By Ariana West According to dictionary.com, “Halloween is the evening of October 31; the eve of All Saints' Day; Allhallows Eve: observed especially by children in costumes who solicit treats, often by threatening minor pranks.” This year, for students at Simpson University, Halloween just seemed like another weekend, but with costumes. Many students including myself went to Nash Ranch to do the haunted corn maze which included being chased by a guy with a chainsaw. Julie Engelsman of Residence Life said in an email that Residence Life did not plan any events this year, but lots of RAs had fall themed floor events throughout October. With Halloween over,Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. In order for us to continue to stay on campus, we must continue to stay smart and safe during this pandemic.

By Jacob Pursell There is no doubt we are living in a Covid-19 world. We all know that, but what exactly does that entail when living on Simpson’s campus? Well, luckily, there are many protocols and rules set in place that try to keep students and faculty as safe as possible. As of October 18th Simpsons cases have increased us to purple protocol. Meaning all Simpson students should be receiving daily COVID-19 symptom screenings through their Simpson emails. These screenings are sent to ensure that no students are feeling any COVID symptoms. If you do have these symptoms, here is what you should do. First thing is to fill out your daily screening form, and notify the Wellness Center (located in the library). You will have to quarantine until a negative COVID-19 test can be provided. If you stay quarantined for 10 days after symptoms reside this is also acceptable. The most important thing to do, though, is rest and hydrate, as it can be very draining. Stay safe and remember that Simpson can get through this if we all work together to give ourselves the best possible outcome.

By Paulina Diaz Contrary to what many students may think, Dr. Cornelius Quek is not a karate master, but he is a retired professional soccer player from Singapore. Quek joined the Singapore Football National Team when he was 12 years old. Even though he showed a special ability for soccer at a young age, he was always involved in many sports. Quek made multiple appearances for the national team until he became a missionary at 19 years old. As a former athlete, he says student-athletes should use the gift that God gave them and follow their heart and passion. “When I was about 19 years old, I just felt like God told me he had a different path for me. He wanted me to pursue Ministry. I guess you could say that was part of my destiny,” Quek said. Ministry allowed Quek to travel a lot. By the time he was 25 years old, he had visited over 25 countries. Not only has he visited a lot of countries, but he has lived in many. Before coming to the United States in 2005, he lived in England and Germany. Before moving to Redding, Quek had only lived in metropolitan areas, not rural areas like Redding. Now, he says he has fallen in love with the outdoors. He said he had never lived somewhere surrounded by so much nature. “If you look at the places where I have lived, they are all big cities. I had always been a city boy. I had always been around skyscrapers and tall buildings. I had never lived in a place with a lot of nature,” he said. Quek has lived in Redding for eight years. For three years, he was an adjunct professor at Simpson University. This year, he was hired as a full-time professor. He teaches courses like Faith and Society, Hermeneutics, and Bible Study Methods. He says his favorite part about teaching at Simpson is getting to know his students. “I love getting to know my students so much that I have stuffed up my office with “goodies.” I have an entire shelf full of those things,” he said. More than being a professor, Quek says he wants to help students navigate through adult life. “My job is to help students. I love getting to know their stories, their hobbies, their passions… I think that is the difference about being a professor at Simpson.”

