Tim Heasley | Sonya Christian's Blog

Tag Archives: Tim Heasley

Building A Better BC

Uncategorized July 16, 2016 Comments: 3

At approximately 1:45 p.m. on July 14, 2016 the KCCD Board of Trustees unanimously voted to have a $503 M bond measure on the November ballot. A historic moment!

Board Meeting July 14 2016

The next day, Friday, July 15th, Bakersfield woke up to an amazing coverage of this decision on TV and in The Bakersfield Californian.

Enjoy the two pieces in the Californian — An article by Harold Pierce on page 2 and an endorsement opinion piece by Mayor Harvey Hall.

You can read Harold Pierce‘s article here: http://tinyurl.com/zu6r7l6

I also want to thank Mayor Harvey Hall, for his endorsement of the bond measure published here http://tinyurl.com/hdvx7b4

TBC_HarveyHall_7.15.2016

Mayor Hall also spoke in support of the bond at Thursday’s meeting. In his speech, he strongly encouraged the KCCD Board of Trustees to “Dream big for future students” and “be bold in our decisions.”

One moment in his speech that stood out to me was when he requested that Board members pause to think about the number of lives that have been changed because of attending Bakersfield College… And again to think about the number of families who have been impacted because someone in that family earned a degree or certificate at BC. He said, “Bakersfield College IS a return on investment!”

Following Mayor Harvey Hall, BC Student Government Association President Matthew Frazer took the stand.

Matthew Frazer addresses the Board of Trustees – and a packed crowd of BC supporters!

He opened by sharing memories and experiences he’s had “…growing up in a city where everyone can call Bakersfield College home.”

He made almost everyone in the room smile or chuckle when he spoke of our campus by saying… “The 1950s look is simply not cutting it for me anymore.”

Wesley Lyons, one of our student veterans, also shared his thoughts.

Wesley Lyons returns to his seat after his speech.

“A statistic some of you may have heard, is that 22 veterans commit suicide per day. Their suicides are damaging to our community and opened my eyes that we need more direct services dedicated to these brothers and sisters. And while the campus community can help to Band-Aid it together, there are still lingering effects. The new Veteran Recourse Center will have a larger dedicated space for Veterans to come together to share, support, and most importantly to decompress. The space will also have dedicated tutors for soldiers who have not been dedicated learners in four plus years, and increased administrative support such as additional advisors to cope with an increasing demand for veteran specific knowledge. As a veteran I can tell you, that sometimes I need to know there is a space I can rely on that will help me calm my nerves and where like-minded support will be there for me to relate to.”

The room was packed and the message was clear: Dream Big – our future and the future of the students who attend BC depend on it. The support thus far has been overwhelming and the excitement bursts around us.

BC’s Bond Blue Ribbon Committee came out in full force to support the Board in taking this action. I was sitting up front, so could not see everyone who was in the packed room. So let me mention a few: Mayor Harvey Hall, Congressman Bill Thomas, Norma Rojas-Mora, Jay Rosenlieb, Karen Thompson, Michael Bowers, Jay Tamsi, Keith Wolaridge, Michael O’Doherty, Michael Turnipseed and others.

Mayor Harvey Hall

Congressman Bill Thomas

Arvin was present and attendees distributed shirts that said #BCinArvin and many supporters put them on instantly. City Manager Al Noyola addressed the Board along with Jennifer Wood the Director of Building Healthy Communities. City Council Member Jose Gurrola, an alum of BC, was also present.

You can see more photos online at http://tinyurl.com/z2n6cj3

Arvin

Last weekend, I shared a bit about a recent visit to Shafter, but today I’d like to explore our neighbor to the southeast, Arvin – and the good things happening there with BC.

Arvin is a beautiful city with a long history of crops, cattle, and oil. Located about 15 miles to the southeast, this Garden in the Sun was named after a land owner’s son from Ohio named Arvin Richardson. The city is frammed by mountains along three sides and surrounded by fertile farmlands so it’s not surprising this small town boomed throughout the decades into a major center of agriculture.

