The Renegade Rip Vol. 83 No. 12 by The Renegade Rip

The Renegade Rip Bakersfield College

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Vol. 83 ∙ No. 12

Levan’s Legacy

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

A lifetime of service to medicine, to his country and to education

By Zak S. Cowan

John D. Rockefeller is a man that Levan looks up to in relation to philanthropy. “Old man Rockefeller had no problem givNorman Levan, the 96-year-old philanthro- ing out money — he passed out bags,” Levan pist who has given Bakersfield College nearly said. “There is a lesson to be learned from $20 million dating back to September of 2007, that.” sits in his modest house watching CNN as he Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil, reads the subtitles. His hearing is all but gone, helped define the art of modern philanthropy but his knowledge never stops growing. and donated more than $550 million. His long-time friend, former BC presi“There is a joy of giving and it’s better to dent John Collins, is gone, as is Betty, his give than receive,” Levan said. “One thing you wife of 55 years. But the impact Levan don’t do is expect anything back for it. Anyhas made on BC and its students will be thing back for it or any appreciation is not imfelt and remembered portant.” for 100 more years, Levan has nonetheless whether he likes it “I’m not modest; I think I’m gotten accolades. Most or not. recently, the Bernard OsLevan doesn’t the brightest guy I’ve ever her Foundation named him have any longing Philanthropist of the Year known. ” desire to be rememon Oct. 12. –Norman Levan bered for what he has Levan has been a crudone and the donasader for higher education tions he has given. and hopes that the students at BC appreciate “I don’t care if I’m remembered or what they have and that they take advantage not,” he said. “I don’t want to leave any of it. legacy, but of course the Levan Institute for “For the person, [education] helps them live the humanities and the similar things I’ve a happier life,” he said. “There are two kinds done for USC and St. John’s [College], I’m of uses for a college education. One is to learn glad I had a chance to do those things.” a trade and the other is to learn more broadly Levan gives because he believes it is his ob- about what there is to know in the world.” ligation to do so. Levan has experienced nearly a century of “It is very difficult, the art of giv- history, and for more than 60 years, has pracing, to know what to do ticed medicine. with the money you He has seen some groundbreaking invenhave,” he said. tions enter the medical field, but Levan still hasn’t seen his biggest desire of the medical field come to fruition. “In ancient Rome, the doctor was an employee of the state,” he said. “Now, the doctor is a business man, and there’s a conflict of interest — it’s money making and practicing medicine. “I’d be very happy to be like a fireman and be an employee of the state.” Levan still practices medicine, once a week for five or six hours in his little office right next to Rosemary’s Family Creamery. “I don’t think I need to, but I enjoy the relationships with the people, some of Editor in Chief

Levan has lived through 18 United States presidents.

“Truman was my favorite. I

thought he was a very unassuming and forthright man with a lot of guts.”

Levan fought in World War II in the Pacific.

“I was the first man to go on shore

in Okinawa. College students were given an exemption [from the draft] at the time. It was ridiculous. They should be the first ones drafted.”

Levan said that the diminishing use of X-ray in the medical field was the biggest improvement throughout his life.

“It was harmful and useless.”

Reporter

The new bus stop on Panorama Drive is going to take a little longer then originally thought due to construction delays. According to Lamont Schiers, executive director of administrative services, the bus stop was thought to be finished in December, but now it looks like it will be finished in January. Bakersfield College has been talking about making plans for it for two years, according to Schiers. “We originally thought it

“When I was 10 years old, I was

editor of my school’s paper. The name of the school was Alexander Hamilton, so the paper was, of course, called the Federalist.”

didn’t get a lot of education there. I wasn’t a very good student. Everything was easy.”

Tech N9ne invades Bakersfield Martin Chang Online Editor

Page 8

Debating the biggest argument in the history of nerdness.

“The girls are very pretty. I

–Tech N9ne

would be December, but constructional delays, such as equipment not shipped on time and orders that were changed held it back. “The construction to the bus stop and the restroom facilities will be done by the time classes start next semester,” said Schiers. “The main reason we are making this new bus stop is that we will have the ability to bring buses in quicker and easier because the way it is right now, buses have to wait for the buses in front to leave. “I’m excited about it because Please see BUS STOP, Page 4

Pages 3: Bakersfield College’s choir performs at St. John’s. Page 5

Levan graduated from USC in 1939.

“From the beginning, I’ve been saying I’m Anghellic, an angel within hell. It’s why I paint half of my face. It’s always been good and evil”

Inside

Kevin McCarthy makes appearance on BC’s campus.

which I’ve known for three generations,” he said. “And also there’s an intellectual pleasure in it.” Levan has no children and has no regrets about it either. He seems perfectly content with the life he’s lived and the people he has met along the way. He may be modest about his philanthropy, but he is ever so prideful of the man he is. “I’m not modest; I think I’m the brightest guy I’ve ever known,” Levan said. “But I’m still alive so I can do more.” Levan is no doubt approaching the end of his life, and in his autobiography, “Life on My Terms,” he confronted that fact head on. “I don’t care what people say about me after I’m gone,” Levan said in the final chapter of his memoir. “… In the long run my opinion of myself is more important than anybody else’s.”

Levan’s first interests were writing and English.

Construction on new bus stop delayed By Esteban Ramirez

Photos by gregory d. cook / The Rip

Norman Levan, 96, stares into a microscope at his dermatology office, where he still practices medicine once a week.

Martin chang / The Rip

The number-one independent rapper in the world, Tech N9ne, makes a dramatic entrance at the beginning of his set at The Dome on Oct. 22.

When Tech N9ne, one of the most successful independent rappers today, hits the stage he transforms. Dressed in ghostly face makeup and a mental patient outfit, he raps his songs in a hard technical style that along with songs like “Am I a Psycho?” and “He’s a Mental Giant” explore the darker more aggressive side of the human mind. Yet when talking to him just a few hours before a show, he is dressed in ordinary matching black shirt and pants. He talked about the power of music and family, of how misconceptions can be overcome, and what his fans mean to him. It is a stark contrast to the man he becomes onstage. Tech N9ne sees music and hip-hop as a way of providing, of changing people’s lives. When asked what his fans gave him, he said, “It saved my life. I was nothing. They’re the reason I can take care of my families and do what I do within this music. “It always hits me when my kids are having Please see TECH, Page 2

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Wednesday, November 2, 2011

BC carvers give something back to local veterans By Tyler McGinty Opinions Editor

For anyone that’s wanted to give back to the military for their service and didn’t know how, Bakersfield College has the solution. Students who enrolled in the woodworking course at BC are invited to take part in the Eagle Cane Project that gives personalized canes to veterans. They get the chance to make the head of the cane, which is shaped like the head of a bald eagle. This way, students get to learn a skill as they give back to the military community, which is exactly what BC student and former auto mechanic Don Johnson wanted out of his retirement.

“I’m developing a skill, and that’s all I wanted out of it and if I can help somebody who will benefit from the cane rather than just hang it on the wall and say ‘gee, it’s pretty,’ then we’ll get twice as much use out of it,” said Johnson. Johnson has spent 10-12 hours working on the head, and he’s almost completed it. “I have feathers left to carve and I have to paint it. Then it will be done.” Professor Steve Hageman, who teaches the course, heard about the program at a convention and thought it would be interesting to bring back to BC. “It’s a neat way to give something back,” said Hageman. Although Johnson is currently the only student participant in the program, Hageman

isn’t worried about it. He plans to mention the program in the course description for next semester to attract people who are interested in the Eagle Cane Program. “We’re at the beginning, but we’re not going to let it go,” said Hageman. The canes are all personalized with the name, received medals and awards of the veteran, but Hageman and Johnson are still looking for a local veteran to award the cane to once it’s complete, so they haven’t been able to personalize the cane yet. Hageman hopes to find a veteran at BC, but his top priority is finding any veteran who deserves the cane. “If there’s not a disabled vet at BC, then we’re going to find one locally,” said Hageman.

Gentlemen, start your engines

Megan luecke / The Rip

Hageman’s stencil and current project sits in the shop waiting to be finished on Oct. 28.

Fighting cancer by donating brassieres By Amber T. Troupe Production Editor

A lot of lives have been affected and taken by breast cancer, so the month of October is nationally and locally recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Bra Shoppe is a local family-run business in the expertise of breasts and bras, so they were definitely on board to be a donation center for collecting bras in support of breast cancer awareness. The store’s owner Susan Pudiwitr has a family history of cancer that motivates her to support drives for the research and cure of this disease, as well as celebrate and honor survivors and those whose lives have been lost from this vicious disease. “I have always been a part of donating to Links for Life and other organizations like Relay for Life. I have a personal history with breast cancer because my mother-in-law, my daughter and myself have had it as well as some friends,” Pudiwitr said. She explained how she became a part of this year’s Bras for Cause drive. “I was contacted by the radio station I advertise with, Kelly 95. 3, to become a donation center this year.” Pudiwitr said that since the drive started at the beginning of the month, women have been donating at least two or three bras per person. The people that have been stopping by are her usual clientele, but a few new people as well. “I had a lady who came in and said she was driving by and had heard about drive on the radio and wanted to make sure she stopped by and made a donation,” explained Pudiwitr. The donators are supposed to bring in new or gently used bras and they are given a list of specific cleaning instructions and requirements. The Bra Shoppe is one of three different locations where women can drop off the old bras. In Your Wildest Dreams Antique store and Kelly 95.3 radio station are the other two. Pudiwitr said that she is always excited to be part of women’s causes and has intentions of participating in next year’s drive. Kelly Reyes is the host of 95.3 FM Morning show on Kelly Radio and decided to put together the Bras for Cause because of her connection to the cancer. “I have two best friends that lost their mother

Above: Bob Williams launches his car down the quarter-mile track at the 20th annual NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion held at Famosa Raceway on Oct. 22. Right: A racer warms up his tires before his first qualifying run at the 20th annual NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion held at Famosa Raceway. Gregory D. Cook / The Rip

to breast cancer, so I even felt more compelled to do this. We are grateful to have World’s Champion Hand Cleaner Products, a local business, to match $1 for every bra that’s collected,” Reyes stated. The month of October is also the national Domestic Violence Awareness month and Reyes thinks that this issue often gets overshadowed. “A lot of the time breast cancer awareness overshadows the domestic violence issue, so I felt like by donating the bras to this kind of shelter. We were sort of killing two birds with one stone,” Reyes said. Links for Life, Executive Director Jennifer Henry is one of the people who helped put the Bras for Cause drive in effect as well as volunteering to become a donation center. Kelly 95.3 Radio contacted Henry as well about the upcoming donation. “Links for Life has been around for about 19 years and it was started by 10 golfing women who wanted to give back to the community. Every dollar raised here stays here in Kern County,” Henry stated. Henry talked about how this is the first is time that a drive like this one has been held in Bakersfield and Links for Life is glad to be a part of it. “We feel that every woman counts and have felt that way over 40 years. There are nine women with breast cancer 40 years and up and there are three women under the age of 40 suffering from breast cancer,” Henry explained. “The California Breast Cancer Treatment Fund is continuously performing research about breast cancer. The bras donated will be given to one of the local women’s shelters here, The Alliance Against Family Violence organization.” The bras have been on display at In Your Wildest Dreams Antique store since the start of the month and at the end of everything the bras will be counted up and given to the AAFV and the money received will go to Links for Life. The community can participate by dropping off their gently used or new bras at one of the donation centers as well as at Bakersfield College football games during the tailgating season. The Bakersfield Fire Department, in honor of breast cancer awareness month, is sponsoring the breast cancer tailgate. The winner from the tailgating contest will be presented with a check for their support of the cause.

