The Renegade Rip Bakersfield College
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Vol. 83 ∙ No. 7
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
This year brings most successful Transfer Day By Amber T. Troupe Production Editor
This year’s Bakersfield College Transfer Day was the most successful so far in terms of BC student turnout, college and university attendance and extending the event from one day to a week. The event took place in the Campus Center Fireside Room and at tables set up in the cafeteria.
Sue Granger-Dickson, articulation officer and Transfer Center coordinator, was a forerunner of the event by publicizing through more outlets than used before. This is one of the reasons for the increase in the number of students and colleges present. Granger-Dickson spoke about the low rate in transfers from BC to universities of California. According to the California Community College Transfers by Campus to State University Sys-
tem statistics sheet, BC is 69th out of 111 community colleges in students transferring to fouryear institutions in the state. “I want to see us on the top 50 list instead,” Granger-Dickson said. “This transfer day enables us to provide students who are almost finished with their degrees, the information they will need to choose and enroll in a program for their bachelor’s degree. “The amount of BA degrees received plays a large role
in this recession because the future employees do not possess the skills and training needed to work in the upcoming field of jobs, so that’s why our goal is making the transition to a fouryear or university easier for students,” she stated. The extension of Transfer Day came about because GrangerDickson wanted to be able to reach even more students that attend night school and who want Please see TRANSFER, Page 4
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Students get information from the representives of various colleges and universites at Transfer Day on Sept. 12.
Grove rep on campus
Fighting the flames
Keith Kaczmarek Reporter
megan luecke / The Rip
One of many planes aiding in fighting the multiple fires started by lightning strikes dumps retardant near Round Mountain Road on Sept. 10.
BC students help control the fires By Cassandra McGowan Reporter
Lightning started multiple fires in the foothills and nine of Bakersfield College’s fire technology program students are helping to put those blazes to rest. The Comanche Complex Fire and the Breckenridge Complex Fire have burned a combined total of 55,534 acres of land in just over five days. Tim Capehart, coordinator of the fire technology program at BC explained a complex fire, “Where you have three or four different fires, but they’re all being coordinated with one command post.” The fire technology program offers students interested in going into the business of fighting fires, the opportunity for handson training. “We have well over 1,000 students, we offer an AA/AS in fire technology, and we have an AS in wild land fighting, and there’s
only four colleges in California that offer that and then, of course, we have fire tech certification,” said Capehart. The large program here at BC is state fire marshal accredited and is recognized throughout the state of California. The program also owns a total of three fire trucks that have been donated from various fire departments, but only two of them are in commission. The program holds most of their classes at the Weill Institute. There they utilize the Olive Drive Fire Training Facility to get the trainees used to reallife fire situations. An example would be the two complex fires they are currently helping to put out in the Breckinridge area. Engineer Anthony Romero, of the Kern County Fire Department, estimates that over 500 firefighters from all over Kern County are working hard to keep the fires from spreading. “Keene is done, Comanche they’re expected to have it done
Inside
megan luecke / The Rip
Smoke rises from smoldering ground near Round Mountain Road on Sept. 11. by the 16th, the fire started on the 10th, it’s been five days since these fires have been going, and they don’t know when
Editor in Chief
Page 3: The Bakersfield College Alumni Association held its 57th annual barbeque to raise money for scholarships. Page 8:
Breckenridge fire is 70 percent contained, according to Kern County Fire Department’s website.
Renegades win 28-0, lose Burrell to injury By Zak S. Cowan
A self-proclaimed indestructible wallet is put to the test.
expected fire containment is for Breckenridge,” said Romero. The Comanche fire is 95 percent contained and the
Some students may be unaware that on every third Thursday of every month, a representative of California State Assembly Member Shannon Grove is on campus for two hours starting at 10 a.m. to meet with anyone interested in bringing up issues with Grove. This last Thursday, the representative was Tracey Reynolds from constituent services, but most Thursdays it will be Javier Reyes, field representative. For those students and faculty looking to find the meeting spot, last Thursday it was held in Levinson 5, a small office in the Levinson building behind one of two closed and unmarked doors. When asked about the goal of the mobile office, Reyes said, “to listen to what concerns them and to make ourselves available … as well as inform students about pending legislation.” He also mentioned potential internships. He added “Shannon Grove is ready to serve all of her Bakersfield constituents. Join us at the mobile office hours. The better we can communicate, the better BC will be.” When asked about Grove’s issues that relate to Bakersfield College, Reyes mentioned, “jobs for students, so when they graduate they can enter a friendly business environment,” and veteran affairs, noting Grove’s military service. Reyes also said that Grove wants to ensure that “[the state government] are being good stewards of our state resources” and that “we don’t have a revenue problem, but a spending problem.” Michele Bresso, Associate Vice Chancellor of Governmental and External Relations and Kern Community College District’s contact with state, local, and federal branches of government, said that “the mobile office is something they do when they don’t have a regular office so they can connect with others.” Bresso also noted “this is an incredible opportunity to make your voices known to the legislature.” Please see GROVE, Page 4
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The Bakersfield Triathlon brings more than just serious athletes to Lake Ming.
Just five days after losing 3117 to the Saddleback College Gauchos, Bakersfield College defeated Antelope Valley College 28-0 Sept. 17. The team is now 2-1, and will have a new starting quarterback moving forward. When Antelope Valley’s Edwin Delva sacked quarterback Brian Burrell of BC with just under 14 minutes left in the second quarter, Burrell broke his
collarbone. Burrell is expected to miss the next six weeks according to head coach Jeff Chudy. After Burrell went down, Brian Duboski then got his chance to step up in a tie game and lead his team to a victory. Duboski instantly picked the offense up and drove them to a touchdown. The 1-yard pass to running back Mustaafa Cobb came with 9:11 remaining in the second quarter, and put the Renegades on top 7-0. Please see FOOTBALL, Page 11
gregory d. cook / The Rip
Renegades running back Mustafaa Cobb cuts up-field into the Gaucho secondary on Sept. 12.
Features
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The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Faculty shows they have an artistic side By Jon Nelson Reporter
An exhibit featuring local college instructors is being featured in The Bakersfield Museum of Art’s fall season. Convergence is the product of Bakersfield College, Cal State Bakersfield and the Bakersfield Museum of Art working together to highlight the talent of local college instructors and administrators. The show features a wide range of art forms, from video installation to sculpture, to traditional drawing and painting. One notable series on display was done by Nan Gomez-Heitzberg. The BC administrator used cardboard coffee cup sleeves to construct a number of small altars to the Virgin Mary. “I like the idea of using something people normally throw away,” said Gomez-Heitzberg. A video installation by CSUB’s Jess Sugarman called “Silver
Anniversary #5 (for Philip Benton)” greets patrons as they pass through the entryway into the room housing the show. The installation is made up of three televisions, each screen displaying a picture of two minivans in various positions. One of the more popular pieces at the opening of Convergence was “Cherry Planet” by Cameron Brian. The sculpture is a giant, green globe populated by tons of bright red cartoon cherries. The candycolored spectacle was always immersed in a cloud of people. “It’s so fresh for Bakersfield. I’m impressed by the selection,” said attendee Linda Hyatt. Those who participated in the show were equally impressed. “It’s great. It’s nice to see all our work in one place, especially with the people from Cal State,” said Kris Stallworth, who teaches photography at BC and contributed photographs to the show. The opening for Convergence
was attended by a wide range of people. “It shows a lot of the elements of art, if people don’t know what they are. It shows a variety of everything they teach,” said Alexandra Ortiz, who is an art student at CSUB. “There’s a lot of diversity, some traditional and non-traditional,” said Felix Adamo, an observer. The artists that participated in Convergence drew on a number of sources as inspiration for their submissions. “It’s more about effort. It took a lot of effort,” said Margaret Nowling about her mixed media sculpture. Nowling stood near her work throughout the exhibit opening and encouraged on-lookers to play with the sculpture’s moving parts. Convergence and the other presentations in the fall exhibit are on display at the Bakersfield Museum of Art until Nov. 20.
Eleonor Segura / The Rip
“Kern County” was shown by BC professor Kristopher Stallworth on Sept. 15.
Eleonor Segura / The Rip
“Another Summer Sun” by David Koeth is on display in the Convergence exhibits.
B-town Blues Fest brings in big-name performers By Chrystal Fortt Features Editor
“I’m gonna get so funky, you gonna smell!” John Nemeth yelled to the audience before wildly playing his harmonica. The seventh annual B-Town Blues Fest was dedicated to the blues but that couldn’t keep down the good vibe of about 2,000 people who watched the award-winning artists at the CSUB amphitheater. Joe Louis Walker nonchalantly played complex music on his guitar while he sang the humorous lyrics, “Baby, where did you get that sweet sugar from, Lord knows that’s the best sugar around.” John Nemeth was a separate music artist who has been in Bakersfield twice. He had a wide range of the blues mood; he had a few really bluesy songs but bomost of his songs were upbeat. He sang, danced and played the harmonica in a pinstriped suit and a stingy brim style hat. The rest of Nemeth’s band members played just as wild and passionately as he did in the performance. Gina Sicilia was another art-
PHOTOS BY Brandon Barraza / The Rip
Above: Joe Louis Walker plays at the CSUB amphitheater at B-Town Blues Fest. Left: Ray Twist plays the guitar while John Nemeth plays the harmonica Sept. 17. ist there. She was nominated for Best New Artist Debut at the Blues Music Awards in 2008. Sicilia sang sassy blues with her powerful voice that had a tinge of scratchiness. These power artists weren’t the only ones to perform at the Blues Fest. Michael Dykes played the guitar and sang with the Kern
River Blues Society, a local grassroots organization, where members play Blues music together twice a month. “I’ve been coming ever since they started [Blues Fest]. I love blues, that’s why I’m here,” he said. Dykes was invited to play at B-Town Blues Fest this year. “This is the first year I get to play with my friends, the Kern
River Blues Society, we’re playing acoustic in between sets.” Even though Dykes was asked to play at B-Town Blues Fest, he would have come to the event anyway. “My family will be out here later and it’s a nice evening out for us. The kids can run and play, kids are free,” he explained. “Have a beer or two, sit outside, the weather is so
sweet and nice, I love it. I look forward to this event every year.” Sue Privett explained why she was volunteering at Blues Fest. “A bone marrow recipient is alive today because of this [Blues Fest]. All the drinks and the food go to the bone marrow registry and Houchin Blood Bank. Otherwise it would’ve
cost you $95 to walk in that door,” she said. Privett went on to talk about the headline artists. “These aren’t around the corner sit-inthe-bar players.” Beth Cruz came all the way from San Diego to see the BTown Blues Fest. “It’s great. I love it. It’s a nice and beautiful evening, the sound is really good,” she said.