Many families relocated to Arvin during the dust bowl period or “the dirty thirties,” including Dr. Jim Young’s family. Arvin has been his home ever since, even commuting daily to Bakersfield during his time at the KHSD AND KCCD. It was mentioned in an article on Bakersfield.com that he “loved making the drive each morning and afternoon” until his retirement in 1999. (http://tinyurl.com/zb3coc3)

bc_pres_arvin Like cities across Kern County, Arvin is growing and so are the educational needs of the city. BC first offered 6-8 courses at Arvin High School in 2010-11 increasing the number of courses to 23 by 2014-15. We began implementing 1+1+2 Game Changer this year resulting in an even further increasing number of courses for fall 2016. (Take a moment to check out my August 5, 2015 blog about the Game Changer program http://tinyurl.com/hkm2p6y. A big thank you to Michael Turnipseed and Supervisor Leticia Perez for making this happen.) With limited space at the current Arvin High School location, BC is investigating alternative facilities to offer classes and services for the rising Arvin student body.

This plan has great urgency as we discovered Arvin High School is preparing for a 16% increase in freshman this fall. This makes AHS the second largest school in the KCCD service area. Arvin and Lamont are among the most densely populated townships in Kern County ranging from 3,500 to 4000 citizens per square mile and have a thirty-percent poverty rate that challenges any in our nation. The education needs of this underprivileged community are an equity issue that has our immediate focus.

BC’s Drumline and Bugle Corps

Saturday, July 16th, night at the Memorial Stadium was magical. The crescent moon was brilliant on this clear night as the seven Drum Corps teams from across California competed at Bakersfield College with over 2000 spectators in the stands.

Impulse – Buena Park, CA; Incognito – Garden Grove, CA; Watchmen – Riverside, CA; Blue Devils C – Concord, CA; Blue Devils B – Concord, CA; Vanguard Cadets – Santa Clara, CA; Golden Empire – Bakersfield, CA

Check out 16 seconds of the BC Drumline sound:

A group of us attended the event and it was so much fun. With the hectic pace of work for everyone, I cannot remember the last time I did something social with a group. Was wonderful seeing my good friend Karen Goh and catching up with her after such a long time. It was an evening of great music, lots of laughter and tons of selfies. Thank you for coming out and celebrating BC — Kimberly Bligh, Bobby Bligh, Janet Tarjan, Nick Strobel, Lisa Strobel, Jay Rosenlieb, and Karen Goh.

For more pictures check out Karen Goh’s Facebook photos at http://tinyurl.com/zt33hqj

Tim Heasley has done an amazing job starting up Bakersfield College’s Gold Empire Drum and Bugle Corps. His passion and expertise has taken grown the group to 323 member, brass, percussion and visual performers. Last night BC’s Corps competed in the DCI ‘Resound” and placed third. That is quite an accomplishment for a group in their third year. Check out a video tribute to Tim Heasley from a high school classmate from West High who was sitting right behind us.

Mary Jo July 16 2016 And what can I say about Mary Jo Pasek. She works hard, she is everywhere, she is dedicated to BC and she is dedicated to this community. Mary Jo tirelessly promotes the community and BC on social media. She tirelessly works events even if it means giving our community members rides from their cars to the event in 102 degree temperatures. She tirelessly volunteers her services for numerous good causes across the community. Mary Jo, thank you for all that you do. I am so glad you are at BC. #WeAreBC.

Also a special thanks to our stellar maintenance and public safety staff for making this event happen last night in our Memorial Stadium. Chief Counts and Bill Potter please say a big thank you from me to your staff.

Chevron Retirees

On Friday, I really enjoyed presenting to the Chevron Retirees Association along with Karen Thompson. It was a great great group with a lot of stories about Bakersfield College. I enjoyed visiting with both Betty Bean and Janice Meek. Janice grew up in Lamont, attended Arvin High School and then came to BC where she was a Chamber singer. Janice retired this December as an Area Manager at Chevron and worked at Chevron for a total of 25 years.

Chevron Retirees Association

Sonya Christian, Janice Meek

Sonya Christian, Betty Bean, Karen Thompson

[Talking about Chamber Singers, did you see the July 6, 2016 article by Stefani Dias in the Californian about the play Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Stars Theater? http://www.bakersfield.com/entertainment/2016/07/06/technicolor-dreams-at-stars.html. There was a shout out the BC’s Chamber Singers. Here is the line: “The show is a mix of seasoned performers and new faces, Forzetting said, including members of Bakersfield College’s chamber choir.”]

Chevron was the recipient of the Bakersfield College Foundation award for philanthropy.

