The Renegade Rip Bakersfield College
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Vol. 84 ∙ No. 5
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Budget cuts imminent Key members of Bakersfield College and KCCD discuss the bleak outlook of the budget for community colleges
Chancellor Serrano preparing District leadership By Zak S. Cowan Editor in Chief After years of preparation, the budget has come full fold, and Chancellor Sandra Serrano, along with the rest of the Kern Community College District leadership, is calling on Bakersfield College to prioritize so that minimal impact is had upon the students. Serrano has called upon the colleges of the district to assess their own situation and focus on their “core mission.” “They have not been given a percentage, per se, in terms of reductions, [but] they’ve been asked to really focus on priorities,” Serrano said. The district is using a recent recommendation by
the Legislative Analyst’s Office to establish some numbers of what could be cut. Chief financial officer Tom Burke is in the position of deciding what numbers to base the district’s assessment on. “[The LAO] did analysis of the governor’s proposed revenue streams, and his proposed budget, and they’ve determined that those were overstated by probably over $6.5 billion,” Burke said. “And so we now updated our long-term projections and incorporated the effect on us with that additional loss. “Essentially we would have to find that level of reductions within our operations, which is about 15 to 19 percent over the next two years.” Serrano categorizes all sections into three spe-
cific areas from most important to least. Currently, there are meetings taking place on every KCCD campus to figure out what sections go into these categories. “The colleges are meeting with their stakeholders and developing plans for what they are defining as core mission based on the needs of their service area,” Serrano said. “The colleagues are being asked to look at all of the information to establish some priorities both in terms of our core general education, our core programs, our areas for majors and registration priority.” Serrano said that the “secondary areas” of sections are supposed to be self-supporting, and that is also something that is being assessed on each
New president cutting to core
KCCD campus. Interim BC president Robert Jensen, according to Serrano, “was brought in to provide an assessment of what we’re seeing as what must be done within the next 18-25 months.” Serrano said that the district has prepared accordingly through the past five years for the imminent problems that the decisions in Sacramento would bring. “As a district, we have anticipated an on-going shortfall of revenue, and, as a result of that, we made a strategic decision to build up reserves,” Serrano said. “We’re in a good position to weather the storm. It is certainly our hope that we’ll be able to serve Please see SERRANO, Page 5
Faculty leaders ready for cuts
By Keith Kaczmarek Reporter
By Jon Nelson Features Editor
According to Bakersfield College’s interim president Robert Jensen, “everything is on the table, obviously” when it comes to the budget cuts BC needs to make in the next few semesters. He can confirm that there will be no lay-offs this year, summer session, or in the fall, but he said “after that, who knows?” He added, “The basic change is going to happen in the spring.” Already, the school district has made the easy cuts it can make, such as slashing the tiny travel budgets of some administrators and other minor cost-cutting measures. Now they are looking to make more substantive cuts like closing sections of classes that have low enrollment. “We are going to have summer school, but we are looking at classes and class sizes,” he said, later adding that classes with an enrollment of only 15 might be combined with another section of the same class and of the same size in order to make one section with 30 students. “We are not rebuilding the summer schedule, but are going to be making it much more diligently than before.” According to Jensen, the Kern County Board of Trustees is also considering cutting entire programs from BC as a way to refocus on the community college’s core mission. “There are certain timelines you have to follow to cut a program,” he said, affirming that underperforming programs that don’t graduate students or send transfers to four-year schools might be cut. “The buffet offering will be gone,” he said about our current class choices. Classes that don’t directly lead to transfer, like ballet, will be the first to be Please see JENSEN, Page 5
Over the last few semesters, Bakersfield College has seen major budget cuts and it’s about to be hit with more. The BC faculty is currently waiting to see if the worst-case scenario of losing 17.8 million dollars in funding is going to happen. “If the governor’s tax proposal passes then that number [17.8 million] goes down to 13.2 million. It will help but not solve the problem,” said BC Performing Arts department chair and Academic Senate member John Gerhold. The Academic Senate is a group of BC faculty that oversees 11 areas where decisions are commonly made in the college district, including budget issues. This means that professors at BC will have a hand in deciding where these budget cuts will be made. “We don’t get to pick how many dollars go where but we do get to decide how people decide,” said Gerhold. BC gets roughly 66 percent of the budget for the entire KCCD. The other two colleges in the district then get around 13 percent each and $10 million is spent on administration. Gerhold thinks that the district should first look to making cuts in administration. “Anything you do to cut courses is going to hurt students,” said Gerhold. “Anything that’s not a required course has already been cut.” In the past, programs that the district feels are non-essential and student services have been hit in times of financial crisis. Most recently, the tutorPlease see FACULTY, Page 5
The above graph is the Legislative Analyst’s Office reccomendations for the 2012-13 budget plan. Kern Community College District is using this as a means of preparation.
Inside
Peterson the next SGA president By Gregory D. Cook Photographer
Page 11: Weather puts a cloud over track and field meet Page 3
Bakersfield College student diagnoses self with tumor, gives back to community
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We all need a vacation, and the Rip has the answers for your destinational questions
“I thought it would be cool to get out there and take the office to the students,” he said. “If the students aren’t going to come in, The results are in, and the Student Gov- we’ll have to go there to the students and ask ernment Association president for the 2012- them about what they like, or what they want 2013 academic year is Richard Peterson, and changed and then take that back to the office and do something about it.” one of his key concerns is makHe stresses the fact that the ing sure that the students of BaINSIDE kersfield College have the most SGA’s smoking policy SGA can do its job only when effective voice possible. leads to complete ban the students make their wishes known. “I want to see more communiPage: 5 “We’re only as good as the cation between the SGA and the questions and concerns that students,” Peterson said. “That office door is open for students to come in if come before us,” Peterson said. “We are there they have questions or concerns, but I don’t for the students. We are their voice. And we need to know what they’re happy about, or think they do that enough.” To remedy that, Peterson plans to take to what we need to change or look into.” Peterson, 51, is a computer studies major the campuses himself and find out just what Please see SGA, Page 5 is on the students’ minds.
gregory d. cook / The Rip
Richard Peterson was recently elected the new president of the Student Government Association.
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Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Garden gives students a chance to volunteer By Nicholas Sparling Reporter
Omar oseguera / The Rip
James Gorman, a horticulture major, takes time on March 21 to clean up Robin and Rondi’s Garden.
New burger location coming to Bakersfield By Crystal Sánchez Reporter A new restaurant in Bakersfield is set to open in April. Eureka Burger is a gourmet burger restaurant that originated in Redlands. From there, the chain expanded to Fresno, Claremont and San Luis Obispo. Maricela and Louie Caro have been the woodwork designers for the restaurant chain for the past three years. Maricela believes that the new Eureka Burger will be a big hit in Bakersfield. “It’s been so successful everywhere else that I know we’ll bring in a lot of people here.” said Maricela. Location is a definite factor as to why people will be attracted to the restaurant. Paul Fredricks, the owner of the Eureka Burger chain, is known to build his restaurants around college campuses and shopping centers. “The restaurant’s really centralized and in a really nice shopping center,” said Fre-
dricks. Eureka Burger is going to be located at 10520 W Stockdale Hwy, near Chipotle. Aside from the food, Louie said that the beer is one of the best things Eureka has to offer. “We have between 24-32 craft beers from local breweries and we have what’s called a whiskey and beer sampler,” said Louie. Louie said that if you’re unsure of what type of whiskey or beer you want to try, order the sampler. “When you order the beer or whiskey sampler you’ll get 16 different beers or whiskeys in shot glasses to taste. But then by the time you finish all of them you’ll already have a little buzz.” If drinking isn’t your thing Maricela suggests trying the cowboy burger. “It’s our most popular burger because of the homemade beer barbeque sauce,” she said. The exact opening date has still not been set, but Louie believes it will be towards the middle of April.
Three Bakersfield College students have taken it upon themselves to spruce up the campus one garden at a time starting with the Robin and Rondi’s Garden in the Fine Arts building. Students James Gorman, a 20-year-old horticulture major, and Cameron Peoples, a 20- year-old forestry major and Jesus Rivera, a horticulture major, have taken it upon themselves to beautify a corner of the campus by utilizing the skills that they have learned at BC. They discovered the garden last December and undertook the task of pruning back the overgrowth over winter break. “We talked about it and kept our word,” Rivera said. “We emptied out four or five garbage cans full of overgrowth and started to turn the soil. Then we planted the bulbs. We weren’t sure how well they would do. That was three months ago, and they’re already flowering,” according to Rivera. The students work on their breaks between classes and any free time that they have on campus.“We’re horticulture students, so we figured we might as well get our hands dirty,” said Rivera. Most of the time the garden that sits like an oasis in the middle of the Fine Arts Building is locked. The department assistant of fine and performing arts, Joyce Teague, allows them access for the extra-curricular project.
“Every time we come in on our breaks, they allow us access. It’s not a door that’s open all the time,” said Rivera. The garden is able to be enjoyed by any one who takes the time to look in and see the greenery and splashes of vibrant flowers, but it’s “the staff that’s around here that really get to appreciate it because their offices are around here,” said Rivera. The students are not getting any extracredit from any of their classes to clean up the garden. “It’s more of our desire to see things alive and put into practice what we’ve learned,” said Rivera. “Our labs are there, but it’s limited as to what we can do. There is so much green space on campus we might as well invest in it.” Some of the things that the students have learned and are applying to their clean up of the garden are: how to read the soil and tend to it, the pruning of the plants, plant identification and general horticulture. “A lot of areas could be a nicer place to be a part of,” Rivera said. The team is also on the lookout for more gardens or raised flowerbeds that could be cleaned up and turned into nice areas for students to spend their time. “It’s much nicer than sitting around a stump or a rock.” The team has a real passion for the work that they do. “Each plant and each garden I work on, I try to put a little of myself into it,” said Gorman. “I definitely enjoy the lifestyle on the campus. Plants are probably my favorite things,
Omar oseguera / The Rip
Robin and Rondi’s Garden is located in the Fine Arts Building. so being able to join the two and have my free time be more enjoyable and putting something back into the campus is probably my favorite thing to do,” said Gorman. Soon the garden will have more color as more flowers bloom in the coming months. “We got to get some color out there,” said Teague. “I’m a garden fanatic. I love it. I think it’s cool that students want to get involved in something like that.”
Wet and
White
megan luecke / The Rip
Pine trees are covered and defined by snow on March 19 on Bear Mountain Road on the way to Arvin, Calif.
Above: Clouds create shadows on the rolling hills. Left: With snow-capped mountians in the background, the American flag waves over the Bakersfield National Cemetery on March 19 near Bear Mountain Road. phjotos by Megan Luecke / The Rip
Megan Luecke / The Rip
Another weather front rolls in over Oildale on the evening of March 25, offering this view from the Panorama Bluffs.
