Good morning, Bakersfield.
It is Saturday, February 9, 2019… A great day to be a Renegade.

Early College Launch in McFarland

Next week is it!  BC will be holding the Early College Launch event at McFarland High on Wednesday, Feb 13th.  Retired Senator (and Renegade) Jean Fuller will be there to talk about the program, and the impact that it will have on our region. Check out Superintendent Resendez’s piece in The Delano Record about the launch as well!    

Join us as we launch this program at McFarland High School on February 13th at 5:00 pm! It promises to be a remarkable event. For information you can visit www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/earlycollege.

2019 Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Gala

Last Saturday night Bakersfield College attended the annual KCHCC Gala at the Marriott hotel.  BC is a proud supporter of the Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (KCHCC), with five Renegades as boardmembers: Olivia Garcia, Lisa Kent, Tony Cordova, Norma Rojas-Mora, and Corny Rodriguez.  I’d like to thank Ricky Marsel for sharing some of his photos. Great work, KCHCC!

We were pleased to have at our table Congressman TJ Cox and his delightful wife Kathy Murphy. Also, Senator Melissa Hurtado was at our table and I was pleased to get to know her. Senator Shannon Grove and Assembly Member Rudy Salas were also at the event.

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Spotlight: Corny Rodriguez

The Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce honored Cornelio (Corny) Rodriguez for this year’s Businessman of the Year at Saturday’s event.  Corny received this recognition for his work within the community and in support of a college going culture among the youth of Kern County.  Corny came to BC in 1991 as the Director of the Chicano Cultural Center at Bakersfield College.

Throughout the years, he has held a number of different positions on campus including President of Academic Senate, Director of the Delano Center, Director of Outreach, Director of ACCESS (Association of Cultural Centers for Student Success), and Professor of Political Science.  Corny has been a consistent champion for increasing graduation rates at BC, and has worked tirelessly to advance student success and develop leaders within the community. Congrats Corny!!! Your BC family is so proud!

Black History Month Conference at BC

Lives were changed at Bakersfield College on Friday, February 8, 2019, with the Black History Month Conference themed “Black Excellence.” Students from Bakersfield College and high schools all over Kern County engaged in a truly excellent and engaging conference with African Soul International and keynote speaker Reverend Dr. Charles L. Dorsey.

After a light breakfast in front of the PAC Indoor Theatre, students from approximately 15 high schools from Kern County filed into the theatre singing to some of their favorite pop songs playing on the speakers. Bakersfield College Umoja Community Club President and Vice President professionally emceed the indoor theatre portion of the conference, engaging the students from the very beginning. They taught the students about Umoja ASTEP, which is a program that integrates academics, support services and African-American culture through educating the whole student, body, mind and spirit, through an ethic of love. There are over 60 Umoja programs state-wide. They also taught the students some African words, including the “umoja” which is Kiswahili for “unity.”

Chancellor Tom Burke welcomed the students and encouraged them to pursue college. He shared with them his own son’s struggles to find his place in the world and how BC helped him find his path to Engineering and ultimately graduating from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Engineering Robotics. He called BC an “educational oasis” to prepare for transferring to a larger university and pointed out that transfer students outperform those entering universities directly as freshmen.

African Soul International captured the audience with a powerful introduction to African drums. Then, the founder and artistic director of the organization, Dr. Jewel “Adama” Jackson, came out on stage singing. She immediately enthralled the audience, and had them singing together “When the Saints Go Marching In.” She led the audience through an African ritual, signaling to heaven that the drums were a conduit of positive energy, and giving libations of water to plants. A very spiritual, moving and uplifting ritual.

Jewel further taught the students about Africa, that it is the largest free-standing continent with 54 countries and 2,500 nationalities with their own languages and cultures. Most Africans can speak 4-7 languages. She pointed out that Africa is a major exporter of diamonds and gold, and we all carry a little bit of Africa in our pockets as cobalt is used in our cell phones. There are rich parts, just as there are poor parts. She brought several students onto stage and taught them dances, one about celebrating moving to the next level in life and the other celebrating the harvest, because they are the harvest. The African Soul International was fun, engaging and educational. I recommend bringing them to all of the high schools in Kern County.

