50 Moments in the Community
1
1972
First annual CSUB Math Field Day is held, offering a day of mathematics events for high school students. The event would later be renamed to CSUB Lee Webb Math Field Day in honor of professor Lee Webb, who ran the event for the first 29 years until he retired.
2
1980
Since 1980, M.E.Ch.A. continues to celebrate personal and academic achievements of Chicana and Chicano students to acknowledge the support that graduates received from their families, friends, faculty, staff and community.
3
1980s
Dedicated to bringing theatre to young audiences, the CSUB Theatre Program has been presenting plays geared for the elementary school-aged child for over 30 years. Early exposure to theatre helps develop children's imaginations, introduces them to the world of theatre and dramatic literature, and plants the seed for future involvement in the arts either as participants or audience members.
4
1986
The CSUB 60+ Club, founded in 1986, is made up of people from all walks of life who are concerned citizens, are active, are curious, and have time to pursue lifelong learning. It is a partnership between the university and the local community of retired people. Its purpose is to provide personal enrichment, educational opportunities, volunteer challenges, and social activities in a campus environment.
5
1989
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is formed to enhance student-athlete welfare.
6
1991
CSUB Antelope Valley campus is created to provide educational opportunities to those in the region.
7
2003
The CSUB Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is part of the Central CA SBDC Network, which, since 2003, has assisted thousands of companies, from start-ups to established firms; helped to create and retain over 10,000 jobs; and created more than $435 million in loans and equity.
8
Mid-2000s
More than 15 years ago, geologists Jan Gillespie and Dirk Baron start the dual credit program, where students from several local high schools can take an introductory CSUB geology class and earn college credit. The mathematics department has since started its own dual credit program.
9
2006
The CSUB Alumni Hall of Fame is created to recognize graduates whose career accomplishments, community service and/or support of the university have made their alma mater proud.
10
2010s
11
November 2012
CSUB hosts the first Brown Bag Discussion, a luncheon series with various speakers covering a wide array of educational topics.
12
Fall 2012
The Inaugural Rowdy Run, an event to welcome the freshmen class with an engaging fun-run across the soccer field during halftime of the men's soccer game, takes place. Students also receive a free T-shirt with their graduating year on it as a keepsake.
13
2012
The Campus Gamers club participates in the Extra Life Charity gaming event for the first time. Since 2012, club involvement in Extra Life has generated over $175,000 for the Lauren Small Children's Medical Center at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital.
14
Fall 2013
Beginning of `Runner Letter Day, a day-long event to support new college students during midterms by providing each freshman a letter of encouragement from faculty, staff, student leaders, and alumni, as well as family and friends.
15
2014
First CSUB Ethics Bowl through the Kegley Institute of Ethics takes place.
16
2014
First year of the `Runner Dance Marathon. Runner Dance Marathon unites students, alumni, friends, family, faculty and staff to raise funds for and celebrate the brave kids at the Lauren Small Children's Center and "dance #ForTheKids who can't." The six-hour event includes music, dancing, live performances, demonstrations, contests and stories from local Miracle Children and their families.
17
2014
The Alumni Rising Runner program, a signature Homecoming event started in 2014, recognizes CSUB alumni of the last 10 years who are already making an impact in their career and community.
18
2014
CSUB Student Leadership Hall of Fame is established.
19
May 2014
CSUB REAL team and Guardian Scholars Program host the first-ever Foster Youth Symposium.
20
2015
CSUB joins the Better Together: California Teachers Summit as a host venue for local educators.
21
2015
22
Fall 2016
The Philosophy for Children (P4C) program starts offering P4C conversations at Kern County Public Libraries. Since then, philosophy professor Senem Saner and her students have offered bi-monthly P4C events during school semesters and intensive summer programs for P4C and P4Teens at Southwest and Beale libraries. The program's community outreach includes eight-week P4C programs offered in local elementary schools.
23
2016
Project Rebound begins at CSUB. The Project Rebound program supports the success of the formerly incarcerated by offering the opportunity and resources needed to successfully transition and acclimate to a college campus.
