Rip Issue 5, April 14, 2021

A second look at BC
sports
Sports, Page 7
BC celebrates the life of
Cesar Chavez
Jess Nieto Memorial Conference , Page 5
Vol. 96 ∙ No. 5 Wednesday, April 14, 2021 Bakersfield College
The Renegade Rip
PHOTO COURTESY OF NICKY DAMANIA
Bakersfield College Student Government
Association (BCSGA) 2021-2022 Presi-
dent, Edith Mata.
Meet BCSGA new 2021-22 officers
By Teresa Balmori Perez
Reporter
The Bakersfield College
Student Government Association
(BCSGA) announced
their new officers for the
2021-2022 academic year on
March 25.
“I am extremely excited to
work with our new BCSGA
Officers. In order to ensure
students’ have a voice in all
measures of the campus operations,
it is like these dedicated
and passionate student
leaders who will make BC a
great institution. I encourage
other students to follow their
peers’ example, and join your
student government,” said
Director of Student Life and
BCSGA Advisor, Nicky Damania.
The new officers shared
their priorities and thoughts
regarding their new position
as BCSGA officers.
Edith Mata, a sophomore
at BC, is the BCSGA’s president.
Mata has been a student
at BC since 2018.
She is currently pursuing
an associate degree in business
administration.
Mata explained her favorite
thing about being a BC
student is her community,
being involved in school, and
having the opportunity to get
her associate's degree.
After BC, she plans to transfer
to California State University
Bakersfield (CSUB) to
further her education.
According to Mata, the
reason why she ran was because
of representation and
she was motivated by her
team.
“I would bring representation
as a person of color, as
a woman, and as a mom,”
Mata stated.
“I think representation is
important because when I
see myself reflected as a leader,
it sends a message to me
that I’m able to accomplish
anything I aspire.” Mata
then went on to explain that
she would also want to create
more programs for underserved
communities such as
students of color so they can
feel supported and accepted
at BC. Mata explained that
her three priorities as president
would be to bring more
resources to students and equity
and to create more programs
to help under-searched
students.
Amanda Amos, a sophomore
at BC, is the new BCS-
GA Vice President. Amos has
been a student since 2019.
She is currently studying
nursing.
According to Amos, some
of the few things that she
loves about being a student
are getting to meet all the students
and getting to know the
staff. Amos plans to transfer
to a UC that is very hands-on
training after BC.
According to Amos the reason
why she ran for vice-president
was because she wants
to make a difference in her
campus and to serve the
community. “I feel like what
I can bring to the table is just
my dedication,” Amos stated.
She also hopes to bring
diversity and understatement
to what it’s like to be a student.
Some of the issues that
Amos feels that should be
discussed on campus are how
COVID-19 is affecting the
student body, Students life
after the pandemic, and the
mental health of others.
“Also, our student involvement
is very low, so, I feel like
getting our students more involved
on campus and being
able to speak on things that
they believe in are important,”
Amos added.
According to Amos her
three priorities as vice president
would be more student
involvement, more communication
between students,
and making sure that all students
are represented.
Adam Moreno is a BC student
who is the new BCSGA
Senator 02.
He is studying phycology.
Some of the things that he
enjoys about being a student
is being able to communicate/getting
to know other
students and professors. After
BC, Moreno plans to transfer
to CSUB or the University of
Nevada Las Vegas ( UNLV)
to be closer to family.
Moreno explained that the
reason why ran for the senate
was because he believes in
the future of the community
and wants to be involved in
building something that matters.
According to Moreno, one
of the issues that he believes
should be addressed is racism
and social injustice.
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News
Page 2
The Renegade Rip www.therip.com Wednesday, April 14, 2021
BC process of returning to campus
By Charr Davenport and
Brisa Flores
Reporters
Bakersfield College’s President
Sonya Christian held
two virtual forum seminars
to discuss the topic of reopening
BC campuses for
the upcoming summer and
fall semesters on April 6 and
April 8.
The President’s Virtual
Seminars was hosted by Bakersfield
College Director of
Student Life Nicky Damania
and featured President Christian
as the main speaker.
In the first seminar BC
faculty members of BC that
are a part of the campus’s instructional
workgroup at BC
shared their thoughts on the
campus reopening.
President Christian then
introduced the panelists of
the webinar; Rich McCrow
BC’s Dean of Instruction;
Joe Saldivar, the department
chair of biology; Rony Recinos,
an automotive technology
professor; Jordan Rude, a
professor of psychology; and
Christie Howell, who is also a
professor of psychology.
“It’s certainly exciting as we
start trucking towards some
changes again in our life, like
coming back together,” said
McCrow and shared details
about the coming fall 2021
semester.
McCrow shared that just
like the changes at BC at the
beginning of the pandemic,
such as management, it will
continue to change to adjust
to the “new normal.”
McCrow then went on and
had a Q&A session with the
rest of the panelists to share
their reopening thoughts.
Recinos was asked to share
his opinion on what the new
normal would look like when
faculty and students return to
campus.
Recinos said the engineering
department had laid
some expectations for students,
such as requiring face
masks, washing their hands,
and scanning the BC pass
app QR code.
“Don’t be scared of coming
back. It’s fun,” added Recinos.
The next question was directed
towards Howell. She
was asked what are some
ideas faculty would use to
help ease the anxiety and fear
students could have when returning
to campus.
Howell said that talking to
the students like regular people
is essential for easing that
anxiety to let them know that
faculty is there for them.
Saldivar was asked what
the difficulties students are
that they face when it comes
to communicating. “I can’t
wait to go back to the classroom,”
he shared.
Saldivar added that building
relationships with students
happens in their lab
time in a science course. Not
being able to do labs physically
is like a “punch in the
gut.”
Rude was asked how personal
challenges would
impact the capacity of empathizing
with students.
Rude said that being transparent
with his students was
helpful and shared ideas on
how he centered himself before
he could center his students.
Rude added that he created
a discussion post for his students
to discuss a new hobby
they picked up and share
their progress with their
classmates.
“Do something and have
a plan for yourself and if it
works, share it with your students,”
shared Rude.
The webinar ended with
McCrow telling the rest of
the panelists to share their final
expectations and thoughts
on returning to campus.
The second seminar featured
Interim Director of the
Student Health and Wellness
Center Cindy Collier,
Director of Counseling and
Student Success Marisa Marquez,
nursing professor Lisa
Harding, and nursing student
Abigail Greenleaf-Poncho as
guest speakers.
The virtual forum opened
with a slide show presented
by President Christian which
detailed current COVID-19
statistics as well as future
COVID-19 campus safety
protocols. As of April 8,
there have been 106,724
COVID-19 resident cases in
Kern County, with 38,232
recoveries and 1,298 deaths.