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The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Student diagnoses own tumor By Patricia Rocha Copy Editor Not many people can say they’ve diagnosed themselves with a brain tumor, but that’s just what 19-year-old Bakersfield College student Bethany Elliott did. Elliott hadn’t been feeling well for quite a while and was frustrated that doctors wrote it off as nothing. She decided to take her health into her own hands and did her own research. “I did research online after school since sophomore year of high school…and all my research led me to believe I had a brain tumor,” said Elliott, now in her sophomore year of college. “I had gotten to a point this past summer where I knew I had to just figure it out because nobody else was going to do it for me.” She then went out of town to see a doctor that would take her seriously. “I took my research in and told my doctor, ‘this is what I think I have. I really think I need an MRI,’” she said. After what she says was lots of begging, the doctor agreed. She had her MRI on the Friday before the Labor Day weekend, which meant the doctor’s office was closed when the results were available. However, the medical records office was open and Elliott didn’t want to wait. “I go down to medical records and I get the report myself and I read that I have a brain tumor,” she said. “So I was right. I was freaking right and I figured it out myself.” Elliott was frustrated that 10 different doctors ignored her symptoms, when in reality they revealed a lot about the type of tumor she has, which is called a craniopharyngioma. “They’d been doing random blood tests and checking my hormones, and a few of them would be off, but they never really fell under any pattern so the doctors would write it off,” she said. “Turns out, my tumor is squishing my pituitary gland and that’s like all my hormones in my whole body.” According to the U.S Na-
The new movie “Project X” has been a hit in the box office but with its success there has also been a backlash due to its racy content. “I’m not a fan of this movie or the kind of images that it projects to teenagers,” said Stacy Fischer. “First off, it’s rated ‘R’ and it urges kids to throw outrageously inappropriate parties and it promotes all kinds of teenage sexuality as well as alcohol and drug use.” Stacy Fischer, 43, is a stayat-home mom and recently took her daughter Mariah Fischer, 17, and some of her school friends to go see the movie. “I thought the movie was really exciting and it kept me interested the whole time,” Mariah said. “I thought the idea of a bunch of nerds throwing the biggest party their town has ever seen was fun, and I wish I could experience a party that epic.” Stacy and Mariah strongly disagreed on “Project X.” “It’s not like I didn’t know what I was getting into. I saw the previews and Mariah begged me to take her and her friends to see the movie,” Stacy said. “But while sitting through this, there were young girls acting provocatively and lots of alcohol use which I don’t think is suitable
‘Mad Men’ fashion gets too cliche WORTHWHILE STYLE | The Rip’s copy editor and resident shoe addict discusses the lost art of dressing for your own style.
Courtesy of hannah elliott
Bakersfield College student Bethany Elliott shows off her Legacy Beads. Each bead visually represents a different procedure or test she underwent during her time at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. tional Library of Medicine, a craniopharyngioma is a rare benign tumor that develops at the base of the brain near the pituitary gland. It causes increased pressure on the brain, hormone imbalance, and can damage the optic nerve, leading to vision problems. Elliott was able to seek treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital despite their age limit of 18. “Because the tumor I have is one in a million, literally, they accept up to age 21 and I can be in the research study,” she said. The treatment includes using proton radiation focused directly on the tumor, which Elliott described as a feeling of butterflies in her skull. It will take two years to see the results of the treatment. “I have an appointment at St. Jude every three months this year, and then every six months for a few years, and then every year for the rest of my life.” She said the experience would only help her in her future endeavors. “I’ve wanted to be a pediatric oncology nurse for a few years
‘Project X’ content sparks debate By Metiqua Eng Reporter
Column
to show young teens it’s OK to act that way. I hope that my daughter would never pursue any of the things publicized in ‘Project X.’” Although Stacy Fischer highly disagrees with the film’s intentions, there are others who like the idea of showing a movie with reallife situations. Madelin Parks, 21, has seen “Project X” over three times since the opening weekend. “I absolutely loved the movie and I thought, in a sense, it was realistic,” Parks said. “I know that it can come off as racy and not exactly appropriate, but a lot of what happens in the movie are real things that go on at the average college party. “Seeing all the crazy things in the film was not shocking. Everything that the movie is showing is stuff that actually is going on in society, but everyone wants to turn the other cheek and act like it doesn’t exist.” Parks also argues against the opinion of concerned parents such as Fischer. “These topics are vital and it’s better that the subject of drugs and alcoholism are exposed because it’s better for our generation to know the truth and not be blinded. Realism in movies such as this one is going to show our youth, whether they’re experienced or sheltered, that these things do happen, and it’s a definite eye-opener.”
now and it looks like I got a firsthand experience in that. I really just think it’ll make me a better nurse someday. From this experience I know now that I want to work at St. Jude and that’s something good that’s come out of it. “I never thought I’d go there, of course, and I never knew anyone who was a patient. It was a distant world to me until now. Now, to everyone I know, it’s real to them too.” Elliott has gotten back to school after taking a semester off for treatment and now feels she can get back to some sort of normalcy. “I feel like I can move on with my life. There’s not this thing that nobody knows about, that’s my job to figure out.” Elliott said only about 30 cases of this type of tumor has been documented before and she has taken a more positive perspective than most in her situation. “I’ve moved passed it. I’m not sitting around like, ‘why me?’ If you get caught up in that you can’t move forward. I just look on the bright side.” Though Elliott admits it may sound strange, she’s almost
grateful that she has this incredibly rare tumor and not someone else because she had the right tools to figure it all out. “I used to go to the [Kern Medical Center] library and look in their research. I have access to the BC online stuff and they have medical journals on there. That’s what I used to look at. What about the people who don’t have that? I wouldn’t want this to happen to anyone else. I’m glad that I guess I’m strong enough to handle it.” Elliott has used this perspective to help give back to the community that helped her out by making special glass beads and blankets that represent her time with them. “When I was getting radiation I had a blanket that we made there and I could take it into radiation every day, so it got just as much [radiation] as I did.” The blanket was decorated by fellow patients and their parents with notes and hand-drawn pictures. Elliott now makes these blankets with the help of people in her community to send back to the children at the treatment center.
“It meant a lot to me because that’s the only thing that stays constant in radiation. Therapists change. Doctors, you don’t see them all the time.The time of day you get radiation changes everyday,” she said. “It’s really like you’re living on the edge, but you can take the same blanket with you every single day. So if it was that big of a deal for me, then I’m sure kids see it the same way.” She also described how patients receive beads for every type of treatment they receive, but they had yet to have a proton radiation treatment bead, so she created one herself to share with others. “It’s the only one that glows, so it’s so awesome. I donate them to the kids at St. Jude and the kids at the proton center where I got treatment.” Elliott said she’s glad to be leaving a lasting impression on the people she’s shared her story with. “I’m somewhat grateful that I know a lot of people, and now each and every one of them know, and they stop to smell the flowers and they’re grateful.”
Jazz trio’s first show a hit
Omar oseguera / The Rip
Kris Tiner’s jazz trio performs on March 15 at The Metro Gallery. Tiner was accompanied by Motoko Honda on piano and Tatsuya Nakatani on percussion. By Nicholas Sparling Reporter The Metro Gallery played host to a four-fold jazz show March 15 headlined by the Nakatani Gong Orchestra. The show was recorded for release on vinyl sometime in the near future. The show was opened by a free jazz trio featuring Kris Tiner on trumpet, Motoko Honda sitting in for Jeremy Drake on the piano, and Tatsuya Nakatani playing percussion. It was the first time the three played together. The show was all improvised music and, according to Tiner, they didn’t even get much of a sound check. Tiner was responsible for comprising the show. Tiner makes an
attempt to get together and do a show with Nakatani every time that he comes through town. The Nakatani Gong Orchestra was in town last April, but Tiner didn’t get a chance to play a show with them. “I wanted to do it again in this space because it’s so reverberant,” Tiner said of the Metro Gallery. “It’s always a thrill working with Nakatani. He’s a master musician and brings a certain kind of magic and intensity. “It makes it very special. It makes a unique, special moment for everybody,” said Tiner. The show’s opener was the Bakersfield Astral Troupe, a local band known for playing at Dagny’s Coffee Shop downtown on Sunday mornings.
The main event of the show was the Nakatani Gong Orchestra, comprised of six local musicians and conducted by Nakatani. “It was my first time ever holding a bow,” said Leah Lynn, the only female member of the orchestra and also a member of the Bakersfield Astral Troupe. They only got training for two hours to learn all of the hand signals. The members of the orchestra both strike the gong and use a bow to play them much like a violin making a unique sound. “I just loved it. It was beautiful,” said Lynn. Lynn believes that the Bakersfield music scene is underrated. “Bakersfield has really good music. People just need to get out more and explore,” she said.
Being in love is hard. You find absolute perfection, commit yourself completely, and then just when you think you’ll be in love forever, change happens and it breaks your heart. I am, of course, talking about the fashion of the AMC show “Mad Men.” Since the first time I saw the trailer for season one, I was intrigued. There were full skirts, gingham Patricia Rocha prints and perfectly-applied red lipstick. The show was leaving a huge impact in the modern fashion industry. EBay searches for vintage ’60s dress skyrocketed. Companies like Banana Republic and Estee Lauder started selling “Mad Men”-inspired products. I was over the moon at how well the modern fashion world was embracing it. But nothing lasts forever. With any successful era-specific television show, it’s obvious that as time passes, the show has to evolve to the historical changes that occurred. I appreciate that the wardrobe department of the show is incredibly accurate, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it though. In fact, I hate it. Season five of the show recently started and instead of being set in the early ’60s like previous seasons, it’s now set right in the middle of 1966, and that means one thing: Mod styles. I knew from the moment I saw the newest Mrs. Draper wearing smoky eye shadow, a messy bob hairstyle and a large, ruffled polka dot blouse, I was falling out of love with “Mad Men.” When the office scenes began, I couldn’t help but cringe. The classic silhouettes and lady-like outfits were gone. They were replaced by ill-fitting outfits in uncomfortably vivid stripes and patterns. No one in that office in season one would have been caught dead in an over-sized tangerine checkered shift dress, but there it was, right on my television screen. I was baffled by how much it affected the feel of the show. During a party scene, I was expecting to catch a glimpse of a full skirt or two, but my jaw dropped at how many super-mini skirts were twirling around. At one point, I thought to myself, “the only way this can get any more cliché is if they put someone in white go-go boots,” and then over the shoulder of Don Draper himself was an extra wearing white go-go boots. My heart broke. The reason the show’s impact on the fashion world was so substantial is because the early ’60s fashion was so classic. Cinched high-waists and perfectly coiffed up-dos are always going to be timelessly flattering, dropped waists and bold, neon chevron stripes definitely aren’t. The show had Christina Hendricks in a maternity blouse for goodness sakes. I would have given up on the show completely if they hadn’t have shown her later in her usual Joan attire: a rose-colored floral wiggle dress. But one awesome dress doesn’t make up for all of the fashion disappointment that came before it. The cheesy wardrobe was so distracting, I barely even remember what the episode was about. Literally the only highlight of the episode was the always-dapper suits on the men, and I highly doubt I’ll be watching the rest of the series for perfectly-tailored blazers and pocket squares.
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Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Realizing you are addicted is the first step to recovery By Keith Kaczmarek Reporter I didn’t consider myself addicted when I was drinking three pots of coffee a day made with the most highly caffeinated blend of beans. I mean, I didn’t go on pettycrime sprees to feed my dependence like a crack addict, and I wasn’t flipping out when I couldn’t get it. I wasn’t missing work and I don’t have any stories about terrible life choices I made while on caffeine. At the height of my consumption, I was actually in law school. Physically, however, I was addicted. The symptoms of addiction are simple. Withdrawal symptoms for a drug as mild as caffeine are equally mild: there are headaches and general flu-like symptoms. People feel tired, their brains full of fog. That being said, the medical description doesn’t really cover the whole story when you’re drinking pots and pots of coffee every day. Imagine waking up every
morning, your body bone-deep tired, and it feels like a railroad spike is being pushed into your head. You immediately start cursing the gods and whatever powers that be for allowing you to exist another day, and then you stumble downstairs to make coffee because the alternative is more suffering. My roommates knew to avoid me in the morning. I was a redeyed junkie looking for a fix and heaven help you if you got in my way. I was in no mood for friendly chitchat. In about an hour, I’d be as normal as I ever would get. I’d still be bone-deep tired like a cancer patient, but I could focus on things in front of me, and I didn’t hate everything and everyone with a blazing passion. I’d also have to urinate every 45 minutes like clockwork, a product of both caffeine’s diuretic effects and the amount of water I was drinking to offset the dehydration from the diuretic effect. Since I was taking massive doses of a mild stimulant, I also
had the usual problems you get when taking stimulants. Paranoia, panic attacks, sleep disturbances, irrationality and memory problems were a few of my constant companions, but I blamed them on the stresses of law school. I was also sleeping three hours a night and wasn’t capable of doing anything complex during the day. I couldn’t even exercise without getting lightheaded. It also bit into my finances. When I realized that I was spending $300 a month on coffee at Starbucks, I bought an espresso machine and a coffee maker. Every junkie needs his own gear, and it should have been a warning sign. Unfortunately, I wasn’t thinking too clearly at the time. It was leaving law school that finally made me realize I had a problem. I stopped drinking coffee for a few days because everything I owned was in a box somewhere else, and I was too broke to hit up Starbucks. Within a few days, I started feeling better. I could sleep at
night, didn’t constantly need to find a bathroom, and I was even feeling more energetic. I also realized that I was a lot smarter when I wasn’t enduring constant low-grade withdrawal symptoms and I had a full night’s sleep. Sadly, this realization came too late to save my law school career from a less than stellar performance. For now, I try to keep it to a cup of tea a day or a single soda, but there are occasional relapses. Coffee appears in movies and television so often that it seems like a conspiracy, and it reminds me of the brilliantly artificial energy of caffeine. For a little while, I forget that it’s bad for me, and I go on a little bender in order to finish a project or assignment. The next day, the caffeine hangover and the old railroad spike reminds me why I cut down in the first place, and then I spend the next two days riding out the withdrawals before I feel human again. So that’s my story. Now that the bookstore is selling caffeine
BC ready for spring break By Angie DelGado Reporter Most Bakersfield College students don’t have a clue what they’re going to be doing this spring break. Some students seem to be taking the time to relax or catch up on homework while others can’t wait for the week to be over to spend time with friends and family. “I will be working on a project for Spanish,” said Joselyn Parado, 22. Parado also plans on visiting with family to celebrate the holiday. “We cook fish, chile rellenos, nopales con chile,” said Parado. “We do it here [in Bakersfield]. All my family is here.” “I can’t wait for this week to be over,” said Caitlyn Wilger, 18, who is taking her spring break out of state and is planning on visiting with her family in Denver.
