Good morning Bakersfield.  

It is Saturday, February 17, 2018….anticipating SpaceX’s first Falcon Heavy west coast launch (the best of times) and the week when 17 individuals were shot dead in Florida (the worst of times).

Let’s take a moment to go back and see their faces and read about them.  Here are two of those beautiful faces — Alaina Petty (14) and Peter Wang (15) from the cnn.com website

For more: https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/15/us/florida-shooting-victims-school/index.html

 

Lincoln Day

Yesterday, campus was quiet as we’re celebrating Presidents Weekend. I recently came across this great article by William Lambers about bringing back the Lincoln Friendship Train to help feed starving countries. He says “Peace and freedom cannot be founded on empty stomachs.”

It brought to mind how lucky we are at Bakersfield College to have the Renegade Pantry. The Renegade Pantry focuses on alleviating food insecurity, hunger and poverty among BC Students. Just another reminder of why I am so proud of Bakersfield College and why I’m the luckiest and happiest college president ever.

Read William Lambers’ We Need Abraham Lincoln’s Friendship Train again article.

Valentines Day Performances on campus

Students from BC’s Performing Arts classes delivered a special theatrical production for Valentine’s Day in the Campus Center. Such a treat.  Have I mentioned yet that I’m the luckiest and happiest college president ever?

See all the photos of the lovely performances at BC’s Smugmug.

Engineer It, Girl!

The Engineering Girl event was well received, a fantastic program promoting engineering for girls ages 4-6. The event is hosted through Valley Public Broadcasting Service (VPBS) located in Fresno and by Engineering for kids of Kern County.

February 10, 2018 was one of the two days this will be hosted at BC. The second day will be on May 10, 2018 that will offer projects in all types of engineering. MESA was a volunteer partner along with other entities. Our MESA students volunteer assisting in the environmental engineering project for over 100 attendees. MESA had over 8 volunteers helping promote engineering to little girls and the next generation of engineers.

After the event, Suzanne Galindo, from the KCCD District Office sent an email of appreciation for the event and said how much her granddaughter and friend loved it.

Industrial Automation Info Sessions Coming Up

BC is hosting three public events at the end of February for members of the community to learn more about our Baccalaureate Degree in Industrial Automation.

Students in the Industrial Automation program, which teaches the design, operation and management of automated machinery used in manufacturing and agricultural production, are able to graduate with a four-year degree that prepares them for a career in a high-paying, high-demand field. The sessions will be held on February 20th at 1 p.m. in SE 56, February 24th at 10 a.m. in SE 46, and February 27th at 6 p.m. in SE 46.

Thank you to both KGET and 23ABC for mentioning these upcoming sessions.

We’re excited to have our first-ever Baccalaureate students in Industrial Automation walk across the stage during our 104th Commencement ceremony this May.

BC Fight Song Remastered

On Thursday morning, members of famed local band Mento Buru were on campus to record the voice track to the updated version of the BC Fight Song. Matt Munoz, Cesareo Garasa and Jay Smith of Mento Buru joined Commercial Music Professor Josh Ottom’s class and collaborated on the vocals. Josh Ottom used the session as a lab for the class. Matt Munoz came to the Foundation in June with the concept to revive the BC Fight Song and after much research from the Archive Department, General Counsel Chris Hine, Chancellor Tom Burke and others, the project received the green light just prior to TailGade in October. The instrument tracks were laid down in December with Josh Ottom’s help. Keep your ears open for the new and improved BC Fight Song in the near future…Fight, Fight, Fight!!!

See all the photos from the afternoon on BC’s Smugmug.

BC Adult Education

The first issue of BC’s Adult Education Newsletter was released this week. It’s so wonderful to hear the fantastic things happening to empower our adult students. The Bakersfield College Adult Education program  serves students in North and South Kern
County in collaboration with local adult schools, and in various locations such Delano, Wasco, and McFarland adult schools, and most recently, the Bakersfield Adult School (BAS). The newsletter is available on BC’s Website. 

Special thank you to Endee Grijalva and the whole Adult Education Team. #WeareBC!

Recognizing BC Art Faculty

It’s always exciting to share stories that highlight BC’s talented faculty. During the weekend of January 26, 27 and 28, David Koeth participated in the stARTup Art Fair in Venice Beach. David tells me that while art fairs are not a new concept, they are a great community alternate to showing work in a gallery. Most art fairs require the artist to be represented by a gallery but stARTup is juried and intended for artists who are independent of the gallery system. To be nominated, David had to submit a portfolio of his work to be shown to a select panel of judges to decide on which artists would be invited.

