Issuu

CON VERGE ISSUE 08

CONTENTS

TABLE OF

CONVERGE

STAFF

DEEP DIVES

Letter To Fall by Sophie Nava What Makes Me “Me” by Kassie Herrera COMMUNITY

6 7

Campus Music Favorites: A CSUB Student Poll

From Nigeria to CSUB by Jacqueline Villatoro

Culture: The Main Dish of Who We Are by Samuel Bautista

Lights, Camera, Motion: Kern County Fair by Raul Rico

GLOBAL

Our Littlest Treasures by Mariana Abad & Shaila Rubio

What’s on Your Algorithm? by Alyssa Rodriguez

LETTER FROM THE MAGAZINE EDITOR PENNY PAIGE LANAE GAYLORD I want to start by giving a huge thanks to all the behind the scenes contributors of our first issue. Bianca Moreno, Andrew Gonzalez, and Oswald Fernandez. Thank you for advising, making sure the magazine had stories, and consistenly critiquing throughout the creation process. Thank you to my Honors Adviser, Maria Palaiogou, for being available to me and recognizing me throughout my semesters here. Thank you to my boss, Yuri Sakamaki, for carrying grace and compas-

sion for me while I teach for the ALI department during my Bachelor studies. Thank to all my writers and photographers for putting in the extra time and effort to make your pages and stories really shine. Thank you to the Assitant Magazine Editor, Kassi Herrera for leading in Converges Blog stories. As well as helping make promotion content to help our CSUB students be able to interact and become aware of university magazine. For everyone here,

keep your dreams your goal, your passions loud, and your ambition bigger than your reality. Listen to yourself and achieve

what you love through self-discipline. I’m excited for our upcoming issues this semster! — PENNY LANAE

ASSITANT MAGAZINE EDITOR KASSIE HERREA Thank you for allowing me to be apart of this great oppurtunity. The work that everyone put into this issue will not go unrecognized. Thank you to everyone that shared their stories and were vulernable with our staff. Sharing this experience with the rest of the staff on Converge has been great. Converge is a place where you can be creative and freely express yourself through photos and your writings. Thank you to the audience for being our biggest supporters. Without you, we wouldn’t have anyone PHOTOGRAPHED BY RAUL RICO

to share our voices with, along with sharing others voices as well. Thank you to our Editor Paige Gaylord for allowing everyones creativeness flow. Thank you for all your help and guidance. Being able to express myself through my work is what I look forward to. Converge has brought out the best in me and has allowed me to bring out a side of me I never thought I could. Remember to always be kind and don’t let people dim your light. See you next time. — KASSIE HERRERA OCTOBER 2026

OUR MESSAGE:

Converge strives to bring different aspects of life together. The Self, The Community, and Global. Here we give thoughts and ideas a place to breathe and be read by many. An intersection of student creativity, community interaction, and a source of vitality. Created for CSUB students to relate, learn, and feel connected with their community. Our issues are student led and are created by students in CSUB’s news production class, The Runner. CSUB students also contribute to the issue by participating in polls and anonymous interactive content. Converge highlights students stories about one self, features CSUB campus events and Kern County communities places and peoples, as well as reaches out globally regarding trends, fads, and life occurences we encounter on a day to day basis. Converging the Self, Community, and Global aspects of life one issue at a time.

Staff and Contributors Adviser, Bianca Moreno bmoreno1@csub.edu Editor In Chief, Andrew Gonzalez runner@csub.edu Magazine Editor, Paige Gaylord pgaylord@csub.edu Magazine Assistant Editor, Kassie Herrera kherrera39@csub.edu

Writers Sophie Nava, Shaila Rubio, Samuel Bautista, Mariana Abad, Jacqueline Villatoro, Alyssa Rodriguez, Kassie Herrera

Page Designs Sophie Nava, Paige Gaylord, Samuel Bautista, Mariana Abad, Jacqueline Villatoro, Alyssa Rodriguez, Kassie Herrera

Photography Raul Rico, Paige Gaylord, Sophie Nava, Samuel Bautista, Mariana Abad, Shaila Rubio, Jacqueline Villatoro, Alyssa Rodriguez, Kassie Herrera

Critiques Bianca Moreno, Andrew Gonzalez, Oswald Fernandez

Department of Communications California State University, Bakersfield 9001 Stockdale Highway Bakersfield, CA 9331 runner@csub.edu