Kern County currently remains
in the Red Tier, but is
expected to be in the Orange
Tier before June 15, according
to an article by Ilyana Capellan
written for KGET.
“Right now, 21 million
Californians have had one
or two doses of the Pfrizer or
the Moderna vaccine, or one
dose of the Johnson & Johnson,”
said President Christian.
“In Kern County, we have
over 300,000 individuals that
had a dose, so the numbers
are looking really promising.”
President Christian’s vaccine
information can be proven
true by an interactive California
COVID-19 vaccine
tracker provided by ABC 7
News on their website.
President Christian also announced
the arrival of 1,000
Johnson & Johnson vaccines
as well as a vaccine drive-thru
held on April 10 from 10
a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Bakersfield
College Panorama
campus. Bakersfield College
is also providing second doses
of the Moderna vaccine
at the Panorama campus on
April 10, the Arvin campus
on April 11, and the Delano
campus on April 12.
Following the announcement
of the vaccines and
vaccine drive-thrus was the
discussion of campus safety
during the COVID-19 epidemic.
“Above and beyond, our
priority is the health and safety
of our students and anyone
that comes on campus,”
said Damania. “It’s business
unusual and we’re doing
what we can to make sure it’s
a proper and exciting time to
come back to campus.”
Guest speaker Collier also
had some positive words
about the return to campus
and Bakersfield College’s
current COVID-19 safety
protocols, which include social
distancing and using a
campus pass app that screens
for COVID-19 symptoms. “I
want to make sure that everybody
understands that Bakersfield
College has done an
outstanding job with preventing
the spread of COVID-19
on our campus,” she said.
“I am really, really proud to
say that all the year that we
have been on campus, we haven’t
had one confirmed case
of COVID-19 transmission,
meaning our safety protocols
have been working and will
continue to work to keep everybody
safe.”
Currently Bakersfield College
has a four stage plan for
the return to campus, with
administration members returning
to campus first on
April 19, program directors
and managers returning on
May 3, classified staff members
returning on May 17,
and normal faculty returning
on June 1.
Students are expected to
make a return to Bakersfield
College on June 14.
NEW OFFICERS: Edith Mata
Continued from Page 1
“We turn on the news or we go on Twitter and
we learn about something terrible that’s happened,
and we’re reminded of the reality of racism and
social injustices everywhere,” Moreno said. His
three priorities would be culture, safety, and social
justice for students.
“Safety and social justice go hand and hand because
when we work hard to set a new standard for
justice, students will feel safer.”
Jordan Amey is a freshman at BC and is the new
BCSGA Senator 02. He is a phycology major.
According to Amey some of the things he enjoys
about BC are the extracurricular and resources
that are provided and he also enjoys the staff.
Amey plans to transfer to the University of California
Los Angeles (UCLA) and possibly go to grad
school to further his studies into becoming a phycologist.
Amey stated that one of the issues that should be
addressed are the problems surrounding the lack
of student engagement and students' wellbeing.
“Although I've only been at BC for less than a
year, I find that there's no engagement from the
student body, primarily within BC's clubs and associations,”
Amey stated.
As for the well-being of other students, he feels
that it’s hard to exactly know how students are
dealing with the pandemic because of the campus
being closed but he hopes that there is a way to
create more services for students.
According to Amey his three priorities as senator
would be to have communication within the
student body, to work with other members of the
BCSGA in order to come up with more fundings,
and to create more student services.
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Page 3
The Renegade Rip www.therip.com Wednesday, April 14, 2021
CCC chancellor updates on reopening
By Clarecca Hargis
Reporter
The California community colleges chancellor’s
office held an open webinar discussing student media
on March 25. The teleconference was hosted
by chancellor Eloy Oakley who talked about financial
aid, vaccines for students, reopening procedures,
and support getting students back on
campus across California.
Oakley explained the 20 million dollar outreach
bill that was passed by President Joe Biden. The
bill will help colleges receive proper funding to reopen
in the coming months as well as reach out to
students who may have left college due to the pandemic.
Oakley said that it was a priority to reopen
schools with the intent of proper maintenance for
the health and safety of students and staff. He said
that college classes will not be at max capacity and
social distancing will still be mandated. Oakley said
that fall semester classes including labs and other
career programs that require hands-on training
will have smaller class sizes. As for other lecture
classes, hybrid classes will be in effect.
Oakley discussed financial aid opportunities to
help students to get back on campus. He explained
that it is not too late for students to contact their
colleges to possibly receive financial aid for the
upcoming semester. Students should contact their
college’s financial aid office for more questions as
well as visit the icanaffordcollege.com website.
The chancellor also spoke about the anti-Asian
violence that has been increasing across the state
and country.
“We do not tolerate anti-Asian violence in any
shape or form and we must protect Asian and Pacific
islanders on our campus,” Oakley said. He
wants all campuses to come together to protect the
Asian community.
Oakley explained that there is a light at the end
of the tunnel with the amount of COVID-19 vaccines
available to the public as well as a decrease in
the number of people affected by the virus. He said
that the vaccine is starting to be available for college
students and Los Angeles County is planning
for reopening by April 15. Oakley said that the
facility and staff at California community colleges
have begun vaccinations and would also like to see
students vaccinate as well. According to him, with
the majority of those vaccinated, the reopening of
college campuses will be a lot smoother. However,
campuses must follow and maintain CDC guidelines
to reopen. Oakley explained that if students
wanted more information on where they can get
their vaccine, they can visit myturn.california.gov.
According to Oakley, although many Californians
are getting the vaccination, campuses must
continue to follow CDC guidelines. Some members
of the Senate are not wearing masks anymore
because they are fully vaccinated. Oakley said that
CLARECCA HARGIS / THE RIP
California Community Colleges hosted a
webinar for a student media teleconference,
hosted by chancellor Eloy Oakley.
regardless of the Senate’s choices to mask up or
not, students must continue to mask up until there
is enough immunity in our communities towards
the virus. Oakley encouraged students and people
to continue to follow the guidelines and mask up.
The next teleconference is set for this May to discuss
reopening procedures for California community
colleges for students and staff.
INDA transfer guide
WHAM on the vaccine
By Brisa Flores
Reporter
The Bakersfield College Industrial
Automation Department
held a webinar to give
future students information
about the four year degree program
on March 25.
This webinar explained the
program, such as what prospective
students will learn and the
program’s required courses.
Panelists in this webinar were
some of the professors in the
engineering and systems department
at BC; Maryam Farahani,
who teaches transferable engineering
courses at BC; and Roy
Allard, who is also a professor in
the engineering and systems department
at BC.
