In this issue…
Current News
Business Fair connects students with prospective employers
Dressed in a sharp black suit with polished shoes and a crisp tie, Brian Drummond pulled out a few resumes from his pocket portfolio folder. He was ready to do some one-on-one interviews.
The Career Center at California Baptist University hosted a Business Fair on Sept. 25 that allowed current students and alumni to network and learn about internships and job opportunities in the fields of marketing, accounting and finance. Hundreds of students gathered in Innovators Auditorium to interact with more than 40 business located in the Inland Empire.
Drummond, a double major in Christian studies and business, said he saw the fair as an opportunity to practice his interpersonal communication skills.
“I just had to get through that first one (interview) and then I felt comfortable talking,” Drummond said.
Drummond said he was encouraged to attend the event by Mike Bishop, senior director at the Career Center.
“I’m trying to gauge my career path and Mike mentioned that we would have a diverse group of businesses represented at the event,” Drummond said.
Bishop said he has noticed a high interest from the business community in attending fairs associated with CBU.
“I’ve been told that our students demonstrate integrity, character and a hard work ethic,” Bishop said. “I tell students it’s critical that they attend these events and get their name out there.”
TWIRP Week fosters community through fun activities
TWIRP (The Women is Required to Pay) week at California Baptist University kicked off on Sept. 24 with a concert in Stamps Courtyard.
TWIRP is one of the many campus traditions designed to help students connect and form friendships. During the week, women have opportunities to ask men to join them at different social gatherings.
Kristin Holderman, director of campus activities for Community Life, said the week is geared toward developing a positive social environment on campus rather than just dating.
“We encourage students to attend these events with groups of friends and also with the intention to make new friends,” Holderman said.
This year the week’s activities started with a concert by My Brothers And I (a quartet pop band) on Sept. 24. Later in the week, students can attend an ice-skating outing, an Angels MLB game, a barn dance, a scavenger hunt and movie night, as well as a trip to Disneyland.
“Through participating in the tradition of TWIRP, it is our hope students build new relationships and a deeper sense of belonging to the university,” Holderman said.
Students explore Sierra Nevada on Outdoor Adventures trip
Community Life at California Baptist University hosted its latest Outdoor Adventures trip to Big Pine located in the Sierra Nevada on Sept. 21-23. Twenty students and four staff members camped, hiked and enjoyed the outdoors as they forged friendships along the way.
“These trips are made to give students an opportunity to enjoy God’s creation and build community and friendships among the students and staff going on the trip,” said Tucker Carl, program coordinator for Outdoor Adventures.
During the outing, the group hiked about 12 miles to view glacial lakes along the Big Pine Lakes trail. This journey was a highlight of the trip for Emily Linville, a liberal studies freshman.
“It was extremely fun going camping with college students, and I got to know most of them pretty well by the end of the trip,” Linville said. “I grew closer with God, my peers and I even learned more about myself throughout the trip.”
Katelin Booth, a graphic design and Christian studies sophomore, went on the trip to fulfill a personal goal this year—exploring more of California.
“Being able to rest by the lakes, swim and hang out together was an awesome time,” Booth said. “It’s a fun opportunity for me to get off campus and see new places and meet new people while enjoying God’s creation.”
The Outdoor Adventures program provides opportunities for students to enjoy various outdoor destinations and national parks. Community Life furnishes, for a nominal fee, transportation, appropriate gear for the adventure and most of the food. Other Outdoor Adventure outings for the semester include to Joshua Tree, California; Santa Barbara, California and Sedona, Arizona.
Lecturer highlights collaborative training for foster children
By calming a child in their environment, a caregiver can help them develop their voice in life, Dr. Mandy Howard told a California Baptist University audience on Sept. 20.
Howard was a speaker for the Culture and Justice Lecture Series sponsored by the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at CBU. Howard, an assistant professor of psychology at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, has spent the past 20 years researching mental health and quality of life issues for children in the foster care system.
Howard said as she began to do research initially in Texas, she found that foster kids are in the system on average for four years with seven different placements.
“Every time you move a child from one placement to the next you are severing a love relationship, a meaningful relationship,” Howard said.
In many of these moves, there was no transitional component built in for the children, Howard noted. In all of this, she added, the child’s voice is lost.
Howard argued that the system works better when there is a collective ownership in the way children are cared for and transitioned. She advocates for clinicians, state workers and psychologists all to form a collaborative team in the child’s care.
As a result of her research findings, Howard formed a training clinic that offers seminars to help inform and train different groups that care for foster children. She spoke about the ins-and-outs of starting such an endeavor.
