Banner | Vol. 70 Issue 5

Level up or game over?

College students support new era of arcade business model

Riverside Game Lab provides look into how arcades could survive

BY JAMESON SHOWERS ASST. A&E EDITOR

Arcades are a staple in the video game world. “Super Mario Bros.,” “Donkey Kong” and “Pac-Man” all became popular through arcades in the 1980s. As the business saw a decline in the 1990s, popular titles like “Street Fighter” and “Mortal Combat” put the focus back on arcades, according to “Vid-

Theater preps period piece ‘Joyful Noise,’ ushers in Christmas season

BY EMILY MCGINN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

its

of the semester, “Joyful Noise,” with the

University

on Nov. 18–19 and Dec. 1–3.

This 1700s-period piece, based on real events and people, follows the life of composer George Frederick Handel as he attempts to present his opera, “The Messiah,” amid opposition from the church. The story also follows Susannah Cibber, a woman caught in an abusive marriage who finds Handel and becomes involved in the opera.

“The play has a story of redemption that glorifies our need for a Savior in a broken world, and that is something we think a CBU audience would resonate with,” said Zachary Bortot, associate professor of

Shoe game

eo Game Explosion: A History from PONG to Playstation.” Since then, the commercialization of home consoles has significantly altered video game entertainment.

Nowadays, most video gamers have a PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch or a combination of the four.

Companies such as Sony and Microsoft have made it easy for gamers to stay at home by creating downloadable video games online. The seamless process of digital gaming has eroded the need for physical copy video games which, in turn, has changed the marketing focus for large-scale video game companies.

It has been more than 40

years since the golden age of arcades. While the emphasis is still on multiplayer video games, the medium for which this is achieved has changed. This leaves one question: Are arcades still relevant?

Jacob Garcia, sophomore creative writing major, first experienced the arcade setting as a child at Chuck E. Cheese. The frequent pizza parties at the establishment would bring Garcia back to video games time and time again. His love for video games grew from arcade games to PlayStation 2, and now as an adult, he prefers playing single-player video games on the PC.

Camille Grochowski | Banner

(Left to right) Abigail Durham, sophomore theater major, Eden Sides, senior theater major, and Shane Moser, senior theater major, laugh together as Sides delivers some lines during the production’s costume parade rehearsal.

The Collinsworth School of Performing Arts will share

second production

California Baptist

community

Women’s golf Women’s golf works toward building confidence as they head toward regular season.

Twitter Blue Elon Musk’s new Twitter rules cause chaos on the platform, sparking concern.

Shoe game has taken different forms for our generation, from athletic to casual wear.

Natalie Tanaka |

Banner

The Riverside Game Lab offers many different types of games, creating a haven for those who still wish to partake in the culture that arcades have long provided.

Samantha De La Paz | Banner

At the Riverside Game Lab, rows of pinball machines and immersive games like “Cruis’n Blast” (above) continue to provide players with an experience that home gaming systems cannot quite replicate.

Emily McGinn | Banner

W e w a n t y r h e l p !

Game Lab

“Chuck E. Cheese was the pinnacle of arcades, at least for my time,” Garcia said.

When asked about what arcade games stood out to him, Garcia recalled classics like “Pac-Man,” “Dig-Dug” and “Galaga.”

He plays Pac-Man occasionally on his PC, but even nostalgia is not enough to restore arcades to what they used to be.

The Banner newspaper is an award-winning, bi-weekly campus publication that publishes 10 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, 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 readers 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 emilyanne. mcginn@calbaptist.edu.

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

Thanks for reading!

“It is crazy how arcades are dying out,” Garcia said. “I do not really see arcades at all anymore. If I do, it is usually Dave and Busters, and I don’t know where it is. It is not how it used to be — you cannot have the authentic experience anymore.”

For some video game fanatics, the love for the industry started before they could form their hands around a controller. Nathaniel Watts, salesman at Game Platform, a video game store in The Galleria at Tyler, has been playing since he was 2 years old.

“(My first games were) Sonic the Hedgehog or Streets of Rage 2,” Watts said. “I could play those games hundreds of times and never get tired.”

Watts said he hardly sees arcades anymore and when he does, they are usually places such as Dave and Busters or Chuck E. Cheese. Although he wasn’t the biggest fan of arcades, he recalled playing “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “The Simpsons” and “Jurassic Park.”

“I think if there was more promotion of arcades people would still come and play,” Watts said. “I feel like arcades are for events more than someone who comes in to play the games and leave.”

With an entirely di erent industry, the arcades that are still open have modified their business plans. In contrast to

the dying arcade industry, the Riverside Game Lab, an arcade located next to the Food Lab in Downtown Riverside, has maintained a thriving, multigenerational culture using this modern business approach.

The business has retro arcade games like “Ms. PacMan,” “Galaga” and “Asteroids” to attract older players and those who want to experience the games that made arcades special in the first place. To draw in younger players, the Riverside Game Lab has virtual reality stations and designated rooms where players can set up “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.”

August Sorensen, manager at the Riverside Game Lab, was a regular customer before applying to work at the business two years ago. He explained how the explosion of the e-sports community

had prompted the Riverside Game Lab to host video game tournaments.

“E-sports is just getting huge,” Sorensen said. “We love it. We are really trying to cater to the fighting game community. Consistently we get about 96 people for our tournaments on Fridays.”

Outside of entertainment, arcades a ect the local community. Whether the gamer is an adult or just a kid, the Riverside Game Lab houses a broad range.

“I think the community loves it,” Sorensen said. “It is nice to see. We get all sorts of ages in here, anywhere from the younger kids who are barely tall enough to touch the controls on the games to the older guys with gray hairs playing pinball all night.”

Even as the video game industry shifts to massive online multiplayer lobbies and

digital releases, Sorensen believes that physical arcades are here to stay.

“Right now, if you go to other arcades like Ground One and Dave and Busters, they are really blowing up on overseas video games,” Sorensen said. “But even with that, all that stu is new. It came out last year, and more are coming out this year. I don’t think that is going away anytime soon.”

While the arcade business looks di erent than it did when it first started, some are still around today, with video game fans appreciating their services.

Arcade owners have made slight changes to their inventory to capture a di erent audience, but the fact that video games are still the priority has not changed, and the popularity of the Riverside Game Lab reflects that.

Business & Tech Editor Jasmine Severi

Asst. Lifestyle Editors

Valerie La Ponza Olivia Lenning Victoria Coria

Asst. Design Editors

Charissa Graves Zerenity Lopez

Asst. Web Administrator Anyssa Gonzalez

Natalie Tanaka | Banner

Some classic arcade offerings have stood the test of time, such as “NBA Hoops” and pinball machines, and they stand alongside newer games such as “Beat Saber.”

Emily McGinn | Banner

Joyful Noise

theater and director of the production.

Bortot is a new faculty member at CBU this year and this is his first experience as a director at CBU. For this production, he is working alongside a cast and crew of eight student actors, three student stage managers and several behind-the-scenes technicians.

As director, Bortot prepped for the production by doing a deep dive into research on the script, which helps him coach the actors in learning their roles.

“My goal as a director is I try to provide this big vision that everyone can jump on board with,” Bortot said. “What I do tell the actors is that by the time we open, hopefully they become the experts on their specific character.”

This production, which had a 10-week prep period, has presented new challenges for the actors as it has required extensive research to understand their characters.

Shane Moser, senior theater major, is acting as Handel in the production. Prepping for the lead in this show has looked di erent from other shows because it has required deep research into who Handel was. Since Handel lived during the 1700s, there are also limited resources about him, presenting another challenge.

“It’s very di erent [from] a normal role because he was a person,” Moser said. “Everyone in the show is a person, not just a character that was made up. We’ve had to be very specific on how we’ve gone about this.”

Since the production features German, Irish and British characters, the actors have also worked with a dialect coach to master accents, which has been challenging but rewarding for the students, including Moser, who had to learn a German accent.

“When you are trying to mimic these sounds that are not natural to you, it’s di cult to do that and focus on the acting itself,” Bortot said.

Jennifer Palacios-Cardenas, senior theater performance major, will be acting as Kitty Clive, an antagonistic figure

in the production. She uses several methods to get into character, from running lines in a corset and hoop skirt to finding ways to relate to her character.

“I have learned that even if a character is completely the opposite of myself, there are still elements of myself that are in the character, so really it’s still a piece of me I am putting on that stage,” PalaciosCardenas said. “This character is very feisty and she’s mean and she’s loud, and that’s the opposite of what I am, but I can be that way sometimes and I think I’ve had to learn she’s not the opposite of me.”

Eden Sides, senior theater major, will play Susannah Cibber in the show. Sides is looking forward to putting on a show that is entertaining while also highlighting darker, more serious themes such as the mistreatment Cibber undergoes at the hands of her husband. Sides views this show as an opportunity for art to provide an avenue for conversations about these di cult topics.

“Some parts of Susannah’s story are uncomfortable or can even be triggering for some people, but it still needs to be talked about,” Sides said. “This still happens. Her story

is someone’s story today, so it’s still relevant.”

“Joyful Noise” will touch on the story of Christ and emphasize that redemption is always possible, propelling the CBU community into the Christmas spirit.

“It is this story about redemption and overcoming both our personal demons and the demons of the world that would seek to destroy us and persisting in order to find human thriving on the other side of those trials and tribulations,” Bortot said.

Tickets are available online or at the Wallace Theater Box O ce.

Attacks on government gures lead to rising concern over safety, polarization

BY MEGAN MADRIGAL ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Politics has always been controversial. People have di erent opinions on every topic, and it causes debates about the way our government should be run. This becomes especially clear for those directly involved in politics who hold government positions.

Being in the public eye comes with a lot of responsibility, as you are making decisions that a ect the lives of so many. History is littered with individuals who turned to violence against elected o cials.

“Political violence is an increasingly serious problem,” said Dr. Chris McHorney, professor of political science. “We live in a highly polarized society with a growing percentage of Americans

viewing members of the other political ‘tribe’ as a threat to our country.”

Violence against political figures has become more common. The most recent event occurred in late October, when a suspect reportedly broke in and attacked Paul Pelosi, husband of Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi in their San Francisco home, according to a release from the Department of Justice. He sustained a skull fracture and major injuries to his hand and arm.

Another close call occurred in early June when police arrested an armed man near the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The man targeted Kavanaugh becase he thought the justice would side with Second Ammendment decisions that would loosen gun control laws, according to a

federal a davit. So, why this is happening so often?

“People have this wrong belief that if people don’t agree with what they believe, they can take their anger out on them physically,” said Lillian McConnell, senior political science major. “I think our culture actually encourages that. Our culture and society are now trending towards demonizing di erent belief systems, and when you have an extreme viewpoint that can eventually be expressed through violence and anger. As a culture, we need to stop demonizing the other political party.”

Historically, the U.S. has always had political violence. However, over the decades there has been a rise. According to Journal of Democracy, “an unprecedented number of elections administrators received threats in 2020 — so much so that a third of poll workers surveyed by the Brennan Center for Justice in April 2021 said that they felt unsafe and 79% wanted government-provided security.”

However, Dr. Chase Porter, professor of political science, warns that each incident is unique and that we should

avoid generalizing them.

“I don’t think we can generalize from these individual incidents to draw conclusions about society as a whole,” Porter said. “But if there is a lesson to be learned, it’s that we need to dampen the existential rhetoric surrounding politics and really think through concrete ways to work through our philosophical and policy di erences without resorting to treating our political opponents as mortal enemies.

“To some extent, there are challenges there when you see your opponent’s policies as evil, but we do need to think more about how to make those arguments in a way that treats our opponents as human beings and bearers of the image of God.”

Disagreement is inevitable in the world of politics, but how should we respond to incidents of violence? Situations like these can be tricky to handle, but acknowledging the event and identifying areas of growth can help.