Converge Instagram @convergemagazine

M E E T T H E S TA F F ALYSSA RODRIGUEZ SOFIE NAVA SHAILA RUBIO

RAUL RICO

MARIANA ABAD

SAM BAUTISTA

JACQUELINE VILLATORO

PHOTOGRAPHED BY RAUL RICO

OCTOBER 2026

D E

E P

D I V E S PHOTOGRAPHED BY PAIGE GAYLORD

ear Fall, It has been nearly nine months since we’ve seen each other. I can’t continue without your crisp moist mornings anymore. Summer has been A Love too harsh and dry. I long for the clothes you let me wear ; ,knitted sweaters, baggy long Phoebe Bridgers, Faye Webster, sleeves, and heavy jackets. Searows, and especially some I can’t wait to wear t-shirts Cocteau Twins.They sound comfortably with a fresh breeze better with you. blowing under my hair. The especially can’t wait for heavy weight of my jackets over the sweet treats and all my t-shirts with my thick boots the food we get to eat todragging in the early mornings gether. Oh how I have craved is something I tend to long for. a hot coffee without sweating When I wear crop tops under my sweaters I can feel the slight chill blow and tickle my side while it’s cold, it’s not something I can

Love Letter to Fall

say I hate. I miss yourchanging of the season , where the whole world makes a difference in appearance for you. The leaves turn orangey-red, which is the only time I like those colors. The grass takes a yellowish approach with the lack of heat and while it’s a little bit crispy underneath my feet, I don’t mindit too much. I miss the gray curtains of clouds that you pull together leaving chilly gloomy days. I look forward to listening to

Letter To A Lost Lover care too much about my birthday in October, something about it this time feels a little different. Maybe I’m finally out growing my fear of change, while I get comfortable with the stability of enjoying when it’s fall. Or maybe it’s that I’m finally turning 21 and after realizing the last 5 years of birthdays haven’t really made me any different, I realize I have nothing to fear. Regardless, I look forward to all the other fun stuff the season brings too, like my sister’s birthday and Halloween. alloween is one of my favorite days we have together. I love being able to dress up as anything I want, go as extravagant or as comfortable as I want. The possibilities to do something with friends or with family bring me so much excitement. It’s

vorite candies. Whether I buy them for myself or steal them from the bowl we leave for the treaters, the sweets don’t stand a chance against me. My favorite sour candies pierce my tastebuds, with thatacidic tongue quenching feeling. I am so excited for you to come back, it’s been far too long and I miss you so very much. I miss the way you feel with a slight chill and the way you bring a small thrill. I miss the way I feel wearing your clothes and the way they bring me comfort. I miss the way the season changes, the way the leaves’ colors have ranges. I miss you so much it makes me sick, it even makes me rhyme. I miss the way the music sounds when you’re here, the way it grounds me back to earth. But I mostly miss how you’ve changed me for the better and you’re not even here yet.

bullets after drinking it. While I don’t necessarily look forward to pumpkin drinks, I will eat any dessert that has pumpkin flavor in it. I have a list of treats I’ll make when you’re here, like

“I miss your changing of the season, where the world makes a difference in appearence for you.” playliststhatI only pull out when you’re around, funnily enough they’reall named after you. “Fall Playlists,” “Songs for Fall Mornings,” “Autumn Afternoons on the Long Board.” hey make me happy and maybe that’s in part to the fact that I only listen when it’s the right time of year. Artists that hit different when the air has that cold undertone in it, like

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pumpkin loaf, pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies, maybe even a pumpkin pie. To have the whole house smell of spice and cinnamon and feel a little too warm but the sweet taste from the treats is all to care for. Not to mention, it’s the season of soup. I can’t wait to make and slurp endless amounts of savory warm. Even though I don’t really

been a good while since I put in hard effort into a cool costume, but something tells me this year will be different. Despite not trick or treating anymore, that doesn’t stop me. from getting some of my fa-

PHOTOGRAPHED BY SOPHIE NAVA & HER MOM

Nearly so close, just a little bit more, I miss you fall.

— SOPHIE NAVA

Who am I?