Jason Dixon, the department
chair for the engineering and
system department and faculty
leader for the industrial automation
program, gave a presentation
on the requirements for this
program for students who plan
to transfer to BC.
The BC website defines industrial
automation as “interconnected
equipment, technology,
and systems working together
to maximize production, assure
safety, use resources efficiently,
and ensure product quality.”
To start, Dixon gave a brief
overview of the skills a student
acquires in this program.
“There’s an equal balance
of technical and management
skills,” and added that these are
skills a lot of companies look for
when hiring. There are various
career options for students after
they graduate; some said in the
presentation were project manager,
field service engineer, safety
& health engineer, etcetera.
Dixon stated that there is a
very active and involved industrial
advisory board.
There are guest speakers from
companies like Target, Bolthouse
Farms, Chevron, and
even local companies like Kern
Steel in some courses. Students
in the program can even get
internships or jobs in said companies
during or after they have
graduated.
Dixon added that the engineering
department is currently
partnering with companies moving
into the county to help create
internships for students.
Dixon discussed the courses
students need to take in both
lower and upper-division requirements
to fulfill degree requirements.
There are prerequisites that
students must take before applying
to the program, such as
English 1A. Courses like a communication
course and technical
writing are one of the many required
courses.
All the required courses and
views of the degree plan are on
the industrial automation site on
BC’s website.
A counselor would be available
to help students figure out
their course plan and make sure
they are on the right track to
graduate.
Dixon also added that if students
have not completed some
of the lower division courses or
prerequisites, they may complete
those courses at BC.
Dixon also covered this program’s
cost. Each unit in all
California community courses
is around 46.00$, and each class
is around 128.00$. Dixon added
that there is financial aid available
for those who qualify to
cover costs.
The last day to register and
submit an application for Upper
Division is May 15.
By Razan Makhlouf
Reporter
Bakersfield College Latinas Unidos
hosted a virtual dialogue called “A Dialogue
About COVID-19: The Vaccine &
Your Health” on March 24.
The event was put together by the Bakersfield
College Women’s History and
More (WHAM), and the Office of Student
Life at Bakersfield College.
The dialogue was organized by Olivia
Garcia, professor of history at Bakersfield
College. The panelists were Michelle
Corson, the Program Manager/Public
Relations Officer for the Kern County
Public Health Services Department,
Connie Perez-Andreesen, the Chief
Administrative Officer for United Farm
Workers, Jay Tamsi, Co-Founder of the
Latino Covid-19 Task Force and President/CEO
of the Kern County Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce, as well as Bianca
Torres, the Hotline Manager of the
Kern County Latino COVID-19 Taskforce
Hotline. The themes covered in the
dialogue were: Latino COVID-19 Task
Force, Public Health vaccine, COVID-19
and Mental Health Hotline, and your
Physical Health; Farmworker Outreach;
and Women-specific Health Impact.
First, the panelists were asked about
how COVID-19 impacted the work they
do within the organizations they serve.
Tamsi explained how they had to learn
new techniques to get by. “We had to shift
direction and help our community. If we
did not help the community, and we did
not focus on outreach, awareness, and
campaigns, our Latino community would
not understand what was going on, and
how serious it was. So, we completely
shifted,” Tamsi said.
Corson talked about how they worked
hard on providing the most accurate information
to the public. “The goal of
public health is to protect the health and
slow the spread of any communicable
disease which COVID-19 is. That is why
we literally dropped everything. Every
employee in all our divisions their jobs
changed immediately to COVID–related
duties,” Corson said.
“Our world was turned upside down
when this happened in March. We immediately
shifted our priorities to wanting to
protect our staff but also our farmworkers.
When we were forced to work from
home it was a seamless transition because
the staff was trained to do everything
without using tons of paper,” Perez-Andreesen
said. Then, the panelists were
asked about their thoughts about which
vaccine to take; Johnson & Johnson,
Moderna, or Pfizer.
The panelists explained the importance
of getting the COVID-19 vaccines for
immunity regardless of the brand. “Protection
is protection, and if Pfizer is available
then go get that one. If Moderna is
available get that one, and if Johnson &
Johnson is available then go get that one
because you’re going to be protected with
all three,” Torres said.
They also were surprised about how
popular Johnson & Johnson vaccine is
when they thought people would reject it
because it has a lower effectiveness rate
in comparison to Pfizer and Moderna.
“Johnson & Johnson is one dose and convenient
for a lot of folks,” Corson said.
The panelists were also asked to explain
if the vaccines have side effects.
Torres explained that body aches are
normal symptoms of COVID-19. “Once
you get vaccinated, you’re introducing
your body into a forged object basically,
and so your body’s first response is to fight
and when your body is fighting it means
you are getting fevers, chills, all flu–like
symptoms and that is why you may have
symptoms afterward,” Torres said. The
last question was whether the panelists
encountered common myths in regards
to the vaccine. “We have been hearing
that the vaccine has a chip. It’s a tracking
device or that it’s going to leave a devil’s
mark,” Perez-Andreesen said.
Tamsi said that the biggest myth he
heard is that the future children of vaccinated
parents will have autism.
Michelle added that some people think
that COVID-19 is fake, and masks don’t
work.

Features
Page 4
The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
My Rainbow Road:
Donnée Patrese Harris
on her writing journey
By Charr Davenport
Reporter
The Bakersfield College Sexuality and Gender
Acceptance (SAGA) Club held the tenth session
of their weekly My Rainbow Road: Stories of the
LGBTQ+ Success from Our Community Zoom
speaker series on April 7. The guest speaker for
the event was Donnée Patrese Harris, an erotic
romance novelist and the Vice President of Writers
of Kern, which is a branch of the California Writers
Club.
The event opened with a short introduction of
Harris, given by the event host and Bakersfield
College Communication Department Chair Helen
Acosta, who had met Harris at the first Bakersfield
Pride march in 2017. “Donnée is a person who
always inspires me because she is passionate and
driven,” said Acosta before giving the platform to
Harris.
“I find that I can’t talk about my journey without
talking about my writing journey,” opened Harris.
“Most writers know that authenticity is the key to
writing a book… In order for that to happen, you
have to be authentic with yourself.”
She proceeded to explain the five-year process
of writing her first and most successful novel,
“Prohibited.” Harris had spent the first two to three
years of the five-year writing process creating the
first draft, after which she had a close friend and
her husband beta read it. Much to her dismay, they
both hated it because of its lack of authenticity. “I
realized later on that of course my characters were
fake,” said Harris. “Of course my story wasn’t real.
