Banner | Vol. 68 Issue 8 by Lancer Media Group

Volume 68 | Issue 8 | April 9, 2021

@cbulancermedia cbubanner.com

Film Festival —

Remote Work —

Asian Americans —

College of Architecture, Visual Art, and Design hosts annual Film Festival.

COVID-19 changes the future of remote work.

A rise in crimes against Asian Americans rattles the country.

A & E , Pg . 1 0

B & T , Pg .12

N e w s , Pg. 2

Immigration crisis continues

BY EMILY MCGINN

years in the industry and had roles in executive leadership. Dr. Phil van Haaster, assis- He decided to enter into acatant professor of mechanical demia because of his passion engineering and department for mentoring and teaching chair of aerospace, industrial engineers he was responsible and mechanical engineering, for in his executive leadership will become the new dean of the role. As a result, he stepped into Gordon and Jill Bourns College a role as a professor at CBU. Additionally, when he became of Engineering starting July 1. To prepare for the position, department chair of aerospace, van Haaster currently meets industrial and mechanical engiwith Dr. Anthony Donaldson, neering, he learned more about founding dean of the College of working in academia and led Engineering, to discuss admin- the effort to build a new Master istrative duties and goals for the of Science and Engineering that will be available in the fall. position of dean. Van Haaster Donaldson said he believes has been the dean God has prepared since the start of him through his California Baptist past work expeUniversity’s Colrience to teach lege of Engineerengineering stuing. He plans to dents and collabremain in the facorate with and ulty as a professor. Dr. Phil van Haaster, develop a team “The beauty of that is I will have a Assistant professor of colleagues in the College of resource I can tap of mechanical Engineering as into, so it is not engineering and dean. He said it is like I am stepping in and knowledge department chair of important to analyze the content is lost,” van Haasaerospace that the College ter said. “We will of Engineering maintain that knowledge as Dr. Donaldson offers and successfully teach will remain part of the College it to students in a way that will honor God. of Engineering.” Before becoming a professor, van Haaster worked for 26 SEE NEW DEAN | PAGE 3 NEWS EDITOR

In recent months, tens of thousands of immigrants have trekked from Central America and Mexico to the southern U.S. border, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of people making the voyage to the U.S. borders are seeking safety from violence, natural disasters or poverty. Although waves of immigration are not new, stories of smugglers leaving children just over the U.S. border have been making headlines lately. Camille Mejia, a Riverside resident who came to the U.S. four years ago, originally from Honduras, said most people coming to the U.S. are focused on arriving, not what happens next. “People are more focused on getting here, or getting their children here, rather than what they will do when they get inside because they are trying to get away from something,” Mejia said. “When I came here, I decided that if I was going to be here in the United States, that I had to do so legally. I did not want there to be any reason they could send me away. My home was not a good place.” Mejia said that most of the people she has met who are not in the U.S. legally did not know the proper way to apply for citizenship or legal residency. “It is easy to overstay a visa,” Mejia said. “You do not really have to do anything, you just do not

Alex Iannone | Banner

The San Ysidro Port of Entry is located between the San Ysidro district of San Diego, Calif., and Tijuana, Mexico.

New engineering dean aims to expand program, inspire passion in students

BY MISTY SEVERI

NATIONAL EDITOR

SEE BORDER CRISIS | PAGE 3

Students and faculty reflect on one year in a pandemic BY HANNAH TUDOR

ASST. LIFESTYLE EDITOR One year ago, California Baptist University students’ spring semesters got cut short due to COVID-19. To keep families safe, students and educators around the world have had to adapt learning opportunities to a virtual or hybrid learning format. One year later, most classes are still online while some have returned to a COVID-19 safe in-person format. Dr. Victoria Brodie, department chair for the Communication Arts department,

described the grit and collaboration it took for departments to adapt to online learning. “There was a lot of collaboration because we ultimately wanted to serve our students, so we shared tools and things that we had learned,” Brodie said. “Everyone was really adaptable and flexible but it really allowed us to be able to play in that space which expands our skillset, so if we can deliver content face-to-face, we can deliver it online faceto-face, we can deliver synchronously. It just allows us to be a more robust department,

to be able to deliver the way we need to, whatever the future may hold.” Reflecting on this year, Brodie was proud of how far staff and students have come to be adaptable in an unfamiliar learning environment. “If you have a learning mindset, if you’re adaptable, you are critical, you can critically think through things, then you’re going to find your path, No matter what comes in front of you, you’re going to work to find a path,” Brodie said. Students and educators

alike, have faced challenges this last year with online learning. Ben Higgins, senior criminal justice major, struggled with finding motivation and learning in virtual format. “I don’t learn well online,” Higgins said. “I’m very easily distracted. The challenges with internet times from my professors, and also my own internet is frustrating. For so many students just having the ability to congregate outside are the difference between a good semester without any mental health

SEE A YEAR OF COVID | PAGE 6

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We will maintain that knowledge as Dr. Donaldson will remain part of the College of Engineering.

Sofia Eneqvist | Banner

NEWS

April 9, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 8

THE BANNER

staff PRINT

Editor-in-Chief Jane Robertus

Lifestyle Editor Teddy Peña

Managing Editor Soﬁa Eneqvist

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 Soﬁa Eneqvist Asst. Design Editor Emily McGinn News Editor Emily McGinn Asst. News Editors Lauren Brooks Selah Kelley Business & Tech Editor Jasmine Severi Asst. B&T Editor Luc Stringer Arts & Entertainment Editor Jackson Waldrop Asst. A&E Editors Cole Stillwagon

Public Relations Director Victoria Buszinski Social Media Manager Kaylee Elrod Advertising Manager Alex Iannone Distribution Manager Joshua Lomelí

ONLINE Managing Editor Casey Maldonado National Editor Misty Severi Photo Editor Luc Stringer

Asst. Director of Student Publications Sonya Singh Director of Student Publications & Adviser 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 University. The newsroom is located in the James Building in Room 060 and can be reached at 951-343-4787. The Banner, a student-run newspaper, serves the CBU community with accurate, timely and factual reporting on signiﬁcant aspects of university life, Riverside life and subjects of interest or concern to its readers. Students, faculty, staff, administrators and others in the university are encouraged to react to published material or to comment on matters of concern. The Banner retains the right to edit your letter upon publication based on grammar and word count. Send letters to Jane Robertus, editor-in-chief of The Banner at BannerEditor@calbaptist.edu. If you have a story idea for The Banner, please let us know. If a business would like to advertise in the The Banner, please contact Alex Iannone at AlexanderJordan.Iannone@ calbaptist.edu.

@CBULancerMedia Keep up with CBU news and events.

Danielle Lutjens | Banner Breana Crane, senior psychology major, is a spring 2020 graduate who came back to campus to take her senior photos.

CBU plans in-person graduation BY SELAH KELLEY

ASST. NEWS EDITOR California Baptist University announced on March 19 that graduation for the spring class of 2021 will take place in person. This is the first semester since fall 2019 that features in-person graduation, as pandemic restrictions caused spring, summer and fall 2020 graduations to occur over Zoom in December. After a recent decline in new COVID-19 cases and deaths in Riverside County and an increase in the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine, the CBU Executive Council stated in an email that the school will host nine separate, sociallydistanced commencement ceremonies. These ceremonies will take place May 3-6 at 9:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. each day. Ceremonies will be separated according to colleges, with each ceremony honoring about 200 graduates. In addition to the graduates themselves,

four guests per graduate will be allowed to attend. The ceremonies will also be streamed online. Joe Adcock, assistant dean of students for administration, is involved in planning graduation. “It has always been the hope for all of us to be able to celebrate our graduates with in-person ceremonies,” Adcock said. “Unfortunately, we have been limited in what we could do with the many state and local COVID-19 related restrictions.” Adcock shared the safety procedures CBU will take to ensure the safety of graduates and their families. “Appropriate physical distancing will be observed in guest and graduate seating areas,” Adcock said. “Masks will be required for all attending and participating in the ceremony. Hand sanitizing stations will be available throughout the venue.” Daisy Erber, senior

international studies and history major, will be graduating this spring. She said she thinks the intimacy of the smaller ceremonies will be a positive change. “I think the mini ceremonies will be cool for the different departments to celebrate together,” Erber said. “It will be meaningful for the graduates to see their friends and people who they have worked alongside for four years in their caps, gowns and masks.” Along with the class of 2021, the prior graduating class of 2020 will be honored in their own ceremony on May 7. Although the 2020 graduates received an online ceremony in December, they will now have the opportunity to participate in an in-person ceremony. Laura Farley, fall 2020 graduate, said she is anticipating the memories she now will have a chance to make. “It has always been a dream of my grandfather to see me walk across the stage and

graduate in commencement,” Farley said. “He helped move me into campus my first day of freshman year, and it would be so cool for him to see me walk across that stage in honor of completing my degree.” Despite the announcement, Erber stated she is not as excited as she would have been before the pandemic. “It is exciting that they are having in-person graduations,” Erber said. “It is just that COVID-19 has put so much perspective on life that I am not as excited for graduation in general. I was so ready to not have graduation, I have already grieved over not having it. I realized it is not as big of a deal. We do not need it. It is a fun cultural tradition but we still graduate, we still get our degrees and we can still celebrate in small ways.” Students interested in more information about commencement can visit h t t p s : // c a l b a p t i s t . e d u / commencement/.

Asian American hate sparks concern BY SELAH KELLEY

ASST. NEWS EDITOR Asian American hate crimes have existed ever since Asian immigration. However, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, hate crimes targeting Asian people increased by 150% in 2020. Delaina Ashley Yaun Gonzalez, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Suncha Kim, Soon Chung Park and Yong Ae Yue lost their lives and Elcias Hernandez-Ortiz was severely injured after an active shooter walked into three Asian-owned spas on March 16 in the Atlanta area and shot nine people. Authorities did not label this incident an anti-Asian hate

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“I have spent the majority of my life running away from my Asian-ness, trying to assimilate to white culture with the hopes of being accepted by my peers. Being an Asian woman to me represents the daily acceptance of the way God has made me with the knowledge that I was created in the likeness of him.

