therunneronline.com California State University, Bakersfield
March 10, 2021
Vol. 46, No. 12
CSUB aims new focus on inclusion Committee will address diversity, equity By Rosa Salazar Assistant News Editor Despite its name, the Campus Climate Committee at CSU Bakersfield has nothing to do with the weather. Jaime Duran Jr., director of Graduate Students, said he understands the committee’s name can be confusing. “The words ‘campus climate’ refer to the campus culture that arises from the attitudes, behaviors, and decision-making standards that are prevalent throughout the university. The work ahead of us, and for every member of the CSUB Roadrunner family, is to learn how to conduct ourselves in ways that make our care and respect for each other self-evident,” Duran said. Duran also said that the committee’s focus is on “promoting diversity, inclusivity, and equity.”
Claudia Catota, chief diversity officer at CSUB and the committee facilitator, said she believes that inclusion and diversity are very important to the CSUB campus for various reasons. “We have such a diverse student population, especially in the county that we serve,” she said. “It’s important that individuals feel like they belong at a university, that they have a voice [in] their education, that they feel like they are being respected [whether] they go to school here or if they work here.” “In order to create an inclusive climate we need to be aware of who our students [and] who [our] faculty and staff are so we can make sure we have a respectful university and we can engage with each other with respect,” Catota continued. Catota said the committee was established in No-
vember 2020 and includes mostly staff, as well two faculty members and two students at CSUB. Members of the committee include student representatives from the Associated Students Inc. and faculty members from different departments in the university. Catota said that the committee is currently working on a University Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan to see what they can do to create a more inclusive climate for the students, faculty and staff. Catota said right now the committee is in the learning stages of implementing the action plan. They are looking at data and focusing on what is going on around the campus. “Once we collect the information, we’ll be having an open forum in the fall of this year,” Catota said. Catota said the forum
Source: CSUB Fast Facts
“would be a great opportunity for students to come and voice their concerns.” The open forum will be announced at a later date. As for funding, Catota said they do not have any outside funding besides the Division of Equity, Inclusion and Compli-
Graphic by Rosa Salazar
ance at CSUB, but hopes to receive funding with the implementation of the action plan. Duran said if students have any thoughts about how the committee can make the university more responsive to the needs of diverse communities, they
are highly encouraged to contact him via email at asi-graduatedirector@csub. edu or any other member of the committee. The Campus Climate Committee website can be found at csub.edu/equity-inclusion-compliance.
Homecoming winners inspire motivation By Kaleigh Day Features Writer During any other year, homecoming court candidates would don formal dresses and suits. They would anxiously await results while listening to the roar of fellow classmates sitting elbow-to-elbow in the Icardo Center at halftime. Once the announcement was made, they could turn to one another and hug or even shake hands in a show of congratulations or consolation. However, this is not any other year. On Feb. 27, the candidates tuned into a Zoom meeting from the comfort of their living rooms gathered with family members. Although this
year is out of the ordinary, candidates proved that CSU Bakersfield students did not need a ceremony to celebrate. During homecoming week, CSUB hosted several virtual events such as a Spirit Gear competition via Instagram, Paint Night through Zoom, and a meet and greet with homecoming court on Feb. 22. Present at the meeting was Thomas Wallace, vice president of Student Affairs, who took a moment to applaud the students’ school spirit. “I call you Generation E and that “E” is for ‘excelling’. You are excelling in spite of all the things you are facing in this time. I congratulate you and give you a standing ovation,”
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Heidy Lomeli served as the philanthropy chairwoman of Gamma Phi Beta, president of CSUB’s Panhellenic Council, and ASI’s director of social media marketing. Not only have they achieved great success, they have done so in the face of obstacles: both candidates are transfer students, women of color, and working mothers. Lomeli reflected on her experience, stating that the honor of being voted in was quite humbling. She hopes that she can be an inspiration to future students. “We have fought so hard for inclusion and diversity on campus at CSUB. So, to me this means everything. It means that I have
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opened up a door for future women of color, for future mothers, and for future transfer students who perhaps don’t believe that they too can represent our Roadrunners,” said Lomeli. For Beed, who was a part of the junior court last year, this campaign proved to be much more personal than she anticipated. She noted that virtual platforms allowed room for authenticity. “It was easier for us virtually to kind of peel back the layers and see who we really are. When you do that it’s amazing to see how many similarities we have and how much bonds us together,” said Beed. To those who may consider running in the com-
ing years, the pair gave some words of wisdom. “Live in the moment and learn to embrace every moment, because you don’t want to have any regrets,” said Beed. “Be bold, be brave, and be beautiful internally. You radiate passion when you take initiative, and you can inspire others to believe in themselves,” said Lomeli. CSUB’s 2021 homecoming court winners are as follows: (Freshmen) Gloriann Aninion and Reilly Babcock, (Sophomores) Melinda Garza and Amritpal Kaur, (Juniors) Ginger Laynes Mendez and Myah Salinas, (Seniors) Aaliyah Beed and Heidy Lomeli, (Antelope Valley) Joyce Daniels and Jonathan Montgomery.