Here are some previous blog posts about Chevron:

Feb 4, 2013: Thank you Chevron:
https://bcpresidentblog.com/2013/02/04/thank-you-chevron/

April 9, 2016: BC and the Community –Relationship Runs Deep:
https://bcpresidentblog.com/2016/04/09/bc-and-the-community-relationship-runs-deep/

May 28, 2016: It Is The Best of Times
https://bcpresidentblog.com/2016/05/28/it-is-the-best-of-times/

June 25, 2016: Celebrating Our People:
https://bcpresidentblog.com/2016/06/25/celebrating-our-people/

Rocky, the Raccoon

An unexpected guest made his way to the north side of the Admin building on Thursday morning. Officer Marco Sifuentes and Ramon Puga worked simultaneously to get our little Raccoon the help he needed and by that afternoon, a team from the Animal Capture Wildlife Control came to help our little friend.

And good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday July 16, 2016 and a good day to be a Renegade.

That’s all for now.

Until next Saturday.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya ….. the luckiest and happiest college president in the whole world

We are BC!

Uncategorized May 7, 2016 Leave a comment

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, May 7, 2016…..A good day to be a Renegade.

Woke up to a front-page article in The Bakersfield Californian about our veterans–Korean War veteran Art Gentry in a conversation with Kevin McCarthy at Bakersfield College. Check out the story at http://tinyurl.com/zlykmbw. Mary Jo Pasek, thank you for pulling this event together. Thank you Kristen Rabe and Manny De Los Santos.

Dadabhoy McCarthy Beckworth Gentry May 6 2016

Kevin McCarthy Sonya Christian Art Gentry May 6 2016

Well, we are now one week away from graduation. a time of so many celebrations on campus–Honors Program, Latino Celebration, Black Graduates Celebration, Veterans Celebration….During this time our days at BC start at the crack of dawn and end rather late. This last week during many of the activities though I found a deep quiet and stillness within me as I was immersed and present in all the fast movement. It is a good time to be at BC!

Let me start this weekend blog with the Delano Prayer breakfast on Thursday, May 5th, at 6:30 a.m. I was invited to speak at this event and the task turned out to be quite daunting; trying to figure out what I should speak on. The days and nights leading up to the prayer breakfast had me exploring various framing ideas and finally settled on what gives life meaning. Is life the pursuit of meaning (Frankl)? Or is life the pursuit of happiness? There is a wonderful piece in The Atlantic Monthly, Jan 9, 2013 titled There is more to Life than being Happy (http://tinyurl.com/asf7lke) that keys off Frankl’s work in 1946 titled Man’s Search for Meaning. So, I finally settled on the theme of my talk to be the “pursuit of meaning” rather than the “pursuit of happiness”. Although I must say that having my peanut butter and jelly sandwich with coffee every morning is sheer happiness. And I am amazed how much I enjoy my breakfast each morning as if I am having it for the first time.

Caesar Chavez HS Choir

Gustavo Enrique, Romeo Agbalog, WECOMM Students

Here are a few excerpts from my talk. You can find the full version at https://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/president/delano-prayer-breakfast.

…..

We, in this room, may be of different faiths, but we have a common belief that “whatsoever you do unto the least of my brethren you do unto me”. Does the “least of my “brethren” have the same opportunity for success as the rest?

So you see, in the educational realm, there is much to be done. Do we have the ability to “see” each and every student, In the movie Avatar we are introduced to the Na’vi concept of “To see” – I see you is to open the mind and heart to the present and embrace it as if encountering it for the first time with all of your senses. Did you love the scene with Neytiri and Jake when he tells her “I see you?” So, do we see each of our students and understand their circumstances and respond… respond quickly. No waiting…. Waiting to respond is to be lulled by the status quo. Martin Luther King in 1963 in his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” wrote:

For years now I have heard the word “Wait!” …… This “Wait” has almost always meant “Never.” We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that “justice too long delayed is justice denied.”

…..

The best way I can describe my dad is that he was always “true to the other.”

I suspect we all share the experience of having struggled with being honest with the other – a family member, a friend or a co-worker. Do I share what I know, what I think or feel, do I risk causing hurt – or do I not? Do I decide on my own that an issue is not someone’s concern, so withhold information, keep others from having a vote?

