February | 2016 | Sonya Christian's Blog

Monthly Archives: February 2016

Engaging our Community: Bakersfield Chamber

Bakersfield College, Uncategorized February 27, 2016 1 Comment

Good Morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, February 27, 2016…..A good day to be a Renegade!

Got back home late last night after watching an incredible Renegade men’s basketball game at Moorpark College, 114 miles southwest from BC. The Renegades won 96-78 in what was an intense, fast, and smart game. It was super cool to see the pride on the face of our Athletic Director, Sandi Taylor, and the other fans who came out to Moorpark.

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Below you can see the progression of my tweets as the game unfolded. Each tweet was accompanied by a picture of the game – to see the pictures along with the tweets follow me on twitter @sonyachristian.

@GoGadesGo 18-12 playoff @MoorparkCC #RenegadeBasketball @coachrichhughes @coachstaylor008

@coachrichhughes in action @GoGadesGo powering thru 25-14@MoorparkCC #WeAreBC @coachstaylor008 #RenegadeBasketball

#RenegadeBasketBall on the move 54-39 @MoorparkCC #BCRocks @GoGadesGo @coachrichhughes @coachstaylor008

@coachrichhughes with his winning team team 66-48 @MoorparkCC. Rockin payoff. @GoGadesGo @coachstaylor008 #WeAreBC

#JaneokaRiviere on the move. @GoGadesGo dominate 70-59 @MoorparkCC #BCRocks @coachrichhughes @coachstaylor008

@GoGadesGo playing fast. Playing smart. 80-69 @MoorparkCC @coachrichhughes @coachstaylor008 #WhatAGame @baksports

#LawrenceMoore controls the ball 88-72 with 1:33 min to go. @coachrichhughes @GoGadesGo @coachstaylor008 #WeAreBC

96-78 What a win at the playoff! @GoGadesGo @coachrichhughes @coachstaylor008 #RenegadeBasketball #WeAreBC #BCRocks

The Rooter bus left BC at 4:00 p.m. yesterday to bring out a group of Renegade fans to cheer on their team. The fans were intense and noisy in their support, and concluded the last 10 seconds of the game with the “We Are…BC” chant. Needless to say, I have no voice left today.

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Check out the details from Francis Mayer at http://tinyurl.com/haseu6c.

Also for photos by Joe Bergman check out: http://tinyurl.com/z75za8j

Here are my previous blogs on this winning coach and winning team:

February 20, 2016: http://tinyurl.com/zl559bg

February 12, 2016: http://tinyurl.com/jhuyl8l

Honestly, I am the luckiest person, to be the President of this amazing college with its amazing people. I wish I had time to do a blog every day….but alas, time is my biggest enemy. But here are some quick snippets:

Nick Strobel brought us news that on Feb 11, teams using advanced LIGO Project detectors had confirmed the existence of “gravity waves,” ripples in spacetime like ripples on a lake. Quantum theories unify every force except gravity, which is explained by Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. (E.g. light has photons, and gravity might have “gravitons,” but we can’t show/explain it yet.) Our new ability to detect gravity waves might even allow new ways of “seeing” the universe with “gravity telescopes”. This is a very big deal – the kind of Nobel-prize-winning, this-made-waves-in-history sort of event – but might well have escaped our attention except for our astronomy detector Nick Strobel.

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Erin Miller’s talk titled Death of Virtue: Citizenship, Race, and Manhood in Colonial America was extraordinary. A scholar and great story teller, we are so fortunate to have Erin at BC. And thank you Norm Levan for your generous gift to BC that supports the Norm Levan Faculty Colloquium.

It was also heartwarming to attend the Bob Elias Hall of Fame event at the Rabobank last week with over 700 people and to see that a significant number of inductees over the years are Renegades. I also enjoyed connecting with Wesley Lyons, a student vet at BC.

Talking about our students who are veterans, we have seen an increase in the numbers since 2013 and there is so much more we need to do at BC to support this group. Here is some recent data I received from our IR office.

Every year, we all say that there’s so much to do and so many events to attend during the holiday season. But we’re now two months into 2016 and it feels like my events calendar is just as packed as ever. While I find there’s little time for reading or movies, I’m still satisfied — because the events I DO attend are such a constant wonderful reminder of the best in our community.

