California State University, Bakersfield
January 25, 2021
Vol. 47, No. 1
Need help? From laptops to tutoring, find resources here Rosa Salazar Assistant News Editor Despite CSUB students and employees having limited access to campus due to COVID-19, resources are available virtually to help students succeed. According to the Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment at CSUB the spring 2021 headcount is 10,115 for enrolled students. All students have the opportunity to access help with the many resources available at CSUB. Last semester, the university was able to transition many on-campus resources into virtual appointments via Zoom. If students are in need of a hotspot, laptop or both they can contact the Laptop and Hotspot Loaner Program by email at ServiceCenter@csub. edu or by phone at (661) 654-HELP (4357). The Walter W. Stiern Library is also available to for students to access from the comfort of their homes using their CSUB ID and password from the CSUB library website in order to check out books, access
research databases and get help from a librarian. According to the CSUB website, there is also a 24/7 chat available and the library is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The library can be contacted by phone at (661) 654-3172. For psychiatric needs, students have access to the Counseling Center, which offers counseling and psychiatry services through Zoom, according to the CSUB website. Those in need of these services can call the main Counseling Center at (661) 654-3366. The center provides workshops, group therapy, psychiatric services, and general studies courses. The CSUB Food Pantry provides many staple food and essential products to currently enrolled students for free. According to the pantry’s Instagram page, the hours of operation are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. To receive food and supplies students must present their CSUB student ID or their Canvas
or Blackboard app. The pantry also offers food distributions which are “free and open to the public, all are welcome.” For more information, contact the pantry at (661) 654-3663 or you can keep up with their social media. For those needing academic assistance, the Tutoring Center has many areas that you can request help with including the Writing Resource Center, the Math Tutoring Center, and Social Science and Education Tutoring Center. Students can email wrc@ csub.edu to schedule an appointment or to check for availability. In addition to the previous resources, the Student Health Services center is open to all CSUB students and provides, “access to physicians and nursing staff, plus in-house x-ray, clinical laboratory, health promotions and pharmacy services,” according to the CSUB website. Services include a pharmacy, a women’s clinic and more. For more information students can contact the Student Health Services at (661) 654-2394.
Illustration by Paige Atkison/The Runner
8 new COVID-19 cases reported in January for people contagious on campus Katrina Singleton News Editor Normalcy in Kern County, along with the rest of the nation, has been put on hold since March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new year has not yet shown a silver lining for returning to normal, as cases are still surging throughout the county.
In December of 2020, California Gov. Gavin Newsom had announced that in Kern County ICU capacity had reached 0% and placed California residents on a new stay at home order. The order stopped the process of returning back to school, as well as the reopening of dine-in restaurants. CSU Bakersfield has
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ered from COVID-19. A variety of vaccines for the novel coronavirus have been distributed throughout the world hoping to achieve herd immunity and curb the COVID-19 virus. Kern County has implemented a system to help distribute the COVID-19 vaccine. The system consists of three phases with at least one tier that will
facebook.com/runnercsub
decide who will get the vaccine first. Based on the information that can be found on the Kern Public Health website, Kern County has started vaccinating Phase 1a (healthcare workers) Tier 1, 2, and 3. Healthcare professionals have begun Phase 1b, starting with residents that are 65 years of age and
older. Educators, childcare professionals, emergency service providers, and those that work in food and agriculture are next in line for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. For more information about who is next in line for the COVID-19 vaccine visit the Kern Public Health website at kernpublichealth.com.
