September 29, 2016

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

View church as new creation of triune God, advises theologian

While the New Testament uses a variety of images to refer to the church, a theologian and author focused on one perspective during a lecture at California Baptist University. Dr. Gregg Allison urged his audience to view the church as a new creation of the triune God.

Allison is a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He has written several books, including “Historical Theology, Sojourners and Strangers,” and is the book review editor for theological, historical, and philosophical studies, “Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society.”

 “The Father, Son and Holy Spirit operate inseparably yet with particular primary responsibilities to originate, develop and perfect the church as a new creation,” Allison said. He spoke Sept. 27 as part of the School of Christian Ministries Lecture Series.

Allison said the basic definition of church is the people of God who have been saved, repenting of their sins, believing in Jesus Christ, then becoming incorporated into the body through baptism of the Holy Spirit. He said he wants churches to launch new fellowships because the Holy Spirit has stirred up to the desire to bring the gospel to others.

“Each member has a gift or gifts according to the sovereign will of the Holy Spirit to be used all together with the other members and their gifts for the building up of the body of Christ,” Allison said. “Each gift is vitally important, which banishes all sense of superiority or inferiority.”

Although the church is not perfect, believers need to be part of the church, Allison said.

“Here’s my plea: love the church, serve in your church, join your church, pray for your church,” Allison said. “Your church is the work of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, so rejoice and flourish in being the triune God’s new creation.”

 

TWIRP tradition connects students with each other, campus life

It is officially TWIRP (The Woman Is Required to Pay) week at California Baptist University. The week is a part of many unique traditions on campus.

During TWIRP Week, girls have the opportunity to ask guys to join them at different activities, said Kristin Waters, director of campus activities for Community Life. But it is not just a date week.

“We also encourage groups of friends or whole halls to join in on the fun and attend events together,” Waters said. “The purpose of this week is to kick off the year with a fun tradition, get students connected to each other and the campus, and see a variety of activities offered through Community Life.”

This year the week’s activities include a free concert by Tow’rs (a folk band from Flagstaff, Arizona), an outing to an Angels major league baseball game, a car-less drive-in movie, a barn dance on the Front Lawn and an outing to Disney’s California Adventure.

“We think the purpose benefits the students, getting them connected to each other and to campus traditions,” Waters said. “Involvement adds value to their college experience!”

Other traditions at CBU include the Kugel walk, where new students touch the Kugel (a massive floating granite globe) and the Fortuna Bowl, the championship intramural flag football game that wraps up Homecoming in early November.

The office of Community Life also holds a number of the traditional events, such as Midnight Madness (the kickoff to the year’s basketball season) and Yule (a formal dinner in December).

 

CBU hosts inaugural “Girls in Aviation” event

The Aviation Science program at California Baptist University welcomed girls who are interested in a career in aviation to its inaugural “Girls in Aviation” event on Sept. 24.

The event was held to encourage and empower women to pursue careers in the aviation industry. Hannah Maria Guajardo, Amanda Snodgrass, Lacey Schimming and Laura Walker, who are Aviation Science seniors and the founders of the Women in Aviation International Student Chapter “Blue Yonder,” led the event.

“I would love for these young women to walk away feeling motivated and confident in pursuing a career in aviation,” Schimming said.  “It is important for them to know how big of a support system they have behind them and that they can be successful in this industry.”

Those in attendance had the opportunity to tour the Riverside Municipal Airport’s Air Traffic Control facility and several of the Aviation Science program’s aircraft. Additionally, participants performed test landings at the flight simulator studio and attended several sessions on the concepts of flying and what it takes to be successful in the industry.

Snodgrass, and Guajardo are among four CBU students who were given conditional offers of employment by ExpressJet earlier in the year.

Guajardo, who is also a CBU flight instructor, said her career path is already lined up after graduation.

“It’s a huge relief knowing that once I meet the hour requirements for the job, I have one open for me,” she said.

 

Engineering showcases CBU IndyCar at event

The Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering at California Baptist University along with KVSH IndyCar Racing hosted an Anatomy of an IndyCar event on Sept 20. The event was geared toward high school students interested in majoring in STEM programs (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

CBU has partnered with KVSH Racing for the current IndyCar season, which has allowed unique opportunities for CBU students to learn more about the ins-and-outs of an IndyCar. The No. 11 CBU – KVSH Racing Chevrolet IndyCar was on display at the event. Additionally, the KVSH traveling trailer was on display and its crewmembers were on hand to talk about all the technology that goes into a successful IndyCar race.

“We transformed the College of Engineering into the KVSH paddock, similar to what you would experience on race day,” said Drew Collins, a CBU student, event coordinator and owner of DC Powerhouse, which works on performance motorcycles. “I have spent a lifetime focused on motorsports racing. As an athlete, mechanic, and student, I have experienced a wide range of competitive passion and engineering expertise. The IndyCar event offered [prospective students] this type of experience plus offered students a perspective on pragmatic business principles that have built a race winning team.”

Dr. Anthony Donaldson, dean of the College of Engineering, said the event is consistent with the College of Engineering’s commitment to creating varied learning experiences for its students.

“It is the hands-on approach to creating unique engineering experiences that make the College Engineering distinctive,” said Donaldson. “Students get and conduct hands-on design throughout their time at CBU.”

 

2016 Fortuna Bowl Trophy quest kicks off at CBU

The quest for the 2016 Fortuna Bowl Trophy kicked off Sept. 19 on the Front Lawn at California Baptist University.

Flag football is the most popular intramural sport at CBU. This year’s 26 teams–14 men’s and 12 women’s—represents the largest number ever to chase the coveted Fortuna Bowl Trophy in a single season. This year also marks the 25^th anniversary of a championship presentation.

