Volume 65 | Issue 10 | March 9, 2018
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Lancer Derby –
‘Race of Perseverance’ –
Worship song written and composed by students is featured during Chapel.
All of America’s deadliest mass shootings have happened in this generation’s lifetime. Read our thoughts.
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Smith Hall and UP men tap into the spirit of competition — with couches.
Counseling Center moves into new space to better offer healing, refuge
Ambition, student jazz performance group, tests lively new sound at CBU BY RANDI WUFLESTAD
Poetry Slam Jan. 26 as the main entertainment group. Ambition, the student-led Melody Leon, junior music jazz performance group, made education major, assistant its debut this past January as a bandleader and saxophone pilot program to test the like- player, said the crowd was exlihood of future investment tremely responsive to the perwith the Shelby and Ferne formance. Mitchell Collard, junior Collinsworth School of Music. They originally formed as a music performance major and group to promote jazz educa- drummer for the band, said tion and culture at California he was anticipating a bright future for the Baptist Uniband. versity. “The main Two saxpoint of this ophones, a group is to bring trombone, a awareness and guitar, bass attention to jazz and drums education for make up the the School of group. AmMusic,” Collard bition spesaid. cializes in With limited all styles of Mitchell Collard, o p p o r t u n i t i e s jazz from bejunior music for jazz edubop to Latin. They also performance major cation at CBU, Mitchell said he cross into and drummer for hopes the sucR&B and Ambition cess of Ambition pop covers will spark the depending demand for jazz programs in on the audience. The inspiration for the the future. Although working as an band’s name comes from Roperformance mans 15:20, that states, “It independent has always been my ambition group, Ambition has mainto preach the gospel where tained a working relationship Christ was not known so that with CBU as a pilot program. Leon said the group is I would not be building on thankful for the support from someone else’s foundation.” Recently, the group made its mark by headlining at the SEE AMBITION | PAGE 8
STAFF WRITER
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The main point of this group is to bring awareness and attention to jazz education for the School of Music.
Alexandra Applegate | Banner Haley Raelene Prizzi, marriage and family therapist trainee, and Dr. Jeff Biddle, director of the Counseling Center, write Bible verses and inspiring messages or song lyrics on the cement floor of the Counseling Center’s new building before the carpet was placed. BY MISTY SEVERI
ASST. NEWS EDITOR The Counseling Center at California Baptist University moved locations Feb. 26 to a new building off of Monroe street, behind CBU’s baseball field and the Health Science campus. The reason for the move
was to expand beyond the nine rooms they previously had. The new location contains five additional rooms, bringing the total to 14. Other benefits of the new building are more outdoor space and a larger resting room for the staff. Dr. Natalie Rios, assistant director of the Counseling Center, said she is grateful for the
move and expansion. “There have been times where it’s so hard to fit as many students as we wanted to,” Rios said. “We want to be available because it takes so much courage for them to even call us in the first place. For us to have this space creates a lot more opportunity and more open doors for us to be a support to our stu-
dents and to make sure when they’re needing help, they can come to us and get the help they need.” Dr. Jeff Biddle, director of the Counseling Center, said he hopes a more prominent location will help students be more aware of everything the
SEE COUNSELING CENTER | PAGE 3
Public Safety introduces fierce new fleet of safety vehicles BY AUSTIN ROMITO STAFF WRITER
The Department of Public Safety at California Baptist University showcased its slick new fleet of vehicles during Homecoming weekend. The new vehicles were purchased after two of their three former vehicles experienced significant mechanical complications. “Our old vehicles (2008 Ford Ranger and 2009 Ford Escape) were falling apart to the point they were a safety hazard. They were costing more to repair than the vehicles were worth,” said Kent Dacus, vice president for Enrollment and Student Services. Leon Phillips, director of Public Safety, sent a request to the university to get repair funds. After reviewing the damages, CBU approved a budget to purchase two replacement vehicles. The university purchased the replacement vehicles from Dutton Motors on Auto Center Drive, who has been in partner-
ship with the university for two years. “I want to be a good steward of the university’s money, and in the process [Dutton Motors] was very generous,” Phillips said. Dutton Motors delivered a 2016 GMC Terrain and a 2017 GMC Canyon pick-up truck Feb. 1 to the Department of Public Safety. The vehicles are larger and more dependable than the previous ones, which will serve to create productive work environments for Public Safety personnel. “With me being 6-foot-4inch everything is really about room,” said Devon London, public safety officer at CBU. “This (car) has room and comfort as well. (The new vehicles) seem to do a lot better in regards to having room for equipment.” The fleet is coated with shiny black paint and each vehicle is outfitted with updated decals designed by the CBU marketing
SEE PUBLIC SAFETY | PAGE 3
Austin Romito | Banner Devon London, public safety officer at California Baptist University, enters Public Safety’s newly purchased 2016 GMC Terrain.
From Sudan to CBU: Kuol’s journey to men’s basketball BY ELIJAH HICKMAN STAFF WRITER
After being born in a little village filled with persecution and war in Sudan, having temporary residence at Kakuma’s refugee camp in Kenya, and
then moving to Australia at the age of 9, Bul Kuol, sophomore business administration major, found himself in California at California Baptist University to continue playing basketball. Kuol is a forward on the
men’s basketball team and has been a key player for CBU this year. He has been on the CBU basketball team for two years and said he continues to strive to become more successful both as an athlete and an individual.
Rick Croy, head coach of men’s basketball, helped Kuol receive an athletic scholarship, which allowed him to come to California. “We watched video of him, but most of it was a relation-
ship and a level of trust over the phone,” Croy said. Kuol had another scholarship opportunity at another school but said he felt CBU was the place for him to play. When Kuol first arrived in
California, he said there was not much of a culture shock but one thing that stood out for him was meeting Americans. “I had only met an American
SEE KUOL | PAGE 7