Knowing who you are on the inside is just as important as knowing who you are on the outside.

hen you look at me, what do you see? Most may say they see a short girl with crazy curly hair and a pointy noise. Others may say I’m chunky with stubby muscular legs and a round face. Either way, neither of those descriptions truly give anyone the right idea of who I really am. When I was little, I used to criticize myself over every little thing because I was constantly getting compared to other people. I would criticize what I ate, how I looked, how I spoke, the expressions my face made, my a bility to complete tasks, my learning abilities, etc. I would sit in front of a mirror for hours to practice different facial expressions so that I didn’t make an expression that made me look “ugly.” For the longest time, I wanted to change the way I looked. I hated my pointy nose and my crooked smile. I hated the way my feet laid flat on the floor when I stood or how my knees would point inwards. I hated my body shape and height. I hated how I was always bigger than my friends and how people would point it out. I hated failing and embarrassing myself. I hated that I wasn’t good at anything but average in everything. I was hard on myself because I grew up thinking that if I failed, I’m nothing. I’m not worthy of a redemption or fresh start. I never really learned from my failures; I would give up

completely and then try to be better at something else. So, I started building walls and tried to protect myself from the things I couldn’t control, like my appearance. I was giving people advice about being positive and optimistic about their situations, but I wasn’t doing that myself. I was able to give it to others, but was unable to find out who I really was. This went on for years and years. I thought I found myself when I joined a soccer team because I love soccer. I loved playing, practicing, going to tournaments, and playing games every weekend. That love soon turned into frustration and competition with only myself. I’d beat myself up. I had to be the best and if I wasn’t, I would get angry. I felt my soccer skills were all I had, and I relied on those skills to make me feel better about myself. At that point I hated the only sport I loved and myself. As I got older, I started to realize that I am more than just what people see outside and how I perform in my sport.I’m kind, I’m thoughtful, and I am worthy of do overs. I’m also a killer soccer player and I

went back to enjoying it so much. I am empathic and sympathetic, and I try to understand everybody and see things through their eyes rather than just my own.

Although it took me years to accept my outside appearance, being who I am on the inside is what really matters. Even through selfhate and doubt, I tried to show people that I care for them and that they’re not alone. I hated the feeling of being alone and I didn’t want people to feel the way I did. Being able to do that for other people why you are

PHOTOGRAPHED BY KASSIE HERRERA & FRANK LOMAS

struggling is golden. People today still judge the way I look. I still get compared to other girls, and I get judged based on the size I am, but now I am proud to say that I don’t care. Beauty standards change constantly and good looks fade away. Understanding someone on a deep, intimate level is when you really see the beauty in a person. I’ve learned that I’m not going to meet everybody’s standards and that I am not for everyone. I know that having a good heart wins at the end of the day and people will judge the parts of you they hate in themselves. I let go of the negative thoughts that used to define me. I can understand my self-worth and how precious it is. I’ve also learned about what I love. I love to play soccer and workout. I love fashion and I love hanging out with my friends and spending time with my family.I love the beach and being in nature. I love taking pictures and writing to relaese my stress. I love showing others I care for them, even if I hardly know them. o, who am I? I am more than what you see on the outside. I am kind, I am thoughtful, I am resilient and more. I see the best in everyone, and I am now strong enough to learn from my mistakes instead of punishing myself for them. — KASSIE HERRERA

OCTOBER 2026

C O M M UNITY

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY PAIGE GAYLORD

campus I N D I E

music

FAVORITES

MAC DEMARCO

Converge took a poll on which artists CSUB’s students listen to most out of the genres: Indie, Rock, RNB, and Country. Participate in the next issue of Converges campus community section. Keep your eyes open and aware for QR codes posted around campus to be part of our campus magazine. Hope to see your vote in the upcoming section! Find us on Instagram @convergemagazine to let us know what you would like to see next! DEFTONES

ROCK

50% 25%

Pierce The Veil 20%

Dominik Fike 16.7%

Muse 0%

Pheobe Bridgers 8.3%

CLAIRO

50%

DANIEL CAESAR

COUNTRY

30%

RNB

PARAMORE

SZA Morgan Moroney Morgan Wallen 10%

36.4%

60%

Brent Faiyaz 18.2% Ella Mai 9.1%

DOLLY PARTON

36.4%

20% ELLA LANGLEY

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF ALBUM COVERS

From Nigeria to CSUB: Looking Toward the Future of Energy

rom wanting to become a doctor in Nigeria to researching underground hydrogen storage at CSUB, Isaac Oyeniyi’s journey into geology took an unexpected turn. Now a second-year master’s student, Oyeniyi is exploring the future of energy while building his experience through research, campus involvement and opportunities beyond CSUB.

