Banner | Vol. 69 Issue 10

As we prepare to enter our 70th year of The Banner,

@cbulancermedia

we have designed an issue

cbubanner.com

inspired by past decades.

California Baptist University

Vol. LXIX, Issue 10

April 8, 2022

WooFest returns e s

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ers ecti es

g Photo by Elijah Hickman I Banner

California Baptist University hosted WooFest 2022 in the Events Center.

Data points to ways to achieve job satisfaction

by Emily McGinn

Photo Courtesy of Dawn Carter

The winning team, WaiSmart, receives a $7,500 scholarship at the Business Plan Competition on March 28.

tu ents itch ro ucts at usiness com etition

by Emily McGinn The Robert K. Jabs School of Business hosted California Baptist University’s annual Business Plan Competition on March 28. During the event, nine teams of students participated in a fast-pitch competition during which they put forward ideas for innovative products to a panel of judges and an audience of more than 150 students.

“We style it as a ‘Dolphin Tank’ style event,” said Dr. Tim Gramling, the dean of the School of Business. “It is not intended to harm or to be mean-spirited, but to give students feedback and to nudge them in the right direction, like a dolphin would.”

The groups that presented at the fast-pitch event were selected through a deliberation process leading up to the event.

In the weeks prior, School of Business faculty members met with the groups to discuss their

business plans and products and share real-world knowledge with the teams. Then, nine finalists moved on to present at the event on March 28.

Dr. Marina Girju, the associate dean of the School of Business, said that the format of the Business Plan Competition allows for students to gain valuable insight from the experience, regardless of whether they win or lose.

“There was a lot that the students and the groups overall actually learned, so if you are thinking about the benefit of the competition, it is not only winning, but it is the entire learning that they actually went through throughout the entire process,” Girju said.

During the event, the teams each presented a five-minute pitch for their products, and then the judges were able to ask questions about the product.

The competition resulted in the top three teams each receiving scholarship money intend-

ed to fund the start of the business proposed by each team.

The prize money offered to the first-, second- and third-place teams was $7,500, $5,000 and $2,500, respectively. The judges’ opinions as well as a survey of the audience members’ opinions determined the winners.

Nolan Gouveia, department lead for entrepreneurship, said he enjoyed seeing the increased involvement of students from across CBU this year and witnessing the development of interdisciplinary teams.

“This year more than any other year, it was cool to see how many other majors were represented,” Gouveia said. “In years past, it was very heavily business students, but my goal has always been to get it across the whole campus. We saw students from engineering, CAVAD, health sciences, kinesiology, the life sciences and a lot from business. That’s what

See Competition, pg. 10

Most of us are in college for a reason — we are studying a particular topic so that we can earn a particular degree and find a career in a particular field.

However, once we leave college, how should we ensure we find a job that we actually like?

Job satisfaction and employee engagement are the major indicators for whether or not people enjoy their jobs. As of 2020, job satisfaction reached 56.9 percent, a historically high number. However, the Pew Research Center reported in 2012 that job satisfaction can also vary based on age.

“Younger workers, ages 18 to 34, are a bit less likely than those 35 years and older to say they are completely satisfied,” according to Pew.

Dr. Nathan Iverson, program director for industrial-organizational psychology and associate professor of psychology, defines employee engagement as an employee’s emotion connection to their work, including their vigor, dedication and absorption.

Iverson said there are two types of predictors for employee engagement: the ways employees can enhance their own experience and the ways employees can be impacted by the job such as pay, healthcare and who they work for.

“I studied 83 nations, 2,800 people, and the No. 1 behavior lever we can pull is make a friend at work,” Iverson said.

“It is interesting from a faith perspective that if we are made in the image of God, building relationships actually makes us

I sian an

happier.”

In America, additional factors that contribute to job satisfaction vary based on demographics. Iverson said these factors have changed more recently as data is collected for a more diverse workforce.

“Until 20 years ago, we used to say (what matters) is who your leader is because the surveys were done primarily with white men,” Iverson said. “Now, it has become more diverse in gender and race. For white men, it is still who your leader is as one of your top predictors. But for women and people under 21, it is role clarity. Leadership is No. 1 in the U.S., but if you divide it by gender, race, ethnicity and age, it is different.”

Iverson also pointed out that

See Job satisfaction, pg. 7

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acific Islan er cele ration

CBU hosts its first schoolwide Asian and Pacific Islander event.

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Tom Brady returns to NFL after brief period of retirement.

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News The Banner newspaper is an award-winning, bi-weekly campus publication that publishes 12 issues a year at California Baptist University.

The newsroom is located in the James Building in Room 060 and can be reached at 951-343-4787. The Banner Banner, a student-run newspaper, serves the CBU community with accurate, timely and factual reporting on significant aspects of university life, Riverside life and subjects of interest or concern to its reader.

Students, faculty, staff, administrators and others in the university are encouraged to react to published material or to comment on matters of concern. The Banner retains the right to edit your letter upon publication based on grammar and word count. Send letters to Emily McGinn, editor-in-chief of The Banner at BannerEditor@calbaptist.edu.

If you have a story idea for The Banner Banner, please let us know. If a business would like to advertise in The Banner Banner, please contact Emily McGinn at emilyanne.mcginn@calbaptist. edu.

Thanks for reading!

Print Editor-in-chief.............................Emily McGinn Managing editor...........................Aiden Hobson Photo editor.................................Elijah Hickman Asst. photo editor...............................Tonia Ross Design editor................................Emily McGinn News editor..................................Lauren Brooks Asst. news editors.......................Zerenity Lopez Olivia Lenning B&T editor....................................Jasmine Severi Asst. B&T editor.....................Alexza Bahnmiller A&E editor...................................Rowen Zamora Asst. A&E editors........................Josiah Murphy Kassidy Blount Gabi Riggin Lifestyle editor............................Emily McGinn Asst. lifestyle editors................Valerie La Ponza Teddy Peña Sports editor.................................Aiden Hobson Asst. sports editors..................Maddy Gonzalez Arden Leeman Asst. design editors...................Luis Menendez Lauren Brooks Jeremiah Wong Public relations director.........Cole Stillwagon Social media director...........Megan Van Battum Distribution manager..........Casey Maldonado Advertising manager......................Wiley Lloyd Staff writers.........................Ignacio Dominguez Kristie Wiseman

Online Editor-in-chief.............................Emily McGinn Website administrator...............Jasmine Severi Photo and video editor..............Elijah Hickman

Asst. director of student publications ...................................Sonya Singh Director of student publications ..................Dr. Mary Ann Pearson

Printed in The Banner on Feb. 20, 1981

Men take stage at WooFest

by Emily McGinn California Baptist University students clad in their semi-formal attire attended WooFest in the Events Center on March 6.

This year’s event is the first time the annual event has returned since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The New Orleans-themed event featured performances by male students, including singing, dancing, spoken word and magic. To close the evening, the male resident advisers from across campus came together to do a final dance performance for the audience.

“WooFest is an event that CBU has put on for many years,” said Brianna Collingwood, residence director (RD) of the Cottages.

“It’s a traditional event that happens annually. Obviously, we had to pivot because of COVID the last two years, but essentially it’s a variety show where guys come to ‘woo’ the ladies. Really it is just a fun night to have students dress up and come enjoy.”

WooFest began in 2010 as an event in UP Men. It then expanded, taking place annually until 2015 in the Van Dyne Gym. Beginning in 2016, students attended WooFest at the Fox Theater in Riverside. However, for the first time, the event occurred on campus in the Events Center to accommodate a larger audience and make it more accessible to students.

“It is super exciting to utilize the Events Center to serve our students on campus,” Collingwood said.

“In past years, we’ve done it at

Lead singer of The Band Meal Swipes smiles onstage at WooFest. the Fox Theater, which we’ve outgrown and we are really passionate about including all students and we don’t want to feel like we have to turn people away. We have an amazing space here, and it has been an amazing opportunity getting to partner with the Events Center.”

In addition, the event was open to all traditional undergraduate students this year rather than only residential students.

“Coming off of a year where there has been a lot of isolation and no events, I think getting the opportunity to build community among all students is something that sets this year apart,” Collingwood said.

Collingwood said RezLife began planning the event in September.

The RDs and residence advisers (RAs) participated in the preparation, and RezLife partnered with multiple departments across campus including ASCBU, Community Life and Conferences and Events to bring the event to life.

“It was cool to see the RAs put in a lot of effort to make this an amazing show,” said Steve Jussenhoven, RD of UP Men. “They put a lot of work into the decorations and the little details we hope residents appreciate.”

Amanda Salas, sophomore graphic design major, attended WooFest for the first time this year. She said she enjoyed the communitybuilding aspect of the event, especially for students who feel less connected to the school because of COVID.

Elijah Hickman | Banner “I think it is fun,” Salas said. “It definitely makes me feel a little more involved on campus. Especially since COVID, we haven’t really had that much opportunity (to get involved). ” Collingwood said she has enjoyed reintroducing a CBU tradition to a new wave of students after two years since the last WooFest.

“It has been cool to bring back the excitement and what WooFest is,” Collingwood said. “It has been a cool experience bringing something back to life.”

Jussenhoven said he hopes students enjoyed the event and the aspects that made this year’s WooFest unique.

“It really is just a special event for people to come and have a great time with their friends.”

Ukraine crisis affects up- Food Not Bombs serves coming ISP Team trips healthy food to homeless

by Olivia Lenning The Ukraine crisis has affected individuals worldwide.

California Baptist University students are not exempt from these concerns, and CBU’s International Service Project (ISP) teams are experiencing the effects of the constant danger posed by the Russian invasion in a more personal way than a majority of the student body.

The Mobilization Office, a division within the Spiritual Life Office, annually sends teams of students overseas to serve communities worldwide.

Each team member goes through extensive training throughout the spring semester.

Throughout the training period, ISP team members learn skills and information regarding the country they will travel to in order to best serve and communicate with the community.

In light of the Ukraine crisis, the Mobilization Office has expressed its commitment to the safety of CBU students and team leaders. Due to the everchanging state of the situation, the office has yet to make any final decisions for affected teams.

John King, director of Mobilization, recently announced that most ISP teams’ plane tickets have been purchased and are set to depart as planned. However, teams whose places of travel are in close proximity to Russia and Ukraine face the possibility of having to change locations.

A location change is likely to cause disappointment among the ISP teams and their leaders, but some ISP members may have a more positive outlook.

Jeannette Russell, CBU staff member and ISP team leader, is optimistic about the possibility of changing locations.

“I have been on the ISP team previously where our destination was changed,” Russell said. “At first I was concerned, but then I realized God had this plan all along. In the end, our trip was amazing. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

God is in control and we just need to remember that.”

With only three weeks left of training sessions, ISP members who have yet to find their confirmed location are eager and restless for an answer. ISP members have anticipated a change in location for quite some time, but the Mobilization office only recently shared that some teams will likely not be able to travel to their original locations.

Chloe Montgomery, Christian behavioral sciences and anthropology double major and ISP student leader, shared her initial disappointment upon learning she will not travel to the country her team has been training to serve in.

“It’s disappointing when you train to go to a specific country and find out you won’t be going there after all, but I think we all expected it,” Montgomery said.

“I know that the Lord is in every decision that Spiritual Life has to make regarding ISP and I’m excited for my team and me to see what the Lord is doing in a different location.”

This experience has undoubtedly served as a teaching moment for students, team leaders and Spiritual Life staff.

“I have learned to pay attention and be ready for anything, but also to trust in the Lord because you often will not feel ready for whatever is before you,” Montgomery said.

“But the Lord is always at work in those moments.”

The first wave of ISP teams is set to depart the first week of May.

by Zerenity Lopez In Riverside, there are more than 2,800 homeless individuals as of 2020. Food Not Bombs (FNB) is a movement dedicated to providing vegan and vegetarian ready-to-eat meals to those in the community who are in need. The Food Not Bombs movement defines itself as a mutual aid group composed entirely of volunteers. They recover food that would be otherwise discarded in more than 1,000 cities and 65 countries. The movement works as a protest against war, poverty, the destruction of the environment and the police.

The name Riverside Food Not Bombs stems from the concept that the government is more willing to fund war and violence (bombs) instead of devoting those funds to feeding those in need. FNB works as a call to action to encourage the community to allocate donations to aid their community instead of lying idly by as the government fails to provide for the homeless community.

