By: Cole McHahon The Simpson Baseball team was in a must-win situation Friday after dropping three games to OIT. Coming into the series against Bushnell University, Simpson Baseball was 1-5 on the year looking for a quick turn of events. Fortunately, the team came out ready to play and took the first two games from Bushnell winning a close one 15-13 and winning their second game 11-3. In the second game of the day, pitcher Ethan Buttars had the start on the bump and dominated the game for 8 innings with 1earned run and 9 strikeouts. After his start, Buttars had to say, “It felt pretty good. It was a grind and super exciting. I was glad to be a part of it.” Throughout the game, Buttars was slicing up batters and giving his offense room to work. Center fielder Shane Ogata put on an offensive show blasting two home runs, helping with the 11 runs scored in the second game. Winning these two games was “very important [is] something that is going to make us better and get us rolling,” Buttars said. His perspective of continuing the team’s success is that “[the team] need[s] to keep playing as a family. When we have each other's backs, we play better.” After making the playoffs just a year ago, the Simpson Baseball team has lofty expectations to make a big push in the CalPac and return to the playoffs. Pitcher Jackson Bennett, who was a part of the playoff team last year, he said it was “important for the program” it was to win these two games and is “a step in the right direction and is a reality check on the potential for this team.” In the past few years, the baseball program has been on an upward trajectory and Bennett expressed a few words about the current freshman and future for the Simpson Baseball team. He stated, “as long as they are willing to put the work in, it’s worth it.” Bennett said this relates to the journey of being a baseball player and bringing a winning culture to the team. He reflected on his career: “I understand the game a lot better now. Learning the discipline behind baseball will help me in the future with the little life lessons it has presented me.” As for the expectations of this 2022 team, Bennett examined how “making the playoffs would be good.” Yes, making the playoffs would be beneficial for this Simpson team as they build from the success, they had the past two years. But, only a few games in the season, this team is just focused on winning one game at a time and letting their playing do the talking.

By: Jacob Greene Originally there were 16 Sweet events, now only 6 remain. What are they? Only 6 events remain out of the total 16 Sweet events. According to Sarah Jobson, some events that remain are: “SU Polar Plunge, Silent Dance, National Puppy Day, Night Life, and Spring Fest are still to come!” Campus life can be more enjoyable with the extracurricular activities available. These events are for students and staff to engage in, together. These 16 signature events were hatched, planned, and set up by Kirsten Crawford (Campus Life Coordinator) and Sarah Jobson (Associate Dean of Campus Life), specifically for you, the student. Jobson had the idea for this by observing what other colleges do for events. These events are in addition to regular events and occur throughout the year and are also paid for by students. The cost of these events is included in tuition. Attend these free events and socialize with fellow students. Whoever collects all 16 stickers is entered into a raffle. The winner of the raffle gets a secret surprise that only a select few know about. Each event has its own special sticker. Some events included a country line dance (Hay Day) event, Gnome-coming, a Color Run, and the Davenport Derby. Most recently, Skate Night, at the local skate rink, and 80s Bingo night, with a costume contest. Jobson replied, via email, what she was most excited for, “I'm looking forward to MOST, if not all of the events - for different reasons. The Silent Dance - because who doesn't want to dance in a room with headphones on? The Polar Plunge because it's tradition and we give out beanies to those who get wet! Spring Fest for the free shirts and awesome food.” If you have the chance, come to as many remaining events as you are able. The events are paid for when you pay your tuition. If you collect all sixteen stickers, you will be entered in a raffle to win a secret prize. The only way to collect all the stickers is by going to every event.