By Tom Higdon Saving lives and busting rhymes, Robert Krause is as busy as they come. Robert Krause began the nursing program at Simpson this year. Born in Fort Bragg and raised in Woodland, Krause said he first came across Simpson when his hometown pastor recommended it to him. “The program was a little easier to get into, but also I mean I am Christian so I value that,” Krause said. With the semester in its sixth week, the nursing program is in full swing. The typical nursing student is lucky to have a single week without an exam and Krause is no exception. “No test this week but I’ve got two next week,” said Krause. The typical day to day is already filled with studying and a rigorous course schedule but the climax of every week comes on Saturday. Every weekend Krause has a 5 a.m. wake up call. He gets dressed and is out the door by 5:30 a.m. when he heads to Red Bluff Healthcare, an assisted living facility. “It's a 12-hour shift so it's 6:30 in the morning till 6:30 at night,” Krause said. While on shift, he says that his main responsibility is helping the resident patients with anything they need, from changing their clothes to eating their meals. Krause says that, along with the hands on patient care, throughout the shift he will have to fill out a number of forms for a single patient. He documents the conditions they may have as well as any medications they are taking. Despite all the time dedicated to his studies and a 12-hour clinical every week, Krause still finds balance. “I started playing drums when I was 10, when I was 12 I played for my church but I didn’t start making beats and producing actual songs until about 5 years ago… I started rapping like 2 years ago,” Krause said. Krause’s passion has led him to start creating his own music. He has written, produced, and published four original songs on Soundcloud with plans for more in the future. Kraus says that even after he graduates from Simpson, making music is something he is going to stick with. On top of producing music post grad he also hopes to work in an emergency room. “I just want to be able to be someone there to help, and I think that I work well under pressure,” Kraus said. As a nursing student on campus, Krause and his peers make up a significant portion of the student body.  Krause says that the environment is one of fellowship and collaboration. “I have a study group that I study with and they’re amazing. I feel like I’m going to be very good friends with them over the next few years,”Krause said.

By Tom Higdon Should I stay or should I go? A question on all but a handful of student’s minds this holiday season. Last Thursday the student resident assistants were informed that they would be considered “Essential workers” on campus. This meant that they were exempt from the travel restrictions sent out to the student body on Oct 2. These restrictions meant that if a student were to travel home for Thanksgiving they would not be allowed to return and continue the semester on campus. RAs, because of their essential status, would be able to return to campus even if they travel home for Thanksgiving. According to Morgan resident, Arabella Strach, this decision has left some students feeling as though there is an unfair double standard between the student residence life staff and the rest of the student body. Head of residence life, Julie Engelsmen said via email “our student leaders serve such a critical role in serving our students and are considered essential workers on our campus. They are needed in the sense that they help to foster community, help with mental health issues and loneliness, deliver meals to residents who are quarantining, respond to crises." She went on to add, "this decision was based on the idea that we wanted to give the RAs the same opportunity as other students who are able to decide on their travel plans, and yet balance this with the reality that they are needed after the break.”

By Paulina Diaz Athletic Director Tom Seitz is not just a serious office guy. When he is not running the Athletics Department, he is busy discovering new Redding sites. During his days off, Seitz likes to go to the beach, climb mountains, and head outdoors. “I probably come across as even-keeled and maybe introverted a little bit. In reality, I am very much outgoing. I like to get to know people better and enjoy a lot of the same things that people enjoy. I like to take advantage of what is offered in the area,” Seitz said. It was not just the great outdoors that brought Seitz here.The school’s faith statement and its diverse athletic program are two of the things Seitz said he likes the most about Simpson University. In the midst of a very challenging school year, Seitz hopes his 25-year experience in athletics will contribute to success. Seitz said his four core values are: athletic performance, academic excellence, spiritual growth, and character development. “If we are successful in those four different areas, I think our program will be successful overall,” he said. Seitz will bring a similar culture to the one former Athletic Director Tom Galbraith brought. “A culture of striving for excellence,” Simpson University Women’s Basketball Coach Derrick Pringle said. Pringle affirms that Seitz wants the athletic department to be a contender in the Cal Pac and in the future, be able to compete for national titles. This year is different for all coaches, players, and staff. According to Seitz, COVID-19 has changed the landscape for college athletics and athletics in general. “All of our fall sports conference games have been postponed until the spring. So, while we are not competing in games, we are practicing and working out. It will become very hectic in the spring, if we are able to compete, when everyone is trying to compete at the same time,” Seitz said. Coach Pringle said that Galbraith did a great job of putting both the coaches and athletics teams in a great position to be successful. Now, Seitz will help bridge the gap between the athletic department and the school administration. “One of the exciting things about having a new AD is learning a different leadership style. Tom Seitz comes to Simpson with a wealth of knowledge and experience, which I am looking forward to learning from,” Coach Pringle said via email.

