The Renegade Rip Vol. 82 No. 5

The Renegade Rip Bakersfield College

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Vol. 82 ∙ No. 5

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

New student government to take office

By Brian N. Willhite Reporter

David Karnowski / The Rip

Lisa English was elected Student Government Association president.

The election results are in, and the Student Government Association at Bakersfield College will change leadership this fall semester.

During Spring Fling week March 2225, students gathered to vote for their candidates in the Fireside Room on the BC campus. Voting also took place at the Weill Institute and the Delano campus.

Most of the student officials elected will be new to their position this year, except current vice president Chris Ballard, who ran unopposed. Most of the newly elected officials are also currently SGA senators.

New SGA president Lisa English is anticipating her new position and looking forward to July 1, when she will officially take office. English also reflected on the elecINSIDE tions and her Complete election plans for the new school results year.

Page 5 “It was a really exciting journey,” said English about the election process. “I went to a lot of classes and did a lot of campaigning. I thought that would work for me, instead of just having a picture on the wall.”

“This year, we’re looking forward to continuing the food pantry, of course, and hopefully adding some new things.

One of the things I’m really concerned with is the campus renovations and getting some flowers put in,” English said.

English is currently an ambassador for the Agriculture Department and an SGA senator.

Three students ran for the president’s seat in the elections, yet only one student ran for the vice president position. Ballard expressed his opinion about running unopposed in the race as well as his optimism for the upcoming school year.

“While I am disappointed I didn’t have the chance to run a campaign with anyone running against me, I’m glad I get to serve the student body for another year and continue the work I’ve been doing this year,” said Ballard.

“We’d like to continue our work with the food pantry, and we just got word that some of the faculty parking spots will be reserved for students with hybrid cars, which is something we’ve been working with. Campus renovations will continue, and our plans from this year will fall into next year, and we hope to improve the students’ time here as best we can.”

The elections held on campus offered incentives for student voters, such as free T-shirts and a chance to enter into a drawing to win a BC bookstore voucher worth $100.

Many student voters had mixed reactions about being involved in the student elections. Some were more interested in Please see ELECTIONS, Page 5

Campus under construction

By Katherine J. White Contributing reporter

Baseball team starts streak Above: Bakersfield College pitcher Bryan Maxwell delivers a pitch during a game against Saddleback College at BC on April 2.

Left: Bakersfield College outfielder Greg Osteen attempts to beat a play at third base against Los Angeles Valley College at BC on March 25.

Many corners of the Bakersfield College main campus either are or will be experiencing new constructions, renovations and upgrades.

Not the least of which, according to Kern Community College District Project Manager Daniel Reed, will be a photovoltaic tractor system built into a carport and located at BC’s northeast parking lot near the FACE building.

On this carport, according to Paula Bray, BC manager for maintenance and operations, will be photocells following the sun, capturing the sun’s rays. Power is generated through these captured rays. This device will compensate for approximately 2,200,000-kilowatt hours of BC’s main campus electrical use. Construction will begin this May or June and conclude around Sept. or Oct. 2010, Reed said. According to Gary Reed, KCCD’s director of construction, there was no open land for the photovoltaic system, so the decision was made to put the system into a parking area.

Another energy saver, according to Bray and both Daniel and Gary Reed, is the thermal energy system tank located by the Levinson building and the Grace Van

Dyke Bird Library. This tank is a device for air conditioning through chilling and storing water. According to Gary Reed, cold water is what runs the air conditioning on campus. This system will connect two chiller loops together to form one system. BC is awaiting final authorization

by PG&E for use, said Bray.

According to Bray, BC, in conjunction with the Student Government Association, is planning to renovate the game room in the cafeteria.

Also, Daniel Reed mentioned that ADA accessibility was recently boosted by the installation of an automatic door push button on the outside of the Finlinson building.

The cost for this installation, according to Daniel Reed, was approximately $6,000.

Reed also mentioned that the Norman Levan Center for the Humanities is “96 percent complete.” Currently, said Reed, fire alarms are being tested and handrails are being installed.

“BC is using money wisely,” said Raylee Maynard, 20, BC journalism major.

Joseph Deleon, 19, electronics major, agreed that BC is using construction money well.

“It’s good that BC is trying to save energy. I have no complaints,” said Daniel Munoz, 18, digital arts major.

For more baseball, please see page 10.

Photos by Gregory d. Cook

Discovery star Deanne Bell a smashing success

By Laura Liera Reporter

Bakersfield College’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program sponsored a lecture from Discovery Channel maverick engineer Deanne Bell on March 23 in the Fireside Room.

The event had an audience of more than 30 and many students were interested in knowing how Bell had come so far in her life.

Angelina Mata, 19, said she was excited to know more about her.

“She seems very interesting, and she has come out on TV and that is always exciting, seeing someone from TV in person,” Mata said. “If I see her show, I’ll say ‘Hey, I know her.’”

Bell earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Washington University in

Joseph Cota / The Rip

Deanne Bell of the Discovery Channel show “Smash Lab” speaks at Bakersfield College’s Fireside Room on March 23.

St. Louis in 2002. As an optomechanical design engineer in the aerospace industry, she designed a FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) system and a LADAR

optical navigation system with Raytheon. She hosted PBS’s “Design Squad” before becoming a scientist on Discovery’s “Smash Lab,” according to her online biography.

She presented her life journey of becoming an engineer through a PowerPoint to the audience.

“I was born to be a nerd,” she said. “When I first learned how to read, I would read electrical engineer journals and try to pronounce all the words in them.”

In college, she didn’t know exactly what to do. She knew she liked math and science, and liked taking things apart and putting them back together. She saw many possibilities while studying engineering.

“I had and have these passions, some whacky ideas sometimes, but that is what makes me different,” she said.

Once she was out of college and in the working industry, she had the opportunity to build and see things she had never seen in the classroom.

“In college you learn the theory of what you’re studying, and when you get out into the industry, it’s a total different atmosphere, a better one because you get to actually work hands on with what you love, even if that means you have to try and try again until it works,” said Bell.

Bell gave examples of seven friends of hers who have careers in engineering but took their passion into work, one doing robotic furniture, for example. “They all do different jobs, jobs that they love, stuff that is interesting to them, and they have fun while doing it,” she said.

“My dad taught me to imagine Please see BELL, Page 5

gregory d cook / The Rip

The thermal energy system tank on the Bakersfield College campus will connect two air conditioning chiller loops and save energy, as seen here on April 5.

Campus

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Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Spring fling brings many festivities

Mateo M. Melero / The Rip

Students from Emily Maddigan’s sculpture class decorate a papier-mache bird near the fine arts building March 23.

David Karnowski / The Rip

Bakersfield College student Louie Vigil competes in a pie-eating contest during Spring Fling in the BC Free Speech Area on March 23.

Left: From left, Ronnie Skiles, Saydi Ocampo and Jeanette Stoller battle in a game of tug-of-war in the Free Speech Area of Bakersfield College during Spring Fling on March 24. Particpants received a $10 BC bookstore voucher upon completion.

Right: Student Goverment Association Senator Shawn Newsom takes a swing for the Bakersfield College SGA in a softball game against faculty March 25. The faculty won the game 13-3.

Mateo m. Melero / The Rip

By Mateo M. Melero Reporter

Spring Fling flung its way across the Bakersfield College campus March 22-25, inciting games, festivities, election booths and anthropomorphic bird sculptures.

Sponsored by the Student Government Association, numerous activities were offered to the students throughout the week. Tug-of-war, sack race games were held and all participants received a $10 voucher for the BC bookstore.

“Overall, I think Spring Fling went really well,” said Bethany Rice, SGA activities liaison. “We have gotten some feedback from the students. Everyone seems to have enjoyed themselves.”

On Tuesday, a cakewalk was made available to the students.

Stopping to participate between classes, students like Oshea Webber walked the circle as long as it took to win a cake. Legislative Liaison Kristen Mercer and Vice President Chris Ballard awarded winners of the walk with their choice of lemon, German Chocolate, coconut or carrot cake.

Later Tuesday morning, a cart of pies was rolled out. Intended for a series of pie-eating contests, only one round was held due to the messy nature of the sport and the lack of willing participants.

With pieces of peach pie falling from his face, Bryan Ramirez said, “I don’t feel so good,” moments after winning.

Large multicolored papier-mache birds were displayed all along the campus center. An assignment from Emily Maddigan’s sculpture class, students lined the area in front of the fine arts building with their projects, attracting the children from the BC child development center.

Free food was also provided to the students. Sandwiches, hot dogs, churros, corn on the cob and drinks were passed out throughout the week in the campus center. Students stood in long speedy lines as Alex Gomez, Penny Loos and Deana Urias of BC Food Services served the treats to eager students.

Falling during the week of SGA elections, the week saw an SGA information table set up just outside the Campus Center.

SGA senators Sean Hill and Katrina Oldershaw informed students on the workings and purpose of the elections. The SGA staff surveyed willing students in an attempt to discover what the student body would like to see more of on campus. SGA t-shirts of various colors and sizes were handed out to those who participated in the elections and the survey.

Election booths and information tables were also set up in the free speech area. Club info and bake sale tables from MECHA, the Geology Club, the Spanish Club, Fresno State, and Classified Memorial Scholarships were displayed throughout the week, informing on off campus activities, further scholastic opportunities, and money that could benefit them in their scholastic career.

Spring Fling events concluded Thursday with a softball game between SGA elected officials and BC staff. The game saw dramatic slides and heavy hits. The staff triumphed over SGA with a score of 13-3.

“The process is pretty intricate,” Rice said on putting together the annual event. “We have to come up with ideas; get everything started and then search for materials on the Internet, and find things here at the local stores in town if we can.

Then we have to get it approved through the committee meetings, then the senate, then following through with the purchasing process and then the whole actual playing process.”

Features

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Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Florida band values crowds at The Dome

By Vincent Perez News editor

Hey Monday lead guitarist and co-lyricist Mike Gentile, 22, and the other members of the South Florida pop rock five-piece band, appreciate Bakersfield. During the Decaydance/Columbia Records band’s very first tour in 2008, Hey Monday played at the Bakersfield Dome and it was there that Gentile noticed the crowd’s reaction.

“The thing about Bakersfield is that it’s a special place for us to play because on our first tour ever with the Cab on the Why So Serious? Tour, it was the first show we played where kids actually sang along with our songs.”

Gentile added how Hey Monday’s March 25 Alternative Press Tour performance at the Bakersfield Dome went compared to their first show in Bakersfield, “We played there (the Bakersfield Dome) for the first time since that show over a year and half ago, and kids were awesome. It was a great show.”

Hey Monday formed in late 2007 as lead vocalist and colyricist Cassadee Pope, 20, finished high school, according to Gentile.

“All of us were in different local bands … those bands broke up and Cassadee [Pope] and I started Hey Monday and we asked [rhythm guitarist] Alex [Lipshaw] to join and we had a different drummer at the time, Elliot [James], who quit, so we asked Pat [McKenzie] to play for us [after James left in September 2009].”

Gentile also talked about the band’s search for a bass player.

“We needed a bass player that could sing backup vocals well.

We got into contact with Michael “Jersey” Moriarity through mutual friends. He used to intern at Columbia Records and a friend that we know through the label and management told us about him.”

Gentile added how the first sessions went with Moriarity.

“He came down [to Florida] from New Jersey and just jammed with him and vibed really well … so it just worked.

That’s how Hey Monday came together.”

Gentile later went into detail about former drummer Elliot James’ departure.

“Music is awesome and everybody loves playing it, but touring is a whole other level and some people are just not cut out for it. There’s a lot of sacrificing, you don’t get to see your loved ones.”

One of Hey Monday’s biggest influences, according to Gentile, was San Diego’s Blink 182 and other pop punk artists.

“Blink 182 was a big influence on all of us. I remember growing up, before [we] started writing [our] own songs we would all play in bands that would cover Blink 182 and Good Charlotte.”

Gentile added, “They’ve [Blink 182] always been a huge influence on our writing.”

“All of us grew up loving and listening to New Found Glory, Green Day, Something Corporate and a lot of those Drive-Thru [Records] bands like Midtown, stuff like that.”

Gentile does not stray far from what he and the band listened to when they were younger.

