Out of the 23 campuses in the California State University system, California State University, Bakersfield ranks ninth in total campus-based fees. Some of the highest fees charged to CSUB students are the Student Association, Student Center, and Instructionally Related Activities fees.
According to the CSU website, calstate.edu, CSUB charges its students $1,895 in campus-based fees.
Each CSU campus is authorized to charge its students campus-mandatory fees, also known as Category II fees, as part of their enrollment.
For the 2022-2023 school year, CSUB had the highest Student Association fee in the CSU system. CSUB charges each student a $419 Student
Association fee, whereas the fee ranges from $54 to $368 for the other 22 CSU campuses, according to calstate.edu.
These fees are controlled by CSUB’s student government.
CSUB also charges each student $870 in Student Center fees. These fees cover employee salaries, debt service, and construction of facilities such as the Student Union and Student Recreation Center, said Mike Uhlenkamp, senior director of strategic communications and public affairs for the CSU.
Despite having the fourth-highest Student Center fee, CSUB has one of the smallest student union spaces in the
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CSU system.
CSUB’s student union is 27,800 square feet, according to square footage data provided by the CSU Chancellor’s Office. Meanwhile, the other 22 campus’s total student union spaces range from about 64,000 to 226,000 square feet.
In 2018, CSUB passed a referendum to expand its Student Union and add a new aquatic center that would charge students an increasing amount, $180, to contribute to the project.
The CSU Student Fee Policy states that, before adjusting a Category II fee, a vote of students must take place to measure the support of the fee increase.
“All of these are referendums that have happened, again, students have voted on them, and those continue to follow students to this day,” said Ilaria Pesco, executive director of ASI.
CSUB also ranks twelfth in IRA fees, charging $183 to each student.
Athletics and fine arts are outlined in the IRA Guidelines to automatically
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receive funding. CSUB’s IRA fee also funds academic technology on campus, the Academic Resource Center, and the Writing Resource Center.
Once all money has been dispersed to these areas, faculty can apply for an IRA grant from the leftover money.
“Faculty will apply for money to support their courses to provide experiential opportunities for students,” said Pesco.
CSUB’s grant application resumed in February, after two years without disbursement.
While campus-based fees vary by campus, not all fee increases are voted on. The Campus Fee Advisory Committee meets regularly to discuss fee increases.
According to EJ Callahan, the assistant vice president for student affairs, CSUB uses the Higher Education Price Index (HEPI) to determine how much fees need to be increased by.
Contact Haydee Barahona at hbarahona@csub.edu
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By Teresa Balmori Perez Assistant News Editor
California State University, Bakersfield has the highest Student Association fee out of all 23 California State Universities. This fee not only funds clubs and organizations and Associated Student Inc. scholarships, but also athletics. ASI is responsible for handling those expenses.
Each student pays a $419 Student Assocation fee, 66% of which goes toward athletics. Meanwhile, other campuses charge between $54 to $368.
According to Ilaria Pesco, executive director of ASI, ASI is budgeted $3.96 million for the 2022-2023 academic year. of the $3.96 million student association budget for the 20222023 academic year, ASI kept $542,400. “All the events that you see that ASI puts on every Runner Hour...We’re spending money there to get back to our students,” ASI President Carson Vollmer said.
The fee also covers athletics and Athletics DIV-I.
Athletics-DIV 1 received the most funding on the ASI budget: $2.92 million. According to Pesco, this funds student athletes’ scholarships that are required by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
A separate athletics category of the budget, which is $458,600, funds scholarships for students on the spirit squad, their travel costs for competitions, and uniforms, Pesco said. It also funds spirit programming.
“The goal for these student fees is that everything that’s being charged goes back to students in one way or the other, so that it goes to benefit students in some sort of way,” said Pesco.
“All the events that you see that ASI puts on every Runner Hour, every Wednesday from twelve to one. We’re spending money there to get back to our students,” Carson Vollmer, the president of ASI, said.
Pesco also stated that ASI uses $109,500 to support student activities, such as clubs and organizations.
According to the ASI Club Funding Policy document, in order for a club or organization to apply for funding, they first have to be in good standing with the Office of Student Involvement. The OSI
will then verify the club’s or organization’s charted status before the form is passed to the ASI Finance committee.
Only club Presidents or treasures are allowed to submit the ASI Funding Application. There is a maximum allotment of $3,000 per year for clubs and organizations.