By Cassandra McGowan
else. They’re all a piece of history.” These cars, along with historical buildings at the museum get people sharing their stories of the days of yore. For example, two silver-haired men standing around their shiny well-kept classic cars, swapping stories about make-out sessions with high school sweethearts in the back seat of their ’40 Mercury, laughing and reminiscing about the good old days. That is what this car show is all about. Roy Charles Keenan entered his ’54 Bel Air this year and said, “It’s a great social event for people who make their cars their life.” Some people like Jerry Bailey used the car show as an excuse just to get out of the house.
Bailey is disabled and not able to get out very often and yet still the Fun in the Sun Run is an opportunity to drive his classic car and show it off while enjoying the weather and fresh air. He entered his ’51 Chevrolet, a gift from his girlfriend, and talked about how he loves to drive his Chevy unlike the “trailer queens.” According to Bailey, trailer queens are people who own classic cars, but are afraid of getting dents on their car, so they tow their car to the show, even if they live in close proximity. “Trailer queens don’t excite me at all,” said Bailey. Attendees consider Fun in the Sun Run as an opportunity to become aware of the way life used to be and share that knowledge with the younger generation.
Vintage car show proves that hot rods aren’t just a hobby, but a way of life Reporter
eleonor segura / The Rip
Classic cars from pre-1959 are presented by Vintage LTD Car Club during the 32nd annual “Fun in The Sun Car Show” at the Kern County Museum on Sept. 18.
Vintage Limited Street Rod of Bakersfield and Kern County Museum have come together once again for a day of nostalgia. Fun in the Sun Run combines the history of Kern County with the history of pre-1959 autos, along with a poker walk to get the patrons up and walking around to see all what the museum and classic car owners have to offer. Some of the proceeds made by Vintage Limited are donated to the museum. Patty Langston, vice president of Vintage Limited said, “Anytime someone puts a car show on, it’s mainly to get people to get these beautiful cars out, you know, share them with everyone
Features
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Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Alumni BBQ brings in funds By Esteban Ramirez Reporter
On Sept. 15, Bakersfield College Alumni Association held its 57th annual barbecue. This event is for everyone to have a good time and to raise money for student and athletic scholarships according to BC president Greg Chamberlain. Some of the activities that they had were the Tony Ernst Band, which is an alumni band, barbecue by Chef Pat Coyle and Suzanne Davis. They also had vendors like Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream and W.A. Thompson Advanced Beverage. The BC drumline and cheerleaders performed, and at the end of the barbecue they introduced all the athletes. “This is run by the Alumni As-
sociation Board of Directors to raise money for scholarships,” said Chamberlain. “This event has a rich history and most of the alumni come out and support us. This is the second time it’s being held on campus, and I think it’s better that way because the alumni get to come back to BC.” Mike Stepanovich who is the Director of the BC Foundation gave his take on this event. “This is an annual fundraiser, and it’s a great tradition with plenty of activities,” said Stepanovich. “We were hoping to get 500-600 people here and that would be a good crowd for this event, but we wont know until after the barbecue. “My favorite part of this barbecue is getting to see old friends and meeting new people,” said
Stepanovich. Craig Holland, the Logistics Coordinator for this event and a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, gave his thoughts on what makes this event great. “Since I’m an alumnus from 1967, BC has always had a special place in my heart and I always try to come back to this event to try to help the college,” said Holland. “I like the fact that everyone from before can come back and see how this campus is developing, but my favorite part is the steak and seeing old friends. A couple of years ago we thought we should start having this barbecue here so people can come back here to BC and have a good time.” Becki Whitson who is the
Column
Joseph Cota / The Rip
BC head football coach, Jeff Chudy, describes what his expectations are for this football season on Sept. 15. President for the Alumni Association Board of Directors gave more information on the event. “At first we weren’t selling very many tickets, but it looks like we got a pretty good crowd,” she said. “We are one of the last community colleges that still does this, and I think it’s because we’re campus orientated.”
Whitson also said that this will be the only fundraiser of this year, but the Athletic Director is trying to do something this spring. “At first this barbecue was only meant for the football team but as the years have gone by we include all the fall sports,” said Whitson.
Local brides gather at Rabobank By Chrystal Fortt Features Editor
Chrystal Fortt / The Rip
Gretchen Rossi from The Real Housewives of Orange County wears a Mia Bella Couture for a fashion show.
Every September and January at Rabobank Arena, soon-to-be brides go to The Ultimate Bridal Event in hopes of making their dream wedding come true. “It’s central California’s largest and only upscale bridal event,” said Schezelle Beltran, agency director of The Ultimate Bridal Event. “At our last show alone we had over 3,000 guests attend, so we really cater to the most elite of the wedding industry.” The bridal event is filled with the excitement of brides along with the cakes, white gowns and flowers. Ann McCright is the owner and producer of event. “I know when they come to the bridal show they expect to see the white gown, the black tuxedos, the flowers the cakes, the normal things,” she explained. “But we pride ourselves into providing things that they don’t even know about or think about.” There were a few things at the show that were peculiar, like caricature drawings, real estate agents and rental photo booths. Along with all the vendors, there was a celebrity guest, a
fashion show and prizes. The celebrity guest who attended the event was Gretchen Rossi and her boyfriend Slade Smiley from “The Real Housewives of Orange County.” “Seeing all the vendors; seeing all the fun stuff that you can plan for your wedding, it’s just beautiful,” said Rossi. Smiley commented on the event. “We’re very impressed with the show, because we do a lot of different events and been in a lot of different venues and convention centers and it’s quite beautiful. “These guys did an excellent job,” he said. Along with signing autographs and taking pictures with fans, Rossi hosted the fashion show and modeled a Mia Bella Couture gown. The fashion show featured some boutiques like Apricot, Bra Shoppe and Mia Bella Couture and featured glamorous, embellished wedding gowns, sexy lingerie, trendy cocktail dresses and stylish men’s tuxedos. Everything that could be needed for a wedding was in one place. “They [the brides] can save gasoline,” said McCright. “They don’t have to go to 10 places and find parking and spend time.”
There were many different things that brides look for at the event. Brittany Downs is a recent Bakersfield College graduate with an A.A. in Business Administration. She just got engaged and went to the bridal event to find the perfect lighting for her reception. “I was looking into Flourishing Art [a local event planner] and I’m waiting to see Gretchen,” she said. “I came to get ideas because I don’t have a set date.” Miriam Jimenez has been engaged since December. “I have a certain mind-set on certain things but I want to explore and see what else there is,” she said. “I’m trying to soak everything in. I’m excited, I’m anxious.” McCright and all the vendors love to help brides find what they want and need for their weddings. “People who are in the wedding business absolutely love the wedding business and that’s what they do, they develop dreams for these brides,” she said. “Because the bride will come in and doesn’t know exactly what she wants and boom, she gets the right people and they can help her and it makes life simple.”
Bakersfield fest celebrates global cultures By Jon Nelson Reporter
A family resource center of Kern County and members of the community came together Sept. 10 to celebrate with the second annual International Festival. The festival took place at Yokuts Park and featured booths from over 40 vendors, some of who were businesses started by people with special needs. International Festival also included various live acts, presentations and children’s activities. The resource center is also known as H.E.A.R.T.S. H.E.A.R.T.S. is an acronym for help,
encourage, advocate, resources, training and support. The H.E.A.R.T.S. Connection center is a resource center for families who have children with disabilities and special care needs. They are staffed entirely by people who have a family member with special needs. The group doesn’t charge for its services and any disability is eligible. “We wanted to celebrate all abilities, cultures and communities,” said Danielle Pilkington, resource development coordinator at H.E.A.R.T.S. The first International Festival was held last year to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the organization and was at-
tended by an estimated 3,000 people. The entertainment for the festival ranged from music and cultural dancing to a parade. One of the highlights from the stage was a presentation by Loren John Presley on Nina, a robot designed to assist children with autism. “For me, it’s the community coming together to see what Kern County has to offer,” said Pilkington about the message of the event. Anyone from the community was invited to participate. “We’re here to be seen and put more info out there about what we do,” said
Sara Nilson from Alpha Canine. Alpha Canine is a local sanctuary for homeless dogs. They had a booth at the event staffed by workers handing out pamphlets and answering questions. “We’re here selling food so we can be here together,” said Luis Gomez from Mision Apostolica who was selling tacos and chatting with the crowd. H.E.A.R.T. Connection wanted to keep the event as cheap as possible so they only charged for the bounce house. “We’re mostly here for the kid events … A day out is always good,” said Scott Pierce who brought his kids to International Festival.
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Greek culture and tradition celebrated at the 47th annual Greek Food Festival. The newest Adam Sandler production gets reviewed.
Delano’s newest entertainment venue brings fresh adult atmosphere.
Fashion week passes us by What are you wearing? | The Rip’s Features Editor talks about what’s hot and what’s not. New York Fashion Week, the United States largest fashion show and event, showed all the ready-to-wear collections and all the upcoming trends for spring 2012. After looking through NYFW’s designer’s collections, there are a few things to expect for the spring season. Color punching has turned into color Chrystal Fortt paneling. A lot of colors are coming in groups rather than wearing all nude and one bright color in your clothes or accessories. BCBG Max Azria really emphasized color panels in their collection for spring. They took the basic minimalist look and threw on groups of color on their designs; some pieces are more colorful and minimal than others. Another color trend is pale colors, especially for grays, whites, and oranges. The use of pale colors is in extreme minimalist clothes. Calvin Klein really focused on minimal clothes with almost lingerie dresses that are all pale. On the other hand, floral prints are always in style every spring, but there are some designers that have made their floral prints intricate, bright and busy. Some designers like Anna Sui, have gone over-the-top with busy floral prints with full body flower power jumpers. I’m sure this full body trend won’t catch on, but using one of Sui’s neon skirts and pairing it with a neutral top wouldn’t hurt the eyes and will catch on like wild fire. Top trends that have been getting more popular are chiffon materials. “Sheer is dear” for the spring season, particularly with long sleeves. Chiffon sleeves are all over NYFW with designers like ADAM and Bibhu Mohapatra. Another top trend is Geometric shapes. In fashion, geometric shapes are still making its way into being trendy. Since the trend was introduced for fall and still hasn’t become popular, late fall is probably when it will become a hit, especially for college students. You would think the geometric shapes trend might be a little dated by the time spring comes around, but a few designers have put their new spin on it already. Carolina Herrera designed innovative geometric shapes that are beyond just the basic shape and have put intricacy in each shape and design. A little simpler trend for women is a man’s tuxedo style turned into a more feminine look . For the daring woman she might actually take pieces from her boyfriends’ wardrobe. The feminine woman would take a tuxedo blouse and wear with a skirt. The designers collection Alice and Olivia, had a good twist on feminine tuxedos.
