I found the cartoon drawn by Mar Jo Jones on Page 6 of the April 4 edition of The Rip to be an extreme insult and affront to the professors and, by extension, the students of Bakersfield College. The cartoon showed a pompous, poorly dressed “professor” whose shirt read: “Expert at Everything (But I am stuck at BC).”
The student who drew that cartoon should know, as should all of the student body, that many of us do not consider ourselves “stuck” at BC.
Bakersfield College has a 90-year tradition of excellence and service to the community, and many of our professors and students have found themselves in positions of authority, power and influence, such as House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Congressman Bill Thomas, who is still officially a faculty member at this institution.
On a personal level, I came to BC from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, for the express reason that I would have better benefits, the chance to own a home, and the opportunity to help students in a decent, if impoverished, community. (And for 12 grand more a year!) Because I work hard and because California rewards educators for their contributions better than other states, I am making a 40 percent larger salary than my friend, who graduated the same year as I, who is a professor at NYU. Like many of my colleagues, I am active in state and national professional organizations, as well as in community groups and charities.
I am not “stuck” here. I am proud to do this job, and the greatest reward is when I see my students succeed. I am proud of my colleagues – even the egoistic and petulant few – and proud of this school.
DR. RANDAL BEEMAN
BC faculty