Community

Were you brought up in a Spanish-speaking home? Cerro Coso Community College is offering SPAN C180 for you.

This course is designed for native Spanish speakers, who already speak, read, and write the language but wish to develop their fluency further through vocabulary building, spelling, and accentuation rules, cognates, grammatical structures and composition. Cultural topics will also be in order for students to have a deeper understanding and awareness of their cultural heritage. 

SPAN C180 Spanish for Native Speakers CRN 73255 is being offered Online with instructor Lucila Gonzalez-Cirre and will begin September 23.

This 12 week class counts on all three of the general education patterns that students can selected from Cerro Coso, CSU Certification, and the IGETC.

There are many reasons for heritage speakers to study Spanish, said Instructor Gonzalez-Cirre “You may need the coursework as part of a degree program you’re enrolled in, or you might want to learn how to write the language without slang or "sloppy" grammar; or to gain an appreciation and pride of the diverse cultures of Spanish. The class is offered through specialized instruction and materials that build on the student’s existing language skills and cultural knowledge.”

Research shows that students who take Spanish for Native Speakers are better equipped, and feel more confident in developing English writing skills.

For more information or assistance with registration contact the College Counseling Department at 760-384-6219.

View on the Cerro Coso College website.

In the wake of the recent earthquakes and aftershocks that began on July 4, 2019, Cerro Coso Community College spent two weeks evaluating buildings and systems, cleaning up debris, and taking care of damage before students and staff could return. Employees returned to the Ridgecrest Campus on Monday, July 22, 2019 prepared for workspace clean-up, and the college opened to students and the public at 1 p.m.

Damage sustained by campus facilities ranged from minimal to more significant. The initial rough estimate of damage provided to the Kern County Fire Department Office of Emergency Services on Tuesday, July 9, 2019 is $2,257,327.

“We know the losses to our communities have been substantial, and our hearts go out to all who were affected,” said Cerro Coso President Jill Board.

The college worked with a consortium of registered professional engineers and architects, the Office of the Department of State Architects (DSA), the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other local, county, state, and federal governments to survey the damage and evaluate the safety of all of its facilities. The final report from the structural engineers declared the following buildings satisfactory for continued use during repairs: Child Development Center, Gymnasium, Main Building, East Wing, Occupation Labs (west wing), Fine Arts (west wing), Electrical building (PV), Observatory, and all three Maintenance and Operations buildings.

Beyond any structural aspects, the college experienced minor to moderate surface damage related to areas that are typically seen in a visual inspection including ceilings, walls, soffits, ducting, and lighting.

There is minimal damage to outdoor spaces, with the exception of two areas the college has already addressed. Cerro Coso lost an iconic piece of sculpture when engineers recommended the removal of the canopy over the fountain located in the courtyard, and the Cerro Coso sign has been fenced off for further assessment.

The administration’s focus has always been to ensure the safety of the staff, students, and public.

The college’s Learning Resource Center appears to have sustained the most damage. Therefore, college administration focused their efforts on opening the remaining buildings as soon as possible including the Main Building that houses student support services and programs, classrooms, and college administration, the East Wing classroom building, Gymnasium, and Child Development Center. This included the systematic testing and repairs of water, gas, HVAC, elevators, fire suppression, and fire alarms systems.

Cerro Coso addressed all the requirements of the fire marshal and received approval for occupancy upon inspection.

Despite, substantial progress, on Friday, July 12 (one week following the last significant earthquake), the college was visited by CalOES, FEMA, and DSA, which resulted in the majority of the campus buildings being yellow tagged by DSA. Cerro Coso diligently worked to address their concerns, and after review with an architect who works with DSA on July 18, it was determined the college could open areas that are clear while keeping areas that are in need of repair closed.

Cerro Coso President Jill Board issued a very detailed update to all personnel on July 18 to assist in the understanding of the complexities of getting the college back up and running. “I thank our college and district office staff that has been so supportive during this time,” said Board. “I also thank the Board of Trustees who gave Cerro Coso $2.3M out of the district reserve to specifically pay for building restoration. We anticipate that some of this money will be reimbursed by the state and by FEMA but that process takes a very long time,” she said.