News
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Wednesday, September 21, 2011
New theme, new acts, classic fair By Cassandra McGowan
their way to the fair this year. “Yeah there are a couple of new things, the one that sticks Glittering lights, people ev- out is called ‘Wool Riders,’” erywhere and lots and lots of said Blair. Children are encourfood. No, it’s not Vegas, it’s aged to sign up to ride on the The Great Kern County Fair, back of large sheep and try to and according to Bill Blair the stay on the sheep’s back until CEO and general manager, “It’s the whistle is blown. Children Magic!” will compete for prizes and a Fair time is here once again chance to go to Fresno to duke it and there is a new theme arriv- out with fellow champions from ing with it, “It’s Magic!” has other fairs. “Mutton bustin,” is replaced the old “Best in the a chance for children to experiWest” slogan. “This year we ence the rodeo, but on a smaller decided to change, I guess the scale. Blair said, “It’s a hoot to public wanted a change, too” watch.” said Blair. Also new this year is the KiThere are all sorts of things to nect/XBOX Mobile Tour, which do with admission to the fair. will make its way through the The Budweiser Pavilion will fair Sept. 22 to Sept. 26, and feature 12 nights of free enter- will give gamers a chance to tainment with musical guests play new games in it’s mobile Kellie Pickler, Uncle Krack- exhibit. er, Salt N’ Pepa, The Doobie The Calico Corner Children’s Brothers and even Mariachi Los Area has been expanded thanks Camperos. There will also be in part to PG&E and will have free entertainment in La Villa a circus, Imagination Gallery Festiva featuring acts like Mari- and Picasso’s Drawing Pavilion. achi San Marcos, Cupido, Virus, According to Blair, “In the chiland Amor Y Llanto. dren’s area and throughout the Several new events will make grounds, providing a fun learnReporter
nate perez / The Rip
Anna Agenjo hosts an Internet evaluation workshop at the Grace Van Dyke Byrd Library on Sept. 14.
BC offers research help By Jon Nelson Reporter
The Grace Van Dyke Bird Library is currently offering free workshops for Bakersfield College students wanting to learn how to conduct college-level research. Each workshop works on a “first-come-first serve” basis, but the weekend and more popular classes fill up to the point of librarians having to turn students away. The average class size is around 18 students and workshops will be held in room L217 in the library. “They don’t come to the library,” said librarian Marci Lingo, laughingly referring to the biggest mistake students make when it comes to doing research. “Many don’t search Google effectively for scholarly material,” said Lingo. The idea for doing the classes has been in the works for over ten years and was spurred on by a recent report that shows that college students don’t know how to conduct college-level research.
“We started small and they’ve grown in popularity and the number of topics,” said Lingo. This semester the library will hold 70 workshops on seven different topics that vary from something as general as “Research Strategies” to the more specific ones like “Ethics in Research.” In the Spring 2011 semester, over 1,200 students attended the workshops offered. “When they leave the rate of satisfaction goes up,” said Lingo about the classes. Each workshop includes an introduction into the database, and a topic. They usually last about an hour. Students who have attended past presentations left comments on evaluation forms like, “Too much to write here; the workshop was very helpful,” and, “I recommend ALL students take it. Especially freshman.” “Generally speaking, students usually are really appreciative,” said Lingo. A schedule of all workshops is available at the Grace Van Dyke Bird Library.
News Briefs Free Workshops
Critical Academic Skills Workshops are available for free on campus and focusing on a variety of topics useful to students. On Sept. 22, Understanding Parts of Speech will be in SS 151 from 1 to 2 p.m. On the same day, Planning to Succeed will be in SS 151 from 3 to 4 p.m. Other workshops are available most days, and a schedule can be found on the BC website on the Student Success page.
Poet Speaks
Poet Jayne Cortez, director of “Slave Routes: Resistance, Abolition, & Creative Process” and president and cofounder of Organization of Women Writers of Africa, will be on campus at the Norman Levan Center on Sept. 22, at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Admission and parking is free. For details, call 395-4339.
Walk to Defeat ALS
The eighth annual Walk to Defeat ALS will be held Oct. 1, at the Park at the River Walk in Bakersfield. Walk registration begins at 8 a.m. and is followed by a three-mile walk. Check http://walkgla.alsa.org for more information.
Local Concerts
Kevin Devine will be appearing at Jerry’s Pizza on Sept. 22. Shows are $10, doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets available online at timgardeapresents. com and at the following locations: World Records, Wavelengths, Impact Streetwear, Outer Limits, Hoggz, B-Ryder’s. Alien Ant Farm is playing on Oct. 1, and details and other bands playing the next few weeks can be found at timgardeapresents.com.
BC Twitter
Bakersfield College is now on Twitter for news, information, tips, and events. Use the hashtag #bcrenegades or username @bcrenegades to get involved.
BHS Play
“Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” will be playing at Bakersfield High School in Harvey Auditorium at 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $20 adults and $10 students/ children. Call 325-6100 for details.
ing environment is a big part of what the Kern County Fair is all about.” Many of the entertainment staples like the rodeo and hypnotist show will be returning. Also, mini-tractor races, AllAlaskan pig races, BMX Pro Trick Team and turkey stampede will be making a return. When asked if he was concerned about lower admission due to the economy, Blair said, “No, I’m really not. Actually, I’m very optimistic because fairs in California have done very well as long as the weather’s been good. We all believe, and we’ve been kind of espousing this for a couple of years. “It’s the stay-cation syndrome, where people are not going to Magic Mountain or Disneyland, they want to go to the fair, so they do save up their money to come to the fair, and it’s been that way since the economy took a turn in 2008.” The Kern County Fair offers several days of discounts for different groups of people starting with free admission on opening
day Wednesday Sept. 21, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. On Tuesday Sept. 27, and Wednesday Sept. 28, are “School Days” where children can go in a group with their school or home school from 9 a.m. to noon for free and check out some of the educational aspects of the fair. Thursday Sept. 29, is “Special Friend Day”, also from 9 a.m. to noon, and is specially designed for disabled children to also enjoy educational aspects of the fair. For more information on other discount days please visit www. thekerncountyfair.com and click on the KC fair link. “All this stuff you can do for six bucks. Who can come and see the Doobie Brothers, or Uncle Kracker, or Kellie Pickler, you know for as far as entertainment goes, for six bucks?” said Blair. The fair starts Wednesday Sept. 21, and runs through Sunday Oct. 2. Advanced ticket sales are available at Albertson’s. Prices are $6 for adults and $3 for children over the age of 5. Children under 5 are free.
Horticulture professor hosts radio talk show By Nate Perez Reporter
If you have ever wondered why your garden does not seem to grow the way you have always wanted it to, look no further. The Country Garden Radio is a rejuvenated live talk show that airs on Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on KERN Radio Newstalk, 1180 AM. The radio’s hosts are Dale Edwards of Old River Sod and Lindsay Ono, an Environmental Horticulture professor at Bakersfield College. The show began airing on
TRANSFER: Universities invade the BC campus Continued from Page 1 more experience in enrolling and filling out applications by attending workshops that are a part of transfer week. More state and out-of-state schools have been interested in enrolling BC students because of the excellent training and experience they demonstrated at their four-year school. Granger-Dickson said, “It’s becoming more of a trend with out-of-state colleges like Oklahoma State University and Arizona State, including places like the San Francisco Art Institute. “There was even a booth for Alaska here because of the previous students that the college has encountered,” Granger-Dickson said. A few students found what they were looking for at the booths Sept. 12. “I went to about four different booths, Devry University, Santa Barbara, one I can’t remember and Fresno State, which Fresno caught my attention. They have programs that that are directly linked to the field I want to get into,” said Dominique Slain, 27, criminal justice major. She grabbed some forms and information, asked a couple of questions, and left because she was in class and going to the booths was their class assignment. Some of the colleges in attendance, such as UC Davis, have veteran representatives. Jacquelyn Ross, assistant director of undergraduate admission, comes almost every year because she enjoys informing students of why UC Davis is a great choice for transferring. “We come out to talk to BC students who want information on how to be in the best position for their future,” Ross said. “The most common question students ask are about requirements and transferrable units from BC.”
GROVE: Student rep can take questions Continued from Page 1 She added “these people really are taking notes and bringing them back to legislators,” but that “legislators are not educators. They only know what we tell them.” She is urging students to attend and “tell them your personal story. Tell them ‘this is what will happen to me.’” She added “imagine the impact if hundreds of students attended?” Bresso is working to get other representatives on campus to meet with students, noting that there has been interest expressed by several legislators. The process to get a representative takes at least a month to get approved by the district, but otherwise there are no other issues.
Aug. 6, 2011, but was previously on another radio station for about five years, before being revived on KERN Radio Newstalk, according to Ono. Country Garden Radio covers a wide variety of topics such as plants, trees and turf. Listening to the program can provide many answers regarding what is new in the gardening scene, tips on how to grow plants, soil preparation and so forth. Calls to the program are highly encouraged. According to Ono, the average number of calls is anywhere between 1015 calls per show.
The Country Garden Radio staff and their expert friends from the nursery and landscape industry will try to answer any question that a caller may have. If a caller does not want to be heard on the radio, they can simply send the question to The Country Garden radio’s Web site or Facebook page and they will try to answer the question at the next upcoming show. Although the show is based in Bakersfield, anybody from Valencia to just north of Fresno and from Mojave to San Luis Obispo can listen to The Country Garden Radio.
The Country Garden Radio is strictly funded by donations. All donations given to the non-profit Bakersfield College Foundation Office – Environmental Horticulture program will help fund materials for classes, scholarships for students, and events. The donations given will also help the BC Environmental Horticulture donate to out-reach programs. If you would like to support The Country Garden Radio, you can do so by visiting Countrygardenradio.org or by contacting Lindsay Ono through the Web site.
