Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday of the Thanksgiving weekend, November 26th, and as I write this morning I feel so alive and my heart is full and thankful. How can I describe it? Life right now is like peanut butter and jelly. Or perhaps let me use the words of Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music:
My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds
That rise from the lake to the trees
My heart wants to sigh like a chime that flies
From a church on a breeze
To laugh like a brook when it trips and falls over
Stones on its way
To sing through the night like a lark who is learning to pray
It is the best job in the world — being President of Bakersfield College…..great colleagues and friends.
I woke up this morning to find the cover of the Bakersfield Life Magazine featuring the Condors playing at Memorial Stadium on January 7th. How cool is that! Matt Riley, thank you for being a phenomenal partnership. Let’s support Riley and pack the stadium for the Condors Dec 21st through Jan 7th. I plan on being there. Will I see you there?
On Thursday, we headed to San Francisco…just a quick overnight trip. Staying by the waterfront is a treat that always reminds me of growing up close to the beach in Quilon, although of course a much much warmer beach than the one by SFO! (Even if he didn’t really say it, my favorite quote attributed to Mark Twain is “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”). In the collage below, the picture on the left was taken in May 2013 at the breakwaters in Quilon with a temperature of 80 degrees and the two pictures on the right at San Francisco on Nov 25, 2016, early morning when it was 40 degrees.
Yesterday, Friday, after getting back from San Francisco, I headed to campus to check out the scene since Mary Jo Pasek and Sandi Taylor worked hard to bring back Friday Night Football at Memorial Stadium with the BHS vs Liberty game. It was wonderful seeing the crowd having a good time. Thank you Stan Greene for partnering with BC.
And at the Gil Bishop Sports Center the Bakersfield College Men’s Basketball Team won by 51 points to open the 2016 Thanksgiving Tournament.
11/25/16 2:17:36 PM — Bakersfield College vs Cero Coso College, Thanksgiving Basketball Tournament –Bakersfield College, Bakersfield, Ca; Photo by Joe Bergman / Joe Bergman Photography
This is what Francis Mayer had to say:
Shane Christie and Jamar Hammonds led BC in scoring with 19 points each, but were just two of five Renegades who scored in double digits.
Stockdale product Tucker Eenigenburg had the second-highest scoring total with 16 points and was a perfect three for three from beyond the arc, but picked up a double-double by also pulling down 11 rebounds for BC.
The college was relatively quiet during the short Thanksgiving week, although the office was buzzing and churning out work. These women in my office all work so hard, and so smart! At one point I walked around and persuaded them to do selfies with me. Here are the fabulous Tracy Hall, Somaly Boles, June Charles and Tarina Perry. (There should be selfies with Chris and Jennifer but they happened to be out of the office at the moment I got inspired to take photos…)
And here is the wonderful gang from the Outreach Office on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving — Ashley Ward, Debi Anderson, and Rosanne Lewis. I remember three years ago when we started this department with just the Director Steve Watkin. And he built what we currently have, a comprehensive outreach program, to our 46 feeder high schools.
And on Tuesday, Sandi Taylor and I spent 4 hours in traffic to catch the last part of Coach Carl Ferreira‘s Volleyball team at El Camino in the post season playoff. Our students were just great and we are so lucky to have Coach Ferreira at BC.
I hope you’ve all had a happy and restful Thanksgiving. When I take a step back and look around, I see incredible beauty and so many things to be thankful for…
And on Monday, November 21, 2016, the Bakersfield College Jazz Ensemble directed by Kris Tiner presents a program exploring the intersections of jazz, gospel, and soul, featuring music by Cannonball Adderley, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Thad Jones and others.
Check out Mason Edwardssinging Hallelujah, I Love Her So by Ray Charles. He was the first to bring together gospel and rhythm and blues. All of the songs in the Soul Jazz Concert focused on jass influenced by gospel music. Kris Tiner said Ray Charles defined soul music when Saturday night got mixed up with Sunday morning 🙂
wow…. Ray Charles. I just love his music. Check him out in these two songs
Hallelujah, I Love Her So
and here he is with Georgia on my mind
Kris Tiner, thank you for bringing beautiful music to us!
Good morning again! I am thankful for Bakersfield. Each morning, the sun rises and shines brightly casting warmth upon our vibrant city. We accomplish so much when we work together, and this year, I’ve had uncountable daily reminders of how truly blessed I am to be a part of BC and our larger Kern County community.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where to start and the list of “little things” that make my heart full of gratitude is a list which could never be complete… it keeps growing and growing. But, I’m thankful for life and the people who make life worth living… I’m thankful for people like you. I’m thankful for the journey, the pursuit of knowledge, and for hope. I’m thankful for endless possibilities made possible through higher education and a community that believes in and supports their college students. I’m thankful for the arts, humanities, and sciences… for subjects that span the imagination and talented and focused students who are dedicating their lives to their interests and field. I’m thankful for doing work that matters with leaders, friends, volunteers and partners who share similar goals of supporting our students, and for doing everything possible to make our future better. I’m thankful for Measure J, I’m thankful for our students today and for our students of the future.
Sometimes, pictures can say what words cannot, so I’d like to share a bit of what I’m thankful for today:
Last weekend, our BC students participated in the KIT Community / CSUB “Electronic Bookworm” Library Tech Hackathon — innovation competition to develop the best technology tool for library efficiency and patron access in Kern County. Pictured here is 1st place Team Goat for “Roomly” with Cristian Gutierrez and Karen Goh always posts the best pictures on her Facebook, so if you have the time, check them all out at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154675259069174.1073742226.645844173&type=1&l=e4f01e990d
The Bakersfield College Delano Campus Cultural and Historical Awareness Program (C.H.A.P.) concluded its Fall 2016 semester events with two exciting and well-attended presentations dealing broadly with the topics of civic engagement and social justice. These events represent a partnership with the Bakersfield College Social Justice Institute, the Bakersfield College Office of Student Life, and Student Government Association Campus Collaborative Action (CCA) grant.
On Monday, Nov 21st, the Delano Campus hosted a series of speakers promoting civic participation and a voter education forum. Manuel Barrera, Director of Programs and Planning for the Dolores Huerta Foundation (DHF), spoke to a packed room about the importance of voter education and civic engagement. A non-profit organization based in downtown Bakersfield, the DHF works locally and more broadly at the state and national levels, “creating networks of healthy, organized communities pursuing social justice through systemic and structural transformation.” Mr. Barrera was accompanied by his colleague, Mr. Moises Duran, who you can also learn more about below. Following Mr. Barrera’s talk, Anjelica Perez and Alexa Rivera, representing Bakersfield College Students in Support of Measure J., spoke broadly about the potential impact of the bond.
The final C.H.A.P. event began featuring two speakers who work broadly within the field of social justice. Gustavo Aguirre, Jr., Project Coordinator for the Central California Environmental Justice Network and Rodrigo Alatriste-Diaz, Ph.D. Candidate at Cornell University, spoke to a packed house about the importance of civic engagement and promoting healthy communities in rural California. Aguirre, a BC alumni and graduate of Foothill high school, comes from a family of farm labor activism. His father, Gustavo Aguirre, Sr., was a leader within the United Farm Workers of America for more than a decade. Alatriste-Diaz is completing his Ph.D. at Cornell University in New York in the Department of Sociology. He spoke to the students about his research on public health in Central Valley and the unique challenges facing residents to achieving healthy communities. He highlighted a number of examples and strategies residents, especially in Tulare County, have been using to promote equity in food access, particularly community gardens and work associated with the organization, Be Healthy Tulare. You can learn more online at http://www.behealthytulare.org/.
C.H.A.P. organizers Michelle Hart and Oliver Rosales and I want to thank everyone who helped make our events successful this semester and for your continued support for expanding cultural enrichment opportunities for our rural students. We look forward to bringing you new and exciting speakers and events next semester!
BC Family Memories
Tuesday morning I received a photo from Jay Rosenlieb. BC connects our community and is a common bond among many of our families. Jay’s father, Frank Rosenlieb, graduated from Bakersfield College in 1947. This handwritten note from “Junior College Graduation” is still in the family today. Just wonderful!
What family mementos from BC are in your family history? Or maybe you’re one of our current students who will be first-generation college graduates. I hope you will keep special mementos from graduation day and pass them down to the next generation.
Thank you Kern County! Thank you Bakersfield! Thank you Bakersfield College!
We are BC! Todos somos BC!
That’s all for now.
Until next week.
With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.
sonya — the luckiest and happiest college president ever.
Good morning Bakersfield! It is 4 am, Saturday, November 19th and a fabulous day to be a Renegade.
Most of Bakersfield is asleep right now….the air is cool and crisp at 48 degrees. The coffee by my side could not taste better.
An ideal morning to listen to Misty Mountain Cold. The song I was introduced to with the Hobbit Trilogy that I watched on December 31st 2012, Dec 31st 2013, and Dec 31st 2014. Take a moment to enjoy this beautiful music.
This last week was yet another hectic week and a week of travel for me. Left on Sunday for Napa Valley where I was chairing a technical assistance PRT team for the college, back to Bakersfield late on Monday, and was on the road again on Wednesday to attend the state-wide CEO meeting at Riverside. Kay McClenney was the keynote speaker at the event and she spoke about Guided Pathways. A few of us are trying to bring this work to Californian through the CA Guided Pathways three-year demonstration project for which we submitted a proposal to the funding agency. We should know the results on December 6th. I chair the CA Guided Pathways advisory committee and here is a photo from our last meeting.
You can find me in the second row, second from the left. The tall man to my left is Eloy Oakley the incoming Chancellor of the 114 community colleges in California.