“I think (these incidents) should be handled very specifically,” McConnell said. “I don’t think it should be handled as just another instance.”

WRITTEN BY HANNAH NOEL

NEWSBriefs

In England, scientists transfused small amounts of lab-grown blood into two volunteers without complications, according to NHS Blood and Transplant. The purpose of the trial is to study the lifespan of lab-grown cells compared to donated ones. Though still in the early stages of research, scientists are excited about the potential impact on the future of transfusions. Lab-grown blood could greatly improve treatment for patients with rare blood conditions or rare blood types.

RUSSIA RETREATS FROM KHERSON

Russia announced on Nov. 11 its total withdrawal from Kherson, the only provincial capital it managed to capture during the war. With the announcement, Ukraine’s military worked quickly to ensure the city’s safety. Kherson’s population began receiving humanitarian aid, and the city started rebuilding to become livable again. Russia’s retreat marks an important step toward Ukraine’s freedom and is being cautiously celebrated by Ukraine and its supporters.

INTENSE FLU SEASON

Several hospitals in San Diego County were forced to erect over ow tents on Nov. 11 due to the sharp increase in u cases, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Alongside u and COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which can be deadly for infants and the elderly, is also on the rise. With the three illnesses raging all at once, hospitals are preparing for an incoming ood of patients, or, in San Diego’s case, reacting to them.

LAB-GROWN BLOOD TRANSFUSION

Camille Grochowski | Banner

Seth Suiguitan, sophomore theatre major, stands at the podium and gives a short sermon as Bishop Henry Egerton during a rehearsal of Joyful Noise.

“I don’t think we can generalize from these individual incidents to draw conclusions about society as a whole. But if there is a lesson to be learned, it’s that we need to dampen the existential rhetoric surrounding politics.

Dr. Chase Porter, Professor of political science “

it’s the christmas

4:30-10 p.m.

Come out for this annual Riverside classic to enjoy the Mission Inn Hotel and Spa and Main Street of downtown Riverside decorated for the holidays. While the switch-on ceremony will occur on Nov. 25, the light display will continue through Dec. 31.

If you love ‘The Polar Express,’ you will enjoy this family-friendly ride on the magic train. Listen to the soundtrack as dancing chefs will serve you hot chocolate and a conductor will punch your golden ticket. Also, don’t worry — you do get your rst gift of Christmas, the sleigh bell. This event runs through Dec. 28.

christmas season

Psychology shows why we crave comfort foods

BY ALEXZA BAHNMILLER MANAGING EDITOR

Food is one of the delights of the world. Food is not only essential for us to function, but it carries with it culture, traditions, aesthetics and experiences. For example, one of the culinary traditions in America is eating turkey for Thanksgiving or building a gingerbread house for Christmas. But there is another thing that food o ers besides history and memories — it can provide comfort.

Bryan Lopez, freshman architecture major, said his favorite comfort food is pasta.

“Any kind of pasta is my favorite comfort food,” Lopez said.

aspect of comfort foods is carbs.

“Comfort food is usually something that’s warm and hearty, with lots of carbohydrates," Davies said. "Carbohydrates increase serotonin levels in the brain and produce an immediate calming feeling.”

According to the International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science (2017), this is true, describing comfort food as "those foods whose consumption provides consolation or a feeling of well-being. It is often suggested that comfort foods have a high calorie content, that they are high in sugar and/or carbohydrates.”

Although pasta is a popular choice, Julianna Carillo, sophomore pre-nursing student, said her comfort food is Hot Cheetos. “Honestly, Hot Cheetos bring me the most comfort because of the nostalgia," Carillo said. "They remind me of high school."

Another key component to comfort foods besides being high in carbohydrates is the psychological aspect of the memories of eating that food.

nostalgic because there’s all this context of when you were preparing or eating this food, so the food becomes almost symbolic of other meanings,” Whitbourne said. “A lot of our memories as children. It’s not so much the apple pie, for example, but the whole experience of being a family, being nourished and that acquires a lot of symbolism apart from the sensory quality.”

Therefore, eating a food such as a soup that grandma used to cook can be comforting not just because the soup is good but because it reminds you of your grandma.

Emiko Davies, Italian food expert

Pasta is surprisingly high on the list of comfort foods for many people. Emiko Davies, Italian food expert and author at FOOD52.com, said that a key

Susan Whitborne, professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University of Massachusetts, said in an article for Psychology Today that taste memories are the strongest of associative memories that you can make.

“Food memories feel so

But whether your comfort food of choice is a food from your childhood or a carby sweet, do these foods actually improve our moods?

The answer is yes, according to the results of a survey con-

Foods high in carbs tend to

ducted by the American Psychological Association. 81% of North Americans responded to the survey that eating their preferred comfort food made them mentally feel better than before.

Additionally, the journal

Psychological Science published a study in which resulting data showed that consuming foods that are personally associated with good thoughts and warm feelings not only improves a sense of overall well-being, but they decrease

loneliness, too. There are many psychological benefits in just one bite. Next time you want a comfort food, give in. It is like the hot cup of apple cider is embracing you in a warm hug.

Going nose blind is a puzzling reaction to common smells

BY VALERIE LA PONZA ASST. LIFESTYLE EDITOR

It happens every time: a new di user, a di erent wax melt or even a fresh air conditioning spray. It smells heavenly and fills the rooms with a new, exotic scent. But, over time, it begins to fade until the next time someone enters the dorm, the smell is gone, never to be smelled again. But to anyone else who walks by, the scent is there, thriving, smelling up the halls. So what happens to someone’s nose during this? How does the nose essentially forget how to distinguish the scent?

Mary Ann Stahovich, assistant professor of physician assistant studies, said that nose blindness is a “temporary condition that’s actually not considered a medical issue.”

Instead, Stahovich said that nose blindness is most often caused by ongoing exposure to

repeated smells, which can lead to overexposure of someone’s olfactory glands. This overexposure can lead the senses to become worn out on a smell and, after a while, will force the nose to stop being receptive to the smell.

However, an important distinction must be made between normal nose blindness, such as when experiencing the secent of a new air freshener, and around anosmia, which is a medical condition very common after the pandemic in which there is a reduction, or even total loss, of smelling ability.

Stahovich says that while clinical nose blindness, as well as situational nose blindness, has not been studied in depth in the laboratory, it is a topic that deserves more research.

Stahovich said that usually people go nose blind to unpleasant smells faster than

pleasant smells, so for instance, your nose would be more receptive to a repetitive sweet strawberry mist over the smell of a used kitty litter pan.

ple regain their sense of smell.

In an article by Martin Kronenbuerger and Manfred Pilgramm published on pubmed. gov, they explain that olfactory therapy is “a non-pharmacological and non-surgical treatment option for patients with olfactory dysfunction. Patients undergoing olfactory training expose themselves to 4 di erent odors twice daily for at least 24 weeks.”

While this therapy is most e ective when implemented soon after the olfactory system is damaged, this therapy can help patients reestablish and regain their sense of smell after being damaged by injury or by illness.

Even for students who have lost their smell permanently due to COVID-19 rather than everyday nose blindness, there is still hope of regaining the ability to smell. Recent studies have shown that olfactory therapy and training can help peo-

Luis Alfonso Matute, senior nursing major, said that he, like many people, su ers from occasional nose blindness in his dorm.

“There's been many times I have brought people over and

they smell things I don't,” Matute said.

Personally, Matute said that, while he believes that people go nose blind faster to bitter smells, he finds that he goes nose blind quicker when it is a smell he personally enjoys, such as candles, including mahogany or lavender.

blindness in a more evolutionary and survivalist way. Humans are exposed to thousands of sensory stimuli daily, and the brain has developed a system to filter through these stimuli to highlight only the important input.

One advancement in this system allowed the brain to learn to ignore certain common sensory inputs in favor of more pressing and important inputs, such as the smell of toast burning or the smell of gas in the home.

An article on Healthline explains the phenomena of nose

Becoming nose blind is a phenomenon that happens to everyone, and it’s not just a fluke of evolution that stops people from enjoying the smell of their newly acquired air freshener. Becoming nose blind to common smells allows the brain to focus on the important smells — smells that really matter.

Professors, students share their biblical views about dreams

could potentially happen.”

BY OLIVIA LENNING ASST. LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Dreams have been both a mystery and a point of interest to humans since the beginning of time. Scholars, men of faith and more have always found great interest in dreams.

In 1899 Sigmund Freud published his book “The Interpretation of Dreams,” leading to years of psychological research on the topic of dreams and the unconscious. Despite the secularization of the study of dreams led by Freud, religious circles still believe in an element of spirituality in the interpretation of dreams.

Marina Leso, junior psychology major, shared the history of psychological dream interpretation as well as her personal experience with the spiritual elements of dreams.

“When thinking about dreams in terms of psychology, my mind goes to the Sigmund Freud theory of dreams,” Leso said. She explained Freud argued the function of dreams is to allow the “unconscious mind (to) act out desires and actions that (are) not being fulfilled in waking life.” Leso also mentioned Carl Jung’s theory that states that “dreams are an individual’s unconscious mind expressing itself through symbols and metaphors.”

where feelings, thoughts and memories that aren't expressed reside in.”

Additionally, Leso said: “The unconscious is a place where strong emotions such as fears, pain, sadness, conflicts and desires that people don’t want to surface (are held).”

Leso shared that while there is a psychological element to dreams, she believes there is a spiritual element as well.

“I do believe that it is possible for spiritual forces to affect our dreams. I believe (this) because when I think about or miss my grandma (who has) passed away, I ended up seeing her in my dreams. I feel like it is God letting me know that she is doing OK and that she is safe (and) happy,” said Leso.

Allyse Bocka, junior psychology major, shared her academic knowledge in regard to the topic.

Bocka shared what she said she believes to be the best definition of the unconscious mind according to the field of psychology.

“Psychology has varying views on what exactly the unconscious mind is,” Bocka said. “(According to an online) article, the most used definition amongst those in the psychological field (is) ‘the unconscious mind is still viewed by many psychological scientists as the shadow of a 'real' conscious mind, though there now exists substantial evidence that the unconscious is not identifiably less flexible, complex, controlling, deliberative or action-oriented than is its counterpart." Bocka said she also believes there is evidence of a spiritual element in dreams.

Leso asserted that a proper view of dreams in relation to the unconscious mind would be “a blend of both Freud and Jung theories.” Leso defines the unconscious mind as “a place

“Although there has been so much research attributed to finding out why we dream, there has been no clear reason,” said Bocka. “There are a lot of assumptions like dreams are just used for your brain to practice certain events or situations that

“On multiple occasions, God utilized dreams to speak directly to specific humans, mainly to prophesize,” said Bocka.

However, Bocka’s personal opinion is that God is not as active in the dream realm as he was in biblical times, but both God and satanic forces may still be an influential force on our

dream life.

“God can still use dreams but does not to the extent (he did) in the Bible. I also feel dreams could be used by demons to cause chaos and sin in a person's life,” Bocka said. “I think of all the unconscious things that happen in a dream that you can't control, like lustful dreams or dreams where you hurt another person or wake up angry and with distrust of someone, that could be attributed to demons and our desire to sin.”

Dr. Angela Deulen, professor of psychology, defines the function of dreams as a means of the unconscious mind answering lingering questions.

“Think of dreams as the mind’s way of answering a question you probably haven’t even figured out consciously how to ask yet," Deulen said. She partially rejects the common clinical psychology definition of the unconscious mind.

“There are several variations of clinical or psychological definitions of the unconscious mind. Most of them include some notion that the unconscious mind is made of

thoughts, emotions and instincts that are either completely automatic in nature or perhaps even inaccessible to the conscious self.

“I do not completely take that position. I think of the content of our unconscious as a blind spot. Some blind spots are bigger than others, but we all have one.”

