Uncategorized
November 11, 2015
Honoring TC Veterans
On behalf of the entire Taft College Faculty and Staff, We would like to THANK YOU for your service to our country.
We would like to recognize those in our TC Family including:
John Dodson
Sharyn Eveland
Andy Huckins
Brian Jean
Mike Mayfield
Dave Reynolds
Tom Ware
Robert Meteau
Tina Mendoza
Bruce Ferguson
Doug Taylor
Dan Goodman
Anthony Cordova
Jon Carrithers
Dr. David Cothrun
Richard Holden
November 11, 2015
Poetry Reading
The students in the Literary Magazine Club have partnered with Black Gold and the Cougar Corner Bookstore to host a spoken-word poetry competition on Saturday, November 14, at 5:00pm. The competition is open to anyone. Professor Bill Devine, published poet Mark Fisher, and student editor Clarissa Alderete will judge the contest. First prize will be publication of the winning poem in The Taft Independent. Other prizes will include a gift card to the Cougar Corner Bookstore and copies of A Sharp Piece of Awesome. Anyone may compete in the contest. Those wishing to read a poem should arrive by 4:45pm to sign-in. Black Gold is located at 508 Center St in Taft. Please help spread the word!
November 10, 2015
A Queen Walks Among Us
By Ashley Renteria
In October of 2015 Taft held its Oildorado celebration which occurs every 5 years.
Part of the celebration includes a pageant in which an Oildorado Queen, Princess and Miss Congeniality were crowned.
Current Taft College students Madi Rubadeau and Emily Davis competed in the pageant, Madi won the title of Oildorado Queen and Emily Davis won title of Miss Congeniality.
Taft Union High School student Laken Bumgardner won Princess.
Photo Courtesy of Taft Midway Driller/ Doug Keeler
Madi provides insight to what it’s like being the official Queen of Oildorado 2015.
“To be Oildorado Queen means to represent our town to the highest quality I can. To me personally though it means to not only just represent our town but my family, and my sponsor. Being sponsored by Alpha House is such an honor and to win queen with them supporting me was really special. Also it means being an adequate role model, which I strive really hard to be and hope that I can inspire someone to believe in themselves” Madi expresses.
While being queen doesn’t necessarily require her to carry out any specific duties or jobs, Madi said she is expected to keep up a good reputation and to attend events that are asked of her.
Madi was asked to attend the Kern County Race Path on October 17th as the trophy girl and was accompanied by fellow Maid of Petroleum Allison Milner.
Photos from Kern Raceway
Along with being a guest appearance at the race path, she attended the Miss Bakersfield pageant on October 24th as a guest representative with her mother as her main supporter.
“I will reign as Oildorado queen for 5 years when I will retire my title and hand it down to the next deserving young woman. Until then I’ll keep living up my small town fame.”
November 5, 2015
Dia De Los Muertos
Day of the Dead
by Alberto Muro
The death of a loved one is a heart breaking experience, and to overcome the feeling of sadness people have developed methods to hold onto memories of their deceased. Memorabilia is common, and there are many traditional ways which people honor their deceased.
For thousands of years November was observed in Latin American culture as a month to honor the deceased. The ongoing tradition of honoring the dead is called “Dia De Los Muertos” (Day of the Dead).
During Dia De Los Muertos, family members and loved ones get together to build a shrine and decorate it with items that brought joy to their deceased. Food, beverages, and music albums are some of many items that are placed at the shrines.
Festivities are common during Dia De Los Muertos, and it allows communities to come together and celebrate the lives of their deceased. Face painting that resembles a skull is a widely recognized feature about Dia De Los Muerto, and the creativity behind each face reflects on the cherished memories of the deceased.
Mexican folklore dances are also a notable trait of the festivities during Dia De Los Muertos. The dancers are dressed in colorful attire where the men wear hats, scarves, and boots while the women wear colorful dresses with bows in their hair.
Children are also an important aspect of the dancing tradition by wearing full body skeletal suits and skull masks as they engage in perfectly choreographed steps.
Dance director and host of a Dia De Los Muertos event Cruz Ramos and her daughter Muriel Ramos have partaken in the tradition in Bakersfield for the last 23 years.
Every year Cruz is on a mission to ensure that people enjoy their time at the Dia De Los Muertos festival. When asked about her motivation behind hosting the tradition, she said, “The love for our people that have left us and gone, and that includes friends because there is something in their lives that impacted us, and we learn something from them and in my case the love for God.”