Got back from Riverside on Thursday and then had a full day on Friday. Met with Matt Riley of the Condors to do some planning. We are so fortunate to have the Condors here in our community and Matt has such a great vision and works on the details with such great precision. Just remarkable!
Now, they are putting together a historic event here in Bakersfield. WE MUST fill Memorial Stadium friends. Mark your calendars right now. yes, right now. Stop reading my blog, go to your calendar and block your calendar for January 7th to watch the Condors play on ice outdoors at the Memorial Stadium. Did I just say play ice hockey outdoors at the Memorial Stadium?
The entire extended event begins on Dec 21st and concludes with the game on January 7th.
Here is the a short video from the press conference this term.
BC’s College Council met earlier in the day. The meeting was a particularly engaging meeting and I just loved walking into the room seeing all the familiar faces that I work with. I am the luckiest and happiest college president ever. Here is College Council!
From left to right: Bernadette Martinez, Chris Glaser, Faith Bradham, Nicky Damania, Janet Thomas, Krista Moreland, Mark Staller, Isabel Stierle, Tina Johnson, Sonya Christian, Cindy Collier, Steve Holmes, Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Kate Pluta, Sue Vaughn, Jennifer Marden, Jason Stratton, Jennifer Johnson.
Nan opened up the meeting by reading the diversity core value one of the six core values of Bakersfield College.
Here are BC’s Core Values. Please take a moment to read them.
We use our Core Values in various ways at the college. One way we use our core values is to read the relevant one(s) during difficult times and then share our reflections. It serves as an anchoring feature to stabilize us and give us direction to move. Right now the college has been significantly disturbed by the possibility that some of our students and their families and loved ones could be moved out of their homes and schools and out of the United States. I will be addressing the college from our Delano campus on Monday, November 21st at 3:00 p.m.
Bakersfield College has identified about 700-800 students who are supported by the Dream Act. The Dream Act provides a great opportunity for those students to attend college and pursue their educational goals. We value each one for what they are able to bring to our vibrant, diverse college community. Our students are our greatest resource, and we are committed to providing access and supporting their success.
I believe that education is the vehicle to advance the economic and social mobility of the communities we serve. We should do everything possible to keep these opportunities available to everyone. At Bakersfield College, we value and promote diversity and work to create a college community that is inclusive. We strive to be leaders and role models for others.
BC has great talent:
Alfredo Ramirez:
Just a few days ago, I received an email from Kris Tiner, BC’s Jazz Program Director, who shared incredible news about one of our Applied Music students, Alfredo Ramirez, who also plays clarinet with the Jazz Ensemble.
The email said
Alfredo is in Las Vegas tonight attending the Latin Grammy Awards. He plays with Banda Troyana, based in San Jose, and their recent album Tengo Ganas de Ser Fiel was nominated for Best Banda Album. The band has been touring quite a bit and recently performed on Univision. They didn’t win the Grammy, but as you know it is a huge honor to be among the nominees. Alfredo is very humble about his success, so be sure to congratulate him when you see him!
This is just incredible – Congratulations Alfredo!!! Along with the BC staff, faculty, and your fellow Renegades, I am so proud of you and what you’ve accomplished so far. Keep pursuing your dreams. It’s amazing to see the wonderful things you’re doing! And thank you Kris Tiner for the email and for the beautiful music you give us.
Rebekah Barton:
One of our voice instructors in our Applied Music Program, Rebekah Barton, just won a metropolitan opera competition and is going on to the next level. It is very exciting and so hard to win!
Here is an email that Jen Garrett sent me:
The competition was the Metropolitan National Opera Council audition: District level in Pocatello, ID on November 5. Rebekah sang ‘Evven! Ne andro longs a’ and the judges picked ‘Porgi amor’. She won the competition and the Northwest Regionals will be held in Seattle, WA on Jan 8. We are very excited for her and hope she does well at the Regionals in January. She also teaches Music Appreciation in Delano!
Veterans Day & Measure J from Paul Beckworth
I often flag emails worth sharing from various staff, faculty, friends of BC, and members of the community because they show just how awesome our community is and the great things we can accomplish. I’m sharing this one a tad behind schedule from Veterans Day.
Paul Beckworth wrote,
“My fellow veterans, Happy Veterans Day! In 2010, all BC veterans had was window 6. That was it, a window. Three days ago, under the aggressive leadership of our college president, Measure J passed. This measure ensures an $8.5M Veteran Resource Center. We have made great strides for veterans at BC in the past six years. These things did not occur overnight, nor did they occur without struggle. This is your doing. Your persistence, your ability to improvise, adapt and overcome has gotten us to this moment. There is much to be proud of. You are the current veterans of BC who follow the footsteps of BC veterans as far back as the First World War. Not a bad legacy. Not bad at all.
Happy Veterans Day! – Paul Beckworth”
In only a few short sentences, Paul was able to accurately describe where our journey to improve Veterans services at BC began years ago. Thank you to Paul, our veterans, veterans across our country, including those stationed in other countries and overseas, and everyone locally who supported Measure J. It is our priority that BC will be a second home for all students, where they can feel safe, relaxed, and can focus on their education and studies.
And btw, it was so fun listening to Paul Beckworth during Vet Fest on November 2nd when Supervisor Leticia Perez donated the cart for our student veterans. Paul could not advocate for Measure J but he said…”all I can say is that if I had a son, I would name him J.” Lol …. so funny. Supervisor Perez however, did not hold back. She talked about the important of taking care of the BC facilities and passing Measure J.
BC Athletics
What a week for our Renegades who compete in the classroom AND on the fields and courts, as some seasons draw to a close, and old rivalries had big implications!
Renegade Football was named to the Western State Bowl at Long Beach City College Saturday at 6pm. LBCC is a strong football team with a lot of huge players, but like Coach Chudy says, “the only thing we can control is how hard we work,” and I know our student athletes work hard.
And btw, what are you doing on Friday, November 25th? BC is bringing back the Friday Night Lights to the Memorial Stadium with BHS meeting Liberty. Stan Green from KHSD just confirmed this with Sandi Taylor. Come spend Friday evening of the long Thanksgiving weekend with your family at Memorial Stadium watching great high school football.
Wrestling: Pedro Sarabia, Julio Fuentes, and Zack Mitchell also won conference titles last weekend when BC hosted the Southern California Wrestling Alliance championships. Sarabia and Fuentes are both top seeds in the state, and are expected to place high in December’s state championships.
“But first we have to get there,” Coach Clark said, “and that involves placing at the regionals and then getting through ‘The Brawl’ tournament at East Los Angeles College.”
The Women’s Soccer team also qualified for the play-in round of the postseason and they headed to Mt. San Jacinto College Wednesday and made a great showing, but saw their season end with a 2-0 loss. “We took more shots on goal and played a great game,” Coach Scott Dameron said, “so I’m disappointed with the outcome for the right reasons in that we didn’t win…the effort and the heart were there.”
And a congratulations to the Women’s Cross Country Team for qualifying to compete in the State Championships in Fresno Saturday! Way to go Coach Pam! She’s had several runners, including Freshman Alyssa Morales, who have made great improvements over their high school times because they bought into the Renegade Way and Coach Pam Kelley’s methods. Good luck!
Jennifer’s Wedding
Remember when I said I couldn’t wait to share a picture of Jennifer’s big day? Last weekend, on November 12th, I had the joy of attending as Jennifer and Mark tied the knot. As promised here are a few pictures, one of me and the lovely bride and one of the whole BC crew in attendance.
It was a beautiful wedding and I found myself in tears many times during the wedding and the reception/dinner. Jennifer’s brother officiated the wedding which was short but powerful. Jennifer looked so beautiful and her gorgeous hair was done exquisitely. As Jennifer appeared in the distance for the first time enveloped by beautiful green trees, shrubs and grass, a beautiful vision, there was a spontaneous response from the group. And Mark Serratt was just completely focused on his bride-to-be as she slowly walked towards him.
BC, let’s toast our favorite red Jennifer Marden, now Jennifer Serratt!
Bakersfield Marathon:
I’m always excited whenever the Bakersfield community has an opportunity to visit our campus on the hill.
Last weekend, during the Bakersfield Marathon, over 2,000 runners ran through the BC campus before heading down beautiful Panorama Drive. A crew of volunteers were on hand passing out water and adding to the excitement as runners passed through. Pictured in the yellow shirts is Francis, Mike, Mary Jo, and Tom – missing from the photo is Melissa. Thank you for all your help at the BC water station! And Mary Jo Pasek, you are the best!
Supermoon
Did you have a chance to see the “supermoon” on the night of November 13th? I had the lovely chance to see it from Napa while chairing an IEPI team event. Napa was so beautiful and I enjoyed walking and taking in the beautiful locale Sunday night and enjoying the Supermoon. My dad Paul, who passed away in 2006, loved Napa. So it was an opportunity to think and feel.
BC’s Nick Strobel tells us in his article at the Bakersfield Californian that you’ll have a second chance next month. He starts his article with
If you missed this month’s “supermoon” on the night of Nov. 13-14, you’ll have another chance to catch a supermoon next month, on the night of Dec. 13-14, when the full moon will occur just one day and 39 minutes past perigee (closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit). This month’s supermoon received so much attention because the full moon occurred within just two and a half hours of perigee and this month’s perigee was especially close.
and I loved his ending
One final thing is not space-related, but a big thank you to all who supported Bakersfield College by voting in favor of Measure J. We at Bakersfield College really appreciate your support. Thank you!