With such an excellent and energizing opening performance, it was hard to believe that the keynote speaker could keep that sense of energy and engagement going, but Reverend Dr. Charles Dorsey did just that. After driving 3 hours and conducting interviews with the media, he had the energy to run onto to the stage and immediately engage the audience. He began by handing out a copy of his book Fathers and Sons Speak: Telling My Father’s Story to an audience member who had the closest birthday to his own, giving the book to the young man, telling him it would change his life, and giving him his personal phone number and telling him to call him once he had read the book.

Dr. Dorsey’s presentation was nothing short of inspiring as he engaged the students in a “Signing Day.” He gave them four decisions that he wanted them to make:

1. Decide not to miss another opportunity.
2. No more excuses.
3. Succeed… no matter what.
4. Be a difference maker.

I would like to thank Dr. Paula Parks and the members of Umoja that put on this excellent event for Black History Month. Thank you, Chancellor Burke, for taking time out of your busy day to speak to the students. Thank you Mary Jo Pasek and all of the staff that assisted in putting on this event. Check my blog next week for details on the rest of this event as the students continued with several workshops. We are BC!

BC Ag Ambassadors Visit Cal Poly SLO

Bakersfield College’s Agriculture Ambassadors went to California Polytechnic State University, SLO for the Agriculture Ambassador Conference last weekend. At the conference BC’s Ag Ambassadors got the chance to highlight the activities they are doing to promote BC’s Agriculture Department. Of the 14 colleges in attendance, BC was the only community college to present. They held their own with the 4-year universities and we are BC PROUD of them!

Our Ag Ambassadors also had the chance to hear from many guest speakers about the different job opportunities in the agriculture industry. With the central valley being the breadbasket of the world and Kern County the #1 county for agriculture production in the nation our students have a lot of job opportunities in this industry.  

Spring semester is a busy time for our Ag Ambassadors. They will be doing outreach activities at the World Ag Expo and upcoming Career Fairs. They will also be visiting local high schools and promoting Bakersfield College’s Agriculture Department. Their goal is to help and encourage the next generation of agriculture students. Bakersfield College opens many pathways for students to succeed and the Ag Ambassadors are doing an excellent job at sharing these opportunities with future BC students. WE ARE BC!

Joe Saldivar Speaks at Kern County Science Fair

Our own Dr. Joe Saldivar, Biology department chair, has been asked to be the guest speaker at the Kern County Science Fair-2019 on March 12 at the Convention Center. The annual science fair hosts hundreds of 4th through 6th graders competing for a chance to move on to the California Science Fair. Dr. Joe as he likes to call himself, has participated in Renegade Talks and has been a valuable faculty member at BC. To check out one of Joe’s Renegade Talks click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WfznL9M16U

Bakersfield College collaborates with Ridgeview High for first Journalism Day

Educators and journalists gathered on Feb. 1 at Ridgeview High to discuss their careers in journalism and provide career development advice to Kern County high school students.  BC student Paige Atkison, who recently concluded a successful semester as editor-in-chief of the Renegade Rip, BC’s award-winning student newspaper, spoke about the importance of the profession.  “Journalists write the first draft of history,” she said.
   
Speakers also included BC journalism professors Erin Auerbach and Christina Lopez, as well as BC history professor Olivia Garcia (a longtime journalist) and CSUB journalism professor Jennifer Burger.  Local journalists Nick James (Sports Director, KGET), Kelly Broderick (Producer, KERO), Erin Briscoe (PIO Kern High School District and former KBAK anchor), Mark Nessia (Bakersfield Life and the Kern Business Journal) and freelance photojournalist Nick Ellis participated as well. They spoke about their careers, the direction the profession is moving in and the importance of education. Speakers gave students advice and emphasized the skills, both interpersonal and technical, that students will need to develop to succeed in the profession.   They also talked about the ways journalists can make a difference in their communities through accurate, ethical and thorough reporting.