“All of us are really hookorientated, pop-driven music followers. We like music that’s catchy, that’s going to grab your attention. We always gravitate toward that pop rock music. That’s what we grew up listening to, that’s what we still listen to and that’s what we love to play.”

Gentile went on to describe the way simple hooks in songs appeal to him.

“All those bands, if you listen to those songs, they’re so simple but there’s so much dynamic to it. It’s a lot harder to write a simple song that is going to have something for everybody in it.”

Gentile said that the Goo Goo Dolls and Matchbox Twenty influenced the band and that Michelle Branch influenced Pope.

“That’s [Branch’s music] one of Cassadee’s [Pope] huge, huge, huge influences and that influence comes out a lot more on this new record.”

Hey Monday’s follow-up album to their 2008 debut, “Hold on Tight,” is set to be released in

mid-June, according to reports.

Gentile commented on the name of the band’s second fulllength album.

“There’s nothing official.

There’s been a couple names tossed around but we don’t have a name for the new album yet.”

As of early April, the band has stated the name of their sophomore album will be named “Beneath It All.” When asked how difficult it is for a band to tour in today’s music business, Gentile responded, “It’s hard, especially the way the music industry is right now with album sales and everybody always downloading music … it used to be huge revenue for a band to make money off of their album sales. Kids don’t buy albums anymore – it’s all on the Internet.”

Yet, Gentile had optimistic words about Hey Monday’s fans.

“We have incredible fans and supportive fans that will come out to shows and buy merchandise. It’s like hustling: What you put in is what you get out.”

Gentile added, “We feel that incredible fan base, even with a really shitty economy, kids are always there backing us and supporting us to make sure we have enough gas to make it to the next state.”

He added with a realistic view, “It does affect us, but you’re a touring musician and you’re not in it for the money – for the love of playing your music in a different city every night with some of your best friends.”

Being on tour with a female singer with four males can be challenging, but Gentile sees no difference in Pope compared to the rest of the guys in Hey Monday.

“We don’t look at it like that.

Yeah, she’s a girl and we’re four guys but it’s like four or five best friends. Granted, things will get said sometimes but we are respectful of one another and we’ve been together so long you know what to do and what not to do around certain people.

Honestly, we’re so used to being around each other. It’s like five people living together: a family.”

Reel Big Fish ‘take on’ B. Ryder’s

gregory d. cook / The Rip

Hey Monday bassist Michael “Jersey” Moriarity (left), vocalist Cassadee Pope (center) and lead guitarist Mike Gentile play at the Bakersfield Dome on March 25.

Gregory d. cook / The Rip

Hey Monday vocalist Cassadee Pope (left) and bassist Micheal “Jersey” Moriarity (right) play at the Bakersfield Dome on March 25 on the Alternative Press tour.

Barbecue connoisseurs train at Crystal Palace

By Mateo M. Melero Reporter

gregory d. cook / The Rip

Reel Big Fish trombonist Dan Regan performs at B. Ryder’s Sports Bar & Grill on March 28. The ska punk six-piece band from Huntington Beach played their own fan favorites and covers that ranged from A-Ha (“Take on Me”) to Metallica (“Enter Sandman”).

gregory d. cook / The Rip

Reel Big Fish guitarist/lead vocalist Aaron Barrett plays his guitar for the crowd at B. Ryders Sports Bar & Grill on March 28 with drummer Ryland Steen in the background. The band played an encore after fans chanted for one more song.

Inside the vintage setting of Buck Owen’s Crystal Palace on March 20, barbecue connoisseurs gathered among the stage floor, listening intently to the judging instructor of the Kansas City Barbeque Society.

Held in preparation by Memorial Hospital for the upcoming second annual Bakersfield’s Biggest Baddest BBQ on May 21-22 at Stramler Park, the prospering judges and competitors listened intently to the rules, regulations, and judging instructions of KCBS judge trainer Gene Goycochea.

“We have very strict rules, a very fair system and blind judging,” said Goycochea.

Informed on everything from accepted garnishes for the dish, fresh green lettuce, curly parsley, flat leaf parsley and cilantro, as well as the restricted Kale, endive, red tipped lettuce, lettuce cores and other vegetation — the aspiring KCBS judges listened intently on the rules of the trade.

“If you’re going to garnish with iceberg you can’t show the white core, the white core is not allowed,” said Goycochea.

“You will see teams that turn in a bed of parsley, where the curly part of the parsley is up to the top and the stems are down below. It has a great presentation, works well for parsley, the only problem is sometimes you pick up some of that parsley when you’re a judge, and it just doesn’t taste well with pulled pork.”

Proper meats were discussed in detail. Participants in the event are allowed to cook with kosher chicken, Cornish Game Hen,

“

We are just hoping that we found a signature event, not only for the hospital but for the community.

”

-Janelle Capra, director of Children’s Miracle Network at Memorial Hospital pork ribs with bone, Boston Butt, whole shoulder pork, and whole, flat or point beef brisket.

As far as cooking methods and gadgets go, for the accepted meats, contestants spend incredible amounts of dollars on grills and stoves.

Gas and electric heated BBQs are prohibited and contestants are only allowed to cook with wood and charcoal.

“Smoke turns the bone red,” said Goyochea, as he informs on natural occurrences that might thwart accurate ratings on contestant submissions.

At noon the aspiring KCBS judges were served a round of pork, ribs and chicken in test of the knowledge they acquired so far in lecture.

Sipping from the bottles of water on the tables, and nibbling on crackers to dissolve the taste from the prior entry, judges chewed their food carefully while taking into consideration tenderness, skin consistency, flavor, as well as looking for any of the disqualifying attributes.

The trainees placed their verdicts on actual KCBS scorecards, and Goycochea discussed the entrées’ pros and cons after each round.

Contestants are judged blindly at KCBS sanctioned contest, and it is the duty of the judges to be

well versed in the art of BBQ. A serious subculture, BBQ competitions are seen worldwide as well as on television programs like The Learning Channel’s BBQ Pitmasters.

Last year’s Bakersfield’s Biggest Baddest BBQ drew in 35 teams, and organizers are now being told by KCBS to expect around 50 teams for the upcoming event.

“We are just hoping that we found a signature event, not only for the hospital, but for the community,” said Janelle Capra, the director for the Children’s Miracle Network at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital.

Organized by Bakersfield’s Memorial Hospital, all proceeds for the BBQ competition will go to the Children’s Miracle Network in hopes of building a children’s intensive care hospital in Bakersfield.

“We are growing to develop expanded pediatrics and pediatric intensive care. We will be the only one in southern San Joaquin Valley that will have one between Fresno and Los Angeles,” said Capra.

Bakersfield’s Biggest Baddest BBQ runs from May 21 to 22.

Gates will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The entry fee is $10 and children under the age of 12 get in free.

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Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Basketball a new challenge for deaf at BC

By Laura Liera

this turned out to be really fun and kind of intimidating,” said Alderette. She understands most of the people who sign but has trouble signing back. “Playing basketball was interesting. You can’t talk, so it’s hard to communicate, but I think our team did pretty well at the end.”

The connection between BC ASL program and the deaf community is organized by Jeff Jackson, pastor of a deaf church in Bakersfield. He organizes the tournaments, in terms of bringing the teams together and making the announcements.

Reporter

Bakersfield College American Sign Language held its “Want to Play” second annual deaf community basketball tournament on March 20 at the BC gym.

The tournament consisted of eight teams and each had ASL BC students participating.

Marykate Alderette, 20, speech and language pathology major, attended the event to do community service hours for her ASL class. “I have to attend deaf community services for class and

Tom Moran, professor of ASL, said “the idea is to expose the BC ASL students to the deaf community and an event like this is just one of many.” Events such as Starbucks coffee night, pizza night, deaf church, picnics, along with more events, are also held in order for students to use their sign language and meet members of the deaf community.

Teams were set up through the ASL classes and included both deaf and hearing people on the teams. There teams consisted of both female and male, and the rules of the game were explained

in sign language at the beginning of the game. There was no rough play permitted and each team called their own fouls. Each team played 15 minutes and at the end, the two teams that had won all of their games played for first place.

Pam Davis, BC ASL professor, said that many students are a bit apprehensive when they attend deaf community events. “At first, students are very nervous to go into the deaf community and meet people, but once they meet a deaf person for the first time and actually sign, and they use

their sign language skills they are learning in the classroom, they think it’s cool. It’s really inspiring, so getting students into deaf communities is the best thing we can do,” said Davis.

Deisy Gonzalez, 19, psychology major, enjoyed coming to play basketball but felt a sense of nervousness toward the beginning.

“I was nervous, but the deaf people playing with us were so nice that it made it easier and more comfortable to sign and communicate with them,” said Gonzalez.

Davis added that speaking or knowing how to communicate in more than one language has a lot of benefits.

“Intellectually, students that know more than one language may score higher on tests and have a better opportunity for jobs. They are more world oriented, in a sense that they are not ethnocentric, in a sense that they are only familiar with one language and one culture. Knowing more than one language gives you a chance to view things from other horizons and see different perspectives,” she said.

New hookah lounge offers more than smoke Denise M. Gonzalez Reporter

Bakersfield residents are now being treated to a new indoor hookah cafe. Elixir Cafe is now the second hookah-inspired lounge in town although this particular lounge offers its customers a diverse mix of cultured decor and food.

Esraal Alqudah, owner of Elixir Cafe located on the corner of Brimhall Road and Calloway Drive, took time and thought to bring residents a new authentic atmosphere for all to enjoy.

“I have seven successful years in the restaurant and hookah business,” said Alqudah.

“My family also runs and operates hookah cafes in the Orange County and Los Angeles areas, so I have gained a lot of knowledge on how this business should be given to customers.”

The cafe is open to the public during their morning and evening restaurant lunch hours.

Alqudah specifically created a diverse mix of authentic cuisine to be offered. He decided to expand his menu far from the typical Mediterranean food offered at hookah lounges.

“We serve the all-American fast foods, appetizers, shakes, coffee and desserts,” said Alqudah. “Along with our over top list of hookah flavors for the 18 and over to enjoy.”

The Elixir Cafe offers an extensive diverse choice of decor and a mix of exotic luxury with a bit of old vintage touches. The cafe is surrounded from top to bottom with warm and vibrant color hues. Couches are aligned on the four walls that contrast circular tables that fill the entire room. All four walls are given a specific authentic style theme so its customers can feel as if they were in a completely cultured state of mind and atmosphere.

Special events will be occurring periodically. Guest DJ’s

Ryan George / The Rip Mateo M. Melero / The Rip

Karley Wilson exhales the flavored tobacco smoke and relaxes on a velvet chair at Elixir Cafe Bar on March 28. will perform on hookah nights for all to enjoy. The cafe is set to have an affordable menu of food and hookah flavors.

“We have been open for four weeks,” said Alqudah. “We are having a grand opening March 27 were I will bring to feature Bakersfield’s well known DJ’s, DJ Mike and DJ Oso Mighty.”

The cafe allows residents to socialize and have a place to go and actually lounge. Elixir also offers free Wi-Fi Internet access to its customers.

“We have free Wi-Fi, which allows people to come and do anything like homework, read, socialize and just enjoy themselves,” said Alqudah. “I come with experience and a family with a successful background in the business.”

“I am currently advertising on the local radio stations, Myspace and word of mouth. Bakersfield residents have a new place to enjoy and I hope for all to take advantage in the towns new hookah cafe.”

Edwards Cinema broadcasts UFC fight, locals gather to watch

By Mateo M. Melero Reporter

On March 27, Edwards Cinema hosted its first live Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Fans of all ages, shapes and sizes filled the theater, eager to view the UFC mixed-martial arts show on a large screen. Entrance cost $20, and attendees stocked up at the snack bar before entering the theater.

“I’ve been watching UFC for about two years now,” said Mory Poshtkoushi, “I used to go to the Firehouse and watch it, but at the Firehouse the seats aren’t as nice and it’s a lot louder.”

“I prefer to watch it at theater instead of a bar,” said Michael Pinon before entering the theater.

On the other side of town, B. Ryders Sports Bar and Grill held a viewing of the fight. A $10 cover charge was asked upon entry, and fans boisterously expressed their excitement as they watched the fight on the two big-screen televisions.