My father was as wise as he was kind. He helped me understand that this sort of turmoil is a waste of energy; and it is at its core a kind of self-protective instinct. Not that self-protection is bad – it’s essential – but approaching life primarily from a defensive stance is limiting. Rather, the question is how each of us cultivate a sense of being “true to the other” so that the focus is on “the other” rather than self…..An “I see you” approach.

As I’ve grown older, I have come to understand my father’s uncanny ability of being “true to the other”. He was not a man who spoke much, not one for dissecting feelings or getting entangled in the dramas of the community or extended family. Remember, I grew up in a catholic family in a small coastal community at the southern tip of India where everyone was in everyone else’s business. My dad was very much part of this community very present, staying true to family, loved ones, colleagues and the community and yet with a mysterious ability to not be caught up with the dramas that ensue from a close community. I have started to understand the essence of his attitude in three principles: Know yourself; Keep it simple; See the other. He epitomized the sentiment expressed in a W.H. Auden couplet that a friend introduced me to:

If equal affection cannot be
Let the more loving one be me

Thank you Janet Rabanal, President of the Delano Chamber, for hosting such a wonderful event. Also, I was touched when you took the time to quietly bring me a plate of eggs with delicious potatoes after my talk. I was so happy to see Trustee Romeo Agbalog at the event. He is such an advocate for education and an advocate for the Delano community.

I was so proud to see Rich McCrow, Gustavo Enriquez and our WECOMM students share diversity and acceptance as a central theme to service. As we prayed for people of different communities and career types, such as educators, social justice workers, public service men and woman, and even inmates, our WECOMM students shared statistical data and the idea that together, we are one humankind community.

Jacqueline Lomba, Kaitlyn Raybuck

Talking about community, I was especially touched by witnessing kindness, love, and our ability to quickly respond when tragedy recently hit one of our BC students. Kaitlyn Raybuck is a bright and successful young woman who suddenly lost her mother at the tender age of 42. Kaitlyn’s mom, Jacqueline Lomba, was a veteran who served our country, and she was also a great example of selfless love and service to others, taking in two foster sisters when they were homeless high school students. The picture here is of mother and daughter at Kaitlyn’s senior year of high school.

I was made aware of the situation by Joyce Kirst, one of our Academic Development faculty, who in partnering with Paul Beckworth, our lead faculty for Veterans Affairs, rallied around this wonderful young woman during a time of great need. Paul’s compassion and knowledge has made a positive difference for Kaitlyn’s family. This story, even though terribly tragic, gives me a great sense of hope and inspiration that our BC family is on the right path of ministry for our students. To Paul and Joyce, thank you for being the good in our community and for being true to our students. And Kaitlyn, you inspire me. All through my drive back from Tehachapi, your words, your face and your voice, delivering the eulogy played in my mind over and over again. Your mom is proud of you.

Here is Kaitlyn’s email to Joyce:

Date: April 30, 2016, 12:37:56 AM PDT
To: Joyce Kirst <jkirst@bakersfieldcollege.edu>
Subject: I am grateful

Joyce,

I am at a loss of words over the overwhelming love and support I have received from not only you, but the students and numerous staff on campus. The cards are beside my bed and they give me such great comfort right now. I have cried so much this past week, and it all seems so surreal. I am grateful to have wonderful people like you in my life.

My mother’s funeral will be this Tuesday at 10 am. I am delivering her eulogy and the Navy will honor her at the Bakersfield National Cemetary. I am so thankful you put me in touch with Professor Beckworth, and because of your help my mother will be honored and it will be of no expense to my family. The funeral costs will also be reimbursed, and I have made myself an appointment with Veteran’s Services to discuss benefits for my siblings so that they can have tuition free college and perhaps some sort of trust so that they can be taken care of until they are eighteen.

Again, words cannot express how thankful I am for all that you have done for me. I will see you Monday.

Kaitlyn

Wheels Downtown

On Saturday, April 30^th a group from BC joined student leader Enrique Martinez for Wheels Downtown—a ‘walk’ through the downtown area of Bakersfield to point out some of the access issues faced by people with disabilities. The event was sponsored by Martinez’ new Independence Foundation.

“We want to participate in activities downtown and frequent businesses, but the lack of curb cuts and pot holes can be prohibitive,” said Martinez.

Attending the gathering was Christopher Gerry from the City Manager’s Office. who spent time talking with participants and noting the access issues brought up. Also attending the walk were a numberof Bakersfield mayoral candidates. The walk ended at a new downtown establishment, Centro 18, for tacos and conversations.