This year stARTup took place at the Kinney, and each artist had a room that was then transformed into a gallery space for the duration of the fair which was well attended, with hundreds of visitors from the public coming to the event space. David showed two pieces of art called “Citrus Series” and “Drought Series”.

You can see his art on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/koethart and also on his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkoeth/

This event provided opportunity both for art buyers and curators to view his artwork, as well as to engage with the art community.

Nano Rubio

Another BC faculty also recently showed pieces at an different art show. Nano Rubio, an adjunct instructor of Art at Bakersfield College, was recently invited to include his work in the LA Art Show. This show was held at the LA Convention Center as part of a group show titled Eyes Forward, and was curated by LaunchLA Gallery in partnership with the California African American Museum. The group show included artists April Bey, June Edmonds, Duane Paul, Ana Rodriguez, Holly Tempo, Chukes, Loren Holland, Miles Regis, and Tim Washington.  Work at the Show also included master works from Monet, Picasso, Chagall and many others. To celebrate diversity the LA Art Show worked with local and international museum curators and galleries to develop innovative programs, engaging dialog and showing cutting-edge exhibitions with an ecumenical resonance.

Rubio brings his work to students at BC and at the Kern High School District and says, “I share my professional experiences with students to show them that the profession of being an Artist in the 21st Century is very much alive and has room for more voices.”

Gadfly Cafe

Engaging student experiences is one of the highlights of being a student at BC. Philosophy Professor, Reggie Williams hosted his first installment of this year, Gadfly Café, with War: Causes, Consequences, and Costs as the topic.

The hour-long, round table discussion this past Wednesday, February 14th, was jam-packed with a fun, diverse crowd that included students, faculty and staff, of all ages and backgrounds, and not afraid to voice their opinions when called on.

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Conversation kicked off with an eye-opening statement. “Did you all know, that during the last century, 100 years, from all the War’s during this time frame, that there were 123 million total deaths caused from these wars alone?”

Hands went up and the conversation  lively. Thank you to Professor Reggie Williams for hosting this discussion and for all the BC’s students, staff and faculty for participating. Mark your calendar for the next Gadfly Café event on Wednesday, 3/14/2018 with the topic of Truth: Objective, Invented, and Esteemed.

Jack Hernandez

BC’s Jack Hernandez has a published piece in the Community Voices section of The Californian. You can see it online, “The Parable of the good cake baker with a clear conscience.”

BC Superstar, Connie Gonzales

Connie Gonzales was recently featured on Univision to share the exiting news that MESA’s STEM and Pre-Health Conference is returning for a second year to the BC Campus on March 3rd, from 8 am to 2 pm.

The interview was in Spanish, and she’s proud to promote STEM among the Spanish speaking community, inviting them to come to BC and get exposure to different STEM careers with this conference.

The conference is a joint effort with UCLA and other industry partners. Interested in learning more or getting tickets? visit the Eventbrite page for more.

Bakersfield DBA State of Downtown

On Thursday morning, I attended the Bakersfield DBA Breakfast as a guest of Bob Bell. (Thank you Bob for the invitation.) At our table was Bill Thomas, Shannon Grove and several individuals from the City of Bakersfield.  Here is a picture of the team with Mayor Karen Goh.  Thank you Mayor Goh for posting great pictures celebrating the people of Bakersfield.  I snagged many of them for my blog 🙂

I sat near Dianne Hoover, director for Bakersfield Parks and Rec.   I am so thankful for the investment in parks in Bakersfield.  I told Dianne that the first thing I noticed when I returned five years ago after a 10-year stint in Oregon was the investment in parks.  I use them so many times a week.  It is a critical component of healthy communities.

It’s exciting to hear the plans to revitalize our city and the downtown district. So much care and love is being poured into our downtown area so local community, businesses and development can thrive. Robert Price covered the morning in-depth in his article, “At DBA breakfeast, nothing but good news about downtown’s growth.”

Also, the City of Bakersfield is considering a Property-based Business Improvement District (PBID) for parts of downtown Bakersfield.  Bakersfield Colelge’s Weill Institute and the KCCD District Office will be included in the PBID and our Chief Finance Office Debbie Martin is a member of the Steering Committee.

