Banner | Vol. 68 Issue 7 by Lancer Media Group

Volume 68 | Issue 7 | March 19, 2021

@cbulancermedia cbubanner.com

Plant trend —

New dean hired —

WAC Championships —

House plants grow in popularity during the pandemic.

Dr. Robert K. Jabs School of Business appoints new dean.

Women’s and men’s cross country teams win championships at WAC competition.

L i f e s t y l e , Pg . 7

B & T , Pg . 1 2

S p o r t s , Pg . 9

Local artist uses Riverside community as inspiration BY JACKSON WALDROP A&E EDITOR

Danielle Lutjens | Banner Keely Berry, a local artist, painted a colorful mural on the back of Condron Coffee off Sunnyside Drive in Riverside.

Through her love and appreciation for people, art and community, local artist Keely Berry turned her passions into a career through freelance painting, creating and coordinating spaces and events for people and artists to connect and gather together. Berry grew up in Riverside, surrounded by a lot of small businesses. She started her artistic career as a hobby when she was young. Once she decided she wanted to pursue art, her parents encouraged her dream. Berry got her first look at artists making a living out of their passions when her mother started a consignment shop in downtown Riverside called The Weathered Feather. “It wasn’t necessarily the art vibe that I enjoy,” Berry said. “But it was a lot of people who make stuff with their hands and do crafty things and

that was the first time I was like, ‘Oh, this is cool I didn’t know people could make money with art.’” In high school, Berry was pushed towards the classic route of going to college and getting a degree. She wanted to take a gap year and pursue her true passion for art, but she was discouraged from doing so by school staff and her peers. She attended Riverside Community College and studied psychology, which she enjoyed, but she knew it was not what she wanted to do as a career. She started looking into the Riverside art community and people who have made a career out of their artistry, such as Alexis Andra and Geoff Gouveia. She left RCC after a year and started an internship with The Shift Creative, a backdrop and stage design studio in Riverside created by California Baptist University alumnus Alexis Andra.

SEE LOCAL ARTIST | PAGE 12

Riverside County moves into red tier BY MISTY SEVERI NATIONAL EDITOR

Riverside County officially shifted from the purple tier down to the red tier of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy plan March 17. This means that Riverside County can begin reopening businesses at 25% capacity, or 100 guests maximum. Included in these businesses are churches, movie theaters and restaurants with indoor dining. Brooke Federico, public information officer for Riverside County, said the red tier is good news for the county and is a sign that it is beating the virus. “It’s been five months since we were last in the red tier, which was short-lived, but we’re hopeful this downward path will continue,” Federico said. “This is the most a lot of businesses have been able to open up, and it’s important to help them get back on their feet.” The county was in the red tier in September but saw a spike in cases during the holiday season. However, the numbers began to decline in California in February. The COVID-19 numbers nationally are now continuing to decline at a steady pace. Phil Pitchford, public information officer for the city of Riverside, said the new tier is a good sign for the future of the city of Riverside in terms of beating the virus. “It is always encouraging to see our region take steps that will allow more of our businesses to reopen to begin the economic recovery from

COVID-19,” Pitchford said. “On a larger scale, it means we are headed in the right direction in terms of beating back the virus, which is excellent news and a testament to members of our community who have been getting tested, wearing masks, maintaining physical distancing and washing their hands.” Students at California Baptist University are relieved that the vaccines appear to be working. Kristie Wiseman, sophomore, biomedical science major said she is glad the virus is getting under control. “It feels really good, and that we’re making good progress, because we’ve been in the purple tier for a while,” Wiseman said. “Going in the right direction is really good because we can start returning to a more normal environment.” Pitchford added that although it’s a positive thing that the numbers are down, washing hands and social distancing is still important to transition down into the orange tier. Although some of the numbers are currently within the orange tier in the reopening plans, the county must stay in the orange tier range for three weeks before officially moving into this tier. The orange tier, or phase 3 of the reopening plan, allows for more guests at indoor restaurants, movie theaters and other places of business. President Joe Biden said he has set a goal to make all adults eligible for coronavirus vaccination by May 1.

This design made by Andriani Sugianto, senior architecture major, won first place at an architectural competition.

Courtesy of Andriani Sugianto

CBU architecture students win awards in competition BY EMILY MCGINN NEWS EDITOR

Senior architecture majors, Andriani Sugianto and Madysen Bellanca received first and second place respectively in the annual Student Design Awards Program, a competition held by the California Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH). CASH is an organization focused on supporting construction and development in K-12 public schools throughout California. For the competition, students participating were asked to submit a design for a public education facility, complete with drawings and images, in addition to a written description of the project. “For CASH, the competition promoted more interest in quality K-12 school design

among the architects of the future,” said Caleb Walder, associate professor of architecture. “For the students, the competition was an opportunity for recognition and networking with prospective employers, along with cash prizes.” To prepare for the competition, students produced a sophisticated design for a hypothetical proposal for an elementary school as a part of the advanced architecture course ARC410 Design Studio V. Walder said that because the students created the designs for class, they were encouraged to submit them into the CASH competition. “I think the overall experience of the course and the competition was beneficial for the students as it prepared them to enter the architectural profession,” Walder

said. “The process of developing the projects focused on how to reduce the negative impacts of architecture on the natural environment while increasing its positive impacts on the health and well-being of people. The competition provided the students an opportunity to be recognized for their work in the course by a larger group of professionals which puts them in a good position to make connections and find work with notable architectural firms.” Sugianto said she worked on her design project beyond her studio architecture course to prepare it for the CASH competition. When Sugianto received first place, she also

SEE ARCHITECTURE | PAGE 3

NEWS

March 19, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 7

Homecoming hosted virtually THE BANNER

staff PRINT

Editor-in-Chief Jane Robertus

Lifestyle Editor Teddy Peña

Managing Editor

Asst. Lifestyle Editors Will Anton Hannah Tudor

Photo Editor Camille Grochowski

Sports Editor Kelly McKittrick

Asst. Photo Editor Luc Stringer

Asst. Sports Editors Adityastha Wratsangka Aiden Hobson

Design Editor

Public Relations Director Victoria Buszinski

Asst. Design Editor Emily McGinn

Social Media Manager Kaylee Elrod

News Editor Emily McGinn Asst. News Editors Lauren Brooks Business & Tech Editor

Alex Iannone Distribution Manager Joshua Lomelí

ONLINE

Asst. B&T Editor Luc Stringer Arts & Entertainment Editor Jackson Waldrop Asst. A&E Editors Cole Stillwagon

Managing Editor Casey Maldonado National Editor

Photo Editor Luc Stringer

Asst. Director of Student Publications Sonya Singh

Dr. Mary Ann Pearson

We want your help! Write, take photos or design with us. Email us at BannerEditor@calbaptist.edu for more information.

About

THE BANNER

The Banner newspaper is an award-winning, bi-weekly campus publication that publishes 12 issues a year at California Baptist The newsroom is located in the James Building in Room 060 and can be reached at 951-343-4787. The Banner, a student-run accurate, timely and factual reporting on life and subjects of interest or concern to its readers. Students, faculty, staff, administrators and 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 Jane Robertus, editor-in-chief of The Banner at BannerEditor@calbaptist.edu.

BY EMILY MCGINN NEWS EDITOR

Homecoming took place March 5-6 at California Baptist University. This year, because of the restrictions in place during the ongoing pandemic, the Homecoming events occurred in a virtual format. “I have participated in Homecoming for many years,” said Cassandra Roberson, sophomore elementary education major. “2019 was my first year attending as a freshman. They are amazing and fun events and I enjoy going to them with friends. I think that even though the (virtual) events might not be as extravagant or fun, they are still an amazing opportunity to get involved in the school and meet people.” Although past years included on-campus and in-person activities during Homecoming week, Homecoming 2021 featured virtual events including a video displaying CBU throughout the decades on March 5 and slideshows for the classes of 1971, 1996 and 2011 to honor these classes 50, 25 and 10-year reunions. On March 5-6, the CBU men’s basketball team played against Seattle University, and the game could be livestreamed through different formats. “We are encouraging Lancer Nation to livestream the game

Kelsie Stevens | Banner

CBU’s Homecoming Weekend in early 2020 had hot air balloons on the front lawn for students and alumni to ride.

and cheer on the Lancers from home with friends and family,” said Rachael Solis, coordinator of alumni events and affinity groups. “Friday night’s game [was] picked up by ESPN+, so a subscription [was] needed to livestream that game, but Saturday’s game [was] available to all of Lancer Nation.” The Office of Alumni and Parents Relations also featured activities such as giveaways and opportunities to win prizes throughout Homecoming weekend through Instagram @alumnicbu. Also, an online CBU Homecoming store was available to people interested in purchasing Homecoming Spirit Packs featuring special Lancer products.

are very excited to participate in virtual homecoming this year,” Solis said. “The Alumni Office hopes to create more opportunities for CBU alumni to connect from near and far for years to come.” Josh Moss, senior director of Alumni, Parent and Donor Engagement, said that the school is excited to resume and plan for in-person activities for Homecoming 2022. “While we are deeply saddened that we cannot welcome alumni, parents and families to campus to celebrate in person this year, we look forward to inviting Lancers to campus next year for Homecoming 2022,” Moss said.

“This Homecoming, we wanted to make it possible for alumni to connect with their alma mater from wherever they are,” Solis said. “We hope all who participate will enjoy the content we have put together for them, be it the videos, social media activities and giveaways or the Spirit Packs, and that they would be eager to return to campus to celebrate with us in person next Homecoming.” While the school plans to hold Homecoming events in future years in person, Solis said that adapting to an online format might lead to more online elements in future years. “We have already received feedback from alumni who live out of state and abroad that

Social workers are recognized BY MISTY SEVERI NATIONAL EDITOR

Riverside County’s Board of Supervisors announced March as Social Worker Appreciation Month to highlight the key roles that social workers have played during the COVID-19 pandemic. The role of a social worker is to offer aid and advocate for those who need help. This includes children living in a dangerous environment, those who suffer with drug abuse and alcoholism, and those who struggle with other mental health challenges. According to a recent study done by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been an increase in drug use, alcoholism and suicide ideation as a result of the pandemic. Sayori Baldwin, director of Riverside County’s department of social services, said social workers make an impact in several different aspects of the community that the public is not necessarily aware of. “What people do not always realize is just how much of a role we play in people’s lives,” Baldwin said. “Although we

are largely associated with helping children, in reality we also help with alcoholism and drug addictions and other issues including mental health. We are advocates for people all over who do not know how to or cannot advocate for themselves.” Certain members of the public such as school teachers and police officers are called mandated reporters, meaning if they suspect abuse or neglect, it is their legal responsibility to call social services to check on the issue. Baldwin said teachers have not been calling in as many reports lately because schools are not meeting in person. “Most of our calls came from teachers, but with school online right now, we have not been receiving as many calls because they are not interacting with the kids in person,” Baldwin said. “It’s a lot harder to suspect neglect or abuse through a computer screen.” Dr. Kendra Carter Flores, assistant professor of social work, said the role of a social worker is going to be more important following the COVID-19 pandemic. “So many people have lost

“

loved ones, friends and family members to this virus that our work is going to be even more important in returning to life after the pandemic,” Flores said. “The pressure the virus has put on our lives is overwhelming. People are going to need even more support and help because they will be grieving. If an individual has not lost someone to the virus, they will know someone who has. The damage caused by this pandemic has been devastating, and the role of the social worker is more important than ever.” Flores encourages students who want to make a serious difference in caring for others to consider a career in social work. Kynara Dukes, freshman pre-nursing major, said she has witnessed first-hand the impactful work that social workers play in people’s lives. “In the past, my brother had cancer and social workers would be at the hospital with us, checking in and making sure my family as a whole had everything we could need,” Dukes said. “They would check in on us children in particular and make sure we had places to stay while my parents were gone. It was really comforting

People are going to need even more support and help because they will be grieving. If an individual has not lost someone to the virus, they will know someone who has. The damage caused by this pandemic has been devestating and the role of the social worker is more important than ever. Dr. Kendra Carter Flores, Assistant professor of social work and helpful to us.” The CBU Counseling Center is currently hosting a weekly group session every Thursday for students struggling with anxiety during the pandemic. Students looking for more information can call the center at (951)689-1120.