24
2017
CSUB holds first-ever Caravan day, with the goal of spreading `Runner pride throughout the Kern County region.
25
2017
Kegley Institute of Ethics begins an annual Prison Ethics Bowl at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi.
26
2017
Volunteer Income Tax Association (VITA) is reactivated to help provide tax preparation training to students who perform free tax filings for low-income individuals in the community. The program is run within the College of Business and Public Administration.
27
November 2017
Inaugural International Education Week is held to engage with international students, faculty and staff, and to celebrate different cultures.
28
2017
The first Rowdy Cart Race is held. Rowdy Cart Race is an event where teams show off their engineering skills; college and high school students build their own vehicles and compete in an obstacle course challenge.
29
2018
30
2019
The Dreamers Resource Center at CSUB opens. It is a center on campus dedicated to providing support and resources to our students who are undocumented, AB-540 recipients, DACA recipients, or students from mixed-status families.
31
2019
The first-ever Techstars Startup Weekend is held for creators and innovators to build prototypes and present to a panel of judges for prize money.
32
2019
The Criminal Justice Club hosts the Speed Mentoring Event for all students at CSUB. The purpose of this event was to give students a chance to talk to professionals within the criminal justice field.
33
2019
The CSUB Veterans Success Center partners with the California Veteran Assistance Foundation for a clothing drive. Donated items are given to homeless veterans and their families.
34
Fall 2019
Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) establishes Rowdy's Little Library Project. The purpose of the project is to create and build little lending libraries (with help from the CSUB Fab Lab) and place them at locations like the CSUB Children's Center.
35
Fall 2019
Sensational Sophomores volunteer over 200 hours in the community.
36
October 2019
The CSUB Edible Garden celebrates California Clean Air Day by planting 20 trees and celebrating what it means to be responsible, involved stewards of the environment.
37
November 2019
38
November 2019
The Student Recreation Center Collegiate Climbing Club puts together one of the first climbing competitions hosted at a CSU. The event was called the CSU Climbing Invitational. It was created to open more opportunities for members to compete against other climbers from different parts of California. It also created an opportunity for other schools to start small in competitions before going to the collegiate competition scene.
39
January 2020
CSUB students, alumni and leaders join over 4,000 people at the third annual Women's March Kern County.
40
2020
Sensational Sophomores class of 2020 organizes a jog-a-thon to help raise money for the CSUB Children's Center.
41
2020
CSUB hosts Engineering Day for high school students interested in STEM careers.
42
M.E.Ch.A. holds its 26th Annual Adelante Youth Conference. Students from Kern County are invited to CSUB for workshops to help motivate them towards higher education and cultural awareness.
43
2020
Kaibigan PASO holds their first "High School Conference." The conference welcomed high schoolers all across the Kern High School District and helped to educate students on college life, what CSUB has to offer, and a variety of other academic and cultural topics. Ending in a talent show, students left feeling empowered and inspired, highlighting the conference's slogan, "The World Starts With You."
44
2020
In February, members of Sorority Panhellenic hold an event for members of the Girl Scouts to interact and learn about different values of being an empowered person.
45
2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fab Lab produces face shields for front-line healthcare workers. They print up to 16 a day using 3D printers. Student interns working in the Fab Lab also provide educational how-to videos for kids to use while they are distance learning.
46
2020
Guide is produced by library staff for local students to use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The guide includes notes on how to streamline homework, KHSD updates and how to find out more class information. The Walter W. Stiern Library also creates an online portal with social justice resources for the community in response to the murder of George Floyd.
47
2020
The Entrepreneurship Club helps launch an initiative to create numerous n95 substitute
masks for medical workers in the community battling COVID-19. They deliver over 3,400
masks.
48
May 2020
ASI donates $25,000 in emergency aid to DACA, international, and other students not eligible to receive CARES Act funding.
49
2020
The CSUB Office of Alumni Engagement launches `RunnerBridge, an online networking and mentoring platform available to CSUB alumni, students, faculty and staff, and some friends of the university.