Will the academic calendar
change next year?
News, Page 2
BC Football head coach R.
Todd Littlejohn profile
Sports, Page 4
Vol. 97 ∙ No. 5 Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021 Bakersfield College
The Renegade Rip
AUBRIANNA MARTINEZ / THE RIP
The Bakersfield College Combined Choir ends the concert in an epic finale performance of “This is Halloween,”
from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
THE RIP
The $2 Million check towards the Bakersfield College
Foundation is presented at the KCCD offices in downtown
Bakersfield.
RAZAN MAKHLOUF / THE RIP
The FFA Pumpkin Project booth at the Haggin Oaks
Farmers Market.
The Renegade Rip @bc_rip @bc_rip Follow us online at www.therip.com
Page 2
News
The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021
Will BC change its academic
calendar starting next year?
By Raul Padilla
Reporter
BC’s academic senate virtually
gathered to discuss the
possibility of changing the
academic calendar. The virtual
meeting took place on
Wednesday, Oct. 20.
The changes would be
made with the introduction
of a winter intersession that
would change the structure
of the year.
The idea was introduced
by Dean Bill Mosely, who
had been tasked with researching
the idea of the
winter intersession.
Mosely’s job was to find a
way to relieve bottlenecks in
programs with multi-course
prerequisite sequences in
STEM fields, most notably
the biology department
which was stated to need this
aid the most.
The plan is to incorporate
this new structure to help
these fields in the 2022-2033
academic year.
Proposed to the academic
senate were three drafts: Proposal
1, 1b, and 2.
Proposal 1 would begin
earlier on Aug. 6, and have
three weeks of intersession in
December and three weeks
in January. Final exams
would start the Thursday
or Friday before Thanksgiving
week and end that week.
Spring break would occur
two weeks later than the current
schedule.
Proposal 1b is similar, but
begins 1 week earlier, resulting
in finals ending the week
before Thanksgiving week,
and the intersession would
begin the following Monday.
There would be four intersession
weeks in December
and two in January, and
spring break would begin
one week later instead.
Proposal 2 would begin the
intersession in January, and
the spring semester would
begin at the end of February
and end midway into June.
Mosely, who designed the
proposals, explains that this
was created with the idea to
include more classes within
the academic calendar to
allow for more opportunities
and help keep students on
track.
“While the biology department
is one of the more vocal
supporters of this effort,
we believe that it could be
beneficial to students from a
variety of majors and areas
of campus. In particular,
students who work, students
in high unit majors, and students
whose majors require
multiple levels of prerequisites
for completion could all
benefit from this change,” he
explains.
The plan now is to introduce
the concept to the
student body, then begin
surveying responses and potentially
reveal student issues
that have not yet been considered.
“Clearly, this is a big project
that involves the whole
campus, so it needs to be undertaken
with a lot of care
and information gathering,”
Mosely added.
RAUL PADILLA / THE RIP
These are two of the three academic calendars proposed
by Dean Bill Mosely at the Oct. 20 academic
senate meeting. Proposal 1 (which is not featured) would
begin instruction for the fall semester a week later than
Proposal 1b (above). Proposal 1b finishes the fall before
Thanksgiving week. Proposal 2 (below) would create a
schedule wherein the entire intersession was held after
the winter holidays. Spring semester would conclude in
mid-June.
Page 3
News
The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021
BC: $2 million
goes to STEM
By Nick Covello
Editor-in-Chief
Bakersfield College has
been awarded with a $2
Million donation (to be paid
over the next 20 years,) by
Valley Strong Credit Union
as part of a deal to rename
the school’s various energy-related
programs the
“Valley Strong Energy Institute.”
This is the first private
donation towards BC’s
efforts to strengthen the local
energy-related workforce.
“One of the greatest benefits
about this generous
gift, is that it not only ensures
expansion of our current
efforts, it also gives us
the ability to be innovative
and create new energy education
programming as we
move forward.” Executive
Director of BC’s Foundation
Cheryl Scott said.
The large donation is expected
to accelerate the relationship
between BC and
the National Renewable Energy
Lab (NREL) by offering
free webinars to the public,
as well as a new curriculum
meant to ready the local
workforce for the possible
upcoming changes related to
energy in Kern County.
“Kern County is uniquely
positioned geographically
to be a world leader in renewable
energy, including
technologies such as wind,
solar, biomass, and more,”
BC said in a statement on
their website, “ Major solar
projects are underway in
eastern Kern County, and
there are already more than
4,500 wind turbines around
Tehachapi… Research on
renewable energy will only
continue to grow, with research
on biomass energy using
agricultural waste in the
Delano area.”
