BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)— The Bakersfield College Alumni BBQ is back after six years and it’s better than ever.
“We are Renegades and Renegades ride horses, and we wanna show our spirit about that with BC,” said Summer Darling with the BC Rodeo Team.
Darling has been a cowgirl since she could crawl. She says she spent two years with the BC rodeo team and she knows a thing or two about barrel racing. “It started several hundred years ago,” said Darling. “Cowgirls wanted to see if they could outrun each other with their horses and the fastest times.”
Established in 1913, Bakersfield College is one of the oldest operating community colleges in the country with one of the most advanced robots; Spot the robotic dog.
“His actual job is to be an inspector,” said Carlos Medina with the Industrial Automation and Robotics Program. “So, he’s supposed to work in utility companies, or power plants to inspect dangerous areas before they send technicians in.”
The robotics program at BC recently received Spot in 2022, and it took a lot of people many years to perfect the inspector named Spot. Medina says, “Spot took about 30 years to build.”
It took the culinary class hours to prepare 150 steaks and 100 hot dogs, with chili of course. “They did amazing. We are very proud of them,” said Marcia Overturf with the Culinary Arts Program.
The only person more proud than Marcia of her students was Marcia’s son, of his mom. This chef and lab technician got her Bachelors of Sciene degree at BC and now she’s pursuing her Master’s Degree. “This is what we’re about, you know,” said Overturf. “We wanna give them knowledge, and encourage them to pursue their dreams and they’re career.”
The most important part of the Bakersfield College Alumni BBQ is school spirit, and it’s needed more than ever.” We had like 20,000 people at every game,” said former BC MVP, Neil Agness.
Agness said Bakersfield College got him into UC Berkeley. ” I Graduated from there. Diploma was signed by Ronald Reagan who was our Governor.”
Now, the former JC All American wants to build the crowds back at the home of the Renegades. “We need to support our Bakersfield College Renegades, and get this thing back on the ground.”
School tradition is alive at BC. Alumni, Harvel Pollard says he never left BC.
“In 1950, the Korean War came along. Spent four years there, came back, and then went to BC. Then they couldn’t get rid of me,” said Pollard.
The Bakersfield College Alumni BBQ was held in conjunction with the Renegade Promenade. The event featured a parade, and the homecoming game of the Renegades that started at 6pm.
