Good morning Bakersfield.
It is Saturday, June 16th, 2018 and a great day to be a Renegade. 

Woke up to find two Bakersfield College related articles in the Californian with one on record enrollment, on the front page below the fold, and the other a delightful stargazing piece by Dr. Nick Strobel on the front page of the Eye Street section.

Sam Morgan @smorgenTBC covered the enrollment spike for Summer 2018.

Morgan included a media piece which is a #MustSee!

Dr. Nick Strobel discusses the biological possibilities of life on Mars

Mary K. Shell

Reflecting on life of Mary K. Shell after the news of her passing on Thursday morning, two phrases have come to mind … “breaking boundaries” and “serving the community”.

During her career, she was unafraid to move into areas not traditionally held by women. She started work in her grandfather’s welding and auto repair shop. At 17, she became a cub reporter for the Bakersfield Californian which at the time was another male dominated field, and continued in journalism until the 1980’s. She also had a strong desire to learn to fly and became the dispatcher at La Cresta Airfield in order to pay for lessons, eventually earning a pilot’s license.

Mary K Shell attended Bakersfield College from 1945 to 1947, married Joe Shell, served as the first female Mayor of Bakersfield, and the 2nd woman to hold the title of Kern County Supervisor.

Throughout her life, she remained a Renegade – loyal and true. She served as a member of the Foundation Board, retiring as Emeritus Director of the BC Foundation Board, and her heart was always with our community.

During her political career she was known for winning elections when the political odds were against her, and upon her retirement from public office, the Bakersfield Californian called her “the most popular politician in Kern County history”.

During her time in office and after, she was dedicated to serving our community and improving life for all in Bakersfield, and in our surrounding communities. She began the Beautiful Bakersfield Committee; created the formation of an organization to build a memorial to Medal of Honor recipient Larry Pierce; created the Bakersfield Historical Preservation Commission; established the annual Bakersfield Prayer Breakfast; and supported the building of a lighted soccer field in an under-served area of the city in coordination with AYSO.

Her work has been recognized in the naming of the Mary K. Shell Journalism Scholarship and the local Mary K. Shell Mental Health Facility and her life is an example of committed investment in your community and humble public service.

Bob Price did a great article on Mary K. Shell.  Check it out https://tinyurl.com/y9qhzbq8.

Let’s pause for a moment and remember Mary K. Shell, this incredible woman… a visionary, a leader, and a Renegade.

Summer of Music at Bakersfield College

June 26, 2018 — The US Airforce Band of the Golden West will be performing at Bakersfield College once again. Stationed in Travis Air Force Base in the Bay Area, the USAF Band of the Golden West has performed for an estimated 1.5 million people, according to their website, playing an exciting brand of marching band music for Air Gorce bases, recruiting squadrons, Bay Area sporting events and NASCAR races. Seeing this extremely talented marching band is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we’d love everyone in the community to be a part of it.  Tue, 06/26/2018 – 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.  Location: Edward Simonsen Performing Arts Center (Indoor Theater)

Check out this 18-minute video by John Farrand  of the Airforce Band when they were at BC last year June 28, 2017

June 30, 2018 — Bon Voyage Concert with BC Chamber Singers, Dr. Jennifer Garrett, Monty Byrom and Lydia Ranger

The Chamber Singers have been hard at work rehearsing and finishing all the plans for the Australia Tour. After working towards this goal for 2 1/2 years, it is almost here!

Please come out to the Bon Voyage Concert on June 30 in the Indoor Theater. The concert begins at 4:00 p.m. and doors will open at 3:30 p.m. You do not need to get tickets in advance as this is a donation only show. The concert will feature the music they will perform in Cairns and will also have special guests, Monty Byrom and Lydia Ranger.

July 20, 2018 — Resound: A Drum Corps International Competition at Memorial Stadium.

Drum Corps International (DCI) competition will bring some of the country’s best drum and bugle corps to Bakersfield College’s Memorial Stadium in the 4th Annual Resound Competition. Ten corps, including 2017 DCI Open Class champions Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets, 5 – time champions Blue Devils B, and Golden Empire from Bakersfield College, will be competing. STICKS WILL FLY ON THE 20TH OF JULY! For more info visit: https://www.dci.org/events/resound.   From modest beginnings more than four decades ago, Drum Corps International (DCI) has developed into a powerful, nonprofit, global youth activity with far-reaching artistic, educational and organizational influence. Through the annual DCI Tour and World Championships, Drum Corps International provides entertainment to millions through live performances and nationally broadcast events. Drum Corps International is Marching Music’s Major League™. RESOUND is supported by an Arts in the Community Grant from the Arts Council of Kern.

IYEC Conference 2018

Students in BC’s Latinos Unidos por Educacion (LUPE) program attended the Immigrant Youth Empowerment Conference hosted by UCLA last Saturday, which inspired the group to continue identifying and providing assistance for DREAMer students.

IDEAS at UCLA, a group that represents undocumented students on the UCLA campus, organized the conference to give undocumented students throughout California the tools to pursue higher education. BC had 19 students attend the 11th annual conference, which is double the number that attended the previous year.