saac Oyeniyi never planned on becoming a geologist. Growing up in southwestern Nigeria, Oyeniyi once imagined himself becoming a medical doctor. Like many students in Nigeria, he said he grew up hearing thatstudents who are academically successful should pursue careers such as medicine, engineering, law or accounting. Geology was not even on his radar. That changed when his father asked him a simple question: What did he love doing? He remembered that, as a child, he loved being outdoors, exploring, and playing. His father suggested that he look into geology. “I love to explore, you know, I love to play outdoors, stuff like that.” Oyeniyi said. After researching the field, Oyeniyi discovered that geology could take him outdoors to study rocks, mountains, rivers and other parts of the Earth. What CONVERGE 10

OYENI STANDS BESIDES A LARGE TREE ON A SUNNY DAY IN CAMPUS.

began as an unexpected suggestion eventually became the foundation of his career. He earned his bachelor’s degree in geology in Nigeria in 2023, graduating with first-class honors and ranking among the top students in his department. His interest in energy led him to specialize in petroleum geology. After graduation, he worked for seven months with SLB, an international energy company. But his interests in energy would eventually lead him in a different direction. Now a second-year master’s student in geological sciences at California State University, Bakersfield, Oyeniyi is researching one of the challenges surrounding an alternative energy source: how to safely store hydrogen underground. His research focuses on understanding whether rocks deep underground can potentially store hydrogen. Rather than studying rocks only at a large scale,

his research examines their properties at the nanoscale, a level so small that it requires looking closely at the spaces and characteristics within the rock itself. One of the properties Oyeniyi studies is porosity, which refers to the spaces within a rock that can hold fluids or gases. In simple terms, his research is trying to understand what makes certain rocks suitable for underground hydrogen storage.Hydrogen has attracted attention as a potential alternative energy source, but storing it safely is an important part of making that technology practical. For Oyeniyi, the research represents more than another academic project. It connects to his interest in creating a more sustainable energy future. “...theres a lot of pollution, right? And then there’s the need for a sustainable form of energy for the future generations.” Oyeniyi said.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JACQUELINE VILLATORO

His previous experience in petroleum geology taught him about traditional energy exploration. His current research has allowed him to explore what the future of energy could look like. Since arriving at CSUB more than a year ago, he has found opportunities to grow both academically and through his involvement on campus. Along with working as a graduate research assistant, he serves as the Associated Students, Inc. director for diversity and inclusion. He was elected to the position for a second term. His decision to join ASI was partly influenced by his experience as a Black international student. hen Oyeniyi first became involved with ASI, he noticed there were not many Black students represented within the organization. Coming from Nigeria, he wanted to see greater representation and become involved in the campus

community. For him, diversity and inclusion means making sure students from different cultures, races, genders and backgrounds have a voice. He said CSUB’s large international student population makes representation especially important. “The under-represented groups on campus need represenation, right?” Oyeniyi said. His role has given him the opportunity to advocate for students while learning more about the university community outside of his department. Oyeniyi also credits the faculty and staff in the Department of Geological Sciences for helping make his transition to CSUB a positive experience. He described his professors and department leadership as approachable and supportive. Oyeniyi’s research eventually took him beyond

Bakersfield. During the summer, he worked with researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the Energy Geosciences Division. The opportunity allowed him to work alongside scientists on energy-related research and use advanced laboratory equipment.Being part of a world-class research environment was an experience he described as surreal. But the biggest lesson he took away from Berkeley was not simply about research. It was confidence. t Berkeley, Oyeniyi was challenged to work with technology and methods he had never used before, including Python automation and laboratory instrumentation. He said the experience taught him not to underestimate himself. “Never, never, never, never say you are small,” Oyeniyi said. “You’re not.” The experience encouraged him to challenge

himself, even when he did not know exactly how something worked. His supervisors also encouraged him to pursue opportunities, recommend him for positions and share his research. Some of the work he contributed to is expected to be presented at a conference in San Francisco later this year. For Oyeniyi, those opportunities have shown him how far research can take him. After completing his master’s degree, Oyeniyi hopes to continue working in the energy sector. He is open to working with different types of energy companies and is also considering pursuing a Ph.D. His long-term goals extend beyond his career. Within the next five to 10 years, Oyeniyi hopes to travel the world and experience different places and cultures. For students at CSUB who are interested in

research, he recommends first finding what genuinely interests them. “Discover yourself. Discover your research interest,” he said. He also encourages students to find a professor or mentor whose research aligns with their interests. Building that relationship, he said, can open the door to research opportunities. Oyeniyi’s own path into geology began with uncertainty. He did not originally know what career he wanted, and he never expected to become a researcher studying the underground storage of hydrogen. Now, from his work at CSUB to his experience at Berkeley, he is building a career around one question: how can energy be made more sustainable for the future? And he is not afraid to find out. — JACQUELINE VILLATORO

