A typically sunny place such as Southern California makes for perfect running weather year-round, and that is just what one can find the members of California Baptist University’s track team doing on any given morning. Just as all the other teams, the track team has experienced the added pressure and motivation that the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II status has brought. “Being in the NCAA has raised the bar for our team,” said Coach Benjamin Gall. Since they do not make up a full track team, the athletes only compete in five distance races to qualify individually for the PacWest and NCAA Division II championships. They are aiming to take home as many good rankings and All-Conference titles as possible, but the shift from NAIA to NCAA is challenging. “The athletes who want to qualify for the NCAA championships will have to run quite a bit faster than they would have back in the NAIA days to qualify for that championship,” Gall said. “This has made our practices more focused and, at times, difficult, as athletes really push their limits.” Gall has been coaching at CBU for two years and has seen the athletes become more dedicated and diligent about the sport since he began. There have been several athletes running personal best times and breaking into the top-10 times iin CBU history. Taylor Guske, junior exercise science major, has been running track for seven years and has taken the transition from NAIA to NCAA in stride. “My outlook for running honestly wasn’t influenced by the fact that I was involved with some of the big dogs in the NCAA,” Guske said. “I love running and want to be my absolute best whether in the highest or lowest division.”
Sounds of seagulls and ocean waves filled the room at the packed Wallace Book of Life Theater at California Baptist University on April 4.
Students, relatives and faculty members were greeted by an enormous ship-like set as they were about to be introduced to a night of comedy and entertainment for the opening of “H.M.S. Pinafore.”
With music and lyrics written by W.S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan, “H.M.S. Pinafore” is an outstanding and hilarious lyrical operetta that definitely lives up to expectations.
The stupendous talent and operatic singing performed by CBU students and dialogue did not disappoint.
The opera begins on-board the H.M.S. Pinafore, a British ship, where we are introduced to a lively and comical group of sailors.
From there, the audience meets Ralph Rackstraw, one of the sailors
onboard.
Ralph admits to the crew that he is in love with Josephine, the daughter of the ship’s captain.
The other sailors try to encourage him to confess his love to Josephine – all except Dick Deadeye, the outcast of the crew who disapproves and tells Ralph that Josephine would never love someone like him.
Upon Ralph’s confession, we discover that Josephine is also in love with one of the sailors onboard, later revealed to be Ralph.
However, Josephine’s father, Captain Corcoran, plans to marry her off to Sir Joseph, the First Lord of the
Admiralty.
At first, Josephine abides by her father’s wishes and tries to avoid Ralph and his fondness toward her by denying her own feelings for him.
But Sir Joseph makes a statement in regards to equality of humankind, which encourages the young lovers. The two soon confess their love for each other and plan to elope.
The play is a high-flying and hysterical adventure for Ralph and Josephine as they go against social order and her father to fight for love with a twist at the end.
There was not a dry eye in the theater as the audience was tearing up over the sidesplitting comedy this operetta delivered.
The upbeat music provided by talented students playing in the orchestra was also phenomenal.
“H.M.S. Pinafore” is an enjoyable and amusing show that definitely left the audience walking out of the theater with huge smiles.
Although it is the last production of the semester, the theater program will certainly wrap up the season with a bang, literally.
Final performances of the show are April 10-11 at 7:30 p.m. and April 12 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. General admission costs $15 and $12 for matinees, seniors and students. Group discounts are also available.