Because I wasn’t being real with myself.”
Harris then proceeded to explain how she was
considered the black sheep of her family because
What should our professors
know? BC students speak
By Clarecca Hargis
Reporter
BC presented a webinar discussing student
experiences on March 24. A large audience of
nearly 90 people joined the discussion. Student
body leaders shared their personal experiences on
campus and in the classroom. Their experiences
included how teachers made them feel with the
material they teach as well as feeling included.
Dr. Paula Parks, who teaches English at BC and
is the Umoja community ASTEP coordinator,
provided an example of a discussion about a
restroom scenario to show disparity in equity.
At a baseball game, there were more available
restrooms for men, but there were long lines to use
the restroom for women. One group was catered
to and taken care of more than the other for the
same sports game.
William Guillen is apart of the BC SAGA club
who refers to himself as a queer person of color.
He explained how representation matters in the
classroom and how we are currently in a time of
transition. Guillen said that not everyone at BC is
living a heterosexual life. He shared his experience
while enrolled in a theater class at Bakersfield
College and how he had a cisgender white male
professor who was instructing the course. He
referenced that the professor did not include
material from artists who are people of color or
she was considered smart, obedient, and sensitive.
This lead to her yearning for acceptance and
letting other people decide who she was. “I let
other people define me, which of course made me
miserable.”
Once Harris was able to accept herself for who
she was, she was able to rewrite and complete her
novel.
Though to the surprise of herself and eventually
her family, it became an erotic romance novel. At
the same time, Harris had also accepted herself as
a bisexual woman. “First I came out to my family
as an erotic romance writer and they freaked
out,” said Harris before talking about her family’s
negative reaction. “After that, it made it so much
easier to come out as bisexual.”
That isn’t to say that the reaction to her bisexuality
wasn’t negative as well. “I had some blowback for
both. For the book and for being bisexual. It was
tough, but I persevered.”
Harris ended her speech with advice for success.
“The key was authenticity. In my writing and in
my life,” she said. “Be authentic. Be who you truly
are. Brush all that fake stuff off you and you can be
successful.”
LGBTQ. Guillen explained that he brought up
Tyler Perry, a well-known Black theatre performer,
and director. Guillen said that the professor had
little to no interest in Perry and solely focused
on material from white writers like William
Shakespeare. Guillen said that he ended up
dropping the class, and his decision was due to the
lack of representation from multiple backgrounds
and that the classroom was not inclusive.
Zariyah Hall is on the membership chair of
Bakersfield College’s Umoja club. She explained
that some professors fail to include contributions
from people of color in their educational planner.
“People of color have contributed in science,
math, as well as other subjects… I want to feel
included.” Hall said. Hall added that Umoja classes
not only include material from persons of colored
backgrounds but are also inclusive of material from
the LGBTQ community.
Alexis Brown is a peer mentor for the Umoja
club and spoke about her experiences as a student
at Bakersfield College and how she encountered
difficulties printing out her assignments for her
classes. She explained that one of her professors
gave her permission to print out her assignments
from their classroom. However, another facility
member told Brown she was not allowed to print
and she would need to find another way to print
out her assignments. According to Brown, she
was denied access to print because she is a woman
Renegade Events
Campus Events
April 14: Open registration begins for Summer/Fall
2021.
April 14: Fire & EMS virtual employer panel
from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Zoom.
April 14: Renegade Fitness from 12 p.m. to 1
p.m. on Zoom.
April 15: Guest Speaker Barry Scheck from 10
a.m. to 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Zoom and
BCSGA Facebook.
April 16: CPR, AED, and First Aid Certification
courses from 8 a.m to 5 p.m. in Performing
Arts Center room 101.
Apr. 19: Renegade Fitness from 12 p.m. to 1
p.m. on Zoom.
April 21: Public health career exploration
event from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Zoom.
April 21: Law enforcement virtual employer
panel frin 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Zoom.
April 23: Renegade Fitness from 12 p.m. to 1
p.m. on Zoom.
April 26: Renegade Fitness from 12 p.m. to 1
p.m. on Zoom.
April 29: 2021 Honors celebration from 6 p.m.
to 7 p.m. on BC Facebook and YouTube.
April 29: Renegade Fitness from 12 p.m. to 1
p.m. on Zoom.
April 30: 2021 Honors medal drive-thru event
from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the BC admin circle/
roundabout
May 1: Renegade Fitness from 12 p.m. to 1
p.m. on Zoom.
May 8: Final Exams begin.
May 14: CPR, AED & first aid certification
courses in Performing Arts Center room 101.
May 14: Final Exams end.
May 14: Last day to file for Spring 2021 graduation.
May 14: Commencement 2021.
of color. She explained that there were several
white students that were allowed to print in those
facilities, and they could get access but she could
not, to resources she needed to succeed.
Edith Mata is the president of Latinos Unidos
por Educacion (LUPE) who discussed that
there needs to be more support on campus. She
explained that possibly hiring more counselors
will help students succeed at BC. Mata explained
how she is not a person of privilege and having
internet access to complete her assignments can
be difficult. She also added that some students
face issues with transportation getting to and from
campus. She would like to see Bakersfield College
create more programs for students who are less
privileged. Mata also explained how she would like
to see more professors of color teaching on campus
so that students can feel there is a larger diversity
amongst those who teach.
Cara Polte is a BC student-athlete and is a former
Frontier High student who comes from a privileged
background. She explained that her previous
campus was not as diversified as Bakersfield
College. Polte talked about how there are many
differences in teachings amongst the schools and
how she enjoys a more diversified environment.
She concluded by saying that history classes in our
society are very “whitewashed” and how schools
should implement more ethnic background studies.
This would allow students to have a greater idea of
the world around them besides the norm that they
are surrounded by.
The hour-long discussion ended with a Q&A
section where students were able to ask members
more about their experiences.

Jess Nieto Memorial Conference
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Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Bakersfield College celebrates the
life and legacy of Cesar Chavez
By Charr Davenport
Reporter
The Bakersfield College Social Justice
Institute and the United Farm
Workers of America (UFW) teamed
together to put on Celebrating the
Legacy of Cesar Chavez, the Farmworker
Movement, and the Ongoing
Work of the UFW and Cesar Chavez
Foundation, a Zoom panel, on Tuesday,
March 23 as part of the second
day of the third annual Jess Nieto
Memorial Conference.
According to the Bakersfield College
Social Justice Institute’s webpage,
the Jess Nieto Memorial Conference
is a yearly conference held in the
memory of Chicano Studies Professor
Jesus “Jess” Gilberto Nieto that focuses
on “Chicano/a/x, Latino/a/x,
and regional cultures and histories,
Ethnic Studies, community service
and activism, pedagogical practices,
and student thought and identity.”