Riverside FNB is a specific chapter of the overall FNB movement. They specialize in serving the community and providing meals as well as supplies. The Riverside FNB chapter began in the summer of 2020. The movement itself has been around since the late 1970s but was revived in Riverside by current and former graduate students Manda Riggle and Christina Mansano. Both of them have experience working in activism and mutual-aid groups.

“Rolling in those circles, you realize the need for this type of work, like community support, because the government is not going to help you,” Manzano said.

Over the last six months alone, Riverside FNB has been able to hand out over 3,000 meals. FNB prides itself on being consistent. The group meets every second Saturday of the month, always at Fairmount Park in Riverside, always 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and it is always free.

For a mutual-aid volunteer group to be functional, it requires immense support from the community. The Riverside FNB chapter relies on community support more than anything. They get most of their funding from donations, whether monetary or in the form of supplies. Over the years, members of the volunteer group have also contributed from their own pockets.

The group itself is more than one dozen members strong and still growing. Riverside FNB also works in partnership with many other local organizations, including; Community(IE), CUUR, Punks in the Park, Riverside Cat911 and Riverside Mutual Aid. Groups like these depend on community support.

Sarah Mandzok, freshman pre-nursing student, emphasized the importance of mutual aid in the local community.

“Mutual-aid groups like Riverside FNB are so important for the community,” Mandzok said. “Without groups like these, our community would be lost and struggling harder than it is now.”

In the future, Riverside FNB plans to continue its normal operations but hopes to increase the scale of its operations and provide more meals and supplies.

“Training more people to kind of do what we do because being an organizer isn’t as intrinsic as people may think,” Riggle said.

News News Briefs RUSSIA ACCUSED OF WAR CRIMES Human Rights Watch recently condemned Russia for war crimes committed in Ukraine.

Russian soldiers are reportedly carrying out violations of the Geneva Convention against civilians, including unauthorized violence and threats, rape, two cases of summary execution and looting. This has occurred in the regions of Kyiv, Kharkiv and Chernihiv — areas occupied

by Russian militia forces. Most notably, the actions in the city of Bucha have been scrutinized due to the spread of images of dead civilians. Up to 300 around the town are dead from fighting. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the UN security council on April 5 that Russian troops were intentionally killing civilians, going as far as calling it genocide.

More than 4,500 war crimes are currently being investigated by Ukrainian prosecutors.

DON’T SAY GAY BILL SIGNED

CBU students who attended the event got to witness traditional dances performed by the Polynesian dancers.

Claire Grimes | Banner

CBU hosts first school-wide API event

by Camille Grochowski The sound of drums and cheers filled the basketball courts outside of Mission Hall as Polynesian dancers glided across the pavement. Across the lawn, students sat around a table learning how to make origami cranes while others received paper slips with their names hand-written in Arabic.

The first Asian Pacific Islander Celebration took place on April 4, from 7-9 p.m.

It was a collaboration between Community Life and the Asian and Pacific Islander Club (API), and according to both parties the event was a huge success.

The API club has spent the last couple of months preparing for this event. Malia Lizama, junior health science major and president of the API club, says that they have been planning this event for over two months.

Originally, there were plans for

an event during the academic year of 2019-20, but with the pandemic shutdown, it did not happen. Now that COVID-19 restrictions have been relaxed, the event was finally able to happen in full force.

“It was a fantastic event,” said Chris Hofschroer, dean of students. “We probably had over 300 people here, and for a first year cultural event, that is outstanding.”

Ashley Cote, senior exercise science major and one of the interns in charge of planning the event with the API club said she enjoyed learning about the culture.

“I really loved learning about all the different cultures that are incorporated into Asian and Pacific Islander Celebration — it is more than 50 countries,” Cote said.

The event offered a variety of different cultural activities and food as well as an art exhibit

and dance performances put on by two CBU students and The Polynesian Entertainment Group. Ica Caballero, senior nursing major, was one of the students who performed Hula.

Caballero has been learning Hula since she was 5. She said Tanner Kekoa Foster, the other student performer, reached out to her and asked if she would be willing to perform at the event.

She happily said yes.

“Having this event now means so much because there are so many people willing to show up and support and enjoy what comes from Asian Pacific Islander Culture,” Caballero said.

She was excited to share her own culture with the students at CBU. The API club is relatively new on campus. It formed in 2019 right before the pandemic, so most of the original members graduated or left during the

lockdown.

Currently, the majority of the board members are first-year members of the club. The board of the API club is run by Club President Malia Lizama, Vice President Abigail Yagi, Treasurer Joshua Smith and Secretary Angel Araujo.

“Being able to be in this position gave me the opportunity to meet so many different people from so many different cultures,” Lizama said. “It is cool that we are able to now be a bigger impact and show people how huge the diversity is here at CBU.” All four board members are excited for the next Asian Pacific Islander Celebration and whatever else the API club has planned for its new presence on campus. With the successful turnout at this first event, the club has plans to make the next one bigger and better to show the most authentic side of Asian Pacific Islander Culture.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the “Parental Rights in Education” bill on March 28, dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.” This bill bans public school teachers from starting discussions on gender identity or sexual orientation in the classroom from kindergarten to third grade or in any grade that is not “age-appropriate” by state standards. It is meant to hand the power of these discussions to parents rather than in a school setting. This bill sparked controversy from many LGBTQ+ activist groups and caused protests upon signing. The law goes into effect July 1. The success of the passing of the bill has inspired similar legislation in other states, including Ohio.

SACRAMENTO SHOOTING Six died and 12 others were injured in a shooting in downtown Sacramento on April 3. Four of the wounded have life-threatening injuries. The shooting began after a large fight escalated into violence, leaving more than 100 shell casings in its wake. At least five people were shooting in the conflict. 26-year-old Dandrae Martin was arrested as a suspect hours after the shooting, and his 27-year-old brother Smiley Martin was arrested a day later also with a possession of firearms charge.

Lauren Brooks | Banner

International Justice Mission fights human trafficking

by Aiden Hobson There are many different clubs and organizations at California Baptist University, to offer students with a wide variety of interests different forums for connecting with people with similar interests or common pursuits.

For those students who are concerned about human trafficking and want to make a real difference in the local and global community, they can join the CBU chapter of International Justice Mission.

“IJM stands for international justice mission and it’s an organization whose mission is to protect the poor from violence,” said Sami Timblin, senior applied theology major and CBU’s IJM chapter President. “One of the biggest violences the poor faces is human trafficking primarily through forced labor and sexual exploitation.

“As a campus chapter or club at CBU our aim is to support IJM through fundraising events, advocating, prayer and mobilizing students to do that

same (thing).”

The larger IJM organization was founded by Gary Haugen, a well-known international human rights lawyer and author.

Students who join the CBU IJM chapter get to be a part of this explicitly Christian organization’s fight against violence towards the poor and vulnerable of society, whether locally or overseas.

“The organization has field offices in different impoverished nations around the world where it seeks to: rescue victims; restore them through therapy, education, and community; bring criminals to justice; and work with local law enforcement to create lasting systemic change,” said Shelby Kelso, Christian behavioral sciences, communication studies and intercultural studies triple major and member of the IJM leadership team here at CBU. “So, what does CBU IJM do?

We raise awareness about the horrible injustices of human trafficking and slavery, and partner with different IJM

field offices around the world to raise money that funds the incredible work they’re doing.”

CBU students who are a part of IJM get to become involved in helping bring about real change in their community, as well as helping IJM workers internationally.

Right from the comfort of their campus community, members of the CBU IJM chapter help support the incredible worldwide IJM organization and bring people out of violence and into safety.

“As a club we have a field office ally with IJM’s Ghana office. We raise money for that office directly and we get updated and pray for them directly,” added Timblin.

“Locally, as a club we support other organizations that are also doing anti human trafficking work. Specifically Rebirth Homes. We’ve been able to also partner with Million Kids and hear from Exodus Cry.” The CBU IJM chapter hosts several different on-campus events that students can easily become a part of, ranging from

lectures and meetings with guest speakers to fundraisers and more.

“Our most well known and successful campus event is called ‘Threads,’” said Kelso.

“It’s the pop-up thrift store in the Stamps Courtyard at the beginning of every semester. For this event, we collect clothing donations for one week, sell the clothes at CBU, then send 100% of our proceeds to the IJM office we’re partnered with that year.

“This year, we raised almost $5,000 for IJM Ghana, where there are many young boys being forced to work in the fishing industry. It’s so cool to see the money we raise make an impact and save lives.”

In addition to helping local organizations combat human trafficking, CBU students get involved in actual activism on behalf of human trafficking victims.

They have worked on the local, state, and national levels to petition government leaders and advocate for the vulnerable and exploited victims of human trafficking.

“Something that our club does every year to make a greater impact in our country is sign petitions and write letters to our Congress officials to promote policies that help protect victims of injustice,” added Kelso.

Students join IJM for a variety of reasons, but a lot of students join so that they can make a real difference in the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in the world.

“I joined IJM because there are real people behind the statistic that 40.2 million people in modern day slavery,” said Timblin. “And by being a part of IJM I get to be a part of the solution to bringing freedom. God is in the business of bringing freedom and as his ambassadors on earth we are in the same business.

“The best part is the community of people who are also involved and care about fighting for justice for the oppressed and bringing freedom to those who don’t have it.”

Through their seemingly small contributions, IJM

members can make a big difference in the lives of those who are suffering from some of the most traumatic circumstances.

“I think something that makes our club so unique is how wide our range of impact is,” said Kelso. “At CBU, we promote education about injustice, prayer for victims of suffering, and events that have a direct impact on the global issue.

“We also partner with different organizations like Rebirth Homes, A21 and Dressember to participate in their fundraisers and protests.”

Any CBU student can join IJM and help in the local and global fight against human trafficking and other violence against the most vulnerable and exploited in our society.

“Anyone can get involved in CBU IJM by coming to meetings,” added Kelso. “If you’re interested in learning more you can connect with us through email (cbuijmchapter@gmail.com) or by following us on Instagram (@cbuijm) for updates.”

Vision 1982

As the campus new

Tom Phillips Tom Phillips graduated from California Baptist College (CBC) in 1983 with a degree in English.

He worked on The Banner for both years after transferring to the school in 1981.

Phillips described the way he became editor-in-chief of The Banner as “kind of a funny story.”

When he initially visited CBC before transferring there in the fall of 1981, he saw the school was looking for both an assistant editor and editor-in-chief for the newspaper for the upcoming semester, so he decided to interview for the assistant editor position.

“I went in and interviewed for the assistant editor position,” Phillips said. “At the end, they kind of joked, ‘Well, are you sure you don’t want to be the editor?’ And I said, ‘No, I’m the new guy here. I don’t want to come in and stir up anything.’ They said, ‘Well, we’ve interviewed the people for the editor, and we think you’d be good.’ I said ‘No, thank you. But I appreciate the confidence.’

First issue the next year, I met the lady who was the editor, and she didn’t really have much of a newspaper background even at CBU, and even though I tried to put her at ease as much as I could, I think she realized that I knew quite a bit more about what I was doing than she would, and she resigned after the first issue.”

Phillips revitalized the campus publication as editor-in-chief, recalling that when he initially visited CBC the previous spring, he had picked up The Banner and seen an unexpected headline on the front page.

“I picked up an issue of The Banner when I was there, and I’ll never forget it said in 72-point font on the front page, ‘Who cares?’” Phillips said.

“It was just a couple articles of people complaining about (how) nobody cares enough to write for the paper. So I think it might have been on its way out. And I thought, ‘This is kind of discouraging.’ I was kind of determined and I was stubborn and I thought, ‘You know what, we can make this work. All I need is a few people.’”

Phillips figured out a way to make it work, writing the entire newspaper with only one other student, Joe Pinkerton, for the entire year. Although it was challenging to produce all the content with only two people on staff, Phillips said he enjoyed his time as editor-in-chief.

“We just had a blast,” Phillips said. “We had such a fun time.”

Phillips only served as editor-in-chief for his first year, as he was elected student body president the following year.

He recalls one fond memory from that year involving a student protest of the cafeteria food.