Representatives from the BC DISC Club (Disabilities Inspire and Support Change), who just won the Renegade Spirit Award also turned out.

It was wonderful to see Karen Goh, CEO of Garden Pathways, supporting individuals with disabilities and the BC DISC Club. Karen you are a great partner of education!

BC currently serves over 1,000 students with any kind of learning, mental health or physical disability. In addition to providing classroom accommodations, we offer job preparation support and specialized classes for our students with disabilities at Bakersfield College. The main office is located in the Counseling Center to get more information or to sign up for services.

A wonderful evening of music

On Wednesday, May 4th, BC’Performing Arts program showcased all of our music programs starting with our award winning Drumline in the gym followed by an evening of incredible music filling the outdoor theater. The Chair of the Performing Arts program Dr. John Gerhold emceed the event and it was clear that he was so proud of the faculty conductors, the support staff and the students.

Jorge Santos, Sonya Christian

Kris Tiner and the fabulous BC Jazz Ensemble kicked off the evening with an early Miles Davis piece, 1940’s vintage. Jorge Santos later played a solo that captured the essence of Miles Davis, but with his own style. Jorge is one of our Applied Music majors who will be transferring to CSUB in the fall. Jorge later connected with me and I enjoyed hearing his story. BC students rock!

First time ever, the BC Choir and the BC Jazz Ensemble cooperated on a rousing version of Sing, Sing, Sing. All of the women from both the Choir and Chamber singers joined for a moving version of Music Down in My Soul. Regina Shelton, our talented pianist and accompanist was featured.

The men from both the Choir and the Chamber singers brought a bit of humor to the concert with, Please Mr. Columbus. The song gave us a behind-the-scenes view of what Columbus’ crew members were thinking on their long voyage to the new world. And Jen Garret was absolutely fabulous.

The combined vocal groups filled the stage. Their last piece featured percussion instruments in an African piece that Translates to All Creatures of Our God and King.

The Concert Band, under the direction of Tim Heasley, showed their versatility by playing two pieces a world apart, Bolero and Officer Krumpke from Westside Story. Both highly entertaining in their own way. The Orchestra followed, with Lisa Buringrud conducting, the piece from Porgy and Bess. Last performance of the evening was a folk piece, Cindy.

May 11th is California Community College Music Instructors Day. Take a moment next week to tell our fabulous music faculty how much you appreciate their talent and their dedication to our music students.

BC Athletics:

BC Athletics has had yet another stellar year with 15 of 19 programs advancing to post-season play. Baseball, Track, Swimming and Beach Volleyball continue to represent in post-season play this week.

CCCAA Regional Round 1, #9 seeded BC Baseball took game one of a three games series from #8 seeded Long Beach City College 5-2 on Friday afternoon. Hudson Hartley had a dominating performance in a complete game effort. First pitch of game two is 11:00am today. If necessary game three will start at 3:00pm.

BC Track & Field sends 25 participants to the CCCAA Southern California Prelims at Antelope Valley College today, the top 12 out of 27 in each event qualifying for the Finals to be held next weekend.

BC Swimming has three athletes still competing in the CCCAA State Championships today. Erik Wood, Sara Klang and Brianna Smith each will swim one more event this morning with finals this afternoon.

Beach Volleyball #1 pairs team Sara Aurin and Alyssa Mathews advanced to the CCCAA State Championships at Grossmont College today. BC’s Beach team completed their season at the Regional event this past week.

Latino graduates celebration:

I started my Thursday morning in Delano at the Prayer Breakfast and ended it with BC’s Latino graduates celebration. This year the event was organized by Victor Diaz and team under the guidance of Corny Rodriguez. Dolores Huerta was the keynote speaker and her energetic and passionate speech, I am sure, has created a lasting memory for our students. It was wonderful seeing our faculty and students just beaming at this event. Thank you Trustee Kyle Carter for attending this event.

Corny Rodriguez, Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Sonya Christian, Kyle Carter

Current Renegade graduate and a little future Renegade

Tamika Payne, her daughter, Sonya Christian

Milt and Betty Younger honored:

The very same evening of the Latino celebration, Milt and Betty Younger were the 2016 Hillel Award recipients. BC had a full table with Exec VP Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg at the event to support the Youngers who are good friends of the College. Do check out my Sep 12, 2014 posting on Betty’s sculpture Circle of Friends that was installed on our campus. This sculpture honors Jim Young, Chancellor Emeritus of KCCD and an advocate for education. http://tinyurl.com/zbq8k28.