Some people shouted passionately as the fighters battled, some chain-smoked cigarettes outside, periodically looking through the glass to catch the glimpse of the intensity, and some sat quietly in the booths sipping their beverages, commenting on the fight among friends.

The venues offered an alternative to the home pay-per-view cost of approximately $50. Ed-

wards Cinema sold out shortly after 7 p.m., and fans seemed pleased by the new choice in UFC viewings.

Rachel Morales, 18, a fan of heavyweight Frank Mir, said, “I’ve ordered on pay-per-view before, and I would also go to the pizza place and watch it there, but once I found out that it was in theaters, I thought, ‘That’s kind of cool’ and so I decided to watch it here.”

As far as the loudness and passion that can be found at other venues, Morales said, “Actually I like it when there are people shouting out for their favorite fighter. It’s pretty cool because you get to see who is going for who.”

A recently developed tactic in theaters, cinemas are now offering alternatives to the usual Hollywood produced movies. Edwards has been scheduling live opera showings Saturday mornings for the past two years. According to General Manager Herman Mil, the operas usually draw a crowd of 100 people each Saturday.

Live concerts have also been added to the selection. The Black Eyed Peas E.N.D. of the World tour was streamed live on March 30 and Kenny Chesney’s Summer in 3D will open April 21.

Shows and plays that deviate from the traditional movie are expected regularly at Edwards in the future. “It’s the next evolution in theater,” said Mil.

Second place Sean Minor and first place Sherry Raymond pose for a photo after the Bakersfield Breakfast Lions Club Hold ‘Em Tournament at the Elks Lodge on March 27.

Charities benefited in Texas Hold ‘Em tournament at Elks Lodge

By Ryan George Reporter

The Bakersfield Breakfast Lions Club presented their fourth annual Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament on March 27 at the Elks Lodge to raise money for multiple charities.

As of late, the Lions have “purchased up to four to five K-9 companions, which assist people with special needs,” as Randy Raymond Jr., the operations supervisor of Raymond’s Trophy’s and Awards and member of the Lions stated in an email.

With around 100 Lions members and card players in attendance, the dance floor at the Elks Lodge quickly transformed into a small casino, finished with card tables, poker chips and dealers set to let the cards fly at 6:30 p.m. Seats for the tournament cost $100 each, including a steak dinner and an

open bar.

One of the dealers had professional experience.

David Hulsey spent six years working at the Golden West Casino in east Bakersfield. Hulsey commented on his education: “I went to Bakersfield College for two years and transferred and graduated Foothill High in 1966, and then my son graduated [at Foothill] in ‘88.”

Hulsey dealt the final table, with another 9 players, including the entire Raymond family: mom Sherry, dad Randy Sr., older brother Randy Jr. and younger Joe, and other Lions members, unidentified, at the final table. At this time, blinds were at $5,000 small and $10,000 big. Sherry Raymond dominated coming into the final table with an estimated $100,000 in chips. One by one all of the other players fell, and Sherry Raymond beat out Sean Minor with a king of spades.

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News Briefs Black Holes planetarium show on campus Bakersfield College will be hosting a show in the William M. Thomas Planetarium titled “Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity” on April 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $5.50 for adults and $3.50 for children and seniors.

The show will start with a tour of the evening sky guided

by Professor Nick Strobel followed by a video illustrating the science behind black holes in our universe. The video will be showing a computer-generated simulation of a dive down into the black hole located at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. For tickets contact the BC ticket office at 661-395-4326.

Bakersfield College Art Student Exhibit 2010 The opening reception of the Bakersfield College Art Student Exhibit 2010 will be held on April 8 at 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Wylie and May Louise Jones Gallery at BC.

Psychic Faire offering workshops and readings Jackie’s Magical Treasures, located on Jackson Street in Bakersfield, will be holding a Psychic Faire on April 11 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., where they will be giving workshops on various psychic practices, such as divination, tarot meditation, incense making and energy work. The faire will also feature an art exhibit, belly dancers, henna tattoos and a ghost hunting presentation, and will be offering Tarot, palm Astrology and rune readings by local psychics.

Admission is free with the readings offered at various prices. For more information contact Jacqueline by email at thegreenwitch1@aol.com or by calling 661-328-0661.

Bakersfield Winds Spring Concert at Olive Drive Church The Bakersfield Winds, directed by John Biller, will be presenting a Spring Concert on April 12, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. at the Olive Drive Church located at 5500 Olive Drive. This Symphonic Wind Band is comprised of some of Kern County’s finest musicians, including many Kern County music educators and local professionals. Admissions will be $5 at the door.

Critical Academic Skills workshps Critical Academic Skills (CAS) will be having The Driving Force of Papers: Thesis & Topic Sentences workshop on April 13 with Jennifer Smith from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. in SS 151.

CAS will be having a workshop on Comma Crimes, Part Two: Restrictive & Nonrestrictive Elements with Gloria Dumler on April 5 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 pm in SS 151.

Test Taking Strategy with Debbie Cantrell will be on April 7 from 10:30 a.m. to noon in SS 151.

CAS will be having a Vocational Math workshop from 6-7:30 p.m. in SS 15 on April 7 and 8 with Phil Feldman in SS 151.

Essentials in Word Processing Advanced Skills with Joyce Kirst will be on April 8 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in L 148.

CAS will be having a workshop on The “P” word: Avoiding Plagiarism & Using Sources on April 12 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in SS 151 and on April 15 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. with Jennifer Smith in SS 151.

CAS will be having a workshop on The Magic of MLA on April 15 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in SS 151 and April 20 from 11 a.m. to noon with Gloria Dumler in SS 151.

Comma Crimes, Part One: Clauses & Phrases will be on April 19 from 11 a.m. to noon with Gloria Dumler in SS 151.

CAS will be having a workshop on Appalling Apostrophes on April 20 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in SS 151 with Gloria Dumler.

Gregory D. Cook / The Rip

Bakersfield College reference librarian Marci Lingo speaks at “Authors Lost/Authors Found: The Rediscovery of Women Writers” in the BC Fireside Room on March 22.

Women writers explored

By Kelly Ardis

ed, but somehow they learned to read and write. Lingo spoke about books’ “universality” and how the author’s gender might affect a potential reader.

In honor of Women’s History Month, Bakersfield “Women’s experience … well, belonged to women, College reference librarian Marci Lingo gave a lecture right?” she said. “Women readers were supposed to titled “Authors Lost/Authors Found: The Rediscovery find universality in works by and about men, and we of Women Writers” in the BC Fireside Room on March did. Why shouldn’t a man be able to relate to [Charlotte 22. The lecture featured three female authors from the Bronte’s] ‘Jane Eyre’?” late 1800s to early 1900s: Kate Chopin, Charlotte PerLingo said that to assume a man cannot gain anything kins Gilman and Zora Neale Hurston. All three authors’ from a book written by a woman is offensive to men. works went unappreciated at the time they were pubAs an English major, Lingo said she was only aslished and remained so until the women’s liberation signed one book by a female author: “A Severed Head” movement of the 1960s.

by Iris Murdoch. “Even in the 1990s, we read nothing Lingo first spoke about preparing for the lecture. by a woman,” Lingo said. “It made me angry, because I When visiting her doctor, she mentioned that she didn’t know better [before], but by 1990, I did.” taught women’s literature. Her doctor asked if there Although some of the works by the featured authors was a men’s literature class. were successful, for one reason or another, the women “That’s every other literature class,” Lingo said. lost the respect they’d earned. These works had to be At the time the featured authors lived, there were very “rescued from obscurity” when they became more relfew creative outlets for women except for the home and evant in the feminist movement of the 60s, Lingo said. maybe church, Lingo said. Women were rarely educatThe first author Lingo spoke about was Chopin, who Editor in chief

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

lived from 1851 to 1904. Chopin married at 20, and when her husband died 13 years later, she unsuccessfully tried to maintain their plantation and store. She became depressed and her doctor suggested she write to help. One of her earlier works, “Desiree’s Baby,” was successful and “concentrated on a woman’s role in marriage,” Lingo said. Her later book “The Awakening,” however, was described as pornographic. Its protagonist, Edna Pontellier, becomes unsatisfied with married life and sees death as “the only way out.”

“She’s clearly examining the limitations of marriage,” Lingo said after reading an excerpt from the book.

Because of the book’s poor reception, Chopin spent the last five years of her life frustrated at not being published. Since then, “The Awakening” has become a standard text in American colleges and has been assigned more than “Moby Dick,” according to Lingo.

The second author was Gilman (1860-1935), who was raised without much affection because her mother believed “a child would be better served not expecting love,” according to Lingo. She decided never to marry until she finally relented to Charles Walter Stetson’s numerous proposals. Lingo said she believed that “marriage would cure her” of her feminist ideals. When she developed post-partum depression, she endured a treatment which forbade her to touch a pen, brush or pencil.

She followed this until her depression worsened and finally found happiness when she divorced her husband and later remarried, according to Lingo.

Lingo focused on “The Yellow Wallpaper,” a book about a woman who is trapped in a home for three months and suffers mentally because of it. Lingo said that the book’s feminist themes were often ignored because it was seen as a ghost story. After reading an excerpt from the book Lingo spoke of Gilman as not only an author, but an activist as well. “She advocated women’s equalities on all fronts,” Lingo said. “Her beliefs were radical even by today’s standards.”

Finally, Lingo spoke about Hurston (1891-1960).

She was raised in Eatonville, Fla., which Lingo described as the first self-governed, all black town in the United States. Lingo read from an essay called “How It Feels to Be Colored Me.” “She really became a wanderer. She was an extraordinarily clever woman,” Lingo said of Hurston. “Instead of distancing herself from her African heritage, she celebrated it. She didn’t want to assimilate, she wanted to be Zora.”

Lingo also read an excerpt from “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” about protagonist Janie Crawford.

Through her journeys, Janie “finds her strength is not dependant on a man,” said Lingo. Later in her life, Hurston had trouble getting published after being forced to write on a conservative publication.

Lingo finished her lecture by telling why these women are important and influential.

“All three women took uncompromising paths in both their lives and their works,” she said.

BELL: Discovery Channel’s ‘Smash Lab’ engineer Deanne Bell speaks at BC Continued from Page 1 the impossible, and I got the feeling of wanting to host a TV show and my first show was on PBS, called ‘Design Squad.’ I worked with high school students and we would give them designs to build and it taught them the process of engineering,” said Bell.

Discovery Channel’s “Smash Lab”

is a program focused on “destruction instruction” to perform experiments on existing technology for a better world.

“I passed up the first offer of being the host of ‘Smash Lab’ on the Discovery Channel, because at that time I wasn’t in the country, but a month later I received a phone call, letting me know they had had auditions, but they wanted me and

ELECTIONS: The votes are in for fall semester’s Student Government Association Continued from Page 1 participating and getting involved with BC’s student government, while some only voted because someone asked them to or to receive a free T-shirt.

Student Matt Scofield voted after meeting a candidate on campus.

“I met someone that was campaigning and they told me about what they did,” said Scofield, who also said he probably would not have voted if no one approached him.

Another BC student Chris Kowal said that he was unsure about voting, but did so after speaking with a candidate.

“I didn’t know a lot of people running, and so a lot of questions I had, she answered. So that was good,” said Kowal.

Yet some students felt that their vote is important and that participating is something students should do.

“I think everybody should take a part in their school’s activities; take a part of what’s offered to them,” said BC student John Villanueva.

Student Brenda Leonard is concerned about who is representing the student body and the issues concerning BC. “I’m voting because we have lots of issues and we need good representation. We need good people to inform us on these issues.”

One of the students who was working with the volunteers from the Kern County Elections Office in the Fireside Room, commented on her experiences with the elections process.

“There was a lot of student participation. Many of the them were very excited and eager to vote,” said Lea Littlefield.

The amount of students that voted in the elections totaled 1,322, according to statistics provided by Athena Laru, election chair and general counsel. The total amount of students currently enrolled at BC, according to the admissions and records office, is 17,632. The amount of students that participated in the elections equaled out to about 7.5 percent of the student body’s populace.

