After a night of three forks, deca- dent desserts and an array of fine at- tire, an estimated 360 California Baptist University students attended the an- nual Yule festival at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. e audience was most impressed with the national headlining comedian, known as “Michael Jr.” Michael Jr. made previous perfor- mances on MAD TV and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno; and now, because of the arrangements made by Chris Hofschroer, CBU director of commu- nity life, Michael Jr. can add CBU stu- dents to his list of viewers, who were unashamedly pleased with Michael Jr.’s performance. “Yule was a lot of fun. I love Michael Jr. He was really, really, really funny,” Nick Braden, senior, said. Braden has attended the event in previous years. Another returner to the event, Kit Joos, said this year was the best year for Yule. He said that he “really liked the comedian.” Michael Jr. jokingly said that he agreed to take this gig because “it’s so close to my heart. I mean, it’s close to my house,” as he lives in the Orange County area. “I think Yule was really good,” Michael Jr. said. “e beef was deli- cious. Sometimes the food’s not good. e food was actually good here. And the people are really nice and so giv- ing. I had a really good time with the students.” Another exciting happening of the evening was the naming of Mr. and Ms. CBU. Each year, students nominate and vote for who they believe encompasses what it means to be a CBU student, qualifications include: participation in campus activities, active leadership on campus, citizenship and school pride. A short video played featuring each of the nominees talking about their campus involvement or whether they like Twilight or Harry Potter better. en Tim Hawley and Dayna Menjivar, last year’s Mr. and Ms. CBU, revealed who would take their spots. is year’s winners were Luke Womack and Kristin De La Cruz. Womack was honored to be given this title. “I think it means to me that I’ve left an impact at CBU,” Womack said. “My goal, freshman year, was to leave a mark on the campus at CBU; to not just pass through without leaving a legacy of some kind.” De La Cruz was also appreciative of being named Ms. CBU. “I always considered Ms. CBU as someone who genuinely cares about our campus; including the student body. It is someone who cares for oth- ers and strives to “live your purpose” by serving Christ. When I found out that I was Ms. CBU, I was so honored. Every one of the nominees are such great people and any of them fit that description,” De La Cruz said. Even Mr. CBU noted his approval of the event as a whole and more spe- cifically, Michael Jr. “Tonight’s event exceeded my ex- pectations,” Womack said. “Michael Jr. tickled my funny bone.” A tragic family event prompts the closing of a local favorite. After ten years of service, the mom-and-pop coffee shop, a favorite among students, will close it’s doors. On Dec. 26 Coffee Depot will say goodbye to the local community for good. e reason being: owners, Geof and Evelyn Gaines, are relocating be- cause of family matters and cannot run the buisness long-distance. “My husband’s father passed away, so it made more sense to close than to try and manage from far away,” Evelyn Gaines said. “It was a very tough decision for us to make. We love it. We love the students.” Many California Baptist Universi- ty students spend their time at “the CD,” which it is commonly called. Students participated in various activities, from doing homework with a cup of coffee-in- hand or attending free swing dancing on Monday nights. Swing dancing, which is held by the UC Riverside Swing Club will con- tinue at e Coffee Depot until the shop closes, making Dec. 20 the last day for people to attend the free lessons and dancing. e Swing Club will continue to look for different venues after the Christ- mas season. Fundrasing opporunities for a new venue are currently in the works. In the meantime, the Gaines’ are attempting to lease out the building in which Coffee Depot is located. “We are looking for somebody to lease the space, hopefully a restaurant so people can still enjoy it,” Evelyn Gaines said. “We have leads but no body has signed yet.” “We are hoping that at least some of the music will continue, but it would be up to them because we will just be leasing the building,” Evelyn Gaines added. Dec. 26 also marks the 10-year anniversary of the shop’s opening. Over the ten years, Coffee Depot started traditions and helped build com- munity among Riverside residents. “e most rewarding part is walk- ing in and watching people smile and all the stories we hear of people meeting here and getting married,” Evelyn said. “We just had a wedding here for a couple who met here and then decided to get married here.” With it’s doors closing and the un- certainty of the placement of the events that the community has come to enjoy, Coffee Depot leaves with morality in tact. “It was a tough decision, but fam- ily comes first,” Evelyn said. December 10, 2010 A California Baptist University Campus Publication Volume 58 · Issue 7 THE BANNER CHRI$TMA$$$ e most happiest time of the year has become laden with commercialism and competition. Page 13 WISH LIST ONLINE Banner editors share their prayers for the holidays. Page 13 See more Culture stories including the blogging trend and holiday music playlists online at cbubanner.com. FELIZ NAVIDAD Learn how to say Merry Christmas in seven languages and find out how other cultures cel- ebrate the season. Page 11 Photo by Aaron Kim Photo by Chris Hardy Coffee Depot owners leave due to family matters. Luke Womack and Kristin De La Cruz were awarded Mr. and Ms. CBU at Yule. CAB brings new meaning to ‘Yule’tide BY TAYLOR ROGERS NEWS EDITOR COFFEE DEPOT CLOSES ITS DOORS BY JENNY MINER MANAGING EDITOR
Transcript
After a night of three forks, deca-dent desserts and an array of fine at-tire, an estimated 360 California Baptist University students attended the an-nual Yule festival at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel.
The audience was most impressed with the national headlining comedian, known as “Michael Jr.”
Michael Jr. made previous perfor-mances on MAD TV and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno; and now, because of the arrangements made by Chris Hofschroer, CBU director of commu-nity life, Michael Jr. can add CBU stu-dents to his list of viewers, who were unashamedly pleased with Michael Jr.’s performance.
“Yule was a lot of fun. I love Michael Jr. He was really, really, really funny,” Nick Braden, senior, said. Braden has attended the event in previous years.
Another returner to the event, Kit Joos, said this year was the best year for Yule. He said that he “really liked the comedian.”
Michael Jr. jokingly said that he agreed to take this gig because “it’s so close to my heart. I mean, it’s close to my house,” as he lives in the Orange County area.
“I think Yule was really good,” Michael Jr. said. “The beef was deli-cious. Sometimes the food’s not good. The food was actually good here. And the people are really nice and so giv-ing. I had a really good time with the students.”
Another exciting happening of the evening was the naming of Mr. and Ms. CBU.
Each year, students nominate and vote for who they believe encompasses what it means to be a CBU student, qualifications include: participation in campus activities, active leadership on campus, citizenship and school pride.
A short video played featuring each of the nominees talking about their campus involvement or whether they like Twilight or Harry Potter better.
Then Tim Hawley and Dayna Menjivar, last year’s Mr. and Ms. CBU, revealed who would take their spots.
This year’s winners were Luke
Womack and Kristin De La Cruz.Womack was honored to be given
this title.“I think it means to me that I’ve
left an impact at CBU,” Womack said. “My goal, freshman year, was to leave a mark on the campus at CBU; to not just pass through without leaving a legacy of some kind.”
De La Cruz was also appreciative of being named Ms. CBU.
“I always considered Ms. CBU as someone who genuinely cares about our campus; including the student body. It is someone who cares for oth-ers and strives to “live your purpose” by serving Christ.
When I found out that I was Ms. CBU, I was so honored. Every one of the nominees are such great people and any of them fit that description,” De La Cruz said.
Even Mr. CBU noted his approval of the event as a whole and more spe-cifically, Michael Jr.
“Tonight’s event exceeded my ex-pectations,” Womack said. “Michael Jr. tickled my funny bone.”
A tragic family event prompts the closing of a local favorite.
After ten years of service, the mom-and-pop coffee shop, a favorite among students, will close it’s doors.
On Dec. 26 Coffee Depot will say goodbye to the local community for good. The reason being: owners, Geof and Evelyn Gaines, are relocating be-cause of family matters and cannot run the buisness long-distance.
“My husband’s father passed away, so it made more sense to close than to try and manage from far away,” Evelyn Gaines said. “It was a very tough decision for us to make. We love it. We love the students.”
Many California Baptist Universi-ty students spend their time at “the CD,” which it is commonly called. Students
participated in various activities, from doing homework with a cup of coffee-in-hand or attending free swing dancing on Monday nights.
Swing dancing, which is held by the UC Riverside Swing Club will con-tinue at The Coffee Depot until the shop closes, making Dec. 20 the last day for people to attend the free lessons and dancing.
The Swing Club will continue to look for different venues after the Christ-mas season. Fundrasing opporunities for a new venue are currently in the works.
In the meantime, the Gaines’ are attempting to lease out the building in which Coffee Depot is located.
“We are looking for somebody to lease the space, hopefully a restaurant so people can still enjoy it,” Evelyn Gaines said. “We have leads but no body has signed yet.”
“We are hoping that at least some of the music will continue, but it would be up to them because we will just be leasing the building,” Evelyn Gaines added.
Dec. 26 also marks the 10-year anniversary of the shop’s opening.
Over the ten years, Coffee Depot started traditions and helped build com-munity among Riverside residents.
“The most rewarding part is walk-ing in and watching people smile and all the stories we hear of people meeting here and getting married,” Evelyn said. “We just had a wedding here for a couple who met here and then decided to get married here.”
With it’s doors closing and the un-certainty of the placement of the events that the community has come to enjoy, Coffee Depot leaves with morality in tact.
“It was a tough decision, but fam-ily comes first,” Evelyn said.
December 10, 2010 A California Baptist University Campus Publication Volume 58 · Issue 7
THE BANNER
CHRI$TMA$$$The most happiest time of the year has become laden with commercialism and competition. Page 13
WISH LIST ONLINEBanner editors share their prayers for the holidays. Page 13
See more Culture stories including the blogging trend and holiday music playlists online at cbubanner.com.
FELIZ NAVIDADLearn how to say Merry Christmas in seven languages and find out how other cultures cel-ebrate the season.Page 11
Photo by Aaron Kim
Photo by Chris Hardy
Coffee Depot owners leave due to family matters.
Luke Womack and Kristin De La Cruz were awarded Mr. and Ms. CBU at Yule.
The Banner is produced bi-weekly by the students of
California Baptist University8432 Magnolia Avenue
Riverside, California 92504
Four Lokos, an energy drink mixed with alcohol, could be labeled “cocaine in can.” This is precisely why this beverage was banned which re-sulted in mixed emotions from its consumers.
Four Lokos, which is said to be the youth’s drink of choice, is com-posed of 12 percent alcohol. It con-tains caffeine, taurine like most energy drinks, Guarana, wormwood, an in-gredient of absinthe; an herb used to make liquor.
With all these ingredients and the amount of alcohol it contains, drinking one can is like drinking seven regular cups of coffee and has the ef-fects of four beers.
This drink, created by three alum-ni from Ohio State University in 2006, was distributed throughout Arizona, California and Illinois, in the same year.
The Food and Drug Adminis-tration did not agree for this alcoholic power drink to contain caffeine so that caused a federal inquiry. The FDA fol-lowed these companies over the past year and now have given them 15 days to reformulate the product or face the federal law.
Mallory Munroe, nursing major at California Baptist University, said the reason for the concern is that “alcohol is more a depressant especially on your heart, while caffeine works as a stimu-lant,” meaning people are putting two substances in their body that serve op-posing purposes.