TECH: The art of being sinister Continued from Page 1 attention to everybody smiling their birthday parties and they’re in the crowd. You know I never so happy. Without the love of my really paid attention before befans, I wouldn’t be able to pro- cause it’s so hard to remember vide for my children. That’s my all those lyrics. “It makes me smile on the one and only thing in life that I ever wanted to do was to provide inside because they are really enjoying what I’m doing. Everyfor my children.” Tech started an independent body’s smiling right now, from record label called Strange Mu- people at the front row to people sic with Travis O’Guin, a fan. all the way at the top. I can see When asked about signing other teeth. That’s a wonderful feelartists, he talked of how music ing.” Despite being provided for them named after a gun, and the feeling of See the Renegade Rip seeing them grow Podcast at theRip.com Tech N9ne’s subjects go beyond and being a part of For the entire interview violence and guns. their journey. with Tech N9ne “Tech N9ne is a He said, “Being name I got from a able to sign people like Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun, gangster back in 1988, and of it is a beautiful feeling to use course it’s a gangster name, but what I do to put into other art- the way we spell it is different. ists. I feel like somebody that Technique number nine, the can bless another person, that’s complete technique of rhyme, a big thing to able to see fami- I’m every MC in one. It straight lies prosper because you offered fits me,” Tech said. “Just because my name is a yourself. It’s a beautiful feeling for me and Travis to have that gun don’t mean that’s what I talk power to change people’s lives about. If you know my music, through our vision and their vi- you know I’m not quoting calibers and shit like that. sion as well.” “I just write my life, and guns Recently, Tech has started to notice something special about are not my life. It was drugs at the audience while he performs. a point in time. I’ve been clean He said, “I’ve really been paying for more than four years now. It’s

sad and it’s all the time because I have a sick mom. It’s party all the time because I’m trying to muffle the sadness. It’s ultradark at moments because I have an imagination.” Fans of Tech’s music call themselves Technicians. Tech explains, “Technicians, ones that love the technical style that Tech N9ne spills. Technicians, they love wordplay. They love what I spit. What I spit is super technical. It’s intricate.” Tech’s music and imagery has a startling uniqueness that brings to mind themes of religion and mental illness. These images are inspired by a contradiction, a divided self he feels inside. “It’s a total conflict in my body. I’ve always been that way,” he said. “From the beginning, I’ve been saying I’m Anghellic, an angel within hell. It’s why I paint half of my face. It’s always been good and evil. “You’re going to find things that contradict, things like my talking to the lord, then over here I’m like ‘oh my god I’m lustful. That’s a sin.’ That’s the beauty of me, because I’m imperfect. “Man is imperfect. So I don’t care if it’s a conflict within in

Nathan wilson / The Rip

Krizz Kaliko, Tech N9ne and Kutt Calhoun perform “The Beast” during the Tech N9ne: The Lost Cities Tour concert that took place at The Dome on Oct. 22. me. I love that it’s a conflict. It makes for beautiful music.” Starting his career in Kansas City, Tech found it hard to get people to understand his take on rap music and hip-hop. “It was hard for a brother, a black guy, painting his face coming out in a Bishop’s robe. Nobody got it. It was totally hard.” But Tech still treasures his beginnings. “That’s why it makes [it] now all the better, all the obstacles I had in the past. Getting known in Kansas City felt beautiful

because it starts out at home. It started at home way back in the day; the people that caught on were the first Technicians. It was a beautiful thing to see people gravitate toward me.” Tech’s unique imagery has been labeled “from the devil” and he has been called a cult leader, even to the point of being compared to people like Jim Jones. A comparison Tech calls a “major insult.” He said, on these labels, “What people don’t understand, they try to destroy. Then they can’t con-

trol it either. So they try to tear it down. They threw at me, ‘Oh that’s devil worship shit. That’s white people shit.’ That doesn’t matter cause real shit will always shine, and that’s what happening right now. I think that a lot of people really eat their words now. “I just think that they are called fans, not fanatics, but fans. It’s a lot of love and I love it. “And it’s not devilish and it’s not a cult. If they want to call it a cult then so be it. It’s a following of people that love me.”

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Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Reporter braves open-mic night By Tyler McGinty Opinions Editor

I thought it would be the most nervewracking experience of my entire life and it came pretty close. Every Wednesday night at Fishlips, Bakotopia.com puts on an open mic night called Bakotopia Unplugged. I happen to think I’m kind of a funny guy, and I thought I would put my humor to the test. I worked on my act for about a week. My humor lends itself to the storytelling variety and I thought I really only needed two good stories to hit the five-minute mark that they allow for spoken word performances. I timed and practiced my act and by Tuesday night I was ready to go. Ready, except that I couldn’t sleep. It was only a little less than 24 hours away and butterflies were already in my stomach. My mind was reeling with the possibilities. What if I forgot my act? What if I made a terrible mistake? What if everything that could go wrong did? I was already prepared for the worstcase scenario because I had already imagined the most outlandishly terrible thing happening. Finally, it was Wednesday night and I was ready. I was wearing my Spider-Man shirt (because I decided to write a joke about it) and I was at the bar. Somehow, when sign-ups started there were already 10 names on the list. I took my number 11 spot and hoped I wouldn’t have to wait too long. But I did. It felt like an eternity. It wasn’t because the acts were bad. I mean, some of them certainly were, because the open mic night is the last bastion of amateur performers. At least, where anonymous people won’t

leave extremely hateful comments like on Youtube. People didn’t even heckle here, which took the edge off a little bit. No, it felt like an eternity because I was nervous, and I was waiting through two hours of acts. Plus, it started about 40 minutes late. I was growing tenser every minute. I couldn’t even drink more than a couple beers because I was afraid to mess anything up. So instead, I waited. I waited, I smoked and I tried to make jokes. Trying anything to get my mind off what I was going to do. Luckily, there weren’t that many comedians up to compare myself against, which made me feel much better. If I was a singer/songwriter with an acoustic guitar though, I would be scared for my life. There were two other comedians: someone calling himself Rob Shock and a guy in a dog costume. I got the impression that both of them came every week, so that makes their performances a little more understandable. I don’t think I could write 5 minutes of great and new material every week. But they both seemed to be lacking a certain something. I don’t think I’m so egotistical to just think I was better than they were, but I do listen to a lot of standup. I know what I like to listen to, and these guys weren’t quite it. Rob Shock seemed excessively vulgar, and it got worse the longer it went on. Some comedians use swearing as a crutch and he was definitely one of them. If he wasn’t getting laughs, he was swearing more. And he wasn’t getting many laughs. The guy in the dog costume wasn’t too bad, but the costume was pretty detrimental to his act. If you’re telling jokes about what you look like, we should at least get

Column

This autumn stay warm and stylish What are you wearing? | The Rip’s Features Editor talks about what’s hot and what’s not.

Gregory D. Cook / The Rip

Tyler McGinty starts his act with a joke at his own expense at the open-mic night at Fishlips on Oct. 26. a look at you. The act right before me was a duo with an acoustic guitar and they were the best act of the night. All the nervousness that was draining away from me built right back. I had to follow those guys? They were great! I’m just a guy who thinks he might be funny. It wasn’t fair for me to follow

them. They were legitimately great. Then it was my turn. The emcee built me up a lot. He kept throwing the phrase “new talent” around far too frequently for me to be entirely comfortable. He said my name, and then I walked onstage. I was nervous. I didn’t know if I was funny. I hope I got at least one laugh. I think I did all right.

Local gamer wins tournament By Martin Chang Online Editor

Gregory D. Cook / The Rip

The Bakersfield College Choir performs at St. John’s Lutheran Church on Oct. 21.

BC performs healing songs By Jon Nelson Reporter

The choirs of Bakersfield College came together at St. John’s Lutheran Church to present an evening of music for the community. “I was very pleased with the performance, and so were my students. I have heard nothing but favorable comments from audience members, most of whom were musicians,” said Ronald Kean, who has been director of choral activities for the past 17 years. “The goal of music making, to me is to make meaningful connections with students, with the audience, and the planet through the artful rehearsal and performance of truly great music.” The Oct. 21 event featured BC’s Chamber Singers and Soloists performing songs by recognized masters such as Brahms, Britten, and Bruckner. Kean was inspired by one of the pieces to title the concert “Shining Night: Music of the Masters.” “‘Shining Night’ was chosen because I thought that it best represented the main composition of the concert, Morten Lauridsen’s, ‘Lux Aeterna,’ which means ‘Eternal Light’ in Latin,” said Kean. The overall theme of all the compositions in the concert was healing and carried a special message. “We dedicated the concert event to those in need of healing, especially the Ramirez family from Arvin who lost both of their sons to the workrelated injuries at a compost plant in Lamont the week of the concert,” said Kean. Next up for the BC choir is a concert on Dec. 2 that will feature traditional holiday music from around the world. The Clipper Club of Bakersfield is sponsoring the annual event.

