Measure J

Tag Archives: Measure J

Our BC family gives to the community!

Uncategorized November 6, 2016 Comments: 4

Have you voted yet? And did you vote Yes on Measure J? #MeasureJ 🙂

I did vote on October 30th, a rainy Sunday morning and then dropped off my ballot at the Post Office. Here is my proof!

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, November 5, 2016…..A great day to be a Renegade.

This past week was busy on campus with many events including Vet Fest, the Levan Faculty Colloquim, a special FCDC meeting where faculty positions for next year were presented as well as a quick trip to Orange County to present the work on California Guided Pathways at the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges Fall Plenary. In addition, the Campaign Head Quarters for Measure J was buzzing with activity as the volunteers were shifting gears to the last lap of this marathon. Four more days to November 8th!

Here we have Prof. Harlan Hunter volunteering his time to lead a team of volunteers to promote Measure J.

So proud of our faculty, staff and students:

Paula Parks and ASTEP:

BC’s ASTEP Program, under the leadership of Prof. Paula Parka, won first place in the Black365 Knowledge Bowl! Just phenomenal.

Parks says on Facebook:

My students studied their Black history!!! #umojaconf All the ASTEP Umoja students in attendance cheered our team to victory! They all make me so proud!!

Anna Poetker and the Levan Faculty Colloquim:

Anna Poetker, Susan Pinza

Philosophy professor Dr. Anna Poetker presented her research findings on her work with undocumented students at Bakersfield College at the Norm Levan Faculty Colloquium (the longest running program of the Levan Center). Her talk The Struggles and Success of Undocumented Latino/a College Students on Friday, November 4th was a combination of the theoretical background of the philosophical and psychological foundations of the problems facing undocumented students, personal stories told to her by her undocumented students, and practical ways we can support our undocumented students.

Nick Strobel emailed me:

She gave us the mental framework of the process undocumented college students go through in forming their own identity—“self authorship”. In some ways it is like the maturing process we all go through as we transition from learning values and identity from our family and society as children and then constructing our own identity as young adults in late high school and early college years. However, the consequences for undocumented students can be much more significant for our undocumented students because they are “sewn with two threads” (as one student put it).

They entered this country as very young children, so their values and background are primarily of the United States with a more distant familial connection to the country they came from, but they are not citizens of the U.S. with all the rights thereof. The undocumented students can face strong negative pressures against going to college from society and even from their own families. As young adults, the undocumented students that Anna shared stories about had gone through the phase of tearing down/blasting away the externally constructed identity shaped by the society and family and then constructing their own identity internally from within.

There are practical ways we can support these students. It starts with acknowledging them and their special needs as undocumented students, being supportive with even something as simple as a smile and listening ear, and letting them know about the resources and rights given to them through the California Dream Act and DACA for attending college and remaining in the U.S.

Alex Gomez prepared a nice spread of Mexican food for attendees to enjoy after the talk.

For more about what BC is doing to support our undocumented students see https://bcdreamers.wordpress.com and https://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/president/project-dream-act .

For more about the Faculty Colloquium series, see https://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/levancenter/programs#colloquia. The Faculty Colloquium committee needs nominations from faculty for faculty who have done research on interesting topics and would

be good speakers. Contact Susan Pinza with your suggestions.

Flu Shots

According to the CDC, the “flu season” can begin as early as October and last until May. During these months, the flu viruses circulate at a higher rate and an annual flu vaccine is the best way to reduce chances of catching the flu and spreading it to others. Students and faculty from BC’s Allied Health provided free flu shots to BC students and staff on Tuesday morning at the Collins Conference Center. Way to go BC!

Student Volunteers at Allensworth Park

Every year, the volunteer coordinator for the CA State Parks invites BC students to a one-day volunteer event at Allensworth State Historic Park. Not only is this a great way to give back, but students also learn about the amazing Colonel Allensworth State Park, tour of the park, and a chance to talk to park Rangers.

This year, they had two groups since so many students wanted to attend. One group dusted the insides of historic homes and the other painted a historic house. Pictured above are BC students Andrea Moreno, Salvador Murillo, Krista Nolan, Payton Brandon, and Mitchell Switalki with the park ranger.

Alongside these students, many others also volunteered. It’s great to know so many of our students are getting involved, helping out, volunteering, and learning about local history!

Thank you to Erin Miller and Krista Moreland for helping to facilitate these great experiences!

Vet Fest at BC!

Veterans Day is a reminder of the price paid for the liberties we enjoy, but it’s also time to reflect on the burden we all share in ensuring our future generations enjoy those same freedoms. We must never forget that it is the strength of our armed forces that has brought us to this point, and it is the strength that will continue to ensure peace.

Between now and Veterans Day on November 11^th, people throughout America will gather to remember and give thanks to those who have served in our armed forces. But at Bakersfield College, our veterans are our family… you are our friends, classmates, students, staff, and faculty. Today we honor you and we thank you for your courage, strength, and soul.

Thank you to all of our speakers and guests, especially Supervisor Leticia Perez for her generosity and her commitment to Bakersfield College and to our student veterans. Our keynote speaker JR Browning was fabulous. A copy of JR Browning’s speech is available here.

You can see more photos in our online gallery at https://bakersfieldcollege.smugmug.com/Vet-fest.

Thank you to KGET for the coverage http://www.kerngoldenempire.com/news/vet-fest-returns-today-at-bakersfield-college

Check out my blog on last year’s Vet Fest.

http://tinyurl.com/hg3rmjj

The Kern Housing Authority

I attended the fundraising gala put on by the Kern Housing Authority and Norma Rojas-Mora. This is a great organization that does great things for our community. Here are a few pictures from the event.

Row 1: Here I am with friends of Measure J and friends of Bakersfield College. NaTesha Johnson, Nicole Parra and Karen Goh.

Row 2: Selfies with Norma Rojas-Mora and Andrea Navarro a culinary graduate of Bakersfield College. Andrea is currently working at the Padre and reminder me that she taught me the right way to cut vegetables.

natesha-sonya-karen-nov-4-2016-kern-housisng-authority-gala

nicole-sonya-karen-kern-housing-authority-nov-4-2016

norma-rojas-mora-and-sonya-christian-at-kern-housing-authority-nov-4-2016

sonya-christian-andrea-navarro-nov-4-2016

A little something:

When this note from Professor Dave Neville found its way to my desk on Wednesday afternoon with its attached project, I just knew I had to share it with you. It says, “Could you find an appropriate time to return this project that Lesley did as a student for my Spanish 2 class at North High School. I was going through papers that I had saved as prime examples of student work and came across this.”

David Neville

Lesley Bonds

I should add that Lesley Bonds is our director of Student Success and Equity and she’s a graduate of North High, right here in Bakersfield.

The highly educational story that Lesley wrote as a high school student follows a girl named Rosa who accidentally cut herself while running with a knife. Rosa’s doctor could not save her and her friends and brother were very, very sad. Throughout the rest of the story, Juan decides to educate other children about knife safety and he even takes the steps necessary to make his own kitchen safer for his little boy. You can see in the end, the child cries because the knife drawer is locked, but grows up to be a strong and healthy young man.

Our professors at BC are great people who go the extra mile to let our students, past and present, know that they care… and that’s only one reason why I love this story. BC is Bakersfield… our staff, faculty, and administration love this community. We are Bakersfield and… We are BC!

Also wanted to do a quick shout out to Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Tracy Hall, deans, and Faculty Chairs and Directors who do a phenomenal job every day making sure we have the classes available to our students and also making sure that our students are successful in those classes. Here are two pictures from the FCDC meeting on Friday, Nov 4th, where the chairs were presenting their requests for faculty positions. Thank you Corny Rodriguez for getting me these photos. And thank you FCDC!

fcdc-nov-4-2016-presenting-fauclty-positions

Measure J support continues:

As we continue with the campaign for Measure J (#MeasureJ), I want to thank our volunteers for this week:

October 30: Cynthia Munoz, Maria Wright, Jamal Wright, Steve Waller, Ramona Benavidez, Tom Gelder, Dana Heins-Gelder, Ivan Valdez, Marisa Marquez, and Kaylana Demmin.

October 31: Stephen Waller, Steve Watkin, Emmanuel Mourtzanos, Todd Coston, Michelle Pena, Jennifer Achan, Sandi Taylor, Liz Rozell, Corny Rodriguez, Janet Fulks, Shannon Musser, Nicky Damania, Lesley Bonds, Zav Dadabhoy, Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Tom Gelder, Bill Potter, Shanell Tyus, Maria Wright, Sarah Baron, Ivan Valdez, Rob Parsons, David Koeth, Paul Beckworth, Nick Strobel, Loy Salarda, and Laura Longo.

November 1: Jackie Lau, Michelle Pena, Todd Coston, Isabel Stierle, Christine Saldivar, Joe Saldivar, Dena Rhoades, Terri Goldstein, Grace Commiso, Heather Skibinski, Ivan Valadez, Kathy Howarth, Manny Mourtzanos, Zav Dadabhoy, Steve Watkin and Stephen Waller.

November 2: Eileen Pierce, Kaitlyn Kirkland, Alexa Rivera, Chris Cruz, Felicia Scott, Maria Wright, Ivan Valadez, Savannah Andrews, Manuel Muralles, Claudio Felix, Brian Nava, Russel Tetzschner, Randi Tetzschner, Danny Verdugo, Debi Anderson, Raul Leon, Shanell Tyus, Marshall Compton, Loy Salarda, Alberto Munoz, Juan Cillarreal, Cain Perez, Connor Turner, Jorge Reyes, Juan Hernandez, Ashlea Ward, Edwin Bernal, Carlos Melendez, Lokai Borthel, Reese Weltman, Edgeir Morcio, Julia Crayton, Josie Guillen, Carlos Barbaran, Heidi Forsyth, Lori Williams, Jose Chavez, Tom Gelder, Kalina Hill, Jackie Brouillette, Steven Watkin, Chris McCraw, Greg Cluff, Heather Baltis, Araceli Navarro, Bill Kelly, Tracy Lovelace, Janet Thomas, Lindsay Ono, and Steve Waller.

November 3: Yadira Guerrero, Gabriel Torres, Brigid Mady, Josh Shackleford, Tom Gelder, Evette Lara, Jackie Lau, Salvador Gomez, John Means, Steve Waller, Paul Beckworth, Grace Commiso, Cristian Gutierrez, Valerie Robinson, Ivan Valadez, Rob Parsons, Chris Cruz, Shanell Tyus, Manuel Muralles, Kristina Whitmore, Todd Coston, Ashlea Ward, Steven Watkin, Terri Goldstein, Maria Wright, John Means, Matt Frazer, and Lawrence Salardo.

November 4: Todd Coston, Carlos Barbaran, Evette Lara, Matt Frazer, Pedro Ramirez, Keesha Collins, Danyel Owens, Paulette Rodriguez, Peter Rodriguez, Emmanuel Limaco, Nicky Damania, Chris Glaser, Lesley Bonds, Sam Moreno, Heidi Allison, Bob Allison, Shanice Watson, Dalton Jones, Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Zav Dadabhoy, and Rob Parsons.

Community Voices in the Bakersfield Californian

The support we have received in recent months for Measure J (#MeasureJ) has been spectacular and we’re on a four day countdown to when our community decides whether to invest in the future of the Kern Community College District, including BC’s campus, infrastructure, our mission, vision, and values.

Here are two Community Voices pieces that were published this last week and one letter to the editor.

November 1, 2016. Measure J will help those working in the field by Professor Oliver Rosales. Check out his piece in the Bakersfield Californian.

Here are a few excerpts:

There are tremendous needs in this community and, conversely, tremendous opportunities for making a real impact on people’s lives. I have always enjoyed challenges. Delano is a challenge for Bakersfield College. That’s why the center was built in the first place: to educate the children of farm workers. It is a campus center in the middle of the fields, surrounded by high levels of poverty, poor health outcomes, and low educational attainment.

BC Delano is also surrounded, though, by fields of dreams. My Delano students are the reason I love going to work every day. They ground me and keep me content, “working in the fields” every day as I jokingly tell my wife…

Rosales concludes:

Measure J expands opportunities to teach students of the field. The Bakersfield College Delano campus has been around for more than four decades, first located on Randolph Street (now the Wonderful Academy) and now located west of Highway 99 next to Robert Kennedy High School. Measure J will expand the BC Delano campus by developing additional physical space for students to study, collaborate with faculty, and learn. It is not far-fetched to say that students at BC Delano literally study in the fields.