VACCINE ROLLOUT BY THE NUMBERS *Information from the Riverside University Health System: Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as of March 15.

Over

vaccine doses have been administered.

RIVERSIDE COUNTY

CALIFORNIA

UNITED STATES

15.5%

20.3%

21.4%

621,935 11,785,750 109,081,860

please let us know. If a business would like to Alex Iannone at AlexanderJordan.Iannone@ calbaptist.edu.

@CBULancerMedia Keep up with CBU news and events.

of Californians have of Americans have of the population has received at least one dose. received at least one dose. received at least one dose.

Emily McGinn | Banner

NEWS

March 19, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 7

NEWS Briefs NEW VACCINE APPROVED

Courtesy of Molly Enns Nursing students do hands-on learning by administering blood work to a specially made dummy arm. These skills can be useful in administering the COVID-19 vaccine.

Students give COVID-19 vaccines

BY LAUREN BROOKS ASST. NEWS EDITOR

California Baptist University nursing students have been volunteering at local hospitals to distribute COVID-19 vaccines. According to a CBU press release, more than 70 students have volunteered at four different hospitals: Parkview Community Hospital, Riverside Medical Clinic, Corona Regional Medical Center and Redlands Community Hospital. Dr. Karen Bradley, dean of the College of Nursing, has aided in the distribution of vaccines to various distribution centers. She said in a CBU press release that she enjoys truly helping the community and is glad that the College of Nursing is doing its part to put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The College of Nursing is resolved to be part of the solution,” Bradley said. “We are reaching out to student

nurses for volunteers, and faculty have been volunteering. We are always engaged in the community but we definitely feel like now we can help.” In the same press release, Bradley also said the students enjoy helping people protect themselves against COVID-19. She observed the passion in the students for providing health service. “I think that is a good learning opportunity for the students to witness that level of public health and health promotion,” Bradley said. “In the students, you see a spirit of encouragement and hope and being part of the solution. They want to do this.” Nikizen Boco, junior nursing major, spoke about her experiences with volunteering at vaccine clinics. She noticed the immediate shift in expression after the vaccine of her patients. “My experience has been more or so bittersweet, as I give vaccines because usually

Cabinet approval process continues BY LAUREN BROOKS ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Since President Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, Cabinet nominations by the Biden administration have been consistently running through the U.S. Senate. As of March 11, 13 members of Biden’s Cabinet have been officially confirmed. Trevor Mannion, assistant professor of political science, said the vital players in a Cabinet differ between presidential administrations and focus on pressing issues. “The important appointments in the Cabinet are not consistent, but are based more on the campaign promises made by the president in office,” Mannion said. “Of course, some Cabinet positions are of constant importance such as the vice president and Secretary of State, but if we consider Biden and his campaign promises, then some members of particular importance would be the Secretary of Energy and, of course, because COVID-19 still not conquered, the Secretary of Health and Human Services as well as Labor in attempts to reopen the economy and get people working.” Mannion also said there have been some obstacles in Biden’s Cabinet confirmation process, and he compared it to the progress of the Cabinet process for President Donald J. Trump’s administration at the same time in his presidency. “Neera Tanden has dropped out of the process because of historical tweets which bashed both Republicans

and Democrats and put her on thin ice,” Mannion said. “Two things to note particularly are that gridlock and polarization have slowed the confirmation process as well as other priorities for the Biden administration. This pace is similar to Trump’s. Most of the more important positions have been filled (vice president, Secretary of State, Treasury, Defense, etc.) but the remaining offices key to Biden are the heads of Health and Human Services and Labor which have yet to be filled.” Carroll Wood, sophomore chemistry major, emphasized the importance of Biden’s nominations to the Cabinet. “Biden’s nominations are important because his candidates could help provide background reasoning to Biden’s plan,” Wood said. “This could affect the trajectory of the presidency by providing the press and public means for assumption, which is the kickstart for chaos.” Miguel Esparza, freshman photography major, mentioned the diversity of Biden’s nominations. “I have noticed that there is a lot of diversity in the Cabinet so far,” Esparza said. “I am excited to see what Marcia Fudge will bring to the table and hopefully Matty Walsh is confirmed as Secretary of Labor with his experience as a union leader. It seems like there is a good base for actual progress in this Cabinet.” Three more members of Biden’s Cabinet are expected to be confirmed by March 12, bringing the number up to 16 confirmations out of 23.

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“I think that is a good learning opportunity for the students to witness that level of public health and health promotion. In the students, you see a spirit of encouragement and hope and being part of the solution. They want to do this.. . Dr. Karen Bradley Dean of College of Nursing

after giving them the shot, they seem to have an aura of being reassured about their safety against COVID-19, albeit not being 100% safe,” Boco said. “A moment that stuck out to me was that people would just be

Architecture Continued from Page 1 received a $2,500 scholarship and an invitation to present her project to professional architects at a CASH conference this summer. “I was motivated to enter by the desire to share my work for the glory of God, the recognition it could bring to CBU’s excellent architecture program and the financial aid this project would provide towards my graduate year of schooling,” Sugianto said. “I also knew there was no loss in just trying.” Sugianto said the project involved considering complex details including educational elements, ecology, water usage, economics, energy consumption, site conditions and sustainability. Sugianto began her project by analyzing needs for primary education, and then she considered sustainability and found ways to incorporate both ideas. “The stringent process required a lot of strength to maintain a diligent pace and dedication to work,” Sugianto said. “This strength undoubtedly came from the Lord. He also has taught me that when I am faithful to him in abiding in him and seeking him first, he blesses and provides. I gained a bountiful understanding of sustainability and its application hand-inhand with the various systems within the architecture field such as mechanical, plumbing, electrical and lighting. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of this project and the knowledge I gained from it.” Bellanca said she chose to submit her work for the CASH competition because

surprised at how fast and easy the vaccines take. Sometimes they did not even realize that the shot was already finished. It seemed like it did not live up to the ‘hype’ in their minds of getting the COVID-19 vaccine.” Angie Cunanan, sophomore nursing major, applauded her fellow nursing students involved in the distribution process. She also said that she now recognizes the things she is learning go much further than the four walls of the classroom and into the real world. “For healthcare workers, it is really an all-hands-on-deck kind of effort,” Cunanan said. “A lot of people administering the COVID-19 vaccine right now are volunteers. It is awesome that CBU students are contributing their efforts as well. It is great that we are applying our clinical skills to this far too real cause.” All adults are eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine as of May 1.

“

I gained a bountiful understanding of sustainability and its application hand-inhand with the various systems in within the architecture field such as mechanical, plumbing, electrical and lighting. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of this project and the knowledge I gained from it.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use on Feb. 27. The vaccine, authorized for administration to those 18 years and older, is the third vaccine to be approved for distribution and administration in the U.S. after the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were approved in December. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has caused mild to moderate side effects such as soreness, fatigue, headache, nausea and muscle pain in trials. During the week of March 1, the first four million doses of the vaccine were shipped in the U.S.

DISNEYLAND PLANS TO REOPEN Disney announced it is planning to reopen Disneyland and California Adventure Park during April with capacity limits. On March 5, California announced that theme parks and stadiums could begin to reopen beginning April 1 with capacity limits and restrictions given declining COVID-19 case numbers across the state. The state will allow theme parks to operate with 15% capacity in counties in the red tier of the state’s four-tier reopening system. However, indoor rides will not be allowed as of now, and theme parks will only be available to California residents.

K-12 SCHOOLS BEGIN TO REOPEN K-12 schools have begun to enter reopening phases in response to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s prioritization of returning to in-person education in his education budget. To expedite the process of reopening schools, education workers have also received authorization to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, according to covid19.ca.gov. Riverside County announced Feb. 23 that elementary schools have been approved to reopen for in-person instruction once districts’ COVID-19 safety plans have received approval, and some districts have returned to some in-person instruction.

Andriani Sugianto, senior architecture major she worked hard on her design throughout the architecture course. When she won second place, she received a $1,500 scholarship. For her project, she focused on creating holistic designs that would encourage creativity in a learning environment. “I created a school that is designed to push students to use their intuition to help them improve their learning experience,” Bellanca said. “By using color and program relationship, students can navigate around the campus by using these wayfinding strategies. Students are challenged to think for themselves through architecture to help develop their creative brains,” Bellanca said. “This project allowed me to design with a sense of empathy and passion I have not had with other projects. This project showed me that architecture can be playful and functional.”

Courtesy of Andriani Sugianto and Madysen Bellanca

NEWS

March 19, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 7

NEWS Briefs NEW VACCINE APPROVED

Courtesy of Molly Enns Nursing students do hands-on learning by administering blood work to a specially made dummy arm. These skills can be useful in administering the COVID-19 vaccine.

Students give COVID-19 vaccines

BY LAUREN BROOKS ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Cabinet approval process continues BY LAUREN BROOKS ASST. NEWS EDITOR

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Courtesy of Andriani Sugianto and Madysen Bellanca

VISION

March 19, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 7

CONNECTING & D

Knowing how to ma 3

It might be different for every student, but prioritizing means setting limits on social media exposure and time spent engaging with it in healthy, productive, socially drain on one’s energy, time and resources. - Dr. Julie Goodman-Bowling, associate professor of anthropology

During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media (SM) has become increasingly important for connection, but it has also continued to present issues in balancing it with other aspects of life. Dr. Julie Goodman-Bowling, associate professor of anthropology, spoke about the benefits and concerns of social media, and about how students can manage it.

View Comments

What role do you think social media has played in the lives of students during the COVID-19 pandemic?

SM has played an important role in keeping students connected, finding ways to enjoy time with others (e.g. playing games, “watch parties” for movie night), and staying connected spiritually (e.g. online prayer forums, meetings, Chapel services). It has also been a source of information about COVID-19, local and national updates and campus information.

What are the benefits of social media in the lives of students during this time?