Deulen shared her advice on how individuals can be more in tune with their blind spots.

“However, the more we practice the spiritual disciplines, and the more we address our own sanctification through introspection, the more aware we can become of the unconscious, e ectively shrinking our blind spots,” Deulen said. She said she believes that dreams are spiritually influenced, both positively and negatively.

“Aside from wonderful examples of God speaking to people in dreams in Scripture, I have been a witness to this in both my personal and professional life," Deulen said.

Though there are many different takes on dream interpretations, biblical views impact the way we think about dreams.

Carbohydrates increase serotonin levels in the brain and produce an immediate calming feeling."

Josselyn Guillen | Banner

be labeled as comfort food, many of which are offered at the Alumni Dining Commons.

“

“

Taste memories are the strongest of associative memories that you can make."

Susan Whitborne, professor of psychology and brain sciences

“Nose blindness is a temporary condition that's actually not considered a medical issue."

Mary Ann Stahovich, assistant professor of physician assistant studies

Nose blindness is most often caused by ongoing exposure to repeated smells."

Mary Ann Stahovich, assistant professor of physician assistant studies

“

On multiple occassions, God utilized dreams to speak directly to speci c humans, mainly to prophesize."

Marina Leso, junior psychology major

“

Are dreams impacted by blind spots, spirituality?

Lifestyle Tries: Making a poinsettia cupcake

BY VALERIE LA PONZA ASST. LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Hand-decorated cupcakes can be a great gift for any season, and these poinsetta cupakes are no exception. Easy to make and beautiful to look at, these cupcakes are versatile and can add a pop of fun to any occasion, whether you make them for a fancy family dinner or just as a fun snack.

Materials: You will need an unfrosted cupcake, three pastry bags filled with yellow, red and green frosting and scissors.

Step 1: Take an unfrosted cupcake and a pastry bag filled with red frosting. Cut the tip of the pastry bag into a V shape.

Step 2: Holding the seam of the pastry bag upwards, align the bag with the edge of the cupcake and squeeze gently, pulling the pastry bag away from the cupcake sharply with each petal.

Step 3: Repeat this all around the cupcake. Then begin layering the petals, drawing closer

and closer to the center of the cupcake, but leave about an inch-wide circle in the middle of the cupcake unfrosted.

Step 4: To make the middle part of your flower, take your yellow pastry bag, cut a small hole in the tip, and pipe small yellow circles in the unfrosted space left in the middle of the cupcake.

Step 5: To make the poinsettia leaves, take your green bag, cut it into a V shape once more and squeeze it tightly. Pull away from the cupcake slightly as you squeeze, allowing the leaves to taper o .

Step 6: Let the frosting dry for a few minutes.

Step 7: To finish the cupcake, transfer the green icing to another bag, cut a small hole in the new pastry bag, and carefully pipe the small green dots atop all the yellow circles.

And you're done. Time to take photos for your socials and once you've finished showing them o , bite and enjoy.

Calories aren't the only thing that matters in a healthy diet

BY VICTORIA CORIA ASST. LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Calorie counting may not be the most e ective method for keeping track of one's diet, after all.

Most people first start looking at the calories they are consuming when starting a diet, but counting calorie intake is the minimum one can do to lose weight.

The most e cient way to keep a healthy diet is to look at the ingredients in each food product and understand why they are healthy to consume. It is important to see the ingredients because each food group,

such as grains, protein, vegetables, and dairy are important to well nourish the body the correct way.

The recommended calorie intake can di er based on age and gender. For women ages 19-30, the recommended calorie intake is 2,000-2,400 per day, and for men of the same age range, it is between 2,400-3,000 calories, according to Healthline.

Calorie intake is not the same as nutrient intake. Anthony Vargas, junior business administration major and midfielder on the men's soccer team, focuses on the content of his meals for soccer practice

and game days.

“I have to focus on carbohydrates and protein to replenish the muscle mass and focus on what my body needs," Vargas said.

To be a student-athlete at California Baptist University, food choices are important. Two student-athletes at CBU have di erent balanced meals they consume to be productive throughout their days based on their sports and how many calories they are burning.

“Mainly carbs, protein and fruit on the side, but I do focus more on what I eat on game days and cut back on certain foods,” Vargas said. All sports

can have someone consume nutrients di erently due to the di erent physical exercise.

“Chicken is my go-to for protein and I add salad and fruits,” said Faith Bolde, junior film production major and member of the dance team. Counting calories is also an unhealthy diet lifestyle.

“Anyone who struggles with anxiety or disordered eating should steer clear,” Breese Annable, a physiologist that specializes in disordered eating, chronic dieting, and body image, told Outside Magazine in the article "Counting Calories Doesn't Work," recommended by professor of kinesiology,

Dr. Trevor Gillum. Every day is di erent and each day one can burn di erent numbers of calories.

“When it comes to calories your body needs on a given day, it's nearly impossible to accurately guess that number,” Christine Byrne, author of the Outside Magzine article. Revolving around calorie count can be unsafe and lead to unhealthy choices.

Calories are often shown on packaged foods. These packaged foods are processed and often lead someone to not feel satisfied with their meal, which makes that person want to eat more.

It is a bad eating tactic to focus on empty calories rather than getting their daily dose of nutrition, including protein, carbs and vegetables. Rather than eating processed foods, cooked meals at home is the best option to consume for a healthy diet.

Counting calories should not be the first and main priority in a healthy diet. Instead, nourish your body with the right nutrients it needs to stay healthy.

Everyone is di erent. Calorie intake has little to nothing on a healthy diet and lifestyle. Instead, place nutritional value higher in importance.

Does listening to classical music make you smarter?

BY EMILY MCGINN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

During every dinner I remember from my elementary-school years, my mom played classical music on our CD player, claiming that it can make you smarter.

This so-called Mozart E ect became a source of controversy in the scientific community after an initial study published in 1993 after researchers performed an experiment during which participants either listened to Mozart’s sonata for 10 minutes or listened to relaxation instructions or silence. The study found that, for about 10-15 minutes after the experience, those who listened to the classical music had spatial IQ scores that were, on average, 8-9 points higher.

However, Dr. Anna Grigorian-Routon, assistant professor of psychology, o ered an important caveat: While the study displayed increases in spatial reasoning skills for a brief period of time, this does not equate to enhanced general intelligence.

“Usually when people think about the idea of making somebody smarter, particularly with classical music, usually they are talking about something like IQ,” Grigorian-Routon said. “The idea that, particularly Mozart, can have an impact on IQ, particularly from infancy, has been around for a while. The funny thing is that research hasn’t been able to show any consistent e ect to show that this is true.”

Subsequent studies yielded mixed e ects. So, does the Mozart E ect actually occur?

The answer is actually much more complex than a simple yes or no. Evidence regarding how music stimulates the brain indicates that it could have an e ect on spatial processing, according to an article in the National Library of Medicine. When researchers mapped brain activity for both listening to music and mental imaging of spatial tasks, they found that music analysis and appreciation — including rhythm, meter, melody, pitch and timbre — activates multiple areas across the brain.

“The results show that the areas activated

include the prefrontal, temporal and precuneus regions which overlap with those involved in music processing,” the article reads. “It is suggested, therefore, that listening to music would prime the activation of those areas of the brain which are concerned with spatial reasoning.”

Visual-spatial reasoning specifically refers to the capability to consider and manipulate objects in three dimensions.

“When people have listened to classical music and then taken a test to manipulate something in their mind, do some puzzles, things like that, they’ve shown that there has been an improvement for a short period of time, and then that e ect diminishes back to baseline,” Grigorian-Routon said.

Joseph Greene, sophomore piano performance and music composition double major, said classical music di ers from other forms of music mainly in terms of structure and the greater commitment to the buildup and release of tension in the music.

“In pop music, a lot of times, you get your verse, chorus, verse, chorus, maybe a bridge, then another chorus,” Greene said. “Within each sections of music, there’s usually a pretty simple repeating harmonic progression. In classical music, there is a focus on a larger sense of structure and larger arcs of tension and release, so instead of having just a simple harmonic progression, you build up to a big climax across the whole piece and release it at the end.”

However, the Mozart E ect may be more of a general ‘music e ect.’ A 2006 study tested the e ect of music on spatial skills, but, unlike the other study, the researchers attempted it with both classical and pop music. The children who listened to pop music actually performed better, suggesting that the first study did not identify a critical aspect of the e ect: enjoyment. Therefore, appreciation of the music by the listener could serve as a factor for improvement of spatial abilities, though this is still controversial.

Even though the e ect of listening to music

on brain function is still uncertain, studies seem to indicate that playing an instrument in the long term does have a positive e ect. A study conducted in which children received piano lessons for six months before receiving spatial reasoning tests found that the piano players did 30% better than the control group. So music does seem to have some e ect on brain activity and function.

Greene has been studying the piano for about 10 years and has been composing for about seven years. He feels that this close bond he has with classical music has improved his ability to communicate and write stories, and it has helped him draw connections as a whole.

“There is a sense in classical music of how things develop and change across time, and I think because I’m attuned to that, I sort of see those same patterns acting out in the world,” Greene said. “I can see how di erent things

change across time and how they come together or break apart in a way I would say I wasn’t able to before I started studying classical music.”

Ultimately, listening to music rarely hurts. So, to practically apply the potential positive e ect of music, Grigorian-Routon recommends listening to music directly before a task for its multifaceted benefits.

“If somebody had a visual-spatial task they needed to do, perhaps listening to classical music right beforehand or shortly before engaging in the task can be helpful,” Grigorian-Routon said. “Maybe it will boost your ability to do better, because it actually helps with concentration. Anything we do that helps with concentration can be helpful in a task that requires a lot of concentration. It helps with relaxation, so if we are more relaxed we are more likely to be able to do a better job on a task because we are not distracted by stressful thoughts.”

Photo Illustration by Charissa Graves | Banner

While listening to classical music may not make someone "smarter," studies do show that can improve focus and ability to perform tasks.

Photo Illustration by Valerie La Ponza | Banner

Valerie La Ponza, assistant lifestyle editor, shares the steps on how to craft the perfect poinsettia cupcake for the holidays.

2.

PERSPECTIVES

Fortuna Bowl concludes Parent & Family Weekend

4.

1. The Twinkle Toes celebrate their Fortuna Bowl victory.

The cheer team brings the American flag to the field for the national anthem.

3. Twinkle Toes performs evasive maneuvers to escape the defensive strategy of J.A.C.K., the opposing team.

The members of Hail Marys, one of the women’s teams competing, make their entrances onto the field.

5. The crowd cheers for their favorite teams, with some fans even holding homemade signs to show their support.

Photos by Madison Sardana, Josselyn Guillen and Natalie Tanaka

Women’s golf coach and team talks strategy and tournament challenges

BY MICHAEL MARKS ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Golf is a unique sport here on campus, as it is an individually-focused sport and the matches take place o campus. So far the team has played consistently this o -season, with the team usually placing in the top 10 out of 20 with their best tournament being fourth place in the Pat Lesser Harbottle Invite on Oct. 11-12. Yet the team continues to show that they have the strong mentality needed to compete with top schools in Southern California, especially post-Division I transition. Marc Machado, head coach for the women’s golf team, took over the program in 2016 and has led the team since, helping to manage the team as they compete at the DI level and elevate the level of play.

In golf, there are many unique challenges from a coaching perspective. Unlike basketball or soccer, where you have an in-season and out-of-season period, golf blends the two together. The team plays almost year-round, with their regular season being in the spring. Their only real o -season is during the summer and from November through December.

