March 15, 2018

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

CBU students win awards at a regional advertising event

Students from California Baptist University combined to win 15 awards including Best of Show and the Judges Awards for the American Advertising Awards Inland Empire competition held on March 9.

Jessica Thomas, a double major in photography and graphic design major, earned Best of Show for her fictional eyeglass marketing campaign.

Jonathan Logerstedt (’17), a CBU alumnus, landed the Judges Award for an advertising comic strip that encourages designers to move beyond “design monsters.”  CBU students also captured four Gold Awards.

The student competition drew more than 100 entries from seven colleges or universities. The Inland Empire competition is part of the national American Advertising Awards, the world’s largest advertising competition. Winners in the local competitions move on to compete in one of 15 district competitions for the right to make it to the national finals.

 

Men’s basketball claims championship, advances to Elite Eight

The men’s basketball team at California Baptist University claimed its first NCAA Division II West Region Championship with its 80-76 victory over No. 1 seed Western Oregon.

The Lancers gave the Wolves their first defeat on their home court this year and also snapped their 24-game winning streak. The Lancers improved to 28-5 on the year and advance to the Elite Eight tournament, scheduled for March 20-24 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Kalidou Diouf led the Lancers with 23 points, while Jordan Heading chipped in with 15 points. CBU out-rebounded the Wolves 42-to-30 with Diouf and Heading each grabbing seven boards on the night. The duo was named to the All-West tournament team, with Diouf receiving the Most Outstanding Player honors.

“This was our best performance of the year and we knew that it would take that tonight,” said Rick Croy, head coach of CBU at the post-game press conference. “We have a united university, and we wanted to represent that. We also have a group of guys that are extremely blessed to represent CBU.”

In the first round of the tournament, the Lancers will face Queens University of Charlotte, North Carolina, on March 20.

 

CBU faculty, students sew hope for Haiti children

More than 25 sewing machines whirred and hummed as women stitched fabric, sequins, buttons and thread into unique patterns to create dresses for young girls in Haiti.

Each dress made was embroidered with the phrase “Ke Bondye beni ou,” which translates to “May God bless you” in Haitian Creole. Fifty dresses were created at the event, all of which will be shipped to Haitian ministries that will hand-deliver the gifts.

Several students and faculty from California Baptist University, along with other volunteers participated in the event called, Sewing Hope for Haiti that was held at The Grove Community church in Riverside on March 10.

Jan Stanfield, assistant professor of social work at CBU, and Dr. Darla Donaldson, assistant professor of finance and social entrepreneurship at CBU, organized the event in conjunction with The Grove.

Stanfield said the project’s concept was ignited when she became motived to take action after watching a news profile that featured a 98-year-old woman who said it was her goal to make dresses for girls in Africa.

“I felt a prick from God saying, ‘If this woman, at 98, can do something so magnificent, surely more can be asked of you Jan,’” Stanfield said.

Standfield started out by sewing dresses with her sister. The two would then ship their finished product to different Haitian ministries. The sewing event allowed Stanfield to work with her home church family and fellow Lancers to produce more dresses in a shorter period.

Kimille Richardson, a counseling psychology and family therapy graduate student at CBU, was one of the first to show up with her sewing machine in hand.

“I honestly feel like it’s just a complete blessing to be able to give back to someone that you don’t even know, someone that will actually benefit from something that we can take for granted,” Richardson said. “I think that a part of our many blessings is having the opportunity to give to people that are less fortunate than us.”

 

Crazies bring excitement and energy to CBU basketball games

As the California Baptist University men’s basketball team punched their first ticket to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight,  a special group of “Crazies” back home in the CBU Events Center was encouraging their team to victory.

The Sweet 16 playoff match-up in Monmouth, Oregon, was a road game for the Lancers and was streamed live in the Events Center. While the team was hundreds of miles away, it did not stop head Crazy Stephen Bossert and his squad of Crazies from treating the special evening like any home game.

“Being a Crazie comes with responsibility,” Bossert said.

Throughout the basketball season, the group recruits the university’s community to attend and support the Lancers by walking throughout campus, handing out flyers and inviting people to the games. Additionally, Crazies commit to prepping hours before games—from coordinating face paint to wearing similar CBU gear. While the game is underway, they help with tasks such as selecting individuals to participate in the halftime mini-games and throwing CBU shirts to the crowds.

The Crazies also have the responsibility of keeping CBU Athletic traditions alive. There is the inspirational “I believe we will win” chant and the high energy “CBU What?” cry that gets the crowd to vigorously yell out CBU multiple times. The Crazies also have introduced the crowd to the university’s new fight song, “Lance Up, CBU!”