By Anna Jaumandreu After three conference losses, the Simpson Women’s Basketball team earned their first conference win Jan. 29 against Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The women’s basketball team had been through a tough journey. Loss after loss, the team kept fighting through the pre-season to start the conference with the best chances to win as possible. The first three games were intense, and the team had chances to win but did not. The day before Embry-Riddle, the team lost against Park University Gilbert 50-57. “Everyone was ready to do whatever it took to win. We were so tired of losing in really close games we could’ve won,” Sandra Berrocal said, one of the team captains. On the day to play against Embry-Riddle all the odds were in favor for Simpson. The Red Hawks led 33-23 at the half. Starting the second half, Embry-Riddle got hot on their shots, and started to reduce the difference in the score until they were ahead 40-44. The Red Hawks fought through uncalled fouls, turnovers and missed layups, the team recovered their rhythm and tightened the score. All the practices, all the lost games, all the days where the bodies hurt, injuries and frustration were about to pay off. The last two minutes were crucial, and everything was decided by two free-throws that Berrocal put inside the basket, ending the game 57-54, and giving the team the first win in a conference game. Coach Mendez said the win was necessary, the team needed a boost of confidence and assurance that the team was able to beat a good team. “We needed it really badly. I think moral wise when you go a stretch where you lose so many games in a row, you start losing confidence in yourself, and I think it really did help recover some confidence,” Mendez said. The job is still not done. Mendez said that sometimes after a win the team relaxes, but he states that his players are all fighters. As of right now, the coach said he has full confidence the team has a very good opportunity to make it through the Cal Pac Conference, but he also explained that these three upcoming games will give the team the answer. The Simpson Women’s Basketball team had won a total of four games in a row.

By: Louis Down Hydrogen oxide, commonly known as water, is important for both life on Earth and all students that attend Simpson. It’s no secret that a substantial portion of the Simpson population are athletes who require water to work at their optimal capacity. Which is why it is important that both Simpson athletes and students have easy and regular access to water. The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee have reported that “Athletes who lose more than 2 percent of their body weight lose both their mental edge and their ability to perform optimally in hot weather.” On Simpson campus there are fifteen drinking fountain stations (some stations have multiple fountains) distributed throughout the school. However, the issue at hand is that none of these filtered drinking stations are in the dormitories. Many athletes and students alike are made to get water from the unfiltered sinks in their room. Ari Rubio from Simpson Women’s basketball team spoke with the Slate to voice her feelings, “at night when the buildings are locked, it can be difficult to access filtered water so it would help if we had some drinking stations in the dormitories.” Installation of drinking stations and the stations themselves can be costly. Installing the Elkay drinking stations around the school may pose an issue, such as access to water, positioning in the dormitories and cost of installation. Potential solutions to this could be installing filtration systems on the already existing taps in the kitchen. The CDC reports that the United States has one of the safest water systems in the world. Though the water may be safe to drink this doesn’t mean it is clear of all contaminants. Another way to try and ensure the water being consumed by Simpson students is as clean as possible is by implementing water filter dispensers. These dispensers can be cheaper than installing permanent water stations, however, they would require the large water bottles to need constant replacing. Paul Davis, Director of Campus Operations here at Simpson University explained that “drinking fountains hadn’t ever been considered in the dorms, but if they were to be considered we would most likely be the two-way filtration dispensers.” Davis went on to explain that “putting fountains into the dorms could be costly due to the plumbing that would be required and could cost upwards of $3000 per station.” Although the issue of not having filtered water in the building you’re living in may seem like a ‘first world issue’ it is something that many campus residents would be grateful for and appreciate. Sufficient intake of quality water will help Simpson students to continue to excel in the classroom, in their chosen sport, and hopefully the residents can see water dispensers in the dormitories soon.