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said Wallace. Not only did this year’s court excel, they broke down barriers. A year after CSUB’s move to eliminate gendered court designations and two years after the first female homecoming king was crowned, the Bakersfield main campus presented its first all-female roster, while female candidates held the majority at Antelope Valley. Senior royalty highlighted the work ethic and diversity that CSUB seeks to nurture. Aaliyah Beed acted as member of CSU Bakersfield’s cheer team, ASI’s director of community outreach, and assists incoming students in the Transfer Center.
News
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The Runner
March 10, 2021
The Runner Staff The Runner California State University, Bakersfield 9001 Stockdale Highway Bakersfield, CA 93311-1099 661-654-2165 runner@csub.edu FACULTY ADVISER Jennifer Burger jburger1@csub.edu EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Damian Lopez dlopez57@csub.edu NEWS EDITOR Katrina Singleton ksingleton@csub.edu ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Rosa Salazar rsalazar27@csub.edu FEATURES EDITOR Chase Anderson canderson39@csub.edu OPINIONS EDITOR McKenna Tessandori mtessandori@csub.edu COPY CHIEF Taylor Redstone tredstone@csub.edu ART DIRECTOR Faith Okoli fokoli@csub.edu PHOTO EDITOR Ellen Kommel ekommel@csub.edu SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Allea Paguia apaguia@csub.edu ADVERTISING MANAGER Kristofer Rogic krogic@csub.edu ABOUT US The Runner is a laboratory newspaper published daily online with a biweekly PDF e-edition, in conjunction with the Department of Communications at CSU Bakersfield. We are committed to exposing truth and promoting accountability while upholding professional journalistic integrity. We engage with the community through digital and social media publications. DISCLAIMERS Views and opinions expressed in The Runner are not necessarily those of the editors, staff or the Department of Communications. The staff of The Runner reserve the right to refuse or omit any advertising or material which advocates illegal activity, or which may be considered libelous, irresponsible or tasteless. COPYRIGHT Copyright belongs to the Department of Communications at CSU Bakersfield. CORRECTIONS Help us ensure accuracy by sending corrections requests to runner@csub.edu.
Students can now pick pronouns in myCSUB By Zeltzin EstradaRodriguez Reporter Students at CSU Bakersfield now have the ability to specify their pronouns through their myCSUB portal account. This new feature will help indicate students’ pronouns to their teachers on their class rosters. Students can also add a preferred name that will appear on professors’ rosters when enrolling in classes. On Feb.17, Claudia Catota, director of equity, inclusion and compliance, sent out an email to the campus community that notified students of the new change. The email also provides a step-by-step guide on how to choose your pronouns through myCSUB. In the email, Catota also provided clarification as to what pronouns are and why the campus decided to make this move. “Pronouns are how a person wants to be referred to
in the third person. By respecting others’ pronouns, you recognize their sense of self and affirm the humanity of all members of our community, specifically transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary, gender questioning, and other gender diverse members of our community. “Using an individual’s pronouns correctly is a way to continue to practice inclusion and foster belonging at CSUB,” read Catota’s email. According to a survey done by The Trevor Project, one in four LGBTQ+ youth use pronouns that are not “he/him” or “she/ hers.” Allie Page, who is an opinions writer on The Runner and a transgender student at CSUB majoring in studio art and journalism, is happy with the change. “I think it’s very important since sometimes I would get misgendered by professors. For other people I know who are non-bi-
nary and use “they/them” pronouns, to have it on record [is important],” Page said. Desiree Sams, professor of undergraduate and graduate psychology courses at CSUB who has a degree in women, gender, and sexuality studies, agrees that this was a long-awaited move for the campus. “We as humans have to be classified one way or another when we speak to each other ... If we have to check a box, we want to be able to check that box that makes us who we are and what we prefer to respond to,” Sams said. “When I get the roster the first day of class I ask them what name they prefer and it often does not match up with what’s on the person’s birth certificate, so why not do the same thing with gender pronouns?” Sams asked. Sams also commented on how this new ability will improve the overall classroom environment. “I believe it will definite-
ly help with the engagement and the learning if you know students’ names and their preferred pronouns. It just makes teaching better,” Sams said. Page feels there might be a struggle in getting some people to respect this new change. Page provided some resources for the LGBTQ+ population to refer to if they are in need of any support. “There’s the LGBTQ+ Network which I’m in, there’s Club Gen, there’s the campus advocate, there is the Alliance Safe Zone program, and, of course, you could always file a complaint if there’s intentional pronoun misuse,” Page said. For more information on how to select your pronouns, what the different pronouns are, and other terms that may sound new to you such as “transgender” and “non-binary,” visit csub.edu/equityinclusion-compliance/ preferred-names-pronouns.