Even though students are usually on a budget, it seems that many BC students are interested in going to the coast. Whether they have made plans or not, many students are hoping to get out of town and make their way to the beach. Lauren Ash, 18, is not planning on going anywhere, but she said, “If I could leave, I would go to Huntington Beach.” “I am going to go to the beach, to the Santa Monica Pier and go walk on the boulevard, and see all the stars,” said Kathy Gomez, 18. Even though some students are packing for the beach, others wish that they could go even farther than the coast. “I would like to go to back home to England,” said Michael Barry. “But one week would not be enough. I’m going to be doing homework instead.”
The female orgasm: rare and beneficial By Ruben Perez Reporter
they have to urinate, but they won’t. Also another option is the uKaren Eso came to Bakers- spot. It is the area between the field College March 15 to give urethra and vagina and she said a lecture in the Fireside Room it should be treated the same way called “The Health Benefits of a clitoris is treated. Eso explained how a woman the Female Orgasm.” Eso is a professor at CSU San is capable of reaching a skin orMarcos, but she used to teach at gasm by massaging parts of her body that are not directly conBakersfield College. She believes that the female nected to the sexual nervous sysorgasm is important because tem. She warns that women should women are “culturally scared also be aware to talk about of these spots sex.” Eso ex- “Be brave. Experiment and before they in and try plained that, find out what works for you go to get a masunfortunately, “75 percent of and what doesn’t, but safely sage or facial, otherwise women cannot reach orgasm and with a partner that you they’ll have a very interestfrom intertrust.” ing time trycourse alone.” –Karen Eso ing to explain This means a woman will Cal State University San Marcos what just happened. have to be professor The mental responsible orgasm can for her own orgasm. Also, 10-15 percent of come from just watching somewomen have never climaxed, thing, reading an adult book, or which is an unacceptable amount having a naughty phone conversation. to Eso. Orgasmic sex also has quite a There are actually 11 types of orgasms that a woman can few health benefits. Having sex at least twice a have, but a few are lesser known than others. They are: clitoral, week will boost your levels of vaginal, g-spot, squirting, a-spot, certain antibodies that help prodeep spot, u-spot, oral, skin, and tect from getting sick. Sex actually counts as exercise mental orgasm. While some orgasms may be so it can help burn calories and more popular, they may not be help lower blood pressure. “Be brave,” said Eso. “Experithe right one for you, Eso said. The more popular g-spot is ment and find out what works actually found to be somewhat for you and what doesn’t, but uncomfortable for some women safely and with a partner that because it makes them feel like you trust.”
megan luecke / The Rip
Caffeine is one of the most widely-used drugs in the world and can be extremely addictive. strips like tabs of acid and no student is more than 50 yards from a vending machine selling giant
energy drinks, I hope the student body at BC can see my story as the cautionary tale that it is.
Local hotspots for spring break Rafting the Kern River One hour from Bakersfield, the Kern River flows through Kernville, a town known for its many rafting companies and outdoor activities. For less than $30, one can go down the river not once, but twice.
Six Flags Magic Mountain This amusement park will be hosting college night during spring break with offers such as an all-you-can-eat buffet and a chance to ride the rides until midnight. Get more information at the Bakersfield College Ticket Office located in the bookstore.
Hike the Kern Canyon Less than an hour away, the Kern Canyon is located north of Bakersfield and offers hikers several easy day-hikes and many opportunities to take photographs of their surroundings.
Pismo Beach, Pismo Take a trip to Pismo and enjoy the farmer’s market held every Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the pier. The farmer’s market has food, handmade items, fruits and vegetables.
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles The museum, located in Los Angeles, will have an exhibit from March 28-July 9 on Aphrodite and the Gods of Love.
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SGA: Peterson vows to put students’ best interest first to raise it. We’ll fight that for Continued from Page 1 and has lived most of his life sure,” he said. The office of president was in Bakersfield. He attended Bakersfield High School, and the only SGA office in the elecworked in the community in tion that was contested, with retail management and the Peterson beating out Richard trucking industry before the Heath and Jose Gurrola. The economic downturn saw him candidates for the other offices laid off, and he returned to BC. ran unopposed. Genise Wallace “Originally, I was just go- is the new vice-president and ing to come back for a semes- Toccara Bird is the new secreter just to keep busy, keep my tary. Ivan Mendez will be the mind active while I looked for new activities liaison and Nick work,” he said. “But there just Acosta will be the new general wasn’t anything out there, so counsel. Richard Heath, in addition to coming in second in here I am.” Peterson’s interest in becom- the presidential campaign, was ing SGA president began with elected treasurer as a write-in him inquiring about becoming candidate. This year, 953 people took a senator. “I wanted to be a voice for part in the voting, a slightly higher numthe students,” ************ ber than he said. “And President: Richard Peterson last year’s when I when 941-voter I went in to see about Vice President: Genise Wallace turnout. “I wish becoming a Secretary: Toccara Byrd they would senator, I dego back to cided to go Treasurer: Richard Heath the physical for it; go for ballots,” said president. I thought may- Activities Liaison: Ivan Mendez Tawntannisha Thompson, be I could do current SGA more for the General Counsel: Nick Acosta president. students as Legislative Liaison: Vacant “We had president.” *********** much bigger Peterson turnouts back realizes he is taking office at a time when then.” She attributes the overall low the college is facing potentially devastating budget cuts and voter participation to students vows that the SGA will do ev- being unfamiliar with the Inerything within in its power to side BC portal. “Students just don’t know protect students. “I understand that most of how to log on, or sometimes these cuts are coming directly you say ‘Inside BC,’ and they from the state, and we just just say, ‘What’s that?’” The elections also contained don’t have any control with that,” he said. “But there are a feedback poll which allowed little things that we can do to voters to express their opinions of the SGA’s performance. help the students.” The majority of voters rated Peterson pointed out that programs such as the Renegade the job the SGA is doing as Pantry are vital to students and “average,” and rated the Renpledged the SGA’s continued egade Pantry as the most valusupport of such programs, as able thing the SGA does. When well as opposing a rumored asked what the least valuable activity the SGA sponsors, parking price increase. “It’s just a rumor at this voters responded resoundingly point, but if it they do want with “homecoming.”
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The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
BC votes no smoking By Keith Kaczmarek Reporter During the Student Government Association elections that happened on March 20-21, there was an extra poll about changing BC’s smoking policy and students chose overwhelmingly for a tobacco-free campus. “I think it’s a great thing,” said Tawnya Steele, 19, a biology major and a non-smoker who specifically voted so that she could be part of the poll. “I’m personally not a smoker, and I believe everyone should have freedom and all that, but I don’t like walking across campus and getting a face full smoke.” Steele has allergies. “We’ve had a lot of complaints and animosity from smokers and
non-smokers alike,” said SGA general counsel Derrick Kenner. “The student body has spoken,” he said, later adding, “When you ask me about it, it’s about what the school wants.” “This is something like a dream that has plagued BC for several years. “This issue, this plague, needs to die for us to move forward. “This is a huge step for BC and I’m proud to be a part of it.” Kenner has been heading up the B-COUGH program on campus, an anti-tobacco initiative looking to exploit the passage of Senate Bill AB 795 that took effect this year and allows California campuses to enforce smoking policies by levying citations and fines. The poll consisted of three
policies. They were “100-percent Tobacco-free campus” with 442 votes, “designated-smoking areas” with 295, and “No Ban on Smoking” with 156. A total of 953 students voted in the poll, and the vote was extended for two full days so that faculty would have more time to vote. Even with these results, several more steps have to occur for any changes to school policy to actually happen. The actual poll is non-binding, and BC administers are under no obligation to actually change the policy from the current policy which follows state regulations requiring smokers be at least 20 feet away from doorways or hallways while smoking.
BC bookstore embracing change By Breanna Fields Reporter The Bakersfield College bookstore has embraced the latest social networking trends by providing online updates for products, sales and giveaways via Facebook and Twitter. A number of changes have been made since Barnes & Noble became the new owners of the BC bookstore. In an effort to reach out to students and offer those on a tight budget affordable snacks and supplies, regular discounts and sales are posted on the BC Bookstore’s official Facebook page. A sign on the front counter encouraging students to “Like” their Facebook is just one of the many ways that the bookstore is trying to reach students on a personal level and provide their services to a broader range of people on campus. With over 1,300 “Likes” and counting, the popularity of these deals has increased due to word
of mouth and flyers posted on the bulletin boards in an effort to spread the word. “We’re much more technology savvy now,” said Alex Aguilar, 24, who has worked as a bookseller even before the store changed ownership. Aguilar explained that the product sales are designed specifically to appeal to BC students and bring them into the store to see all of the products available. “We’ll do a flash-sale so the students are aware of what we have to offer,” he said. One-day-only flash-sales are a regular feature on the Facebook page that allow students to find deals that are posted at random times. They are eligible to receive these special discounts and buyone-get-one free deals when they mention it to the cashier. The bookstore has also implemented a nationwide sweepstakes online where students can enter to win $150 for their college bookstore to aid in purchas-
ing books and other supplies. Aguilar explained that some of the other prizes given away include sweaters, headphones and backpacks. “It all depends on what we have to offer and what our company sends us to also give out as promotions,” said Aguilar. After walking into the bookstore to make a purchase, film major Taylor Akins noticed a basket of Energy Sheet samples on the counter. “I wasn’t sure what they were at first,” said Akins. “I tried a sample and was pretty impressed.” Energy Sheets are small, flavored sheets that contain caffeine to provide a temporary energy boost. “I really can’t afford to buy Starbucks every day, so this was a good alternative,” said Akins, who hoped to see the product for sale in the future. Students can check the website for updates and information on discounts in the store.