By: Caleb Gonzalez The Simpson Baseball team showed commitment in the face of adversity. The team showed their fans just what the Red Hawks can do when they rally as a team. On Jan. 31, the Simpson Men's Baseball team had its first home series of the 2022 season against the Oregon Tech Owls. It was game 2 of a 4-game series between the two teams, the Owls had claimed the first game 15-6 according to the Simpson Athletics page. Fans came to support but witnessed a very rough start for Simpson. By the 6th inning, Oregon Tech had a 6-0 lead against the Red Hawks. Starting third baseman Logan Gomes, remembered a quiet dugout when the 6th inning began “It was dead silent. No one was talking. We knew we had played badly, and we needed to play better.” Simpson pitcher, Jackson Bennett, agreed. “When you're down that big the first thing you have to do is stop the bleeding, stop them from scoring and don’t let the lead get wider,” Bennett said. Simpson's first run came at the bottom of the sixth inning, ending the idea of a shutout, but the Owls managed to put 2 more runs on the board, making it 10-1. In the seventh inning, the Simpson Red Hawks ceased their momentum. The seventh inning would see Simpson scoring 6 runs, making the score 10-7, while Micah Kele and Bennett Grigsby both would score a run. 8th inning saw Bennett pitching. Bennett would shut down the Oregon Tech offense as no runs were scored. The Simpson Red Hawks scored 4 more runs ending the 8th. Logan recalls “This was the moment we knew momentum had shifted. It was all about getting the next guy up and doing our job.” The 9th inning would see Bennett close out and end the incredible comeback. The Red Hawks would end Game 2 with an 11-10 victory. Although the Redhawks probably wish they could’ve changed at the beginning of the game, they reminded all of us that it is not how you start, it’s how you finish. The Red Hawks showed resilience in the face of adversity, when their backs were against the wall, they kept on fighting, showing both the CalPac and fans that they can work as a team. This win is certainly a motivating factor and shows that the Red Hawks are a serious threat.

By: Andre Galindo It’s almost finished. All that is left to have baseball games at Simpson University field is the roof on the dugouts, the outfield fence, infield dirt, and the visitor's bullpens. The baseball team has only had 1 winning season since they started their program, finishing the field and getting better facilities could be the push they need to become a winning program. Few NAIA teams in the Cal Pac Conference have an on-campus field for games and practice. Having both may have an impact on the number of recruits who would be interested in Simpson. Better facilities equal more recruits. Many schools with better recruits involve the marketing of their facilities and what they have to offer over other schools. The Athletic Director/Head Coach of Simpson Baseball Dan Tating is optimistic for the field to be done soon. In an interview on Feb. 3rd, 2022,Tating stated, “There have been plans to have games on this campus for 20 years, now we are at a point where it is that close where we could play here within a couple of weeks.” All that is left to have games at the Simpson University field is the roof of the dugouts, the outfield fence, infield dirt, and the visitor's bullpens. If everything goes as planned in the upcoming weeks, fans should be able to start attending the baseball games for the first time in Simpson history. But what does this field mean for others around campus and the graduating seniors apart of the baseball team? Former player and now pitching coach Andrew Cisneros had a few comments: “The support from Dr. Hall and the rest of the school about funding it for the scoreboard, lights, and making it the premier place to play in the conference is exciting to see!” The big push for this field being done is really for the graduating seniors this year and the significance it holds to them. The 4th year player Logan Gomes spoke about the hardships of playing at Tiger Field. Gomes stated, “It is hard to play on a field that you never practice on and the conditions at Tiger Field could be a lot better.” There was also insight from the true Canadian first-year Brady Sandes about his desire to have the baseball field here at Simpson. “To have our field on campus would mean more fans for us, more support for us, and overall, a greater playing experience that I wish to have at my next 3 years at Simpson University.” The future is bright for the Simpson Baseball program with lights and a new scoreboard going up soon. The next few years seem to be filled with excitement and full of opportunities for the up-and-coming Red Hawks. Sources: Interview: Daniel Tating, Andrew Cisneros, Logan Gomes, and Brady Sandes. February 4th, 2022