Inc. that all students who graduated in spring and fall of 2020, as well as those graduating in spring and summer of 2021, have received a commencement survey for feedback on how likely they are to participate in a virtual grad-uation ceremony, as well as an in-person ceremony and a drive-
thru photo stage. “We still are anticipating, and we are planning. We look at many dates as the county allows us to when it is time. We will have some dates in place for an in-person ceremony because we definitely want to recognize each student crossing the stage with family and friends there,”
Ebeling said. Also at the meeting, ASI discussed upcoming events, including a paint night on March 18, followed by Runner Nights the week of March 19. Details will be posted on ASI’s Instagram bio. For more on ASI’s meeting, visit therunneronline. com.
Grad plans moving forward By Adilenne Lazaro News Reporter
Student government representatives at CSUB received a report on graduation plans for spring 2021 at its meeting on March 5. Dina Ebeling, associate director for commencement, told board members of Associated Students
Lab A open for student use By Danielle Coryell Reporter Lab A, located on the lower level of the Walter Stiern Library, is open. Students, staff, and faculty are able to use the computers, copiers, and printers during operating hours. CSU Bakersfield is currently waiving fees for printing and copying at this time. Before heading to campus, be sure to visit CSUB’s website and proceed to the COVID-19 tab to complete the COVID Screening Evaluation. Students will need proof of
completion before entering Lab A. Along with requiring the screening evaluation, the lab is also spacing out the computers, requiring masks, and closing for 30 minutes each afternoon for deep cleaning. Plastic dividers have also been placed between the rows of computers in the lab. Lab A is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and closed from 12:15 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. for cleaning. Lab A will also be open Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon.
Danielle Coryell/The Runner
Plastic dividers put in place in Lab A to observe social distancing.
Features
The Runner
March 10, 2021
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Spotlight: Black-owned businesses
Lois Ogunjobi puts the ‘cute’ in charcuterie By Kaleigh Day Features Writer Charcuterie is a smorgasbord of cheeses, fruits, and cured meats that has taken the world by storm one Instagram post at a time. With its wide array of flavor profiles and picturesque organization, is it any wonder as to why? In a time when socially-distanced picnics are in full swing, Charcuterie by Lo sets out to make your favorite platters mobile with charcuterie boxes. The powerhouse behind the business is Lois Ogunjobi, a CSU Bakersfield alumna who was looking for a creative outlet while working from home. After following other creators for years, she finally put her passion for cooking and eye for design to the ultimate test. Although the business is relatively new to Ogunjobi, her customers already notice her keen sense of style and creative direction.
“She is knowledgeable enough to be able to help create a box that has super complimentary flavor profiles for someone who is new to charcuterie, and also has an expansive menu and flexibility that grants a seasoned charcuterie connoisseur the freedom to create magic flavor combos of their own. On top of that, the presentation is top-tier and customizable from box-to-box,” said Caitlin Wheelan, a CSUB student and avid customer. Ogunjobi notes that the key to success with charcuterie is in the details. For Ogunjobi that means colorful ingredients that reflect the season and simplistic packaging that fits the occasion. “The bulk of it (the board) is about the aesthetic and how the look of the food adds to an occasion. I love when people say, ‘Oh, that’s a really unique, cute design.’ I also try to make the box match the occa-
Photos submitted by Lois Ogunjobi
sion; for Valentine’s Day, I’m making salami roses and cutting the cheeses into little hearts,” Ogunjobi said. While the day-to-day of being a small business owner can mean long days and late nights, Ogunjobi reflects on the experience saying that it allows her to create food for others to enjoy with their loved ones.