The benefits of SM include the ability to stay connected to others despite physical distance. Students can still talk with one another, process their ideas, thoughts and challenges together and find ways to be creative using SM as a platform.

Q A

What are the potential disadvantages of social media in the lives of students during this time? There are some more obvious disadvantages of SM, which include the risk of SM addiction, the use of SM as time that can be lost to SM. I think one of the most detrimental is that even though SM provides a way to connect, it is still quite isolating. The loss of real, natural, organic human contact during this time may have some very serious, long-lasting consequences. One of the effects we are already seeing is the illusion of connection and the comparison of our lives to others as a result of what we see on SM. This can lead to discontent and build anxieties, and as we have already witnessed during this time, depression that can lead to severe mental health conditions and even suicide. The dark side of SM is that it is still one-sided; we do not get organic feedback from another human with whom we are interacting via facial expressions, tone of voice and other body language. How can students balance social media use with other priorities like school in their lives? This is a tough question as it is different for everyone. Balance means making sure one’s priorities are placed in proper order. SM is a never-ending venue; there is always more text or photos to scroll through, another comment you can always read, another video response to post…it is never ending. Unlike reading a chapter in a book, where you can pause, reflect and pick up another chapter the next day, SM is endless and available all the time. Every student needs to find the balance between healthy priorities. It might be different for every productive, socially fulfilling ways rather than letting it become a drain on one’s energy, time and resources.

Emily McGinn | Banner

VISION

March 19, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 7

DISCONNECTING

anage social media use

Tips for managing social media School

Life

Social media

The Pomodoro Method 1

Choose a task or assignment to complete.

Return to the task for another 25-minute segment of working without distractions and go through the cycle three more times or until you complete the task. After four complete cycles, take a 30-minute break.

*According to learningcommons.ucb.ca

Think about deleting social media apps if they cause anxiety and focus on strengthening relationships with friends and family.

When the 25 minutes ends, make a check mark on your task.

Use the next five minutes as a break time. Spend time with your distractions such as social media.

Time 25 minutes.

If you feel distracted, write down the distraction on a piece of paper. Continue to work without distractions.

Health and Social Media

Choose who or what you follow carefully and make sure the people and things you follow make you feel better rather than worse.

Use social media as a method to connect with other people, but do not compare yourself to those you see online.

Beginning with social media at the start of the day can lead to negative thoughts for the rest of the day. Establish different routines such as prayer or meditation for the beginning of the day.

Know when to take breaks from social media when it becomes too addictive, and encourage friends when they choose to take breaks from it.

If you experience anxiety or depression from social media, talk to people who can help you.

*According to mindhandheart.mit.edu

LIFESTYLE

March 19, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 7

First-generation students share experiences BY WILL ANTON

ASST. LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Photo Illustration by Luc Stringer | Banner

First-generation students can face hardships and obstacles while attending university, but their experiences help lead them into the future.

Going to college is not a universal rite of passage for every family. Many people either enter a trade school, pursue a job directly or simply end their education after high school. Statistics show that nearly 43% of high school graduates (as of 2018) choose to not attend college. However, many young men and women choose to break this trend in their families and commit themselves to higher education, thus becoming first-generation college students. Many students at California Baptist University are part of that first generation who pioneer new territory in opportunities for themselves and their families. Valeria Ramirez, sophomore photography major, said there are both positives and negatives to being a first-generation college student and that there can be certain rewards and challenges unique to their experience. “I would say it’s a mixture of an awesome and overwhelming feeling. It’s like, ‘Cool! I’m a first-gen!’ But then, it’s like, ‘Oh geez, I’m a first-gen,’” said Ramirez. “There are pros and cons about it: Some pros are that first-generation college students inspire other and future first-generations, which is an amazing feeling to have. On the other hand, some cons are that all future first-genera-

tion college students are looking up to you, especially right now. One thing that you don’t want to do is fail or become a disappointment, which is not a pretty feeling to have. But that’s not what I came to college for. I came to do what I needed to do, and I just have to remind myself that.” Being the first individual in your family to conquer the challenges of college is no easy task. Trials and hardships come often and more frequently than

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Going to college has helped me to expand my horizon.

Phoebe Arevalo, Junior communications and philosophy double major

for students who have a family history of attending university. Even for students whose family members have received a college education later in life, the burden of graduating in a traditional, four-year setting stills rests on their shoulders. Phoebe Arevalo, junior communications and philosophy double major, voiced her experiences thus far in being the first member of her family to graduate from a four-year college traditionally. “Going to college has helped

me to expand my horizon. By that I mean I am expanding the way I think, view the world, my beliefs, the relationships I have and the world I interact with,” Arevalo said. “It’s opened doors for me and it’s helped me to know that I will, God willing, have a stable career that I love. Going to school, getting scholarships and working has helped open new doors that allow for connections and help finance my education. Getting a higher education has also helped to expand my view on the world because it is not limited to my immediate community.” CBU provides an opportunity for community for first generation students to feel welcome. Natalie Specht, residence director at Tower Hall, recounted her experiences with first generation students, and how their strength has positively influenced her over the years. “I’ve worked with a variety of first-gen college students over my experience as a professional in higher education,” said Specht. “It is such a great learning opportunity to walk alongside those who are the first in their family to go off to college. ve enjoyed the ownership these students take into their college experiences. They want to get the most out of their years in college by seeking opportunities to learn outside of the classroom and be involved in the community here at CBU.”

| Banner

Fall semester planning approaches, students look to Career Center for guidance BY HANNAH TUDOR

ASST. LIFESTYLE EDITOR As the summer season approaches, California Baptist University students are planning to register for the Fall 2021 semester. Class schedules, financial planning and career readiness are a few critical tasks to keep in mind amid the spring semester. Planning now can help better prepare any students to come to school ready for next fall. During the spring semester, students are advised to create a checklist of essential tasks that will help them prepare for the fall semester. Some items to include on their checklists are important dates, an updated major planning guide, financial aid plan, resume and goals for the semester. Setting reminders or writing down important dates on a

calendar can help better prepare for major deadlines. Class registration and add/drop class deadlines are important dates to keep in mind, along with making sure FAFSA is complete and payment plan options are finalized before the deadlines. Reaching out to Financial Aid or Student Accounts will help ensure the semester is paid for and holds are clear for class registration. Staying on top of scheduling classes will set you up for success in the fall. Be on the lookout for emails with your scheduled registration time, and be sure to set a calendar reminder to register. Making a list of all the dates and times of future classes may help secure your spot once registration opens. Academic Advising is a great place to create a major planning guide that can help with class scheduling. Color coding com-

plete classes currently in prog- sure she is on track with her deress and future classes of inter- gree and can explore different est can be helpful when it comes classes. Being financially ready to to scheduling classes. Meet with your adviser to go over the class tackle next semester can be a schedule and to stay on track to challenge. Reaching out to Financial Aid can help prepare graduate. students for the Madeleine fall semester. Warman, sophoCreating saving more psychology goals or keeping major, uses Acaa budget each demic Advising month will be every semester to beneficial in savplan for the next ing for future inschool year. Madeleine Warman, vestments. “I meet with Giorvi Alvamy adviser every Sophomore psychology rez, junior mesemester, and it major chanical engihas been helpneering major, ful for planning,” Warman said. “She ensures that recommends preparing early. “Getting your resume and I am on track for graduation and can explore different options your face in front of as many within my major for classes and people as possible is important to prepare for internships,” Alpotential careers.” She has used Academic Ad- varez said. Alvarez said he has used the vising every semester to make

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I meet with my adviser every semester, and it has been helpful for planning.

Career Center every year to prepare him for internships and job interviews on campus. “Freshman year, I got my resume ready because I wanted to get a job on campus and I had never actually had to make a resume before, so they helped me there,” Alvarez said. Visiting the Career Center can help students feel confident in their professional skills as they work to land a dream job after finishing a degree at CBU. Laura Acosta, assistant director of the Career Center, helps students plan for their future after graduation. “We want to make sure that you have those written documents right, whether it’s the resume or the cover letter,” Acosta said. Acosta is a part of a team that provides resources yearround to help students prepare resumes, Handshake profiles,

LinkedIn and job interview skills. As the semester ends, students are encouraged to take advantage of these resources over summer to build well-rounded professional skills. “My advice would be to start preparing now,” said Acosta. “We all have the idea that it’s going to all work out. Your competition is already out there doing their homework so you should be out there too. Start preparing now. Again, that is putting together your documents, preparing for interviews watching the videos that we’ve put together on our website, doing the informational interview. So start preparing now - don’t wait.” Setting goals for the new school year, networking for future opportunities and making use of the Career Center can ease the stress of a new school year.

LIFESTYLE

March 19, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 7

Lifestyle Tries: trendy polymer clay earrings BY ANNA CHILSON CONTRIBUTOR

The supplies needed to make clay earrings include a polymer clay, pliers, jump rings and more.

Anna Chilson | Banner

Polymer clay earrings have been on the up and up for the past year. Everyone has jumped in on the trend whether that be through starting their own small shop or adding these statement pieces to their wardrobe. Lifestyle Tries is here to get in on of the action and try a hand at making these homemade clay earrings. Supplies needed include polymer clay, a rolling pin (or similar instrument), Exacto knife, 7mm jump rings, pliers, earring posts, super glue, toothpick, baking sheet, parchment paper. All of these supplies can be found at your local craft stores such as Michaels or Hobby Lobby. This DIY took about an hour and a half and cost $20 to create. Follow these steps to make your own polymer clay earrings: Step One: One Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Step Two: Two Begin to warm up the clay by rolling it between clean hands. Make sure your hands and surface are free from lint, dust, or other particles to keep the clay from getting dirty. Step Three: Three Once the clay is

warm and easier to work with, begin to roll it out into a sheet about ¼ thick. Or, depending on the style and shape you are going for, you can roll the clay into a long log. This is the strategy to use if you are going for the rolled rainbow-shaped earrings. Step Four: Four You can now begin to cut the clay into shapes. Using the Exacto knife, carefully cut the clay into freehand shapes or find items around your home that you can trace to get a more exact look. This step is all about your own personal creativity and desires. Cut circles, squares or stars, or form the long log into rainbows or other desired earring forms. Looking at Pinterest of Instagram can give you great ideas on what shapes to create. Step Five: Five Once you have the desired shapes cut out, carefully take your finger and smooth out the edges. This will create a more polished look. Step Six: Six Now it’s time to punch holes in the clay shapes. This step is dependent on what kind of earring you are making. If you plan to join two pieces together through a jump ring to create your desired earring then you will need to create a hole in both pieces in which the jump ring can conjoin them. Use a toothpick and create a

hole in the clay. Make sure it isn’t too close to the edge or it could breakt hrough. Also, make sure this hole is wide enough to fit the width of the jump ring. Step Seven: Seven Now it is time to bake the clay pieces. Place them on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Step Eight: Eight After 15 minutes has passed, remove the clay from the oven and allow it to cool until it is no longer hot to the touch. Step Nine: Nine It’s now time to assemble your creation. If you have separate pieces that need to be attached, take the pliers and open the jump rings. You can then connect the pieces and close the jump ring. Make sure it is securely closed so the clay pieces do not come off. Once this is completed, or if you don’t have pieces to attach, it’s time to make these clay shapes into actual earrings. Take the clay and turn it onto its backside. Apply a dot of super glue to the earring post and stick it to the clay. If you want the earrings to be extremely secure, take more superglue and overlay it on top of the placed earring post. Let the super glue dry. Your custom earrings are now good to go! Be sure to share your photos by tagging @cbulancermedia on Instagram.