“The administration had asked everyone that was on ASB not to participate in this food strike at the cafeteria,” Phillips said. “I basically told everyone, ‘Well, I’m going to go ahead and do that. I don’t care what you guys do.’ There was an old commercial way back then and one of the things was ‘Mikey won’t even eat it.’ I just remember holding up a sign as we were protesting it that said, ‘Mikey wouldn’t even eat this food.’ Well, they put it on the front page. So I go, ‘Thanks, Joe.’” After graduating, Phillips went on to become a sports writer for The Press-Enterprise for three years. He then became sports information director at the University of California, Riverside for 14 years before returning to The Press-Enterprise as public relations manager for a period of time.

He looks back fondly on his work on The Banner, recognizing that he was proud of what he and his staff produced while at the school.

“We didn’t shy away from stuff,” Phillips said. “We were proud of what we accomplished and people were reading it. Not once did we ever complain and put ‘Who cares?’ on the front.”

“I remember writing columns quite a bit. It was an article, something about a word being eliminated from the English dictionary, and I just did a satirical thing. I just remember I had such a fun time writing that.”

THE BAN

from the per

1991

T

Tom Pace graduated from CBC in 1993 with was a part of the Banner for two years.

Pace recalls CBC as a close-knit, interconnec “The interesting thing was you could talk abo we were talking about,” Pace said. “You could alm not possible now. It was a lot more personal con ideas just because of the very close-knit elemen Pace was the editor-in-chief as The Banner b that before they began to lay out the paper on t physical work to prepare the paper for print.

“When I first started, the paper was physicall printed out in narrow columns and then we wou roller thing to literally stick them on to these bi lines that I guess wouldn’t show up when they p pasted. The headlines were made to whatever si and pasted on. We would take those to a local n photograph them and transfer the photography the newspapers.”

However, as editor, Pace spearheaded the tra computer they had in The Banner’s office in the “We gradually made improvements when I w around, but they weren’t quite as prevalent. We each page on the computer? What a novel idea. W pasting them up, when we could create just one innovation I introduced. We went to laying out t putting in the captions and the headlines and lay the pictures.”

After graduating, Pace did an internship with become a city planner for the City of Folsom fo working for the City of Sacramento, working the planner. He is currently the community developm

“I wrote an editorial about xenophobia be starting to have more international studen other vaguely affiliated programs that wer had some sort of English language institut their own. Most of them were from Asia, a They lived in our dorms, but there was th us, partly of course because they came fro didn’t speak English very well and partly b students at Cal Baptist. But also it felt like current going on. People weren’t maybe a have been. I don’t remember much about remember using the word xenophobia an

Vision

ewspaper turns 70, a look back on

NNER LEGACY

erspective of former editors

2004 Jay Hobbs Jay Hobbs graduated from CBU in 2006 with degrees in journalism and history. He worked for The Banner for all four years, and he recalls working long nights on the paper.

“We had our all-night print nights,” Hobbs said. “We worked out of one of the buildings connected to the James Building. It was kind of like an out-building.”

The Banner allowed Hobbs to gain experience, which he used as he moved

Tom Pace degrees in political science and Spanish. He

cted community. out stories and everybody already knew who most know everybody by name. I’m sure that’s nnections to get information or to get story nt of the campus.” began to respond to the Digital Age. He said the computer, the staff had to do quite a bit of

forward into the journalism industry, a path he has remained on for the majority of his time since he graduated.

“It is sometimes easy to overlook how important in journalism it is to have the real experience that comes with the school paper,” Hobbs said. “It is one of those things; you cannot learn writing in a classroom. That might be a good supplement, but you have to learn to write by having your stuff edited and critiqued, and you have to push through it. The old quip is that the difference between a professional writer and someone who didn’t make it as a writer is that one of them quit and the other didn’t. So it doesn’t really have to do with some supernatural gift or anything like that. It is sticking to it and seeing that this is what you are going to be good at and apply yourself to.”

Hobbs went on to become a sports information director (SID) at Concordia University Irvine after working in the SID office at CBU during his time here. He then left California in 2011 and became involved in ministry and in writing pro-life pieces. He worked with Heartbeat International for six years, and he eventually moved to Washington D.C. to work with Alliance Defending Freedom. Over the years, he has written pieces for various publications such as The Federalist and The Daily Wire, and he has run a video series to introduce young adults to legal issues such as free speech and religious liberty.

ly being laid out,” Pace said. “The articles were uld cut them out and use a hot wax gun, ig newspaper templates. They had light blue photographed it. The articles were cut out and ize and pasted. The photographs were cropped newspaper printing company and they would to printing plates that would physically print

ansition to digital layouts using the Macintosh James Building. was there,” Pace said. “Computers had been started thinking, ‘What if we could lay out Why are we printing these things out and e digital image for each page. That was an the page digitally on the screen, actually ying out all the articles and leaving space for

the state in Sacramento. He went on to or two and a half years. He then returned to ere for most of the years since 1997 as a city ment director for the City of Sacramento.

ecause at that time, the campus was nts, and the campus also had some re physically located at the campus. They te that was there. They were kind of on and they were here to learn English. his sense of separation like they weren’t om another country, partly because they because they weren’t enrolled as regular e there was some kind of racist underas friendly and welcoming as they could what I wrote in that editorial, but I do nd I remember writing about it.”

“There was a guy right during when California recalled Gray Davis as governor, and there was a guy walking around campus with a ‘Recall Ellis’ shirt. It was one of those things where we were low on content and kind of late at night, so we were kind of laughing about it. I ended up just writing an editorial over this; recall Ellis, recall yourself instead. I just made the point we are all here at this school on purpose and paying money to be here voluntarily, so if you don’t like the president of the university, it is kind of your fault for being here.” “That was a pretty funny one. It was actually one of the articles that once I wrote it, people around campus had read it the next time I went out on campus.”

Written and designed by Emily McGinn

Lifestyle

Attention, notetakers: Is writing more effective than typing?

by Emily McGinn As personal laptops have become a classroom staple across college campuses, the debate over whether to continue to take notes by hand or to transfer to typing has divided both students and faculty.

Those who prefer typing tend to opt for speed, while those who take notes by hand insist on the value of making the motions of the letters.

Spencer Thompson, senior mathematics and Christian studies double major, prefers to take notes by hand because it allows him to draw diagrams and write equations easily.

“Typing notes is great for getting a lot of information down quickly, but handwritten notes are reliable and provide a lot of flexibility,” Thompson said. “I think it comes down to personal preference because nobody benefits from taking notes in a way that is not intuitive for them.”

While handwriting notes is still common, 97% of college students own a laptop, according to a 2019 study by Educause Center for Analysis and Research. In addition, a 2011 study of University of Michigan students found that 53% of those surveyed thought they learned more due to laptops and 25% claimed laptops enhanced their attentiveness.

“Many faculty see this trend as an opportunity for more innovative teaching, and they are exploring ways to leverage this technology to increase student engagement during lecture,” the study said.

“However, other faculty worry about potential distractions that mobile devices could introduce into their classrooms.”

So, who is correct — the writers, or the typists?

The answer lies mainly in the way in which technology encourages us to take notes. A 2014 study that aimed to solve this issue found that even in cases when people used laptops to only take notes without other distractions, students who took notes on laptops struggled more to answer conceptual questions than students who wrote notes by hand.

“They found that people who took notes by hand has a much better memory retention of the material, which if you compare the actual notes they took, their notes were not as fleshed out as the folks who typed,” said Dr. Erin Smith, associate professor of psychology. “So we could actually type more than we could write, but our memory was better on writing, so they argued that this is because there is a deeper cognitive engagement from handwriting.”

However, the difference in memory retention is less related to the motion of handwriting or the way the brain reacts to it.

Rather, the issue stems from the fact that we can type faster than we write.

When handwriting, a student must hear the information, process it and filter the information to write down the important parts. When typing, there is less of a need to filter and condense information, which leads to less engagement with the material.

So, we are asking the wrong question. What we should be asking is this: Are we engaging with and listening to the material as we take notes?

“It’s not that there is anything magical about handwriting,” Smith said. “It is actually because you can’t write as fast as people speak, but you can type as fast as most people speak.

Typing has become so automated. Your fingers are hitting the keys, and you are recording

Sustainable Living for college students

Sustainability Tip Use natural light during the day.

How does this help the environment?

During the day, arranging furniture near windows or doing work in areas and rooms with a lot of natural light can minimize the need to switch on artificial lights. By relying on the sunlight, we can use less electricity for lighting and conserve energy.

More that we can do: Sit outside to do work. We live in California, so enjoy the sun.

Open curtains and blinds during the day and close them at night to lessen the need for artificial heating/cooling.

Emily McGinn | Banner

Photo Illustration by Emily McGinn | Banner

Some students take notes by hand, while others prefer to use technology such as laptops to type notes. The different forms of notetaking can yield different learning results. words. You aren’t actually even thinking about it. You are just serving as a transcriber of the lecture or of the discussion.”

If you prefer typing, though, do not worry — Smith said there are ways to use technology correctly to take notes. Smith said most of us use technology in the way we think we learn; however, most people do not understand how they learn. For example, most people would assume taking more pages of notes would indicate more learning. However, this is often not the case.

“To the extent that typing replaces thinking, that will be

problematic,” Smith said. “To the extent that typing supports and extends thinking, it is a wonderful thing.”

Those who prefer typing can effectively learn from notetaking on a computer if they intentionally listen and engage with the material.

“It is an intentional stance that the learner takes,” Smith said. “If I sit down in a class and think that the way I learn is by writing down everything that has been said, then I am going to approach my notetaking in a way that is not actually beneficial for my learning.

“But if I say I am going write down the big points and the questions, and I am even going to jot down some things that it makes me think about that are happening in other classes and I am going to use it as a way to scaffold the concepts that we are trying to get into our mind, it is beneficial. We can absolutely use computers that way. The problem is most of us don’t.”

When typing notes, it is also important to avoid distractions to enhance learning, which can become difficult when students can access social media, the internet and other applications

through their laptops.

Ultimately, Smith said it is important for students to find out what encourages them to become the most attentive during class. Do they become distracted easily? Do they transcribe notes on the computer, or do they actively engage with it as they type?

If not, taking notes by hand would likely be beneficial.

“To the extent that you are using a tool that helps you funnel your attention where it ought to be directed,” Smith said. “That is a good tool to use.”

Lifestyle Tries: WHAT IS IT

by Teddy Peña With spring in full swing and the Easter holiday just right around the corner, there are many activities that the new season brings. Like other holidays, the Easter holiday brings a diverse set of cultural and familial traditions. One common association with Easter is confetti eggs.

The confetti egg, also commonly referred to as a cascarón, originates from Latin countries such as Spain and Mexico. Making confetti eggs is fun because of the customization and creativity that comes with them.

A common occurrence before Easter is to have an egg-decorating party with family and friends in order to prepare the cascaróns for the holiday.

The process of making a confetti egg looks different from individual to individual. For example, we only had brown eggs, so we painted them with acrylic paint. However, if you have white eggs, another fun idea is to dye them using a food coloring and white vinegar mixture.

For this craft, you will need a whole chicken egg, a safety pin, tissue paper (or traditional confetti), vinegar, liquid glue and any other supplies you might need to customize your egg to your liking.

Step 1: Gently poke a hole in both ends of the egg using the sharp end of the safety pin. If it would help, you can always gently tap the end of the safety pin using a hard object to gently chisel the sharp end of the safe-

ty pin into both ends of the egg.

Step 2: Empty all the egg contents. This can be done by slowly draining the egg or blowing out on one side of the egg.

We found a plastic syringe and used that to expel air into the egg so the contents would drain faster.

Step 3: Gently prepare a larger hole on one side of the egg and place the egg in a vinegar wash to wash away the liquid egg contents.

Step 4: After the vinegar wash, thoroughly rinse the egg with water. Feel free to even use a little soap. Then, wait for the egg to completely dry both inside and outside. We used a hairdryer to speed up the process.

Step 5: Now that your egg is completely washed and dry, it is ready to decorate. This is where you can let your creativity shine. Use paint, egg dye, cotton balls or anything else you can think of – it is your personal creation.

Step 6: Now that your egg is decorated, you can now fill it with confetti. If you are using tissue paper, rip up the tissue paper into small pieces and fill the egg up about three fourths of the way inside the egg.