“The funds being used from ASI must also fund an event free and open to all students on campus,” wrote Julisa Chavana, ASI vice president of finance, in an email.
According to Pesco, ASI works with clubs and organizations to help ensure
that their events are a success.
For example, ASI helps fund the Food Pantry and Edible Garden.
Pesco explained that the Food Pantry spends their $500 on food while the Edible Garden spends $500 on seeds and fertilizers.
ASI also supports the Chicken Enthusiasts Club. According to Pesco, ASI was able to give the Chicken Enthusiast Club $3,000 for their club with approval from the finance committee.
Simran Sidhu, president of the BIPOC for Mental Health Club, has also applied for funding from the ASI finance
committee.
While BIPOC for Mental Health is a new club and has only applied for funding once, Sidhu said their experience was positive.
“Everyone on ASI was very kind and open to hearing about our event and why we wanted to put it on. They asked some really good questions about it and got back to us very quickly regarding if we got approved or not,” said Sidhu.
Sidhu said the BIPOC for Mental Health Club was approved for funding.
ASI also funds the Antelope Valley campus by giving them $69,900.
According to Pesco, ASI gives funds to AV in order for them to do their own programming. CSUB AV Student Life Advancement also receives funding from ASI for its clubs.
Because ASI is a nonprofit organization, they have certain operating expenses.
With their portion of the budget, ASI pays for staff to help manage the organization, said Pesco. This includes money for the executive director, coordinator, and student assistants. The total amount of employee costs is around $243,000.
ASI also pays for the board members’ scholarships, such as the executive and chief justice, said Pesco. Each semester they all receive $125, which is paid through financial aid. The total for their six executives adds up to $48,264, and $850 for the Chief Justice.
“They are not employees of the organizations. So, therefore, the only compensation they receive is tuition and fees. That is consistent across the CSU that all of the executive officers across the CSU are compensated with tuition fees,” Pesco said.
According to Pesco, CSUB students who wish to increase the Student Association fee would have to go to the ASI board and petition why they want to increase the fee. Then, ASI will consider putting a referendum before the students to vote on.
The referendum will then have to go to the CSUB President and then to the Chancellor’s Office. In order for a referendum to be approved, the president and the Chancellor’s Office both have to agree on it or else it will not be passed.
California State University, Bakersfield charges the fourth highest Student Center fee out of all 23 CSU campuses.
CSUB students pay $870 Student Center fee to the Student Union and Student Recreation Center.
Although CSUB charges one of the highest Student Center fees in the CSU system, its’ total student union space is also the second smallest.
The CSUB Student Union is 27,884 square feet, according to the list of CSU student union square footage provided by the CSU Chancellor’s Office. The building’s size places CSUB above just one other university: California State University, Channel Islands.
The student union spaces among the 21 other CSU campuses range from 64,000 to 226,000 square feet.
While Cal Poly Humboldt’s student population is comparable to the 9,000 students at CSUB, Cal Poly Humboldt charges a $246 Student Center fee to its 8,000 students.
Some campuses have made additions to their student union spaces or have a second student union at an off-campus center, wrote Hazel Kelly, public affairs manager for the CSU Chancellor’s Office, in an email.
CSUB passed a student fee referendum in 2018 to expand the Student Union and build a new aquatic center for the SRC. As a result, CSUB students pay $180 a year to the SU’s and
SRC’s respective projects.
In 2019, students paid a total of $60 for this fee. $40 went to the SU expansion and $20 to the aquatic center. For four years, the SU expansion tiered up by $40 a year while the aquatic center remained at $20.
In 2022, the four-year mark had been hit, thus the base of this fee will no longer go up for students and stay at $180. However, students can still be charged more for the fee.
Currently, the SRC has about $1.8 million for the aquatic center project and the SU has about $10 million.
CSUB is going to have the aquatic center built first, then the SU will be expanded, said EJ Callahan, assistant vice president for student affairs.
CSUB’s current John S. Hillman Aquatic Center is mainly for athletics, being an National Collegiate Athletic Association pool. The aquatic center being
built under the fee referendum won’t be used for athletics.
“It’ll be a reservable space. It’s for students, student organizations could reserve it for programs,” Callahan said. “It won’t be a space for athletics or competition. It’ll be for recreation.”
The current aquatic center is open to CSUB students, staff, and faculty, but only for specific hours.