Often people are misinformed about the tradition of Dia De Los Muertos, and although it’s a couple of days after Halloween, it has no affiliation. People that have not attended the event receive a history lesson about Dia De Los Muertos. Cruz is no stranger to newcomers curious about Dia De Los Muertos, she says, “They get educated, and they find out what they thought it was or what they heard. It has nothing to do with witchcraft or superstition. It’s a fact of life, we are born, and we are bound to die.”
Beverages, food, dancing, and familial bonds stand out at Dia De Los Muertos events, and at the end of the day, Cruz enjoys partaking in the tradition that her ancestors celebrated. We often take the time to mourn our deceased, but attending a Dia De Los Muertos event is a different story.
Sadness is replaced with celebration which Cruz pointed out “loved ones of the deceased are joking, there’s also laughter a lot of laughter and joy.” At the end of the day, those that we miss dearly want us to be happy, and Dia De Los Muertos is one of many traditions that people celebrate the lives of their deceased.
November 4, 2015
ASB Goes to Halloween Horror Night at Universal Studios
By Jonathan Celiz
For Halloween, the ASB Club celebrated by going on their annual Fall Trip to Universal Studios for Halloween Horror Nights as well as spend the rest of the weekend at the Santa Monica Pier.
Universal Studios hosts its Halloween Horror Night every October with several scare mazes, attractions, and live entertainment throughout the park, one of it’s popular attractions, The Terror Trams was themed after their big hit horror film series The Purge and offered a chance for guests to roam the famous Universal Studio back lot for a howling good time
Photo-ops were allowed on the famous house from Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho
Scare actors littered the park waiting to frighten unsuspecting park-goers.
Other haunted attractions included This is the End 3D, The Walking Dead, Crimson Peak and the very popular hit this year Halloween: Michael Myers comes Home.
This year the park also hosted the sensational hip-hop dance crew known as “JabbaWockeeZ” whose high-impact dance routines dazzled packed crowds all night.
After the group had their scares for the evening, the next day was spent relaxing at the famous Santa Monica Pier.
The pier has its own series of attractions including several boardwalk rides, an arcade, and an aquarium. The day came to a close after having spent the time visiting various shops and restaurants at the pier which was a fitting end for ASB Club’s annual Fall Trip.
November 4, 2015
R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps: A Movie for all Ages
By Ashley Renteria
At some point in our lives, we all loved to be spooked by R.L. Stine’s memorable series of the Goosebumps books.
This October, the Goosebumps film hit big screens all over the nation. Directed by Rob Letterman, also known for his work Shark Tale (2004) and Monsters vs. Aliens (2009), the film casts Jack Black in a leading role as a mysterious father in a quiet suburban hometown of Delaware.
The movie centers around a teen boy named Zach and his widowed mother moving to a new town and befriending his female neighbor Hannah who is played by Odeya Rush ( known for her role in The Giver) and her secretive father (Jack Black).
When Zach suggests Hannah might be in trouble at the hands of her own father, Zach uncovers a dark family secret of Hannah’s which causes mischief and danger breaks out along with some of Stine’s famous monsters.
The film had just the right amount of action and suspense and as usual for an R.L. Stine production, a twist.
Despite being rated PG, the movie is enjoyable for all ages especially those who grew up reading Goosebumps and watching the television episode versions.
November 4, 2015
Escape: A Halloween Experience
By Alberto Muro
Traffic was backed up for those wanting to exit the 215 Freeway in San Bernardino as thousands of music enthusiasts were on a pilgrimage to the biggest Halloween dance party in Southern California.
Insomniac Events proudly welcomed its attendees to the 4th annual Escape: Halloween experience while thousands of people flocked to the venue in what is considered to be a life changing experience.
Californians were not the only ones in attendance as people came from Oregon, Nevada, Colorado, and Washington.
Attendees got to experience visual effects from the stages, to carnival rides to pyrotechnic art exhibits and those who were tired from dancing all night were able to sit under illuminated trees.
From 4pm to 2am, those in attendance were in for a night of dancing and interacting, and as a safety precaution Insomniac Events allowed totems at the event to alleviate the frustration of being lost in a sea of people.
Both Friday and Saturday nights drew crowds of thousands and an unbelievable amount of positive vibes that resembled a modern Woodstock.