Chamber Board

On January 22nd, I had my most recent experience with one of our community’s true crown jewel organizations, the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce. Their 2016 Board of Directors Installation Gala and Masquerade Ball event was fabulous, with President Nick Ortiz welcoming this year’s new officers, including new board chairman Steve Murray of Murray Family Farms (succeeding outgoing chairwoman, the wonderful Danielle Wade of Bright House Networks).

The evening was delightful, particularly the one-on-one conversations. I enjoyed meeting Tom and Gina Saba whose son goes to BC. He is apparently enjoying his experience and appreciated the summer bridge program. Thank you Kimberly Bligh for expanding Summer Bridge 2015 and to the numerous faculty who participated. You are creating the first experience for our students as they transition to Bakersfield College. A very important event in their lives. Here’s to an even bigger Summer Bridge 2016.

Also enjoyed catching up with Kelly and Greg Chamberlain, you truly know how to have fun. Check out their picture below.

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I am looking forward to getting to know the Bakersfield Chamber Board members many of whom I have heard by name but never met. Here is a copy and paste from the Chamber website:

Chairman of the Board
Steve Murray
Murray Family Farms, Inc.

Immediate Past Chair
Danielle Wade
Bright House Networks

Chair-Elect
Derek Abbott
Tejon Ranch Company

Treasurer
Andy Paulden
Brown Armstrong Accountants

Vice Chair Public Policy and Political Action
Carla Musser
Chevron

Vice Chair Economic Vitality
Darlene Mohlke
Castle & Cooke California, Inc.

Vice Chair Leadership and Workforce Development
Kathy Miller
Aera Energy LLC

Vice Chair Member Engagement
Karen Goh
Garden Pathways, Inc.

Vice Chair Community and Resource Development
Brooke Antonioni
Trans West Security Service, Inc.

Member at Large
Paul Anderson
Moneywise Wealth Management

BOARD MEMBERS

Susan M. Benham
Dignity Health Memorial Hospital

Don Bynum
Temblor Brewing Company and Gregory D. Bynum & Associates, Inc.

Greg Chamberlain
Bakersfield College

Dr. Sonya Christian

Bakersfield College

Tasha Clayton
Tel-Tec Security Systems, Inc.

David Dobbs
Imbibe Wine and Spirits Merchant

Scott Guseman
Paramount Farming Company

Derek Jeffery
KGET-TV 17

Ronald Johns
RA Johnsfam dba McDonald’s

Duane Keathley
Cushman & Wakefield/Pacific

Karen King
Golden Empire Transit District

J.P. Lake
Rain for Rent

Pritesh Patel
Valley Republic Bank

Tom Saba
Creative Concepts/Saba Agency

Rick Stevens
Stevens Transportation, Inc.

John Stovall
Law Offices of John F. Stovall

The Chamber has repeatedly backed learning initiatives at all educational levels and emphasized that a better educated workforce not only lifts the business opportunities for their member companies, but improves the fiscal outlook for the county and the region as a whole.

With an abundance of partnership ventures available in 2016 (including a second year of the wildly-successful Vision for the Valley conference), it’s great to know Nick, Steve and the entire Bakersfield Chamber are always ready to dig in and work with Bakersfield College and other community partners on our shared goals for Kern County.

BC’s talented students….and amazing faculty

Bakersfield College February 20, 2016 Comments: 2

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, February 20th….A good day to be a Renegade!

This was a short four-day week given that Monday was Presidents’ Day. But the week was intense. So many activities on and off campus that last night I fell asleep while watching Shields and Brooks on PBS Newshour talking about the Presidential election. Crazy….I don’t fall asleep on Mark Shields of the Washington Post and David Brooks of the New York Times.

It was a week where BC held the first statewide Guided Pathways Summit, and the statewide Black Student Caucus thanks to our Student Senator Fitzgerald Graves. A group of us (Trustee Dennis Beebe, Trustee Kay Meek, Tom Burke, Rich McCrow, Zav Dadabhoy, Steve Watkin, Gustavo Enrique, Juan Torres, Raquel Lopez) attended a Building Health Communities event in Arvin. We also had a fabulous student, Sarah, from Arvin attend as well.