“Combining both will make you
hyped up from the caffeine, but then it makes you want to drink more be-cause you are not feeling that drunk effect,” Munroe said.
The FDA sent letters to 30 man-ufacturers requiring them to disclose the amount of caffeine in the product. This is giving the companies a possible chance to continue on with their prod-uct if they obey the laws.
If inquiry is disregarded, the FDA has the ability to discontinue the product.
Drinking Four Lokos is espe-cially a trend with underage consum-ers. They see it as an easy and cheap way to get drunk, while not realizing the physical effects.
Banishment could occur on Dec. 13 in some locations.
As the intensity of finals sea-son is upon the students at California Baptist University, the Campus Ac-tivities Board , led by director Chris Hofschroer, plans to keep the tradi-tion of a late night breakfast.
CAB will provide students with the usual breakfast items in the Alumni Dining Commons on Tues-day Dec. 14 from 10 p.m.- 11 p.m. This menu includes favorites such as: eggs, toast, bacon and sausage.
CAB also will provide students an opportunity to take pictures with Santa at the event.
“We definitely will have pic-tures with Santa this year. Obviously we only do that during the December Late Night Breakfast. We actually take those pictures and post them on the windows of CAB,” Hofschroer said.
The pictures will be available for the students to pick up from the CAB offices after the event.
Not only will it be an opportu-nity for students but it will also be an opportunity for the staff to showcase their appreciation for the students and a job well done for a semester.
Even though the school sig-nificantly increased in size this school year, not too much will change.
“It’s going to be packed this year with how many students we have this year,” Hofschroer said. “So a lot of people come in, they’ll eat and leave. They’ll mingle through and the patio will be open. We will probably just shuttle people in and shuttle people out.”
“I would just encourage people to come out and have a good time,” Hofschroer added.
1 Loko, 2 Loko, 3 Loko, Gone?
BY MARK GOMEZSTAFF WRITER
BY PILAR ORELLANASTAFF WRITER
Photo by Kenton JacobsenFour Lokos to be banned from store shelves if FDA does not see a change in formula.
High school students, from a variety of locations both near and far, came to California Baptist Uni-versity to participate in 24@CBU on Nov. 18-19 and most recently on Dec. 2-3.
24@CBU is a program that al-lows high school seniors to experi-ence CBU for a full 24 hours in or-der to get a real feel for CBU.
Much like Spring Preview Day, the campus accommodates prospective students, but this time for 24 hours.
High school seniors get to tour the campus, audition for the theater and music departments, enjoy food in the Alumni Dining Commons or Brisco’s Village Cafe, sit in on Chapel and a class relat-ing to their major, sleep on-campus
and participate in plenty of student activities.
Rhonda Shackelford, un-dergraduate admissions visit and events coordinator, was the woman in charge of the detailed event. She encouraged students since Septem-ber’s freshmen orientation to sign up to host 24@CBU students. These hosts fellowship with students and give them a real perspective of life at CBU.
Rebekah Johnson, a student in the second 24@CBU, is a senior from Woodcrest Christian High School. She was able to catch current CBU students spending hours on home-work and asisngments.
“The students are up really late studying. It showed me their dedica-tion to their schoolwork,” Johnson said.
Other student activities varied
from sports games, performances and hanging out with current stu-dents. They were also given the op-portunity to attend an application workshop that not only gave them help with applying but also waved the application fee.
On Nov. 18 at 4:30 p.m. stu-dents got the chance to watch the University Choir and Orchestra per-form in the Stamps Courtyard.
There was a plethora of activi-ties planned for students on Dec. 2 as well. Students watched a CBU tradition unfold, the lighting of the Christmas tree on the front lawn af-ter Male Chorale performed.
At the Christmas party, there was also an ugly christmas sweater contest, gingerbread house con-test, snow to play in (and a snowball fight), delicious treats to eat and live music by CBU alumni Travis Ryan.
“The Christmas party was pretty cool, because even though I didn’t know a lot of people we were still able to have fun in the chaos that was the epic snowball fight,” Jessica Bills, senior from Woodcrest Chris-tian High School, said.
There was also a volleyball game between a team from Russia and the men’s volleyball team.
Shackelford suggests current CBU students should also get in-volved. They can sign up to host a student or simply eat with the high school seniors as well as having con-versations and making 24@CBU stu-dents feel welcomed on campus.
“It showed me what happens [here at CBU]. I really liked how the students really want to get to know you. They’re very friendly,” Travis Lee, 24@CBU student from Martin Luther King H.S., said.
Star Trek the Exhibit: Where Science Meets Science Fiction has added a new attraction for visitors to enjoy. A simulator ride started on Nov. 26 and will continue until Jan. 2 in accordance with the Festival of Lights celebration. The ride will be open Monday through Thursday from noon until 6 p.m. and Friday through Sunday noon until 8 p.m. Tickets for the simulator are $3 per person. It is located on the corner of University Avenue and Main Street.
UCR CREATES NEW TWEET APP
Computer science graduate students and professors introduced a new phone application that will allow users to control who views each their tweets. The application has been named “Twitsper,” a combination of the words ‘Twitter’ and ‘Whisper.’ Twitsper allows users to create private lists of their followers. Once the list is created, the creator and those on the list can send tweets back and forth that only they can see. The application can be downloaded by Android systems.
RIVERSIDE: GREAT LIVING
The city of Riverside was recently recognized as one of the world’s most livable communities by and international panel of judges at the 2010 International Awards for Livable Communities (LivCom) in Chicago, Ill. Riverside received a Silver LivCom Award, which places it as a leader in the areas of environmental best practices and stainability. The objective of the annual awards is to “encourage best practice, innovation, and leadership in providing a vibrant, environmentally stable community that improves the quality of life.” Mayor Ron Loverage said that Riverside is “’now known around the world for our policies, and our commitments to renewable energy and sustainable living practices,” in a press release issued on Nov. 19.
NEWS BRIEFS
BY TAYLOR ROGERSNEWS EDITOR
On Dec. 1, the Campus Activities Board held a coed dodgeball tourna-ment on the tennis courts at 9 p.m.
All the dipping, diving, ducking and dodging that took place Wednes-day resulted in four teams fighting for the championship: The Fuzz, Rosa Nerds, The Bombers and The Sitting Ducks.
Rec sports coordinators Will Byers and Chris Cox were in charge of the event.
“We only had a day or two to advertise for sign-ups, so we are very pleased with the turnout,” Byers said.
The tournament began with 24 teams playing across four courts. Hun-dreds of students huddled around the courts, in the cold weather, to watch the teams battle for the title as the school’s top dodgeball team.
Balls flew everywhere as the tournament worked its way toward the championship match, which ended just after 11 p.m.
Jake Hartson was on the champi-
onship team, The Sitting Ducks, along with Taylor Welch, Julie Prins, Hannah Price and Ian Price.
“Dodgeball is a great sport for fun and fellowship,” Hartson said. “There was no way I could turn it down know-ing the potential fun that awaited me.”
The teams were made up of six players, of which at least two had to be females. The goal was to get all of the players on the other team out.
There were six balls in play on
each court and to get the balls at the be-ginning of the match, the teams had to sprint to center court.
In order to get an opposing player out, the teams had to do one of three things: hit an opposing player, catch a ball thrown by an opposing player or use their ball to knock a ball out of an opposing player’s hands.
In addition, when a player caught a ball, they were able to bring another player from their team back into the
game after being knocked out.The final match was between
the Sitting Ducks and The Bombers.In a close, best two out of three
battle, the Sitting Ducks came away with the victory and were rewarded with iTunes gift cards.
“Expectations were to have a superbulous time. Winning was in the back of my mind, but in the game of dodgeball you can only think one ball at a time,” Hartson said.
The second place Bombers re-ceived a giant donut, to share.
“CAB did a great job hosting the event, it was organized and the fun atmosphere was definitely pres-ent. Free headbands are always wel-come,” Hartson said.
CAB is responsible for all of the main recreational sports on campus each year: Football, Volleyball, Basket-ball and Soccer. They host one tour-nament each semester.
“We’ve been thinking about ul-timate frisbee or innertube water polo for next semester’s tournament, but nothing is set in stone yet,” Byers said.
The day after Thanksgiving is often spent shopping at insane hours and fighting crowds. A calmer way in which people bring in the Christmas season is by attending the Festival of Lights.
As of 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 26, the Mission Inn Hotel and Spa in Riverside, Calif. started celebrating by turning on approximately 3.5 million lights.
“I always liked the downtown area of Riverside but the lights bring it to life. They were really beautiful,” Marti Barsoom, junior, said.
For the past 18 years the hotel has been “lighting up the season” with an elaborate display of festive decora-tions that range from simple white lights to life size robotic carolers.
The “Switch–On Ceremony,” as it is known, was attended by 48,000 people this year.
Crowds lined up along Mission Ave. well in advance and benches were taken quickly.
People filled the streets and jos-tled back and forth in the cold while filtering through the various shops and booths that sprung up on the sidewalks for this event.
The streets around downtown were closed for the event, which offi-cially began at 5:30 p.m. with a perfor-mance from the Riverside City College Marching Tigers. The band opened the night with a holiday medley and moved on to Lady Gaga’s “Pokerface.”
The performance, along with remarks from Mayor Ronald Lov-eridge and Duane Roberts, the “Keeper of the Inn,” was broadcast via live feed on University and Fifth Ave.
Large screens allowed for the entire crowd to see Riverside elemen-tary school students help Santa flip the switch that turned the Mission Inn into a glowing spectacle. These students achieved this opportunity as a result of winning the Mission Inn Coloring Contest.
“I had been to the Mission Inn a few times but this was the first time I’d seen it lit up with Christmas lights,” freshman Erin Dalan said.
Throughout the night of the Switch-On ceremony the large crowd milled throughout the antique and gift shops of downtown. With win-dow displays that ranged from simple to the elaborate, visitors were entirely surrounded by holiday spirit. Area stores and restaurants have extended their operating hours to 8 and 9 p.m. in response to the nightly excitement of the Festival of Lights.
Another popular attraction back for the Festival of Lights is the outdoor ice skating rink. For $13 an hour, people of all ages can enjoy the full size rink located in the center of downtown, right across from the Mission Inn Galleria.
Decorations will adorn the Mission Inn and downtown Riverside area until just after New Years. Night-ly visits from Santa and specialty food booths with kettle corn, hot cocoa and gingerbread will complete the holiday spectacular.
Students Dodge, Dip, Duck, Dash and Dive with CAB
Riverside lights up for Christmas
BY NEIL MORGANSTAFF WRITER
BY SARAH JANE O’KEEFE & DAYANA RAMIREZ
STAFF WRITERS
Attendees of the Festival of Lights watch the Riverside skies explode with color during this annual event.
Photo by Chris HardyBalls fly on CBU tennis courts at the CAB sponored dodgeball tournament
Photo by Sarah Jane O’Keefe
CORRECTIONThe following mistake was made in issue number six in the article “Mini Tour: four days create unity among male chorale”The byline was given to Taylor Rogers. The writer is Mark Gomez.The photo accompanying the ar-ticle “Sending Christmas greet-ings overseas” was attributed to Nic Jessen. The photographer was Sarah Jane O’Keefe
The holidays are a time for giving but for college students it seems hard enough to get gifts for your family, let alone find a way to give to the needy.