CBU Crazies, by their own accounts, are some of the most dedicated fans in NCAA sports. Many Crazies, attend the school’s basketball games with the goal of pumping enthusiasm into the Events Center from tip-off to finish.

“We hype the team up, let them know that we are there to support them, and we believe that does a lot for the players,” Bossert said. “We like to think we bring the energy when the team might be running out.”

Their enthusiasm seems to be rubbing off. This past 2017-18 inaugural season in the Events Center, CBU surpassed the 50,000 combined attendance mark for both men’s and women’s basketball. The number represents the second highest attendance in all of D-II.

Bossert never had any intention of becoming head Crazie, a part-time position within the Athletics department. However, Bossert said he decided to apply for the position the more he envisioned pumping up the CBU crowds and helping the Events Center audiences cheer on their teams to success.

“This year we started a new tradition, which is my favorite, and it is the pre-game Lancer Jam,” said Bossert, of the pre-game party that features a festival-like atmosphere. “It’s a fun way to help get the crowd excited for the game. It’s just a huge party.”

 

Daxton Gordon wins a D-II wrestling championship

For the second consecutive year, men’s wrestling at California Baptist University claimed an individual NCAA Division II championship. Daxton Gordon became the third grappler in Lancer history to win a D-II title.

The men’s squad also had a strong showing at the championships, earning a third-place finish.

Read the full story here.

 

 

 

Wellness Center moves to a new location

The Wellness Center at California Baptist University has a new home. The center has relocated from Lancer Plaza off Diana Avenue to 3626 Monroe St., adjacent to the CBU College of Health Science campus.

The location is part of the Riverside Christian Schools (RCS) campus that CBU purchased in June 2013. The building was leased back to RCS, which operated a preschool there until June 2017.

The Wellness Center is home to both the Counseling Center and the Health Center. The previous center, which measured 5,415 square feet, is being demolished to make room for a new multi-level, 1,400-space parking garage and the expansion of the campus recreation and athletic performance centers.

The new facility totals 7,080 square feet, providing nearly one-third more space for offices and counseling rooms. The location also provides additional parking for CBU community members who use the services of the Wellness Center.

“Overall, it is a much more pleasant and larger space. It will provide a much better experience for all involved,” said Kent Dacus, vice president for Enrollment and Student Services.

The Counseling Center staff predicts demand for services will increase as enrollment at CBU grows and the stigma of counseling decreases, said Jeff Biddle, director of the Counseling Center.

“The hope and healing that we’re offering is trying to match the expansion of the student body,” Biddle said.

The Counseling Center staff held a prayer dedication for the new location on Feb. 2. Staff members prayed over each area of the new building and wrote prayers and blessings on the concrete floor for the employees and clients.

“We will pray for our clients, we will pray for each other and we will praise the fact that God is going to do miraculous things in this place,” Biddle said at the dedication.

 

Phil Wickham performs at Campus Night

Contemporary Christian musician, singer and songwriter Phil Wickham performed a variety of worship hits for a California Baptist University audience on March 7.

Wickham’s concert, held in the Van Dyne Gym, was part of Community Life’s Campus Night, an event geared to bringing CBU students together to grow in their spiritual journeys. An estimated 900 students attended the performance with many lining up hours before the event in hopes of securing a front-row seat.

Wickham, with his acoustic guitar in hand, played several of his original songs including one of his latest, “Till I Found You.”

“Let me tell you, my favorite part of the concert was Phil’s new song. I absolutely loved it… I just sat back and listened so I could take it all in,” said Cassidy Mulder, a biology senior.

Kassandra Medrano, a criminal justice senior, said she enjoyed the atmosphere of the event.

“It was great to see students being able to come together to enjoy the music and worship freely,” Medrano said. “Also, I enjoyed listening to Phil. He has such a great voice and he can do so much with it.”

For Rachel London, a journalism junior, watching Wickham perform on stage brought back childhood memories.

“I’ve followed Phil Wickham since I was in elementary school. It was super nostalgic,” London said.

 

Campus publications earn a record number of awards

California Baptist University campus publications—The Banner newspaper and Pursuit magazine—were awarded 22 distinctions by the California College Media Association (CCMA). The number of awards represents a record high for CBU.

Winners were announced at the CCMA awards banquet at the Hyatt Regency in Long Beach, California, on March 3. All Californian institutions of higher education are eligible to enter the CCMA competition from community colleges to mid-range enrollment universities (fewer than 10,000 students) to larger private and state schools (more than 10,000 students). Hundreds of submissions are received across 45 entry categories.