Let’s pass Measure J and continue to give them the opportunity to dream big and change their communities for the better for decades to come.

November 2, 2016: The Bakersfield Californian published Measure J supports a long-held community vision (#Measure J) by Sonya Christian 🙂

Check out the web version at http://tinyurl.com/h2m3f8o.

Here is an excerpt

In the early 1900s, our people had a dream, a shared goal and a vision, to make the Central Valley a place of opportunity and unbelievable growth, and they did it. In 1913, a then-isolated and relatively small community decided to open a college campus that initially served only 13 students. …..

and another excerpt

In the 1950s, a forward-thinking generation of leaders had the awareness that Bakersfield and our neighboring cities would continue to grow. Because of this demand, the decision was made to grow the college, and by 1956, Bakersfield College up on the hill was ready. This was a forward looking campus designed with modern architecture and state-of-the-art education…..

and a third excerpt

Today, our generation is at a pivotal point. We are facing a challenge to prepare and provide for the next 50 years of growth and evolving education. In the 1950s, that generation of leaders had the courage and foresight to make the investments that have paved the way for strengthening our community. Now it is up to us; it’s our turn to look forward.

and I conclude with:

Let your name be listed alongside, for your children and grandchildren, who, when they look through the historic archives, will say, yes, my parent or grandparent was one of the leaders who look care of me and our community.

I ask you to vote yes on Measure J.

November 3, 2016. Letter to the Editor. Yes on J: Local Health Care needs Educated Workforce by Gitest Patel.

November 4, 2016. BC is community’s ears, ears; but what about bones? by David Torres

Check out the full article at http://tinyurl.com/gsafm5r

Here are a few excerpts:

Every day, I see where our community struggles, but more often, I see where it comes together and succeeds. Often, the nexus of that success emanates from our area’s community college: Bakersfield College.

I am a father of five and four of my children have attended BC. Two of my daughters earned their AA degrees at BC. Another started college their before transferring to CSUB and one is currently attending BC in order to satisfy requirements for entrance into medical school. I am also a veteran, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. I have seen first-hand the innovative ways that BC interacts with its vets and supports their success. BC means a great deal to me and to our community…..

I see the students of Bakersfield College as the eyes and ears of the institution: they see and hear, they learn. The faculty is the heart of BC.

What about the body, the bones? The infrastructure of BC’s campus overlooking the bluffs is 60 years old and it’s starting to show. Put another way, 21st Century learning can’t happen in mid-century facilities. Just think of the advances in architecture, building construction, disability access, and learning technology that have been introduced in the last 50 years.

Our community’s college is in dire need of replenishment, and the time to provide that is now. Measure J, on the Nov. 8 ballot, is the best, most direct way to provide BC with the badly needed funds to carry this venerable, cherished community institution further into the 21st Century.

I urge you support the many needs of our community and the success of your children and neighbors. Join me in voting yes on Measure J.

Thank you to all who have shared your opinions and voices with the community!

List of endorsements for Measure J:

Over 2000 individuals have endorsed Measure J.

Here are a few

Cathy Abernathy, Cathy Abernathy Consultants
Romeo Agbalog, KCCD Trustee
Joe Aguirre, Former Delano Mayor
Dennis Beebe, KCCD Trustee
Sue Benham, Former Bakersfield City Council Member
Kevin Burton, President, SJCH Foundation
Kyle Carter, Bakersfield Mayoral Candidate/KCCD Trustee
Ricardo Chavez, Delano Mayor
John Corkins, KCCD Trustee
Stephanie Cortez, Porterville Chamber of Commerce CEO/President
David Couch, Kern County Supervisor
Ed Davis, S&E Farms
Robert de la Rosa, Ola Raza Director
Jose Flores, Arvin Mayor
Fran Florez, Shafter City Council Member
Mick Gleason, Kern County Supervisor
Karen Goh, Bakersfield Mayoral Candidate
Doug Greener, Bakersfield Fire Chief
Shannon Grove, California State Assembly Member
Jose Gurrola, Arvin City Council Member
Virginia Gurrola, Porterville Councilwoman
Harvey Hall, Bakersfield Mayor
Cam Hamilton, Porterville Vice Mayor
Harold Hanson, Bakersfield Vice Mayor
Chad Hathaway, Hathaway LLC
Ruben Hill, Delano City Council Member
JP Lake, Rain for Rent
Pauline Larwood, Former KCCD Trustee/
Kern County Supervisor
January Lau, January & Associates
Mike Maggard, Kern County Supervisor
Terry Maxwell, Bakersfield City Council Member
Michelle McLean, Arvin Union School District Superintendent
Kay Meek, KCCD Trustee
Liz Morris, Delano City Council Member
Arnold Morrison, DJUHS Board Member
Steve Murray, Murray Family Farms
Chris Parlier, Bakersfield City Council Member
Nicole Parra, Former California State Assembly Member
Ruben Pascual, Delano City Council Member
Leticia Perez, Kern County Supervisor
Christy Porter, Jasmine Cetner Inc.
Leticia Prado, Lamont Water District Member
Fred Prince, Omega Financial & Insurance Services
Janet Rabanal, Delano Chamber of Commerce Director
Rosalina Rivera, Delano Union Elementary School District Superintendent
Willie Rivera, Bakersfield City Council Member
Jazmine Robles, Arvin City Council Membre
Rudy Salas, California State Assembly Member
Mary K. Shell, Former Bakersfield Mayor & County Supervisor
Bob Smith, Bakersfield City Council Member
Mark Storch, KCCD Trustee
Milt Stowe, Porterville Mayor
Jay Tamsi, Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President
Rob Taylor, Stafford’s Chocolates
Bill Thomas, Retired U.S. Congressman, KCCD Trustee
Grace Vallejo, Delano City Council Member
Jon Van Boening, Dignity Health
Greg Williamson, Bakersfield Police Department Chief
Keith Wolaridge, Panama Buena Vista Union Trustee
Dr. James Young, Retired KCCD Chancellor
Donny Youngblood, Kern County Sheriff
Milt Younger, Attorney
Mark Zaninovich, Sunview Vineyards

Here are some organizations that have endorsed Measure J:

The Bakersfield Californian
Bakersfield City Firefighters Association
Bakersfield College Alumni Association
Bakersfield Downtown Business Association
Building4SUCCESS Inc
California City Chamber of Commerce
California Teachers Association
Chevron
Delano Camber of Commerce
Democratic Women of Kern
Dolores Huerta Foundation
Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce
Greater Tehachapi Economic Development Council
KCCD California School Employees Association
KCCD Community College Association
KCCD Management Association
Kern Agriculture Foundation
Kern County Black Chamber of Commerce
Kern County Democratic Party
Kern County Farm Bureau
Kern County Firefighters Union
Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Kern County Young Republicans (PAC)
Kern Economic Development Corporation
Kern Taxpayers Association
Latina Leaders of Kern County
Murray Family Farms
Ola Raza
Porterville Democratic Club
RA Johnsfam
Renegade Helmet Club
Sikh Women’s Association of Kern County
Veterans of Foreign Wars District #6
Veterans of Foreign Wars #97
Wendale Davis Foundation

4 more days Bakersfield!

November 8^th is an important day – make sure your voice counts. To find your nearest polling location, visit http://elections.co.kern.ca.us/elections/Voterinfo/Address.asp

Here is a video that the Bakersfield College Student Government Association (BCSGA) under the leadership of President Matthew Frazer created to Get Out the Vote! Check it out.

And let’s make sure we follow the advice of Mayor Harvey Hall and retired Congressman Bill Thomas.

There’s so much to celebrate and it’s a great time to be at BC!

That’s all for now.

Until next week.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya — the luckiest and happiest college president ever

Moments that take our breath away!

Uncategorized October 29, 2016 Comments: 3

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, October 29th and a great day to be a Renegade!

Let me start by having you get instructions from Nick Strobel on how to fill out your ballot.

This was one of those weeks of hard focused work, very little sleep and moments of great joy. Yes….joy! Sometimes words don’t seem enough to accurately describe how uplifting and inspiring the campus can be. There are times – daily and even multiple times a day – when in the middle of a busy day I witness spectacular BC students making a difference and sharing their talents with the world around them.

Wednesday afternoon was one of those moments. I was in my weekly meeting, in my office, with the Academic Senate President, Steve Holmes and Executive Vice President of Instruction, Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg when Tracy Hall opened the door and said “you must see this.” Through the open door, in the quad enclosure I saw our choir students gathered and two of them with drums, seated on the ground. Dr. Jen Garrett, their music director was having them rehearse by performing in different parts of the campus. Their song had a haunting melody with strong, forceful yet sad rhythmic drumming sounds. The voices of the students were pure and sweet, and floated through the afternoon air of the college. Students and staff gathered around, captivated by the one song that they performed. Don’t you want to be on this campus filled with moments that take your breath away?

Life Is Not Measured By the Number of Breaths We Take, But By the Moments That Take Our Breath Away

It’s moments like these are the most inspiring and uplifting and they are one reason why… I’m the happiest and luckiest college president in the world.

Did you pay attention to each of those faces standing in an arc facing Jen? Our students are just spectacular… They are complex and diverse in their interests and what drives them. They each strive daily to overcome different and unique challenges, yet they always come together as one communal collegiate spirit that continues to be the heart of our campus. These incredible students are the center of all that we do. They are our future and together, we are BC!

Here is another moment that took my breath away…. Students from our soccer team volunteered for phone banking on Wednesday, October 26th. I was wondering if these young men would indeed do phone banking and I was hugely surprised and teary-eyed as I wandered around the second floor seeing them sprawled out fully engaged in making phone calls, while having fun, horsing around and finishing the pizza. We had to order three more pizzas that night 🙂 Nicky Damania did a short video with four of our student soccer players. Coach Vayron Martinez is indeed the man!

Coach Vayron Martinez and Janet Tarjan

Nick Strobel, Brenda Silva, Asha Chandy

Seth Nedever; Jack, Eileen, Cathy Pierce

Jazz at BC

On Sunday, October 23rd, Transylvanian born, NYC-based pianist LUCIAN BAN and American violist and Grammy nominee MAT MANERI performed material from their award winning 2013 ECM release Transylvanian Concert, as well as premiering new compositions, and performing interpretations of Romanian traditional music, and the music of George Enescu in the context of contemporary jazz and improvisation.

Kris Tiner, thank you!

BC at ASCCC!

Got this wonderful picture from Corny Rodriguez with Lynn Krausse and Mike Ivey. They are attending ASCCC meeting on Faculty Qualifications and Equivalency.

Come join us for Vet Fest 2016 on Wednesday, November 2nd at 9:30 a.m.

Trustee Kay Meek at last year’s vetfest

Enlisting in the service is a very big decision for anyone to make but for those who do, and many who lose their lives we give thanks. After returning from service, many veterans go back to school to complete their certificates, or access job training. Bakersfield College’s Veteran Resource Center is an approved institution for the training of veterans and veterans’ dependents entitled to educational assistance. Our veterans are given credit for specific service experience and certain educational training completed while in service. The Office of Admissions and Records will make evaluation of such experience and training. All educational opportunities and personnel services offered in the college are available to the veterans. BC makes it one of its goals that the Veterans are included in everything. These are not traditional students; they need to be taken care of holistically not just academically.

There are many initiatives on campus focused towards the veterans, including an education advisor that caters to Veteran’s needs, a veteran development course, veteran orientation and priority registration, as well as the Veteran’s Club. The goal of the veteran’s club is to give available resources for all Bakersfield College student veterans, and provide information, service, and a feeling of belonging. Meetings are held in the veterans lounge on select Tuesdays from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.

Beckworth, Barrientos

The Veterans Lounge is a place that many veterans hold dear to them. The Veterans Resource Center provides a range of counseling, and outreach services to aid in a comfortable post-war readjustment to civilian life. The Center is full of bright natural light and is a quiet space where veterans can study, rest, and use the center’s computer. For more information visit he Vet center located in the Campus center and is open Monday through Thursday 8am-4pm.