“I think people tend to think that having a small business or doing something on the side is easy and it definitely isn’t. As someone who loves to cook, being in the kitchen is one of the most exhausting things ever but it’s my favorite part of the business,” Ogunjobi said. Her advice for other small business owners is to create an inclusive en-
vironment for all potential customers. “Do your best to diversify your clientele and then showcase that diversity on your business pages
because it definitely helps people who are looking to see what services and products you can offer them,” said Ogunjobi.
Alexis Kemp spreads sisterhood of self-care
Photos provided by Alexis Kemp
By Kaleigh Day Features Writer Everyone needs a bit of me time in their lives. For many, this includes a curated skincare routine. In December of 2018, My Sister’s Scrub was launched to celebrate the camaraderie and sisterhood shared between women. In fact, each product is an ode to a friend or family member of the company’s CEO. The woman behind this sisterhood of self-care is
22-year-old Alexis Kemp. The CSU Bakersfield alumna began the venture in her junior year while pursuing a bachelor’s in psychology with minors in sociology and philosophy. In addition, she was a part of the Helen Hawks Honors Program and Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Given her level of performance, it’s no surprise that she would need a way to manage stress. As someone who practices self-care through what she dubs “Self-care Sundays”
and “Me Mondays,” Kemp aims to give her customers the same escape from the stress of life. “I hope to give my customers a feel-good product that they can use after work or school to unwind,” Kemp said. She has certainly succeeded at growing a following of returning customers who swear by the brand and its mission. “I’ve used both the honey and brown sugar scrub for my facial routine, and when they launched their
first lemon serum I added that to my routine as well. Let me tell y’all – the glow those products gave me were life! They’ve grown so much as a company and I can’t wait to try all of the great new products they now provide,” said Janiece Cooper, a long-time supporter of the brand. Kemp also carves out time to speak for Young Women Empowerment for Leadership, a mentoring program that connects students in the Kern High School District with
women in business. She says she hopes to lead by example. “There aren’t a lot of Black-owned businesses in Bakersfield and it’s not common to hear of someone as young as I am being a business owner, so I want to let them know that they should pursue their ideas,” Kemp said. She also reminds these young women to embrace their individual journeys to success. “I tell them to be creative, look for a mentor, and stay
encouraged. Don’t compare your company or your journey as an entrepreneur to anyone else. For some people, it takes five months and for you it may take five years. Just remember to do it on your own time,” Kemp said. While My Sister’s Scrub has posed challenges, Kemp credits the village she has behind her every step of the way. At the heart of her business is the sisterhood she has cultivated along the way.
Features
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The Runner
March 10, 2021
It’s concha time with Jessianne By Jessianne Solis Features Writer
When I see conchas, it brings me back to when I was a child, and my grandpa would take my siblings and me to the panaderia super early in the morning to grab all the fresh baked pan dulce. It brings many fun memories. Ever since we have been on lockdown, I have been wanting to try and bake different kinds of bread and I thought this was the perfect time to make something from my childhood. I used a recipe from the website Mexico In My Kitchen called “Concha Recipe” by Mely Martinez. I used this more as a baseline for how to make conchas and added and changed some steps and ingredients to be my own. Prep time: 25 minutes Cook time: 24 minutes Rise/proof time: 3-4 hours Start to finish: About 4 hours and 50 minutes
Yield: 16 chocolate conchas Equipment you need: An oven 2 baking sheets (only if you have room in your oven for two. If not, bake half a batch at a time) 1 large oven-safe mixing bowl (metal or glass) 1 medium mixing bowl Measuring cups Measuring spoons Whisk Rubber spatula Cling wrap Dish towel Cutting board or a clean surface (for kneading) An electric mixer with a dough hook, or just use your hands like me. Ingredients: Dough: 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 2/3 cups white sugar 2 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast ½ teaspoons salt ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature or soften) 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup warm milk (put in microwave for about 50 seconds) 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I added this into dough) ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (I added this into dough) Cooking spray Icing paste: ½ cup plus 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening ¾ cup powdered sugar 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 ½ teaspoons of cocoa powder (this Is optional, you can add any flavor. Or just have plain white icing. You can also add food coloring if you would like) Directions: Preheat In your oven to 100°F or press the proof setting on your oven if it is available. Dough: Whisk together flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Add room temperature butter into