JENSEN: Narrowing down to core classes begins Continued from Page 1 on the chopping block. “We are going to narrow our offering.” “What the chancellor has asked us to do is look at our core mission,” he said. “We’re looking at the breadth.” Jensen noted that they are not just looking at the core classes that people need to transfer, but trying to see what they can do to reduce waitlists for required classes. “If we drop programs that aren’t graduating or transferring, then why are we offering those classes as majors?” he said. “We can no longer be all things to all people,” Jensen later added. The easy cuts have already been made, in his opinion. “We’ve already cut all the lowlying fruit,” he said. Many other schools in California are in a worse position financially with many having to make mid-year cuts. “Most schools would love to be in our position,” he said. That being said, he’s not entirely comfortable with a situation where students can’t take classes that sound interesting, and in that process, discover what truly interests them. “This is the antithesis of everything I was schooled in,” said
Jensen, noting that he was used to a system where coming to college would “expose [students] to everything.” Still, Jensen thinks the process of pruning classes and programs is necessary considering the alternative is to keep cutting good programs instead. “If you come in and make cuts every year for five years, none of [the programs] are worth it,” he said. It would be a “death by a thousand cuts,” in his opinion. Jensen also spoke about how even cutting administrative costs and everything not related to classes wouldn’t cover the budget shortfall. “If you don’t touch the classes, even if you get rid of everything, it still won’t do it.” Jensen also noted that BC spends too much time serving students who take up slots in classes and then eventually drop the classes. “A lot of students aren’t ready and shouldn’t be students,” he said. “Do you reward them or do you reward students who did what they needed to do?” “We need to do better with those students,” he said regarding unprepared students. Jensen spoke of adding requirements to some classes in
order to make sure that students are prepared enough to complete the courses. “We haven’t raised the bar and that’s an issue.” Jensen sees education of these students not only as a local issue but a national issue about the future of American education. “How can the US compete in the global market with an unskilled workforce? It’s a knowledge-based economy.” Despite the hard choices being made, Jensen remains confident. “People have been great. It’s a great college. “Students, staff and facility are very supportive. There is a lot of pride in this college. Their children and grandchildren have gone to BC.” Jensen had this to say to students: “Speak up and tell us what the priorities are. This is critical. Students are going to be impacted. “You are the end-user. It’s your college. I hope students are thoughtful and assertive. “If we are going to make cuts, what should they be?” he said. He also commented on student government. “I would really encourage student government to get involved. There is a time and a place to stand up, and this is it.”
FACULTY: Trying to keep cuts away from students Continued from Page 1 ing center had its funding reduced because of the state’s budget problem. “Students should be concerned about class size [increasing]. Students should also be concerned about cuts to student services,” said Cornelio Rodriguez, political science professor and Academic Senate president. Rodriguez then went on to explain that the Academic Senate is doing everything they can to work with the district and help students during this time. “One thing we are concurrent on is keeping cuts away from students,” said Rodriguez. At the last Academic Senate
meeting Rodriguez was put in charge of organizing a forum for faculty and administration to come together to share information and opinions. The Academic Senate has already discussed solutions to the district’s money problems. One option being looked at is adjusting BC’s reserve funds. California requires each community college to keep a reserve fund of at least five percent. BC is currently above the state guidelines at a 10 percent reserve. The idea of dipping into these funds until the current budget crisis is over and the economy stabilizes is popular among professors and hasn’t been met with opposition.
“We’re looking at all options,” said Rodriguez Changes are also being made on the state level. One option California is looking at is raising the academic placement standards. By requiring students to meet higher standards in basic skills tests, colleges could eliminate lower-level required classes and free up money to use for other programs. This would certainly affect faculty at BC. Going along with changes already made to the “W” grade, academic planning and financial aid, raising academic standards would put BC on a course that Rodriguez calls shifting from “access to success.”
SERRANO: District prepared for worst outcome Continued from Page 1 as many students as possible, that we’ll be able to really provide a clear pathway for students to come in and transfer or move into the workforce, and that we really can come together and get this done.” Burke said that the reserves are a big reason why KCCD can take the time to assess the economic situation. “[The reserves] are going to allow us to go into a twoyear process where we can take some sizeable hits to our revenue,” he said. “But instead of reacting in a kneejerk way, we can take the time to plan out the changes appropriately and in the most efficient and effective manner and to try to minimize the reactions while at the same time trying to maximize the number of students that we can serve.” Burke said that a lot of districts in the state are not in the position to take the time to assess the situation, and could make brash decisions. “They’re going to have to make changes in a very short period of time, and what happens operationally when you have to do that in very quick order is you get a lot of unintended consequences downstream,” he said. “The leadership of this district, the chancellor, the board, the college presidents and their management, have really done an outstanding job to help build that reserve, recognizing the magnitude of the economic downturn and the length it was going to be.” Burke is staying attentive with the situation in Sacramento and said that the most recent news is, “that the projected revenues for February didn’t meet expectations.” Burke said that most recent development affirms the projections of the LAO’s report. “We expect another update after taxes in April,” he said. “Then, we’ll have a better idea in terms of revenue to the state, which is why we wait for a May revise to make some final determinations to budget.” Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax initiative, if passed in November by California voters, will help ease the strain on community colleges, according to Burke. The initiative will increase the state income tax enforced on those with annual earnings over $250,000 for the next five years, and raise the state sales tax by 5 cents. Burke said that the reason California’s economic situation has gotten to this point is that lawmakers in Sacramento have deferred dealing with the problem and thrown “gimmicks” at the problem. “Those things have run out, and that’s why it’s coming to critical mass at this point,” he said. “There is a structural imbalance in California’s budget that has been perpetuated for longer than a decade where the legislature has had expenditure levels exceeding its revenue levels and has actually incorporated what should have been short-term revenue and treated them as on-going revenues,” he said. Burke said that most of California’s revenue “used to come from sales tax, which is an ongoing, very predictable stream,” instead of capital gains which is extremely variable. “It’s flipped now,” he said. “The bulk of California’s revenues are coming from capital gains, and now you have a revenue stream that has a higher degree of uncertainty because now it’s relying primarily on a stream of revenue that’s very uncertain. It essentially goes the way of Wall Street.”
Commentar y
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Wednesday, March 28, 2012
The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Candidate’s faith affects decisions By Keith Kaczmarek Reporter
Religion needs to be a part of politics for the simple reason that we need to know which issues a candidate is going to be irrational about. For example, Republican voters are probably grateful to know that Rick Santorum wants a government-led war on pornography, turning a vast majority of American men into criminals and creating a black market for pornography with all the associated crime that comes with black markets. That’s useful information to know when picking a candidate. Religion, for good or bad, leads to people holding to beliefs despite evidence to the contrary. That’s why religion is such a great comfort to people in the midst of suffering. It is something to hold onto when the world makes little sense. Religion allows people to take
idealistic positions as often as repressive ones, and the public needs to know exactly where it is affecting a candidate’s judgment. The list of terrible government programs inspired by religion range from the hilariously harmful abstinence education push that actually creates more teen pregnancies than no sex-ed at all, to the simply pointless opposition to gay marriage that government money is spent resisting. Money will be wasted on these tiny crusades in the culture wars, and the public needs to know what it is getting into when it picks a deeply religious candidate. It’s not always negative. For example, knowing if a candidate believes in the Catholic Church’s position on social justice would only be a positive in my mind. It’s when a candidate takes the Catholic Church’s positions on birth control that you run into trouble.
I mean, according to Guttmacher Institute, 99 percent of American women and 98 percent of Catholic women who have ever had sex have used contraception of some kind, and I think they’d be upset to have that choice taken away by a politician. In fact, it would even be important to know if a candidate is an atheist because the voters would then need to know what philosophy that candidate uses as his moral compass. For example, are they a strict utilitarian who’s going to create the most good for the most people, or do they hold to Ayn Rand’s ideal of rational self-interest, basically the most offensive form of selfishness? Just knowing the answer to the theoretical question above is going to be the difference between knowing if your tax rates for your bracket are going up or down. Protip: Randians want to tax the poor and give the money to the rich.
Religion is not alone in the irrational dogma department. Economic theories like the Austrian school for economics prides itself on not being supported by evidence. This theory is preeminent among the libertarians currently infiltrating the Republican Party. People need to know if the politicians in charge want to ruin the economy because they believe that gold-backed currency is somehow more stable and creates more growth than fiat paper money, despite almost a hundred years of evidence to the contrary. For better or worse, we choose our leaders based on our perceptions of their character. We choose them because we hope that they will act in a way that does not displease whatever modern version of the tribe we are using these days. And let’s face it, politics is about pleasing the tribe as much as rational decision-making.
Rick Santorum is a Republican primary candidate who has expressed religious beliefs.
Lotion works as promised
Avengers narrative confusing
By Crystal Sánchez Reporter
By Jackie Gibson Reporter Hitting theaters in early May is the much awaited and anticipated action-packed superhero “The Avengers” movie. With any new movie, you can expect to see new toys, collector’s items and my personal favoromic ite, comic books hit eview the shelves. Going into reading the new “Av e n g e r s Assemble # 1”, I felt a little ping of nostalgia. Brian Michael Bendis, who wrote other issues of “The Avengers” as well as this one, has finally found his niche after a substantial period of bleakness. It made me want to be 13 again, waiting outside of my favorite old comic store, which sadly is no longer around. Illustrations were done by Mark Bagley and I love how he was able to capture the essence of comic drawings from years long past. To me, this was the most noteworthy attribute to this comic book. There is nothing like picking up a comic book and feeling like that nerdy kid I used to be. You will recognize most of the characters from the movie in this issue, and I am sure that is no coincidence. Wanting to stay in league with the movie, this book was primarily made to ride the coattails of the cinematic version. Characters in this comic include Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk, Black Widow and all original Avengers. One of the things that make this comic great is that it’s by Marvel. Being a huge Marvel fan this last year or so has been great. It is a smart move on their part. With the releases of many of their titles in theaters, it only makes sense to put six of the most highly recognized comic book characters in history on a cover that is geared to the movie that will soon be arriving in Bakersfield. As for the not-so-awesome parts of this comic, I would have to say that in the past, Marvel
courtesy of ricksantorum.com
Spring is upon us and it is just a matter of time before girls start driving to the tanning salons to get that perfect summer tan. If you’re anything like me, saving money roduct for college and sumeview mer break is definitely top priority, which is why I decided to save myself some money and try Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer. I’m not going to lie, at first I thought this product would never live up to the hype. How could a lotion give you a natural glow and moisturize your skin? Well I must say that after using this product for a week I have noticed a difference in my skin tone. Let me start off by telling you the not-so bright side of this product. First, the tedious process of applying the lotion and having to wait 10 minutes for it to dry was not the most fun, but it’s better than staining your clothes. The lotion does have a distinct smell that makes you wonder if people around you can smell it too. However, on the bright side, it did give me my desired tan look in about
P R
C R
courtesy of Marvel.com
The “Avengers Assemble #1” is a comic book meant to promote the upcoming summer film “The Avengers.” The comic features such popular heros as Captain America. dutifully tried to give an oldfashioned feeling to their comics that aficionados could sink their teeth into, giving them a thick storyline with spectacular freshness, but this comic seems to lack the luster that Marvel used to have. Marvel readers are quite confused, including me. The book doesn’t specify where the action actually takes place. In previous Avengers comics it was clear what was going on and where. Not in this one. It just mentions references. Iron Man and Captain America mention the Avengers Tower being leveled. There is no information on how these events transpire. Bendis was truly an idol to me, especially when he started working on the Avengers franchise in 2004. In this comic
the Avengers form a zodiac. This to me is a disappointment. They don’t explain why the zodiac is formed. Another question that formed is why does Cancer (a nefarious member) promise power to his team of bad villains? Why does a caravan go through the desert carrying an unknown parcel in a land that is not named? When you get to Latveria, the two dominant female superheroes Hawkeye and Black Widow stake out a target, yet the target is completely unknown. They see an odd happening on the other side and that too is not described, along with the Taurus that really has an attitude and for no reason apparently, as it is not disclosed either. A rag-tag storyline doesn’t make for a good read.
Other than the fact that this is a Marvel comic with Bagley and his reminiscent art of when comics were in its heyday, I found this issue to be lacking in story line and leaving tons of questions unanswered. Perhaps it’s an opener for Avengers 2, or maybe it really was rushed and they just want to make money from the movie franchise. I truly feel that regardless, it’s a publication that is highly recognized and should do well either way. I will probably still collect the series for the simple fact that it is by Marvel, who is known to be the godfather of comics. If you are a fan of the Avenger characters or comic books alone, it is worth checking out, just be ready to put your thinking cap on.