On Wednesday November 2, 2016, Bakersfield College will be hosting its 4^th annual Vetfest as a celebration to our student veterans as well as all veterans everywhere for Veteran’s Day. The Vetfest will include several community veteran organization and informational booths. We will have a keynote speaker J.R. Browning, who is a graduate of CSUB graduate school of counseling and now a veteran’s counselor at the Bakersfield Vet Center. The festivities start at 9:30am until 1pm located in the grass area between the library and CSS.

Homecoming 2016

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Homecoming 2016 was a week-long celebration, and I can’t believe it’s over already. Last Saturday, the event concluded with the Big Red Dinner, Renegade Parade, and the phenomenal BC Football game! For over 20 years, Renegade alumni and fans have asked for the Big Red Dinner to make a comeback and this year, I’m glad we did as the fan favorite was a hit. Thank you to our Big Red Dinner sponsors, W A Thompson, Kern Schools Federal Credit Union, International Soccer, and Don C. & Diane S Lake Family. Thank you Nicky Damania, Tom Gelder, Marlene Heise, and Mary Jo Pasek for making it happen.

After everyone had their fill of spaghetti dinner, the parade was escorted through campus. Horns were honking, pompoms shaking, flags flying, and Renegades waved from various vehicles as they made their way to Memorial Stadium. If you missed it, a video has been posted by Nicky Damania on the BCSGA Facebook – check it out at https://www.facebook.com/SGABC/videos/1179048165503055/

One of my favorite things about the evening is how BC is true family – our community is a blend of both traditional families who support and attend BC for generations, and families you can choose to be a part of! The BC Women’s Basketball team is a perfect example of this united teamwork and they are a BC family. Coach Paula Dahl is the best!

And here is a moment I shared with our Women’s Basketball team.

Kimberly Bligh and her mini Renegade granddaughter were out in the stands cheering on the home team with Trustee Romeo Agbalog and Lily Perez. And I spotted another future Renegade, Valerie, with her grandpa, Chris Hine.

Trustee Agbalog did the coin toss at the beginning of the game. It is always great to have our trustees on our campus!

Thank you to Trustee Romeo Agbalog, and JP Lake for being on the Vance Palm Show. Vance Palm is just the very best!

Thank you Keith Wolaridge and Jay Rosenlieb for the Measure J table.

Keith Wolaridge and his daughter Oct 22 2016.jpg

Keith Wolaridge and his beautiful daughter

Enjoyed meeting Chris Cruz one of our awesome students who is a friend of a dear friend of mine Lauro Braganza.

chris-cruz-and-sonya-christian-oct-22-2016

Sonya Christian, Chris Cruz

The Renegades closed out the evening with a win in front of over five thousand fans at the big game. Check out the recap at http://gogades.com/sports/fball/2016-17/releases/20161025s6ikt5

Renegade Volleyball

Coach Carl Ferreira led the BC Volleyball team to victory against College of the Canyons on Friday night and broke Canyons’ 33-match conference win streak. See tweet!

Renegade Volleyball takes over first place in league by sweeping state ranked number 12 College of the Canyons.

Grand Opening of the Wonderful Academy

On Friday, October 28th, the Wonderful Academy opened its doors to their new location. Lynda and Stewart Resnick have been great partners of Bakersfield College and committed to advancing the educational attainment levels in the Central Valley. Trustee Romeo Agbalor, Rich McCrow, and Raquel Lopez represented KCCD and BC at this event. There were many dignitaries to support the great work being done by Wonderful.

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rich-mccrow-at-wonderful-ribbon-cutting-oct-28-2016

Talking about the Wonderful Academy, there was a great piece by Kristen Barnes in Thursday’s Californian titled Dual-enrollment program jump-starts college education

Check it out http://tinyurl.com/grduo94

Here is the closing sectionin her article:

In a community with lagging educational attainment rates and a large population of first-generation college students, dual enrollment offers an innovative solution to improving educational outcomes.

Education is the bedrock of any community and it is imperative that we all work together to provide opportunities for improvement and change. KHSD, KCCD and CSUB should be commended for their collaborative efforts in the name of expanding opportunities for local students.

Disability Awareness Day

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The Fireside Room was packed and almost every seat taken when a constant stream of students filled the back wall. There was standing-room-only during the student panel that kicked off the three-part program of Disability Awareness Day on Thursday afternoon.

Outside the Campus Center, 26 booths, tables, and tents lined up along the walkways. Groups like Guide Dogs of America, League of Dreams, and Bakersfield Parks and Rec were present to share the information about what they can offer and how they can help people with various disabilities.

Back inside, Ian Kennedy, Viridiana Alvarez, Maria Medina, Abel Carlon, and Edward Davila shared personal stories and experiences about being a college student at BC with disabilities. These challenges present themselves in many forms… from reading comprehension to motor skills, to anxiety and depression to blindness, deafness, and mobility difficulties. These students shared inspiring messages that show dedication, extreme strength, a drive to overcome any challenges, but possibly most of all… their stories shared their ability.

The ability to do what they love, pursue an education, and give back to their communities and make a difference in the world through their talents and gifts.

First DSPS Awards

A number of those willing, helpful people were recognized during the awards presentation that followed the student panel. The award recipients were:

Outstanding Department: Maintenance and Operations – For always being on call, day or night. The M&O staff support student success by ensuring that accessible furniture and equipment such as CC TV’s are in class locations across campus.

Outstanding Faculty: Tom Greenwood – Reaching out to deaf students on campus, Tom’s support of student success has included taking American Sign Language courses that allow him to communicate directly with students. His sabbatical leave took him on a journey to explore how deaf faculty teach mathematics to deaf students and to share what he has learned both at BC and to his colleagues in the state.

Outstanding Faculty: Bernie Scanlon – Students describe him as caring, understanding, and funny. Students look for his Math 60 and 70 courses to assist them in gaining the skills to succeed in mathematics. DSP&S counselors and students are aware that his style of teaching connects with people and incorporates diverse learning styles.

Outstanding Staff: Kristin Rabe – Kristin has been a driving force in establishing the Accessibility Task Force on campus. Her advocacy for captioned media and knowledge of all things related to media services has been instrumental in ensuring live streamed events on campus are captioned. Her knowledge of cccconfer is being used to explore potential ways to support veterans on campus.

Outstanding Staff: Bob Shimmin – Bob is the “Go-To Guy” when it comes to assistive technology. He has been involved in specialized training at the High Tech Center Training Unit and works closely with DSPS staff and students to ensure equal access and student success.

Outstanding Student: Maria Medina – Maria will be competing her AA-T is sociology degree in spring. Her goal is to transfer to a University of California to pursue a degree in political science. Her career goal is to utilize her education and experience to become a disability advocate. Maria has demonstrated the core values behind the Habits of Mind as she incorporates self-advocacy and persistence to strive for excellence.

Outstanding Student: Douglas Bolds – Doug is a proactive student. While working for Public Safety Department driving cart he uses his connections and knowledge to help his peers achieve success. He educates students about DSPS services that are available and has been known to personally deliver students looking for work to the Workability Program office. His great attitude, reliability, and willingness to go out of his way to assist others goes above and beyond.

After the awards presentation, a handful of various faculty and staff took their seats on the panel.

Thank you to Jonathan Schultz, Jackie Brouillette, Moya Arthur, Helen Acosta, Alexandra Dallara, Jennifer Garrett, Barbara Mathis and our student panel for publicly disclosing your disabilities, challenges, and successes with everyone on Thursday. Your stories continue to inspire classmates and colleagues. Together we can improve services, better our tools, create greater awareness, and ultimately make the world a better place.

People with disabilities are, first and foremost, people…. They are our neighbors, our friends, our colleagues, our classmates, you, and me. BC Professor, Helen Acosta said on the panel, “All of our diversity makes us stronger.” Our dreams are not any different, and together we are BC.

Thank you to channels 17, 23, and 29 who all covered this important and special event. Check out two of the articles online at

http://bakersfieldnow.com/news/health/disability-awareness-day-held-at-bc

and

KGET: http://tinyurl.com/jc35ku2

Extra pictures taken by Manny De Los Santos are available at https://bakersfieldcollege.smugmug.com/Disability-Awareness-Day-2016/i-FB5rTTf

CSEA Halloween Potluck Party

On Monday afternoon the Fireside Room was filled with tricks and treats for the first annual CSEA Halloween Potluck Party. All classified staff was invited to bring their favorite dish and arrive in costume for a small lunchtime gathering. The staff at BC are at the core of making everything happen and I sincerely appreciate each and every one of them. Tina Johnson, BC’s CSEA President, said in an email that everyone seemed to love the food, since only a tiny bit was leftover!

Special thanks to the team who brought all of this together, Heather Barajas, Theresa Rodriquez, Stephanie Vega, Mary Webb, Bernadette Gutierrez, and Yadira Guerrero. Thank you to everyone from food services to helped warm food and set up tables and Manuel De Los Santos for taking pictures! Check out all the photos at https://bakersfieldcollege.smugmug.com/CSEA-Halloween-Potluck/

Congratulations to Dr. Josh Ottum

Earlier this month, I mentioned a moment when Prof. Josh Ottum stopped by my office to pick up the signed approval to apply for a grant. I’m proud to announce, he has been selected for funding! Dr. Josh Ottum is a creative artist and scholar who is completely committed to our community and his students.

In his application, he mentioned “developing seven essential courses to prepare students for success in fields of music and audio technology. The state has approved our certificate and I am thrilled to give students the opportunity to learn about the exciting facets of commercial music, including live sound, composition, sound design, and so forth.”

Thank you, Dr. Ottum, for applying for this mini grant under the “Doing What Matters for Jobs and the Economy” – it’s going to make a difference for many of BC’s talented music students.

An Out-of-this-World Encounter

Photo by Cara Jackson

On Wednesday, October 26, author Andy Weir gave an extremely witty and comical speech at BC. He also answered questions from the audience regarding his book, “The Martian.”

He made the audience feel connected to the plot of the book, but at the same time was completely honest about new ideas of our understanding of Mars. He was very happy he had “established a trust with the readers… and they accepted what I had to say.”

It took him three years to write his book, and get in touch with publishers. He previously worked as a computer software programmer, but in his spare time he worked on the book. The book turned into a movie and in October of 2015, The Martian was in theaters. It follows a story of Mark, the main character who is left on Mars alone and thinks of every way possible to survive until his crew can come back.

Many students in the audience had a chance to ask Andy what inspired him to write the book. A brief question and answer session followed:

How do you feel as the writer watching the movie?

Andy: I liked how Matt captured the personality of the character very well and I was able to work with all involved.

What is your favorite movie?

Andy: The Martian… No I believe, Match Stick Men, since I love con men and crime scene movies.

When did you start the book?

Andy: In 2009, and it took me 3 years to write it.

Photo by Cara Jackson

What was the most interesting research topic?

Andy: I liked the orbital dynamics and I wrote software to calculate the simulations.

Are you working on any other books?

Andy: Yes, right now I am working on “The Woman on the Moon.” The main character is super intelligent, and has a strong moral code, and attractive side.

What new discovered aspects about Mars doesn’t show up in your book?

Andy: When I wrote the Martian we had a certain view of Mars and now since a probe landed we know that there is a huge amount of water on Mars. Every cubic meter has 35 liters in it from the ice crystals.

Also, the dust storms on Mars would not have any force behind it, because even though Mars does get 150 k/h winds, the atmosphere is so thin it would have a difficult time knocking over a piece of paper.

What helps you write?

Andy: I like to listen to instrumental music and the sound tracks to movies and drink lots of diet coke. Also, I use the morning to write and keep motivated.

Thanking Nick Strobel

I often say that I’m the luckiest college president in the world and it’s true. A large part of that is because I get to work with the best staff, faculty, and administration. Anna Agenjo, our incredible Librarian, sent this beautiful email praising Nick Strobel that I just have to share.

“Everyone already knows what a huge asset Nick Strobel is to the BC community, not just in the classroom but also through his work on committees and in the community. We are very lucky to have him on campus. Although it is not needed, I want to add my voice to the many by telling you about Nick’s contribution to the Cerro Author program this year. I approached Nick this past summer to ask if he could present a show about Mars in the planetarium to complement this year’s author, Andy Weir.

