This week, Michael O’Doherty, one of our Foundation Board members, sent me this picture:
Courtesy Los Angeles Public Library
“Live in Black and White on the wall of Vons in the Marketplace is this action shot of Renegade Basketball.”
One of the things I love best about Bakersfield College is how connected it is throughout the community. I love the interaction between the campus and Bakersfield – BC truly is a community college. That sense of community pride strengthens our students, faculty, staff and administration as we all work toward our common goal of helping our students achieve their educational goals.
And I love the notes and emails that people share with me when they see BC being represented throughout the community. Keep those notes coming.
Btw, Have you seen this picture at Vons?
Good morning Bakersfield.
It is Saturday, February 20, 2021 … a great day to be a Renegade.
KHSD Expanding Early College Partnership with BC
The Kern High School District is offering a select number of students the opportunity to earn an Associate’s degree. With BC’s Early College program expanding into the Kern High School District, students can get a 2-year head start on their baccalaureate degree, and all books and transportation will be provided to them free of charge.
Check out the news story from 23ABC:
Applications for KHSD parents to enroll their students in Early College end on March 26. For more information, visit the Early College website.
Thank you Dr. Jean Fuller and Trustee Romeo Agbalog for your leadership in the #EarlyCollege movement.
Learning Together with the Library
The BC Library continued its series of conversations around cultural competency during the All-Campus Virtual Seminar on Thursday. English professor Pam Boyles and history professor Erin Miller discussed their thoughts about the video titled “Fighting Racism Without Shaming”, featuring Moral Courage Project founder Dr. Irshad Manji.
Thank you to Mindy Wilmot for moderating the discussion, Todd Coston for serving as our emcee, and Earl Parsons for providing the programming support for the Virtual Seminar Series.
Check out the video below:
You can find videos from previous Learning Together seminars, as well as other virtual forums, on the President’s Events page. (Check the Virtual Forums tab!)
Recognizing Robert Tafoya
This week I saw a wonderful article from Jose Gaspar in the Bakersfield Californian honoring Judge Robert Tafoya, who retired February 5 after being appointed to the bench by Governor Gray Davis in 2002.
I’m not sure if you are all aware, but Judge Tafoya was the person behind creating Bakersfield College’s inmate education program. I remember when Chancellor Emeritus Sandra Serrano called me about working with Kern Valley State Prison to create an educational opportunity for inmates, with a goal of providing opportunities for these individuals while reducing recidivism rates.
After this phone call, I pinged Rich McCrow, then director of the Delano campus. Rich put his head and heart into building this program — and Bryan Hirayama was the first faculty member to teach at KVSP.
The program began at Kern Valley State Prison in Spring 2015. The pilot course, COMM B1 – Public Speaking, had 27 students enrolled.
Our first Inmate Scholars cohort of 17 students graduated in August 2019.
I am grateful for Judge Tafoya and Chancellor Serrano for seeding this work that has made such a profound change in these inmates’ lives.
COVID-19 Vaccinations
On Friday, Kern County Public Health announced that more sectors will be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines beginning next week. It’s been reassuring seeing members of our Bakersfield College community being able to get their vaccines as well.
Di Hoffman, one of our nursing faculty, shared that she got her vaccine this week:
If you have photos of yourself or loved ones getting vaccinated for COVID-19, please email them to earl.parsons@bakersfieldcollege.edu or president@bakersfieldcollege.edu.
I’d also like to share another video from our February 2 Virtual Forum with Dr. Michael Saag. In this clip, he talks more about the vaccine rollout process and our ability to scale up our supply and distribution:
Mars Rover Perseverance Watch Party
On Thursday, NASA successfully landed a new rover, Perseverance, on Mars. Astronomy professor Nick Strobel hosted a Zoom watch party for our Renegade community. Before the landing, he shared lots of great information about Perseverance’s mission and about Mars.
The Perseverance mission is looking for signs of possible past life on Mars, as well as collecting rock and soil samples and testing oxygen production in the atmosphere to prepare for potential future human travel to the Red Planet.
Nick also wrote about the Mars Perseverance mission in his February 21 Bakersfield Night Sky column.
Opening Day Spring 2021
This week, I’m sharing two videos from Day 2 of our Spring Opening Day celebration.
We opened the day’s production with this photo roll from Fall semester:
And please enjoy this performance of “Stomp on the Fire” from the Bakersfield College Chamber Singers:
Check out all the videos from our 3-day Opening Day production on the Spring Opening Day website.
Spotted on Social Media
BCSGA shared this picture of Maya Angelou’s visit to Bakersfield College in the 1970s:
Librarian Mindy Wilmot shared this throwback photo:
Professor Buggs’ Level 2 RN students celebrated completing their first round of clinical:
Shannon Musser tuned into BC’s Perseverance watch party with her kids:
The Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce had this positive message to share:
Athletics
Head Coach Spotlight – Casey Goodman, Renegade Softball
Our Renegade Coaches are the glue that keep their teams together. All of our coaches spend countless hours behind the scenes preparing their teams for competition and life. This week we’re shining the spotlight on Casey Goodman, who leads our softball team.
Coach Goodman has been at BC since 2017 and has already won two Western State Conference (WSC) Championships and been named the 2019 WSC Coach of the Year. Coach Goodman played college softball at the University of Louisiana at Monroe where as a player she earned multiple post-season awards and has since been inducted into the ULM Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.
We are proud to call Coach Goodman a Renegade and know she’s still yet to accomplish many great things in her coaching career!
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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, Jean Fuller, Robert Tafoya, Romeo Agbalog, Sandra Serrano, Sonya Christian
My first thought was, “Sonya will really like knowing this picture is here”. It was due to the requirement that you have to hang around a little after your COVID-19 shots that caused me to see it. Both my shots are done now, and the second did have a small after effect by noon the next day. Of course, it might have been the no coffee or breakfast that day too. Felt much better after lunch 🙂
Really believe everyone needs to get the shots done….let’s move this COVID down the road people.
So glad you sent it to me Michael.
also, if you took a picture of getting the vaccine, plz send it to me at president@bakersfieldcollege.edu