The Renegade Rip Editorial Board Winner of the 2003 and 2008 JACC Pacesetter Award 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.
Staff
seven days for the small price of $8.50. This lotion, if applied as directed, will definitely last you a long time, so you get your money’s worth. If you want to look like Snooki however, I might suggest buying in bulk or just going straight for the spray tan. To discuss the precautions of using tanning lotions and other tanning methods I decided to consult dermatologist and local philanthropist Norman Levan. Side effects like rashes and itchy skin can sometimes occur when using lotions or solutions on your skin. Levan said that it’s because there are various agents in the product that can be irritating to certain people. He said if this occurs to stop using the product immediately. When asked if he believes tanning is a good idea he said no. “It’s not good to get a tan because it ages your skin,” he said. He does believe, however, that spending time outside and having fun at the beach should not cause people to fear the sun. Whether you plan on spending your summer at the beach or in summer school, Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer will help you achieve that perfect summer tan.
Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer is a lotion meant to give your skin a natural glow and also moisturizes your skin at a price cheaper than the more expensive alternatives. Megan Luecke / The Rip
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Editor in Chief........................Zak S. Cowan Reporters/Photographers: Hannah Breeland, Gregory D. Cook, Angie Photo Editor...........................Megan Luecke Delgado, Metiqua Eng, Nestor Fernandez, Features Editor...............................Jon Nelson Breanna Fields, Jackie Gibson, Keith Opinions Editor........................Martin Chang Kaczmarek, Meisha McMurray, Omar Sports Editor........................Esteban Ramirez Oseguera, Nate Perez, Ruben Perez, Copy Editor...............................Patricia Rocha Crystal Sanchez, Nicholas Sparling, Teela How to reach us -Address: Bakersfield College, Walker, Nathan Wilson 1801 Panorama Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93305 Adviser.......................................................Danny Edwards
-Phone: (661) 395-4324 -Web site: www.therip.com -Email: ripmail@bakersfieldcollege.edu
Commentar y
Page 7
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Staff Editorial
Time is now for BC to stand up Bakersfield College students are about to take a major hit when the next budget comes around, and it’s time that we start speaking out to our leaders in Sacramento. The outlook doesn’t look good, with nearly $300 million in cuts recommended by the Legislative Analyst’s office, but we can do something about it. Kern Community College District’s associate vice chancellor of governmental external relations Michele Bresso is urging students to stand up, and we agree with her 100 percent. “In the situation that California is facing, and the California community colleges in particular,
Column
Molded by the city around me AS MY BRAIN EXPLODES | One man’s take on people and culture
There’s a unique beauty to this town, and it has shaped the person that I am. In between the dusty air, the cracked streets of downtown, the brown vista of oil derricks looking over Panorama Drive, the orange and purple sky distorted by pollution, a mood emerges. A mood that is not necessarily happy or picturesque, but it’s a landscape that creates a lyrical, bittersweet feeling that I know other people feel. Martin Chang This feeling is developed from the contrasts in this town, the fake facade of suburbia and housing developments set against cramped trailer parks, the way this town can seem like a bustling city in one place, then seem like an empty, open world the next. Mike Ness, the singer and songwriter for Social Distortion does not live here, but he only had to be here for a moment for him to feel something from this town. In the Social Distortion song “Bakersfield,” a story of lost love is told. I wasn’t surprised that he would use our town to tell that story. It’s because feelings like that are just more potent here, that feeling of being “So close, yet so far away”, as it says in the song, just seems to be in the air here. It’s a feeling that I find comforting as I live my life here. It is a feeling that has shaped me. The songs I write, the way I see the world, my favorite bands, a lot of it comes from the strangely poetic backdrop of Bakersfield. I don’t even know what I would be expressing if it weren’t for this town. This feeling that I’m speaking of awakens a fiery creative spirit in the artists and creative people here. I see it in my fellow journalists here at The Rip. I see it in Gita Lloyd’s brush strokes. I hear it in the local bands that play to anyone who will listen. This town makes us want to say something. It makes us want to tell the stories that live and breathe here. We know that this town has a story to tell that is unique and special. In turn, for those that want to listen, we learn from those stories that it is okay to be different. This unique landscape can teach us that this world is more than black and white, the shades of brown and orange teach us that. The rocks of Kern Canyon teach us that. It teaches us that beauty can be more than a beach. That’s what this town has taught me, and while I don’t love this town, I will always remember its strange beauty. And wherever I go in life, when I need that creative spark, that creative kick in the pants, I somehow know that my mind will float to Bakersfield, California, the town that shaped me into who I am.
nobody is more important in that situation than students,” Bresso said. “And nobody is feeling the pain like students are feeling.” We can put a stop to this, but first we are going to have to eliminate the apathy and get involved. Sign petitions. Call your representatives. Or just talk to your friends about the budget. If there is anything we should be afraid of in this scary economic time, it’s the fact that students are not involved at this point. Bresso agrees that students’ voices are heard in Sacramento, and even though she is fighting for us, they’ll listen to us a lot
more. If students can’t stand up for this, but Kony 2012 can garner millions of hits in just a few hours, then our outlook looks bleak. Don’t let this be the story of our time. Not only could the budget refrain you from graduating by making it nearly impossible to get the classes you need, but the tradition of our school could very well be gone come next year. Athletics are on the chopping block, as is everything that isn’t “core” education, as KCCD chancellor Sandra Serrano has said, including the newspaper you hold in your hands.
If our federal government can spend over $500 billion on defense, and our state government can spend $65.4 billion on highspeed rail, then they can save the desks we sit in. We just have to demand it. Nothing can sway a legislature’s vote more than thousands of his constituents demanding the same thing. If all 17,000 of us from BC called, emailed or simply signed an advocacy letter, the situation would change extremely fast. The problem is, none of us are doing any of this, and that has to change. Those in Sacramento will say
Let your voice be heard Call your legislators: Assemblywoman Shannon Grove: 661-395-2995 Assemblyman David Valadao: 559-585-7170 Senator Jean Fuller: 661-323-0443 Senator Michael Rubio: 661-395-2622
Send a pre-prepared advocacy letter to you legislators: Use the FACCC website to fill out an automatic form that gets sent automatically.
that the only objective of a community college is to transfer the students out. Say that to the veteran learning how to put together a college-level essay, or to the mother of two slowly working for her nursing degree one night class at a time.
If our stories become known to our legislatures, things will change, and they will change quickly, especially if they think they’ll be run out of the capitol come November. So stand up Renegades, and let your voice be heard.
Talk to legislators’ representatives: Grove and Valadao send field reps to BC once a month. Next visit: April 19 at 10 a.m.
Bakersfield sound back with Austin’s ‘Dozen’ By Breanna Fields Reporter
Local musician Stephen David Austin has made it clear that he is determined to carry on the vision of country western music through the legendary sounds of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. The allure of fame as a country musician in Bakersfield began with Owens, whose talents drew more than one lbum hopeful to eview town with the hope of success. Austin makes a valiant effort at revitalizing the scene to its glory days on his solo album featuring a handful of seasoned session musicians with impressive resumes of their own, ranging from work with Bruce Springsteen to Stevie Nicks. His debut album, “A Bakersfield Dozen,” involves a number of old-timey, Americana-flavored tunes that cleverly incorporate pedal steel, dobro, a resonator guitar, and fiddle. The sound of the album comes across as safe, but for those looking for a sound heavily influenced by Owens and Haggard, look no further. The album opens with the humorous, “Best Ex I Ever Had,” a fitting track with an exaggerated sense of past relationships that don’t turn out how we would like them to. Even those who aren’t avid country fans can appreciate some of the humor and get into the realistic nature of the songs. The fifth track off of the album, “Back to Bakersfield” is a tale of Austin’s grandparents moving to town from Oklahoma during the Dustbowl. While it makes for an interesting story, younger audiences might have a hard time connecting, due to the fact that they may not share the same vision of the simple life; sitting on the back porch drinking ice cold beverages. Apart from the more mature feel of this tune, the album makes a good effort at reaching a broad audience with songs like “Myspace” and “Bad Dog,” which feature a vocal cameo by his grandson. “Heroes and Heroin” makes brief references to Charlie Parker, Gram Parsons and Jerry Garcia who were all musicians that tragically died due to substance abuse. The Lennon/McCartney cov-
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gregory d. cook / The Rip
Artist Stephen David Austin has brought back the Bakersfield sound with his debut album “A Bakersfield Dozen.” er, “Baby’s In Black” appears to be out of place on the album, which is something that Austin has admitted himself. It was included on the album by the request of a friend. Although George Harrison was influenced by the sound of country music, it may not have proved
to be the best choice of song to cover on the album. Audiences can’t help but make a comparison to the original when a well-known group like The Beatles wrote and performed it. “The Day Buck Owens Died” is one of the more relevant tracks
on the album. It tells the tale of Owen’s life; an important part of Bakersfield history that residents should be aware of, from humble beginnings to his rise to fame and eventual death. This song gives a general idea of one man’s perspective on the hall of fame musician that left behind
the Crystal Palace and created music that changed the history of the genre. Whether you’re a fan of country music or not, there’s bound to be something you can take away from this album full of catchy tunes and realistic imagery.
‘The Hunger Games’ is a classic story of good versus evil By Hannah Breeland Reporter In a game of life and death, an extraordinary girl with no magical powers or training must find a way to survive. With the world watching, Katniss is ovie challenged with family eview loyalty and doing whatever it takes to stay alive, even if that means destroying the one person who helped her in her time of need. In “The Hunger Games” there is a futuristic world where North
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America is destroyed. In a nation called Panem, there is the Capital and 12 surrounding districts. In the early years, there was a rebellion. The then 13 District rebelled against the capital. The capital regained control, and the 13th District was destroyed. As punishment, they created the Hunger Games. Every year, each district has to offer up a male and a female called “tributes.” The process in which they are chosen is through a lottery. Once they are chosen, they are taken to the capital where they will fight in an arena to the death. There is only one winner. The story follows Katniss Everdeen
from District 12. She volunteers to take her little sister’s place. Jennifer Lawrence plays Katniss and is the perfect person for the role. She’s as close to what I imagined Katniss would be like. As a big fan of the books, I was very nervous it was going to be a flop, but I find it hard to find something I didn’t like about the movie. There were some small changes and a couple things left out that honestly isn’t as noticeable as I thought. I think everyone would like it. There was action, romance and good old-fashion good versus evil. To keep it interesting, there were plenty of plot twists
Courtesy of Epochtimes.com
Katniss is the protagonist from “The Hunger Games.” that would even have Sherlock guessing. It’s not another Twilight. Gary Ross the director didn’t make the mistake of making the main theme a love triangle.
Although I would advise seeing it in IMAX, the action scenes are a little shaky and it’s 10 times worse so it can give one bad migraine. Besides that, the movie is enjoyable.