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The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Art exhibit on campus showcases unique art By Monica Bolger Reporter
The Wylie and May Louise Jones Gallery inside the Grace Van Dyke Bird Library opened its doors for the semester’s first opening reception of “Surface” on Sept. 8. It will continue to be open to the public until Sept. 29. Opening night featured numerous art pieces that decorated each wall and represented three different artists and their signature style of work. All conveying different visual elements of art and design, Brett Anderson, Ellen Soffer and Dennis Sopczynski’s art work earned different reactions from visitors that focused among the diversity in balance, texture and dimension from each frame. “It’s great. Here is a great opportunity to see art you may not typically see at school,” said Bakersfield College president Greg Chamberlain, as he studied Brett Anderson’s work. Anderson’s style of printmaking displayed different etchings and engravings that depicted contorted mermaids, devils with horns, unicorns and abrupt images of people and their environment experiencing hopelessness and despair. “The Revelator” was one of Anderson’s relief print pieces that showed an aged women with a prosthetic nose and worn, tired features looking up into the distance, as a small demonic creature clung to the back of her cloak, and a morphine needle occupying the opposite side of her body. “I don’t know why he makes such graphic im-
ages, but they’re so beautifully detailed. To Brett, everything is fascinating. Everything has a symbolic purpose,” said Anderson’s mother and father in-law, Joe and Norma Navarrete. “He really ought to consider putting these up on the web,” said Mr. Navarrete. Adjacent to Anderson’s art was a completely different style of work by Allen Soffer. BC sophomore Adriana Marquez was one student that seemed deeply affected by Soffer’s use of oil and acrylic on canvas. “I don’t understand what this means, but it looks really pretty. I’d like to hang it up on my wall at home to bring some life into the place,” said Marquez. Soffer’s canvas work was much larger in size and illustrated non-representational images of circular objects and contrasting colors that were painted with different strokes of repetition and rhythm. The last artist, Dennis Sopczynski, displayed a completely different form of art, created with colored pencil on vellum and various cut outs from newspapers to form a collage. According to Sopczynksi’s byline, his representational art of the use of water comes from the artist’s personal swimming background. Each piece portrays a swimming pool in a pointillist type of manner. Although the artists are not students and will not be present to describe their work, a catalog of information is available at the gallery for visitors to learn more about each artist’s personal profile.
Gregory d. cook / The Rip
A patron takes in Brad Anderson’s “Lost In Thought” at the Wylie and May Louise Jones Gallery on Sept. 8.
BC professor passes away, but gave fond memories By Patricia Rocha Reporter
Brandon Barraza / The Rip
Arel Moodie looks at the projector screen and talks with a crowd of Wasco Jr. High students at the Extreme Entrepreneur Tour on Sept. 19.
Big business is back at BC By Amber T. Troupe Production Editor
The Extreme Entrepreneur Tour made its second round to Bakersfield College for their informational seminar geared at informing mainly young people, but anyone interested, in how to start a business. This year’s convention took place in the grassy area in between the Grace Van Dyke Library and the Student Services building inside a white tent and the Fireside Room, unlike last year’s seminar held in the campus’ forum. The event took place from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. with hot dogs and chips being offered. The Students in Free Enterprise organization sponsored the event in collaboration with Kern Community College District. The seminar comes with a new lineup of speakers, each which personal entrepreneur stories. The organization also provides the audience with a panel of business owners who answers questions. This year’s keynote speakers were EJ Carrion, the co-author of the book “Ignite your Dreams: How to Build and Accelerate Your Life as a Top Notch Student” and co-publisher of “Col-
legiate Performance Magazine”, and David Gardner, Co-founder of ColorJar, the Venture Accelerator. The list of the panel was Tim Terrio, founder and CEO of Terrio Therapy-Fitness; Michelle Leveroni, owner and founder of the first Subway in Bakersfield; Scott Doolittle, founder of Scott’s Landscape and Design and Justin Avery Anderson, inventor of Anderson Trail, the Original Premium Soft Granola. This time the EET invited other colleges in the southern area of California, as well as being a part of the Wasco Thomas Jefferson Middle School entrepreneurship elective class program with 116 students present. The BC turnout was approximately 100 students, according to Gayle Richardson, BC professor and organizer of the event at the campus. “I organized the event for here and I put together the location of it and how BC students would be involved,” Richardson said. The seminar kicked off with Carrion beginning his speech and hyping the crowd up with his enthusiastic personality. There were interactive activities that Carrion utilized to get the students more excited in the information the Tour offered. Haley Huntington, business
management finances major, was one of the personnel who registered the people in attendance for the program and this was her first time working the event. Huntington said that the speakers made the event fun with the activities they had. “I found out about the tour from my teacher Ms. R because she said that it was a great organization and a great learning experience,” Huntington said. After the speakers talked to the crowd and gave their personal business stories, they opened the panel up to answer the questions students wanted to ask. They asked questions like how hard was it and what advice he had because the majority of the crowd were middle school students. Anderson talked about how he came up with the idea to invent his soft granola because when he was 16 years old he wore braces and couldn’t chew the hard granola. Anderson stated, “Don’t give up and keep persevering. Find something you want to do and keep trying.” The speakers and personnel of SIFE finished their tour with a group picture in front of their tour bus in the parking lot behind the bookstore.
Recently retired Bakersfield College professor, Thomas Hamilton Yale passed away this summer on the early morning of July 27. Yale retired in 2010 after 44 years of teaching microbiology, physiology and anatomy at BC. Yale’s close friend and colleague Ronald Allsman said Yale’s time at BC made the college a better place. Allsman, who shared an office with Yale for 10 years, said there are too many memories about Yale to fit into one article. “I retired six years ago after
teaching for 43 years,” Allsman said. “That’s 87 years between us. With two of us in that office, you can say we’ve seen a lot of changes.” What didn’t seem to change over the years was Yale’s passion for teaching. “He was very happy with what he was doing. He could have retired a long time ago, but he enjoyed teaching so much he didn’t see any reason to stop, ” said Allsman. Colleagues described him as very disciplined, always preparing his students for their next step, whether they were a part of a basic biology class or the nursing program. “One of the people at his ser-
vice said ‘he was the best person they ever had help with the program’ and I believe that’s true,” said Allsman. Outside of teaching, Yale had a lot of hobbies, including participating in Civil War reenactments at Fort Tejon in the 1st US Artillery, A Battery. It was because of this participation that Yale was able to donate the current firing cannon that’s used at the Renegade football games. Yale was born on Oct. 11, 1938 in Leavenworth, Kan., to Lillian and Wesley Yale. He is survived by his wife, Susan Yale; brother John Yale; son Daniel Yale; and daughter-inlaw Deanna Yale.
A new communications class at BC designed for associate’s degree By Cassandra McGowan Reporter
Communication is a fastgrowing degree for college students. According to the Bakersfield College website, in the 2004-05 school year only two people graduated with a degree in communication. In the 2007-08 school year there were 23 graduates with a communication degree. To meet this demand, Bakersfield College added a new degree to its curriculum this year, Associate in Arts in communication studies for transfer. To aid in this degree, a new class has been added into the communication program. Oral interpretation has been brought back in to the list of classes available to communication majors or students interested in bettering their communication skills.
“It was part of the curriculum awhile back and then they stopped offering it, but then with the new transfer degree they needed to add it back in.,” said Dr. Melinda Fogle Oliver. There is a wide range of classes offered within the communication program, everything from interpersonal communication to public speaking and now oral interpretation. “Just to give you an idea, they study poetry and drama, and prose. “They pick their own selections and then we work on the performances and they do give performances, but it’s different than acting,” said Oliver. At other colleges, this class is offered in a theatre department and is often referred to as performance studies, but these classes use different techniques to achieve the same outcome. Oliver said, “I think it’s al-
ways a course people are interested in, but because it has that performance element a lot of times people don’t view it as essential.” The students must use published material that is written by someone other than himself or herself. Students cannot write their own material, as the point of the class is to see the world through the eyes of other people. “I think a lot of times people don’t really think that it’s a job skill, but so many professions, teachers, librarians, preachers and lawyers actually have to perform that kind of material in their jobs,” said Oliver. “So it is directly transferred to a job situation.” The class only has one course available this semester, but according to Oliver, they are hoping to have two courses available next semester.
BC Writing Center now open to alleviate students with prose problems By Patricia Rocha Reporter
The new Writing Center in the Student Services building is open to all students looking to enhance their writing skills. The center’s goal is to provide students with the tools they need to empower them through their writing. “It’s very exciting,” said Dean of Instruction Rebecca Flores, about the new center. “It’s something [Bakersfield College] has needed for a long time for students across campus.”
Writing Center project leader Kelli Michaud said that the center isn’t just for English majors, and is open to all students of any level who need help with any type of writing assignment. “Regardless of your major, writing will be a part of your life,” says Michaud. The hope is that the center will teach students that writing assignments shouldn’t be done last minute and don’t deserve their negative reputation. “Writing doesn’t have to be scary if it’s viewed as a step by
step process [that takes time]. Once we change the idea that it’s scary, you’ll be empowered,” Michaud said. “We are doing everything we can to raise student success.” Grant Manager Rageshwar Goldberg hopes all types of students utilize the new center. “I encourage STEM field students to come get help if they need it. They need to be able to write, too,” said Goldberg. STEM is the Science Technology Engineering Mathematics program here at Bakersfield Col-
lege. “If you feel insecure about your writing, it’s OK, that’s what we’re here for,” said Michaud. “Once you learn the skills, that will allow you to be a much more successful student.” Students will be able to schedule or walk in for 30-minute consultations with instructors who have gone through a training process to help students. “We don’t want to proofread, we don’t want to do their papers for them, we want to help students craft their writing,” said
Michaud. The grant-funded center in room 133 in the SS building currently consists of 19 computers, two group areas, a reading room and common area that project leaders hope will become a place students feel comfortable to come in and use as often as they please. Professor and English faculty chair Pamela Boyles shared that some of her colleagues regretted that it took so long for this type of center to be available. The center is open to all stu-
dents Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon. Michaud expressed future interest in starting a web site for the center, as well as working with teachers to create a database of all school writing assignments, but for now is still accepting donations such as posters and decorations to make the center as warm and welcoming as possible. “We’re still looking for fun artwork, and we still need a pink flamingo. We don’t have one of those yet,” Michaud said.
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BC remembers and honors those who gave their Story by Amber T. Troupe lives Photos By Megan Luecke
Above: Paula Dahl, the women’s basketball head coach, sings the national anthem before the matchup between Bakersfield College and Saddleback College. Left: Military veterans, police and fire department members stand to be recognize during its 31-17 loss to Saddleback College on Sept. 12. Bottom Left: The captains of both teams, Saddleback College and Bakersfield College, meet for the coin toss before the Sept. 12 game at Memorial Stadium.
Top: The American flag and the flag of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps are presented before the Sept. 12.
Right: Kern County Fire Department, engine 41, displays the American flag at the Sept. 12 game between Saddleback College and BC.