The college’s efforts toward
energy efficiency kicked off
last year with the offering
of free webinars meant to
educate the general public
featuring the local, state,
and national perspective on
the topics of energy, agriculture,
and water, according to
THE RIP
BC interim president Zav Dadabhoy, BC Vice President
of Finance and Administrative Services Mike
Giacomini, Executive Director of the BC Foundation
Cheryl Scott, KCCD Chancellor Sonya Christian,
KCCD Trustee Kay Meek, and Valley Strong
CEO Nicholas Ambrosini present the ceremonial $2
Million check.
Scott.
“The panelists discuss the
current state of industries
that impact our local economy,
and look ahead to opportunities
in the future.
This support from Valley
Strong Credit Union will
ensure that public education
and engagement opportunities
like this continue and expand,”
Scott said, referring
to the webinars.
The Valley Strong Energy
Institute was described by
KCCD Chancellor Sonya
Christain as a “virtual campus”
that will eventually be
turned into a physical place.
Administrative error causes BC Football
to forfeit three games, record stands at 2-6
By Nick Covello
Editor-in-Chief
Bakersfield College announced that its football team has
been forced to forfeit three of their wins this season due to a
self-reported eligibility violation. The announcement was on
Oct. 28, and dropped the Renegades to a 2-6 record.
While reviewing the quarterly student athlete progress
reports, BC’s Academic Success Team recognized that an
unnamed player had been left off of the preseason administrative
form sent to the conference.
Upon learning of the administrative error, BC’s athletic
director Reggie Bolton immediately reported everything to
the SCFA commissioner. After a two-week inquiry, it was
determined that all of the games that the unnamed player
participated in would be forfeited.
“The player was not listed on the administrative form due
to a form being omitted by accident,” Bolton said “Ultimately,
I am responsible for all compliance processes.”
The player in question played in four games, with three of
them being wins. The Renegade’s wins against El Camino
on Sept. 11, Golden West on Sept. 18, and San Bernardino
Valley on Oct. 2, were all rendered useless.
The unnamed player will be ineligible for the rest of the
2021 season, but he may participate with the team next fall.
Page 4
Sportss
The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
BC coach talks Football
By Justin White
Reporter
After coaching for a multitude
of years that includes stints with
numerous Division I football
teams and even some time in the
National Football League, Robert
Todd Littlejohn has returned
home to Bakersfield to be the
head coach of the Renegades
football team.
Littlejohn grew up going to every
Renegade home game and following
the team for most of their
road games as well. Littlejohn was
with the Renegades previously as
a player during the 1983-84 seasons,
playing for coaches Gerry
Collis and Carl Bowser, and then
returned to BC as the defensive
backs coach for the 1990-91 seasons.
“A lot”, Littlejohn says laughing
when asked how much it
means to him to become the head
coach at BC. “My mom worked
here for, you know, 45 years, and
having, literally grown up and
watched all the great players that
have gone through here over the
years, having a chance to play on
this field, then having a chance to
come back and coach as an assistant,
my feeling towards Bakersfield
College even back then was
always big time, and so coming
back in this capacity is big time,
you know, to me.” Littlejohn was
actually hired last year, but the
COVID-19 pandemic prevented
him from coaching his first game
until the 2021 season.
“One of the difficulties was that
I didn’t have anybody to call to
ask ‘em ‘hey, how did you deal
with your first year as a head
coach in a year of pandemic?’
There’s nobody and nothing to
reference… we just stayed prepared
every day, ‘cause you never
knew when it was going to actually
happen and when the opportunity
came for our first game, we
were more focused on the techniques,
the fundamentals, the de-
COURTESY OF NICK ELLIS
BC Football coach R. Todd
Littlejohn
velopment overall as a team and
for players, and the continuity for
us as a staff… it wasn’t a ‘wait ‘till
we get to that point, let’s all of a
sudden do it’, we just continued to
prepare every day.”
Outside of BC, Littlejohn hascoached
at big time Division I
schools including UCLA, Syracuse,
and Cal-Berkeley. Most
recently before becoming head
coach at BC, Littlejohn spent
the previous two seasons as the
safeties and special teams coach
at Prairie View A&M in Texas.
Littlejohn’s coaching experience
doesn’t end at the college level
however, as he also coached for
the New York Giants and Jacksonville
Jaguars in the NFL.
In his first season as BC football’s
head coach, Littlejohn’s
Renegades have been ranked as
high as #7 in the state of California,
and currently hold a 4-3
record a little more than halfway
through the season. Their next
game will see them face Long
Beach College at home on Oct.