Photos by Jessianne Solis/ The Runner
dry mix and work it in with your hands until it is evenly distributed. Add the eggs and mix until you get a crumbly texture that holds its shape when you squeeze it like wet sand. Now add the milk in increments and knead in the bowl for about three minutes to make it one cohesive dough. Dump the dough onto a floured cutting board or clean surface and knead for about 7 or 8 minutes. You know the dough is ready when you poke your finger into the dough and it springs back. Dust a small amount of flour over the dough ball, just so it’s not sticky. Spray the same bowl used to make the dough with cooking spray and place the dough back in the bowl. Cover the bowl with cling wrap first. Then, place the dish towel on top. Now place the bowl into the preheated oven for 2 hours to proof or double in size. Icing: While the dough is proofing, you can get started with the icing. Place vegetable shorting in a medium mixing bowl Make the vegetable shorting soft by mixing it around the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the powdered sugar to the shorting and mix until combined. Add the cocoa powder and cinnamon. Mix until the color is evenly distributed throughout the paste. After well combined, add flour until paste is soft, and doughy. Now you have your icing. Combining Dough and Icing: Once your dough has doubled in size, take out of the oven, but keep the oven at 100°F for later step. Divide your dough into 16 even dough balls (to avoid the dough from sticking, lightly dust flour on the
outside of the dough before you cut into 16 balls.) Now that you have 16 dough balls, place them on a greased baking sheet. Shape them into pucks by patting them down a little bit on the sheet. Put a little bit of shorting to the top of each puck so that the icing can stick well to the dough, DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. Now you want to evenly divide the icing into 16 balls. Put flour on your hands and flatten each icing ball into a disc shape. Place it on top of the greased dough and pat the icing around all the edges of the dough. Continue until all the icing is gone. You can now make your concha print with a knife or traditional concha cutter; you can honestly have full
creative freedom with this step. Now place back into the oven to proof at 100°F one more time for 1 to 2 hours, but no longer that 2 hours to avoid over proofing. Take the conchas out when done proofing and set the oven to 325°F. After the oven is done heating, place conchas into the oven for 20 minutes. (If you are using two baking sheets, rotate the sheets after 12 minutes so the top sheet can be on the bottom rack, and the bottom sheet can be on the top rack. Bake for another 12 minutes.) Once the time is up, let cool and enjoy with a cup of coffee, hot chocolate or any way you please.
Opinions
The Runner
March 10, 2021
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Social media numbs connections By McKenna Tessandori Opinions Editor As the average time spent on social media continues to steadily increase, it has become evident that social media can be damaging to personal relationships. It seems evident that the more time people spend on social media, the greater the negative impact it will have on their relationships. In today’s society, people are constantly on their phones switching between Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Almost everyone has at least one social media account. According to BBC Future, a global news company, “Three billion people, around 40% of the world’s population, use online social media — and we’re spending an average of two hours every day sharing, liking, tweeting, and updating on these platforms, according to some reports. That breaks down to around half a million tweets and Snapchat pho-
tos shared every minute.” Two hours a day is the average time people spend on their phones, that’s 14 hours a week. This can lead to a decline in personal relationships because people are no longer interacting with their friends and family. Rather than engaging in an actual conversation with them, they sit and scroll through social media out of what researchers refer to as FOMO. According to a study conducted by Brigham Young University graduate student Spencer Christensen, “Fear of missing out (FOMO) is the psychological mentality that individuals might be missing out on a social opportunity or situation. This mentality requires that they stay constantly connected with others and updated about what their friends are doing.” People’s fear of missing out on what other’s post on social media often results in missed opportunities of
doing fun activities with family and friends. I conducted a poll on Instagram asking CSU Bakersfield students if they thought that social media was damaging to personal relationships and 59% said yes while 41% said no. One could argue that it’s not social media that is damaging to relationships, it’s people. Although social media wasn’t intended to harm personal relationships, its overuse has led to a lack of social skills, mistrust, a decline in mental health, and an inability to live in the moment. The more time people spend in front of a screen, the greater their chance of experiencing anxiety, depression, and a lack of social interaction. According to a Danish study conducted by the Happiness Research Institute, their 1,095 participants showed greater life satisfaction when they went a week without Facebook.
