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BC Athletics: Basketball, Spring Sports Heat Up the Valley

Bakersfield College, Uncategorized February 12, 2016 Comments: 3

Lawrence Moore

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

Kay Meek, Greg Gallio. Feb 11, 2016

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

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

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

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

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

Clayton Fowler. Board Meeting. Feb 11, 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aaron Kidwell with Sonya Christian Feb 10 2016

Sonya Christian, Aaron Kidwell enjoying Renegade Basketball

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Coach Rich Hughes with his team

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

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

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

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

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

Sonya Christian. Starter in Feb 12, 2015

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

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

Jeremy Price

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

Sara Klang

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bakersfield College, Uncategorized February 5, 2016 Comments: 3

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

BC Team 3 Pathways Institute 1 Feb 5 2016 cropped

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

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

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

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

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

Alyse Braaten, Lesley Bonds

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

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

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

Jackie Khor, Odella Johnson

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

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

We are…..BC!

Engaging in Our Community: MLK Breakfast

Bakersfield College, Uncategorized January 30, 2016 Leave a comment

Photo by Karen Goh

Good Morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, January 30, 2016…..a good day to be a Renegade.

Martin_Luther_King_-_March_on_Washington

Picture from Wikipedia

We all have our traditions. One of mine is listening to Martin Luther King‘s I have a Dream speech (about 14 minutes long) on Martin Luther King day–this year on Jan 18th. Take a moment to listen to the speech and read his words here:

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”²

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

Early in his 1963 speech, Dr. King harkens back to Five score years ago, 1863, and Abraham Lincoln‘s short and powerful Gettysburg address.

Source: http://gettysburgaddress.civilwar.org/

Here it is:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Odella Johnson, Prima Arvizu. Photo: Karen Goh

Reggie Bolton, Vice Fong, Odella Johnson. Photo: Karen Goh

In Bakersfield there are several events that occur during Martin Luther King Day. More than 350 people poured into Bakersfield’s MLK Community Center Jan. 18th to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King, and further his message. Among those assembled, proud BC Renegades gathered to celebrate with local community leaders, and to offer support in striving for equity and justice.

The focus of the 10th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Award Breakfast was “enriching our millennium with future foot soldiers.” And that desire to stand shoulder to shoulder and further a noble cause was in full display during this wonderful event.

Marcus Duarte Smith and Fitzgerald Graves. Photo by Karen Goh

Following Mayor Harvey Hall’s opening proclamation, a unified rendition of the National Black Anthem and an incredible solo performance, Senior Pastor Reverend Dr. Vincent Karl Jones of the historic People’s Missionary Baptist Church of Bakersfield addressed the audience in a thought-provoking and inspiring speech.

Rev. Jones led the group to first grapple with the challenging political landscape that exists for many today, and then to reconcile those challenges with a call to action. The solution to the problems of today, he said, is oneness. With unity, communication, and love, Rev. Jones believes that even the most divisive of issues can resolve to a place of peace and understanding.

In closing, Rev. Jones refocused on Dr. King’s legacy of action and service. “It is our challenge,” Rev. Jones reminded the crowd, “to lead this nation beyond picking up trash in the community, but to a place where we stop trashing our community.” He exited the stage to a standing ovation and roaring applause.

Clarence Stephens, Photo by Karen Goh

The planning committee recognized several local community leaders for the work they do in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Multiple awardees are BC alumni, and we are fortunate to call awardee Clarence Stephens, a volunteer Assistant Coach for the BC women’s basketball team, one of our own! Clarence was recognized for his support of young athletes in the community.

Martin Luther King concluded his speech in the following way:

And this will be the day — this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

I am proud of our work at Bakersfield College, working with the community of Bakersfield, in our own way, letting freedom ring from Panorama Bluffs, through education and our work together, for we are speeding that day called for in Dr. King’s stirring words.

Let me wrap up with a Youtube video of My County Tis of Thee

Spring 2016 Opening Day: The Force is With…BC

Bakersfield College, Uncategorized January 23, 2016 Comments: 2

Good morning Bakersfield! It is Saturday, January 23, 2016…..a good day to be a Renegade.

It’s been a wild week here at BC. Of course, every time we start a new semester and welcome thousands of ready-to-roar Renegades back to campus, it’s a time of excitement, activity and barely contained chaos. We have approximately 7% more Full-Time Equivalent Students this spring compared to spring last year. It is a good time to be at BC!

Almost a month ago, on December 27th I did a blog on the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens http://bcpresidentblog.com/2015/12/27/a-holiday-blog/.

That led to a series of texts to Manny De Los Santos and Francis Mayer followed by phone calls to the creative team.

Did you spot the Sriracha?

So, the Creative Team made it all happen as fluidly as J.J. Abrams himself. From an idea fleshed out by Shannon Musser, Dylan Wang and Francis Meyer, BC’s videographer extraordinaire Manny de Los Santos, with his newly acquired drone, shot an amazing 3-minute short film to kick off Opening Day, bringing the entire world of Star Wars to the Bakersfield College campus.