The event ran from Monday, March
22 until Friday, March 26.
The Zoom panel Celebrating the
Legacy of Cesar Chavez, the Farmworker
Movement, and the Ongoing
Work of the UFW and Cesar Chavez
Foundation, focused on the historic
Delano Grape Strike, Cesar Chavez’s
work with the UFW, Chavez’s memory,
and the legacy that the UFW carries
today.
CHARR DAVENPORT / THE RIP
Paul Chavez, son of Cesar Chavez and president of the Cesar
Chavez Foundation, talks about his father’s legacy during the
panel.
The event was hosted and moderated
by Eric Cardona and Bakersfield
College History Professor, Olivia
Garcia.
Panelists featured were son of Cesar
Chavez and President of the Cesar
Chavez Foundation Paul Chavez,
current President of the UFW Teresa
Romero, former President of the
UFW Arturo Rodriguez, and Captain
of the Delano Grape March- a
300-mile march from Delano to Sacramento-
Roberto “El Capitan” Bustos.
Three of the four panelists had
known Cesar Chavez personally before
his death in 1993, Rodriguez and
Bustos working alongside him and
Paul Chavez being his son.
“We are a labor organization, but
when Cesar founded us, we always
had this idea that we would be more
than a union,” said Rodriguez about
the UFW.
According to the UFW’s official
website, the UFW was founded in
1962 by Cesar Chavez, Delores
Huerta, Gilbert Padilla, and others
that are unnamed. While the main
focus of the UFW is to unionize
farmworkers, other goals involve education,
health benefits, and anti-discrimination
measures.
“That’s something that Cesar
thought through the beginning. That
it was more than a union.”
Agreeing with Rodriguez was Cesar
Chavez’s son. “There were strikes
and boycotts,” said Paul Chavez, “but
it was never about lettuce and grapes.
It was about people.”
Along with Cesar Chavez’s work
with the UFW came the topic of
the UFW’s work since his passing in
1993.
“Cesar told them many times, and
I was there when he told them many
times, ‘when I’m gone, don’t let this
thing die’,” said Bustos.
Since Cesar Chavez’s death, the
UFW has gained 50,000 active members,
helped reform laws regarding
farmworkers, and made union
contracts with multiple agricultural
industry businesses according to its
website.
“I think my dad understood that
the work would not be done in his
lifetime,” said Paul Chavez. “He had
this idea that you lose when you stop
fighting.
The Smithsonian Institution and BC
recaps the life of Dolores Huerta
By Charr Davenport
Reporter
The Smithsonian Institution and
Bakersfield College collaborated with
the Dolores Huerta Foundation to
present the virtual art exhibit “Dolores
Huerta: Revolution in the Fields
/ Revolución en los Campos,” which
debuted Thursday, March 25 and
will remain throughout the Spring
2021 semester.
According to Bakersfield College’s
Jones Art Gallery’s webpage, the
virtual exhibit focuses on the public
work-life of activist and co-founder
of the United Farm Workers of
America (UFW) Dolores Huerta, as
well as her life as a mother, teacher,
and organizer.
In partnership with the exhibit
and as part of the third annual Jess
Nieto Memorial Conference, a fiveday-long
conference in honor of late
Bakersfield College Chicano Studies
Professor Jesus “Jess” Gilberto Nieto,
the Bakersfield College Social
Justice Institute held a Zoom panel
of the same name featuring Huerta
as the main speaker. The event also
featured Smithsonian Institution Curator
of Latino Art and History Dr.
Taína Caragol as a speaker.
The Zoom panel opened with
words from the Smithsonian Institution
Project Director for Latino
Initiatives, Maria Cossu. “This is a
special moment because we are here
with Dolores Huerta… I am thankful
to Dolores Huerta herself for trusting
us to tell her story… We are humbled
and honored to be able to tell Dolores
Huerta’s critical American story.”
After a brief introduction from
Cossu, Dr. Caragol talked about the
“Dolores Huerta: Revolution in the
Fields / Revolución en los Campos”
project as a whole. “Something that is
really special about this project is that
it was very important to Dolores from
the beginning that this history not be
seen as something from the past, but
as a current phenomenon, as the seed
of a continuum of social struggle,”
said Dr. Caragol.
Following this, Huerta herself
spoke of her life as an activist and her
motivations. “All of these problems
that we have right now that you are
living, they are not going to be solved
unless you do it,” said Huerta. “You
can’t wait for somebody to come and
do it for you. The way we can meet
these challenges is to come together
as a group. Because one person can’t
do it by themselves. We have to come
together and take direct action. We
are able to.”
Huerta also had advice prepared
for those in attendance at the event.
“The one thing I want to share with
the students that are here today, the
one thing that I did learn in all the
work that I have done is that there is
always somebody out there that will
help you,” Huerta shared.
“Everything that I did, I just asked
somebody out there that was doing
the work to tell me how they did it.
That’s how I learned.”
CHARR DAVENPORT / THE RIP
Dolores Huerta at the Dolores Huerta: Revolution in the Fields
/ Revolución en los Campos Zoom panel.

Jess Nieto Memorial Conference
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Wednesday, April 14, 2021
BC answers the issues of public health
surrounding Latina/o/x communities
By Teresa Balmori
Reporter
“People of color tend to
have hypertension
and diabetes and the
likelihood for death is
much greater,”
-Emanuel Alcala
Bakersfield College held a webinar to answer
questions regarding the public health issues surrounding
Latina/o/x communities during the
COVID-19 pandemic on March 23.
The webinar monitors were Charles
Daramola, professor and Program Director
of the Public Health Program at
BC, and Isis Forney, a graduate from
the nursing school at BC. The panelists
were Reyna Olaguez, Executive
Director of South Kern Sol, Emanuel
Alcala, Assistant Director for the
Central Institute, Jennifer Martinez,
PH.D. candidate for Portland State
University, and Diana Tellefson, Executive
Director of the United Farm
Workers Foundation (UFWF).
Forney asked the panelist why there
has been so much mistrust about
COVID-19 in the Hispanic community.
Olaguez explained that the reason is
because they did not have the money
to help them during the COVID-19 crisis.
According to Olaguez, The United Against
COVID-19 Coalition applied for a grant from
the County in order to provide more supplies to
Latinos who were struggling with the pandemic.
However, Kern County’s Supervisor, Zack Scrivner,
rejected the proposal and because of this, they
were not able to provide many services for minorities
in need.
“As a result, I really do feel we lost a lot of lives
because many folks didn’t get the outreach that
they needed,” Olaguez stated.