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Levan donation yet to be released By Breanna Fields Reporter
A year ago, Norman Levan donated nearly $14 million to Bakersfield College to provide funding for previously existing programs and scholarships. Students have been wondering how this donation will be used on campus. There is a common misconception that has led students to believe that these funds can be used for any purpose. This is not true in most cases, which includes Levan’s most recent contribution. Mike Stepanovich, the executive director of the BC Foundation, said that Levan stipulated that these funds are to provide scholarships for those who major in humanities as well as Hispanic and Native American studies. “He believes very strongly that those are the foremost areas in terms of human development,” said Stepanovich. BC will not have access to these funds until Levan has passed. Holding these funds is a common practice when dealing with donations of this amount. Levan selected BC as the recipient of the donation, along with St. John’s College in New Mexico and University of Southern California. Although he was not a student at BC, Levan took a strong interest in the vision of BC’s program and its effort to provide higher education for students of all ages. Levan’s belief in serving the community and providing students with the opportunity to explore humanities led him to make his initial donation of $5.7 million in 2006. These funds went toward the creation of the Levan Institute for Lifelong Learning, and the construction of the Levan Center for Humanities. The Levan Center is currently an active facility on campus that hosts regular lectures that are open for the public to attend. Stepanovich feels that these humanitarian lectures are pertinent to those who aspire to be better human beings. “The lectures are designed to make people pause, reflect and think,” said Stepanovich. The Levan Institute for Lifelong Learning is a program designed specifically for the interests of those ages 55 or older who would like to continue their education and seek to enroll in courses that will benefit the quality of their life. The courses offered include a variety of creative instruction such as photography and art. As well as intellectual subjects like philosophy and sociology. Although the target audience is primarily seniors, these classes are open to all adults. “Levan is a deep believer that learning is a lifelong endeavor and he wants to make those opportunities available to the citizens of Bakersfield,” said Stepanovich. Originally from Ohio, Levan moved to California after high school where he attended University of Souther California and went to medical school. After graduation he served in World War II as a doctor for the army. He then entered into the field of medicine and tended to a number of clients from Bakersfield. One of his patients was John Collins, the former president of BC who recently passed away. Collins introduced Levan to BC where he had the opportunity to visit the campus and experience the daily routine of community college students in Bakersfield. This was what influenced his decision to make the donation. “He could see for himself the good work that was going on here at BC,” said Stepanovich.
The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Atlantis Project provides abroad program By Angie DelGado Reporter The Atlantis Project is a grant-funded program that allows students to study abroad and to become educated on other cultures while doing so. It is a partnership between Bakersfield College, Cal State Dominguez Hills, a university in Spain and a university in Italy. The project is limited to one
semester per student. In order to become eligible to apply, students need to complete 12 units in the child development program and apply during the spring semester a year before they want to attend. Students who fill out the application are interviewed by faculty and selected to be a part of the program. Hamid Eydgahi, dean of Career and Technical Education and head of the Atlantis Proj-
ect at Bakersfield College said, “It’s a great opportunity for our students to learn about Child Development and learn about different cultures. It’s essential that they have good knowledge of other cultures.” The Atlantis program is not funded by BC, it is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and the European Commission. The purpose of this program is to have students
learn about child development programs in other countries and to learn about cultures through courses taken at the universities that they attend abroad. “The courses that these students take will be counted for school credit,” said Eydgahi. Last year 30 students applied and eight were selected to participate. Out of the eight selected, four become ambassadors and four are selected to study
abroad. The students who participate abroad will have a stipend to help them pay for their airfare, rent, textbooks, tuition and fees. The program is funded for three years and it allows four students to travel abroad and four students to become ambassadors and mentors. The ambassador students staying at BC will help the four students that come to study here from Europe.
Cultures gather together By Hannah Breeland Reporter The third annual Cup of Culture took place on March 21 inside the Fireside Room. It was presented by Bakersfield College international students and co-sponsored by the Equal Opportunity/Diversity Advisory Committee. International student counselor Shohreh Rahman started off with a speech of how the United States is a big melting pot before introducing the countries. The nine countries that were represented were Libya, Saudi Arabia, Bosnia, Iceland, Burma, Venezuela, Poland and Mexico. The event started off with a slide show and music. Each student that presented shared information on their home country and the story of how they came to America. The most popular question of the night was “Why Bakersfield?” “It’s not that bad here. It’s still California and its nothing like back home,” said Bosnian native Elmar Okanovic. He went on to explain how different the countries were, while other students went into more detail of how they liked their schooling.
Angie delgado / The Rip
Students and professors attend Cup of Culture March 21. Saudi Arabia native Somaya Harb recalled her personal challenge of learning English. “I hated all my English professors,” admitted Harb. She has been in the United States since 2006 and in less then a year learned English. She said movies and television shows are what helped her the most. “Malcolm in the Middle was one of my favorites,” she said.
Crowd gathers like zombies for speaker Nicholas Sparling Reporter The promise of zombies nearly filled the Fireside Room on March 13 for a presentation put on by the STEM program, featuring Jennifer Ouellette, an award winning Mathematics and Physics Author. Ouellette gave her presentation titled “Dangerous Curves: Or how I learned to stop worrying and love the calculus” covering the history and practical application of math study. Jennifer Ouellette’s qualifications include being the Director of the Los Angeles-based Science and Entertainment Exchange, and the Journalist-inResidence at the Kavli Institute of Theoretical Physics at UC Santa Barbara. She has written for the Washington Post, New Science, Discover, Salon.com and Nature. Her presentation began with the history of calculus, from Roman to Arabic influences, and the question “What is calculus? And why should I
care?” Afterword she taught about the practical applications covering comparative shopping, surfing, construction, drying cloths and even exercise. Extensively covered was the use of calculus in relation to rides at Disneyland. Unfortunately zombies were only a small portion of the presentation. A college professor from Canada actually used math to find out the rate that a zombie infestation would spread, and how to best deal with a zombie apocalypse. The answer of how to survive is to hit them hard and hit them fast before the outbreak can spread. The header of the email sent out about the event was “Want to survive a zombie attack? Win at craps? Beat a zombie at craps?” and so little of that was talked about. Ouellette did answer her primary question though, “Why should we care about math? And especially calculus?” The answer being that it gives us the option to use it or not, in short, “It gives us a choice.”
Rocha wins first place Patricia Rocha of the Renegade Rip student newspaper staff won first place for mail-in critical review at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges conference held March 22-24 in Burbank. Rocha’s review of “Star Wars” movies – after watching them for the first time – won against more than 100 other entries statewide. In the same category, the Rip’s Jon Nelson was awarded third place. In other mail-in awards, the Rip’s Zak Cowan, Nate Perez and Eleonor Segura won honorable mention for inside-page layout with a story and photos on a local boxing club. Cowan
also won honorable mention for front-page design, featuring three of the Rip’s front pages from the fall 2011 semester. Students also participated in on-the-spot contests during the conference. The Rip’s Greg Cook placed fourth for page design, Breanna Fields earned honorable mention for critical review, and Nelson took another honorable mention for opinion writing. The annual three-day state conference drew nearly 50 community colleges and more than 500 community college journalism students, who participated in workshops, contests and other activities.
BC has 39 exchange students from 20 different countries. The presentation continued with the students sharing fun facts, like how Venezuela has the cheapest gas in the world, and Bosnia has the cleanest water. Also, Poland’s number-one sport is soccer and is where the world cup will be hosted next year and, last of all, Iceland has been named the world’s number one for nightlife entertainment.
angie delgado / The Rip
Somaya Harb, from Saudi Arabia, gives some insight into what it is like living in her country March 21.
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The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
BC’s Thomas driven by passion for tennis By Nestor Fernandez Reporter
Nathan Wilson / The Rip
Renegades tennis player Josh Thomas jumps up in the air to hit the ball on March 22 during his singles match against L.A. Pierce College tennis player Royce Pasilias at Bakersfield College.
At first glance, it appeared to be a nice quiet day of tennis at the Pfister Tennis Complex at Bakersfield College on March 15 against Glendale City College. But if you were watching the match between Joshua Thomas of BC and Andre Ratavousian of Glendale, all you had to do was wait a little and it would come. “Come on!” yelled Thomas to himself while also pumping his fist to get going after losing the first set to Ratavousian 3-6. He had seen this opponent before on Feb. 23 in Glendale and lost in straight sets. On this occasion at home, Thomas would simply not accept a similar outcome and came back to win the match 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. “That guy I played is good,” he said. “He beat me the first time 6-0, 6-1, so for me to beat that guy was very nice. That was a great win,” Thomas said with a smile. In his doubles match, Thomas teamed with Raji Rivera to get another victory (9-8, and 7-4 in the tie-breaker) for BC. Thomas graduated from Tehachapi High School in 1993, and, while in Tehachapi, played four years of baseball. His junior and senior years were with the varsity and, in his junior season, he won the Charlie Hustle award. After graduating, he spent three years in the army and had various jobs, including construction work. In 1998, he attended classes at BC for the first time. Now in his second stint and a sophomore, at BC, his road to competitive tennis is one rarely traveled. He basically learned the game about 13 years ago, played against some local competition for about a year, but injured his shoulder, had surgery and recovered in about six months. After the recovery period, he went back to playing baseball in adult leagues, and was away
from tennis for several years until he got back into it again two years ago. For most of his life, the sport that Thomas was most passionate about was baseball. “I played baseball all my life. I went out for the team here like 13 years ago,” he said. “I talked to coach (Tim) Painton. It was right about when cuts were about to be made and I asked him if I was going to make the team. He said it depended on if some guy from division one was coming out for the team or not. “So if he came, I was going to be cut, and if he didn’t, I was going to make the team.” Not knowing for sure if he would make the squad led him into making a decision. “So at that time, I had just gotten engaged and I had a job offer, so I had to take the job.” Thomas went on to discuss that his subsequent marriage turned to divorce five years later. The next year he played some tennis in town, played in tournaments and sustained the aforementioned injuries, so he stopped playing after that. He didn’t play tennis again for about ten years. “Ten years later, I actually ran into some guys from the racquet club and they were like, ‘you should come to drills’,” he said. “Three months later, I ended up going to drills and next thing you know, I started playing again, and that was about two years ago, so I’ve only got about three years total experience playing.” When he started playing again, he dedicated himself and became real passionate about it, as he began competing to put himself where he’s at today, the third seeded player on the BC squad. He also added why he is so passionate about playing. “That’s how I am in any sport. I would get fired up in any sport, I just have a lot of passion, just a will to win and a will to do well for myself,” he said. “I just have an inner drive and hunger for me to get better and
do well.” “You know, I’m not a sore loser because that’s part of anything you play. You’re going to lose, you can’t win every time, but sometimes the losses do get to me. “We’ve been losing in conference, this (Glendale) is our closest one so far. Last Wednesday, we played a couple of teams (Victor Valley, Reedley) that weren’t in our conference and we won both those matches.” In the evening doubles match against Reedley, Thomas and Rivera were involved in the last match of the day with the schools tied at 4-4 going in to it. “That was something else,” said Thomas. “I think we beat those guys 9-7 or something like that. “I won all my matches (4) that day, so I was stoked about that.” Today (March 15), I won my first conference match, I had to really battle cause that guy (Ratavousian) was good.” Every now and then, his fire can cause a reaction like the one against Reedley late in their doubles match. A second serve was called out by his opponent, and Thomas took exception to it, saying, “Come on man, really? You had to see that serve. It was about twelve miles an hour. You can’t be serious,” and he went on to say a few more choice words. “I can’t help but show it sometimes. It’s just being so competitive. “For me to play my best, I have to get fired up,” he said. “That’s what gets me going and gets the best of me,” Thomas explained. “And sometimes, getting pumped up like that, I can get a little overboard, but it’s just mental. “Every sport there’s a mental aspect to it, so you know, maybe me doing that gets in their head a little bit. “Maybe they get a little intimidated. I am a little older (36) than those guys, and I’m not a small guy, so a little intimidation never hurt anybody.”