Watch the Millennium Falcon take off and circle over 1801 Panorama Drive, the Imperial stormtroopers and R2-D2 strolling around campus, and the roar of Zav Dadabhoy aka Wookiee Chewbacca.

Put all that together — and you’ve got Spring Opening Day 2016. Looking out at the collected BC family in the Simonsen Performing Arts Center theater last week made it one of the best semester kickoffs we could have imagined. I received several emails appreciative of Opening Day. Here is one from Gayle Richardson or should I say Darth Richardson:

What an amazing start of a new semester! This is the start of my 69th semester at BC and I am a proud Renegade as I am certain you must know.

Kudos to those who magnificently presented the best Opening Day I have ever seen! I am hoping the live stream will be saved to a land not so far away in order for faculty to take bits and pieces to energize students. Big Smile!

Many years ago I was named “Darth Richardson” by students in 4 consecutive classes. It is a story, Sonya, that I would love to share with you in person.

As a new Star Wars fan, I can’t tell you how much fun it was to sit in Han Solo’s captain’s chair and fly the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs with my incredible crew — even if it was all just movie magic shot in our BC studio! But truly, all the work we have accomplished in such a short period of time is magic indeed.

Our Star Wars theme carried over as members of the BC team talked about some the amazing accomplishments we’ve achieved together in recent months. Here are the three videos:

Video 1:

Video 2:

Video 3:

Putting all the fun of droids and Jedis and Death Stars aside, Spring 2016 Opening Day also stands out for another important reason: the soft launch of The Renegade Promise. Mark your calendars, on April 29th, BC led by our SGA President Clayton Fowler will be ready to make the Renegade Promise officially to our community.

SGA Prez Clayton Fowler leading the Renegade Promise Team at Spring 2016 Opening Day

Students come to BC to expand their educational opportunities and turn that new-found knowledge toward a broader, more lucrative employment future. What often goes without saying is that our students and their families want the process to happen YESTERDAY and as President Fowler stated on Opening Day, he does not want to spend 6 years at BC to get a doctorate.

Well, we feel like it’s time to SAY it — we want you to move on too! As much as we love each and every BC student, Bakersfield College is committed to fulfilling the new Renegade Promise — assuring that every BC student attains their educational goals, graduates, or transfers as quickly as possible. All this without compromising the quality of learning that is our hallmark….the development of creativity, critical thinking and problem solving.

As a collective, the BC family is making the Renegade Promise a pledge to position students on a path to reach graduation or transfer requirements within our promised 60-credit window. Can this be done in two years? Of course this could happen if the responsibility is shared by BC and the student. BC by ensuring that the courses are available with the necessary academic support and the student committing to 15 credits per term. Now, if the student instead chooses to take 12 or 9 credits per term (remember, most of BC’s students work), it will mean the extension of the timeline for 60 credits from 2 years to perhaps three. Still a huge improvement. Now, should this “shared responsibility” extend to the community as well. Absolutely! The community has done an incredible job supporting education though providing internships and scholarships to help our students prepare for the workforce and quickly make progress on their educational pathways.

The Renegade Promise is a simple pledge…yet not always as simple to pull off as you may believe. Any number of delays, both personal and scholastic, can push a student off-course. Under the Renegade Promise, we’re all taking an active role in trying to foresee those delays for each student and chart pathways around those obstacles.

Top to bottom, Spring 2016 Opening Day was a tremendous day. Huge thank yous go out to several people, including my fellow presenters — SGA President Clayton Fowler, BC Campus Chair Ed Borgens, CSEA President Tina Johnson, Management Association President Sue Vaughn, Academic Senate President Steve Holmes.

Tine Johnson

Ed Borgens

Sue Vaughn

Steven Holmes

Also major thanks to the ushers, the logistics team and M&O team members who made the day happen so seamlessly! Francis it was such a treat to work with you. You have talent! and thank you to the fabulous red, my Obi-Wan Kenobi, R2D2, and Yoda–Princess Jennifer.

Logistics Team

Ushers

Princess Jennifer

Francis Mayer

To wrap up, I’d like to share my concluding remarks from Spring 2016 Opening Day:

Colleagues, we’re all instrumental in keeping Bakersfield College at the vanguard of local intellectual, cultural and economic vitality. As we continue to be accountable, and as we move the dial on student success, let us not forget that what makes life wonderful, rich and expansive is the little somethings that are not rational. It is the pure lightness that fills our hearts when we see the mountains at the far edges of the valley when the air is clear. Or the vibrations we feel when our drumline students perform in the gym. It is the excited text from Cindy Collier after the Deputy Sector Navigators visited our CTE program and her sense of pride in our faculty. Or what I experienced watching Liz Rozell at a breakfast keynote speaking about her life. It is hearing Nan talk about how we got the colors on a building wrong, or lamenting that the beautiful oleander bushes should not be trimmed down to resemble miniature poodles. Or noticing that my mentee from Shafter high who was stuck to me through the whole fall term is now a promising professional. It is the pride of Chef Sabella and team as they prepare a wonderful meal.