Although it is difficult, the task is not impossible. On any budget and with any time constraints, there are still ways to make a difference during the Christmas season.
Toys for Tots is one of the best ways to give to children in need during the holidays, not to mention it is conve-nient and fun. Toys “R” Us are nation-wide drop-off locations. There is a Toys “R” Us located off of Magnolia Avenue by the Tyler Mall, close and conve-nient for the average California Baptist University student.
“There is no kind of monetary val-ue on the donations,” Wayne Harkley, the Toys for Tots coordinator for San Bernardino and Riverside County, said. “Whatever fits in your budget; if that is a five dollar toy, that is okay.”
Since there is no set price, this makes it easy to find a toy that fits with-in your own personal holiday budget.
The Family Giving Tree is another organization that provides a way to make giving as easy and expedient as online shopping. This organization works by selecting families who have registered with social service agencies. Once selected, the children can send in a card with their specific Christmas
wish.By going on the website, www.
familygivingtree.org, each child’s wish is displayed and by just clicking a but-ton at the bottom of the screen you can sponsor them and make the donation for their toy. This website makes giv-ing so easy, although it costs a bit more than Toy’s for Tots; donations range from $19.99- $29.99.
The Macy’s Believe holiday cam-paign works side by side with the Make-a-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes for children with life-threatening diseases. A large red mail-box is placed in every Macy’s store and for every letter to Santa in the mailbox, Macy’s donates one dollar to Make-a-Wish Foundation.
Being a part of Macy’s Believe cam-paign is easy; just spend time with a little sibling, niece or nephew and help them send their Christmas lists to the North Pole. The total cost for this proj-ect is paper and pens, making it perfect for a student on a very tight budget.
Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child is a organization with the mission statement: “to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and togeth-er with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.”
They collect shoeboxes that are filled with toys and necessities for children in impoverished countries. Churches from all over the country take part. Last year alone, they served
8 million children. Since 1993, they reached 130 countries. The boxes are designated by specific age groups and gender. Age groups range from 2 to 4 years old, 5 to 9 years old and 10 to 14 years old. Operation Christmas Child has many ways to get involved. They also offer opportunities to both vol-unteer at a warehouse inspecting and shipping them. It all starts with filling one shoebox.
The apparent focus on material gifts makes it difficult at times to re-member there are people who simply need food.
At Vons in the Riverside Plaza, there are bags of canned foods that may be purchased and donated. The bags of food are all under $10. This makes donating simple because the food is already picked out and it just needs to be bought.
On campus, the Office of Spiritual Life has a tree that is decorated with or-naments with the names and wishes of foster children.
All students have to do is pick an ornament, register it with the office and then purchase the gift that is listed. Return the gift to the Office of Spiritual Life and your chosen child’s Christmas wish will come true.
This holiday season is full of oppor-tunities to give back to those in need in our community. Even on a student’s limited budget, there are many ways to make a difference.
JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN OF THE WORLDBY MEGAN PAULOS & JACKIE WICKHAM
ASSISTANT DESIGNER & STAFF WRITER
When it comes to Christmas tradi-tions, nothing is as timeless or consistent as the unforgettable seasonal Christmas specials.
As students continue to grow older, they still remember the lines of their favorite Christmas specials they have grown up with. Whether it released decades ago or just recently, Christmas specials are an important element of the full Christmas experience. With this said, here are 10 of the most popular Christmas specials.
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)Released in 1946, this is the oldest
film on the list. Everyone can remember the classic line of James Stewart, “Please, God, let me live again.” This brings back the theme of appreciation of what you have by understanding the important gift of life. This is a theme commonly forgotten in the modern scenes of Christmas celebrations.
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)Similar to the former, this film
brings back the tradition of classic films from the 1940s The film takes place in
New York City where a Macy’s Day Parade Santa Clause (who may be the real thing) helps to restore a child’s faith in Christmas and Santa. The sentimen-tal value of the film helps to make this a classic.
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)In addition to being the longest
cable broadcasted Christmas special of all time, this animated short proj-ects the most important theme of all. Though it has appeared on primetime television for decades, it is one of the few Christmas specials that recalls the center theme of Christmas when the character Linus recites Luke 8:2-14(KJV) about the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem as the true meaning of the season.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
The Grinch stands as one of the most notable animated Christmas specials. It features the angered spirit of a The Grinch himself, who dislikes seeing the citizens of Whoville hap-pily celebrating Christmas. Though he succeeds in stealing the material of the town’s Christmas celebration, the town remains joyful. Their community is what had brought them joy during the
Christmas season, not gifts or material possessions.
A Christmas Story (1983)This classic comedy recalls the
strangeness of suburban life during grade school. The film showcases hu-mor through the family Christmas cel-ebrations. This film is narrated by the main character Ralphie Parker as an adult years later from these Christmas experiences.
National Lampoons Christmas Vacation (1989)
This comedy brings back the hu-morous situations of the holiday season but to more of an extreme with a touch of dark humor. Throughout the film you
see the antics of the Griswald family led by Clark “Sparky” Griswald played by Chevy Chase as they attempt to survive the normal Christmas routines.
Home Alone 1&2 (1990 & 1992)Though this is not one film or ex-
clusively a Christmas story, these films show great seasonal comedy of the McCallister family after they mistakenly separate from their son Kevin during the Christmas season. There is plenty of comedy as well as a lesson that there is nothing better than being with family during the season of giving.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
This film is an adaptation of the
famous Charles Dickens novel with the famous puppets from the mind of Jim Henson. It follows the character of Scrooge played by Michael Cane as he is visited by three Christmas ghosts Christmas Eve. Through this adventure, he begins to rediscover the greatness of caring for others.
The Santa Claus (1994)This comedy takes the idea of Santa
Claus in the life of an average person. After accidentally disrupting and end-ing Santa’s life on Christmas eve, Scott Calvin, played by none other than Tim Allen, is to take Santa’s place as the new Santa Claus. The movie finds Calvin not only repairing Christmas but repairing the relationship he has with his son.
Elf (2003)This recent Christmas comedy
quickly became a holiday favorite. This now classic film showcases the quirky personality of Buddy the Elf played by Will Ferrell as he travels to and through New York City from the North Pole in order to find his real Dad played by James Caan. This film brings back the importance of family over materialism during the Christmas season.
With this list of Christmas movies, it is easy to say that there are a num-ber of films that can please any audi-ence. Whether it be a drama, comedy or a classic, there is always a Christmas themed special that can please anyone during this season.
Christmas movies to accompany the season
BY MARK GOMEZSTAFF WRITER
Photo by Cayla AmesToys for Tots is one organization that accepts donations durring the holiday season.
Photo by Bryan JarboeWatching Christmas movies is a perfect way to spend a winter’s night.
Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la, la la la la…
Buy a gift and wrap it nicely, fa la la la la, la la la la…
Buying a good gift involves some thought, consideration and creativity, so why stop there? Wrapping a gift should be more than just another task. Here are a few tips to add some extra love for the gift to a loved one.
PresentationThe gift in question was well
thought out. It is probably something that will be liked and appreciated, so go that extra step and wrap it nicely. Present the gift in a gift wrap that might reflect the gift recipient.
Pick the right color is a simple sign of consideration. Pick a gift wrap in the receiver’s favorite color.
Also, be gender sensitive. This is not a sexist statement, but rather an act of consideration. Men like manly looking gifts, so finding a gift wrap in a matte or lightly textured finish would be a great way to present a present.
Women are more appreciative of visual details. Glitter, patterns, and complimentary colors need to be finely balanced when giving a classy woman a classy looking gift.
-Designs: Pick age and gender ap-propriate designs for the wrapping paper. Dora the Explorer is great for a little girl, but not for someone’s grand-father. Try to find designs that reflect who the gift is for, but if nothing seems to stand out, a solid color is good too.
-Tape: Invisible tape is idyllic. Use only the smallest amount to hold down the gift wrap. If too much tape is used to hold down a corner or side, it is possible that there is too much gift wrap. Also, make sure to press the tape down all the way. This prevents air bubbles and it helps to make the invisible tape, invisible.
-Cutting: Cutting in a straight line does wonders for the presentation of a present. If a straight line can be diffi-cult, and cutting in a perfectly straight line is a practiced skill, then here are a
few items that are beneficial: Scissors with a guiding laser: these
really exist, and they really cost more money than necessary.
Exacto knives: for some people these make cutting more accurate, give it a try.
Silly scissors: can’t cut in a straight line? Neither can these, hide your flaws with an artistic edge.
CreativityPresentation is only half of the
equation. Be creative with how the gift is packaged.
-Uniqueness: If ribbons and gift wrap seem repetitive, try something different. Wooden boxes, cloth, rope or other everyday items can bring a truly unique touch to gifts. Use Christmas ornaments as toppers and tags for a perfectly boxed gift.
-Odd shaped presents: For presents that are uniquely shaped, placing them in boxes is a safe way to go. This keeps the gift a mysterious surprise and it makes it easier to wrap.
Wrapping a presentEver had a problem when wrap-
ping either a really small present or a really big present? Remember to plan ahead.
For small presents: Cut out a small-er square or rectangle to avoid unsight-ly bumps and wrinkles.
For large presents: Try to find large rolls of wrapping paper, or strategically wrap the gift. This can be accomplished by wrapping one half of the present nor-mally, wrapping the opposite half, then strategically placing a ribbon to hide the seam. Avoid patterns or stripes, as this can show an irregularity to those with a careful eye.
Christmas is a season to remember the birth of Jesus Christ, spend time with loved ones and appreciate the love that the season brings for all. Spend time to show all loved ones how much they are appreciated by going that extra step in each detail.
If you have enjoyed this semester’s “How to’s” or would like to find out “How to” do something new, email [email protected].
BY AJ LACUESTAASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR
When the weather outside is frightful, nothing is more delight-ful than a smooth, delicious cup of Christmas cheer. A mug filled to the brim with a hot, holiday bev-erage is the perfect remedy to a wintry chill and provides warmth to the body and soul from the in-side out.
When the craving for winter comfort strikes, students do not need to search very far. Riverside is home to an array of local eateries, each offering a wealth of luscious lattes, creamy cocoas and scrump-tious cider to keep the season mer-ry and bright.
Sips CoffeeWith two Riverside locations,
Sips Coffee is the perfect place to enjoy a warm drink while studying for final exams. The comfortably furnished interior is welcoming, peaceful and provides free wireless internet access.
Sips Coffee offers reasonable
prices, excellent service and three classic Christmas lattes sure to please any student who seeks a place to study or an escape from the stress of exams. The most popular seasonal indulgence is the Peppermint White Mocha. Espresso, steamed milk, chocolate syrup, peppermint and whipped cream come together to create a delightful peppermint sensation. Other holiday lattes include the Gingerbread Latte and the Eggnog Latte.
Coffee Bean and Tea LeafLocated across the street
from the historic Mission Inn, the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf pro-vides a wealth of holiday beverages to enjoy while strolling through the festive streets of downtown Riverside.
For consumers who prefer tea over coffee, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf offers multiple Christmas tea selections. One popular favor-ite is the Winter Dream Tea Latte, crafted from black tea, rooibos, sweet spices and creamy vanilla syrup. Another Christmas tea latte
is the Candy Cane Tea Latte. This creamy cup of Christmas joy is made from black tea, flavored with peppermint and vanilla.