Martinez then added that another reason as to
why there is so much distrust in Latino communities
is because of the frightfulness. “Fear from public
charge and being excused from reliving funds.
Local governments need to figure out how to regain
that trust.”
According to Tellefson, there have also been
questions and distress on whether legal status and
insurance coverage is required in order to get the
resources for COVID-19 such as vaccines.
According to Olaguez, “everyone qualifies for
the vaccine regardless of documentation status.”
Another question was if there will be any resources
for people who work in the fields, factories,
or other jobs that require close contact and for individuals
who have been laid off or let go.
Olaguez informed The United COVID-19 Collison
established a resource guide.
“It includes all of the resources available for
our communities, helping by going door to door
delivering these to our communities,” Olaguez
added.
She also explained that they will be relaunching
the Harvest Program on April 1.
This program will be targeted towards people
who have been impacted by the pandemic and
who are unable to work. They will be providing
financial assistance and food supplies to Latinos
regardless of their citizenship status.
One of the final questions that were asked was
why have brown and Black communities been
impacted the most by the virus.
Alcala explained that the reason is not because
they are more likely to contract the virus but because
of health issues.
“People of color tend to have hypertension
and diabetes and the likelihood for death is much
greater,” Alcala said.
The webinar ended with Daramola thanking all
of the panelists and informing everyone that he
hopes that they can have similar discussions in the
near future.
BC holds webinar on the importance of
Ethnic Studies within higher education
By Brisa Flores
Reporter
Bakersfield College held, Teaching Chican@/
Latinx: An Intercollegiate, Interdisciplinary Panel
on Higher Education, Pedagogy, and the Importance
of Ethnic Studies webinar on March 24.
The event was a part of the Jess Nieto Memorial
conference being held by BC. The panel was moderated
by a BC faculty member in sociology, Nicole
Carrasco, and Isai Aguilar, a former BC student.
The panelists of the evening were Javier Llamas,
a faculty member at BC in the history department;
Lisette Lasater, who is a professor of English at
Palomar College and coordinator of the Puente
Program; Octavio Barajas, who is a professor of
ethnic studies at the College of Sequoias, DR.
Thomas Carrasco chairman of ethnic studies at
Santa Barbara City College, and Elias Serna who
was an assistant professor at the University of Redlands.
Carrasco and Aguilar took turns asking the panelists
a series of questions regarding the importance
of having ethnic studies courses on campuses.
The first question asked was what the benefits
of school are having or adding ethnic studies programs,
“The need of ethnic studies gives awareness
to the many types of groups,” said Llamas and
added that if there was a way to add these ethnic
programs could potentially help minimize the violence
between various cultural groups.
Barajas added, “For the benefits of school they’re
tremendous, and it’s really critical to actually begin
to center voices and experiences of people who
have been historically marginalized and minoritized.”
“Chicano literature is the bedrock of my pedagogy,”
said Lasater when she jumped into the conversation.
For those that do not study ethnic studies, Dr.
Carassco provided some advice on how to implement
these ideas into the classroom, “Dealing with
the demographic shift, know who you are teaching
whether they are Asian, African, Chicano, etc.
Know the population and the issues in their communities.”
Identity and terminology was the next topic that
panelists share their views on, “You choose your
own identity; you don’t let anybody tell you what
you are,” shared Dr. Carassco and added that history
has a big part in one’s identity.
Serna shared that the “X” at the end of the Chicanx
and Latinx is a marker that opens the doors
to nonbinary thinking and openness to sexuality.
He also added that not many Latinx and Chicanos
like use “X” at the end of the words.
Barajas joined the conversation and said that it is
unfair how unique it is to have spaces where people
of color can talk about identity and engage with
one another.
Following that conversation, Lasater shared her
journey on how her mom did not allow her to use
the term Chicano and did not learn more about
this term until she took a Chicano studies class.
The next question asked was if the panelists feel
responsibility or a burden to be the center of a lot
of diversity work on campuses.
“Are you willing to give up your privilege? Do
you really want to talk about anti-racism? Put your
money where your mouth is, and they don’t,” said
Dr. Carassco when talking about white professors
on campus.
The webinar came to a close, with the panelists
answering questions from attendees.
“ You choose
your
own
identity;
you don’t let
anybody tell you
what you
are,”
- Dr. Thomas Carassco

Sports
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The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
A second look at BC sports
By Aubrianna Martinez
Reporter
Bakersfield College’s men’s soccer team wrapped
up it’s Spring 2021 season in late March. As this
past year has been unlike any other in recent history,
the year’s events prompted an interview with the
head coach of the men’s team, Vayron Martinez.
Martinez explained that due to COVID-19
safety protocols his team had to modify how they
practice and train, but that he believes this was ultimately
beneficial to the instructors involved.
“Making list second adjustments is what our
sport is about and if we expect our athletes to do
that in the flow of the game then we as coaches can
do it as well,” Martinez said.
He elaborated that specific safety protocols became
part of their routine easily, such as keeping
the equipment clean via sanitization, as well as other
COVID-19 guidelines i.e. wearing a mask, and
staying socially distanced.
“The boys never really complained because they
wanted to be out there and the thing for everyone
was simple, ‘what do we need to do in order to
train and eventually compete? Because we will do
what it takes as long as everything is according to
guidelines.’”
“I believe it made the group stronger as everyone
endured the same hardships daily,” he added.
Martinez said that through the changes made
due to COVID-19 he feels he’s learned further
appreciation to coaching student’s athletics, explaining
that “whether it’s in micro[cycles] or macrocycles
and the pandemic, at least for me, made
me realize that things need to be taken day by day.”
“Plan for the future but be ready to make some
changes very quickly in order to continue going
forward,” he added.
As procedures change again, Martinez said he
has not seen any changes in their protocols that
would signify lax behavior from their team, “we
have been functioning almost the same way since
the summer of 2020,” he said, referring to the
men’s soccer team continuing to practice while
wearing masks, socially distanced, and with clean
equipment.
He added, “we must be socially conscious and
responsible until we have truly taken the virus under
control with vaccinations and herd immunity.”
Spring soccer season ends
PHOTO COURTESY OF NICK ELLIS
BC Men’s Soccer player Juan Agripino
(21), playing on the home field in the
last game of the Spring season.
By Hugo Maldonado Garcia
Digital Editor
The BC men’s soccer team lost
to the Antelope Valley team 2-1
and unfortunately, it was their
last game of the Spring season
on March 27.
The men’s soccer team, BC
Head Coach Vayron Martinez
expressed how it felt being back
at practice and the
campus after a long
time. “I think the
boys have done an
excellent job of going
with what we’ve
been told that we
needed to do, you
know every practice
that we have,
we have to we wear
masks,” he said.
