Renegade Rip, issue 2, Feb. 14, 2024
The student-produced campus newspaper of Bakersfield College The student-produced campus newspaper of Bakersfield College
The Renegade Rip Vol. 101∙ No. 2 Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024 Bakersfield College Annual Umoja club conference News, Page 2 Men’s Basketball claps back Sports, Page 4 Opinion, Page 7 Humanities needs a facelift “Noises Off” full of fabulous chaos Opinion, Page 7 JONATHAN WHEELOCK/THE RIP BC students attending the Panorama Invitational art show at the Jones Art Gallery on Feb. 8. JULIAN CARO/THE RIP Northern Face of Bakersfield College’s Grace Van Dyke Bird Library, which experienced a sudden closure on Feb. 1. ANDREA DE LEON/THE RIP Financial team that helped with Financial Fest on Feb. 7. The Renegade Rip @bc_rip Follow us online at www.therip.com
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- Page 4 and 5: Page 4 BC Men’s Hoops Win OT Thri
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The <strong>Renegade</strong> <strong>Rip</strong><br />
Vol. 101∙ No. 2 Wednesday, <strong>Feb</strong>. <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2024</strong><br />
Bakersfield College<br />
Annual Umoja club<br />
conference<br />
News, Page 2<br />
Men’s Basketball<br />
claps back<br />
Sports, Page 4<br />
Opinion, Page 7<br />
Humanities needs a<br />
facelift “Noises Off” full of<br />
fabulous chaos<br />
Opinion, Page 7<br />
JONATHAN WHEELOCK/THE RIP<br />
BC students attending the Panorama Invitational art<br />
show at the Jones Art Gallery on <strong>Feb</strong>. 8.<br />
JULIAN CARO/THE RIP<br />
Northern Face of Bakersfield College’s Grace Van Dyke Bird<br />
Library, which experienced a sudden closure on <strong>Feb</strong>. 1.<br />
ANDREA DE LEON/THE RIP<br />
Financial team that helped with Financial Fest on <strong>Feb</strong>. 7.<br />
The <strong>Renegade</strong> <strong>Rip</strong> @bc_rip Follow us online at www.therip.com
Page 2<br />
News<br />
The <strong>Renegade</strong> <strong>Rip</strong> www.therip.com<br />
Wednesday, <strong>Feb</strong>. <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2024</strong><br />
BC hosts 6th Annual<br />
Black History Conference<br />
By Mia Washington<br />
Reporter<br />
On <strong>Feb</strong>. 2, students and faculty of<br />
the Umoja community came together<br />
in the Performing Arts Center to support<br />
students coming from various high<br />
schools for the Black History Month<br />
conference.<br />
This event was Umoja’s first of the<br />
semester, but for coordinator Sha’ron<br />
Bradley, this was the last event she<br />
would direct. “We only find people that<br />
are engaging to the audience and someone<br />
who is not afraid to share and teach<br />
our culture” Bradley said, explaining<br />
why she wants her last event to really<br />
count.<br />
Faculty welcomed students at booths<br />
with information about the Umoja club<br />
and several other resources for incoming<br />
students and future <strong>Renegade</strong>s.<br />
Educational advisor Chase Amos, who<br />
was positioned at the welcome booths<br />
stated, “We want our students to thrive<br />
and succeed.”<br />
Umoja’s club president and vice president<br />
opened the event by teaching<br />
new students the meaning of the word<br />
Umoja, unity. They also shed some<br />
light on their values: love, intention and<br />
direction and manifestation.<br />
Dr. Paula Parks started off by remembering<br />
and acknowledging the<br />
ancestors before presenting Interim<br />
President Steven Watkin. Watkin introduced<br />
speaker Brian E. Sibley to discuss<br />
wealth from an internal perspective, as<br />
well as teaching students the importance<br />
of unity. “You either conform or<br />
stand out. I grew up not having much<br />
and being in a position like that forces<br />
you to have one of two mindsets:<br />
a growth or a fixed mindset. I chose<br />
growth,” stated Sibley.<br />
Nigerian drummers and dancers were<br />
also present, and they performed for<br />
the audience. They thanked everyone<br />
for allowing them to share their music<br />
to celebrate Black History Month. By<br />
the end of the performance, the drummers<br />
invited over 20 students to join the<br />
stage to dance and play with them.<br />
A panel that included four speakers<br />
discussed the ethics of business management.<br />
Lwanga Yonké, an Umoja<br />
member from Cameroon, said, “I enjoyed<br />
this as an African, I loved watching<br />