Neo, a tournament fighting video game player, is from here in Bakersfield. He has ranked about fifth place in the world in the Marvel vs. Capcom gaming series, a fighting video games series in its third installment. The game was developed by Capcom and started in the mid-‘90s. He recently won $10,000 playing a Marvel vs. Capcom 2 one-on-one match. Neo was first exposed to video games as a child in Guadalajara, Mexico. He said, “I used to go to this placed where they served menudo. They always had an arcade machine in there. I would always see 16, 17, 20-year-olds, playing Street Fighter 2. Just watching them have fun and be competitive made me wonder about it. Ever since then, seeing fighting games, or video games all together, I’ve wanted to play them.” Neo explained what it means to play these fighting games at a higher level and how he reached that place mentally. “When you play against people at a higher level, you discover things about yourself, not just in fighting games, but you could be doing a sport, and as you’re getting better at it, your brain starts to register new strategies, new things you can do to correct these previous mistakes.” The $10,000 match that happened last February was called “The Final Chapter.” It was meant as a send off of Marvel vs. Capcom 2, a game with an intense tenyear-long tournament following. Neo played Clockw0rk, a veteran player of fighting video games. “We call them OGs because they have contributed to a part of the scene,” Neo said of Clockw0rk. According to Neo, it takes players six to ten years to play at the level he got to in about three years, and because of his rapid success, ClockW0rk’s following and history with the tournament fighting scene, and Neo’s defensive playing style, Neo said about 80% of the audience was against him. “It can do one of two things, a lot of people are going to get crushed or nervous by it, for me it actually does the opposite. What it does, it motivates me, so when they did it to me, it was more like ‘ok now I really want to win,’”

Martin CHang / The Rip

Devin Palmer, right, challenges Neo, left, to a game of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 at Gamestor on Oct. 9. said Neo about playing in front of that type of crowd. Neo wanted to create excitement around the match, so he decided to have a little fun with it. “There were a lot of theatrics involved in it, he was clearly the good guy. I’m thinking how can I get people more involved, well people already want me to lose, I might as well run with it. “So I took this role of a heel. To where we both made videos, of him saying ‘show up to the match and have fun.’ Then me saying, ‘This guy can’t beat me, so come show up just to give me your money.’ So that gets people’s attention, and other people will be like ‘have you heard about his video? Yeah dude it just came out, go watch it. I can’t wait for this match to happen.’ So it spreads.” A humorous thing happened to Neo when Clockw0rk was ahead. “At one point, the crowd, in unison, started chanting what I thought was Neo, [so I thought], ok now I’ve become the underdog because it’s obvious he’s beating me at this moment, so maybe the crowd wants me to win, to fight back. “What I didn’t know was that they were actually chanting Freeo. In the fighting community, free means you’re free money because anyone can beat you. They combined my name Neo, with free, so Freeo. So I was getting a little happy, thinking at least they’re behind me, but they’re chanting Freeo trying to elevate ClockW0rk, but you go through the process and you

adapt,” he said. “The Final Chapter” match was Neo’s favorite and most memorable moment playing video games competitively. “It created a lot of hype moments. A lot of them created by Clockw0rk, others created by me. It made me not only be in that moment right there, but made me think about from where I started, to how far I went, to that moment in time. Even though the crowd at first was hostile, at the end it seemed a great part of the crowd went my way.” The tournament fighting video game community is even bigger than the local and national level; it is an international community with people coming from Japan, Central America and South America. He said of his experience being invited and playing a national tournament in Mexico. “It was easy for me since I spoke Spanish. Most countries that invite you to go, they greet you, they treat you really well, they show you around. “Most players in the states in the Marvel series dominate, so when we play, players are really happy that you come through and they get a first hand exposure of your game play first hand. “There was a kid that beat me once or twice, and you would think that would make the crowd happy. You know “one of our own is keeping up”. But they actually got a bit upset. It was like ‘I thought you were going to beat everybody.’”

It always becomes really cold the day before Halloween.It’s the worst time to wear cute skimpy outfits and it’s probably the last time you’ll wear something like that till June. You purchase an entire new winter wardrobe or you can plan on wearing your spring clothes if you want to freeze. If there’s Chrystal Fortt a will not to spend money and to keep wearing spring clothes in the winter, there’s a way. Luckily, almost everything in your closet that you have from spring and summer can be made into a winter outfit. Sometimes we forget that the winter season always has extra elements every season like scarves, gloves, and boots. Those extra things alone can automatically help transform a spring outfit turn into a winter ready outfit. Try buying extra accessories that are autumn colors like burnt orange, emerald green, and dark brown. These colors can become a neutralizing color to the bright colors of spring clothing. Also, when trying to make spring clothes look warmer, buy extra layers. If you have a pair of suede summer shorts, add opaque tights with a pair of boots. If you have a great summer blouse you love, add warmth by adding a vest over a cardigan. Adding more and more to an outfit always makes an outfit look ready to fight the cold weather. In case you are more simple and don’t want to look like the Olsen twin’s overly layered dumpster dive look, there are simple ways to look warm by adding certain material. Fur is such a huge trend for the winter; you can’t go wrong with buying a bulky fur coat to throw over any outfit. For something that’s a little less bulky, get a dark-colored fur vest to throw over a long or short sleeve shirt. Warm bottoms isn’t really a hard thing to get. A good pair of jeans are really versatile and go with just about anything. However, everyone has jeans and that isn’t quite a groundbreaking trend. To be a little different and add originality, buy ‘70s pleated gaucho-style pants. They can be worn with pretty much any kind of top. The great thing about gauchostyle pants is they’re comfortable and come in all sorts of colors; they can be plain black or fuchsia pink. Boots are always comfortable just like gaucho style pants, which is one of the greatest things about the winter season. The only thing is that everyone wears black and brown boots. Try to take on the trend of livening up color for the winter, use forest green, dusty rose, or maroon. Extra pieces that can add on to a wardrobe are gold bangles or leather wrap-around bracelets. Chunky jewelry as bracelets or necklaces really aligns with the trends. To complete an outfit and for that extra hint of warmth, you can add a hat. Floppy hats of pretty much any material work, but tweed in particular is pretty popular. Tweed on pants, coats, tops, and accessories is really warm. Since tweed looks warm it’s acceptable to wear tweed shorts.

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Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Occupy movement finds home in Bakersfield Reporter

Skills workshops

Critical Academic Skills Workshops are available for free on campus and focus on a variety of topics useful to students. All workshops are in SS151. On Nov. 2, there will be a Powerful Proofing workshop from 5-6 p.m. On Nov. 3, there is the Understanding Parts of Speech workshop 2-3 p.m. From 3–4 p.m., there is a Writing Effective Essays workshop. Other workshops are available most days, and a schedule can be found on the BC website on the Student Success page. nathan wilson / The Rip

Bonnie Wilson, left, and Gabriela Castellanos hold signs on Oct. 22.

Nursing Open House

All pre-RN and pre-VN students are invited to attend the Nursing Open House on Nov. 9, at 5 p.m. at the Levan Center. Representatives will be available to answer your questions about admission, application and eligibility to the Nursing program. For more information, contact Lucas Rucks at 395-4395

Levan Center

The Levan Center is presenting a seminar called “Should We Ration Healthcare for the Elderly?” on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. with guest speaker Dr. David A. Goldstein from the Keck School of Medicine at USC. Admission and parking are free. Call 395-4339 for more information. nathan wilson / The Rip

Gabriela Castellanos and Erik Chaidez make signs for the protests on Oct. 22. Wilson finds it sad there are so many issues with the system America has at this point in time. “Flush the system, get rid of the whole thing and start over if we have to,” she said. “Things aren’t changing for the good, in my opinion.” She asks that if you have questions that you go and talk to them or do your own research on it. The protesters are urging the people of Bakersfield to stand up and make their voice heard. Even if you

BUS STOP: New site behind schedule Continued from Page 1 the buses will stay on roads instead of being on campus and that way no accidents can happen with all the foot traffic,” he said. Schiers also said that the major holdup has been on the restrooms and since it’s going together, the bus stop won’t be ready until the restrooms are finished. He added that the benefits of this are that it’s spread out, it’s easier to see your bus coming and that you won’t have to run around to look for a restroom. Some students that take the bus offered their opinions on the new bus stop on Panorama Drive. “I had no idea that they were making a new one, but I don’t think it will affect me,” said Melissa Mata. “It might affect some

Sweeney Todd

The Spotlight Theatre is presenting Sweeney Todd at 7 p.m. on Fri. Nov 4 and Sat. Nov. 5 Tickets are $25 and $22 for students/seniors and are available at 634-0692 or thespotlighttheatre.com.

By Cassandra McGowan With signs reading: “Honk if you pay taxes,” “No Fortune, No Voice, No Fair” and “We are the 99%,” the Occupy movement has made its way to the streets of Bakersfield. Every day, people who want to make their voices heard are gathering together on the corner of Chester Avenue and Truxtun Avenue to protest against America’s current financial and economic state. The local protesters are calling for a balance between big business and government and a happy medium. “I’m tired of the corporations weighing down on the government. I’m tired of my classes getting cut over and over,” said Dustin Wolaver, a 21-year-old employed college student. “It’s insane,” he said, speaking of the financial state of the college system. Wolaver is hoping for a New Deal 2.0 type of reform and thinks it would be a good idea to reframe American’s infrastructure. He said the total deregulation of business would be bad and could possibly “create a dictatorship.” Like many other people involved in the Occupy movement, Wolaver is hoping the United States can ultimately achieve equal opportunities for all its citizens. While many of the protesters are either employed, or are in school in hopes to be gainfully employed, they worry about the future. Jarrett Newhouse wishes to be considered a middle-class male, but said working a 40-hour work week just isn’t enough anymore to cover rent and bills, and people are having to find a roommate just to get by. Newhouse has been protesting for 11 days and when asked what his ultimate goal was, he said, “Basically, equal job opportunities.” As the protesters stood on the busy corner downtown at the end of the workday, many people were honking and waving. A Hall ambulance honked as it turned the corner. “It’s just ironic that someone who works for Harvey Hall honks,” said Newhouse. “One out of 10 flip us off,” said Bonnie Wilson, a disabled Navy veteran and Bakersfield College student. She said she’s tired of just sitting around complaining, so she decided to get up and do something about it. In between classes, she goes to the protesters corner to drop off the signs, stays for as long as she can, comes back to class and then back to pick up the signs. She’s also in the work-study program for BC’s athletics department and still makes the time to stand up for what she believes in. “I believed people don’t really care, now I see they are, I’ll be here every day until we see some change.”

News Briefs

eleonore segura / The Rip

The construction site on Panorama Drive where the GET bus stop will be relocated. people, but I think that they’ll adjust.” She added that if she had to choose she would rather have it in the same spot because it’s more convenient for her. Patrick Bolanos commented on the bus stop. “I didn’t know that they were changing it, but I think that

changing the bus stop will be better for some students. A negative effect that this might have is that some students might think that changing the bus stop will change where they get dropped off. “I hope the change works out though because if it doesn’t they’ll have a lot of complaints.”

don’t think you will make a difference, they think it’s worth a try. “Most people know in their heart that this is right,” said Wilson. The protesters are at the corner Monday through Friday 4-8 p.m., Saturdays 3-10 p.m., and Sundays 5-8 p.m. “We love any and all support we can get,” said Newhouse.

Nguyen

The Gay Straight Association is bringing in Jimmy Nguyen on Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. in the Fireside Room. Nguyen is a law partner who became known after representing a client against Miss California USA, Carrie Prejean. For more information, contact Helen Acosta at 395-4075.

Campus

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The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Anniversary of Kern Water brings political bigwigs to BC By Keith Kaczmarek Reporter

Kevin McCarthy, Republican congressman and majority whip for the House of Representatives, attended the Kern County Vision 2061 event at Bakersfield College that was being held in order to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the Kern County Water Agency. His speech took place after a free luncheon and focused on water issues facing Kern County. “Our biggest challenges are our growing population, government regulation, and litigation,” he said, referring to the challenges the water agency has had over the controversial restrictions put in place by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in order to protect an endangered species of fish called the “delta smelt.”