Students studying print, digital or broadcast from East, South, Ridgeview, Centennial and Bakersfield High School attended. The first event also included a contest in which Renegade Rip editors selected first place, second place and honorable mentions in four categories from participating high schools: front page/cover design, photo, news story and feature.
   
Ridgeview journalism advisor Kristen Hunter-Flores and BC Professor Auerbach coordinated event, which will be held at Bakersfield College in 2020.

Greenfield Union School District Mini Science Olympiad

BC Professor Deborah Rosenthal shared photos from the mini science olympiad event which offers the opportunity for middle school students in the GATE program at Greenfield Unified School District. They met for a half day for two Saturdays.  The STEM department does about 10-12 mini chemistry and physics competitions. There were over 30 BC volunteers, all of whom were either STEM or Education majors. Thank you to the volunteers for assisting in this great event!  WE ARE BC!

BSO Next Program

The Performing Arts Department took part in the BSO Next program, which hosts local high school students for a ‘taste of BC’ (dinner and a chance to see various elements of the College). Last Saturday, Professor Tiner and some of his BC Jazz students performed for a group of Music students from Cesar Chavez High School. After a wonderful evening of entertainment and dining, the students proceeded to the Rabobank Theatre for a Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra concert. Kudos to Professor Tiner and his students for organizing such a wonderful event! And thank you Manny Mourtzanos for always sending me photos and videos of our performing Arts faculty and students. You are the eternal champion for the department.

BC at the Getty Villa’s College Night

Last Monday, Dr. Nicky Damania took students to the Getty Villa. A total of 20 individuals made it to the college night at the Getty. This annual event comes with a free dinner and many craft stalls for students to engage with. The group toured behind the scene at the Getty, learning how the conservationists take ancient artifacts, restore them and display them around the world. Many college students from Southern California were in attendance and enjoy the Festival of Lights, music, and the experience of a lifetime. Some of the craft stalls were color magnets, spray painting murals, creating a Turkish eye, tattoos, making olive branch halos, and learning how to make clay pottery. It looks like everyone had a great time!  I’ll have to attend one down the road.

Financial Aid Fest

In honor of Financial Aid Awareness Month, BC’s Financial Aid Department hosted a resource fair in front of the CSS Building on Tuesday and Wednesday with games, food, raffle prizes, and representatives from other BC student services, including EOP&S, DSPS, and CTE.

The event was designed to encourage students to complete their financial aid applications before this year’s Cal Grant deadline, which is March 2. The Financial Aid Department is also hosting a series of application assistance workshops to help students throughout the month of February. To find a full list of Financial Aid Workshop dates, visit the Upcoming Finaid Workshops page.

Thank you Financial Aid for making education a reality for our more than 30,000 students. If students have any questions, they can email the Financial Aid office at bc_faid@bakersfieldcollege.edu.

Distinguished Speaker: Carol Swain Ph.D.

On Thursday, Distinguished Speaker Dr. Carol Swain visited BC for a series of speeches in the Levan Center, telling the inspirational story of how she rose from extreme poverty to become one of America’s leading black conservative intellectuals.

Dr. Swain, a retired professor of political science who has taught at Princeton and Vanderbilt, grew up in rural Virginia with 11 brothers and sisters in a house with no electricity or running water. She had to sleep on the kitchen floor, and all of the children had to share the same bath water that was heated over a stove. She dropped out of high school and by the age of 20 was married with 3 children. After attempting suicide by overdosing on pills, a medical professional inspired her to pursue an education.

Dr. Swain earned her GED and enrolled at Virginia Western Community College. A librarian at the college helped her with a full-time job working nights and weekends at the school library, which helped pay her way through an associate’s degree in business from Virginia Western and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Roanoke College.