Physics Olympics

On April 29, we invited students from over a dozen high schools in Kern County to compete in the annual Physics Olympics. Teams competed in events that required both skills and knowledge in theoretical and experimental physics and engineering.

This wonderful event promotes interest in the fields of physics and engineering, with 18 different events held throughout our campus. Many thanks to the Kern High School District for sponsoring this great event for our local high school students!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Nurse’s Week

This past week was Nurse’s Week. Our nursing faculty & staff set up a table outside the skills lab with treats and snacks for our students. Our faculty also put together some amazing door prizes. Thank you also to partners in the community that donated prizes: Dignity Hospital, San Joaquin Hospital, HealthSouth, Central Valley Office Supply, Pepsi and the Bakersfield Condors.

I received an email from Cindy Collier, our Dean of Nursing and Allied Health, thanking everyone for their donations. She said, “This is how you build a community!”

This is just another great example of the community we share – not just among our BC faculty and staff, but throughout Bakersfield.

And speaking of our fantastic Nursing department, Carla Gard, our Associate Dean/Director of Nursing Programs, let me know that our average annual pass rate for the NCSBN has increased to 91.27%. Our first time test takers had a 94.5% pass rate.

I am so proud of our students and their hard work – they truly will make Kern County a healthier place!

Wow…. it is already 3:40 p.m. I have had commitments today that has made it impossible to make progress on my blog. It is time now to get this blog published. Until next time then…..

Life at BC is all about living life fully

Uncategorized April 2, 2016 Comments: 4

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, April 2, 2016. Just a wonderful day to be a Renegade!

I have been awake the last two hours just reading and thinking about the week, and as I started working on this blog I realized that maybe I needed to break it into two posts. Certainly a good problem to have….

Let me start with a memorial service I attended during the week where the remarks of several speakers have stayed with me, and I suspect will continue to stay with me for a long time. The service was held in a beautiful hilly area and there was a strong breeze that rustled thought the tent-like pavilion as the story was told of the one who had passed. A story of courage, love, beauty, resilience, commitment and action. Not one of indifference. During the service, one of the speakers introduced the Old Testament story of Ester, considering the question of who is the real villain of the story. The speaker explained that the traditional response to this question is Haman, guilty of genocide. However, one could argue that the “indifferent” Ahasuerus was probably more of a villain than Haman. The collective damage of indifference is greater.( This reminded me of Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” where he says of racism that “Lukewarm acceptance is more bewildering than outright rejection” of racism.) The speaker concluded that the person who passed was the antithesis of Ahasuerus, for she had lived her life fully in action, overcoming her difficulties to fight for the right thing.

I experienced that one hour as if I were cocooned in another world, and the story of her life has inspired me to shift and live life just a little bit more. Here is a poem that I received from a friend on Monday, 3/28, that epitomizes her life.

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it.

Speaking of living life fully, BC has a magnificent choir and choir director, Jen Garrett.

Friday night I attended the our choir’s spring concert A Celebration of Folk Songs. The evening was magnificent. The concert was sold out and ended with a standing ovation from the audience. Jen had included guest performers, the West High School Chamber Singers and the group Wrenwood Sessions. Now Wrenwood Sessions has been a great partner and has performed with the BC choir on more than one occasion. Thank you Wrenwood Sessions. Check them out at http://www.wrenwoodsessions.com/. Here is a blurb from their website:

Wrenwood Sessions was formed in 2010 when five musicians playing in church discovered their mutual love for Irish and Scottish folk music – the traditional “Celtic” music of the Isles. Today, the group consists of six members: David Barringer (keys, accordion, vocals), Jeff Cram (whistles, bodhran), Anne Grogan (vocals, fiddle), Valerie Lewis (harp), Steve Lewis (guitars, octave mandolin), and Jeremy Swanson (fiddle, mandola). Based in Bakersfield, California, the ensemble performs at festivals, gatherings, private functions, weddings, churches, and restaurants.