Nick did not hesitate, and last Thursday he gave a well-attended and well-received presentation on Mars at the planetarium. He was able to bring Mars and the cosmos to life for his audience, and it was the perfect prelude to today’s Andrew Weir events. We all learned so much, and his enthusiasm in sharing his knowledge with the community made me very proud to be associated with Bakersfield College. Because of Nick’s extraordinary efforts, BC’s star shone brightly last Thursday night at the planetarium. I wanted you to know how much we in the Library appreciate Nick for going above and beyond.”

Soccer Staff & Antelope Valley Student

Going above and beyond is something our BC staff and faculty do regularly for all students. At a recent soccer match on campus an Antelope Valley student was injured and had to be taken to Kern Medical Center (KMC). Our coach, as well as Chief Chris Counts, were at KMC with the student, and a group text message keeping all informed. This is what BC does – a culture of care and support. We Are BC!

Measure J:

Walked into the Campaign HQ this morning and saw Chris Glaser and Lesley Bonds role modeling anticipated conversations when volunteers precinct walk. It was so fun watching them.

And a quick thank you to Micahel O’Doherty who has put in hours volunteering his time to Measure J. Even is his Halloween gallivanting pirate costume.

Michael O’Doherty

Let me start my update of Measure J with the community voices piece in The Bakersfield Californian by Prof. Debbie Rosenthal. Check it out at

http://tinyurl.com/j9akp9v

I love how Debbie described Bakersfield:

No, Bakersfield is not a tourist destination. And yes, Bakersfield is too hot in the summer. But Bakersfield is what I call an easy city to live in.

The city is large enough to have everything I need and small enough to have little traffic congestion. People are considerate to one another to make it feel like a small town. I call this “The South of California.” There is one major difference. I am accepted here and not treated as an outsider.

and Bakersfield College:

Bakersfield College is amazing. It has provided me with numerous opportunities for growth in my profession. The choice of conferences, meetings, presentations, training, and committees allows me to focus my unleashed energy into positive channels. The students are ambitious to be challenged for the reassurance that I believe they are capable of achieving their dreams. Their expectations from me demand I deliver the best I can at all times.

The administration, staff and colleagues have quickly accepted me and respect my extensive experience, training, and research in chemical education. They trust my judgment and allow me to try new ideas in the classroom.

and Debbie concludes with:

One of the top priorities for Measure J is to renovate and expand the science building. The series of short bonds, with more return on investment than one long bond, are strictly to improve the aging facilities. I ask you to support Measure J. It will not be used to increase my salary. It is for the future of students and Kern County.

We are BC! and as Karen Goh said in her remarks to the college during Opening Day ….BC is so integrated within the Bakersfield Community that we should, in addition to We are BC!, chant We are Bakersfield!

Measure J endorsements:

The endorsements keep coming in. This week we were delighted when Cathy Butler stopped by and handed the endorsement of the Downtown Business Association. Thank you Cathy Butler and Bob Bell.

Here are few of the over 2000 endorsements that we have received so far: #MeasureJ

Joe Aguirre, Former Delano Mayor
Kevin Burton, President, SJCH Foundation
Kyle Carter, Bakersfield Mayoral Candidate
Ricardo Chavez, Delano Mayor
Stephanie Cortez, Porterville Chamber of Commerce CEO/President
David Couch, Kern County Supervisor
Robert de la Rosa, Ola Raza Director
Jose Flores, Arvin Mayor
Mick Gleason, Kern County Supervisor
Karen Goh, Bakersfield Mayoral Candidate
Doug Greener, Bakersfield Fire Chief
Shannon Grove, California State Assembly Member
Virginia Gurrola, Porterville Councilwoman
Harvey Hall, Bakersfield Mayor
Cam Hamilton, Porterville Vice Mayor
Harold Hanson, Bakersfield Vice Mayor
Mike Maggard, Kern County Supervisor
Terry Maxwell, Bakersfield City Council Member
Kay Meek, KCCD Trustee
Arnold Morrison, DJUHS Board Member
Chris Parlier, Bakersfield City Council Member
Leticia Perez, Kern County Supervisor
Leticia Prado, Lamont Water District Member
Janet Rabanal, Delano Chamber of Commerce Director
Rosalina Rivera, Delano Union Elementary School District Superintendent
Willie Rivera, Bakersfield City Council Member
Rudy Salas, California State Assembly Member
Mary K. Shell, Former Bakersfield Mayor
Bob Smith, Bakersfield City Council Member
Milt Stowe, Porterville Mayor
Jay Tamsi, Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President
Rob Taylor, Owner, Stafford’s Chocolates
Bill Thomas, Retired U.S. Congressman
Grace Vallejo, Delano City Council
Greg Williamson, Bakersfield Police Department Chief
Donny Youngblood, Kern County Sheriff
Milt Younger, Attorney

And here are some of the organizations who have endorsed Measure J

The Bakersfield Californian
Bakersfield College Alumni Association
Bakersfield Downtown Business Association
Building4SUCCESS Inc
California City Chamber of Commerce
Chevron
Delano Camber of Commerce
Democratic Women of Kern
Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce
Greater Tehachapi Economic Development Council
KCCD California School Employees Association
KCCD Community College Association
KCCD Management Association
Kern Agriculture Foundation
Kern County Black Chamber of Commerce
Kern County Democratic Party

Kern County Farm Bureau
Kern County Firefighters Union
Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Kern County Young Republicans (PAC)
Kern Economic Development Corporation
Kern County Taxpayers Association
Latina Leaders of Kern County
Murray Family Farms
Porterville Democratic Club
RA Johnsfam
Renegade Helmet Club
Sikh Women’s Association
Veterans of Foreign Wars District #6
Veterans of Foreign Wars #97
Wendale Davis Foundation

Thank you Measure J volunteers

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Sunday, Oct. 23 – Ivan Valadez, Tom Gelder, Dana Gelder, Carla Gard, Jeffrey Bender, Hannah Bender, Karl Bender, Rachell Morehouse, Isaac Vannasome, Tarina Perry, Nicky Damania, Brent Berton, Chris Glaser

I will post the list of volunteers as soon as I get the list. So please come back!

Karen Schuett’s regional CTA director volunteering her time at the Measure J Head Quarters. Thank you CTA for endorsing Measure J!

Janet Fulks, Karen Schuette

Thank you Liz Rozell for bringing your engineer’s mind to organize the volunteers for November 8th.

Two little somethings:

A friend shared with me a historical vignette about Trojan football while we were discussing Reggie Bush. He described in an engaging fashion the intense rivalry between Notre Dame and USC and a famous game in Indiana on a typical fall evening in 1965 when the air and grass were full of moisture. John McKay who was as good with words as he was with coaching his athletes was there in Notre Dame with “Touchdown Jesus” overlooking the stadium. The rivalry could be felt by each and every person in the packed stadium as the game began. Mike Hunter, the Trojan returner of the opening kickoff sprinted to the eight-yard line but then slipped on the moist grass, when USC coach John McKay, fearing the worst, shouted “Oh, my God, they have shot him!!” This story had me laughing the rest of the week and again just now as I was blogging. So I checked it out on yes Wikipedia and verified that my friend was not pulling a fast one. Such a great story, and so funny. Enjoy these pictures of John McKay and the Notre Dame Stadium, from the web.

And here is a fascinating story from this morning’s LA Times about fabric that generates energy. Here is the opening paragraph:

In the future, your clothes will work for you. A team of scientists led out of the Georgia Institute of Technology has created a fabric that can gather energy from both sunlight and motion, then store it in embedded fibers.

Check out the whole story at http://tinyurl.com/zgq5mfl

And I love this picture of Bruce

That’s all for now.

Until next week.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya — the luckiest and happiest college president ever

A busy Homecoming Week at BC!

Uncategorized October 22, 2016 Comments: 9

“I don’t think there’s any jobs like back then.” – Bob Thompson

Two years ago, in 2014, The Washington Post published a story following Bob Thompson, a man from Southern California who had never gone to college, but as a young man in his hometown of Downy in the 1960’s it was easy to find a decent job. Since it was the proud hub of aerospace manufacturing, he quickly secured a job at a local plant with no higher education.

At the end of the video clip, he said, “Today’s world – I don’t think there’s any jobs like back then. Today’s world – you have to be educated… college educated, or trades, something like that. But to just go out and get a job, a nice paying job, I think those days are over with.” You can check out the short video clip here on Washingtonpost.com.

His words have stuck with me over the past week… Especially as I’ve witnessed the amazing dedication from individuals who persistently support BC and Measure J. It is BC’s goal to provide necessary job skills for the people of this community for the next 50 years.

mike-turnipseed-measure-j-open-house-oct-4-2016

Michael Turnipseed supporting Measure J

Georgetown University, in its Job Growth and Educational Requirements Through 2020, has predicted that, “By 2020, 65 percent of all jobs in the economy will require postsecondary education and training beyond high school” and “The United States will fall short by 5 million workers with postsecondary education- at the current production rate- by 2020.” https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Recovery2020.ES_.Web_.pdf

Bakersfield College – and community colleges nationwide – are the pipeline to prepare the workforce for both middle-skill jobs and transfering to higher levels of educational obtainment and the highly-skilled workforce. A lot has changed since the 1960s, and the demands for more education will increase, right along the increasing number of students. The success of our community, the success of our local economy, and the health of our people depend on locally and technically trained prepared students to meet this upcoming demand. #MeasureJ

david-torres-measure-j-open-house-oct-4-2016

David Torres supporting Measure J

This was made clear at the Kern Workforce Summit on October 19th organized by Supervisor Leticia Perez, Teresa Hitchcock and a team of business and industry partners. Unfortunately, I did not take my own pictures at the event, so here is a collage from Karen Goh’s facebook page. Thanks Karen!

Supervisor Leticia Perez supporting Measure J

David Womack, a retired USAF colonel, is the senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser Permanente in Kern County.

David Womack

Have you seen his piece in the Community Voices section of the Bakersfield Californian? He says,

Measure J has the potential to transform our region and create a tipping point for generations to come. Here is how your vote will make a difference.

He concludes with:

Desmond Tutu once said, “There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they are falling in.” Measure J is our upstream opportunity. You can choose to invest in the health of our community and wellbeing of our veterans.

You can choose to vote Yes on Measure J.

Find out how by checking out his letter at http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/community-voices-how-measure-j-can-improve-kern-s-health/article_4516a34e-973f-527d-a569-256b8f93fa9b.html

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, October 22nd …. Homecoming at Bakersfield College and an amazing day to be a Renegade. An amazing day following an amazing week of activities both on-campus and off-campus.

And why would the week not be great when we had Scott Cox in it 🙂

First Look with Scott Cox

Scott Cox, Marlene Heise, Bill Thomas, Sonya Christian

Retired Congressman and KCCD Trustee, Bill Thomas and I were guests on First Look with Scott Cox this past week to talk about Measure J. It was really a lot of fun. Also notice Hop, Mike Hopper, with the Measure J sign. We was wonderful and so funny. Thank you Marlene Heise for making this happen.

A recording of the live video is available on First Look’s Facebook page at

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=706139332868277&id=175755155906700&__tn__=C

Measure J Update

Endorsements:

The Kern County Farm Bureau Endorses Measure J. See press release

Thank you President Jeff Rasmussen and Beatris Espericueta Sanders and each member of the Board for your support of Measure J.

breatris-espericueta-heather-baltis-sonya-christian-oct-5-2016

Beatris Espericueta, Heather Baltis, Sonya Christian

#MeasureJ

Doug Starr of the Kern Ag Foundation supports Measure J

Over 1800 individuals have endorsed Measure J. Check out the list at http://www.yesonj2016.com/endorsements.html

Here are some examples in alphabetical order:

Kevin Burton, President, SJCH Foundation
Kyle Carter, Bakersfield Mayoral Candidate/KCCD Trustee
David Couch, Kern County Supervisor
Jose Flores, Arvin Mayor
Karen Goh, Bakersfield Mayoral Candidate
Doug Greener, Bakersfield Fire Chief
Shannon Grove, California State Assembly Member
Harvey Hall, Bakersfield Mayor
Harold Hanson, Bakersfield Vice Mayor
Mike Maggard, Kern County Supervisor
Kay Meek, KCCD Trustee
Terry Maxwell, Bakersfield City Council Member
Chris Parlier, Bakersfield City Council Member
Leticia Perez, Kern County Supervisor
Leticia Prado, Lamont Water District Member
Willie Rivera, Bakersfield City Council Member
Rudy Salas, California State Assembly Member
Mary K. Shell
Bob Smith, Bakersfield City Council Member
Jay Tamsi, Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President
Bill Thomas, Retired U.S. Congressman
Greg Williamson, Bakersfield Police Department Chief
Milt Younger

What’s happening at the Measure J Head Quarters?