Along with the pool, Callahan said they are hoping to build a deck in the new aquatic center so movie nights can be hosted for students.
Callahan said the space being looked at for the aquatic center is the space across from parking lot K1 as well as the open area outside the SRC and by the University Police. Ideally, Callahan said they would like to build the aquatic center more center to campus.
According to Callahan, no money has been spent from the money collected from the referendum for the SU expansion, but some of the aquatic center’s
money has been used for initial feasibility studies.
Mary O’Mahoney, the SRC director, said they don’t have a timeline for when the aquatic center may be finished. However, the next step would be to speak with an architecture firm to determine costs and then a timeline.
“It has been suggested that this project will cost about $16 million. So you can see we are well short of being able to start the project immediately,” O’Mahoney said, “however, now that we are post-pandemic at least with regards to moving forward with campus plans the aquatic center will become a priority again.”
O’Mahoney said she is currently working with Facilities Management to find an architecture firm for the project.
“I’ve always loved swimming as cardio. So, to be able to do it inside, I’m guessing, it would be a lot better,” said Mata, a mathematics major.
Mata said that he would like to see a pool accessible to
everyone and intramural sports at the new aquatic center.
After the aquatic center is finished, the SU expansion will begin.
Callahan said that the process for the SU expansion would be similar to the SRC’s, which is to find an architecture firm first, then finalize a timeline.
For the expansion, the space being looked at is the area by the Starbucks in the Student Union.
Callahan said they are looking to build a ballroom and second floor when the expansion comes.
“It’ll definitely be more substantial and give the students the space that they need cause right now they’re on top of each other and they’re not happy about it,” Callahan said.
However, once both projects are built, the fee won’t cease.
“There is probably a 30-year mortgage attached to both of those projects because that’s how it gets financed over that time period and then it has to support the staff that will be running that area,” Callahan said. “I don’t know if there’s necessarily an end date per se.”
The referendum will continue to go towards fees concerning the aquatic center and SU expansion. Callahan said after everything has been built, the fee will go to paying for staff that will run the center and repairs or maintenance the centers may need in the future.
California State University, Bakersfield charges students a $183 Instructionally Related Activities fee. While certain categories at CSUB automatically receive IRA funding, faculty also have the opportunity to apply for a portion of what is leftover to support their courses and provide experiential opportunities to students.
From 2015 to 2019, the IRA grant pool ranged from $88,000 to $105,000, according to CSUB’s IRA Budget. However, in 2020, CSUB only collected about $60,000 for IRA grants.
As the number of students enrolled in the university during the COVID-19 pandemic decreased, so did the annual revenue in IRA grant money.
“While these fees might have been larger, they would have been had we been on track to having the same amount of students that we had in 2018,” said Ilaria Pesco, executive director of ASI.
CSUB also stopped the disbursement of the IRA grant in 2021 following a court at CSU San Marcos in which a pro-life club was denied funding, Pesco explained.
Now, each committee member must
go through viewpoint-neutral training to ensure that no viewpoints are used in their decision to allocate the funds. After two years, CSUB’s IRA grant process has started back up again.
“There wasn’t clear guidance from the Chancellor’s Office as to how we were supposed to be able to disperse those funds. So, those funds would roll over to this year. Actually, this year, we’ll have more money to support events and programs now that we are able to get the committee back together,” said Pesco.
The IRA grant application for the 2022-2023 academic year closed on Feb. 20. Pesco said that the committee will meet in March to review the applications.
The IRA committee consists of three faculty members and three students who will take a vote to decide on the awards.
The ASI President chairs this committee.
The committee’s goal is to fund as many projects as possible, but some projects will not be funded if they are not tied to a course, said Pesco.
If a project has met the IRA policies and criteria, it would be eligible for funding. However, there is also a limited amount of grant money, so the project may not receive the exact amount of
funding requested, explained Pesco.
The Runner has also been an IRA grant recipient in the past.
Before the IRA application opens, the IRA funding must be dispersed to certain areas on campus, like tutoring and advising for CSUB Athletics.
CSUB Athletics received about $460,000 in IRA funding in 2021, according to the IRA budget. This portion of the money funds the Kegley Center for Student Success.
Portions of the IRA budget also fund the academic technology, Academic Advising and Resource Center, and Writing Resource Center.
Roughly 95% of the IRA funding the WRC receives is used to hire student staff, said Jacob Whitaker, WRC coordinator.
