March 13, 2008

In this issue...

		Current News
		Collinsworth School of Music Updates
		Around Campus
		Tickets Available
		Student News
		Family Updates
		Personnel Updates

Current News

California Baptist University enters agreement with Global Vision Christian School

Dr. Ronald L. Ellis (right), president of California Baptist University, signs an affiliation agreement with Rev. Jean Seok Nam, founding president of Global Vision Christian School located in Eumseong County, South Korea. The accord, signed March 12 in Riverside, establishes a “sister school” relationship between CBU and GVCS “to collaborate in cultivating Christian leaders for the expansion of God’s Kingdom.”  Among the cooperative activities envisioned under the agreement are English language and culture experiences for students from the Korean school and teacher training and recruiting opportunities. 

Save the date:
Fiddler on the Roof starts March 28

CBU Theater Arts presents the Fiddler on the Roof musical on March 28 – 29 and April 4 – 5, 2008 at Wallace Theater.

Friday and Saturday evening performances are at 8 p.m., and the ticket price is $15 per person.

Saturday matinees are at 2:00 p.m. and the cost is $12. The CBU student ticket price is $12 per person. Click here for more information. 

Student Film Competition deadline approaches

The 2nd Annual CBU Student Film competition is scheduled for an April 2 premier at 2:00 p.m. in Wallace Theater. Completed three-minute films are due to the ASCBU by March 28. If you know a budding director, actor or videographer, please encourage him or her to submit an entry by the deadline on March 28. The original deadline to have entry forms turned in was March 14, which has been extended to March 28, according to La Keishia Childers, ASCBU president. Please send moviemakers to the online entry form: http://www.calbaptist.edu/cbufilms/entry.aspx.

Day of ministry offers faculty, staff an opportunity to
"take the plunge"

Brett Vowell, director of chapel and Compassion Ministries at CBU, has announced a special one-day ministry opportunity that invites faculty and staff to join students at this year’s Urban Plunge project in Los Angeles. The event, scheduled for Saturday, April 5, will have volunteers working on two Habitat for Humanity construction projects whose locations have yet to be determined. Vowell said the day’s work will begin with a 7 a.m. departure from CBU with a 5 p.m. return.

Vowell said that Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles homes are built almost entirely (90%) by volunteers, both skilled and unskilled, according to the organization’s Web site. “No construction experience is required, just a willingness to learn and work hard!  However, if you do have construction skills, be sure and let us know so we can make sure they are utilized,” Vowell said. Contact Brett Vowell in the Office of Spiritual Life for more information or if interested in volunteering at bvowell@calbaptist.edu or ext. 5012.

Last year’s Urban Plunge ministry project was led by Kristen White (front row, far left), CBU's director of global mobilization, and Charlie Weaver (second row, far left), graduate assistant for Compassion Ministries.

Collection time

"Change for Change" globe banks will be collected this week and next. The desktop containers were distributed to staff members earlier this year to help raise money for staff and faculty participating in ISP. Erin Wood, administrative secretary for Global Mobilization, is the contact in the ISP office for details about the initiative at isp@calbaptist.edu or x5018.

Around Campus  

Up, Down, Up…Emotional end to season for Lancers

Photo by Nick Cholas

California Baptist University men’s basketball team lost its first-ever game in the GSAC Tournament finals with an 87 – 64 concession to Concordia University in Irvine on Tuesday night. However, by taking on the 6th-ranked Eagles in the finals, the 12th-ranked Lancers grab the GSAC’s second automatic bid to the 2008 Buffalo Funds NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship on March 19 – 25 in Kansas City, MO.

The Lancers’ short-lived “down” from the Concordia loss comes on the heels of a thrilling overtime win over Azusa Pacific University last Saturday on the Lancer’s home court. During that game, CBU’s Mark Roussin became the 26th player in school history to break the 1,000-point barrier in his career. Roussin led an active defense against Concordia as well, with five blocks accompanied by eight rebounds. Roussin, who was also named the GSAC Player of the Year, scored 19 points during the Concordia match.

The NAIA brackets were released today; click here to find out when the Lancers will play in Kansas City.

Swimming and Diving dynasty continues

Also in March, the Lancers claimed dual national titles at the 2008 NAIA Swimming and Diving National Championships. Again! This was the fourth straight national title for the women and the third consecutive title for the men’s team. Click here for the full story.

For current Lancer news and schedules, click here.