BC students reflect on the 10-year anniversary of 9/11 It has been more than 10 years now since the nation was rocked from its foundation. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 still lay heavy on America’s heart. Nationwide there are memorials and remembrance held in honor of the lives lost on that fateful day. Some people don’t remember actually what they were doing or the depth of the impact, while others will never forget what this nation endured. Some were deeply influenced like Stephanie Vernier, 22, who recalls what she was doing when she got the news. “I was in first-hour class in the seventh grade in Michigan, so there was a time difference. All of sudden everyone was talkative. Everyone started watching TV at school and some people were devastated about family members,” said Vernier. Vernier thinks that during 2008, a lot of young people in her age group joined the military. “ I joined the U.S. Marine Corp, the
elite branch of the armed forces. I think the people in my generation who I joined with, wanted to go to Afghanistan and Iraq to get back what they stole from us,” Vernier stated. Vernier remembers her grandparents’ reaction to the attacks. Her grandfather, a veteran from the Vietnam War, was very angry because he felt that the U.S. military capabilities was being tested yet again. Her grandmother was more upset than angry because she felt that it meant a war was coming. To Vernier, September 11th was a shocking and surreal moment because most people didn’t think it could happen. Vernier takes a moment of silence every anniversary of the attacks to remember all those lives that were taken. On that day, people of different ages reacted in varying ways. Jennifer Kelly, 27, recalls being at home and getting her kids up for the morning, when she turned the TV on like every morning. “I saw the first tower on fire and the
other was still standing. It read ‘terrorist attack’ and like 15 minutes later I saw the second tower fall,” Kelly recalls. When Kelly saw the second tower go down, she immediately grabbed the kids in her arms and called her husband, telling him to come home. Kelly’s next thought was to start praying. “I thought it was the end of the world! We had been talking about the Rapture in church the day before, so I was afraid that my kids were going to fly out of my arms,” she explained. Once she realized it wasn’t the end, she continued watching the live news coverage and found out that the World Trade Center was also involved. The attack on the Trade Center greatly saddened Kelly, because she knew there was a daycare center inside the Trade Center and she felt sympathy for the children that lost their lives that day. Kelly began looking for places to hide around her home, then in Wasco.
She thought that it was the beginning of World War III so she didn’t want to take any chances. She believes that after the attacks had happened, America went into a discriminatory state against Muslims. Kelly feels that she was in the same mind frame as most Americans until she saw the movie “My Name is Kan” in class just one semester ago. “I began teaching my kids to examine and pay attention to the whole picture and not judge a group of people off the actions of a few,” said Kelly. There were events in Bakersfield commemorating those who had fallen. One gathering took place at Cal State Bakersfield where students, faculty and the community came to the campus to gather and show their respect for the innocent and deceased Americans. They banded together to form a human linked version of that historical date, showing that those people will never be forgotten.
Martin Chang / The Rip
Military units place these rocks in Fort Irwin, a military reservation 37 miles northeast of Barstow, to commemorate their training together. Hector Villapando, who’s four sons had served in the military, has kept this rock to represent his family’s service. This rock was signed by one of his son’s units.
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Wednesday, September 21, 2011
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Is the GOP starting their campaign too early? By Keith Kaczmarek Reporter
PRO
cal over-reaches. As for the rest of the candidates, they need their own various forms of seasoning. Ron Paul simply needs people to hear his full platform so that he can be neatly removed from the running altogether while the rest need to start taking some risks in order to get noticed for the VP slot. For example, Jon Huntsman has become a maverick in his own party for the outrageous proscience position of stating that he believes what 98 out of 100 climate scientists say about global warming and then also throwing his hat in with evolution, and it’s going to be that kind of move that actually builds some name-recognition and later secures the centrists that neither front-running candidate really has a lock on. Early front-runners also allow for early failures, leaving room for a dark horse candidate to emerge on the field in the next few months before the first primary in February, someone who will look amazing when compared to the current offerings.
This election cycle, the Republicans need to start early and they need to start hard. They are facing an incumbent president with a historic pedigree and a spotless record for presidential behavior and a few wins like the death of Osama bin Laden and healthcare reform, but the thing really working against them is their own candidates. The field of potential candidates for the Republican nomination is somewhere between “grim” and “pathetic.” Early front-runners are cash-poor, weighed down in scandal and missteps, or simply have the charisma of an animatronic character at Disneyland. This means that they need to make all their mistakes now so that when the election comes, they won’t be remembered for the crazy things they said before, but for the soaring rhetoric that they can bring to the moment now. Gov. Rick Perry needs time to live down his “Social Security is a Ponzi scheme” comment and the fact that he led a mass prayer meeting for the purpose of bringing rain to Texas only to have historic fires ravage his state (for better or worse, Biblical symbolism is noticed in conservative states). He also needs time to keep pushing his “Texas Miracle” narrative of economic growth in Texas amidst the recession so that people can forget that it was debunked by the simple mention of the massive federal spending in that state. Mitt Romney needs time to build a new narrative altogether. His new centrist platform doesn’t play well to his old followers and he needs time to find some people that weren’t paying attention to the old Romney and won’t be accusing the new Romney of being a flip-flopper. Michele Bachmann simply needs time to adjust to the limelight. Her Tea-Party roots, adorable gaffs, strong to the point of delusional religious ideas, and lack of knowledge on key historical facts make her a prime vice-presidential candidate in the Sarah Palin model, and those qualities can be nicely glossed over when she joins forces with the presidential candidate. She is also a more gifted speaker and debater than Sarah Palin, so given time these strengths will overcome any amateurish early moves and rhetori-
By Tyler McGinty Opinions Editor
CON
The election isn’t for over a year now and yet the Republican Party already had candidates vying to get their party’s nomination as early as this June. I can’t be the only one who thinks that the GOP is jumping the gun a little bit here. I understand that campaigning against an incumbent is difficult, but I think that would make the GOP keep their campaign tight. With so much time spent campaigning we may get to know the candidates better, but the candidates have far more opportunities to make mistakes. Michele Bachmann is the prime example of the perils of campaigning so early. She kicked off her campaign in Waterloo, Iowa claiming that John Wayne, the western star, was born there, which isn’t the case. Not only was that incorrect, but Waterloo is where John Wayne Gacey, serial killer, had his
Chrystal Fortt / The Rip
first criminal conviction. These little slip-ups might not be the thing that makes or breaks her campaign, but maybe if she spent a little more time fact checking before the announcement of her bid for the GOP nomination, she wouldn’t have made any mistakes. Americans can be fickle and if they forgive one slip-up, they might not forgive many more. But Bachmann still has a long time to make similar mistakes. I don’t think it will be too long before the candidates start running out of things to say, either. Unless some brand new and incredibly important issue suddenly comes up, they still have over a year to say they’re going to stand for the same things over and over again. They’ll have their poor speechwriters working overtime, coming up with new metaphors and more inventive ways to convince the American public to vote for them. I don’t think I can stand another year of speeches about jobs and health care. It makes me incredibly glad that the Democratic Party is most likely going to nominate Barack Obama again. I don’t need a year of speeches from both sides. I’ll gladly listen to debates between the two nominees for president, but I don’t have the energy to keep up with a long battle for the GOP nomination. I doubt it takes as long as they think to convince the average Republican to pick a candidate for their party. All it takes is seeing where each candidate stands on the issues important to you and whether or not they carry your party’s ideals as far as you want them to. They don’t need a long drawn out campaign to convince the Republicans to pick which Republican they want to vote for. Furthermore, don’t these people have jobs to do? Bachmann is a senator and the current frontrunner, Rick Perry, is the governor of Texas. I wouldn’t put much faith in people that take time away from their jobs to look for another one, especially in the same field. If they’re willing to abandon their post for this so early on, how can I expect them to focus on their presidency?
Not as indestructible as they claim By Gregory D. Cook Photographer
We are over a decade into the 21st century, and what was the science fiction of yesterday is quickly becoming the commonplace of today. While science seems to have fallen behind on its promise of flying cars, the Telebrands company of Fairfield, New Jersey claims that the new Aluma Wallet is the 21st century upgrade for the good roduct old-fashioned wallets and billfolds that our grandparents used to use. eview Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend throwing away that old leather wallet in your purse, or that billfold you made out of Duct Tape at camp yet, because while the Aluma Wallet is long on promises, it comes up woefully short when put to the test. In its late-night television commercials, the Aluma Wallet boasts that it is the solution for bulky, disorganized, and out-dated wallets. Its packaging proclaims it the “indestructible aluminum wallet,” and among its many qualities, it claims to be water resistant and able to protect you from identity theft, by preventing thieves from reading credit card data from your pocket or purse; lofty goals for what basically amounts to an aluminum-covered plastic box. But being a person that embraces new technology, I carried the uncomfortable hunk of metal around in my back pocket for a week just to get a taste of what the future of wallets has in store for us. Problem number one for the Aluma Wallet is that it is impossible to look cool pulling money out of a little aluminum box. It just can’t be done, and while this alone should be enough to condemn the product, there other reasons to pass on this one. One of the immediate downsides of the wallet is its size. The designers of the Aluma Wallet have managed to find the perfect size to make it both too small to hold enough stuff, and yet just big enough to feel like a brick in your pocket. The inside is divided into eight individual pockets that separate your stuff. This would be a nice feature if they held cards and such securely like the pockets of a normal wallet or billfold, but these pockets merely serve as separators, forcing you to be careful every time you open the thing. The Aluma Wallet’s size also makes keeping cash in it very inconvenient. Bills have to be folded up to make them small enough to fit into the wallet. And while this might be considered a plus because if you put big bill on the outside it can make even the poor college student look like they have a fat wad of cash, digging through your pimp roll for two dollars to pay for soda while trying not to spill the rest of your stuff out of the wallet gets old fast. The other big claim made by the Aluma Wallet is that it can protect you from identity theft. Many banks are incorporating radio-frequency identification technology into their credit cards these days, and
P R
there is a growing fear that these cards may be read from a distance without the owner’s knowledge. The Aluma Wallet claims to block unwanted scans due to the fact that it encases your cards in aluminum; yes, just like wearing a foil hat keeps the government out of your head. There is some actual science behind this, but in order for it to work, your cards must be completely surrounded, the Aluma Wallet has plastic edges, and the whole thing would have to be electronically grounded, and the Aluma Wallet is not. Its protective abilities are doubtful at best. And finally, just how “indestructible!” can a plastic box covered with a thin sheet of aluminum be? Well within a few hours, my butt had already managed to put a noticeable dent in the side of the Aluma Wallet. But to be fair, a dent isn’t destruction. In the commercial, a truck runs over the wallet and it comes away looking brand new. To my surprise, the Aluma Wallet survived being run over several times by my truck but then so would a regular wallet. Wallets in general are flat to begin with, and immune to the threat of further flattening. In the end, my Aluma Wallet succumbed to a drop on its side from about waist level that broke its plastic hinge. While ladies might find some use for this holding cards and such in their purses, the Aluma Wallet is in no way a suitable replacement for my trusty old scratched and battered tri-fold billfold. I guess the future of wallets will have to wait a little longer.
Gregory D. Cook / The Rip
Above: The Aluma Wallet before its claim to be indestructible was put to rigorous and somewhat overzealous testing by the Rip staff. Right: Greg Cook opens the Aluma Wallet after it was ran over seven times, stomped on by two people and dropped from waist level.