Cerro Coso Community College is on summer hours and is closed on Fridays, with the exception of the Child Development Center. The college was closed effective noon on Friday, July 5 and remained closed through July 22. Instructors were in contact with their students to determine appropriate methods for making up class time. The Child Development Center and courses on the athletic fields on the west side of the campus resumed normal operations on Monday, July 15.

“The college appreciates everyone’s patience and understanding,” stated President Jill Board. “It was a massive undertaking, and we look forwarded to continuing to provide financial, academic, and emotional support to make sure the Cerro Coso family and community receive the highest quality educational and workplace experience. Their safety will always be our first priority”.

The Learning Resource Center (LRC) will remain CLOSED until further notice. Many of the services provided by the LRC have been moved to the Main Building in the interim.

Kern Community College District (KCCD) Chancellor Thomas Burke and Trustee Jack Connell met with the staff on Tuesday, July 23, to extend a heart-felt welcome back and share their appreciation for the college administration and staff’s hard work in getting the college operational. “I am proud of how quickly the college became fully operational, and grateful to the immediate response of the administration and staff of the college emergency response team,” said Chancellor Burke. “Their support was essential to Cerro Coso’s recovery.”

“This challenging time has once again revealed Ridgecrest’s extraordinary resilience and strength—our college has been a leader in exemplifying this proud community characteristic,” concluded Board. “My sincere thanks to all of you who have rallied around those needing help the most.”

View on the Cerro Coso College website.

Cerro Coso Community College is pleased to announce that 235 students have made the President’s List for the Spring 2019 semester. This includes 46 students from the Indian Wells Valley area, 141 from East Kern, 20 from the Eastern Sierra, 19 CC Online students from various locations, and 9 from the Kern River Valley. This list is comprised of all students who achieved a grade point average of at least 3.75 while earning a minimum of 4.0 grade points within the spring 2019 semester. It is the goal of Cerro Coso to recognize students who have significantly excelled in their academic studies. “The presence of students with high academic standards serves as an inspiration to both faculty and students alike,” stated Jill Board, President of Cerro Coso Community College.

Cerro Coso Community College is proud to honor the following students for making the President’s List for their scholastic achievements during the spring 2019 semester:

Indian Wells Valley area (46): Aidan Mcentee, Alexander Harmon, Amir Chaudhry, Amy Ertl, Anastasia Dean, Andrew Ostrom, Cherish Rindt, Christian Acosta, Coby Roberts, Dalton Bell, Elinelle Lee, Emily Meadows, Emma Gilmartin, Gavann Karissa Freiberg, Grace Lloyd, Hannah Fortney, Helen Jones, Jacob Kelley, Jennifer Kunz, Jennifer Wonnacott, John Vermillion, Jonathon Podlewski, Karina Kelly, Keith Grant, Krystal Park, Leslie Carter, Lili Jones, Lucas Lusher, Luciana Poka, Marilyn Boadt, Mary Clare Torres, Matthew Bradford, Matthew Weir, Megan Arceneaux, Megan Pettyjohn, Melissa Exzabe, Mikela Castro, Naomi Hillis, Ngu Lwin, Noah Bailey, Ryan Mckinney, Sarah Mckibbin, Theodore Schmiedel, Torin Fuller, and Vada Capron.

