Around 700 soon-to-be Bakersfield College Renegades got their first taste of college life during a sprawling convocation event on the east-side campus.

Director of Student Life Nicky Damania says many of the students brought members of their family Thursday for food, fun and information about the upcoming school year.

“It’s not just for the students – it’s also for the parents, or the guardians, or the loved ones, or the brothers or sisters,” he said. “We invite them all into the Bakersfield College family.”

Select classes at BC begin this weekend, but the semester formally starts Monday.

– Anthony Pollreisz