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had a total of 111 positive COVID-19 cases since March 2020. This year already from Jan. 5 to Jan. 12, 8 cases of COVID-19 have been reported. 92 of the total reported cases are off campus whereas 19 of the positive cases are from individuals that have visited CSUB’s physical campus. 103 of the 111 reported cases have recov-
Features
The Runner
January 25, 2021
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Student club fair to return online By Jordan Frazier Reporter `Runners have the opportunity to get involved by signing up for various clubs and organizations for this spring semester. According to the CSU Bakersfield website, there are over 100 active clubs on the CSUB campus, and it ranges from sororities, academic, political, cultural, religious and social justice clubs. Though clubs are no longer able to meet in person, that isn’t stopping students from getting together and having a good, virtual time. CSUB students can get involved in the clubs by joining them on an active page in RunnerSync on the CSUB website under “Current Students” and putting in their school email in the contact tab to send messages to club officers in the organization. “They can see all of the clubs at RunnerSync. Clubs in the category Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) have very struc-
tured processes for joining. University Sponsored Organizations (USO) are honor societies that restrict membership based upon GPA and study field. The most common are Recognized Student Organizations (RSO). Those are the academic, sports, activist, multicultural, religious and special interest clubs,” Edward Webb, Student Organizations and RunnerSync Coordinator, wrote in an email. One club of interest to many students is the Campus Gamers. According to the CSUB website, “Campus Gamers meets every week on Friday at 3 p.m. where we discuss club buisness, activities, fundraisers, and of course play games!” Students can also create, renew or reactivate a club. More information can be found on the RunnerSync website. Clubs at CSUB are staying active during distance learning by holding meetings on Zoom. Students can see upcoming events and meetings held by the different orga-
Ruuna Morisawa/The Runner From left: Loay Samha, Ramon Llamas, and Divyang Motavar, tabled outside near the SU Patio with information about international clubs, programs, and resources on campus on Nov. 18, 2019.
nizations on RunnerSync. Student clubs and organizations can reach out to students at CSU Bakersfield by participating in virtual club fair which will be on Feb. 3 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to
Webb. Follow The Runner online for a link closer to the event date. `Runners are encouraged to attend the club fair to learn about all the clubs offered and how to join. The Virtual Club Tabling
provides clubs access to promote clubs to students across the campus. “ASI does have a budget for supporting clubs for 2020-2021,” Webb wrote. “Travel and in-person events will not be funded
this year since they are not permitted, but there are other things they can support like virtual events with funding for guest speakers or activities with prizes.”
Opinions
The Runner
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January 25, 2021
Trading despair for wellness Spencer Shepard Food Editor During the 2020 fall semester, I was faced with the most challenging semester of my life because I had lost my job to COVID-19, and I was homeschooling my daughter while distance learning myself. The semester not only tested me academically but also challenged my mental health in so many different ways that it began to cause a strain on my relationships and overall well-being. However, I decided that I would persevere and finish the semester strong, which I did but at the price of my mental health. With anxiety and depression creeping in, I became a recluse and kept myself in the bedroom rather than enjoy family time. It was not until I listened to a song by The Grateful Dead titled “Deal” that I decided to get up and get moving. The lyrics resonated with me and motivated me to get healthy. “Since it cost me a lot to win and even more to lose,/ You and me bound to spend some time wonderin’ what to choose/ Goes to show you don’t even know/ Watch each card you play and play it slow.” The lyrics told me that school comes at a price, and sometimes it costs a little bit of sanity to accomplish a class. And, sometimes, school causes us to feel like we’re going to lose and feeling lost. Additionally, questions like “Is it worth it” or “Maybe I should just drop out” arose as depression crept in; I had to choose to win. I had to fight my depression and not let it define me. Also, I had an example to set for my daughter, and prove to myself that I could finish the Sisyphean fall semester of 2020. “Depression is a common and disabling mental illness, prevalent worldwide across all ages, genders, and races,” according to the Journal of Psychological Medicine. So, I decided to take my health and mental wellness into my own hands by figuring out how to climb out of my mental pit of de-
