The Renegade Rip Bakersfield College
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Vol. 86 ∙ No. 5
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Lounge: Building code not up to date By Elizabeth Castillo Reporter
Elizabeth Fernandez / The Rip
The Bakersfield College cheerleaders pick up a ride for the Homecoming parade and wave their pom-poms for school spirit on Oct. 25.
Homecoming fun and festivities By Monique Hansen-Garcia Reporter
This year’s Homecoming festivities, coined by the theme #theBCselfie, spread red and white throughout the week and culminated with a Bakersfield College football victory Oct. 25. Becky Stambook, a former cheerleader and 20-year alumna of BC, was “excited” to get to participate in the homecoming. “A lot has changed since I went to the college, and it is so much fun to represent my class and the BC school spirit. I hope to encourage the younger women in their cheer careers,” Stambook said. The cheerleaders really enjoyed the game, including Megan Chamberlain, a second-year cheerleader. When asked if the events were better than last year, she replied, “There was more school spirit and more people into the game, coming to the game and being involved.” The weeklong on-campus activities, from Oct. 20 to 24, included a Got Talent competition and a decorations contest for the offices that participated in the school spirit week. The BC Financial Aid Office won a catered lunch. The office was filled with decorations, including a selfie background with dollars all through it. There was also a box of items to use in the selfie, including pom-poms, mustaches, and fake gold dollar-sign chains. The items could be used to take selfies in front of the creative background. The Future Teachers Club took first place in the team competition, the Nursing Association was second, and Veterans Club was third. Each team’s score was based on the overall scores for each event that took
Above: The parade is led by BC’s drumline and the director of student life, Nicky Damania (centered right). Left: BC’s homecoming theme, #theBCselfie, is displayed by the BC Nursing Club, with members posing for pictures after the parade. Elizabeth Fernandez The Rip
Please see HOMECOMING, Page 5
Saving water on campus By Brooke Howard Reporter
Bakersfield College has initiated water-conservation projects all around campus, and is looking for your help. When it comes to water conservation, small adjustments can have a huge impact. “We’ve been browning-out the campus and watering the trees every other week so they won’t die,” said Director of Maintenance and Operations Craig Rouse. “This alone has saved us a lot of valuable water.” Last year, many small projects were completed all over campus to conserve water and energy. “We saved millions of gallons a year by replacing all the toilets with low-water flush last year,” Rouse said. They are looking to duplicate
those results this year with the replacement of the 50-year-old pipes. “This is a huge infrastructure project we are working on. With new water lines in place we will get better water pressure,” Rouse said. Projects set for next year include sprinkler head replacement and better programming for water usage on plants and grass. “By replacing all the sprinkler heads we will cover more completely and use 28 to 30 percent less water by having better coverage, and by next spring, all sprinkler heads will be replaced,” Rouse said. The school hopes to attain a grant from the state for better programming that monitors the water usage more efficiently. Students can help out in the water conservation effort by us-
ing only the necessary amount of water in sinks, trimming a minute or two off showers in locker rooms, and not flushing things instead of throwing them away. Sometimes, though, communication is the best way to lend a hand. “A 155-acre site is hard to cover with just eight guys. Call maintenance operators if you see a sprinkler head broken,” Rouse said. Amber Chiang, director of Marketing and Public Relations, also said that students can be careful in their own water usage. Students who see toilets or sinks running needlessly can report it to maintenance and operations at (661) 395-4501. “Coming out of a drought like California is experiencing is difficult, but takes the dedication of all involved,” Chiang said.
The student lounge area located next to the Veterans Lounge and cafeteria must remain abandoned due to outdated building codes, according to the Bakersfield College Maintenance and Operations department. The Student Government Association attempted to give the area to the Veterans Lounge so it could expand. Through this decision, students were made aware of the building’s structural issues. “We were leaning toward giving the veterans a larger lounge,” said SGA President Alex Dominguez. “So we had a meeting with Craig Rouse [director of maintenance and operations] and learned that the lounge area not in use has to be completely redone. We’re looking at the budget to see if there is anything that can be done right now.” Although most SGA members hope to see an expansion of the Veterans Lounge in the near future, this expansion may not be realized until the entire Campus Center is remodeled, which Rouse said should be in the next two to five years.. “When we remodel Campus Center, then we will think about how to best use that space,” Rouse said. The abandoned area’s main issues are due to building codes specific to schools. All California buildings need to adhere to Title 24, the California Building Standards Code. Buildings that are owned and operated under community colleges face stricter codes than other non-resident buildings. The abandoned area has been evaluated as lacking certain provisional codes. The Division of the State Architect is the government department that amends Title 24, specifically for public school buildings. After an assessment of the Campus Center, the abandoned area was assessed as lacking certain DSA requirements. During the assessment, only specific areas of the Campus Center were evaluated by the DSA. “The Veterans Lounge wasn’t assessed, but it has been brought to my attention,” Rouse said. Because portions of the Campus Center do not follow DSA regulations, the Veterans Lounge continues to have limited resources available to BC’s veteran population. “I acknowledge we need a larger space because of the growing population of veterans,” said Tina Mendoza, academic adviser for veteran students. “Veteran issues are more focused and the lounge needs to be expanded.” Due to budgetary and future construction concerns, the veterans will remain in their current space with little progress made toward expansion.
Stairway area under construction
Alisia Sanchez / The Rip
The area surrounding the stairway between the Gil Bishop Gymnasium and the Language Arts and Forums buildings is undergoing construction, forcing students to take different routes to their destinations. This new section of construction began on Oct. 21. While there is no definitive word on the completion time, this round of work is expected to be completed in the latter part of this month.