OYENIYI WORKS ON A LAPTOP WHILE SITTING ON A CAMPUS BENCH. OCTOBER 2026

Aztec warrior Man carring Aztec warrior Women, A popular chicano art piece

Culture: The Main Dish of Who We Are

n this world of unique flavors, don’t be bland culture is the main ingredient that brings the unique flavor to all people of the world. Are you fully aware of what makes up your plate? Lets talk about it.

ulture is like the savory mouthwatering dish you get after you add all your ingredients. Everyone that knows anything about cooking a delicious meal, can tell you that your main dish is the meal. That is why the sides are on the side. Not that they don’t add to the presentation of the plate and are not

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important because they add flavor, color and complement the main dish, however, the main dish is what brings it all together. Well, I like to think of culture as the main dish of every single person and every other thing in life are our side dishes. The ingredients that make a culture are all the things that are learned way

before you were born. You might be asking how you could learn things before you were even born. Well, let me explain, when you are born, you enter a culture that already exists. Its traditions, beliefs, values, foods, music, language, and customs have been passed down from generation to generation. Some of these traditions may go back hun-

PHOTOGRAPHED BY SAMUEL BAUTISTA

dreds or even thousands of years to our ancestors. If you were born or raised in the United States, then you more than likely celebrate Christmas every 25th of December and you might not even know why you do you just know that on that day you get precents. Regardless of the reason for the celebration is not as important as to why you continue to celebrate and pass the day and time down to the next generation. We do these things because these are our traditions of the culture we are born into. Traditions are one of the ingredients that we add to becoming the best version of ourselves. Traditions that are culture specific such as Dia De Los Muertos connect us to the love and memories that we still have and feel towards our loved ones that have moved on to the spirit world, and we still have love that is still offered to them. We place all theirfavorite foods and drinks for them to have, although I could never understand how the dead can eat and drink. When I asked, I was told not to question the adults and this also must have been part of the tradion. For us, this is a matter of strength that helps us to continue with life; knowing that even after life we can still do something for them. It gives comfort to the heart and soul. So, whatever traditions that your culture celebrates or partakes in just know that there is more than likely some meaning that is deeper than you may know. dding to the pot, we must not forget to add values and norms. The values and norms are two ingredients that work together to add

a much-needed flavor to life. The values are the culture beliefs, and the norms are how we act or behave because or according to those beliefs. If your culture has values that respect elders, then when you will always greet them when they are present and you will listen when they speak. Once we have added all the ingredients, we let it all marinate and soak in, put it on the heat or chill for some time. By the time you’re an adult you have your main dish done and some people have all their side dishes and pace a great looking presentable plate. But let’s not get hung up on the metaphor so much that we forget that the importance of culture is not so much about food. Without the understanding of where and how the culture was formed or forged is where the real stuff is most effective. Just knowing that Dia De Los Muertos or any celebrated tradition is on a certain day on the calendar is not enough. Knowing the history of your culture will give you a deep understanding of where your people are, where they have been, and where they are going and more importantly this applies to you as an individual. I guess you could say that the knowledge of history of your culture is like the salt, pepper, and spices of your dish. So don’t be bland, get to know your culture, traditions, and history. Be well presented and be the best dish you can be. — SAMUEL BAUTISTA Here is a look at some of the flavors and colors from around the world.

OCTOBER 2026

LIGHTS, THRILLER, MOTION: Kern County Fair

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY RAUL RICO

G LO BA L

PHOTOGRAPHED BY PAIGE GAYLORD

Our Littlest Treasures

tanding on a replication of Henri Mattisse’s Icarus lies a whimsical crew of characters. Everything from Littlest Pet Shop to a glittery salamander I found stranded on the playground in fifth grade are housed here. To an ordinary person, they might seem like clutter – perhaps a little childish. Some garbage. To me, they’re a reminder of a time long gone. An era where I would sit in my bedroom for hours and play endlessly, imagining overthe-top scenarios where my toys were the main protagonists. These trinkets are representative of my pleasant childhood, where my wonder was abundant and responsibilities were minimal. My bedroom is a museum of everything I’ve ever loved, and I am its art curator. A wooden Virgin Mary prays for me on my desk, a Panamanian doll wearing a pollera – the national folk dress of the country – waves a flag with pride from my nightstand, and California State University, Bakersfield, pompom sparkles attached to my calendar. These items, among everything else confined in these grayish walls, represent chapters in my life. My first communion in the CONVERGE