The championship games will be held Nov. 5 during California Baptist University Homecoming Weekend. Last year’s championship games drew more than 4,500 spectators.

Tyler Cox, director of recreation programs, said he is planning something special for the Fortuna Bowl Championship games.

“Stay tuned for some surprises that will revolve around the silver anniversary theme,” Cox said. “Additionally, we will be reaching out to some alumni who have played flag football in the past and welcome them back in style.”

Cox said that the leagues help students build friendships and a sense of community on campus. Additionally, the teams are all very competitive.

Last year’s Fortuna Bowl champions were the Goon Squad for the men’s league and the Bombshell for the women’s league. Both teams return this year to defend their titles.

Cox said that more than half of the squads are legacy teams, meaning they have been continuing teams and, in some cases, have been around for more than a decade.

 

Professor’s suite to debut with Corona Symphony Orchestra

It took Dr. Glenn Pickett, associate professor of music, almost two years to write “Circle City Suite.” Now that the work is completed, he eagerly awaits its premiere with the Corona Symphony Orchestra on Oct. 15.

The orchestra commissioned Pickett to compose the suite—a first for both. The “Circle City Suite” concert also will include music by Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland and Peter Boyer, a teacher of Pickett’s when he attended Claremont Graduate University.

Pickett has heard his five-movement work of music played via a computer program numerous times, but he is excited to hear the production performed live.

“The thing that humans can do that the computer can’t do is put emotion into it,” Pickett said. “To hear 72 people interact with one another and dance with one another musically is something I’m very much looking forward to hear.”

The concert will have additional ties to CBU. Pickett composed a violin solo for Noemy Wheeler, a CBU lecturer and conductor. She is also the artistic personnel director with the Corona Orchestra.

Additionally, Marco Mejia, the conductor of the orchestra, is a CBU music graduate (’06).

Pickett said Mejia has a “go-for-it mentality” that he trusts.

“Marco approaches music in an entrepreneurial spirit,” Pickett said. “It was his idea to do the Peter Boyer [combination]. That’s kind of cool, to have the teacher’s work and then the student’s work together.”

Mejia is looking forward to conducting the piece and the concert, which he said will give the audience a taste of American classical music.

“Dr. Pickett’s piece at times reflects certain sections of the American musical landscape,” Mejia said about Pickett’s score. “To have someone in your university writing such caliber of music is wonderful.”

Pickett is thankful for his musical talents.

“I’m deeply grateful to the Lord to be working in academia, particularly CBU, where I’m encouraged to write…and to have the chance to model and walk in front my students and say here’s what a writer does,” Pickett said.

Corona Symphony Orchestra presents “Circle City Suite” to open its ninth season. The concert is will be at on Oct. 15 at 7:00 p.m., at Northpoint Church, 988 W. Ontario Ave., Corona, California.

For more information, go to www.coronasymphonyorchestra.org/.

 

Family Updates

Charles Vela, housing maintenance manager with Facilities and Planning Services, passed the Educational Facilities Professional (EFP) Credentialing Exam. The exam is issued by APPA: Leadership in Educational Facilities, an organization that promotes leadership in educational facilities for professionals seeking to build their careers and elevate the value and recognition of facilities in education. The EFP credential is a way to validate the knowledge and competency required of an accomplished professional in the educational facilities field.

 

 

 

Dr. Bob Namvar, professor of economics, had an article, A sluggish U.S. Economy is no Surprise, published in the International Journal of Business and Economic Development, Volume 4 Number 1, March 2016.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Linda-Marie Sundstrom, associate professor of public administration for Online and Professional Studies, had a chapter, Working for the Collective: A Comparative Analysis of Communist Subbotniks and American Charities, published in a book. The book, Global Perspectives on Development Administration and Cultural Change, was published last month by IGI Global.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Namhee Kim, assistant professor of communication disorders, and 10 communication disorders undergraduate students volunteered at the SOS program for special children at The Grove Community Church in Riverside on Sept. 16. The program is a monthly event offered to the families who have a child with special needs.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Sean Sullivan, professor of kinesiology, presented a paper, Moving Forward: Sport and Worship in the Christian Life, at the Inaugural Global Congress on Sports and Christianity in York, England, on Aug. 27.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Ogbochi McKinney, assistant professor of public health for Online and Professional Studies, presented a paper, Effectiveness of the Medical Response Teams to the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa: African immigrants’ Perceptions, at the United States Conference on African Immigrant & Refugee Health held in New York, N.Y., from Sept. 16-18. Dr. Dominick Sturz, associate professor of public health for Online and Professional Studies, co-authored the paper.

 

 

Dr. Veola Vazquez, associate professor of psychology, served as the keynote speaker at Awaken: Educating Hearts & Minds on Mental Health, an event held by Magnolia Church in Riverside on Sept. 10. Vazquez spoke on Mental Health, Mental Illness and God: Finding Meaning in Suffering.

 

 

 

Dr. Robert G. LaChausse, associate professor of public health, co-authored a paper, How Collaboration Strengthens Program Evaluation and Can Lead to Program Sustainability. It was presented at the 2016 U.S Department of Health & Human Service Conference in Baltimore in July 2016. LaChausse also received a $500,000 grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention to work with the City of Jurupa Valley to study the factors in a community that increase the risk of drug use among youth.

 

 

 

Dr. Larry Linamen, vice president for Global Initiatives, has been nominated to serve on the board for the Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific (AUAP), an association of university chief executives from higher education institutions in Asia Pacific and around the world. He will serve on the board for two years.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. William Flores, associate professor of Spanish, had a review of his book Ecocrítica poscolonial y literatura moderna latinoamericana (Postcolonial Ecocriticism and Modern Latin American Literature) featured in the September 2016 issue of Hispania.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates