INSIDE: Pg. 4• Holocaust survivor speaks at CSUB
Pg. 6 • Miguel lights up Runner Nights Pg. 9 • Softball preps for WAC tourney
California State University, Bakersfield
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Vol. 43, No. 16
CAMPUS
Celebratin’ good times at CSUB
COMMENCEMENT
The 411 on graduation By Sonia Lemus News Editor
Ana Canales/The Runner
Children compete in the Roadrunner Warrior obstacle course at Celebrate CSUB event on Saturday, April 28.
Ana Canales/The Runner
Political science major and junior transfer student, Maria Contreras stops by the Helen Hawk Honors Program table on Saturday, April 28.
May 2, 2018
Ana Canales/The Runner
Fun Run participants begin the race during Celebrate CSUB on Saturday, April 28.
To see more photos of recent events held on campus, check out our coverage on page 5.
Undergraduate commencement will take place on May 18 at 8 a.m. on the Main Soccer Field with overflow seating available in the Icardo Center. Commencement will be immediately followed with a reception for the graduates and their guests. Because students can bring an unlimited number of guests, CSU Bakersfield is expecting an overflow. But since students want to ensure their family members will be able to see them graduate live and not have to watch them through a livestream in the Icardo Center, each graduating student receives seven priority tickets. However, their seven guests with priority tickets must arrive before 7:15 a.m. when the doors will open for everyone, regardless of whether they have a priority ticket or not. Political science major Cameron Hertzoq noted some graduating students have already begun selling their extra graduation tickets to other graduating students on buy sell trade groups for CSUB on social media sites such as Facebook. However Hertzoq said she has not considered buying any. Graduating student check in will open at 5:30 a.m. on the softball practice field. They are required to be there no later than 7:30 a.m. to get their name reader card. The graduate hooding and commencement ceremony will be on May 17 at 6 p.m. in the Icardo Center. They too can bring an unlimited amount of guests but there will be no priority tickets required. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jenny Zorn said previously there was never an issue with overflow for the graduate student commencement, so they did not need priority tickets. Students participating in the graduate hooding and commencement ceremony are required to be in the Old Gym to receive their reader card. The Old Gym will be open
for graduating students by 4 p.m., graduate students are asked to be there before 5:30 p.m. Guests of the students are asked to not get out of their seats to take pictures of their graduates during the ceremony. Guests are allowed to take photos from their seats. During the September 29 Associated Students Inc. meeting of last year, ASI members gave positive feedback about the jumbotrons that were put in for last year’s commencement. Faust Gorham, associate vice president for information technology services, said that the jumbotrons will also be used this year. Additionally, there will be a livestream of commencement, so students who have family members that live far away and cannot make it to commencement can still watch them graduate through the livestream. A full list of what guests are permitted to bring into the ceremonies is available on the CSUB website. Faust also mentioned other things IT deparment facilitates for commencement. “We provide networking on the field for equipment, Marching Order is used to display names on the jumbotrons, we have the social media wall,” stated Faust. There are several other honors and recognition ceremonies that take place, but they are by invitation only. There are three other cultural graduation ceremonies, the Black Graduates Recognition ceremony, Chicano commencement, and the Lavender Recognition ceremony, for LGBTQ+ graduating students. Students must register themselves and pay a fee for the cultural graduation ceremonies. The Black Graduate Recognition Ceremony will take place on May 12 at 3 p.m. in the Icardo Center. Chicano Commencement will be held on May 13 at 9 a.m. in the Icardo Center. The Lavender Recognition Ceremony will be May 11 at 3 p.m. in the Dore Theatre.
FEATURE
Roadrunner pitcher almost called it quits before time at CSUB By Peter Castillo Editor-in-Chief The easy-going nature of Naithen Dewsnap is not evident of the fierce competitor he is when he towers over opposing hitters on the mound. The 22-year-old’s tall, lanky frame and long beard combined with his submarine arm angle has proven to give opposing hitters fits in his time at CSU Bakersfield. However, pitching in Division I baseball is not something Dewsnap envisioned just a couple years ago. In fact, he was completely at ease with walking away from the game and had already set his sights on a career as an orthodontist. The senior, now finds himself with the realistic possibility of being drafted in next month’s MLB Draft. “I try not to get my hopes up about stuff like that,” Dewsnap said. “If I do my job and the team plays well and everybody does their job, then all of that stuff will fall into place.” Before his time as a record-setting closer and now starter for the Roadrunners, the 6-foot-4-inch pitcher had an inauspicious beginning to his baseball career. A native of Norco, California, Dewsnap grew up playing both
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football and baseball. success on the mound, compiling an “Growing up in So Cal was great,” 0-4 record and earned run average said Dewsnap. “There’s a lot of north of 5.00. good talent in all sports and you’re During this time is when Dewsnap always competing at a really high figured his time in baseball had run level.” out. After graduating from Norco High Late in his sophomore year at School in 2013, he Chaffey, Dewsnap did not receive any made a career-al“I had an outing offers to play Divitering change to his where I pitched sion I baseball. pitching mechanics, He initially pretty bad and it was thanks to the help decided to attend former Chaffey consistently happen- of Fullerton College, head coach Jeff ing. With my build, Harlow. however, after not receiving playing Dewsnap was the coaches asked time, Dewsnap left convinced to try me to try it out and giving a submarine the school. Dewsnap then it ended up working arm angle a shot, chose to take his of his tradiout. It felt a lot better instead talents to Chaffey tional over-the-top and felt more natural delivery. He deCollege in nearby Rancho Cucamonscribed it as a ‘why to me.” ga. not?’ experiment. “I actually went to “I had an outing Chaffey as a favor,” where I pitched Naithen Dewsnap Dewsnap said. “It bad and it on dropping his arm pretty was local, and after was consistently angle in 2016. things didn’t work happening,” said out for me at FulDewsnap. “With lerton, I knew they would give me a my build, the coaches asked me to shot to play at Chaffey.” try it out and it ended up working In his two seasons at Chaffey, out. It felt a lot better and more Dewsnap was experiencing little natural to me.”
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The switch not only gave Dewsnap roughly 10 more miles per hour on his fastball but it improved his control and gave him more movement on his pitches. “When I threw overhand, the reason for the lack of success was that I didn’t throw very hard,” Dewsnap said. “I was usually anywhere from 78 to 82 mph and when I went submarine I was around 87 to 88, which was a surprise to everyone.” Dewsnap decided to stick with it and saw an improvement immediately. In the summer following his sophomore season, Dewsnap was taking summer courses in order to transfer to UC Riverside where he had been in talks about a potential scholarship offer. However, his deal with UCR never came about. He was also pitching a summer league for college players. This was the first time CSUB head coach Jeremy Beard, who was the Roadrunner’s pitching coach at the time, saw Dewsnap pitch. Beard recalls he was in the area to take a look at a catcher and was recommended by the coaches there to take a look at Dewsnap as well. See DEWSNAP, Page 8
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Roxana Flores/The Runner
Senior pitcher Naithen Dewsnap leans over and peers in for a sign during a game against CSUN at Matador Field on March 27.
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