Step 7: Your last step is to seal the egg so the confetti stays inside. Line the larger opening of the egg with glue and seal the opening with a piece of tissue paper.

After step 7, you are done!

Take photos of your DIY craft and tag @cbulancermedia to possibly be featured!

Teddy Peña | Banner Teddy Peña, senior public relations major, shares how to make confetti eggs at Easter celebrations.

Lifestyle Commuters struggle with anxiety rom heav tra fic time alance

by Valerie La Ponza College is a stressful time for all students, but sometimes even more so for the commuters among us. Between juggling early morning classes and battling traffic, commuters often do not have much, or any, time to themselves to relax or even take a breath before they are forced back into the vigorous routine of college life. This constant pressure and rushing can place stress on California Baptist University’s commuter students and make their daily lives very stressful.

Natalie Robledo, freshman forensic chemistry major, describes her mental health as a six out of 10 due in part to the time required for commuting. “(I am) failing two of my classes because I work and sometimes I’m too tired to do any homework, and I get home late because of how far I live,” Robledo said. “Since I am a commuter, gas is too much money,

but my paycheck goes to my tuition, so I’m always worrying about how I’m going to help pay for gas or help my mom out with the bills.”

Jonathan Palacios, senior communication sciences and disorders major, commutes from Covina and explained that while he lives 30 minutes away, bad traffic can make the commute time an hour and a half.

“In regards to how traffic affects my mental health, it really depends,” Palacios said. “For example, after a long day, if I’ve had a big exam, I’m sitting in it longer, I’m overthinking things and then it’s definitely not the best for those cases. But if it’s just a regular day, it’s fine. I get time to decompress about the day; I could just relax, listen to music, whatever. It honestly just varies by the day.”

Therelin Segura, sophomore criminal justice major, commutes from Rialto. While Palacios sometimes finds his drive relaxing, Segura feels that

his drive often makes him more anxious.

“I hit that specific part of town where it’s packed, it’s three o’clock, and you know that everyone is just trying to get home,” Segura said. “I guess it makes me grumpy due to the way that some people drive. I get stressed out. I get anxious.

Sometimes the traffic stops during a red light or something, and then there are people blocking the intersection and you can’t get through and it scares me sometimes.”

Segura also said that while he appreciates that he has access to the Commuter Lounge, it can be difficult to study there.

“I use the Commuter Lounge, to leave my lunch there, and it’s a great place,” Segura said. “However, it does have its downsides. For example, in the morning, if I’m trying to do homework I couldn’t finish the day before, there are some people in there that are so loud, and I’m just like: ‘Come

on, it’s seven in the morning.’”

However, there is a positive amid all the worry for the commuters reading this. Dr. Kendra Floris-Carter, assistant professor of social work, explains that when she gets nervous or overwhelmed by the storm of traffic, she often tunes to religious music or medication.

“It depends on how I’m feeling for that day,” Floris-Carter said. “Sometimes I’ll put on my gospel music. Some days, I’ll listen to my grounding and centering techniques. And it’s all Christ-centered. I think for students, it’s a coping mechanism that you can use to reduce stress while on the roadways.”

So, the next time you’re on the road, stuck in traffic, try some mindfulness techniques, a podcast or even a happy playlist, anything to pass the time and make it as enjoyable as a traffic jam can possibly be. Before you know it, the traffic, while still obtrusive, might become the most enjoyable part of your day.

Photo by Claire Grimes | Banner

Commuter traffic causes delays on the 91 freeway.

Terms and conditions: What are you agreeing to?

by Jasmine Severi Many of us see the Terms of Service on websites and tune out, scroll down to the bottom without even looking and click “accept” without a second thought.

But we might wonder what it is we are agreeing to. What information did we just allow this website to gather about us and our time spent browsing the site?

Not only do the Terms of Service on websites give users information about what it is gathering and doing with their user’s information, it also tells its users what it expects from them.

Kayla Saravia, junior biomedical sciences major, said she does not read the Terms and

Job Satisfaction, from pg. 1 pay remains within the top five predictors of job satisfaction in America.

“Choose a field that pays well,” Iverson said. “If you are struggling to pay your bills, it will be more challenging, according to the data, to feel happy.”

Charlotte Steele, senior biology and kinesiology double major, recently got a job at Loma Linda University Medical Center as a patient transporter. She said her ability to help people contributes to her job satisfaction.

“I really like the job,” Steele said. “It’s a lot of moving and memorizing where to go, but the patients’ appreciation is worth it. I’m really a people person, so I look for jobs where I get to work with people and helping someone with something makes me feel really accomplished. I also like keeping myself busy, so a job where I can do that is good as well.”

So, how can college students set themselves on a path that will lead to increased job satisfaction? Iverson said there are several ways to pursue job satisfaction.

“

What would you not tolerate? Your calling is probably in there.

Dr. Nathan Iverson, Program director for industrial-organizational psychology

Agreements, Terms and Conditions, Terms of Service or any other name it might go by, but she thinks maybe she should, and so should others.

“Sometimes I feel like I should (read it) because, often websites now have ‘cookies’ that we have to accept,” Saravia said. “We don’t know what they can be monitoring, what kind of data they’re collecting, like what websites we’re on. So I think that also can play an effect on public media. So I think it’s important to read the terms and agreements.”

Jasmine Ooi, senior health science major, said she agrees with this.

“Whenever (the Terms of Service) pops up (on a website), I just click agree,” Ooi said. “I

First, it is important to find what a person is passionate about, and then find a job with tasks they enjoy to do with an organization that they respect.

“What would you start a fight over?” Iverson said. “What would you not tolerate? Your calling and purpose is probably in there.”

Secondly, Iverson encourages students to adopt a stance of empowerment and recognize their power to control their own destinies. He said many alumni end up creating jobs for themselves, which can lead to better job satisfaction.

“We talk a lot with our grad students about does life happen onto you or do you happen onto life?” Iverson said. “When you walk into the room, is the room different or are you different?

Are we victims or agents? Most of us go through life and without even realizing it, we consent to the role of victim. To shift that, to say, ‘Is this actually the path I want to go (on)? Is this the job title? Am I connected to the people I want to know in my life?’”

Job satisfaction is not a onesize-fits-all measurement. It varies from person to person, so it is important to figure out what is important to each individual and group to enhance job satisfaction. Making job-related decisions based on what is valuable to you could potentially make you happier.

“Run toward your pains instead of away from them,” Iverson said. “What makes you become most alive? I want to live in a world where people feel bursting with life. I want it to be weird not to like your work rather than the other way around.”

don’t really look at it, but I feel like we should look at it because we don’t know what we’re actually agreeing to. We’re just clicking into it, but there is so much we could be giving them access to by agreeing.”

Terms of Service can be used for good or for bad. One of the benefits to the Terms of Service documents on websites is providing a guideline for users on what is expected of them and what they can expect from the people running the website.

Terms of Services often have a code of conduct outlining their policies on harassment, misuse of the website, what constitutes inappropriate behavior on that site and their policies on the spread of misinformation, which are all important for a

website to clearly lay out for its users.

Sara Pegarella, law school graduate and in-house writer at TermsFeed, a site that helps people making websites figure out how to make their Terms of Service agreements, explains the Terms of Service agreement from the website owner’s point of view, and why it is important that websites have them.

“A Terms and Conditions agreement acts as legal contracts between (the company) who has the website or mobile app, and the user who accesses your website/app,” Pegarella said on the website.

“Having a Terms and Conditions agreement is completely optional. No laws require you to have one. While some claus-

es are standard and commonly seen in pretty much every Terms and Conditions agreement, it’s up to (the person running the website) to set the rules and guidelines that the user must agree to.”

However, Terms of Service are presented to the company’s userbase as long documents, which can take a long time to read through, and they are laced with technical and legal jargon that most users will not understand, discouraging users from reading it thoroughly.

Another downside is that they are often presented immediately, popping up as soon as someone opens the page and blocking what the person is really there to see, so they do not have the patience to

read through this long, difficult-to-read document when they could be watching that video or reading that post that they are on that website to see.

Saravia said she would like if websites made their Terms of Service more user-friendly and accessible to all users and make them less time-consuming and difficult to read.

“If they made it easier to read, I think a lot of us would probably read it,” Saravia said.

“They say many of us have an attention span of five minutes, and reading that is definitely more than five minutes. And then plus not everybody is as vocabulary savvy (as what they use). So I think, not ‘dumbing it down,’ but (they should present it) in a way everyone can understand.”

HOW TO APPLY FOR JOBS to-do list:

Utilize websites like LinkedIn, Indeed and Handshake Read reviews from current and former employees who had the same role that you are applying for Take a career assessment test (FOCUS 2 Assessment provided by the CBU Career Center) Watch videos and read articles about the industry you want to enter

Get your resume cleared by the Career Center Emily McGinn | Banner

Perspectives

!

"

# %

1. Aftercut performed a “Mr. Brightside”/“Love Story” mashup for the crowd.

2. Many singers were excited to perform at WooFest 2022.

3. Lead singer for The Band Meal Swipes performs an orginal to help get the crowd on their feet.

&

$ 3

4. Tanner Kekoa Foster performs a traditonal Hawaiian dance.

5. The CBU men’s residence advisers (RAs) put on a show to end WooFest 2022.

5

6. The CBU male RAs ended the night with a compliation of performances.

Photos by Elijah Hickman and Claire Grimes

Sports

CBU athlete to play volleyball abroad

Roman Zozulia | Banner

Hana Okuhara, senior health science major, is ready to graduate and go pro.

by Arden Leeman Playing professional volleyball is a huge accomplishment, and soon to be California Baptist University alumna Hana Okuhara will be leaving CBU with a degree and a chance to play professional volleyball.

Growing up, it had been Okuhara’s dream to play volleyball professionally, and now she finally gets her chance. Seeing how she trains and taking an in-depth look at the mental and physical side of going pro is essential to understanding how difficult it is to get to this level of play.

Okuhara has always had a passion for volleyball, and anyone can see that through the way she plays. She puts everything she has into the sport and has loved every second of it.

We know the time and effort required to become a student-athlete, and even though the season is over, Okuhara has been working hard to make sure she is ready for when she is called to go pro. “(I am) practicing with my old team five times a week, I lift five times a week and I make sure that I am getting in two to three times a week (for) some core workouts and strengthening my upper body,” said Okuhara, senior health science major. “As volleyball players, we are blessed with big, strong legs

that are explosive and powerful but right now, since I am a setter, I am working on being explosive with my upper body, too, and pushing myself to be better in that aspect for my team.”

As her time at CBU is coming to an end, she reflected on her favorite memory while playing at CBU. “This last season at CBU, we played New Mexico State in New Mexico,” Okuhara said.

“We came back because they were beating us 2-0. We came back and won them in five, which has not happened in New Mexico for a very long time. And that helped us grow so much as a team because we were able to push through and see that we really can play well together as a team.

“This core memory for me has been so motivating and encouraging because in those moments where I feel like I am not performing well or things aren’t going well, I can think back on that moment and remember that we are in this together. It’s not a me thing, but it is a we thing. That game is my all-time favorite because of the win and the confidence that comes with it.”

Okuhara has been playing for 12 years. Being a good player means being coachable and willing to accept advice.

“This advice has stuck with me and has helped change my

Okuhara returns the ball in a game against Utah Valley.

mental game drastically,” she said. “(My coach) said something along the lines of, ‘Confidence is a feeling; therefore ,it comes and goes. Confidence goes up and down. If you want to be mentally great and mentally there all the time, you can’t rely on a feeling.’ So when I am having highs and lows in a game, this helps me remember that my confidence is a feeling, but my preparation is something I can control. Therefore, I need to make sure I am prepared and control what I can control.

I cannot stress and freak out over the little things I cannot control.”

Okuhara has an understanding of the game of volleyball and overcoming tough times. She offered advice to anyone who dreams of playing at the collegiate level or even after.

“What I would say is that when you hit those tough times and challenging moments, remember to find joy and remember the happiness your sport brings you,” said Okuhara.

“Find joy in the little things. I took some moments for granted, and I pushed myself too hard sometimes, but make sure you’re enjoying the process of it all; it doesn’t last forever. You only have so long to play and make your mark, so play hard and enjoy your time with your sport because it goes by very fast.”