BC tennis works on mental toughness to beat Santa Monica By Nestor Fernandez Reporter On March 15 at the Pfister Tennis Complex at Bakersfield College, the men’s tennis team played their most competitive match against a conference opponent to date, but lost 5-4 in a close match to Glendale College. On the same day in Glendale, the women’s squad lost 7-2. In the men’s singles matches, No. 3 Joshua Thomas (BC) defeated Andre Ratavousian (Glen.) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, No. 4 Aaron Hernandez (BC) beat Francisco Ochoa (Glen.) 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (9-7), No. 5 Joseph Theisen (BC) beat Chaz Hall (Glen.) 7-5, 6-4, and in the doubles, No.3 Thomas/Raji Rivera (BC) defeated Rick Ivynian Eric Khanlarian (Glen.) 9-8 (7-4). On the women’s side, No. 5 singles Kassandra Beadle (BC) beat Katherine Akmakji (Glen.) 6-4,6-4, and No. 3 doubles Kim Butler/Morgan Frazier (BC) defeated Brianna Hayes/ Katherine Akmakji (Glen.) 8-4. On March 16, the men’s squad was blanked 9-0 by Santa Barbara City College, and the women’s
team lost 8-1 at BC. and fought as best we could.” The only win for BC on the Some of the things the women day was No. 5 Beadle defeating will be working on will be cenHannah Erickson 6-4, 6-4. tered on the mental approach. The scheduled matches be“We’re going to start working tween BC and the Allan Han- on the mental game a little bit,” cock women on March 20 was he said. canceled and considered a for“The girls are doing a really feit. As Allan Hancock did not good job of starting their points. field a women’s They’ve all team this year. got great “She beat me in the first strokes, great Reflecting back on ovement set, but in the second set m the women’s on the court. matches against “ We ’r e I got really intense and SBCC, BC asstarting to beat her.” sistant coach put together Chuck Provensome of the –Haleigh Dilbeck, cio offered the tactical and BC women’s tennis player following when strategic discussing the components, strength of the SBCC women’s but we’ve got to add now a little squad. bit more mental fortitude.” “I believe they are second “We kind of lose focus when ranked in conference right now. the point gets a little longer, or I think this year they’ve only lost we get down on ourselves and one doubles match,” he said. we lose points. “They played so well today, “So we’re going to start lookour girls battled, and a lot of the ing at how to build up the mental times they could not come up game a bit.” with the answers.” The mental game for the BC “Santa Barbara kind of had women seemed to be much imeverything today, so I know we proved on March 22. didn’t play our best tennis, but we As they beat Santa Monica definitely showed a lot of heart College 6-3 at their place, but the
men’s squad was shut out 9-0 in BC by Los Angeles Pierce College. The victorious women’s matches were No. 3 Butler, No. 4 Haleigh Dilbeck, No. 5 Beadle, No. 6 Jyll Hernando in singles. Also, No. 2 Griffin/Dilbeck, and No. 3 Butler/Demler were victorious in the doubles. No. 4 Dilbeck talked about her match and also discussed how she was able to turn it around not once, but twice during her match. “She beat me in the first set, but in the second set I got really intense and beat her,” she said. And in the third set, she was up 5-2 and it was really hot for both of us. We were really tired. We were just struggling to keep going. “I got a little bit angry that I was losing, and then I won five straight games and ended up winning the match.” “Honestly, I think I started focusing better and the adrenaline kicked in, and then I started playing smart, started thinking.” On the schedule for March 29, the men play at number-one seeded Ventura College, and the women face them at BC.
Nathan Wilson / The Rip
Bakersfield College’s Jimmy Moran hits the ball back to his opponent Eduardo Garcia on March 22 during BC’s tennis match against L.A. Pierce College at BC.
BC swimming fights through hell week to get ready for conference By Meisha McMurray Reporter Bakersfield College swimming traveled to Los Angeles Pierce where they competed against both Pierce and Cuesta College and split the two matchups on March 23. They just finished a stretch of grueling practices
and swim meets known as hell week. BC’s men lost 131-65 against Cuesta, but defeated Pierce 6541. However, the women also suffered a loss from Cuesta 9568. They also came out on top against Pierce 68-63. According to BC assistant coach Patrick Zuniga, the team
has been doing a lot of cutting back to get ready for conference. He feels that the meets are tuneups to get the team prepared for the upcoming conference meets. “I thought he was easier on them this year then he was last year,” said Zuniga, talking about BC coach Charlie Pike and hell week.
“Agreeing with me will be the returning sophomores, while the freshman disagree,” he said. Against Pierce BC freshman Josh De La Rosa completed the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:51.66 minutes. He also finished second in the 200 individual medleys with a time of 2:03.2. “It was the first time he swam
it,” said Zuniga. In the 50 freestyle, Mat Prasser finished with a time of 22.7. Also, Greg “Big Dog” Harrison got a personal best in the 200 individual medleys with a time of 2:18.92 . For the women, Sophomore Franchesca Wyatt placed second in the 500 freestyle with a time
of 5:49. “I feel good at this point in the season. I hope within the next week we get faster,” she said. In the 200 individual medleys, Brandy Storms placed third with a finishing time of 2:30.5. BC’s next meet will be March 30 at BC against L.A. Valley College and Ventura College.
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The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
10 inducted into BC Hall By Esteban Ramirez Sports Editor
Bakersfield College hosted their 30th annual track and field and cross-country hall of fame induction ceremony on March 22 in the BC cafeteria. They inducted 10 former athletes as well as handing out two awards. The 10 athletes inducted into the hall of fame were: Eldora DeMots, Bill Van Osdel, Richard “Dick” Wahl, Alvino Lujan, Chris Glover, Kara Ragland, Jeff Caneta, Mike Rexroth, Clarissa Rivera and Nick Cramer. Michael Tivnon was awarded the “Life-Time of Service to Bakersfield College Athletics” plaque, and Gary Frank was awarded the “2012 Bill Heffernan Memorial Track and Field Official of the Year” plaque. Bob Covey, former BC coach and current member of the hall of fame board of directors, commented on the ceremony. “It was really good,” he said. “This might be our last one since we’re trying to go for an allsports hall of fame, so I thought it was really nice. There were just under 200 people here, so I thought we were fortunate to have this kind of support. “We don’t expect to make too much money, but it’s nice to get this kind of support.” He added that he enjoyed
seeing some of the former athletes that hadn’t been at BC in a while. “I really enjoyed seeing people like Dick Wahl and Alvino, who haven’t been back here in a while,” he said. “It was special for me to see every athlete, and I’m really glad that we were able to get everyone here. “The committee was in charge of that and it was great that they got them to come here. It’s important to honor good people, and they’re good people. We spend too much time talking about the jerks, so it’s good to honor the good ones.” Tivnon commented on how he felt getting the award and being at the ceremony. “It’s really special because my dad came here in the ’30s, I came in the ’60s and my kids came here in the ’90s, so we owe a lot to this school. It’s nice to be recognized for taking care of the guys, and it’s nice that they’re thanking me for that.“ He added that he enjoyed the ceremony because he liked seeing all the old friends and their families. Tivnon graduated from BC in 1965 and received his Medical Doctorate in 1971 from the University of California, Irvine. He became a team doctor for BC in 1980. Wahl commented on being inducted to the hall of fame.
nathan wilson / The Rip
Bob Covey, left, presents the 2012 Bill Heffernan Memorial Track and Field Official of the Year award to Gary Frank during the 30th Annual Bakersfield College Track and Field/Cross Country Alumni Dinner and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on March 22, which took place inside the BC cafeteria. “It’s a great honor to be treated this way, so I’m glad that so many people showed up,” he said. “It’s quite an honor and it’s not something I expected. I’m just so appreciative that they remember all my achievements. It’s wonderful to see old friends and see how the school looks now because I attended it when it was a couniversity with BHS, so it’s good to see all the advancements this school has made.” Wahl attended BC in 1952-53 and was on the track team both
years. Wahl finished second in the shot put at the 1952 Metropolitan Conference, and then in 1953 Wahl broke the BC record in the shot put and the final record held for 13 years. Rexroth explained what it meant to be inducted to the hall of fame. “It’s a great honor,” he said. “It brings back great memories and it brings back how my coaches helped me develop into a good student athlete and all the life
lessons they taught me. “Its good to see some familiar faces and it’s good to have my family here during this day.” He added how BC was a good stepping-stone for him. “I think coming here first helped me out a lot because I gained a lot of knowledge here, and that helped me out when I went to ASU [Arizona State University]. “I hope they continue to have these ceremonies because I really want to come back to another.”
Rexroth attended BC in 199899 and was BC’s track and field team co-captain in 1999. At the 1999 Western State Conference meet, Rexroth placed first in the discus throw and second place in the hammer throw. He tied for third in the discus throw in the Southern California Championships and qualified for State in both the discus throw and hammer throw. He was also the Western State Conference Athlete of the Year in 1999.
Softball keeps winning By Nestor Fernandez Reporter College of the Canyons came to Bakersfield College on March 13 to face the Renegades softball team in a doubleheader. Both teams came into the game riding impressive winning streaks. COC had won 17 straight, and BC 10 straight. Both streaks came to a halt, as BC won the first game 11-3, and COC the second 11-6. In the first game, BC got off to a slow start, and was down 3-0 after the first inning. But that would be all Canyons would score, as BC punched in one run in the third, seven runs in the fourth, and three more runs in the fifth to end the game. They collected 11 hits to score the 11 runs, and committed no errors in the process. Kaitlin Toerner led the offensive attack after getting five RBI’s on three hits (including a triple) in four at-bats, she was complemented by catcher Kara Frankhouser, who got three RBI’s on two hits. BC starting pitcher Julie Estep (W, 6-3) settled down after allowing the three runs in the first. She shut down the COC attack over the last four innings. She struck out three, while allowing one walk. In the second game, the tide
turned, and it was Canyons that match 18-2 against Santa Bargot off to a slow start, trailing 2-0 bara City College. after the first inning. “All three games, we were seeBut they came back to score ing the ball real well, hitting the one in the second, four in the ball real well. All three games third, two in the fifth, and four we executed real well,” said BC in the seventh. BC managed to head coach Sandi Taylor. score four runs in the seventh, Besides the hitting, Taylor also but came up gave credit short as to the pitchCOC won ing, the second “ O u r game 11-6 pitching was and ended outstanding, BC’s 11 the seven game winruns against ning streak. Taft was BC used the result of seven hits to four errors, collect their and I don’t –Sandi Taylor, six runs, think we and comdid as well Softball coach mitted three as we could errors that allowed COC two un- do defensively,” she said. earned runs. “And in that game, we started On the road against Glendale our freshman pitcher Kelsey on March 15, the Renegades suf- Best, who got her first collegiate fered their second loss in a row win, so that was good. in a tough 3-2 defeat. Glendale She had been kind of a relief pitching was solid, as their two pitcher for us, so for her to get runs allowed were both un- the start and come out with that earned. win was real good. It was back to winning ways She also, in the Santa Barbafor the Renegades, as they beat ra game, got her first collegiate Santa Monica College 13-0 on home run,” she added. March 22 in SMC, beat Taft The game against Riverside College 11-7 in a morning start College on March 25 was postat BC on March 24, then came poned due to rain and will be back and won an afternoon played on April 21.
“Our pitching was outstanding, the seven runs against Taft was the result of four errors, and I don’t think we did as well as we could do defensively.”
BC men’s golf coming of age with strong performances By Esteban Ramirez Sports Editor Bakersfield College men’s golf team responded to their sloppy start to the season in the North and South Cup Invitational, taking fourth place out of 10 teams on March 18-19. Chabot College took first with a score of 343, Glendale College took second with 347 and Ventura College took third with 376, while BC had 377. BC got good performances from Travis Millwee, who had a score of 75, and Jack Henneberry had 77. BC coach Bill Kalivas commented on the team’s perfor-
mance. “I think we played better and had better course management throughout the tournament,” he said. “I think it’s good that we’ve been able to work our way to the middle of the pack and hopefully we can keep it up.” He added that everyone played with a comfort zone and knew their shots. “You have to know your shots and what shots you’re most comfortable with because if you know that, it gives you a chance to score points,” he said. “I still think we need to improve on our course management because we’ve got to know
where to put the ball, and not just bombing the ball all around the course. “It’s important that they know where to put it, and they’ll have a better chance to put some points.” He also added that he would like to see the team continue to shoot in the 70s. “I would also like us to get in the top three or four in our conference,” he said. “I know it will be pretty hard to get first, but if we get top three in the conference that will be big since we’re still a young team.” BC’s next tournament will be at Saticoy against Ventura College on April 2.
teela walker / The Rip
Bakersfield College catcher Kara Frankhouser, runs home after hitting her second home run against Taft College on March 24 at Bakersfield College.