By: Eric Norris The importance of posting news first is infinitely more valuable than to be right in society, so it would seem. In the world of media and getting information immediately, media consumers rely on what they see first. Today, the world revolves around digital news. There are many forms of media that are absorbed by people, these include podcasts, television, computers, radio, and smartphones. News in 2022 is about choosing sides and how fast reporters and journalists can get information out. A recent event that occurred was in January 2022, Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were eliminated from the NFL playoffs by the LA Rams. Brady has said previously in many interviews that he would retire at the age of 45, which he will be on August 3 of this year. According to Seth Wickersham, a 20-year reporter for Brady and the New England Patriots, he said, "Tom Brady has said he wants to play pro football until he’s 45. Or 50. Maybe even 55.” This did not happen though. ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington first reported that Tom Brady retired on January 29, around 11:30 am [LD1] according to the NY Times. Schefter sent out one tweet that would shock the sports world. He tweeted, “Tom Brady is retiring from football after 22 extraordinary seasons, multiple sources tell @JeffDarlington and me.” One of these “multiple sources” was not Brady himself because Brady Senior said, “Tommy has not made a final decision one way or the other and anybody else that says that he has is absolutely wrong,” according to forbes.com. On February 1, 2 days after Schefter posted his findings, Brady posted to social media saying, “This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore. I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention.” This is just one example of how important it is to check where news and information come from. Then compare it to other credible sources. Most reporters choose to make unethical decisions that cause controversy in a world that does more harm than good. Double check what you see.

By: Christian Valdez Intense feelings of nostalgia recently emerged in Taneyea Lashell Boyd as she observed the next generation of Simpson students flooding the campus. You probably know freshman, Boyd, either for her bubbly personality or her involvement on campus. Boyd, a math major, sat on the student panel during the sixth annual Scholarship Interview Weekend, January 28 through the 29th. More than 20 high school seniors who maintained a 3.6 GPA attended for a chance to experience campus life and possibly receive a scholarship, according to the Simpson University website. “Over two million dollars in scholarships–including two full-tuition scholarships,” were displayed on the Simpson University Instagram page. Winning one of these scholarships could change the life of any student and a year ago it did. Boyd who is a recipient of the Trustee Scholarship, which is a full tuition scholarship from Scholarship Weekend recently sat down for an interview with the Slate. Boyd attended the Interview Weekend a year ago where she stepped onto campus for the first time. Boyd describes hearing about Interview Weekend through her admissions counselor in high school. She was really nervous to interview, but honestly who wouldn’t be? This interview could be life-changing The opportunity to avoid heavy student loans and future debt was right there waiting for her. Boyd recalls the words “be honest, be real, and be yourself” echoing through her head prior to the interview. Boyd said she poured her heart into the interview. Boyd said “I was as real as I could be.” She put down her deposit the following day. Boyd made a monumental life decision that weekend, making her the first in her family to decide to go away to college, but another tremendous moment would soon follow. She received a call from president Norman D. Hall later on. The president informed her that she had won the full tuition scholarship and she was ecstatic since she would avoid putting her mom through debt, which says a lot about the heart she has. Boyd said she was disappointed while sitting on the panel and she elaborated on this. She explained that she “still saw a lack of diversity” and her goal was to get “Simpson to be better advertised so that there is more diversity” on campus. Boyd has ambitions for the future of the school and she has already placed these changes into motion through founding black student union and being a president of the club. Boyd offered a message to all the students from Scholarship Weekend. “Do what is true to you and if something is important to you, make it a priority, if it's really important to you, you’ll find a way to make it happen.” Boyd is a prime example of what a Simpson Student should be, so let’s take notes. Sources: Interview Taneyea Lashell Boyd

