Dr. Marla Iyasere was feeling nervous. It was 1975 at what was then California State College, Bakersfield, and she was being summoned to her dean’s office. She had just become an assistant professor of English after joining the university in 1973 as an adjunct professor.
“What had I done? The ink was barely dry on my full-time tenure-track contract,” Dr. Iyasere said.
The meeting would turn out to have a significant impact not only on Dr. Iyasere’s future career at the university but on CSUB itself. Now that it had been around for a few years, having opened its doors to students in 1970, the dean of what was then the School of Arts and Sciences felt the time was right to start a student-run campus newspaper — and he wanted Dr. Iyasere to found it.
“I panicked. My brain just raced,” Dr. Iyasere said. “What did I know about starting a newspaper? But I heard my voice say, ‘Yes.’”
Dr. Iyasere was the first advisor for what would become The Runner, which published its first issue in September 1975 and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Current and former CSUB students, faculty and staff came together on May 2 to celebrate the milestone at a gala that featured Dr. Iyasere and several other speakers. It also included an exhibit showcasing the publication’s history as well as the handing out of awards recognizing alumni who have contributed to the newspaper’s success.
“Congratulations to all of you who took The Runner from my eager child to a flourishing adult,” said Dr. Iyasere, who served as an advisor until 1981. “We gather today to celebrate you and all you have achieved, and what a glorious accomplishment. I’m prouder than ever of that first issue that founded your media empire. We didn’t have money. We didn’t have space. We didn’t have equipment, but we did have conviction, energy and determination.”
President Vernon B. Harper Jr. thanked attendees for their contributions to The Runner over the years and helping to develop future journalists who have gone on to make a difference in their communities.
“To see all of the individuals here celebrate 50 years of The Runner, 50 years of great journalism for this campus and this community – I am so inspired by all of you,” he said. “This is a momentous moment for every single one of you. We hope to see you here 50 years from now in this space to celebrate 100 years of The Runner.”
Dr. Harper is a communication major himself, having received his bachelor’s in the subject from Pennsylvania State University. He also holds a master’s in rhetoric and communication from West Chester University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate in human communication from Howard University.
“It is such an important discipline. It leads to careers that are fulfilling, that support the democracy of this region,” he said. “Participatory democracy requires good journalism.”
CSUB alumna Veronica Morley, who works as a senior reporter for 23ABC News, said she enjoyed her time serving on The Runner and that it helped prepare her for a journalism career.
“I love The Runner. I have so many great memories, and I got my start here,” she said. “I’m so very grateful to the opportunities that CSUB has built me up to be able to experience. I’m proof that a kid from Bakersfield who graduates from CSUB can go on to make it as a full-time journalist.”
Not that being a journalist is easy. Morley acknowledged that it can be a challenging career due to low pay, long work hours and high levels of stress.
“For those who stick it out and put up with the bad days over and over again, usually it’s because when things go right, it makes it all worth it,” she said. “It takes people still who desire to make a change in their communities and a desire to tell stories. I’m so grateful to see the young journalists here at The Runner who want to continue the legacy and want to continue to build on the work that’s been done here.”
Dr. Iyasere — who retired from CSUB in 2014 after more than 40 years with the university —said it’s hard for her to believe how much The Runner has grown and changed since it was established, whether it be the emergence of digital publication or the creation of a Spanish edition of the newspaper.
But one thing Dr. Iyasere said has always remained constant is students’ desire to have a lasting impact on their campus and community through journalism.
“The students, with your dynamic passion to learn and unbridled determination to turn words into deeds, you gave me the courage to say ‘yes’ and volunteer you to do the same,” she said. “All of the students, editors and staff — we celebrate tonight because you said ‘yes.’ I thank you for being brave, for making The Runner better and for making us all better with you. Each of us can be pioneers and take a step to move us all forward. Each of us can use our voice, our words, to change the world.”
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