Howard also started a summer camp to help with the development needs of foster children.
“During the course of our 3- to 5-week summer camp our goal was to facilitate attachment between the children and their camp counselors. This will then help them transfer that connection back to their caregivers when they got home,” Howard said. “It was amazing to see the difference in the children after the camp.”
Chapel speaker urges students to think carefully when dating
The biggest decision in life is what a person decides about God, Matt Brown told a chapel audience at California Baptist University on Sept. 20. The next biggest decision, he added, is choosing a spouse.
Brown, lead pastor of Sandals Church in Riverside, spoke on Proverbs 31. He encouraged students to make good choices when it comes to dating. Brown reflected on his time as a student at then California Baptist College, where he met his wife, Tammy.
“The best decision of my life at Cal Baptist was giving my life to Christ. The second best decision was dating Tammy,” Brown said.
When choosing a person to date, study how they love in several areas of their life, he said. First, only date someone who loves you, Brown said.
“If you have to change everything about yourself to get someone to love you, then they don’t love you, they love who you’re not. And you can’t keep that up forever,” Brown declared.
The person also should love to work, Brown said. If a person cannot do homework, what will they do at a job, he asked. Graduating, paying bills and raising kids all takes work, Brown explained.
“It’s easy to fall in love, it takes work to stay in love,” Brown said.
The person also needs to love people, Brown said. In Proverbs 31:20, the woman “extends her hand to the poor and she stretches out her hands to the needy.”
“How does a person treat people they don’t know, they don’t like, who aren’t cool, who aren’t beautiful, and who aren’t their friends?” Brown said. “The heart of the person is reflected in how they treat people.”
Finally, the person needs to loves God, Brown said, reflecting on I John 4:7, which says “Love is from God.”
“This is why you want to date someone who loves God, because if you don’t love God and you don’t know God, you don’t know love,” Brown said.
Students celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a fiesta
Hundreds of students flocked to Harden Square at California Baptist University to participate in a fiesta in honor of Hispanic Heritage month on Sept. 19.
Students gathered to enjoy traditional Hispanic foods, participate in art demonstrations and observe cultural dance performances.
Kristin Holderman, director of campus activities at CBU, said the fiesta was an opportunity for the student body to recognize and celebrate the Hispanic culture shared by many CBU students.
“We love to celebrate cultural diversity on campus,” Holderman said. “The evening was an opportunity for students to broaden and understand important aspects of the Hispanic culture.”
Earlier in the day, the Alumni Dining Commons offered a Fiesta de La Café, a Hispanic-themed lunch that featured festive décor, food options from around the world and a mariachi band.
“One of our learning outcomes at CBU is to offer unique and diverse experiences for students,” Holderman said. “Today was focused on this endeavor,” she added.
Greg Laurie urges students to “choose life each day”
“Put God first in all areas of your life and God will bless you,” Greg Laurie told a chapel audience at California Baptist University on Sept. 18.
Laurie is the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside. He is also the founder of the Harvest Crusades and an author of more than 70 books.
Reflecting on Joshua 24:15, Laurie said God gives people daily choices, such as the choice of life and death.
“You must choose life each day,” Laurie said.
It can be easy to fall into anxious thoughts about the future and worry about your studies, career and who are you going to marry, Laurie added.
“Jesus wants us to give our burdens to God…because he cares for us,” Laurie said, expounding on I Peter 5:7.
God knows our needs; we are valuable to him, and He thinks good thoughts about us constantly, Laurie told the students.
“It is OK to plan for the future, but constant worrying can be a sign that we are not trusting God,” Laurie said.
Laurie offered a multi-step approach to dealing with anxiety: humble yourself before God by seeking Him in prayer and His Word, ask for help if needed, and stay in fellowship with believers.
“God’s plans for our lives are way better than our own plan,” Laurie said. “You can commit your unknown future into the hands of a known God.”
Founding of U.S. government was “extraordinary,” lecturer says
The U.S. government was created on the universal principles of “the laws of nature and of nature’s God,” said Dr. Edward J. Erler at a Constitution Day event on Sept. 17 at California Baptist University. Constitution Day marks the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787.
The phrase from the Declaration of Independence that refers to nature and God as “self-evident truths” is extraordinary, said Erler, professor of political science emeritus at California State University, San Bernardino said. Those principles, derived from both reason and revelation, serve as the basis for U.S. citizens’ constitutional rights.
“The Declaration of Independence says it is the self-evident truth that ‘all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.’ A creation and a creator are acknowledged to be the foundation of this government,” Erler said. “I believe it was this agreement between reason and revelation…that not only made the American founding a success but made it an exception. “
In the view of James Madison, often called the “Father of the Constitution,” the Constitution was created to put into practice the principle of the Declaration of Independence, Erler said.