Leah Lowe, Sophomore nursing student

crime. However, since six of the victims in this shooting were Asian-American women, the incident has led to a surge in conversations about anti-Asian hate crimes and the racism Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) experience. Dr. Soojin Chung, assistant professor of intercultural studies, spoke about this rise. “We are not making this up,” Chung said. “There are actual statistics out there that hate crimes are on the rise and specifically because of the harmful rhetoric of ‘China Virus’ and blaming the Asians.” Leah Lowe, sophomore nursing student, stressed that Asian Americans have been experiencing hate crimes long before the pandemic. “I am disheartened by the rising hate crimes,” Lowe said. “However, this does not necessarily mean that they didn’t exist before the pandemic. They are simply amplified due to increased incident reports and coverage of the media. We should not believe that they have only just started since COVID. Asian people have faced racial oppression since first coming to America.” Jolene Automo, junior theater major, shared how she believes the community can help. Automo emphasized the need for discussion about the issue of anti-Asian hate. “I think the best way the California Baptist University community can support and lift up AAPI peers is simply by having conversations,” Automo said. “Each and every member of the AAPI community has a completely different story on how they got here and what

their lives looked like growing up. The best way you can help lift them up is being interested in their story and what they have to say.” Automo expanded on this conversation by sharing about her own Asian American experience. “I was born and raised in America,” Automo said. “My parents are from Indonesia and I would gladly talk about their experience on their behalf, but that is not all that I am. That is why I believe in the importance of listening to your AAPI peers and hearing their personal stories.” Chung emphasized the importance of validation in these conversations. “It is very important not to dismiss people’s experience when they confide in you,” Chung said. “Not only are Asian Americans hurting because of what happened, but they are also hurting because of people’s response. You are punching them twice by saying it is not about race, or ‘Do not be hypersensitive’ or ‘This is just one bad kid who had a bad day.” Using her position as a professor, Chung said she has helped Asian American students through the grieving process. Many students have seen Chung and her experiences as an Asian American as a place to find comfort. “A lot of my Asian American students emailed me directly because they did not know where to turn,” Chung said. “Not only are they dealing with sadness, but they are also dealing with fear. They feel unsafe to just go to a market because they feel like they are going to be verbally abused or

even physically abused. That gave me a wake-up call that I am actually in a position of influence and I should address this issue and try to comfort my students.” Chung said education can help highlight a rise in AAPI hate and display how people can approach the issue. “I teach intercultural studies and how we communicate across different cultures,” Chung said. “This is a prime example of what can go wrong when we do not communicate well interculturally.” Along with education, Automo said she believes Christianity and acceptance go hand-in-hand. “We are all children of God,” Automo said. “That is who we are, that is our identity and if you truly believe that, then love on all your brothers and sisters around you through words and actions.” Lowe shared her experience of growing up as an Asian American woman and struggling with acceptance. “I have spent the majority of my life running away from my Asian-ness, trying to assimilate to white culture with the hopes of being accepted by my peers,” Lowe said. “Being an Asian woman, to me, represents the daily acceptance of the way God has made me with the knowledge that I was created in the likeness of him. This is my daily battle, choosing to unlearn the white beauty standards that have told me for so long that I am less than and therefore unworthy of love. Being Asian, to me, also means not shying away from my racial identity out of fear of hate but rather facing it head on.”

NEWS

April 9, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 8

President Joe Biden signed a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill on March 11.

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN Pay to the Order of

Date

American people

3/11/21 $

CALIFORNIA RECALL UPDATE

130,000,000

1,400.00

One thousand four hundred Memo

NEWS Briefs

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sent out stimulus checks to more than 130 million people as of April 1. Individuals can see when their checks will most likely come by using the Get My Payment tool found at www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment.

Dollars

COVID-19 Stimulus The stimulus checks will give $1,400 to single people and $2,800 to married couples filing jointly. In addition, those with children will receive $1,400 for each dependent child. Single

people with an income of up to $75,000 and married couples with a joint income of up to $150,000 receive the full amount.

Emily McGinn | Banner

The bill includes a third round of stimulus checks to be sent out to Americans.

Those leading the effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom submitted 2.1 million signatures by March 17, the deadline for signatures, according to Ballotpedia. Currently, the California Secretary of State and county election officials are in the process of verifying signatures, a procedure that must be completed by April 29. If they verify at least 1,495,709 signatures, a recall election will take place later this year. In response to the recall effort, Newsom has indicated that he believes it is an effort by Republicans to gain power. Several Republican candidates have indicated they intend to run in the event of a recall election. However, California will not know if it will have a recall election until the end of April.

RIVERSIDE MOVES TO ORANGE TIER

New dean Continued from Page 1 “The College of Engineering is staffed with brilliant people,” van Haaster said. “What I can do as I step in is I have a global perspective that may not have been there before —running a major portion, North America, for a global organization, whether it be the research and development, finance, marketing or program management. Being able to recognize and move around

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“I am most excited about channeling that impatience and passion so that when they do go out in industry or advanced academia, they are going out in a way that they can harness that energy to impact the world for Jesus. Dr. Phil van Haaster, Assistant professor of mechanical engineering and department chair of aerospace, industrial and mechanical engineering

Border crisis Continued from Page 1 leave. But to go through the process of applying for citizenship, it can be challenging to those who have not always been here, and being here illegally is better for most than being home.” Mejia said Honduras has seen a lot of homicide and gang violence in recent years, which has led to more families coming to the U.S. U.S. presidents have made immigration a large part of their political platforms. Former President Donald J. Trump focused on creating a physical border wall between Mexico and the U.S. President Joseph R. Biden ran his campaign on the promise that he would overturn many of the immigration policies passed under the Trump administration. Darren Logan, adjunct professor of history and political science, said defending the borders is an important role

assets appropriately is a key that I bring to the College of Engineering.” As dean, van Haaster will become responsible for all departments in the College of Engineering rather than a single department as a chair. Van Haaster said he hopes to use his interdisciplinary skills from his industry background to fulfill his responsibilities as dean and to emphasize the importance of developing students’ interdisciplinary abilities in the College of Engineering. “In industry and throughout the world, engineering is interacting with several other disciplines,” van Haaster said. “What I look at in the future as dean is making our engineers capable to interact with marketing, business leaders and finance.” Raymond Curran, senior civil engineering major, said the engineering program has advanced over the years he has been in the program. “The College of Engineering has been expanding rapidly in the last few years,” Curran said. “In 2018, they finished their new state-of-the-art building. As the years go by, they continue to add clubs and participate in new events, and with every new year the number of engineering graduates in every field grows.” Kenna Morrison, sophomore mechanical engineering major, said she is looking forward to what the future holds for the College of

of the U.S. government. “Our national and federal government, especially the executive, is charged constitutionally with protecting and defending the nation,” Logan said. “Therefore reasonable, humane, just and enforceable policies and actions must be taken to protect and defend the border and nation. There are laws already in place that should be enforced. The ordered liberty of the United States must be protected, but not at the cost of openly violating the very principles regarding the nature of all men and women in the process.” Logan added that although the government should rightfully protect U.S. borders, it should be a bipartisan issue rather than one that divides the country. “The issues should be handled in a bipartisan, nonpoliticized manner, with an open, honest, fair and vigorous public policy discussion in Washington D.C. and throughout the U.S.,” Logan said. “Moreover, and perhaps

Riverside County is eligible to move from the red to the orange tier in the state’s COVID-19 reopening plan along with San Bernardino and Ventura Counties. The move to the orange tier will allow more indoor activities and fewer capacity restrictions. The shift will allow retail to operate without capacity limits and will allow restaurants, churches, movie theaters, zoos and aquariums to operate at 50% capacity. Gyms will also be allowed to operate with 25% capacity. With this shift, 32 of the 58 counties in California are now operating in the orange tier.

VACCINE ELIGIBILITY

Courtesy of Dr. Phil van Haaster Dr. Phil van Haaster will become the new dean of the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering on July 1. Engineering. “Everything I have heard makes me excited to continue with the College of Engineering under a new dean, especially since I will have a class with Dr. van Haaster next semester,” Morrison said. “I will miss Dr. Donaldson, but I look forward to the future. I hope to see continued expansion of the program and I hope to have the same excitement for projects that I have had in the past.” Van Haaster said he is

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The ordered liberty of the United States must be protected, but not at the cost of openly violating the very princples regarding the nature of all men and women in the process.

Darren Logan, Adjunct professor of history and political science

of even greater importance, is the fact that most of the migrants, both legal and illegal, are coming to the borders of the U.S. in the hopes of finding something that they simply cannot and likely will not find in their own home nations.” When it comes to moving forward, Logan said the U.S. should work with foreign governments on ways to improve their own countries. “The U.S. should

looking forward to helping students shape their integrity and passion for engineering to prepare them for the professional world whether they enter academia or industry. “I am most excited about channeling that impatience and passion so that when they do go out in industry or advanced academia, they are going out in a way that they can harness that energy to impact the world for Jesus,” van Haaster said.

aggressively seek to engage with the governments of the nations from which these people are coming, mostly from Central and South America, but also from Africa, the Middle East and Asia,” Logan said. “The United States has for generations held the moral high ground as a free and democratic republic where our constitutionally ordered liberty stands in stark contrast to the overwhelming majority of countries around the world. It would be in the best interests of the United States to engage with these nations in an effort to help them better care for their own citizens.” The House of Representatives passed two new immigration bills March 18. The first is The American Dream and Promise Act, which provides a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers. The second is The Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which gives a pathway to citizenship for undocumented farmworkers and their families. Both bills are now waiting on Senate approval.

All California residents older than 16 will be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting on April 15, according to covid19. ca.gov. The state has been in the process of vaccinating healthcare workers, residents 65 years or older and high-risk individuals over 16. California opened vaccinations to those 50 and older on April 1. To check if a person is eligible to get the vaccine, Californians can check myturn.ca.gov and take steps to schedule an appointment. As of March 31, 30.67% of the California population had received at least one dose of a vaccine.

New study spots open on campus BY LAUREN BROOKS ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Additional study spots on the California Baptist University campus, including the Staples Room (James Building 107A) and Innovators Auditorium (Business Building 132), will now be available from Monday through Thursday from 8 p.m. – 1 a.m., according to an email issued by the Provost on March 9. In addition, the Annie Gabriel Library will now have extended hours and will remain open until 1 a.m. instead of closing at 8 p.m. Tracy Ward, assistant provost for administration, said CBU’s pledge for student achievement prompted the growth in study locations. “We believe that offering these spaces is an example of CBU’s commitment to creating conditions for success for students by giving them space to study together,” Ward said. Ward also said it is still important to comply with COVID-19 protocols while

using these new locations. “Social distancing and wearing masks is expected in study areas,” Ward said. “There are also disinfectant wipes for student use and surfaces are cleaned following student use.” Erin Anderson, senior nutrition major, said it is important to have a study spot with a comfortable environment. “James Building has helped a lot with studying, as I need a quiet spot,” Anderson said. “It is nice to have open space and the perfect amount of quiet.” Emily Ma, sophomore graphic design major, said she is excited to have alternatives to her living area. “It is nice to have a larger variety of options to study in,” Ma said. “It helps me concentrate and get things done in a different environment than my dorm.” More locations available for studying are expected to open next semester, due to the expected lessening of COVID-19 restrictions.