the students embrace their African<br />
heritage and dance.”<br />
After the event, Dr. Parks left the audience<br />
with these words, “These are a<br />
great group of students to work with<br />
and guide, it’s all just joy and satisfaction.”<br />
She commended everyone that<br />
was committed to this event, mirroring<br />
love, which is one of the first valued archetypes<br />
of Umoja.<br />
BC Library’s sudden closure<br />
By Julian Caro<br />
Editor-in-Chief<br />
On <strong>Feb</strong>. 1, an email was sent to all<br />
Bakersfield College students. It was announcing<br />
the indefinite closure of the<br />
Grace Van Dyke Bird Library, without<br />
any reasoning provided.<br />
The email stated, “The BC Library<br />
will be closed until further notice,” and<br />
additionally it prompted any students<br />
with a class located inside of the library<br />
to contact their faculty for their temporary<br />
relocation.<br />
Several papers were taped onto the<br />
locked library doors, repeating the information<br />
found in the email. However,<br />
there was still no update given as<br />
to when the library would re-open its<br />
doors and why the library was closed in<br />
the first place.<br />
Consequently, the Wylie and May<br />
Louise Jones Art Gallery reception,<br />
which was scheduled to happen later<br />
that day, was rescheduled to <strong>Feb</strong>. 8.<br />
Library Chair Faith Bradham stated<br />
over email that, “the closure seems to<br />
be related to the rain,” and pointed out<br />
that “the library is still in the process of<br />
getting a new roof.” This was due to several<br />
leaks nearly damaging books earlier<br />
in the winter. She also noted that the<br />
rain from the night before had leaked<br />
into the library’s wiring, which had set<br />
off the emergency alarms.<br />
“The fire alarms were blinking in every<br />
floor,” exclaimed <strong>Renegade</strong> Hub<br />
worker Naomi Bautista, who further<br />
added that eventually, “the alarm did go<br />
off and then back on.” Due to the closure,<br />
Naomi was unable to work the rest<br />
of the day and the day that followed.<br />
In an email obtained by the <strong>Renegade</strong><br />
<strong>Rip</strong> from BC’s Marketing and Communications<br />
Director Monika Roberts<br />
to Kern High School District (KHSD)<br />
faculty announcing the rescheduling of<br />
the art gallery’s reception, the library’s<br />
closure was said to have been a product<br />
of “the storm last night.” This email to<br />
KHSD employees came not even five<br />
hours after the original email stating the<br />
library’s closure to BC students, which<br />
claimed and failed to “send an update<br />
when we have more information.”<br />
Students following the ‘bc_library’<br />
account on Instagram were given an<br />
update on <strong>Feb</strong>. 2 about its re-opening<br />
occurring the following day. The library<br />
is now open to the BC community once<br />
again.
Page 3<br />
News<br />
The <strong>Renegade</strong> <strong>Rip</strong> www.therip.com<br />
Wednesday, <strong>Feb</strong>. <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2024</strong><br />
H.S. student art show at BC<br />
By Mario Saldana<br />
Reporter<br />
The Bakersfield College Jones Art<br />
Gallery held a reception night for art<br />
students from Bakersfield high schools.<br />
Students ranging from all grade levels<br />
came out to BC to display their art<br />
at the Panorama Invitational <strong>2024</strong>,<br />
which was held at the Wylie and May<br />
Jones Art Gallery.<br />
Three different pieces from each<br />
school were showcased at the event,<br />
which included drawings, paintings,<br />
sculptures, and woodwork.<br />
Anette Santiago, a senior at Independence<br />
High School, felt that having her<br />
art displayed at an actual exhibit called<br />
‘Expression’ was “an ego booster.”<br />
She jokingly explains how her artwork<br />
appreciation was overdue, due<br />
to all the effort and hard work she had<br />
put into it. Once finished, she found<br />
enough time to enter her work for the<br />
invitational and was chosen. She said,<br />
“it’s a huge accomplishment, not only<br />
for me but my family.” Santiago also<br />
says her biggest inspiration in becoming<br />
an artist was her mother, who was<br />
there to over-see her artwork.<br />
Independence High student, Bella<br />
Velasquez’s artwork titled “Oculus”<br />
was featured at the event. It displayed<br />
a vibrantly colored self portrait<br />
