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Battle of the Sexes

Battle of the Sexes Video

By Gloria Saldivar

Spring Fling week was full of fun surprises here on campus. On Tuesday, April 22, 2014 students and faculty took part in a couple of fun activities and the main event everyone was anticipating, the dance off!

Faculty was the first group to show off their fun and goofy dance. They surprised the crowd with their groovy dance moves. The on/lookers were filled with oo’s and aa’s as well as laughter from watching them perform.

Next up was the dance off between the boys and the girls. This is where things started to get competitive. No one wanted to lose the battle especially since friends were there to witness either their epic victory or their sad loss. The girls started off the battle with a nicely practiced dance routine which the boys had to top. The boys came up with some funky dance moves that had the crowd laughing. The girls knew that the competition was putting up a good fight so they executed their second dance which topped their first dance as well as the boys’ dance. The boys then performed a humorous dance routine which had the crowd going wild.

There was then what seemed to be like a one minute vote to determine the winners, but to everyone’s surprise, it turned out to be a tie. The boys and girls then had to come up with a dance on the spot to prove that they were the ultimate winners of the battle. This time the boys decided they had to go first. They shocked the crowd with their feisty dance moves that spilled out onto the performance stage. The girls came up with their final dance and proved themselves victors of the battle.

Construction and Road Closures Plague Taft College Commuters. . . Again.

Kaylynn Clark

The Department of Transportation announced a scheduled one way traffic control of westbound and eastbound State Route 119 between State Route 33 to just Elk Hills road in Kern County between May 5th through the 9th between the hours of 6am and 3pm each day. Construction crews will be conducting one way traffic control during this time with the use of a pilot car.

Due to the construction of the roads, many students make experience road delays, so make sure to leave earlier to be able to make it to your finals or classes!

Taft Comes to the Big Screen, Open Call Casting

Kaylynn Clark

Something big is coming to Taft, and it is definitely exciting news! A short film is going to be shot locally called Midland. The short film is going to be featuring local oil workers and women between ages 18-30, that will be cast during an open call on May 10th from 12pm to 4pm at the Taft Chamber of Commerce. If acting isn’t for you, there is also an opportunity to work behind the scenes if you have industry experience.

This is a great opportunity for many Taft College students that are interested in acting or the field of drama. The film will be shot from July 12th through the 13th and is a great way to gain experience!

Taft Job Festival

By Lisa Ybarra

The Department of Human Services is hosting a job fest April 30th at The Historic Fort from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Eighteen employers are expected to be at the festival with 138 job opportunities.

Some of the employers who will be interviewing include Taft Correctional Facility, Bakersfield Police Department, Starstruck Entertainment, Aera Energy, Auto Zone, City of Taft, and Continental Labor just to name a few.

If you’re looking for employment, you do not want to miss out on this opportunity. Be sure to look your best!

Bakersfield’s Water Shortage: How You Can Help

Kaylynn Clark

As drought conditions persist in Kern County, many businesses are starting to enact water conservation efforts. Although many agriculture and energy companies are doing their part to conserve, solving the draught issue truly starts within every single household making a small change in consumption. Surprisingly, there are many easy ways to help save water that will not dramatically change your current lifestyle. Doing full loads of laundry using cold water rather than smaller loads is one way to start, as well as cutting your shower short by a few minutes. Small changes can really add up to a large amount of water being saved.

Additionally, Southern Gas Company is helping their customers conserve resources by providing free Energy Efficient Starter Kits. The kits include three faucet aerators and a low flow shower head that help to save water in an efficient way. Overall, the company has reported a 25% decrease in water use because of their efforts. Even if you are not a Southern Gas Company customer, you may purchase the aerators and low flow shower heads at a reasonable price at any local hardware store.

To find out more about SoCalGas Energy Kits, go to https://pod51035.outlook.com/owa/

Taft College Wine and Food Festival

Wine and Food Festival

by Juan Ochoa

On Thursday April, 24^th, a fundraiser was held for the Taft College Transition to Independent Living Program at the Historic Fort here in Taft. The Taft High Jazz Band provided music for the annual Wine and Food Festival.  Chef Geoff Dunham catered to the event, providing hors d’oeuvres to accompany the wine and micro-brews. A few trips were auctioned among other things in order to help raise funds for the college’s TIL program.

Wheel Chair Basketball

WheelChair Bakestball

Wheel Chair Basketball

By Alejandro De Alba

The Rolling Chariots a team of disabled basketball players played the Taft College Cougars a team of staff and faculty. The crowd was pumped up and ready to explode with kids from the neighboring elementary schools. The Cougars won the opening tip off, but after that, it was all down hill.

The Cougars looked strong on the opening tip, but once the first shot of the game was taken, the Chariots took control and never let up. The crowd went nuts after every basket made by the Chariots, and it didn’t end until the final whistle of the first half. The first half was over and the Chariots were leading 12-0 that looked like a statement being made from opening whistle.

Once the second half started, the Cougars started to play a little better defense and by defense I mean holding on to the opposing teams wheel chair so they couldn’t get past them and had to pass the ball around. But, even that didn’t work because the Chariots managed to put good string of passes together to just lay the ball up for and easy basket. At the end, the Rolling Chariots were the big winners.

I spoke to Bill Devine after the game and asked him how many years has he been participating, and he said “7 years now, and that it is too fun not to be apart of.” He even mentioned that the “games remind him of the Harlem Globe Trotters playing their archrivals the Generals because of how one sided the game is every year.”

So in the end the Rolling Chariots defeated the Taft College Cougars 18-0.

Bakersfield Jazz Workshops

jazz workshop

By Juan Ochoa

Every Wednesday at Le Corusse Rouge restaurant in Bakersfield, a non-profit organization called Bakersfield Jazz Workshop hosts a workshop where non musicians and musicians alike can enjoy jazz music played live and learn a bit about the fundamentals of jazz music.

On Wednesday the 16^th Bakersfield’s own Josiah Boornazian got a jazz band together to give a free clinic. In his clinic he stressed the importance of knowing how to improvise. After the clinic Josiah and his band played a concert for those attending.

Coming Home: Recent Graduates

Art Reception

By Gloria Saldivar

Another great art exhibit was set up in our amazing gallery. It was based on the art of students that have graduated from Taft College and have gone on to four year universities to continue their education. The three artists included Amairani Avendano, Belen Gomez, and Alexandra Reinken. The exhibit was open to the public from March 12- April 11, 2014.

On March 31, 2014 professor Swenson (one of Taft College’s art professors) hosted a reception inside of the art gallery to welcome students as well as faculty to take a look at the interesting works of art. The reception turned out to be a complete success. There was an abundance of intrigued students and faculty that stopped by to see what was happening in our gallery.

As always there were snacks and drinks, but this time there was a delicious cake to celebrate the graduates’ talent. Mellow music and laughter filled the relaxed atmosphere of the gallery. Everyone had a great time at the gallery reception and definitely enjoyed the works of art that were created by the graduates.

On another note the winner for the past student art exhibit is Brynn Enigenburg’s work of art titled “Kate Hudson in Dots.” There was a tie for runner up which included Pio Kiggunon’s work of art titled “woman” and Kai Schoneweis’s work of art titled “I am into bands you have never heard of.” All the artists certainly created great works of art that expressed their artistic talent.

Arts Week

The art reception was part of the arts week event which was hosted by the art department here at Taft College. Activities included poetry readings, music sessions, and a performance by the drama club. These events invited students and faculty to enjoy the artistic skills of the art division. Arts week was fantastic! The art departments truly did a wonderful job . Click the links below.

Devine Reading Poetry Reading Video Music Video