Okuhara cheers as the team gets the winning point against UCR.

Okuhara focuses her attention on her opponents to try to get a block.

Elijah Hickman | Banner

Elijah Hickman | Banner

Elijah Hickman | Banner

B&T

Airtags tracking students on campus

by Ignacio Dominguez The most recent Apple product, AirTag, has created an extensive conversation on safety and security. While its typical use is to track missing items, it has also become an item used to track people.

The Apple AirTag was released in late April 2021 for only $29 for one, or as a four-pack for $99. The AirTag is designed to track missing personal items.

By attaching it to any item, the user can see its location via iCloud and track the AirTag. Although it sounds like a valuable tool for everyday personal items, more and more tags have been misused. Some have been placed in people’s bags and cars, leading to safety concerns.

So how do they work? It is quite simple. Once the tags are activated and attached to someone or something your iPhone will notify you with these messages: “AirTag Found Moving With You” and “The location of this AirTag can be seen by the owner.”

The AirTag itself does not have a GPS system built into it, but it begins tracking location based on nearby Apple devices.

Then, the owner of the AirTag is able to track its location.

Apple released a statement in February amid the growing concern of consumers noticing unwanted tracking.

“Apple has been working closely with various safety groups and law enforcement agencies,” the statement said.

“Through our own evaluations and these discussions, we have identified even more ways we

can update AirTag safety warnings and help guard against further unwanted tracking.”

Apple also mentioned that it is closely working with law enforcement on any related tracking case: “Every AirTag has a unique serial number, and paired AirTags are associated with an Apple ID. Apple can provide the paired account details in response to a subpoena or valid request from law enforcement.”

This seems to be happening more frequently and closer than we think. A few weeks ago, I was leaving California Baptist University when I received the “AirTag Found Moving With You” notification. I was confused because I did not own any AirTags. It tracked most of my day and where I went, and if I am being honest, I did not bother to look for it because I was sure it could have been a mistake. Eventually, I saw it was not, and somehow this AirTag had followed me throughout the whole day. Did I bother to look for it? No, so maybe it is still in my car somewhere. However, if you are tracked by an unwanted AirTag, you can find it and deactivate the device.

This has been the case for many people across the U.S. The stories continue to roll out as these devices are used to stalk people. While AirTags have become a popular and useful technology, it has also brought misuse. Apple has not released the amount of AirTags which have been sold and with the rising concerns, Apple has made software updates and continues working with law enforcement on any related cases.

competition.

“I (learned through) gomakes it robust. It makes it fun ing to other sources and othto listen to things that are dif- er people to get help on the ferent than what we always hear stuff,” Lee said. “We are engineers: We do the math; we do about in the business school.”

Gramling said he was the science. We don’t know impressed by the innova- the business. It showed me tion and diversity of the that you don’t just do it by products presented at this yourself.”

The team enyear’s competijoyed participattion. The winning ing in the fastteam pitched a pitch event and product called seeing their hard WaiSmart, a smart work pay off. shower system “We were defithat regulates wanitely really anxter temperature ious going into and pressure and it, and then we allows users to did really well,” control it through Merrill said. “Even their phones. In if we didn’t win, addition, the secI had total calm ond-place team over me. Once we pitched GeoChat, heard the judges, a geo-smart app all the feedback that would allow they gave was for communication in a college Carson Merrill, ‘Godspeed.’ They thought it was community withJunior mechanical such an incredible in a geographic area, and the engineering idea, but it was challenging third-place team major and member of so and complicatpresented Safethe winning ed that they acSuds, a sustainable, clean apteam of the knowledged all proach to washing Business Plan the work we put into it. That was cars.

Competition the highlight for The winning me. We literally team consisted of did the best that junior mechanical engineering majors Carson we possibly could in that Merrill, Jared Prewett, Jack situation.”

The group plans to move Lee, Josh Bromby and Austin Esquerra. They originally forward with WaiSmart, saying began to develop the idea for its future is “classified,” for their project in their junior now.

“The main thing for us design class for engineering.

Then, they decided to submit it is to inspire entrepreneurinto the Business Plan Compe- ship among our student body and have those ideas tition.

Throughout the process, turn into actual businesses,” the team received advice Gramling said. “We have had from professors such as Dr. that happen where students Phil van Haaster, dean of the come through the compeGordon and Jill Bourns Col- tition, they win prize monlege of Engineering, to de- ey and then several of them velop the product idea into a take that money and turn it into business. The team also said businesses. That really was the they used both skills devel- goal from the beginning, and we oped through their engineer- saw some great opportunities ing classes and acquired new for the students in this year’s business skills throughout the competition.”

Many people have started to get this notification on their phone when being tracked by an AirTag.

Ignacio Dominguez | Banner

Competition, from pg. 1

“

They thought it was such an incredible idea, but it was so challenging and complicated that they acknowledged all the work we put into it.

That was the highlight for me.

Photo Courtesy of Dawn Carter

Dr. Tim Gramling, dean of the Robert K. Jabs School of Business, speaks to the judging panel at the Business Plan Competition.

B&T Jump, run, skip or hike— what shoes are you wearing?

by Alexza Bahnmiller Choosing what shoes to wear on a daily basis does not sound like a big deal, but it can be for college students who walk around campus all day long.

Though it can be tempting to wake up and head to your 8 a.m. class while still in your slippers, it might not be the best choice when it comes to the health of your feet.

Dr. Sydney Leisz, assistant professor of kinesiology, advises students to choose footwear according to their needs. “‘Healthy’ is a broad term,” Leisz said. “Every human body has been created to be unique, and therefore we each have different needs. We all can imagine the difference in foot pain after a long day at Disneyland when you wear a pair of Rainbow Sandals, compared to if you wear Hokas. While crocs, slippers and UGGs do not have the most arch support, wearing them daily whilst in college may not be

problematic, but wearing shoes with minimal arch support and cushion over many years could have an impact on joint health later on in life.”

Brooke Donovan, sophomore film major, said she prefers wearing Doc Martens on campus.

“Docs are sturdy and comfortable and waterproof,” Donovan said. “No matter the weather, I can pretty much always wear them. They also happen to go with every outfit, which is a good bonus. I also enjoy a good tennis shoe though, just because they are also comfortable and easy to walk around in.”

Hannah McPherson, senior history major, said she prefers sandals.

“Sandals are just so easy, you just slide them on and head out the door,” McPherson said.

“You don’t have to worry about tying them or zipping them. It’s one less thing to worry about.

They are also really comfy and

can sometimes be built to curve to be the shape of your foot.

Also, when walking around campus all day, it is common to get blisters from shoes. With sandals, you don’t have to worry about that pain.”

Leisz recommends students think about what activities they will be doing that day when selecting shoes.

“The most important element is the task that you will be performing while wearing that particular shoe,” Leisz said.

“For example, if you are going to the gym and are going to be long-distance running, you may want a shoe with more arch support and cushion to absorb ground reaction forces which will reduce the stress applied up the kinetic chain. Whereas when weightlifting, when you want to lift heavy, it may be more beneficial to wear shoes with a more rigid sole to better transmit those forces, which in turn would allow you to lift heavier.”

Photo Illustration by Claire Grimes | Banner

There are many different types of shoes, giving consumers options for all of their needs.

Apple releases update to iOS 15.4 after some bugs

by Jasmine Severi Last month, Apple released its latest update to iOS for iPhones and other iOS-enabled devices, iOS 15.4. Some updates to the operating system include the ability to use facial recognition to open a device while users are wearing face masks, a COVID-19-inspired update, and an update to seamlessly use multiple devices as multiple screens, to share information between two iOS 15.4-enabled devices.

Upon downloading the update, many users reported issues with the update, including an increased power drain on their batteries and some accessibility devices not working properly with the new update.

On March 31, Apple released a fix to many issues brought to their attention by their users, including fixing the battery drain and the accessibility issues on Braille devices and MFi hearing devices, a type of hearing aid that connects to phones wirelessly.

Grace Coelho, master’s student in forensic psychology, expressed concerns over the facial recognition software being based on a smaller percentage of the user’s face.

“I guess it’s interesting because then it’s only going based off your forehead and your eyes, so it’s maybe less reliable,” Coelho said. “It would make it more susceptible to other people being able to get in.”

Kristine Johnson, sopho-

“

Another update iOS 15.4 more nursing major, however, said she thinks the mask update and iOS 15.4.1 offer is the ability to use multiple is a good idea, devices as multiple because peoscreens, and having ple all over the your information world are still spread through both wearing masks, screens. and it makes Johnson said she it easier to unthinks the ability to lock your phone share information without having between devices is to remove it. efficient.

“I think “Apple has so that’s pretty many different prodcool, because so Kristine Johnson, ucts, and I think a lot many of us have Sophomore nursing of people like stick to wear masks now,” Johnson major to Apple and buy everything Apple said. “Not as products,” Johnson much on camsaid. pus but locally, Apple’s website urges people nationally, that’s still a pretty big to update their devices and tells thing. Very useful.”

Apple has so many different products, and I think a lot of people like to stick to Apple products.

Smart rings enter market or weara le fitne tech

by Alexza Bahnmiller Oura smart rings are one of the newest advancements in wearable health-tracking technology.

Similar to smartwatches, Oura smart rings are able to track heart rates, workouts and sleep cycles.

The ring is compatible with Apple Health and Google Fit. It is water-resistant and only weighs about four grams, according to the Oura Ring website.

The latest version of the Oura Ring was released in November and prices range from $300 to $1,0000.

In comparison, Apple Watches range from $150– $400, Galaxy Watches range from $100-$300 and FitBits range from $50-$200.

Though it may be more convenient to just wear a small ring over a chunky bracelet while wanting to track health statistics, is it worth the price?

Dr. William Boyer, assistant professor of kinesiology, said he thinks they are a good idea, although the technology is still new.

“These rings could absolutely be a good investment to improve someone’s health,” Boyer said. “It’s important that people know what their personal health goals are, to see if the variables that the Oura smart (rings) measure are in sync with those.

“Since Oura is a relatively new technology, it would be

good to continue to look at and Also, smartwatches are trendy investigate the validity and pre- right now and most people lookcision in what Oura claims its ing for a health tracker most likely already have a watch, so smart rings measure.”

Oura Ring’s website claims they would be downgrading if the ring is built with re- they switched.

“I think maybe though if the search-grade sensors to moniprice was lowered tor temperature, that more people stress, heart rate, might try it out. activity and temIf it is able to cost perature. less than a watch The website ad that could be a also boasts that great reason peothe ring has an ple could reach for a w a r d -w i n n i n g it instead.” design, 4–7 days While looking of battery life and for a health-trackincredibly accuing device fit for rate data as “the you, Boyer gives finger is the most Dr. William Boyer, some tips. reliable source Assistant professor of “My first recof heart rate data o m mendation across all skin kinesiology would be to buy tones.” something that is However, Elizabeth Roe, freshman criminal within your price budget that justice major, said she thinks also provides you with data measures that are important she will stick to smartwatches.

“I think watches are more to you and your health,” Boyer useful because there are more said. “My second recommenfeatures like texting and mu- dation would be to read studies sic on top of the features the and review papers on the prering has, and they are cheap- cision and validity of these deer,” Roe said. “It doesn’t make vices and what they claim to be that much sense to pay more able to measure.”

As Apple and Samsung have for something that does less in yet to release their own version comparison.”

Masha Sowell, sophomore of smart rings, Oura could appsychology major, has a similar pear to be competition.

“If the smart ring can poopinion.

“The price point is just too sition itself to compete with high for a ring,” Sowell said. the smartwatch, then abso“It’s a neat idea that a ring has lutely there is a strong chance the ability to track your infor- the smart ring will rise in mation like your heart rate, but popularity,” Boyer said. “Only smartwatches are more useful. time can tell.”

“

These rings could absolutely be a good investment to improve someone’s health.

them how, since it does not always happen automatically.

“You can update your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS wirelessly,” Apple’s website reads. “If you’re using iOS or iPadOS 14.5 or later, you might see the option to choose between two software update versions.

“You can update to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS 15 as soon as it’s released, or continue to use iOS or iPadOS 14 while still getting important security updates for a period of time. If you can’t see the update on your device, use your computer to update your device manually.”