Upon returning to the conference, LUPE students called a special meeting to plan their events and activities for next year. The group plans to host DREAMer Open House events with the goal of doubling the organization’s numbers for the 2018-19 academic year and they plan to create LUPE Banners and T-shirts to spread awareness for the group.

Wonderful Academy/Ag Camp

You might have seen a large group of very young students around campus over the last week and wondered who they were? I am excited to share that they are participating a week-long summer camp run by BC in partnership with Wonderful Company. These students are selected from middle schools in our rural communities, including Wasco, Shafter, Delano and surrounding areas. These students are exposed to all the exciting things that Bakersfield College Agriculture department has to offer.  Students can be found in our welding facilities creating a stationary holder for themselves.

Students also take advantage of our Horticulture Lab creating a water filtration system to learn about the different materials that can be used to filter water.  Students must also create a product-marketing plan for a product they themselves create. Students are given the option to use a variety of ingredients such as tajin, cocoa powder, cinnamon powder, lime juice, cayenne pepper to create this product.  Once they create their product, they then have to create a branding strategy.  Students create T-shirts, hats, and other marketing materials all using their very own logo and a printing press. In addition to creating different products, these students get to connect with industry professionals discovering the many opportunities that exist in our community.

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I would like to thank our dedicated staff involved in making this great opportunity happen. Starting with our Program Manager overseeing the program Raquel Lopez with the support of Jaime Lopez.  As well as our Lead Agriculture faculty Heather Baltis and Jim Selgrath.  Let’s not forget about the lead mentor, Jesse Oropeza, Christopher McCraw and his leadership class, as well as the peer mentors.  None of this could be possible without the support of our Delano Campus Director, Abel Guzman, Delano Site Office Coordinator, Carolina Madrigal and all the Support Staff.

Corny Rodriguez snapped this photo of Professor Selgrath with future Renegade and his student for the day, Emilio.   Emilio designed the shirt which shows two tangoing mangos!

Superheroes of CTE Retreat

BC’s superheroes of CTE gathered for at their headquarters in the FACE building for a day of team building, planning, and activities as they re-energize to save the day and accelerate student success in 2018-2019! 

Spotlight on BC Baccalaureate Grads Continues

On Monday, journalism professor and Renegade Rip advisor Erin Auerbach wrote an article in the Bakersfield Californian about a few of the students who graduated from our Industrial Automation Baccalaureate program in May and already have jobs.

In our program, graduate Miguel Ceja got the chance to intern at Aera Energy and complete his senior project at the Nestle Ice Cream Factory, modernizing their equipment to work with a touchscreen interface. He’s now accepted a full-time job in the Wonderful Leadership Program.

“What will help me the most in my new position is the leadership classes, project management classes, quality control classes, and the background into the technical instrumentation and equipment classes I took at Bakersfield College,” Ceja said.

Another graduate, Richard Van Horne, is working in the engineering department for JG Boswell Tomato Company after interning their last summer.

“The most helpful skill I have learned, and the one that separates this degree from its lower-division counterpart, is the high-level theories of management that equipped me to not only be the one to fix a technical issue in the field but lead others in the same pursuit,” Van Horne said.

Out of seven students who graduated from our pilot program in the Industrial Automation Baccalaureate Degree, four of them already have jobs and a fifth is about to receive a job offer, according to industrial automation professor Manny Fernandez.

It is so special to see the BC Community invested in our students. Thank you, Erin for writing about our Baccalaureate graduates. And, thank you for supporting our future journalists through advising the Renegade Rip, our student newspaper which has been in publication for over 85 years.

Administrative Council Retreat

With caffeine in hand, the BC leadership and management gathered in the Fireside Room for our annual summer retreat days.These two days are filled with team building, planning, and strategizing for moving the workload necessary for a college with 33,000 students.

We began the morning with a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, fruit, and pastries from BC Food Services and I shared my opening remarks, starting with a celebration of new managers at BC, passing the microphone for introductions from each, including their names, department, and why they came to the home of the Renegades.

Friends, reminiscing on what I heard that morning just confirms why I’m the luckiest and happiest college president ever. The leadership at BC is passionate, dedicated, and they work with their hearts focused on the students.

Next, I took a moment to highlight BC’s Core Values, and specifically diversity and community. These incredible values offer us guidance on how we live our professional lives as Renegades and we strive each day for the Core Values to shine every time we navigate a difficult moment or celebrate successes.

Our ice breaker for the morning included unknown anonymous facts about each manager and a scavenger hunt to find that person. Craig Hayward and Amber Hroch led the group in a session sharing data about our students. We learned facts and details about headcount, pathways, distance students vs traditional students, density of students within BC’s service area, and the growth in students in various programs.

Marina Mancera making a comment at the retreat

Here I am with a new manager in IT Brett Redd and Gustavo Enrique with a new manager Fernando Lara.

After a quick break, the Executive Team addressed the group regarding coming a Guided Pathways College and the role we play in facilitating student success and Todd Coston and Billie Jo Rice led a session on work plans and strategic directions.

