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ISSUE 3
VOLUME 71
November 17, 2023
Parent and Family Weekend excites with basketball victory, Fortuna championships BY CONNOR RYAN MANAGING EDITOR
California Baptist University pulled out all the stops on Nov. 10-11 for Parent and Family Weekend. Every year, CBU hosts a weekend chock full of events for students to enjoy with their families. According to Joshua Moss, senior director of Alumni, Parent and Donor Engagement, attendees had much to be excited about. “The basketball game on Friday night is always fun and includes food trucks and attractions,” Moss said. Saturday’s festivities on the Front Lawn started in the afternoon and included new rides and attractions, as well as music and food. “I always love watching the student body come out to cheer on their friends that made it to the championship,” Moss said. The basketball game was a hit, with CBU’s men’s team winning against Jackson State with a score of 80-66. CBU had several bounce houses set up across the Front Lawn, such as an inflatable foosball rink and a bounce house with a massive wrecking ball inside. Other attractions included a rock-climbing wall and a carnival swing ride. Throughout the night, students lined up for the rides and food trucks that crowded the Front Lawn offering pretzels, espresso, kettle corn and more David Delgado, senior nursing major, said he
Photo by: Elijah Hickman | Banner
The winners of the men’s Fortuna Bowl championship, Rings by Spring, celebrate their victory on Nov. 11 during one of the most-anticipated events of Parent and Family Weekend. especially enjoyed the festivities on Saturday, sharing how he bonded with his family. “Overall, I enjoyed this year’s attractions and was able to spend some time with my family at Fortuna Bowl,” Delgado said. “We all had a great time and enjoyed going on the swing ride together.” The annual intramural football championships were the highlight of many people’s nights, with Rings by Spring winning on the men’s side and
the Hail Marys winning on the women’s. Tyler Cox, senior director of Campus Recreation, shared how Fortuna fits into Parent and Family Weekend. “Fortuna Bowl, along with the other activities at Parent and Family Weekend, is a great opportunity for students to continue to build community on campus,” Cox said. “It is also a chance for students to include their parents on some of the fun activities that happen on
campus. This year, there [were] two great games, some really entertaining halftime shows and an amazing fireworks display.” As per tradition, CBU closed out Fortuna Bowl with its fireworks show, a spectacle many students find unforgettable. “It is just an incredible experience being able to watch a firework show at CBU while having friends and family all around you,” Delgado said.
Besides the more common attractions of Parent and Family Weekend, there was a plethora of new activities for people to participate in. “We are excited to add Rise and Shine, a worship event hosted on Saturday morning entirely led by students,” Moss said. “This event [featured] student-led worship and a message from some of our BAT students. There [was] also a fitness event — kickboxing — for students and families
hosted by the Recreation team and an interactive prayer walk for families hosted by our Parent Prayer Group.” Moss said he believes the weekend brings families together and highlights the distinct and meaningful aspects of CBU culture. “We want to celebrate the unique role each person plays in the Lancer community, whether they are a parent, student, alumnus, or staff member,” Moss said.
Discipleship groups help cultivate spiritual growth BY OLIVIA COX
FAITH & LIFESTYLE EDITOR Discipleship groups, or d-groups, are a distinct tool for building relationships and growing in faith on campus. “D-Group is simply a specific space where a group of people, usually 3-6 [students] and a leader meet together on a regular basis for the goal of growing in their faith,” said Brian Zunigha, director of discipleship for Spiritual Life. Unlike Chapel, SL Night or SL Groups, d-groups are not formally organized by Spiritual Life. The SL office is merely a supporter and educator for d-group leaders. “It’s really hard to explain how these groups are formed because these aren’t a specific program,” Zunigha said. “We train people to lead these and empower students to start groups like this if it helps them in their personal ministries and relationships that point to Jesus.” D-groups can vary in content and structure depending on the
members and their leaders. Zunigha encouraged students who want to get plugged into a d-group to be consistent in attending events and being present in campus spaces designed for spiritual growth. While this may be intimidating for some, Zunigha assured students that there are many individuals, including upperclassmen, SL staff and himself, who are willing and eager to disciple and pour into the lives of students. “I would recommend starting to come to SL Night and SL Groups and finding people they would like to connect with and learn from,” Zunigha said. “If you see someone following Jesus in a genuine way and want to learn how they live intentionally, the best thing you could do is ask them to meet once. Show up with questions, a pen, and a notepad and start learning.” Evelyn Melgoza, sophomore graphic design major, shared her experience of being in a student-led d-group on campus.
“I have been a part of [a] deeper level.” Feeding one’s soul refers discipleship group for over a year now, and it has been the to how one spends time with best group I have been a part God and allows him to grow of,” Melgoza said. “The group in their affection for him. that I am part of is a very small- Feeding others is in reference knit group of four or five girls, to acts of service and kindness. which is beneficial because we Sharing how they feed their can go over questions that we flesh gives group members have in our faith. [We can] even the opportunity to share their have the confidence to talk spiritual shortcomings and to be vulnerable with their fellow through trials.” Melgoza explained the structure and discussion topic of her group. She shared that her group meets on a weekly basis for about two hours and the group meets on a Evelyn Melgoza, semester schedule, with sophomore graphic design major each session of d-group lasting about 12 weeks. “We have two books to read group members. After their accountability from. One dealing with Christian discipleship and questions, the group dives into a corresponding book of the discussing the book they are Bible,” Melgoza said. “Each independently reading and the week we start by rating our Bible they read as a group. “After group discussion, we weeks on a scale of 1-10 and stating how we feed our go over SMART goals, which soul, others and flesh. These are small achievable goals questions give opportunity like reading our Bibles every to get to know each other on a day, working on intentional
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The most significant thing I have learned is how much a Christ-centered friendship matters.
prayers, or making time to talk to someone you haven’t chatted with in a while,” Melgoza said. They finish with prayer and praise reports, and she said all of it has been beneficial. “I learned how to read the Bible, who Jesus is, what he teaches us to do and how to act,” Melgoza said. “When I first attended the meetings, I never would have expected to have such a close connection with them.” Melgoza said the connections she has made in the d-group have led to genuine friendships outside of the context of their weekly meetings. “The most significant thing I have learned is how much a Christian-centered friendship matters,” Melgoza said. “This is true to me especially when I need advice or a shoulder to rest upon.” Mackenzie Peters, CBU alumna in graphic design and visual experience and former Spiritual Life intern, shared her experience leading a d-group during her time at CBU.
“Leading a d-group was a really enriching and sweet experience,” Peters said. “Each group dynamic was different depending on pre-existing friendships coming in or the personalities present.” Peters highlighted how their camaraderie enriched their walks with God. “D-group provided a sense of accountability for me and many of the girls that were a part,” Peters said. “I think it also gave me a greater understanding of the gospel and God’s heart for me and others.” Like Melgoza, Peters recalls an important part of leading the d-group was making it a safe space that cultivated trust. “Leading is the best way of learning,” Peters said. “When you’re placed in a leadership role, you have to do the homework. You have to dig into the material more. You have to be listening to the Lord’s lead and what he wants to speak. It takes humility and awkward attempts but it’s beautiful to see how he can work through us.”
WORSHIP MUSIC EVOLVES
WINTER EDITION
PLANTS CAN SENSE TOXINS
How has church music changed over the years and why has it remained such a powerful form of worship?
. Learn fun facts about the holiday season and find places open for volunteering.
New plant engineering enables plants to turn red when sensing toxic chemicals in the air.
Faith & Lifestyle pg. 3
Vision, pg. 4-5
Business & Tech, pg. 8