The regulations kept billions of gallons of water in the Sacramento River from being diverted to farms and instead returned them to the briny marshes in the San Francisco Bay, the habitat for the delta smelt. The decision to protect the delta smelt was so controversial among valley farmers that it led to a lawsuit that was recently decided in their favor. The judge’s opinion, as reported in the New York Times, even went so far as to personally attack the scientists working for the Fish and Wildlife Service. “Courts only look to shortsightedness,” McCarthy said. When talking about the challenges facing the water agency, McCarthy also referred to the late Steve Job’s famous saying of “I don’t want to hear ‘no,’ I want solutions,” but tempered this statement with a comment

that “no one gets everything.” He outlined the challenges facing the water agency as “the direct result of Delta environmentalism,” even going so far as to call for the removal of the scientists working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Getting the best science and making the best decisions does not fall along party lines,” he said. “We cannot ignore the issue of needing water flowing through the Delta.” His speech also emphasized the role of the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution, citing it as a justification for states to be free from federal regulation on the environment. McCarthy concluded his speech by praising the Kern County Water Agency. “This agency deserves more credit than they get.”

After the event, McCarthy emphasized the importance of getting the best science. “Science is the great equalizer,” he said, noting the role it has on both legislation and litigation. McCarthy also felt that conferences such as the Vision 2061 event held by the Kern County Water Agency was the best way to resolve conflicts of interest between local, state, and federal interests concerning water issues. The Vision 2061 event featured a variety of panels and offered such speakers as Democrat Rep. Jim Costa, Republican Sen. Jean Fuller, and Republican Assemblywoman Shannon Grove, as well as various directors and other officials from the Kern County Water Agency who led panels on water issues facing the Kern County Water Agency currently and in the future.

Features Editor

The “Traditions” exhibit at Bakersfield College’s Wylie and May Louise Jones Gallery is filled with traditional film photography of Virginia and old postcards. Margaret Nowling is the curator for the gallery and chose the artists for this exhibit because she thought their work was interesting and it was time for the photography media to be shown. The gallery features two photographers who live in Virginia: Andrew Zimmerman and Michelle Rogers. “They use traditional wet lab techniques. They’re not digital photographs, they are manipulated in the dark room and that sort of thing,” said Nowling. Zimmerman’s photography collection portrays landscapes of

Virginia. “This man Andrew Zimmerman, he takes photos with a large format camera so the negative for the images is the same size as the image,” said Nowling. “He’s not enlarging the image at all. It’s just directly from the negative and that’s not so common anymore,” said Nowling. The size of the camera and photographs allows Zimmerman to really capture great detail in each Virginian landscape. Like Zimmerman, Rogers also lives in Virginia. “The woman who we’re showing here, Michelle Rogers, is a native of France, but she’s a U.S. citizen and she has been now for 20 years,” said Nowling. Rogers approaches her photography differently than Zimmerman and has a little more peculiar project than most photography projects.

Republican House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy speaks about “government regulation and litigation” at the 50th Anniversary Luncheon of the Kern County Water Agency held in the Bakersfield College cafeteria Oct. 28th.

Three-year deal reached

Old-fashioned style, new art By Chrystal Fortt

Martin Chang/ The Rip

By Jon Nelson Reporter

eleonor segura / The Rip

Kristopher Stalworth explains the technique utilized by the artist Michelle Rogers to Marilyn Whipkey at the Traditions opening Oct. 20. “She takes historic postcards that you might buy at an antique store and she combines those with photographs that she’s taken,” said Nowling. “And then she manipulates them in the dark room and she does a variety of things to them,” she said. Her photographs have a really antique look to them since they’re not completely black and white. They have a tinge of beige color as if the photographs were

put in an antique photo filter. Rogers takes the black and white photos and bleaches or tones her photos until they have achieved an antique feel. “They all look like they go together although her photos could not have been taken back when the photos of the postcards were taken,” said Nowling. The exhibit runs Oct. 20 to Nov. 10 and the gallery is open Monday through Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m.

Professors from all disciplines at Bakersfield College met in the Science and Engineering building Oct. 26 to discuss the terms of their new tentative contract. The contract for July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2014 includes changes to the teaching staff’s health care coverage, which was a major point. “We didn’t want to have to pay out-of-pocket for benefits,” said Andrea Garrison, who is a professor of biology at BC as well as the chief negotiator for the Community College Association. Informal meetings to discuss the new contract were also held at other BC satellite campuses. Garrison led the meeting and explained to staff the language of the agreement and how it would affect pay, the way they are evaluated, and impact class assignment. A few of the changes made have the possibility of affecting BC students. Over the course of a few semesters, pay for tutors in the Student Center will be cut in half. “If we can’t get people to tutor in the labs for $30 an hour, then it affects students,” said Garrison. Due to cuts in pay and health

benefits, these changes could also hamper BC’s ability to compete in an aggressive marketplace. “If Bakersfield can’t attract people (to teach classes), then it will hurt students,” said Garrison. The new contract is tentative because it still needs to be ratified by the professors. It will then be brought to the trustees for approval. “We would like to have the vote soon,” said Garrison. “I think it’ll be ratified.” Negotiations for the new contract began last year, but because of lack of available dates for instructors to meet, the contract went into mediation over the summer. “Students are top of the list on both sides,” said Garrison about the mediation process. Complicating matters was the fact that the Kern Community College District hired a single outside lawyer to represent them. “He clearly didn’t understand how it would work out,” said Garrison. As with any other contract negotiation, there is the possibility of a strike. “Better not to go there if we don’t have to,” said Garrison. “A strike will hurt students.”

$5 million given to Bakersfield College BRandon Barraza / The Rip

Bakersfield College students listen to speakers relating their experiences to the novel, “The Other Wes Moore.”

Book reading set to help youth By Patricia Rocha Reporter

This year’s One Book, One Bakersfield novel, “The Other Wes Moore” by author Wes Moore, is the subject of a community reading meant to engage readers into actively supporting Bakersfield youth in a life path of success rather than failure. The community discussions have included parent workshops, dramatic readings and plays based on the main subjects of the novel, which is about two men who share the same name and similar backgrounds, but who ended up in two very different places in life.

Recently, Bakersfield College was host to one such discussion where participants referenced the life choices and experiences they made that led them down paths of selling drugs, becoming gang members, and even being sent to prison for life like in the book. All the men on the panel were now on more successful life paths and wished to give back to the community by answering questions on how they can prevent youth from following similar paths. One participant, BC student Manny Ramirez, recalled how he once found himself on a poor life path.

“I remember watching TV shows and movies such as ‘American Me’ thinking, ‘Man, I want that power,’” he said. He credits wanting to be closer to his father as his reason for selling drugs and wanting to be a part of a gang. “I thought, maybe if I belonged to the neighborhood my dad is from, I can be close to him, and me and him could start a relationship,” said Ramirez. Others, such as BC student and former gang member Victor Garcia, cited their neighborhoods as a poor setting for impressionable youth. “I was very high risk. I grew up on the east side of Bakers-

field and I made a commitment years ago that if I ever got a chance, I would come back and help people out,” said Garcia. “If it was east of Union [Avenue], I knew it. If it was west of Union [Avenue], I didn’t,” said Lyle Martin, Assistant Chief of the Bakersfield Police department. “[Moving] opened my eyes to other things that were out there in the world and the community.” The last discussion in the series is a free Evening with the Author, Wes Moore, with a book signing following, in the Cal State Bakersfield’s Student Recreation Center Gym on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m.

By America Garza Reporter

A group of 11 central California community colleges, including Bakersfield College, were recently awarded a $20 million federal grant through the Trade Adjustment Agreement Community College and Career Training Grant Program. Five million of the $20 million grant was given to the Kern Community College District, which includes BC, Porterville College and Cerro Coso College. According to BC President Greg Chamberlain, the money will be used to help the college improve its career training programs. “The idea is to get people through all of these processes in a shorter period of time and in greater numbers so that we can get people into the workforce.” The focus of the grant is on improving retention and achievement rates and decreasing time to completion. Chamberlain says

the school can expect an increase of 3,000 graduates over the next three years as a result of the grant. BC also received the California Education Policy Grant as part of a coalition of six other schools. The $600,000 grant encourages schools to restructure their policies in ways that help students navigate their community colleges more successfully. KCCD Chancellor John Means, explained that the grants were awarded through separate agencies, but share a common goal: help community colleges develop innovative programs that will increase student success. According to Chamberlain, meetings have been planned over the next few months to set about specific long-term plans for the funding. “We’re excited about the opportunities this grant brings. Hopefully it will have a very positive effect over the next few years on our student’s success,” he said.

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

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Halloween spirit in Bakersfield

Page 7

Art club creates masks to raise funds

Above: The Bakersfield College Art Club paints faces and masks to help raise funds for their club on Oct. 31.

Right: Bakersfield College student Jay Garza portrays Jimi Hendrix as he jams out on Halloween on campus.

Right:An art piece made by the BC Art Club for a fundraiser waits to be bought on Oct. 31.

Left: Captain Jack Sparrow attended classes at Bakersfield College this Halloween.

eleonor segura / The Rip

photos by megan luecke and eleonor segura / The Rip

eleonor segura / The Rip

Anthony Castellanoz of the BC Art Club works on a mask he sold for the club’s fundraiser on Oct. 31.

local zoo turns ghoulish By Monica Bolger Reporter

The California Living Museum attracted the living and the dead on Oct. 22-23 at its annual event, Boo-at-the-Zoo. Over 2700 characters were said to have participated in the Halloween festivities according to Zoo Manager, Lana Fame. Most attendees were children in wardrobe and cosmetics. “It’s a kids free day,” said Fame. “We have this every year for the community, and we offer prizes, games, and a chance for children to see the animals in an entertaining and safe way.” Boo-at-the-Zoo featured wildlife presentations, along with a “kiddie” train ride, bounce house, henna tattoo booth, and other Halloween displays that offered candy and treats for children. “Our main goal of this event is to educate people to respect the wildlife. It’s mainly an education process for those who come to visit,” said Fame. Jenna Lapp was one visitor at the scene that brought her children to experience the weekend “fun” and “safety.” “This is the first time I’ve brought my kids here. I wanted something safe and fun for them to do over the weekend, plus I heard about it

photos by megan luecke / The Rip

Left: The Kern County Fire Department decorate an old fire engine at the Safe Halloween event on Oct. 31. Above: A family arrives fully prepared to trick or treat.

Theatre club participates in safe halloween By Patricia Rocha Reporter

brandon barraza / The Rip

Keeping in the Halloween spirit, a black bear chows down on some pumpkin during Boo at the Zoo at CALM. from close friends at the church I go to,” said Lapp. Yet, children weren’t the only ones enjoying the sweet treats given. Zoo residents, such as grizzly bears and deer were provided with fresh pumpkin to nibble on and enjoy.