Student Government Association Election Results President: Lisa English, 672 Katy Ermigarat, 336 Eric Washum, 289 Vice-President: Chris Ballard, 1,253 Activities Liaison: Tawtannisha Thompson, 387 Edgardo Guzman, 339 Bryan Blackmon, 338 Dannie Genel, 240 Treasurer: Miranda Whipple, 1,258

Secretary: Andrea Williams, 725 Sally Clausen, 561 Legislative Liaison: Katrina Oldershaw, 630 William Haywood, 357 Jedediah Wright, 309 General Counsel: Seth Hill, 1,271 Senators 01 & 02: Susan Keen, 746 Joseph Rogel, 535

so I took the job,” said Bell.

Being a woman in the engineering industry was not a challenge for Bell. “I was the only woman in my classes in college, and at first I felt like I had to be better than the guys, but I soon got over it and felt that I just needed to do what I love and not care about what others thought,” said Bell.

Bell gave college career recommendations and said it was important to follow one’s intuition and dreams.

“The best thing of working after you’re done with your schooling is knowing you can work together in teams and learning from other people. A job is a team work, and it’s the coolest thing,” said Bell.

Opinions

Page 6

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

Staff Editorial

Freedom of the press a two-way road In society, there is always going to be conflict. People will always disagree and maybe even argue, failing to see another’s point of view. When one person or group has the avenue of a newspaper to make their voices heard, it may seem like they have the upper hand. Those without this avenue of communication may feel as though they are not being heard.

In the March 17 edition of The Renegade Rip, an editorial cartoon was published on the Opinions page, and it sparked some controversy. It went along with the Pro-Con articles on Student Government Association elections and depicted a monkey running for SGA. The cartoon’s message was that if we do not vote in SGA elections, we have no say in who is making decisions for us, and we may end up with monkeys throwing feces instead of a qualified student politician. Although it was not the cartoon or its artist’s intent, some people believed the cartoon was depicting President Obama and was offensive. The editorial board has since issued a statement apologizing for the possible hurt we might have caused, which can be found on our newspaper racks around campus.

The first amendment of the United States Constitution gives us many things, including freedom of the press. But this freedom goes both ways. Not everyone has the means or desire to write for a newspaper, but everybody has access to a letter to the editor.

Newspapers are made by people just like anyone else. Through our studies, we learn to be objective and save our personal beliefs for pages clearly marked “Opinions.”

On those pages, journalists are allowed to air how they feel on a certain topic, and sometimes those topics are controversial and incite passion in readers, whether they agree or disagree. The media follows an equal time rule, though, and for people who feel as though their voices are not being heard or as though they are being misrepresented, a letter to the editor serves as the perfect venue to give an opposing opinion.

After the controversy following the SGA election cartoon, we expected many letters to the editor. Although we knew the letters would be critical of us and of our decisions, we looked forward to publishing them and giving people the chance to tell their story.

Instead of piles of letters, we received only one that we felt did not do the other side justice. Letters to the editor can be just as effective as anything we write, but they should be well written. This is the reader’s chance to get their thoughts in the paper, but for it to do any good, it needs to make a well thought-out point.

This newspaper is just as much yours as it is ours. We do our best to give you the information we think you might be interested in.

If you have a comment on something we publish, be it positive or negative, we not only welcome letters to the editor, we encourage them. We want to give everyone the chance to let their voices be heard.

’G ade Feedback

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Sports programs: waste of funds or ‘launching pad’ for players?

By Vincent Perez

By David Karnowski

News editor

Magazine editor

Collegiate athletics are not only important to the people involved, such as student athletes, coaches, boosters and parents, sports are essential to education and the institutions themselves.

Many athletes continue their education after community college and do have majors, despite the misconception that the majority only play collegiate athletics to play their favorite sport and to receive scholarships at four-year schools.

While athletes do receive scholarships, those athletes do have majors and throughout all of the athletes I have spoken with at Bakersfield College, I was given the impression that all of them are driven by education and realize the importance of furthering their own education, even if they have to use their sport as a launching pad for their future career, professional athlete or not.

Athletes that compete at the community college level prepare themselves for a bigger step, such as Division 1 or Division 2 football around the nation, and the National Football League as many have already done through the BC football program.

The BC baseball and basketball programs have also had players transfer out to four-year universities and eventually make their own way to the professional leagues.

There are obviously athletes who do depend on scholarships, but they could not receive these scholarships unless their grades were up to standard. No educational institution would risk taking in an athlete unless they were willing to do the work to keep up their GPA. Various sports bring communities together, especially in a city such as Bakersfield, where young and old can come together to watch a football, baseball, softball, basketball, soccer or even a volleyball game.

BC’s own Memorial Stadium is a 20,000-seat arena in which our football and track and field teams compete with other junior colleges around the state. Thousands walk through the gates to watch football games every season here at BC to create revenue for the school and for the football program.

The $2.3 million Dean and Adah Gay Sports Complex, which is considered the best baseball stadium in the California community college system, brings plenty of pride when students and the community see the baseball field.

Without sports in college, each institution would suffer due to the lack of community support. At BC, not only do athletic teams bring our community together, they unify students for a common goal: teamwork.

In a time when other local educational institutions are making cuts on sports, BC has also taken its hits. Even with travel and other expenses being as costly as they are in sports, BC has not cut any of its sports in such a time that calls for it. In doing so, it is a feat itself when other campuses around the state are cutting sports programs swiftly.

The primary mission of an institution of education is just that: education. When a college or university is confronted with economic woes, one might hope that the original intent of the college would stay intact.

Bakersfield College and its continued support of athletic programs are an example of this deviance from the fundamental function of providing cheap and effective academic development in our community.

While the value of intercollegiate athletics is not lost upon me, there is an uneven and unjustified balance in our college’s basic mission when we are turning away academic students from full general education classes and still have functioning athletic programs.

Students are struggling to find seats in general education courses such as English, math and science and are even more unlikely to find space available in degree-specific classes.

I understand the importance of team cohesion, physical discipline and the feeling of lifted spirits when an athlete succeeds in individual and group goals, but a quick browse through the college catalog will reveal that no degree or certificate exists for these sport programs with the closest comparison being a single associate’s degree offered in physical education. Believe it or not, our athletes do not earn degrees in football, baseball or swimming.

While campuses across the nation are cutting back sports programs, BC has yet to cut a single team from our athletic programs. This might seem like some magical feat performed by our administrators but I couldn’t disagree more.

Academic based programs, like the award winning BC debate team, have crumbled under the pressure of economic meltdown, yet homecoming this past fall was in full swing in our stadium and around the campus.

I question the classic argument of sports programs being a source of revenue for other academic endeavors.

How much money is truly coming from our football program and making its way into the classrooms?

Are the costs of maintaining an aging structure like Memorial Stadium included in the analysis of such budgets or are massive expenditures like insurance for the players conveniently left out of the accounting?

This clouding of academic purpose is a significant threat to the education of many.

With our state and national economic vitality not predicted to improve in the near future and more cuts expected to the coming year’s academic budget, the time has come for sports to “take a hit.”

Listed in the values section of the president’s message on the BC Web site are two sentences that ring true.

“Education is the reason our institution exists, both for its own sake and for the benefit of the local, state, and national economy. People who are educated are more geographically and economically mobile and better able to contribute to society as a whole.”

PRO

CON

Campus parking can present challenges Lauren D. Strong Reporter

The Bakersfield College parking lot has had its pros and cons over the past year and a half that I have been a student.

Although it seems very large in size, good parking spots are hard to find. Of course, there are going to be many cars to compete for good spots considering BC’s large population.

I, for one, have gotten the

ridiculous parking ticket from campus public safety for parking without a daily permit or semester permit. Yet, the machine that dispenses parking permits has a sign that says, “out of order.” Why should I pay for a parking ticket when a daily permit is not available to me?

I have a student permit now, but there are so many loopholes around not getting a ticket from public safety that I’ve seen students make use of.

The “visitor parking” always seems to be filled with students visiting campus for their classes for the day. Also, when the permit dispenser is working, students use the same daily permit over and over again by simply flipping it over just to avoid the parking ticket.

My experiences of the BC parking lot haven’t always been negative. I laugh at the many Deja Vu coupons put on my window, which usually end up

on the ground. Along with Deja Vu coupons, there is an array of debris on the ground. There are flyers, coupons, fast food bags, cups, bottles and glass. Ironically, there is a recycle center in the free parking lot.

While the parking lot itself has its flaws, I sometimes worry about the students driving in it. I have had my car hit twice in the BC parking lot. On both occasions, I was left to pay for the repairs because there was no

note left to contact the person who hit me. What happened to driving etiquette or even common courtesy? Some people drive through the parking lot as if they’re in an action movie escaping a villain.

Students need to realize their surroundings in the parking lot so it can be safe for everyone.

The parking isn’t too bad, it needs some improvements, but it’s nothing I can’t live with for now.

What are your plans for spring break?

Editor’s note: ’Gade Feedback is a feature that asks students their opinion various topics.

Compiled by: Annie Stockman / The Rip

Alyssa Whinery, child development: “Going to Los Angles to celebrate my birthday.”

Jessica Regalado, undeclared: “Heading to L.A. to see some family and relations.”

Sean Hill, psychology: “Checking out San Francisco State University.”

The Renegade Rip Editorial Board Winner of the 2003 and 2008 JACC Pacesetter Award

Editor in Chief...................................Kelly Ardis

The Renegade Rip is produced by Bakersfield College journalism classes, printed by Bakersfield Envelope & Printing Co. Inc., and circulated on Wednesdays during the fall and spring semesters.

The newspaper is published under the auspices of the Kern Community College District Board of Trustees, but sole responsibility for its content rests with student editors.

The Rip is a member of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges and the California Newspaper Publishers Association.

Sports Editor.................................Michael Morrow

News Editor....................................Vincent Perez Copy Editor ..............................Anthony B. Ellrodt Multimedia Editor......................Gregory D. Cook

Staff Reporters: Martin Chang, Samantha Garrett, Denise Gonzalez, Laura Liera, Alma N. Martinez, Mateo M. Melero, Julian Moore, Natalie Rodriguez, Lauren Strong, Michael Wafford, Brian Willhite Photographers: Joseph Cota, Ryan George, Annie Stockman, Jofel Tolosa

Opinions Editor....................................Katie Avery Magazine Editor.........................David Karnowski Adviser.......................................................Danny Edwards

Savanah Bean, psychology: “Going to San Francisco to visit a friend.”

Shawnna Greene, history: “Just working.”

Write The Rip

Letters should not exceed 300 words, must be accompanied by a signature and the letter writer’s identity must be verified.

The Rip reserves the right to edit letters, however, writers will be given the opportunity to revise lengthy or unacceptable submissions.

If an organization submits a letter as a group, it must be signed by only one person, either the leader of the organization or the letter writer. Pen names are not allowed and anonymous letters will not be published.

How to reach us

-Address: Bakersfield College, 1801 Panorama Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93305 -Phone: (661) 395-4324 -Web site: www.therip.com

Reviews

Page 7

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Enso Sushi features flavorful fishy food

By Kelly Ardis and Katie Avery

Editor in chief and opinions editor

As a vegetarian and a non-seafood fan, we were two fish out of water at Enso Sushi Bar, located at 1419 19th St. But being two open-minded individuals, we decided we’d try something new, which was literally on estaurant anything the menu.

Not reeview ally knowing what sushi rolls we wanted to try, we started with some appetizers and took our time figuring out the rest.

The garlic edamame was by far our favorite dish. It may as well have been a basket of tortilla chips at a Mexican food restaurant; we wanted to eat so many that we could have filled up on

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those before the food even arrived. The fried tofu dipped in the sauce it came with was tasty, but the sauce couldn’t change the funky consistency. We probably should have expected that from tofu, but this visit was all about trying new things.

For the omnivore and our other companion, we ordered the Crunchy Sexy roll, the Enso signature roll, the salmon roll and the yellowtail appetizer.

Crunchy Sexy included crab, shrimp, cucumber and avocado wrapped in seaweed and was covered in tempura-fried rice. It was a very strange mix of flavors competing for dominance.

The Enso roll had cream cheese, cucumber, broiled salmon and rice wrapped in seaweed.