Here is a better picture of the supermoon by Agencia Gazeta via Reuters of the supermoon as seen over Lake Morskie Oko in the Tatra Mountains near Zakopane, Poland
This week, our Radiation Technology department had its accreditation visit. As expected, our phenomenal department did great! We are proud of our students, faculty, and staff that make our Rad Tech department so wonderful! And Nancy Perkins, you rock! The administrative team, Cindy Collier, Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg and I sat at the back just so proud of the program.
10th Annual Kern County Energy Summit
The Kern Economic Development Corporation (Kern EDC) held its 10th Annual Kern County Energy Summit on Wednesday, November 16, 2016. Local industry leaders in the petroleum, utility, and renewable sectors joined with policy makers and economists to discuss challenges and opportunities facing the energy industry.
This year four speakers addressed local planning outcomes, an outlook on renewable goals, the business incubator model successfully implemented in Los Angeles, and an overview of the effects of legislative outcomes on the energy industry. The Keynote Address was delivered by Chairman & CEO of Southern California Gas Company, Dennis Arriola, who discussed the benefits of natural gas and innovative opportunities to meet state energy needs. A group of Bakersfield College faculty and staff attended the summit and were honored to share a table with Mayor-elect Karen Goh. Thank you to Tom Gelder, Antonio Alfaro, Martin Perez, Jason Dixon, Kelvin Abaa, Yadira Guerrero, Liz Rozell, Rozanne Hernandez, and Roger Fessler for representing BC!
The Kern Economic Development Corporation was established in 1988 in response to a lagging economy to ensure regional economic stability. The official website states, “Kern EDC’s mission is to stimulate a diversified and strong economic climate in Kern County, through recruitment of new business opportunities and assistance in the retention and expansion of existing businesses.”
President and CEO Richard Chapman leads the charge and brings an unrivaled level of passion and foundational knowledge to his position in Kern County. Vice President, Cheryl Scott, has a knack for connecting people which has earned her the nickname, “Dot Connector.” Cheryl is a fabulous woman who understands our community and region, and volunteered many hours in support of Measure J. Cheryl Scott, you are a rock star! Thank you to KEDC, Cheryl Scott, and Wayne Kress for all the backing and support for BC and Measure J.
Learn more about the KEDC by visiting http://kedc.com/ and watch Wayne Kress the Chair of the KEDC Board speak at the Measure J Open House:
Bakersfield, we all know that
Life Is Not Measured By the Number of Breaths We Take, But By the Moments That Take Our Breath Away
and we are so fortunate so have so many moments that take out breath away in Bakersfield. We have so many moments that take our breath away at Bakersfield College. We Are BC! We Are Bakersfield!
That’s all for now.
Until next week.
With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.
sonya — the luckiest and happiest college president ever.
With a vote of 96,589 to 58,155, Kern County supported Measure J with 62.42% of the vote. Measure J also received 59.99% of the vote in Tulare County, and 63.6% of the vote in San Bernardino County. After months of hard work, I am so grateful to our voters for supporting our community colleges! And I am grateful to the many volunteers who turned out over the past few months to get out the vote and spread the word about the great things that this bond will do for Bakersfield College and all of the college in the Kern Community College District.
And a special thank you to my friend who reminds me everyday to Keep the Faith!
And thank you Tom Moran who responded to my early morning call on Saturday and taught me how to sign my thank you message to the voters.
We had an amazing group of volunteers that came out to assist in our final push on Election Day. It was a busy day that began around 6 am and lasted until midnight! The guy behind me in the picture is Dave Mason who worked with us through the campaign. He drove in from Oakland to spend election night with us. Thank you Dave!
Here are two great pictures of Nick Strobel on November 8th. One was taken when he was relentless in phone banking to get out the vote. The picture was taken at 7:30 p.m., 30 minutes before the polls closed. And the picture on the left is when we had a table give way, sending an ice bucket and the melted water in it crashing to the floor. (I guess you could say the election center took the ice bucket challenge…) Nick, true to himself, we the first one up and helping to clean the floor.
A few of our volunteers shared some memorable moments from the campaign:
The weekend leading up to Election Day was hectic at campaign headquarters. Here are pictures of Nov 5th (Saturday) and Nov 6th (Sun) including the half-time show that Congressman Bill Thomas (or should I say KCCD Trustee Bill Thomas) did with Vance Palm on the Damron Deck with a great view of the city and the valley. Vance Palm, you do a real nice job with Renegade Football and the half-time show with the congressman was fantastic.
November 5th; Here is Rick Kreiser, owner of Carney’s saving the day and saving the campaign by replacing the toner Saturday late evening so that we could continue printing materials for our GOTV (Get Out the Vote) campaign. Thank you Rick Kreiser for all of the donations and all of your time in support of passing Measure J.
I love this picture of Chief Counts and his beautiful daughter Faith who volunteered their time through the entire Measure J campaign.
And pets were also part of the campaign. Here’s Tom Gelder with canine friend Lexy and Bruce our election dog on November 10th helping clean up Campaign HQ.
Measure J was a “whole family affair.” Andrea Thorson and her son James. Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg holding Lily Ann (Grace’s baby girl), who was sleeping peacefully while Nan phone banked. I love both these pictures.
Dr. Kimberly Bligh, Dr. Janet Fulks, Bruce Meyer all phone banking on Nov 7 2016
Grace Commiso and Sue Vaughn.
I loved the cookies Bill Moseley baked using a 3D printed cookie cuttter. Yes on J!
On November 7th night, I was trying to get these folks out of the office and get them to go to bed before the big day. It was a hard task! Lesley Bonds, Nicky Damania, Chris Glaser, Nicole Para.
The Election Day 6:00 a.m. pictures
On the right, our fabulous campaign manager Nicole Parra. In the group picture on the left: Chris Glaser, Lesley Bonds, Sue Vaughn, Ashley Ward, Todd Coston, Bill Potter, Liz Rozell, Asha Chandy, Nicole Parra.
Nicole Parra
Polling location teams at Aera Energy and at Delano
Polling location team at the Kern County Fair and first-time voters who were so excited. Thank you Olivia Garcia for the photo.
Polling location teams in South East Bakersfield and at Wasco.
Veterans Day. Nov 11, 2016
On Veterans Day, our BC Veterans Club took part in the annual Bakersfield Veterans Day parade. It was such an honor to meet with them at the parade. We are truly grateful for their service, and for the service of all this great nation’s veterans. Thank you!
Thank you Karen Goh for some great pictures.
It was also a treat running into Martha Miller nee McCuen at the Vets Parade. Martha is the daughter of Theron McCuen who was the Superintendent of Kern High and Bakersfield College when BC was on the Kern High campus. Martha’s husband Doug Miller retired as Superintendent of the Panama Buena Vista School District in 2007. I am so glad Martha recognized me and called out as I was dashing towards my car. With the work we undertook related to campaigning for Measure J, I was always fully aware of BC’s past, particularly 1956 when the campus moved from Kern High (Now BHS) to the Panorama Bluffs, while we were forging BC’s future. So to run into the daughter of Theron McCuen whose name is on the Administration Building where I have my office felt like an auspicious moment.
So, of course, I went searching in BC’s archives. Thank you Jerry Ludeke for your commitment to the archives.
Here is a 1958 photo that includes Theron McCuen at Ralph Prator’s retirement dinner. From Left: Ralph Prator (outgoing BC President), Ed Simonsen (incoming BC President), Marvene Simonsen, Theron McCuen (Superintendent), Hazel McCuen. 1958.
Also from the archives this newspaper clipping from the Bakersfield Californian. From Left to Right: H.E. Woodworth, Ralph Prator, Ed Simonsen, Dorothy Donohoe, Theron McCuen. This is the first time that I have seen a picture of Dorothy Donohoe, who as Assemblywoman was responsible for the development of the California Higher Education Master Plan. It seems appropriate to have her picture in my post Measure J blog to recognize the leaders from our community who had the vision for what we are today.
BC Veterans
Let’s salute our faculty, staff and students who are veterans.
Bernadette Martinez in the counseling department put out a call to our faculty & staff to share out who on our BC campus is a veteran, which I’d like to repeat here:
United States Marines
Jeremy Staat, 2005-2009, Corporal (E-4). — Welding
Armando Trujillo, Marine Corps –Veterans Educational Advisor
Felix Ramirez from 1980-1985. 1985-2002 Army National Guard (E-7) —Public Safety Officer
Juan Torres, United State Marine Corps from 1988-1994—Site Operations (Delano)
United States Navy
Lieutenant Manuel Fernandez, 11 years—Electronics
Jahnea Palfrey, 1999-2003, Law Enforcement—Department Assistant
Di Hoffman, 1992-2001 – Nursing
Eddie Rangel, 1998-2001 (E-4) –Information Technology
Diana Alcala, 2002-2008—Human Resources Assistant
Paul Beckworth, 1989-1993, Guard 1997-2003—History
On November 10th we had the KCCD Board meeting at Porterville College. They had their Veterans event on the same day and it was wonderful wandering the campus hearing from student veterans and visiting the Veterans Resource Center. Steve Schutlz has done a real nice job with the facility and I was warmly greeted by the counselor for PC’s student veterans Maria Roman.
I learned from the keynote speaker, a Vietnam Vet, that it was important to remember our history…particularly the local history. He shared that there was a former airport and military airfield located in the area that conducted flying training during World War II.
During our lunch with the Board, Dr. Carlson had organized a presentation on the Pathways work undertaken by the community over the last decade; a large scale collaboration with business and industry and K-12 partners. Both Trustee John Corkins and President Rosa Carlson have worked in leadership roles to advance this work on student success. Pretty cool stuff. Great results!