Another delicious coffee-alternative is the Red Velvet Hot Cocoa. This sweet delicacy tastes like a red velvet cupcake and is sure to bring joy to the chocolate lover.
Festive coffee options in-clude the Gingerbread Cookie Latte and the Peppermint Dark Chocolate Latte, available hot, iced or blended.
StarbucksStarbucks rises to the oc-
casion to offer an abundance of delicious Christmas beverages, each served in a festive red cup. Coffee-seekers do not need to search very far; locations can be found in almost every local neighborhood, including drive-thru locations, stands in malls and grocery stores.
The newest addition to the Starbucks holiday family is the Caramel Brulee Latte. This creamy latte boasts a smooth, buttery taste that is sure to sat-isfy the sweet tooth. It is made from espresso, steamed milk, caramel brulee sauce and is embellished with the finishing touch of whipped cream and car-amel brulee topping.
Other holiday favorites in-clude the White Chocolate Mocha, Peppermint Mocha, Gingerbread Latte, Pumpkin Spice Latte and Eggnog Latte.
For those who prefer coffee-free options but still crave rich flavor, the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate is an excellent choice. At first the combination of sweet and salty may sound odd, but consumers will fall in love at first sip. Mocha sauce and toffee nut syrup are swirled into a steaming cup of hot chocolate and topped with whipped cream, caramel sauce, sea salt and Hawaiian Turbinado sugar. Another coffee-free option is the Caramel Apple Spice, a twist on apple cider with cinnamon and caramel.
Wanda’sWhy travel across town when
Christmas comfort is available for enjoyment on our own cam-pus? Conveniently located in the Yeager Center, Wanda’s is the ideal spot to meet up with friends or grab a hot drink be-tween classes. During the month of December, the interior is ap-propriately adorned with snow-flakes, lights and even a minia-ture Christmas tree.
Wanda’s offers a variety of Christmas flavors, such as the Christmas Blend coffee. When you order, ask what seasonal fla-vors are available. There are vari-ous options for a cup of cheer.
BY BY KRISTIN DE LA CRUZCOPY EDITOR
Sips of the seasonPhoto illustaration by Zac Mullings
Photo by Cayla Ames
Starbucks is one of the many vendors selling Christmas flavored coffees.
Tape, scissors and wrapping paper are essentials for maying gifts presentable this holiday season.
GIVE A PRESENT SOME PRESENCEHO
W-T
O:
The end of an era is coming. It is bittersweet for many, sweet for others and heart-wrenching for some.
This is the time of winter commencement, when seniors will walk the final stretch of being a California Baptist University student and prepare for life in an unknown territory.
What can freshman, just beginning their epic journey of academia, learn from these individuals who have made the journey before them?
“Not everything is life altering. You don’t have to stress every tiny detail, because odds are you’re stressing for nothing. Take a second, sit back, breathe and you’ll be fine,” Alyssa Young, music major, said. “People expect you to be an adult the second you start. There is no “grace year” because you’re a freshman.
Learn to be responsible and take responsibility for your own actions and commitments. Do what you say you will do.”
Young recalls living in Smith Hall as a freshmen. It was the first and only year that women ever lived there.
“Smith 1B was the best time to meet new people, build relationships, have 12 fire alarms go off in the middle of the night because guys don’t know how to
cook and have the most stories to talk about! That whole year was a blast,” Young said.
Brock Van Dyke, Mathematics major, encourages freshmen to get out of their dorm or apartment and do things with others.
“Get involved with on-campus activities. Nothing will make the CBU experience greater than getting involved in any way you can,” Van Dyke said.
Aaron Jones, graphic design major, found that romantic relationships are a big part of college and are likely unavoidable. He encourages students not to shy away from relationships, but also not rush into them.
Jones also said, “make sure you focus on your classes because ultimately that is the most important reason you are here. Classes do matter. The grades you get here do affect you when you apply for a job. Do more than just pass your class, do the best you can.”
Seniors offered advise to under class students. “If you’re going to be unable to start paying off your loans within six months of graduation, you can do what I did and go to grad school, so your loans will be deferred for years,” Peter Ignatius, CBU alumni with a dual major in political science and history, said.
The smell of cinnamon, the chill of a soft winter breeze and the sound of bells and Christmas carols fill the air. The holiday season is here. Friends are gathering for Christmas dinners, ugly sweater parties and a seasonal favorite: white elephant gift exchanges.
While this type of party is a favor-ite among friends, there are some things that often occur, which are considered “party fouls.” To make sure you don’t end up in this awkward situation here are a few rules of etiquette to live by when participating in a white elephant gift exchange.
Do not give something that is broken. Just because you have some-thing lying around the house does not mean that it is suitable for a white el-ephant gift exchange. Whatever you decide to bring needs to be in proper working order and not ripped, torn or damaged in any way. Giving a gift that is broken and useless is not funny. It’s
rude.Give something appropriate for
the audience. Different groups of peo-ple expect different things when walk-ing into these types of gift exchanges. If you’re with jokesters, then you need to play along. If you’re with a more serious crowd, then you need to bring some-thing suitable for that audience.
Make sure you are not regifting with the original party present. There is nothing worse than getting caught regifting that awful singing fish your friend gave you with that friend at the same party.
“It’s okay to regift a gift that you have received from a different white elephant exchange, as long as none of the same people are present,” Andrew Hochradel, a senior, said.
If there is a tradition at a party, keep it going. Don’t be a sore loser when you get the ugly gnome that just keeps appearing at the party.
Instead of this being a downer on your night, you should see it as an hon-
or to be the winner of such a tradition. Also, make sure, if you are not going to be around next year, that the tradi-tional gift gets placed with someone who will attend the party again. There is nothing worse than killing a tradi-tion during the holiday season.
Lastly, when in doubt of what you should take or if you should be funny, just go with the simple back up of giving something you already have but do not really use.
You are not only giving some-thing beneficial, but you are also clear-ing out some of your clutter and it could just make someone’s night.
“Give a general gift. This is probably the only occasion where little-to-no effort is allowed when shopping for the gift. In fact, it’s en-couraged,” Sammy Ramos, a junior Psychology and Christian Behavioral Science major, said.
There you have it. Following these simple tips will help you succeed at being one of the greatest white el-ephant gift exchangers. They say this is the season of giving, so do not be a tacky giver.
White Elephant EtiquetteBY KATHERINE SEIPP
COPY EDITOR
Photo by Cayla AmesAlyssa Young prepares for graduation.
BY BRENNAN CACKETTSTAFF WRITER
SEEK WISDOM OF THE AGES
Steven Crayne, freshman graphic design major – if his name does not sound familiar, his form of transportation will defi-nitely jog your memory. Crayne rides a motorized ice chest, oth-erwise known as the Cruisin’ Cooler.
A friend of his won it in a magazine drive in high school. For years he saw it in a trash pile in his friend’s garage. The cooler no longer held a charge and his friend was going to throw it out. His friend said, “If you can fix it, it’s yours.” Crayne considers him-self a handy guy and began trying to figure out how to make it work again.
He found a wire that was loose and put it back on, which was exactly what the cooler needed.
He brought the cooler with him to California Baptist University but upon arriving on campus he found that he would be living on the third floor of Smith Hall.
This posed a problem because the cooler needs to be charged in order to run. When he needs to charge it he has to carry it up the stairs.
Since he came to CBU he has learned to long board which re-sulted in switching between the two modes of transportation; so he only has to charge the cooler every other day.
Other students constantly
stopped Crayne when he first be-gan riding his cooler to class. It’s not everyday one sees a person riding around on a cooler. He even let’s people take a ride on it.
The first three weeks of school he was able to ride the cooler with no problems. However, one day he came out of the James build-ing to discover a $50 parking ticket. The parking ticket was is-sued because the motorized ice chest is actually illegal on campus. According to the Vehicle Code & Bicycle Operation section of the CBU handbook, “The operation of motorized mini bikes, pocket mo-torcycles, gas powered scooters, and/or other off-highway vehicles are not permitted on campus at any time.” Crayne found the ticket humorous because it read “make: motorized, model: ice chest”. He then scanned it and posted it on his Facebook, which eventually made its way to Kent Dacus, vice-president, enrollment and student services.
The administration and pub-lic safety do not have a problem with Crayne’s motorized cooler. They are in the process of getting the rules in the student handbook rewritten and have waved each of the three tickets he has received.
Though the rules in the student handbook are still in the works of being rewritten, administration has given Crayne permission to ride his cooler around campus. If you see Crayne around campus be sure to check out his sweet set of wheels. He may even let you take it for a spin.
The man behind the coolerBY SHARAYAH LE LEUX
ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR
Photo by Ashley Wilkins
Steven Crane zooms around campus on his motorized cooler.
Runny noses, chest coughs and headaches – all sure signs that winter is here. Finals week is just around the corner and no one wants to be the student in the back sniffling and coughing while everyone else is trying to concentrate on their finals exams.
Even though we use the convenient hand sanitizer dispensers around campus chances are we may catch the cold or the flu this time of year.
Here are a few helpful tips to increase your chances of having an illness-free finals week.
First, make sure you are vaccinated. California Baptist University offered a free flu clinic this year and getting your flu shot is the first step to a healthy winter. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV)
can be expected to reduce the flu by 70 to 90 percent. However your efforts to prevent catching a winter illness shouldn’t stop there.
Second, lather up. Washing your hands frequently and scrupulously as well as avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth will do wonders for your health during the flu season.
“Good hand washing will do more to prevent the spread of illness and respiratory infections than anything else”, Dr. Carolyn C. Lopez, of the American Academy of Family Physicians, said.
Third, take your vitamins. Although Flinstone vitamins may have done the job during childhood, vitamins A, B, C, E and zinc are more likely to win the battle while in college. Vitamin A helps prevent germs, bacteria and viruses from entering the body and wreaking havoc. Vitamin B provides the body with more energy and boosts the immune system.
Vitamin C boosts the immune system by creating the proteins responsible for killing viruses and germs. Vitamin E produces proteins that fight viruses and bacteria. According to the National Institutes of Health, zinc has its own role in the immune system by protein synthesis, and therefore also boots the immune system.
Fourth, stay hydrated. Drinking things like water and sports drinks are your best choices. A steaming cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate may seem more appealing but drinks containing caffeine cause our bodies to become more dehydrated.
Last, stay calm and sleep. High anxiety levels and insufficient sleep are your worst enemies during flu season and especially during finals week. All of that stress weakens your immune system and makes you more susceptible to catching the cold or the flu even if you follow steps one through four.
Of course, our common sense plays a significant role in preventing illness. For example, not wearing your favorite skirt or tank top when it’s raining and keeping your distance from those who have already caught something will always reduce your chances of getting sick.
It is especially important to take precautions here at CBU with the recent flu outbreak. The flu is currently affects two percent of the student population and campus faculty. According the the Riverside Department of Environmental Health, the common syptoms of the spreading flu is what is commonly known as the stomache flu, or the Noro virus.