“I grew up believing in the American dream,” Dr. Swain said. “I believed that if I worked hard, I could overcome the circumstances of my birth.”

She went on to earn a Ph.D. in political science at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, where her dissertation became the controversial book “Black Faces, Black Interests: The Representation of African-Americans in Congress”. To gather research for the book, Dr. Swain travelled with white and black members of Congress for a qualitative study. The book’s conclusions about descriptive vs. substantive representation and political party as a more important signifier for black representation than race earned her nationwide recognition, and it was a recipient of the D.B. Hardeman Prize and the Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award upon its publication in 1993.

“Within academia, I did well because I had mentors,” Dr. Swain said. “I was a single-minded seeker of my degrees.”

Dr. Swain went on to become an advisor to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission and serve on the National Council on the Humanities under President George W. Bush. After retiring from Vanderbilt in 2017, Dr. Swain is now a contributor to The Epoch Times and hosts her own podcast titled Be the People.

Dr. Swain’s journey is a symbol of the transformative power of education, and what people can accomplish with the right guidance and drive. I’d like to thank BC’s Office of Student Life and the Liberty Institute for inviting Dr. Swain to campus.

Finish in 4 Welcome Event

On Friday, BC held the Welcome to Finish in 4 event an opportunity for our students to meet the Finish in 4 counselors and staff, completion coaching team (including our CSU partners) and other students in the program. BC provided guidance with program eligibility, information on how to obtain book vouchers, as well as assistance with signing and completing the Finish in 4 agreement and educational planning.

In case you didn’t know, the Kern Promise’s Finish in 4 is our joint collaboration with CSUB that supports the increase in student completion with an Associate Degree for Transfer within 60 semester units at BC. Students are then guaranteed admission to CSUB in a related major, and will complete an additional 60 semester units to earn a bachelor’s degree! The Finish in 4 efforts aim to guarantee that students can complete their transfer degree in 2 years at Bakersfield College and baccalaureate degree in the following 2 years at CSUB. Together, the goal is to move students through to the next stage of their educational and career goals in a more efficient and impactful way.

LINKS Academy Career Day

On Saturday, January 26th Connie Gonzalez (MESA Director), Cynthia Quintanilla (Counselor), Laurel Mourtzanos (Counselor), and Dr. Steve Waller (Dean of Instruction) participated in the LINKS Academy Career Day at Emerson Middle School. Connie represented BC by providing the opening remarks for the event, and several of our BC MESA students assisted the attendees with science experiments and demonstrations.

I’d like to recognize the following BC MESA students for all of their help: Sean Mccullum

Brian Aguilar, Anthony Collin, Alejandra Zapata, Kayla Scott, Ian Spark, Peter Rodriguez, Eddie Meza, Andres Orea, GemmaTrujillo, Issac Garcia, Sabrina Lugo, Jonathan Martinez

Students even had the opportunity to make slime! This event was a wonderful opportunity to engage with middle school students and showcase BC’s STEM pathway!

Porterville College Foundation Hall of Fame Dinner

Last Friday Porterville College honored softball coach Vickie Dugan, Distinguished Alumni Steve Schultz (father of BC counselor Jonathan Schultz), and others at their Foundation Hall of Fame celebration. BC’s Culinary Arts Department provided the meals for the evening. You can read a preview for the Foundation Hall of Fame celebration in last week’s blog.  Take a look at the photo below as the BC team prepares for the dinner.  I’m extremely proud of our Culinary Arts program as they continue to shine bright in the Kern Community. Thank you Chef Pat Coyle for sending me this photos and bragging about the students.

Dr. Nicky Damania Leads Workshop at KCCD

Dr. Nicky Damania, director of Student Life, hosted a joint districtwide workshop for all three campuses at the district office last week. The workshop was “Helping Key Faculty and Staff Understand Bystander Intervention Theories to Assist Students in Various Predicaments.”