Talking about students….. BC students are at it again!

Basketball: Our Renegade Basketball team won the Western States Conference Championship on Wednesday, Feb 17th! Do take a moment to enjoy these students and Coach Rich Hughes in my previous blog:

http://bcpresidentblog.com/2016/02/12/bc-athletics-basketball-spring-sports-heat-up-the-valley/

Also check out Francis Mayer’s piece at

http://www.gogades.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/pages.page/id/890/article_id/457

and his photo gallery at

http://tinyurl.com/zpgmwkg

Some of our students are putting their abilities on display in a way that can occasionally seem like magic — and in two wildly disparate, but creatively linked disciplines. Two departments, BC’s Digital Illustration and Chemistry, have recently completed projects in which they were able to take purely theoretical ideas and apply their knowledge to producing physical products that are both beautiful and intriguing.

www2.bakersfieldcollege.edu/kvaughn

Chemistry: In the Chemistry department, Professor Kenward Vaughan’s students were given a variety of mysterious compounds and, as a group, students conducted experiments to either identify what the compound was or split the compound in order to identify its original components.

I did a June 2014 blog on last year’s OChem Letters. Check it out:

http://bcpresidentblog.com/2014/06/24/chemistry-research-at-bakersfield-college/

Some students attempted to change their compounds from solid to liquid, or liquid to gas. While those students were working to identify the compound, others were working backward in an attempt to split the compound. By piecing together all the elements that make up the compound, they could try to uncover what individual components could have been combined in order to create it.

After all those assorted theories and experiments were finished, the students put their findings in writing. Throughout the OChem Letters, students offer up ample detail and the thought processes that ultimately led them to their conclusions.

David Koeth

This captivating work of our chemistry students not only offers an engrossing look at the ways of the scientific process, but the ingenuity and creative thinking required of science professionals that may not be obvious to the uninitiated.

(I found this great picture of David Koeth on the website)

Illustration by Karina Hurtado

Digital Illustration: You may not see many clear parallels between organic chemistry and artists, but David Koeth’s Digital Illustration students were confronted with an intriguing challenge of their own — creating visualizations of a trip to Peru expressed only via written word.

Students were given a letter describing the trip, offering descriptive detail about the colored skies, exciting adventures, and even mishaps that took place during the journey.

Illustration by Miguel Fabian

Each student was assigned a “mood” and color pallette to portray and created spot illustrations for different situations found throughout the narrative.

Having only the letter and their own imaginations to rely on, the students were given just three hours to complete the project. Even under that restrictive time crunch, students were able to produce some beautiful art displaying vivid representations of the trip. Our talented students captured and recreated this trip with as much life and imagination as if they themselves had traveled to Peru. Being that no two people are the same, each picture told a unique side of the story.

Illustration by Jaqueline Carmona

The students’ depictions included parties, jewelry, hiking through the forest, laying on the beach and even the author’s wife getting airplane sick. The students allowed the trip to be portrayed in such a way that you could live out the trip as if it were your own. You can see some of these gorgeous illustrations above.

The students here at BC never fail to impress, and never cease to bring great pride to our campus. And our faculty…..they are the very best. They are scholars, artists, and athletes in their own right, as well as being dedicated teachers who spend hours with their students. On Wednesday night, one of our Public Safety Officers, Mason, who is also a student, gave me a ride from the admin parking lot to the gym for the Basketball game. During this short ride, he excitedly shared with me stories about his amazing instructor, David Koeth, and how David inspires the best in him.

Friends, this is Bakersfield College. A place of learning, a place of excellence filled with brilliant and committed faculty and staff. We are…BC!

BC Athletics: Basketball, Spring Sports Heat Up the Valley

Bakersfield College, Uncategorized February 12, 2016 Comments: 3

Lawrence Moore

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Friday, February 12, 2016. The start of the long weekend to honor Presidents’ Day. It is a good time to be a Renegade.