By: Joseph Bell The Simpson Women's Soccer season has come to an end, not in a way that the team would have wanted, but we are proud of these ladies for their hard work. After an incredible season by our female Red Hawks, they went 10-5-2 overall and 6-1-1 in conference. This has been the best season for the Women's Soccer team in years and hopefully they will grow and improve even more next season. Their season came to an end when they lost 1:0 to Marymount in the quarterfinals. Here are some of the achievements they made this year; they beat Merced for the first time ever with a well fought and deserved 1:0 win at home. They also had Haylee Ward, winning Newcomer of the Year, after her exceptional season of scoring 11 goals and 6 assists. They also had 6 players who got honorable mentions; Taylor Barker, Sierra Brenner, Fatima Valenzuela, Emma Nichols, Caroline Forseth, Kiah Gridley. A great team isn’t just made up of its’ players, but how they are coached on and off the field. Last year, Head Coach Milton Carrera, was awarded Coach of the Year. He truly proved that he deserved this award, after the impressive season his team had this year. Also the assistant coaches, Robin Frohlich and Rich Bourne helped to build and train this team as well. Bourne is a returning assistant coach from last season. Haylee Ward, Junior, the recipient of Newcomer of the Year Award, said, “Receiving the Newcomer of the Year award meant a lot to me. I came into this program with hopes of being able to contribute in a big way, and I worked day in and out to ensure just that. Alongside my teammates, I was challenged and encouraged to become better each drill, session, and game. I think about the other new additions to the CalPac conference from each team and how honored I am to have been chosen within such a talented conference. The award to me is not a reflection of talent, but instead a reminder that hard work really does pay off.” Lexi Arnold, a Senior, spoke about her experience as a Red Hawk since 2019, and said, “The team has improved so much. They have learned how to play better as a team and have brought good talent into the team since 2019 which has helped the team progress forward as a whole. After reaching the playoffs last season, it motivated and pushed the team to do even better this season. This resulted in beating Merced 1:0 in the conference. I have high hopes for future seasons to come.” The Women’s Soccer team made some huge accomplishments this year and with all their new talent, they can only go up from here.

By: Eric Norris Simpson Red Hawks vs. U.C. Merced Bobcats Men’s college soccer is a combination of strategy, skill, and countless hours of practice, none of which were shown against UC Merced. The Simpson Red Hawks were coming off a 6-0 win against Sierra Nevada College 5 days prior. They only needed to beat the UC Merced Bobcats, then Embry Riddle after, in order to have a chance at the championship all in a six-day period. Their playoff venture would only last one night after a 1-0 loss to the Bobcats on Wednesday. The two previous games before, the Bobcats outscored their opponents 21-,1 according to the Bobcats Athletic page. In the most recent matchup between the Red Hawks and Bobcats, Simpson beat the Bobcats for the first time ever in six years on October 31st. Senior, forward, Joe Bell, commented, “We had to make sure we were ready for a physical game. I could feel that the team was excited and ready to play, we knew what we had to do.” On Wednesday, the Red Hawks settled in with a new level of confidence. They played smart. The game was scoreless till the 45th minute, right before halftime when Bobcats player, Andres Lua, scored to lead 1-0. Adjustments had to be made going into the second half. The Red Hawks played more aggressively. Both teams had multiple yellow cards and two red cards by the Bobcats. The Red Hawks had an opportunity to tie the game up when midfielder Diego Alvarez being fouled inside the box. A penalty kick goal would have tied the game. The sophomore felt the pressure because he missed the goal completely on the kick. Senior, captain, and midfielder Ruben Barajas said, “Honestly I felt like I’ve said everything that I’ve needed to say that day. We had our chances, but they just weren’t going in.” The season is over for the Red Hawks and here are the seniors that played their hearts out: Louis Down, Joao Abussmra De Almeida, Ruben Barajas, Victor Alfonso, Philip Videsott, and Luiz Simoes. Also, congrats to the head coach, Erly Cornejo, for leading the men’s team to a 10-7-1 season, conference record 6-2.