By Jacob Pursell What does Thanksgiving break mean to you? That might change this year. In some of the most recent news, students are going to have the option to remain on campus during the entirety of Thanksgiving break, or to stay home for the final three weeks of the semester. This raised many questions from many different students that live on campus. Thanksgiving is normally one of the very few times a year students can spend quality time in person with their loved ones. For many on Simpson’s campus, this is a huge decision that they said they did not get a voice in. Ivan Sevilla, a starting wrestler for the Simpson team, stated, “I am just concerned that with my season if I don’t go see them during that break then I will not see them at all this semester. With our wrestling season getting pushed back to December it makes this just that much harder.” Thanksgiving break is the only time with family for a long period of time for many of Simpson’s student-athletes. On the flip side of this, if students do decide to leave, then they are not allowed to return to back on-campus living. The email from Julie Engelsman, Director of Res-Life, says, “Students who choose to travel and not return to the residence hall for the last three weeks will not receive a housing refund, as the choice to leave is optional.” This also caught the attention of some of the students living on Simpson’s campus. "I was surprised when I first read it (the email)" ~Ivan Sevilla Simpson professor Mirek Woznica said, during a class lecture, ”Simpson’s diversity on campus is great, but is Simpson inclusive with these diverse student’s ideas?” Diverse students mean diverse ideas. "Students should be able to provide a negative COVID test result in order to return back to campus." Troy, starting swimmer on the Simpson team for the second consecutive year, said after reading the following.

By Tom Higdon Despite uncertainty, Simpson Athletics remains collected and steadfast after some unprecedented changes. The only game being played this fall is the waiting game and the Red Hawks are doing everything they can to adapt. On Aug. 20, just before the start of the 2020-2021 academic year, the NAIA announced that all fall sports would have their seasons of competition pushed to the Spring 2021. Simpson athletics had to adapt in a number of ways. In previous years the women’s volleyball team would finish its season well before other indoor sports such as men and women’s basketball and men’s volleyball began their season in full force. Head women’s volleyball coach Mike Haworth has had to change the way his team’s season runs. He does see some positives in these changes though. “We get this whole couple months to really work on integrating some of the new kids and getting them accustomed [to training],” Haworth said. He also acknowledged that the wait can wear on the athletes, “It's hard when you start working hard and you don’t play until February. It's just such a long distance,” said Haworth who has coached for over 35 seasons at the club and high school level prior to coming to Simpson in January 2019. Another problem- there’s only one gym. Gym availability is an issue not just for Haworth and his team but for all indoor sports teams.  With the postponement, four teams will now have to share a facility that was already pressed for availability in previous years. “It's so much worse this year,” Haworth remarked. “We are going to have to be real flexible. Right now we are starting to see it impact us. We really don’t have that much time in the gym.” New athletic director Tom Seitz said he is hard at work trying to give all our sports programs ample opportunity to train and compete despite these obstacles. “We are already starting to look at off campus alternatives,” Seitz said. Simpson is looking into any school that has a usable facility. From gym floors to soccer fields Seitz said he has his eyes on any facility that will allow Simpson athletes to train at any given time. The problem with using outdoor facilities not owned by Simpson is that many of them have limited access to their own students. These schools and facilities have little wiggle room to allow the Red Hawks to use any space they have available. Even with these obstacles ahead, Seitz said that all the coaches on campus are prepared to move forward with the coming athletic seasons.