At the Board meeting, I enjoyed the presentation by Jay Rosenlieb on behalf of the Measure J Honorary Committee. Jay reviewed the work done by hundreds of volunteers that resulted in the successful passing of Measure J. Board members too commented about this great accomplishment. YesOnJ!
Wounded Heroes Fund
The Kern County Wounded Heroes Fund is a local nonprofit that supports veterans and their families with a focus to help ease the transition back to civilian life through ongoing support and appreciation. When veterans come home, sometimes they’re unsure of what to do, not knowing what’s next – that’s where Wounded Heroes comes in, offering everything from a cup of coffee and good conversation to marriage retreats, couples counseling, financial counseling, and even housing.
On November 5th at the Kern County Fairgrounds, a BBQ Steak Lunch helped raise money for these great causes. At the Veterans Parade on November 11th, Paul Beckworth introduced me to Glenn Porter who is on the Board of Directors for the Wounded Heroes fund and he talked about this event and that it was sold out this year. It was wonderful getting to know Glenn.
BC was out at the Fairgrounds for the Wounded Heroes Fund event. Here are three pictures..the first with our nursing students and the second with Paul Beckworth’s family (Andy Lopez, Eileen Lopez, Adam Lopez, Sandra Beckworth, Paul Beckworth, Sonya Christian) who came out to support the event and the last one, a selfie with Wesley Barrientos. Wesley, I am so happy to see you!
Renegade RIP covers Driven by Art
The Renegade RIP, BC’s student newspaper recently highlighted the unique and individually painted trucks you’ve spotted around town. J.R. Hensley, the RIP Reporter notes, “the trucks will be in their current locations until the January 6, 2017, at which time the businesses that purchased the models will take possession of them or they can donate them to the city, which will put them on permanent display on the Westside Parkway.” I hope you’ll have a chance to spot them all – many are in various places throughout Downtown Bakersfield.
I found this draft blog entry from March 2016. Enjoy!
A group of 42 EOP&S students and staff gathered before sunrise on March 18, 2016 and boarded a bus headed southbound to the Museum of Tolerance. During the drive, the movie Anne Frankwas played to get an insight of the holocaust.
Her spirit was felt on the bus and students were left thinking about the horrific events that happened in the early 1930s.
The Museum of Tolerance provided an interactive experience for students ranging from digital storytelling, films, artifacts, personal testimonies and thought provoking questions. Students were also guided to the Tolerance center exhibit where they were exposed to major issues of intolerance that happen on a local and global level. Topics on contemporary events such as bullying, hate speech, discrimination, human rights exploitation, and terrorism were covered, all which affect our community. “Don’t be a standby” was a phrase that the docent kept repeating as he challenged us to think what we can do to work to end injustices, discrimination, hateful behaviors and concluded with “History has a tendency to repeat itself.”
After the tour, a few students shared this was an eye-opening experience. One student expressed “this education[al] excursion [taught] me a lesson about the power of words.” Another student said “every minute was filled with learning about history” and others shared this was just not a visit “but also an educational trip, it teaches us about what we should do about eliminating discrimination.” When students were asked to identify steps to be more personally responsible for positive change, many responded to “speak up, help others, and care more.” One student summed it up and said “Speak up because someone needs to take initiative. Be the change I want to see.”
Their visit to the Museum of Tolerance was impactful. Over 85 percent of the group had never visited the museum. In the evaluation of their learning experience at the Museum of Tolerance, only about 26 percent indicated they had a great deal of understanding of the Holocaust prior to visiting the museum — after visiting the museum, 75 percent of the students indicated they gained a greater understanding of the Holocaust. Overall there was a 77 percent student consensus that visiting the Museum of Tolerance increased their awareness of past social injustices and the different types of prejudice and discrimination that exist in the world we live in.
Academic Senate
Its been a while since I visited with our Academic Senate. BC has a great group of faculty serving on the senate with exceptional leadership from President Steven Holmes, VP Andrea Thorson and the Exec Board of the Senate. I stopped by on Wednesday, November 9th, after the election to thank the faculty members from the senate who helped with the Measure J work. One of my colleagues took these pictures and I so enjoyed seeing them that I thought I would share them with you. We Are BC!
That’s all for now.
Until next week.
With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.
sonya — signing off with a picture of Bruce and reminding everyone that I am the luckiest and happiest college president ever.
Have you voted yet? And did you vote Yes on Measure J? #MeasureJ 🙂
I did vote on October 30th, a rainy Sunday morning and then dropped off my ballot at the Post Office. Here is my proof!
Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, November 5, 2016…..A great day to be a Renegade.
This past week was busy on campus with many events including Vet Fest, the Levan Faculty Colloquim, a special FCDC meeting where faculty positions for next year were presented as well as a quick trip to Orange County to present the work on California Guided Pathways at the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges Fall Plenary. In addition, the Campaign Head Quarters for Measure J was buzzing with activity as the volunteers were shifting gears to the last lap of this marathon. Four more days to November 8th!
Here we have Prof. Harlan Hunter volunteering his time to lead a team of volunteers to promote Measure J.
So proud of our faculty, staff and students:
Paula Parks and ASTEP:
BC’s ASTEP Program, under the leadership of Prof. Paula Parka, won first place in the Black365 Knowledge Bowl! Just phenomenal.
Parks says on Facebook:
My students studied their Black history!!! #umojaconf All the ASTEP Umoja students in attendance cheered our team to victory! They all make me so proud!!
Anna Poetker and the Levan Faculty Colloquim:
Anna Poetker, Susan Pinza
Philosophy professor Dr. Anna Poetker presented her research findings on her work with undocumented students at Bakersfield College at the Norm Levan Faculty Colloquium (the longest running program of the Levan Center). Her talk The Struggles and Success of Undocumented Latino/a College Students on Friday, November 4th was a combination of the theoretical background of the philosophical and psychological foundations of the problems facing undocumented students, personal stories told to her by her undocumented students, and practical ways we can support our undocumented students.
Nick Strobel emailed me:
She gave us the mental framework of the process undocumented college students go through in forming their own identity—“self authorship”. In some ways it is like the maturing process we all go through as we transition from learning values and identity from our family and society as children and then constructing our own identity as young adults in late high school and early college years. However, the consequences for undocumented students can be much more significant for our undocumented students because they are “sewn with two threads” (as one student put it).
They entered this country as very young children, so their values and background are primarily of the United States with a more distant familial connection to the country they came from, but they are not citizens of the U.S. with all the rights thereof. The undocumented students can face strong negative pressures against going to college from society and even from their own families. As young adults, the undocumented students that Anna shared stories about had gone through the phase of tearing down/blasting away the externally constructed identity shaped by the society and family and then constructing their own identity internally from within.
There are practical ways we can support these students. It starts with acknowledging them and their special needs as undocumented students, being supportive with even something as simple as a smile and listening ear, and letting them know about the resources and rights given to them through the California Dream Act and DACA for attending college and remaining in the U.S.
Alex Gomez prepared a nice spread of Mexican food for attendees to enjoy after the talk.
be good speakers. Contact Susan Pinza with your suggestions.
Flu Shots
According to the CDC, the “flu season” can begin as early as October and last until May. During these months, the flu viruses circulate at a higher rate and an annual flu vaccine is the best way to reduce chances of catching the flu and spreading it to others. Students and faculty from BC’s Allied Health provided free flu shots to BC students and staff on Tuesday morning at the Collins Conference Center. Way to go BC!
Student Volunteers at Allensworth Park
Every year, the volunteer coordinator for the CA State Parks invites BC students to a one-day volunteer event at Allensworth State Historic Park. Not only is this a great way to give back, but students also learn about the amazing Colonel Allensworth State Park, tour of the park, and a chance to talk to park Rangers.
This year, they had two groups since so many students wanted to attend. One group dusted the insides of historic homes and the other painted a historic house. Pictured above are BC students Andrea Moreno, Salvador Murillo, Krista Nolan, Payton Brandon, and Mitchell Switalki with the park ranger.
Alongside these students, many others also volunteered. It’s great to know so many of our students are getting involved, helping out, volunteering, and learning about local history!
Thank you to Erin Miller and Krista Moreland for helping to facilitate these great experiences!
Vet Fest at BC!
Veterans Day is a reminder of the price paid for the liberties we enjoy, but it’s also time to reflect on the burden we all share in ensuring our future generations enjoy those same freedoms. We must never forget that it is the strength of our armed forces that has brought us to this point, and it is the strength that will continue to ensure peace.
Between now and Veterans Day on November 11th, people throughout America will gather to remember and give thanks to those who have served in our armed forces. But at Bakersfield College, our veterans are our family… you are our friends, classmates, students, staff, and faculty. Today we honor you and we thank you for your courage, strength, and soul.
Thank you to all of our speakers and guests, especially Supervisor Leticia Perez for her generosity and her commitment to Bakersfield College and to our student veterans. Our keynote speaker JR Browning was fabulous. A copy of JR Browning’s speech is available here.
I attended the fundraising gala put on by the Kern Housing Authority and Norma Rojas-Mora. This is a great organization that does great things for our community. Here are a few pictures from the event.
Row 1: Here I am with friends of Measure J and friends of Bakersfield College. NaTesha Johnson, Nicole Parra and Karen Goh.
Row 2: Selfies with Norma Rojas-Mora and Andrea Navarro a culinary graduate of Bakersfield College. Andrea is currently working at the Padre and reminder me that she taught me the right way to cut vegetables.
A little something:
When this note from Professor Dave Neville found its way to my desk on Wednesday afternoon with its attached project, I just knew I had to share it with you. It says, “Could you find an appropriate time to return this project that Lesley did as a student for my Spanish 2 class at North High School. I was going through papers that I had saved as prime examples of student work and came across this.”