Students reflect on post-graduation opportunities BY TEDDY PEÑA

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

There are several reasons why a graduating senior would aspire to attend graduate school. With ever-growing competition in the professional space and an evolving job market, graduate school has become a more common option for California Baptist University students facing the end of their undergraduate years. Kimberly Gledhill, CBU master of social work student, explained that her desire to attend grad school came early in her years as an undergraduate student at CBU. “I became interested in grad school when I started college,” Gledhill said. “I realized that it was quite important for the field I’m in.” Pursuing a master’s degree

provides the opportunity to dive deeper into the student’s major area of study. Graduate students research, plan and evaluate the general concepts learned from their undergraduate field of study. Stephanie Fluitt, graduate admissions counselor, said graduate school is beneficial because of the deepened layer of study it provides. “A student would consider attending graduate school to learn more about a field they love and to become more knowledgeable and skilled,” said Fluitt. “While your undergrad experience to earn a bachelor’s has a focus with your major, it is still fairly broad and exposes you to a wide field of knowledge. You will enjoy some types of courses more than others, and that is normal. graduate school is different, deeply focusing on

one field and helping you gain professional knowledge.” While there are many options and opportunities the graduate school provides, students must come to their own conclusion as to why grad school is the best for them. For Gledhill, she wanted to pursue her social work license, which a master of social work degree would allow her to obtain. “My desire to become licensed, and the faculty of the MSW program at CBU led me to grad school here,” Gledhill said. While a master’s degree may sound appealing in theory, the graduate school process is not meant for everyone to pursue. According to Elizabeth Pryor, CBU alumna, graduate school is an investment that should only be pursued if the student possesses a desire to

obtain a master’s degree. “I think going to grad school really depends on the person and their desired career,” Pryor said. “While I do think grad school can be beneficial for some people, I don’t think everyone needs to go to grad school to be successful. You should not feel pressured into going to grad school. It’s an investment and commitment, so it’s important to be passionate about the program you are entering.” Obtaining a master’s degree is a journey that can be straining to the individual. According to Gledhill, students need to be patient with themselves. “It’s important to have a lot of grace with yourself,” Gledhill said. “Grad school is definitely more intense than undergrad and demands a lot of your time and energy. It’s okay if you don’t

do well on a test. It’s okay if you have to cut back on hours at work. Taking care of yourself and your needs is a priority.” Another aspect of grad school is building connections with professors as undergraduate students. For Pryor, working with professors during the application process is an experience on its own. “I would highly suggest getting a head start on the application process and communicating with your professors for letters of recommendation,” Pryor said. “For me, the application process was daunting because I was nervous about asking professors for letters of recommendation, but professors are more than willing to help and answer any questions you have about grad school.” The CBU graduate admissions office offers a variety of

options for students to learn more about the master’s degrees that the school offers. “Students can learn more about graduate admissions in a variety of ways,” Fluitt said. “There is a wealth of information online at https://calbaptist. edu/admissions/graduate/ or you can participate in an information session for your program: https://calbaptist.edu/ admissions/graduate/info-sessions. Specific programs have specific grad admissions counselors, so if you know what you want to study, look up that particular counselor and request more information or contact them directly. They will appreciate you doing your homework beforehand and presenting any questions you were not able to find the answers to online. You can also call graduate admissions at 951-343-4249.”

Indoor plant-keeping becomes a trend across CBU community BY TEDDY PEÑA

LIFESTYLE EDITOR Students at California Baptist University enjoy community and a sense of camaraderie. Over the past year, CBU students have been able to formulate community in the form of plant ownership. Indoor plants are versatile, which makes it convenient for students to easily decorate their space and tend to them as needed. Plant-owning has become more popular largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ashley Moore, senior creative writing major, said plants became a trend because of the loss of social interaction due to the pandemic. “I strongly believe plants became a trend because people needed something to take care of when it came to the lockdown and losing social interaction,” Moore said. “I know for me, during midterms last semester, what helped the most was going out and purchasing a huge pothos, which then sat on my desk.” There is a huge variety of outdoor plants to choose from. Plants ranging from easy to hard maintenance and various sizes make for students to have a choice in how they decorate a space with their plants.

Shekiah Warner, senior intercultural studies major, said she loves the diversity within indoor plants. “I love how much personality each plant adds to a space,” Warner said. “Every plant has a unique character that can help craft the overall feeling a space conveys.” Plant ownership also has the capability to train students in responsibility. Keeping to a watering schedule, making sure they receive enough sunlight and other plant care essentials make for a lesson in plant management. Callie Totaro, junior environmental studies and sustainability double major, said she believes that owning plants helps students with responsibility. “It provides a sense of pride when you see your plant growing and thriving. Plants tend to make a space comfortable and more lived-in,” said Totaro, who is also president of CBU’s Botany Club. Plants can be purchased from a variety of stores. Moore suggests going to shops that specialize in plants for better quality. “I would suggest going to stores that know what they’re doing,” Moore said. “Piep is a great place to go to because the

quality of their plants is amazing and are always healthy. Plus, they are close to campus.” Owning a plant may seem daunting to certain people who do not have experience with plant maintenance. Warner stressed having grace with oneself and having patience with it. “Give yourself grace. You don’t have to naturally be a green thumb to own plants,” said Warner. “Taking care of plants is hard work. I’ve accidentally killed plenty of ‘beginner’ level plants, but I keep trying anyway. A good starting plant is a pothos. They are hanging plants that are hardy and can withstand some neglect if you tend to underwater, and they generally grow fast.” Totaro encouraged students to join the club, no matter what their major or experience level with plants. The Botany Club exists to edicate and assist students with their diverse plant-related needs. “Students should join the botany club because it’s a unique community of plant lovers,” Totaro said. “We have a wide variety of majors and plant experience represented in the club. By joining the Botany Club students can learn more about plant care, stewardship and sustainable living.”

| Banner A bookshelf surrounded by various house plants that slowly over take the books.

PERSPECTIVES

March 19, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 7

Campus life from a photographer’s perspective

4 1. The San Gabriel Mountain range is covered in snow during the early months of the year, and one can get a view of the snowy peaks from the CBU parking garage. 2. Two CBU students and their dog make their way toward the south entrance to the Colony Apartments. 3. In one of the courtyards in between the James Building, a stairway leads up to the fourth floor alongside an avocado tree.

4. A unique view of the Front Lawn can be found on the fourth floor of the James building through one of the windows in the middle stairwell. 5. The Annie Gabriel Library is covered in vines that begin to turn green during spring. A majority of the desks on the second floor have a window near them that allows students to get different views of campus while they study.

Photos by Camille Grochowski

SPORTS Big 12 welcomes wrestling

March 19, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 7

BY ADIT WRATSAGNKA ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

California Baptist University’s wrestling team will compete at the Big 12 conference starting in its 2022-2023 season. The wrestling team has not been affiliated with an athletic conference since CBU’s move to Division I three years ago. Now its future is confirmed, and the team will compete in one of the most prestigious conferences in the nation. “(Not having a conference) feels like we are left hanging,” said Lennie Zalesky, head coach of wrestling. “It’s hard on recruiting, and wrestlers do not want to sit out (before getting to compete in a conference).” Chaz Hallmark, sophomore finance major, said he is relieved that they are now a part of a conference and is excited to compete at Big 12. Zalesky said the process of getting affiliated with Big 12 involves many phone calls. The process was first initiated by Joey Logan, assistant athletic director for Business Operations, after the news of Fresno State discontinuing its wrestling program. Ron Prettyman, interim director of Athletics, has strong ties with the Big 12 conference which helped get the ball rolling. Zalesky himself was a wrestler for Iowa State, one of the schools competing at Big 12. “The timing with COVID-19 also helped with the ball rolling,” Zalesky said. “And now that we can say that we will be competing at Big 12, recruiting is easier.” Zalesky hopes to bring in newcomers. He said he has been talking to multiple state champions from California, Oregon, and Nevada, as well as two prospects from the Midwest. The most promising return-

Women’s XC team wraps season as back-to-back champions BY AIDEN HOBSON

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

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STAFF WRITER

As California Baptist University makes its way through this season, junior Bryan Pope has risen to be one of the top pitchers for the CBU men’s baseball team. With a career Earned Run Average (ERA) of 3.79, 69 strikeouts and in his 73 innings pitched, Pope is starting to appear like a worthy fit for something beyond college baseball. If he can bring that ERA down, he could make it in the big leagues. The baseball team has sent off a former Lancer to the leagues: Tyson Miller. Miller, who played for CBU from 2014 to 2016 for three seasons, had a 2.71 ERA, 237 strikeouts in 272 innings pitched. If this current season is not cut short due to COVID-19 and Pope is pitching, he might be able to start inching toward that desired ERA. In 2019, as a sophomore, Pope made 16 pitching appearances for the baseball team. He left the same season with a 6.59 ERA but managed to strike out 14 batters while walking 2 in 13 innings that he had pitched. Last year Pope ranked second for the team and finished the season with a 2.84 ERA, a .83 Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched (WHIP), 23 strikeouts and pitched for 25 innings. In the same season, Pope also managed to throw seven innings straight and

Reagan Lee | Banner

AJ Raya, junior business administration major, wrestles against Kyle Parco, freshman kinesiology major at Fresno State University, during a double header tournament in Van Dyne Gym on Jan. 30, 2021.

We know it’s going to take a lot of work to take over the conference... Antonio Saldate, Junior marketing major

er is AJ Raya, redshirt junior. “He got hurt this year, but he

Leo’s Column

BY LEO MUNOZ

Cross country teams both clinch WAC title

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Last year Pope ranked second for the team and finished the season with a 2.84 ERA, a .83 Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched (WHIP), 23 strikeouts and pitches for 25 innings.

only allow one hit, no walks and one earned run. This year so far, his ERA is a bit high at 3.38, his WHIP is at 1.25, with 25 strikeouts in 24 innings. Will Pope end this season better than last year’s ERA or will it end up like 2019, when he had a 6.59 and only pitched about 13 innings? He got 14 strikeouts in 13 innings, which is impressive. In CBU baseball’s first Western Association Conference (WAC) doubleheader of the season, against the Northern Colorado University Bears, Pope only allowed three runs on six hits and no walks through seven innings. After winning those two games, the Lancers now head to the University of California, Berkeley, for a non-conference 3 game series with Power Five Golden bears. Fans will be looking forward to the pitching rotation and seeing how Pope performs against the Berkeley Bears on March 19.

only lost to guys that are ranked eighth and ninth in the nation,” Zalesky said. Big 12 is home to Iowa State, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, Oklahoma University, Oklahoma State, South Dakota State, Utah Valley, West Virginia, Wyoming and Fresno State, though Fresno State is discontinuing its program. The wrestlers are determined to put in extra work to

prepare for the team’s inaugural first season with Big 12. “Me and the guys work out as much as we can. Sometimes working out up too three times a day,” said Antonio Saldate, junior marketing major. “We know it’s going to take a lot of work to take over the conference, but we will be ready for all the challenges ahead.” Saldate said he and the team are ready for the high-level competition of the Big 12.