“Everyone has equal rights and the government has to be dedicated to the equal protection of the equal rights of everyone who consents to be governed,” Erler said.
Monday night football kicks off Fortuna Bowl Trophy quest
The 2018 intramural flag-football season started with several games played on the Front Lawn at California Baptist University on Sept 17.
Flag football is the most popular intramural sport at CBU. This year, 27 teams and hundreds of competitors in men’s and women’s leagues are chasing the coveted Fortuna Bowl Trophy.
The championship games will be held Nov. 10 during Parent and Family Weekend at CBU. Last year’s Fortuna Bowl games drew thousands of spectators, including CBU students, their friends and families, and alumni. The event typically is one of the year’s highest attended sporting events at CBU.
Tyler Cox, director of recreation programs at CBU, said intramural sports provide a great opportunity to build community in a competitive environment.
Cox noted that some teams practice up to four times a week.
“Competition is intense out there,” Cox said.
More than half of the teams participating in intramural football are considered legacy teams, meaning those teams have been around for more than a decade.
CBU also offers coed volleyball and coed dodgeball during the fall intramural schedule.
Club Fair showcases more than 70 clubs offered at CBU
Community Life at California University hosted a Club Fair on Sept. 13 that provided students an opportunity to learn about the more than 70 clubs on campus.
CBU offers a wide range of club selections that pertain to academics, service interests or recreational activities.
The Club Fair is a great way for clubs to promote who they are, what their mission is and allow students to join, said Kristin Holderman, director of campus activities for Community Life.
“It is our hope students benefit from club membership by establishing relationships through common interests, experiencing unique and diverse opportunities and gaining leadership experience,” Holderman said.
Braya Johnson, a psychology sophomore, is president of the Science and Religion club. She joined because of interesting discussions of how science and religion can co-exist.
“I want to be a psychiatrist and it helped me realize how I want to present myself as a Christian in the science world,” Johnson said. “I would encourage students to join if they’re in the sciences or interested in apologetics or want to learn how to defend their faith.”
Hunter Yarnell, a history senior, is president of Helping Hands, a club focused on special needs and disabilities, both in providing information and volunteer opportunities. Growing up, Yarnell volunteered in his church’s ministry for those with special needs and disabilities, which is why he helped start the club this past spring
“I would encourage others to join because if you have an interest in this, this will give you an experience to actually work with people with special needs and disabilities as well as receive more information,” Yarnell said.
Julia Brushett, a bio-chemistry senior, is already a member of several clubs, but came to the fair to check into others.
“I think it’s a great way to get involved on campus with people who are like-minded,” Brushett said of joining a club. “I always end up learning a lot with all of these. It’s a better way to have that school-life balance and make great connections and networking even with faculty.”
Family Updates
New faculty participate in the Seminar on Faith in the Academic Profession.
CBU welcomed more than 30 new faculty members this fall. The faculty went through a three-day orientation that included a student services fair, panel discussions with students and alumni of Seminar on Faith in the Academic Profession (SOFAP), a peer mentor lunch and some online training. Additionally, the new faculty began SOFAP with two days of active learning and faith integration strategies hosted by the Teaching and Learning Center and led by Dr. DawnEllen Jacobs, professor of English, and Dr. Scott Key, professor of philosophy.
Dr. Daniel Prather
Dr. Daniel Prather, professor of aviation science, was interviewed by the National Business Aviation Association regarding attracting and retaining Generation Z in the workplace. He was subsequently profiled in the article Connecting with Generation Z in the September/October 2018 issue of Business Aviation Insider magazine.
Shawn Wilhite
Dr. Shawn J. Wilhite, assistant professor of Christian studies for Online and Professional Studies, was co-author and editor on Polycarp, Papias, and Diognetus, part of the Apostolic Father Greek Reader series, Volume 3. (Glossa House, 2018).
Dr. Jeff Gage
Dr. Jeffrey Gage, professor of nursing, attended the National Care Net conference in Atlanta, Georgia, Sept. 4-7. He facilitated a workshop titled Pro Abundant Life and presented research titled Fathers’ Experiences of Early Ultrasound.
Dr. Jeff McNair
Dr. Jeff McNair, professor of education, was the keynote presenter at the God Is Able conference in Manila, Philippines, on Sept. 1. His presentation was titled A Biblical View of Disability. God is Able International is a ministry focused on facilitating inclusion of persons with disability in the church and Christian community.