By: Ariana West Dearest Simpson and my fellow 2021-2022 graduates, First off, I want to start by thanking all of you. Thank you, Simpson, for bringing me some of my closest friends and the most unforgettable memories. Coming in as freshmen, I don’t think anyone truly can ever prepare you for how hard college truly is. From the all-nighters, mental breakdowns, and everything in between, no matter how prepared you think you are, you soon come to realize the next four years of your life are going to be anything but easy. However, as I come to the end of my time here at Simpson, those hard times are something I will be forever grateful for. The tough times make getting my diploma that much sweeter. If college was easy, everyone would go. To my fellow seniors, I am so proud of all of you. Your grit, determination, and perseverance has got you to this point in your life. Every time you felt like giving up or dropping out, you didn’t. You pushed through adversity and kept going because you knew that bettering yourself and acquiring a degree would ultimately pay off in the long run. We are the class that survived the COVID-19 pandemic. We had to live through fully-online classes, better known as “Zoom University,” for some, weekly COVID tests or vaccination shots, having to wear masks every time we left our dorm rooms, and not to mention a full course load. I can’t speak for everyone, but for me personally, when classes were fully online my mental health struggled lately, getting out of bed just to sit at my desk and attend class seemed like the biggest endeavor. Then, in April of 2020, we were all forced to leave campus and finish out the semester back home away from our friends and classmates. But did we give up after all of this? Absolutely not, we came back this year stronger because of what we went through and so ready to attend class back in person at last. To all the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, my best advice is to cherish every moment. These four years of your life are going to be some that you never forget. One day you’re going to wake up and realize your time at Simpson is running out. Cherish even the smallest of moments, every study session in the Student Union, every coffee date in the Bean Scene, every practice or game you get to attend or play in, make the most of it because one day you will be graduated, and not able to get any of those moments back. On another note, thank you to everyone who had an impact on my time while at Simpson. The past year for me has been quite difficult. Battling health issues and not knowing when or if I would even be able to come back this semester to finish out my degree on campus was a hard reality for me and I would not be here or be the person I am today without my support system. I would personally like to thank Alex Thiemann, Molly Rupert, and Miroslaw Woznica for working with me and allowing me to attend classes online the first couple weeks of the semester when I was unable to attend in-person. I’d like to thank my friends and family for having my back not only these past few months, but also my entire three and a half years here at Simpson. I’m not going to list names for fear of leaving anyone out, but those of you who have been a part of my journey, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you and I love you. While I cannot wait to walk across that stage in the Spring and accept my diploma, I am trying to make the most of my time left here at Simpson. To the student body and my fellow SLATE staff, thank you for letting me be your Editor and Chief this past semester. To everyone that reads our articles and supports the student newspaper, we are thankful to each and every one of you. As I get ready to exit this chapter in my life and enter into a new one, I want to speak for the entire senior class and say thank you Simpson. Thank you for bringing us some of our closest friends, for pushing us in and out of the classroom, but most importantly for supporting us and helping shape us not only into better adults, but better Christians. Goodbye Simpson, thank you for the craziest, hardest, most amazing years of my life thus far. With all my love, Ariana West, Editor and Chief

By: Daisy Brenegan Students are counting down the days until Thanksgiving break. After Thanksgiving break, Christmas break is not far after that. Students are preparing to celebrate as well as do their holiday traditions with their families. Whether it be going to a Friendsgiving or hanging out with family, Simpson students are ready for their week break. Most people have some sort of tradition they do every year whether they realize it or not. Here are some student traditions: “Me and my pops watch and play football on Thanksgiving. We also eat lots and lots of food,” said Sophomore Hassan Hughey. Senior Dylan Banks said, “My birthday is usually either on thanksgiving or a few days around it every year. So we usually celebrate my birthday and do a thanksgiving dinner too. After my dinner I'll go hangout with my friends and celebrate with them.” “I usually have a Friendsgiving to go to before Thanksgiving, then on Thanksgiving I usually hangout with my family and have dinner at home,” Senior swimmer Derek Choy mentioned. Nursing student Blake Wilson said, “I am with my family on thanksgiving. We watch and play football, we don't really have traditions besides that.” Not everyone gets the opportunity to go home for Thanksgiving either. Some students live out of state and tend to wait till Christmas to go home. “To be honest I haven’t been home for Thanksgiving ever since I went to college. Personally, If I have any friends that didn’t get to go home, we just make food and eat. I don’t really have any traditions anymore,” said Senior baseball player Shane Ogata. For international students, it's a different story, most of them do not celebrate Thanksgiving in their home countries. Being in the states, these students have been able to learn about new traditions and enjoy the festivities that come with the holiday. International student, Joseph Bell from England said, “My freshmen and sophomore years at my junior college, my coach invited all the international players around to his house. Other years, I have gone to friends' houses. It’s not something I celebrate but I can definitely say the food is worth it!” Whether you go home for Thanksgiving, or spend it with friends, make your own traditions and the most of your Thanksgiving break. Stay safe Red Hawks, see you all after break!