The California Baptist University cross country teams swept both the men’s and women’s individual Western Athletic Conference championship titles, along with both the men’s and women’s WAC team titles. The CBU women’s cross country team won its third consecutive WAC title. The team has now won every WAC championship it has competed in. CBU’s junior marketing major Anna Mate also won the women’s individual title. “Although our team is not the same as it was last year (at WAC the first five girls were from CBU), we are strong,” Mate said. “We built a strong base in the fall from which we benefit now. Our workouts during the quarantine contributed to our success at the championship to a great extent. We were all thankful that we had the opportunity to race, and we were well-prepared for the race, so we expected to win.” Mate won her race by more than 12 seconds. She has been a dominant runner in the WAC in past seasons, but this year she excelled. “I expected to win the individual title because I felt unbelievably strong during

the last couple of months and did well at the meets in Utah, Florida, and Las Vegas,” Mate said. “I really wanted to win WAC after my poor performance my freshman year and my second-place last year.” The men’s cross-country team won its first-ever WAC team title. Led by sophomore kinesiology major Giedrius Valincius, who won the individual men’s title, the CBU men dominated the competition. “I was delighted to finish first and give my team the best possible score with my performance. Especially considering that I was going into the race with the object of finishing in the top three,” Valincius said. “The most memorable moment of the championships for me was probably seeing all of my teammates finishing and greeting each other afterward.” Valincius also won his race by a considerable amount, finishing more than 10 seconds ahead of CBU junior kinesiology major Luis Chavez, who received second place. “After I finished and realized that one of my teammates moved up to second place and one was fourth, I was happy,” said Valincius. “After everyone finished, it was amazing.” Despite having its season postponed and rescheduled, both cross country teams were able to dominate their conference competitions. “I was hoping to win, of course, but with this season and all the uncertainties you never know,” said Adam Tribble, head coach of the men’s and women’s cross country teams. “We were confident in our race plans and our ability to execute.” The cross country teams are looking to build on their recent successes for track season.

Softball team sweeps opening series BY AIDEN HOBSON

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR The California Baptist University softball team had the majority of its spring 2020 season canceled due to the ongoing pandemic. Despite the many trials and setbacks of last year, the CBU softball team had a great start in 2021. The softball team swept its opening series against the University of California, Davis, having one of the team’s best season openings in recent years. “It was great coming out with some wins under our belt from the start,” said Brittany Galvez, graduate student and member of the CBU softball team. “Whether that was canceling games, pushing back games, testing and all that comes with COVID. I just knew that it’s a blessing for us to be playing and so I wanted to make sure I took advantage of that opportunity and knowing I was going to be ready at any time.” After a decisive victory against the UC Davis Aggies in their season-opening series, the CBU softball team competed against some of the strongest competitors in the country. At the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Desert Classic, hosted by the UNLV, CBU’s softball team faced PAC-12 opponents like University of Utah, with other strong competitors like UNLV and Weber State University playing well against CBU. The team also traveled to Palo Alto, Calif., where it faced the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University. CBU softball ultimately fell to these top-tier

Elijah Hickman | Banner

Kerisa Viramontes, graduate student in communication studies, pitches during a game against UCR on March 12, 2021. PAC-12 opponents. “We’re really glad that we have a tough schedule because it’s just preparing us for the WAC,” said Ashley McBay, senior biology major and member of the CBU softball team. “Regardless of who we’re playing, we should be keeping the same mindset.” The CBU softball team also recently played against San Diego State University, ultimately losing the series. The Lancers will play several games in Riverside against several different opponents.

They will face the University of California, Riverside, and Long Beach State at UCR and at home, respectively. Despite having a tough season, the CBU softball team is determined to continue playing its best and focusing on the Western Athletic Conference championship. “My mindset the rest of the season is to just continue to compete, and the rest will fall in line,” Galvez said. “I know pre-season hasn’t been our best, but we are all working hard and going to continue to

work hard, and our results will come, and we will be ready for the WAC.” Bill Baber, head coach of the CBU softball team, said he is optimistic about the rest of the season. “I’m looking forward to seeing us getting better each week and watching some of our young players step up and be a huge part of our team,” Baber said. “It’s great being back on the field again after waiting so long, and I know the players are ready to go and make a run at the WAC championship.”

10 Local artist Continued from Page 1 Berry then got a job at the Orange County Fair as an artist, which was the first time she put her own creative work out there and transitioned from a hobby to a career. Through this job she met more young creatives who were turning their passions into careers, and she drew excitement, inspiration and confidence for her own work through them. Berry focuses her artistic expression on areas that create a safe space for connecting and building community. “I really like painting and I really like people,” Berry said. “Getting around creative people is what motivated me to paint more and what helped me grow as an artist. ...I think it’s great when people come together and connect in a space because I think people exist to be together, so my art is really motivated by bringing people together. I like to create in spaces where I think people will be gathering or where the community is valued.” Berry has had the opportunity to paint different murals around Riverside that are designed to build community and safe spaces. She was able to create a series of temporary murals in solidarity with the

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Black community during Black History Month after the recent events of George Floyd’s death and the 2020 protests. She also painted a mural for Condron Brothers Coffee near CBU. With the outbreak of COVID-19, events such as the Riverside Art Walk and Market Nights were shut down. Coming from this place of appreciation for creative spaces where artists can come and connect, she decided to create her own event collective to connect with artists and get local artists’ work in front of people. So she started Created to Connect, which held its first pop-up on Jan. 29 at The Shift Creative warehouse. “I just thought there needed to be more spaces for people to go and know that they are going to see and connect with other creative people and feel encouraged,” Berry said. “I wanted to do something within my abilities that can bring people together. I want this collective to give other artists a platform to grow and connect because I want that to be a part of my career as an artist.” Leti Bernard, CBU and a close friend of Berry’s, said she admires how Berry has been able to connect her values and passions with what she does. “I admire Keely’s desire to connect with others,” Bernard said. “Whether that’s through her art or just how she relates

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March 19, 2021· Volume 68· Issue 7

I admire Keely’s desire to connect with others, whether that’s through her art or just how she relates to people. Keely deeply values people and community, and it’s so cool to see how she has blended that within her art. Leti Bernard, Close friend of Keely Berry

to people. Keely deeply values people and community, and it’s so cool to see how she has blended that within her art.” The first Created to Connect event featured different artists in the Riverside community with many individual forms of art. The event featured graphic designers, thrift and print designers, a nurse and artist who focuses her brand on mental health, a plant peddler, a jewelry and stage designer, a watercolor artist and tapestry designer, a florist, a musician who performed live music and a small coffee truck business, Mantle Coffee Company, that sold coffee at the event. The event had limited capacity, practiced social distancing, mask-wearing

Keely Berry, an alumnus of CBU, paints a mural on the back wall of Condron Coffee. and temperature checks. Berry is planning another Created to Connect event scheduled for the fall that will be hosted outside of Condron

Brothers Coffee. She will be holding a call to artists within the next month. Those interested in being a part of one of these events, or

Photo Courtesy of Keely Berry

to connect with Berry and see her past work, you can view her work and contact her through her Instagram account @keelyberryart.

Taylor Swift re-recording ‘Fearless’ BY JANE ROBERTUS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Taylor Swift, acclaimed singer-songwriter and household name, amazed fans and critics alike in 2020 when she released two albums in the same year. “Folklore,” the first of the two, was released in July and “Evermore” was released in early December. The two albums were intended to be companion records, and both were widely well-received by both fans and critics. Swift also won album of the year for “Folklore” at the 2021 Grammy’s. After the impressive schedule of album releases so close to each other, Swift announced

another surprise on “Good Morning America” and in subsequent posts on social media that she would be re-recording and releasing the 2008 album “Fearless.” The main factor that Swift cites for re-recording her songs has to do with the legality surrounding the original recordings of the songs. Controversy and disagreements with her producer, Scooter Braun, led Swift to claim she was being bullied by Braun, and she was unhappy with him owning much of the rights to her original music. Re-recording “Fearless” and any songs or albums that she chooses to record in addition to these will give Swift

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one who really the rights back knows that body to her songs, and of work.” Swift said she Although it hopes this will may seem a bit help her reclaim extreme for an her creative artist to re-rework. cord six fullIn an Instalength albums gram post, Swift Brienna Garcia, to the most peoexplained her Senior marketingmajor ple, modern-day vision for these working musisongs. cians can better “I’ve spoken a lot about why I’m remaking understand Swift’s perspective my first six albums, but the way for this unconventional apI’ve chosen to do this will hope- proach. The music industry has fully help illuminate where vastly changed over the years I’m coming from,” Swift said. and the 2010s were no stranger “Artists should own their own to a massive shift on the busiwork for so many reasons, but ness end for artists. According to Business Inthe most screamingly obvious one is that the artist is the only sider, a musician makes an

This shows that she is one of the most hard-working artists in the industry right now.

average of $4 per 1000 Spotify streams. Compared to the music industry pre-streaming and torrenting, the majority of true music fans were actually purchasing their music. Brienna Garcia, senior marketing major, said she thinks it is impressive how dedicated Swift has been lately to releasing music. “She released two albums in one year, and now that she is planning to re-release all her old stuff, this shows that she is one of the most hard-working artists in the industry right now,” Garcia said. Katie Carson, senior liberal studies major, said she is a fan of Taylor Swift and has been for a long time.

“I have been listening to her songs since fourth grade,” Carson said. “I am so excited for the re-recordings.” Carson also said that the timing of Swift releasing her re-recordings of old songs could not be better. “It seems like the perfect time since more people seem to like her and her music now compared to the last couple of years,” Carson said. “It also adds nostalgia to such a chaotic time.” With fans more eager than ever for more content from her that is similar to her early work, Swift’s new re-recorded version of the “Fearless” 2008 album is set to be released on April 9.