Over the last several years, bystander intervention training has become one of the most recommended and effective strategies to address campus issues.  The Step Up! Bystander Intervention Program was developed leading practitioners, using evidence-based research and theories around bystander behavior. Hundreds of campuses are using it to address a wide variety of campus issues, concerns, populations and applications.  Whether its AOD use, violence, mental health or any other concern, proactive bystander intervention is something we all can use to help someone in need. This was a needed training that all three institutions felt they needed to have in order to better serve our students.

The Step Up! bystander intervention program is a comprehensive training program that was developed using leading experts, theories and concepts in bystander behavior.  The foundation of the program is a 5-Step decision-making process that helps students (or any participant) walk through a logical process, starting with noticing an event and eventually taking action to help.  Each step is backed by research, information and/or skill-building to help the step and the progression make sense. Thank you Nicky for making sure that everyone at KCCD stays informed!

Fun photos

Our very own graphic designer Eric Carillo managed to snap this GORGEOUS photo of a rainbow off the bluffs during the rain break on Tuesday.  He attributed it to perfect timing, but I’m thinking he might have a knack for it.

The Rural Initiatives team met with Delano Union Elementary School leadership on Tuesday. It is crucial that BC builds equitable and early access to higher education for children in our rural community. Through a partnership with our friends at DUESD, we are going to move closer to doing just that!

BC Athletics’ Manager of Communications and Community Relations Brandon Urry tweeted a photo of his son as the new BC Batboy!  We love seeing our Renegade families join in!

BC’s Maria Wright and Miguel Cuate from Academic Support Services were on “The Pulse” to explain why BC is a place for everyone and once you’re a student here, we have the support services to make sure you can be successful. Thank you Danny Morrison! If you missed the segment live, you can hear the recording online at www.thebeat1039.com!  

BC’s new food trailer Gades Grub is officially here!  Students and visitors can enjoy warm food from our amazing Food Services team at the beautiful Gades Grub trailer!  Thank you to Stephanie Stuart and Jennifer Sanderson for all of your hard work on getting this trailer on campus, and thank you to Eric Carillo for doing such a great job on the design!   

Renegades of the Weeks

Renegade Athletics is proud to announce this week’s (1/27-2/2) Wells Fargo Renegades of the Week.

Paige Darstein, Women’s Tennis – Coming off a torn ACL last season, Paige had a dominating 6-0, 6-0 win in her #2 singles matchup against Reedley. Trey Harmon, Baseball – Went 7 for 16 (.438) last week in four games in which the Renegades went 4-0. Trey also had 7 RBI with two doubles and a triple for the week.

Congrats to Jasmyn Rodriguez for Winning The Bakersfield Jockey Club Award.

Jasmyn Rodriguez of BC Women’s Basketball was awarded the Bakersfield Jockey Club Award this week at the Club’s monthly luncheon at Hodel’s. The Club is a local non-profit whose goal is to honor local high school and college athletes for the accomplishments. Congrats Jasmyn! Thank you for representing BC with class!

Renegade Report

If you missed watching the Renegade Report live this last Thursday at 11a, check out the segments from this week’s show from the links below. This week’s highlights include segments BC Athletics Associate AD Keith Ford and BC Women’s Beach Volleyball student athlete Penelope Zepeda.

Segment with Keith Ford

Segment with Penelope Zepeda

Roundup of Athletics Events this week

As always, it was a full week of athletics events for our Renegades teams. Highlights from the week include (click for the story on GoGades.com):

• Men’s Golf places 7th at OEC Classic
• Women’s Basketball Gets Huge Win Over Santa Monica
• Mens’ Basketball Grabs Huge Conference Win over Santa Monica
• Baseball Falls to Allan Hancock
• Men’s Tennis Falls to Glendale
• Baseball Over De Anza at COS Tournament
• Baseball Beats Napa Valley at COS Tournament

Tagged: Bakersfield College, Brian Bell, corny rodriguez, Kathy Murphy, McFarland High School, Melissa Hurtado, Olivia Garcia, Rudy Salas, Shannon Grove, Sonya Christian, TJ Cox