For more information check out: http://bakersfielddbdc.com/downtown-bakersfield-property-based-business-improvement-district-2/

KC Career Expo Happening Next Week!

On February 22, 2018, join us for a night of Career Exploration and Educational Programs that will give you an opportunity to learn the expectations, work ethic, certificates and degrees needed to join the workforce. Speak directly with over 100 Kern County Employers from different industry sectors and engage with activities that will help you decide what career is right for you! Don’t forget! The Event is February 22, 2018, 4:30-7:30 pm at Rabobank Arena & Convention Center.

Renegade Athletics

Jon Mettus of The Bakersfield Californian did a nice article on BC’s Spring Sports.
Check it out here: https://tinyurl.com/ybvn25no

Fun pictures:

Welcoming Baby Leo.  Mom Prof. Ximena Da Silva Tavares and baby are doing well.

As I was heading back from the cafeteria having picked up some chicken strips for lunch, I saw a lot of activity in the campus center with Julian West, Lisa Ken and Steve Watkin.  I so enjoyed it and snapped this picture.

 

Loved this selfie that Liz Rozell took with Horace Mitchell at the Chamber’s Leadership Bakersfield Education Day.

Liz Rozell joined colleagues from CSUB, University of LaVerne, Point Loma University, and  Wonderful Education to discuss trends in education with participants in the Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce Leadership program. It was an honor to speak with Horace Mitchell, CSUB President who is retiring at the end of this academic year. John Nikon, CSUB Trustee, moderated the event. And Heather Pennella, who is a member of the Leadership Bakersfield Class of 2018, cheered the team along.

Thank you Heather Pennella for this photo of the group of presenters

On twitter, here is a post from Dr. Joe Saldivar with his premed students visiting Geffen Med School at UCLA

 

@sonyachristian @BAKcollege #bcpremed students had a great time visiting #ucla Geffen Med School #futuredoctor

March 10 – Monty Byrum and Lydia Ranger – Buy your tickets now and support our choir!

Get your tickets now for an incredible night of collaborative music between some of Bakersfield’s finest musicians. Local celebrities Monty Byrom and Lydia Ranger are coming together with the BC Chamber Singers to perform in a benefit concert at the Music Hall of Fame.

The concert will assist the Chamber Singers with their final fundraising effort for their tour to Australia(!), where they will perform in the Sydney Opera House this coming July.

It promises to be a great evening of music and for such a good cause. Mark your calendar now! March 10 at 5 pm and 7:30 pm. The 5 pm concert tickets are $35 and the 7:30 pm concert tickets are $50-$100. Tickets can be purchased at the Music Hall of Fame website www.musichalloffame.com or by calling or emailing Courtney Carter at the BC Foundation at 395-4800 or courtney.carter@bakersfieldcollege.edu. Come enjoy the music and support the BC Chamber Singers.

Here is a post from Jen Garrett on FAcebook:

Today is a day I will always remember. I conducted the finest performance of my career with the hard working choir I’ve ever had the privilege of conducting.

We auditioned and were selected last year to be one of the performing choirs at the California All State Music educators conference in San Jose. This is a great honor and we wanted to bring our best.

Come on out to the William M. Thomas Planetarium

Here is an exerpt from Dr. Nick Strobel’s article in today’s Californian

Thursday was the first show of the William M. Thomas Planetarium’s spring lineup as “Black Holes” played to an audience eager to see a beautiful star field with the Goto Chronos projector and take a flight through the Milky Way into the supermassive black hole at the center. This coming Thursday is “Supervolcanoes,” which after a tour of the night sky will explain what happens in the most powerful eruptions on Earth (thousands of times more powerful than Mt St Helens). Supervolcanoes put so much ash, gases and other material into the atmosphere that they can cause global mass extinctions through the very dramatic climates changes. Fortunately, these types of eruptions are rare!

Read the whole piece at: https://tinyurl.com/y7twehos

Took Neo to work yesterday since the campus was closed.  Here we are checking out the Future Home of the Veterans Resource Center.  He is 11 months old today, February 17, 2018 and weighs 85 lbs.  Can’t wait for his first birthday on March 17th.

Was happy to see Coach Bob Covey when he stopped by the office

 

That’s all for now.  

Until next time.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.  

sonya —
the luckiest and happiest college president ever