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, Sandra Ward Photo Editor..................................Joseph Cota Online Editor............................Martin Chang Photographers: Brandon Barraza, Gregory D. Production Editor...............Amber T. Troupe Cook, Megan Luecke, Nate Perez, Eleonor Segura, Nathan Wilson
Adviser.......................................................Danny Edwards
Martin Chang / The Rip
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Wednesday, September 21, 2011
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Staff Editorial
Column
Troops need to be on American soil The United States has become a global empire. With the models of empires before us we have occupied over 130 countries with military bases. There are two main reasons as to why this is wrong. First, the budget for such a thing is crippling our economic growth. Second, it is ideologically conflicting with the ideas that our country was built upon. For our country to ever get back to its prominence that it was known for decades ago, we must put an end to this. Mainstream ideas nowadays often call for the return of our troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, but this is only a very small fraction of the problem. Our overall budget for fiscal year 2010 for military bases and “Overseas Contingency Operations” surpassed $700 billion. There is no way that our current-weak economy can sustain such a number, a number that is only getting bigger by the year. Those in Washington, D.C., haven’t moved an inch on the issue, and until they do, recovery isn’t likely. “The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible.” These are the words of George Washington, just before he left the office of the presidency. This is quite possibly the best advice our leaders in D.C. could get right now, a message from the past about the future. The fact that we have bases in so many countries shows how far we’ve come ideologically since the birth
Pop, Girls, Etc. | The Rip’s Opinions Editor shares his thoughts on pop culture and media
of our nation. We fought tyranny in 1775, tyranny that was dominating the majority of our planet, and our leaders’ main reason for war was the fact that we didn’t have any representation in the governing body across the Atlantic Ocean. The thought that the people in all those nations our military occupies have had any say in that situation is just erroneous, and we must stand up against such a thing if we really have a love for our country. Now, friendship with all nations should be at the forefront of our foreign policy, and complete economic globalization seems inevitable, so to completely turn
our back on our nations would be a mistake. That is not what we are asking, we are asking for common sense; to stop this absurd spending on world occupation. Let’s use those resources defending ourselves, instead of attacking nations and pushing our brute on weaker nations. Let’s use those resources to help those nations that aren’t worried about religious ideologies, but just how to somehow scrounge up their children’s next meal. Or, if our leaders were really serious about fixing our economy, they should use some of that $700 trillion on paying some of our national debt, that is closing in on $15 trillion.
Cafe makes a better pastry than sandwich By Cassandra McGowan Reporter
I arrived at Riverwalk Café about an hour and a half late for breakfast, which was highly disappointing because I was really looking forward to a good omelet or breakfast burrito. They stop serving breakfast at 10:30 a.m. but from the looks of the menu, it looks pretty tasty. The café features Peets Coffee & Tea, and also offers espresso as well as grape, apple, and orange juice to accompany your breakfast (or lunch). The women working behind the counter were smiling and friendly and seemed happy with their positions. I sucked it up that I didn’t eat breakfast, and ordered an egg salad sandwich on sourdough with a side of potato salad and a Dr. Pepper. I expected the usual pathetic porous thin slices of sourdough, but much to my surprise the bread was fluffy, thick, and super fresh. The egg salad was OK, it was nothing to write home about. It was pretty tasteless and I could really only taste relish and pepper. It was also runny, which is not appealing in an egg salad. The woman at the register said all the bread they use comes in fresh every morning from Pyrenees French Bakery. Some of the other sandwiches people were eating looked good,
What makes your favorite so personal?
but I am not a big ood sandwich eview person to begin with. W h e n you order a full size sandwich it comes with a free (tiny) side, I chose the potato salad. It was pretty good, it had a little pouch of mustard, but not in the overwhelming sense. You can also choose Ambrosia salad, Balsamic pasta salad, coleslaw or chips. To end a decent lunch I ordered one of the gigantic, delicious-looking cupcakes from the display case. I got the Vanillalicious, it was divine, thick sweet frosting with sprinkles to top off the ridiculously moist cupcake itself. I would go back there just for the cupcakes. Riverwalk Café also offers big, freshly baked cookies and slices of cake. The prices are a little on the high side with sandwiches ranging from $6.95 to $8.95. For my sandwich, side, drink, and cupcake the total was $12.50. I would only go back to get a mouth-watering cupcake, but I would recommend this place to the sandwich connoisseurs of Bakersfield. Riverwalk Café is located at 9450 Stockdale Highway.
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Gregory D. Cook / The Rip
Torani Vanilla cupcakes are made on-site at Riverwalk Cafe, complete with sprinkles and thick, sweet frosting.
Chrystal fortt / The Rip
A Taco Bell special, the Doritos Locos Taco comes in a paper taco sleeve that reads, “Taco on the inside, Doritos on the outside.”
Doritos Locos isn’t quite as exciting as the name By Zak S. Cowan Editor in Chief
Fellow Bakersfieldians, you have received an exclusive that no one else in the country (except for Fresno) has, but don’t get too excited. The new Doritos Locos Taco is a taco with a shell made entirely of Doritos. Aside from the grammatically incorrect slogans (My Doritos is a taco!), the campaign for the taco that is only appearing in Bakersfield and Fresno steered my interest, and I decided it was worth a try. As I waited through the typical Taco Bell service, my anticipation never really got too high, but I was, to say the least, intrigued. Once my food arrived, a regular Doritos Locos Taco priced at $1.19 and a supreme variant priced at $1.59, I carried out my plan to get the full Doritos-Loco experience: try both tacos without sauce, and both with every sauce one by one. The first thing you’ll notice when opening up the wrapper to the taco is the paper sleeve that the taco comes in. This was totally awesome! A sleeve that the taco rested in is something I’ve never seen before, and it made my taco-eating experience so much more effortless. As I dug in to the regular version, I was greeted with something that I was used to when eating at Taco Bell: dry meat. The meat’s texture and flavor made it impossible for my taste buds to focus on the obviously delicious Doritos-flavored taco shell. Eventually, I got over the meat, and was able to hone in on the overall taste of the taco, and was surprisingly very satisfied.
The taco shell isn’t just Doritos flavored, it’s an actual Dorood itos chip enlarged to eview make a taco shell. The invention of the Doritos taco shell Regular Taco sounds mind blowing, but it’s really kind of weird. Supreme Taco After somehow managing to use every sauce on the taco separately, I was finally able to come to a conclusion on the taco: it’s boring. The flavor of the taco is nothing to be excited about, and not one of the five sauces added what it needed to quite possibly change my regular Taco Bell order. So, without being overly satisfied, I moved on to the supreme edition of the Doritos Locos Taco. Upon opening the wrapper to the supreme variety of the Locos Taco, I was finally excited; the taco had sour cream oozed on it. Once I started eating the taco, I knew that this was the way to go if you wanted a Doritosflavored taco. The messiness of the Doritos Locos Taco Supreme is exactly what a taco should be, and I enjoyed every bite substantially more than the regular version. I can be certain about one thing after my whole Locos Taco experience: my regular at Taco Bell isn’t going to change anytime soon, but I probably will order one of these at least one more time before they’re gone forever.
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It seems that every film buff has a movie that speaks personally to them. I’m one of these guys, and for me that movie is “High Fidelity.” If someone tells me they don’t like that movie, or just hasn’t seen it, I get offended. I will have a long heated argument with someone, just because they don’t like my Tyler McGinty favorite movie. It’s probably because I see so much of myself in the main character of “High Fidelity,” Rob Gordon. I’m neurotic, obsessive, I can’t let go of the past, and I love making lists. So if someone doesn’t like this movie, it’s like they’re saying they don’t like me. My favorite movie is so personal, that I’ve integrated it into my self-image. I have no idea if this is something common, or if I’m a special case by taking it to this extreme. But “High Fidelity” came out 11 years ago. Why hasn’t anything else hit me so personally? Have I become more cemented in my self-image, or is Hollywood just not producing anything that speaks on a personal level? There have been plenty of movies that hit me emotionally. “The King’s Speech” last year really tugged on the heartstrings. But I couldn’t put myself in the shoes of a British monarch. I certainly empathized with the difficulties he had, but it all seemed so larger-than-life. Even though it was based on a true story, it didn’t seem as real or personal than a fictional story about a record-store owner. Last year’s movie lineup was full of fantastic movies, like “The King’s Speech,” “The Fighter” and “Black Swan,” and all of these movies hit all the emotional buttons. That’s just what good storytelling is. I’m not trying to put these movies down, but they just didn’t speak to me. Granted, like I said, I’m not a monarch, a boxer or a ballerina. Maybe that’s why those movies don’t hit me personally. I am however, a clerk at a comic book shop and gaming lounge. So I can relate to Rob’s plight as he deals with awkward customers and abusive employees. (One of my co-workers is Jack Black’s character come to life.) But “High Fidelity” was my favorite before I was a clerk. I was just a high-school student who liked lists. So maybe it’s just the story-telling format. I’d love for more down-to-earth stories about a regular guy facing some fairly normal problems. The slice-of-life genre shouldn’t be just for autobiographical comics, novels or films. It’s a wonderful untapped resource for purely fictional stories. Maybe if more films were made like this, there would finally be something else to dethrone “High Fidelity” from its throne of my personal favorite. I can’t imagine that ever happening, though. Ever since I saw it, “High Fidelity” has been my favorite. I’ve made jokes about reorganizing collections autobiographically, made lists of my top five all-time track one, side ones and even named my column after a “High Fidelity” reference. That’s what a favorite movie is. It’s something that’s going to be part of your life forever, and as much as you want to see a movie like it, you’ll never see it disappear from your life. At least, that’s what a favorite is to me.
Sports
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The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Top league player gives boost to women’s golf By Esteban Ramirez Reporter
At the beginning of the season for the Bakersfield College women’s golf team, there has been good play and a recordbreaking performance. They’ve gotten off to a good start with a 2-2 record, and the number one player in the league, Malea Miller, has given them the boost they’ve needed, according to head coach Bob Paillet. “We’ve done well to start, although we’re short-handed with injured players, but [Miller] always gives us a chance,” said Paillet. From the start of the year until now they have picked up 15 strokes on everybody and Paillet
believes that if they keep improving, they can make it to the state tournament. Miller broke a BC record at the Desert Tournament, which was a two-day tournament. Miller got a 66 to break the old record of 70 by Helen Krausse. The team participated in a tournament on Sept. 19 at Riverlakes Golf Course when they got third beind Glendale College and College of the Canyons. “I think [Miller] can be a state champion because she has one of the most natural swings I have ever seen,” explained Paillet. “I’m very optimistic after this performance because we are playing much better.” Miller had an off game at 78 tying for third in the Sept. 19
match, according to Paillet. “Her timing was off and she missed a couple of puts.” Paula Robinson shot a 78, a 4-stroke improvement, and they got a spark from Kambria Ulrich, who shot an 81 coming off a back injury. “She showed good strength and great spirit to give us a good score off an injury,” said Paillet. Paillet says that they still need to improve on their decisionmaking and to be more consistent with their putting. “We’ve come a long way, but we need to keep improving if we are going to reach our goals,” Paillet said. “So far the team is third in the conference and getting better with each tournament.”