of the artist with her<br />
eyeball in the palm of her<br />
hand.<br />
She felt honored to be<br />
part of the exhibit, especially<br />
since she has family who<br />
not only supports her but<br />
shares the same interests as<br />
her. “I felt happy when I saw<br />
my drawing, I started drawing<br />
when I was little, and I<br />
have family members who<br />
also are into art,” Velasquez<br />
stated.<br />
Jeffery Huston, a member<br />
of the art department,<br />
believes that the invitational<br />
has always been a great way to see students<br />
bond with each other over their<br />
artwork alongside friends, classmates,<br />
family members and peers.<br />
Huston ended with, “The exhibit is<br />
a fun opportunity for students to meet<br />
and talk to each other, parents coming<br />
to see their child’s work and they’re<br />
from multiple high schools which adds<br />
more fun to the environment.”<br />
JONATHAN WHEELOCK<br />
Anette Santiago with her piece<br />
“Expression”<br />
Bakersfield’s STD Problem<br />
By Kaley Soren<br />
Reporter<br />
Love is in the air, but sexually transmitted<br />
diseases may be in the sheets,<br />
according to a new study.<br />
Bakersfield is ranked #41 on the top<br />
100 cities with the highest rate of sexually<br />
transmitted diseases (STDs) in a<br />
study conducted by Innerbody, a national<br />
research-based group.<br />
According to Eric Rodriguez, CEO<br />
and co-founder of Innerbody, this is<br />
the seventh time the study has been<br />
conducted, and the numbers in Bakersfield<br />
only seem to be increasing.<br />
“What’s interesting is that Bakersfield<br />
dropped six spots in our rankings<br />
last year, ending up at #41,” Rodriguez<br />
wrote via email.<br />
Per the latest study, Bakersfield had<br />
reported 182 cases of HIV, 5971 cases<br />
of chlamydia, 2231 cases of gonorrhea<br />
and 284 cases of syphilis. Overall, the<br />
study found there were 953 cases of<br />
STDs per every 100,000 residents in<br />
Bakersfield.<br />
Last year, Rodriguez said Bakersfield’s<br />
numbers of STD cases were<br />
lower, with the exception of syphilis.<br />
“We dug deeper and found that<br />
overall, reported cases went up for<br />
everything except syphilis,” wrote Rodriguez.<br />
“It seems like Bakersfield’s<br />
numbers are on the rise, but maybe<br />
not as fast as in other places, which is<br />
why they’re a bit lower on our ranking<br />
this time around.”<br />
Last year, the study recorded that<br />
Bakersfield had 182 HIV cases, 348<br />
syphilis cases, 1986 gonorrhea cases<br />
and 5971 Chlamydia cases. The study<br />
had found that there were 858 cases<br />
per 100,000 Bakersfield residents.<br />
The data for the study is found<br />
through data from the Center for Disease<br />
Control (CDC) Rodriguez said.<br />
However, the study’s website states that<br />
only primary and secondary syphilis<br />
cases are reported. HIV cases are also<br />
not always reported.<br />
Statistics for other common STDs,<br />
such as herpes, were left out of the<br />
study due to the CDC not recording<br />
any data on them.<br />
While the numbers seem intimidating,<br />
there are ways to stay safe during<br />
the season of love. For school resources<br />
on how to protect yourself and your<br />
partner, visit Bakersfield College’s student<br />
health resources site.<br />
To view Innerbody’s latest STD<br />
study, visit their website.
Page 4<br />
BC Men’s Hoops<br />
Win OT Thriller<br />
By Gesus Garcia<br />
Sports Editor<br />
Bakersfield College men’s<br />
basketball team defeated<br />
College of the Canyons 69-<br />
65 in overtime on <strong>Feb</strong>. 7.<br />
With the win, the <strong>Renegade</strong>s<br />
got back to .500 (11-11). The<br />
result snapped a six-game<br />
losing streak by the <strong>Renegade</strong>s,<br />
as their last win had<br />
come on Jan. 13, ironically<br />
enough against Canyons.<br />
It was a defensive affair<br />
between both teams, as they<br />
combined for 22 steals and<br />
five blocks. Both teams shot<br />
under 40% for the entire<br />
game. Canyons remained<br />
within striking distance<br />
thanks to 29 free throw attempts<br />
compared to BC’s 18.<br />
The cold shooting night<br />
from both squads began instantly,<br />
as the score was only<br />
8-6 in BC’s favor after the<br />
first seven minutes. BC used<br />
a 10-0 run late in the half to<br />
jump to a 27-17 lead after<br />
both teams kept struggling<br />