Golf also di ers in the way the matches are designed. The teams they play against change from year to year due to golf being an invite-only sport, so even if a school like Grand Canyon University is hosting a tournament, it does not mean any team will get to play in it. It is a unique challenge for Machado, having to manage the team and practice on one hand while ensuring the team gets into the tournaments necessary to sharpen those skills before the conference. Sometimes they end up on a waiting list for two or even three years to get into certain tournaments.

“The top schools like UCLA or Stanford, it’s hard for us to get in there because its kind of a lose-lose for them,” Machado said. “If we play well it doesn’t look good on them, so we’re playing a lot of mid-major tournaments where we get to see people from the Midwest (and) a lot of Western schools.”

The di culties of getting in-season matches and tournaments have an e ect on the way the team approaches conferences as well. Unlike other sports where you see teams from the conference throughout the season, there is a possibility you may go the whole season and not see anyone from the conference. This can make preparation for playing against conference teams di cult, especially because the conference decides who will advance to regionals.

Getting into regionals is the

ultimate goal for Machado and the women’s golf team.

“In order to qualify for regionals, which is the main goal, (one of) two things have to happen: either you have to be ranked top 60 or 50 in the nation, or you have to win the conference to get an automatic qualifier,” Machado said. “So really it comes down to conference for us. If you win, you get to go to regionals. If you don’t, then you don’t because the tournaments that we’re in, it’s very tough to go be ranked top 50 or 60 in the nation when (we) can’t get into some of the bigger events because it’s invite only. So it’s kind of that double-edged sword.”

Shifting away from how the team operates as a whole, it is important to realize that while they may play as a team, it still comes down to individual performance. The way matches work is every player must try to score as low as possible, the top five players from each team add the scores up and whichever team has the lowest score wins.

One way Machado focuses on this aspect is by having oneon-ones with his players and discussing areas of improvement, whether that be chipping or putting. Machado also takes detailed notes and statistics on his players to see where they could improve.

“In golf, numbers don’t lie,” Machado said. “At the end of the day, you shoot what you shoot, but there has to be a reason why you’re shooting that number. The first thing we track is attitude. If you don’t have a good attitude that a ects everything. We’re all about your attitude here — how you finish your last

four holes. That’s usually the time when everyone gets tired — they’re hungry, they’re over it, and they kind of pack it in. When you’ve got five players playing for the last four holes, that’s 20 holes of golf. That’s an entire round of golf and that’s where the leaderboard goes crazy at the end.”

Machado has ensured that he gives the women’s golf team a fighting chance year in and year out despite the di culties of getting into bigger tournaments and regionals. This is reflected in the attitudes of the team and the way they compete and care for one another throughout the long season.

“With golf being such an individual sport, it’s easier to give up and look down on yourself, but it’s my teammates that keep me going every day,” said Esther Lee, junior biology major and member of the golf team.

“As a team, we bond simply by doing the small things together, whether it’s helping each other out during practice, eating dinner together after practice, or even talking about our lives while playing golf. Even though we compete individually when we go to tournaments, we are always sticking together as a team before we go out to compete on our own. Since we have practiced together every day as a team, it ultimately brings us closer together as we spend so much time together.”

This support does not just apply to in-season, but to o -season as well. Golf is a technical sport, so unless you maintain and improve in the o -season you end up playing catch-up at the start of the season.

“During the season, I pre-

pare myself by giving 100% effort in everything that we do, whether it’s the 6 a.m. workouts, or practices that last three hours,” Lee said.

“I try not to waste my time during these hours as this program provides all these facilities and resources to help me improve my game which I don’t want to take for granted. I try to practice when I have time, but it’s quite di cult for me, especially with my major. However, my teammates push me to go to practice whenever they want to go, which also gives me company when we go to practice instead of going alone. I also like to go golfing with my dad on the weekends when there’s time.”

Haruka Shintani, senior kinesiology major and member of the golf team, said the team does well in the short game, such as chipping and putting as well as keeping a good mindset and attitude.

Mentality is one area in golf that these athletes must focus on. Sharing some of the mental struggles that come with the game points out how to become a better player as a whole.

“More confidence is one area we could improve in,” Shintani said. “Everyone has a good game, but we are not really confident in our games. Last year we finished above fifth all the time, but we couldn’t win. Every time we finished second or third. If we were more confident, maybe we could win.”

The women’s golf team continues preparing for the season and sharpening their skills as they continue to chase their goal of placing first in a tournament and hope to ultimately snag a spot in regionals.

LANCER OF THE ISSUE

YASNA PETROVA, SOPHOMORE INTERNATIONAL STUDIES MAJOR

“I do not remember. I used to play a lot of games with my classmates in primary school related to running. I was always the chaser. At the age of 10, I started doing a sport called orienteering, which is running and navigating through the forest with a map and a compass. Then I started exercising regularly and following a speci c plan. I started athletics in the summer of 2020 and ever since then I have been doing it with great passion.”

“I love the team spirit. I trust the process. I enjoy all the trails. I am keen on traveling to other states. I like the appreciation of our efforts. I guess I cannot choose one.”

SO FAR FOR YOU?

“The highlight for me was my rst race. It proved that eventually there is a payoff for all my and my coaches’ efforts. My teammates and (I) gained much more con dence after doing well at a high-level race. “

Q: WHAT IS YOUR ROUTINE TO PREP FOR RACES?

“I wake up early, then go for a quick easy run, stretch (and) I take an energizing shower. After nal quick preparations, I go early to the meeting location and call my parents before we depart. After that, it is all teamwork.”

Q: WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE SEASON?

“I want my team and I to go to Nationals. It depends whether we will do well at Regionals in Seattle next Friday.”

Q: HOW DID YOU START RUNNING?

Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF RUNNING FOR CBU?

Q: WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON

Emily McGinn| Banner

Elijah Hickman | Banner

The women’s golf team poses in front of the Events Center. They have powered through off-season games despite challenges as they prepare for the start of the season.

Twitter Blue feature invites backlash

BY JASMINE SEVERI B&T EDITOR

Twitter Blue, a subscription service for Twitter, faced quite a controversy from Nov. 9-11, after opening and closing its newest feature in less than a week.

Twitter released Twitter Blue as a subscription service for users on June 3, 2021, which gave users additional features such as an undo button that delayed a tweet from going out, thus allowing users time to delete a tweet. The subscription was originally $2.99 per month.

Since Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter on Oct. 28, Musk had di erent plans for the subscription service. Initially, it seemed the new cost would be $19.99 per month and verified accounts had to sign up for it in 90 days or lose their verified status. However, as of Nov. 1 it was announced as $7.99 per month, and with the Twitter Blue subscription, users would automatically have their accounts shown as verified, allowing anyone to become verified. This format launched on Nov. 9.

Immediately following this, users began to abuse the new feature by impersonating celebrities, companies and even politicians, causing confusion about which accounts are the actual verified accounts and which are impersonators using the Twitter Blue feature.

This has caused quite a stir, including causing a drop in the stocks of certain companies targeted by the impersonators, such as the pharmaceutical company Eli Lily and Company after an account posing as the company’s o cial account declared that insulin was now free.

As of Nov. 10, Twitter has updated its policies on parody, fan and commentary accounts, stating that these accounts must clearly identify parody in the Twitter bio and in its name (which is separate from its username).

“Going forward, accounts engaged in parody must include ‘parody’ in their name, not just in bio,” Musk said in a Tweet

Nov. 10, linking to Twitter’s updated policy.

“The account name should clearly indicate that the account is not a liated with the subject portrayed in the profile,” Twitter’s rules now state. “Accounts can indicate this by incorporating words such as, but not limited to, ‘parody,’ ‘fake,’ ‘fan’ or ‘commentary.’ This language should be stated in a way that can be understood by the intended audience.”

While the impersonators were the reason Twitter Blue was put on hold, that was not the only concern people had about the new supposed “verification” system.

Elizabeth Friederang, junior general biology major, expressed her concerns about making it easier for users to have verified accounts.

“I think it was kind of a dumb idea to start with, making verifications available to just anyone,” Friederang said. “I think that was just Elon Musk trying to make more money, but I think it’s not special anymore. It doesn’t mean anything if everybody’s verified, right? So it kind of just takes it away. Nobody’s verified if everybody’s verified.”

Jasmine Jackson, senior communication sciences and disorders major, said she thinks Musk should have seen the abuse coming and perhaps potentially did.

“Honestly people are going to be people and when they see an opportunity, usually they take it, especially if it’s for attention or money or whatever the case may be, usually society will take that opportunity,” Jackson said. “Elon Musk is a really smart man, so he probably knew that was going to happen. He just wanted to test his own theory out, maybe.”

Musk has not given up on Twitter Blue, though, despite its recent controversy, and plans to bring it back just a couple weeks after they shut it down. Musk said Twitter Blue will come back “probably end of next week” in

Based on some of Elon Musk’s tweets, it would appear that he’s thriving

show him clapping back at those throwing criticism his way, no matter who it may be coming

response to a tweet from Twitter user @PaulJamil on Nov. 12.

During this transitional period for the social media site, there will likely be plenty of changes, some of which might stick, but others will be taken away, depending on user input and profitability.

Musk has lost a lot of ad

revenue for Twitter during his acquisition of the site, and as a result needs to find other ways to make money o of Twitter to make up for lost ad revenue. Promoting the Twitter subscription is one way he is looking to do this, and despite this setback when it comes to Twitter Blue, he has not given

up on the subscription service for Twitter. He knew going into this that some things he tries to implement for the site will face backlash and might not work out for Twitter in the long run.

Musk has said that Twitter is in an experimental phase while he is working on new

ways to make money o the site, and he asked users to be patient while they figure out what works for users and what doesn’t.

“Please note that Twitter will do lots of dumb things in coming months,” Musk tweeted on Nov. 9. “We will keep what works & change what doesn’t.”

Comic Sans and Calibri are hated fonts

BY CONNOR RYAN ASST. B&T EDITOR

Nearly every student knows the font warning by heart. Anyone who has taken even a single English class has had the phrase “Times New Roman, font size 12, double-spaced” seared into their brains. But how do people feel about some of the forbidden fonts?

Dr. Berniece Alspach, assistant professor of English, said she strongly dislikes Calibri, the default font on Microsoft Word.

“That font drives me bonkers,” Alspach said. “It literally makes me go crosseyed.”

This font is considered, ironically, the most legible font for people with reading disabilities, and Alspach said it provides no relief for her eyesight.

However, this is not a universal opinion. Some students have developed a partiality to the standard font and use it frequently in place of Courier New or Times New Roman.

Adrian King, president of CBU’s Sigma Tau Delta chapter, claims that the font has many applications and is highly versatile.

“Calibri is definitely preferable,” King said. “I find it more modern and, even if used frequently, it is simple enough to where it blends in well in design, professional or academic settings.”

Marc Agbayani, senior creative writing major, uses the

font simply because it is the most readily available.

“I like using Calibri for taking notes because I conditioned myself to do it that way,” Agbayani said.

Though Agbayani prefers this font, he claims he would likely switch to Times New Roman to write an essay because of its clean and professional look.

Another font that sparks heated discussion is Comic Sans. Agbayani was the font’s only defender, claiming that he was a fan of its fun and bubbly appearance.

Although Agbayani defended it, it has many haters. King said she dislikes Comic Sans.

“I am definitely not a huge fan of Comic Sans,” King said.

“It feels very elementary for some reason. Had the typeface been used less frequently, I may be less opposed.”

Though Alspach feels no ill will towards the sans serif font, she argues that it was developed for a particular demographic.

“I think it’s meant to communicate some level of informality,” Alspach said. “So if you’re advertising for a puppet show at the local library, maybe that’s what you would use.”

Alspach displayed guidetogrammar.org, one of the resources she o ered her students as support. She believes that students avoided the website because the font

looks too childish. She suggested that Palantino Linotype is an excellent alternative that caters to adults while having enough style to decorate an

event flyer.