30.
For the full story, please
visit TheRip.com
Everything football
By Hilario Gomez
Reporter
Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021
The powerhouse players
Nothing makes sense.
Half of the football fans
are looking towards the
playoffs while the other
half is focusing on
the upcoming offseason
because frankly,
their teams’ postseason
hopes have dissipated.
For the lucky ones
that have football to
look forward to, both
professional and college
football slates are getting
quite juicy. The big
top ten matchups of the
weekend in the battle
for Michigan between
Michigan and Michigan
State.
The emergence of
impact offensive players
for both teams has
powered them into
the national spotlight.
For Michigan State,
it’s Wake Forest transfer
Kenneth Walker at
running back. Walker
looked promising at
Wake Forest but never
really broke out, as
many expected and the
change of scenery has
done wonders for the
junior running back.
While Michigan has
a shiny quarterback
from the state of Nevada
in Cade McNamara,
who has finally broken
onto the scene after two
quiet seasons in Ann
Arbor.
On the other hand,
Payton Thorne for the
Spartans, who was originally
a Western Michigan
commit, has been
playing just as good if
not more impressive
considering he’s a true
freshman.
Hilario Gomez
It’d be criminal not
to bring up Aidan
Hutchinson for the
Wolverines who have
created probably the
most buzz of any college
football players
this season with constant
dominant performances
week in and
week out. This week’s
matchup, although no
one could’ve imagined,
will be one of this year’s
best with two impressive
teams on the come up.
While in the professional
football world
the trade rumors and
playoff race is what’s
dominating the news
cycle. Deshaun Watson
is back in the headlines
with a trade seemingly
imminent and the ethics
of him playing football
again being such a
tantalizing topic once
again.
Other topics such as
the emergence of the
Cardinals and the Bengals
also is very prominent.
Both are leading
their conferences and
have dominant wins
over playoff teams that
have dominated the
league for quite a while.
It seems to be a changing
of the guard.
Page 5
Campus
The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021
The Path to Graduate School
By Breonna Zapiain
Reporter
Undocumented Student Action Week
is a campaign to provide support and
resources to the undocumented student
population. Each day during the week
of Oct. 18-22, events were held, from
guest speakers and informational Zoom
meetings.
On Oct. 20, the Path to Graduate
School Workshop was held via Zoom.
This workshop was hosted by the AB
540 and Undocumented Students Program
Manager, Marcela Gamino, and
moderator Rene Deniz and featured
three panelists: Liliana Sánchez Coronado,
Alejandro Campos Robledo, and
Giovani Bautista.
During this meeting, Deniz asked the
panelists questions. They each spoke
about their experiences as undocumented
graduate students and the ways
they have overcome obstacles presented
to them due to their status. All three
shared similar experiences, struggling
with costs of education, the lack of financial
resources available for undocumented
students and how they had to
juggle working to support themselves
and cover their education costs while
keeping up with their classes.
When Deniz mentioned “imposter
syndrome” each panelist responded
with their encounters with it. “I was one
of three [students] that identify as Latinx
and was the only one undocumented…
it has made me feel very lonely,”
said Sánchez Coronado. Campos Robledo
shared, “I almost dropped out of
my program…being the only person
that identifies as undocumented.”
They then spoke about what support
systems they looked for when picking
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schools to attend and how they got help.
“I was going to have to advocate for
myself,” Bautista said as he recounted
his experience when first looking to attend
school. Sánchez Coronado shared
that “ I needed to count on my advisors
to advocate for me,” and spoke about
loneliness and how she noticed a lack of
safe space for undocumented students
in her graduate school experience.
At the end of the meeting, as Campos
Robledo had to leave for a class but stated,
“There are always resources, don’t
give up on your dreams, sí, se puede.”
After he left, an attendant, Martin Perez,
asked for the panelists’ information
to be sent to them as he wished to donate
$2,000 to each of them in support
of them and their education. This act
of kindness brought tears to the eyes
of many attending and concluded the
meeting.
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Page 6
Campus
The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021
BC shares scholarship info
for undocumented students
By Jaylene Collins
Features Editor
The Bakersfield College AB 540 and Undocumented Students
Program hosted a webinar with Youth 2 Leaders Education
Foundation (Y2LEF) sharing financial aid resources
available for undocumented students at BC on Oct. 21.
This event was a part of Undocumented Student Action
Week, where BC’s Undocumented Students Program hosted
webinars and workshops designed for undocumented students
going to college. The webinar featured Marcela Gamino
(the Program Manager of the AB 540 and Undocumented
Students Program), Rafael Centeno (an EOPS Educational
Advisor), Jazmin Reyes (Program Coordinator at Y2LEF),
and Jessica Trejo (the Executive Director at Y2LEF).
