Student takes on LA County Sheriff Test
The Renegade Rip
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BC loses Renegade faculty members Read more at TheRip.com
The Renegade Rip Vol. 89 ∙ No. 1
Bakersfield College
Wednesday, Februar y 1, 2017
Drought relieved by rain, but not beaten By Zach Sullivan Reporter
According to a recent data poll from the U.S. Drought Monitor, 38 percent of the state of California is no longer in a drought, the largest margin the state has seen in over three years. While that is a step in the right direction for the state as a whole, here locally, Bakersfield still remains listed as D-3, or extreme drought. The Drought Monitor focuses on broad-scale conditions throughout California, rating the inten-
sity and severity of the drought in areas statewide using the following scale: D0-Abnormally Dry, D1-Moderate Drought, D2Severe Drought, D3-Extreme Drought, and D4-Exceptional Drought. On Oct. 11, 2016 the Monitor reported zero percent of the state was drought-free, and furthermore that 42.8 percent of the state was classified as extreme drought. At this time, Bakersfield was listed as D-4, exceptional drought. As of Jan. 24, 2017, only
2.16 percent of the state is listed as D-3, extreme drought. The data shows that for the first time since January of 2014, zero percent of the state is in D4-exceptional drought. This includes Bakersfield, which is now listed as D-3. In January of 2014 and 2015, Bakersfield received a combined 0.81 inches of rain according to the U.S. Climate Data’s numbers. In January of 2016, Bakersfield received 1.95 inches: Please see DROUGHT, Page 7
J.R. HENSLEY / THE RIP
Bakersfield College students take shelter from the rain under the lunch table umbrellas.
BC students take action against BPD
Two wrongfully arrested BC students have filed a lawsuit Daulton James Jones Reporter
LIZETTE CHAVEZ / THE RIP
A young woman raises her fist in the air as she chants along with fellow protesters at the Bakersfield Women’s March on Jan. 21.
Bakersfield marches for women’s rights By Megan Fenwick Reporter
Bakersfield citizens gathered on the corner of Stockdale Highway and California Avenue the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration as part of the Women’s March on Washington. The group was one of many sister marches that occurred around the globe, and was vocal in supporting the many issues affecting women today. Signs carried at the march championed causes such as women’s reproductive health, immigration, and racism. The crowd chanted and cheered when passing cars reacted. People were united in defending women’s rights, but everyone had their own reasons for showing up. “It’s just so important that we give a voice to the vulnerable,” said Audrey Chavez, a Bakersfield native and activist. Chavez, 50, attended the march with members of her family, including her 85-year-old mother Oralia Montoya, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. “We need to progress, not regress,” she remarked. Bakersfield College student Ken Mazariegios, 20, marched with a sign that read “I march 4 my mom & all my friends who are girls.” Mazariegios said that women were leaders and that when it came to protecting women’s rights, “If no one else is doing it, I might as well do it.” Another person who was marching for a family member was Audraey Steelman, 26, who said, “I’m the older sister of a little girl who is going to have to grow up in this misogynistic world, dealing with people not understanding what it is to be a girl, what it is to be a woman.” As cars passed through the busy intersection, many responded positively by honking, raising
LIZETTE CHAVEZ / THE RIP
Women of Bakersfield march with signs promoting women’s rights and feminism. their fists, or throwing peace signs at the activists. Others filmed from their vehicles as they went by. The march was not well-received by all, however. Steelman described how she had to push her 12-year-old sister Allayna Cisneros back when someone threw eggs into the crowd gathered on the sidewalk.
Other negative responses took the form of people making thumbs down gestures, flipping off protesters, and shouting out support for Donald Trump, who was the subject of many signs. Despite the unfavorable response, marchers did not appear disheartened and merely cheered louder.
Just as last semester was coming to a close, Bakersfield College students Xavier Hines and Timothy Grismore were arrested and taken into custody by police on their way to get some food. The on-duty officers used aggressive force to detain them. A little under a month later, the Bakersfield Police Department was said to have been made aware of a video posted on Facebook by Hines and Grismore about the events that took place that night. Hines and Grismore do not have their own methods of transportation, so they mainly walk to get around, whether that be to Taco Bell or the grocery store. On the night of Dec. 5, they were doing just that. The two of them were taking a break from studying for finals, and went walking to go get some Taco Bell. As they continued to walk on Valhalla Drive, an unmarked car flashed their lights at them as they drove past, and then later made a U-turn and pulled the two men over. The officers made accusations that these two men were up to gang activity because they were walking around at night, and also due to the area they were in. The officers also requested their names. Hines and Grismore both asked why they were be- “When the lady was puting questioned, as ting in my information they didn’t realize they were speaking about the arrest, she told [the officer] that they to police officers. “Once we asked could not hold me on these why, they started running at us, and charges. He said hold on so they told me to he could go add resisting put my hands up,” arrest to it.” Grismore said. –Xavier Hines, “They were BC student searching us and we kept telling them you don’t have a warrant, so you’re not allowed to search us. They kept searching us anyway,” Hines said. As the officers where aggressively searching Hines and Grismore, they asked Grismore to unbuckle his hands, and from there Grismore states that the officer threw him on to the ground. The officer told him to get onto his stomach after he hit him in the chin with his elbow. During this altercation, four more cars arrived from opposite directions of the street. Police officers got out, one of which approached Hines, who was seated on the cement, and pointed his baton at him to tell him, “Stay seated boy, unless you want to get beaten too.” Two officers then went to Grismore and started beating him in the legs with their batons. This would eventually result in Grismore suffering from multiple bruises, and stitches on his chin, the inside of his mouth, and on the back of his leg. He was not able to get treatment for his injuries for what he recalls as “two to three hours.” All of this happened while Hines was still sitting Please see LAWSUIT, Page 7