Bakersfield College held its last Renegade Round Table of the spring semester in the Levan Center on April 24, with the goal to have a panel and open discussion with students and community members regarding trust and distrust of government agencies.

The panel included Angela Bono, Professor and Communication Department Chair, Javier Llamas, Associate Professor of History, Joe Saldivar, Professor and Biology Department Chair of Biology, and Professor Reggie Williams, Professor of Philosophy and the director of the Levan Center.

When asked about the reasoning of having this open discussion, Williams explained, “My whole mission to run the Levan Center is to give students a sense of a broader college experience than just to and from the classroom. My goal is to, as much as I can, give that little slice of, there’s more happening on this campus than just your 3-unit classes.”

During this discussion, a wide range of topics were discussed with students and community members in the audience. Topics covered ranged from: when trust and distrust started to show in the U.S. government, California taxes, the struggle of college and school funding, and COVID and the effects that came with it while attending school.

Saldivar said, “For a while it felt like there were pockets of areas where students and faculty were maybe afraid to speak up, but with Reggie Williams and The Round Table, this was a very unique environment where individuals have the ability to speak up and say things where maybe others would be afraid to say out loud.”

All were welcomed to attend a Renegade Round Table event to voice their opinions and thoughts on the topic being discussed. When talking with Lauren and Elvia Vargas, a high school student and her mother, Lauren expressed, “It’s good to have these discussions because you could learn a lot more than what you did. By being here I’m able to open my mind to new things.”

When asked what Williams would say to students or community members who are thinking of attending future Renegade Round Table events, he said, “Come with an open mind, come expecting to have your thoughts challenged and to more deeply appreciate an issue you might not have realized was one. Come for a fuller sense of what college can be.”