race, each runner must clear a total of 28 ordinary barriers and seven water jumps.
For Valentic, her personal best is 11:02,74. With her speed she was able to place 6th at the Waves Invitational on Oct. 1, 2022, making her the only female runner from CSUB to place below 10.
Valentic, with a not-so-typ ical background for CSUB’s usual demographic of local stu dents, explains the differences she as a Croatia native expe riences on and off the course. Some of these differences include being involved in only the single sport of cross-country and having family near at all times.
Although she has not pre
viously ran in both track and cross country within the same season, she explains her excite ment of “looking forward to something all the time.”
Having events all year long, as opposed to just the season of cross-country, gives her moti vation to continue her workouts and dedication.
Valentic also explains how her home state does not divide the sport into track and cross country, like many schools across the nation, instead, “It’s all under athletics. We only have a national championship in cross country and that’s the only competition in the whole year.”
Adapting to athletic differ ences wasn’t the only change, as there are many other differ ences that Valentic describes as being unlike home. She states that she is not accustomed to the high heat since, in Croa tia, the weather is much more humid.
The weather significant ly played a great role in her decision to attend CSUB. With Bakersfield’s heat hitting a high of 116 degrees in some areas, Valentic affirms that “This is the highest temperatures I have felt in my life.” With offers from other areas of the US, she explains how she was okay with moving anywhere that was not humid.
As her first year at CSUB, demands she balances are the needs of being a student athlete and a student who is countries
away from home, Valentic explains that her motivation comes from her family. Face timing and constantly messag ing them allows her to continue progressing on and off the course.
She is always wanting to improve and become the best version of herself. “I can’t imagine not being able to text or video call my family and friends at any time, I think that would be impossible for me. But since I have those options,
it makes it easier.”
CSUB’s cross-country team welcomes her and is excited for what Valentic will bring to the table. Coach Mansur-Went worth explains what a great fit she would be to the team and campus.
“I recruited her because of her versatility in distance events and her experience.” Great achievements are expected as coach Mansur-Wentworth shares, “Hope in the spring she can break the school record in
the steeplechase.”
This diversity is not uncom mon for CSUB’s athletics de partment, as Sports Information Director Daniel Sperl recog nizes, “An estimate of about 1 in 6 or 7 student athletes are international.” Valentic is a part of these student athletes that offers different insight to the athletic program.
Susan Rodriguez
In an essay titled “I’m Still Here,” published in The Players’ Tribune, NBA superstar John Wall pens an emotionally gripping letter.
Wall talks about his struggles dealing with mental health and is transparent talking about his constant suicidal thoughts.
Wall explains that he wrote the essay in hopes that it will encourage others, especially athletes, to seek help and know that they are not alone.
John Wall is one of the biggest athletes in the nation, and yet, mental health issues still affect him like any other human being.
Student athletes already have to deal with the pressures of being a student with stresses about exams and getting good grades, but on top of that, they also deal with the constant pressures of being an athlete.
If an athlete does not seek help
or communicate with someone they trust, it can prove detrimental for their mental and physical health.
It is important for student athletes to know and realize that their issues are universal, and it is important to seek help and know that the resources are available.
Jessie Rogge, an associate athletic trainer and mental health coordina tor at CSUB, knows the importance of mental health and strives for all student athletes to know who she is and know the resources available for them.
Just a year ago, CSUB partnered with Athlete Mental Health L*I*N*K and AthMindset hoping to specifi cally help athletes find the resources and help to understand what they are going through.
Rogge went into detail about the benefits of the partnerships and described how the Athlete Mental Health L*I*N*K app has proved helpful and convenient for any athlete dealing with issues.
With the app, athletes can hear sto ries, listen to podcasts, and discover
what issues they are dealing with to better address them.
In addition, she commended the growing resources for mental health but did not feel like they have reached their goals and knows there is still work to do.
Rogge recognizes that the students can turn to her, their coaches, or the counseling center, but she hopes that CSUB can hire a sports psychologist in the near future to better assist the student athletes.
Nevertheless, she does see that col leges and universities are beginning to prioritize mental health, which is an important step in the right direc tion.
Madi Gray, a diver in her junior year and an ambassador of The Hid den Opponent, which is a non-profit student athlete organization that helps raise awareness on mental health, urges athletes to “not do it alone” and to have a support system that can help them communicate.
She understands that “sometimes it becomes hard to remember that you are just a person,” but that student
athletes need to find that one person they trust and feel comfortable talking about their issues.
Timothy Engel, a sophomore on the swim team, also urges athletes to “say something and start talking about it” rather than letting the feelings bottle up or the athlete could risk losing themselves.
One resource he adamantly refers to is athletic teammates who are like “brothers and sisters” that athletes can talk to, or at the least be led to the right person or counselor to help.
With more and more athletes becoming public and transparent with their issues, mental health has become a focal point and athletes should know that they truly aren’t alone.
There are an abundance of resourc es and tools that are already in place, but colleges and universities should continue to strive to make all athletes feel comfortable and make mental health a normal conversation to have.
Contact Cosme Garcia at cgar cia123@csub.edu