The concert featured folk songs from around the world and each piece was introduced with a little bit of history and culture. I loved all the pieces and here is one:

Tshotsholoza a traditional South African song that featured soloists Christian Caraveo, Mason Edwards, George Gutierres; and percussionists Maria Albares, Michael Juarez, and Ron Kean. Sample the song from this video excerpt from my iphone.

And this morning I read a Facebook post from Jen Garret.

I am constantly amazed by the power of prayer and priesthood blessings. Yesterday I had a terrible flare up and by last night I was a mess. It was the worst flare I’ve had in over a year. I came home and got a blessing from Matt and my Dad asked Chamber Singers to pray and/or send happy thoughts. I do not ever bounce back this fast so I know it was a miracle. I am so grateful to everyone that was so supportive. What a concert!

Miracles happen every day! Jen, BC is fortunate to have you.

Two events bookended March 31st — breakfast with pastors from our community, and the Sterling Silver appreciation dinner.

Hayward Cox, Oscar Anthony, David McGee, Marisa Banks, Martha Johnson, Steve Watkin, Sonya Christian, June Charles, Toure Tyler, Anthony Culpepper, Zav Dadabhoy

We had a great breakfast discussion with the pastors on how BC could partner with them and their churches to promote the value of higher education to our community. The ideas circled around, starting early with getting students to think about college, creating a path for students that has guides along the way to make sure that they are moving along and not getting stuck or dropping off, and reaching out to families to include them in this network of support. Pastor Hayward Cox, Pastor Oscar Anthony, Pastor David McGee, Pastor Toure Tyler, Pastor Martha Johnson, and Marisa Banks, thank you for taking the time to connect with us at BC.

Here is a sneak peak at BC’s eight annual Sterling Silver. I am waiting to get the photos and will publish a dedicated Sterling Silver blog in the next few days. So stay tuned. Two posts in one week!

Mary Trichell, Sonya Christian, Carla Musser

Some additional highlights from the week.

This week Nicky Damania was awarded the Outstanding Professional Award from ACPA. Way to go Nicky! I am so glad you are at BC. Working hard and doing wonderful things for our students, our campus, our community.

BC’s Drumline Shines:

Bakersfield College Drumline at WGI

Our Drumline students took First Place this past Sunday, March 27th, at the WGI competition. The Western Guard International (WGI) Sport of the Arts is the world’s premier organization producing indoor color guard, percussion, and wind ensemble competitions. It is called the Sport of the Arts because it brings music to life through performance in a competitive format. Last year, there were more than 36,000 participants at the regional level, and more than 12,000 participants at the Sport of the Arts World Championships. The numbers for this year are not yet posted on the website.

BC took 1st place in prelims, advancing us to finals on Sunday where we were again awarded 1st place by an entirely new (double) panel of judges with a score of 88.425. Winning this show is a milestone for our program, and with nearly a 10-point jump from last year.

https://www.wgi.org/events/static_scores/2016/scores_Western_Perc_Finals.php

First-Look-Tim-Heasley-and-Francis-Mayer

Tim Heasley and Francis Mayer with Scott Cox

The weekend overall was a success, from our outreach performance and clinic with students from the California City HS band followed by a productive rehearsal, to our prelims and finals performances at CSU San Bernardino. But it’s icing on the cake that we can also say that we’re the number one open class drumline in the western states!

Informally ranked number one overall in our division right now, the focus is on WGI World Championships coming up this April 14-16. Time Heasley and the coaching staff are maximizing the show and their remaining practice time, as well as working on the logistics of getting the drumline and the equipment to Dayton, OH and back. The entire group is working hard both on and off the court to prepare for this huge opportunity.

https://goo.gl/photos/1g5CeTPn4jxQVaMK7

Thank you Tim Heasley for setting the bar high for our students and for dedicating countless hours to BC’s drumline students.

BC’s Prelaw Program

BC’s Pre-Law students with Commissioner Cynthia Loo

BC Pre-LAw students with Lisa Green, District Attorney

The Multi-Cultural Bar Alliance of Kern County invited our Pre-Law students to their Women’s History Month event on March 21^st. Four students attended the event; Princess Herrera, ShaQuia Jones, Brian Prieto, and Amritpal Kaur. The students were treated as special guests of Cynthia Loo, Commissioner for the Superior Court of California County of Kern. They had the opportunity to meet and network with local attorneys, judges and other individuals in the legal system. They were all inspired by the panelist and their stories.

