As incoming and returning students at Bakersfield College start the fall semester, they are welcome back with multiple campus events. Each year Welcome Week give a chance to connect with other fellow Renegades and the Bakersfield College community.  Throughout the week students were welcome to attend any of the events, such as the School Supply Giveaway, where students of the Office of Student Life and Bakersfield College Student Government Association (BCSGA) gave away school supplies to help students start the year, Movie Day, where students watched the 2018 comedy movie “Tag”in the BCSGA executive Boardroom, the BC Renegades Football Scrimmage vs. Antelope Valley, Epic Proportions – Live Bands on Campus, and Karaoke Knights.

The Epic Proportions Tour: touring since 2011 for high schools, colleges, and military bases all across the US, made its way back to Bakersfield College for this fall tour. Live performances from Gabe Kubanda, People Who Could Fly, and special guest DJ Teffler, happen in Phoenix, Arizona, and throughout California before coming to put on a show for BC on Aug. 22.

BC student, Evelyn Jimenez, 20, thought their performance was what BC students needed, especially during breaks between classes. “When we’re going to class, for… 3 hours, your energy gets down. But coming here, your energy is back up, so it’s amazing,” Jimenez also said, she wishes more students could listen to them perform.

Rebecca Adaliz Maldonado, 17, was walking out of the bookstore thinking about how bad of a day she was having when she heard loud music playing from the campus center. Maldonado was taken by surprise to see live bands performing. Having a love for music, she confessed Kubanda’s voice and acoustic guitar made her day and made her glad that BC allowed these groups to play.

BCSGA hosted BC Welcome Week’s Karaoke Knights, Aug. 27. Students gathered and in on a fun game of karaoke in the fireside room. Students with all voices and music styles came to perform their favorite songs, and to jam to in front of a room full of supportive BC’s students.

A student at Bakersfield College, sang Heads Carolinaby Tails California, Summer Nightsfrom the musical Grease, and Crazyby Willie Nelson, claims music is her outlet and feels free whenever she sings. She’s glad she came to the event and learned new types of music, she said “Oh I had a blast! It was so much fun hearing different genres of music and different voices. I listen to a lot of country but heard some songs today that I will want to look up and definitely listen to again.”

Elizabeth Sampson, a Senator for BC’s student government, enjoyed being part of the event and sang few songs herself, “Holding On to a Hero”, and “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”. She share that the event, “…is really encouraging and a whole lot of fun. It doesn’t really matter if you’re good at singing, because… they happen to own it. They were like ‘I just want to come up here and sing’. It’s so good everyone is so encouraging.”

Every student at Bakersfield College should be given opportunities to get involved with the community, met new people, and feel welcome at BC. Which was what BC Welcome Week was all about.