offensively.<br />
The <strong>Renegade</strong>s limited the<br />
Cougars to 30% from the<br />
field in the first 20 minutes<br />
as they built a 35-26 lead at<br />
halftime. In the 2nd half, neither<br />
team could pull away,<br />
and the game remained<br />
closed throughout.<br />
Sportss<br />
The <strong>Renegade</strong> <strong>Rip</strong> www.therip.com<br />
The last few seconds of<br />
regulation delivered some<br />
drama, as guard Kemonte<br />
Jackson hit what seemed to<br />
be the game winning shot<br />
with one second left. However,<br />
a questionable foul call<br />
was made on the ensuing<br />
inbounds play by Canyons.<br />
Cougars guard Jeremiah<br />
Walker made both free throw<br />
attempts to send the game<br />
into overtime tied at 57.<br />
In overtime, both teams<br />
kept exchanging points until<br />
BC pulled away for good<br />
when guard Andrew Hill<br />
scored to give the home team<br />
a four-point lead with 90 seconds<br />
left.<br />
Jackson led all BC scorers<br />
with 15 points to go along<br />
with seven rebounds. Guard<br />
Malik Petty scored <strong>14</strong> and<br />
added six rebounds to his<br />
tally.<br />
In the losing effort, Canyons<br />
forward Mason Savery<br />
had 24 points and six<br />
rebounds. The Cougars<br />
dropped to 8-15 on the season.<br />
The <strong>Renegade</strong>s head down<br />
the home stretch of the season.<br />
With only five games left<br />
in the regular season, there is<br />
little margin for error before<br />
postseason play. Their next<br />
home game is Glendale on<br />
<strong>Feb</strong>. <strong>14</strong>.<br />
GESUS GARCIA/<br />
THE RIP<br />
BC Guard Elijah<br />
Williams (#3)<br />
attempts a midrange<br />
shot vs.<br />
Canyons.<br />
Wednesday, <strong>Feb</strong>. <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2024</strong><br />
Super Bowl<br />
Sports Buzz<br />
By Gesus Garcia<br />
Sports Editor<br />
The Kansas City Chiefs defeated<br />
the San Francisco 49ers<br />
by a score of 25-22 (F/OT) to<br />
win Super Bowl LVIII on <strong>Feb</strong>.<br />
11. It is their third Super Bowl<br />
victory in the last four years,<br />
and their fourth in franchise<br />
history.<br />
The game started with limited<br />
action, as it became the<br />
10th Super Bowl in history<br />
with a scoreless first quarter.<br />
After the 49ers kicked a field<br />
goal, the first touchdown was<br />
finally scored with 4:32 remaining<br />
in the second quarter.<br />
On a trick play, 49ers WR Jauan<br />
Jennings threw a pass that<br />
RB Christian McCaffrey took<br />
into the end zone for a 10-0<br />
lead.<br />
Following Usher’s halftime<br />
show, the 49ers went into the<br />
third quarter with a 10-3 lead.<br />
In any game, much less the<br />
Super Bowl, one mistake can<br />
prove to be costly. The 49ers<br />
learned that the hard way, as<br />
a muffed punt near the end of<br />
the quarter allowed the Chiefs<br />
to score instantly and take<br />
a 13-10 lead into the fourth<br />
quarter.<br />
In the ensuing possession,<br />
QB Brock Purdy and Co. had<br />
what was arguably their most<br />
productive drive of the game.<br />
With 11:27 left in the game,<br />
Purdy threw a touchdown<br />
pass to Jennings. It seemed<br />
like Jennings was destined to<br />
be the unsung hero that no<br />
one saw coming. However, a<br />
missed extra point kept this a<br />
three point game at 16-13 San<br />
Francisco. After both teams<br />
exchanged field goals, the<br />
Gesus Garcia<br />
49ers led 19-16 with less<br />
than two minutes to go. As<br />
all football fans know, that<br />
is too much time for Mahomes.<br />
He proved that to<br />
be true, as he almost led<br />
a game winning drive before<br />
settling for overtime<br />
with the score tied at 19.<br />
The 49ers had a promising<br />
drive that almost<br />
resulted in a touchdown,<br />
but the offense stalled in<br />
the red zone. After getting<br />
the ball back down<br />
22-19, Mahomes led a<br />
championship winning<br />
drive that culminated in<br />
a touchdown by WR Mecole<br />
Hardman.<br />
With the win, Mahomes<br />
was named Super<br />
Bowl MVP. He’s entered<br />
the NFL G.O.A.T discussions<br />
alongside legends<br />
like Tom Brady and Joe<br />
Montana.<br />
Consequently, this was<br />
a heartbreaking loss for<br />
the 49ers. Their Super<br />
Bowl drought will have<br />
reached three decades by<br />
next season. The quest for<br />
six titles will have to wait<br />
another year.