Kay Meek, Greg Gallio. Feb 11, 2016

Yesterday, Feb 11th, at our Board meeting, BC received an award from Greg Gallion, CEO of the Houchin Community Blood Bank (HCBC). Trustee Kay Meek received the award on behalf of the college and clearly she was delighted at the great work being done at BC and the strong partnership with HCBC. Meek greeted Greg Gallion with warmth and appreciation. BC received the award due to the remarkable work done by our Student Government Association (SGA) and BC staff during the National Caesar Chavez Blood Drive. This has been an ongoing effort at the college, and the partnership with Houchin.

I remember having done two blogs on the blood drive at BC since I got here as president. One in 2013 and another in 2014. Check it out.

2014 blog at: http://bcpresidentblog.com/2014/04/20/sga-fills-the-bank-at-blood-drive/

2013 blog at: http://bcpresidentblog.com/2013/06/13/bc-in-the-top-10-for-blood-drive/

HCBC is a wonderful organization with the motto People Live when People Give and their CEO Greg Gallion, a fellow Rotarian, is just wonderful. For more on the work that HCBC does check out http://hcbb.com/.

Clayton Fowler. Board Meeting. Feb 11, 2016

I also enjoyed SGA President Cayton Fowler addressing the Board about the Renegade Promise work that SGA has undertaken along with College Council. (Thank you Clayton, Nicky Damania, and Lesley Bonds for all your work on this project.)

I obtained Clayton’s written remarks to share with you this morning:

According to the College Promise Campaign, in the 21st century, a high school diploma is no longer enough to lead Americans to a good job and decent quality of life. In the next ten years, more than six out of ten jobs will require employees to have more than a high school diploma, while today only 40% of US adults ages 25–64 are adequately prepared for the workforce. Community colleges already reduce inequality in education and income by serving more than 40% of all undergraduates in the U.S. at more than 1,100 community colleges throughout the nation. Therefore, students, staff, and faculty of the Bakersfield College community have called to question, is there something more Bakersfield College can do to help educate our community.

Good Afternoon, I am Clayton Fowler the President of the Bakersfield College Student Government Association. I wanted to present to the Board the ambitious project Bakersfield College will been undergoing to increase student access and success. This venture, modeled after other programs, is entitled the Renegade Promise, which is a mutually agreed commitment that Bakersfield College will promise entering first-year students starting fall 2016.

While still in the development stages, the Renegade Promise will soon offer two pathways designed to give motivated first-time entering students a head start on a college degree. The purpose of the Renegade Promise is to offer structured opportunities for qualified students to enroll in community college courses that provide pathways that lead to a certificate, diploma, or transfer pathways or degrees.

Academic credits earned shall empower students who continue into postsecondary education after graduating from high school to complete a postsecondary degree or certificate in less time than would normally be required. BC would like to offer two pathways starting fall of 2016 with Plan A for Students who are College Ready and then in fall 2017, Plan B for Students who are not College Ready.

The public announcement and details for the Renegade Promise will be presented the 2016 Bakersfield College Student Leadership and Awards Ceremony on Friday, April 29, from 9:30 a.m. to Noon. I am here to invite you all to attend this ceremony to highlight not only our current student leaders, but also for the unveiling the Renegade Promise for student leaders of tomorrow.

Aaron Kidwell with Sonya Christian Feb 10 2016

Sonya Christian, Aaron Kidwell enjoying Renegade Basketball

On Wednesday, Feb 10th, after a long day of meetings, Vice President Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg and Vice President Zav Dadabhoy and I headed over to watch our basketball teams take on Glendale. It made for a great evening and I’m happy to report that we won both games! Coach Dahl and Coach Hughes rock!

It was wonderful to see BC faculty and staff out there at 8:00 p.m. supporting our student athletes. Right from Aaron Kidwell who was up since 4:00 a.m. that day and taking care of stuff at BC to Pam Boyles, Ann Tatum and Robert Boyles, to department staff AD Sandi Taylor and gang, Educational Advisor Stig Jantz….A true labor of love!