Seek Week features Baucham on relationships

Voddie Baucham, a well-known Christian author and Pastor of Preaching at Grace Family Baptist Church in Spring, Texas, talked with CBU students about biblical manhood and womanhood as the featured speaker during Seek Week on March 5 – 7. Baucham spoke at the Wednesday and Friday chapel services, and at a special chapel meeting on Thursday, challenging students to “live to higher standards” when looking for a potential relationship. Baucham also encouraged students to strive to put God first.

Job Fair matches CBU students with prospective employers

CBU’s Career Services staff hosted a Job Fair on March 10, giving CBU undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to meet with prospective employers and to learn more about job occupations and opportunities. More than 40 employers representing public, private, military, for-profit and non-profit organizations staffed booths that encircled the basketball court in CBU’s Van Dyne Gym. The event, which began at 4:30 p.m., drew about 200 CBU students interested in getting a head start on their careers.

Jason Valencia (right), an MBA student, learns about being a federal agent from Emanuel Gonzalez, a special agent in the Internal Revenue Service unit based in San Bernardino. IRS agents in the criminal investigation unit pursue perpetrators of money laundering, tax fraud and other such crimes. These IRS investigators must earn professional degrees in fields such as business and accounting. Valencia said he was interested in the career because “it’s not your typical accounting desk job.”

RPD town hall meeting invites community participation

CBU students and community members attended the “Chief’s Community Police Partnership Summit” town hall meeting held on February 20 in the Copenbarger Presidential Dining Room at the invitation of Riverside Police Chief Russ Leach.  The gathering offered attendees the opportunity to meet the RPD command staff, hear the RPD Strategic Plan update and share their thoughts on public safety issues in the city.

Discussion topics included a new police mental health training program and changes in how RPD officers respond to mental health cases, the operation of red light cameras, locations of DUI checkpoints, traffic and police response times, tracking of sex offenders, 911 calls and volunteer opportunities. RPD staff plans to take the Chief’s Community Police Partnership Summit “on the road” into each of the four Neighborhood Policing Centers throughout Riverside, according to Steve Frasher, RPD’s public information officer.

Collinsworth School of Music

Tickets Available

Disneyland Tickets (also available online through InsideCBU)

1. Park Hoppers: $66—Tickets may be used at both parks on the same day
2. 1-Day, 1-Park Tickets: $61—Tickets may be used at only 1 of the parks on 1 day
3. 2-Fer Tickets: $64—Tickets are good 1 day at 1 park and then may be used at the other park within 30 days of the ticket’s original date of use. Tickets must be used for first visit by April 24th.

Regal Tickets

1. Super Savers (Red): $6—May not be used for Special Engagement shows
2. VIP (Blue): $7—No restrictions

AMC Tickets

1. Silver: $6—May not be used for Special Engagement shows
2. Gold: $7.50—No restrictions

Mission Grove Theater

$5.50—No restrictions

Student News 

Frozen freshmen frolic

A group of about 30 freshmen traveled by bus to Big Bear ski resorts recently to enjoy a day of innertubing organized by freshman class members of the Associated Students of CBU (ASCBU). The freshman trip was one of several fun events planned to help students get to know their classmates better outside of the classroom and dorms, according to Janet Harbin, freshman class president.

These photos from the freshman class’s innertubing trip to San Bernardino Mountains in March were taken by Bethany Billman-Hoppe (right), who serves as secretary/treasurer for the freshman class.

CBU forensics team members heat up competition

During what was locally reported as the worst snowstorm in five years, CBU's Speech and Debate team earned a national championship trophy in Reader's Theater during the March 7 – 9 National Christian College Forensics Invitational hosted by Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.  The national award was the university’s 20th such trophy since 1998.  Further heating up the competition, CBU's squad of six competitors earned 11 trophies overall. Each of the six students who attended the national competition earned at least one national trophy, and some won several.

The national champion Reader's Theater cast included Alise Aycock, Stephanie Gomez, Joshua Kammert and Molly Powers. Gomez and Aycock tied for 2nd place overall in individual sweepstakes in the novice division, and Justine Holguin earned a 2nd place top speaker award for novice division, Lincoln/Douglas debate.