“We have a lot of fun things offered for everyone, and the booths you see are run by various volunteers who actively contribute to our museum,” said Fame. According to Fame, the California Living Museum will continuously offer educational activities for the

community during different times and seasons. “We are having a special event on Nov. 25 called ‘Feast for the Beasts’ where we’ll be showing how to feed the animals. “We will accept donations and we hope to receive volunteers. Our

CALM Christmas light display is also a big attraction. We always have that, [which] will also be coming up,” said Fame. Boo-at-the-Zoo will operate next year and will provide safe and “recreational” entertainment for children and their family.

'rocky’ thrills, chills and fulfills By Nate Perez Reporter

The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which is hosted by The Velvet Darkness shadow cast, is a movie with a certain twist: you aren’t supposed to be quiet during the show. Audience members are allowed to scream and throw items during the right moments of the movie. The pre-show began at 11:15 p.m. at the Fox Theater with different contests involving participants from the audience. The first contest consisted of a best costume contest. The winner left with tickets to see Jo Koy. The second contest involved a group orgasm contest. Two groups competed against each other trying to fake the best orgasm they possibly could. Then they did it again, one group as a chicken and the other as a monkey. The winners from that then read a silly script in the sexiest voice they possibly could. The audience

booed, cheered, and laughed. Ultimately, a female and male contestant were deemed the winners and were given sex toys as prizes. Another group of participants competed in a couple’s game. One person soaked a tampon into a cup full of Clamato juice and the second person sucked as much juice as possible out of the tampon and spit the juice into a separate cup. The group with the most Clamato juice in their separate cup won more sex prizes. The last contest consisted of groups of two trying to put a condom on a banana with no hands. One person held a banana, while the other tried to put the condom on with their mouth. The fastest group won even more sex prizes, and one of the males from the group was given a beer bong as a prize. The movie didn’t begin until 12:30 a.m. and by then the audience was already anticipating the event. Prop bags were sold at the entrance of the theater. They included rice, newspaper, noisemakers, toilet paper, and other small items. All of the items were vital ingredients for audience participation.

megan luecke / The Rip

The Bakersfield College Theatre Club participated in the Safe Halloween event on Oct. 31.

nate perez / The Rip

Contestants gather for best costume at the Rocky Horror Picture Show. During a wedding scene, the audience threw rice. When the screen showed rain, The Velvet Darkness volunteers sprayed the audience with water. If you purchased a prop bag, you were able to keep your head dry with newspaper. When bandages were removed off a movie character, the audience was allowed to throw toilet paper everywhere. At the end of the night I left cold, wet, and with rice in my shoes, but as bad as that

sounds, the Velvet Darkness cast did a good job with the event. It is understandable that they have a cult following. If you’ve never attended the Rocky Horror Picture show, you probably should when they host their next event sometime in February of next year. Their shows consist of vulgarity, audience participation, and plenty of ridicule, all in the name of fun. Die-hards show up dressed up as actors from the movie.

megan luecke / The Rip

Children and adults in costumes enter Safe Halloween at the Kern County Museum on Oct. 31.

Parents and children packed into the Kern County Museum Foundation’s annual Safe Halloween to experience trick-or-treating in a well-structured, safe family environment. The event takes places every year at the Kern County Museum, where over thirty sponsors decorate booths that give out safe candy to children. Parents found the event to be a nice alternative to traditional trick-or-treating. “We don’t have to worry about if the candy’s safe, plus you get to see a lot of kids,” said Ashley Pettichord, 26, who has come with her family to the event three times. She said the friendliness of the atmosphere is what keeps bringing her back year after year. “It’s a safe, family Halloween, and the kids really like it,” said Pettichord. “We like that there’s more than one night.” This was Liz Southwood’s first year bringing her son, but she says it’s not her last. “I brought him to have him see other kids in their costumes,” said Southwood. “It’s nice, kind of packed, but I would say it’s better than regular Halloween.” Not everyone agreed with the night’s safe intentions however. Joey Guebayrah said the kids who come out to these types of events don’t go regular trick-or-treating, and it ruins the tradition. “It kills Halloween,” he said. Most parents and children, however, actually prefer the easily maneuverable safe-Halloween setup. “I’d rather go to this than regular trick-or-treating. It’s more structured and more safe,” said Jason Lephart, who likes the atmosphere and how everything is decorated. His son Keith Lephart agreed, citing the haunted houses as his favorite. “The barn one is cool,” he said. Bakersfield College’s theater club participated in the festivities by passing out candy

as well as performing a three-part skit dressed as Super Mario Bros. characters. President Mithra Arambula said he really enjoyed the event. “It’s something to do for the community that’s really fun,” Arambula said. “We’ve done this before and [the turnout] is a lot better than we expected.” This was his second year participating in the event, and said that placing in the awards portion of the night is a nice little added bonus. “Last year, we won second place and we’re hoping to place again this year,” he said. Theater club head writer Robert “Goose” Scott agreed the event was fun not only for the children, but also for all who participate. “It’s been a lot of fun performing, seeing their faces light up,” said Scott. “We’re in character the whole time, and they appreciate us.” Arambula and Scott agreed they would do the event again next year if they hadn’t already planned to transfer. Other volunteers also enjoyed being able to see children dressed up as their favorite characters, such as Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Pac-Man, and of course, Disney princesses. “They come here because it’s safe,” said Jakob Baker, 19, who was volunteering at the Kern County Fire Department booth. “They don’t have to worry about what happens in neighborhoods.” “We’ve done this for the last three years and it’s just a fun way to get exposure in the community while doing things for the kids,” said Leanne Cave who volunteered at the Service Team of Professionals booth dressed as a cavewoman. “As old as we are, it’s also really nice to dress up.”

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

Page 6

Halloween spirit in Bakersfield

Page 7

Art club creates masks to raise funds

Above: The Bakersfield College Art Club paints faces and masks to help raise funds for their club on Oct. 31.

Right: Bakersfield College student Jay Garza portrays Jimi Hendrix as he jams out on Halloween on campus.

Right:An art piece made by the BC Art Club for a fundraiser waits to be bought on Oct. 31.

Left: Captain Jack Sparrow attended classes at Bakersfield College this Halloween.

eleonor segura / The Rip

photos by megan luecke and eleonor segura / The Rip

eleonor segura / The Rip

Anthony Castellanoz of the BC Art Club works on a mask he sold for the club’s fundraiser on Oct. 31.

local zoo turns ghoulish By Monica Bolger Reporter

photos by megan luecke / The Rip

Left: The Kern County Fire Department decorate an old fire engine at the Safe Halloween event on Oct. 31. Above: A family arrives fully prepared to trick or treat.

Theatre club participates in safe halloween By Patricia Rocha Reporter

brandon barraza / The Rip

'rocky’ thrills, chills and fulfills By Nate Perez Reporter

megan luecke / The Rip

The Bakersfield College Theatre Club participated in the Safe Halloween event on Oct. 31.

nate perez / The Rip

megan luecke / The Rip

Children and adults in costumes enter Safe Halloween at the Kern County Museum on Oct. 31.

Commentar y

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Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

Pick a side: The Rebel Alliance or Starfleet? By Tyler McGinty Opinions Editor

Han Solo could beat up Captain Kirk any day. Deal with it, Trekkies. Look, I’ve got nothing against “Star Trek,” whether it’s the original series, “Next Generation,” or whatever flavor of space exploration in Roddenberry’s vision of a perfect future you prefer. “Star Wars” is about the hero’s journey, and “Star Trek” is about people in uniform pushing against the ever-diminishing frontier, and heroics beats science every single time. “Star Trek,” at its heart, is just a monster-of-the-week show. That isn’t that exciting. Seeing Kirk talk his way out a fresh problem every week isn’t exciting at all. But “Star Wars” is a legend. A modern-day myth. It’s about the triumph of good over evil and taking a stand against injustice. Granted, there are problems with both franchises. The prequels sucked, but so did “Enterprise.” Greedo definitely did not shoot first, but just about every single “Star Trek” book sucked (sadly, I know). Regardless of all its flaws, I still think “Star Wars” comes out ahead. The grand scope certainly helps. It may be a cliché, but I’d rather watch a ragtag group of underdogs topple an evil empire because they feel that they have to than watch a crew of 430 people explore new worlds because they want to. It’s not that exciting no matter how many lizards Kirk wrestles. In “Star Wars”, I feel like I’m following the story of heroes, where the crew of the USS Enterprise is just a bunch of scientists and bureaucrats looking at the shiny planet they found. Roddenberry’s utopian idea of the future leads to a sci-fi show where there are no real villains. Klingons? They become allies, even if it is a little tense. It’s the same with the Romulans. The villains of the week usually turn out to be just misunderstood.

STAR WARS

Vader may have turned back into a force of good, but the Emperor is pure evil. There is nothing like pure evil to drive a narrative and keep people interested. “Star Trek” also suffers from a severe overextension. Five television series (not counting the animated series) and 11 films are a lot. That doesn’t even include the books. Not all of those are going to be winners, and when a TV series is all bad, that’s a lot. Say whatever you want about the “Star Wars” prequels, but three bad movies isn’t as much as four seasons of that garbage called “Enterprise.”

Not even Scott Bakula could save that one, because all his presence does is remind me of a better TV show. I’ll be the first to complain about podracing, midichlorians and Jar-Jar Binks and I’ll do so loudly and angrily. There is so much wrong with the prequels it’s insane. Still, give me the choice between a phaser and a lightsaber, and I’ll choose the lightsaber, even if I’m more likely to cut my own hand off with it. And it’s way cooler to be a member of Rogue Squadron than an officer of Starfleet. It may be slightly hyperbolic, but “Star Wars” is a masterpiece and it blows “Star Trek” out of the water. By the way, Han shot first. I don’t care what George Lucas says.

By Gregory D. Cook Photo Editor

Sure ladies, Han Solo comes off as the roguishly handsome pirate with a heart of gold, but like most sexy bad-boy types, he’s also the self-centered guy that a women thinks she can change only to come home one evening and find him and Chewbacca in an awkward three-way with a Naboo servant girl and that he has pawned all of the furniture to pay off Boba Fett. And guys, how many times did Han Solo get his shirt torn off by a hot green alien in a bikini? Hokey religions and ancient weapons are just no match for a hot green alien in a bikini.

