Comic-con returns The Renegade Rip @the_renegade_rip BC volleyball team’s to Bakersfield @bc_rip postseason run ends Features, Page 3 www.therip.com Sports, Page 8 The RenegadeBakersfield College Rip Vol. 87 ∙ No. 7 Wednesday, December 2, 2015 Finals and deadlines approaching Students Applying for prepare for scholarships transferring is now easier By AK Pachla By Carissa Diaz Reporter Reporter Applying for scholarships at Bakers- The semester is coming to an end, field College may have never been eas- and students are preparing to transfer ier. Beginning last year, the BC Office out from Bakersfield College. Students of Financial Aid moved the scholarship have met with counselors and gained application process out of the file cabi- knowledge about the necessary require- net and into the future with an online ap- ments needed before they are able to plication system. transfer. The system is familiar enough, ask- Counselors at BC have reached out ing for basic information about students’ to help students become familiar with majors, financial need, and community where they stand when transferring. or military service, as well as a short es- They offered workshops to connect say from each applying student on why with students on education planning, they, the students, would be considered a career planning, and basic require- deserving candidate. ments, which they plan to have year Once a student’s information is en- round. They also have counseling out- tered, the scholarship system matches reach tables outside so students can that student against hundreds of scholar- gather information and counselors can ship opportunities and submits the appli- set up appointments. cation automatically to each one. “We’re trying to get out there, let the This contrasts with the previous, students know that they can walk up office-based process, where students to us and ask questions anytime,” said had to submit information and then re- transfer counselor Marisa Marquez. turn repeatedly to check on the progress “Just create a closer and more personal of the application, in turn generating a environment on campus, because we’re great deal of time and labor intensive here to serve them, period.” manual file work for the Financial Aid Most students, who Marquez has department. met with, know where they want to at- “There was just so much more room tend after BC. It’s good to have an idea for human error… this definitely makes of four schools you want to apply to the process go quicker,” said Pita Mon- and a back up plan. It’s helpful to get tes, financial aid technician. to know the campus better, and speak As for how easy the switch has been with counselors and representatives at for students, Reagen Dozier, the depart- the school. It is also helpful to be aware ment assistant for the Office of Financial of the school area and how impacted it Aid, says it’s gone smoothly and that is. The most important thing to look for students are “completing it, no issue. when applying is the cost of attendance It’s more on the reference side.” to make sure you’re secure. Dozier refers to an issue some faculty BC engineering transfer student Juan has encountered when their computer Villarreal, who will be transferring in setup is incompatible with the scholar- fall 2016, said, “I applied to Cal Poly ship application system. Pomona, CSULB and CSUB as my Professors attempt to access the site backup. I’m using that as my safety to submit references for students only to net.” get an error page that tells them to up- There is a long process when it comes grade their browser to transferring; students are required to While both Dozier and Montes recog- complete forms of the UC, CSU or IG- Albert VARGAS “NIMAK” / THE RIP nize that circumstances, such as the one ETC. This is a checklist that counselors described above may cause students’ ap- have came up with to make sure stu- plications to be late, but insist that the dents have taken the classes that other Dec. 18 deadline must stay firm. schools have required. Included in the “That’s why the scholarship appli- requirements are 60 units complete, Finals are around the corner cations are due the week after finals,” 40 in general education, and 20 in the said Dozier. For students who may be lower division major prep courses. The By Rhiannon Stroberg BC adjunct mathematics teacher Paul encountering problems with obtain- associates’ degree for transfer is help- Features Editor “We have so much work Meert said, “I think they [finals] are ing references, she suggests swapping ful to have because it’s a degree with wonderful. It’s life or death. If you out references. If one professor is too a guarantee. Marquez said, “You use With finals approaching, Bakers- throughout the semester; it’s pass the final, you pass the class. If swamped, perhaps try another. these sheets as a guide when you’re field College students are trying to get not, then you might want to consider This issue, however, is small compared working with your counselors or advis- in every last available minute to cram just added stress on us be- taking the class again.” to the benefit of having the scholarship er so that we’re both making sure that in some studying time for their classes. cause we only have a week or Human Biology major Aleena Paiz, application process streamlined. we’re checking off what we already The final, depending on the teacher, 18, chimed in by saying, “It is basi- With enrollment increasing year on visited or haven’t visited yet.” can make or break a students grade in less to study a whole semes- cally life or death because if you have year, the number of scholarship applica- It could be frustrating for students that class, which can be devastating in ter’s work just for one test .” been studying throughout the semes- tions has gone up as well. when it comes to registering into the the event that the student didn’t have ter, then you should be fine. If not, you Last year, Financial Aid processed classes they need to meet requirements. enough time to study. –Ashley Snook, can find out what you’re not good at around 900 scholarship applications. Nursing major Kailynn Ritchie is trans- BC students did not hold back their BC student and then work on it more.” This year, there have already been more ferring in the fall of 2016 to CSUB. thoughts regarding the topic of finals. In regard to preparedness, Hen- than a thousand submissions with two “Getting into classes have been the “Why are they necessary?” said drickson thinks she’s well prepared weeks still to go before the deadline. hardest, that’s actually why I’m trans- child development major Ashley test.” for her finals. Without the paper shuffle, though, ferring there,” she said. Snook, 28. “We have so much work “I hate all tests,” journalism major “I just got done studying for almost the Financial Aid office can act fully as There are some exceptions on these throughout the semester; it’s just Kylie Hendrickson, 27, said. “But I three hours,” said Hendrickson. “So a student service and not split time as a checklists because different school sys- added stress on us [students] because do think they [finals] are necessary that’s my preparation is to try and filing service. we only have a week or less to study because it shows what you’ve learned study every day for at least an hour or Please see TRANSFER, Page 5 a whole semester’s work just for one and retained throughout the semester.” two.” Please see SCHOLARSHIP, Page 5 Finals: Scholarships: Transfer: - Finals will take place Dec. 5-11. - The deadline for BC scholarship - Nov. 1-30 was the time for - The finals schedule is based on applications is Dec. 18. applications to be submitted for the day or days that the class takes - The scholarship process is now an UC transfers for the fall of 2016. place. The time the class starts will online automated scholarship sys- -Oct. 1 - Nov. 30 was the time for also determine what time the final tem. There are no longer any paper applications to be submitted for will take place. scholarship applications. most CSU transfers for the fall of - For the full final schedule visit - For more information about 2016. https://www.bakersfieldcollege. scholarships, visit https://www.ba- -For more information on transfer edu/academics/finals kersfieldcollege.edu/finaid/schol- deadlines visit csumentor.edu or arships uctap.universityofcalifornia.edu FEATURES Page 2 The Renegade Rip www.therip.com Wednesday, December 2, 2015 Black Friday causes madness at Wal-Mart By Alex Rivera to learn how to balance school, were made, the angrier I became, Reporter work, and try to sleep when ev- and eventually, I decided to be eryone else around me is awake. rude back to those who decided On Nov. 26, as everyone It’s hard to balance my personal not to treat me with respect. stuffed their faces with turkey life as well, due to the fact that I Let me remind you this is all and spent time with their fami- sleep all day to prepare for a long happening within the first hour lies, I had to prepare for the af- night’s shift. of my shift. The sale for the store termath of Thanksgiving. It’s a I rolled into the store at about had not started yet. day where everyone begins their 4:50 p.m.