“It’s not Times New Roman, so it doesn’t look like an assignment, but it looks professional and a little bit artistic,” Alspach

said. “So there’s a little bit of balance.”

Nobody can seem to agree on either of these fonts. However, whether you like these

controversial fonts or not, it is safe to say you will face the consequences if Comic Sans appears on your English paper.

Photo Illustration by Charissa Graves | Banner

on the controversy Twitter Blue has caused. Many of his recent tweets

from.

Photo Illustration by Charissa Graves | Banner

Many people dislike Comic Sans due to its informal, childish appearance. However, a select few consider it fun and bubbly.

Adidas, Def Jam and more drop Kanye West amid controversies

in negativity, companies want to distance themselves from that.”

In October, multiple companies dropped Kanye West from sponsorship deals after he was accused of making antisemitic comments on multiple social media platforms and wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt to Paris Fashion Week.

West first cut ties with Gap in mid-September before the events in October. Then after his controversial posts were shared on social media, Instagram and Twitter disabled his accounts. JPMorgan Chase Bank, record label Def Jam, talent agency Creative Arts Agency (CAA), and film agency MRC have also cut ties with West. Additionally, MRC shelved West’s documentary; Foot Locker, T.J. Maxx and Adidas have pulled Yeezy products from their shelves and racks; and Jaylen Brown and Aaron Donald, who were part of West’s brand Donda Sports, stepped down from their positions.

The West backlash begs an interesting question: is it becoming common practice for companies to distance themselves quickly from “canceled” public figures?

“ Yes, public opinion has a stronger voice and thus more influence than ever,” said Dr. Jeannette Guignard, professor of organizational leadership. “Bad publicity and getting pegged as ‘the bad guy’ can result in serious damage to a company’s brand and reputation that is di cult to recover from. So, if a public figure is shrouded

But how badly can canceled celebrities being associated with certain brands really hurt the companies?

“Canceling a key partner does not seem to hurt companies in the near term, except for money guaranteed to a spokesperson they cancel,” said Dr. Tim Gramling, dean of the Robert K. Jabs School of Business.

Companies may be hurt in the beginning after cutting ties, but they will slowly build themselves back up over time. Some companies are not a ected at all. As an example, Gramling pointed to Tiger Woods’s “cancellation” in 2009, during which companies that sponsored him were not a ected significantly.

“Brand reputation and credibility is fragile,” Gramling said. “It takes a lot of time and money to build a positive brand image, but it can be tainted very quickly. Social media has changed consumer relationships with companies. We are now ‘friends’ with our favorite brands, and these brands that we are loyal to are now a reflection of who we are and what we believe in. Just like companies rush to distance themselves from public figures under negative scrutiny, so do consumers

try to distance themselves from brands that have a bad reputation.”

Gramling said he expects that companies will begin to circle back to West and partner with him again.

“American culture is forgiving, and reputations can recover after a suitable waiting period,” Gramling said. “While several clothing lines have dropped West, others like Ralph Lauren and Prada may find his brand and notoriety aligned with theirs.”

Lexie Nelson, freshman marketing major, agrees with Gramling and does not think this string of canceled partnerships will drag West down.

“Kanye will still make money and they will continue to make money o of him,” Nelson said.

However, Guignard disagrees, noting that West’s long history of questionable behavior will likely make it di cult for big-name brands to align with him.

“His repeated pattern of socially unacceptable behavior makes it unlikely that brands will want to partner with him,” Guignard said. “He would have to make a huge transformation and build up his credibility without incident to gain back the trust of companies. Right now he’s too volatile and it’s not worth the risk.”

APP OF THE ISSUE

Breeze: Mental Health

KEY FEATURES

Mood Tracker

Negative thoughts tracker Journal

Contact with specialist

Knowledge about mental health Courses on sadness, anxiety, laziness, love, etc.

Tests for personality, anxiety, etc.

Relaxing games

WHY I LIKE IT

Breeze seems like an overwhelming app of many choices, but it is a helpful resource for people with mental disorders and illnesses. It is a very calming app that is not too overpriced and worth the money, costing only $7.99 a month after a free trial. This price is a lower option in comparison to other mental health apps like Headspace, which is $12.99 per month, or Talkspace, which is $69 a month.

BY CONNOR RYAN ASST. B&T EDITOR

One of the most pressing issues for scientists and psychologists today is the mystery of mental illness. Fortunately, recent studies have revealed a method that has allowed us to look deeper into these issues.

Throughout the past decade, there have been several studies where scientists successfully transplanted a small amount of human brain tissue into the head of a rat. The tissue was taken from people who su ered from mental disorders and the procedure caused the rats to exhibit similar behavior to the patients. The study revealed a link in mental and behavioral patterns between the rats and the tissue donor’s disorder.

Consequently, scientists conduct these studies to gain insight into how these illnesses are caused.

Dr. E at Zeidan, assistant biology professor, suggests that this study provides more control to scientists than previous methods.

“We are now trying to understand the behavior that is linked to a change in the brain,” Zeidan said. “We are able to control the variables more so in the rat’s brain and gain a better understanding of how mutations could be linked to mental health disorders.”

Another benefit of this method is that it does not only apply to the study of mental disorders.

“If perfected, this could also open the door to di erent types of studies like testing drugs and seeing how it a ects the healthy brain of the rat before testing on anything else,” said Jeremy Emery, junior biomedical sciences major.

While this method might alleviate some of the burdens of modern psychological stud-

ies, the fact that human brain matter is inside a rat creates an interesting issue. Garrett Mendoza, sophomore biomedical sciences major and o cer of the Pre-Med Club, suggests that this goes against the laws of nature.

“I think transplanting human brains into rats like that brings up bad implications of there being no sense of boundary, as well as the issue of basically playing God,” Mendoza said.

Zeidan is also concerned with ethics, saying there is a line between how much human brain matter should be placed inside a rat.

“If we’re talking about a certain amount that is not impactful enough to alter the brain structure of the rat by a lot, then it could pass through ethical barriers,” Zeidan said.

Another issue with this type of research is the anatomical disparity between humans and rats. Zeidan explained that the complexity of the human brain is crammed into a rat, meaning some of the nuances of human behavior are lost in translation.

“It’s challenging to understand and study a human mental disorder comprehensively because we can’t really reduce it and isolate it,” Zeidan said.

Though this study introduces some interesting concepts, the benefits are limited to the link between rats’ behavior and humans’ behavior. This is because the simplicity of a rat’s brain, coupled with its inability to communicate verbally, severely handicaps the research that scientists can conduct.

Regardless, this study will allow a deeper look into the behavioral patterns that are present in people with mental disorders and lend insight into the link between genetics and neurodivergence.

Emily McGinn | Banner

“

a positive

image, but it can be tainted very quickly. Dr. Tim Gramling, Dean of the Robert K. Jabs School of Business

Scientists use rats to study the human brain

Rathole Records: A hidden gem on Magnolia Avenue

BY ZERENITY LOPEZ A&E EDITOR

Hidden in a back alley, at the other end of a dim parking lot and past sign in the shape of a rat, a musical gem thrives on Magnolia Avenue. The Rathole is a local record store with a vast selection of records, CDs, cassettes and memorabilia across genres.

As soon as you pull into the parking lot, the shop’s initial vibe compels customers to enter. Their signature skeleton is currently in a half-open co n, and racks of vintage T-shirts and a variety of plants line the sides of the black pop-up tent that surrounds the front door.

Once you enter the store, loud music (usually classic rock) fills your ears and a sea of records in rows down the center and along the sides and back wall. While the shop is not particularly large, its collection is. Stickers, posters, T-shirts and record covers of all genres

cover the walls.

The shop opened in 2017 after the owner Chris Seibert moved to Riverside from Santa Barbara, Calif.

After closing the shop in Santa Barbara in 2007 and reopening a store in Riverside, Seibert noticed the high demand for records in the area.

He tried to maintain the integrity of his original shop and cannot note any significant differences between the two.

The decor in the shop is unique. It exhibits the personal style of the owner as well as its customers. While it does feature a lot of wall decorations that consist of the store’s merchandise, the funky carpet, black walls and exposed light fixtures truly embody the classic feel of a record shop. The decorative process happened in the best way possible: naturally.

“I cannot explain how the decor started,” Seibert said. “It just gradually ended up this

way.”

Seibert found his love for records at an early age. He traveled and sought to collect rare items. It was not until he returned home that he realized that others shared his love for records.

“I used to travel to England to buy rare records, CDs and DVDs and I would bring them back here and resell them,” Seibert said. “I started realizing the demand for music from that.”

The music collection at The Rathole ranges from Led Zepplin to Miles Davis to even Taylor Swift. With such a wide selection, The Rathole is diverse enough to draw in all kinds of customers.

Seibert acquires the wide collection throughout the months via 35 distributors worldwide. With brand new products coming in consistently, it is rare not to find something eye-catching at The Rathole.

Shoe game: What does it mean and what makes it personal?

BY JAMESON SHOWERS ASST. A&E EDITOR

When someone thinks of the term “shoe game,” what do they have in mind? Is it a collection of fresh Jordan 11s with glistening patent leather? Or is it a vast array of designer shoes, ranging from Gucci to Fendi?

Much of what people consider to be shoe game comes from trends, social media or what their friends are wearing. The recent craze for “Hypebeast” footwear such as Nike Dunks, Jordans and Yeezys leaves current-day shoe fanatics many options to expand their footwear inventory.

According to a report from marketing and consumer data company, Statista. In 2021 alone, the global athletic footwear industry generated over $78 billion in 2021. The United States compromised about $13.6 billion of that total.

While some consider shoes to be an article of clothing, others view them as a means of artistic expression. For Zion Crockett, sophomore nursing major, shoes have been a large

part of his life since he was a child. His love for fashion has shaped how he views the shoes he wears and the significance behind them.

“My mom always kept me laced in whatever she could find or buy at the time,” Crockett said. “I’ve been wearing Jordans, Nikes, Pumas and Sketchers since I was a 1-yearold. I still even have my first pair of Jordans.”

Crockett noted that his family was the driving force for his burgeoning shoe love. When his family would go out to an event, Crockett recalled that they would color match and make their shoes look nice before leaving.

Advancing from a shoe fanatic to a shoe customizer, Crockett began coloring and designing his shoes around the age of 15. His artistic inclination and definition of shoe game prompted his desire to begin a shoe customization business.

“Shoe game to me is making that shoe your own or making it seem like it was meant for you,” Crockett said. “That’s why I got

into customizing — I want to give everybody their own style or shoe that they can rock and feel comfortable with.”

Athletic shoes are not everything. In a brief walk through the California Baptist University campus, Lancers wear anything from skating brands to dress shoes to leather-styled boots. The possibilities are endless, and each Lancer has a closet of footgear.

Challenging the narrative that Hypebeast brands define one’s shoe game, Isabella Esquivel, sophomore elementary education major, flaunts Converse, Doc Martens and Reebok. These shoe brands are well-known, but in the topic of shoe game, they are often omitted.

“I always thought that shoe game had to be tied to Hypebeast shoes such as Nike Dunks and Jordans ones,” Esquivel said. “I used to not consider myself as someone with shoe game, but I would say I have the girl version of shoe game. I get complimented on my shoes now and then.”

Esquivel’s journey into

fashion began during her sophomore year of high school. She said she enjoyed choosing her clothes and making her style while appreciating the liberating feeling she would experience while doing it.

“I wanted to feel confident in my clothes,” Esquivel said. “I like waking up and choosing something fun right at the start of my day.”

However, while Esquivel agrees that shoe game’s definition should include more shoe brands than the usual athletic footwear, she stresses the importance of shoes in today’s fashion and how they can show personality.

“Shoes can make or break an outfit,” Esquivel said. “Of course, you do not want to judge someone o their shoes, but you can tell athletes from girly girls with their shoes.”