The WRC was still operating just as busily during the pandemic as it ever had, just with less overall funding, said Whitaker.
“We found that during the pandemic, students were looking for support more than ever. So, we were doing more tutoring, and a lot of our tutoring time was social more than anything else, where students were checking in and looking for someone to talk to about the experiences they’ve had,” said Whitaker.
Fine arts also receive IRA funding
for exhibits and productions on campus, in accordance with the IRA Guidelines. Like the IRA grant pool, the IRA funding for Fine Arts also decreased significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic, from about $120,000 in 2019 and $76,000 in IRA funding in 2020.
According to the IRA Budget, Fine Arts received about $80,000 in 2021.
Mandy Rees, theatre program coordinator, said that she thinks everyone was impacted by the COVID-pandemic, and there was some confusion on whether the program would receive funding. The program hosted Zoom productions but also spent conservatively.
“The IRA funding is terrific to have, and we hope that students see the benefits from it,” said Rees.
All of the operational costs of the Todd Madigan Gallery are funded through the IRA grant, said Jedediah Caesar, gallery director and curator.
Caesar has also applied for the IRA grant once before, he explained, but couldn’t use it because the exhibition didn’t go through.
“The only time I’ve ever done it is when I feel like we just couldn’t do a project unless we got a little bit more of that support,” said Caesar.
By Jacob Torres Features Writer
Michael D. Burroughs, associate professor of philosophy at CSUB and director of the Kegley Institute of Ethics, was involved in an ethics consulting project, along with the media company ATTN, for the TV series “Accused.” The show premiered on national television on the Fox network in late January, 2023, and is also available to stream on Hulu.
Burroughs wrote in an email, “I was selected based on my ethics research expertise and my previous TEDx Talk. I also did a screen test with the project producers and eventually was selected to work on the project.”
Burroughs continued in the same email, “It was a great experience. I like the challenge of breaking down complex ethics topics in order to make them as accessible and relevant as possible.”
The show is essentially a “who done it?” where the characters are accused of a crime they’re not aware of, based solely on circumstantial evidence and seen from the perspective of the defendants.
Burroughs’s colleague, Nate Olson, associate director of the KIE, shared in an email, “I think it is fantastic that Dr. Burroughs is working as an ethics consultant for the show ‘Accused.’ Dr. Burroughs filmed a video that discusses the ethical dimensions of the show and how we go about reasoning through ethical dilemmas. You can access this video through the Kegley Institute’s social media channels.”
Olson also wrote, “Dr. Burroughs is a leading expert on bringing ethics pro-
gramming to diverse public audiences, and his work with ‘Accused’ will expose the show’s broad audience to his insightful, engaging ethical analysis.”
According to the KIE website, “The Kegley Institute strives to educate the public on the importance and gravity of ethical understanding in our community, and serves as an inspirational hub for ethical education, awareness, and leadership.”
Originally from a small town in Maryland, Burroughs was raised by his
father, a professor, and spent a lot of time around a university campus.
Burroughs would eventually obtain a position teaching in prisons to incarcerated students, as well as teaching high school. He did this while in the process of obtaining his Ph.D. from the University of Memphis, Tennessee.
Burroughs also taught at Pennsylvania State University before bringing his passion and talents to Bakersfield in 2017.
“I moved to Bakersfield after being hired to serve as Director of the Kegley
Institute of Ethics and Assistant Professor of Philosophy at CSUB. I am still serving as Director of KIE and am now an associate professor of Philosophy at CSUB,” Burroughs revealed in the email.
Burroughs will be stepping down from his position at the KIE at the end of the Spring 2023 semester.
Burroughs gave a TEDx Talk, “The Significance of Ethics and Ethics Education in Daily Life,” in front of approximately 800 attendees at Penn State University. In the talk, he spoke about the ethical dilemmas and situations that arise in everyday life and how beneficial the education of ethics is to the world we live in.
In the introduction of said TEDx Talk, he stated, “You feel pressure regarding your class grade, and you have the opportunity to turn in work that’s not your own in order to get ahead. You can tell a friend an important truth, even though it might end the friendship.”
These are just a couple of examples of the ethical dilemmas Burroughs talked about in the TEDx Talk.
Burroughs also wrote in the email about how the TEDx Talk came about:
“I was nominated to give the TEDx Talk while working at Penn State University. I then had to make a pitch, audition, and be selected to give the talk. After that was a several months process of preparation for the event.”