It was the meat-eater’s favorite of the fish rolls, possibly because it included cream cheese and not shrimp. The yellowtail fish was excellent as far as fish goes. It

Cosmetic a failure in every way

had the consistency of chicken, and it did not have an incredibly distinctive fishy taste. It was also flavored well; it was savory with nothing specific overpowering anything else.

For the herbivore, we ordered the vegetarian special, which, obviously, consisted of various vegetables and rice wrapped in seaweed. Since it was one of very few vegetarian sushi options, it’s a good thing it was so good. The different vegetables and flavors worked well together. Even the carnivore said it was her favorite of the rolls, because the ingredients meshed together better than in the other rolls. The lack of raw fish made us both very happy.

The price was also reasonable considering how much food we got. Sushi is usually considered more expensive cuisine but the three of us were filled to the brim on less than $70 total.

The atmosphere of Enso was

The signature Enso roll featured at the new Enso Sushi Bar, located at 1419 19th St. The roll includes cream cheese, cucumber, broiled salmon and rice wrapped in seaweed. very Japanese chic, with art on the walls and comfy pillows on the booths, but the wooden chairs’ low backs, although interesting looking, were a bit awkward and uncomfortable.

After our meal, we went to

check out the downstairs bar, but unfortunately it was closed.

Overall, we were both surprised at how much we enjoyed food that was outside our comfort zones. Although there weren’t many vegetarian roll options, the

garlic edamame and the vegetarian special were filling enough.

For those willing to try anything, Enso offers many different, and interesting, choices to treat your palate to something new.

Bloody, gory violence slashes to silver screen in ‘Repo Men’

By Martin Chang Reporter

Gregory D. Cook / The Rip

By Katie Avery

Above: L’Oreal foundation with roll on applicator.

Right: Roller foundation makeup being applied to a face.

When I first saw the commercials for the new L’Oreal True Match Roller foundation, I thought it was a joke.

Who wants to paint their face like you paint a wall? Even with this unorthodox method, I was convinced that this makeup could provide an even coverage as it advertised. roduct There’s a reason the video eview commercials don’t actually show the makeup being applied on a person. They apply a photo-shopped version of the makeup on a white background and use the applicator with no makeup on airbrushed models. They do this because the makeup is a total sham and does not work as it promises.

According to the L’Oreal Paris USA website, “The revolutionary roll on applicator creates the ultimate airbrushed finish.” No it doesn’t.

The first thing I noticed is the roller applicator creates lines on your face.

All the makeup gets put on the ends of the roller and the result is thick stripes that won’t go away, even after you roll on many layers.

The cosmetic does not apply evenly all the way across and doesn’t work for the contours of a person’s face.

The roller brush design is great for

walls because walls are flat. Faces are not flat, and therefore can’t be expected to work by the same rules.

When painting a wall, you have to cut in with a paintbrush instead of using a roller in the corners, because the roller is too big to get paint into those corners properly. Similarly, in the creases around your nostrils and the corners of your eyes, you can’t use the roller brush effectively.

The paste-like makeup is lighter than other foundations I’ve worn before, yet it still feels like you’ve shoved icing into your pores. It clogs them and causes more breakouts that need to be covered up with even more foundation. Also, the feeling is so heavy and pasty that even after you’ve spent several minutes scrubbing it off your face, you don’t feel as though you’ve gotten it completely out of your pores.

I’ve also tested both the makeup and the applicator by separating them and applying the makeup with simple makeup sponges and using my regular liquid foundation with the roller brush.

When applying the cakey makeup with the sponges, I was able to get a much thinner, and therefore more natural-looking layer on the skin. It immediately felt less pasty and covered the blemishes just as well.

Opinions editor

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Gregory D. Cook / The Rip

When I first used the applicator with liquid foundation, I overestimated the amount and put way too much liquid on the roller. It was as if I was literally painting my face. When I tried for a second time using less, I found that the brush works a little better when paired with a minimal amount of liquid foundation instead of the cream. It was still hard to evenly cover all the contours of my face with the roller brush, but it felt lighter and more natural.

After days of testing and comparing this cosmetic, I have concluded that neither the applicator nor the foundation work well on their own and they don’t work at all together.

No matter what foundation one uses, it always looks better to take the time to manually apply a thin coating, and keep in mind that less is more.

You want people to compliment you because you have a beautiful face and naturally appealing skin, not compliment you on the fact that you’re able to paint your face all the same color.

The L’Oreal True Match Roller foundation is definitely not worth the $12.75 I paid for it, and now it’s going where it belongs: in the trash.

For those who want “the ultimate airbrush finish,” try an airbrush artist, because this makeup isn’t going to give it to you.

In the film “Repo Men,” they paint a sci-fi portrait of a future world where you can prolong your life by buying body parts from The Union, the monolith company that sells artificial organs. The Union can sell you anything from eyes to hearts. ilm But there is a dark side to this operation. eview If you cannot pay for your body parts, bounty hunter-like men find you and surgically remove the body parts that you owe The Union.

They call themselves Repo Men, and they have to take these body parts by brutal force. This is because when people lose these body parts, it often is a death sentence.

We follow the life of Remy (Jude Law), one of these repo men. In the beginning of the film, he does his job without much feeling. He does his job with his best friend Jake, who is played by Forest Whitaker, who has no reserves in his job. He even takes glee in the sob stories that his victims tell. But several dramatic events happen that begin to show Remy what it’s like to be the one who fears the Repo Men. The most striking thing about this film is the violence and the extraordinary amount of blood. You see Remy and Jake repossess the organs in graphic detail. There are also many other scenes that have an equal amount of blood. The film also has several action scenes that are very violent. At the beginning of the film, this is shocking and effective in showing the brutality of the repossessions. Yet every time they show

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this graphic violence and blood, it loses its effectiveness. By the end of the film, it seems dull and it doesn’t have the same effect.

My favorite aspect of the film is seeing the filmmaker’s vision of the future. I like seeing how the filmmaker creates a world he sees in his head. I like seeing every prop and costume that creates the worlds and how the future is stylized with things like color giving the setting a particular mood.

The writing and plot is OK. The concept of the film is interesting, and it keeps your interest through the film. The thing that hurts the film is the cliched nature of the writing. The film hits all the expected notes. You know when Remy sees a women singing in a nightclub, she will be a love interest. These are many examples of such obvious developments. The ending is the type of ending that will be great for some, and a horrible trick for others. I think it matches the fairly predictable nature of the film.

Law and Whitaker both do an excellent job with their roles. Law does a great job of showing Remy’s changing view of The Union and what they do. Whitaker plays Jake with the quality you would expect from him. Jake is angry at Remy for his changing worldview. Whitaker plays this rage perfectly and even gives a great monologue about why their jobs are important.

The entire supporting cast does a fine acting job with furthering the plot. The most notable being Alice Braga, the love interest, and Liev Schreiber, who plays a manager at The Union. All this great acting keeps the film entertaining and smoothes over the weaknesses in the story.

Players engage gods for merciless slaughter in gruesome ‘God of War III’ Michael Wafford Reporter

The third installment in the “God of War” trilogy is insanely satisfying. From the second I picked up the controller and guided the lead character, the antihero Kratos, along ideo ame the back of a garganeview tuan titan, I knew I was going to enjoy every second of the game.

The story is nothing special.

Kratos is out to kill Zeus and anyone who gets in his way, and it just so happens that nearly ev-

G

BC B rains

a Cyclops with your bare hands, the game never lets you forget that Kratos is a merciless killer.

As a killer, Kratos has to have the appropriate tools. Starting the game with the “Blades of Athena,” you gain a variety of weapons and magic to help you slaughter your way to victory.

Some are found as you play the game but most are obtained after killing a character of importance in a gruesome way.

While the blades were my most used weapon in the game, I found myself switching to other weapons as I played the game simply because they were all equally fun to use, with their own advantages and disadvantages, such as trading in speed

for power, or range for damage.

It helps that all weapons have similar controls with the square and triangle buttons determining the strength of your attack and a tap of the right trigger activating the weapons unique spell so the learning curve is lessened.

Your tools aren’t limited to weapons and spells because you can use enemies as weapons, usually by grabbing them with a tap of the circle button. Be it through riding on the back of a beast, slicing off a gorgon’s head to turn enemies to stone, or just picking someone up to use as a battering ram, I rarely ran out of new interesting ways to massacre the armies of Olympus.

The game looks great. From

the crystal clear water to the innards of a centaur, everything in this game looks gorgeous. For a fantasy game, “God of War III” tries its best to imitate life and it does. Blood spills with a sense of weight, blades leave appropriate wounds; even heads roll with a sense of gravity.

The characters all have an ugliness to them that works to the game’s advantage, seeing the Greek gods look so ragged made their situation seem more dire to me and ultimately made Kratos’ victories all the more satisfying.

The monsters you encounter also have an ugliness to them, but they look more terrifying than pitiable compared to the gods and tearing them apart almost al-

ways managed to make me feel like I’d overcome a challenge.

Speaking of challenges, the game also has a few puzzles.

While none of them were frustratingly hard, I did have to sit down and think for a few minutes to work my way through some of them, and when I finished them I felt a little smarter than I did before. They also provide breaks from the action segments, which prevent the game from growing stale from repetition.

“God of War III” is a splendid game. Everything about it from the simple revenge story to the tight combat kept me entertained throughout the game. It’s violent, fast-paced, a joy to look at and pure bloody fun.

What is a Phlebotomist?

Editor’s note: BC Brains is a feature that asks students a question to test their knowledge of all things trivial.

Compiled by: Annie Stockman / The Rip

Katrina Oldershaw, psychology: “Someone who works with underwater plants?”

Tim Cruz, forestry: “A person who takes your blood.”

Joshua Cruz, undeclared: “It sounds like something sexy.”

Amylia Pounds, English: “Someone who performs a phlebotomy?”

Karla Tajeda, child psychology: “They draw blood.”

Correct answer: A person trained to draw blood.

V R

ery notable figure in Greek mythology gets in his way.

As you play the game, you’ll notice that Kratos isn’t the nicest guy around; he blurs the line between antihero and outright villain constantly, and is often times worse than the pitiable gods he kills.

The game tries to set him up as a sort of sympathetic figure but I never quite believed it since even at his lowest moments, he was still pounding in the face of whatever got too close to him.

However, that’s what makes the story so engrossing despite its limited range; whether you are beating in the face of some poor god who happened to bump into you, or tearing the eye from

Page 8

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Bell finds relief in ring

By Michael Wafford Reporter

Gregory D. Cook / The Rip

Bakersfield native Kyle Michael Neal performs at Dagny’s Coffee Company on March 25. His first tour has him touring all over California.

Bakersfield-born musician feels the L.A. rhythm

By Kelly Ardis Editor in chief

In middle school, many kids decide they want to be a musician. They get a guitar, dream of being a rock star and eventually give up for one reason or another.

But Kyle Michael Neal, a Bakersfield native currently living in Los Angeles, never gave up on those dreams. At 22, Neal has been playing the guitar and singing for about 10 years and is now attending Cal Poly Pomona, studying Kyle Michael Neal music and audio engineering.

For his first tour, he returned to his hometown of Bakersfield to play a concert at Dagny’s Coffee Company on March 25.

“In seventh grade, my mom bought me a guitar and I took lessons for a year, but then I was self-taught,” said Neal. “It was all about Dave Matthews and John Mayer, they were the guys for acoustic guitar at the time. I’d sit down and learn how to play their whole records. I felt like if I could learn their tunes, I could learn anything.”

Neal played at Valley Baptist Church for six years and has been in a few bands, but found that leaving Bakersfield and moving to L.A. gave him more opportunities. “It’s given me a broader perspective of what I can do,” he said. “L.A. is the belly of the beast.

Here in Bakersfield, the scene is different; you’d play small coffee shops for the rest of your life. In L.A., you have more chances.

Being around the people there is really inspiring.”

Neal’s latest influences include old blues musicians Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, classic rockers Led Zeppelin and Tom Petty, and contemporary bands like The Black Keys and “anything Jack White touches.”

“When I’m playing acoustic, it’s very folksy. I have to tour as an acoustic act for financial reasons,” Neal said. “When I’m with a full band, we play kick-your-ass rock ‘n’ roll. Bluesy, dirty rock, the kind of stuff you’d expect to hear at a bar. Not super complex, but with some complex undertones.”

