Renegade Rip, issue 3, Oct

Page 2
News
The Renegade Rip www.therip.com
Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023
Delano LRC ribbon-cutting
By Sandra Terrel
Reporter
SANDRA TERREL/THE RIP
Faculty, staff and community leaders
join in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
BC’s Delano
Campus commemorated
its
new Learning
Resource
Center with a
ribbon-cutting
ceremony and
open house on
Sept. 19. Faculty,
staff and
community
leaders who
have been instrumental in campus growth were in attendance.
The occasion was marked with enthusiasm as Delano area
students having accessible education has been a vision for
many.
According to Brian Rodriguez of Delano Rural Initiatives,
the new center will permit enrollment of one thousand additional
students. There are also additional plans which include
on-site mental health specialists.
BC’s newly appointed acting president Steve Watkin spoke
at the event. He hopes the new building will be a place the
community can gather and sees campus growth as a beacon
of hope and a symbol of progress.
KCCD Interim Chancellor Tom Burke spoke as witness
to the importance of accessible education. He explained to
attendees how he sees the changing footprint of the rural
outreach.
Former BC student and current KCCD president Romeo
Agbalog told the group how the new LRC isn’t just a building,
it represents an idea that he and others have envisioned
for years.
This concept was reiterated
by politician and
former Delano resident
Rudy Salas who was also
on hand to speak. He reminded
the audience of
how new programs are
changing people’s lives
as the seeds of their future
are planted.
Representing students
at the ceremony was
BCSGA president Cindy
Miranda.
SANDRA TERREL/THE RIP
Brian Rodriguez explains how
the new LRC will benefit the
students.
The LRC has already had a positive impact. According to
campus librarian Elisabeth Sundby, students steadily use the
center for a variety of reasons.
After the event, staff were on hand guiding detailed tours
of the facility during an open house.
New baccalaureate program
By Mason Almaguer
Reporter
BC’s new Research Laboratory Technology
(RTEC) Baccalaureate program
is a new opportunity for those who are
looking for a career working with new
and advanced laboratory technology.
The program manager, Dorothy
Mullen, had some time to talk about
the benefits and skills this emerging initiative
offers to its applicants.
Mullen said that this program involves
being more “hands-on” and “less
theoretical.” Its purpose is to be able to
teach students to go into a lab setting
and “use equipment and maintain it.”
Students in the program will learn to
“set it up, [and] break it down.”
When asked how difficult the program
is she said that “if you’re someone
who has an interest in sciences” then it
would be a good option. “It’s geared
towards community college students,”
she added.
Mullen also thinks this is a great
chance for students. She elaborated,
“I think it’s tremendous, a really great
option to save money.” It is “cost-effective”
and “a great opportunity for people
who don’t want to go out of town.”
Mullen outlined the jobs available to
these graduating students, stating that
students can become biological, chemical,
environmental, and geological
technicians. Mullen and other people
involved in this program will “visit local
labs in the next couple weeks to see
what equipment they’re using” so they
can get some ideas for what they should
use.
They are gearing the program towards
what is currently in demand in
the market. They will “tour the Kern
County crime lab” and “Sun World in
Wasco.” “The goal is for students to
work jobs in the Central Valley,” said
Mullen.
If you want more information regarding
this program, RTEC is hosting multiple
information sessions for both of
Bakersfield College’s baccalaureate degree
programs, Industrial Automation
and Research Laboratory Technology.
Remaining sessions are on Thursday,
Oct. 5 at 11 a.m., and Friday, Oct. 6 at
6 p.m. Do not miss it if you’reinterested.
All sessions will be held on the 2nd
floor of the Campus Center building.