The TEDx Talk is available to stream on YouTube on the TEDx Talk YouTube channel, where it currently has over 400,000 views.
2022 gave us more music than we knew what to do with. It seemed as if every day another artist was dropping some album.
The new year means changes will occur, whether we like it or not. Some are small, little things out of our control, and sometimes, we choose to move mountains and make change take place. This past year, for me personally, I went through a lot. I went through a hard breakup, with both my partner and my friend group.
When looking at my top 10 list of albums, I realized I had picked the ones that helped me get through the hard times: albums that had been there for me as I got comfortable with being alone. Because, although people are not always permanently in your life, music never really leaves you. Even when you turn it off, it still is there, playing in your head.
Overall, this list was a very difficult decision I had to make. My list went from well over 50 albums, then down to 29, and now it is at my top 10 for the past year
So, here are my top 5 albums for 2022 that helped me get through all the heartbreak and changes the year brought.
5. “HOLY FVCK” by Demi Lovato
Lovato made this album out of spite. That is the tone for the entire album. This album was meant to be listened to when you’re angry. Anger is a huge part of the healing process. You are allowed to be angry: it is a normal human reaction. This album is a great one to either scream the lyrics to or blast as loud as your speakers will go as you drive 75 miles down the freeway
Album cover, “HOLY FVCK,” from Lovato’s official Twitter.
4. “Special” by Lizzo
This is an album all about reminding yourself that you are absolutely killing it. Sometimes, healing is a hard thing to do. Listening to this album reminded me that I can do anything I put my mind to. That people who lose me are the ones missing out. Plus, it also is an amazing album to listen to while working out. Lizzo reminds us all that a little bit of confidence goes a long way. As long as we believe we are the “baddest,” we will be the “baddest.” It is a mentality that we are manifesting.
Album cover, “Special,” from Lizzo’s official Twitter,
3. “Midnights” by Taylor Swift
This is an album all about reflecting on who you are and where you have been. In order to move forward, you have to look back at the past and address it. Not necessarily fix it, but realize that all that happened to you will follow you. This album is about understanding that everything you do has made you to be the person you are today, for the better.
Album cover, “Midnights,” from Swift’s official Twitter.
2. “Harry’s House” by Harry Styles Styles gives us an album that is heartbreaking and longing, all around. This album doesn’t just dive into wanting to be with a person despite the odds that are set up against you both, it also deals with childhood trauma, that, if left unfixed, can cause more problems for you down the road. This album addresses how all your trauma may build a tower over you, but you must fight against it and rise above it. No matter how intense the pain may be, you will make it out alive. This album rips you in two, but tells you it all will be okay in the end.
Album cover, “Harry’s House,” from Styles’s official Twitter.
Of course, my top album is by Louis Tomlinson. He has been my top artist for as long as I can remember, but this album is my number one because it was released when I needed it most. Tomlinson gives us a vulnerable album about learning to love someone from afar- until the feelings fade completely. Tomlinson doesn’t tell you to rush into letting them go, but to let the feelings fade gradually; that there is no rush in letting love go. This album also normalizes still wishing the person who hurt you off with the best intentions, which is not a common thread you see in music. Tomlinson also writes numerous songs where he realizes the love he had for the person was real and true, just not necessarily made for him. This album is the end of the healing process. This album was made to be listened to when it finally doesn’t hurt to say goodbye to that person, when you can finally block them on everything and not feel bad about it anymore.
Album cover, “Faith in the Future,” from Tomlinson’s official Twitter.
2022 was full of new experiences that I didn’t know how to cope with on my own. This is why I turned to the music these artists produced. These albums filled the void that people left empty. Although these artists may not be making music forever, the music they release will always be around.
These albums will always have a special place in my heart, reminding me of how they helped me be comfortable with being alone with myself. To read about my other top 5 albums, visit The Runner Online.
In light of recent rumors of an armed suspect at California State University, Bakersfield, we, as members of the campus, do not feel prepared with the proper protocols and resources to keep ourselves safe.
“UPS [UPD] is aware of rumors of an armed subject on campus. We are unable to validate any immediate threat to the campus,” stated the first alert from CSUB’s Police Department.
The CSUB alert sent to the campus community didn’t provide information on what steps to take. It let students know that there was a rumor of someone going around with a firearm. What were we supposed to do then?