VISION

April 9, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 8

W.E. James Building

1950

2021

2021 2006 Tower Hall

VISION

April 9, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 8

Photos by Camille Grochowski Design by Sofia Eneqvist

2021 2008 Annie Gabriel Library

2014 Tower Hall

2021

LIFESTYLE

April 9, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 8

Fashion week delivered on a digital platform BY WILL ANTON

ASST. LIFESTYLE EDITOR The reality of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many events to change to a strictly online setting. Concerts, speeches, graduation ceremonies, even weddings have been left no other option than to cancel in-person attendance and switch exclusively to livestream options. One prominent cultural area that has recently made the shift to online is the world of fashion. Fashion Week is a high-profile event where multiple large-scale venues across the globe are packed with thousands in attendance. While a digital fashion week may not be an ideal venue for many, it has

nonetheless been proven to be effective. Adrianna Marlin, junior film production major, said that a digital fashion week is an inevitable yet encouraging spin on the traditional event. “Due to the global pandemic, many loved events have been canceled or have gone virtual. One of those big events is Fashion Week,” Marlin said. “Through the unknown of the pandemic and the challenges that large gatherings would place, it is a great second option. Although it is virtual, the small steps being made are giving hope and a glimpse into ‘normalcy’ for society. The biggest challenge in a virtual fashion week will be grabbing the au-

dience’s attention and having This hinders the “storytelling” that buzzing excitement they aspect of fashion shows, as the have in person. The designers in-person connections cannot and fashion brands will have be realized. The experience of the show is why to make up for many attend in the loss of atmothe first place, sphere by creating and when that more visuals and experience is sevtaking a few risks. ered, attendance Through the pros naturally drops. and cons, a virtuKamryn Allen, al fashion week is Adrianna Marlin, junior psycholexciting and a step Junior film production ogy major, said in the right direction.” major that a digital spin on the Fashion An event the size, scale and caliber of fashion Week event, while necessary, is week was left with no chance of far from ideal, and diminishes hosting in-person attendance the experience and heart of the during the pandemic. There- show itself. “The digital fashion week fore, the switch to a fully online platform was a necessity. event, in my opinion definitely

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The small steps being made are giving hope and a glimpse into normalcy.

A Year of COVID

Continued from Page 1

Photo Illustration by Camille Grochowski | Banner

The coronavirus outbreak was officially decalred a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

issues and a really depressing semester where they’re struggling.” Higgins had spent the last three years at CBU learning in person. Reflecting on this year, he has learned to be disciplined with his learning and friendships. “Regardless of how far away I am from those I care about, still being intentional with communicating, and communicating what I need for the friendship to remain healthy through distance,” said Higgins. Owen Colombo, freshman aviation science major, has not had the opportunity to have the traditional college experience. The class of 2024 missed out on the customary freshman experience and CBU traditions. “I think it was a bummer that there’s not the actual college experience, but I think it is good because it was a good transition from high school to college,” Colombo said. “Not getting caught up in so many of the busy events and stuff like there’s actually an easy, peaceful transition to my major and studying. But, I feel like it’s harder now to make friends because there’s nothing to go to.” Like most students, Colombo looks forward to next semester’s in-person learning experience. He said he is going to have to relearn how to go to class but is excited to be able to connect with classmates. Joshua Freeman, ceramics professor, understands the challenges of not having an in-person experience. Ceram-

has more cons that outweigh the pros due to the fact it would be online and not in person,” Allen stated. “The pros of the event being held in a digital setting are that many people would feel more comfortable with the fact that they can watch from a distance. Now, I know there are more pros than I could list but an additional con I found that could possibly hinder the event’s liveliness would be that it would not feel the same. There would not be a live crowd cheering and clapping, which I believe is one of the most fun parts of a fashion show.” Multiple online platforms exist to help people engage with one another while still being able to socially distance them-

selves. Zoom and WebEx are both largely used by the academic and business worlds, but they may not have been the best choice when it comes to fashion week. For instance, Dr. Brett Biermann, associate professor of emerging media, said that, when it comes to platforms, “lots of designers are doing fashion shows in XR (AR VR).” Even though the world of fashion has taken a hit, it does not show any signs of disappearing. If anything, this hiatus from normal activity has created a strong initiative in the fashion community to plan and create, so that when the time is right, they may host a bigger and better fashion week than ever before.

ics is a collaborative class, and teaching in a hybrid format has had its challenges for professors and students. “I think the most difficult thing is having to let my students go and have to learn a lot more on their own instead of being able to be there, class after class, in person, where I can maybe stop them if they’re making a mistake or guide them if they need some help,” Freeman said. “It’s challenging, and I feel like students maybe ar-

are struggling.” All majors have had their fair share of struggles with online learning. Beau Morton, sophomore mechanical engineering major, said he liked the ability to have lectures and notes available anytime. “The benefit to being online is that a lot of teachers record their lectures, so if you miss something you can go back or they handwrite their lecture notes,” Morton said. “They upload those so you can see how they took notes to advance how you take your own notes - it’s like learning from the teacher. I feel like that’s something that you don’t get in an in-person class.” Reflecting on this year, Morton has learned to dig deeper and do his own research when it comes to controversial topics. In 2020, the world was faced with a ton of new information regarding COVID-19 and a highly publicized U.S. presidential election. “This year opened my eyes to do my own research and not just listen to what others say,” Morton said. “I now like looking at more sources, trying to figure out whether this person is actually telling me the truth.” This year represented a lot of change for CBU and the world. Amy Wenger, junior interior design major, has learned to be ok with change. “I know very obviously and very clearly that I am not in control,” Wenger said. “God is in control. He knows what’s going to happen. He’s got it all in his plan, but on the other hand, I have no idea. I can’t control it all but that’s gonna happen and I have to accept that.”

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This year opened my eyes to do my own research. Beau Morton, Sophomore mechanical engineering major

en’t getting the full experience having to watch something on a glitchy screen.” Like many classes, the ceramics classes have had to adapt at CBU to maintain social distancing guidelines to keep students safe. The ceramics professors have created a user-friendly safe space for students to be creative and connect with classmates. “I think the sooner you can reach out to the professor the better,” Freeman said. “If you’re needing help or struggling in any way, don’t wait until the last minute to reach out. We want to see our students succeed and want to be able to provide equity between students that maybe are thriving in this environment and where other students

LIFESTYLE

April 9, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 8

Lifestyle Tries: decorating canvas tote bags

Anna Chilson | Banner

Anna Chilson, senior public relations major, made a DIY tote bag using a plain canvas bag and acrylic paint.

BY ANNA CHILSON CONTRIBUTOR

Tote bags have always been a trendy yet fun way to carry around your belongings. Campus is full of assorted tote bags in various colors, designs and textures. But if you want to personalize your tote bag even

more, painting it yourself is the way to go. This week, Lifestyle Tries is breaking out the paintbrushes to try it for ourselves. Supplies needed include a blank canvas tote bag, acrylic or fabric paint, paintbrushes, stencils (or hand paint it), a piece of cardboard or thick cardstock, and fabric markers.

All these supplies can be found at your local craft store. This DIY took about an hour and $8 to create. Follow these steps to make your own hand-painted tote bag: Step One: Cut a piece of cardboard or thick cardstock to fit inside your tote bag. This

FINANCIAL AID TIPS

Make an appointment with your financial aid counselor. Financial aid counselors are here to help students navigate their financial aid needs at CBU. Check to see who your counselor is by visiting InsideCBU under the “Financial Aid” tab.

Apply for state financial aid. Financial aid sponsored by the state of California exists to support various populations attending higher education. The aid includes Cal Grants, DREAM Act, Chaffee Grant and Golden State Teacher Grant.

Apply for federal financial aid. Various scholarships and grants are also sponsored by the federal government. The aid includes Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and Federal Work-Study.

Take advantage of institutional financial aid. Many scholarships exist for the diverse student population on campus provided by CBU. The aid includes academic scholarships, participant scholarships CBU Promise, CBU Grants, Multi-Sibling scholarship, Ministers Kin Scholarship and much more.

Check out scholarship search engines such as www.fastweb.com and www.scholarships.com. These websites exist to search for other scholarships not sponsored by CBU, the state or the federal government. CBU Financial Aid advises students to be aware of scams. If a website is asking for irrelevant or private information or is asking you to pay money, it is a scam.

Make use of financial aid sponsored by corporations. Many larger companies have scholarships ready to give students to invest in their academic careers. Some companies that provide scholarships to their workers are McDonald’s, Walmart, Target, Ford, Macy’s and Subway.

Check out the “Financial Aid Helpful Tips and Hints for Scholarships” sheet. This sheet exists to provide students with a plethora of information regarding financial aid. A PDF version of this flier is available on InsideCBU under the “Financial Aid” tab.

Emily McGinn | Banner

ensures that the paint will not seep through the back of the tote. Step Two: Chose your design and prepare your painting space. Pinterest is a great place to find inspiration and has hundreds of examples to get your creative juices flowing. You can also purchase or print out

stencils or stamps to help you achieve your wanted design. Step Three: Get painting! If your tote bag is a color besides white make sure to test the selected colors so you have an accurate representation of what they will look like. Step Four: Once your paint has dried, this is a chance to

add more layers to the overall design. This could include overlapping graphics, creating texture by layering paint or adding custom text using fabric markers (sharpies work great for this as well). Share your stylish and wearable artwork by tagging @cbulancermedia in your photos.