David Neville
Lesley Bonds
I should add that Lesley Bonds is our director of Student Success and Equity and she’s a graduate of North High, right here in Bakersfield.
The highly educational story that Lesley wrote as a high school student follows a girl named Rosa who accidentally cut herself while running with a knife. Rosa’s doctor could not save her and her friends and brother were very, very sad. Throughout the rest of the story, Juan decides to educate other children about knife safety and he even takes the steps necessary to make his own kitchen safer for his little boy. You can see in the end, the child cries because the knife drawer is locked, but grows up to be a strong and healthy young man.
Our professors at BC are great people who go the extra mile to let our students, past and present, know that they care… and that’s only one reason why I love this story. BC is Bakersfield… our staff, faculty, and administration love this community. We are Bakersfield and… We are BC!
Also wanted to do a quick shout out to Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Tracy Hall, deans, and Faculty Chairs and Directors who do a phenomenal job every day making sure we have the classes available to our students and also making sure that our students are successful in those classes. Here are two pictures from the FCDC meeting on Friday, Nov 4th, where the chairs were presenting their requests for faculty positions. Thank you Corny Rodriguez for getting me these photos. And thank you FCDC!
Measure J support continues:
As we continue with the campaign for Measure J (#MeasureJ), I want to thank our volunteers for this week:
October 30: Cynthia Munoz, Maria Wright, Jamal Wright, Steve Waller, Ramona Benavidez, Tom Gelder, Dana Heins-Gelder, Ivan Valdez, Marisa Marquez, and Kaylana Demmin.
October 31: Stephen Waller, Steve Watkin, Emmanuel Mourtzanos, Todd Coston, Michelle Pena, Jennifer Achan, Sandi Taylor, Liz Rozell, Corny Rodriguez, Janet Fulks, Shannon Musser, Nicky Damania, Lesley Bonds, Zav Dadabhoy, Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Tom Gelder, Bill Potter, Shanell Tyus, Maria Wright, Sarah Baron, Ivan Valdez, Rob Parsons, David Koeth, Paul Beckworth, Nick Strobel, Loy Salarda, and Laura Longo.
November 1: Jackie Lau, Michelle Pena, Todd Coston, Isabel Stierle, Christine Saldivar, Joe Saldivar, Dena Rhoades, Terri Goldstein, Grace Commiso, Heather Skibinski, Ivan Valadez, Kathy Howarth, Manny Mourtzanos, Zav Dadabhoy, Steve Watkin and Stephen Waller.
November 2: Eileen Pierce, Kaitlyn Kirkland, Alexa Rivera, Chris Cruz, Felicia Scott, Maria Wright, Ivan Valadez, Savannah Andrews, Manuel Muralles, Claudio Felix, Brian Nava, Russel Tetzschner, Randi Tetzschner, Danny Verdugo, Debi Anderson, Raul Leon, Shanell Tyus, Marshall Compton, Loy Salarda, Alberto Munoz, Juan Cillarreal, Cain Perez, Connor Turner, Jorge Reyes, Juan Hernandez, Ashlea Ward, Edwin Bernal, Carlos Melendez, Lokai Borthel, Reese Weltman, Edgeir Morcio, Julia Crayton, Josie Guillen, Carlos Barbaran, Heidi Forsyth, Lori Williams, Jose Chavez, Tom Gelder, Kalina Hill, Jackie Brouillette, Steven Watkin, Chris McCraw, Greg Cluff, Heather Baltis, Araceli Navarro, Bill Kelly, Tracy Lovelace, Janet Thomas, Lindsay Ono, and Steve Waller.
November 3: Yadira Guerrero, Gabriel Torres, Brigid Mady, Josh Shackleford, Tom Gelder, Evette Lara, Jackie Lau, Salvador Gomez, John Means, Steve Waller, Paul Beckworth, Grace Commiso, Cristian Gutierrez, Valerie Robinson, Ivan Valadez, Rob Parsons, Chris Cruz, Shanell Tyus, Manuel Muralles, Kristina Whitmore, Todd Coston, Ashlea Ward, Steven Watkin, Terri Goldstein, Maria Wright, John Means, Matt Frazer, and Lawrence Salardo.
November 4: Todd Coston, Carlos Barbaran, Evette Lara, Matt Frazer, Pedro Ramirez, Keesha Collins, Danyel Owens, Paulette Rodriguez, Peter Rodriguez, Emmanuel Limaco, Nicky Damania, Chris Glaser, Lesley Bonds, Sam Moreno, Heidi Allison, Bob Allison, Shanice Watson, Dalton Jones, Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Zav Dadabhoy, and Rob Parsons.
Community Voices in the Bakersfield Californian
The support we have received in recent months for Measure J(#MeasureJ) has been spectacular and we’re on a four day countdown to when our community decides whether to invest in the future of the Kern Community College District, including BC’s campus, infrastructure, our mission, vision, and values.
Here are two Community Voices pieces that were published this last week and one letter to the editor.
There are tremendous needs in this community and, conversely, tremendous opportunities for making a real impact on people’s lives. I have always enjoyed challenges. Delano is a challenge for Bakersfield College. That’s why the center was built in the first place: to educate the children of farm workers. It is a campus center in the middle of the fields, surrounded by high levels of poverty, poor health outcomes, and low educational attainment.
BC Delano is also surrounded, though, by fields of dreams. My Delano students are the reason I love going to work every day. They ground me and keep me content, “working in the fields” every day as I jokingly tell my wife…
Rosales concludes:
Measure J expands opportunities to teach students of the field. The Bakersfield College Delano campus has been around for more than four decades, first located on Randolph Street (now the Wonderful Academy) and now located west of Highway 99 next to Robert Kennedy High School. Measure J will expand the BC Delano campus by developing additional physical space for students to study, collaborate with faculty, and learn. It is not far-fetched to say that students at BC Delano literally study in the fields.
Let’s pass Measure J and continue to give them the opportunity to dream big and change their communities for the better for decades to come.
November 2, 2016: The Bakersfield Californian published Measure J supports a long-held community vision (#Measure J) by Sonya Christian 🙂
In the early 1900s, our people had a dream, a shared goal and a vision, to make the Central Valley a place of opportunity and unbelievable growth, and they did it. In 1913, a then-isolated and relatively small community decided to open a college campus that initially served only 13 students. …..
and another excerpt
In the 1950s, a forward-thinking generation of leaders had the awareness that Bakersfield and our neighboring cities would continue to grow. Because of this demand, the decision was made to grow the college, and by 1956, Bakersfield College up on the hill was ready. This was a forward looking campus designed with modern architecture and state-of-the-art education…..
and a third excerpt
Today, our generation is at a pivotal point. We are facing a challenge to prepare and provide for the next 50 years of growth and evolving education. In the 1950s, that generation of leaders had the courage and foresight to make the investments that have paved the way for strengthening our community. Now it is up to us; it’s our turn to look forward.
and I conclude with:
Let your name be listed alongside, for your children and grandchildren, who, when they look through the historic archives, will say, yes, my parent or grandparent was one of the leaders who look care of me and our community.
I ask you to vote yes on Measure J.
November 3, 2016. Letter to the Editor. Yes on J: Local Health Care needs Educated Workforce by Gitest Patel.
November 4, 2016. BC is community’s ears, ears; but what about bones? by David Torres
Every day, I see where our community struggles, but more often, I see where it comes together and succeeds. Often, the nexus of that success emanates from our area’s community college: Bakersfield College.
I am a father of five and four of my children have attended BC. Two of my daughters earned their AA degrees at BC. Another started college their before transferring to CSUB and one is currently attending BC in order to satisfy requirements for entrance into medical school. I am also a veteran, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. I have seen first-hand the innovative ways that BC interacts with its vets and supports their success. BC means a great deal to me and to our community…..
I see the students of Bakersfield College as the eyes and ears of the institution: they see and hear, they learn. The faculty is the heart of BC.
What about the body, the bones? The infrastructure of BC’s campus overlooking the bluffs is 60 years old and it’s starting to show. Put another way, 21st Century learning can’t happen in mid-century facilities. Just think of the advances in architecture, building construction, disability access, and learning technology that have been introduced in the last 50 years.
Our community’s college is in dire need of replenishment, and the time to provide that is now. Measure J, on the Nov. 8 ballot, is the best, most direct way to provide BC with the badly needed funds to carry this venerable, cherished community institution further into the 21st Century.
I urge you support the many needs of our community and the success of your children and neighbors. Join me in voting yes on Measure J.
Thank you to all who have shared your opinions and voices with the community!
List of endorsements for Measure J:
Over 2000 individuals have endorsed Measure J.