Transmission of the virus may be airborne, touch, oral, fecal, or person-to-person, so CBU urges that all persons entering the Aulumni Dining Commons, Brisco’s or Wanda’s wash their hands prior to entering. They also request that those with the virus do not enter any of the three facilities untill you have not experienced the symptoms for at least 72 hours.
Following these steps may not guarantee complete health but it will most definitely increase your chances of a successful finals week and happy holidays.
Even though there are intentions of “good will towards men,” there are still people like the Grinch who try to take away people’s joy.
Since Christmas is a time for giving, some people will take advantage of that in a negative way.
During this busy season of excitement and shopping, we can be vulnerable to theft and other
crimes.In order to keep your season
“holly and jolly,” here are some preventative steps from the Los Angeles Police Department to ensure your safety during this time of the year.
1. Dress casual and comfortable. Shopping requires a good deal of exercise and it’s not fun to run around from store to store in high heels or a suit. Even though accessories “complete the outfit,” do not wear expensive
jewelry, as this might attract potential criminals. For instance, turn your diamond ring around so all that shows is the band, or tuck your necklace inside your shirt or blouse.
2. Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Instead, pay for your purchases with a check or debit card. Keep cash in your front pocket, if you prefer to use it. When carrying a wallet or purse, stay cautious because it can be a prime target for criminals in crowded shopping areas, transportation terminals, bus stops, buses and other rapid transits. Keep your purse securely around your shoulder.
3. Take your shopping trips
during the day. However, if you must go at night, have a friend or family member go with you. Remember, there is safety in numbers.
4. Between the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, the scent of hot chocolate, sights of Christmas decorations, as well as millions of others things rushing through your head can make you vulnerable and a target. Always be aware and alert of your surroundings.
5. Make sure to keep all car doors locked and windows closed while in or out of your car. Do not leave your packages on the seat of the car because it can tempt thieves to break into
your car. Instead, put the gifts in your trunk. If there is no room in your trunk, put it on the floor and cover it with a jacket.
6. Should it become necessary to shop during the evening, park in a well-lit area. Moreover, do not park next to vans, trucks with camper shells or cars with tinted windows. When arriving or leaving from your shopping trip, be aware of your surroundings. If there are suspicious people standing by your car, do not go to it. Instead, ask the mall or store security for an escort before leaving.
This season may be about giving, but that does not mean you have to give up your safety.
BY MEAGAN NUTTSTAFF WRITER
BY BIANCA JOHNSONSENIOR WRITER
Just in Time for Finals
Season’s Thievings
Webster’s Dictionary defines stress as the “physical, emotional or mental state of strain or tension.”
The holiday season is the most anticipated time of the year, yet why does it seem like most people are on edge and become exceedingly stressed?
The winter season brings a spirit of giving and thankfulness with holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.
However, the holiday season also ushers in the end of the fall semester for most students, as well as a financial strain for some families.
With the end of the semester approaching, students are staying up later to finish various projects and papers, which in turn causes students to lose sleep.
Sleep deprivation then creates stress due to one’s inability to work efficiently and an increase in emotional reactivity.
This can cause harsh reactions to those around you, creating unwanted tension and conflict.
From the short-term perspective, staying up later to finish that paper or study for an hour more may seem like the smarter decision.
However, in the long run, studies have shown that sleep deprivation causes concentration problems as well as a weakened immune system.
By staying up later, especially in order to study, it is decreasing the ability to perform well on that test or final.
In order to perform to one’s ultimate capability, it is recommended by countless doctors to get between 7.5 and
8.5 hours of sleep a night.With the holiday season
comes the stress of giving. Presents cost money; money that most people, especially in the current economy, do not have.
Children, friends and family expect an extravagant amount of gifts, while the gift-giver begins to feel the stress of living up to other people’s expectations.
Students feel the stress of money mostly due to their lack of income and the responsibility of paying for college.
With the overwhelming reality of adding a dozen or more gifts at about $20 a piece to one’s budget, most students scramble to find a suitable and cost-friendly substitution.
Remember to just give kindness, as Matthew 7:12 states: “Do to others what you would have them do to you.” This perfectly captures how it is best to try and get along with that annoying relative and treat them the way you want to be treated during the holiday season.
No matter what form stress may take in your life, it is not healthy and often causes major problems mentally and physically.
With all of the added stress around the holiday season, students need to learn to find time to take a step back from the hustle and bustle, relax and enjoy those in their life.
The holidays are a time of cheer and relaxation after a stressful year, not a way to add yet more stress to one’s life.
Enjoy holiday season, take time to relax, enjoy other’s company and focus on your health, both physically and emotionally.
BY BRIANNA NELSONSTAFF WRITER
Seasons Greetings bring stress
Photo by Bryan JarboeBalancing the flu and finals can be difficult.
A new report released by the Pew Research Center found that more college students are accepting loans and in larger amounts.
The study found that in 2008, 60 percent of graduates with Bachelor’s degrees borrowed more than in 1996, when only 52 percent of students took out loans.
It also reported that among the 2008 graduates who bor-rowed, “the average loan for bachelor’s degree recipients was more than $23,000, compared with slightly more than $17,000 in 1996.”
In 1996, 60 percent of stu-dents at private not for-profit schools had an average debt of $19,852. Then in 2008, 72 per-cent of students at private not for-profit schools had an average debt at $28,039.
Additionally, more college students are attending private for-profit schools, where lev-els and rates of borrowing are highest.
Private for-profit colleges, like University of Phoenix, are schools that are run by organi-zations. Pew Research Center found that students at these schools are demographically dif-ferent from students are public or private non-profit schools.
“Private for-profit school graduates have lower incomes, and are older, more likely to be from minority groups, more likely to be female, more likely to
be independent of their parents and more likely to have their own dependents,” the report said.
Fatima Call, sophomore at California Baptist University, considers student loans the best type of loan.
“We take out loans for ev-erything; for houses, for cars. I can cover my rent. I don’t have to pay for a car. Student loans are the best that you can take,” Call said.
She cited the low interest rates and way that they might be able to help build up a per-son’s credit.
“CBU is expensive. The economy is so bad that even if I went to a California State University school, I would probably not even be going without loans.”
Call has borrowed around $7,000 for this academic year. Since she is a sophomore, she will mostly likely borrow money for another two years. Call expects to borrow from $15,000 to $20,000 for her col-lege career.
According to the Pew Research Report, “roughly one-in-ten graduates in 2008 bor-rowed more than $30,000. With standard loan terms, a student with $30,000 in debt will owe monthly payments of about $350 for 10 years.”
“It’s not easy to go to school. I don’t get paid a lot and you still have to pay for stuff,” Call said. “Paying for school is one issue, paying for supplies is another.”
Christmas and New Year’s Day are approaching, which means spring semester is just around the corner. For those who feel that 2010 was not exact-ly the most organizationally savvy year, it may be wise to think about what to put on their Christmas list.
The following options will help manage a busy spring-semester sched-ule: the iPod Classic, the Amazon Kindle, the MacBook Air, a dry-erase calendar and the Echo Smartpen.
The iPod Classic has 160 GB with the ability to hold up to 40,000 songs,
two hours of video and 25,000 photos, as well as a 36 hour battery life. Audio books and podcasts are also able to be programmed into the device which is a great way to learn new languages and study specific subjects. The iPod Classic is not only a great gadget for listening to music, but it is a fun and helpful appli-ance for auditory learners that want to progress in their subjects. This device can be purchased at any Apple store for $250 as well as local stores like Target, Wal-Mart and Best Buy for about $230.
For $140, Amazon’s six-inch elec-tronic reader, the “Kindle,” provides the convenience of wireless reading no matter where you are. With the ability
to download up to 3,500 books, maga-zines, blogs and PDFs, this mechanism is a useful for writers and people who need or want to read on a regular ba-sis. The Kindle also has a glare-free screen, which makes it easy on one’s eyes. Kindles can be purchased from Amazon.com.
Apple’s newest available laptop, inspired by the iPad, is the MacBook Air. The MacBook Air is the thinnest and lightest design of all Macs, thanks to its flash storage technology that also provides all day battery life and quick connection.
The MacBook offers the most ad-vanced software, perfect for individuals
who are interested in film, graphic de-sign and music. This small, yet robust, appliance is a reliable product available at all Apple stores for $999.
Something as simple as a dry erase calendar is a valuable tool to have near your workplace in order to plan and remember important dates. Dry erase calendars can be found at many stores, such as: Target, Office Depot and Wal-Mart with a price range from $5 to $60.
Captivate the main ideas during lectures and meetings with the Echo Smartpen, an innovative gadget that enables one to record and play back sound with the built-in microphone and computer. This convenient prod-uct also has a camera at the tip which traces everything that you write and draw. Purchase this unique invention at livescribe.com starting at $130.
For individuals who strive to man-age their busyness, the iPod Classic,
Amazon Kindle, MacBook Air, dry erase calendars and Echo Smartpens are all beneficial products to consider when making your Christmas list.
These options provide reliabil-ity and convenience which make for a great gift to start off the new year.
MANAGING YOUR BUSYNESS:
The science of borrowing
Photo by Meagan NuttTools to help get organized.
BY WHITNEY DENEWILERSTAFF WRITER
BY MONICA MARTINEZEDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Five tools to put on your Christmas list
New report finds students borrow more loan money
While we look at the law and how it applies to different situations, we also look at how we should treat others—how Christians can practice the law in such a way to be an example and to make a difference in others’ lives.
Dellia Chante-LeMaire Trinity Law School Graduate
Christian College ScholarshipIn order to minister to graduates and employees from Christian colleges and universities, Trinity Law School is offering a scholarship worth 50 percent of the cost of tuition for the entire three-year law school degree, to any graduate from a regionally-accredited Christian college or university that is a member of theNorth American Coalition for Christian Admission Professionals (www.NACCAP.org), and meets the requirements for admission to Trinity’s regular JD program. Upon completion of this degree graduates will be qualified to take the California bar exam. This scholarship also applies to the immediate family members of the employees at these universities.
Trinity Law School teaches law from a biblical perspective. A biblically-based legal education helps students understand the law in a way that will make them more effective as attorneys working to free the oppressed, pursue the truth, and serve the Church.
Apply Online www.TLS.edu
Trinity Law School 2200 North Grand Avenue | Santa Ana, CA 92705
800.922.4748 | www.TLS.edu
TLS-scholarshipBW ad.indd 1 3/4/2010 11:09:08 AM
Everyone knows of Christmas, Dec. 25, the happiest time of year, a time for giving, “Jingle Bells”, Charlie Brown, “You’ll shoot your eye out,” and everything else that goes along with the holiday.
Along with Christmas there are the other well-known religious and cultural holidays during this sea-son, including Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday and Kwanzaa, an African-American celebration of family, community and culture.
What most people do not know is that December is filled with many other worthwhile but relatively un-known holidays, in addition to those that are widely celebrated.
These are the obscure, unknown and rarely celebrated days of the year. Some may see these holidays as ex-cessive, but to some they offer a rea-son to celebrate every day of life the Lord has given.
According to a calendar of events at www.theteacherscorner.net, the month of December began with “Eat a Red Apple Day” on Dec. 1. Not a bad start for all the teachers out there.
Then the month gets sweeter, as
nearly every holiday listed from there on out has to do with a sweet treat. It is fitting as, after all, what would the holidays be without desert?
