The Student Government Association of Bakersfield College organized Ask Me tables the first week of school in order to inform and help students in the new semester.

The tables were placed in strategic places to help the most students, such as outside the Fireside Room. At the tables, volunteers would help students and answer any questions they had. The tables ran from Jan. 19 to Jan. 21.

Also available to students were several pamphlets and handouts to aid students in the new semester. These pamphlets and handouts included information on location of classes, choices of majors, counseling, jobs available and financial aid.

According to Shawn Newsom, assistant to the dean of students and the organizer of the Ask Me tables, the goals of the tables were to help students new and old at the beginning of the semester. He says that the campus can be “really big” and knows how overwhelming a new semester can be for students, especially new ones. Newsom further stated he wanted students to leave the tables with a smile.

One problem that was not expected was the heavy rain that occurred during the week. Because of the weather, the tables were shut down for a short time and the organizers did their best to work around the problem. Newsom and others “overcame and adapted” to the weather.

According to Mike Stepanovich, executive director of the BC Foundation and a volunteer at the tables, many of the students did seem a little flustered and stressed. Some students would come a few minutes before their classes and ask for directions. Most of the students were new to the campus and some were even accompanied by their parents. Stepanovich felt that he was helping students and saw a notable sense of relief from the students after he had assisted them.

When Newsom called for feedback, it was mostly positive. The only complaints had to do with the weather. Newsom felt that the tables were “very successful.”

He felt that the tables accomplished exactly what they were meant to do which was help students at the beginning of this spring semester.