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Volunteers are coming from all around to give their time and talent to ensure Measure J is a success!

Here are some smart, beautiful and talented women who support Measure J

January Lau-CEO January & Company (Bakersfield)

Norma Rojas-Mora-President Latina Leaders of Kern County (Bakersfield)

Pauline Larwood-Retired Kern Community College Trustee/Kern County Supervisor (Bakersfield)

Connie Perez-CPA (Bakersfield)

Sue Benham-Retired Bakersfield City Council (Bakersfield)

Mariela Gomez-student ( Bakersfield)

Carolina Espinoza-student (Bakersfield)

Raji Brar-Owner Countryside Market & Restaurants (Bakersfield)

Tina Miller-Host “Open Up” talk show (Bakersfield)

And here is the fabulous Nicole Parra. I love this picture.

Nicole Parra supporting Measure J

At the headquarters this week, I had a minute to chat with Malique McClanaan, a high school student volunteering with his mom who also wants to take dual enrollment classes at BC.

I also saw smiling faces like Manny De Los Santos and Venessa Reyes, who made phone calls to voters.

Manny De los Santos, Vanessa Reyes

I snagged a selfie with adjunct faculty, Kaureen Brady. And Kenneth Mireles, Carlos Baraban and Paul Beckworth also hit the phones and chatted with potential supporters.

j_selfie-with-kaureen-brady-ac-dev-adjunct-faculty-oct-15-2016

Sonya Christian, Kaureen Brady

It was great to also see Ken Byrum, a local attorney, a member of our Board of Directors and a strong supporter of Bakersfield College phone banking out on behalf of Measure J.

Ken Byrum phone banking

Check out our Academic Senate Vice President volunteering her time phone banking.

Andrea Thorson phone banking Oct 2016.jpg

Andrea Thorson phone banking Oct 19, 2016

Here is Dena Rhoades, Kathy Howarth, and Kristin Rabe counting and preparing Measure J yard signs!

Dena Rhoades, Kathy Howarth, Kristin Rabe

Matt Stahl and I took a look at the voters map for walking precincts.

Sonya Christian, Matt Stahl

BC is a family and so it was refreshing to see Grace Comisso downtown at Measure J headquarters with her whole family, even the baby in tow! Marissa Marquez and her daughter Clarissa were on hand to help with whatever was needed!

Grace Commiso and family

Marissa Marquez and family

The Delano crew also got together. The committee meeting for lunch and “walk” planning took place – Here is Raquel Lopez, Alma Feathers, Carolina Madrigal; Juan Torres; Gustavo Enriquez; Abel Guzman; and Helen Calip.

Shout out to Volunteers:

Tuesday, October 18th:

Terri Goldstein, Michelle Pena, Keri Kennedy, Adel Shafik, Amanda Rangel, Lesley Bonds, Ashlea Ward, Claudio Felix, Shanell Tyus, Manuel Muralles, Josie Guillen, Steven Watkin, Debi Anderson, Tom Gelder, Paul Beckworth, Jackie Lau, Yadira Guerrero, Chris Glaser, Steve Waller, Cynthia Munos, Jay Rosenlieb

Wednesday, October 19:

Jackie Lau, Carlos Banbaran, Pat Smith, Heather Barajas, Tracy Lovelace, Kristin Rabe, Loy Salarda, Lisa Kent, Kathy Howarth, Dena Rhoades, Somaly Boles, Chris Glaser, Steve waller, Keesha Collins

Thursday, October 20:

Lesley Bonds, Lisa Kent, Brenda Silva, Silvia Silva, Jason Page, Mark Osea, Keesha Collins, Terri Goldstein, Michelle Pena, Linda Cordobam, Josh Shackelford, Jackie Lau, Sergio Maldenado, Salvador Gomez-Pantoja, Shohreh Rahman, Matt Hinson, Sam Moreno, Steve Waller, Chris Glaser, January Lau, Tom Gelder, Janet Tarjan

Friday, October 21:

Stephen Waller, Keesha Collins, Kalina Hill, Jackie Brouillette, Shanell Tyus, Pedro C. Ramirez, Tom Saba, Janet Tarjan, Elina Garcia, Maria Duenas, Brenda Silvia, Sam Moran, Daulton Jones, Shanice Watson, Liz Rozell, Kate Pluta, Ruben Chavez, Mariah Earl, Iris Gonzalez, Loy Salarda, Nicky Damania, Teresa McAllister, Chase McAllister, Lucero Cisneros, Andrea Lopez, Lesley Bonds

And a little birdy told me that some people didn’t sign in – you know who you are!

Homecoming 2016!

School spirit is alive at 1801 Panorama Drive! The week was off to a magical start with our campus’s first “Quidditch Tournament!” Students drew a crowd as they participated in the magical sport created by J.K Rowling in her Harry Potter series. Teams were formed, competitions began, and no one walked away empty handed! You have to see the pictures to see a glimpse of how this whimsical sport was a fantastic start to Homecoming Week at BC!

On Tuesday, BCSGA set up bumper ball soccer for students! Large plastic balls were inflated for one person and that’s how the games began! Student booths for Student Life and BCSGA were on hand to get students involved and assist with the bumper games.

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Wednesday was all about fun and food with a special event Tacos & Tie-Dye out in the Renegade Crossroads. As you can imagine, tie-dye was incredibly messy and the tacos from the Taqueria el Roble del Leon Taco Truck are always a hit with the students.

Campus was fired up on Thursday in preparation for the big weekend. Students listened to music and enjoyed pancakes at the traditional Pep Rally and Pancake Feed! The BC Cheerleaders and BC Drumline raised the excitement and our campus spirit with stellar performances.

It’s an exciting time to be on campus, and this evening is the best chance to reconnect with your community college – Bakersfield College! Homecoming 2016 is going to be the best one yet and it all takes place tonight starting with the Big Red Dinner! You don’t want to miss the parade and big game vs. Cerritos College.

I hope to see you up at “the campus on the hill” tonight! For Homecoming 2016!!

Third Thursday

There were two events this past Thursday, October 20th — the third thursday prayer group luncheon for public sector leaders and the Downtown Business Association’s event in the evening. Our mayor Harvey Hall was recognized at both events.

I enjoyed hearing the McKinley School Choir perform and found this youtube video of them receiving a check from Robin Mangarin on behalf of Dignity Health.

Another event that happened Thursday evening was the Kern Citizens for Sustainable Government. Thank you JP Lake for having me as your guest. I did not take photos but found this collage on Karen Goh’s Facebook. Thank you Karen Goh!

Creative Experiences at BC

BC at Via Arté

It is through the music and art curriculum and experiences that BC students are prepared for a myriad of creative fields. From professional music to drawing, painting, ceramics, architecture, digital media and more, our students accomplish great things. Each year, the Bakersfield Museum of Art presents Via Arte at The Marketplace where artists recreate a traditional Italian street painting festival with original chalk art.

Check out these incredible pics from Art adjunct faculty, Diego Gutierrez Monterrubio and BC Art student, Emily Lloyd.

BC Chamber Singers

On Monday, our BC Chamber singers were featured on First Look with Scott Cox. If you missed this wonderful highlight of Dr. Jennifer Garrett and a portion of the BC Chamber Singers, make sure to check out this link for the recording!

Yesterday, on Friday evening, this group of talented students took the stage along with the entire BC Chamber Singers, BC College Choir, Lucy Adams on french horn, Naomi Rivera from Marvin Ramey’s Experience Dance, and one of our own BC students Linda Snoddy on bagpipes. The beautiful Indoor Theater was filled with talent and the evening’s theme was one to remember: Life and Death.

Here is the Director’s Note to us:

Dr. Jen Garrett emailed me… “I have done quite a few concerts in my life, but I don’t think any of them have meant as much to me as this one. I thought of the idea just over a year ago on the day my Mom passed away and I had to do a rehearsal with College Choir immediately after I arrived home from traveling to see her one last time. I knew then that I wanted to do something to honor her.”

I did not take photos but saw Cara Jackson at the vent. When she gets her pictures to us, I will go ahead and add them to this blog. So check back.

Here are two of my favorite songs from the evening and since I did not take a video of the BC Choir performing, I found the songs on youtube take a few moments to close your eyes and listen and see the amazing Jen Garrett with her choir, in her pale but bright blue dress with a delicate black vest.

We Rise Again:

Peace Like a River

All of the choir members have made dedications to people that have influenced their lives–both people still living and those that have passed on.” The BC Choral program is constantly working to bring light to our community through performance, art, and music. The next performance is December 2^nd for “Winter Around the World” – you don’t want to miss it. We love you Jen Garrett!

Lucian Ban & Mat Maneri:

Tomorrow, Sunday October 23^rd at 6:00pm, the BC Jazz Program presents a unique evening with Transylvanian born, NYC-based pianist Lucian Ban and Grammy nominee Mat Maneri, who will share their musical discoveries. Admission is free, open to the public and also for our students. Performing Arts adjunct faculty, Susan Scaffidi shares more about these incredible artists in her article on Bakersfield.com.

I hope you’ll check it out.

Traveling to Mars at BC

BC’s planetarium director, Nick Strobel, presented a Mars Travel Guide on Thursday at BC’s very own William M. Thomas Planetarium on Thursday. This special show covered the hazards of the months-long flight to Mars, properties, the atmosphere and geology, weather, and the history of our explorations on the surface of Mars from Viking to Curiosity.

Nick said, “To give it proper justice would probably require a whole semester’s worth of a class or at least a six-hour show but most people, I suspect, would find that a tad too long.”

Just a tad, he said!

What a fabulous gift for the community at BC – the gift of knowledge and education concerning one of our most interesting subjects – space!

Check out this link for more about the Bakersfield College Planetarium or click here to read one of Nick’s biweekly Bakersfield Night Sky articles.

Student Initiatives

African American Mentor Program:

Making a transition to a new environment such as college can be overwhelming, especially for first-time and first-generation college students. That’s why Bakersfield College strives to offer many diverse student organizations and initiatives. One initiative in particular, the African American Mentor Program, is one that incorporates drop-in mentors, peer mentors, resiliency guidance, and general assistance to encourage students to be motivated in their studies.

Julian West is the coordinator for AAMP and he has said, “A big part of what AAMP is for and what I do, is to ensure that African American students feel like they belong at BC and get them comfortable with using these services. We have a network of dedicated staff and community members that are addressing the unique issues faced by African American students.”

The group holds weekly meetings with dedicated black tutors, or “real talk” sessions in which students can speak their mind and talk about any issues on or off campus.

The most recent “Real Talk” was conducted by Danny Morrison of Hot 94.1 radio, who runs Project Dynamo, helping children strive in school. I’m told Danny spoke on how important it is to break the cycle of black stereotypes and how it must strive from motivation to change and its talks like this that help motivate our students and keep them on track.

The mentors of AAMP make note of and reach out to students when they are missing items like educational plans or financial aid paperwork. They incorporate a very intrusive approach to educational advising including outreach and even text message reminders!

BC is a family and nothing makes us more proud than to see students accomplish their goals and better their future; services like AAMP on campus allow us to do that.

If students want to get involved, find contact details and more at https://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/student/aai/aamp

Spotlight On: The Grace Van Dyke Bird Library

This week, I’d like to take a moment to focus on our fabulous library. This is the newest building on campus, built in 1996. Most of the other buildings were built in 1956.

The Bakersfield College library is a tremendous academic resource to students in need of books, reference books, articles, research assistance, research workshops, or just a quiet place to study. The library subscribes to 12 online research databases and offers access to 150,000 electronic books in addition to the 80,00 print volumes housed in the library. The library staff consists of 5 full-time librarians, 3 adjunct librarians, and 4 support staff. The library is open 62 hours each week, including Saturdays.