The cavalcade of sugar-load-ed snacks begins on Dec. 2 with National Fritter Day and is then fol-lowed by National Cookie Day two days later.
This gives a good excuse for the starving college student to get in the kitchen and make something other than EasyMac or PB&J.
National Cotton Candy Day and Brownie day follow back-to-back on the 7th and 8th.
It can get a little more adventur-ous trying to celebrate Cotton Candy Day because it can be more difficult to find the sugary, fluffy treat this time of year.
There is then a short wait un-til the most indulgent of the holi-days, National Chocolate Covered Anything Day on Dec. 16. Whether it is with strawberries, bananas, pea-nuts, marshmallows or any other combination, anyone can participate in this holiday and personalize it to fit their own sweet tooth.
With Thanksgiving in November and Christmas in December, people tend to overfill their stomachs dur-ing these two months. It makes sense
that all these foods have their special day in December so that they will not interrupt diets during the other 11 months of the year.
There is one truly unique holi-day on the calendar that does not celebrate anything necessary, expect maybe the freedom to be silly.
December 18 is National Wear a Plunger on your Head Day. This is about as obscure as any holiday can get.
“I would imagine a good way to celebrate this day would be to have a plunger party in the cafe with plung-er shaped cakes. Then we should regroup and clean all the school’s toilets with our plungers,” Nate Lawrence said. “We plunge because we care.”
December has everything any-one can imagine, so why not have a few funny holidays and excuses to eat more throughout the month leading up to Christmas?
Christmas is a great time. It cele-brates the birth of Christ, and there is Christmas music and time with fam-ily. More importantly for students there is no homework.
However, sometimes it can be nice to just sit back and enjoy look-ing at some of the more outlandish and unknown reasons to celebrate.
During the Christmas season peo-ple from all around the world come together with family and friends to celebrate this joyous festivity. Likewise, California Baptist University brings people together from different areas of the world during the holiday season.
While some people are local to the campus, they have different traditions as to how they celebrate Christmas. International students not only bring their traditions to CBU but have also
learned to incorporate the different ways that people celebrate here in the U.S.
In Korea- Sung Tan Chuk HaIn Korea the traditional Christmas
celebration involves coming to-gether as a church community, ex-changing gifts and singing together to welcome the joyful celebration. “We have Christmas worship in our church at Korea and open gifts as a church,” freshman Jeyeon Kim said. “In America, Christmas is a more family celebrated holiday but in Korea friends and church members come together,
it’s not really a family festivity.” In China Kung His Hsin Nien
bing Chu Shen TanIn China Christmas is acknowl-
edged but is not widely celebrated. While some families come together for dinner, others simply go out together. “We go out with friends and family and then have dinner. We do know it is Christmas but we don’t do anything too special,” freshman Hongjun Lin said. While Christmas is not a national holiday in China, as the numbers of Christians increase this festivity is be-coming more popular.
In MexicoFeliz NavidadIn Mexico the tradition contin-
ues over the years as people praise and worship the birth of Jesus Christ. The celebration starts weeks before Christmas day as people come togeth-er and do “posadas,” which are reen-actments of the part of the Christmas story when Joseph and Mary asked for a place to stay before Jesus Christ was born. “Every year it is a tradition for my family to do posadas and wait for midnight to strike to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, which is the most important part of Christmas,” senior Maria Salinas said.
In The United States Merry Christmas
In the U.S., the most common way to celebrate Christmas is to wake up on the morning of Christmas and open Christmas gifts with family members. While some people come together with their extended family, others sim-ply celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with their immediate families. “Every year for Christmas, my dad wakes up early in the morning and cooks break-fast. We then open our gifts as a family and later that evening come together with my extended family for dinner,” Senior Marti Barsoom said.
In Italy Buone Feste NatalizieIn Italy there is a fasting period
before Christmas and people resort to not eating red meats on the actual day of Christmas. Italy, like many other countries, celebrates the birth of Jesus while people cook a variety of different meals solely based on pastas and fish.
“Before Christmas day we have like six different fishes and me and my grand-mother cook while she guides me dili-gently as I cook because I will be taking over the tradition. On the morning of Christmas we open gifts and look for baby Jesus with hints from my par-ents,” sophomore Kimber Licitra said.
In Russia С Рождеством Христовым
In Russia the Christmas celebra-tion is similar to that of the Italians. The Russians fast and go to all-night mass in cathedrals. People do not eat until the first church service on Christmas eve. The most important aspect of Christmas is the blessing of each home. This is done as a priest goes to each home and sprinkles holy water in each room. Russians believe that this holy water brings them for-tune and happiness.
In Africa Merry KisimusiCoptic Christians in Africa cel-
ebrate Christmas on Dec. 25 in their calendar but it is actually Jan. 7 here in the U.S. Since there are many limita-tions in rural Africa, people exchange useful gifts such as books, soap and clothes. The most necessary things are given as presents, since the main focus of Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ and people come together to celebrate by singing together in church.
Every country celebrates Christmas differently, but in each country the most important part of Christmas is the coming of Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas.
Disk Jockeys, or DJ’s, are known to set the mood at a party or to control the atmosphere at a event. DJ Hero has the same effect on the players when the game is in action.
A DJ’s job is to connect with the audience, which creates an atmosphere that affects everybody’s emotion either positively or negatively. A player can expect that similar experience in the game.
DJ Hero is a music video game that was designed as a spin-off of Guitar Hero, based on turntablism
which allows the player to create a new musical work from one or more previously recorded songs from over 100 genres.
Some of the most popular mixes include Rihanna’s “Rude Boy” single and Iyaz’s “Replay” single meshed together.
Other mixes included are Kanye West’s “Heartless” with Lady Gaga’s “Love Game” and David Guetta and Chris Willis’s “Love is Gone” meshed with Sam Sparro’s “Black and Gold”.
DJ Hero is mainly about mixing it up musically and physically. The
main goal is to get people to play together by mixing songs like a DJ. The mastermind song list that DJ Hero has put together has songs from the ’70s to music that is popular now.
This game is not for just young people; it can appeal to all ages since it is a family oriented game.
California Baptist University freshman, Brendon Koahou is a DJ Hero.
Koahou said that he has been playing for two years. Koahou also said that the it is fun but spinning the disk hurts his wrist. He said his
DJ hobby came about in 2007 while he was in high school. His attention was instantly captured when DJ Hero was first created.
“I believe that music is the language of all mankind,” Kaohou said.
Being a DJ at parties and other events helped Koahou gain confidence and pass on a hobby to one of his friends who was serious about deejaying. Koahou said the game has similarities to a real turntable but the difference is that the DJ Hero turntable has buttons that substitute the noise of a real
turntable. The most important key that a DJ should have is having a sharp ear to hear the different sounds that are projected out.
Koahou complained that the game made the impression that it is easy to be a DJ.
With the holiday season in full swing visit a local Best Buy or Gamestop to see the game in person.
Take the DJ challenge or give it as a gift for an aspiring DJ. Also check out the DJ Hero trial that is available on the website.
Mix it up with friends and familyBY KAYLA GREENWADE
STAFF WRITER
It is said that the fall months are the graveyard of movie releases, where low budget films are released to suffer a slow demise. This may have been the case in the past but of late the fall is becoming the home to films that rival the releases of summer.
With many films coming out this December and an economic recession delaying its departure, people seem to feel that pinch in their wallets.
With current ticket prices in Riverside hovering at $11 and student tickets sold at CBU for $6.50, the question is, “Which films are worth seeing?” or “Which movies are better to wait for on Redbox?” Below are some of the biggest releases of the month and information to help determine whether they are worth spending that $11 ticket on.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader – Dec. 10 Rated PG
The third outing for the heroes of Narnia, this film takes place on the oceans of Narnia on a mission which will determine its fate. This film will be released in 3D and is heavy on special effects. It would be worth supporting this movie at the box office since future Narnia films depend on its success.
Verdict – Worth seeing in theatersThe Fighter – Dec. 10 Rated RFollowing the true story of boxer
“Irish” Mickey Ward and his trainer/brother Dick Eklund, this film stars Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg. Bale is already getting Oscar buzz for the role.
Verdict – See in theatersThe Tourist – Dec. 10 Rated PG-13Stars Johnny Depp and Angelina
Jolie as strangers who are caught up in a deadly game of cat and mouse. This romantic thriller is set against the backdrop of Europe. This is the second outing for the director and it may be wise to wait on this film.
Verdict – Wait for RedboxTron: Legacy- Dec. 17 Rated PGThe long awaited sequel to the
1980s Disney film, this story follows Sam Flynn on a mission to rescue his father Kevin (Jeff Bridges) who has been trapped in the digital world for 20 years. This film looks like it will deliver on story and special effects.
Verdict – Do not miss it; a must see in theaters!
Little Fockers- Dec. 22 Rated RThe third film in the popular
Focker series, the movie continues the story of the Focker family who are expecting a baby. These films are known for having a lot of crude humor and this one may be better to wait out.
Verdict – Wait for RedboxTrue Grit- Dec. 22 Rated PG-13The remake of the John Wayne’s
epic of yesteryear stars Jeff Bridges as Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn, who is hired by a teenage girl to find her father’s murderer. This film is directed by the Coen brothers who have proved that they are able to handle westerns well. It would be good to support westerns in theaters so that more are likely to be made.
Verdict – See in theatersCountry Strong- Dec. 22 Rated
PG-13A film about the country music
business starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw, this story chronicles two fallen music stars’ return to the top and the rise of a new music star. This film is garnering buzz about Gwyneth Paltrow performing her own songs. If you are a fan of country music this is a must see, for all others wait it out.
Verdict – Wait for RedboxThis December’s movie schedule
is a mix of Western, Fantasy, Drama and Sci–Fi, with a fair amount of 3D thrown into the mix. Over the last few years, the tables seem to be turning as more popular films are thriving in the fall. This fall it may be worth it to shell out a little cash to see a good movie or two – or just grab a bucket of popcorn, call that special someone and enjoy a Redbox feature in the comfort of your own home.
REDBOX OR GREEN DOLLARS?BY BRENNAN CACKETT
STAFF WRITER
Break out the hot glue guns, sew-ing machines and sparkles. With Christmas just around the corner, find-ing the perfect gift can add stress to the happiest of holidays. De-stress your Christmas by pledging to create your own gifts and apartment decorations this year. Channel your inner Martha Stewart with these simple holiday crafts.
Handmade CardsThe quintessential handmade
card makes its special appearance dur-ing the holidays. Although handmade cards may bring to mind those good old days of elementary school, they can also bring a smile to a loved one’s face or warm the heart of a dear friend. Now that you are an adult, your hori-zons are much broader when it comes to crafting a handmade card. No longer are you stuck with crayons, colored paper, sequins and glue sticks. Fashion
a perfect holiday card from scrap book-ing supplies, pre-made blank cards and various other supplies that you can find at places like Michaels Arts and Crafts Stores or Joann’s Fabric and Craft Stores.
Ornate OrnamentsWhat would Christmas be without
a tree adorned with creatively crafted ornaments? Clear glass Christmas orna-ments are available at many craft stores. Paint the outside of them, fill them with various materials or drip paint on the inside and let the colors run together. A great idea is to create mini terrariums by filling the ornaments with fake flowers. A clear glass ornament is a blank canvas for the Christmas aficionado. The orna-ment is yours for the taking.