Gamino and Centeno opened the webinar by explaining
Undocumented Student Action Week and the events they
have held. Centeno also provided some resources for scholarships,
specifically for undocumented students, on the BC
website and elsewhere.
Reyes then continued by explaining the Deferred Action
for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), how undocumented students
could receive grants, internships, and opportunities
they have with Y2LEF.
Reyes urged undocumented students to see if they were eligible
for the DACA program, even though DACA was ruled
unlawful by a federal judge in July 2021. She said in hopes
the ruling will be overturned, Y2LEF will still help those prepare
their applications.
The CA Dream Act Service Incentive Grant Program was
then introduced by Reyes. The grant allows students who receive
Cal Grant B to earn $3,000 in an academic year if they
also do volunteer work. Reyes encouraged those eligible to
apply.
First place nationally for two year college Websites at
the Associated Collegiate Press 2020 midwinter conference.
Fifth place newspapers. First place for newspaper
in 2011, third place in 2013, 2014, 2015 for CNPA General
Excellence
Fourth place nationally in 2019 for website publication
by Associated Collegiate Press
The Renegade Rip is produced by Bakersfield College
journalism classes and is circulated on Thursdays
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 California Newspaper Publishers Association,
Associated Collegiate Press, and California
Colleges Media Association.
The Renegade Rip
EDITORIAL BOARD
Editor-in-Chief.........................Nick Covello
Senior Digital Editor........Hugo Maldonado
Garcia
News Editor.................Aubrianna Martinez
Photo Editor....................Razan Makhlouf
Features Editor.....................Jaylene Collins
Copy Editor...............Teresa Balmori Perez
Adviser.........................................Erin Auerbach
JAYLENE COLLINS / THE RIP
Jazmin Reyes sharing resources available to undocumented
students through Y2LEF during the webinar on
Oct. 21.
Reyes told students to seek out any scholarships and internships
they find and those provided during the event. Reyes
stated Y2LEF also has scholarships, internships, independent
contracting, and volunteer opportunities available for
students.
Reyes encouraged students to apply for scholarships they
see because they will never know if they are able to receive
the scholarship unless they try.
Some resources mentioned in the webinar were: immigrantsrising.org,
https://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/finaid/scholarships,
bakersfieldcollege.finaidformstack.com,
and https://bakersfieldcollegefinaid.formstack.com/forms/
recovery.
To get in touch with Y2LEF, visit www.y2lef.org or call
(661)374-8817.
STAFF
Reporters/photographers:
Erami Dominguez
Hilario Gomez
Collin Acevedo
Raul Padilla
Justin White
Breonna Zapiain
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How to reach us
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Page 7
Our Town
The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021
Sunday Funday at Haggin
Oaks Farmers Market
By Razan Makhlouf
Photo Editor
Bakersfield is full of local farmers, small-batch
food crafters, artists, and small business owners who
make Sunday a fun day for the whole family.
The Haggin Oaks Farmers Market is one of the
many Kern County gems. This farmers market is
loaded with delicious food and community that is a
perfect treat after a year of staying indoors.
Every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., vendors from
Bakersfield and beyond gather to share their stories
and products. From fresh fruits and vegetables to
hot barbecue and delicious desserts, the Haggin
Oaks Farmers Market is sure to be the perfect local
getaway and cater to the entires family.
One of the vendors you will find there is Phil Beltran,
from Brother Ray’s Salsa and Seasoning, is
proud that all their products are made with fresh
ingredients. Beltran’s favorite part of the farmers
market experience is seeing so many happy and
smiling faces after the challenging year that we experienced.
“This is our syear at Haggin Oaks Farmer’s Market.
It is so nice to see people in person again,” he
said.
While there are vendors that have been established
for many years, the Haggin Oaks Farmers
RAZAN MAKHLOUF/THE RIP
Bakersfield High FFA students Lorena Cruz (right), and Rosario
Reyes (left) at their Pumpkin Project booth
Market welcomes new businesses as well. B & P Honey
was founded in 2021, and it is a business venture between
two local Kern County families. Their local orange blossom
honey is a must-try!
A farmers’ market is a good way for networking, and
for small emerging projects to grow. This was the case for
the Bakersfield High FFA students who started the Pumpkin
Project in 2019. This is a group of enthusiastic high
school students who plant, seed, harvest, and sell their
very own pumpkins at the farmer’s market.