First place awards for CBU included Best Magazine for the fall 2017 issue of Pursuit. Additionally, the Banner won Best Overall Newspaper Design, Best Photo Series for coverage of Spiritual Life’s Hurricane Harvey relief trip and Best Breaking News Story for the coverage of the Las Vegas shooting impact on the Inland Empire. CBU campus publications also earned awards in categories such as page design, infographics, feature writing, sports photography, social media use and magazine cover design.

“These well-deserved awards for our students’ work demonstrate the continuing growth of our program,” said Dr. Michael Chute, director of the journalism and new media and public relations program at CBU. “It is exciting to see CBU students compete favorably against student-journalists in both private and public universities in California. They serve the university well, and I’m glad the judges awarded their hard work with awards in multiple categories.”

Kaitlynn Labit, a senior journalism and new media major and Banner editor-in-chief, won or shared credit for the most awards by a CBU student, taking home six honors. Juliana Bontrager, graphic design and visual experience senior and Banner design editor, was close behind, earning five awards for her outstanding visual arts contributions.

 

God creates diversity for His glory, chapel speaker stresses

The devil wants to divide people using racial differences and tensions, but God desires Christians to love all people, Miles McPherson told a chapel audience at California Baptist University on March 6.

“The devil has caused us to be divided and to look at each other with hate and suspicion, but the love of God can unite us together,” McPherson said.

McPherson, a former NFL player with the San Diego Chargers, now is the pastor of Rock Church in San Diego. He expounded on Jesus’ commandment: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39, NASB).

“God made all the shades in this room for His glory,” McPherson said. “The Spirit of God wants to make a mosaic of colors and shades.”

McPherson explained that people tend to associate with others based on similarities, such as race, gender or a common interest.  When individuals are more comfortable, they tend to be more patient, give the benefit of the doubt more and are more willing to help those in their in-group.

McPherson encouraged students to be aware of in-group bias that can emerge and instead focus on what the Spirit is prompting in any given situation.

“Pay attention when you’re in a room and how you are extending in-group bias or in-group love to the people who are not like you,” McPherson said. “Let the Holy Spirit reveal to you that you give in-group love to everybody in your world.”

McPherson urged his audience to bring unity to the country.

“I want to challenge you to see the color, the ethnicity that God gave every single person for His glory and honor it and respect it and acknowledge it,” McPherson said.

 

CBU basketball shatters attendance records

California Baptist University has announced it surpassed 50,000 attendees during the inaugural season in the state-of-the-art Events Center. According to the NCAA Division II figures released this week, CBU men’s basketball finished second in Division II in total home attendance and fifth in average home attendance.

“We simply could not have imagined the response we received from the community,” said Dr. Micah Parker, director of Athletics. “We had no way to predict this type of attendance. We sold out our floor seats within a week when they went on sale last fall, so we were thinking that we were on the right track.”

The Lancers opened the basketball season with a home win over California State University, Dominguez Hills in front of a near-capacity crowd of 5,050. The game was also broadcast on FOX Sports Prime Ticket. The Lancers tripled men’s basketball attendance from 2016-17 to 2017-18 and averaged 2,318 fans, while compiling an impressive 19-2 record at the Events Center. CBU student attendance at home games more than doubled from previous years, rising to an average of 606 per game when classes are in session. CBU’s women’s basketball attendance topped out at 10,142 for a 20-percent increase over the previous year.

“This is really a credit to our men’s and women’s teams, the 794 season ticket holders, students, faculty, the community and groups who came out and supported us all season long,” Parker said. “We put a huge emphasis on in-game fan engagement and additional in-venue amenities that our fans really enjoyed.”

With the 2018 home basketball season over, CBU will focus on the transition to NCAA D-I play in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in the fall.

“Our goal is to grow our fan base within the Inland Empire. Our new campaign is ‘The Rise to DI’, and we’re excited about that,” Parker said. “It’s all about providing family friendly entertainment, connecting with our fans, students and season ticket holders.”

 

Students challenged to be innovative in agricultural industry

A healthy and thriving agricultural industry is necessary to meet the demand of rising human consumption, Dr. Joseph Jez told a California Baptist University audience on March 5.

Jez, a biochemist and professor at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, spoke as part of the College of Health Science Distinguished Lecture Series. Jez is also a decorated biologist, having received the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in addition to being named a Fulbright Senior Specialist Award recipient.

“Sometimes I feel like The Lorax [from Dr. Seuss], talking about plants and trying to champion them, not just as we see them now, but as they’re going to become in the not so distant future,” Jez said.