In the past, Apple has not been very responsive when people complain about the battery life of its products, but this time

they heard the complaints about this bug in the software causing battery drain and they fixed it quickly. They also responded to the accessibility issues brought to their attention.

Coelho said she is glad Apple responded to these issues quickly.

“I think that’s a good upgrade to have to become more inclusive,” Coelho said.

Johnson said she would not have thought to complain about these issues, but she is glad other people did and they responded to it.

This new update is available for iPhone 6S and later, all models of iPad Pro, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad fifth generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch generation 7.

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A&E Dueling Reviews: “Morbius”

by Emily McGinn I have a confession to make: before going to see “Morbius” in theaters, I did what I never do before seeing a film I need to review. I looked at what other reviewers were saying about the film, and, from my understanding, I was walking into the worst movie of the year.

I spent about half of the film with the back of my mind working hard nit-picking for details that would qualify for such harsh reviews. Finally, I had an epiphany. The answer swooped toward me like a bat to blood: Nothing. There is nothing horribly wrong with this film.

In fact, I would even venture to call it good and thoroughly enjoyable, and I am willing to risk the torches and pitchforks of the entire film review community to make that claim.

Of course, this begged the question: why did people hate it so much? I suppose I could understand how some people might have disliked the effects – for example, it took me a while to get used to the way they portrayed Morbius’s

echo-location abilities, using what looked like colored campfire smoke that wafted off most of the objects in the film during action sequences. But nothing in the effects category made it an unwatchable mess.

So, perhaps the plot? If you accept that Marvel-affiliated films always stretch the science a bit (after the nightmarish plot holes initiated by time travel in “Avengers: Endgame,” I don’t think we can complain about anything in the realm of scientific believability), it is not difficult to get behind the general idea of a brilliant doctor tortured by a terminal disease coping with a recombinant DNA experiment gone wrong.

The backstory gave us just enough perspective into his past to understand his life mission as well as his deep friendship with Milo.

Overall, the action sequences were enjoyable, and the fact that the antagonist focused mostly on targeting those close to Morbius offered a twist that I think Marvel badly needed. It was refreshing to see a smaller-scale conflict rather than the I-needto-save-the-entire-world-fromcertain-destruction trope that

Marvel has favored in many of its mainstream films. Sometimes smaller is bigger.

So, it must be the cast. But, overall, the performances were done well. Matt Smith injected a much-needed playful dancealone-in-his-house personality into the character of Milo that served the flow of the movie well and nuanced the villain character. I also have few complaints about Jared Leto’s performance as Morbius, which offered us a sarcastic, slightly bitter, slightly brooding controversial hero that the Marvel side of superhero-ism desperately needs. He killed people, he isn’t a saint, but we are still on his side.

Sure, some of the dialogue was a little flat, and some of the side characters (the detectives, in particular) added absolutely nothing but faces and minor plot points to the film. But it was far from the worst film of the year (please remember that “Uncharted” came out only a month and a half ago).

If you like superhero movies and want to see something a little different, ignore the poor reviews. They’re wrong.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

by Josiah Murphy “Morbius” is such a pointless movie that the endeavor of putting thought into why it is a pointless movie requires more effort than the entirety of the movie’s screenplay.

Sitting down to write a review of “Morbius” inherently requires more focus, imagination and determination than writing the screenplay. The smart thing to do would be to write “BAD” and move on with our lives. A movie best seen on the darkest projector possible, so that way you don’t actually need to see it.

What this movie boils down to is scenes that feel like they are missing a previous scene of context, dialogue that is so bafflingly on the nose and characters with all the likability of a Thirty Seconds to Mars album.

“Morbius” is a trite journey into patience, and if you come out alive you are a brave soul that can endure most forms of torture.

That being said, it is a hilarious movie – unintentionally for the most part.

Characters investigating a crime that happened on a boat

Illustration event ‘Iridescence’ shares students’ artistic talents

by Kassidy Blount California Baptist University recently held an event called Iridescence: An Illustrated Journey. This is a new showcase to show off our talented illustration students and all the dedication they put into their work.

Candace Brabant, adjunct professor of illustration, is in charge of the digital portion of the illustration department and cares a lot about her students and getting their work seen.

“Although this particular showing is not an annual event, the illustration department does plan on having a showcase of student work annually in the coming years,” said Brabant.

So, even if you missed seeing our illustration students this time, you can look forward to seeing their work in the future.

One of those hardworking students was Anne Sowers, sophomore illustration major.

“I hope to develop my artistic skill and creative eye by

learning from my professors and their expertise,” Sowers said.

“I also want to meet and build relationships with my fellow peers and continue to learn how to work collaboratively.”

The most important part of this showcase was expressed in the name. Iridescence describes the talent each student has.

They shine, and their artwork is an example of that. This art show gives them the opportunity to show off their iridescent talent.

“It is so vital in the beginning stages of an illustrative journey to feel the support of others,” Brabant said. “They can become confident in the work they produce and reach higher for their goals.”

There are a lot of different ways to create an illustration project. You could draw it by hand, digitally draw it or paint it. It is the dedication and time that is put into each piece that makes each one unique. Alexan-

dra Lobato, sophomore illustration major, is another one of the students who got to showcase their incredible artwork.

“I do a lot of digital art with a focus on fantasy themes,” Lobato said. “I love to build new worlds through my art and to fill it with lore and creatures of my own design. I also like to create works inspired by some of my favorite shows, games and books.”

With the rise of digital art, technology has grown and adapted to life and allows people to now draw and design on tablets and computers.

Before, illustration consisted of a paper and a pencil, and now designers have an unlimited amount of tools at the touch of a finger.

Evelyn Olmos, sophomore illustration major, is one of the students who utilizes the technology and designs digitally.

“The type of art that I make is on the digital aspect of art, so I’m often sitting down at my desk and working on a Wacom tablet,

or on the go through iPad,” Olmos said.

There are so many incredible work opportunities that come from illustration. A few of these jobs are as follows: children’s and young adult illustration, comic book art, character and prop design and illustrated fabric design.

This is only a small number of the job possibilities that you can obtain by majoring in illustration.

“It is widely misunderstood that illustration does not provide a financially stable future, which is false,” Brabant said. “In fact, there are so many options that, if one path doesn’t interest the artist, there are always a plethora of related jobs that can utilize their talents in similar ways.”

The illustration students at CBU will hopefully have great success in any illustration field they hope to pursue. Their talent and dedication are iridescent.

constantly reiterate to other characters that the crime happened on a boat. There are jokes in the script, but do they land? Hardly. A light chuckle or a pained face contortion that could be considered a smile is all the movie will get from this reviewer.

The cast sleepwalks their way through this tale of neck romancers— seriously, “Morbius” contains a gratuitous amount of sexual tension between everyone you would least expect.

Especially since the lead “romance” between Martine (Adria Ajona) and Morbius (Jared Leto) has all the romantic chemistry of two action figures being smashed into one another to kiss.

More believable is the sexual tension between Morbius and Milo (Matt Smith). Better yet is a scene near the end of the film where Milo and Dr. Nicholas (Jared Harris) argue like an old married couple and whisper sweet nothings into one another’s ears before the former disembowels the latter.

It is a series of consecutively poorly written and edited scenes that amount to a pot-roast of imperfection called “Morbius.”

The gravitas with which the character is handled is truly bewildering, as things just happen and occur rather than build and paramount with conflict and stakes (pun intended).

The action is weirdly composed – if you understand what is going on in any given action sequence you should be awarded a Bachelor’s in geography. CG-blobs battle and flail, fall and sometimes fly into bigger blobs.

By the end of a movie such as “Morbius,” one may wonder if movies were a mistake.

Yes, you read that right. By the time the credits roll and you are forced to sit through several nonsensical credits scenes, you will lose faith in the ability of filmmaking.

Why are movies made if we must endure ones like “Morbius”? Is it truly that bad? Dear reader, do you really want to call my bluff if it means sitting through the movie? You may like it. Or, you may find dear reader, that I am right. The choice is yours…

In the end, the real “Morbius” was the necks we bit along the way.

No stars to give.

KASSIDY'S MUSIC PLAYLIST

2000’s Throwback CRY ME A RIVER

03 : 00

JustinTimberlake

ISLAND IN THE SUN

02 : 47

Weezer

SK8ER BOY

02 : 48

AvrilLevigne

SHE WILL BE LOVED

03 : 30

Maroon5

LIFE IS A HIGHWAY

02 :42

RascalFlatt’s

03 : 32

SINCE YOU BEEN GONE KellyClarkson

04 : 12

FALLIN’ AleciaKeys

I DON’T WANNA BE

02 : 59

GavinDeGraw

03 : 34

CRAZY IN LOVE Beyonce(feat.Jay-Z)

03 : 44

BYE BYE BYE NSYNC

Island in the Sun Weezer

00 : 00

02 : 47

Luis Menendez | Banner

Artist of the issue: Illustrator Carly Brunner

by Zerenity Lopez

Photo by Elijah Hickman | Banner

Carly Brunner, freshman illustration major, sketches in her favorite spot at California Baptist University.

Students enrolled in the CAVAD program at California Baptist University are all exceptional artists in their own way.

Carly Brunner, freshman illustration major, is one of these students. She describes her work as “free-spirited.”

“I create work that reflects my own feelings, and my style is also very similar to my personality,” Brunner said.

Brunner has always loved art and grew up drawing characters throughout her childhood.

She started with personal doodles outside of typical arts and crafts, but the pressure of art as an assignment never appealed to her until she began to create things for herself. Brunner refers to her art as a “second nature.”

“It helps calm my brain down and just relax,” Brunner said.

When Brunner first started at CBU, she was studying graphic design. She made the switch to illustration near the end of her first semester to feel more connected to her work.

Although digital artwork has

many redeeming qualities, she prefers to create things handson.

“I felt that illustration was a better fit because I can express my art more fluidly,” Brunner said. “I feel more connected to my art when it’s directly from my hand to the paper.”

Brunner can work with many different mediums, but her top choice is Copic markers.

She said she loves the freedom and precision that the markers give and the watercolor effect that they replicate. Through her journey here at CBU, she has been able to explore the art of watercolor and the different techniques that come with it.

The artist that inspires her most, Beatrix Potter, an illustrator for children’s books in the 1800s, has motivated Bruner to experiment with these paints. She intends to pursue a career in illustration, specifically in children’s literature. Her art at the moment targets young adults, but Brunner thinks that she is adaptable enough to shift towards a younger audience.

After studying Potter’s work, Brunner has improved the way she depicts nature in her illus-

trations. Brunner admires how Potter was able to publish children’s books in the 1800s as a woman and how she incorporated nature into her work.

Although Brunner’s specialty is line work, she also excels at the vast amount of flora and fauna she adds to each drawing.

Brunner is an Oregon native, so it does not come as a surprise that she would include nature to highlight her pieces.

Brunner’s creative process includes drawing inspiration from anything and everything.

“I usually start by getting an idea from literally anything,” Brunner said.

She begins with linework to give a clean base for her sketches and then goes in with her medium of choice to color.

Like Nike, Brunner advises young individuals to “just do it” when it comes to art. She encourages beginners to follow their instinct and create things that have meaning.

“Just do it,” Brunner said.

“Practice and go for it. There’s no need to overthink it.”

Learn more about Brunner and her illustrations on her Instagram, @nervybanana.

A&E

Lofi hiphop chill: the power behind the infamous study aid

by Rowen Zamora Lofi music has swept college campuses everywhere and is reported as a helpful study aid by many. But what is so special about this type of music? Why do some people swear by it?

Why do people purport drastic results?

With playlist titles such as “Lofi hip hop radio – beats to relax and study to,” “3:30 a.m. coding session – Lofi hip hop mix” and “Cozy winter Lofi hip-hop study beats,” it is clear that the Lofi creators and community find it to have a certain mood-setting atmosphere.

To understand why this might be, it helps to first understand what lofi music is.

Lofi stands for low fidelity and is essentially intentionally low-quality (in an audio sense) music with lots of white noise, random sounds and repetition.

But that does not tell us why it helps.

