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ISSUE 5
VOLUME 71
MARCH 1, 2024
‘Murder on the Orient Express’: CBU puts new spin on classic mystery BY SARAH MURPHY ASST. A&E EDITOR
The Orient Express chugs through a snowstorm, but it stops just after the clock strikes midnight. A horrific discovery has been made: an American tycoon with eight stab wounds lies dead in his compartment. The strangest part? The compartment door is locked from the inside. The remaining passengers are on edge with a potential killer on the loose and Detective Hercule Poirot must find the murderer before they find their next victim. “Murder on the Orient Express” hit the Wallace Theatre stage on Feb. 23 and will run weekends through March 3 at the Wallace Theatre. But, this isn’t a typical telling of the play, as California Baptist University has chosen to adapt this story, based on Agatha Christie’s mystery novel, into a comedic stage production. To prepare for the role, the actors spent a lot of time analyzing the text in the play. They focused especially on their character to best understand who they are playing. Abigail Durham, junior theater major, has the role of Mary Debenham in the play, a British governess who is a young and sophisticated
passenger on the train. “If you walk into the theater right now, we have pages of character development work on the walls,” said Durham. “So taking a look at the text and seeing what the story truly means is something that the whole cast is doing to prepare for putting these characters on stage and bringing them to life.” Santino Alvarado, sophomore film major, is the lead in the play, Hercule Poirot, the detective responsible for solving the case. A challenging part of preparing for his role was mastering his character’s accent, however, he had a unique way of doing so. “During auditions and callbacks, I was listening to the Ratatouille song on repeat,” Alvarado stated. “I just needed to hear the French accent.” Memorizing lines and mastering accents is not the only thing that goes into acting onstage. Actors also have to perfect their movements, how they say certain words and even their facial expressions. One of the many responsibilities of a director is to show the actors how to master these things. Ethan Park, adjunct professor of the theater division in the Collinsworth School of Performing Arts, is
the director for “Murder on the Orient Express.” A crucial part of a successful show is effective communication between the director and the cast. Part of this comes as a result of being open-minded and working together as a team, which is an environment Park has tried to create. “I would make a suggestion and we try it, but then we realize my suggestion doesn’t really work. So I say, ‘OK, what do you want to do?’ And then they try something and it works way better than what I suggested,” Park said. “I’ve really appreciated the exchange between us, that it’s not just me saying ‘You do this,’ but, ‘Let’s figure this out together.’ So I have appreciated them collaborating with me.” With lengthy four-hour rehearsals every Monday through Friday for weeks, the cast said they started to feel like one family. “I grow in each show that I direct here as much as the actors do and I always want them to know that as much as I’m their teacher, they’re mine. They have made some truly beautiful work this time, and I’m really proud of them,” Park said. One of the best aspects of
Lindsey Stumpf | Banner
Matthew Furness (top left), sophomore theater technical design major, Santino Alvarado, sophomore film major, and Seth Suguitan, junior theater major, inspect the crime scene featuring Kaleb Bravo, sophomore theater major. performing onstage is having your friends and family come to support you. Alvarado has particularly experienced this kindness from fellow CBU students. “I feel really supported because my friends know that it’s my first role, and so they’re all like ‘You’re gonna kill it. You’re doing so good. I can’t wait to see it.’’ Alvarado said. After a long week of
production, the lights dim, and the quiet chatter of the audience silences. All of the hard work the cast, crew, and director have put into the play will pay off in the next couple of hours, which are full of suspense and excitement as the mystery unfolds. “My philosophy is always we do the show for God, then we do the show for the audience, then we do the show for our fellow
actors, and then we do the show for ourselves,” Park said. “So we put ourselves last in that order. We give our gifts back to God and the passion that he’s given us for this art form. In the play, it so many funny moments. There’s some heartfelt, tragic moments. There’s some that make your hair stand on end moments. So my hope is that the audience sits back and lets themselves experience it all.”