Illustration by Faith Okoli/The Runner
It is vital to both your mental health and your personal relationships to limit the amount of time you spend on social media. Although social media is easily accessible, it can have a negative effect and not only personal and romantic relationships but also on your mental health
and overall well-being. I challenge you to keep track of how much time you spend on social media during the day. When you get your daily average at the end of the week, work on spending less time on social media the following week and be conscious of putting your phone away
when spending time with friends and family. Not only will you improve your relationships, but you will find that you are happier when you spend less time worrying about what other people are doing with their lives and focus on your own.
Campus Voices: Student defeats COVID-19 By Elizabeth Gossett CSUB Student Hi, my name is Elizabeth Gossett, and I am a senior at CSU Bakersfield. This is my story of contracting COVID-19, and it begins in July 2020. On July 9, I started to get a really bad headache and a dry cough. I thought the headache was due to looking at a computer screen for too long because I was taking online classes from Bakersfield College. I assumed the cough was from allergies. However, on July 11, a Saturday, I woke up with a fever of 102 degrees. I knew then I was really sick and told my son I had to go to urgent care. My husband was already at work at Kern Valley State Prison. I got to urgent care, and was told I had to wait outside. They would let me in a side door to be tested. While I waited, I called my husband at work and told him I was really sick. We agreed that our son would have to get tested. I received a mouth swab, and was told the test
results would be ready in about two business days. I then went home and got my son to test him. When we returned home, I got all my stuff from the bathroom and bedroom that my husband and I shared and moved to the guest bedroom to self-isolate. My test came back positive, but my son’s test was negative. My fever broke on Monday, so I only had the fever for about two or three days, but then the leg pain started. That was the worst besides the exhaustion. My legs would cramp up so bad that I could not stand, walk, sit, or lie down. I tried everything. The pain would not go away with medicine or a warm bath. Finally, I heard back from my urgent care doctor. The doctor told me the pain was because my immune system was working too hard to get rid of the virus. I received a steroid to help suppress my immune system. The steroid and the antibiotic were not for the virus, but so I would not develop pneumonia.
Elizabeth Gossett
I started feeling better a week after I had my first fever. I went back and got tested again, but the test came out positive. So, I continued to isolate. I had no symptoms, and it had been going on for almost fourteen days now. By this time, the CDC had posted new guidelines stating that if a person had no fever for this amount of time, they did not have to self-isolate anymore. I then went on with my semi-normal life. It was hard having COVID-19 because I had to isolate while trying to finish my summer school classes. I got COVID-19 right when final exams were happening, and even though I had a doctor’s note, I still had to take two
exams and author an essay. It was hard because I was exhausted, but I did it anyway because I wanted to pass my classes. I was fortunate my English professor gave me more time to finish my essay. I finished my classes and somehow got an A on both exams, even though I was super exhausted. The self-isolation was very hard. Even though I was in the same house as my husband and son, it did not seem like it. I missed their companionship. It got tiring watching Disney +, playing on my phone, and watching Netflix. However, I am very grateful that I received good medical help, did not have to go to the hospital, and that my son and husband did not get sick. It is now February 2021, and I have been COVID-19-free for almost eight months. Fortunately, my son and husband have not gotten the virus. The last eight months I have noticed COVID-related symptoms. I use the restroom much more frequently, almost
like I have an overactive bladder. I visited a urologist to discuss my issues, and he said that it could indeed be due to the virus. He said that there is just so much we do not
know about the effects that the virus causes on our bodies. I am deeply thankful that I did not develop bad side effects from the virus.
SHARE YOUR VOICE One of our missions at The Runner is to facilitate dialogue and create community by sharing the diverse voices of our campus. Do you have an opinion or experience you’d like to share with readers?
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR These are short commentaries or responses to content in The Runner. Letters must be less than 300 words and include the name of the writer and contaction information for verification.
CAMPUS VOICES These longer op-eds allow you to express your viewpoints on important issues in our university, community, and world. Op-eds should be 500-700 words and include supporting facts from credible sources. Letters and op-eds may be edited for clarity, grammar, spelling and length. Send your submissions to runner@csub.edu.