Student prepares to release her debut single in April 2021 Student makes new steps in her artistic journey BY COLE STILLWAGON ASST. A&E EDITOR

California Baptist University student Kylie Page is writing a new chapter in her life by adding singer-songwriter to her list of accomplishments. The local musician will be releasing her debut single titled “Words Fell Flat” on April 16. The song deals with the aftermath of a previous relationship. Through the song, Page reflects on how the words that were once spoken now remain meaningless. She shared the meaning of the song. “It’s about a personal experience of being lied to and having trust broken time and time again,” Page said. The senior commercial music student has been writing songs since she was a young girl. She expanded on her background in music and what inspired her to continue writing

music. “Music has always been a huge part of my life,” Page said. “I started playing piano when I was 7 and writing songs since I was 6. That has just grown throughout the years. Especially in high school, I started writing a lot more. Using it as a way to be real and open with my feelings. It was a really good outlet for me to express how I felt.” Writing has always been a part of the singer’s life and, because of that, she said she has a vast number of songs written. However, Page never thought releasing her own songs would ever be a possibility. She has realized over the last few years that she could turn her dreams into a reality. “This could be more than just a cool idea or a dream,” Page said. “It can actually happen and I can actually release my songs.” During COVID-19, music students have been able to use the recording studios provided by the Collinsworth School of Music at CBU. Page said she is grateful she has been given a space to craft her art with fellow students such as Frances Fitzgerald and Joey Lizama. Fitzgerald had high praise for her fellow artist.

“While working with her throughout the past two-plus years in our program, she has shown so much growth, from a vocal perspective and an artist perspective,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s so nice to see Kylie taking charge in her music-making and songwriting process. From beginning to now, she has evolved and should be proud of her growth.” Page has plans to release an EP in the summer of 2021. She said the style of music will be a blend of R&B and indie, and she will tell a story throughout the entirety of the EP. Her single will be a piece of that story, using a stripped version of the song. Page hopes listeners will hear the song and take away that they are not alone and in their situation. “I think a lot of people think that if they are in love that it’s a good enough reason to stay with a person that they are with,” Page said. “I want people to see that maybe love is not enough to stay and they are not alone in that. They can get to the other side of gaining the strength to realize their own worth and to be able to move forward from that.” Page’s debut single, “Words Fell Flat” will be available on April 16.

Photo courtesy of Kylie Page Kylie Page, senior commerical music major, will release her debut single, “Words Fell Flat” on April 16, 2021.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT March 19, 2021· Volume 68· Issue 7

Network award shows WandaVision changes the MCU face declining ratings BY SOFIA ENEQVIST MANAGING EDITOR

BY COLE STILLWAGON ASST. A&E EDITOR

Award shows are a classic staple in Hollywood and the entertainment industry. Within the last few years, though, these ceremonies have left many people debating the need for them. The question up for debate is whether people still care to watch them. Throughout the years, television networks covered and aired multiple awards shows like The Academy Awards, The Golden Globes, The Grammys and many more. Some audiences tune in for the awards portion of the ceremony, while some tune in for the live musical performances. Others watch just for the fashion and red carpet interviews. Dr. Melissa Croteau, film studies professor, weighs in on the magic of these shows. “When you are watching these shows anything can happen,” Croteau said. “Something could easily go horribly wrong. There are moments that really endure in popular culture with not just people in the industry, but also outside the industry.” Within the last few years, viewership decreased year after year. The 63rd Grammy Awards hit a historic low for total viewership, coming in at 8.8 million viewers, according to Nielsen. Some have raised questions about whether the COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe effect on award shows or if it is due to pre-existing issues. One factor could be the lack of diversity within the award organizations. Recently, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association came under fire for not having a single Black member. “These are not post-modern organizations,” Croteau said. “For most television and film

academies, you are a member for life. With that being said, much like the rest of the world, older white men are going to be the majority for a while. There is only so far you can go with what you have.” She expanded. “I hope that there is a critical mass of older white people who are in positions of power, who take this on as their own cause. Who invest in it as their own worldview,” Croteau said. The truth is that audiences look to see themselves in the art they watch or listen to. Without diversity in these organizations, actors and filmmakers of color are being neglected from a seat at the industry table. With this lack of representation, there is no reason to wonder why viewership has plummeted. Brianne Jackson, sophomore theater major, said audiences now care more for specific fields. “I think people care about what is going on in that specific field,” Jackson said. “But as for the actual show and celebration, I don’t think it is that huge of a deal to them. I think award shows are just fun for the community.” Justin Magana, junior theatre major, was conflicted. “It’s hard to tell, especially since it seems our culture and society have been on pause for the last year,” Magana said. Croteau said the shows need to adapt to keep their place at the table. “I don’t think these shows are going anywhere,” Croteau said. “As long as network television is what it is — not on the main stage anymore. Network television is going to have to do these live events to distinguish themselves from streaming competitors.”

The first season of the hit Disney+ show “WandaVision” wrapped on March 5. The show created buzz in the Marvel community and kicked off phase four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Matt Ramos, account owner of @SUPES, runs an Instagram with 117k followers and a TikTok with 1.8 million followers. Ramos uses his social media platforms to teach his followers about the world of superheroes. Ramos said WandaVision is significant to the MCU because of its originality and context. “WandaVision is so important to the MCU because not only is it their debut original series on Disney+, but this series dives deep into the character of Wanda Maximoff and shows us her journey to becoming the Scarlett Witch,” Ramos said. “This series is also confirmed to setup ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ and ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.’” Marvel fans can expect the following new movies in 2021: “Black Widow,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” “Eternals” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” While there are rumors of more to be coming out this year, these are the only confirmed films so far. Torrin Diaz, senior film production major, said he has enjoyed watching “WandaVision.” “With the last year devoid of any major Marvel releases, ‘WandaVision’ reignited interest in the franchise as they change gears for a new phase,” Diaz said. “It’s been great watching and discussing the new episodes with fellow fans who are all eager for more content.” “‘WandaVision’ created a new way for fans to enjoy the Marvel Cinematic Universe by streaming on Disney+. Fans

Courtesy of Disney

Marvel Studios presents “WandaVision,” a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe staring Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Mximoff and Paul Bettany as Vision. like Diaz and Ramos agree this opened up a new world for Marvel. “’WandaVision’ has changed the way we experience the MCU and superheroes because, with Marvel having Disney+ at their disposal, they can dive deep into exploring stories for characters who aren’t necessarily ‘big’ enough for their own blockbuster movies,” Ramos said. “’WandaVision’ has shown that there is a demand for more fresh and creative approaches to the superhero genre,” Diaz said. “While films will no doubt remain the mainstay of the Marvel franchise, their television series should continue to

focus on more experimental stories within the universe.” Marvel also has plans to release more shows on Disney+ in 2021, including “Loki,” “What if…?,” “Ms. Marvel” and “Hawkeye.” Chris Styerwalt, junior computer science major, said he enjoyed watching “WandaVision” and learning about her perspective as a superhero. “I went in with almost no expectations because I didn’t watch any trailers and therefore had little to expect,” Styerwalt said. “I’d say it definitely exceeded my expectations. It was really interesting to see Wanda’s backstory, and I’m interest-

ed to see what happens with the new Vision. I really liked how they portrayed the weaponized Vision. It felt very in-character for the two Visions to end up having a philosophical discussion instead of fighting further. Even when evil, it makes sense that Vision would still take the time to learn and consider the other side because that is very much in his nature.” With this new found interest for streaming series for MCU fans now increased, the first episode of Marvel’s next show, “Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” will be launched on March 19 and will run for six weeks on Disney+.

Sofia Eneqvist | Banner

BUSINESS & TECH

March 19, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 7

Jabs School of Business gets new dean BY SOFIA ENEQVIST MANAGING EDITOR

The Dr. Robert K. Jabs School of Business at California Baptist University has named Dr. Tim Gramling as its new dean starting April 1. Gramling said his love for higher education started more than 20 years ago when he began teaching as an adjunct professor. “I started my working life a little over 30 years ago,” Gramling said. “I spent the first 15 years of my career in large, mostly publicly traded corporations including IBM, Sprint and American Express. I transitioned into higher education as an adjunct professor at a community college in 2002 teaching business and computational systems. I worked as an adjunct — I couldn’t get enough of it — teaching four classes a semester, which is a full load for a full-time professor. I was teaching every night of the week including Saturday.” Gramling earned a Doctor of Law and Policy degree from Northeastern University in Boston. He also holds a Master of Science in Computer Science from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Harvard University. Dr. Charles Sands, provost and vice president for academic affairs, said the process for hiring a new dean is an extensive and thorough process. “Once we find out we need to replace a dean, it typically involves me appointing a search committee,” Sands said. “I find a person that I think should lead the search committee and then individuals that I think

“

Gramling is a high-energy individual and will be the kind of person we need and want to represent CBU and the school of business both to our students and the CBU community. Dr. Charles Sands Provost and vice president for Academic Affairs

will represent a couple of different areas and serve the university well. I give them a set of guidelines and expectations for the type of individual that we are looking for. From there we typically advertise the position. After individuals apply, the search committee begins reviewing applications and choose a few people they feel are good candidates. After the interviews they will then recommend a few people to me for consideration.” When candidates are invited to campus, they meet with faculty, staff, the provost and the search committee. The interview process also includes a presentation where applicants are required to share their vision for the school at which they are applying to lead. Gramling focused his presentation on CBU’s potential for sustainable growth. “A territory in the market that the Jabs School of Business can take

and own is the notion of sustainable growth,” Gramling said. “I want Jabs to be known for teaching the type of leadership that leads to long-term, sustainable growth. It won’t just collapse in 5 or 10 years.” Sands said CBU looks for committed evangelical Christians, as well as individuals with high-quality credentials. “Beyond that, we look for strong leadership skills, strong communication skills, high integrity, visionary person, great presentation skills and, also, do they have insight and knowledge about higher education in general,” Sands said. Sands is one of many looking forward to Gramling starting his position this spring. “(Gramling) is a high-energy person and will be the type of individual we need and want to represent CBU and the School of Business both to our students and the CBU community,” Sands said. “We need our dean out in the community as CBU continues to raise its stature and reputation. I also sense that his background as a pastor is helpful as well. It is a unique combination for a dean and a leader at CBU.” Gramling has served as associate minister or senior pastor at churches in several states since 2003. In July 2018, he began serving as pastor of Olivet Baptist Church in Ventura. Wayne Fletcher, associate provost for Academic Services, has been the interim dean for the School of Business since July 2020. “Having the opportunity to know the faculty within the School of Business a little

Courtesy of Dr. Tim Gramling Dr. Tim Gramling will be the new dean of the Dr. Robert K. Jabs School of Business starting April 1. bit more closely — sitting in the Provost’s Office you know names but really don’t know people. Having the opportunity to get to know the faculty has been a real blessing,” Fletcher said. Fletcher said Gramling’s transition into dean for the School of Business will be a learning process as people adapt to change within the school and as Gramling learns the culture of CBU. Fletcher said he believes Gramling will do a great job at getting his feet on the ground and impacting the School of Business. “The cool part about Dr. Gramling is that he will

bring an emphasis on really establishing the Jabs School of Business within the business community in the Inland Empire,” Fletcher said. “He has that external focus. In the past year I have been really focused internally but as he comes in his goal will be to help continue to create a positive image in the community, increase enrollment and continue to grow support from our community to benefit the school. I am really over-the-moon excited to see him get here.” Gramling looks forward to his time at CBU and hopes he can inspire success.

“I have a deep love for the process of making students successful,” Gramling said. “I very much look forward to impacting students in a positive way. That’s one of the things I am most excited about. Of course, the faculty team — I am jazzed about the faculty. There is some great experience and background on the faculty team. I look forward to that support for students and enabling the faculty to be that strong support for student success.” Gramling succeeds Dr. Andrea Scott as dean, who became provost at George Fox University in July 2020.