East Kern – Edwards, Rosamond, Cal City, Tehachapi, Mojave, Lancaster (141): Adam Ullah, Adrian Contreras, Alexander Rabanes, Alexander Valentine, Alontae Green, Andre Davis, Andre Grayson, Andrew Ariaga, Angel Valenciana, Anthony Syon, Antonio Powell, Ashish Lal, Aurjion Zamani, Belinda Perez, Bomatamunopiri Bipialaka, Brett Fagan, Brian Sanders, Byron Rosas, Carlos Gonzalez, Cedric Jackson, Cesar Lopez, Charles Rector, Chikumbu Jefferson, Christopher Roberts, Christopher Tolson, Collins Williams, Cordell Jennings, Curtis Golden, Daisy Montano, Daniel Carabantes, Danika Hipp, Darrian Dennis, David Gresham, David Hill, David Ziehl, Dean Raya, Delonte Johnson, Demond Richardson, Deron Hollins, Dominic Andreas, Dominic Garduno, Donn Thompson, Donnell Marin, Dung Nguyen, Dustin Wingard, Eric Oceguera, Erik Huizar, Frederick Douglas, Gabrielle Moore, George Brambila, Gerald Deegan, Grace Vankirk, Graydon Lamb, Hsin Wang, Iokepa Saaga, Jahaziel Sanchez, Jaime Medina, Jamarea Campbell, Jamarius Porche, James Gannon, James Kellner, James Newsome, James Riley, James Valdez, Jameson Williams, Jamie Barrett, Jason Lattier, Jefferson Arias, Jeffrey Risch, Jeremy Tiongson, Jerry Jaramillo, Jessica Jackson, Jevaun Coleman, John McGuire, John Nunez, Johnny Lavender, Jose Delgado Jr, Joseph Elder, Joshua Acosta, Joshua Wilson, Juan Rodriguez, Juan Ward, Julia Barnum, Juliette Marquez, Julio Gonzales, Julio Lopez, Justin Savage, Kaitlyn Tan, Keith Franklin, Kenneth Massey, Kimberly Alvarez, Kwamane Morson, Kyle Washington, Leonardo Alegre, Long Nguyen, Lonnie Harris, Manuel Franco, Mark Cook, Mark Henderson, Marques Slaughter, Marquis Thomas, Matthew Lopez, Mauricio Torres, Michael Kruger, Michael Muns, Michael Thornton, Misael Mendoza, Modesto Alcala, Mychael Tillman, Nicole Cabrera, Nicole Richardson, Noe Marquez, Omar Omar, Patrick Griffin, Paul Sanchez, Quinn Guzman, Ricardo Medina, Ricardo Perez, Rithya Uth, Robert Johnston, Robert Serrano, Roderick Glover, Ronald Guidry, Ryan Munoz, Shawn Stubbert, Shawn Zazueta, Steven Honma, Steven Miner, Telesforo Quintanilla, Theodis Barley, Theoran Laws, Thue Vang, Timothy Thornburg, Troy McDonald, Tyler King, Valerie Malcom, Victor Hernandez, William Castro, William Rodriquez, and William Young.

Eastern Sierra – Mammoth Lakes & Bishop (20): Alyra Grice, Amber Fletcher, Ashley Beechan, Carlos Castro, Earl Lent, Gaylon Jr. Teslaa, Gloria Solorio, Jaqueline Garcia, Kekoa Kailiawa, Phillip Chacanaca, Raymond Hunter, Rebecca Church, Renee Hartsman, Robert Krogstie, Ryann Ritchie, Stephen Haakana, Tamara Allen, Terica Haer, Theresa Bell, and Tinh Le Trung.

CC Online – Various Locations (19):  Adrian Douglass, Angel Gardner, Brock Duffield, Christa Harris, Christine Johnson, Daniel Perkins, Destin Yent, Enrique Franco Martin, Gregory Bonner, Haylee Kann, Jamie Mcmanaman, Katherine Harrington, Marvela Santos, Mary Moore, Michelle Estrada, Samantha Reyes, Savannah Simmons, Shaunn King, and Veronica Soderstrom.

Kern River Valley – Lake Isabella, Kernville (9):   Angela Joy Johnson, Colette Nicod, Crystal Schneider, Daniel Freier, Grace Harrison, Jacob Miller, Julie Hodge, Morgan Green, and Tristan Papazian.

View on the Cerro Coso College website.

Cerro Coso Community College Women’s Volleyball is hosting a Summer Youth Volleyball Skills Camp July 22–25, 2019, in the College Gymnasium.

Ages 9–13 will train from 8 to 10:30 a.m. and ages 14 and up will train from 11am to 1:30pm. Coaching and instruction from Cerro Coso Volleyball coaching staff and players.

Cost is $80 per camper and includes a camp t-shirt, daily instruction on all volleyball skill sets (passing, serving, spiking, setting, and blocking), as well as volleyball rotations and systems. Additional child from same household is only $70.

Please register by July 12^th for a t-shirt, all registrations after this date will not guarantee a shirt.

Participation in the skills camp is a great way to get ready for the upcoming volleyball season.

Volleyball attire requires: shorts, t-shirt, no jewelry, tennis shoes (no Vans), knee pads optional, but helpful. Bring a water bottle and the college will supply the water.