Page 5<br />
Campus<br />
The <strong>Renegade</strong> <strong>Rip</strong> www.therip.com<br />
Wednesday, <strong>Feb</strong>. <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2024</strong><br />
Financial Fest<br />
was a success<br />
Performing<br />
arts preview<br />
By Andrea De Leon<br />
Reporter<br />
Bakersfield College had its Financial Aid Fest on<br />
Wednesday, <strong>Feb</strong>. 7, where many booths had games, prizes,<br />
and more importantly, information on what resources<br />
they supply. Many students came to enjoy everything<br />
that was provided.<br />
These booths varied from campus resources to citywide<br />
services. Students were made unaware of the resources<br />
that were provided.<br />
While speaking to David Moncayo, the event coordinator,<br />
he said the main reason he planned this event was<br />
for the community. His goal was for students to know<br />
how many resources were out there for them. Although<br />
the event was usually held on the CCS lawn, he was happy<br />
with the turnout. He knows how hard it has been for<br />
students to socialize after COVID.<br />
A TRIO program advisor expressed how beneficial<br />
these events are because they helped bring attention to<br />
programs like theirs that might not be known to students.<br />
This event was beneficial to both students and programs.<br />
Students can understand how much help there is for<br />
them.<br />
Student Achrista Jones wanted to know what events<br />
were going on at school when she received a text reminding<br />
her of the event. She showed up with some friends<br />
and enjoyed everything they had to offer. Jones is just one<br />
student of many who enjoyed the Financial Fest.<br />
“This event was super helpful and had great resources”<br />
Melody Flores, another BC student said. Flores also got<br />
a text and decided to come check it out. While Flores<br />
and other students might not need all the resources the<br />
city provided, she still found it helpful to know what programs<br />
are out there when she might need it. She also<br />
got all her financial questions answered, which she found<br />
useful.<br />
Laura Cruz, a financial aid advisor, was helpful with<br />
any questions students had. Cruz said that the main goal<br />
was to “help students fill out their financial aid form and<br />
any questions they might have regarding it.” Cruz went<br />
on to say how these events have an impact on students<br />
who attend.<br />
The Financial Fest event allowed many BC students<br />
the opportunity to have their questions answered and to<br />
learn more about all the resources they have available<br />
whether through the school or city.<br />
By Joscelyn Martinez<br />
Reporter<br />
The Bakersfield College Performing Arts program<br />
will be having multiple shows throughout the semester<br />
for students and faculty to enjoy.<br />
This year they will be starting off the semester with<br />
a Valentine’s Day class performance. The show date<br />
is <strong>Feb</strong>. 13 at 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. The show will be<br />
free admission and will be in PAC 107, the Blackbox<br />
theatre.<br />
“The Production covers a diverse range of different<br />
types of loves, and shows the sweet and bittersweet side<br />
of it,” said Professor Kimberly Chin. “We’ll also have<br />
candy for our audience members.”<br />
Shortly after the Valentine’s Day production, this<br />
will be followed by the Spring Play Festival, held from<br />
<strong>Feb</strong>ruary 28 to March 20. Directed by multiple students,<br />
there will be a variety of contemporary plays to<br />
watch. The performances will be held at Simonsen Indoor<br />
Theatre, with times and prices to be determined.<br />
“The Lilies of The Field” will be the third round of<br />
performances this semester.<br />
“We have a student director and adjunct faculty<br />
member portraying one of the key roles. The play was<br />
also a movie starring actor Sidney Poitier of which he<br />
won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the role,”<br />
said Chin.<br />
Directed by theatre major Logan Scott and Professor<br />
Kimberly Chin, the play will offer heartwarming and<br />
thought-provoking scenes and dialogue that will leave<br />
viewers intrigued.<br />
Showtimes will be March 21-23, starting at 7:30 p.m.<br />
and will be accommodated by a 2 p.m. matinee on the<br />
23rd. Performances will be held at PAC 107, with ticket<br />
prices being $8 and general admission $5.<br />
“Metamorphoses,” directed by Professor Cody<br />
Ganger, is a play about the difficulties that come with<br />
accepting change. In a comedic yet tragic turn of<br />
events, the playwright Martha Zimmerman shows the<br />
audience how change is hard to accept but is also possible<br />
to overcome.<br />
Showtimes are April 24-28, starting at 7:30 p.m. and<br />
performances will be held at the Simonsen Outdoor<br />
Theatre. Prices have yet to be determined and will be<br />
updated soon.