STAR TREK

To boldly go where no man has gone before, or trust in The Force? It’s a question that has divided the science fiction community like the Berlin Wall divided Germany, but for the true connoisseur of the genre, there can be little doubt as to which franchise comes out on top. Like Spock is so fond of saying, “It’s simple logic.” Since it’s debut in 1966, “Star Trek” has been discovering distant worlds, encountering fantastic alien races and offering its viewers something that most science fiction set-

Chrystal fortt/ The Rip

You want me to review what?:

Rights Movement was facing tough opposition, “Star Trek” aired the first interracial kiss broadcast on television. Episodes showcased the futility of war, the dangers of overpopulation and rampant consumerism, and helped break down the walls of social change. Perhaps we shouldn’t let the fact that “Star Trek” helped change the world, while “Star Wars” merely distracted the masses for a while, be the only way we judge the two. “Star Wars” did set a new standard for special effects in 1976, but we shouldn’t sell the original “Star Trek” short. It aired ten years before the folks at Industrial Light and Magic made us believe in TIE fighters. For its time, the effects, were every bit as groundbreaking, but when the technology for better effects became available, “Star Trek” didn’t just give us the same old movies with a few new scenes or three movies of background for a story already told. So boldly go, encounter those new worlds and civilizations, and leave “Star Wars” back where it belongs: a long time ago, in a cliché far, far away …

The Rip sends a reporter to witness a galaxy far, far away for the first time

By Patricia Rocha

S tar Wars R eview

Reporter

In the past, I thought droids were cell phones. I didn’t know what The Force was and why it needed to be with me. Stormtroopers may have just been what weathermen called themselves on the weekends after too many beverages, because until very recently, I had never seen “Star Wars.” This doesn’t mean that I had never heard of or knew anything about the movies. I knew Yoda talked backward, and if someone said you looked like Jabba the Hutt it wasn’t a compliment. But the one thing I knew for sure was that if you tell someone, “I’ve never seen ‘Star Wars,’” the reaction is always the same: a jaw drops on a shocked face that precedes the “You have to watch it!” speech. So I finally did. I watched episodes IV through VI and finally realized that there is a lot more to the movies than their reputation may suggest. At first, I didn’t understand what the big deal was. It’s a standard good versus evil plot, but in space with groundbreaking special effects. However, after a while I found myself laughing at the things C3PO would say in response to R2D2, and wondering when Luke Skywalker would find out

tings don’t: a vision of a future that doesn’t suck. “Star Trek” shows us what we might accomplish if humanity were to set aside its differences and work together. Gone are the poverty, famine, bigotry and class structures that plague mankind today. It shows us a future in which humanity has undergone a new renaissance and is reaching out to the stars. The best “Star Wars” can offer is the same tired cliché about a rag-tag underdog sticking it to the man that can be found in films such as “Rocky” and “The Bad News Bears,” both of which came out in the year before Luke first started whining about the Empire. “Star Trek” tackled the tough issues that faced many people in 1966. At a time when the Civil

Courtesy of starwars.com

who his father really nally with his choice was. I would smile I had never seen the movies, between his son and when Obi-Wan Kenthe dark side. obi said something and yet I was humming along I realized the wise and insightful. in the movto the soundtrack because I strengths I was proud of how ies aren’t in the lightPrincess Leia was saber fight scenes or knew it by heart. never a damsel in disinter-galactic spacetress, but always a rebel in more ways ship feuds, they reside in the characters than one. I found myself feeling sorry themselves, and how easily it is to get for Darth Vader as he struggled inter- caught up in their story. When Epi-

sode V ended, I couldn’t put in VI fast enough. The movies aren’t perfect though. There are parts where you get stuck wondering why it looks like Ray William Johnson did the transition editing, and how this could have all been avoided if someone had hugged Darth Vader as a child, but that all leaves your mind by the end when you’re unreasonably happy those over-grown Furbies help defeat

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

Editor in Chief........................Zak S. Cowan Reporters: Monica Bolger, America Garza, Keith Kaczmarek, Cassandra McGowan, Meisha Features Editor.......................Chrystal Fortt McMurray, Jon Nelson, Esteban Ramirez, Opinions Editor.......................Tyler McGinty Patricia Rocha Online Editor............................Martin Chang Photo Editor.........................Gregory D. Cook Production Editor...............Amber T. Troupe Photographers: Brandon Barraza, Megan Luecke, Nate Perez, Eleonor Segura, Nathan Wilson

Adviser.......................................................Danny Edwards

the stormtroopers. Earlier in the week, I would have given the movies a four out of five stars, because yes, they are kind of nerdy and there is no way Princess Leia’s hair would have stayed that perfect the whole time she’s fighting bad guys. But even with its flaws, the movies don’t deserve 4 stars. I had never seen the movies, and yet I was humming along to the soundtrack because I knew it by heart. I walked in to Barnes and Noble and was greeted by Lego Star Wars play-sets. I couldn’t get through one episode of the “Big Bang Theory” without a “Star Wars” reference or six. When people found out I had finally seen them, they wanted to immediately discuss what I thought about them. That, to me, is five stars. I recommend that you should really try to watch the movies if you haven’t already, or, as Yoda would say, “No. Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.” The movies are iconic for a reason. Once you watch them, whether you like them or not, you’ll come to appreciate how influential the movies have become, not only our pop culture, but also our lives in general.

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Page 9

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

Moms, discipline isn’t a bad word Congress Staff Editorial

did not approve this war With the Libyan revolution coming to a close, the American people should take a step back and assess the situation we’re in. Our involvement in Libya has breached the same line that Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq did: unconstitutionality. For America to engage in a war, there must be approval by Congress. That did not happen for any of those wars, and it did not happen for Libya. This must be stopped before we find ourselves in a situation where the Constitution does indeed become ignored on a consistent basis. If our president wants to go to war, and wants to help out our allies within the United Nations, then they should seek approval from Congress. They shouldn’t be able to just say, “Hey, we’re going to war,” and instantly, American bombs are hitting foreign soil. Our recent presidents have, like clockwork, thrown our troops into harm’s way without the ability to say they did so constitutionally. With an election on the horizon, let’s hope that whoever is in charge when it is finished will finally abide by the law of the land. If our government can’t follow the rules that have been set in place, then what can we count on? It has somehow become the norm in Washington for our leaders to turn a blind eye to such things. The brutal scenes after Gaddafi was killed show what happens when America sticks its nose where it shouldn’t. That man was not allowed a trial, as mandated by U.N. laws. The brutality was, sadly, helped brought about because of the Unites States. No American should be happy to see such a thing happen to any human being or should he or she be OK with it being broadcast on national television. When dictators in the Middle East hold public executions in sports arenas, you gasp in disbelief, but when it surfaced that the man that Gaddafi would be put on trial, you cheered. When our mainstream media broadcasts a fatal beating, no one has a problem with it. Freedom of the press is of the utmost importance, but these outlets should have a certain level of decency. America needs to get its priorities straight, and instead of bidding the U.N.’s will, we should look out for what is in the best interest of America. The best thing that we could possibly do, regardless of what your political beliefs or affiliations are, is keep true to our Constitution. If we neglect one part of it, then what’s stopping our government from neglecting our freedom of speech, or our right to vote? The scariest thing about this whole fiasco is that party loyalties are fogging the American people’s ability to see right from wrong. When George Bush was president, the left came out in full force against his unconstitutional wars and the right stayed mum. Now, with a Democrat skippering the sinking ship, the liberals are nowhere to be seen and the right is up in arms. If we can’t see past party affiliations, and we let our leaders run wild like this, then maybe we don’t deserve the rights that we have.

By Cassandra McGowan Reporter

Some women should never become moms. Seriously. Day after day, I see moms totally uninterested in interacting with their children, sometimes even ignoring them completely. Everywhere I go, I see kids running amuck, acting like maniacs, screaming, crying, begging for toys or candy, and acting like plain brats. Gee, where’s mom? Oh, she’s over there on the phone texting or blabbing away like her children don’t even exist. Oh, she’s never home. Her parents always have her kids. Oh, she thinks the TV or Xbox is a baby sitter. What happened to paying attention to kids? What happened to the days of discipline? Discipline doesn’t mean a beating, spanking them all the time, or even spanking them at all. Discipline can be as simple as using a stern “no” or even opening your mouth

and explaining to your children why their behavior is totally unacceptable. In fact, a child should never be disciplined without explanation. Letting kids be disrespectful to anyone can be detrimental to them as adults. Respect starts as children. We can’t just let kids do whatever they want and expect them to grow into wellrounded, productive adults. It just doesn’t work that way. Some of these kids need to come to my house and see the true meaning of being a parent. I am in no way claiming to be the perfect mom, or that my family is perfect, or that my children never get in trouble or act like brats. But I do dole out the discipline if I see fit and I don’t care where we are, who is around, or what kind of icy cold stare downs I get from other people. If my kids get out of line, I handle it. And if they continue to act in a way I feel is inappropriate, they get in trouble. They know I mean business once it gets to a certain point,

and I rarely even have to spank them. I can pretty much just give them my mom-stare, and they know they better knock off the shenanigans. My kids respect and love me because I pay attention to them. I talk to them, read to them, play with them, take them places they want to go and do things that interest them. I also discipline my children, but still treat them with respect. It’s like kids run their parents these days and it’s just ridiculous. So mom, get off your damn phone and pay attention to your kids. Read them a book, play “Ring Around the Rosie” and “Duck Duck Goose” with them, cuddle them, but most of all love them, tell them you love them 1,000 times a day, give lots of hugs and kisses, and treat them with the respect you expect them to treat you with. They won’t be kids forever. Teach them all you can about family, love and respect now. Life is a lot better when your kids are happy and full of love.

Multiplayer carries shooter By Zak S. Cowan “Battlefield 3” is one of the greatest first-person shooters I’ve ever played, and it’s because it provided me with a gaming experience like no other. I didn’t play “Battlefield: Bad Company”, and I didn’t play its sequel. My “Battlefield” experiences are strictly limited to “Battlefield 1942” and “Battlefield 1943.” This is why when BF3’s campaign wasn’t as good as its hype train led us all to believe, I didn’t mind. “Battlefield” is meant to be enjoyed with a ton of players all duking it out on a massive map with planes, tanks, boats, jeeps and mass amounts of infantry. BF3 delivers in that respect, and its multiplayer side of the game is nothing short of incredible. The best experiences I’ve had with BF3 happened when the many layers of the multiplayer chaos all blend together. For instance, I instantly jumped in an attack helicopter to start a match, and proceeded to take out flocks of infantry on the ground until a fighter jet struck me with a homing missile. I ejected out of the helicopter, parachuting down to the battlefield below me, firing my M16 at helpless blokes the whole way down. Once I got to the land below, a firefight between the opposing team and mine ensued. My life was ended once I was struck in the head by a sniper observing the carnage from a distance. Then I jumped right back into it.

ing some stupid HD texture installation that took at least ten minutes. I’d expect the update, but the texture installation should already be built into the game regardless of how massive the core game is. The campaign, which I mentioned before, is mediocre. The narrative is strong but the voice-acting ensemble just didn’t impress me. This is where games like the “Call of Duty” and “Halo” franchises just exceed all the others on a consistent basis. The missions also tend to be extremely linear and the battles all tend to have the same type of action. The A.I. enemies don’t really do much except for run to their intended spot and fire at you. This was the case throughout the game; you enter an area like a courtyard or something and the enemies pour out from doors and shooting ensues. The campaign is the exact opposite of the multiplayer in BF3: it’s just not fun. Like I said before, I don’t mind this in the least that the campaign didn’t move me. I bought the game for the “Battlefield” multiplayer I’ve come to love throughout the years and developers Dice and EA delivered.