Gregory D. Cook / The Rip
Bakersfield College’s Malea Miller tees off at hole 4 of the Links at Riverlakes on Sept. 19. Miller shot a 6-over-par 78 to finish in a tie for fourth, with BC finishing in third overall.
Triathlon attracts professors, students, and octogenarians
BC soccer takes first four games The Bakersfield College women’s soccer team has opened up its season with four wins. “We never predict how things will go, just hope to be better then the game before,” said Scott Dameron, head coach of the women’s soccer team. “We learn something new every game.” On Sept. 16, BC soccer had their first home match against College of Sequoias. Bakersfield took the win 5-1 with the help of freshman Sabrina Stink, who scored three goals in the match. “It was d e fi n i t e l y ports a good win, the oundup organization of this Compiled by game was Meisha McMurray great, I’m very proud of the results of this match,” said Dameron. On Sept. 2, Los Medanos hosted the Bakersfield College Soccer team. Bakersfield won the match 7-0. “It was obviously a good start”, said Dameron. On Sept. 3, Bakersfield traveled to Cañada and took home the win 6-0. On Sept. 7, Bakersfield was hosted by West Hills, at the end of the match Bakersfield took home the win 4-0. “This was one of the best matches of the season, we had the best ball controlling,” said Dameron. Cross country The BC men’s cross-country team opened its season at the Fresno Invitational on Sept. 10. The team finished in 18th place. BC sophomore Robby Baker was the first finisher for the Renegades with the time of 22:48 and finished in 46th place. On Sept. 17, BC traveled to the
By Esteban Ramirez Reporter
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Brandon Barraza / The Rip
Outside hitter Sarah Horcher dinks the ball over the net against Porterville on Sept. 7. Orange Coast Invitational, where they finished in 11th place. Baker was the first BC runner to finish with a time of 21:03 in 14th place. The second person in was BC returning sophomore Kednan Colditz, he finished with the time of 21:48. Returning sophomore John Turcell was the third runner for BC and his finishing time was 21:56.
Volleyball On Sept. 9, the Bakersfield College volleyball team traveled to Antelope Valley, and successfully took home the win by scores of 25-23, 28-26, and 25-22. A week later, on Sept. 16-17, BC played in the San Diego Mesa Tournament. The Renegades finished the tournament 1-3, defeating Palomar 3-1 in the
first round, then losing to L.A. Pierce, San Diego Mesa and Moorpark in their consolation matches.
The Bakersfield Triathlon, held at Lake Ming on Sept. 19, showcased young talent winning, a performance by a Bakersfield College professor and some veterans of the sport. Michael Szewczyk, a 21-year-old who went to Garces High School, won the sprint section of the triathlon. That involved a half-mile swim, a 12mile bike ride and a 3.7-mile run. “I felt good out there, I thought I did really well in the swim, but the bike was a little hard,” said Szewczyk. “The hardest was definitely the run because I kind of panicked when I saw the sign that said I still had two miles to go, but I was able to keep my composure and fight through.” According to Szewczyk, he fell behind at the beginning of the bike, but was able to get back in the lead and stayed there. This was his first triathlon in three years and he said he wants to try the Olympic distance next, which is about twice as long as a sprint. In the Olympic-distance race, the winner was Luke Roberts, a 28-year-old firefighter also from Bakersfield. “I’ve been doing this event since 2008, so it feels good to finally win and to have my family here supporting me when it happened,” he said.
Other participants included Suzanne Pinza, an Academic Development professor at BC who rode the bike portion on an Olympic-distance relay team. “I thought I had a personal best, but I think I didn’t go as fast downhill because I was afraid of cramping,” she said. “This was my fourth time doing it and second time doing the Olympic. It’s a lot of fun for me, and it helps me to keep myself in shape.” There was plenty of diversity in the triathlon, including some seasoned veterans like Becky Whitehead and Chuck Freuler. Whitehead, 73, has been doing the Bakersfield Triathlon since 1988. “I want to keep doing it, but it seems the race is getting longer each year,” said Whitehead. “It’s probably because I’m getting slower.” Whitehead said that she has a lot she can improve upon, like running faster, but was satisfied with the end results of her performance. Freuler, 84, has been doing triathlons for over 30 years. “I felt OK out there, but I realize that the older you get the faster you used to be,” Freuler said. “I had a good bike, but the toughest for me was definitely the run, because it was hot and I run better in the cold. “I absolutely want to keep doing this because it keeps me fit and that can improve the quality of anyone’s health when they stay fit.”
Sports
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The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Column
BC 28, Antelope Valley 0 BC-Antelope Valley, Stats Bakersfield College Antelope Valley College
0 0
7 0
14 0
Let’s find something to improve
7_28 0_0
Second Quarter BC_Cobb 1 pass from Duboski (Schleicher kick), 9:11.
Third Quarter BC_Morris 26 pass from Duboski (Schleicher kick), 7:06. BC_Dogins 23 interception return (Schleicher kick), :25. Fourth Quarter BC_Sykes 2 run (Schleicher kick), 4:31.
AVC 16 250 32-113 137 1-0 5-97 0-0 16-32-3 3-19 4-150 4-1 3-40 24:21
BC 20 341 42-167 174 1-15 1-16 3-27 14-24-0 3-17 4-143 0-0 14-117 35:39
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
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING_BC, J. Sykes 17-110, M. Cobb 11-48, Q, Cheatham 2-12. AVC, S. Kenny 14-73, F. Brown 3-16, D. Francis 7-16. Passing_BC, B. Duboski 9-15-0-112, B. Burrell 5-9-0-62. AVC, C. Cameron 12-28-3-83, S. Duffy 4-4-0-54. RECEIVING_BC, Hobdy 6-75, Tubbs 3-43, Morris 3-27, Ossai 1-28, Cobb 1-1. AVC, Harmon 4-41, Clark 3-12, Evans 2-23, Culver 2-19, Cooper 2-8, Cherry 1-26. MISSED FIELD GOAL_AVC, Steffes 26. A_300
Saddleback 31, BC 17 Saddleback-BC, Stats Saddleback College Bakersfield College
0 0
14 0
14 17
3_31 0_17
Second Quarter SC_T. Johnson 36 pass from Gomez (Harris kick), 7:44 SC_Gomez 10 run (Harris kick), :51 Third Quarter BC_ FG Schleicher 25, 11:32 BC_Burrell 1 run (Schleicher kick), 8:25 SC_Woodland 43 pass from Gomez (Harris kick), 7:37 BC_Hobdy 11 pass from Burrell (Schleicher kick), 6:14 SC_Woodland 22 pas from Gomez (Harris kick), 4:51 Fourth Quarter SC_FG Bowlin 43, 3:30
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
SC 27 478 42-173 305 3-33 3-52 2-0 24-44-2 2-10 5-201 3-0 10-80 32:30
BC 16 296 31-5 291 0-0 3-120 2-45 19-34-2 9-60 9-325 0-0 7-60 27:30
Individual Statistics RUSHING_SC, D. Dickerson 14-96, B. Gomez 13-54, T. Johnson 2-14. BC, M. Cobb 13-32, J. Sykes 4-0, Burrell 13-(-24). PASSING_SC, B. Gomez 24-44-2-305. BC, B. Burrell 19-34-2-291 RECEIVING_SC, Woodland 5-107, T. Johnson 4-64, K. Closs 3-28, Edwards-Ford 3-22, J. Poole 3-18, Sierra 2-19, D. Dickerson 1-32, Simonton 1-7, J.D. Krill 1-6, A. Cade 1-2. BC, Hobdy 7-111, Tubbs 4-101, Clayton 3-53, E. Ossai 2-15, A. Morris 2-2, Cobb 1-9. MISSED FIELD GOAL_SC, Bowlin 43. A_1,630
Conference standings SCFA National Northern Conference All Games W L PF El Camino 3 0 101 Allan Hancock 2 0 88 Ventura 2 1 86 Canyons 2 1 85 Bakersfield 2 1 77 Cerritos 1 2 102
PA 45 35 57 62 50 103
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megan luecke / The Rip
Bakersfield College freshman quarterback Brian Burrell gets hit as he throws a pass during the team’s 31-17 loss Sept. 12. A week later, Burrell broke his collarbone and is expected to miss at least six weeks while he recovers.
FOOTBALL: Duboski set to lead Tyler Dogins’ 23-yard interception return that pushed BC’s lead to 21-0. “Dogins’ interception gave us a little bit of breathing room and put the score up where we were up by 21 points,” Chudy said. “It ended up being a really big back breaker for them.” At the start of the fourth quarter, the story was the same for the Marauders. The team finally looked like they had some life when they Sept. 3 BC 32, Pierce 19 marched into Sept. 10 Saddleback 31, BC 17 BC terriSept. 17 BC 28, Antelope 0 tory with just Sept. 24 vs Citrus 7 p.m. over 13 minOct. 1 at Mt. San Antonio 6 p.m. utes remainOct. 8 BYE ing in the Oct. 15 vs Alan Hancock 7 p.m. game, when Oct. 22 at Ventura 6 p.m. running back Oct. 29 at El Camino 6 p.m. Kenny StewNov. 5 vs Cerritos 7 p.m. ard coughed 7 p.m. Nov. 12 at Canyons up the ball at BC’s 28-yard leader, and hopes that his team line. The fumble was BC’s fourth will learn from Duboski. “We’ve got to get the rest of turnover of the game, and the last the team to play at that same lev- they needed. BC took control and el in terms of mental toughness marched down the field on a 19and knowing their role and doing play 80-yard drive. They capped off it with a 2-yard touchdown their job,” Chudy said. After Duboski led the offense by Jalen Sykes that pushed their down for the score, Chudy’s de- lead to 28-0 with 4:31 remaining in the game. fense took over the game. Antelope Valley would fail to For the rest of the first half, Antelope Valley only had two score on their final possession, plays inside BC territory, and despite pushing BC’s defense that dominance continued into back to its own 13-yard line. According to head coach Jeff the third quarter. BC’s defense kicked off the Chudy, the team missed about second half forcing three turn- one-third of the practice reps that overs on Antelope Valley’s first they would normally get due to the short week. three possessions. “Our guys adapted and adjustBC capitalized, scoring 14 points, including defensive back ed extremely well,” Chudy said. Continued from Page 1 “[Duboski] did exactly what was asked of him,” said Chudy. “He made really good decisions and protected the ball. “It was good to see him play within the system and make the right reads, and not try and do anything more than was asked of him.” Chudy said that he expects the team to rally around their new
Football Schedule/Results
gregory d. cook / The Rip
NFL Hall of Fame defensive lineman and Fox Sports commentator Howie Long, far right, takes in the game between the Saddleback College Gauchos and the Bakersfield College Renegades on Sept. 12. Long’s son Kyle is a sophomore offensive lineman for the Gauchos. “I was really excited with how those guys handled that situation.” BC will face Citrus College this Saturday at Memorial Stadium, who touts one of the most productive offensive players in sophomore quarterback Blake Loncar. Loncar, in just two games so far this season, has passed for over 700 yards and seven touchdowns.