Page 6<br />
Opinion<br />
The <strong>Renegade</strong> <strong>Rip</strong> www.therip.com<br />
Wednesday, <strong>Feb</strong>. <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2024</strong><br />
“Godzilla Minus One” is a smashing<br />
good time<br />
By Ace Warren<br />
Reporter<br />
Godzilla is a household name in the<br />
media now. Almost everyone knows<br />
Godzilla as one of the scariest monsters<br />
in history known for destroying<br />
buildings and leveling entire cities with<br />
his atomic breath, but what if Godzilla<br />
became something even scarier than<br />
a monster? A metaphor for survivors’<br />
guilt. This idea is creatively explored<br />
in the newest entry to the kaijuverse,<br />
“Godzilla Minus One”.<br />
Godzilla Minus One is the newest<br />
Godzilla film coming from director<br />
Takashi Yamazaki, originally released<br />
around the beginning of December in<br />
US theaters. The movie is currently replaying<br />
for a second round in black and<br />
white. The movie stars actors Ryunosuke<br />
Kamiki and Hidetaka Yoshioka as<br />
the lead roles.<br />
During the peak of WWII, we follow<br />
failed kamikaze pilot Koichi Shikishima<br />
as he faces the guilt of feeling like a failure<br />
to his country. The guilt is especially<br />
from an early encounter with Godzilla<br />
where he was too afraid to attack which<br />
led to the death of many soldiers. After<br />
running away from war, he comes back<br />
to his hometown which has been demolished<br />
in war and everyone around<br />
him shames him except for a woman<br />
GOOGLE IMAGES<br />
he meets known as Noriko, and a baby<br />
she has. To take care of his newfound<br />
family Koichi takes a government job<br />
on the ocean destroying old sea mines.<br />
Unfortunately for Koichi and his crew<br />
they have another problem in the water<br />
more dangerous than any mine. The<br />
physical representation of his guilt,<br />
Godzilla.<br />
This movie does something no other<br />
Godzilla movie has done before by<br />
focusing on the characters of the movie<br />
and their lives rather than Godzilla<br />
being the center of attention. Not to<br />
say that Godzilla doesn’t get his share<br />
of destroying war vessels and cities, because<br />
there is plenty of that in the movie,<br />
but their focus of the movie is Koichi<br />
coming to terms with the deep guilt he<br />
has for his fallen comrades and how he<br />
decides to face it by fighting Godzilla.<br />
The beautiful visuals that come out<br />
of the movie were enough to be nominated<br />
for an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.<br />
Though the movie has more to<br />
offer than its visuals, it offers a deep story<br />
about how one man comes to terms<br />
with his past trauma and decides to<br />
conquer it by fighting Godzilla in one<br />
fighter plane.<br />
First place nationally for two year college Websites at<br />
the Associated Collegiate Press 2020 midwinter conference.<br />
Fifth place newspapers. First place for newspaper<br />
in 2011, third place in 2013, 20<strong>14</strong>, 2015 for CNPA General<br />
Excellence<br />
Fourth place nationally in 2019 for website publication<br />
by Associated Collegiate Press<br />
The <strong>Renegade</strong> <strong>Rip</strong> is produced by Bakersfield College<br />
journalism classes and is circulated on Thursdays<br />
during the fall and spring semesters. The newspaper is<br />
published under the auspices of the Kern Community<br />
College District Board of Trustees, but sole responsibility<br />
for its content rests with student editors. The <strong>Rip</strong> is<br />
a member of the California Newspaper Publishers Association,<br />
Associated Collegiate Press, and California<br />
Colleges Media Association.<br />
The <strong>Renegade</strong> <strong>Rip</strong><br />
EDITORIAL BOARD<br />
Editor-in-Chief...........................Julian Caro<br />
Digital Editor......Breana “Honey” Crowder<br />
News Editor..................... Mason Almaguer<br />
Sports Editor............................Gesus Garcia<br />
A & E Editor..........................Trevor Glenn<br />
Features Editor..............................Ari Montez<br />
STAFF<br />
Reporters/ Photographers::<br />
Andrea De Leon<br />
Carmen Gallegos<br />
Natalie Macias<br />
Adviser.........................................Erin Auerbach<br />
STAFF CONTINUED<br />
Reporters/photographers:<br />
Josceyln Martinez<br />
Angela Medina<br />
Brandon Pearce<br />
JRR Lopez-Olmos<br />
Kenya Rice<br />
Mario Saldana<br />
Kaley Soren<br />
Evelyn Verdejo<br />
Jacqueline Villatoro<br />
Ace Warren<br />
Mia Washington<br />
Jonathan Wheelock<br />
Write The <strong>Rip</strong><br />
Letters should not exceed 300 words,<br />
must be accompanied by a signature<br />
and the letter writer’s identity must be<br />
verified.<br />
The <strong>Rip</strong> reserves the right to edit<br />
letters, however, writers will be given<br />
the opportunity to revise lengthy or<br />
unacceptable submissions.<br />
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group, it must be signed by only one person,<br />
either the leader of the organization<br />
or the letter writer. Anonymous letters<br />
will not be published.<br />
How to reach us<br />
-Address: Bakersfield College,<br />
1801 Panorama Drive, Bakersfield,<br />
CA 93305<br />
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-Website: therip.com
Page 7<br />