On day two, we had a team building activity led by Yvonne Armendariz, Somaly Boles, Fernando Lara, and Todd Coston and we had an Accreditation Workshop and heard from Liz Rozell, Todd Coston, and Lesley Bonds.

The fabulous duo of Bill Potter and Todd Coston led us in an update and forecast of campus construction and project plans and Monika Scott led a session on Sharing your Story. Thank you to Jennifer Serratt who always coordinates and creates the best retreats for BC’s Administrative Team and thank you to Stephanie Stuart and Chef Nicole Woodruff for the delicious and nutritious food.

Wellness Core Value

We take wellness seriously at Bakersfield College. Here is a room of 74 managers participating in the stretch break at Admin Retreat.

Afterwards, Dean of Instruction, Corny Rodriguez sent me the following video of his granddaughter, Charlize, teaching relaxation techniques “a la BC” as Corny said.

See this future Renegade getting a head start on BC’s core value of wellness.

Spotlight on Heather Pennella

Heather Pennella, Donor Relations Coordinator for the BC Foundation graduated from Leadership Bakersfield on Friday evening. Leadership Bakersfield is a wonderful program offered by the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce and gives local professionals the opportunity to explore and connect with various industries in Kern County through structured monthly, full-day experiences. The group had the opportunity to connect with leaders in healthcare, law enforcement, local government, energy, agriculture and education. Liz Rozell, Vice President of Instruction was part of Education Day in February.

Part of the expectation of the program is the team project and Heather was part of Team 4. The group delivered a feasibility study titled “A Soft Place to Land” focused on respite care for homeless individuals. Findings were shared at a luncheon at the Padre on May 22, with many stakeholders in attendance including Mayor Karen Goh and representatives from all local hospitals and homeless centers.

BC’s Catalog

On Thursday, the Bakersfield College 2018-2019 catalog was published online. We were able to add eight new degrees and revise six of the degrees. This huge document has many parts and the catalog team strives to make it easily navigable for our students. Online, the catalog is divided into the various sections, degrees and courses so that students may find the section they need without having to search for it in a large document. The degrees are organized by pathway to coincide with the Learning and Career Pathways model, as well as alphabetically for students who already know what they are looking for.

Thank you Liz Rozell for leading the catalog team in bringing this project to fruition. I would also like to thank team members: Billie Jo Rice, Jennifer Johnson, Edie Nelson, Sharon Bush, Erica Menchaca, Marisa Marquez, Mark Osea and Aricia Leighton.

As BC grows, we are striving to add more and more programs. I look forward to the addendum in the fall that will include many more degrees. Check out the new catalog on the BC Catalog page.

Oliver Rosales

History professor Oliver Rosales’ latest op-ed in the Bakersfield Californian on Monday urges Kern County residents to be engaged with shaping their community while talking about a National Parks projects highlighting the history of the farm labor movement in the San Joaquin Valley.

Dr. Rosales encourages people in Kern County who have stories to tell about the farm worker movement, either personally or through family members and close friends, to contribute to oral history projects and submit photographs, letters or any other important materials to local archives.

“As a historian, I can assure readers that this history is important and discussed throughout American higher education institution, from the Ivy League to University of California, and every university in between,” Rosales said. “It’s our history. Let’s own it and not let the outside world write that narrative exclusively but take an active role in telling that story ourselves for generations to come.”

More on the Drum Corps

Patt Davis captured some photos of BC’s Drum and Bugle Corps students  who celebrated “Family Day” on Thursday evening. The students performed a sneak peek to all in attendance before they hit the road this summer for Drum Corps International competition. It’s incredible to see the dedication of these young men and women and their families that support them.

I also heard a family member of one of our drum corps students has generously donated a catered dinner for the entire Drum Corps prior to that evening’s performance (yes! All 100+ members!!). This is the dedication of not only our students, but the many family and friends who support them, monetarily and otherwise.

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Thank you to Tim Heasley and his crew for such an amazing program.

BC’s Child Development Center Outdoor Classroom

Sue Vaughn and The Bakersfield College Child Development Center proudly invite you to the grand opening of our first Outdoor Classroom this upcoming Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at 8:30 am in the BC Child Development Center.  The playground was funded in partnership with CAPK Head Start for our two-year Early Head Start classrooms.

We are very proud to have the first recognized outdoor classroom in our community for our two-year-olds.  The children have been watching the construction and they are eagerly awaiting the opportunity two enjoy the new, nature-focused equipment. The playground is designed to allow us to bring learning activities out onto the playground.

Please join us to watch the toddlers explore their new environment.

Fun Photos and videos

Loved this Summer Bridge video posted by Dr. Kimberly Bligh on Facebook

Craig Hayward at CADE

Carlos Barbaran watching Peru playing Denmark at the World Cup

It is a great time to be at BC!

That’s all for now.  

Until next time.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.  

sonya —
the luckiest and happiest college president ever

Tagged: Bakersfield College, Bob Price, Brett Redd, Carlos Barbaran, Fernando Lara, Gustavo Enrique, Mary K. Shell, Nick Strobel, Sam Morgan, Sonya Christian