Contact coach Kim Young for registration information at 760-382-4448 or email her at Kimberly.young@cerrocoso.edu .

View on the Cerro Coso College website.

For over 30 years, the Dickens Project has brought together distinguished faculty, graduate students, and members of the general public for its yearly conference, the Dickens Universe. Hosted each summer on the beautiful Santa Cruz campus of the University of California, the Dickens Universe provides a unique opportunity for students and teachers of Dickens to interact with each other during a week-long program of lectures, seminars, discussion groups, workshops, social events, teas, films, and usually perfect weather.

Realizing the importance of community colleges in the California higher education system, the Dickens Project offers scholarships that sponsor student from California community colleges to attend the Dickens Universe. Cerro Coso student Carol Blair is one of three scholarship recipients for 2019. The scholarship will cover the cost of Blair’s attendance at the conference July 14-20, including registration, campus accommodations, and food, as well as a travel stipend. In addition to the general program of Universe events, Blair will attend the undergraduate seminar, which meets daily Monday through Thursday during Universe Week, and is eligible to receive 5 UC quarter units of credit through UCSC Summer Session upon completion of course assignments. 

Now in its 39^th year of operation, the Dickens Universe is a unique cultural event that brings together scholars, teachers, students, and members of the general public for a week of stimulating discussion and festive social activity – all focused on one or two Victorian novels, usually (but not always) one by Charles Dickens. This year Universe will feature Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens. 

In this early and seldom studied historical novel, Dickens tells a powerful story of public violence and private horror. Set in 18th-century London, the novel is full of mystery and melodrama. Sons struggle against fathers, servants against masters. Religious controversy erupts into riots. Vivid characters enact their passions in a world deeply divided against itself, and a pet raven issues oracular statements that none can forget--or understand.

As a participant, Blair will experience the college lifestyle by living on campus, eating in the student dining hall, and have time to meet other participants who all have one thing in common – a passion for reading, talking with one another, and bringing Victorian culture to life. 

View on the Cerro Coso College website.

A family style Parent Café is being held at the Salvation Army located at 151 N. Downs Street in Ridgecrest on Tuesday, June 25, 2019 from 2 to 4pm.

Sponsored by the Clinica Sierra Vista Family Resource Center, Cerro Coso Community College, Ridgecrest Regional Hospital, and the Salvation Army the event will provide participants with an opportunity to meet new people, make new friends, share ideas, learn about resources in the community, share hopes and dreams for their family, and help build a network of support. 

Parent Cafés are physically and emotionally safe spaces where parents and caregivers talk about the challenges and victories of raising families.  Participants explore their strengths, learn about the Protective Factors, and create strategies from their own wisdom and experiences to help strengthen their families.  This is also an opportunity for families of the community to come out and meet other families while having some fun playing family games.

Connect with other parents in the community in a relaxed atmosphere while enjoying games, appetizers, door prizes, family fun, and great conversations. 

Open to all parents, families, and concerned members of the community.

View on the Cerro Coso College website.

The Cerro Coso Women’s Volleyball team will host an Adult Midnight Madness Grass Doubles Co-Ed Volleyball Tournament on Saturday, July 13, 2019. 

The event will take place under the stars from 6pm to 2am on the Soccer Field.    

An Adult 4-Man Co-Ed Indoor Tournament will be held the following Saturday, July 20, 2019 in the Gymnasium from 8am to 4pm.

Players will battle under the lights, inside and out, for a fee of $30 per player. 

All skill levels from Master to Disaster are welcome!  Join the Coyotes for some volleyball fun.

For more information contact Head Volleyball Coach Kim Young at Kimberly.young@cerrocoso.edu.

View on the Cerro Coso College website.

For those with a sense of adventure, mystery, and discovery, Cerro Coso Community College is offering an archaeology class at the Ridgecrest campus this fall. Part detection, part research, and part treasure hunting, the course will cover the basic principles of archaeology, study ancient civilizations around the world, and practice hands-on archaeological techniques.

ANTH C131 (72646) introduces archaeology as a subfield of anthropology that studies humanity’s prehistory, history, and present through the study of material remains and the archaeological record of human development from our origins to modern times. The course includes a discussion of the nature of scientific inquiry; the history of interdisciplinary nature or archaeological research, dating techniques, methods of survey, excavation, analysis, and interpretation. Students will learn cultural resource management, professional ethics, and selected cultural sequences. 