Here are a few
Cathy Abernathy,Cathy Abernathy Consultants Romeo Agbalog,KCCD Trustee Joe Aguirre,Former Delano Mayor Dennis Beebe,KCCD Trustee Sue Benham,Former Bakersfield City Council Member Kevin Burton,President, SJCH Foundation Kyle Carter,Bakersfield Mayoral Candidate/KCCD Trustee Ricardo Chavez,Delano Mayor John Corkins,KCCD Trustee Stephanie Cortez,Porterville Chamber of Commerce CEO/President David Couch,Kern County Supervisor Ed Davis,S&E Farms Robert de la Rosa,Ola Raza Director Jose Flores,Arvin Mayor Fran Florez,Shafter City Council Member Mick Gleason,Kern County Supervisor Karen Goh,Bakersfield Mayoral Candidate Doug Greener,Bakersfield Fire Chief Shannon Grove,California State Assembly Member Jose Gurrola,Arvin City Council Member Virginia Gurrola,Porterville Councilwoman Harvey Hall,Bakersfield Mayor Cam Hamilton,Porterville Vice Mayor Harold Hanson,Bakersfield Vice Mayor Chad Hathaway,Hathaway LLC Ruben Hill,Delano City Council Member JP Lake,Rain for Rent Pauline Larwood,Former KCCD Trustee/
Kern County Supervisor January Lau,January & Associates Mike Maggard,Kern County Supervisor Terry Maxwell,Bakersfield City Council Member Michelle McLean,Arvin Union School District Superintendent Kay Meek,KCCD Trustee
Liz Morris, Delano City Council Member Arnold Morrison,DJUHS Board Member Steve Murray,Murray Family Farms Chris Parlier,Bakersfield City Council Member Nicole Parra,Former California State Assembly Member Ruben Pascual,Delano City Council Member Leticia Perez,Kern County Supervisor Christy Porter,Jasmine Cetner Inc. Leticia Prado,Lamont Water District Member Fred Prince,Omega Financial & Insurance Services Janet Rabanal,Delano Chamber of Commerce Director Rosalina Rivera,Delano Union Elementary School District Superintendent Willie Rivera,Bakersfield City Council Member Jazmine Robles,Arvin City Council Membre Rudy Salas,California State Assembly Member Mary K. Shell, Former Bakersfield Mayor& County Supervisor Bob Smith,Bakersfield City Council Member Mark Storch,KCCD Trustee Milt Stowe,Porterville Mayor Jay Tamsi,Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Rob Taylor,Stafford’s Chocolates Bill Thomas,Retired U.S. Congressman,KCCD Trustee Grace Vallejo,Delano City Council Member Jon Van Boening,Dignity Health Greg Williamson,Bakersfield Police Department Chief Keith Wolaridge,Panama Buena Vista Union Trustee Dr. James Young,Retired KCCD Chancellor Donny Youngblood,Kern County Sheriff Milt Younger,Attorney Mark Zaninovich,Sunview Vineyards
Here are some organizations that have endorsed Measure J:
The Bakersfield Californian
Bakersfield City Firefighters Association
Bakersfield College Alumni Association
Bakersfield Downtown Business Association
Building4SUCCESS Inc
California City Chamber of Commerce
California Teachers Association
Chevron
Delano Camber of Commerce
Democratic Women of Kern
Dolores Huerta Foundation
Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce
Greater Tehachapi Economic Development Council
KCCD California School Employees Association
KCCD Community College Association
KCCD Management Association
Kern Agriculture Foundation
Kern County Black Chamber of Commerce
Kern County Democratic Party
Kern County Farm Bureau
Kern County Firefighters Union
Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Kern County Young Republicans (PAC)
Kern Economic Development Corporation
Kern Taxpayers Association
Latina Leaders of Kern County
Murray Family Farms
Ola Raza
Porterville Democratic Club
RA Johnsfam
Renegade Helmet Club
Sikh Women’s Association of Kern County
Veterans of Foreign Wars District #6
Veterans of Foreign Wars #97
Wendale Davis Foundation
Here is a video that the Bakersfield College Student Government Association (BCSGA) under the leadership of President Matthew Frazer created to Get Out the Vote! Check it out.
And let’s make sure we follow the advice of Mayor Harvey Hall and retired Congressman Bill Thomas.
There’s so much to celebrate and it’s a great time to be at BC!
That’s all for now.
Until next week.
With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.
sonya — the luckiest and happiest college president ever
Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, October 29th and a great day to be a Renegade!
Let me start by having you get instructions from Nick Strobel on how to fill out your ballot.
This was one of those weeks of hard focused work, very little sleep and moments of great joy. Yes….joy! Sometimes words don’t seem enough to accurately describe how uplifting and inspiring the campus can be. There are times – daily and even multiple times a day – when in the middle of a busy day I witness spectacular BC students making a difference and sharing their talents with the world around them.
Wednesday afternoon was one of those moments. I was in my weekly meeting, in my office, with the Academic Senate President, Steve Holmes and Executive Vice President of Instruction, Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg when Tracy Hall opened the door and said “you must see this.” Through the open door, in the quad enclosure I saw our choir students gathered and two of them with drums, seated on the ground. Dr. Jen Garrett, their music director was having them rehearse by performing in different parts of the campus. Their song had a haunting melody with strong, forceful yet sad rhythmic drumming sounds. The voices of the students were pure and sweet, and floated through the afternoon air of the college. Students and staff gathered around, captivated by the one song that they performed. Don’t you want to be on this campus filled with moments that take your breath away?
Life Is Not Measured By the Number of Breaths We Take, But By the Moments That Take Our Breath Away
It’s moments like these are the most inspiring and uplifting and they are one reason why… I’m the happiest and luckiest college president in the world.
Did you pay attention to each of those faces standing in an arc facing Jen? Our students are just spectacular… They are complex and diverse in their interests and what drives them. They each strive daily to overcome different and unique challenges, yet they always come together as one communal collegiate spirit that continues to be the heart of our campus. These incredible students are the center of all that we do. They are our future and together, we are BC!
Here is another moment that took my breath away…. Students from our soccer team volunteered for phone banking on Wednesday, October 26th. I was wondering if these young men would indeed do phone banking and I was hugely surprised and teary-eyed as I wandered around the second floor seeing them sprawled out fully engaged in making phone calls, while having fun, horsing around and finishing the pizza. We had to order three more pizzas that night 🙂 Nicky Damania did a short video with four of our student soccer players. Coach Vayron Martinez is indeed the man!
Coach Vayron Martinez and Janet Tarjan
Nick Strobel, Brenda Silva, Asha Chandy
Seth Nedever; Jack, Eileen, Cathy Pierce
Jazz at BC
On Sunday, October 23rd, Transylvanian born, NYC-based pianist LUCIAN BAN and American violist and Grammy nominee MAT MANERI performed material from their award winning 2013 ECM release Transylvanian Concert, as well as premiering new compositions, and performing interpretations of Romanian traditional music, and the music of George Enescu in the context of contemporary jazz and improvisation.
Kris Tiner, thank you!
BC at ASCCC!
Got this wonderful picture from Corny Rodriguez with Lynn Krausse and Mike Ivey. They are attending ASCCC meeting on Faculty Qualifications and Equivalency.
Come join us for Vet Fest 2016 on Wednesday, November 2nd at 9:30 a.m.
Trustee Kay Meek at last year’s vetfest
Enlisting in the service is a very big decision for anyone to make but for those who do, and many who lose their lives we give thanks. After returning from service, many veterans go back to school to complete their certificates, or access job training. Bakersfield College’s Veteran Resource Center is an approved institution for the training of veterans and veterans’ dependents entitled to educational assistance. Our veterans are given credit for specific service experience and certain educational training completed while in service. The Office of Admissions and Records will make evaluation of such experience and training. All educational opportunities and personnel services offered in the college are available to the veterans. BC makes it one of its goals that the Veterans are included in everything. These are not traditional students; they need to be taken care of holistically not just academically.
There are many initiatives on campus focused towards the veterans, including an education advisor that caters to Veteran’s needs, a veteran development course, veteran orientation and priority registration, as well as the Veteran’s Club. The goal of the veteran’s club is to give available resources for all Bakersfield College student veterans, and provide information, service, and a feeling of belonging. Meetings are held in the veterans lounge on select Tuesdays from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.
Beckworth, Barrientos
The Veterans Lounge is a place that many veterans hold dear to them. The Veterans Resource Center provides a range of counseling, and outreach services to aid in a comfortable post-war readjustment to civilian life. The Center is full of bright natural light and is a quiet space where veterans can study, rest, and use the center’s computer. For more information visit he Vet center located in the Campus center and is open Monday through Thursday 8am-4pm.
On Wednesday November 2, 2016, Bakersfield College will be hosting its 4th annual Vetfest as a celebration to our student veterans as well as all veterans everywhere for Veteran’s Day. The Vetfest will include several community veteran organization and informational booths. We will have a keynote speaker J.R. Browning, who is a graduate of CSUB graduate school of counseling and now a veteran’s counselor at the Bakersfield Vet Center. The festivities start at 9:30am until 1pm located in the grass area between the library and CSS.
Homecoming 2016
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Homecoming 2016 was a week-long celebration, and I can’t believe it’s over already. Last Saturday, the event concluded with the Big Red Dinner, Renegade Parade, and the phenomenal BC Football game! For over 20 years, Renegade alumni and fans have asked for the Big Red Dinner to make a comeback and this year, I’m glad we did as the fan favorite was a hit. Thank you to our Big Red Dinner sponsors, W A Thompson, Kern Schools Federal Credit Union, International Soccer, and Don C. & Diane S Lake Family. Thank you Nicky Damania, Tom Gelder, Marlene Heise, and Mary Jo Pasek for making it happen.
After everyone had their fill of spaghetti dinner, the parade was escorted through campus. Horns were honking, pompoms shaking, flags flying, and Renegades waved from various vehicles as they made their way to Memorial Stadium. If you missed it, a video has been posted by Nicky Damania on the BCSGA Facebook – check it out at https://www.facebook.com/SGABC/videos/1179048165503055/
One of my favorite things about the evening is how BC is true family – our community is a blend of both traditional families who support and attend BC for generations, and families you can choose to be a part of! The BC Women’s Basketball team is a perfect example of this united teamwork and they are a BC family. Coach Paula Dahl is the best!
And here is a moment I shared with our Women’s Basketball team.
Kimberly Bligh and her mini Renegade granddaughter were out in the stands cheering on the home team with Trustee Romeo Agbalog and Lily Perez. And I spotted another future Renegade, Valerie, with her grandpa, Chris Hine.