‘Zoom fatigue’ rises in the pandemic BY JANE ROBERTUS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Sofia Eneqvist | Banner

Since March 2020, when COVID-19 first changed the way our world functioned, most meetings for both school and work have continued to meet virtually for a full year now. As staring at a screen becomes the way most individuals spend their weeks, it can begin to take a toll on them. There are negative consequences to large amounts of screen time, both mentally and physically, and more studies have begun to show that this way of working, which was designed to be temporary but has turned more long-term, is not always sustainable — so much so that a phrase to describe the overwhelming feeling of too much time in and out of virtual meetings has been coined. “Zoom fatigue” is very real and very prevalent in the corporate and university environments of today’s society. This phrase was recently made popular and the subject further research by Jeremy Bailenson, communications expert at Stanford University. Bailenson found that multiple factors contribute to the overwhelming nature of Zoom and other virtual meetings, including the inability to read nonverbal cues and the proximity of everyone’s faces on the screen. “On Zoom, nonverbal behavior remains complex, but users need to work harder to send and receive signals,” Bailenson wrote in his research. Taylor Duncan, senior photography major, said that she has definitely seen the way spending extensive time on Zoom and other virtual meeting platforms has impacted herself

and other students. “I get burned out very quickly when it comes to Zoom. I want to turn off my screen and just listen to the recording,” said Duncan. “I’m not physically interacting with my peers and I miss it.” Duncan also said there are distinct differences between the online learning setting and the in-person environment. “We aren’t feeding off of the energy in the room, the body language, the subtle looks in people’s eyes,” Duncan said. “It’s just interaction with a screen, which we interact with already daily.” Rachel Toenjes, senior liberal studies major, gave her perspective on both learning virtually and teaching virtually and how this can create exhaustion on both sides. “I am currently teaching a second-grade class virtually,” Toenjes said. “Everyone meets online for a modified school day. For me, I’ve lost out on the experience of getting to run a classroom and really getting to know my students. Although virtual learning has really impacted the students the most. It’s been almost a year of them learning this way and you can see how disinterested and disengaged they are with the learning.” However, Toenjes also offered helpful advice to people who might be suffering from the negative effects of virtual learning and meetings. “Take breaks, step away from your computer when you can, make sure to schedule in time for things that are not draining and know you are not the only one who is struggling,” Toenjes said.

BUSINESS & TECH March 19, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 7

Spotify introduces HiFi, a new high-end subscription service to experience more depth and clarity while enjoying their faSpotify announced its new vorite tracks.” The press release also subscription offer during their Spotify Stream On said for those who get event Feb. 22 that will allow Spotify HiFi, they have Premium subscribers to up- created a seamless user experience, grade to their new “building on Spotify HiFi. our commitSpotify HiFi ment to make will bring highsure users can er-quality sound listen to the to Spotify’s loymusic they love al customers. in the way they HiFi stands want to enjoy it,” for high fidelity, a Spotify’s press term used in the release said. audio industry Spotify is a and by enthupopular platform siasts to mean Spotify, for students to high-quality sound, in conPress release listen to their music. trast to lo-fi, introducing their new Anais Peña, which is raw auSpotify HiFi junior kinesioldio and may have ogy major, said distortions. In a press release about she uses Spotify often, particSpotify HiFi, Spotify said they ularly when she’s studying or heard their customers’ desire cleaning. “When I’m studyfor high-quality sound, and ing, (I listen to) classical they listened. “High-quality music music,” Peña said. “When I’m streaming is consistently cleaning, something that is one of the most requested upbeat.” Kimberly Vazquez-Salcedo, new features by our users,” Spotify said on their press re- sophomore business adminlease. “Spotify HiFi will de- istration major, said she uses liver music in CD-quality, Apple Music over Spotify. “Spotify music has ads if you lossless audio format to your device and Spotify don’t have the subscription,” Connect-enabled speakers, Vazquez-Salcedo said. “I’ve which means fans will be able never had a subscription with

BY JASMINE SEVERI

BUSINESS AND TECH EDITOR

“

Spotify HiFi will deliver music in CD-quality, lossless audio format to your device and Spotify Connectenabled speakers.

Spotify.” Peña said she uses a family plan started by her brother. “My brother has a family plan, so we do have the Premium and there are no commercials,” Peña said. “Before, I would listen to Pandora and iHeartRadio and I had to listen to the ads and I got tired of it. So my brother said ‘Hey, just hop on my Spotify,’ and I did, and it’s been great.” Peña said she enjoys the benefits a Spotify Premium gets her, particularly the Spotify Premium Student bundle with Hulu and Showtime. “It’s cheap and you can have multiple lines,” Peña said. “There’s a special, especially for students, where you can get Hulu. They have good promotions.” But Vazquez-Salcedo said Spotify’s new upgrade to give users HiFi sound and CD-quality recordings would add something to it. “You always want good-quality music, so I think that would be good,” Vazquez-Salcedo said. Spotify HiFi will be available later this year to select markets, and students should keep watch, because Spotify said it will release more information to the public concerning their new Spotify HiFi subscription soon.

Camille Grochowski | Banner

The new HiFi Spotify subscription service will allow listeners to stream higher quality music through their speakers and headphones.

Cryptocurrency grows in popularity, but still a risky investment BY LUC STRINGER

ASST. BUSINESS AND TECH EDITOR With the investing world in turmoil, many look to cryptocurrency as a financial savior. Yet the complex digital currency remains one of the most volatile financial assets of the century. The general populous has only been exposed to crypto in the past few years, but the first digital currency appeared in 1990 under the moniker “DigiCash.” DigiCash could be likened to

PayPal or Venmo. It was a way to transfer traditional cash into electronically movable money, and it brought currency to the digital realm. When Bitcoin appeared on the internet in 2009, it was easy for many to write it off as another PayPal clone. Yet Bitcoin did something that had never been done before — blockchain. A blockchain is essentially a container with “blocks” of information. In the case of Bitcoin, it contains information on every

transaction. This information is stored in a decentralized network across the personal computers of Bitcoin investors. In this way, no one person or organization controls the ecosystem. Many believers in the capitalist system find this feature incredibly attractive and chose to invest their wealth in cryptocurrency over a traditional 401K. Yet this feature is also cryptocurrency’s worst enemy. Marc Weniger, professor of

business, said that although he believes cryptocurrency will remain influential in the market, it is a dangerous investment. “Cryptocurrency is a very volatile market,” Weniger said. “The reasons the market moves is highly predicated on speculation. This makes it difficult to invest in successfully. Unlike the stock market that has actual assets and known company financials behind the stock prices, cryptocurren-

cy is all digital and difficult to evaluate the true worth of the (asset).” The volatility of crypto may make it an undesirable investment for students. Caleb Chong, sophomore graphic design major, recently invested in GameStop during its historic spike in value. Yet even Chong is uncertain about investing in cryptocurrency. “Ever since the surge of Bitcoin, it seems that crypto is seen as a lottery to be

won,” Chong said. “When I invest I generally like to invest long-term, things that slowly go up in a very stable manner, and cryptos at this point seem like the opposite of that.” For some students, the internet culture surrounding cryptocurrency is enough to be excited. Corban Murray, sophomore international business major, bought $3 worth of Dogecoin for the “memes.” Was it worth it? “Absolutely,” Murray said.

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SPORTS

March 19, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 7

Women’s golf coach picks new word each match to unify team BY KELLY MCKITTRICK SPORTS EDITOR

California Baptist University’s women’s golf team found success in its season, winning second overall at the Grand Canyon University Invitational March 1-2 and third overall at the Pizza Hut Lady Thunderbird Invitational March 11-12 hosted by Southern Utah University. Haruka Shintani, junior kinesiology major, finished the GCU Invitational 2-under-par 214 to place second out of 82 golfers winning the CBU Clutch Award. “I didn’t know the ranking until my teammate told me my ranking, so I was able to play happily without being too nervous,” Shintani said. “I’m also happy to have my teammates say ‘good play’ because golf is an individual sport and a team sport at the same time—we rival against each other for an individual field.” The CBU Clutch Award was created by head coach Marc Machado to encourage his team to finish strong at tournaments. The award is based on the lowest cumulative total for the last four holes of the tournament. “The reason for that is that it’s not how you start, it is how you finish,” Machado said. “And so, everything that we do, whether it’s the last rep in weights, the last drill we’re doing in workouts or the last bit of golf, we want to do it with the utmost energy, respect, everything that we can muster, and just really finish it off well to represent CBU.” To unite his team, Machado picks a tournament theme word. He sometimes finds inspiration in a book he is reading or a YouTube video he watched. Machado announces it at the team’s practice tournament and talks through what the word means for the team. The theme word for the GCU Invitational was toughness. Knowing that the team would face obstacles in the tournament, he encouraged his team to show toughness on the green. “We always try to pick the one word that we can be united on and focused on throughout the tournament,” Machado said. “We’re not like a basketball team, where I can see all five of them at once. They’re all on five different holes. And so being able to just drop by and say,

SPORTS briefs

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Women’s basketball won the Western Athletic Conference tournament championship against the Grand Canyon University Antelopes. The Lancers, who are first in the Western Athletic Conference became the first team since 2017 to finish off a season undefeated and win their conference tournament in the same period. Tiena Neale hit a new career-high of 21 points in the championship game, and Caitlyn Harper was named Tournament most valuable player.

MEN’S WATER POLO The Lancers are set to make their NCAA championship Debut against the University of California, Los Angeles, on March 15. The winner of this match will advance to the NCAA Championship semifinals to face Stanford University. The team also won its first-ever conference title over Loyola Marymount University to bring them to 7-4 this season. The Lancers, led by seniors PJ McDonough, Gabe Thorne, and Zach Lowery, averaged 15.4 goals a game in the regular season.

BASEBALL

Courtesy of Atheletics

Esther Lee, freshman biology major, puts in some work during a tournament on Feb. 2, 2021.

“

‘Hey, tough, be tough,’ it should tournaments is a brutal process. speak a lot more than just the Machado creates a practice tournament and word itself. Every the top three golfplayer knows what ers in the practice that encompasstournament go es. We talk about on to the official that throughout tournament, with the tournament. Machado choosComing up with ing the final two it, I access where golfers. we’re at with the “Golf is kind team, like what we of brutal—it’s eineed and seeing Marc Machado, ther you make the golf course.” head coach of it and you get to Unlike other women’s golf experience this sports teams, not or you don’t and every member of the golf team goes to every you stay home. Being a deep tournament. The process for team this year has made my life selecting the five golfers for the very difficult, but in a good way,”

We always try to pick the one word that we can be united and focused on throughout the tournament.

Machado said. “It’s tough. You’ve got to have girls that are selfless. We constantly preach our team motto is the team is ‘greater than I’.” Anabella Gurrola sophomore business finance major said she believes that her team is in for more wins this season and that the team dynamic remains strong despite the competitive aspects. “We are giving it our all. We are having fun while also staying competitive. And if we fail, we will get the next one,” Gurrola said. Golf heads to Northern Arizona March 20-21 to compete in the Red Rocks Invitational.