spair. I started by just getting outside and enjoying the sunlight and fresh air. Sunlight for at least 15 minutes a day helps with mental health and our physical health. “Best-known benefit of sunlight is its ability to boost the body’s vitamin D supply,” states the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The skin absorbs Vitamin D through a photosynthetic reaction and, in turn, promotes bone health and increases dopamine levels in the brain. And, an increase in dopamine levels allows for depression to subside. With healthy dopamine levels, people are alert, happy, and alive. Additionally, students need a break from the monotony of life and school, so I chose to get more into hiking. Before campus closed to comply with the COVID-19 quarantine, Professor Matthew Woodman told his Friday afternoon Creative Writing class to “excavate reality” so that we could find what was real in the world. Those two words have stuck with me through quarantine as I attempted to understand this new life of mine. To excavate reality, I had to find what was real, what was tangible, and something that brought me peace. Hiking brought me peace because I was no longer stuck to a WiFi signal, school did not matter momentarily, and life became real. As I hiked, I noticed the birds nearby’ melodic songs, and the sun comforted me like a warm blanket fresh out of the dryer. On my hikes, life became slower, and I could be a sponge to nature and learn from its quiet wisdom. I told a friend about my new ethos, and he recommended Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay Nature for me to read so I could continue excavating reality. Emerson writes Nature to explain the spiritual and personal enlightenment that only some can glean from the natural world. And, I began to etch every word Emerson wrote into my psyche because he helped me find peace as
Illustration by Paige Atkison/The Runner
I began to understand his wisdom. “The lover of nature is he whose inward and outward senses are still truly adjusted to each other; who has retained the spirit of infancy even into the era of manhood,” wrote Emerson in Nature. While hiking, I began to discover back and hip pain from being in a state of rest for so long. So, I began to search the internet for relief from my pain and discovered most of my pain was sciatic related. And, being presented with my self-diagnosed problem, I found Dr. Jo’s “Sciatic Nerve Pain Relief Stretches” on YouTube in an attempt to alleviate my pain. The pain began after I sat long hours at a desk writing papers, attending multiple Zoom sessions in a day, and not doing a damn thing to ease it. Dr. Jo has a disclaimer warning that it is not medical advice; however, after following her workout video, I became hooked on feeling better. And I began to implement this into my daily routine along with 45 minutes of quiet mediation. Diet also became a part of my health journey as I no longer found comfort from depression in food. I found comfort in foods that we high in sugar, load-
ed with carbohydrates, and left me wanting more. As I chose inner joy over food, I began to call these types of food “dead food” because they only helped when I felt dead inside from depression. Another pivotal point in my longing for personal reform was having a hard time fitting into shorts and pants without sucking in my stomach. So, either, I could buy clothes that fit or make the clothes I had fit again. Being a broke college stu-
dent, I was left with the choice to lose weight instead of spending money on clothes I did not need. I told myself, “the only one holding you back is yourself.” So, I found new hiking trails to explore and changed my diet drastically so that once the spring semester of 2021 began, I would be ahead of myself from the previous semester. Additionally, I started seeking out ways to get nutrient-rich foods into my
diet; and, I started by making smoothies twice a day as a substitute for breakfast and lunch. At dinner, I make healthier meals now while practicing portion control. My smoothies usually consist of water, raw ginger, blueberries, non-fat plain Greek yogurt, local honey, and spinach because of their respective nutritional properties. For example, ginger helps with digestion, lessens nausea, and helps fight the flu and common cold. Whereas blueberries can help boost immunity and lower the possibility of diabetes, obesity, and heart diseases. “Yogurt provides healthy bacteria for the digestive tract which can affect the entire body,” states Natalie Butler, R.D., L.D. Eating well, thinking well, and acting well have become part of my mantra as I traverse life as a parent and student. Also, it’s something that will be a part of my life from now on because if I am not working on myself, I am not operating at my best. Personal growth allows mental wellness to flourish, and clean eating allows for a healthier life. So, get outdoors, eat some more fruits and veggies, and make better choices for yourself, so life is not so tumultuous. And, drink more water because it’s good for you!
