Volume 66 | Issue 12 | April 12, 2019
@cbulancermedia cbubanner.com
Community Life opens its doors for another year of performances.
Catalina Island —
Take a break from finals with a mini-day-cation at low cost and inconvenience.
Stress Relief Week —
A & E , Pg. 13
L i f e s t y l e , Pg. 6
N e w s , Pg. 3
Open Mic Night —
ASCBU offers puppies, massages and a carnival experience before finals week.
Itzel Levya, senior psychology major, performs a stunt during the California Baptist University’s Division I debut of men’s basketball game. Reagan Lee | Banner
Ambassador
visits campus, speaks at forum BY SOFIA ENEQVIST & MISTY SEVERI
ASST. NEWS EDITOR & NEWS EDITOR Dr. Robin Renee Sanders, former U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Congo (20022005) and Nigeria (20072010), visited California Baptist University March 25, to talk with students, staff and faculty about her life and mission helping those in need. Sanders has a degree in communications and is a political analyst by skill craft. She worked overseas for the Foreign Services for more than 20 years. Sanders said her whole experience as an ambassador has been humbling. “I have seen people at their most desperate, so I don't get daily drama about mundane things. With normal drama, people aren’t starving or running from bullets or worrying about whether their child will survive,” Sanders said. During her time in the foreign services Sanders was a
seven years of success
SEE AMBASSADOR | PAGE 3
Cheer takes home national title for DI BY NINASOPHIA STOWE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
California Baptist University’s competition cheer team brought home the National Cheer Association title April 5, taking first place for the seventh year in a row. Despite the continued legacy of wins, this win held more weight as it makes the first win while competing as Division I athletes. Tami Fleming, head cheer coach, said winning is great, but it is not why she coaches. “Winning never gets old. I love to win, but that’s not why I coach,” Fleming said. “We tell all the athletes, whether we win or lose, whether we’re injured or healthy, despite our highs and lows, we are still a family at the end of the day. "The trophies and the banners on the wall don’t define who we are; it’s just a cherry on top for the program.” For Morgan Willis, senior health science major and base, winning the DI national title in her last season held a lot of weight. “I wanted to further my cheer career for my hometown. I wanted to make them
proud,” Willis said. When asked to describe the emotions that came with her last win and season, Willis struggled to find the words. “I don’t have the words to explain. Just the adrenaline-I was crying. It was an incredible feeling. I was speechless,” Willis said. “It was bittersweet to end a 14-year cheer career, but I’m comfortable, content.” Taylor Contratto, senior kinesiology major and flyer, is a four-year recipient of the “All-American” title. In her 10 years of cheer, her experience at CBU has differed greatly from other programs. “It’s a world of a difference. The program here is centered around God, everything is tightly scheduled, and it’s family–oriented. We are with each other every single day,” Contratto said. “We all have the same goal here-we are all focused on hitting the routine.” Contratto said the core principles in the program is “being a selfless teammate and putting others before yourself.” Kaitlyn Statham, senior public relations major and flyer, explained the feeling that comes with stepping onto the mat for the final performance.
“Physically, we all know we can walk out and hit our routine, but it’s the mental part, trying to control your emotions in the high-intensity situation. That’s the most intimidating part,” Statham said. “It’s about controlling yourself in that moment and staying composed even when the pressure is on.” Statham explained how the team is family-oriented. “This is probably one of the closest teams I’ve ever been on. Just knowing that you have dozens of sisters who would go to bat for you any day was the best part. It was definitely more sentimental to walk off that stage one last time,” Statham said. Fleming said, “We are very much a sport and that’s one of the misconceptions about cheer, but the bottom line is they are incredible hard-working athletes. We are more than just a sport; we have the family aspect and the journey, and our program has a different story because of that.” The CBU cheer program is officially closed for the season but will start again in July with cheer camp, which includes NCA, the National Dance Association and the United Spirit Association.
Reagaan Lee | Banner The cheer squad lifts flyer Gabby Bocage, sophomore health science major, as they perform during their home debut as a Division I team.
Public Safety Services responds to speed bump concerns Accidents on campus create concern, led to speed bumps BY SIENNA DARULA MANAGING EDITOR
Since spring break ended, the most-discussed issue on California Baptist University’s campus is the newly installed speed bumps. Students said they are concerned about inconvenience and damage to their vehicles, which has caused many to drive around speed bumps or through the Yeager
Parking Lot to avoid them. There are at least 55 speed bumps located on campus, said Leon Phillips, director of Safety Services. They have been placed near cross walks, stop signs and areas with heavy traffic. The goal of the speed bumps, however, is not to inconvenience students, but to keep them safe. Phillips said there have been numerous near and actual incidents of collisions involving cars, skateboarders and pedestrians. The speed bumps were placed as a result of campus officials’ observations of students and pedestrians being distracted near roadways and crossings. The decision was a collaboration between Safety Services, Facilities and
Planning, the office of the Vice President of Student Services and the office of the President. Many students said they are frustrated by the new impediments and are finding ways to avoid them as much as possible. “If some drivers drove a bit more responsibly, there would be no need. Many skateboarders and pedestrians are on their phone and they aren’t paying any attention at all when they’re coming up on the roads,” Phillips said. “We understand that they’re annoying and they’re obnoxious, but we had to take some steps to get students to slow down.” Phillips said the cost of students’ safety is more
important to the university than the cost of the speed bumps. In response to those saying the university could have spent the money on other worthy causes, Phillips said the money came from the Disaster Preparedness Fund, which is reserved for matters of public safety and could not be used for other projects. “Nothing else missed its funding or lost an opportunity because this fund is just for this kind of thing,” Phillips said. Students such as Kyle Brancato, junior business administration major, have expressed concerns about damage to their vehicles. Brancato said the front bumper of his car was scraped by speed
bumps despite him driving with caution, and he said he is also concerned about his car’s suspension. Because the current damage occurred in such a short period of time, Brancato said he worries about the long-term effects. “I take (the speed bumps) extremely slow at an angle and it doesn’t help me increase the safety of the pedestrians. If anything it just causes more traffic and damage to my vehicle. I don’t see how it’s healthy,” Brancato said. Brancato suggested putting in different bumps. He said the implemented speed bumps are one of the most extreme approaches he has seen. Many students, including
Brancato, wonder if the university is willing to pay for serious car damage resulting from the new speed bumps. Austin Lentz, sophomore accounting major, said he initially thought it was funny how students responded to the speed bumps. “It just shifts the risk,” Lentz said. “Instead of risk being in straightaways, it’s now in parking lots and is just wearing down everyone’s suspension.” Though the speed bumps may be an inconvenience, they were installed with good intentions to keep those on campus safe. It is important to drive safely to ensure nobody gets hurt because of distractions.