The baseball team swept the University of Northern Colorado Bears in the Western Athletic Conference season-opening series. The Lancers now extend their streak to eight and remain undefeated in their conference. Baseball coach Gary Adcock locks in his 600th career win at CBU and a 66.6 winning percentage during his 18 seasons in Riverside. Senior Chris Burica was named as the WAC pitcher of the week, when he had over 6.2 scoreless innings for the Lancers.

WOMEN’S SOCCER Women’s soccer ended in a double-overtime draw against the Utah Valley Wolverines making their new season record seven wins, one tie and two losses. Seniors Rola Badawiya and Amy Aquino both lead the team with five goals so far this season. The Lancers also landed a spot in the top 10 United Soccer Coached D1 Pacific Region Poll for the first time since joining the NCAA Division I Rank. CBU will play March 18 and 20 against New Mexico State University.

SENIOR highlight

NAME:

MAJOR:

Madison Corsello

SPORT:

Cheer

POSITION: Backspot FAVORITE TEAM BONDING WHAT ARE YOU MOST GRATEFUL FOR? MOMENT? Communication Studies

“My favorite team bonding moment is when we have big/little reveal week every year and all the rookies find out who their big is and what family they are apart of.”

“I am grateful for incredible parents, family and girlfriend as well as my teammates, coaches and CBU for the countless amount of opportunities that they have given me.”

FAVORITE CBU MEMORY? “Getting to cheer at Fortuna Bowl is my favorite because it’s one night a year that we as a team get to be on a field instead of a mat, and since CBU doesn’t have a football team, we get the college cheer vibe for a night. During Fortuna Bowl every year, the cheer team gets to perform during halftime and it is always so much fun and something that I look forward to every year.”

Courtesy of Atheltics

Madison Corsello, senior communication studies, is a backspotter on the CBU cheer team.

THOUGHTS ABOUT YOUR LAST SEASON OCCURRING DURING A PANDEMIC: “It is obviously unfortunate and wasn’t the plan that anyone had for this season, but it gave the cheer program an opportunity to practice adaptability, and the program and team were all made stronger because of it. We tried all season to keep a positive attitude knowing that we were blessed to be able to have a season at all even if it was modified

OPINION LANCER ON THE STREET

March 19, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 7

What CBU event do you miss the most?

Anna Pade Junior Nursing Major

Ian Klock Sophomore Electrical Engineering Major

Christopher Williams Junior Environmental Science Major

Morgan Kenneda Senior Biomedical Science Major

Jillian Jarboe Senior Christian Studies & Behaviorial Science double-major

“Woofest. I was a Resident Advisor last year and it was fun to plan and funny to watch.”

“Midnight madness, I never went but I have seen videos and it looks really fun.”

“Midnight Madness. Because I really like sports and going to the basketball games.”

“Both Festival of Color and Woofest. Definitely the top two events on campus.”

“Clash N Roll. It is so much fun to dress up in crazy clothes and play Bunco.”

Disabled adults need vaccinations

“

Rest should be prioritized

People must learn to be more empathetic to their disabled neighbors and put aside their selfishness.

BY LAUREN BROOKS ASST. NEWS EDITOR

The days flick through from day to night. Through the window separating safety from danger, people outside galavant as if there is not an omnipresent threat in the air. Masks are berated and used sparingly, parties and large gatherings persist, and people simply ignore the pandemic that has been raging for over a year now: COVID-19. The approval for widespread use of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines was seen as the light at the end of the tunnel for many people. For the disabled community, it was something even more. The complete disregard for disabled and immunocompromised lives throughout the past year was extremely high. Many people viewed the virus as only affecting the elderly and those with severe underlying conditions, and therefore went on with their lives. With the spread of COVID-19 continuing to increase because of this, many disabled folks had to nonstop quarantine the entire year and limit outside events to a bare minimum. In California, disabled people are in the 1C tier of COVID-19 vaccine prioritiza-

tion. Overall, nearly all U.S. states have disabled people on a much lower slot on the tier list than they should be. As a disabled adult, I’ve seen the impact of this subject with my community firsthand. We’ve seen just how little of a regard many have for disabled lives. Madison Lawson, disabled journalist, spoke on her experiences throughout the pandemic. She has 9% full lung function and she emphasized the points of seeing the ignorance of both the government, as well as able-bodied humans. “We were told that if certain states ran out of ventilators that people with disabilities would lose their ventilators to non-disabled people in need of one,” Lawson said. “So when the vaccine came out, it really wasn’t shocking that we still didn’t have priority.” This principle exhibited throughout the pandemic cannot continue. People must learn to be more empathetic to their disabled neighbors and put aside their selfishness. The government must listen to the stories of the disabled and understand our plea to be higher on the priority list, not just for vaccinations, but for everything.

“

The constant push and drive to work harder, make money and stay “ahead” is at the forefront of media and real-life

BY JANE ROBERTUS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

We live in an extremely fastpaced and chaotic world. Everything from work and school to even home life seems to demand that our time is spent working hard and staying busy. While COVID-19 may have caused some aspects of life to slow down and certain responsibilities to drop, there are countless more ways that it has

contributed to stress and chaos in our world. Amid the transition to largely remote work and school, there is little to no distinction between home, work and school and all of them can feel like they are a part of the same sphere. For me personally, I already found it hard to take time for breaks and time for myself, but now that I am always at “work” or “school” when I am really just at home, getting away from my computer and setting down my to-do list is more difficult

than ever. Not only has the recent year and the pandemic impacted our values of how people spend time, but our culture has never been one that valued slowpaced life or time to care for oneself much. The constant push and drive to work harder, make more money and stay “ahead” is at the forefront of media and real life. However, while there is nothing inherently wrong with these things and it is important to stay motivated, there needs to be a balance. Oftentimes the pressure to be productive can overwhelm the demand for rest. Living in a society that places more value on what and how much people are doing instead of how people are doing can contribute to toxic work environments and exhausting career paths. This originates from the perspective that rest is not a

productive way to spend time. The overwhelming feeling that nothing is being accomplished has stopped me from taking time to slow down. In fact, studies have even shown that taking time to rest can lead to overall better productivity when it is time to accomplish work. According to an article on lifehack.org, “Down time is essential for boosting motivation, learning from the past, planning for the future, processing new information, making memories, problem solving, maintaining your ability to concentrate, and even sustaining a personal code of ethics.” One of the first places to begin in order to have a healthier overall relationship with work and rest is to view the two as equal importance and not allow slowing down to be seen in a negative light as it so often is.

Sarah Everard’s story is not an isolated event

BY SOFIA ENEQVIST MANAGING EDITOR

Sarah Everard, a 33-yearold woman from London, was reported dead after the police found remains of her body on March 12. Everard was missing for a week and a Metropolitan Police officer has been charged

for kidnapping and sexually assaulting her. What happened to Everard is awful and not an isolated event. According to a study done by the UN Women United Kingdom, more than 70% of women and girls in the U.K. have experienced sexual harassment in public spaces. This problem can be seen in America, as well. Stop Street Harassment found that 81% of women have experienced some form of sexual harassment. As a woman, I can attest to the fact that women are taught to always be on guard. We are told to not “be a victim” and always be aware of our surroundings. Do not go out late at night and never alone. Lock

your doors as soon as you get in the car, carry pepper spray with you and always look over your shoulder. So why does the burden of safety fall on women and not men, who are a primary source of violence? There is the idea in society that it is a woman’s responsibility to protect herself from male violence, and when she fails to do so or her choices are not enough, her fate is justified. Not only is this a horrible mindset to have but it sets women up for failure. It contributes to the idea that women are objects just waiting to be harassed by men. There is a saying circulating on social media right now that shows the words “protect your

daughter” crossed out and written under it is “educate your sons.” This constant state of fear has been embedded into the minds of millions of women from the time they are little girls. At a certain point you start to wonder if anything can really protect you from the fate Everard faced. I saw a tweet that I felt perfectly encompassed my frustration: “This Sarah Everard situation is really scaring me, because she literally spoke to her [boyfriend] on the phone, wore really bright clothing, walked on a main road, was outside before 12am, and she still got killed? Do you know how scary as a woman it is to know that?”

Riverside deserves to be a popular landmark

BY LUC STRINGER ASST. B&T EDITOR

It is so easy for those of us living on campus to build our entire world in the 92504 ZIP code. After all, I can get food, exercise and see friends all within a square mile. What more do I need? And, if I want some adventure, the sprawling Los An-

geles landscape is a short drive away. Yet the vibrant community of Riverside exists right on our doorstep. There is a sore lack of investment in the Riverside community from CBU students. In fact, the community seems to be struggling as a whole. Justin Pardee, a CBU alumnus and entrepreneur, said that the Riverside community is fragmented. “This is my absolute belief,” Pardee said. “If you were to pick Riverside up and pull it out of Southern California and drop it just about anywhere else in the country, it would be (a city) that everybody knows.” Pardee compared Riverside to Lawrence, a city in Kansas. Lawrence has a lower population than Riverside but is fortu-

“

If you were to pick Riverside up and pull it out of Southern California and drop it just about anywhere else in the country, it would be (a city) that everybody knows about . Justin Pardee CBU alumnus and entrepreneur

nate enough to be far away from other major cities. While River-

side remains in the shadow of Los Angeles, Lawrence developed on its own. As a result, its community enjoys far superior restaurants and nightlife, as well as supporting a vigorous music scene. But why would an artist bring their concert to Riverside, Pardee asked, when Los Angeles is just an hour away? While that may be a fair question, is that truly fair to the 330,000 residents of Riverside? Probably not. So how do we make Riverside, as valuable as Lawrence, Kan. Interestingly enough, Lawrence is home to the University of Kansas, just as Riverside is home to CBU. Surely Lawrence’s vibrant community greatly benefits from the influx of KU students. After all, there is not a more alluring city in

the area. And if KU can be vital to Lawrence, why can’t CBU be vital to Riverside? What if, when the world is safe again, CBU students were the first customers at local coffee shops? We could be the first to fill up theaters and hike back up Mt. Roubidoux. And maybe, just maybe, we could be an inspiration to the community. By our patronage to the city, we could remind our neighbors that Riverside has much to offer. Malcom Gladwell, a promient journalist and author wrote in his best-selling book “Outliers: The Story of Success,”: “What we do as a community, as a society, for each other, matters as much as what we do for ourselves. It sounds

a little trite, but there’s a powerful amount of truth in that, I think.” If I just stayed in my apartment, I think I would have missed some amazing moments. I would miss skating down to Tyler Mall or catching a cup of coffee at Condron with the boys. I would have missed touring the Town Hall and Courthouse. Man, I’d have missed thousands of fearless residents flocking downtown to protest police brutality. I would have missed a lot. And the more I think about it, the more I want to be involved. I may only be here for four years, or I may spend the rest of my life here. Regardless, the value of investing in the community remains the same.

ETC.

March 19, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 7

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