Trustee Agbalog did the coin toss at the beginning of the game. It is always great to have our trustees on our campus!
Thank you to Trustee Romeo Agbalog, and JP Lake for being on the Vance Palm Show. Vance Palm is just the very best!
Thank you Keith Wolaridge and Jay Rosenlieb for the Measure J table.
Keith Wolaridge and his beautiful daughter
Enjoyed meeting Chris Cruz one of our awesome students who is a friend of a dear friend of mine Lauro Braganza.
Coach Carl Ferreira led the BC Volleyball team to victory against College of the Canyons on Friday night and broke Canyons’ 33-match conference win streak. See tweet!
Renegade Volleyball takes over first place in league by sweeping state ranked number 12 College of the Canyons.
Grand Opening of the Wonderful Academy
On Friday, October 28th, the Wonderful Academy opened its doors to their new location. Lynda and Stewart Resnick have been great partners of Bakersfield College and committed to advancing the educational attainment levels in the Central Valley. Trustee Romeo Agbalor, Rich McCrow, and Raquel Lopez represented KCCD and BC at this event. There were many dignitaries to support the great work being done by Wonderful.
Talking about the Wonderful Academy, there was a great piece by Kristen Barnes in Thursday’s Californian titled Dual-enrollment program jump-starts college education
In a community with lagging educational attainment rates and a large population of first-generation college students, dual enrollment offers an innovative solution to improving educational outcomes.
Education is the bedrock of any community and it is imperative that we all work together to provide opportunities for improvement and change. KHSD, KCCD and CSUB should be commended for their collaborative efforts in the name of expanding opportunities for local students.
Disability Awareness Day
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The Fireside Room was packed and almost every seat taken when a constant stream of students filled the back wall. There was standing-room-only during the student panel that kicked off the three-part program of Disability Awareness Day on Thursday afternoon.
Outside the Campus Center, 26 booths, tables, and tents lined up along the walkways. Groups like Guide Dogs of America, League of Dreams, and Bakersfield Parks and Rec were present to share the information about what they can offer and how they can help people with various disabilities.
Back inside, Ian Kennedy, Viridiana Alvarez, Maria Medina, Abel Carlon, and Edward Davila shared personal stories and experiences about being a college student at BC with disabilities. These challenges present themselves in many forms… from reading comprehension to motor skills, to anxiety and depression to blindness, deafness, and mobility difficulties. These students shared inspiring messages that show dedication, extreme strength, a drive to overcome any challenges, but possibly most of all… their stories shared their ability.
The ability to do what they love, pursue an education, and give back to their communities and make a difference in the world through their talents and gifts.
First DSPS Awards
A number of those willing, helpful people were recognized during the awards presentation that followed the student panel. The award recipients were:
Outstanding Department: Maintenance and Operations – For always being on call, day or night. The M&O staff support student success by ensuring that accessible furniture and equipment such as CC TV’s are in class locations across campus.
Outstanding Faculty: Tom Greenwood – Reaching out to deaf students on campus, Tom’s support of student success has included taking American Sign Language courses that allow him to communicate directly with students. His sabbatical leave took him on a journey to explore how deaf faculty teach mathematics to deaf students and to share what he has learned both at BC and to his colleagues in the state.
Outstanding Faculty: Bernie Scanlon – Students describe him as caring, understanding, and funny. Students look for his Math 60 and 70 courses to assist them in gaining the skills to succeed in mathematics. DSP&S counselors and students are aware that his style of teaching connects with people and incorporates diverse learning styles.
Outstanding Staff: Kristin Rabe – Kristin has been a driving force in establishing the Accessibility Task Force on campus. Her advocacy for captioned media and knowledge of all things related to media services has been instrumental in ensuring live streamed events on campus are captioned. Her knowledge of cccconfer is being used to explore potential ways to support veterans on campus.
Outstanding Staff: Bob Shimmin – Bob is the “Go-To Guy” when it comes to assistive technology. He has been involved in specialized training at the High Tech Center Training Unit and works closely with DSPS staff and students to ensure equal access and student success.
Outstanding Student: Maria Medina – Maria will be competing her AA-T is sociology degree in spring. Her goal is to transfer to a University of California to pursue a degree in political science. Her career goal is to utilize her education and experience to become a disability advocate. Maria has demonstrated the core values behind the Habits of Mind as she incorporates self-advocacy and persistence to strive for excellence.
Outstanding Student: Douglas Bolds – Doug is a proactive student. While working for Public Safety Department driving cart he uses his connections and knowledge to help his peers achieve success. He educates students about DSPS services that are available and has been known to personally deliver students looking for work to the Workability Program office. His great attitude, reliability, and willingness to go out of his way to assist others goes above and beyond.
After the awards presentation, a handful of various faculty and staff took their seats on the panel.
Thank you to Jonathan Schultz, Jackie Brouillette, Moya Arthur, Helen Acosta, Alexandra Dallara, Jennifer Garrett, Barbara Mathis and our student panel for publicly disclosing your disabilities, challenges, and successes with everyone on Thursday. Your stories continue to inspire classmates and colleagues. Together we can improve services, better our tools, create greater awareness, and ultimately make the world a better place.
People with disabilities are, first and foremost, people…. They are our neighbors, our friends, our colleagues, our classmates, you, and me. BC Professor, Helen Acosta said on the panel, “All of our diversity makes us stronger.” Our dreams are not any different, and together we are BC.
Thank you to channels 17, 23, and 29 who all covered this important and special event. Check out two of the articles online at
On Monday afternoon the Fireside Room was filled with tricks and treats for the first annual CSEA Halloween Potluck Party. All classified staff was invited to bring their favorite dish and arrive in costume for a small lunchtime gathering. The staff at BC are at the core of making everything happen and I sincerely appreciate each and every one of them. Tina Johnson, BC’s CSEA President, said in an email that everyone seemed to love the food, since only a tiny bit was leftover!
Special thanks to the team who brought all of this together, Heather Barajas, Theresa Rodriquez, Stephanie Vega, Mary Webb, Bernadette Gutierrez, and Yadira Guerrero. Thank you to everyone from food services to helped warm food and set up tables and Manuel De Los Santos for taking pictures! Check out all the photos at https://bakersfieldcollege.smugmug.com/CSEA-Halloween-Potluck/
Congratulations to Dr. Josh Ottum
Earlier this month, I mentioned a moment when Prof. Josh Ottum stopped by my office to pick up the signed approval to apply for a grant. I’m proud to announce, he has been selected for funding! Dr. Josh Ottum is a creative artist and scholar who is completely committed to our community and his students.
In his application, he mentioned “developing seven essential courses to prepare students for success in fields of music and audio technology. The state has approved our certificate and I am thrilled to give students the opportunity to learn about the exciting facets of commercial music, including live sound, composition, sound design, and so forth.”
Thank you, Dr. Ottum, for applying for this mini grant under the “Doing What Matters for Jobs and the Economy” – it’s going to make a difference for many of BC’s talented music students.
An Out-of-this-World Encounter
Photo by Cara Jackson
On Wednesday, October 26, author Andy Weir gave an extremely witty and comical speech at BC. He also answered questions from the audience regarding his book, “The Martian.”
He made the audience feel connected to the plot of the book, but at the same time was completely honest about new ideas of our understanding of Mars. He was very happy he had “established a trust with the readers… and they accepted what I had to say.”
It took him three years to write his book, and get in touch with publishers. He previously worked as a computer software programmer, but in his spare time he worked on the book. The book turned into a movie and in October of 2015, The Martian was in theaters. It follows a story of Mark, the main character who is left on Mars alone and thinks of every way possible to survive until his crew can come back.
Many students in the audience had a chance to ask Andy what inspired him to write the book. A brief question and answer session followed:
How do you feel as the writer watching the movie?
Andy: I liked how Matt captured the personality of the character very well and I was able to work with all involved.
What is your favorite movie?
Andy: The Martian… No I believe, Match Stick Men, since I love con men and crime scene movies.
When did you start the book?
Andy: In 2009, and it took me 3 years to write it.
Photo by Cara Jackson
What was the most interesting research topic?
Andy: I liked the orbital dynamics and I wrote software to calculate the simulations.
Are you working on any other books?
Andy: Yes, right now I am working on “The Woman on the Moon.” The main character is super intelligent, and has a strong moral code, and attractive side.
What new discovered aspects about Mars doesn’t show up in your book?
Andy: When I wrote the Martian we had a certain view of Mars and now since a probe landed we know that there is a huge amount of water on Mars. Every cubic meter has 35 liters in it from the ice crystals.
Also, the dust storms on Mars would not have any force behind it, because even though Mars does get 150 k/h winds, the atmosphere is so thin it would have a difficult time knocking over a piece of paper.
What helps you write?
Andy: I like to listen to instrumental music and the sound tracks to movies and drink lots of diet coke. Also, I use the morning to write and keep motivated.
Thanking Nick Strobel
I often say that I’m the luckiest college president in the world and it’s true. A large part of that is because I get to work with the best staff, faculty, and administration. Anna Agenjo, our incredible Librarian, sent this beautiful email praising Nick Strobel that I just have to share.
“Everyone already knows what a huge asset Nick Strobel is to the BC community, not just in the classroom but also through his work on committees and in the community. We are very lucky to have him on campus. Although it is not needed, I want to add my voice to the many by telling you about Nick’s contribution to the Cerro Author program this year. I approached Nick this past summer to ask if he could present a show about Mars in the planetarium to complement this year’s author, Andy Weir.