The coach explained
how the
boys wanted to
come back and were
willing to wear face
masks and follow
the guidelines just
to get back to playing.
“It’s one of
those things where
it was, we either do
this or we don’t do
anything at all. You
know they want to
play they want to
train. They want to
get better, they want
to compete so they
said it was like okay
what do we need to
do and we’ll do it”
Martinez said.
During the second half of the
game, one of the team members
from the opposing team got injured
and had to be temporarily
replaced by another member
from their team.
It looked as though nothing
severe happened because that
team member went back in to
PHOTO COURTESY OF NCK ELLIS
Juan Agripino (21) playing his position as
a wide midfielder during the Spring 2021
season.
finish the game. When asked if
COVID helped in any way for the
BC Men’s Soccer team to bond,
Martinez said “Yes they bonded,
but I don’t think COVID helped
with it, it just helped with the understanding
that we have a bigger
responsibility than just being
student-athletes at BC, we have
to do more with educating people
around us.”
Coach Martinez said that some
of his favorite highlights from
the game had to do with the BC
Sophomores who got to play.
“We had seven sophomores,
and they were impacted the most
from having a full season and I
was very happy that all of them
were able to play today. All seven
of them played, and contributed
to the program in their very last
game representing Bakersfield
College” he said.
Although this was their last
soccer game of the season Coach
Martinez gives us a heads-up on
what we can expect for the Fall
season. “Honestly, I’m disappointed
that we’re done,” Martinez
said.
“There are so many moving
pieces that if something happens,
you got to make an adjustment,
and that we’ll make it. I think
that’s helped us as a team, adjust
to the adversity we’ve had. I am
hopeful that we have a full season,
and that the boys are able to
represent this great community”
Martinez said.
Lessons I learned
When I was in middle
school, my younger
sister and I were
given a box of Play-
Station 2 games along
with a Silver Slim PS2
console. These games
ended up playing a vital
role in our shared
love for gaming, very
specifically Japanese
Role Playing Games
(JRPGs) and platformers.
The box featured
many classic PS2
games, like Final Fantasy
X and X-2 or Jak
and Daxter: The Precursor
Legacy. However,
unbeknownst to
me at the time, it had
many rarities as well.
I’m very ashamed to
admit that I, along
with my little sister,
ruined each game in
the box from mistreatment
and overuse.
Let’s start with the
hard blow: Marvel
vs. Capcom 2 (2000).
Marvel vs. Capcom 2:
New Age of Heroes is
the fourth installment
of the Marvel vs. Capcom
series and was
initially released as a
Japanese arcade game
before being ported
to various systems.
It’s not really special
gameplay-wise, but
its worth is high due
to it apparently being
one of the rarest PS2
games ever made.
Currently, the highest
price for a copy is on
J&L Game’s website
for 899 dollars with
a 77 dollar estimated
tax. With that said,
recently many clickbait
articles spread
the word of the rarity
of the game, leading
to the discovery of
more copies. Because
of this, copies now
regularly sell between
50 and 300 dollars. It
still hurts to know that
I played this game to
death.
Another set of
games I played to
death was the Xenosaga
series. Not only did
I own all three games,
but I actually had two
copies of each. They
all got ruined, which
is unfortunate because
I adore them.
The Xenosaga games
– Xenosaga Episode I:
Der Wille zur Macht
(2002), Xenosaga Episode
II: Jenseits von
Gut und Böse (2004),
and Xenosaga Episode
III: Also Sprach
Zarathustra (2006) –
form a futuristic scifi
JRPG series that
deals with topics such
as grief, faith, and
Gaming
By Charr Davenport
Reporter
Charr Davenport
genocide. Altogether,
the games currently
sell on the market for
around 600 dollars.
So that’s 1,200 dollars
worth of games I
destroyed. With that
said, those games totally
made my sophomore
year of high
school bearable, so it
was worth it.
I also owned
the original .hack
games – .hack//IN-
FECTION (2002),
.hack//MUTATION
(2002), .hack//OUT-
BREAK (2002), and
.hack//QUARAN-
TINE (2003). The
.hack series, which
I’ve talked about in a
previous article, is a
universe of collected
stories told through a
massively multiplayer
online role-playing
game (MMORPG)
called “The World,”
most of which revolve
around players of the
game falling into comas.
With the exception
of Infection, the
.hack games range
anywhere from 100
to 400 dollars each.
Meanwhile, Infection
only goes from 50 to
120 dollars. I actually
owned two copies
of Infection, both of
which also got ruined.
I played those a lot
and enjoy them to this
day.
Other rare games
in the box included
Ephemeral Fantasia
(2000) which sells for
109 dollars on Play-
Asia.com, Arc The
Lad: Twilight of the
Spirits (2003) which
regularly sells for 50
to 60 dollars, Grandia
II (2000) which
sells for 118 dollars
on electroeshop.com,
Bujingai: The Forsaken
City (2003) which
sells for 83 dollars on
VideoGameX.com,
Dawn of Mana (2006)
which sells for 30 to
65 dollars regularly,
and Disgaea: Hour
of Darkness (2003),
which sells for 65 dollars
regularly.
There were more,
but I don’t remember
I treat my games with
love and respect; a lesson
I learned too late.

Opinions
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The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Zack Snyder’s “Justice
League” is worth the wait
By Aubrianna Martinez
Reporter
The story behind “Zack Snyder’s
Justice League” (2021) is
almost larger than the film itself
that was released on HBO Max
on March 18. A version of the
film that many thought would
never see the light of day, and
seemed more of a myth, than the
movie that came to streaming a
few short weeks ago giving audiences
an extended version of
what the original director Zack
Snyder had planned for “Justice
League” (2017).
For those unaware of some
of the story behind the scenes,
Zack Snyder was directing the
film that was planned for a 2017
release when he left the project
due to a family tragedy. Collider
wrote in 2017 before the release
that WarnerBros hired director
Joss Whedon to whittle the film
to a releasable two hours runtime.
Both directors took their
own approach to the story of
how DC’s established heroes
gather additional superpowered
beings to save the Earth.
While not a review of the 2017
version of “Justice League”, it is
impossible to wholly judge “Zack
Snyder’s Justice League” without
acknowledging the shortfalls of
its predecessor. Whedon’s version
is littered with directional
choices that strike audiences as
either strange or stupid, as the
majority of the movie is marked
with an orange glare that casts
the actors in unfortunate lighting,
quips prompt eye rolls at best
from the audience, and inappropriate
camera shots focusing on
Wonder Woman (played by Gal
Gadot).