Research finds environmental effects as a result of COVID-19 BY TEDDY PEÑA

LIFESTYLE EDITOR The coronavirus pandemic has affected many areas of everyday life. Physical distancing, mask-wearing, travel restrictions ,virtual meetings and other activities have become the main focus within society to ensure the flatlining of the virus. One aspect directly impacted by the pandemic is the environment. Since many functions of society have had to adapt to the current health crisis, the environment has seen multiple changes due to COVID-19. Mariah Vertulfo, senior environmental science major, explained how environmentally friendly efforts became less of a priority due to the severity of the pandemic. “COVID has caused policymakers to invest more in economic cushioning and resurgence over environmental diplomacy,” Vertulfo said. “The work that was being put into green technology and sustainable development was almost put to a halt as the focus shifted to immediate action on public health. Disposable materials have also contributed to more non-recyclable solid waste ac-

cumulating in our landfills and ending up in our waterways.” Justin Lindemer, senior environmental science major, added that “panic buying” was a catalyst for a lot of the pandemic’s environmental problems. “In mid-March of 2020, we all experienced the shortages of canned or nonperishable food, disinfectant, hand-sanitizers, toilet paper and other necessities,” Lindemer said. “This widespread panic and fear due to COVID-19 cause a spike in the purchases of these items.” This has directly impacted the environment. “The increase in consumerism had detrimental effects on the environment. Fear of the pandemic led Western culture to again turn to this unsustainable habit,” Lindemer said. “More consumption leads to more waste produced and more energy used in goods production as demand increases, and that is exactly what we saw happening.” Not all of the effects that the pandemic brought to the environment were detrimental. There were several positive changes brought on by COVID-19 that impacted the environment. Because of closures and lim-

ited capacity at many tourist attractions, experts have been able to witness the ways the pandemic has improved the natural environment. Dr. Jacob Lanphere, associate professor of environmental science, elaborated on these positive changes brought on by this season of COVID-19. “I visited Yosemite back in November 2020,” Lanphere said. “A forest ranger I was talking to pointed out that all the different flora and fauna were coming out and weren’t driven away by all the noise pollution that larger groups of people can produce. Species like the river otter, which was thought to be going extinct, was spotted coming back because of the lower human pollution levels.” Vertulfo explained that not all the changes to the environment were negative. “Traffic decreased significantly and less mass waste was being produced by major tourist spots when they closed down,” Vertulfo said. “A greater appreciation of nature as people go on more hikes and visit national parks will hopefully result in a better understanding of environmental protection.”

CBU students celebrate the Festival of Color with coronavirus guidelines in place BY WILL ANTON

ASST. LIFESTYLE EDITOR The Festival of Color is a California Baptist University event that traditionally takes place later in the spring semester. The festival itself stems from a traditional Indian holiday, Holi, and involves a multitude of brightly colored paints, plenty of food and drink and an entire day of celebration. CBU students cherish this event, and many hold it as their favorite event of the entire year. However, due to the pandemic, the festival looked different this particular year. While this can be difficult, many students were satisfied to even have an on-campus event this year at all. Derrick Meese, senior film major and intern at the International Center, said that the event, held on March 31 at the Lancer Arms lawn, looked different but still promises to be a fun and amusing event for all students to attend. “This year’s Festival of Color is unique in that unlike past festivals, attendees arrived already covered in colors,” Meese said. “We were sad to let go of the iconic color fight, but we made the most of it by having students tye-dye their shirts and show off their colors as we enjoy

music, snacks and hospitality from the culture of India.” The event may not have included the powdered paint being thrown into the air, but there were promising signs that many students would still attend the event. One group that was particularly excited to hear about the event were the freshmen, who have not gotten the chance to witness, let alone participate, in the majority of traditional CBU events and festivities. Matthew Olson, freshman electrical and computer engineering double major, said he anticipated the event, as it is one of the first true events that the school has put on since the beginning of the pandemic. “I’ve heard plenty about the traditional event from my sister, who is currently a junior,” Olson said. “I was super excited to hear that there is going to be an event on campus, and personally, I couldn’t wait to attend.” Though many freshmen anticipated the festival with excitement, many upperclassmen may not have held a similar sentiment towards the event. For those of them that attended, the event was mostly bittersweet, as they recall the memories of events that they have attended in the past.

Nathaniel Loyd, senior mechanical engineering major, reflects on the past Festival of Color events that he has attended, and said he looked forward to attending once again. “The Festival of Color has been a massive highlight for me since my first year at CBU,” Loyd said. “It’s definitely one of those events that bring the entire campus together with a ton of energy.” Loyd said he was glad this event and others have still been held, although they may be structured differently than past years. “I’ve had a blast coming out to it with my friends and definitely have a ton of great memories from it,” Loyd said. “Even with a lot changing with how events work now, I was still really stoked to see how CBU incorporates it this year.” This year’s Festival of Color was wholly unique from its predecessors. Henna stations were set up, as well as food stands serving traditional Indian delicacies. Dancing, music and much more were also present at the event, just as they were in the past. Above all, one element that was present was the sense of campus community, which many students may feel they need now more than ever.

Camille Grochowski | Banner Students of CBU celebrate at last year’s Festival of Color event by dancing and throwing powdered dye into the air or at each other.

PERSPECTIVES

April 9, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 8

Lancer Media Group’s visual highlights from the past year

4 2 5 3

1. Protesters in Nashville march together at a Black Lives

for Best Photo Series at the 2021 CCMA Awards.

Matter protest on June 13, 2020. This photo won first-

4. Jacob Klarke, sophomore business administration

place for Best Magazine Cover on March 20, 2021 at the

major, and fellow CBU students take a ride in one of the

California College Media Association (CCMA) Awards.

three hot air balloons at the Homecoming event on Feb.

2. Nicolas Litwin, junior graphic design major, closely

29, 2020.

watches his drone as he prepares to take it up into the air.

5. Natalie Zimmerer, senior buisness administration and

This photo won second place for best feature photo at the

marketing double major, sets the ball during the game

CCMA awards.

against California State University, Bakersfield on Oct.

3. Supporters leave memorabilia, flowers, notes and more

21, 2019. This photo won first place for Best Sports Photo-

outside the Staples Center hours after Kobe Bryant’s

graph at the 2020 CCMA awards.

death on Jan. 26, 2020. This photo series won first place

Photos by Phillip Ndowu, Luc Stringer, Kelsie Stevens and Reagan Lee

SPORTS Men’s water polo wins big

April 9, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 8

BY AIDEN HOBSON

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Shortly after winning the championship game of the Western Water Polo Association’s conference tournament, the California Baptist University men’s water polo team advanced to compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s National Championship tournament. “The sixth-ranked Lancers became the first program in school history to compete at the NCAA Championships on Thursday at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center on the campus of USC (The University of Southern California),” according to CBU’s athletics website. The CBU men’s water polo team played well all season against highly ranked opponents, but they performed especially well at the WWPA conference championship tournament. “My expectation was for us to play our best water polo of the season. We had worked all year long to play in this tournament, so I expected us to be focused and ready to play our best,” said Kevin Rosa, head coach of the CBU men’s water polo team. “We played great for the entire WWPA championship tournament. Our defense played outstanding.” After a breakout win to clinch the WWPA conference title, CBU’s men’s water polo team automatically advanced to the NCAA national championship tournament on the campus of USC. “Going into NCAA was a bit nerve-racking, but it’s somewhere no CBU team has been before so it was very exciting to see what we could do,” said Gabriel Thorne, senior business major and captain of the CBU men’s water polo team. “My

“

Danielle Lutjens | Banner Members of the men’s water polo team celebrate their title victory game with a collective pool dive. mindset was to simply play my game and represent CBU to the best of my ability.” CBU played against the University of California, Los Angeles team in their first and only game at the NCAA championship. UCLA would eventually go on to win the title, but CBU played well against a top-tier team and made CBU history even though they lost against the Bruins.

Our mindset was to give them the best game we had from the first sprint to the last whistle. Zachary Lowery, Senior engineering major

“We knew how good of a team UCLA was but that didn’t

hold us back from wanting to win each game,” said Zachary Lowery, senior engineering major and captain of the CBU men’s water polo team. “Our mindset was to give them the best game we had from the first sprint to the last whistle.” Despite losing to the UCLA Bruins 19-14, CBU men’s water polo made history as the first CBU team to compete in an NCAA Division I national championship.

Japan restricts fans Men’s soccer faces trials this season for Toyko Olympics BY ADIT WRATSANGKA ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

BY AIDEN HOBSON

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR The COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of several notable events, including the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo. While there have been notable improvements in the fight against COVID-19, the Japanese committees in charge of the Olympic Games recently announced that no foreign spectators will be allowed to enter Japan. “Currently, the COVID-19 situation in Japan and many other countries around the world is still very challenging and a number of variant strains have emerged, whilst international travel remains severely restricted globally,” the committees wrote in a press release. “Based on the present situation of the pandemic, it is highly unlikely that entry into Japan will be guaranteed this summer for people from overseas.” While the statement by the Japanese parties expressed a certain level of uncertainty surrounding the decision to allow foreign spectators into the country of Japan to attend the games, the statement by the International Olympic and Paralympic committees was more absolute. “During the meeting, the IOC and the IPC were informed that, as outlined in the full statement by Tokyo 2020, the conclusion of the Japanese parties is not to allow entry into Japan for overseas spectators for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 due to the prevailing worldwide COVID-19 pandemic,” the official Olympics website reads.

While many around the globe understand the challenges posed by the ongoing effects of the pandemic, some have suggested that the restriction on spectators entering the country goes against the international spirit of the Olympic Games and question if athletes’ performance will suffer. “Not allowing foreign spectators to the Olympics would create a difference in an athlete’s morale to compete for their nation,” said Trennon Williamson, junior Christian studies major. “The games will be affected, just as when you are playing in a home or away game in any sport. Although the impact is minimal it still takes away from the Olympic environment for all the athletes and the countries participating.” Some say that while the actual effect of the lack of foreign spectators on the athlete’s performance is negligible, others note that the psychological effects of having their country’s spectators excluded can be significant for the athletes. “The U.S. supporters, as well as every other competing nation, will not be able to share their nation’s pride in support of their athletes,” said Gabriel Bartlett, junior mechanical engineering major. “From my point of view, coming from someone with a long athletic history, an athlete will perform better knowing that their nation is given the equal opportunity to support their talented athletes. No one wants to support their country while their country cannot support them.”

California Baptist University men’s soccer is sitting on the sixth rank of Western Athletic Conference standings going into its last match of the season against Utah Valley University, April 9. A win against Utah Valley can mean a promotion in the conference standings as there is only a one-point difference between the Lancers and third-place San Jose State University. San Jose is currently in third with 14 points, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas is fourth also with 14 points, losing to San Jose in goal difference. Seattle University is in fifth with 13 points, and CBU is in sixth also with 13 points ,but it has fewer goal differences than Seattle U. The Lancers started the season strong with a 4-0-2 record. “The first four games we played very well, but then we went on a trip to Grand Canyon University and UNLV and we played very bad,” said Bryan Iliohan, sophomore business administration major and striker. “I felt like we didn’t prepare enough for the games.” The Lancers suffered three consecutive losses against GCU, UNLV and San Jose. They managed to go back to the winning column when they won against Seattle U at Irvine, Calif. on March 31. “At (Seattle U) we were able to turn it around a bit with a gutsy 1-0 win at home that we hope will bring momentum into these last two games against two difficult away games,” said Gage Rogers, goalie and master’s stu-

Elijah Hickman | Banner

Uriel Mosqueda, senior technology management major, Tete Vacas, senior kinesiology major, and Luis Mueller, freshman business administration major, celebrate after scoring a goal at a game on March 6, 2021.