By Ariana West Living in the dorms on campus, not only here at Simpson, but for all colleges, is a fun and exciting part of the college experience that gives students a sense of community. This year because of the nationwide pandemic known as COVID-19, the on campus living experience is very different compared to past years. Creating that strong community feel, while also keeping students safe has been a challenging balance, said Brian Howell of Residence Life. According to a tweet by CNN, Gov. Gavin Newsom said that the majority of schools in California would not open for in-person learning this fall. Fortunately, Simpson was located in a county not on the state watch list which is why we were able to return to campus. Of course this year is very different from last year in many ways. Private and public schools in 33 of California’s 58 counties -representing more than 80 percent of the state’s population - will be required to close, according to a CNN tweet. Luckily Shasta County had a low enough number of COVID cases that allowed Simpson University to fully reopen. According to the local paper, The Record Searchlight, in an article published on Sept. 28, the number of COVID cases has stayed under 1,000 since the pandemic started in March. Howell said that there is a COVID Committee which made plans for us to return to campus safely. These plans include social distancing, wearing masks, limited visitation hours, and staying quarantined if COVID symptoms are experienced. These safety guidelines are a part of High Safety Protocol(HSP). Under the guidance of the COVID committee, HSP should be lifted and visitation hours may be modified soon. However, this is up to the committee not Residence Life Howell said. According to Dean of Students Mark Endraske, “If the case count at Simpson stays low, and the county stays off the California monitoring list, then we should have more flexibility with the county and our guidelines. If students and staff/faculty are able to follow the COVID guidelines, then we should have more flexibility as well.” Staff urges students to continue wearing their masks to uphold the safety guidelines so that some of these restrictions will be loosened. Residence Life is striving to put on events and other activities that will be simultaneously fun and safe while still giving students a sense of community. Recently, Residence Life put on a block party with a dance afterward in the gym. Howell stressed the importance of students continuing to follow safety guidelines during these events. This includes keeping their facemasks up so that we can continue to have fun events such as the block party. Many students have concerns about whether or not we will be allowed to go home for Thanksgiving break this year. While many schools like Shasta College are going online for the Spring semester, Simpson has announced that they will be continuing in-person classes for the Spring semester. Although, this could change depending on COVID case numbers here on campus and in Shasta County. However, students will be asked to stay on campus for Thanksgiving break or not return until after Christmas break, according to an email from Head of Residence Life, Julie Engelsman. “We are making plans for continued testing and how to keep our community safe as we consider travel around Thanksgiving. Those plans will be finalized very soon as we work with our COVID consultants and public health to determine the best way forward,” Endraske said. Simpson does not want students to travel outside of Shasta county and to keep off-campus travel as minimal as possible. Endraske also stated, “The plan with COVID is to keep a careful and cautious approach with congregate housing. That is a high priority for the county and for the Simpson community.” There have been five total cases here on campus as of Oct. 4, which have all been handled by the COVID response team according to President Norman Hall. Stay safe, wear face masks, and continue to social distance so that we do not end up having to move to online learning only. Keep up the great work Simpson. Go Red Hawks!

By Ariana West While most universities in California and nationwide are doing all online classes or some hybrid classes, Simpson University was given the go ahead by the Governor to open for in-person classes according to Simpson University President Norman Hall. As one of the few colleges in the entire state of California to reopen for in-person classes, Simpson University had to come out with a detailed COVID plan in order to do so. According to the Simpson University Reopening Plan, “Norman Hall appointed a COVID-19 taskforce composed of administrators, faculty, staff, and a retired physician/board member to work toward a full, safe reopening and return to on-campus instruction in fall 2020.”This included getting COVID tested before arrival, a second test once students arrived, wearing masks in classes, sitting six feet apart in classes, having limited visitation in the residence halls, and having food to-go at the cafeteria. In an interview with Hall, reopening for this semester also included reading and researching extensively, upgrading internet servers and university infrastructure in order to have the best “high-flex” learning as possible, and spending between 250,000 and 300,000 on new computers for staff and students. Hall emphasized that this reopening also included lots of prayer and increasing communication with students. There were also lots of meetings and discussions with NAIA on whether or not collegiate sports would continue this school year. Hall said that everything is still not finalized and figuring out if games will be held in Spring is still something to be figured out. WIth high schools being given the go-ahead to reopen by Governor Gavin Newsom, Simpson was not given the go-ahead to reopen until or nine weeks after, having an extensive and detailed reopening plan was extremely important said Hall. Many professors have given students the option to participate in classes over Zoom or in person. There have also been changes to how Simpson holds chapel services each Wednesday and Friday. This includes giving students the ability to join chapel through Zoom and be a part of small in-person groups. While Shasta County has stayed off the state’s coronavirus watchlist, Shasta Health and Human Services Agency spokesperson Kerri Schuette, said in an Action News Now article that, “This is no longer up to public health to be able to control these things. “This is up to our community to do their part, to take ownership of our numbers and transmission.” Schuette stressed that in order to stay off the watch list people must wear their face coverings, continue to social distance, and limit everyday activities. As many of you know Shasta County is one of 46 other counties in the state to reopen into phase two, according to ABC News. According to an August article by KRCR, “…….businesses in Shasta and Trinity County will be able to have restaurants with indoor dining, movie theaters, bowling alleys, places of worship, museums, indoor playgrounds, and other facilities reopen.” Staying off the Governors watchlist is important not only for the county, but also for Simpson, so that we get to stay on campus for Spring semester and businesses do not have to close again. If you’re feeling sick, please stay home and do not go near others.

