Volume 64 | Issue 9 | February 24, 2017
Community Life hosts Dream event – Students honor Black History Month with various music, dance and poetry performances.
N E W S , pg. 3
Student auditions for "The Voice"– Ashley Ryan pursues her childhood dream of becoming a country singer and songwriter.
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A & E , p g. 6
Male Resident Advisors
Lovely Eyes
Juan Direction
"It is our job to educate and inform others on world issues." O P I N I O N , p g. 14
Noah Young
Morris elected ASCBU president by 2-1 margin BY OLIVIA QUEBE
ASST. LIFESTYLE EDITOR California Baptist University’s student body voted Kendall Morris, junior communication studies major, into office Feb. 10 as ASCBU executive president for the 20172018 school year. Morris won with 65 percent of the votes after weeks of
campaigning. He said he knew this position was not easily obtained and prepared for the trials. This was not Morris’ first time involved in student government, as he participated in ASCBU his freshman year. “I have talked with others about running for ASCBU president since my freshman year,” Morris said.
Eugene Achim | Banner
Kendall Morris, junior communication studies major, has held the leadership positions of FOCUS leader and FOCUS intern at California Baptist University.
“When the time came to run for the position, I knew that it would be an amazing opportunity to continue my service to the university.” To win the election, Morris said he focused on a healthy and successful campaign. He said he made a positive mindset his priority and avoided worrying about things out of his control. “My hope throughout the election process was to have fun, meet new people and give the situation to God because he ultimately is in control,” Morris said. “Throughout the two-week campaign, I met many people and was able to sit down and have great conversations with others about what they see as a need for their college experience.” As ASCBU executive president, Morris said he desires to represent the school in a worthy manner while meeting the concerns of the student body through utilizing the skills he has acquired. “Overall, my hope for ASCBU is that we will fulfill the mission statement in which we will create a voice for all students and enrich their undergraduate experience,”
SEE ASCBU PRESIDENT | PAGE 3
Krysta Hawkins | Banner
Young teenagers celebrate Black History Month by showcasing praise dance in Downtown Riverside.
Black History Month, campus-wide celebrations honor history, culture BY KRYSTA HAWKINS ASST. NEWS EDITOR
It has now been 41 years since Black History Month was officially recognized within the government by President Gerald Ford. The idea of celebrating the history of successful African-Americans first started
in 1926, by Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. This month holds importance because of the homage paid to African-Americans for their role in history and the knowledge this country can gain about their strong efforts. “There are different stereo-
types about black people and how they act, but not everyone knows the history of what they have done,” said Jessica Henson, junior kinesiology major. Textbooks educate students on leaders in the African-American community such as Martin Luther King
SEE BLACK HISTORY | PAGE 6
Cheer makes history, sends two stunt teams to NCA championships BY MICHELE MUNOZ SPORTS EDITOR
The California Baptist University cheer team will have two stunt groups attend the National Cheerleaders Association College National Cham-
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pionship for the first time in program history. Taylor Contratto, sophomore exercise major and flyer, said she is excited to have the opportunity to compete with her whole team at championships as well as individual her
stunt group. “We train so hard for this and go through so many highs and lows throughout the season, but no matter what we always stick together and get through it,” Contratto said. “It is extremely special to
me that not only my group made it but also the other stunt group because we get to experience nationals together,” Contratto said. “It is nice to know that we are not going through the rough times and hard work
by ourselves. It is also helpful to have someone who knows what we are going through and the extra hours we have to put in, in order to be able to do this.” Contratto said the NCACNC is not only a cham-
pionship but also a learning experience for all the women. “It is going to be (about) coming back and, no matter if we win or lose, training even harder than we did before,”
SEE CHEER | PAGE 12
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