Molly Powers received trophies in four of her five events, including a 4th Place award in Open Division Drama, 3rd Place in Open Division Faith Literature Interpretation, and 5th Place along with Aycock in Open Division Duo Interpretation.  Gomez was awarded a 3rd place trophy in Novice Impromptu Speaking and a 5th place award in Novice Extemporaneous Speaking, Katelyn Kiefer was awarded a 6th Place award in Novice Dramatic Interpretation, and Aycock was awarded 3rd place in Novice Prose Interpretation.

The top team in overall sweepstakes was Cedarville University, who edged out Kansas Wesleyan University for the National Championship. More information about CBU's Speech and Debate team is available at www.calbaptist.edu/forensics.

Cole Lundstrom, a CBU senior, explains his inspiration and process for creating a peaceful “space alien” as one of the art projects Lundstrom and classmate Jeanette Zamora shared with Metcalf Art Gallery visitors on Wednesday, March 12. The two students presented their artwork for display at CBU as a requirement for their senior art project.  Lundstrom said he used a jigsaw to cut the compressed wood into the alien shape, and spray-painted the surfaces of the multimedia piece. The display board behind the alien features stenciled designs, including the outline of a skull.

Family Updates

Peter “Rugg” Lehrbass, HVAC II / Central Plant technician in the CBU Facilities and Planning department, worked with CBU School of Engineering (SOE) students recently to build a house for a family in need in Riverside. The Habitat for Humanity project is one of several service projects chosen by engineering students in fulfillment of the requirements of the SOE’s Engineering Service course. Lehrbass led the students in the installation of a hydronic floor heating system (shown below) that is the first such system to be permitted in Riverside. The house itself is the first Habitat home in the nation built to LEED* certification, according to Dr. Anthony Donaldson, dean of the CBU School of Engineering. CBU School of Engineering students help install eco-friendly heating and cooling systems that entailed, among other details, laying 1,700 linear feet of plastic tubing in this Habitat for Humanity house in Riverside. While the students were working on a recent Saturday, the family that will occupy the house visited the construction site, which helped the students connect their efforts in a personal way to the family that will ultimately benefit from their work. *LEED, short for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a national rating system that encourages environmentally responsible construction practices and building products.

Hernandez Jose Hernandez, general maintenance technician in the Facilities and Planning Department,  was named Employee of the Month for March. The Employee of the Month Nomination Form included the following statements: “As lead technician, Jose is the on-site advisor to each of the housing technicians.  The skill set and levels of expertise that he possesses which are required on a daily basis come from experience and a constant desire to learn.  A ‘can do’ attitude is the hallmark of a great lead, and Jose has it.”

Morgan Dr. Chris Morgan, professor of theology and associate dean of the CBU School of Christian Ministries, recently completed three books. “Faith Comes by Hearing” was released in early March (see link: http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/ code=2590). “James: Wisdom for the Community,” will be published in Great Britain this month and in the U.S. in May. (http://www.christianfocus.com/item/show/1152/). “Suffering and the Goodness of God,” the first volume in the new hardcover Theology in Community series that Dr. Morgan created and co-edits, will hit the shelves in the fall.

Estel Wyatt     Vi Estel, archivist for the Annie Gabriel Library, was elected for a two-year term as President of the California Baptist Historical Society at the group’s annual meeting in November, 2007. Dr. Mark A. Wyatt, vice president for marketing and communication, also serves on the Executive Committee of the Society as CBU’s representative.

Stokes Dr. H Bruce Stokes, dean of the School of Behavioral Sciences, is very active this year in his continued study and participation in the Messianic Jewish Movement. In September, he participated in the International Messianic Jewish Alliance Meeting in Jerusalem. In October, he was invited to participate in the Chosen People’s Ministry-sponsored Borough Park Symposium in New York. In January, he was a participant in the Hashivenu Forum (a messianic theological consortium) held in Pasadena, CA and in February, he spoke at First Baptist Dallas to a group of members regarding the movement and the Southern Baptist Convention. In June, 2008, Dr. Stokes will be the primary teacher for the Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship during the pre-session of the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis and then will participate in the Conference of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations Conference in Jerusalem. He has been contracted to write a book explaining the Messianic Movement to Christians. Brian Shields Robert Shields, CBU Webmaster and director of instructional technology, and his wife Jessika announced the birth of Brian Cameron Shields on March 5. Shortly after the baby’s birth, dad Robert sent this photo via Sprint picture mail to his CBU colleagues. Brian weighed 7 lbs. 8 oz. and was 20 inches long at birth. Brian joins siblings R. J. and Jasmine.

Personnel Updates