The alert should have offered advice and given instructions on how students could stay
safe. There needed to be more serious measures taken in this situation, rather than a brief few sentences.
CSUB held a town hall on Jan. 25 to address the rumor of an armed suspect, but an invite was only sent out to faculty and staff.
This is a university, a place whose purpose is to serve and educate students. CSUB students, who pay thousands of dollars to attend the university, were not given the invitation to attend the town hall regarding the armed suspect on campus.
When asked why students weren’t even notified if there was an all-clear, Chief of University Police Marty Williamson explained that there was never an incident to clear since it was just a rumor.
UPD can send out a misspelled alert about a rumored of an armed suspect on campus, but cannot send another to
clarify that it is safe to be on campus?
If the UPD had sent out an all-clear to be on campus, students would not have felt as anxious and scared as they did. Williamson also said that multiple phone calls were coming into their one receptionist at the time of the suspected threat regarding the spelling error of “UPD” as “UPS.”
“You don’t hear from us every five to six minutes, things are going on. I wish there was a playbook,” said Williamson. According to Williamson, if individuals on campus try calling 911, they’re redirected to the university police department.
Hearing about a potential threat is reasonable grounds for wanting to call law enforcement. One receptionist cannot answer every call that’s coming in during an event like this. Students should be able to
communicate with emergency services or the Bakersfield Police Department.
Many faculty members expressed the stress they felt while working in the Walter W. Stiern Library and the Humanities complex during the town hall. They did not feel they would know what do to if an armed suspect entered the buildings.
In response, faculty were told to figure out for themselves what would work best, but that the UPD is happy to consult with them to create a plan.
Efforts to create a plan for an occupied building are placed on the employees rather than the police on our campus.
Students aren’t invited to the conversation, and faculty and staff are expected to come up with their own plans.
We constantly go on social media or turn on the TV to learn about a new mass shoot-
ing occurring, never expecting it to happen to us because who wants to truly believe that something so horrific can occur in their life.
We need to do better. It could be as simple as a video that students, faculty and staff have to review, like Title IX. Other universities like UC Davis and Irvine use key cards to enter certain buildings.
We want change on our campus.
This situation has made us realize that there is no correct protocol in place if tragedy were to strike.
We want trainings and procedures on how to react if something were to happen. Students, faculty, and staff should all be on the same page in feeling that their campus is a safe place to be.
We need a plan so that our community can feel safe coming to campus once again.
The Indigenous community in the Americas has always been notable for its diversity across tribes and their respective cultures. The Indigenous identity does not have a specific skin color or gender, yet we tend to constantly overlook and ignore a minority within a minority: Black and Afro-Indigenous people.
Inspirational figures such as Bessie Coleman and Prudencia Ayala have left their marks in history, but many do not recognize their achievements nor their Black and Afro-Indigenous identities. Modern-day Black and Afro-Indigenous activists often face comments from people who deny their
Indigeneity as a result of being mixed race.
In’yoni Felix, Afro-Indigenous activist and singer, explains how they felt reconnecting to their culture as a mixed person.
“It’s a new experience for me because having to kind of like water myself down always as just a black girl or the pretty black girl; that was me in elementary school, and just fully embracing every piece of my culture, it’s insane,” said Felix in a story with DIG magazine.
Many misconceptions about the Black and Afro-Indigenous identity come from the blood quantum myth, which says that one must have a minimum Native blood percentage in order to identify as such, and divides Native blood into fractions based on the blood quantum of
one’s ancestors.
Blood quantum was first introduced by the United States government to limit the voices and rights of Native American individuals. However, many Native American activists in the modern age recognize blood quantum laws as a means to divide and silence Indigenous voices.
As a mixed Indigenous individual myself, I was taught that it is our connection to our
culture and our ancestors that defines our Indigenous identity.
Unfortunately, too many people are unaware of the constant struggles of Black and Afro-Indigenous communities. These are individuals who face racism and erasure of their Indigenous identities and many people, including those of us who are of other Indigenous ancestry, appear to simply turn a blind eye to their plight.
Anthony Tamez-Pochel, vicechair of the Center for Native American Youth Advisory Board, said at the Celebrating Black & Indigenous Excellence event that he was often viewed as “just a black man” by others, and was told that he “didn’t look like the Blackhawks,” which is an incredibly racist remark. Autumn Rose Williams, Afro-Indigenous activist and
former Miss Native American USA, retells her experience, saying “People will always try to put you in a box. You can combat that by being proud of who you are, being strong in who you are, and remember that you are enough.”