Football fans weigh in on historic Chiefs Super Bowl win BY MICHAEL MARKS SPORTS EDITOR
It’s official: the Kansas City Chiefs are a dynasty, with a 2522 comeback win over the San Francisco 49ers in what was a thrilling conclusion to Super Bowl LVIII. History repeated itself, with the 49ers losing to the Chiefs in yet another Super Bowl. The last time this happened was in the 2019
Super Bowl when the Chiefs beat the 49ers 31-20. This is now the fourth Super Bowl win in the team’s history, with the previous three being in 1970, 2020 and 2023. The road to get here was not easy for either team. The San Francisco 49ers went 12-5 this season, ending up at the top of their division in the National Football Conference (NFC) West. The Chiefs had
an equally hard-fought season, ending with an 11-6 record and also ending up at the top of their respective division as well in the American Football Conference (AFC) West. Many fans and spectators alike expected great things from both teams, with a performance that did not disappoint, particularly in the season leading up to the Super Bowl.
Sydney Holloway | Banner
CBU students watch the San Fransico 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl at the party hosted by Community Life.
“Mahomes is the kind of quarterback everyone wants. But the Niners this year have a really good team holistically. They have strength at so many positions and Purdy has really risen to the challenge in so many ways,” said John Gill, professor of Christian studies. Rising to the challenge is an understatement for a player like Brock Purdy, especially for a quarterback whose nickname is Mr. Irrelevent, the nickname given to the player who is picked last in the NFL Draft. Going from the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to becoming the starting quarterback for the 49ers in the Super Bowl says everything anyone needs to know about this player’s grit and determination. This attitude is reflected in many fans of the 49ers, who have seen this team and quarterback fight so hard to get to this moment. “He’s saying ‘I’m here and I deserve to be here,’” said Kaiden Joseph, senior biomedical science major and a native of the Bay area. “It’s definitely the underdog story because Mahomes is favored to win, and also, he’s had the spotlight before, so he is used
to this.” Even though the Chiefs may have had a little extra star talent to help add to their team hype leading up to the game, the pride that the 49ers fans have in their team cannot be overstated. “Growing up as a 49er fan, it’s always been a dream to see your team go there,” said Aaron Brown, junior history major. “We got everybody rooting for us and everyone else rooting for Taylor Swift.” While this underdog story did not have the happy conclusion many 49er fans were looking for, the Chiefs made history by being one of only nine teams in the league to win back-to-back Super Bowls. The Kansas City Chiefs will be looking to continue making history next season as they chase an elusive third Super Bowl win, something no NFL team has ever been able to do three times in a row. The 49ers hope to maintain what they have built this year as they begin the long road of getting back to the Super Bowl next year for another chance at victory. Even though they may have lost the Super Bowl, many
49ers fans are still optimistic about the future of the team. “Patrick Mahomes is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and of the future, but Brock Purdy is the new future for us 49ers fans,” Brown said. Even though Purdy and Mahomes may have been competing against one another on one of the biggest stages in the nation, they still both keep sight of what is important in life. Mahomes spoke on his faith and what it means to him in an interview before playing the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. “I just thank God for those opportunities and I thank God for letting me be on a stage where I can glorify him,” Mahomes said. Whether or not you’re a major football fan, the Super Bowl is still a major cultural and social event for many people across the country. It is a reminder of how sports can bring together people from all walks of life, no matter the team or city. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a Raiders fan or a 49ers fan, everyone is hyped,” Joseph said “It’s going to bring everyone in the Bay Area together.”
BLACK HISTORY CONCERT
FAITH-BASED CURRICULUM
LUNAR NEW YEAR
A look back to February to see how CBU celebrated Black History Month.
.Can faith be integrated into everything, even math? Professors discuss how it is possible.
2024 is the year of the dragon! Food, fun and games brought in the Chinese New Year on campus.
Arts & Entertainment pg. 13
Faith & Lifestyle, pg. 6
Perspectives, pg. 8