The class will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 to 12:26 p.m. in East Wing 205.

The class will be taught by Dr. Sarah King who joined the Cerro Coso faculty in 2011. Fascinated by the study of human remains from the Stone Age to modern day forensics classes, King has experience researching evidence of violence in skeletal remains. She holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Anthropology from UC Santa Cruz, and a Master’s of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Mexico. She spent 4.5 years in England earning her Ph.D. in Archaeological Science with emphasis in Violence and Warfare in Iron Age England from the University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. Originally from Redding, California, King participated in two memorable archeological digs in Paris and one in Spain.

On campus Fall 2019 classes at Cerro Coso Community College begin August 26, 2019. Complete registration and course information is available on the web or contact the Counseling Department today at 760-382-6219.

Explore something exciting this fall at Cerro Coso Community College.

View on the Cerro Coso College website.

Cerro Coso takes pleasure in recognizing years of service for employees.

Every year the College honors long term classified staff, administrators, and retirees during their spring Professional Development Day.

Those being recognized this year play many roles within the college community and include: 5 Years of Service: Rebecca Pang, Christy Jansson, Justin Witt, Yvonne Martin, Juan Bombela, and Kristin Hanle; 10 Years of Service: Crystal Leffler, Joana Galvez, and Lynn Charlon; 15 Years of Service: Juan Prieto; 20 Years of Service: Sherri Windish and Heather Ostash; and 35 Years of Service: Natalie Dorrell.

Cerro Coso benefits from the dedication and skill these employees bring to their work every day. “Today we recognize the support, dedication, excellent work, and special efforts these employees have contributed to the success of our students,” said President Jill Board. “Your loyalty and distinguished service to Cerro Coso Community College is appreciated!”

Photo Caption: Cerro Coso President Jill Board congratulates Natalie Dorrell the Director of Public Relations and Institutional Advancement on 35 years of service to the college.

View on the Cerro Coso College website.

The Honors Program at Cerro Coso celebrated its 2019 graduates: Elinelle Lee, Mariela Germann, Nadia Khatib, Andrew Ostrom, Chance English, Felicity Browne, Carol Blair, Christine Joy Coronel, Michael Chung, Michael Skipworth, Rhiannon Ximenez, and Grace Lloyd.  

The graduates, their families, faculty, and fellow Honors Program students attended a luncheon held on May 4^th to recognize these outstanding students. 

The Cerro Coso Honors Program is designed for students with high educational goals, interested in courses designed to appeal to the imagination and challenge the intellect.  To be certified as an Honors Program transfer student or graduate, a student must complete a total of 16 or more units of Honors credit.  Hold a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.25 in transfer-level courses, and meet all the Cerro Coso graduation requirements or transfer requirements for a four year college.

An honors contract starts with an agreement between an Honors Program student and an instructor in a non-honors course, outlining an independent program of study designed by the student and instructor. The contract work is completed concurrently with a non-Honors course. As in all Honors courses, students explore a specific topic in greater depth and/or breadth, including a 2,500-word research paper. Upon completion and approval of the project, the student earns honors credit toward completion of the Honors Program.

The many benefits of being an Honors Program graduate includes priority admissions, extra scholarships, guaranteed housing, priority registration, and other benefits through transfer agreements at UCLA, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, CSU Fullerton, CSU Long Beach, San Diego State University, Chapman University, Pitzer College, Cal Poly Pomona College, San Jose State University, University of San Diego, Whitman College, Pacific University, La Sierra University, Occidental College, and Pomona College

Two $500 Faculty Honors Scholarships were awarded to Chance English and Mariela Germann, and $1,000 President’s Honor Scholarship went to graduation high school student Emily Aralar, for her academic performance.

Picture Caption: Cerro Coso Honor Graduates l to r: Elinelle Lee, Mariela Germann, Nadia Khatib, Andrew Ostrom, Chance English, Felicity Browne, Carol Blair, Christine Joy Coronel, and Michael Chung. Not pictured: Michael Skipworth, Rhiannon Ximenez, and Grace Lloyd.

View on the Cerro Coso College website.