As a student and musician, Neal said he doesn’t have much free time to do anything, even visit his family. But when he gets the chance, he said, one of his favorite things to do is meet new people and hear their stories. His interest in real life stories is reflected in the music he writes.

“My philosophy with songwriting is, I want to tell a story. Most of my songs are based on true stories,” Neal said. “By creating something, a work of art, I’m putting myself into this thing. Once it’s created and been played for someone else, it belongs to everyone. I want them to take it and make it their own.”

The hardest part of being a touring musician for Neal so far has been driving “epic four hour drives” alone. This tour took Neal to cities in California including San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico and Oakdale, and he said it was hard work.

“The planning was rough. When you’re completely unknown, people don’t want to book you,” Neal said. “I played in a friend’s living room in Chico, an open mic in Oakdale. It’s rough but wildly rewarding. I’ve been running on four hours of sleep and one meal a day.”

One of Neal’s favorite tour stories is when his show in Oakdale was canceled and he was forced to find somewhere else to play.

“I was scheduled to play, and the day of [the concert] I got a call that it was cancelled. I ended up playing at a place called Cow Track Lounge and I didn’t have anything to do before the show,” said Neal. “There were people my age there, so I talked to them and by the time the show started, I knew everyone. I could go back there and play a show or just hang out.”

Neal has a five-song EP called “Worth” and plans to record a full-length album later this year. Another tour is in the works for this summer and he hopes to play bigger venues. When asked where he sees himself in five years, Neal replied without hesitation, “doing the exact same thing, playing and recording music.”

“And hopefully I’ll join The Jonas Brothers,” he added with a laugh.

Born and raised in Bakersfield, Tyler Bell is training to become a mixed martial artist.

The lightweight Bell, 19, a Bakersfield College student, has always had an interest in fighting.

“Growing up I was always into street fighting. We used to box in the streets of our old neighborhood when we were bored,” said Bell.

This interest in fighting got him interested in kickboxing, which helped him lose 60 pounds during his junior year of high school. During his senior year of high school, Bell began wrestling after being encouraged by a friend, and through wrestling he met Jason Meek, Jr., who introduced him to mixed martial arts, which refers to combining martial art forms to compete in fights against others, the most popular MMA organization being The Ultimate Fighting Championships. Bell began training with Meek at Underground Training only 11 months ago.

Bell trains in boxing, Muay Thai, kickboxing, several wrestling styles and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Training a minimum of four days a week, Bell says he’s caught on quickly which he attributes to his gym’s emphasis on sparring and the helpfulness of its members. “A lot of times they’ll show you your mistakes by exploiting it,” said Bell. “If we leave ourselves open to a certain strike they’ll hit us with it.” Bell then went on to describe several sparring matches where he learned how to guard himself the hard way.

Bell continued about his training, “Because of how many people there are . . . we learn how to fight with different ranges, different sizes.” Bell mentioned that the majority of the people he trains with are in their 30s and 40s and that although he started training recently, he feels he’s learning fast because he can keep up with the more experienced and physically stronger members. “I didn’t do martial arts when I was young and I feel like I’m behind but with the quality of training I get, I can keep up with them.”

Bell said that fighting is his way to release stress.

“It’s a big stress relief for me.

I get to hit people. You get frustrated with something, you go train and you let it all out,” said Bell. “You sock them in the face, kick them in the face. You’re not trying to hurt them.” Bell then paused and continued, “OK,

you are trying to hurt them but you’re not trying to knock them out.” He then went on to say that he had never been knocked out while sparring and that MMA type fights are safer than most people would believe, noting that no one has ever died in a sanctioned MMA fight and that the rules and regulations along with the strict referees prevent fights from going too far.

Although Bell is eager to fight, he is eager about going into the ring. “Right now I’m doing a kick boxing tournament to try and get my nerves for competing. If I’m going to do a full MMA match I’m going to need that,” said Bell who went on to say he would enter any amateur event he could to ease his tension before fighting in front of a large match in an MMA fight.

Bell also admitted that he becomes scared at times. “These guys are older than us, definitely more experienced so I get nervous sometimes,” said Bell.

“Getting kicked hurts. Getting kicked, punch, everything hurts.

work on me because I’m double jointed.” He then went on to list a few popular holds that are ineffectual toward him, such as the Kimura, a type of shoulder lock.

Although he described himself as well rounded, he noted that he needs to improve his takedowns and become more used to pain, especially shin kicks.

Having begun training in MMA only 11 months ago Bell is hopeful for his future in the sport. “I want to have my first UFC fight within a year or two, I should probably give myself more time than that.”

For inspiration Bell looks to UFC champion George St-Pierre because of his well-rounded style and positive attitude toward training and fighting, and Urijah Faber because of his focus. Bell also noted that his coach Jason Meek Sr. has “an endless knowledge [of martial arts.] Every week he has something to show us. I don’t think I could ever retain as much as he does, but I want to. I want to be that good but I know it’s going to take years.”

Gregory D. Cook / The Rip

Bakersfield College student Tyler Bell fights opponent Casey Ray during the Fight for Life charity event held at Advanced Industrial Services on March 27.

So sometimes you get shy because you don’t feel like getting your ass beat but you get into it.” Bell noted he was especially nervous because he had a tournament coming up on March 27.

According to Bell, his foot was broken during his first match although he went on to win the fight but lost during his next match.

Bell says the length of his limbs and his double jointedness are big advantages for him in the ring. “Certain holds just don’t

Bell said his training has come in handy in real life. “I got into a fight with some drunk guy twice my weight. I won, I ended up knocking him out.” Martial arts have also boosted Bell’s confidence off the mat.

When asked what he’d be doing if he weren’t fighting, Bell said he’d still be working out but would lack the passion he has for exercise now because it would lack the feeling of competition. “Back in the day, I was a nerd,” Bell paused, while pulling

Gregory D. Cook / The Rip

Tyler Bell is presented as the winner of his first fight of the evening March 27. a Nintendo DS from somewhere on his person, and then said, “Actually, I still am a nerd. I still watch cartoons and everything.

I’d probably be doing too much of that.”

Outside of training, Bell is a full time student, working on obtaining a degree in Physical Therapy, works a job, and finds time to hang out with friends.

“Right now, my big focus is school. I want to get school done as fast as I can. I set a goal; I want to have my master’s degree by age 25. That way if I want to focus more on MMA I’ll have everything ready, my life will be set up.”

In his personal life Bell has a close-knit group of friends that he calls his brothers. Bell said, “I think without them things would be kind of hard, without them life wouldn’t be that great.” Although they all have their own lives, they still manage to support and see each other on a daily basis. Bell said that they are especially important to him at this time of the year, as he mourns for his sister who passed away two year ago.

Her birthday was in early April.

“She was our (Bell and friends’) big sister. They know how it can be, so they stay around.”

“MMA definitely helped me through that,” said Bell when discussing his sister’s passing.

“There’s something my friend Jason Jr. said, ‘No matter what happens, MMA will always be there.’ It will always be there.

It’s there, you can always train, it won’t change on us. Styles can get better, you can change yourself in MMA but MMA will always be there. It’s something constant to keep in mind so you can keep focus.”

BC’s Levan Institute offers soap making class to teach students hands-on creative techniques

By Denise M. Gonzalez Reporter

The Levan Institute at Bakersfield College offers numerous creative and hands-on courses for students who are interested to learn the process of crafting. The art of soap making is being offered to students who are willing to learn a creative practice.

Students will have the chance to learn how to make colored fragrant soaps and bath salts. It is the process of old-fashioned soap making, which is referred to as the cold process.

Dahlia Langendoefer is the master of the craft who instructs the courses that are offered twice a semester on the BC campus.

“I have 50 years of experience with soap making, I began at age six with my mother and sisters,” said Langendoerfer. “We also made candles, bread and numerous dairy products by hand.”

“Apart from those processes, I quilted, sewed my own clothing, knitted, crocheted and made decorative things from wood and glass,” said Langendoerfer. “With that being said, I am eager to teach my students all of my handmade techniques.”

The classes offer students detailed instructions of proper materials, equipment and the secrets around the craft. Langendoerfer will also be demonstrating her shampoo and lotion recipes to interested students.

Langendoefer advocates on how the making of soap has grown to be more of a sophisticated technical process instead of trial and error. With the extensive practice in making the material, Lagendoefer shows the students what is the best and most safe material to use. She advocates on the proper products for all individuals that range from skin sensitivity to the colors and fragrances that will benefit the user overall.

Lists of materials and actual locations of stores in town and online shops are given to the students so they can find products.

Peggy Schrader, 61, is a first-time student to the soap making class.

Schrader enrolled in the course with intentions to learn all of the tricks behind the hands-on crafts.

“I am here to learn soap making for my own personal use,” said Schrader. “There are many wonderful hand made soaps at craft fairs, although, they are too expensive.”

“I was interested to get into the Levan Institute at BC in order to take advantage of the creative classes,” said Schrader. “I have made soap in the past, but I knew I was not following the right and cheap steps. I have learned just in the first class meeting of soap making that I can use cheaper material than what I was using before.”

Langendoefer allows the students to do all the steps in class with her as a mentor, which include measuring oils and mixing of materials in order for students to get the feel of the process. Safety gear is offered and the steps are advised to a great extent.

“There is absolutely nothing like the feeling of giving a gift to someone and saying, I made it myself,” said Langendoefer. “The love gets passed along when we give someone something we’ve made ourselves.”

Shelly Downs, a student with a soap making background, enrolled in the classes in order to gain further knowledge of the accurate steps.

“I am taking this class to benefit myself and also to give as gifts,” said Downs. “I did try to make soap on my own, but it was beyond confusing so I came to learn the actual steps. So far I understand the right calculations that Dahlia has explained, and I strongly recommend this class to all.”

“To have an institution acknowledge creative courses to so many lives is wonderful,” said Langendoefer. “We have surpassed the time of education for the sake of education and advancement and are now in the time where we want to learn for the sheer sake of enrichment.”

Sports

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The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

James looks to go pro after college career

By Vincent Perez News editor

Gregory d. cook / The Rip

Katherine James, a BC standout swimmer and golfer, poses before practice at the aquatic center.

Bakersfield College sophomore dual athlete Katherine James, 20, spends her free time during the current BC swim season focusing on her main sport.

“Anytime I have free time is spent on the golf course,” said James.

James explained how she got involved with golf at Liberty High School.

“I got into golf when I was a sophomore in high school. The next step was naturally junior college.”

As a swimmer in the spring semester and a golfer in the fall semester, James talked about how she balances both.

“I try to get my studies done as much as possible. Swimming is easy, it‘s a set practice every day.”

James added, “I feel busy. I did not expect it when I came in. Coming into the junior college level you’d think it was going to be easy, a breeze through it all.”

James said profoundly, “It wasn’t, it caught me on my toes the whole time. I had to keep track of every-

thing.”

When asked how stressful handling two sports can be, James replied, “It’s very stressful. I have the perspective that if this is my most stressful time in life.”

James said proudly, “I can take it if everything looks better from this point on.”

Yet, when James is not on the golf course or in the pool, she said she finds time to relax with friends.

“I go to the movies like any normal kid,” proclaimed James.

James grew up listening to BC swimming coach Charlie Pike’s advice.

“I swam for Charlie [Pike] since I was 11 or 12 in youth clubs, so when I was asked to join the BC swimming team, it was just natural to say ‘yeah.’ ” James is a liberal studies major at BC, and she said she plans to change her major to psychology when she transfers next semester to Augusta State University in Georgia.

James received a scholarship to play golf at Augusta. James received the offer Jan. 20.

When James compared her two

sports, she said, “Swimming is more physical and golf is more mental.

Swimming keeps me in shape for golf and golfing keeps me mentally prepared for my swimming races, so they balance.”

However, James mentioned why she prefers golf to swimming.

“I love golf much more,” she said.

“In swimming you’re going back and forth on a little black line,” said James with a laugh.

James felt her time at BC was spent well.

“I feel proud. It feels awesome.

I don’t really ever think about it, honestly. I just try to get through the next moment.”