Each semester librarians teach 2-3 sections of Library B1 (Introduction to Library Research), almost 70 research workshops, and well over 100 discipline-specific library orientations. In Spring 2016, a small library was opened at the Delano Campus, staffed by both adjunct and full-time BC librarians.

The Delano library is open 24 hours each week.

There are a total of 70 library workshops available to students every semester. These workshops help students learn research strategies, which give tips on how to find information about a certain topic by using key words; find books, including e-books and using the library catalog, as well as using EBSCOhost and other scholarly sources needed for researching. To find the schedule of all library workshops, visit the website: https://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/library/workshops

The library hosts an annual Cerro Author Lecture, thanks to the generous bequest of Dolores Cerro. This year, we’re pleased to host Andy Weir, author of “The Martian”, which is now a major motion picture.

This book portrays the story of a young astronaut, Mark, left stranded by his crew after being presumed dead during a sand storm on Mars.

Left with only broken machinery, and no way to contact Earth, Mark is left to rely on his intuition and knowledge to survive. The book has proven to be a page-turner and hard to put down!

Weir will present programs to our students, faculty and staff on October 25th and 26th. On October 25th, he will also present a public program at 7 pm at the Indoor Theatre – all are welcome to this free event! For more information visit the Bakersfield College Librarian desk, or see https://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/library/cerro-authors.

You can follow the library on both Instagram (bc_library) and Twitter (LibraryatBC)

Celebrating our favorite red!

The days are ticking down to Nov. 8^th, and a few short days later, Jennifer Marden will be saying “I do!”

Last weekend, it was a great thing to see so many friends and colleagues take the time out of our busy lives on a Saturday afternoon to celebrate with Jennifer and her soon-to-be-husband, Mark. Stepping out into the patio at the Pyrenees Café was like stepping into a Tuscan retreat.

The food was delicious, including the gorgeous cake made by BC’s Rad Tech Dept. Assistant, Anita Karr. Thank you to the special party planners, Kathy Howarth, Tracy Hall, Cynthia Munoz, and Becky Dargatz.

Jennifer’s wedding website says that even with an ocean, the 2^nd largest city in America, and a mountain range between their homes, they did everything possible to spend as much time together and now their wedding is quickly approaching! There’s so much to celebrate at BC, but I’m glad last Saturday afternoon was all about Jennifer. Congratulations Jennifer Marden and Mark Serratt – I can’t wait to share a picture from the joyous occasion in a few short weeks!

Sonya Christian, Pam Christian

That’s all for now.

Until next week.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya —

reading Jenn’s note about her mom made me go back through old pictures. Here I am with Pam Christian in Singapore many years ago.

Welcoming the community to campus

Uncategorized October 15, 2016 Comments: 3

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, October 15th, a great day to be a Renegade.

Let’s recap last week!

Liga MX

Photo credit: Nick Ellis, Bakersfield Californian

Charter buses were lined up outside as the fans packed the stands on Sunday for international soccer at Memorial Stadium. Josh Bennett described the event in his article, Fans flock to Liga MX friendly at BC by saying “Horns were honking and flags were waving as fans from as close as Bakersfield and as far as Mexico congregated at BC’s Memorial Stadium to see Monarcas Morelia defeat defending Clausura 2016 champion Pachuca 3-2 in the second annual International Soccer Challenge.”

It’s always a great day when our community and neighbors come to BC for a chance to make new memories and history at Memorial Stadium. In fact, the big BC Homecoming game of the year will take place in a few short days! Make sure to come out and support YOUR Renegades at YOUR community college.

Big Red Dinner

Homecoming and the Big Red Dinner take place next weekend, October 22^nd, from 4:00 to 6:30 pm north of the stadium and outside the Gil Bishop Gym. There’s the Homecoming parade, the Drumline, the BC cheerleaders, the BC Jazz Ensemble, a hot local DJ, nine different tailgate booths highlighting many of BC’s finest programs, and the most requested event of the year – The Big Red Dinner!

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students with ID and $5 for children 12 and under which includes a complete spaghetti dinner with salad, a roll, a drink and a “Flying Saucer Cookie”! You’ll also be able to purchase beer or wine. A dinner ticket admits you to the football game with Cerritos College as well. There will be interesting demonstrations at the tailgate booths and a number of goodies for everyone participating. Tickets are on sale through Vallitix and will be available at the dinner. Bring your friends, family, and neighbors to BC next weekend! Support YOUR Renegades at YOUR community college!

Sikh Radio

I started my Sunday morning, on October 9th, on Sikh Radio along with Nicole Parra and Raji Brar. We were there promoting Measure J with Raji going back and forth between English and Punjabi. The radio program is organized and funded by donations from the Punjabi community. Nazar Kooner takes responsibility for operating it and Harjit Singh interviewed us. Here are some pictures from Nicole.

sonya-christian-raji-brar-nicole-parra-oct-9-2016

Pieces in the Californian

The support BC has received in recent days and months has been astounding. It’s been incredible to read the community voices section in the local paper – seeing all the wonderful submissions from community members and even students. I can’t thank everyone enough for the outpouring of love and support for the Renegades and our campus.

October 9th. A student-veteran speaks on the bond.

Letter to the editor: A student-veteran speaks on the bond

Wesley Lyons is also BCSGA’s Director of Legislative Affairs. This young man speaks candidly with honesty and heart. I’m proud of our students and I’m proud of Wesley – thank you for sharing your voice.

October 11th Community Voices. Measure J is of paramount importance.

JP Lake did a great community voices piece supporting #MeasureJ in the October 11th Californian.

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Check out the weblink

http://tinyurl.com/hzlotom

Here is a 2 minute 30 second video of JP Lake presenting about Measure J to the Kern Ag Foundation. He is a strong supporter of education done right and a strong supporter of Bakersfield College.

Community Support and Measure J

Students were also spotted at the Measure J headquarters this week. Gabriel Gonzales is currently taking History 17B with Dr. Matthew Garret. He’s an excellent media studies student and will be transferring to Berkeley soon. Here is Gabriel with Nicole Parra.

The Renegades are a family! And supporting BC is a true family affair. This week at the #Measure J headquarters, the Johnson family stopped by to show their support. Here is mom, Natesha with Katie and Robert. Don’t these future Renegades look awesome sporting their support for BC and Measure J?

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Sondra Keckley and her mom, Stephanie Cox, have also been dedicated and loyal to BC through their tremendous support and outreach for Measure J! You’re never too young or old to love BC – Bakersfield College is a family! I had to take a selfie with Sondra’s mom:

Sonya Christian, Stephanie Cox

Connie Gonzales was also one of many giving her time and talents to support BC. She diligently made calls going back and forth fluently between Spanish and English.

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Jean Laborde, one of Kern County’s finest commercial realtors, Bill Thomas, former Congressman and current KCCD Trustee, and Mary Kay Shell, Renegade, journalist, politician, and community leader also support BC in countless ways.

Phone Banking Volunteers

Saturday, October 8^th: Gabriel Gonzales, Kathy Rosellini, Consuelo Gonzalez, Natesha Johnson, Katie Johnson, Robert Johnson, and Stephen Waller

Tuesday, October 11^th: Mariela Gomez, Cynthia Munoz, Anna Gonzalez, Dena Rhoades, Stephen Waller, Nicky Damania, Karen Schuett. Debi Anderson, Steve Watkin, Josie Guillen, Stephanie Cox, Ashlea Ward, Julian West, Grace Commiso, Tom Gelder, and Jay Rosenlieb

Wednesday, October 12^th: Kristin Rabe, Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Tracy Lovelace, Stephen Waller, Eddie Ledbetter, Keith Ford, Heather Barajas, Nicky Damania, Chris Glaser, Jay Rosenlieb, and Stephanie Cox

Thursday, October 13^th: Sam Moreno, Brenda Silva, Silvia Silva, Michelle Pena, Sandi Taylor, Steve Watkin, Ashlea Ward, Josh Shackelford, Chene Shoemaker, Linda Cordoba, Maria Wright, Pamela Gomez, Antonio Alfaro, Sergio Maldonado, Jackie Lau, Salvador Gomez-Pantoja, Peggy Gonzales, Tarina Perry, Jennifer Achan, Cindy Collier, and Chris Leithiser.

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Endorsements for Measure J continue to come in

Here are a few of the over 1400 endorsements that Measure J has received

Harvey Hall, Bakersfield Mayor
Bill Thomas, Former U.S. Congressman
Shannon Grove, California State Assembly Member
Rudy Salas, California State Assembly Member
David Couch, Kern County Supervisor
Mike Maggard, Kern County Supervisor
Leticia Perez, Kern County Supervisor
Terry Maxwell, Bakersfield City Council Member
Willie Rivera, Bakersfield City Council Member
Bob Smith, Bakersfield City Council Member
Karen Goh, Bakersfield Mayoral Candidate
Kyle Carter, Bakersfield Mayoral Candidate
Jose Flores, Arvin Mayor
Doug Greener, Bakersfield Fire Chief
Greg Williamson, Bakersfield Police Department Chief
Mary K. Shell
Milt Younger

CHAP in Delano

The BC Delano Campus Cultural and Historical Awareness Program (C.H.A.P.) kicked off its fall 2016 speaker series on Oct. 4th by highlighting award winning and local author, Patty Enrado. She spoke about her personal journey of discovering her family’s Filipino-American heritage while attending the University of California at Davis.

Born in Los Angeles, she knew very little about her parent’s formative years. However, as she continued to write and learn more about the role that Filipino-American farm workers played in the Delano Grape Strike of 1965, she also learned more about her personal heritage. Weaving truth with fiction, Ms. Enrado published her debut novel, A Village in the Fields, which chronicles the life of Fausto Empleo, an elderly Filipino farm worker who looks back on his long and costly struggle for civil rights.

The talk this week, organized by CHAP co-chairs Michelle Hart and Oliver Rosales, highlighted not only the importance of following your educational dreams and perseverance, but also the necessity of remembering our histories. She eloquently spoke of the importance of California Assembly Bill AB 123 (2013), which requires the State Board of Education to provide state curriculum on the significant role of Filipino Americans in the California farm labor movement.

Then, in September 2016, Gov. Brown signed AB 2016, which for the first time will establish a model ethnic studies curriculum for use in California’s public and charter high schools. In fact, LAUSD (by 2019) and Sacramento City USD (by 2020) students must take an ethnic studies class to graduate.

Following her talk in Delano, Ms. Enrado spoke to the Porterville College campus later in the week as part of its campus C.H.A.P. speaker series. To learn more about her book, A Village in the Fields, check out http://www.iexaminer.org/2016/10/what-carlos-bulosan-started-patty-enrado-finished/

Special thanks for this event go to the BC Student Government Association, who’s funding through the Collaborative Action Grant, along with our partners the BC Delano Foundation, allowing us to host this amazing local artist. Additional thanks go to the BC Delano WECOMM students and their advisor Gustavo Enriquez for greeting and directing the amazing crowd in attendance.

For more information on C.H.A.P., please visit https://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/delano/chap and consider going to their next event on October 17^th – a student-led informational session to discuss the importance of civic engagement, information on the upcoming election, and important issues that will impact our communities.

Listen In – Matthew Garrett on Utah Public Radio

BC Professor, Dr. Matthew Garrett was a guest this week on Access Utah, an original program focused on the things that matter within the state. The hour-long show airs daily on Utah Public Radio, but is also available online. It’s so cool to share the incredible things our BC family is up to. Check it out at http://upr.org/post/matthew-garrett-and-making-lamanites-wednesdays-access-utah

Student Success and Equity

BC is committed to serving former foster youth in our community and has a team of faculty and staff who serve on a task force to identify and address their needs. On Friday, this team hit the road for a summit CSU Fresno where they learned from other colleges about innovative ways to serve our students. Check them out with Fresno’s mascot, “Victor E.”

For weeks, the Office of Student Success & Equity has been working with Independent City and the Dream Center to organize a community wide event to help foster youth in Kern County get connected to resources that will help them be successful. BC was out in full force with information on Financial Aid, Summer Bridge, and our upcoming application workshops. Special thanks to Kelley Fullerton and Juanika Barnett at Independent City for your collaboration! And thanks to BC’s planning team: Lisa Kent, Karla Young, Shauna Turner, Manuel Rosas, Vanessa Bell, Angela Williams, Debi Anderson, and more! And thank you Lesley Bonds for your leadership.