Snyder’s film avoids these
problems by treating his actresses
with respect via the camera,
the jokes are much more contained,
and the color composition
matches much more closely
to his earlier DC films “Man of
Steel” (2013) and “Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice”
(2015).
Many whole scenes from
Snyder’s original vision were
scrapped or completely changed
in both dialogue or setting for
Whedon’s version. After watching
“Zack Snyder’s Justice
League”, Whedon’s decisions
stick out even more.
One of the most prominent
improvements comparing the
2017 movie to Snyder’s film is
the story of Victor Stone (Ray
Fisher), who undergoes a compelling
character arc wherein
back in 2017 he felt like he had
been quickly pasted in at the
last minute. Additionally, Bruce
Wayne’s (Ben Affleck) is an incredibly
dynamic character to
watch in this new film, as opposed
to the earlier one where he
came off drained.
All of the characters experience
arcs, changing and becoming
who they were meant to be as
set up in previous films, wherein
the 2017 “Justice League” felt
much more flat. Watching Snyder’s
version of the film makes
the story he tells feel earned in
a way that the 2017 version was
not.
This is not to say that Snyder’s
film is without its flaws: the fourhour
runtime is excessive and
there are scenes that definitively
could have been cut, and many
that at the very least should have
been shortened.
Yet it is important to bear in
mind that Snyder was given free
rein to add whatever he wished
to the 2021 film, which resulted
in its extended runtime. Adding
in a new Superman look, introducing
a new character from the
comics, and adding a scene hinting
at what more he originally
had planned, the “Snyder Cut”
as fans have titled it may seem
daunting but is worth watching
for anyone who enjoyed Snyder’s
earlier DC projects, or is curious
to see what Whedon was working
from.
Gus’s Beef Jerky is the best
dried meat in California
By Razan Makhlouf
Reporter
So, you are all packed up and
ready to go on an adventure. You
decide to go to either Death Valley
National, Lake Tahoe, or
maybe even Mammoth Lake.
The iTunes list is loaded,
the sunglasses are on, and
you hit the road. Midway
through your stomach
starts to rumble. Snack
time!
Right there on the side
of the road, you are delighted
to see the “FRESH
JERKY” sign. Yes, that
is right, Gus’s Beef Jerky
on US-395 is the absolute
perfect stop for all your
hunger craves.
Established in 1996, this
iconic jerky shack is one
of the best in the country.
Hundreds of thousands of
people, including celebrities,
make a stop to try their tender,
flavorful jerky every year.
I had the pleasure of speaking
to Gus’s daughter, Nancy Niepagen,
who told me the story of her
father. She said that her father
began his business by picking up
fresh fruits from downtown Los
Angeles early in the morning,
and set up his fruit stands on the
road. He would drive anywhere
he believed people would stop.
“One day a man in a wheelchair
named Tony Langford
stopped at one of his stands and
told him you ought to be selling
jerky, Americans love Jerky.
RAZAN MAKHLOUF / THE RIP
The oldest Gus Fresh Jerky location in
Olancha, California.
That gave my dad an idea. He
finally found a distributor who
in hand began to work together
to create the jerky we all love today.”
Niepagen said.
As stated on their official website
“Gus’s Fresh Jerky is made
from only the best cuts of meat;
marinated, seasoned, and vacuum-sealed
to maintain freshness.
Gus produces fresh jerky every
single week and has lots of
flavors including Gus’s favorite
BBQ. Keep in mind that
BBQ jerky is only made on
long holidays and weekends.
Also, do not miss out on their
popular top seller: Brisket
jerky! It is soft and
moist, almost like you are
eating a steak.
Gus does not use preservatives
in his jerky, and
all of the ingredients are
100% natural. He also
sells a variety of nuts, local
honey, brittles, stuffed
olives, and dried fruit.
Gus’s Beef Jerky’s oldest
location is in Olancha,
California. He and his
family expanded to other
locations including
Golden Valley, AZ, and
Searchlight, NV. His
daughter Nancy recently
opened a franchise in San Clemente,
CA. “I hope to expand
and make Gus’ Jerky a household
name in all of the United
States,” she said.
For more information, and online
ordering, visit Gus’s website
at www.freshjerky.com
The meaning behind
comfort films
Films
By Brisa Flores
Reporter
The majority of
people have a film or
multiple films they
never get tired of, and
they are usually also
known as comfort
films.
Comfort films is a
popular term I have
seen on social media
today when people
want to show others
their favorite films.
People usually could
have one or a whole
list of movies they find
comforting to watch.
Conform films are
usually the film or
films one never gets
tired of watching
on repeat due to the
story, representation,
the film’s aesthetic, or
even a special mem-
ory they have from
watching the movie in
the past.
To me, comfort
films are the ones that
a person can turn to
when they are having
a bad day and need
an escape from everything
for a while, espe-
cially with the global
pandemic
currently
going on.
Comfort films have
a deeper meaning to
people; even though a
person might not rate
the movie five stars
but still find some-
thing in the film that
is special to them; The
film or films to some-
one could resemble a
blanket a warm sweat-
er one likes to wear.
That is what com-
fort films are for; they
are there for people
who like to turn to the
various forms of art,
such as movies, when
they need a break
from whatever they
are going through at
the moment.
The beauty of films,
in general, is that there
are various films to
choose from and se-
lect as your comfort
film or films; I have
a selection of com-
fort films that fall into
multiple genres ran-
ging from horror to
family-friendly
mov-
ies.
I never knew that
there was a term for
one’s favorite films
until I used social
media and connected
with people who love
movies just like I do.
Learning and seeing
other people’s comfort
films is also an excel-
lent way to find movie
recommendations and
learn about a new dir-
ector one might have
Brisa Flores
never heard of before.
It is always interest-
ing to see and learn
about another per-
son’s comfort film or
films because it can tell
one a lot about a per-
son and how similar
or how different their
taste is from someone
else’s.
Some of my comfort
films include “Alice in
Wonderland,”
“Pirates
of the Carib-
bean,” and “Sleepy
Hollow” just to list a
few.
I, of course, do not
have just one comfort
film, and my list of
comfort films is a long
one and might even
grow when I discover
more movies in the fu-
ture.
I have seen many
people not feel com-
fortable enough to
name their comfort
films because they
feel like others would
judge them; I once
used to think like that
too because not all
my comfort films are
award winners.
Award-winning
or not, if one finds
something
comfort-
ing about a film, they
could watch repeat-
edly they should not
care what others have
to say; a majority of
people have different
comfort films because
that film or films spoke
to them in a way only
that single individual
would understand.