Although the process can be very exhausting, students
are enjoying it a lot. Lorena Cruz, a student at Bakersfield
High School, and Project Manager of the Pumpkin Project
said, “Being part of the Future Farmers of America
(FFA) organization has allowed me to gain more handson
experience in agriculture.”
Cruz also teaches new members how to work in the field.
“Having participated in the pumpkin project, it guided
me into wanting a career in agriculture” Cruz said.
Haggin Oaks Farmers Market is held at the Kaiser
RAZAN MAKHLOUF/THE RIP
Permanente parking lot, on Ming Ave and Haggin Oaks
Phil Beltran, from Brother Ray’s discussing products Blvd.
with customers at the Haggin Oaks farmers market
Page 8
Opinion
The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021
Celebrating the
Choral Concert
By Aubrianna Martinez
News Editor
Bakersfield College
hosted the institute’s
choir, chamber singers,
and chorus with
numerous special
guests for an unforgettable
Fall Choral
Concert on Oct. 27
and 28.
The concert contained
a mix of music
familiar for this
time of year, as well
as some that were not
as easily recognizable,
but all were wonderfully
performed and
well worth it.
Conductor Dr. Jennifer
M. Garrett and
the performers held
the audience in the
palm of their hands,
changing the tone of
the concert from slow
and inviting to hauntingly
operatic before
switching beautifully
to lively and popular
songs of the season,
including a performance
from one of
the special guests:
dance group DAT
Krew Academy.
The audience members
on the first night
of the performance
were greeted by an
eerie announcer’s
voice belonging to
Mike Worthing, who
is a member of both
the Renegade Chorus
as well as one of
the chamber singers.
Garrett also credited
Worthing as the
musical arranger for
“Wanting Memories”
and “This is Halloween.”
Worthing truly set
the stage in terms of
mood as the audience
quickly grew accustomed
to his thematic-yet-timely
warnings
and announcements
about sitting next to
strangers and wearing
‘festive’ masks.
The performance
highlighted how certain
things do seem to
be on the path of normalcy
once again, yet
the concert was clear
in its intention not to
make the pandemic
any less real to the audience,
but to lighten
the hearts of those in
attendance.
Between songs
when performers
changed the stage
and costumes. “These
students you see here
before you have been
so dedicated, and I
couldn’t say enough
about them,” Garrett
continued before
introducing the
finale song of the
concert, an all-cast
member spectacular
performance of “This
is Halloween.”
“I asked the students
coming back,
what they wanted this
concert to be and they
said they wanted it to
be a celebration. They
wanted it to be joy,”
Garrett explained.
Quickly after this,
the cast took to the
stage in what can only
be described as an act
of extreme excitement.
With boisterous
singing, the audience
was encouraged to
sing along, what many
would call a classic for
the season.
While the concert
rings with joy, it
would be remiss to
not remark upon the
songs that spoke to the
yearning emotionality
that often is a part
of depictions of this
season, and the other
holidays besides Halloween
that are celebrated.
After Garrett recounted
the Mexican
practice of celebrating
El Dia de Los Muertos
and the importance
of honoring deceased
relatives, BC student,
chamber singer, and
member of the Renegade
Chorus Mauro
Laris stepped onto the
stage in an incredibly
moving solo performance
as he sang
“Remember Me”
from Disney’s “Coco”
(2017). As he sang, the
other singers uniformly
took to the stage to
add to a magnificent
piece of art created by
one of the chamber
singers, Chrissy Foth.
For the full story,
visit TheRip.com
Renegade Events
Campus Events
Nov. 3 Important Date: Early Registration
for Spring 2022.
Nov. 4: Distinguished Speaker Dr.
Moogega Cooper 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
on Zoom and BCSGA Facebook.
Nov. 4: Distinguished Speaker Dr.
Moogega Cooper 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on
Zoom and BCSGA Facebook.
Nov. 4: Findng Articles in Periodical Databases
at 2:00 p.m. inside the Library, room
217.
Nov. 4: How to (Actually) get students to
watch your videos at 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
on Zoom.
Nov. 5: Kung Fu-Intro to teaching with
Canvas, online all day.
Nov. 11: Veteran’s Day Holiday
Nov. 17: Open Registration for Spring
2022
Nov. 18-20: BC Theatre presents R.U.R.
(Rossum’s Universal Robots) Directed by
Professor Kimberly Chin at 7:30 p.m. live
via Zoom.
Nov. 25 - Nov. 26: Thanksgiving Holiday
AUBRIANNA MARTINEZ/THE RIP
The combined BC Choirs end the concert in
an epic finale performance of “This is Halloween,”
from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
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