Community Outreach

BC Agriculture Raises Awareness of Dangerous Citrus Pest

ag_event Wednesday was an extraordinary day filled with learning and career information at BC! Agriculture officials from across California held an event at our Agriculture Lab to inform residents about a disease with the potential to eradicate the state’s citrus industry and on the other side of campus, we had 26 employers from local healthcare agencies on hand for all pre-healthcare majors.

Victoria Hornbaker from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) explained to a crowd of BC Ag students, local media and concerned citizens the dangers of Huanglongbing, a rapidly transmitted pathogen that turns citrus fruits green. HLB, for short, is primarily spread by a sap-sucking bug called the Asian citrus psyllid, which has devastated orchards across Southeast Asia and Florida and now threatens citrus plants in our local Southern California. She explained that, “We have to do everything we can to protect our citrus belt.”

There were booths explaining how to recognize Asian citrus psyllids and their larvae, what to do in the event of an HLB outbreak, and how to prevent the spread of the disease. Did you know that when a tree is found to have HLB, the CDFA kills any remaining psyllids in the area, removes infected fruits and cuts the entire tree out from the roots, then double-bags it and sends it to a landfill for deep burial? Hornbaker estimates that 99 percent of her organization’s time is spent treating HLB.

The event opened with BC Agriculture chair Lindsay Ono introducing Ruben Arroyo, the Agriculture Commissioner for the Kern County Board of Supervisors, who provided some statistics to illustrate the importance of the citrus industry to the state and county’s economy. The facts were astounding – such as, citrus plants were first brought to California in 1649 and California’s orchards have become a multibillion dollar business ranked second in the United States behind Florida. Also, six in 10 Californians have a citrus tree in their backyard, and citrus trees are the third-highest grossing crop in Kern County, with 3 million cartons of fruit shipped out of Kern County orchards every year!

HLB has significantly impacted citrus production in Florida and around the world, but with proper prevention efforts by state regulatory agencies and educational events like those at the BC on Wednesday, we still have time to save California’s citrus. Check out the article on KGET about the event here!

Health Careers Connection Fair

healthconnections Special thank you to the Career and Technical Education and Nursing and Allied Health departments for organizing the Health Careers Connection Fair. This special event filled the Huddle with over 26 potential employers with valuable information for CTE and students interested in the healthcare professions.

Events like these really give students an opportunity to ask questions, learn more, and students get to know people who presently work in their field of studies.

The employers on hand were: Accelerated Urgent Care, Bakersfield Family Medical Center, Bakersfield Heart Hospital, Bethesda, Brookdale Riverwalk, Cal State San Marcos, Chamberlain College of Nursing, Clinica Sierra Vista, CSUB, Delano Regional Medical Center, Dignity Health, Grand Canyon University, Healthsouth of Bakersfield, Kaweah Delta Health Care District, Kern County Breastfeeding Coalition, Maxim Staffing, Northwest Surgery Center, Optimal Health Services, Parkview Julian Convalescent, Partners in Care Foundation, Rosewood, San Joaquin Community Hospital, Taft Federal Correctional Institution, Truxtun Radiology, Bakersfield Community Home Health, and the University of Phoenix.

Coffee Conversations for Parents of Youth

Important issues are always up for discussion at Bakersfield College and students are continually encouraged to engage with the community regarding these topics. On Thursday evening, the Office of Student Life and the Kern County Homeless Collaborative joined together for an informal evening of information and discussion revolving around homelessness and its effects on today’s youth.

Unfortunately, many of Bakersfield’s young people including BC students are affected by this epidemic. According the CA Homeless Youth Library — only a few years ago, during the 2012-2013, nearly 270,000 students in California experienced homelessness. Now in 2016, there’s a total of 1,067 children, adults, unaccompanied minors and families are homeless just in Kern County alone and 8% of them are ages 18-24.

I’ve said it before – BC is a family… but, so is Kern County and Bakersfield. When we see something that affects our family we do our part to step up, bring awareness to the issues, and find a resolution. That’s why events like this are so important. Invisible Homeless Youth – The Silent Epidemic helps to shine light on the reasons why youth are turning to the streets and how young people are finding themselves stuck in such dire situations.

The evening highlighted multiple situations where minors found themselves in sex trafficking, unaware of the resources offered in Kern County. Following the presentation, a panel was held where students were encouraged to ask any questions.

Did you know Kern County has multiple food banks, shelters, missions, and support groups to help anyone whom may find themselves in such a similar situation? Whether the cause is domestic violence, drug use, or an unstable home life, Kern County has resources to provide help.

Homelessness does not have to mean hopelessness. Some local organizations that can assist are:

Bakersfield Homeless Center for meals and housing. 661-322-9294
The Mission at Kern County for meals. 661-322-9294
Alliance Against Family Violence (Domestic Violence in Bakersfield) 661-322-0931
Woman’s Center High Desert (Domestic Violence in East Kern) 760-371-1969
Alpha House (Domestic Violence in Taft) 661-763-4357
Corporation for Better Housing 661-363-7077

Thank you to the experts on our Q&A panel from Kern County Superintendent of Schools, Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, Garden Pathways, Sheriff Department, and the Gay Lesbian Center.

Boy Scouts Honoring Community Leaders

Last Thursday, I had the privilege of attending the Distinguished Citizens Award Banquet presented by the Boy Scouts of America Southern Sierra Council.

jay-rosenlieb-speaking-oct-13-2016-at-boy-scout-event

This inaugural event honored Dr. Tom and Mrs. Pauline Larwood for their lifelong contributions to the fields of medicine, public service, education, global missions, as well as their long-time support of Scouting. Though our hearts are saddened by Dr. Larwood’s recent passing in September, the joint legacy he and Pauline leave for us is clear and unmistakable. Our world is better and our future brighter because of them.

Here is a 36-second video that I captured with my new iphone 7 (yes!) of the song. The song is of a religious nature, though the words can be understood in terms of comforting and lifting up each other. So beautiful….so important….. it is a little thing we can do for each other.

Here is the 4-minute version from youtube.

I would be remiss not to mention Pauline’s leadership and investment in KCCD as a long-time and beloved Trustee. The Distinguished Citizens Award Banquet included wonderful tributes by Council President Jay Rosenlieb, sons David & Don Larwood, Dr. Royce Johnson, and Scout Executive, Jesse Lopez. The evening was a heartfelt celebration of two lives well-lived and I was honored to be a part of it.

Manny Mourtzanos organized BC’s table at the event along with Tom Gelder. Manny is a die-hard believer in the scouting movement. And he has the same commitment for BC and our students. Here’s to the fabulous Manny Mourtzanos. manny and sonya outside vons 2014-2

#2 of Top 5 Highest Earning Two-year Colleges!

To top off an exciting week, I received an email with a link where BC recently placed number 2 among the top five highest earning two year colleges! Our students and their success is the inspiration for all that we do. Check it out at http://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/20/the-top-5-highest-earning-two-year-colleges.html?slide=5

Mark your calendars:

October 21, 2016: BC Choir’s Fall concert.

October 22, 2016: Join us for Homecoming. This year we are going big!

December 17, 2016: BC Choir along with the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra will perform a Holiday Concert at the Fox Theater.

March 29, 2017: Levan Lecture

That’s all for now.

Until next week.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya — the luckiest and happiest college president ever

So many reasons to celebrate! We are BC!

Uncategorized October 8, 2016 Comments: 2

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, October 8th ….another great day to be a Renegade.

This week was a week of travels for me. Denver early in the week for the AACC Pathways institute and then Orange County to present on Guided Pathways on Friday. Another big highlight of the week was the Measure J Open House on Tuesday evening.

But let me start my blog with Jim Norsworthy, class of 1965. I met Jim and his wife at a BC football game and captured a short video of him describing his time at BC:

Pathways Team at AACC Institute in Denver, CO

I traveled with the BC Pathways Team to Denver this week to attend the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Pathways Institute. Bakersfield College is one of 30 community colleges selected to participate in this 3-year initiative funded by the Gates foundation.

Janet Fulks, Maria Wright, Kimberly Bligh, Kate Pluta, Lesley Bonds, and Stephen Waller joined me on this trip.

Check out my previous blog, February 5, 2016, from San Antonio at the very first institute. In July, I recapped about a similar Pathways event held at LAX and here’s where I posted about Nick Strobel’s piece describing in only 500 words how the pathways initiative is like a GPS for students.

Traveling Adventures

Traveling home from Denver on Tuesday was quite the adventure as well. I arrived bright and early at the airport and went through security like normal. Denver is a beautiful city with a wonderful transportation system, even inside its airport. I took the “people mover” train to concourse B where I’d wait for my flight… and the system is so well designed. I learned from Wikipedia that its layout is based upon the train inside Atlanta’s airport and the systems are nearly identical. Anyway, upon settling in and getting my breakfast burrito, panic immediately set in. I realized I had left my ID back at security and had to go back to get it.

I had to wait, but the TSA agents were kind and helpful in the process. It’s often easy to dismiss the service these men and women provide as simply inconvenient during the rush of travel, but it’s truly helpful and an important public service. Safety is always a team effort and it was a common theme through multiple interactions during my trip home. Once I made it on the flight and before takeoff, the cabin crew on my United flight announced that all Samsung Galaxy phones needed to be switched off during flight unlike other phones which could be turned to airplane mode. If you’ve followed the news recently, there’s been a recall on these phones due to safety issues and you can check out the article about this notice on SmarterTravel.com.

I arrived in Bakersfield, safe and sound, inspired and ready for everything this week had in store and headed straight to the Measure J Open House.

Volunteers for Measure J!

Do you know how to “sign” Yes on J? Let’s watch and learn from Tom Moran.

BC is woven deeply into the fabric of this community. We have incredible students and relentless support from the people all over Kern County. It is wonderful to see so many people willing to spend time working for a better future for our community colleges. I am grateful for their hard work and support.

You can find out more about Measure J, and fill out an online endorsement form, at www.yesonj2016.com.

Measure J Open House:

There was also a fabulous open house for the Yes On J campaign on Tuesday night. There was great turnout, and the support and kind words about Bakersfield College were overwhelming. Thank you Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg and Andrea Thorson for leading a team to make this happen on short notice.

andrea-thorson-measure-j-open-house-oct-4-2016

Photos from the open house are posted on the Yes On J 2016 Facebook page.

I’d like to share some videos from the event from a few of our supporters. More videos will be on the Yes On J Facebook page soon, so check back!

Harvey Hall

Bill Thomas

Leticia Perez

Mike Turnipseed

Wayne Kress

Other Speakers and pictures:

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matthew-frazer-measure-j-open-house-oct-4-2016

chris-glaser-measure-j-open-house-oct-4-2016

Fred Prince

David Torres

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sikh-womens-association-measure-j-open-house-oct-4-2016

speakers-measure-j-open-house-oct-4-2016

Presentations and endorsements:

On October 5th, Bill Thomas, JP Lake, Nicole Parra and I attended the Kern County Farm Bureau Board of Directors meeting. It was wonderful seeing all our Ag faculty out there in full force to support the needs of the college and the Ag department.

ag-faculty-at-kern-county-farm-bureau-oct-5-2016

JP Lake, Bill Kelley, Sonya Christian, Bill Thomas, Heather Baltis, Chris McCraw, Lindsey Ono, Greg Cluff, Bill Barnes

On October 6th, JP Lake presented to the Renegade Helmet Club. I am happy to say that the club unanimously endorsed Measure J.

Also this week, Cheryl Scott informed me that the Greater Tehachapi Economic Development Council endorsed Measure J.

Over 100o individuals have endorsed Measure J. To check out the list, visit

http://www.yesonj2016.com/endorsements.html

Last week at the Kern County Fair

Thank you to all the volunteers at the Measure J booth at the Kern County Fair. Thank you Trustee Kay Meek who staffed the booth Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately we did not get a picture of her hard at work.

Vounteers at work:

Thank you to all the volunteers who phone banked this last week. Here are just some names of the many who turned out at the Campaign Head Quarters to help.

Michelle Pena, Linda Cordoba, Josh Shackelford, Jackie Lau, Peggy Gonzales, Sergio Maldando, Sal Gomez.