G ame R eview

Editor in Chief

courtsey of electronic arts

EA Games’ “Battlefield 3” was released on Oct. 25 and provides new life to a legendary multiplayer atmosphere. This is when the game stands out. Other aspects of the game definitely have major issues. For one, EA Online, the game’s server for multiplayer and co-op, always seems to be malfunctioning; there were countless times that I simply couldn’t play multiplayer because the game failed to connect to EA Online. Another annoying characteris-

tic of the game is the ridiculously long loading times, and not just in between games. When I first purchased the game (at midnight on release day of course,) I rushed home totally stoked to jump right in to the multiplayer madness that I knew was coming my way. Instead, I was forced to download an update for the game. Then I was baited into download-

New Coldplay lacks their old soul By Martin Chang Online Editor

With “Mylo Xyloto,” Coldplay’s fifth album, they have traded in their emotionally stirring, perfectly balanced music, for slick, radio-friendly Rihanna and Lady Gaga style dance pop, and while the core of what makes Coldplay good is still here and the album is generally successful in creating a more catchy dance pop sound, the music on “Mylo Xyloto” sounds generic and lacks the unique soul of their best music. On their first two releases “Parachutes”, and “A Rush of Blood to the Head” Coldplay balanced their rock and roll and catchy pop aspirations with an intimate sound centered around lead singer Chris Martin’s beautiful voice. Even on the more rock and roll moments, you could still hear the acoustic guitar knocks and vocal hiccups that gave their music personality and soul. When Chris Martin’s voice would soar on these releases, it had a strong, direct emotional impact because nothing was covering his voice and it felt like he was singing directly to you. They have slowly been going away from that great sound and “Mylo Xyloto” is the inevitable evolution. At moments, such as the songs “Paradise” and “Hurts Like Heaven,” the band has done a great job of turning their songs into the pop sound that is now the trend. The best songs feel like Coldplay made them. Their sense of melody and song craftsmanship is here, their signature lush string parts and jangly guitar parts are here, as well as Martin’s excellent singing.

At its best, “Mylo Xyloto” still has some of lbum the feeling of their more eview soulful music while also giving their music the bass heavy, slick, catchy sound that is now on the radio. It gives Coldplay’s music a sing-along quality it has never quite had. Yet, it gives their music a glossy sheen that strips away what made it unique and special. No longer does it feel like Martin is singing just to you. Martin has a voice that can swell with emotion in a way that is powerful. You never hear the full power of this because production and gimmicky vocal and guitar effects cover it up. At the album’s worst moments, such as the song “Charlie Brown,” both Martin’s voice and the song’s melodic power seem to be fighting against a desire for slick, radio friendly production. Also, Martin’s voice has a wonderful personality with its hiccups and cracking, that is completely absent. It gives the album a generic sound that is disappointing. The songs still have the general feel of their music, but the things that push their music over the edge into brilliance is gone in favor of a more of the same paint-by-the-numbers sound. Coldplay’s music used to have the power to inspire; it now simply will sit on the radio with similar music that blends together. It is telling that one of the most successful songs on the record is “Princess of China,” a song featuring Rihanna where Martin sounds like a guest on his own album.

A R

courtesy of strretdate.radio.com

Coldplay’s “Mylo Xyloto,” released Oct. 25, has a more polished sound than previous releases. Another element that robs this album of its emotional impact is Martin’s obsession with odd, nonsensical lyrics. Sure lyrics from their earlier releases like “Honey, you are the sea, upon which I float.” sounds cheesy on paper but it matched the romantic nature of the songs. Now Martin writes lyrics that don’t fit and don’t make sense. It’s the listeners best guess what Martin means by “my scarecrow dreams” and “the devil as he’s talking with those angel eyes.” There are three tracks on the album “Us Against the World”, “U.F.O.” and “Up in Flames” that try to capture the intimacy and personality of their earlier music. Only “U.F.O.” is successful of truly capturing the former greatness of their music.

Column

I’ll take my rock without the postPop, Girls, Etc. | The Rip’s Opinions Editor shares his thoughts on pop culture and media There’s a big problem with popular music today. It’s too fractured. I can’t just like rock music, apparently. Do I like postrock? Experimental r o c k ? Tyler McGinty Punk rock? Which kind? It’s silly. Music was once a uniting force, and now it divides people. Post-rock may be different enough for it to stand out on its own as a genre. It really isn’t rock at all. However, it still falls into that terrible trend of postgenres that seems to be robbing music of its uniting factor. It’s true that some genres don’t coexist as well as some others might. Blues and metal seem to be polar opposites, and I don’t think the average fan of teenage bubblegum pop is going to appreciate the insanity of The Fiery Furnaces. And sure, the rockers and rappers might not have united through their genre of choice, but all the rockers could agree that Led Zeppelin ruled (because they totally did,) even if Led Zeppelin might have been in different places in their top ten lists. What I really miss is when people would argue about two specific groups. The Beatles/Rolling Stones dichotomy is a classic. In the ‘80s it was more of a Smiths/ Stone Roses split, and the ‘90s had the incredibly violent Blur/ Oasis battle. These may seem divisive at first, but it really isn’t. These arguments are mostly about who has the number one spot and who has the number two. You can like both of these bands, but you always like one more. That’s just how it is (For the record: Beatles, Smiths, and Blur). Now, it seems that any arguments are about genres and subgenres. Some people don’t care who they’re listening to, but what. It may be more important to listen to dubstep than a particular artist. Or maybe you’re really into listening to only genres that start with “post.” We can’t ignore genres entirely, but we can certainly stop trying to define them so much. There isn’t that much difference between reggae and first-wave ska, so why bother being a stickler about it. Also, if the same guy is on the Wikipedia page for noise rock and post-hardcore, they’re probably not distinct enough to be entirely different genres. The ridiculous human need to categorize everything has gotten out of hand. There are sub-genres for sub-genres now. Metal is the worst for this. It makes me feel old, but back in my day there was only one type of metal: heavy. I don’t need death metal, doom metal, viking metal, black metal and glam metal. Just stop it. When you divide it up into all these separate sanitized worlds it robs music of spontaneity. Don’t worry about making a genre, worry about making what you want to make. Music isn’t science, it’s an art. Art doesn’t always fit one description perfectly. It’s all right for musical descriptions to be general. So stop adding “post” to everything, stop creating new genres for one or two bands, and stop making lines where lines do not to be made. I’m looking at you, hipsters.

Sports

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Wrestling carries on despite injuries By Esteban Ramirez Reporter

Bakersfield College’s wrestling team got a big performance from Jacob Pendelton, who was hampered by a knee injury throughout the Meat Head Movers tournament at Cuesta College on Oct. 22. Pendelton hurt his knee in a tournament before and reinjured it during his finals match, but still managed to finish second in the 165-weight class. “It was tied at 5-5 when he got hurt, so we decided to take an injury default to not risk further injury,” said wrestling coach Bill Kalivas. Kalivas also added that Pendelton’s injury was a knee sprain and they will be taking it day-by-day, and if the trainers clear him, then he should be able to compete in the next

tournament. Pendelton commented on his performance and his injury. “I thought I worked really hard, and working with Lance [Castenada] helped me out a lot, but I still think we need to improve on basic wrestling and not to complicate things,” he said. “Our team is improving with every week and having a great coach like Kalivas makes it easier. “I injured my knee at the Santa Ana tournament and I reinjured it when my opponent shot at my knee. I was extremely disappointed with myself that I couldn’t push through and continue the match,” he said. BC placed 14th out of 38 teams with Fresno City taking first, Rio Hondo second and Sacramento City third. “I think we keep wrestling better each week and I think our

conditioning is good, but we need to improve on our technique,” said Kalivas. “Our technique needs work, but none of these guys have competed in the collegiate level, so it’s a learning experience for these guys. I also think they’ve improved on strategy and recognizing position, but I would like to see them improve on escaping from the bottom position and controlling the top position. “I thought Lance Castenada wrestled well, especially coming back to get third place after a disappointing semi-final loss, and I thought Jacob did a good job the whole day getting second in the 165-weight class, but he reinjured his knee in the final match,” he said. BC is currently ranked 15th in state and their next tournament will be the Cal State Bakersfield Open on Nov. 5.

BC holds scrimmage against CSUB

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Renegade volleyball spikes the opposition By Meisha McMurray Reporter

Bakersfield College volleyball currently sits at a record of 12-6 overall and 5-2 in the Western State Conference after a loss to the undefeated and defending state champions LA Pierce on Oct. 28. Pierce is now 22-0. Sophomore Erica Rico recorded 46 assists and eight digs as BC forced a fourth set before falling with scores of 25-16, 25-19, 24-26, and 25-21. It was the first time BC has won a set against Pierce. “I was mentally in the game, didn’t lose my focus. The thing I would like to work on most is always being aware of the other team’s blocking. As a team we hung in there against a numberone ranked team,” Rico said. During the second set against Pierce, Megan Black and Sarah Horcher teamed up for three double blocks in a row. BC libero Rachel Christian had 26 digs, while BC freshman Brittany Smith had 10 kills for BC, which is second in the Western State Conference behind Pierce. “Going up against a number-

Gregory D. Cook / The Rip

Brittanny Smith jumps to return a set from Pierce College in the game Oct. 28. one ranked team the first thing I would do is give credit to Pierce, they are an excellent team. We didn’t lose as much as we got beat. We were well prepared and we work with whatever comes are way,” said volleyball BC coach Carl Ferreira. BC volleyball traveled to West Los Angeles on Oct. 26. They swept away West LA with scores of 25-7, 25-4 and 25-23. Black had nine kills and Amanda Es-

calante added four kills. On Oct. 21, BC hosted Santa Monica and won 3-1 with scores of 25-11, 25-12, 21-25 and 2516. Charisma Hernandez led the way with 14 kills and Black chipped in 12. Hernandez and Black had 13 digs between them. Christian had 24 digs on the defensive end while contributing 18 perfect passes on the offensive end.

Cross-country heads to regionals By Meisha McMurray Reporter

Gregory D. COok / The Rip

A Bakersfield College player dives back to first base as Cal State Bakersfield infielder Amy Ricciardi waits for the ball to arrive during the scrimmage Friday Oct. 28.