There is no universal definition for shoe game. It is clear that what someone wears on their feet is entirely up to them, and they get to create their explanation.

After all, shoes fall under fashion, and fashion is another

Reggaeton music rises in popularity

GABI RIGGIN ASST. A&E EDITOR

Invigorating, rhythmic and dynamic reggaetón music has filled the states at every turn over the years. It is made for gathering and feeling good.

Reggaetón is a blend of different cultures that have created a unique, distinctive and constantly changing sound. The style of music became popular in Puerto Rico and only jumped to mainstream in recent years. This genre has many Latin influences, and part of the word — reggae — comes from the influence in Panama.

“West Indian immigrants who came to the country to help construct the Panama Canal, who married reggae and dancehall and thus forged a new melee of a sound,” according to an article by Rosie Bell in Shondaland. “Panamanian artists like Nando Boom and El General took Jamaican reggae songs and sang over them in Spanish; back then, it went by the name reggae en Español (Spanish Reggae).”

Spanish Reggae, or reggae en Español, became influenced by hip-hop when it became relevant in Puerto Rico, leading to reggaetón.

When reggaetón hit No. 1

on Billboard’s Top Latin chart on July 31, 2004, it was with Daddy Yankee’s hit song “Gasolina.”

This was the first time reggaetón music ever landed in the chart’s No. 1 spot, and the record was also named both the bestselling Latin album of 2005 and of the decade, according to Billboard.

“In the early 2000s, we have seen people like Daddy Yankee and Don Omar create amazing tracks,” said Bryanna Trevino, sophomore criminal justice major. “While people may not know their songs, they created the gateway for new artists like Karol G and Bad Bunny.”

Reggaetón exploded when Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee released their collaborated song “Despacito.” The song hit Billboard’s top Latin song chart and remained there for over 100 weeks, with more than 6 billion views on their music video.

The song was then remastered, this time including Justin Bieber, boosting the tune’s popularity. It is still a viral song today, with the remix and original tracks staying in Luis Fonsi’s top 5 most popular songs on Spotify.

“One of my first memories with reggaetón was when ‘Despacito’ came out with Jus-

tin Bieber,” Trevino said. “I feel like it was a huge step for the Latin(x) community be-

ed to listen to it,” said Valerie Casteneda, junior accounting major. “Now it is all over the radio instead of having to turn to a Spanish station to hear it.”

Today reggaetón’s popularity has reached new heights. There is one superstar in particular we have yet to discuss: Bad Bunny.

Bad Bunny is a Puerto Rican musician who has played a significant role in the rise of reggaetón music over the past year.

After recently winning album of the year at this year’s Video Music Awards, he has made a name for himself amongst competing artists. Bad Bunny has been unique not just with his music but his platform. He is known for only singing in his native language, Spanish, and rarely speaking English.

nance major. “He only speaks Spanish. I love that in his interviews, he still continues to speak Spanish. Some people in their songs speak two languages, so it’s usually English and Spanish. Well, in ‘Yonaguni,’ he speaks Japanese, so instead of choosing the typical other languages like English, he would speak Japanese and bring different cultures into it.”

Bad Bunny has released many songs and collaborations, with artists like Luis Fonsi and his song “Mia” featuring Drake and “I like it” by Cardi B.

“I think he was able to hit many milestones and surpass records worldwide because he collaborated with the right artists,” Casteneda said.

reggaeton that not only excites and entertains listeners but also helps them feel more empowered as independent women.

“Karol G’s most popular songs are the songs that go against normal machismo standards,” Morales said. “So instead of, ‘I need a guy, I miss a guy.’ It’s more, ‘I am the guy. I don’t need a guy. I am an independent woman.’”

Reggaetón musicians have used their platforms in many ways aside from music, as well. They know the significance of their influence and have used it to speak out about issues of concern to them.

cause it let everyone know how great our music was.”

Many non-reggaetón artists are helpful in spotlighting this genre of music. In addition to Bieber, those artists include Selena Gomez, Cardi B and even Drake.

“It’s something tied to the culture, so when those big artists decided to collaborate and brought it to be more mainstream, more people who aren’t from those countries start-

Bad Bunny is also known for pushing the boundaries through his personal style. He challenges the “machismo” mindset within the Latino community.

The machismo mentality is a concept that relates to being “manly” or having prideful masculinity, also known as being “macho.”

“You know, he does not have typical manly fashion,” said Ashley Morales, junior fi-

“He used to make a lot of trap music, and a couple of years ago, he moved into more purely reggaetón music and music for dancing,” Castaneda continued. “His music is very fun and carefree. He has always been himself in terms of his music and how he dresses, and he’s made many headlines with how he dresses.”

Male artists have not been the only influence on reggaeton music. Female artists like Karol G, Becky G, Natti Nat, Lali, and Anitta have as well.

These women are paving the way toward a new age of

“Bad Bunny is so much more than an artist,” Trevino said. “He is also an advocate for all the things he believes are right. For example, Puerto Rico and women’s rights.”

Reggaetón continues to be a popular music genre, and as the community grows, so do the artists. With constant content being released, the possibilities are endless.

Now driving past cars bumping their favorite Karol G songs and Daddy Yankee or Bad Bunny, many can sing along and enjoy the music brought to the States by our Latin artists, even without speaking the language.

“

One of my rst memories with Reggaeton was when ‘Despacito’ came out with Justin Bieber. I feel like it was a huge step for the Latin(x) community because it let everyone know how great our music was.

Bryanna Trevino, sophomore criminal justice major

Charissa Graves | Banner

The Rathole has records spanning many genres and artists as well as posters and other paraphernalia for a variety of new and classic bands.

So a Guzman | Banner For many people, “shoe game” is a matter of personal expression, and for some it can even become a new art form or business venture.

category of art, which is always subjective.

Crockett expressed

that

shoes

reflect his

mentality and quoted an excerpt from Hall-

of-Fame Cornerback Deion Sanders.

“If you look good, you feel good; if you feel good, you play good,” Crockett said.

‘Black Panther’ sequel provides captivating legacy story

BY JONATHAN MEJIA ASST. A&E EDITOR

Loss. Grief. Legacy. Dealing with sudden loss and attempting to move forward. These are some critical themes that Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” addresses.

So much has changed since 2018’s “Black Panther,” and it is no secret that this sequel had many fans wondering how Marvel Studios would move forward after the death of lead actor Chadwick Boseman in August 2020 after they had announced the sequel to the first film.

After the first trailer of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” was released, it became evident that the film would deal with the death of T’Challa in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and led to speculation about who would become the superhero known as the Black Panther.

The movie deals with the sudden death of King T’Challa and how his mother, Ramonda,

and his sister Shuri deal with the loss. The conflict escalates when the sudden appearance of the secret people of Talokan and their leader Namor begin causing trouble. The Wakandans must then find a way to do what is necessary as tensions between Ramonda and Shuri and Namor escalate, which could result in a devastating war.

The film’s key characters are Princess Shuri and Namor, who desire peace and progress for their people. The movie does an excellent job of shifting Shuri from a supporting character in “Black Panther” to becoming the series’ focus.

Shuri’s grief is highlighted throughout the film, given that her brother has passed. Ramonda also has to deal with losing two beloved family members and ruling Wakanda.

One may think that Ramonda is unreasonable in some of her actions throughout the film, but she is only trying to hold on to her only remaining family member. When I

first saw some of her actions, I thought her emotions clouded her judgment, but I began to think about why she acted the way she did. This was a grieving woman who felt that she was about to lose so much if she did not act quickly and decisively.

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” brings representation to Latinos and their Mesoamerican background. The kingdom of Talokan draws inspiration from Mesoamericans, primarily from the Mayans in the modern-day Yucatán peninsula.

The film briefly discusses the colonization of Mesoamerica and the harm Europeans inflicted on the Mayans and other surrounding empires. This is a motive for Namor’s plan for peace.

As a Latino myself, the casting of Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Namor meant a lot to me. I am not used to seeing people similar to me and my background in the superhero genre of movies. I also thought it was

amazing to see the film celebrate the indigenous culture of the Mayans. I find it essential that movies like this do not try to tuck away the unpleasant realities of colonization in the Americas.

Letitia Wright’s performance as Shuri is powerful, and one can feel her pain throughout the film as she tries to find peace in her grief and loss and to carry on the legacy of her late brother.

Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía) is a well-written character, who serves as the film’s antagonist, but I might argue that he is more like an antihero. There was great chemistry between Shuri and Namor in the movie and they both understood each other enough to talk civilly in many scenes. I was left very impressed by some of Mejía’s line deliveries, which left the theater and I gasping. I was able to understand his character’s motives throughout the movie.

The movie’s visuals were astonishing compared to the

previous films and series in Phase 4 (the collection of Marvel movies that work much like TV series and their seasons) of the MCU. Much like its appearance in the first film and “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018), Wakanda continues to leave audiences in awe and wonder, and the introduction to the underwater nation of Talokan appears phenomenal.

When Shuri was being shown the underwater kingdom, I was mesmerized along with her. The scene showed the lives of the people in Talon and some of the kingdom’s architecture, which made the scene feel as pleasing as it felt to initially see Wakanda in 2018.

Some of the scenes that take place in natural settings, such as the woodlands, rivers and mountains of Wakanda or the beaches of Yucatán are stunning, bringing Marvel fans back from the cosmos and alternative universes from past films and present real-world settings set in a fictionalized

world filled with superheroes.

The film still su ers from a few questionable CGI fight scenes. Some of the movements of the characters were not impressionable. They looked overly animated and poorly edited, which many Marvel projects have su ered from lately, such as “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” or “Thor: Love and Thunder.” The CGI was not bad enough, as it was in those mentioned projects, to dislike the film completely. Still, the choreographed stage combat, cinematography, iconography, such as the funeral traditions and rituals of Wakanda and the natural settings of the film make up for the shortcomings of the movie’s lackluster CGI, which I may add are only a couple of scenes.

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is a powerful and moving film that honors the legacy of the late Chadwick Boseman, and is a beautiful project.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

Trend Alert: Corduroy returns to campus just in time for winter

BY ZERENITY LOPEZ A&E EDITOR

More than just a type of fabric, corduroy is a statement textile that is worn in various styles across decades. This season, corduroy is a classic staple as it weasels its way into on-campus fashion.

The thick and versatile material hit peak popularity in the 1970s, according to Gloverall.com, and continues to be worn in staple pieces like jackets, pants and even hats.

In recent years, corduroy has weaved in and out of popularity, mainly returning in the fall and winter months. Here in Riverside, it is the perfect fall material for those days when the weather cannot decide between warm and cool.

Here at California Baptist University, you can find students and faculty incorporating corduroy into their weekly outfits more and more, whether they are dressing it down for a chilly 8 a.m. class or dressing it up for a co ee date on campus.

Here are some great ways to incorporate this fall trend into your wardrobe.

The most classic way corduroy is worn is in the form of a jacket. The style of the jacket is up to personal preference.

A corduroy jacket can be worn casually with a pair of blue denim jeans, a cozy sweatshirt, sneakers and a beanie. Don’t be afraid to experiment with color here. If the jacket is neutral, wear a sweatshirt with a pop of color and a beanie to match.

To dress it up, start with your favorite pair of trousers or a skirt. Next, pair it with a neutral T-shirt or graphic tee to spice things up. Throw on the corduroy jacket, some boots or loafers, and the comfy collegiate look is complete.

With such a strong material as corduroy, it often acts as a statement piece in any outfit. It allows you to go much simpler with the rest of the look.

When corduroy is a fun color, it is easier to spice up an outfit without thinking too hard about being unique.

What truly sling-shot corduroy into the spotlight is corduroy bottoms, specifically pants. Remember, during the 1970s, bell bottoms were also a popular choice in pants. Put the two trends together and corduroy bell bottoms were the ultimate pant in the ‘70s.