All Jarred UpMason jars are perfect packaging for
Christmas presents. These jars are per-fect for holding candy, jewelry and vari-ous other items. Try putting together a jar of hot chocolate mix. Fill the jar with hot chocolate powder, marshmallows and crushed candy canes. This doubles
as a relatively cheap Christmas present and a great treat for a friend. The same can be done with a cookie recipe. Fill the jar with the various dry cookie ingredi-ents; attach a message that says to add whatever may not be in the jar such as eggs, milk, water, butter, etc.
Festive DécorIf you are not confident enough to
create something for others, try making something for yourself. Do-it-yourself projects for Christmas décor are read-ily available due to ye old Google search engine. Blogs are also an incredibly great resource for handmade ideas. These will help in order to craft your own wreath for your apartment door or a festive “Merry Christmas” banner.
Pledging to go handmade for the holidays is not as hard as it sounds. Going handmade, although requiring more time than the average gift, is pocket friendly and saves stress over last minute shopping. Most crafting items can be found at the local dollar store and often come in bulk.
Take a little extra time and craft your own magic this holiday.
It is finally that time of the year, Lancers! The Christmas lights, inflatable snowmen and fruitcakes are making up for lost time; and soon, final examinations will be over and Christmas will be here.
When you turn on the radio to your favorite Christmas station during your all-night study sessions, you might find the most common theme sung about is love. Whether it is the longing feeling for Santa Claus to bring a lover to someone or it is a melancholy lament for a lost loved one, love dominates the airwaves during Christmas time. However, love is not everything. No matter what the economy does or how old a person grows, there will always be something one would ask for if given the chance. The desired gift does not always have a price tag. Below is what every member of “The Banner” editorial staff asks from God this year. We hope you have a very merry Christmas!
“Give me comfort in knowing this is only temporary and I will not be a full-time student with three jobs forever.” -Cassie Wyatt, Asst. Sports Editor
“Shape and mold me into the righteous man I need to be in order to be a better servant.” -Jon Beam, Asst. Perspective Editor
“Help me to better show my appreciation for those around me that I have been blessed with knowing.”
-Sharayah Le Leux, Asst. Features Editor
“I want to have the desire to walk in Your footsteps; to have the childlike dependency on You.” -JJ Steele, Sports Editor
“I ask for the discernment to know what You have planned for my life.” -Taylor Winchell, Copy Editor
“Add to my faith goodness; to goodness, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, love.” -Chris Hardy, Asst. Photo Editor
“I want to fully surrender everything and remember that You are in control and I have to stop trying to be.” -Kristin De La Cruz, Copy Editor
“I would like budget my time wisely to finish goals, work/homework and still have time to relax with friends/family.” -AJ Lacuesta, Asst. Culture Editor
“I feel so busy throughout the week that I fail to make time for You. Give me the desire to seek You daily.” -Monica Martinez, Editor-in-chief
“I want my heart to reflect Your heart. I desire to be burdened by Your causes, not by which gifts I should buy
for others.” -Kristi Howell, Features Editor
“I want a clean apartment, pets allowed on campus, teachers being around ALL THE TIME and no homework… ever.” -Taylor Rogers, News Editor
“I want to have a job offer for when I graduate.” -Mike Sampson, Photo Editor
“Give me guidance though graduation and starting a new life after school. Help me to be content being guided one day at a time.” -Kenton Jacobsen, Student Advisor/Webmaster
“Grant me more faith so that I can please you.” -Jenny Miner, Managing Editor
“Give me the discipline to finish my schoolwork with integrity, and peace when I graduate and enter the real world.” -Rachel Weinstein, Design/Culture Editor
“Give me the strength and wisdom to fully become the person that you intended me to be.” -Megan Paulos, Asst. Designer
“Surround me with Your comfort and grace. Fill me with Your joy and a desire to be nearer to You.” -Katherine
Tis the season to shop till you drop, to overindulge in red and green confections, to tune the radio to a station that only plays songs about the holidays and to make a wish list outlining everything one could possibly ask for.
Santa Claus, reindeer, candy canes, Christmas trees, stockings, lights, gingerbread, Frosty the snowman and eggnog are only a few mentions. It is possible to talk about the holiday that occurs on Dec. 25 for hours without ever getting to the most important part: Jesus.
This commercialization of the Christmas season is something that has become accepted and routine. In addition to the alarming budget that this recession-ridden country spends on made-up pseudo-holidays such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the starting date of the holiday season starts earlier and earlier each year.
Think about it. There is the song “12 Days of Christmas”; celebrating the birth of our Lord for 12 days seems reasonable. What about the push to celebrate starting on the first of December, a 25-day countdown to advent. Post-Thanksgiving used to be the time that retailers nationwide rolled out the tinsel and snowflakes for the start of holiday shopping, but now Christmas paraphernalia can be found in stores next to the Halloween decorations in early October.
With the Christmas season beginning in October, we are celebrating for three months out of the year. That is 25 percent of our lives spent listening to Christmas songs and guzzling down peppermint mochas at the local
Starbucks.A survey conducted by the
National Retail Federation found that over 212 million shoppers visited stores and websites over the “holiday weekend” encompassing Black Friday through Cyber Monday. These millions of shoppers spent an average of $365.34, which is enough money to sponsor ten children in developing countries through World Vision.
Americans spent a whopping $45 billion on Black Friday alone. For only $5,000 Charity:Water will build a well in a developing country. If Americans had abstained from shopping and instead donated their money, we could have stopped the clean water crisis affecting one billion people worldwide.
Store employees are reprimanded for using the phrase “Merry Christmas” and are instead instructed to use the politically correct term “Happy Holidays.” Do they not know the word “holiday” is just a conglomeration of the words “holy” and “day”?
Christmas has turned into a time of pride and competition. Inflatable snow-globes, anamatronic reindeer and light displays that can outshine the solar properties of the sun adorn houses seemingly, screaming, “We are bright and we sparkle. Pay attention to us!” Jesus was born in a stable, wrapped in rags. It is as if we have decided to celebrate His birth in the most opposite way imaginable.
Take some time this holiday season to remember the true reason we celebrate. Jesus only got three gifts when He was born, so why are presents piled high underneath our Christmas trees?
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS...
Tis the Chri$tma$ season
Photo by Kenton JacobsonStaff members of “The Banner” wish the students of California Baptist University a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
BY BANNER STAFFSTAFF WRITERS
BY RACHEL WEINSTEINCULTURE EDITOR
The views expressed in the Culture and Perspective sections of The Banner do not necessarily represent the views of this publication or California
Baptist University. Readers can send letters to the editor or contributions for consideration to:
Campus Box 1121Photo by Michael SampsonChristmas has turned into a holiday full of spending as opposed to a time to celebrate Jesus.
It is amazing what great lengths we are willing to go to in an attempt to achieve physical perfection.
We are not deterred by sore muscles and temporary discomfort; we press ahead, hoping for the benefits of vigorous training. We push ourselves to the limit and discipline our bodies to be faster and stronger.
We monitor the nutrients that fuel our bodies. We make choices based on health and restrict ourselves to indulging in those “decadent evils.” We research the latest trends in nutrition and act accordingly.
We are even willing to devote our wealth to the pursuit of flawlessness. Countless dollars are spent on skin care, fitness, fashion and cosmetic surgery. Evidence is seen on almost every billboard, commercial or magazine advertisement.
It is impossible to deny the obvious; our society is dreadfully fearful of imperfection and we avoid it like the plague.
Why do we not seek spiritual holiness with the same fervor
with which we seek physical perfection? How differently would our lives look if we disciplined ourselves spiritually with the same diligence with which we train our physical bodies?
As Christians, we should passionately yearn for righteousness. We have been called to seek Christ above all else and to discipline ourselves in an attempt to become more like Him.
Like an athlete, the life of a disciple requires great amounts of discipline. Paul compares this life to the intense physical training of a runner, in I Corinthians 9:25-27. “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.
They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever… I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.
No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
A true disciple whips his or her body into shape, focusing on the glorious outcome of the fierce battle.
I Timothy 4:7b-8 says, “Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
The result of spiritual training far surpasses the value of a perfect physique, incredible strength or physical perfection. A life lived for Christ is more satisfying than any other quest
in the world.At the end of life, how
satisfying it would be to whole-heartedly utter the words of II Timothy 4:7-8. Fight the good fight. Live a life worthy of receiving a crown of righteousness.
There is nothing shameful in taking care of our physical bodies; in fact, it is encouraged. However, our concern for our spirituality should outweigh all
else.It is time to take a stand
for our spiritual health. Let us train ourselves to live in righteousness. May our spiritual diet abound in scripture, meditation, fellowship and prayer. It is time to toss the shallow concerns of the world aside and live life in a pursuit of righteousness.
Photo by Chris HardyWhile keeping in shape should be a priority, failing to exercise spiritually can be detrimental to your walk with God.
IN PURSUIT OF PERFECTIONBY KRISTIN DE LA CRUZ
COPY EDITOR
Rumors about a second Great Depression are spreading quickly thoug official press releases or news reports have not been pub-lished. Smaller websites and blogs discuss the topic and information regarding the issue is accessible to the public.
If these rumors are indeed true, then spending trends will decrease once again, causing a downward spiral into poverty for many. One thing will be sought after the most if this happens: money.
Money. That currency that helps put food on the table, clothes on the back and gas in the car. Could that medium of ex-change, in fact, be evil?
California Baptist University students weigh in on this question.
“Money is not in itself evil. Rather, it is the love of and greed for money that is evil,” said Jacob Armstrong, a freshman at CBU.
It seems that each of the stu-dents are familiar with 1 Timothy 6:10, which says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
Besides saying the “love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,” this verse also tells what consequences can come from lov-ing money.
Pursuing money can be det-rimental not to only individuals’ morals and social life, but can in-terfere with the most important thing to a Christian: a relationship with God.
“It does not say that money itself is evil. It also does not say that all people fall into the trap of eagerness for money. It is a warn-ing that the love of money can be harmful to your life,” Bethany Johnson, a first year grad student, said.
Separation from God is exact-ly what Christ was mourning over
when He cried out in Matthew 27:46, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” as He was hanging from the Cross. If Christ Himself was despondent when God forsook Him, there is no rea-son anyone should desire such separation.
Money can be a sorrow-causer. If it is made a top priority, other meaningful parts of life, including family, friends, education, hob-bies and vacations are neglected.
Seeking wealth will hinder re-lationships with others. Instead of being there for family movie night or spending time with a signifi-cant other, an offer to work over-time will take priority. Most of the time, greed even drives people to gamble at casinos or make poor investments that leave bank ac-counts emptier than they were before.
“Money is one of those things that can take our focus off of God and onto the material things of this world. It can cause us to worry about the here and now
rather than what’s to come,” said Johnson.
Money does serve a more pos-itive purpose, though. It is used to
feed and clothe those in need, to support families, to buy education and to buy gifts for others, espe-cially around this time of year.
Is Money Evil? CBU students weigh inBY RILEY HAGEL
STAFF WRITER
The importance of spiritual nutrition
Photo by Sarah Jane O’KeefeMoney can take on different forms, both good and evil.