I also learned an interesting tidbit at the game. In High School and College, the Jersey numbers of the basketball players each digit cannot be higher than 5. Here are acceptable numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21…… Apparently, this rule was adopted to help referees hand sign numbers to the scoring table. When a referee reports the number of the player to the scorer’s table. he does so with one hand signaling the number in the tens place and the other hand signaling the number in the ones place. Makes sense? So, if he signals two fingers on his right hand and 4 on the left, he is designating the player with the jersey number 24.

If you haven’t made it out to the Gil Bishop Sports Center to watch our BC Renegades men’s and women’s basketball teams, you really should.

The men’s basketball team had a record of 21-4 after clinching a shot at the league title by beating Glendale on Feb. 10. If the team wins two of their next three games, they will win the Western State Conference South division title outright for the first time in more than 10 years!

The team is led by dynamic 5’7″ point guard Jameik Riviere, who currently leads the state in assists. Nothing stops Riviere from quickly weaving through two or three towering defenders, defying gravity as he hangs in the air a second longer than his opponents as his layup glides through the basket.

At the other end of the height chart, 6’9″ Deandre Dickson throws down amazing dunks several times a game, fielding impressive alley-oop style passes from Riviere.

While those two have emerged as stars, the men’s team routinely has depth in players scoring in double digits, including James Pendleton, Lawrence Moore, Shane Christie and Nick Velasquez, making it hard for opposing teams to keep the ‘Gades from scoring.

Coach Rich Hughes with his team

The men play their last home game on Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Gil Bishop Sports Center against Santa Monica, and we have a good chance of seeing Head Coach Rich Hughes cut the net down after the game like Head Coach Paula Dahl did last season when the women’s team won their conference title!

Even though the women’s basketball team has had a season this year where they’ve struggled to put up wins like they did last season, they have played with a lot of heart, and Coach Dahl couldn’t be prouder of her team.

“I’m proud of my kids because they are learning that you can do hard things. I get compliments about their character, that they are polite and continue to work hard even though things have been tough. They are learning that life can be hard, and they are working through it and continuing to fight and get better even when the chips are down, and there’s nothing more I could ask for as a coach,” Dahl said.

Here is a quick update on BC’s other sports:

Baseball: Coach Tim Painton has a solid bunch of players, and they have gotten off to a great start this season. His pitching staff is composed almost entirely of freshmen, but on the offensive side, Harrison Smith and Hanz Harker (who have both already signed letters of intent to play at Division 1 schools) are now sophomores, picking up where they left off last season. Smith already has a grand slam to his credit this year.

Sonya Christian. Starter in Feb 12, 2015

Softball: The BC Softball team is in its second year under coach Christie Hill, and she’s brought back key sophomores like Trinidad Lee. Last season, Lee pitched the majority of the team’s innings, and helped them score runs with her bat. This season, she’ll have help from sophomore Maddie Arambula and a host of freshmen from across Kern County.

Track & Field: The Bakersfield College Track and Field team will have their first home meet of the year Friday, Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. at the “Battle of the Regions.” Marylin Quintero and Sha’nya Terry have dominated the throwing events this season, while Deonte Henderson and Daniel Aguirre have been strong in the running events. Tristan McGee won the long jump at an event last weekend, so there will be a great assortment of Renegades to cheer on in Memorial Stadium this season. Thank you Coach Pam Kelley for inviting me to be the starter last year as well as this year.

Jeremy Price

Swimming: The Swim Team opens competition Fri., Feb. 12 at the Pentathlon Event in Ventura. Last season, BC men’s swimmer Erik Wood won the event, while women’s swimmer Sara Klang had a great day in the pool as well.

Sara Klang

This year, coach Matt Moon is looking to freshmen swimmers Brian Bender and Christian Chou to lead the pack in Ventura, and he feels that Klang can build on her performance last season, and possibly claim the title at the five-event swim meet.

But one of the more interesting stories on the team is that of Jeremy Price. Coach Moon says that three years ago, Jeremy wasn’t even “water safe.”

But he took Tina Cummings’ Beginning Swimming course, did the hard work, and now Moon feels he can contend in some of the freestyle events. Just amazing!