Kathy Rosellini, Chelsea Esquibias, Shannell Tyes, Abel Guzman, Nielly Damamia, Isabel Casteneda, Lucero Cisneros, Iris Gonsalez, Sam Moreno, Sandra Beckworth, Paul Beckworth, Natesha Johnson, Katie Johnson

And they come young 🙂 Isabel Castaneda’s 5 year old. Just precious.

Delano promoting Measure J:

Delano was out during the Harvest Festival promoting Measure J

Kern Shakespeare Festival

This week the Shakespeare Festival at BC kicks off and will last for the upcoming two weeks.

Brian Sivesind, the new director for the Drama Department, is excited to be heading the 32nd annual festival.

In preparation for the play of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” 28 students and 2 faculty spent 7 weeks, 5 days a week making sure the performance would blow people away. Brian Sivesind commented that he “wants the audience to be amazed at the level of talent and commitment that BC students have put into Shakespeare.”

This modernized version of the comedy tells the story of two people who fall in love, elope into the desert and due to magical forces are caught in a love triangle that includes other people.

It also incorporates elements of Burning Man, a real event, in which thousands of people assemble in the desert each year to burn a huge wooden art structure. Then, return to civilization leaving no trace of being there. Have you been to Burning Man?

Students participating in the play also had a chance to comment.

Ryan Lee, playing the character of Lysander, said,” I want to have fun and act and focus on the building of the character and that’s what drives me.”

Juliana Benavides commented, “I was not real familiar with Shakespeare, but decided to give it a try. I love the feeling of being on stage and bringing myself into the world of the play.”

Tickets are available through Vallitix, and the show is held at the Outdoor Theatre. The festival began this weekend, and continues next week, with shows at 7:30 pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.

Industrial Automation Student Gathering

The BC Industrial Automation students gathered on Tuesday evening to mingle and prepare for potential internships that may come up with quick deadlines.

Stephanie Baltazar, our Job Development Specialist, was on hand for a special resume workshop and to help students improve their resumes.

It’s been an exciting journey so far for this incredible group of students.The Renegade family is so proud of these trailblazing students and I can’t wait to see what they can accomplish as they reach for the stars!

Congratulations to Helen Calip!

Helen Calip, Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Sonya Christian, Jay Tamsi

BC is a campus without boundaries and our staff in Delano accomplish incredible things each day. I have to extend a warm congratulations to Helen Calip, our lead coordinator of Admissions and Records for the Delano Campus. Last month, she was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Delano Union School District by the Delano Union SD Hall of Fame Committee for Outstanding Service to the community.

This is not the first recognition for her service to the Delano community either. In 2012, she was voted Woman of the Year by the Filipino Community of Delano for excellent community service, and in 2010, she was awarded Woman of the Year by the Delano Chamber of Commerce.

Helen works diligently with heart, helping the Delano faculty and staff to meet academic and professional needs while actively engaging and serving the people of her community.

Thank you and congratulations Helen! Everyone at BC is so proud you are part of our family.

Emergency Responder Training

The week at BC was off to a safe start as the BC Public Safety Department held hour-long Emergency Responder Trainings on Monday and Tuesday. The training was open to all employees, especially our new faculty and staff, so that everyone knows what to do in case of an on campus emergency.

Chief Chris Counts, our Director of Public Safety recently said in the newest Annual Safety Report, “Do not hesitate to ask the Dept. of Public Safety staff any questions you may have about your personal safety. You will find that the staff members are interested and welcome the opportunity to assist with your concerns.”

Our campus community is very lucky to have such caring and dedicated public safety personnel. These are people who want nothing more than to serve and improve our campus! I cannot adequately express how grateful I am for our BC Public Safety team – Thank you for all that you do!

Homecoming & the Big Red Dinner!

The excitement is ramping up on campus for the annual Homecoming celebrations that take place later this month. This year will mark the 59^th Homecoming at 1801 Panorama Drive and the upcoming activities are themed around building the Renegade community for the future, focusing on the next 50 years to come. Over the past year as a BC Community, we have enjoyed reuniting with our past and looking back at our campus traditions while we plan for the future so this announcement is especially exciting.

The front page of the Renegade RIP in 1957, in large bold letters read “Campus Open House Features Spaghetti Feed” and there’s no better way to celebrate where we started and where we’ve come — so we’re doing it again!

Community members, leaders, alumni, families, friends of BC, and colleagues – this spaghetti dinner will be the tailgate of the year and with your attendance and support, we can make it the best one yet!

The celebration kicks off with a spaghetti feast with salad, roll with butter, and water or soda – plus the famous BC flying saucer cookie! With the purchase of dinner, you’ll get admission to the grand homecoming football game, entertainment by the BC Drumline and music department, cheerleaders, and more. Come back to the campus on the hill for Homecoming 2016.

Tickets are available on Vallitix.

For more information about Homecoming, check out https://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/homecoming.

I can’t wait to see you there!!

Driven by Art: Public Art Project at BMOA

It’s a beautiful thing when creativity and community collide and that’s why we’re so lucky to have the Bakersfield Museum of Art in our neighborhood. In celebration of the BMOA’s 60^th anniversary, they invited the community to participate in “Driven by Art” where various groups and organizations painted and decorated 33 miniature fiberglass 1956 style pickup trucks.

Why 1956? An article about the event on BakersfieldMagazine.net tell me, “That was the year the Museum was founded, of course!” The article also states that 13 of trucks have been promised to the Bakersfield Foundation and will be permanently installed along the Westside Parkway.

Bakersfield College was well represented through art faculty, David Koeth and adjunct professors, Cameron Brian and Nano Rubio.

This is a uniquely Bakersfield take on successful community art projects like Chicago’s “Cows on Parade,” New York’s “Big Apples,” Vacaville’s We Know Jack, Riverside’s “Giant Oranges” and Cincinnati’s “Big Pig Gig.” 33 small-scale 1956 era fiberglass pickup trucks were painted, embellished, and festooned, and will be on display until January 2017 in downtown Bakersfield. In addition, 12 of the trucks will be donated to the City of Bakersfield and permanently installed on the Westside Parkway in 2017.

A map with the location of each truck can be found at: http://www.bmoa.org/map

Photos below: “RockArt” is by David Koeth and Nano Rubio, “Citrus” is by Cameron Brian.

We also had BC alumni who worked on the trucks including, Liz Sherwyn, José Lemus, and Lorraina Paz. Check out the video by KGET at http://www.kerngoldenempire.com/news/driven-by-art-public-art-project-debuts-at-the-bakersfield-museum-of-art and follow the Bakersfield Museum of Art on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BMOA1930.

Thank You Mr. Jensen

It was a celebration on Wednesday evening at William M. Thomas Terminal at Meadows Field Airport when the Honor Flight Kern County came back into town. A band played live music, miniature American flags were in every person’s hands, and the red, white, and blue spirit was at an all-time high.

HFKC says on their website that there are approximately 46,000 veterans in Kern County with over 8,000 of them World War II and Korean Vets. Their mission is to honor and send Kern County’s vets to Washington to see the memorials built in their honor, for their service and dedication to our country. The top priority on these flights is given to the most senior veterans and those who are terminally ill. Every veteran accepted by HFKC travels at no cost to him/her and these trips are memorable and life changing.

I was made aware of a special man, Mr. Mervin Jensen – a loyal supporter of BC for over 50 years – who would be traveling on the honor flight and I was honored to write him a letter of appreciation and be on hand to welcome him home upon his flights arrival in Bakersfield. Mervin and his friends regularly attend BC football games and their common love for BC and friendship has helped them through their elder years, loss of spouses, and chronic illness.

We are BC, and our sense of community and comraderie is an integral part of our Bakersfield identity. Thank you Mr. Jensen – your love and enthusiasm for the Renegades is unrivaled and BC thanks you for your steadfast support. Furthermore, thank you for your service, your courage, and for serving the United States of America. We are so incredibly grateful for what you’ve done.

Cristian Gutierres, Mervin Jensen, Sonya Christian, Karen Goh, Paul Beckworth

A special thank you to Karen Goh for inviting me to participate in this special opportunity. Karen is a big supporter of education and a consistent supporter of Bakersfield College. Thank you Paul Beckworth, BC’s Veterans Faculty Lead, and Cristian Gutierrez, 8 year Marine vet, STEM major, and BC’s Veterans Club Vice President who also joined me in the celebration for Mr. Jensen. To learn more about Honor Flight Kern County, visit http://www.honorflightkerncounty.org/

BC Faculty and Staff Featured:

Matthew Garrett

In late August, I announced on my blog that Dr. Matthew Garrett’s book, Making Lamanites: Mormons, Native Americans, and the Indian Student Placement Program, 1947-200 would be releasing the following month.

If you haven’t had a chance to pick one up, it is available on Amazon and it’s the winner of the Juanita Brooks Prize in Mormon Studies. From 1947 to 2000, some 50,000 Native American children left their homes on reservations to live with Mormon foster families. Making Lamanites traces this student experience within cultural and institutional landscapes to reveal how and why many of these Native youth adopted a new notion of Indianness.

Andrea Thorson:

Here is a great piece by our student reporter for the Renegade Rip, Joshua Fisher, featuring Professor Andrea Thorson. Here is an excerpt:

Thorson feels that she teaches as more than just a career, she says it is a lifestyle. Classes to her are like sub-family communities and everyone’s voice should matter. Embedded inside her is a morally high expectation of her students.

The picture was taken by James Macias for the Renegade Rip article.

Andrea represents the talent and commitment to students of BC faculty and staff. We are BC! For more, check out:

http://www.therip.com/campus/2016/10/05/professor-finds-her-true-calling-at-bc/

A note from Jack Hernandez:

On March 29^th, 2017, the second annual Levan Lecture will be given by Juan Felipe Herrera, the current Poet Laureate of the United States. He has written award-winning poetry and fiction. He has also written nonfiction and children’s books.

Please save this date.

Faculty on a CSU panel

From Facebook. Reggie Williams, Marcus Duarte-Smith and Dahna Rasmussen.

BC Athletics:

Coach Chudy and his staff led the Renegades into Murdock Stadium on the El Camino Campus in Torrence, CA. After giving up the lead with 39 seconds to play, the Renegades pulled out the victory with a 70-yard 5-play drive and scoring the go ahead touchdown with 3 seconds to spare! Check out http://www.gogades.com/landing/index to watch the highlights.

With a bye this week, Renegade Football opens National Northern Conference play on Oct. 15th at Moorpark College, 6pm kickoff.

Volleyball opened Western State Conference play with two impressive 3-game sweeps over Glendale on the road Wednesday night and Santa Monica at home on Friday night. Coach Carl Ferreira has prepared his team through a touch preseason schedule to make a run at the conference championship.

Women’s Golf Team led by Coach Brittney Goehring placed third as a team at Western State Conference Match #5 on the San Dimas Golf Course. The Renegades were led by Janette Chhuon Chan with a round of 77, while Brandi Borjon turned in an 86 to finish second on the team.

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Mackenzie Hernandez

Sophomore, volleyball, setter

Had a strong all-around match with 30 assists, 15 digs and four blocks last week to lead the Renegades to a 20-25, 25-14, 25-18, 23-25, 15-9 win over Moorpark, the same team that beat the Renegades 3-0 one week earlier. The Bakersfield High graduate leads BC in assists (332) and aces (24), and is second in digs

(125), third in blocks (18) and fourth in kills (83).

MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Sophomore, football, wide receiver Derrick Vickers

Caught eight passes for 205 yards and a touchdown while adding two rushing touchdowns. His 53-yard reception with six seconds to play set up his own game-winning 1-yard TD run to beat El Camino 42-38. Vickers, named the National Northern League’s Player of the Week for special teams and all-purpose, has a state-leading 11 touchdowns to help BC to a 4-1 start.

Mark your calendars:

October 21, 2016: BC Choir’s Fall concert.

October 22, 2016: Join us for Homecoming. This year we are going big!

December 17, 2016: BC Choir along with the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra will perform a Holiday Concert at the Fox Theater.

March 29, 2017: Levan Lecture

That’s all for now.

Until next week.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya — the luckiest and happiest college president ever

Sonya Christian's Blog

Tag Archives: Measure J

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