Thank you Manny Mourtzanos for leading this program pathway and Pearl Urena our Pre-Law Educational Advisor. BC is celebrating a milestone this year…our first graduates from the BC Pre-Law pathway! We are hosting our first annual reception in honor of our students’ accomplishments on April 25th at 5:30 p.m.

Life at BC is living life fully. It is a good time to be at BC!

The Renegade Fight Song

Uncategorized September 2, 2015 Comments: 4

Tim Heasley

Hard to believe that Renegade Athletics is already here. Yesterday I watched our Women’s Soccer team play at the Memorial Stadium (and as I understand from Francis Mayer, the first time in 20 years) and win 3-0 against COS. And on saturday, September 5th, we will start the Renegade Football season at 6:00 p.m. against Riverside. Prior to the football game, we will host a welcome reception for the new faculty at 4:30, after which the entire cohort will walk over to the game.

This is the perfect time to (re)introduce the BC Fight Song. BC Drumline and Concert Band Director Tim Heasley recently found the audio file in the choral archives.

This recording was done in 1963-64. The words are from the 1954-1955 Reneguide (the first student handbook that was produced).

But the fight song came even before that.

The fanfare from Quo Vadis, which goes directly into the the Renegade Fight Song, was arranged by Calvin Mueller. Cal Mueller was the BC Band Director from 1947-1967. It is thought that, for the fight song, Calvin used the tune from the 1944 film Meet Me In St. Louis, and the Quo Vadis movie from 1951, making the arrangement sometime between 1951 and 1953.

Jerry Ludeke

Who wrote the lyrics? Possibly Cal or a student – nothing is found on that in the Renegade Rips of the time.

The Quo Vadis/Fight Song quickly became a tradition at Bakersfield College games. In the early 1960s, Jerry Ludeke remembers it was always played when the team took the field, and after every touchdown.

Here is an email from Jerry about the Fight Song:

The red vinyl 33 1/3 record that was passed out on opening day is over 50 years old. In 1963 they were sold for $3 each by the choir members to raise money for their 1965 trip to Europe which netted them the coveted Eisteddfod trophy in Ireland. The picture on the back shows those whose performances were included on the record: Ed Simonsen was the President whose message was included, Ray Newman was the football coach who gave his pep talk, Ken Fahsbender was the director of the award winning BC band which plays the Quo Vadis fanfare as well as the BC Fight Song and Alma Mater, and Joe Huszti led the choir in the fight song and other selections. When you currently hear a recording of the choir singing the fight song, it is from this record.

In 2013, our centennial year, Ken Fahsbender cut a disc of his 1963-65 bands that played at the Seattle World’s Fair and won the grand prize at the Junior Rose Bowl Band Competition. It includes the trumpet fan fares, the Fight Song, and the Alma Mater recorded in Memorial Stadium with the roar of the sixties crowd, plus other popular band favorites of the time. (A disc can be ordered from the Archives for $10.)

Historical note: In the original words there were 5 “fights” in the last line. When the choir sings it on the record, it has become 4 “fights”. The third and fourth “fight” slur together as one.

Thank you to Nicky Damania, Director of Student Life, for providing copies of the lyrics and a keepsake record of the fight song to our faculty & staff at Opening Day!

Lyrics:

Nicky Damania

We will fight fight fight when we’re winning

We will fight fight fight when we lose

Ere play ere goes ere the whistle blows.

We will fight where ere we choose.

We will fight fight fight in the morning,

We will fight fight fight in the night.

We are bound to win today, as we battle in the fray.

We will fight fight fight fight fight.

Listen for yourself!

BC Sounds record

The Renegade Drumline and Brass Ensemble

Uncategorized March 23, 2013 Comments: 2

Bakersfield College Brass and Percussion performing in the gym. March 21, 2013.

Bakersfield College Brass and Percussion performing in the gym with student conductor Jose “Marc” Rodriguez.
March 21, 2013.

On Thursday night, the BC Drumline and Brass Ensemble rocked the house! Actually the Brass and Beat Concert took place in the BC gym in front of an appreciative audience, including Nan and me. It was great to see several employees from the college come out to support our community events and support our music program.

Watching the students perform, seeing their dedication and passion reminds me why music and the arts are a vital and essential part of our core curriculum.

Thanks to Director Tim Heasley and to everyone who supports the Drumline and brass ensemble. What a great way to recruit future Renegades!