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Sports
The Runner
March 10, 2021
‘Runners head to championship
Men take on UC Davis Women face Hawai'i By Michael Canelo Sports Reporter The five seed CSU Bakersfield will take on the four seed UC Davis in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Air Force Reserve Big West Men’s Basketball Championship on March 11 at 2 p.m. in Las Vegas. The winner will get an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The ‘Runners went 9-7 in the Big West Conference earning them a five seed in the tournament, but they did not play UC Davis in conference because the games were cancelled due to Yolo County health order. CSUB is coming off a bye week. UC Davis finished 6-4 in the Big West. “We were really fatigued mentally and physically. It was a long haul, not having any pauses or breaks. We started at the beginning of the year, played every game we had on the schedule besides UC Davis,” said CSUB head coach Rod Barnes. Senior Taze Moore, who earned First Team All-Big West, and senior Justin Edler-Davis will lead CSUB in the tournament.
The ‘Runners will rely on their seniors to help them win this tournament. A pair of sophomores who earned Second Team All-Big West honors, Elijah Pepper and Ezra Manjon, will lead the Aggies “To have seniors that have been there, prepared, ready, and played their
before helps us. I think it is hard for us, but I think also for them. The only thing about their team, they have difference players now, but I think we scrimmage three or four years ago, kind of familiar what coach strategy is in a sense how they run their offense and defensive,” said Barnes.
Graphic provided by Big West Conference
By Michael Canelo Sports Reporter CSU Bakersfield women’s basketball is ready to play after taking the last two weeks off the court. CSUB will take on Hawaii in the quarterfinals of the Big West Conference Tournament on Wednesday March 10 at 2 p.m. Las Vegas is the host city for the Big West Conference Tournament. “There’s been a lot of ups and downs throughout the season, with the way we play at times. And of course, because of COVID we have been up and down. But overall, I am proud of the way we played this year too. Just the fact that things have settled and we came out to be a four seed and we took fourth in this conference is huge. That is a huge steppingstone for us and our program,” said CSUB head coach Greg McCall. CSUB will come in as the four seed after going 7-6 in Big West Conference play. The Rainbow Warriors are the five seed with a 7-6 record in conference play. The ‘Runners got the higher seed because they swept Hawaii earlier in the
season. The ‘Runners will be led by their two captains, senior Vanessa Austin and junior Miracle Saxon. They will also get help from junior Jayden Eggleston who earned Second Team All-Big West. “They have a really good coach. She does a tremen-
dous job of continuing to develop players and develop the team where each and every year toward this time of the year they play extremely better than they did at the beginning of the year,” said McCall. Watch by downloading the ESPN app in the Apple or Google Play store.
Graphic provided by Big West Conference
Home run turns tide in series against Pacific By Damian Lopez Editor-in-chief By Ricardo Velasquez Sports Reporter
In the bottom of the final inning, infielder Tyler Jorgensen’s home run won the game against the Pacific Tigers on Mar. 6, 2020 at Hardt Field, marking their first win in the series against Pacific. “We played pretty well in game one, it was disappointing to lose, but we were never out of it and we knew we’d compete today. We played hard and everyone was locked in throughout,” said Ed Sprague, head coach of the Pacific Tigers. During the first three innings of the game, CSUB brought home six players leaving Pacific in the dust until Charles Middleton of Pacific made their first run in the fourth inning. The Tigers went on to score four more runs in
the fourth inning, bringing them to five runs nearly tying the ‘Runners’ six. Outfielder Nick Grossman scored in the fifth, and infielder Evan Berkey scored in the sixth, furthering CSUB’s lead over Pacific. But in the seventh inning, Pacific’s Alex LeForestier hit out to center field allowing Middleton to score, followed by an additional two runs by James Arakawa and Zach Patterson, tying the game at 8-8. The pressure was on when Pacific’s Joe Fitzhugh singled up the middle allowing Patterson to score, giving Pacific a 9-8 lead at the top of the ninth inning. At the bottom of the ninth, with outfielder Jason Robertson on base, Jorgensen hit a home run to right field, giving the ‘Runners a 10-8 lead and winning the game. “I thought we had an
Photo provided by Ellen Kommel/The Runner
Senior outfielder Eric Charles prepares to swing at Hardt Field during the baseball game on March 6, 2021........ excellent day all the way around. If you add up all the things we did today, I think you’d say we grew
quite a bit today and did some things that will help us win down the road,” said CSUB head coach
Jeremy Beard. The win brought CSUB to an overall two wins and four losses. The ‘Runners
played the Pacific Tigers again on Sunday, March 7 and won 2-1.