“

We are missing a sense of togetherness at times with us having the quality to beat any team... Gage Rogers, Graduate student in information technology management

dent in the information technology management program. They fell short in making it a reality when they lost April 5 to Air Force Academy. “I think we are missing a sense of togetherness at times, with us having the quality to beat any team in the country, let alone the WAC,” Rogers said. “Just having the blue-collar mentality is lacking.” Coe Michaelson, head coach of men’s soccer, said the location itself was challenging for the Lancers.

Air Force is located in Colorado Springs, 6,000 feet above sea level, making breathing a little harder for athletes who are not used to the change in elevation. “Right now all we can ask for is for the guys to get themselves as recovered as possible and show what their character is on Friday,” Michaelson said. Rogers said the team is looking to improve its finishing position and cap off the season with a win when they travel to Utah Valley on April 9.

BUSINESS & TECH April 9, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 8

Working remotely may be the future BY JASMINE SEVERI

BUSINESS AND TECH EDITOR Technology is advancing at a rapid pace, providing people with new ways of engaging with their work and interacting with each other. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies all around the world to see exactly how effective working from home can be, and some companies adapted easily to the change, while others have struggled and failed. It has been a year since countries first entered self-isolation, and slowly things are starting to get back to normal—or at least the “new normal.” Things will begin to open up, letting people start working in-person again, especially once the vaccine is more widely distributed, but students graduating now or in the next few years might find themselves with a much wider variety of options if they would like to work from home, now that companies have been forced to put it to the test. Joel Bigley, assistant professor of business, said that post-pandemic policies will depend on how the CEO of the particular company feels about remote work. “There are leaders who are biased towards having people work in the facility, and there are other leaders who are biased towards people having the opportunity to work remotely,” Bigley said. “An example of this is a familiar company called Yahoo. Before the pandemic policies, the CEO of Yahoo said they need to come and work in the office, and Yahoo previously had a culture where people worked remotely — it was a part of their culture. People had to move into the office, and it turned out there was a lot of turnover because of that choice, because people had established their routines, and they had figured out how to be productive in the environment in which they were working, and so they weren’t willing to make the change, so it caused a lot of turnover.” Bigley also said many costs can be reduced by having em-

ployees work from their homes, though some CEOs might be concerned about their employees losing some productivity. Julia Miller, junior kinesiology major, said she is concerned for people who work in fields that need to be more hands-on. “I feel like a lot of people won’t necessarily be properly trained because they had to face a year of school online, and it affected a lot of people because they don’t understand what is being taught,” Miller said. “Face-to-face interaction is really important. I feel like working remotely, things don’t get done as efficiently. My major is very hands-on and you can’t really learn hands-on stuff through a Zoom call.” Bigley said students need to be prepared for working virtually, at least partially, for most fields of work, and that pandemic policies have helped students prepare for that future. “With the recent season of online studies, students have been able to not only work and go to class virtually, but they have also worked with other people in study groups, other students, maybe some other colleagues, and they’ve done that without being face-toface,” Bigley said. “So through this experience, they have acquired many of those skills that they will probably continue to use in the new normal, which will include a lot of virtual activities,” Bigley said. “So the recent situation with the pandemic policy has actually forced students who may have not done it before to acquire these skills and engage in this virtual environment, and these skills, I believe, will help them be effective in the next step in their career.” Arturs Medveds, sophomore kinesiology major, said he thinks companies will return to working in person once the pandemic is cleared, although it may take some time to fully recover. “My career, (the pandemic) probably won’t affect, but others, definitely,” Medveds

Camille Grochowski | Banner Lyra Grochowski, 46, a CBU student’s parent, has been working from home as a web development manager for Spectrum Brands since the beginning of the lockdown. said. “If people hang out in some restaurants, those fields it would affect, but not for mine. When COVID ends, it will go back to the way things used to be. Of course, it will be harder to start, to redo everything. Maybe they will have some losses, but everyone will get back. If people want to go hang out, wanted to go to cinemas, or to hang out and

eat somewhere, those fields will recover. For some fields, it will be hard, but they will learn how.” Bigley said that students should expect things to continue to change at a rapid pace and to be ready to adapt to any changes the future brings. “Things are changing faster

than they have ever changed before,” Bigley said. “So, regardless of being virtual or not being virtual, change is guaranteed to happen. Change will probably happen faster and it will probably be more radical than it has been, so it’s more important that students are equipped to adjust to changes and actually thrive with the changes that

are happening and are going to happen.” “What they are, we don’t know necessarily, but what we do know is that change pace is going to increase, and the things that students are going to have to accommodate for will probably be more difficult than what they have been over the last year or so,” Bigley said.

Graduates enter turbulent economy BY MISTY SEVERI

NATIONAL EDITOR

College students graduating at the end of the 2020-2021 school year will face a rare struggle as they enter the workforce and apply to graduate schools. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on nearly every industry in one way or another, which has caused many internships to go remote, or caused an organization to limit internships or pull them

completely. Standing out when most of world was stuck inside became instrumental to graduate school applications and jobs post-pandemic. Karen Falk, senior history major, said she is applying to multiple graduate schools but said it is challenging to find one that does not require a previous internship. “The year I normally would have had my internship, COVID prevented it,” Falk said. “A lot of museums shut down, and most

graduate programs want either job experience or an internship. So I’ve had to rely on my professors writing good letters of recommendation in order to help me be more competitive.” Another challenge graduates will face is the impact COVID has had on the economy. Dr. Paul Wendee, adjunct professor of business and economics, expects this impact to last a couple of years. Wendee encourages students to spend any free time

students have during the pandemic on learning new skills related to their field. “What you want to think about is making sure you have that extra skill that sets you apart,” Wendee said. “If you’re in business and know how to use the programming language Python, that will make you more attractive. It’s about what you did do during the pandemic, not what you should have done or did not do. As a hiring manager, you want to find someone who

took advantage of the pandemic to learn new skills or expanded their worldviews.” Kenzie White, senior history major, said the current job market is intimidating because a lot of graduates and interns are trying to break into the market at the same time. “Finding jobs in and out of my field has been a huge struggle this past year,” White said. “Because I’ve been out of a job for the past year. Everyone else is also trying to break back into

the market, so it’s all one surge of people trying to get employed.” Hannah McPherson, junior history major, said making connections is important for those who are still on campus. “Find a way to make your mark on this campus,” McPherson said. “Because not everything has opened back up yet, it is important to make the most of the resources here. Talk to your professors and put yourself out there.”

BUSINESS & TECH April 9, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 8

Facebook informs its users on how to get the COVID vaccine BY LUC STRINGER

interview that Facebook desires to make it right, Facebook’s COVID-19 In- and that connecting peoformation Center promises to ple with quality information connect more people than ever on the vaccine is “one of the with 2021’s coronavirus vac- most important functions that Facebook can do right cine. This Information Center now.” Facebook has taken great can be easily accessed on a strides to enmobile phone. sure that peoHere, Facebook ple can access has partnered the Information with Boston ChilCenter’s landdren’s Hospital to ing page directly provide informafrom Facebook tion on vaccinaposts flagged as tion centers such having informaas location and tion about the opening hours. pandemic. In Facebook uses this way, the avdata from the erage user can Centers for Disfact-check the ease Control against and Prevention. James Rierson, post Currently, the Sophomore Facebook’s data collected from data only spans biomedical science the World Health across the United States, but major Organization, for both Facebook Facebook reports that it is working on support- and Instagram, which is also ing an additional 71 languages owned by Facebook. Virginia Cadenhead, and more countries. Facebook recently acquired Instagram, professor of nursing, said so the COVID-19 Information that her primary concern Center appears on the app is the legitimacy of the information. If Facebook is as well. Mark Zuckerberg and Face- truly getting its information book have been under heavy from sources such as the CDC fire for the rampant pandem- and WHO, Cadenhead said ic misinformation that ex- she thinks Facebook could be of ists on the platform. Zuck- help. “Whether (the informaerberg told CNN in a Skype ASST. BUSINESS AND TECH EDITOR

“

I wouldn’t trust any source by itself anyways. I think it’s important to doublecheck that information with information you find elsewhere.

tion) is tested on Facebook or not does not really matter as much as who it came from,” Cadenhead said. She added that students should not be scared of the vaccine, although they should definitely think critically about taking it. James Rierson, sophomore biomedical sciences major, echoed Cadenhead’s concerns. “I wouldn’t trust any source by itself anyways,” Rierson said. “I think it’s important to double-check that information with information you find elsewhere.” Some students, on the other hand, have a deep mistrust of Facebook. Chloe Hoopes, sophomore art therapy major, said she rarely ever uses the platform because she believes it lacks reliability. “I think they have the right to (distribute information), but I personally don’t like being bombarded with what to do,” Hoopes said. Facebook has burned its users multiple times in the past, but it promises to turn over a new leaf with its COVID-19 Information Center. Students eligible to receive the vaccine can access the Information Center within the Facebook app by searching “COVID-19.”

Camille Grochowski | Banner

On Instagram, users can get information on COVID-19 vaccination centers in their states through a pop-up link provided in the app.