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Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Track and field running to success By Nestor Fernandez Reporter The Bakersfield College Invitational on March 17 at Memorial Stadium was an impressive meet for the Renegades track and field contingent. Both the men and women’s squad fared well against their competition (Allan Hancock, Antelope Valley, Sequoias) despite dealing with surfaces hampered by the weather. Because of the weather conditions, it was agreed upon by all coaches that the meet would not be scored. For the men, in the 100-meter, Walter Hunt finished first with a time of 11.07 seconds, and Myren Moore took second with 11.13. The 200 saw Moore take first (22.74), and Justin Evans placed second (23.04). The 400 produced a 1-2-3 sweep, as Evans won it with 51.59, Triandous Hobson took second with 52.31, and Dashawn Meadows came in third 53.15. In the 800, it was another sweep as John Purcell finished first with his season-best effort 2:01.48. Davis Loustalot second, and Misael Herrera third (2:13.28), with his season-best as well. Chris Schwartz won the 1,500 and Keenan Colditz finished second. In the 400 meter hurdles, only two competed (both from BC), and Shane O’Malley won it (1:01.66), and Salim Cleghorne came in second (1:10.15). The BC team of Hobson, Loustalot, Meadows and Evans won the 1600 relay with a time of 3:30.93 minutes. The high jump had Bevan Wemhoff finishing with a first place jump and he also finished third in the long jump. Kyle Richmond took third in the triple jump. Bert Flores won the shot put, the discus, and the hammer with a season best. David Madrid took third in the hammer. On the women’s side, Sarena Underwood ran a seasonal best and finished second in the 100 (13.20), Sarah Hinostro placed third. Underwood also finished second in the 100 hurdles, and first in the pole vault. In the 200, Rachel Evans got third, and took second in the 400. Elizabeth Sanchez has finished second in the 800 (2:25.09), and Danielle Tidahl took third (2:36.52). The 1,500 had Natalie Fernandez winning it. In the 3,000 steeplechase, Serraya Hermosilla ran her seasonal best and finished on top with 13.35 seconds.
every sports issue.
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Runners from Bakersfield College, College of the Sequoias and Allan Hancock College, compete in the men’s 100-meter on March 17 during the Bakersfield Relays at Memorial Stadium. In the 1600 relay, the team of Dial, Sanchez, Tidahl, Evans placed second. Amanda Smith finished third in the shot put and third in the hammer. Amanda Mosby placed third in the discus, and she finished second in the hammer. It was an overall productive day considering the circumstances, according to BC coach David Frickel. “We streamlined the meet. We got rid of the 5,000, and we just tried to get through it as quickly as possible,” he said. “The weather kind of hampered us out there, so it was just one of those days you were there, but you really didn’t want to be there.” “Given the conditions, with the weather and such, everything being underwater, I think those are good efforts by those kids that day.” On March 23 at Santa Barbara City College, BC competed in the Easter Relays against 10 other schools, and several of the athletes fared well. For the men, Chris Schwartz was again the star, as he finished first in the 1,500 (3:55.64), and a season best effort and first place in the 5,000 (14:53.09). In the 100-meter dash, Walter Hunt finished second with 10.95. The 4,000 distance medley team (Colditz/Cleghorne/Purcell/ Langdeaux) also placed second with 10:48.74. In the discus, Bert Flores took third (138’5”) with a season-best mark. On the women’s side, Tejera Dial took first place in the triple jump with 37-8 in her best jump to date. The 3200 meter relay team (Dial/Sanchez/Fernandez/Perez)
gregory d. cook / The Rip
Renegades runner Salim Cleghorne clears a hurdle during the men’s 400-meter hurdles on March 17 during the Bakersfield Relays at Memorial Stadium. placed third, and in the hammer throw, Breann Goodman also took third. Frickel talked about some of the key performances of the day. “[Chris] Schwartz narrowly missed the school record by just a couple tenths of a second in the 5,000, so that’s his first one of the year, so I’m sure he’s going to drop that at some point,” he said. “Tejera Dial had a very good jump in the triple jump. That was her best.
“I think she’s in the top four in So Cal in the performance list in the triple jump. “I think Breann Goodman had her second best throw in the hammer.” “It was a good overall performance, the kids picked up some awards. We put some good people in different events that they normally don’t do. “So I think the groups we put out there were very competitive.” “The weather was kind of cool
and overcast since it was right across the street from the beach. It was windy off and on throughout the course of the day cause you’re right across the street from the beach, so it was cool all day. “So that normally doesn’t make for the most favorable of conditions when it’s cooler,” said Frickel. The up-coming WSC inland Meet on March 30 will be the last scheduled meet held at Memorial Stadium in BC this season.
Nine games into conference play, Bakersfield College’s baseball team is second in the Western State Conference South division at 6-4 (15-7 overall) behind Glendale College. The team has 14 games left in the season to try to get back atop the division before the regional playoffs take place on May 4-5.
MVP Glendale’s Chris Stroh, who went 4-6 with two runs and one RBI. Key moment In the bottom of the ninth inning, Glendale’s Ruben Padilla hit a single to bring home two runners, tying the game up at 5-5. Glendale would go on to win the game in extra innings on an unearned run by Stroh. March 19 BC 12, L.A. Pierce 2 MVP BC’s shortstop Brent Peterson went 3-5 with two RBIs. Key Moment In the fifth inning, leading 2-0, the Renegades had one of their most productive innings
My bracket ruined my life RIPPING SPORTS | Taking on
Renegades move on from rough few games March 15 Glendale 6, BC 5
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all season. They scored four runs on a sacrifice fly and three singles. They would later score four more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, putting the game well out of reach for Pierce. March 20 BC 7, West L.A. 4 MVP BC’s Brent Peterson went 2-2 with two walks and two runs. Key Moment. Down 3-1 in the top of the fifth inning, BC’s offense came alive, scoring four off an error and a double by right fielder Jordan Turner. The Renegades would allow the Wildcats to score just one more run, and added a run of their own in the seventh to close out the contest.
grEgory d. cook / The Rip
Renegades starting pitcher Tyler Painton winds up for a pitch during Bakersfield College’s March 19 game against L.A. Pierce College. March 24 Canyons 7, BC 4 MVP Canyon’s starting pitcher Cory Jones went five innings, allowing just three hits and one earned run in a duel of undefeated pitchers. BC starting pitcher Tyler Painton earned his first
loss of the season. Key Moment In the top of the eighth inning, BC reliever Ryan Stapp took the mound. Canyons would take advantage of Stapp, scoring three runs and putting the game out of BC’s reach. The Renegades tried to mount a rally in the bottom of
the ninth, but Painton struck out looking to end the game. March 27 **BC at Canyons **At the time this publication was sent to the printer, this game had yet to be played. Check therip.com for the latest scores and updates.
It only took the first round of the NCAA men’s tournament for brackets all around the country to be busted when two 15-seeded teams got two huge upsets over a pair of number two-seeded teams. Sure, every year every person picks that one “Cinderella” team that will steal the show at the big dance and cause a sensation, but I doubt that anyone Esteban Ramirez really expected to see Norfolk State University beat Missouri University and Duke University losing to Lehigh University in the first round. With three of the four top seeds being eliminated, everyone has to be looking at the University of Kentucky as the favorite in the Final Four. The other Final Four teams are the surprising fourth-seeded Louisville squad and a pair of two seeds, Kansas and Ohio State. With my pick, the North Carolina Tarheels, out, and the fact that I don’t like Kentucky or Ohio State, I would really like to see the underdog, Louisville, win it all. Bounties Recently, the NFL suspended New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton for the 2012 season for failing to stop and covering up a threeyear bounty system. As much as I don’t like the idea of a team putting bounties on certain players of an opposing team, I’m sure that the Saints aren’t the only team doing it. I wouldn’t be surprised if high school teams and collegiate teams do it as well. I also believe that the majority of the NFL teams do it, they just haven’t been caught yet. Two of the quarterbacks that they played during their championship run in 2009 never really recovered from dangerous hits against the Saints. This is something that isn’t needed in the game because they’re sending the wrong message to any kid out there that trying to severely hurt someone just to get the win is acceptable. Suspending Payton was a smart decision by the NFL because they have to make sure everyone understands that this isn’t right. From a Colt to a Bronco After going through Tebowmania this past season, many believed that the Denver Broncos would’ve kept Tim Tebow as their starting quarterback, but everything changed when the Indianapolis Colts released quarterback Peyton Manning. Soon after, the Broncos put all of their attention to bringing a proven quarterback in the pocket. They signed Manning and traded Tebow to the New York Jets. MMA Mixed martial arts needs a new scoring system. Although the 10-9 system might work in boxing, it doesn’t work in MMA. A perfect example of this is the bantamweight fight between Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall. Although Johnson had the advantage in the standup, McCall had the advantage on the ground. This fight ended up being a majority draw and that’s why I think they need to account for every aspect of MMA. They need to account for striking, wrestling, the clinch and jiujitsu so that the scoring system works for MMA.
Spotlight
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Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Our house ver y ver y is a Ver y nice house Photos and story by Omar Oseguera Bakersfield punk rock is alive and relevant even in 2012, nearly 40 years since Iggy and The Stooges showed the world what raw power is all about. Unlike most concerts, where bands perform on a stage, The Killer Clam is actually a house and the bands perform in the garage. To the average show attendee, this is an unusual sight, but to local punks, it is like home. Literally, some even live there. “We all have kids. We all work, and there really isn’t a safe place for people to just go, hang out, listen to music, and have our kids with us like any old barbecue,” said Veronica Ramos, close friend of the house members and a frequent attendee of The Killer Clam shows. The Killer Bakersfield College student Henry Villatoro of On Parade drums on March 17 at The Killer Clam. Clam has a turnout of 50 or more every show. “It’s like a family, sometimes. It won’t seem like so many, but it’s the tending local punk shows since he was in high school. Schwartz’s band On Parade plays a sound reminiscent of 1980s hardsame people that come every time that support,” said Ramos. At first glance, the house is like any ordinary house. Once you walk to core punk. Paying Homage to bands like SS Decontrol, Negative Apthe backyard, a new world unfolds as you are greeted with a surfboard proach and Void, On Parade gives the new generation an experience of reading “The Killer Clam,” and a mini bar. Walking further down the what punk rock may have been like in the early years. For a small venue like The Killer Clam that is mainly kept alive by lobackyard leads you to a garage painted in black, yellow, and white splatter. The center walls have the letters “TKC” written in white and yellow. cal punk rock bands, it is always exciting to the community when bands March 17 brought together local acts Love Lush, Whore Scent and from outside of Bakersfield stop by and perform. CodeXRed from Reno, On Parade, as well as CodeXRed, a straight-edge hardcore band from Nev., plays 1990s-era hardcore along the lines of Strife and No Warning. CodeXRed had been on a nine-day West Coast tour, The Killer Clam beReno, Nev. Adam Schwartz, lead vocalist of On Parade and the host of the show, ing one of their stops. “Kids went off and they had a good time. I had a good time,” said Adam Farnsworth, bass player of CodeXRed. has been a supporter of The Killer Clam since it first opened. Schwartz elaborated on The Killer Clam’s contribution and impor“The Killer Clam is an all-ages show space run by punks for punks … It’s one of the last remaining venues in Bakersfield that exclusively tance to Bakersfield punk rock. “Most people who live here seem to be unaware of that,” said Schwartz. books punk shows, and is a valuable asset as far as this town’s small, yet thriving scene is concerned,” said Schwartz. Schwartz, 21, has been at- “Don’t be afraid to show some support.”
Adam Schwartz, lead vocalist of On Parade, performs during a show at The Killer Clam, a punk venue within a house.
Left: Adam Schwartz, host of the March 17 show at The Killer Clam, performs with his band On Parade. Schwartz has been booking shows since he was in high school. Right: Alex Haller, lead vocalist of CodeXRed, performs next to a local punk rocker during the show.
Kacie Wasser plays the synthesizer for local band Love Lush on March 17 at The Killer Clam.