Catholic Church, my visit to Panama in July 2026, and being admitted to CSUB as the class of 2028. They illustrate the beautiful twenty years I’ve lived on this Earth. I look forward to having the opportunity to collect more; to decorate more; to remember more from my time here. When I’m old and gray, I want to live in a small home overloaded by my memories. I want a coffee table filled with knick-knacks. I want my grandchildren to ask about my trinkets and be curious about the adventures I had as a bright-eyed young woman who dared to take on the world. Beyond the museum that is my bedroom, I envision myself as a gallery, experiential art of sorts. I am attracted to anything whimsical. Anything that feels like me; something that screams “I am a fun soul waiting to

burst out of this introverted body!”. I carry a denim bag with a mola sewn in,

and two keychains; a Care Bear Fuggler, and a Snoopy keychain that my mama gifted me for my twentieth birthday. Inside my bag, my wallet is its own separate story. Inside, there are photo strips featuring my Sensational

Sophomore peers and me. We’re posing with wacky hats and glasses. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but it’s somewhat messy. There are old receipts, half-used gift cards to Cracker Barrel and Target, and a bunch of contact cards from local businesses. However, in its own special way, it’s a medley of the places I’ve had the opportunity to experience and the people I’ve met along the way. My planner is stamped with an outrageous number of stickers, but they’re personal reminders to keep pushing towards graduation. I know a whole life waits for me beyond university, one that’s filled with excitement and blessings. My favorite stickers are “Dream Big” and “You Are the Woman of Your Dreams”. Allowing my creativity to flow, and through

PHOTOGRAPHED BY ABAD & RUBIO

the endless support by my family and peers, I know I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. ike a crow collecting pebbles, humans tend to latch onto items that remind them of a special time in their lives. It’s a reflection of our inner-most self, an illustration of what we hold closest to our hearts. All our beliefs, values, and unforgettable memories. The awesome thing about trinkets is that their material value is nil. What matters is their sentimental value. Owning trinkets doesn’t have to come from commercial means, either. You don’t need to purchase a Smiski lifting weights or a doe-eyed Monchichi from a flea market to be the owner of a trinket. As long as one possesses an item that is small and holds immense value, that is, by definition, a trinket. Old concert tickets, enamel pins, and a rock with googly eyes can all neatly fit in this category. Trinkets are a lesson in holding your memories close and the importance of preserving mementos of the experiences you’ve had. Even as one’s mind starts to fail with age, we can always be transported back in time by simply glancing at our trinkets. They can act as timekeepers for us.

— MARIANA ABAD

Alexia Nankil “I really love raccoons, so when people get me a lot of raccoon stuff, I associate my racoons with people. When I find racoon stuff, it’s a very exciting thing for me.”

Kendra Arevalo

Photo by Shaila Rubio

Val Morales

“My favorite trinket is one of my snow globes. It means a lot to me because it represents when I started excelling in school. When I was in elementary school, I didn’t have a good record in school. But, in 6th grade, my teacher, Mrs. Piper, would give out snow globes to kids who did well, or when it was their birthday. I actually started trying to do well to get snow globes.”

“When it comes to trinkets, I’m a big sucker for keychains. I love the variety that can come with key chains, like the acrylic ones of your favorite character or those stupid little plushies with giant heads. I love having key chains everywhere. I feel like I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve when it comes to my interests like that.” Photo by Mariana Abad OCTOBER 2026

What’s On Your Algorithm?

hen we start doomscrolling, at first, we don’t really pay attention to what videos are coming across our feed. Until it sparks an interest which causes us to start interacting with the videos that are being shown, and when your algorithm realizes a pattern on what you’re interacting with, it starts to shape your feed into things you only like, becoming a personal digital diary. Our algorithms want to make sure we are only seeing videos that are interesting to us, so it finds several ways to keep you on your cell phone as long as possible. Social media and our algorithms are like an automated content curator trying to keep everyone on platforms like TikTok, and Instagram. You may have heard the phrase from a

some juicy tea. I believe that everyone’s algorithm is nearly never the same just because it’s personalized by the creator which to a limit is us. Anything we decide to look up or interact with will start to appear more on our feeds. Not only is it just a digital reflection but also shows

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What’s interesting about hearing everyone’s different answers were seeing their different backgrounds.