Opinion<br />
The <strong>Renegade</strong> <strong>Rip</strong> www.therip.com<br />
Wednesday, <strong>Feb</strong>. <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2024</strong><br />
A Humanities<br />
revamp needed<br />
By Brandon Pearce<br />
Reporter<br />
The Humanities building is one of the worst buildings<br />
to take a class in on campus. Many of its classrooms<br />
are old and outdated, which gives the outdated building<br />
a depressing feel. The Humanities building desperately<br />
needs a refresh.<br />
The lazy attempts to fix some of the problems have<br />
made them look worse instead. The classrooms have<br />
holes in the walls, and even some of the ceilings are<br />
pushed up to fit the clock above the holes. Many of the<br />
classrooms seem as if the building hasn’t been changed<br />
since it was built. The overall feel of the building is sad,<br />
especially with the new modern classrooms BC offers at<br />
other buildings.<br />
The school has attempted to modernize them, yet<br />
walking inside them only shows the building aging. With<br />
some classes having new sets of technology, they only<br />
help contrast the building’s actual look. Although this is<br />
more of an enrollment <strong>issue</strong>, the classrooms feel weirdly<br />
sized and either too empty or cramped.<br />
What I believe the building needs is a revamped and<br />
unique look with its indoor and outdoor style. It needs<br />
to completely modernize every classroom with 21st century<br />
technology and looks. Altering the style to something<br />
like BC Southwest’s classrooms can benefit the<br />
building. The big windows on the outside help keep the<br />
classrooms from looking less depressing.<br />
The outdoor hallways can also benefit from more<br />
lighting. Walking through them feels as if you are crawling<br />
through a dark alleyway to get to a class, especially<br />
during late sessions. The Humanities building tends to<br />
get crowded, so BC should try expanding seating options<br />
in classrooms to go with study tables. The hallways<br />
and outdoors area could benefit from this greatly.<br />
The outdoor feature of the building is one of its standout<br />
features and is a nice breath of fresh air compared<br />
to the other buildings. However, it is the only good part<br />
about the building.<br />
Compared to the other buildings on campus, it is<br />
probably one of the worst to have a class in. It pales in<br />
comparison to others, such as the Science and Engineering<br />
building. While being a letdown with its classrooms,<br />
the Humanities building desperately needs a refresh, as<br />
it almost seems neglected by the school.<br />
TikTok vs UMG<br />
Music Notes<br />
By Trevor Glenn<br />
Arts & Entertainment Editor<br />
In an open letter posted to<br />
their website on Jan. 30, Universal<br />
Music Group (UMG)<br />
publicly shared their concerns<br />
against TikTok. UMG was<br />
expressing worrying concerns<br />
that the popular social media<br />
app was not protecting their<br />
musicians against threats such<br />
as AI, as well as TikTok not<br />
paying artists enough compensation.<br />
The letter stated, “Ultimately<br />
TikTok is trying to build a<br />
music-based business, without<br />
paying fair value for the music.”<br />
As UMG and TikTok’s<br />
contracts ended and the two<br />
companies could not come to<br />
a mutual agreement for their<br />
future, UMG removed all its<br />
artists from the platform. This<br />
caused most users’ videos to be<br />
muted.<br />
TikTok posted a response via<br />
X, saying UMG “put greed<br />
above the interest of their artist<br />
and songwriters.” They also<br />
add that UMG walked away<br />
from powerful support from an<br />
app that is home to hundreds<br />
of millions of users and free<br />
promotion. UMG is home to<br />
some of the world’s most popular<br />
and influential artists such<br />
as Taylor Swift, SZA, Drake,<br />
BTS, and Ariana Grande<br />
amongst many others.<br />
The <strong>issue</strong>s between the two<br />
companies are already proving<br />
to be an <strong>issue</strong> for UMG artists.<br />
Singer-songwriter Conan<br />
Gray spoke with Rolling Stone<br />
during Spotify’s “Best New<br />
Artist” event. When asked<br />
about his thoughts, Gray gave<br />
a playful answer, “My career is<br />
over, for sure. I’m never going<br />
to have a hit song again at this<br />
Trevor Glenn<br />
rate.”<br />
Singer Yungblud expressed<br />
his thoughts via TikTok, as<br />
he stated “Two massive companies<br />
deciding what goes<br />
on with people’s art. It’s a bit<br />
f-ing daft, isn’t it?” He further<br />
explains that this serves as a<br />
reminder to him, and hopefully<br />
other artists, that their art<br />
should not be controlled by<br />
something as temporary as an<br />
app or social media platform,<br />
because art is forever.<br />
It is disheartening that so<br />
many hard-working artists are<br />
constantly being undermined<br />
by social media apps, including<br />
music streaming services.<br />
Streaming services hardly pay<br />
artists as is, so for another app<br />
to try to do the same (if not<br />
worse) is truly frustrating. The<br />
music industry has already had<br />
to adapt to TikTok’s power,<br />
from how they promote and<br />
debut new artists to Billboard<br />
charts. Now this has become<br />
another hurdle that is attacking<br />
artists.