I am encouraging my Indigenous siblings and non-Indigenous allies to take a moment and listen to the stories of Black and Afro-Indigenous activists and advocates. Many of these stories can be found on social media platforms like Instagram or TikTok.
Simply listening and interacting with this content can uplift these marginalized voices and help the world listen to a group of people that have been disregarded for far too long.
Contact Kaley Brown Soren at (ksoren@csub.edu)
Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s longstanding political goal to become Speaker of the House of Representatives came to fruition on Jan. 7, 2023after the longest vote for the speakership since 1859. His inability to effectively whip up votes from the far-right House Freedom Caucus and his outright refusal to cross the aisle for Democratic support hinted at the emergence of similar decisions made during his first month with the gavel.
McCarthy’s path to the speakership became prominent when the Republican Party won control of the House of Representatives in the 2022 election. Still, the slim ten-vote majority acquired led to a congressional battle within the party at the opening of the 118th Congress.
The typically procedural vote to name a speaker at the beginning of a new meeting of Congress became a fight between McCarthy and 20 far-right members of the House Freedom Caucus. This was not resolved until a fifteenth ballot—after McCarthy made extensive concessions to the most fringe members of Congress.
According to a Jan. 12 article from CNN, McCarthy said, “The voters of his district have elected him. He is seated. He is part of the Republican conference.”
McCarthy used his newfound congressional power to remove three influential Democratic lawmakers – Reps. Ilhan Omar, Adam Schiff, and Eric Swalwell – from the powerful House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees. This decision has been viewed as an act of political payback for the removal of Republican lawmakers from committees in the 117th Congress.
McCarthy’s willingness to give up so much of the power that the position offers in order to hold the title he had been chasing since 2016 was an act of desperation and shows the lack of political power he holds compared to previous speakers.
McCarthy’s absence of power in his new role is exacerbated by the Republican Party’s slim majority, which has led to his continuing support for morally questionable members of his caucus.
The ongoing circus of falsehoods from Santos has taken over Capitol Hill. Questions have been raised surrounding the validity of every aspect of his life.
According to a Dec. 29 article from The Washington Post, “it was revealed that he lied about his business experience, education, and family ancestry, Santos is now facing questions about what appear to be conflicting accounts of his mother’s death.”
Santos has not told the truth about any aspect of his life. Therefore the con-
stituents of New York’s 3rd congressional district elected a fictional character crafted by a conman. He should resign from Congress, and if he refuses, then it is McCarthy’s responsibility as Speaker to actively campaign for his expulsion.
Removing Democratic lawmakers from influential committees is an overt act of political payback and an egregious misuse of power by the Speaker. Omar, Schiff, and Swalwell are some of the most influential Democrats in the House of Representatives, so McCarthy took this opportunity to get retribution for the removal from committees of farright Republican members during the 117th Congress.
McCarthy’s decision to oust leading members of the opposition from positions of power continues his previous refusal to ask for Democratic support seen in the speakership vote debacle. He has no plans to work across party lines and plans to use every ounce of power he holds to damage the Democratic
Party’s credibility ahead of the 2024 Presidential election.
McCarthy remains extremely popular in his home district, which includes the CSUB campus, and has consistently won re-election by over 25% margins. Despite the rocky path to the speakership, he is supported by many Republican voters.
According to a Jan. 14 article from The Hill, a poll “showed 59 percent of Republicans approve of McCarthy being elected Speaker.”
McCarthy’s favorability among Republicans shows the increasingly partisan divide that continues to widen in the United States. In addition, the speakership vote circus put his weak leadership on display for the country to see as he proved from day one that he did not have control over his party.
The first month of McCarthy’s tenure as Speaker began with controversy not seen in the halls of Congress since 1923. The following weeks of partisan payback and poor leadership from the new Speaker did nothing to show that this controversy would end while he holds the gavel. He has chased the speakership position for over seven years, but if his first month in power indicates his future in the role, then he is destined for failure.
McCarthy is the highest-ranking politician to ever rise from the city of Bakersfield, and the people of his hometown deserve to receive the amenities that result from their direct representative leading the lower chamber of the United States Congress. The Speaker should focus less on partisan leadership, and instead on the constituents that directly elected him.
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