By: Ariana West Photo Credit: Netflix This is not how any of us thought we would be spending the end of our school year. I’m sure many of you are in the same boat as me, when not doing homework, there is nothing to do while quarantined. I have made this list of Netflix recommendations for everyone in case you’re like me and feel like you’ve seen everything there is to watch. Trust me, you haven’t. Hopefully, you can find something on this list to help escape the boredom. These are in no particular order, but I believe they’re all must-sees. Happy quarantining everyone. Stay safe and stay well. Netflix / Movies 21 (2008) PG-13 | 2 hr 3 min | Crime, Drama, History "21" is the fact-based story about six MIT students who were trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings. The Tourist (2010) PG-13 | 1 hr 43 min | Crime, Mystery This movie revolves around Frank, an American tourist visiting Italy to mend a broken heart. Elise is an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path. Inception (2010) PG-13 | 2 hr 28 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller A thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O. Coffee & Kareem (2020) TV-MA | 1 hr 28 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy Twelve-year-old Kareem Manning hires a criminal to scare his mom's new boyfriend - police officer James Coffee - but it backfires, forcing Coffee and Kareem to team up in order to save themselves from Detroit's most ruthless drug kingpin. 6 Underground (2019) R | 2 hr 8 min | Action, Comedy, Thriller Meet a new kind of action hero. Six untraceable agents, totally off the grid. They've buried their pasts so they can change the future. Netflix / Shows All American (2019) TV-14 | 2 Seasons | Social Issues, TV Drama When a star high school football player from South Central is recruited to play for Beverly Hills High School, two separate worlds collide. Outlander (2017) TV-MA | 3 Seasons | Romantic Fantasy | TV Drama This epic tale adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s popular series of fantasy-romance novels focuses on the drama of two time-crossed lovers. Love Is Blind (2020) TV-MA | 1 Season | Romance Reality TV, Competition Reality TV A social experiment where single men and women look for love and get engaged, all before meeting in person. Atypical (2019) TV-14 | 3 Seasons | TV Comedy, TV Drama When a teen on the autism spectrum decides to get a girlfriend, his bid for more independence puts his whole family on a path of self discovery. Tiger King (2020) TV-MA | 1 Season | True Crime Documentary As Joe dives into politics, he deals with turmoil and tragedy in his personal life. Meanwhile, the dynamics at the park change with new owners.

By: Franchesca Carrera Photo Credit: Google In the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, there is still good news popping up all over the world. John Krasinski, known for his role as Jim Halpert in The Office, has started a YouTube channel dedicated to spreading the good. On March 29, 2020, Krasinski posted his first video to the channel. Done in a broadcast news format, Krasinski’s show, titled ‘Some Good News,’ is meant to share the good things standing out among the virus. In his introduction, Krasinski stated, “For years now I’ve been wondering why is there not a news show dedicated entirely to good news?” In an effort to fulfill his own request, Krasinski reached out to his followers on Twitter asking them to send in stories that made them feel good. “After reading those replies and the incredibly heartwarming stories that came with them, I thought alright, enough is enough world. Why not us? Why not now,” said Krasinski. And if you’re a fan of The Office, you might even see a familiar face on the show. You can watch ‘Some Good News’ here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOe_y6KKvS3PdIfb9q9pGug