“What the research shows is that if we are studying something (and) want to listen to music, your best music is something without words because processing of words from texts that your reading and the music your listening to come from the same pool of cognitive resources,” said Dr. Erin Smith, associate professor of psychology. “So even when people say ‘I have to have music to study. It helps me increase my focus,’ if the music has words they will be, whether they mean to or not, be using some of their cognitive resource to process the words in the music, which actually detracts from their ability to direct those same resources to whatever they are reading.”

Smith said that because of the lack of words, lofi music can help those who like to have noise in the background while studying become more effective in their studying.

“It works as good back-

ground music because it is not telling a story with its words,” said Trennon Williamson, junior Christian studies and philosophy double major.

But what about lofi music specifically helps an individual?

“Not all music without words is equal,” Smith said. “You can listen to some classical music and it is like the 17th-century head-banging music. Music without words is going to exist on a continuum in terms of its complexity.”

Smith said that it would be believable if research showed there to be a connection between lofi music and entrance into a flow state, a psychological principle coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a Hungarian positive psychologist.

“Going into flow is when you get so immersed in your task, it’s like you lose your sense of everything else,” Smith said.

Williamson notices a similar phenomena when studying

JOSIAH’S FAVORITE PIXAR MOVIES

with lofi music.

“If I have to write a six-page paper in one night, I put on lofi music and I can actually sit down and do the paper,” Williamson said.

However, Smith speculated that depending on one’s extroversion, they could be more or less likely to find positive effects from lofi.

This seems to be consistent with the experiences of Ambar Arellanez, junior nutrition and food science major, who seems to only be able to use the benefits of Lofi under certain conditions.

“If I’m not in a distracted mode, it helps me zone in on my work,” Arellanez said.

Whether you are an introvert and need quiet or an extrovert who needs the white noise, this type of music is worth giving a try.

It is easily accessible on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music and other platforms.

Ph

Luis Menendez | Banner

Review: ‘The Adam Project’ offers us with nothing new

by Josiah Murphy

Photo by Camille Grochowski | Banner

Joel Fisher, senior comedic arts and philisophy major, plays Cowardly Lion in CBU Theatre’s production of Wizard of Oz. The ensamble surrounds Fisher during “The Mary Old land of OZ” in act two.

Theater performs ‘Wizard of Oz’

by Gabrielle Riggin Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore. California Baptist University’s Wallace Theatre is presenting “The Wizard of Oz” by Frank L. Baum. The story incorporates elements of traditional magic, such as a wizard (of course), witches (good and bad) and the American reality of dealing with a Kansas cyclone in the 20th century.

Sophia Oliveri, senior tech and performance major, is playing the Wicked Witch and is also assistant director for the production. She spoke about the relatability of the idea within the play that Dorothy had a rough time in Kansas and came up with a magic dream after being hit by a tornado.

Oliveri compares Dorothy dreaming of that different reality as “a very human thing of being able to escape the boring and the mundane and to find those fantastical realities that are real to all of us, are just in our imagination.”

Stacee Willis, director of “The Wizard of Oz” and adjunct professor of play analysis, has been a director for multiple shows and runs a children’s theatre here in Riverside called TCARiverside. This is her first time directing for CBU. Following the showing of “Beauty and the Beast” in the fall, Willis said that “The Wizard

of Oz” places a large emphasis pect the learning curve.”

While it was a challenge, Wilon the tech side of theatre. “(It has) lots of technical el- lis said her cast and crew were ements, big costume changes, able to make that adaption and quick costume changes,” Willis have done great with the flying.

The production for “The said. “Flying was definitely an adjustment, but other than that, Wizard of Oz” had more than my actors do the work and they just flying monkeys as obstacles come in prepared and are find- on their path down the yellow brick road, as the cast was working their character.”

Willis said the opportunity ing against a clock for costume to direct for CBU was a dream changes and makeup. Willis excome true and is hopeful to be plains the beginning of the play, starting in their directing for everyday reality more theater and then having performances two minutes for here in the futhe cast to change ture. into their magi“I’ve wantcal and colorful ed to direct costumes and be since I startready for the next ed here, but scene. it just worked Sophia Oliveri, “Mrs. Gulch out this time becomes just a and I’m really Senior tech and regular woman, glad so, hopeperformance major no makeup — an fully, they ask older woman is me back,” Wilwhat she’s supposed to be,” Willis said.

The cast and crew’s most lis said. “And she becomes the prominent element in this pro- Wicked Witch and goes into a duction is the flying in this show. full face of green makeup. I think Jolene Automo, senior theater she gets (about) four minutes. major, plays Dorothy in the pro- It’s just the logistics of that. Figduction. She emphasized the ob- uring that out was a little tough stacle of flying on top of stepping last night, but they made it.”

At dress rehearsal, Oliveri into her character.

“This is the first time I’ve walked around, grabbing cosever done a show that has flying, tume elements and fastening so that’s been really exciting and her harness to be ready to fly on new for me and everyone in the stage “This is hands down the bigcast,” Willis said. “We didn’t ex-

“

Learning to fly and all that crazy stuff (is exciting), but also the friendship that we have off of the wings.

gest show we’ve done,” Oliveri said. “I love this cast a lot. I love the experiences that have led to this point. I loved being able to be a part of a director role. It’s the culmination of years worth of experience and training going into something brand new.”

Oliveri and Automo both spoke about their passion for putting on this production and their most memorable moments with the CBU Theatre Arts.

“I would say my favorite scene is the last scene,” Automo said. “(Dorothy is) finally, with the people she loves, and I really like that scene.”

In that scene, Automo explains how she relates to Dorothy when she says good-bye to the magical place but holds on to what made it so unique.

“Holding on to what about that place was so magical for (Dorothy), which is the people that she loves so much,” Automo said. “I could say the same for CBU.” Oliveri said participating in this production is meaningful to her because of the relationships she built over the years in theater and she plans to carry those memories after graduation.

“Learning to fly and all that crazy stuff (is exciting), but also just the friendship that we have off of the wings,” Oliveri said.

“The audience doesn’t get to see this as much, but that’s what I will miss.”

Take all those 1980s movies that you know about – you know the ones (“Back to the Future,” “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” and “Return of the Jedi”), and imbue them with charm, lifelessness and an unbearable Ryan Reynolds performance, and you have “The Adam Project.” It is a trite, hokey, smarmy movie that takes all of your dad’s favorite FM hits and crams them into a movie. It doesn’t matter if they fit or not, they are getting played.

“The Adam Project” is the latest lifeless big-budget release that Netflix has under its belt.

With stars like Ryan Reynolds, Zoe Salanda, Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo headlining, it is a sure-fire hit to get viewers to tune in. The beautiful people are going to fight, make jokes, tug at your heartstrings — and you are going to watch them do it.

Journey-man filmmaker Shawn Levy (“Real Steal,” “Night at the Museum,” “Date Night” and several episodes of “Stranger Things”) is Reynolds’s latest pet in helping deliver movies where he gets to play himself. Levy is a very functional director. The pacing will be tight, geography of action will be clear and the comedic beats will always land.

You have to admire Reynolds for it. With his last string of movies (“Free Guy,” “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” and now this), he has been able to just show up and be Ryan Reynolds. That’s a pretty sweet gig. The trouble is when a movie wants to be Spielbergian-lite in its illusions of grandeur schmaltz, having Ryan Reynolds play himself will not allow the moments to land. Particularly a scene towards the end of the movie that gets to borrow from “Field of Dreams” with its imagery and be heartfelt and sincere.

But as the audience we can only go, “That’s Ryan Reynolds! Nice try movie!”

And dear reader, for this reviewer, that moment landed with all the grace of a slip-nslide at fat camp.

There is nothing inherently bad about “The Adam Project.”

It is a tried-and-true formula being utilized here, not dissimilar for the superhero movie formula that Marvel has down pat by this point. What is admirable is that “The Adam Project” is original material. Sure, it borrows from other things, sometimes blatantly. For example, a mid-movie chase was ripped straight from “Return of the Jedi.” It isn’t a sequel or remake, though, so that immediately gives it some positive points.

However, it loses all of those points when it does nothing with that originality. Instead, it is full to the brim with plot and very little resonance beyond the broad strokes of “be nice to mom” and “enjoy the good before it is gone,” and other Nickelodeon messaging that you’ve seen and heard time and again.

It strives to be like all those classic blockbusters but forgets to imbue itself with the very thing that made those iconic: life.

All of its “moments” try so hard, to be something instead of letting the audience let it become something based on the resonance it will have. The movie shoves the puppy into your face – never mind the fact that you are trying to calmly tell it you are allergic, you will get a face full of puppy.

It’s not the worst thing ever.

There are certainly worse out there, but I was impervious to the charms of the movie and found its attempts grating and eye-roll inducing, resulting in a nothing-burger of a motion picture.

1 out of 5 stars.

Sports

Tom Brady unretires... again

by Maddy Gonzalez Everyone knows who the great Tom Brady is, whether it is for his talent in football, the fact that he is the oldest football player in the NFL (at the age of 44) or as a personal favorite: how many times he has retired and unretired from the National Football League.

Little known fact about Brady: Britannica states that he “excelled in football and baseball. He entered the Major League Baseball draft in 1995 and was picked by (the) Montreal Expos.” Soon realizing that he liked football more, Brady attended the University of Michigan for football and in 2000 was drafted into the NFL by the New England Patriots.

Brady made his first Super Bowl appearance in the 2001 season after the Patriots’ starting quarterback, Drew Bledsoe, was

injured. The team went on to beat the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI; where Brady was named MVP. The Patriots returned to the Super Bowl in 2004, taking down the Carolina Panthers with Brady earning another MVP award. 2005 was nothing but deja vu for Brady where he helped carry his team to another Super Bowl Champion title against the Philadelphia Eagles. The most controversial Super Bowl win in football history was the New England Patriots’ upset against the Seattle Seahawks. Although Tom Brady was one of the players behind the ball deflations and was ultimately suspended for four games in the upcoming season, he still won his third MVP award. In 2018, Tom made his third consecutive Super Bowl appearance; helping the Patriots take down the Los

Angeles Rams.

This is where things started to get interesting. In March 2020, he sent the sports world into a frenzy when he announced that he was signing a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This ended his 20-year streak with the New England Patriots.

Proving that a team does not make his talent, Brady led the Buccaneers to his seventh Super Bowl Championship over the Kansas City Chiefs.

After a 31-9 Super Bowl win over the KC Chiefs in 2021, Brady announced he was retiring from football, saying he wanted to “focus his time and energy on other things that require his attention.” Retirement did not last long for Brady, as he soon announced his return to the Buccaneers for the upcoming season.

2022 was no different; Brady

announced his retirement again after an upset against the Los Angeles Rams. As if it were a repeat of 2021, Brady unretired after less than six weeks.

The MVP football star will return to the Buccaneers to play his 23rd NFL season.

It is no mistake that Tom Brady is one of the most talented American football players in history. After winning a total of seven Super Bowls and three MVP awards, he deserves the recognition he gets. Sportrac reports that Tom Brady in 2022, will earn a base salary of $8,925,000 and a roster bonus of $1,470,588, while carrying a cap hit of $20,270,588 and a dead cap value of $15,000,000.

Depending on “Passer rating, touchdown passes, pass yards, completion percentage and yard per attempt”, an extra $562,500 is tacked on to his salary.

Pro stars push boundaries

by Arden Leeman The 2021-22 sports season has definitely been interesting. In the sports community, we have seen a change in how sports have commenced and how players and fans have coped with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we have seen some amazing things happen in sports in 2021 and in 2022 so far.

Shohei Ohtani is a Japanese baseball player playing for the Los Angeles Angels. He has proven his role on the team specifically in this last season by winning the American League’s MVP award.

He blew the ball out of the park by hitting 40 home runs

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CO M M U N I T Y • Just Blocks Away from CBU

and striking out 156 batters in 130 innings. Ohtani’s season proves to MLB fans everywhere that he is worthy of MVP. The New York Times has described him as creating a whole new era in American baseball, along with being compared to one of the greatest players in MLB history, Babe Ruth.

Ohtani has proven his greatness in the last season and is showing great promise for this season as well.

Tom Brady is known as being one of the greatest football players of all time. He has proven his greatness over and over again by winning his seventh super bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He made a statement an-

nouncing his retirement but soon after announced he is coming back to play yet another season. In his career, he has won MVP five times and has led the NFL in passing yards for many years.