Men’s Golf: Coach Brittney Goehring is now running both the men’s and women’s golf teams, and she’s in her second season with the men. The 2016 men’s team has an interesting mix of athletes, from United States Marine Corps veteran Francisco Tomayo to former BC football punter Brady Wylie to freshmen like Brad Chamberlain (who currently leads the team) and North High grad Hunter Hopkins, they prove that you can get a lot of variety — even on a small squad like a golf team! Fun bunch!

====

These are just some of the awesome things that are happening in the Athletics Department! Francis Mayer does a great job with with the gogades.com website — check it out for interesting stories about our student athletes. Also, when you are at the website, check out the schedule and make it a point to get out and enjoy the great weather nature is providing, and the great performances our student athletes are providing!
We are…BC!

A Promise…..College Futures Foundation, Kern Education Leaders Talk Student Success, Community Partnership

Bakersfield College, Uncategorized February 5, 2016 Comments: 3

Hello from San Antonio…..It is February 5, 2016. A good day to be a Renegade.

BC Team 3 Pathways Institute 1 Feb 5 2016 cropped

Zav Dadabhoy, Lesley Bonds, Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Kimberly Bligh, Sonya Christian

Bakersfield College is one of the 30 colleges nation-wide selected to be part of the three-year AACC Guided Pathways Initiative. Long days at the Pathways Institute ….. visionary and detailed work all at once. There are two other colleges from California as part of the Pathways initiative — Mt SAC and Irvine Valley. The goal of this initiative is to get students from High School to degree completion in the shortest amount of time while improving the quality of the learning.

The pathways work with AACC is very much aligned with what is happening in Kern County under the leadership of Kristen Barnes, CEO of the Kern Community Foundation (KCF). With the support of the KCF, BC faculty and staff have been working with other educational leaders in Kern County on the Kern County Access Initiative, to explore issues of college access countywide. Together, we’ve had ongoing meetings with representatives from virtually every level of education in the county, all aimed at finding opportunities to boost degree completion. Smaller work groups have continued looking for even more avenues for alignment and collaboration as well as ways to bridge cultural disconnects and engage businesses in the educational process.

With those goals in mind, Bakersfield College hosted a KCF event on campus to introduce College Futures Foundation to the key Kern County educational partners.

College Futures Vice President of Programs Jackie Khor and Senior Program Officer Shawn Whalen kicked off the morning’s activities by sharing what has impressed them most about Kern County. Jackie called Kern County “a beacon of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit,” while Shawn noted Kern’s “collaborative commitment to our students”.

Alyse Braaten, Lesley Bonds

We were happy to have KHSD Superintendent Bryon Schaefer, KCSOS leadership Rob Arias, Taft College President Brock McMuray and CSUB Vice President for Enrollment Management Jacqueline Mimms at BC for this event. All great leaders. All great partners.

And I always enjoy having the fabulous Vickie Spanos, Director of Instruction for the Kern High School District with us. Vickie tirelessly moves the student success agenda in Kern County. She does not shy away from difficult conversation; particularly those that highlight the dismal educational attainment rates in Kern county. Rather, she uses this information to spur the community to work together and find ways to get students to be college and career ready. Thank you Vickie!

Dr. Jacqueline Mimms offered some encouraging news, sharing that CSUB has seen an increase in transfers from around 650 to over 900 in the past two years, with the vast majority coming from BC. That’s a promising sign for the bachelor degree attainment rate in Kern County.

Jackie Khor, Odella Johnson

College Futures expressed appreciation for the work happening here in Kern County, and the level of credibility, trust, and courage among the partners. Indeed, it’s a great time to be at BC! and a great time to be in Kern County.

Thanks so much to Janet Fulks, Lesley Bonds, Steve Watkin, Odella Johnson, Paul Beckworth, Richard McCrow, Gustavo Enriquez, Liz Rozell, Cindy Collier, Henry Covarrubias, Karla Young, and others for your diligence in advancing this important work as a part of the Kern County College Access Team.

We are…..BC!

Sonya Christian's Blog

Monthly Archives: February 2016

Engaging our Community: Bakersfield Chamber

BOARD MEMBERS

BC’s talented students….and amazing faculty

BC Athletics: Basketball, Spring Sports Heat Up the Valley

A Promise…..College Futures Foundation, Kern Education Leaders Talk Student Success, Community Partnership

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