Do you ever take a step back and think if your friends or family see the same videos as you do on social media? how we see our world today. Some people believe we all have the same feed just because of the videos’ popularity but realistically everyone’s feeds are more likely to be different. Just because we have people who are dictating who is most likely to be in the Su-

Or do you think your algorithm is a reflection of you? friend saying “Your phone is listening to you” which technically they are not wrong. Your device is continuously trying to capture what grabs your attention, whether it is your hobby or

is something we all have in common, but we all aren’t always looking at or searching for the same thing. Knowing what’s on each other’s feed allows us to learn from each other and

perbowl, but then we have people looking for the next best foundation or clothing brand. This shows that everyone is always looking for the next best thing regardless of what it is specifically; this

see different interests. To really bring this topic alive, I asked a few students around campus what type of content they usually see on their feeds. I had some students who had the same common answers, like outfits and nails. Some students also had different answers like K-pop, baking, Minecraft, fidget toys, and traveling. With these answers, I saw how different everyone’s content actually was. This showed me that everyone’s social media platforms are personalized and created to their own liking. What one student sees on their cell phones can be a completely different thing from another student.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY ALYSSA RODRIGUEZ

his experiment shows a real look into diversity and ultimately the concept of inclusion. This aspect is important because it ultimately helps create a world where everyone is not stuck in one category. We have the ability to learn hobbies, discover new recipes, and even be able to connect with others that share the same interest. Now isn’t connecting with others one of the main purposes of social media? I believe that having an algorithm can be a good thing because it is like a comfort space. Social media and the algorithm together create numerous strong commu-

nities where we can talk about different topics that others also support and not feeling shut out. Not only does it create a safe circle, but it can also help us with research on topics we tend to be passionate about or find interest in, and examples would be social media post on a news Instagram account. Our social media and algorithm keep us up to date in today’s world and gives us an opportunity to learn new ideas. With the responses from our csub community and some research digging, Algorithms just don’t magically know what we like to see; it’s learning from our behaviors and actions. Our algorithm tracks every like, share, comment, and follow or any content you choose to skip. The only advantage is how we choose to act or behave simply with the content given through our cell phones. If we show that we care or feel some sort of emotion towards a video, our algorithm picks it up within seconds and now all you’re seeing is videos on that specific topic or anything related to it. As much as we can benefit from our algorithm, anything that is great does have its flaws. Sometimes we believe that we have control of what videos pop up on our algorithms. ot to be the bearer of bad news, but we do not have as much control as our algorithms do. See, we only really control our behaviors and actions towards our social media, but what we actually get to see is all up to our algorithm. The reason for this is that our algorithm only pushes videos it knows we want to see and keep anything

unrelated out of our reach. If you really think about it seeing the same thing every day gets old and it’s no longer interesting anymore. It’s a repeated process that will get old fast, and some audiences will get off their cell phones because it feels like you are just in a constant bubble. Not only that, but it also keeps us from learning new creative ideas and being able to try new things as well. Which is why being able to discover other algorithms through other people helps us escape that trapped bubble feeling. Our algorithms aren’t just random videos. Every video that has come across your page is either influenced by the interactions you make with the videos you see, or the specific content you have searched for. Kind of how I explained in the beginning, the only control we have that the algorithm doesn’t is our emotions. Depending on how we use our power, we can have very little or can completely take over the algorithm. It really just depends on how you act because the algorithms only outlet is your behaviors and actions. The algorithm can only control what you decide to do if you allow it to. Throughout this experiment, asking students what’s on their feed. I learned that everyone’s interest is nearly never the same and that our algorithms have helped shaped who we are because the one thing, I’ve realized is that yes everyone had different interest but one thing that everyone also had in common was their algorithms had also changed with them as they have grown. —ALYSSA RODRIGUEZ

“outfit inpos and traveling”

“how to do curly hairystyles”

“mostly K-Pop, and shopping”

“finance and fidget toy’s”

‘‘Outfit inspo’s and makeup”

“a lot of photography and Pride&Prejudice”

OCTOBER 2026