Photo by Haley HellferThe softball team looks to make final NAIA tournament run.
CBU Softball, ready for spring
As the women of California Baptist University softball team prepare for the last season in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), more preparation for just another season of softball is happening – they are preparing to leave the NAIA as national champions.
The CBU softball program, under Coach Mike Smith and Coach Bill Baber, has been known as a force to be reckoned with. During the 2010 season the Lancers lost only two games. Coach Smith explained that he wished they had lost more before the national championship because the team was not used to it and when they did lose, it dismembered the teams morale causing them to make mistakes.
Along with trying to strengthen the girls’ mental strength against unexpected but possible losses, Smith focuses on the fundamentals of the game.
He emphasized that when a team has the fundamentals and
mechanics down for a game, everything else comes more fluidly.
The softball team has been playing inter-squad games and Coach Smith said, “The girls are just anxious to play someone else. They want to see a different color and a different logo.”
The team was undefeated for the fall, beating their Division I competitor, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). According to 16 polls, the CBU softball program is the winningest four year university program at 401-51 leading the University of California, Los Angeles who had 332-85.
Coach Smith also believes that the switch from the NAIA into National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) division II is a great thing for CBU’s athletic program and will help a lot with recruiting.
“Everyone has heard of the NCAA but not as many people have heard of the NAIA. So it will be great for recruiting,” Smith said.
Among the many positives of becoming part of the NCAA there are also concerns that were brought
up. Smith wonders how travelling is going to affect his athletes. As a part of the NAIA, the team travels only 45 minutes to their farthest opponent but next season when
they are officially a part of the NCAA, they will travel four and a half hours to their closest opponent.
As Nov. 19 was the last day of fall practice the team got to
relax briefly during the week of Thanksgiving. Now they are back to preparing to leave the NAIA with a bang and with another national championship under their belt.
BY NEIL MORGANSTAFF WRITER
BY JJ STEELE SPORTS EDITOR
PURSUING DISCIPLINE A CBU professor’s thoughts on the impact of athletics
Establish a goal and discipline yourself to pursue it. California Baptist University Assistant Professor of Intercultural Studies and Director of the Global Center, Jeff Lewis learned to apply this in many areas of his life, including in the swimming pool.
A three time All-American swimmer, Lewis excelled in the water at the University of Tennessee. Lewis’ team was never ranked lower than fourth in the nation.
The success that Lewis achieved
came from the discipline that he developed. Along with a rigorous practice schedule, he considered how each decision he made would affect his ability to achieve his goals.
“Discipline yourself to realize and to question, ‘Is what I do this weekend going to help me achieve my goals?’” Lewis said.
Even after finishing his career in athletics, Lewis was able to utilize the skills and abilities to discipline himself in other areas of his life. He began to study and memorize specific passages in the Bible and then meditated upon them.
A prayer made by the founder of
World Vision and Samaritan’s Purse, Bob Pierce, shed new light on a direction that Lewis was to take with his life.
The prayer stated by Pierce desired, “Let my heart be broken with the things that break God’s heart.”
Lewis set a goal to find out what things break the heart of God. Later he became aware that the question of what burdens God’s heart was answered in the scriptures that he had been memorizing and meditating on.
“I didn’t realize till after two years that everything that I had memorized and everything that I had meditated on was answering the question of what
burdened the heart of God, which was that His name and His renowned would be known among the nations,” Lewis said.
He was later given the opportunity to teach at Oklahoma Baptist University. It became clear to him that this was a good way to teach a global perspective to open ears.
“I saw within the context of a single class that I taught how strategic the classroom was in helping students focus on a concept to the point that it was transforming,” Lewis said.
The discipline of working hard to achieve his goals in the water brought
athletic success for Lewis. The discipline of studying and meditating on the scriptures helped him achieve his goal of learning what breaks the heart of God.
Lewis teaches an Introduction to Global Studies course at CBU where students are introduced to teachings of the Great Commission.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20
Baseball starting off with a new swing
College baseball is about to experience a drastic change to the game offensively. As of Jan. 1, 2011 the NCAA will be replacing the “ball exit-speed ratio” (BESR) baseball bats with a “ball-bat coefficient of restitution” or BBCOR bat, because it is a more direct measure of bat performance.
The NCAA Research Panel decided to test the performance of aluminum baseball bats and after finding their results, decided that old aluminum bats would no longer be of use in baseball.
The rules committee made the
change because of the NCAA Division I baseball statistics that indicated an increase in offensive performance, particularly in home runs and runs scored. After the 1998 College World Series, when 35 runs were scored in the title game and 62 home runs were hit in 14 tournament games, NCAA baseball began steps to test the standard called BESR.
The committee believes the rise relates to the aluminum bats in use today. To allow time to adjust, the NCAA will enforce this standard in the beginning of January and will allow only BBCOR bats in the 2011 season and beyond. There will be no opportunities to be exempt from this
new regulation.Senior starting pitcher, Taylor
Siemens thinks the impact will be significant but rather in a negative way.
“It’s going to change college baseball. No doubt about it. It’s a change that needed to be made,” Siemens said, “because it’s also trying to take a step for getting college players ready for the pros, since aluminum is not allowed in the MLB. Instead of aluminum they use wood bats which makes it a challenge if you rely on your offense.”
So what’s the big difference between aluminum and wood? Aluminum bats are hollow, meaning properties other than weight and length contribute to
the power produced. Aluminum bats compress upon impact, resulting in a hit that adds distance and speed to the baseballs when hit. Aluminum bats started out as an alternative to wood bats breaking constantly and were made more like wooden bats.
Another reason for the mandatory switch is that some firmly believe that the game would be safer for fielders, pitchers and in some cases coaches. There have been many injuries over the years from batted balls. Within the past 15 years it seems as if there have been more serious injuries and even deaths on the baseball diamond due to batted balls. An overwhelming majority feels that the game would be safer for today’s youth, high school and college players.
California Baptist University third
baseman, Brian Sharp said, “Too many pitchers were getting hurt. I’ve seen some pretty close calls. We are used to aluminum, which allows the ball to bounce off stronger where as BBCOR bats mimic wood causing the balls to come off slower when in contact.”
The fear is this could make a certain type of player obsolete and shrink the pool of successful players, possibly hurting the quality of the game.
“I think it’s a big change for college baseball, but for a team like us that doesn’t require a home run to score multiple runs we’re fine with it.” second baseman, Cole Bullard said. “Offensively it’s going to hurt teams. In the long run it will help CBU, because our pitching is so dominant. I think CBU baseball will be fine.”
The fate of the California Baptist University cheer team was unknown until Oct. 26, when new coach, Tami Fleming, was hired to replace Coach Wendy Rice.
Fleming and Rice met 11 years ago while coaching for Glendora High School. Since they met their relationship grew and they became close friends.
“Wendy was my best friend and I feel that God brought me here to help fulfill her vision and plans for the cheer program,” Fleming said. “I also want to help the girls who are mourning a loss.”
The team agrees that there
could be no one better to take Rice’s place.
“She was Wendy’s best friend so we all have the same motivation,” competitive team cheerleader, Jazmyne Martin-McDonald said.
Fleming has 14 years of coaching experience and owns her own cheer program. The West Coast All Stars that has 200 athletes on their 11 competitive teams.
She has numerous credentials and certifications in cheer such as United States All Star Federation credentials in stunts, tossing and tumbling. She is also safety certified by the American Association of Cheer leading
Coaches and Administration.Fleming has many goals for the
cheer program. She would like to see the cheer program represent the school to the best of their abilities, but her dreams do not finish there.
“I would like to see the program grow and make a name for itself within the cheer industry,” Fleming said.
So far the team is making positive steps toward this goal. The team has already qualified for Nationals which take place in Daytona Beach, Fla.
They attended cheer camp in July at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where they received a bronze bid for Nationals.
The team traveled to Daytona
Beach last year where they placed in the top 10. They hope to place in the finals again this year.
There are 40 girls involved with the cheer program at CBU which make up two separate teams. One team is specifically for games and events on campus while the other team travels and competes in competitions.
“One team is there to support and represent our school at CBU while the other is there to represent off campus,” Fleming said.
This is how Rice wanted the program. She started making two separate teams last year but it was not until this year that there was a clear division between the two.
Despite the team’s challenges,
they are succeeding and adjusting to their new coach.
“I love Coach Tami, she’s amazing,” Martin-McDonald said. “She’s works us really hard and she’s really committed to training, discipline and cleanliness. I come home feeling accomplished and exhausted, but I love it.”
“Wendy worked hard to make this a great program and we will continue to work hard to make this a great program,” Fleming said.
The team has faced lots of challenges over the past year, but could not be in better hands than Coach Fleming.
Her love for the sport and for her best friend is exactly what the program needs to continue to grow.
Three cheers for new coachBY JACKIE WICKHAM
STAFF WRITER
The season began with a time of great personal loss for the California Baptist University Cross Country team.
By the end of the season, the team overcame as they collected several personal honors and broke many team records.
This year’s team persevered through the pain of the pre-season auto accident resulting in the death of cheer coach Wendy Rice. Though this shook the team from the start, they went on to have a season filled with tremendous achievements.
“Almost every school record was broken by our squad this year,” Head coach Wade Watkins said.
The mens squad featured three runners who earned All-Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) honors as top student runners.
Jacquie Lutz also had a great season for the women, setting the top individual time in CBU womens cross country history and earning the prestigious title of Scholar Athlete.
Lutz earned the Scholar Athlete award due to her outstanding running and impressive 3.9 GPA. She gives all credit to Christ quoting Colossians 3:23.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men.”
To earn the title as Scholar Athlete one must have an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher and be classified as a Junior or above.
“I am extremely honored,
grateful and blessed to be named a Scholar Athlete,” Lutz said. “CBU Cross Country is all about running for a greater purpose.”
Both the Men and Womens squads entered the season with expectations of competing at nationals in Vancouver, Wa. this year.
Although the teams came up short of that goal, they did accomplish several other goals this season.
The men placed in the top three in the GSAC championships
for the second straight year and the women moved into the top five in the conference this year after a seventh place finish last season.
It was a record shattering year, as 19 of the top 30 all time fastest men’s times in CBU history were broken this year. Eighteen of the top 30 women’s times were recorded this season as well.
Mitchell Moore recorded the fastest time on the men’s side this season as he ran his way to all-GSAC honors. Moore mentioned his goal for the season was to have
a top five time on the team around 25 minutes and 20 seconds. He ended with the top time of 24:58.
“I feel like with this team and group of coaches, our chemistry is great and all we can do is keep on improving every year,” Moore said.
Coach Watkins reiterated this as he emphasized the team’s “tremendous growth” and their, “potential for big things next year.”
Freshman Josh Massey will be a huge part of CBU cross country’s future, as he earned all-GSAC honors in his first season at the
collegiate level.Massey said that his goal was
to maintain a great work ethic in an effort to be the best he could be.
He quoted legendary runner Steve Prefontaine, “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”
The team features only two seniors and six juniors, so it is primed for great success in years to come as it transitions into the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
RUNNING TO BEAT RECORDS
BY NEIL MORGANSTAFF WRITER
Photo by Mike SampsonSergio Rodriguez closes in on the competition.