This is the essence of who we are as “humans in community.” This is the essence of BC. We impact each other in all we do. When we create the conditions to make our days rich with little somethings, we create the best environment for ourselves, for our colleagues, and for our students. This is the essence of our work to be accountable; but “little somethings” are the fundamentals of excellence.

I received an email from Matt Garrett on November 15, 2015. He wrote:

In 1945 Grace Bird’s message to the student body began by claiming the tune “You can be Better Than You Are” as the school theme song, and explained:

“Your College–your faculty and your student leaders–bring you opportunities to develop skills and enrich understanding. We ask you to bring your minds and your hearts. ‘In preference lies the root and essence of all excellence.’ Among the multitude of activities opened to you during the year, chose wisely.” –Grace Bird

Matt added that Grace Bird was quoting George Santayana’s essay “Value Irrational” found in his book titled “Little Essays” (1921), which prompted me to read this little gem. All three pages of it.

Here is an excerpt from the final paragraph that for me captures the little somethings that define our lives because they come from a deeper place of being:

Values spring from the immediate and inexplicable reaction of vital impulse, and from the irrational part of our nature. The rational part is by its essence relative; it leads us from data to conclusions, or from parts to wholes; it never furnishes the data with which it works. If any preference or precept were declared to be ultimate and primitive, it would thereby be declared to be irrational …

So colleagues, here’s to Spring 2016. A term of great rationality…. a term of data, and moving the dial, …… all this sprinkled with a great deal of irrationality and the little somethings that differentiate BC from the rest.

The Force is with…..BC!

We are….BC!

Check out the 12-minute photo roll video that Shannon put together as everyone was gathering in the indoor theater for Opening Day

BC Delano’s Coffee with a Cop: Bringing Police and Community Together

Bakersfield College January 16, 2016 Leave a comment

Jennifer Marden, Dylan Wang, Sonya Christian, Shannon Musser, Francis Mayer. Opening Day. Jan 15, 2016

Good morning Bakersfield. It is January 16, 2016.

We have launched another great semester at BC! Will blog about Opening Day next weekend after all the photos and videos come in. So make sure you tune in.

I’m recalling Spring 2015 when our opening day was at the Delano campus. It was just a wonderful event. Thank you Delano for the big white tent, the warm heaters and the amazing food. We also had two incredible leaders join us: Lynda Resnick and Guardie Banister. Thank you Trustee Romeo Agbalog for attending. Check out the photos gallery at

https://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/president/spring-2015-opening-day

Raquel Lopez

Rich McCrow, Trustee Romeo Agbalog

Liz Rozell, Guardie Banister, Sonya Christian

Leah Carter, Sonya Christian, Lynda Resnick

Speaking of Delano, let me showcase a recent event where our campus partnered with the Delano Police Department.

This is a difficult time to be a police officer. Regardless of where you stand on many of the complex issues and events that have pushed policing into the forefront of American conversation in recent months, it’s impossible not to have sympathy for the overwhelming majority of the men and women who serve and protect. They perform a vital service in an increasingly hostile and dangerous environment with a rapidly dwindling margin of error.

With law enforcement so under the microscope these days, the best way I can imagine to help soothe anger or distrust between police and their community is also the simplest — basic one-on-one communication. If you can help remove the fear, anxiety, power divide and amplified emotions that can happen when a cop and a community member interact, you’re really just left with two people talking as equals, the best grounds possible for mutual understanding and respect.

So it should come as no surprise that I was thrilled with the “Coffee with a Cop” event held on BC’s Delano campus a few weeks ago.

Coordinated between Delano Police, BC’s Rural Initiatives Program Manager Gustavo Enriquez and Delano campus Director Rich McCrow, Coffee with a Cop was just what it sounds like — a chance for BC Delano students and staff to grab a cup of coffee and a donut and speak casually with a handful of engaged, open and community-minded Delano police officers.

There were no speeches or big presentations and nothing by way of a structured agenda. For two hours, students and faculty simply streamed into the campus’ main lobby area, enjoyed a morning pick-me-up and got a chance to meet and really talk with four of Delano Police’s finest in a casual, informal setting.

Attendance was great and everyone involved said they were very appreciative for the chance to just get together, hang out and talk on a personal level to these fine young men.

We all know that coffee and conversation isn’t by itself a quick fix for concerns that people may have. But any single step, even a modest one like Coffee with a Cop, is progress toward building trust. Toward building community.

A huge thank you to Delano Police Chief Mark DeRosia and his fine cadre of officers as well as Gustavo and Rich for pulling this fantastic event together! Delano Rocks! The Fore is with…BC!