Nick did not hesitate, and last Thursday he gave a well-attended and well-received presentation on Mars at the planetarium. He was able to bring Mars and the cosmos to life for his audience, and it was the perfect prelude to today’s Andrew Weir events. We all learned so much, and his enthusiasm in sharing his knowledge with the community made me very proud to be associated with Bakersfield College. Because of Nick’s extraordinary efforts, BC’s star shone brightly last Thursday night at the planetarium. I wanted you to know how much we in the Library appreciate Nick for going above and beyond.”
Soccer Staff & Antelope Valley Student
Going above and beyond is something our BC staff and faculty do regularly for all students. At a recent soccer match on campus an Antelope Valley student was injured and had to be taken to Kern Medical Center (KMC). Our coach, as well as Chief Chris Counts, were at KMC with the student, and a group text message keeping all informed. This is what BC does – a culture of care and support. We Are BC!
Measure J:
Walked into the Campaign HQ this morning and saw Chris Glaser and Lesley Bonds role modeling anticipated conversations when volunteers precinct walk. It was so fun watching them.
And a quick thank you to Micahel O’Doherty who has put in hours volunteering his time to Measure J. Even is his Halloween gallivanting pirate costume.
Michael O’Doherty
Let me start my update of Measure J with the community voices piece in The Bakersfield Californian by Prof. Debbie Rosenthal. Check it out at
No, Bakersfield is not a tourist destination. And yes, Bakersfield is too hot in the summer. But Bakersfield is what I call an easy city to live in.
The city is large enough to have everything I need and small enough to have little traffic congestion. People are considerate to one another to make it feel like a small town. I call this “The South of California.” There is one major difference. I am accepted here and not treated as an outsider.
and Bakersfield College:
Bakersfield College is amazing. It has provided me with numerous opportunities for growth in my profession. The choice of conferences, meetings, presentations, training, and committees allows me to focus my unleashed energy into positive channels. The students are ambitious to be challenged for the reassurance that I believe they are capable of achieving their dreams. Their expectations from me demand I deliver the best I can at all times.
The administration, staff and colleagues have quickly accepted me and respect my extensive experience, training, and research in chemical education. They trust my judgment and allow me to try new ideas in the classroom.
and Debbie concludes with:
One of the top priorities for Measure J is to renovate and expand the science building. The series of short bonds, with more return on investment than one long bond, are strictly to improve the aging facilities. I ask you to support Measure J. It will not be used to increase my salary. It is for the future of students and Kern County.
We are BC! and as Karen Goh said in her remarks to the college during Opening Day ….BC is so integrated within the Bakersfield Community that we should, in addition to We are BC!, chant We are Bakersfield!
Measure J endorsements:
The endorsements keep coming in. This week we were delighted when Cathy Butler stopped by and handed the endorsement of the Downtown Business Association. Thank you Cathy Butler and Bob Bell.
Here are few of the over 2000 endorsements that we have received so far: #MeasureJ
Joe Aguirre, Former Delano Mayor Kevin Burton, President, SJCH Foundation Kyle Carter,Bakersfield Mayoral Candidate Ricardo Chavez, Delano Mayor Stephanie Cortez, Porterville Chamber of Commerce CEO/President David Couch,Kern County Supervisor Robert de la Rosa, Ola Raza Director Jose Flores,Arvin Mayor Mick Gleason, Kern County Supervisor Karen Goh, Bakersfield Mayoral Candidate Doug Greener,Bakersfield Fire Chief Shannon Grove,California State Assembly Member Virginia Gurrola, Porterville Councilwoman Harvey Hall, Bakersfield Mayor Cam Hamilton, Porterville Vice Mayor Harold Hanson, Bakersfield Vice Mayor Mike Maggard, Kern County Supervisor Terry Maxwell, Bakersfield City Council Member Kay Meek,KCCD Trustee Arnold Morrison,DJUHS Board Member Chris Parlier,Bakersfield City Council Member Leticia Perez, Kern County Supervisor Leticia Prado, Lamont Water District Member Janet Rabanal, Delano Chamber of Commerce Director Rosalina Rivera, Delano Union Elementary School District Superintendent Willie Rivera,Bakersfield City Council Member Rudy Salas,California State Assembly Member Mary K. Shell, Former Bakersfield Mayor Bob Smith, Bakersfield City Council Member Milt Stowe,Porterville Mayor Jay Tamsi, Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Rob Taylor, Owner, Stafford’s Chocolates Bill Thomas, Retired U.S. Congressman Grace Vallejo, Delano City Council Greg Williamson,Bakersfield Police Department Chief Donny Youngblood, Kern County Sheriff Milt Younger, Attorney
And here are some of the organizations who have endorsed Measure J
The Bakersfield Californian
Bakersfield College Alumni Association
Bakersfield Downtown Business Association
Building4SUCCESS Inc
California City Chamber of Commerce
Chevron
Delano Camber of Commerce
Democratic Women of Kern
Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce
Greater Tehachapi Economic Development Council
KCCD California School Employees Association
KCCD Community College Association
KCCD Management Association
Kern Agriculture Foundation
Kern County Black Chamber of Commerce
Kern County Democratic Party
Kern County Farm Bureau
Kern County Firefighters Union
Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Kern County Young Republicans (PAC)
Kern Economic Development Corporation
Kern County Taxpayers Association
Latina Leaders of Kern County
Murray Family Farms
Porterville Democratic Club
RA Johnsfam
Renegade Helmet Club
Sikh Women’s Association
Veterans of Foreign Wars District #6
Veterans of Foreign Wars #97
Wendale Davis Foundation
Thank you Measure J volunteers
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Sunday, Oct. 23 – Ivan Valadez, Tom Gelder, Dana Gelder, Carla Gard, Jeffrey Bender, Hannah Bender, Karl Bender, Rachell Morehouse, Isaac Vannasome, Tarina Perry, Nicky Damania, Brent Berton, Chris Glaser
I will post the list of volunteers as soon as I get the list. So please come back!
Karen Schuett’s regional CTA director volunteering her time at the Measure J Head Quarters. Thank you CTA for endorsing Measure J!
Janet Fulks, Karen Schuette
Thank you Liz Rozell for bringing your engineer’s mind to organize the volunteers for November 8th.
Two little somethings:
A friend shared with me a historical vignette about Trojan football while we were discussing Reggie Bush. He described in an engaging fashion the intense rivalry between Notre Dame and USC and a famous game in Indiana on a typical fall evening in 1965 when the air and grass were full of moisture. John McKay who was as good with words as he was with coaching his athletes was there in Notre Dame with “Touchdown Jesus” overlooking the stadium. The rivalry could be felt by each and every person in the packed stadium as the game began. Mike Hunter, the Trojan returner of the opening kickoff sprinted to the eight-yard line but then slipped on the moist grass, when USC coach John McKay, fearing the worst, shouted “Oh, my God, they have shot him!!” This story had me laughing the rest of the week and again just now as I was blogging. So I checked it out on yes Wikipedia and verified that my friend was not pulling a fast one. Such a great story, and so funny. Enjoy these pictures of John McKay and the Notre Dame Stadium, from the web.
And here is a fascinating story from this morning’s LA Times about fabric that generates energy. Here is the opening paragraph:
In the future, your clothes will work for you. A team of scientists led out of the Georgia Institute of Technologyhas created a fabric that can gather energy from both sunlight and motion, then store it in embedded fibers.
The Workforce & Economic Mobility Blog blog shares approaches to workforce and economic development, with a goal of supporting economic mobility for our community while staying committed to the health of our people and the health of our environment.
In the Bhambi & Christian blog, Dr. Brijesh Bhambi join together joined together with the goal of facilitating healing and conversation in our community.
BC Family Memories
Got back from Riverside on Thursday and then had a full day on Friday. Met with Matt Riley of the Condors to do some planning. We are so fortunate to have the Condors here in our community and Matt has such a great vision and works on the details with such great precision. Just remarkable!
This year four speakers addressed local planning outcomes, an outlook on renewable goals, the business incubator model successfully implemented in Los Angeles, and an overview of the effects of legislative outcomes on the energy industry. The Keynote Address was delivered by Chairman & CEO of Southern California Gas Company, Dennis Arriola, who discussed the benefits of natural gas and innovative opportunities to meet state energy needs. A group of Bakersfield College faculty and staff attended the summit and were honored to share a table with Mayor-elect Karen Goh. Thank you to Tom Gelder, Antonio Alfaro, Martin Perez, Jason Dixon, Kelvin Abaa, Yadira Guerrero, Liz Rozell, Rozanne Hernandez, and Roger Fessler for representing BC!
Thank you Karen Goh for some great pictures.
Wounded Heroes Fund
I found this draft blog entry from March 2016. Enjoy!
Every year, the volunteer coordinator for the CA State Parks invites BC students to a one-day volunteer event at Allensworth State Historic Park. Not only is this a great way to give back, but students also learn about the amazing Colonel Allensworth State Park, tour of the park, and a chance to talk to park Rangers.
Between now and Veterans Day on November 11th, people throughout America will gather to remember and give thanks to those who have served in our armed forces. But at Bakersfield College, our veterans are our family… you are our friends, classmates, students, staff, and faculty. Today we honor you and we thank you for your courage, strength, and soul.
November 4, 2016. BC is community’s ears, ears; but what about bones? by David Torres
Earlier this month, I mentioned a moment when Prof. Josh Ottum stopped by my office to pick up the signed approval to apply for a grant. I’m proud to announce, he has been selected for funding! Dr. Josh Ottum is a creative artist and scholar who is completely committed to our community and his students.
Thanking Nick Strobel
The endorsements keep coming in. This week we were delighted when Cathy Butler stopped by and handed the endorsement of the Downtown Business Association. Thank you Cathy Butler and Bob Bell.