Netflix to begin cracking down on users sharing passwords BY JASMINE SEVERI

phone to verify that it’s you. It’s not a fool-proof method, beNetflix is testing out a fea- cause (the friend) could just call ture to make the streaming ser- (the account owner) to ask for vice more secure and cut down the code, but I think it will discourage that because that will on password sharing. Password sharing is when an get old for people pretty quick.” Bovee said that more sites account owner gives their password to a friend or family mem- are using this kind of verifiber who is not already on their cation and that it is useful for account’s plan so that they can more than just Netflix preventuse the site’s content without ing unauthorized people from paying for an account. This cuts using an account with the perinto Netflix’s profits because mission of the user, but also for users can enjoy their content security purposes. “It’s not without actually just to prepaying for it. vent shared Netflix has alaccounts, they ready started imare phrasing it plementing a feaas something ture that informs they need to users “if you don’t crack down live with the ownon shared acer of this account, counts, but you need your own it also (has) account to keep security (benwatching,” and it efits),” Bovee has an option for a said. “We get code to be texted to that all the the account owner’s time now, so phone or to be sent many webto the account’s assites that we sociated email adBrian Bovee, go to where dress. say This is a system Program coordinator they they’re going called two-factor for CBU Online’s to text you a authentication, a bachelors in code. It’s beform of multi-factor identification, computer information coming pretty standard now, and is already being technology multi-factor used by many other authenticasites. Brian Bovee, assistant pro- tion is becoming almost normal fessor of computer information everywhere, so I think you’re technology and program coor- going to see that. Definitely in dinator for CBU Online’s bach- places where people are sharing elors in computer information accounts, so they can start captechnology, said that sending turing that revenue.” Bovee said he believes a code to someone’s phone is a common form of multi-factor multi-factor identification, and identification, and while it is even more advanced versions not the most secure, although it than sending a code to a phone will likely help achieve Netflix’s or an email, will be used more often in the future. goal. “As we move forward, there “What they are doing is called multi-factor identifica- are a lot of other types of biotion, which means when you metrics,” Bovee said. “We’ve log in, there is more than one been using images, for example, type of verification,” Bovee said. your face like we (can) have for “Sometimes people will use bio- our phones, or your eyes, retimetrics, where they use their nal scans, thumb (prints); those finger or something as a second- are all ways that in the future ary (confirmation). A common we might see verification. Right way to do it these days is just now, the phone seems like the to text you something to your popular way to go, but I think

BUSINESS AND TECH EDITOR

“

I think (biometrics are) going to become more common-place for things like the TV, where as long as you are in front of your TV, it’s going to verify who you are based on your face.

Sofia Eneqvist | Banner

what we’re going to see in the future is more use of different kinds of biometrics. I think that’s going to become more commonplace for things like the TV, where as long as you are in front of your TV, it’s going to verify who you are based on your face.” Aiko Miller, freshman pre-nursing student, said she is in favor of Netflix making their accounts more secure. “It sounds like a smart, more secure way to keep people off your account,” Miller said. Sharing accounts is a common practice, although it is forbidden under the terms of service, and there is a possibility that adding this extra step will discourage people from doing it this way. However, it might drive them to pirate content in less secure ways. Miller said despite this, she does not think those using the site legally will have a problem with more security. “I think (people pirating content) is definitely a possibility, but I don’t think that people will be upset about a more secure system,” Miller said. Miller said she sees a future in this for other streaming services, as well. “I think once a big company like Netflix does it, others will follow along,” Miller said. Ashley Huff, freshman communication sciences and disorders major, said people need to be careful who they share their password with, even if it is a close friend who you trust. “I feel like (password sharing) is fine for family members you’re really close with, but friends, not so much,” Huff said. “Something could happen and they could share with other people, so it’s just not the smartest.” Communal Netflix accounts may be coming to an end, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. People can still screenshare with friends or hang out together in-person to watch shows together, especially once the pandemic is clear, and this feature will help to keep unwanted people off of other people’s accounts.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT April 9, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 8

Indie artist finds success in subgenre BY JACKSON WALDROP A&E EDITOR

In a world where more people are making and releasing music than ever before, has the unlikely independent duo Almostalways found a new secret to getting music heard in 2021? Almostalways consists of two friends, Max Whittaker and Jake Dahn, who have been making music together since 2014. After years of creating and producing music, they finally released their first EP, “All the Things That You’ll Never Know,” in 2019 and have been releasing new music consistently ever since. They have since released two albums and another EP. Most would agree that this is an impressive amount of content within two years. But when it comes to Almostalways, it is even more impressive considering their situation. Whittaker is a full-time nursing student at California Baptist University and Dahn, a freelance videographer in LA, works at an art gallery. They also live over an hour away from each other. While recording and producing separately, the band has been able to work on content by sending projects back and forth. Whittaker writes the music and records the main guitar parts and vocals and sends it to Dahn to add different production elements and synths and ultimately give it that Almostalways sound. Once they have done this with a whole project, they will get together to finish it. “If I can describe it in any way it’s like we’re both working on the same sculpture and I want it to look like a person,” Whittaker said. “I can give it arms and legs and stuff, but it

doesn’t have any features and then I can give it to Jake and he’ll like carve a face into it.” Jacob Holcomb, sophomore applied theology major and independent artist, shared his thoughts on Almostalways’ music and the feelings it creates. “Almostalways is a type of refreshing familiarity,” Holcomb said. “The music is unique and creative but feels so personal and genuine. It’s evident that lots of heart comes directly from the artist into the music.” Almostalways has a very different and peaceful sound. Whittaker explained it as the type of music that is difficult to market because it is hard to fit into one genre. This has made it a challenge for Almostalways to get their music in front of listeners and gain more attention. “I feel like it’s been more of making amends with the fact that it’s not successful in any way,” Whittaker said. “But that’s not a depressing thing. The music gets used in ways I didn’t think it would, also. But overall, we have a pretty low listener count generally. At first I was kind of bummed like spending a lot of time to make something I’d hoped people would hear.” Whittaker expressed feelings that a lot of independent artists are feeling in today’s age of modern music. With more people creating and releasing music, it is difficult for independent artists to be heard. But Almostalways may have found the secret to getting independent music heard in 2021. Almostalways released their single “Sisyphus” in May 2020, and it uses the imagery of the figure from Greek mythology Sisyphus, whose tale Whittaker connected to on a personal lev-

el and wanted to use for something he was going through at the time. “So, that song, at first no one ever listened to it, and then out of nowhere, I checked my stats, and I don’t know where it started but probably a good six months later all of a sudden it got added to all these Greek theme playlists.” Whittaker explained. “There’s like eight. And one of them is kind of popular so, oddly enough, we’ve been able to get a good amount of listens from them.” Unknowingly, Almostalways found their way into a small community of listeners that focuses on music about Greek mythology or that makes references to Greek mythology in their lyrics. An entire subgenre that expands over many playlists consists of thousands of committed listeners. Being put on almost 10 of these playlists has shot up Almostalways monthly listeners from about 180 to over 1,500. “That’s small for an established artist, but for us that’s huge.” Whittaker shared. “That’s more than we’ve ever had.” Through connecting to this small but intimate subgenre, Almostalways is finally starting to get the attention their music deserves. Independent artists struggle to get heard by audiences and have to think of new and creative ways to get noticed. In this case of Almostalways, it was by accident. But will Almostalways use this newfound success of this single to make more music to fit this audience? “If Almostalways has an ethos to it, it’s being authentic as possible, so, if I can authentically make another song about

Courtesy of Almostalways The album cover for Almostalways’s song “Sisyphus,” released in May of 2020. a myth and mean it, then I will. But it would feel contrary to the color of the band to be like ‘Oh, this works so I’m gonna do it again you know?” Dahn, shared his thoughts about the band’s unique sound and authenticity. “I don’t think that Almostalways is meant for everybody,” Dahn said. “Lyrically and sonically it’s totally different from a lot of music. We could very easily turn it into a pop-indie band using different sounds and

music techniques, but Almostalways kind of turned into this really unique little universe of really cool deep lyrics and fun sonic textures.” Accepting the fact that their music will not reach a lot of people, Almostalways is not willing to hurt the integrity of their music to keep building on wht they have experienced. Through this success, it shows that listeners are connecting with the music and listening to more. This is the push that the

band needed to get their music heard and reach more fans. Through staying true to themselves and continuing to create authentically vulnerable music, it is safe to say they will continue to build, reach more listeners, connect more hearts and create more fans. “Sisyphus,” as well as the rest of Almostalways’ music content is available on all streaming platforms. Listeners can look forward to where this new success will take them as a band.

Students and staff prepare for CBU Film Festival in April BY SOFIA ENEQVIST MANAGING EDITOR

The California Baptist University Film Festival, hosted by the College of Architecture, Visual Arts, and Design (CAVAD), is an annual event that showcases the film work of CBU students. All CBU students are invited to submit short films, live-action or animated, narrative or non-narrative, of up to 12 minutes in length, including opening and closing credits. Any CBU student who worked as a creative collaborator in any one or all of the following roles on the short film is allowed to submit an entry: producer, director, screenwriter, cinematographer, music composer, editor, production designer, costume designer, make up artist, actor or actress. “It’s important for filmmakers to screen their work for theater audiences and film festivals, in general, are an awesome way to get your films out into the world and to screen them for very informed and intelligent audiences,” said Michael Eaton, professor of film students and film production. “There’s nothing better than screening your

film for a film festival audience that is engaged and passionate about cinema in general and filmmaking in particular. In the past the CBU Student Film Festival has been held in conjunction with the Riverside International Film Festival, so CBU students have not only had opportunities to intern for RIFF, but they have had opportunities to connect with other filmmakers from around the world who have attended the Riverside International Film Festival.” Evan Tinker, senior film production and business administration double major, said the film festival plays an important role in CAVAD. “It serves as an opportunity for us to present our work to audiences outside of just our close peers, and to see how the viewers react to and interpret everything,” Tinker said. “It’s also an outlet for us to express ourselves through our art, and to celebrate each other and the time and efforts we’ve been putting into these films.” Tinker said he enjoys being able to watch all of his friends showcase their work to an audience and celebrate the art they have made. Gabrielle Flores, senior film major, said she is

looking forward to the film festival and seeing her second film entered. “It’s a short film that looks into the life of a young woman in college who struggles with depression,” Flores said. “I love that I have the opportunity to showcase my films and see all the other films from my fellow lancers.” Submitted films will be viewed and judged by a panel of judges made up of faculty from different fields, staff members and film industry professionals, who will choose the winner based upon the quality and artistry of the films. “We could not have done it without the generous and professional help of Conferences and Events at CBU, who is helping us with the screening equipment and other logistical support to keep the event safe,” Eaton said. “Another difference is that it will be a CBU Community only event this year because of COVID.” In accordance with COVID-19 guidelines, the event will be held outside on CBU’s campus and will be closed to the public. “COVID’s made all of the usual resources much scarcer,” Tinker said. “It has definitely forced me

to be much more creative in regard to using only what I have available to me to still make films and give more time to writing.” Eaton expressed his feelings about teaching film and how excited he is for the film festival. “We have a lot of very talented students at CBU in all departments. It has personally and professionally been very gratifying for me to teach our film students over the years,” Eaton said. “Film is one of the great collaborative artistic mediums in the world, and I love to see our students collaborating with each other to make great short films that they can be proud of when they are screened for audiences at our annual CBU Student Film Festival. I love teaching and helping students make their film projects the best that they can be. I am confident that we will have a large number of short film submissions this year.” The final day to submit a film is by 4 p.m. on April 16. The selected festival films will be showcased in a CBU community-only screening on Thursday, April 22 at 8:00 p.m. at the Mission Hall Lawn. For more information visit cavad.calbaptist.edu/news/2021filmfestival