Opinion<br />
Page 8<br />
The <strong>Renegade</strong> <strong>Rip</strong> www.therip.com<br />
Wednesday, <strong>Feb</strong>. <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2024</strong><br />
Coffee Bean<br />
Hosts Galentine’s<br />
Day Event<br />
<strong>Renegade</strong> Events<br />
Campus Events<br />
Now - March 7: Panorama Invitational<br />
Jones Art Gallery Hours are Monday - Thursday,<br />
2 - 5 p.m.<br />
By Natalie Macias<br />
Reporter<br />
Bakersfield coffee shop, Coffee<br />
Bean held a Valentine’s Day event<br />
for the ladies in the community.<br />
The event took place on <strong>Feb</strong>. 2, at<br />
5:30 pm, and was located at 4615<br />
Buena Vista Road.<br />
There were a variety of drinks to<br />
choose from starting with; coffees,<br />
teas, blended, cocoas and kid-oriented<br />
drinks as well. They have a<br />
wide selection of desserts such as<br />
bagels, cake pops, loaves, croissants,<br />
muffins, scones, pastries besides<br />
beverages.<br />
Their mango ice blended drink<br />
tasted refreshing and rich. The cinnamon<br />
roll and vanilla cake pop<br />
treats from the bakery section were<br />
both delicious and very savory.<br />
The event was orientated for the<br />
ladies. The first 25 women received<br />
a goodie bag which included some<br />
heart shades, hair items, stickers,<br />
candy. The place was decorated<br />
with Valentine’s décor surrounded<br />
with heart balloons around the<br />
windows. There was also a background<br />
drop with balloons that<br />
include sweetheart words written<br />
on them. There was a LED stand<br />
spelling Gals, and a set photo booth<br />
station.<br />
Coffee Bean opened about a<br />
year ago in March 2023. Manager<br />
Jacky Ledford, the host of the<br />
event, credited the main inspiration<br />
behind the event with the help of<br />
her coworkers.<br />
When asked what interest<br />
brought Ledford to make this event<br />
for the ladies. Ledford stated, “Getting<br />
the ladies involved and seeing<br />
them dress up in their pretty outfits<br />
and stand out.” Their inspiration<br />
undoubtedly came to life. She<br />
continued by saying, “We would<br />
like everyone to come try it out, it’s<br />
fresh & local, even if it’s far worth<br />
the drive & getting more people out<br />
to come.”<br />
Many workers were there, including<br />
Angeline Hernandez, who<br />
spoke about the most popular item<br />
“the cheese Danish.” Hernandez’s<br />
input on how it’s like working at<br />
Coffee Bean was “it’s chill” and<br />
her favorite baked item & drink is<br />
the “Matcha ice latte & strawberry<br />
cake pop.”<br />
As a first-time customer, reviewing<br />
the experience was friendly &<br />
a nice environment. If you’re looking<br />
for a new place with not just<br />
coffee, try it out along with their<br />
events. Their prices are affordable,<br />
a regular mango blended drink was<br />
$5.98, the cinnamon roll costing<br />
$3.45 & cake pop $2.95.<br />
<strong>Feb</strong>. <strong>14</strong>: Deep Cuts and Conversations in<br />
the Levan Center, from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.<br />
<strong>Feb</strong>. 15: The Planetarium Presents: Supervolcanoes,<br />
located at the William M. Thomas<br />
Planetarium, from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.<br />
<strong>Feb</strong>. 16 - 19 Presidents’ Day Weekend,<br />
Campus closed<br />
<strong>Feb</strong>. 20: <strong>Renegade</strong> Nexus Pantry Farmer’s<br />
Market, near the CSS Lawn, at 10 - 2 p.m.<br />
<strong>Feb</strong>. 20: Empowering Unity: Building Stronger<br />
Alliances for Black Communities, guest<br />
speaker AJ Mada, in the <strong>Renegade</strong>s Event<br />
Center, at 5:30 - 8:00 p.m.<br />
<strong>Feb</strong>. 21: Barber Shop Talk, in the Campus<br />
Center Room No. 232, at 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.<br />
<strong>Feb</strong>. 21: Guest Speaker Randall Kennedy<br />
(Harvard Law Professor) speaking on Affirmative<br />
Action, The Constitution, and Education<br />
in the Campus Center Ball Room on Wednesday<br />
from 6-7:30 p.m.<br />
<strong>Feb</strong>. 26: Financial Aid Application Workshop,<br />
in the Welcome Center Room 118, from<br />
2 - 4 p.m.<br />
<strong>Feb</strong>. 28: Free Tax Service, in the Office of<br />
Student Life, Room No. 231 from 2 - 5 p.m.<br />
NATALIE MACIAS/THE RIP<br />
The Bakery section at CBTL with V-Day décor