“We’ve certainly got to contain the quarterback and hopefully we can get him in some down-and-distance situations where we can take advantage,” said Chudy.Last year, BC defeated Citrus 54-6. A week after facing Citrus, BC will head to Walnut, CA to face two-time defending state champion Mount San Antonio College on Oct. 1.
As I was trying to make a list of some actions Ryan G. Beckwith, Bakersfield College’s new athletic director, could take to make the athletic department at BC even better, I found it difficult to find anything that really needed to be improved. Our facilities, like the football stadium and baseball/ softball fields are magnificent, and our coaches do a great job Zak S. Cowan utilizing the talent that they get. I am impressed with Beckwith’s enthusiasm and energy he brings to the table, and I love the young, fresh attitude he has. With that in mind, I have just one suggestion, to fix something that doesn’t fit in with that whole persona that he is trying to imprint into the athletic department. Our cheer team is unbearable. When visiting teams come to face our football team, or any of our sports teams for that matter, they laugh at the ’50s-like routine that the cheerleaders dish out. Often, people will argue that, “These cheers are our tradition, and we need to stick to it.” Don’t listen to the spin; if tradition is ruining our chances of being taken seriously among the cheerleading community, then we should forget about tradition and find some new routines. I know from my inside sources that the cheerleaders are picked by the amount of “sparkle” that they have (whatever that means). You call, “Go, go, go, go, go, go; one more time: go!” sparkling? The “Go BC, Go,” chant was one thing, but now it seems like the cheer squad isn’t getting better routines as time goes on, but they are regressing. When I made the move up from high school to college, I was expecting our cheerleaders to get a little Beyoncé for the fans, but instead, the Bakersfield College cheer team dishes out the same lame lines and moves I’ve been hearing since I was in elementary school. If this is too much to ask for, maybe because the average age of the viewing audience at a BC football game is well over that needed to receive an AARP card, then it seems BC will forever be stuck in this conservative daydream of reality. Our athletic department can never be considered, “to have the Division-I feel and look,” as Beckwith mentioned in the Sept. 8 issue of the Renegade Rip, if our cheerLEADERS can’t come up with an original cheer of their own. With all the success our team’s are having, like the football team’s recent 28-0 thrashing of Antelope Valley College, and the soccer team’s 4-0 record in 2011, the cheer team is holding us back in mediocrity, and until that changes, no one, especially me, will take BC athletics with same grain of salt as a USC-type athletic powerhouse. If tradition isn’t the main reason for the dry chanting that illuminates from Memorial Stadium on Saturday nights, then there must be another reason. Is it that the recruiting pool in Kern County for cheerleaders is really shallow? Or, is it so talented that all our cheerleaders are, in fact, moving up straight to Division-I schools? I highly doubt either of those statements, and I’m sure the women on the cheer team are yearning to show the fans what they can do. Let’s hope that this gets fixed so we can all take out the earphones and listen to the game. If things don’t change, I don’t think I’ll be coming back once I’m an alumni.
Spotlight
Page 12
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Tattoo & a Shave An artist’s tattoo needle inks in a design on a recipient’s leg.
Rolland Smith, owner of the barbershop side of Modern Electric Tattoo & Barber Co., gives Will Shishani a hot shave Sept. 16.
Irma Barba celebrates Mexico’s Independence Day by getting her nose pierced by Jsin Johnsin at Modern Electric Tattoo & Barber Co. Sept. 16.
Tattoo artist Gulli “Munster” Garcia tattoos on fellow co-worker Jsin Johnsin’s ankle. photos by Nathan Wilson / The Rip
The Modern Electric Tattoo & Barber Co. prides itself on a calming environment while tattoos are applied. By America Garza Reporter
Take one look around the Modern Electric tattoo shop and you’ll realize you are not dealing with tattoo artists, but with artists who tattoo. A diverse collection of art in every style, color and medium decorates the shops walls – all original pieces amassed over 20 years by the shop’s co-owner and tattoo artist Billy Von Boening. Twenty years after opening the first tattoo shop above Guthrie’s Alley Cat, Von Boening returns to downtown Bakersfield along with wife and co-owner Amy Daley, a business-marketing student at Bakersfield College, to
open their uniquely-billed tattoo and barbershop. Modern Electric opened its doors in May and the pair has since gone to work establishing the shop and making plans to give back to their hometown. “I’m tired of people thinking of us as a hick town. We could be so much more than that,” said Daley. At 46, Von Boening is already a 20-year veteran of the tattoo world. He has worked with some of the most high profile names in the industry – skateboarding legend Steve Godoy, worldrenowned female artist Kari Barba, and Clark North from the TLC show Inked, among others. His work is featured on dozens
of covers of major tattoo publications, as well as on the flesh of members of Bakersfield rock bands Korn and Adema. But despite his success, Von Boening is a down-to-earth guy who is passionate about tattoos as an art, a culture, and a business. According to Von Boening and Daley, combining a tattoo parlor with a barbershop is a practice that originated in New York in the 1950s. With services like hot-towel straight-razor shaves, shoe shining, and ’50s-style cuts offered seven days a week, Von Boening says Modern Electric is “the oldstyle gentleman barbershop.” It’s not just the barbershop side that seems to ooze authenticity at
Modern Electric. Von Boening and Daley only hire experienced and professional tattoo artists, and no one with less than five years of experience gets in. “You have to have artists that people want to come see. We have, combined, more than 60 years experience in this shop,” says Daley. The pair believes that fostering their artists’ talents benefits the shop and, ultimately, the customers. “We like to stay busy,” says Daley. “If our artists aren’t tattooing they’re painting, or doing flash…(they’re) always artistic. We encourage that. We keep art supplies around to inspire their creativity so we can grow as bet-
ter tattoo artists.” There’s a different vibe about Modern Electric that you just don’t get at other shops around town. Customers are greeted warmly, invited to check out the artists work, and chatted with about surprisingly normal stuff. The whole shop hums with a sort of harmony. “We keep our customers happy, and we definitely try to keep our artists happy because if you don’t have a happy home, it’s not going to work,” says Daley. Modern Electric plans to use the artists’ talents to give back to the community through a number of year-round charitable causes. The shop will be raising
“I think all our different likes and styles come together when we start jamming and making our own music.” Sam Coronado, drummer, ExposE
Diverse tastes form one musical voice By Martin Chang Online Editor
The members of ExposE, a local band from Bakersfield, come from different styles and perspectives, but they combine to form something they see as different. Chuk Thomasy, the lead singer and guitarist of ExposE, calls himself, “a child of the ‘90s.” He thinks that the grunge sound is “embedded in his DNA.” “It’s just how I know how to express [myself]. It’s just what I grew up in,” said Thomasy. Dustin Cruz, the bassist, considers his taste in music to be a bit heavier. He said, “I just like it [rock music] harder and heavier. I don’t know why.” While Sam Coronado, the group’s drummer is mainly a fan of hip-hop saying, “the type of music I listen to, the majority is hip-hop. It’s always been my favorite type of music.” Thomasy and Cruz played together with their previous drummer for about seven months. When he left, Coronado answered an advertisement that Thomasy had placed. It would be the first band Coronado had joined, however, he was not new to music. He had been playing drums for 15 years as a marching-band style drummer, even teaching percussion at Centennial and South High School for a few years. “It was a little nerve-wracking at first,” Cor-
onado said. “I hadn’t played a drum set too much, so I explained to Chuk that I am more of a marching drummer, but I had abilities. I was fortunate enough to get involved with a band that had a fan base and a start.” Thomasy said of Coronado joining the band, “Him coming into the band completely new was making it new to us too. It was a regrouping, a rebuilding. It brought a new shade of color to it. His drumming is not a standard rock drumming. It definitely puts us musically in a new direction.” Thomasy believes that each member of the group’s unique take on music helps the band’s sound. “It leaves us open and versatile to do so much, with all three of us being very influential and outspoken with what we want to do. It really makes for a finer product,” said Thomasy. Coronado said, “It can sometimes get argumentative because everyone has their own preference and style. I think it makes it great. I think all our different likes and styles come together when we start jamming and making our own music. We all bring a little piece with us when we start writing.” ExposE does all their song writing by jamming, not with a single member coming in with a complete song. It’s a process both Coronado and Thomasy call “magical.” “It’s really raw,” Coronado said. “Sometimes we have a concept and we’ll go one or two or three practices then next thing you know we have song out of it. It kind of just happens.”
Photos by joseph Cota / The Rip
Above: From left, ExposE members Dustin Cruz, Chuk Thomasy and Sam Cornado perform at Fishlips Bar on Aug. 11. Right: Chuk Thomasy takes the stage at Vinny’s Bar on Aug. 21. On Oct. 1, ExposE will be opening for Alien Ant Farm at B-Ryders. Cruz said of the show, “I think it’s a positive step. It’s a different audience and there will be more people and a place we’ve never been before. Only good can come from it.” Thomasy says the show may have a bigger audience and more promotion, but it doesn’t seem to faze him. “It is just another show,” Thomasy said. “We are going to get up there and do the same stuff we always do.” However, Coronado wasn’t as reserved about the show. “I think it’s collectively everything we have worked for. By all means, it’s by far the biggest show of my life,” Coronado said. “I’m really excited by it and hoping it won’t be the last [show of this size] that we do.”
proceeds for the Breast Cancer Society by offering $20 pink ribbon tattoos for the month of October. They are also participating in the Via Arte at the Marketplace next month, an event that raises money for The Bakersfield Museum of Art, as well as featuring artists in the Kids of Kern art show to benefit the local Alliance Against Family Violence. “We know we’re nothing without our community so we try to do as much as possible,” said Daley. There are 25 tattoo shops in Bakersfield, possibly hundreds of barbershops, but there’s only one Modern Electric tattoo and barbershop.