James’ preparations before she competes in either sport are simple.

“I eat oatmeal before every swim meet and golf tournament,” she said.

“I’ve done it since I was a little kid, and I don’t want to break the habit,” she added.

James added that she listens to music before competing, also.

“I listen to a lot of music a lot of the time. I’m a fan of the corny Disney music, like Miley Cyrus. You

got to have a little bit of her in there.

I like country, too.”

James’ plans at Augusta and after are to go professional in golf.

“I want to see if I can join the [Ladies Professional Golf Association] Tour.”

James added, “I want to get two years in of serious golf at Augusta and see if I can go out and make it as a professional golfer,” she said.

James admitted, “I may never get in the pool again [after BC].”

After quitting swimming her junior high school, James said, “I came back because they needed more swimmers on the team at BC.” James competes in the 500-yard freestyle, 1,000-yard freestyle, 1,650-freestyle and 100-yard butterfly.

James’ goal this swimming season is to go as far as she did in the fall semester of 2009 in golf.

“Swimming wise, I’m trying to make it to state,” said James.

James added, “That’s the ultimate goal: is to go to state in two sports.

In golf, I was all-state, so in swimming I want to do the same.”

Men’s and women’s tennis struggle to win in conference

By Michael Morrow Sports editor

Jofel tolosa / The Rip

Bakersfield College’s Jessica Burrow returns a shot during a match against Ventura College on March 25.

By Julian Moore Reporter

The Bakersfield College women’s tennis team lost two of its last three matches lost to Santa Monica and Ventura College.

The team’s one win came against Allan Hancock, where the Renegades won 9-0.

BC coach Gene Lundquist spoke about the match.

“We did really well, our team maintained its intensity and we beat them 9-0.

Allan Hancock is having a really down year. The fact is they just haven’t had as much playing experience as we have,” he said.

“And so I want to give them some credit but we pretty well handled them especially in singles.

In doubles they gave us a pretty good match in our number two doubles, but we won that 8-5.”

Though the Renegades haven’t played up to what their expectations were, Lundquist did say they had one surprise this season.

“One of our players who has really risen to the occasion here late in the season is Stevie Lincoln.

She beat her opponent at Allan Hancock 6-0, and again 6-0. She didn’t even get a game against Stevie.”

An example of this improvement came against undefeated Santa Monica.

“Her opponent, Alex Thomas, beat Stevie pretty handily in the first round.

“But in the second round, Stevie showed this improvement and she notched a win,” Lundquist said.

Lincoln was not at practice to comment.

Lundquist addressed the poor season.

“Three of our Western State

Conference opponents have come up with superior teams.

They’ve really got some outstanding players.”

We’re in one of the strongest conferences in the state and we have our work cut out for us,” he said.

The Renegades are looking to the upcoming postseason where they will hope to make regionals, which is an individual competition rather than a team.

The Bakersfield College men’s tennis team traveled to Woodland Hills to take on the L.A. Pierce College Brahmas and returned to town with another loss.

The Renegades went into the match on a three-game losing streak with their last win coming against the Brahmas at home on March 4. The Renegades fell to Pierce 6-3, bringing the losing streak to four and their overall record to 3-9.

BC’s No. 3 player Matt Booth pulled out a win against Patrick Massey with the scores of 6-4, 6-4, followed by the Renegades No. 5 player Chris Sides beating G.S. Navjeevan Sanders 6-2, 6-4.

The other win came in doubles against the Brahmas No. 1 doubles team of Ari Cohen and Logan Feldstein. BC’s No.2 player James Griffin and Booth took the match with the score of 8-5.

Head coach Regina CsibiKrueger talked about her overall disappointment in the season and her team after the loss to L.A. Pierce.

“My team can’t close matches.

I’m disappointed and frustrated at the lack of focus we’ve shown over the past couple of weeks.

I’m very disappointed in the team’s performance, and we’re about to have a team meeting to hopefully get it together before some of these big tournaments,” said Csibi-Krueger.

“I have two steady-strong players that just keep winning, Booth and Griffin, but the rest of the team just isn’t keeping up

their end.”

Back on March 25, the Renegades lost to Ventura College by the score of 9-0. This loss was the second to Ventura this season. It’s also the only team this season BC has failed to get a singles or doubles victory in.

Csibi-Krueger spoke about the conference power Ventura.

“Ventura is the strongest team in the conference, maybe the strongest in the state. We aren’t on their caliber, and never thought we could win that match,” said Csibi-Krueger. “We play in the toughest conference, and nobody believes they can beat Ventura either. Ventura top to bottom is unstoppable.”

Before taking on Ventura, the Renegades took on Santa Barbara City College at home on March 18. BC lost to SBCC 7-2 in the match up. and 6-3 in the first matchup back on Feb. 18. The two matches BC won against the Vaqueros both came in singles matches, when Griffin pulled out a win 6-2, 1-6, 7-6, and Robby Jennings won 6-3, 7-6.

Up next is the Western State Conference tournament on April 16-17, then the Ojai tournament April 22-25.

As far as what Csibi-Krueger thinks will happen in those tournaments, she went on to talk about high and low expectations.

“I have high expectations for Booth and Griffin. I’m hoping they can go far, but it all depends on if they play up to their ability. To be quite honest, the rest of the team doesn’t stand a chance against the competition,” said Csibi-Krueger.

Annie Stockman / The Rip

James Griffin returns a serve against Santa Barbara at Bakersfield College on March 18. Griffin went on to beat Alex Zazove by the scores of 6-2, 1-6, and 7-6.

Sports

Page 10

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Renegades slide into five-game win streak

By Julian Moore Reporter

Bakersfield College’s baseball has won five games in a row and are looking at a 7-2 record over the last nine games.

The Renegades pitching staff hasn’t given up more than five runs in each of their wins, and are giving up an average of 3.33 runs per game.

Their last three games came in the College of Sequoias tournament, where they defeated COS, Sierra College and Saddleback.

Each win came by playing out of conference teams.

In the game against COS on March 31, Greg Fowler pitched a commanding eight innings for BC. He allowed four hits and one walk as he struck out 10 batters in the win.

Andrew Letourneau was 3-for6 and catcher Dylan Nasiatka had a 4-for-6 game, with three RBI and two extra base hits. The Renegades had a total of 16 hits in the 11-1 road win.

Art Charles picked up the win for BC at Sierra, as he struck out eight batters and gave up two hits through eight innings in the 3-0 shutout win.

“That was for sure the best pitching performance I had of the year, I went out there and just shoved it,” Charles said. “I had the changeup working early, curveball working late, I kept them off balance.”

The first of the five wins came on March 25, when BC beat L.A. Valley 2-1.

BC scored first in the home half of the fourth. Nasiatka singled a 3-1 pitch to center field and moved to second when Charles singled to left. The next batter, David Pennington, was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Jacob Neilson hit into a double play at short, which brought in Nasiatka and moved Charles to third. Greg Osteen struck out swinging to end the inning.

Charles left at the start of the fifth and went a total of four innings and walked six batters before being lifted for Joe Neilson, who went the rest of the game.

The Renegades scored again in the eighth when Letourneau singled and advanced to second on an error by Valley’s third baseman Josh Goosen-Brown.

Nasiatka singled to left and advanced to second after an error on the left fielder. The hit brought home Letourneau.

BC coach Tim Painton was beyond pleased with Neilson’s day on the rubber.

“I felt like Joseph Neilson was outstanding out of the bullpen.

He was really the difference maker this ballgame,” Painton said. “We didn’t do a whole lot offensively. We had a lot of scoring opportunities we didn’t capitalize on. And outside of a couple infield singles he didn’t give up much in his five innings of work.”

Neilson, who gave up three hits in his outing, said of his performance, “I felt more energized and pumped up because I was in there for more innings, I just felt more comfortable.”

“Today I threw more changeups than my breaking ball and I was spotting my fastball, keeping it down trying to get groundballs.”

Nasiatka went 4-for-4 in the game with a run and an RBI and felt his hard work as of late “paid off.”

“I’ve been having some rough times at the plate and I’ve really been working hard to get back to using the middle of the field,” said Nasiatka.

“I’ve had a lot of help from coach Patrick Cornejo, he keeps us pumped up to play and I try and come with a consistent approach of trying to work hard everyday.

He also commented on Neilson, “When he came in the game, I could tell he was going to have good command of his fastball and spotted up with his changeup. And just worked well to get the hitters out.”

Charles said about the team’s string of wins and moving forward.

“It feels great, especially to have started off slow the way we did. We’re going full steam

ahead back into conference. We play Citrus and Mission these next four games and if we could sweep these teams that will definitely help us out. But I know for sure we’ll come out these next couple weeks and handle business,” he said.

Painton discussed the road the team has ahead and the bumps they’ve faced in the past.

“I felt like we’ve turned some things around that we weren’t doing very well early, which was swinging the bat.

“Pitching has stabilized that’s been good, but its been good for awhile now and its good to see us starting to swing the bats and put some runs on the board.”

He continued by saying.

“The game is a constant game of adjustment, so there’s not one thing I can point to. It’s just simply having better at-bats and starting to produce with men on base.

“Hopefully we can continue the momentum we have right now. We’re down to 11 conference games left, so hopefully we can continue to ride the momentum we have now,” he said.

Closer Anthony Ramirez was having a rough time after the 13-6 loss against West L.A. where he struggled in the ninth.

He spoke about the changes since then. “I felt it was more of a mental adjustment that I needed to make on the mound. I feel better and it was good to get another save,” he said. “I just got to lay it out on the line.”

He went on to talk about his teammates on the pitching staff.

“The bullpen has been great all year. With Xavier Tavorn coming in and Joe Neilson, those guys have been great, they’ve given me the opportunity to get in and try and close it out,” he commented.

Painton spoke about Ramirez.

“He’s gotten better, he’s made some adjustments,” he said. “He just lost his slider. You cant be a one-pitch guy at our level and have success. We were able to make some adjustments with his slider and he’s got that back and is throwing the ball very well.”

Gregory D. Cook / The Rip

Renegades outfielder Sam Westendorf slides in safe at second base under Monarchs’ infielder Ricky Alvarez in a game at Bakersfield College on March 25.

Painton also commented on the recent injury infielder Nick Fox has.

“We’re waiting for clearance so we can use him. He’s getting better but he missed three to four weeks of live at-bats so that remains to be seen right now.”

As far as continuing to replace him, Painton said, “We’ve used Jacob Neilson there. He’s driven in runs, played very well defensively,” he said. “Right now that’s his job. Fox has to go back and earn it.

“There will be a role for him, he’s a very good hitter, but we just have to get him healthy.”

Women’s softball holds its own after a week stretch of 10 games

Joseph Cota / The Rip

Bakersfield College shortstop Courtney Hockett throws the ball to first base for an easy out in the beginning of the second inning on March 18, against LA Valley in a 7-2 win.

RIP N ation

Renegades outfielder Andrew Letourneau attempts to outrun Gauchos first baseman Billy Sanders during a game at Bakersfield College on April 2.

Scorecard

By Natalie Rodriguez Reporter

The Bakersfield College women’s softball team played 10 games in a seven-day period, winning six of them.

BC played a doubleheader at Bakersfield College against Glendale College on March 30 and won the first game 4-3 and lost the second 5-4. Freshman pitcher Tayler Ward, came back from an injury to pitch a ten-inning winning game against Glendale on March 30.

On March 25, BC traveled to Valencia to take on College of the Canyons and lost in a shutout game 8-0. On March 23, BC started their road trip in Sylmar and beat L.A. Mission with a score of 8-7. In the second BC Classic at BC, the softball team came out even with two wins and two losses. BC also won against L.A. Valley College 7-2 on March 18 and won the first game of the doubleheader against Citrus College 3-2 and lost the second 4-3.

Coach Sandi Taylor talked about the BC tournament. “We are beating the teams we are supposed to beat so we are in a good place.”

Taylor talked about her team’s performance from the past games.

“The team has played really hard the last couple of weeks. The game at College of the Canyons was not our best but overall having played 10 games in seven days I was very proud of our team,” said Taylor.