Ashley Sonke
Ashley Sonke, nursing student services coordinator, co-facilitated a one-day training on Holistic Admissions in Academic Nursing at University of Utah’s College of Nursing in Salt Lake City on Sept. 17. The training was put on by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Dr. Virgo Handojo
Dr. Virgo Handojo, professor of psychology, presented a research poster at the 23rd World Congress of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions in Prague, Czech Republic, on July 23-27. The research title was The effect of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) vs Non-IPV Separated by Partner during Military Duty on Attachment among Indonesian Women.
From left: Dr. John Marselus and Carlos Medina
The Veteran Resource Center marked the 71st birthday of the Air Force on Sept. 18. Traditionally, the oldest and highest ranked person and the youngest in that branch who are on campus cut the cake at a celebration. Dr. John Marselus, professor of aviation science and a retired colonel, and Carlos Medina, an aviation science senior and a senior airman in the Air Force Reserves, filled the roles.
Faculty and students from the College of Health Science participated in the American Heart Association Kickball tournament in Perris, California, on Sept. 15. The team received 2nd place out of 20 teams.
Dr. Dennis Bideshi
Dr. Dennis K. Bideshi, professor of biology, coauthored a paper that was published in the journal Biology (Sept. 11, 2018). It was titled Ascovirus P64 homologs: A novel family of large cationic proteins that condense viral genomic DNA for encapsidation.
From left: C.L. Lopez and Dr. Mary Ann Pearson
Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, professor of communication, and C.L. Lopez, adjunct professor of public relations for Online and Professional Studies, presented at the Public Relations Student Society of American at CBU on Sept. 18. The title of the presentation was Strategies for Success After Commencement.
Dr. Robert Stauffer, adjunct faculty for business for Online and Professional Studies, had a book published in August. The Resilient Christian (Covenant Books Inc., August 2018) is about Christian living.
Dr. Joe Way
Dr. Joe Way, director of multimedia services for information technology services, had an article published as part of Church Production Magazine’s weekly devotional. It was titled Spiritual Input List for Church Techs.
Victoria Brodie
Victoria Brodie, visiting professor of public relations, served as the chairperson for the first day of Leadership Riverside’s class of 2019 on Sept. 7. Leadership Riverside is a 10-month program developed to empower and educate decision makers in the community by immersing them in the issues and challenges that shape Riverside’s future. Brodie has chaired the first day, known as Discovery Day, for nine years.
Dr. Kendra Flores-Carter
Dr. Kendra Flores-Carter, assistant professor of social work, presented a workshop at the 32nd Annual Children’s Network Conference in Ontario on Sept. 20. The workshop was titled Maternal Mental Health in a Hospital Setting.
Dr. Joel Bigley
Dr. Joel Bigley, assistant professor of management, had an article published in the Management and Economic Journal (September 2018). It was titled Financial alignment and cost allocation strategy in an MNE: A case study.
Frank Mihelich
Frank Mihelich, assistant professor of theatre, was elected to the Board of Directors for Christians in the Theatre Arts. It is a national organization dedicated to encouraging and equipping faith-based theatre artists and to bringing a Christian voice to the professional American theatre.
Julie Jones
Julie Jones, assistant director of academic advising, co-presented a workshop at the 32nd Annual Children’s Network Conference, in Ontario on Sept. 19. The workshop was titled Human Trafficking 101.
Dr. Jacob Chao-Lun Huang
Dr. Jacob Chao-Lun Huang, assistant professor of sociology, had a book chapter published in Nongovernmental Organization Case Studies in Leadership From Around The World (2nd Edition). It was titled NGOs in Asia: A case study of the Mennonite Social Welfare Foundation in Taiwan.
Journalism and new media students visited Riverside City Hall on Sept. 25 to learn about local government and how the news media can cover it. Phil Pitchford, the public information officer for Riverside, described to the students how City Council meetings operate and led them through the seventh floor of City Hall to visit offices and meet some officials including Mayor Rusty Bailey.
Scott Glackin and Derek
Scott Glackin, lead foodservice equipment technician in Facilities and Planning, and his wife, Silvana, welcomed their fourth grandchild on Sept. 13. Derek Scott Glackin weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces and measured 20 inches in length. His parents are Scott and Joni Glackin.
Kennedy and Kash McDonald
Lisa McDonald, administrative assistant for Marketing and Communication, and her husband, Mike, welcomed their second grandchild on July 23. Kash Michael McDonald weighed 6 pounds, 4 ounces and measured 18.5 inches in length. His parents are Kevin and Kadee McDonald.
Personnel Updates