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Sports
The Runner
January 25, 2021
Men’s basketball competes for the top spot in Big West
Damian Lopez Digital Managing Editor Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are at about the middle of a season they have never played before. Without a crowd to cheer them on, maintaining social distancing and frequent health screenings, they manage to compete. “It’s definitely a blessing. I’m definitely so thankful that we are able to play and to continue to play and that the school works so hard for us to keep playing. Definitely every time I step on the court, I think about all the testing that we have done and everything that leads up to just playing that one game,” said Justin Edler-Davis, forward for the `Runners. De’Monte Buckingham,
guard for the `Runners, and Edler-Davis, said they are tested for COVID-19 every other day to ensure hey are fit to compete. After winning one out of two conference games against the Long Beach 49ers, the `Runners swept both the Cal Poly Mustangs and Hawaii Rainbow Wahine for a total of five conference wins in a row. The `Runners took three non-conference losses against the Santa Clara Broncos, the Arizona Wildcats, and the Stanford Cardinals, and three wins against Bethesda Flames, Idaho Vandals, and St. Katherine Firebirds for an overall standing of nine wins and four losses. Their next game is up against Riverside Highlanders, who recently swept the Cal Poly Mus-
tangs leaving the Highlanders right behind the `Runners in the conference with three wins and one loss. “I would say we just have to keep playing the same way we’ve been playing. Keep motivating each other and being there for each other, listening to the coachs tells to ‘go out there and do’. Just following each game plan that we have been doing each and every other game. I feel like we just have to go out there and bring our same intensity and bring back two wins,” De’Monte Buckingham said. As of now, the women’s basketball team stands in fourth in the Big West Conference, with two non-conference wins against the California Golden Bears and Fresno
State Bulldogs, and two conference wins against the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine. The three game winning streak attained from sweeping the Rainbow Wa-
Illustration by Damian Lopez/The Runner hine and Fresno State came The women’s basketball after losing four games in team was not available for a row; one against the Pep- comment at this time, as perdine Waves, then to the they were in preparation Santa Clara Broncos, and for their next game against finally getting swept by the the Riverside Highlanders. Long Beach 49ers.
EDUCATING FOR ETHICS. SERVING OUR CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY. SPRING 2021 ONLINE EVENTS All Events Held on Zoom - Event Links Will Be Posted on KIE Web Site and KIE Social Media
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Ethics in Leadership: A Conversation with Dr. Thomas Wallace 6 p.m. Pacific Free and Open to the Public
The Kaiser Permanente Bioethics and Medical Humanities Speaker Series: “Race, Gender, and Bias in Medicine: Experiences and Insights” Featuring: Dr. Kateena Addae-Konadu, M.D., Dr. Keisha Ray, and Dr. Sharon OkonkwoHolmes, M.D. 6 p.m. Pacific Free and Open to the Public
FEB
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MAR
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MAR
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MAR
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KIE Ethics Across the Curriculum Workshop
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Humanities Beyond Bars Event Series: “The Power and the Promise: Education in Prison” 6 p.m. Pacific Free and Open to the Public
KIE Faculty Colloquia Series: Dr. Christopher Meyers “Activism as the Core of Ethics” 12 p.m. Pacific CSUB Faculty and Staff Only
KIE Community Colloquia Series: Dr. Michele Moody-Adams (Columbia University) “Monuments and the Obligations of Collective Memory”
8th Annual Campus Ethics Bowl 6 p.m. Pacific Free and Open to the Public
Kegley Institute of Ethics
@KegleyEthics
Humanities Beyond Bars Event Series: Max Kenner (Bard Prison Initiative) “The Long History of College-in-Prison: A Field at the Crossroads” 6 p.m. Pacific Free and Open to the Public
MAR
10th Annual Wendy Wayne Ethics Awards
APR
34th Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture Dr. Ibram X. Kendi (Boston University) “How to Be an Antiracist”
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1 p.m. Pacific CSUB Faculty Only; Registration Required
6 p.m. Pacific Free and Open to the Public
MAR
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Co-Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and Adventist Health Bakersfield 6 p.m. Pacific Free and Open to the Public
Co-Sponsored by CSUB Campus Programming 6 p.m. Pacific Free and Open to the Public
APR
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KIE Faculty Colloquia Series: Dr. Ji Li “Digital Ethics: What Californian Professional Accountants Need to Know” 12 p.m. Pacific CSUB Faculty and Staff Only
APR
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“NextTech: From the Central Valley to Silicon Valley” Co-Hosted by CSUB Center for Community Engagement and Career Education 5 p.m. Pacific Free and Open to the Public
APR
KIE Student Fellow Project Presentations
MAY
KIE Ethics Across the Curriculum Workshop
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12 p.m. Pacific CSUB Faculty and Staff Only
9 a.m. Pacific CSUB Faculty Only; Registration Required
@KegleyEthics
ethics@csub.edu
www.csub.edu/kie