Pandemic transforms theater BY COLE STILLWAGON ASST. A&E EDITOR

The lights are down, and rows of seats remain empty as Broadway and theaters across the globe remain closed. Audiences are left with only the entertainment on their screens at home while performers struggle to make ends meet. For the last year, live performances have been a thing of the past. Live theater was one of the casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic, among other entertainment favorites. As Broadway closed, many hoped it would be a quick shutdown. No one expected to be without live theater for more than a year now. While many shows and actors had their runs cut short, their hope to return dwindles day by day. Many popular shows were forced to close permanently in the middle of the pandemic, leaving actors without jobs and fans without hope. “Mean Girls,” “Beetlejuice,” “Frozen”

and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” were some of the shows that had to be shut down. While some not seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, some took this time to explore new theatrical adventures. One being the first-ever Tik Tok musical rendition of the popular Pixar film “Ratatouille.” The show was born on the social media platform Tik Tok. Fans of the movie penned original music for the film in hopes of a laugh and like. After a cult following, the show was born. “Ratatouille, The Tik Tok Musical,” premiered on the platform with performances by Adam Lambert and Titus Burgess. While significant effects have been put on Broadway, smaller theater organizations have struggled just as much. California Baptist’s theater program has also met its challenges from the pandemic. Frank Mihelich, associate professor of theater, spoke on how the department has risen

above amidst the challenges. “All of our classes are online, which has created wonderful opportunities to get creative in our teaching. We have produced two full streaming theatre productions this year, which is more than many other universities.” Mihelich said. CBU has taken steps to ensure a top-notch program and experience for their students has proven to pay off. Students are grateful for the program and their work to make a safe space to explore their craft. Scott Rydelski, senior theater major, shared his thoughts on the new adjustments. “Most of our classes have switched to an online format,” Rydelski said. “However, the staff has been able to figure out brilliant solutions so that certain performance-based classes are as engaging and beneficial as before COVID. We are also able to do shows within social distancing and mask guidelines. This is the best thing that

we have been able to do still as many schools don’t have the same opportunity to perform as we do.” Jolene Automo, junior theater major, said she is grateful to the program during this time. “This semester, we are currently in rehearsals for ‘She Stoops to Conquer’ and are filming that show as well,” Automo said. “Even though we have to rehearse socially distant with masks and aren’t able to perform in front of a live audience, it has still been such a blessing to be doing theater and showcase art during these unprecedented times.” Looking ahead, the future of theater seems to remain strong. Theatres have been gearing up for the return of performances for the summer and fall of 2021. Mihelich was optimistic about the future of theatre. “If the pandemic has taught us anything is that human beings need to be around other people,” Mihelich said. “The-

Elijah Hickman | Banner

The cast for “Love’s Labour’s Lost” performs during a dress rehersal while maintaining the face shield mandate. ater is an in-person experience, and I am looking forward to the revival of theater in America post-pandemic as people catch a vision for experiencing events in the company of others.” Although the world of enter-

tainment on-screen has grown immensely, the future of live theaters looks bright. There is hope still for audiences and actors everywhere as vaccinations roll out and our country begins to return to some normalcy.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

April 9, 2021· Volume 68 · Issue 8

OSCAR NOMINATIONS NOMINEES

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

NOMINEES

The members of the Worship Collective join the worship team during the 16th chapel service of the Fall 2019 Semester.

Camille Grochowski | Banner

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Live Chapel worship team returns BY JACKSON WALDROP A&E EDITOR

When California Baptist University closed its campus and moved to an online format, so did Chapel, and with it, Chapel worship. Chapel worship has been recorded with band members performing separately and combining performances together to lead CBU students in worship for the past year. However, with the release of Chapel No. 15, students see the return of in-person worship performed on stage in the Events Center. Joshua Ledezma, senior commercial performance major, has been a part of the Chapel worship team for 4 years. “I think it was a blessing that we were still able to record separately from our homes,” Ledezma shared. “But it was definitely a difficult process for all of our worship team members. For us singers, specifically, it was hard because we weren’t able to blend with one another and feed off of each other’s en-

ergy while we were recording.” Ledezma also explained the recording process that went into bringing virtual worship. “We would all virtually meet together on a Monday night to discuss which Chapel set we were recording and other things such as the songs, layouts, technical aspects and the recording process,” Ledezma said. “We would receive the tracks for the assigned songs and would then have the rest of the week to record vocals or instruments along with a video and upload it by Friday night. Then our amazing post-production team would have two weeks to mix and edit everything before the Chapel aired for students.” With the previous rise of COVID-19 cases and the need for social distancing and, moving worship performance to a separate recording format was the only way to continue to have worship for Chapel through the past school year. However, with the slow decline of COVID-19 cases and institutions slowly starting to open, worship per-

formance is able to return while still maintaining social distance and safety measures. Ledezma shared how different it is to perform in-person as well as the safety measures the band is following to make this possible. “Chapel worship is a lot different on stage, we are all able to worship and blend together, resulting in a better atmosphere when we are all on stage together. We are using all COVID safety protocols to make sure that our recordings are as safe as possible. Each singer is required to be tested before coming to record, all of our members and production team must wear a mask at all times —singers are allowed to take it off when we record— and we are all social distanced with clear shields dividing each of our singers.” Though this may seem like a small addition to student life, this new transition shows students that things are slowly returning to normal. Even something such as online worship featuring in-person perfor-

mance, brings a feeling of hope and anticipation for when students can sing together again. Ledezma said he is excited for students to be able to worship together in person soon. “Not only am I excited to be able to record with everyone in the Events Center again, but I am more excited to return back to in-person Chapel in the fall.” Ledezma said. “Although it might look different, it’s going to be amazing to have all of our students back in the Events Center worshiping together.” Mike Contreras, sophomore applied theology major, shared his thoughts about the return of in-person worship. “I am stoked to see worship back recording from the Events Center as it reminds me of in person chapels.” Contreras shared. “I hope for the best with COVID this summer and that we can again worship with our fellow CBU students in person.” The new in-person worship format for online Chapel will be featured for the remaining few chapels for this semester.

NOMINEES

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

NOMINEES

DIRECTING

NOMINEES

BEST PICTURE

Emily McGinn | Banner

Paramount Plus announces premiere of iCarly spin-off series BY COLE STILLWAGON ASST A&E EDITOR

A rebooted spin-off of the popular Nickelodeon show “iCarly” was announced and is scheduled to premiere in 2021 on Paramount Plus. On February 24, Paramount Plus hosted a virtual press day to showcase its new original content headed to homes in 2021 and 2022. One of the announcements featured was the news of the new spin-off series. The streamer’s Twitter account tweeted simultaneously

with the event. “Great news for iCarly nation: a revival of the beloved Nickelodeon series is coming to #ParamountPlus in 2021.” The new series is set to take place 10 years after the events of the series finale. It will follow popular characters Carly, Freddie and Spencer as they navigate their new lives. Notably missing from the announcement were the stars from the original show, Jennette Mccurdy and Noah Munck. Both stars are not ex-

pected to return to the series. In the sequel, Carly will have a new best friend played by actress Laci Mosley and Freddie will have a stepdaughter played by Jaidyn Triplett. The new streamer also announced live-action versions of their beloved Nickelodeon shows “Rugrats,” “Fairly Odd Parents” and “Dora the Explorer.” Although no official date was set for these shows, they are expected to premiere in 2022. ViacomCBS President and CEO Bob Bakish shared a state-

ment about this new update on the series at the virtual press day. “We’re excited to establish one global streaming brand in the broad-pay segment that will draw on the sheer breadth and depth of the ViacomCBS portfolio,” Bakish said. While the original series has been off the air since 2012, the show has remained popular through social media and streaming platforms such as Netflix. David Salas, junior politi-

cal science major, spoke on the popularity of the show still today. “I would argue that it is still incredibly relevant,” Salas said. “Internet jokes and meme culture still heavily include content from iCarly. I have especially seen this to be true on newer platforms like TikTok.” While some see the current relevance of the show creating mass popularity, others seem not to care. Breezy Adams, sophomore kinesiology major, shared her

stance on the new series. “I think it’s more of a nostalgia factor for people our age rather than relevant for today’s society,” Adams said. “I’ll probably watch it eventually but I don’t think I’ll be paying for Paramount Plus to watch it when it comes out right away.” As Paramount Plus works to create interesting, relevant yet nostalgic content, they build excitement from fans across America and the world. “iCarly” will premiere on Paramount Plus later this year.

Sofia Eneqvist | Banner

SPORTS

April 9, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 8

SPORTS briefs

WOMEN’S GOLF

The Lancers kept up their strong season finishing third at Red Rock Invitational in Sedona, Ariz., March 21. The Lancers finished the two-day event with a 304-301-296=901. Three of California Baptist University’s women’s golfers placed in the top 20. This is the Lancer’s third consecutive top-three tournament finish this season so far. Freshman Hailey Loh captured the 2020-2021 CBU Match Play Tournament, joining an elite list of past CBU alumni winners.

SOFTBALL Courtesy of Athletics

The CBU dance team was established during the 2018-2019 academic year.