Now corduroy pants can be found in all di erent styles.

When styling corduroy pants, the choices are endless. There are straight-cut pants, carpenter pants, flares and even “mom-fit” pants. Just like the jacket, these can be dressed up and down. There is much freedom when styling corduroy as bottoms, so have fun with it.

When it comes to spicing up the most simple outfit, the texture is an excellent subtle way to incorporate statement pieces into your wardrobe. Texture acts as a statement piece on its own and takes an outfit to the next level.

Keep an eye out for more corduroy on campus and don’t be afraid to experiment with it this season.

EDITOR’S REVIEW

“Enola Holmes 2”

BY ZERENITY LOPEZ I A&E EDITOR

Enola Holmes is back and solving a new mystery in the recent sequel, “Enola Holmes 2.” Millie Bobbie Brown and Henry Cavill return to the screen, reprising their roles as Enola and Sherlock Holmes, respectively. The film series follows Enola, the younger sister of Sherlock as she fights to establish herself as a true detective. Enola’s main struggle is escaping the shadow of her brother’s great success.

In this film, Enola takes on the case of a missing young woman and is hired by her kid sister named Bessie. The case is more than it seems as Enola finds herself entangled in a large conspiracy with connecting cases. However, as Enola navigates her first solo case, I found the details quite bland, and the overall case signicantly dragged out.

The film attempts to reel in viewers by opening with a chase scene. It continues to follow the sequence of events leading up to the chase and resumes where it left o . This method of introduction is overdone and only intriguing when properly executed. In this sense, it seemed too kitschy for my taste.

The film lacked the sense of excitement that made the previous film stand out and, unfortunately, fell into the category of lackluster sequels. I will admit that it became more intriguing as the film progressed, but it was still not enough to keep me on the edge of my seat.

The plotline of the continuing romance between Enola and Lord Tewkesbury (Louise Partridge) was presented throughout the film, creating a disconnect between the mystery and action of the film. It often focused far too long on the romance and Enola’s personal feelings, bringing the

film to a more childish level that I could not take seriously under the mystery and crime genre. Brown’s acting was another aspect of the film that I could not take seriously. Her facial expressions were cartoonish and each time she broke the fourth wall it seemed to be less and less necessary.

This film only loosely followed the traditional method of unfolding a Sherlock Holmes case. As a Sherlock Holmes enthusiast, I was not impressed with Enola’s deduction methods and was frankly quite disappointed at her lack of perception.

This lack of perception caused the film to feel dragged out and, at times, boring. Clues were quickly found and revealed throughout the film and seemed to have simple answers that were only explained in a complicated manner.

Although the plot was rather dull, the movie found its strength in visuals. The visuals added to depict how clues were understood in Enola’s mind were aesthetically pleasing to

the eye. The turning of book pages and illustrations were a fun addition to the graphics of the film.

Another great set of visuals was the set itself. Each set and its corresponding crime scene had extreme detail. Set design is often overlooked, but with such a dull plot, my attention was pulled to it.

The design of the apartments and businesses was intricate and beautiful as they followed a similar color theme that included bright colors and neutrals that aligned for a harmonious color palette.

Overall the semi-witty banter dragged the plot, and the overuse of romantic elements made “Enola Holmes 2” as tired as any other sequel film. Although two movies would have su ced, Netflix may have other plans.

The ending left the possibility of yet another film — perhaps the third time is the charm.

2 out of 5 stars.

Emily McGinn

Zerenity Lopez | Banner Students and faculty including Caleb Garland, freshman music education major (top); Emilio Bermejo, professor of behavioral and social sciences (bottom left); and Evelynn Ponce, freshman interior design major (bottom right) are spotted wearing corduroy on campus.

Photo courtesy

Injuries take toll on athletes

BY HANNAH GORDON ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

There is nothing scarier than the thought of losing a part of yourself. The idea that you could lose something you love scares us all. But what happens when those fears are realized, and you have to live without something that has been a part of you for so long? Many athletes experience this when they are injured. An injury can mean permanent change and with that change, a blow to mental health. But how does one rise above the pain of losing — perhaps forever — the game that they have dedicated so much of their life to?

“This athlete is not on the field anymore, and so they’re going to struggle with that having lived their whole life on the field,” said Dr. Ed Garrett, professor of sports psychology.

After an injury, an athlete is faced with di cult changes. An injury can mean a role change on the team or being o the field (or court) for the rest of the season.

“Things are changing,” Garrett said. “Nobody likes change, but in many situations with injured athletes, it’s that force to change that’s probably one of the biggest hurdles they have to overcome. That forced change takes some work. We have to counsel through that. They can’t change what happened — they have to control the controllable.”

These changes can lead to mental health obstacles that may be hard to overcome.

“An athlete is going to go through a grieving process, and they go through a gambit of stu

until they get to acceptance,” Garrett said. “And every athlete will get to a level of acceptance at some point but intermixed is anger and denial and possibly depression.”

Injuries are constantly on the mind of an athlete. They have to consider the fact the nature of sports could lead to injuries.

“For me, the thought of injuries has always been a huge fear, as I was never aware of how they may impact my life,” said Makenna Dashiell, sophomore early childhood development major and first baseman for the women’s softball team. “However, injuries are bound to happen. As we know as athletes, we put countless hours physically into our sports, and our bodies break down daily.”

Any injury from mild to serious can a ect an athlete and present unwelcome circumstances.

“I personally have never had an injury before like a torn ACL, but I had bad back pain throughout my career here at CBU,” said Erin Gallagher, business graduate student and player for the women’s soccer team. “These two injuries were perfect examples of how these injuries correlate directly to mental health. When your body is in pain, it can be di cult to play to your full potential in games whether it is fear or frustration holding you back.”

The rehabilitation process recognizes the mental health problems that may come after an injury.

“As many would say, mental health is one of the most influential or debilitating parts of the rehabilitation process,”

Gallagher said. “While I know I am just in the beginning of my nine- to 12-month healing process, I know that the mental health battle will continue to get harder. There are really hard days, but the good days make them all worth it.”

While mental health is recognized in the process of rehabilitation, it may still have negative e ects, even long after the physical injury has healed.

“An injury can be extremely detrimental toward an athlete’s mental health,” Gallagher said. “There are so many athletes out there, famous or not, that have gone through an injury and rehab process but still never played the same again because of their mental health. Injuries can bring up a lot of things like overthinking, fear and uncertainty.”

Fortunately for the athletes at CBU, they have easy access to counselors and psychologists who open their eyes to new opportunities and hope for the future.

“We want to have a cognitive gameplan for what’s taken place,” Garrett said. “Of course, the athlete is going to experience fear a lot of the time pre-surgery, and then we want to focus on simple things like goal setting.”

Dashiell tore her meniscus and had to sit out on most of the season this fall. This was her first injury and came with some di culty for her. But with help from counseling, she is moving forward with purpose.

“It has been hard for me to sit back and watch my team playing games and practicing and knowing that I could not participate,” Dashiell said. “I

will say this injury has put a new perspective into my head.

“Instead of sitting back in my sadness of not being able to participate, Dr. G (Dr. Garrett) opened my eyes to learning more about the game. He told me to watch my position and hitting aspects intentionally and find things that will better my game for when I have the chance to come back after my recovery.”

Another unique feature of rehabilitation at CBU is an incorporation of faith in the healing process.

“(When) the athlete is from a spiritual background, regardless of what their faith is or religious background, understanding that God is in control, he has a plan, you want to lean on him through this,” Garrett said. “And utilizing one’s faith is a coping technique that can be really powerful — something we are really blessed to have here at CBU.”

Being able to sit under counsel and work through emotions is vital, especially if an injury leads to never being able to play again.

“I think that an athlete’s biggest fear is not being able to play their sport,” Gallagher said. “I am extremely grateful that I will be able to return to my sport even if it may take a year. I would remind anyone that this is something we can’t control and that we can only react to.”

Injuries can lead to unforeseen situations that can be extremely uncomfortable for an athlete. But the solutions provided here at CBU can help an athlete change their mindset and provide a bright future, on and o the field.

International athletes adapt to academics and athletics in U.S.

BY FLORIAN LA PALLEC ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

When people think of intercollegiate athletics, they usually consider high school athletes transitioning to the college level, but it can be easy to forget about international student-athletes who leave their home countries to compete in the U.S.

There are over 21,000 international student-athletes enrolled and competing at NCAA schools, according to NCAA. While many international student-athletes decide to join U.S. college teams, they face both academic and athletic challenges during the shift.

Anna Mate, graduate MBA student from Hungary and member of the women’s cross country team, is one of those who chose to seek the American dream. She said she has encountered di erences in the academic schedule in the U.S. that has a ected her routine in a positive way.

“At home, I would not have time to run at all because I would need to spend 8-10 hours a day in class,” Mate said. “On the other hand, here I only have one or two classes a day, so I do not have to worry about whether I should go to practice or not because I know I will have time to do it and recover properly.”

Emiel Deconinck, graduate student in sport and performance psychology and member of the men’s soccer team, agreed that being a student-athlete in Europe is much more challenging and di erent because in his home country of Belgium, universities and sports teams are separate.

“Students who want to play sports need to find a club outside of the university,” Deconinck said. “The fact that they

Deconinck, Graduate student in sport and performance psychology and men’s soccer player

are uncoordinated and separate makes it harder to combine them. My previous university also did not have a big campus where students can live or spend time together. Instead, the university has a building for each faculty across the city, and students live in apartments all over the city.”

In addition to having different school systems in their home countries, international student-athletes also face differences when competing for an American college because of the sheer size of competitions.

“In Hungary, I always competed against 5-6 people, while in the U.S. I run against hundreds of athletes in every cross-country race,” Mate said. “As a result, I never know who I am going to be racing against in the U.S., whereas at home, I always know before the race starts who is potentially going to win the race.”

Overall, Mate believes that cross country is more di cult in Europe because the courses are rougher and muddier than the flat, hilly golf courses often found in America.

Although there are many benefits to the U.S. college athletics system, joining an American college team does require time to adapt to new environments and rules for international students.

“NCAA college soccer is unique and di erent than soccer in Europe,” Deconinck said.

“Because of the structure of the conference, games are very intense and fast-paced. It took me a while to get used to the pace of the game and the many di erent rules, but I enjoyed having this di erent perspective on soccer. The unlimited number of subs, for example, and the countdown at the end of each half were not something I was used to.”

While the challenge seems daunting for international student-athletes, Mate and Deconinck agreed that coming to the U.S. was a chance to excel in both academics and sports.

Athletes, coaches share how they cope with away games

BY MICHAEL MARKS ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

It is no secret that a homefield advantage exists, but how do athletes respond when that advantage is taken away? The challenges of playing away games look di erent for each sport, but there are still many common strategies and approaches taken to help athletes perform their best and tactics coaches use to deal with such issues.

Tyler Nordgren, assistant men’s baseball coach, understands the importance of preparation and negating some of the challenges that come with traveling so that the players are not at a disadvantage before even getting onto the field.

“The biggest di erence between playing at home and away is that your daily routine

changes on the road,” Nordgren said. “At home (which you usually play most of your games at home), you get into a good routine of class in the morning, get a familiar meal on campus, get to the field a little early, etc. You know all those things because you do it every day.

“On the road, it is an unfamiliar place, so your daily routine naturally changes. It is our job to try to minimize those changes so the players don’t feel di erent.”

Routine is something every athlete is familiar with and something that is broken when they leave to play away games. However, the solution to such a challenge is much simpler than most people think.