BC has ups and downs By Meisha McMurray Reporter

Bakersfield College soccer currently holds an overall record of 7-5-4 and 3-4-3 in conference, after losing to Citrus College 3-0 on Oct. 28. “We were missing a lot of people for this game, so they had to step up and we weren’t able to own that challenge,” said BC soccer coach Scott Dameron. On Oct. 25, BC’s Audrey Romero scored the only goal in a 1-1 tie against Santa Monica. Sabrina Spink played in net and had five saves. “It was Audrey’s first goal of the season, she shot from 25 yards. We were very proud of her,” said Dameron. Mitzi Ibarra scored the only goal of the game as the Renegades downed College of the Canyons

1-0 on Oct. 21. Michele Loera set her up with an assist. Spink played in net and had five saves. BC traveled to Fresno on Oct. 18 and lost 6-2. Michele Loera and Serena Underwood made the only two goals for BC. “We’ve had some high spots and low spots. We have three games left and we’re trying to get organized to see what results we can get out of the last three games,” said Dameron. “With the last two games against Glendale and LA Valley, being away instead of home is going to make a big difference. We have to focus on if we can execute at end of season like we did in the beginning of the season. Those teams are always tough being at their home and we have to make sure we are ready,” said Dameron. They travel to Glendale and LA Valley on Nov. 4 and Nov. 8.

The Bakersfield College cross-country teams participated in the Western State Conference Finals on Oct. 25. Both teams have qualified to advance to the Southern California Regional Championships, which will be held Nov. 4 in Ontario, Calif. Robby Baker finished 6th on the 4-mile course with a time of 21:52 at Cuesta College to lead the BC men’s team to a seventhplace finish, and reserved a spot in the Southern California Re-

gional meet. “It was a really good race, I’m very happy with the results of this race,” said men’s crosscountry coach Dave Frickel. Richard Langdeaux crossed the finished line at 34th and Keenan Colditz 35th. Each finished with a time of 23:03. John Purcell finished in 44th place with the time of 23:22 and Enrique Serna placed 66th the time of 24:44, they rounded out BC’s men’s cross-country finishers. “They had a good race, as a

team they get to advance,” said Frickel. As for the women’s team, they placed sixth to earn a spot in the SoCal regional meet. Bianca Perez ran the 3.1-mile course in 21:38 to lead the way. Four BC freshman rounded out the scoring, with Emily Shuford finishing in 37th place in 22:00, Danielle Tidahl placing 41st in 22:15, Serraya Hermosilla finishing in 46th place in 22:36, and Tejera Dial placing 51st in 22:57. At the end of the meet Glendale College won the title.

Sports

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The losses pile up for BC

Football Roundup El Camino 31, BC 7 BC-ECC, Stats

Bakersfield College El Camino College

0 14

0 3

0 0

7_7 14_31

First Quarter ECC_Shaw 92 kickoff return (Jarrin kick), 14:47. ECC_Johnson 2 run (Karrin kick), 8:33. Second Quarter ECC_Jarrin 24 field goal, :02.

Fourth Quarter ECC_Shaw 8 pass from Herrera (Jarrin kick), 8:28. ECC_Anderson 11 pass from Webb (Thornton kick), 6:01. BC_Hobdy 16 pass from Duboksi (Schleicher kick), 4:39. First downs Total Net Yards Rushes-yards Passing Punt Returns Kickoff Returns Interceptions Ret. Comp-Att-Int Sacked-Yards Lost Punts Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Time of Possession

BC 12 203 21-6 197 2-19 6-182 1-0 19-42-0 5-30 11-380 2-1 13-107 25:58

VENT 18 351 32-57 294 2-23 2-126 0-0 20-32-1 3-9 6-219 1-0 11-99 34:02

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING_BC, Sykes 14-31, Hobdy 1-2. VENT, Johnson 8-25, Clark 1-13, Capacchione 1-12, R. Johnson 4-7, Anderson 1-4, Walton 9-3, Walton 9-3. PASSING_BC, Duboski 19-42-197-0. VENT, Herrera 18-30-263-1 RECEIVING_BC, Hobdy 8-78, Morris 4-23, Tubbs 3-34, Dunn 2-38, Sykes 2-24. VENT, Anderson 6-49, Brady 4-136, Shaw 3-20, Bierra 2-35, Level 2-26, Miller 2-24, Johnson 1-4.

Ventura 13, BC 0 BC-Ventura, Stats

Bakersfield College Ventura College

0 10

0 3

0 0

0_0 0_13

First Quarter VENT_Luna 22 field goal, 11:35. VENT_Trueblood 1 run (Luna kick), 5:46. Second Quarter VENT_Luna 33 field goal, 4:50.

First downs Total Net Yards Rushes-yards Passing Punt Returns Kickoff Returns Interceptions Ret. Comp-Att-Int Sacked-Yards Lost Punts Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Time of Possession

BC 9 218 27-25 193 5-17 3-57 1-0 14-27-4 5-20 8-251 3-2 7-40 24:17

VENT 14 299 53-167 132 3-2 1-29 4-45 11-18-1 5-41 9-282 2-1 9-78 35:43

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING_BC, Sykes 14-24, Cobb 3-7. VENT_ Caro 13-54, Reed 15-48, Trueblood 4-20, Smith 13-18, Craver 6-18, Nixon 2-9. PASSING_BC, Duboski 14-27-193-4. VENT, Smith 11-18-132-1. RECEIVING_BC, Hobdy 7-112, Tubbs 4-34, Dunn 3-47. VENT, Vizzi 4-45, Koman 3-45, Newsome 1-27, Reed 1-10, Caro 1-3, Dunn 1-2. A_3000

Conference standings SCFA National Northern Conference Overall Conf. W L W L 5 3 Cerritos 3 0 7 1 El Camino 2 1 Allan Hancock 6 2 2 1 5 3 Ventura 2 1 3 5 Bakersfield 0 3 3 5 Canyons 0 3

PF 270 250 290 208 170 231

Schedule/Results

Sept. 3 Sept. 10 Sept. 17 Sept. 24 Oct. 1 Oct. 8 Oct. 15 Oct. 22 Oct. 29 Nov. 5 Nov. 12

BC 32, Pierce 19 Saddleback 31, BC 17 BC 28, Antelope 0 BC 31, Citrus 13 Mt. SAC 41, BC 27 BYE Alan Hancock 35, BC 28 Ventura 13, BC 0 El Camino 31, BC 7 vs Cerritos at Canyons

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

PA 256 151 178 166 183 241

7 p.m. 7 p.m.

By Zak S. Cowan Editor in Chief

El Camino College defeated the Bakersfield College football team 31-7 on Oct. 29, locking up the team’s worst season dating back to 2002, when the Renegades finished 4-6. The Warriors showed their might from the get-go, and running back Jarrad Shaw took the opening kickoff 92 yards for the touchdown. After that, they never let up. BC went seven straight quarters without an offensive point, with their last points coming in their Oct. 15 loss to sixth-ranked Allan Hancock. The Warriors were just over four minutes from shutting out the Renegades, before BC managed to score on a 16-yard connection between wide out Brandon Hobdy and quarterback Brian Duboski. Hobdy continued his consistent play, catching eight passes for 78 yards, scoring the team’s only touchdown. Running back Jalen Sykes, who has been the most productive offensive weapon for the Renegades all year, was held in check by ECC gaining just 31 net yards on 14 carries. Duboski passed the ball 42 times, completing just 19 for 197 yards, with his lone touchdown coming at the end of the game when the win was out of reach. “I definitely left a lot of plays on the field,” Duboski said. “And when you do that, you’re letting your team down.” Despite his unexceptional play in the team’s defeat, Duboski still thinks that his team is behind him and ready to take his lead. “No matter what happens, we’re all in this together.” Jeff Chudy, the team’s head coach, said that although Duboski didn’t have his best performance, that it was far from his fault. “He’s part of it, but he’s just one guy,” he said. Duboski was pressured consistently throughout the game by the Warriors’ defensive line, and was sacked five times. The team falls to 3-5, which is their worst record through eight games since that 2002 campaign. The team’s rush defense was stout, holding the Warriors to 57 yards on the ground, a 1.8 average. But BC failed to capitalize on it, and finished the game with just six rushing yards. The team will be playing at home this Saturday at Memorial

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Sports should stream for free Chiefed | The Rip’s Editor in Chief tells you what’s what in the world of sports.

gregory d. cook / The Rip

Above: El Camino College corner back Anthony Harris dives at Bakersfield College running back Mustaafa Cobb during a game at Murdock Stadium in Torrance on Oct. 29. Right: Renegades wide receiver Brandon Hobby reaches for a Brian Duboski pass. Stadium against Cerritos College in what will be homecoming and the team’s last home game. Cerritos is 5-3 so far this year, and is 3-0 in National Northern Conference play, having defeating ECC 42-21 on Oct. 22, and 17th-ranked College of the Canyons 48-42 Oct. 29.

Over the weekend, I was blatantly rejected the opportunity to watch football in the living room where there is cable, in favor of the appalling Style Channel. So I did what any other sports fan would do (I hope) and found the game streaming online at some notso-legit Web site. The best link I found was a stream from the Zak S. Cowan channel ESPN America, and it was playing the same night game that was playing on NBC! ESPN America, originally NASN (North American Sports Network), is ESPN for British fans. This totally made my day, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Streaming sports on the Internet is no doubt frowned upon in our society, but I love it. The government has recently cracked down on various Web sites that streamed my beloved Raiders when they weren’t on TV because they were stinking up the field. I just wish they would leave us all alone and let us watch our sports. Okay, so we aren’t paying for the cable that is playing these games, but someone is. And that sports fan should be able to share his privilege of watching the Raiders with all of us. There are downsides of streaming sports online, though, and you definitely don’t get what someone paying for HD channels gets. The picture is almost always pixilated, and the syncing of the audio and video is usually at least half-a-second off. We sit through all these things because we think we deserve to watch our teams, regardless of the NFL’s dictatorial decisions on which games are aired where. I feel like, with all the money I’ve spent on NFL-related crap, I deserve to be able to watch my favorite team without having to pay a ridiculous amount of money to Directv. For the most part, I watch the games on 100-percentlegal cable, so it would be nice if I could find the games online a little bit faster and easier than it currently is at the moment. I had my Web site that I always went to when that sort of thing happened, but the government shut it down. Now, I’m left scouring the Internet for a decent link. As in so many aspects of my life, I just want the government to stay out of my sports-watching experience. Back in February, when the Feds shut down multiple Web sites that were illegally streaming sports, it was carried out by Homeland Security Investigations. Is streaming sporting events online really a threat to homeland security? I think not. I just wish they would leave me be in my room while I freely (so be it if it’s illegal) watch my favorite teams on the Internet. If anyone has a problem with that, they really need to rethink their priorities. The government should just let me be on my holy Footballdays and let me watch my games for free. I think the American people, as well as myself, deserve it.

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Wednesday, November 2, 2011