Dance team wins a national title despite a few COVID-19 setbacks BY KELLY MCKITTRICK SPORTS EDITOR

Although the California Baptist University dance team spent its third season competiting virtually, the team found success, becoming national champions after winning the USA West Coast Spirit Championship in the all-in-one category on March 22. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the CBU dance team competes by performing their routines in the CBU Events Center with help of the CBU film crew to send in their best routine. The team recorded its winning performance on March 16, and the virtual format allows the team to perform multiple times and send in the performance in which they are most confident. Alexis Ramos, junior biomedical science major, said she believes the virtual performance made it hard to be in a game-day mentality. “Coach Kristy (Mapes) wanted this experience to be as close to in-person competition as possible for us,” Ramos said. “Her and Coach Liv (Miller) brought banners to be our backdrop in the Events Center. These really made it feel like we were dancing on a real competition stage. While preparing for our virtual competition, we practiced as if we were still able

to compete in person. We didn’t let this stop us from working hard or perfecting our routines. We made every practice worth it and each girl on the team put 100% effort in. There were times when it felt difficult to keep going because it wasn’t the competition season we expected, but we constantly talked about ‘our why’ for dancing on this team. Moreover, we all had the same goal in mind, which was to be national champions.” Miya Serrato, senior biomedical sciences major, said that leading the team through a pandemic season was difficult because the team’s morale and fatigue fluctuated often. “It was really different to be a senior during this strange time in history,” Serrato said. “I felt like I had to do my best to keep things normal for the sake of our rookies, and I wanted to do my best to prepare them as much as possible for their first normal season next year, fingers crossed.” The team dynamic was difficult to maintain this season for junior psychology major Savannah Hines as she Zoomed in for practice during the fall semester. She said practicing over Zoom made it tougher to bond with the rest of her team. “The team dynamic this season is a lot different than it has been before,” Hines said. “We

“

We didn’t let this stop us from working hard or perfecting our routines. We made every practice worth it and each girl on the team put 100% effort in. There were times when it felt difficult to keep going because it wasn’t the competitive season we expected, but we constantly talked about ‘our why’ for dancing on this team. Alexis Ramos, Junior biomedical sciences major didn’t have all of the team bonding events that we normally do and our team is bigger than it has ever been. The rookies never got to dance at a game, or go to camp or participate in any events. It was also hard because I was on Zoom last semester, so I didn’t get to meet all the rookies until this semester. But competition definitely brought us a lot closer. It was so great to work towards a goal together and succeed.” In addition to Zoom practice making bonding difficult, Hines said Zooming in from her living room left room for some mishaps. “Dancing from my living room was much different than the dance room, as you can imagine,” Hines said. “I was following along doing my turns and I was doing second turns when my leg slammed into

the couch I fell to the floor. I stayed laying there for a second and laughed because I really put full force into it, forgetting there was a couch.” Even though the members of the dance team are national champions, some members will be competing virtually and others are performing live in Daytona Beach, Florida for the National Dance Association National Championship on April 7-11. “This competition is a little different than the other one because we had to compete in prelims first,” Ramos said. “We found out this past week that we made it to finals. Coach Kristy changed a lot of things in our Pom routine, which made it look like a whole different routine. We only had one day to learn all the new stuff, but we did it.”

Lancer softball gave back the two losses given to them by Utah Valley University with a close 6-5 win at home, April 3. The win puts them fourth on the WAC standings with a 3-3 record. The season is still long for the Lancers and the championship is still up for grabs. The team beat the University of San Diego 6-0 April 6 with graduate student and pitcher Kerisa Viramones on the mound to lead the team to a shutout, only giving up two hits during the game.

BASEBALL Lancer Baseball had to give up their undefeated conference record to the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley after a narrow 3-4 loss at Edinburgh, Texas, April 3. Before the second UT Rio Grande Valley header, the Lancers were on a 10 conference game winning streak. CBU is still ranked first in the WAC standings with an 11-1 record. Pitcher and freshman CJ Culpepper’s nine saves rank first in WAC and tied, for first in overall lead in NCAA Division I.

WOMEN’S SOCCER Women’s soccer is currently ranked third in the Western Athletic Conference standings. Seattle University is leading the conference standings with 29 points and Utah Valley University is second, also with 29 points. Utah Valley has played all 17 season matches while CBU and Seattle U still have one more match April 9 where the two will meet at Irvine, Calif. A win against Seattle will push the Lancers to the top of the rankings, as CBU has better goal difference statistics.

SENIOR highlight

NAME:

Miya Serrato

SPORT:

MAJOR:

Biomedical Sciences

WHAT ARE YOU MOST GRATEFUL FOR?

FAVORITE TEAM BONDING MOMENT? “I really enjoyed staying in the hotel rooms together during competitions.”

Dance

“I was most grateful for being able to practice in person and being able to be surrounded by such amazing girls and the best and most supportive coach I ever could have asked for.”

FAVORITE CBU MEMORY? “In general, being delirious for all of finals week, finally finishing, and getting to have a chill movie night in my apartment with all of my dance-related friends, going out for our first midnight madness and having everyone respond so well to us after seeing us for the first time.”

Courtesy of Athletics

Miya Serrato, senior biomedical science major, is a member of the CBU dance team.

THOUGHTS ABOUT YOUR LAST SEASON OCCURRING DURING A PANDEMIC: “At first, I was really bummed about finishing my college years this way and feeling like I was missing out on my last year on the team, but then I realized that I’m not missing out. Instead, I’m learning how to see things in a brighter light rather than dwelling on what I don’t have. After I switched the way I saw things, I appreciated this year on the team so much more because I was just thankful to even see the team in person at all.”

OPINION LANCER ON THE STREET

April 9, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 8

What will you miss most about online classes?

Madison Roset Junior Nursing Major

Wanmei Zheng Sophomore Vocal Performance Graduate Student

“Waking up 10 minutes before class and not having to get ready.”

“The time we have together and flexibility we have to do our homework.”

Be considerate of essential workers

“

Gavin Boone Freshman Biomedical Engineering Major

Taylor McFarland Junior Mechanical Engineering Major

Makayla Schmierer Freshman Creative Writing Major

“Being able to blow up the chat and the professor not see it.”

“The convenience of being able to go where ever I want and do class there.”

“Not having to present in front of a physical class and being able to hide behind the camera.”

View graduation as a process

This practice lifts the mood of both the worker and the customer, which can lead to a positive social change.

BY TEDDY PEÑA

LIFESTYLE EDITOR The Golden Rule, which proclaims to treat others the way one would want to be treated, has experienced a resurgence over the past year all thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. With “panic buying” and people feeling more on edge than usual, kindness and simply acting like a decent human being been observed to be dismissed. As social tensions rise due to political unrest and the looming global health crisis, videos that document people treating essential workers less than human have surfaced across the internet. This notion of treating workers of any sort with disrespect has existed pre-pandemic. However, with shifted social norms, interactions between individuals can be magnified. Why is it important to treat these workers with respect and dignity? Essential workers are human. As the pandemic shifted many aspects of life, one area stayed constant: earning a living wage. These workers are subject to many sorts of restrictions imposed by the virus, making it more difficult to provide the

service they were expected to pre-pandemic. There is no telling what the cashier at Target or the barista at Starbucks has going on in their life, pandemic or not. Fostering a safe and welcoming environment is crucial for interacting with strangers because it causes a harmonious exchange between two individuals. In an article published by Headspace, an English-American company specializing in meditation, anger harbored by an individual can manifest in inappropriate outbursts against individuals. This happens regularly to essential workers because of the unfamiliarity the individual has with the worker. “Letting go of the anger in no way denies the existence of suffering, or takes anything away from our ability to help those in need,” the brand advises. “On the contrary, it gives us the freedom to act skillfully to work toward peace and reconciliation.” Engaging in a peaceful exchange with any worker creates a non-hostile environment. This practice lifts the mood of both the worker and the customer which can lead to a positive social change.v

“

If there’s one thing I have learned from the past year it has been to adapt and set aside my assumptions on how things will go.

BY JANE ROBERTUS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

As I conclude my time as editor-in-chief at The Banner I am also concluding my time as a student at California Baptist University. Although the first three years of my education at CBU were overall the “typical” college experience, this past year and a half has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19

pandemic. While all students will experience changes in their educations because of factors such as online classes and lack of campus life, those graduating in 2021 and 2020 will see the biggest change in the structure of their graduation ceremonies. However, as I reflect on my time at CBU and my entire college experience, I see the graduation ceremony as less of a stepping stone than I originally viewed it before senior year.

Prior to 2020, I could not imagine not having the chance to walk across the stage and accept my diploma. But once the reality of the pandemic and the lasting effects of it on large group gatherings and every day life became apparent, I mentally prepared for the fact that I might not have a typical senior year or graduation experience. If there’s one thing I have learned from the past year, it has been to adapt and set aside my assumptions on how things will go. Along with this, I have learned that for me, graduating is not a singular isolated event but it has been a process. I have been in the process of graduating since I first stepped into my classes freshmen year and that process continued virtually as I and the rest of the student body adapted to remote learning.

Graduation is the slow progression through a chosen major, it is recognizing what you want to do with that major and pursuing a career path or internship. It is surrounding yourself with friends at school who encourage you and inspire you in your education. Realizing all of this, I have come to terms with the fact that while singular events such as graduation can be memorable and special, they are not necessarily the most important part of one’s life. Although I am thankful that CBU will be able to hold in-person graduation and that I will get the chance to walk across a stage and accept a diploma, I am more thankful for the ways I have grown and the things I have learned throughout the entirety of my college experience.

I had COVID-19 and still chose to get the vaccine

BY SOFIA ENEQVIST MANAGING EDITOR

I tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 1, 2020, the same day President Donald J. Trump did — fun fact. Two weeks ago, I received my first dose of the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine and in two weeks, I will get my second dose.

There is speculation as to whether or not people who have had COVID-19 should be vaccinated. According to the CDC, you should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had it. “That’s because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19,” CDC website said. “Even if you have already recovered from COVID-19, it is possible — although rare — that you could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 again.” Additionally, even with having the vaccine, there is still a possibility one could get COVID-19 and or carry the virus. The vaccine aims to reduce the severity of the disease and

reduce deaths resulting from the disease. This is also an effort to keep hospitals from being overrun. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the Pfizer vaccine was proven to decrease the “risk of moderate to severe COVID-19 disease by 95%. Reduced the risk of hospitalization by 100%.” Whereas Moderna, “Decreased risk of moderate to severe COVID-19 disease by 94.1% efficacy. Reduced the risk of hospitalization by 89%” and Johnson & Johnson, “Decreased risk of moderate to severe COVID-19 disease by 72% in the U.S. and 64% in South Africa, where a highly contagious variant is causing the most cases. The vaccine also reduced risk of severe disease by 86%

across all regions studied and reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by 100%.” Recent studies have also found that vaccines against COVID-19 are about 90 percent effective at blocking coronavirus infections, which reduces the chance of getting the disease again. The vaccine is also effective in reducing transmission of the disease. Since the vaccine is not 100% effective at blocking infections, it is important for people vaccinated, or not, to continue wearing masks and practice social distancing. For more information on what to do after you have been fully vaccinated visit, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html

ThegrBanner aduates Jane Robertus Editor-in-Chief Film Major and Journalism Minor

Misty Severi National Editor Journalism and History Double Major

Kelly McKittrick Sports Editor Communication Studies and Public Relations Double Major

Jackson Waldrop A&E Editor Communication Studies and Public Relations Double Major

Adit Wratsangka Asst. Sports Editor Public Relations and Journalism Double Major

Thank you for your hard work, and good luck graduates! – Banner Staff

ETC.

April 9, 2021 · Volume 68 · Issue 8

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@d_ardill

@rapberry

Congratulations! This week’s LancerCam winner is @d_ardill

Email Luc Stringer at TrannieL.Stringer@calbaptist.edu to claim your prize.

Send us your photos using #LancerCam to be featured in the next issue of The Banner. @CBULancerMedia

LANCER LIFE Illustration by Elijah Tronti