Jez lectured on the importance of sustaining a healthy agricultural industry to meet the growing human population.

Jez encouraged students to find creative ways to produce more food, fresh water and energy. The next generation is going to have to come up with the solutions to these complex problems, he said.

Jez said vegetation has inspired people since the beginning of civilization, causing them to ask questions on how nature operates and then how to use it to their advantage.

“Civilization really began once we figured out we can take seeds and plant them in a field and grow a lot more food in one place,” Jez said. “No plants, no civilization.”

 

CBU production brings Dietrich Bonhoeffer to life on stage

The theatre program at California Baptist University brought the alluring story of the late German pastor, theologian and Allied spy Dietrich Bonhoeffer to the Wallace Theatre earlier this month with “The Beams Are Creaking.”

The theatre production took audiences back to the ‘30s and ‘40s where Bonhoeffer, while heading the Confessing Church denomination, formed a resistance to the Nazi establishment. As the play developed, it depicted Bonhoeffer involvement in assassination attempts on Adolf Hitler.

Frank Mihelich, associate professor of theatre and the play’s director, said he sees Bonhoeffer as a combination of the Rev. Billy Graham and Martin Luther King Jr.

“Bonhoeffer was tremendously evangelical, but also tied into social justice,” Mihelich said.

Caleb Leal, a theatre junior, played Bonhoeffer.

“I respect Bonhoeffer as a Christian and a man,” Leal said. “He was a humble follower of Christ who didn’t let adversity stop him from doing what’s right.

Emily Feaster, a theatre junior, played Bonhoeffer’s mother. She said depicting the real-life story has been a growing experience.

“These people we are portraying were so influential and their response in the midst of the unimaginable dangers is something we can still admire and learn from,” Feaster said. “I hope this play raises questions in the minds of the audience regarding faith and what living out one’s faith should look like.”

Mihelich said with this faith-based play, he hoped students will begin to understand how they can incorporate faith into a theatre production.

“I hope the students are constantly trying to figure out how to work their faith into not just their life but their art,” Mihelich said.

Mihelich also wanted the play to encourage reflective conversation on faith for the play’s attendees.

“I want the audiences to talk about the Christian faith in a way that no matter what you believe, you feel like you belong in the conversation,” Mihelich said. “I would love if the lobby was filled with conversations about the gospel where Christians can be open about their faith and non-Christians can be open about their non-faith and nobody is wanting to run.”

  

Cheer wins seventh straight USA College Championship

The cheer team at California Baptist University added another championship to its historic run at the United Spirit Association (USA) College Championship on Feb. 26. The team has won the All-Girls Four-Year title for seven consecutive years.

Read the full story here.

 

 

 

 

 

Family Updates

Dr. Sanggon Nam, associate professor of public health, has worked as the consultant and California director of a National Institute on Aging R01 Research Project since last October. The project is looking at health issues of older immigrant populations focusing on Korean Americans.

 

 

 

Dr. Ed Garrett, associate professor of sports management for Online and Professional Studies, is creating and delivering curriculum focusing on leadership development to the Mississippi Department of Human Services. The curriculum is centered on a business sport psychology model that addresses the cognitive approach to help motivate and connect with business professionals. The first of four training sessions was conducted in February.

 

 

 

 

Beth Morabito, administrative secretary for the School of Nursing, was named employee of the month for March. The nomination form included the following statements: “Beth continues to faithfully serve the College of Nursing (CON) as the administrative secretary and key point person with the Nursing Education Consultant at the California Board of Registered Nursing. Her incredible work ethic, attention to detail, and reverence for Christ and others has directly attributed to successful Board of Registered Nursing approval visits and Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accreditation visits for the CON. She is a beloved staff member of the CON who students, faculty, and staff seek out daily for her expertise and wisdom”

 

 

This year, 107 juniors and seniors at CBU were inducted into the Alpha Chi National Honor Society. Twenty-five inductees and their families attended an induction ceremony March 1. The top 10 percent of juniors and seniors are eligible to join the society.

 

 

Angelica Leon, technician in the Financial Aid Office, accompanied students Anastasia Aguas and Cynthia Morris to the AICCU (Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities) Day in the Capitol advocacy event, held Feb. 28 in Sacramento. The students, both political science majors, met with state legislators and staff to advocate the importance of Cal Grant funding for students attending private institutions such as CBU.