“The only thing you really want to change on the road is the time of day you do things, but that’s because you’re forced

to,” Nordgren said. “When you arrive at the field is later, when you take batting practice is later, etc. Before leaving the hotel though, you want to have a similar routine as you would at home. Once you get into a couple of road trips, that becomes your road routine and you get used to it. The other thing you can do is feel extremely prepared. If the team feels like they are prepared and have done everything they can for the series, they will be confident going into that series.”

Since coaches have done this year after year, they are familiar with such challenges and know the best ways to get their athletes ready. Athletes, though, still have to learn to deal with the unique challenges that come with playing away.

Paige Johnstone, senior kinesiology major and mem-

ber of the women’s volleyball team, has dealt with much adversity regarding home games throughout her career here. We often focus on the individual aspects of preparing for a game, but there are other aspects to consider too, such as the team.

“As a team, we love to listen to music to prepare ourselves for an away game and we just hype ourselves up,” Johnstone said. “We also focus a lot on fueling our bodies the right way whether it is eating good food or having a smoothie to help us get through the game. Lastly, we do a lot of dynamic stretching.”

Preparing as a team helps everyone focus and get ready for the game, but even with this preparation, they still have to contend with the fans.

“I just worry about playing my game and I remind myself what I am capable of,” John-

stone said. “When I get nervous, I focus on my breathing to calm my nerves. When there are large crowds, I usually just tune them out because I can’t worry about them during the game.”

Jenna Dickstein, junior liberal arts studies major and player for the women’s water polo team, shares similar sentiments. Some teams such as water polo have to learn to play in di erent facilities altogether.

“Honestly, it depends on where we are playing because some of the East Coast schools have indoor pools which we don’t play in, so right when we get there we usually have some practice to prepare ourselves,” Dickstein said. “The indoor pools are really hot on the inside of the complex and the water tends to be way warmer, which can put our bodies into a weird state. As long as we train

before the game and get used to it as fast we can get our bodies adjusted and well prepared for the games.”

There are many other ways to prepare for a game outside of personal preparation. One way is to study the opponent.

“As a team collectively, we watch a lot of films and take notes on di erent plays that the other team runs or what girls to look out for whether they are shooters or attackers,” said Dickstein. “I feel like there is a lot of preparation the week before these games because we work on what type of plays to run and what defense to play against the certain team.”

While there are many challenges that come with traveling and playing away, proper preparation and support from your teammates can help even the playing field.

Photo Illustration by Charissa Graves | Banner

Many collegiate athletes struggle with the idea of being forced to take time off due to an injury. This can lead to feelings of lostness and depression as they make their way through the grieving process.

“In Hungary, I always compete against 5-6 people, while in the U.S. I run against hundreds of athletes in every cross-country race.

Anna Mate, Graduate MBA student and member of the women’s cross country team

“

It took me a while to get used to the pace of the game and the many different rules.

Emiel

LANCER ON THE STREET

Let’s start voting in person again

happened to be in my county during the weekend prior to Election Day. So, I voted in person (yes, partially for the second “I Voted” sticker). However, as I checked in to receive my ballot in order to vote, the poll worker told me I had already voted by mail.

Funnily enough, I had not. This was the first I was hearing about it.

We could speculate about this situation all day, but, ultimately, this strange circumstance draws attention to the potential failures of widescale mail-in voting and indicates a need for us to return to largely in-person voting in a post-pandemic world.

In 2020, voting by mail made more sense. We were in the relatively early months of a twoyear pandemic. Now, though, we have moved back to a state of normality. Hence, we should try to steer clear of the inevitable risks of mail-in voting.

million mail pieces each day, according to U.S. Postal Service Facts.

Sounds like a lot to handle, doesn’t it?

BY EMILY MCGINN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Election Day 2022 has come and gone, and our second trial in the national experiment of widescale mail-in voting is coming to a close.

I had a bit of a strange experience when I headed to the polls this year. Originally, I had planned to vote by mail, but I

After a long moment of awkward staring, she told me she would just cancel that ballot and handed me my ballot to finish voting in person. I moved along to my voting station and then got my sticker, but the experience continued to roll around in the back of my mind.

What had happened? Why had a ballot already been cast in my name? Or had it been a clerical error? More importantly, if I had voted by mail as planned, would my vote have counted?

Prior to COVID-19, 34 states did allow mail-in voting, with five primarily vote-by-mail states, while 16 states restricted mail-in voting to qualified absentee voters. Before the 2020 election, California allowed for mail-in absentee ballots upon request, but in light of the pandemic, California switched to a vote-by-mail state. Now, the state mails a ballot to every voter, but it also allows for in-person voting if someone prefers to vote that way. Despite the in-person option, most people now favor the early vote-bymail option.

Attendance should not be graded at the college level

as a helpful way to give students extra points or to encourage students to show up, at the end of the day, it is the adult student who is receiving the grade. We are in college and can decipher for ourselves whether or not we need to attend class. If we do not attend and then receive bad grades as a result, it is a lesson to be learned.

a sick student or a student who has an emergency to just show up to class anyways rather than to stay home and then have to try to get their absences cleared later on through the school. If we are encouraged to take care of ourselves first, again, why are we being punished for doing it?

Mail-in voting in a nation as large as the U.S. — or a state as large as California — is bound to be chaotic. As of 2021, the U.S. population clocked in at nearly 332 million people and California’s was 39.24 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Of course, not all of these people turn up to vote. However, in 2020, 155 million voters cast their ballots, indicating an upward trend in voter turnout. Even the 2022 midterm elections had a high voter turnout for an o -year election. Add this many ballots to an already overburdened mail system that processes and delivers 425.3

Although measuring the amount of lost mail is di cult and data is lacking, some sources suggest anywhere between a fraction of 1% to 3% is lost. Regardless, it is worth questioning the feasibility of this system as it stands now. With this influx of mail-in ballots, there are bound to be cracks in the system.

There are plenty of other reasons to favor in-person voting. With in-person voting, we are much more likely to get same-day election results.

Also, mail-in voting encourages early voting, and in some cases, very early voting. Ballots often arrive in mailboxes weeks before elections, meaning some people cast their ballots in a completely di erent context

than other voters. This can minimize the e ect of pivotal events directly before Election Day. Now that we have rolled back COVID-19 health protocols across the board, we need to return to in-person voting. We will only continue to grow as a nation and, with that, we are bound to encounter confusion with a mail-in voting system.

Of course, in-person voting has its flaws, too, but we can work toward correcting those. For example, we should provide more resources about in-person voting locations and ensure people have ways to get to the polls. We should also continue to allow for absentee voting in certain situations. But, when used on a broad scale, mail-in voting will only breed distrust in the voting system and encourage errors.

In the long run, it just doesn’t work.

Commercialism has obscured the meaning of anksgiving

compete against the Sahara desert for lack of moisture and win, cranberry sauce so sour your face will be stuck in a surprised O for the rest of supper, and mashed potatoes and gravy so lumpy that eating it feels more like a game of minesweeper than a culinary experience.

The commercialization of Thanksgiving has also been problematic for years. While it still may not be as commercialized as Christmas or Valentine’s day or even Easter, I think that Thanksgiving’s commercialization is more problematic than them all.

BY ALEXZA BAHNMILLER MANAGING EDITOR

We all know the drill. You wake up with a throbbing headache, dry throat and runny nose. You use the remainder of your energy to reach over and grab your phone to email your teacher that you will not be able to attend class.

But it doesn’t stop there. Once you do feel better, you need to get a doctor’s note to then submit to the admission’s o ce. You then have to wait to see if you get approved for the days you missed class. And if you cannot get a doctor’s note or have to miss class due to some other emergency that cannot be approved through a note, you are marked as unexcused.

This unexcused absence then takes a toll on your grade. Depending on the professor, even one unexcused absence can bring your entire grade down.

Is it fair to be punished for not being able to attend a class that you are paying for either way? No. Although I can understand why some professors may view grading attendance

But requiring the rigorous process of getting an absence excused through the school as a result of having a contagious sickness is infantalizing. It sends the message that students are not able to think for themselves and negotiate whether or not the missed class is worth it.

Although making class attendance optional would most likely result in fewer students showing up to class, it teaches students how to make decisions for themselves. They are losing out on learning and wasting their own money that they paid for the course if they rarely show up.

Not only does it teach students to rationalize on their own — as they will have to do once they graduate and enter the ‘real world’ of needing to maintain a career — but it also shows that having emergencies come up in life, including sicknesses, is not a shameful thing. It is human.

Students can understand that showing up to class is not something that should be placed above everything else; dealing with emergencies and health crises requires just as much importance.

BY

Juicy turkey, buttered potatoes, and cloud-like bread rolls as far as the eye can see. Sounds like Thanksgiving, right?

Wrong.

While for many, this is the reality of their Thanksgiving meals, others are resigned to a meal consisting of a sinewy turkey, so dry that it could

But the holiday’s origins are a bigger problem than the poorly prepared dinner. Many unaware of Thanksgiving’s roots see it as a way to get together with family, enjoy a gluttonous meal, slip into a food coma, and watch some good football.

But underneath it all is a history of betrayal, deceit, and horrors that we should be aware of. Contrary to what many people still believe, the pilgrims and the Native Americans did not come together in harmony to share a meal.

Thanksgiving was created as a day to give thanks, yet floods of Americans storm stores the day after Thanksgiving, prepared to shell out hundreds of dollars for items they simply can’t live without. In recent years, Black Friday has begun eclipsing Thanksgiving as the holiday many Americans look forward to. They leave the dinner table early to get online to check deals; instead of praying to give thanks, they silently strategize, determining which stores they have to hit first to get all the best and cheapest items on sale.

Also, grading class participation encourages students to come to class even while sick an even greater concern since COVID-19. Although teachers usually tell students at the beginning of the year, “Stay home if you don’t feel well. Take care of yourself first,” this notion means nothing when an absence will still cause the students to lose points. It is much easier for

After all, we can only learn if we are healthy and have the right mental state first. What is the good in showing up to receive points but yet retrieve none of the class information because we were too focused on covering our sneezes and not coughing too loud? The bigger message being sent by passively encouraging students to show up no matter what other emergency is going on in their lives isn’t a good one.

Thanksgiving is a day meant for cherishing your family and, as suggested by the name itself, giving thanks. But why do we have to limit ourselves to only giving thanks once a year on a day that hardly has any significance other than being the societally appropriate day for finally putting up the Christmas tree? Labeling Thanksgiving as a day to give thanks for all we have makes it seem like we don’t need to give thanks any other day. But that’s not the case. Every day, every meal, we should give thanks for our meals, our families, our friends, and everything we enjoy and love.

A holiday originally meant for giving thanks and enjoying what we have without pining for more has now become a symbol of decadence and overindulgence.

While Thanksgiving as an idea, a day when families come together to give thanks and find love with that which they have, is a noble idea, the core values of this holiday have been lost over the ages. Now, this day stands for nothing more than a too-large meal and a holiday built upon the bones of America’s past wrongdoings, and that needs to change.

VALERIE LA PONZA ASST. LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Is Thanksgiving overrated? Why or why not?

Alyson Beattie

Ayla Lopez

Mikaela Schmierer

Emey Yossef

Peyton Bell Junior Graduate Student

Creative writing major Health science major English major Social work Early childhood studies major Junior Junior Sophomore

“From a Christian point of view, it’s an opportunity to have a thankful mindset.”

“I enjoy the holiday because that’s one of the few holidays my family can get together.”

“It’s a good day to appreciate what you have and appreciate your family together.”

“If you need an excuse to see your family you should just see them, it doesn’t need to be a holiday.”

“I don’t think a lot of people are educated about what anksgiving represents.”

“

Many unaware of Thanksgiving’s roots see it as a way to get together with family, enjoy a gluttonous meal, slip into a food coma and watch some good football.”

“ Although making class attendance optional would result in fewer students showing up to class, it teaches students how to make decisions for themselves.”

Disclaimer: Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of California Baptist University.