Volume 66 | Issue 8 | February 8, 2019
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Friends, family cope with loss of CBU student BY SOFIA ENEQVIST ASST. NEWS EDITOR
California Baptist University student Colden Styles Davis died Thursday, Jan. 22, at the age of 20. He is remembered by his parents, younger brother and campus community. Davis, sophomore political science major, was described by those close to him as someone who was passionate, brilliant, humble and a great friend. He was a high school tri-athlete from Porter Ranch, Calif., who originally came to CBU as a pre-med biology major. He later switched his major to political science. Davis’ goal after finishing college was to become a lawyer. Bruno Leonardo, sophomore biomedical science major, said he and Davis instantly clicked when they first met. His relaxed, laid-back demeanor made him easy to befriend. “Colden was never what you expected. He knew he had to work for what he wanted and did everything with such passion,” Leonardo said. “The biggest thing is to remember him well, and whenever he comes up — don’t be sad. Make sure he puts a smile on your face.” Although Davis was known as a private person, his friends said he never failed to brighten the mood of any room he entered. Davis’ enthusiasm for video games and anime set him apart among his friends. His friends said he showed passion in everything he did and called him a “political science genius.” Every story about Davis was relayed with a smile. Brock Mickley, sophomore business administration major, said it was always easy to talk to Davis and that he approached
RIVERSIDE TAKES STOCK OF CITY’s HOMELESS SITUATION
situationd with happiness. “That will probably be one of the things I will miss the most — his positivity in every conversation,” Mickley said. “He was a simple man: His life was school, video games, eat and sleep. The only way we could pull him out of that was through basketball.” Former classmate Denise Rivera, sophomore political science major, remembered Davis as a friendly, outgoing person who left an impression on her life. “It’s hard going to class and seeing his chair empty. Political science as a major is small; you get to know the people around you. It’s a community. He always smiled at everyone, always said, ‘Hi,’” Rivera said. “He encouraged the people around him and made us want to be better people.” Rivera acknowledged it can be difficult to understand and accept tragic events. She said when facing different tribulations, it is vital to have a support system. Without that, she said, life can seem dreary. The university provides resources to those looking for help coping with loss. “No one is alone, even when they feel that they are,” said Dr. John Montgomery, dean of Spiritual Life. “It is important for students to know that the CBU Counseling Center is a great resource to help process grief. Also, any student who might be struggling deeply with any issue should reach out to the Counseling Center, Spiritual Life, a staff member, a faculty member or a peer.” A memorial service and basketball tournament were held Feb. 7 in the Recreation Center to honor Davis’ life.
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Reagan Lee | Banner
Ashwin Sharma, first-year medical student at the University of California, Riverside, conducts the Point-in-Time survey with Tanya, 52, who has been homeless for four years.
Netflix, Hulu documentaries expose Fyre Festival fraud Two new films explore all that went awry during ultra-VIP festival BY KORAH ROBINSON A&E EDITOR
After much anticipation and skepticism, two documentaries were released on Hulu and Net-
flix in January 2019 about the infamous Fyre Festival. Fyre Fest was a music festival created to promote an application also called Fyre, in which people could book artists and talent for special events. The reality was much darker and more dangerous. Created by the artist Ja Rule, American rapper, singer-songwriter and actor, and Billy McFarland, a 27-year-old entrepreneur, Fyre Fest was to take place over the course of two week-
ends in April and May 2017 on a private island in the Bahamas. The event was promoted by many of the industry’s top super models and social media influencers, including Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid, and it was meant to feature a lineup that would rival Coachella, with headliners such as Major Lazer, Migos and Daya. Guests spent thousands of dollars on tickets, private villas, VIP packages and special access, setting up Fyre Festival
to be the most exclusive music festival of all time. When guests arrived, however, they were met with a very different reality. Seth Crossno, Fyre Fest attendee featured in both documentaries and creator of internet persona William Needham Finley IV, said that before he and his friends arrived on the island, they did not think anything was amiss. “There were some head-scratching moments, but
there was nothing to suggest that nothing would be ready or that it would be a big disaster. Nothing tipped us off to that,” Crossno said to The Banner. Attendees paid thousands of dollars for luxury accommodations that, in reality, consisted of leftover hurricane relief tents, soaked mattresses, cheese sandwiches in take-out boxes, lockers with no locks and no electricity. Festivalgoers also had no access to first aid or any form
of health care. When attendees became aware that Fyre was a the scam, many tried to leave the island. “Right when we got to the island, we thought, ‘This is four or five months from being ready,’” Crossno said. “We kept thinking, ‘This can’t be it. We’ll keep driving and they’re going to drop us off at the place we reserved.’ We got dropped off and there was this long line of
SEE FYRE FEST | PAGE 13
Freshman orientation program set to change this spring BY JANE ROBERTUS ASST. NEWS EDITOR
The first semester of freshman year can be a time of major adjustment for anyone. In the past, the First-year Orientation and Christian University Success (FOCUS) program has helped make this transition a little easier for students at Cali-
fornia Baptist University. However, the program is about to undergo substantial changes and restructuring at the start of the fall 2019 semester. The student leadership selection process is currently underway and plans for the program are beginning to take shape. Not only is the structure and class layout
changing but the name FOCUS will be completely discarded. In fall 2019, FOCUS will become “First Year Experience,” a pre-existing organization also used at other universities. Meredith Palmer, assistant director of FOCUS, described the motivation behind the change of a program and what prompted the restructuring.
“Not only is there a greater number of students, but it’s more diverse and they have different needs,” Palmer said. “We are trying to update the curriculum to better match the needs of students and the demographic.”
SEE FOCUS CHANGES | PAGE 3