“Last Tuesday we got our players back who were injured, and you could tell we just started playing better so that’s always good. Jessica NewtonSmith, who was out for a month, made a big impact in a huge way on her first day with a couple RBI’s and base hits. Brittney Morrison, also out for a month, came back from her recent injury.

BC played L.A. Valley College on April 6, which was an important conference matchup for the team.

Baseball March 23 March 25 March 27 March 31 April 1 April 2 April 8 April 10

Canyons 5, BC 4 BC 2, LA Valley 1 BC 10, LA Valley 2 BC 11, COS 1 BC 3, Sierra 0 BC 12, Saddleback 3 at Citrus at LA Mission

2:30 p.m.

1 p.m.

Softball

March 18 BC 7, LA Valley 2 March 20-21 BC 1-1 March 23 BC 8, LA Mission 7 March 25 Canyons 8, BC 0 March 30 BC 4, Glendale 3 (10 inn.)

Glendale 5, BC 4 April 6 at Santa Monica (DH) 1/ 3 p.m.

April 8 Citrius 5 p.m.

Men’s golf April 5 April 12

WSC # 6 at Ventura WSC # 7 at Allan Hancock

Men and women’s track and field April 9 WSC # 2 at LA Valley April 13-14 BC at Cerritos Men’s tennis

March 18 Santa Barbara 7, BC 2 March 25 Ventura 9, BC 0 March 30 Sierra College 6, BC 3 April 1 LA Pierce 6, BC 3 April 8 Rain Date Women’s tennis March 18 March 25 March 26 March 30 April 8

Santa Barbara 9, BC 0 Ventura College 9. BC 0 Santa Monica 8, BC 1 BC 9, Allan Hancock 0 Rain Date

Men and women’s swimming

April 9 WSC Quads # 4 at Citrus

What do you listen to before games to get pumped up?

Editor’s note: Rip Nation is a feature that highlights the opinions of Bakersfield College’s athletes and coaches.

Compiled by: Rip Staff

Gregory D. Cook / The Rip

James Griffin, men’s tennis: “Heavy rock and techno is what gets me going for a match.

‘Indestructable’ by Disturbed, that’s my badass song.”

Daniel Shepherd, baseball: “Some old Metallica.

Blackened by Metallica.”

Joni Langerstrom, softball: “We made a CD called girl power... songs about girls, and we listen to music we can dance to. That gets us pumped.”

Imaad Nuriddin, baseball: “Usually I listen to Lil Wayne before games, that’s usually gets me going. A song called ‘Oh Let’s Do It’ by Wayne.”

Matthew Booth, men’s tennis: “I like the band Circa Survive and the song ‘The Glorious Nosebleed’ really gets me going.”

Sports

Page 11

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Siblings play ball for fun of the games

By Michael Morrow Sports editor

They are siblings who started playing around the age of six, both play third base, both were Centennial High School Golden Hawks, and the duo both play for the Bakersfield College Renegades.

But this is where the similarities end for Nick and Laura Fox. Nick is in his sophomore season on the BC baseball team and Laura is a freshman on the Renegades softball team. Laura only played softball, while Nick played baseball, and some football. Nick is 20, while Laura is 19.

Laura and Nick talked about their feelings about the game they share.

“It means a lot, it’s pretty much taken over my life. When you play college sports, everyday you practice or you have a game,” said Nick. “Even in the summer you practice and throughout the fall you’re practicing, so it means a lot to me.”

Laura continued with the same thoughts.

“It’s my life pretty much, plus it helps keep me in shape.”

Laura and Nick went on to talk about the support they got from their parents and the type of athletic background in

which they came from.

“We’ve always been on teams, so they didn’t have to get out there with us, but they supported us the whole way, and bought us our stuff when we needed it, and they were always out there when we needed them to be,” said Laura.

“I don’t think my dad played any sports, but my mom ran track and did gymnastics,” said Nick.

When it comes to watching baseball or softball on TV, Laura watches if it’s on, but doesn’t usually make an effort to get to it, while Nick likes to watch baseball on many different levels.

“Usually I try to watch the College World Series,” Nick continued with his favorite player and what pro team he most likes to watch. “Rafael Furcal and the Dodgers are one of my favorites.”

The Foxes have differing aspirations and inspirations to why they play the game and to where they want to go next.

For Laura, it’s “Pretty much just for the fun of it,” she continued with “I’m not looking to go on for my four years at the next college, so it’s just having fun now.”

For Nick, it’s the opposite.

“Trying to get better, and to try to get to the next level and just be as good as

I can be,” he said.

Nick went on to talk about some how the season is going for him, and where he thinks that next level could be.

It’s going pretty good so far, our team is doing really well, and I’m liking it. I feel like I’m doing all right, I’ve been plagued with injury a little bit, but when I’m out there I’ve been hitting the ball OK,” said Nick. “I’d like to transfer out to a Cal State after my time here at BC, but we’ll see what happens.”

Laura also talked about how her season is going as well as the difference between high school and college softball.

“It’s a lot of fun and it’s different than high school. It’s a much different experience. Our team is doing alright, but most of all I like how all the girls just stick together,” she said. “My batting kind of sucks this year, but other than that, I think I’m doing really well for a freshman.”

Laura and Nick spoke about things their coaches have told them that they use in game situations.

“Get the bat around the ball’ is something I think about every at bat,” said Gregory D. Cook / The Rip Laura. For Nick, it’s “compete, try and Nick and Laura Fox pose after practice on compete for all nine innings.”

April 5.

Nick is looking to come back from Those coaches are Sandi Taylor for injury, while Laura continues her season. softball and Tim Painton for baseball.

Athletes of the Issue

Jamie Dumatrait Softball Catcher On the season: Average .343 Hits 23 RBI 15 Runs 10 Bases on balls 11

Several events planned before big race

By Gregory D. Cook Multimedia editor

On May 20, Bakersfield College will play host to the finish line of one of the stages of the AMGEN Tour of California, an eight stage, Tour de France-style race that will challenge many of the world’s top professional cycling teams with a route of nearly 800 miles over eight days.

Famous cyclists the likes of Mark Cavendish, Michael Rogers and Lance Armstrong are expected to draw up to 40,000 fans to the Panorama bluffs to watch the finish of the race’s fifth stage, starting in Visalia, and ending at

BC. In preparation for the race, AMGEN, the City of Bakersfield and other race sponsors are planning a couple of events to raise awareness of the event and the causes it champions.

On April 25, the Bakersfield Sports Foundation and AMGEN will host a “Cycling for Life” event at the Mill Creek at Central Park in downtown Bakersfield.

The event will focus on “cycling as a part of a healthy lifestyle,” according to a press release issued by Bakersfield Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The event is free to attend, and will include live entertainment,

beginner’s bike rides along Mill Creek between Central Park and Rabobank Arena, a farmers market and health fair as well as exhibits “promoting the positive aspects of cycling for wellness and fun.”

The event will also mark the start of a community bicycle drive sponsored by KBAK/ KBFX-TV, in which members of the community can donate used bicycles at collection points located at Central Park and Rabobank Arena. The bicycles will be refurbished and given to local children in need.

Another event scheduled as part of the run-up to the Tour of

California will give cycling enthusiasts a chance to experience what competing in the race is like. On May 1, the Bakersfield Sports Foundation will host an official pre-ride of the fifth stage of the race. This event will allow amateur cyclists to ride the actual course of the fifth stage of the race.

For a fee, cyclists will be able to choose between riding the complete 117 mile route starting in Visalia, or a shorter, 40 mile course starting in Glenville. Both distances will end with a climb up the Panorama bluffs and end at BC. Transportation to the start points and a lunch will be pro-

vided for the ride’s participants.

The Bakersfield Convention & Visitors Bureau is also looking for volunteers to help in various ways for the actual stage of Tour of California race on May 20. They estimate that they will need between 150 to 200 volunteers to fill positions locally and along the route, such as course marshals, site decoration and check-in personnel.

More information on volunteering or the events leading up to the AMGEN Tour of California race can be found the Bakersfield Convention & Visitors Bureau’s race website at www. bakersfieldamgen.com.

Dylan Nasitaka Baseball Catcher On the season: Average .402 Hits 7 RBI 15 Runs 26 Stolen bases 7 Bases on balls 8

Student Government Scholarships and Awards

Each winner receives a $250 scholarship Selection The selection will be made by a committee of faculty and staff at Bakersfield College and presented to the student at the SGA Awards Banquet, Friday, April 30, 2010.

SGA Campus/ Community Service The SGA Campus\Community Service Scholarship is awarded annually to Bakersfield College students who demonstrate outstanding campus and community service and overall accomplishments for the year.

Qualifications The applicant must be a currently enrolled student at Bakersfield College and taking a minimum of six (6) units.

The candidate must have a 2.0 cumulative GPA or higher.

Selection Criteria The following elements will be the judging criteria for this scholarship: 1.

Service to the B.C. Campus (40 points) – Please list campus organizations or committees you have served on, as well as events you have participated in. List the awards or honors you have received in connection with the above.

Describe your overall participation at Bakersfield College.

2.

Service to the community (40 points) – Please list outside organizations you belong to and describe your involvement with community activities.

3.

Recommendation (20 points) - One letter of recommendation from a campus staff member or a community leader.

Grace Van Dyke Bird Leadership Award

SGA Renegade Knight Scholarship Application

The ASBC Mr. G Scholarship is awarded annually to Bakersfield College students attaining the highest standards of academic success, service, and overall accomplishments for the year. A $250 Scholarship and Certificate of Achievement will be presented at the ASBC Awards Banquet.

The SGA Renegade Knight Scholarship is awarded annually to Bakersfield College students attaining the highest standards of academic success, leadership, service/citizenship and overall accomplishments for the year.

Qualifications The student must have been enrolled for both the Fall and Spring semesters of the current academic year. The student must have completed at least eighteen (18) units of work at Bakersfield College with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. The student shall be returning for at least six (6) units of academic work here at Bakersfield College, or is transferring to a four-year institution for academic completion.

Selection Criteria The following elements will be used in judging of the award: 1.

GPA (10 points) – Cumulative GPA of 3.0 for all work done at Bakersfield College.

2.

Service (15 points) – Describe how you have served the campus in some area to promote the success of Bakersfield College and its students.

3.

Accomplishments (30 points) –Describe your overall participation on campus (include any special honors/ recognition received) for this academic year.

4.

Essay (25 points) – Write a 200-word essay on how this scholarship will help you to achieve your educational goals.

5.

Recommendations (20 points) – The candidate must submit two letters of recommendation, one from a campus staff member and one from a community member (i.e. church leader, non-profit organization leader, local government official, etc.).

Apply by April 16, 2010 Applications available in CC4

Qualifications The student must have been enrolled for both the fall and spring semesters of the current academic year. The student must have completed at least eighteen (18) units of work at Bakersfield College with a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA. Selection Criteria 1.

Leadership/Inspiration (20 points) – Describe how you have been able to instill in others the desire to achieve excellence and growth.

2.

Service/Citizenship (20 points) – List the campus organizations you belong to and the events or projects you have volunteered for in the community to promote Bakersfield College and its students.

3.

Accomplishments (20 points) –Describe your overall participation on campus and in the community (include any special honors/recognition received) for this academic year.

4.

Essay (20 points) – Write a 200-word essay on how this scholarship will help you to achieve your educational goals.

5.

Recommendations (20 points) – The applicant must submit two letters of recommendation, one from a campus staff member and one from a community member (i.e. church leader, non-profit organization leader, local government official, etc.).

Page 12

Eyes of the Rip The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

Klub Plush lights up Jerry’s

Above: Bakersfield College student Heather Mitchell (center) dances with Stereo Go Go Girls (left and right) as BC student and electro music DJ Dr. Sax performs at Jerry’s Pizza on March 26.

Mateo M. Melero / The Rip

Left: Electronic music DJ and Stereotype Productions co-owner DJ Lewcid raises his hands to a crowd in the basement of Jerry’s Pizza during Klub Plush, an electronic music show March 26. Stereotype Productions sponsored the event and others of the kind in an attempt to reignite interest in electronic music.

Right: Bakersfield College student and Electronic music DJ Dr. Sax mixes music for attendees of a show at Jerry’s Pizza on March 26.

David Karnowski / The Rip

Wednesday, April 7, 2010