For instance, in 2017 he led with 4,577 passing yards and also threw 32 touchdown passes. Brady’s performance in the NFL is historic and he will go down in the Hall of Fame as possibly the greatest football player of all time.

Golden State Warrior Steph Curry is known as probably one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA. He has broken records over and over again. In addition, he has also matched his own

record by hitting at least one three-pointer in every game since 2018, which has been 157 consecutive games.

Curry broke Ray Allen’s record of 2,974 threes and has gone on to hit 26 more to be the first player ever to hit 3,000 threes.

Curry has gone on to lead the NBA in three-point field goals made and has a .428 three-point percentage. Curry focuses on excelling mentally and physically and has proven his greatness once again.

Sports bring people together and we are happy to see that fans have been able to go back to games and cheer for their favorite teams and players in 2022.

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WAC Headlines ACU TOPS NO. 12 TCU The Abilene Christian University baseball team (13-11) marked their first win over a top-25 team in program history on March 29.

ACU previously fell to Texas Christian University but caused an upset by marking the highest profile win the history of the program.

The fourth inning was the start of ACU’s climb when Colton Eager hit one to right field for a two-run shot which put ACU in the lead.

GCU FALLS TO ARIZONA Carter Young, sophomore from Wyoming is Grand Canyon University’s go-to baseball pitcher. GCU (No. 21) faced No. 15 hitting team the University of Arizona. Young was able to make the Wildcats go hitless for five innings and totaled 13 strikeouts.

Arizona found their lead in the sixth inning with home runs and one run on two hits, quickly followed by a walk in the seventh inning and two runs and three hits and a walk in the eighth inning.

TEXANS ADD TO GOLF ROSTER Tarleton State men’s golf just had an exciting addition to their program. Masen Ward will be their first graduate transfer from Westminster College.

Ward had a career average score of 74.8, the fourth best average in Westminster College program history and is coming off his best season, where he played in six tournaments. Not only was the Utah native an important member in the program, but he also earned three RMAC Men’s Golfer of the Week awards.

Opinion 40 years later, we have Good-bye, to my favorite not changed that much publication, The Banner

by Emily McGinn If you have read my work throughout the year, you might have realized I am an opinionated person. I have offered my two cents on quite a few things–fast food, Starbucks, green living–so for the last issue of the year, I have decided to give you a bit of a break. Instead, I want to share what I have learned over the past couple weeks.

In the last couple weeks, I have had the privilege to chat with three former editors-in-chief (EICs) of The Banner; they each were in the same position as me, only we all took the position in a different decade. As I spoke with each of them, we discussed many

differences that have occurred over the years. For example, I discussed the transition from physically laying out the paper to prepping it digitally with Tom Pace, the EIC from the early ’90s (more on this in Vision, pages 4-5).

We also noted the changes made to the school–it has grown rapidly in the past 20 or 30 years.

However, what stood out to me the most is that, despite our differences generationally, we all had some shared experience that connected us.

I could empathize with Jay Hobbs (the EIC from the mid2000s) when he referenced long print nights, and I heard my own sentiment in the words of Tom Phillips (the EIC from the early ’80s) when he said he and his staff “were proud of what (they) accomplished” during his time at California Baptist College.

I am in Phillips’s position as a student and EIC exactly 40 years later, however, I found that we had more in common than one would think with such a generation gap.

I think, in a way, we can all draw something from this; in our society, we emphasize our

differences all the time. We like to point out how things have changed, and create divides between generations.

While it is wonderful in many contexts to point to how we have progressed in society, it would serve us all well to realize that most of us are extremely similar to those who came before us. The students who walked our campus 40, 30 or 20 years ago were young adults, just like us, looking to launch careers and pursue dreams they had yet to realize. They worked hard. They had fun. They were passionate about things happening in their world, just like we are.

We like to divide ourselves in many ways, all the time. We like to categorize, and we often do this with different generations.

However, I encourage everyone to sit down and speak to someone born in a different time for a while. Ask what their life was like and listen to their story, and see if perhaps you can identify with them.

In a strange way, we are all interconnected through shared experiences, even when they occur in different times.

It might serve us well to remember that.

by Elijah Hickman From being a scared freshman not knowing anything about college or life to becoming a senior about to graduate, my time being part of Lancer Media Group (LMG) has come to an end. I still remember being a freshman exploring the halls of James to now being the photo editor for The Banner.

LMG has genuinely been a double-edged sword. I remember all the fun things I have been able to shoot, from being on the floor of Midnight Madness to shooting on the Fortuna Bowl sidelines, and even shooting on the sidelines at basketball games.

Sometimes, all we need is a chance

by Aiden Hobson As the school year comes to an end, I’m experiencing a lot of “lasts.” This is my last opinion piece with The Banner. I know you all will be quite excited that there will no longer be polemical theological pieces in the back of the newspaper, and you can instead enjoy Emily’s diatribes against Chick-fil-a and do the crossword without having to read about the latest theological issue I decided to give my two cents on.

Putting jokes aside, I will truly miss writing for the Banner. I never planned on becoming involved with Lancer Media Group when I first came to CBU, but through a fortunate series of events I got to join one of the most rewarding student organizations on campus.

I will forever be grateful for the opportunities I was given at The Banner to step outside my comfort zone, find my voice as a writer and work on the greatest college newspaper there is.

There are many people I would like to thank. Thank you to professors Sonya Singh and Mary Ann Pearson for taking a chance on a bored student-athlete with zero journalism experience; without your willingness to let me prove my abilities, I never would have become the writer I am today (though Dr. Pearson and Prof. Singh should absolutely not be faulted for the many idiosyncrasies and just plain awful writing that one can sometimes find in my work for The Banner).

Thank you to my editors, Kelly, Sofia, and Emily, for being

“

I will forever be grateful for the opportunities I was given at The Banner to step outside my comfort zone, find my voice as a writer and work on the greatest college newspaper there is.

patient with me and helping me learn how to become a sportswriter, sports editor, and managing editor.

I would especially like to thank Emily, for inviting me to be her managing editor. It was a privilege to get to play a small (yet bigger than I ever expected) role in the production of The Banner as a member of her team, and I am grateful for her friendship, mentorship and patience as I have had to learn how to become an editor.

While many people may be confused by the passion and zeal with which me and my fellow LMG staff members work on our publications, I would invite anyone and everyone who is slightly interested in writing and journalism to join the staff (specifically The Banner, because no offense to Angelos, Pursuit, and CBU TV, but we all know that the Banner is the best publication in LMG).

The joy of seeing a completed newspaper, with your name in the byline of several articles, is such an amazing feeling and I would hope that anyone who is interested would feel welcome to pursue a job with The Banner.

As a part of The Banner, I have been able to talk to so many different people at CBU about so many different topics, all as a part of an incredibly

“

I would invite anyone and every who is slightly interested in journalism to join the staff (specifically The Banner, because no offense to Angelos, Pursuit, and CBU TV, but we all know that The Banner is the best publication in LMG).

supportive and unique team. I have had to write stories about all manner of subjects, which has expanded my intellectual horizons. I never thought writing for the school paper would affect my life in so many great ways.

My time with The Banner has been one of the most tiring, stressful, and rewarding things I have ever had the privilege of experiencing. It is with much fondness and great sadness that I say goodbye to my fellow staff members and to all of our readers. Thank you for listening to me and giving me a voice.

I remember all the fun trips I could go on because of LMGNew York, Minnesota and even New Orleans. All the skills i gained from those workshops have helped me so much. I also remember all the long nights I had helping out all the publications from Angelos to Pursuit, and, yes, even The Banner. I just want to thank all our faculty who have helped grow me into the person I am.

Thank you Sonya Singh, who helped get me plugged into publication when I first started.

Thank you Dr. Mary Ann Pearson for always encouraging us to continue to grow not only as journalists but also as people.

To Professor Jim Veneman, you have helped me grow as a photographer and a Christian.

You have always been there for me in my highs and lows. I would not be the person I am today without you in my life.

I would also like to say thank you to my photo team. You guys have been outstanding; there would be no pictures in any of the publications without you guys.

Finally, I would like to say thank you to my annoying but great editor-in-chief of The

What Do You Think?

Banner News posed a question to five members of the student body:

What is your favorite CBU campus tradition?

“I think the Festival of Colors sounds pretty cool.”

Clarissa Ramirez Sophomore Communication sciences and disorders major

“Fortuna Bowl is pretty fun, I know friends in it.”

Grant Dupuy Sophomore Mechanical engineering major

“I like the community of the people here. I really love that I can express my love of God here.”

Sabrina Galanis Master’s student Biomedical science

Young adults, please go to the doctor

by Kristie Wiseman When was the last time you went to the doctor? Was it when your mom forced you? Or when you needed a physical to play sports in high school?

Recent studies have shown that children and older adults are the most likely to have a

scheduled doctor appointment.

Adolescents and young adults from age 16-35 are the least likely to visit a primary care provider. People in this age range are also more likely to be rushed to the hospital in an emergency than to schedule an appointment preemptively.

When we get sick as college students, we tend to “tough it out.” We will take Advil or DayQuil and just try to make it through the day. We have exams to take and papers to write. We do not have time to go to the doctor. However, it is always important to prioritize our physical health. By going to the doctor before your symptoms get out of hand, you are able to actually save money and recover more quickly.

Doctors’ appointments also serve a purpose beyond sick-

ness. We should have regular doctors’ appointments even when we feel healthy. Preventative healthcare is the easiest way to catch health problems before they become problems that are much more difficult to solve. A primary care physician can tell you which disorders you may be at risk for and provide practical, preventative solutions.

Health professionals have a wealth of knowledge on diet, exercise, managing stress and other healthy habits that are sometimes ignored by college students. The role of a primary care provider is also designed so you can have someone to talk to about your health concerns.

There may be certain disorders that run in your family or perhaps you just have questions or concerns based on your life-

style. Whatever the situation, primary care physicians can come alongside you and help you live the healthiest life you can.

When we turn 18 and enter adulthood, we stop seeing a pediatrician. We are also moving to college and figuring out our lives on our own for the first time. Finding a primary care provider is often lost in the shuffle. However, we should never neglect our physical health. Everyone should have a primary care physician they can turn to with questions or concerns. Scheduling yearly doctors’ appointments are an easy way to stay healthy. This way, when a health concern does arise, we will have someone to turn to who knows us rather than desperately searching for a nearby urgent care.

Banner. She has constantly pushed me to make The Banner different than it has ever been before. She let me try a lot of crazy ideas that turned out better than we both thought and always trusted me to make sure everything was turned in and that all the pictures were captioned and placed. I never wanted to disappoint her.

Lastly, I would like to say thank you to all the readers. I hope you have enjoyed the paper and my time as the photo editor. I wanted to make a very photo-heavy, visual paper, and I hope you guys have enjoyed it. I also wanted to thank everyone who let me interview them and take their pictures.

For anyone thinking about joining LMG, I will say it will be one of the most fun and tiring experiences of your life. If I did not join LMG, I would not have been able to get the full experience CBU offers. There will be a lot of long nights, but I promise that when you see your work published, it will be worth it.

This concludes my seventh and last article ever for The Banner. I would live to give a special shout-out to Emily for making me write this.

“The Kugel walk, definitely.

It’s one of those moments where you see incoming students be welcomed into the CBU family.”

Dr. Melissa Antonio Associate professor of biology

“Festival of Colors. I love learning about new cultures and food, and I get to learn about Indian food and culture, and throwing color is fun.”

Buse Topcu Master’s student Biomedical science

Interviews by Jasmine Severi

ETC

Highlights from The Banner archives

Printed in The Banner on May 20, 1983

Printed in The Banner on March 11, 1982

LANCER LIFE

Printed in The Banner on May 27, 1983

Illustration by Santos Garcia

RETRO CROSSWORD 1

3

4

2

6

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8

5

Printed in The Banner on May 21, 1981

CLUES Across 2.You can do it on ice, to, but it is more slippery (kind of) 3. Old-time video players 6. Instant photo (Tip: keep it out of the sun) 8. AM or FM

Down 1. Writer’s precursor to the laptop 3. Records, before tapes, CDs and Spotify 4. Get groovy 5. Peter Quill’s only source of music 6. Old way to display slides or film 7. Pinball and Pac-man location