 

 

 

Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, president of California Baptist University, presented a commemorative gift of framed pages containing the Great Commission from Portuguese and English Bibles to the president of Colégio Batista Mineiro in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on March 3. Ellis was invited to participate in the centennial celebration at the school founded by Southern Baptist missionaries in 1918. Colégio Batista Mineiro serves nearly 10,000 enrolled students from 6 months old through college age.

 

 

Dr. Robert LaChausse, associate professor of public health sciences, was appointed to a one-year term as the university faculty co-chair for health education and promotion practice for the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE). He will lead the development of content, topics, online education and professional opportunities of interest to SOPHE members.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Daniel Prather, professor of aviation science, taught a one-day course to attendees of the Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo in Las Vegas on Feb. 25. The course was titled Effective Leadership in Business Aviation.

 

 

 

 

Joe Way, director of multimedia services in Information and Technology Services, wrote a special edition article for Church Production Magazine (Feb. 23, 2018). It was titled Billy Graham on Technology and its Implications for Church Techs. Also, Way and CBU Multimedia Services were featured in AV Technology magazine (February/March 2018). The title was Technology Manager’s Roadmap to 4K.

 

 

Ashley Sonke, nursing student services coordinator II, was a panel member of a Holistic Admissions seminar for the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 28. Sonke presented via livestream on Best Practices: Holistic Admissions Review in Academic Nursing.

 

 

 

 

Bob Hayden, visiting professor of communication for Online and Professional Studies, participated in National Read Across America Day by reading from a selection of Dr. Seuss books to third- and sixth-graders at Woodcrest Elementary School in Riverside on March 2.

 

 

 

Dr. Dominick Sturz, associate professor of public health, collaborated with the Southern California Public Health Association in developing, hosting and moderating the Public Health Webinar Series: Talking Public Health. The topic for this session focused on environmental justice and health. The purpose of the series is to improve the field of public health through education, promotion and advocacy.

 

 

 

Dr. Teresa Hamilton, associate professor of nursing, made a presentation at the 12th Biennial Kaiser Permanente Joint Service-Academia Conference in Alta Dena, California, on Feb. 23. Her presentation was titled Preparing Students Differently.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jeffrey Gage, professor of nursing, co-authored an article in the Journal of Health Communication (Feb. 22, online). The title was “I Want to Walk with My Moko.” The Application of Social Cognitive Theory in the Creation of a Diabetes Prevention Documentary with New Zealand Māori.

 

 

 

Dr. Elaine Ahumada, professor of public administration, Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, professor of public relations, Dr. Cammy Purper, associate professor of education, and Dr. Julie Browning, professor of accounting, all for Online and Professional Studies, presented at the Advancing Women in Leadership Conference at Azusa Pacific University on March 5. The presentation was titled Work Patterns, Gender, and Job Satisfaction of Online Professors. Pearson also made a presentation titled Mentoring Model for Career Advancement.

 

 

 

Dr. Alexandra Shin, assistant professor of biology, co-authored an article published in Oncotarget (January 2018). The article was titled SIRT1 increases cardiomyocyte binucleation in the heart development.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Effat Zeidan, assistant professor of science and mathematics for Online and Professional Studies, spoke to female students in the STEM program at Terrace Hills Middle School in Grand Terrace on March 5. She spoke about what it is like to be a scientist, what it takes to be a scientist and what is the ultimate purpose behind a researcher’s work.

 

 

Dr. Heather Hamilton-Stilwell, assistant professor of journalism, had a book published. Discoveries of Medically Themed Media: Pediatric Patients and Parents’ Journeys of Sense-making (Lexington Books, December 2017) is part of Lexington’s Studies in Health Communication Series.

 

 

Dr. Natalie Winter, professor of marketing and management, spoke at Magnolia Church’s Women’s Retreat held at Thousand Pines Christian Camp in Crestline on March 2-4. The theme of the retreat was Dancing in the Rain: Learning to Rejoice Daily.

 

 

 

 

Two teams from CBU Army ROTC competed in the color guard event at the John J. Pershing Memorial Drill Competition held in Charlotte, North Carolina, on March 9. The female team placed third, and the male team placed fourth.

 

 

 

Jonathan Blair, son of Dr. Daniel Blair, assistant professor of American Sign Language, has been cast as Jesus in the Sight & Sounds production of Jesus for the 2018 season. The show is set to run through Jan. 5, 2019, at the Sight & Sounds Theatre in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

 

 

 

 

Jared Lewis, business systems analyst for Information and Technology Services, and his wife, Veronica, welcomed a daughter on Feb. 9. Hazel Leann Lewis weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces and measured 19 inches. She joins brother, River Michael Lewis, 2.5 years.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates