Ten years ago, the Kern County Superintendent of Schools, along with contributing county school districts, came upon an idea that if you dedicate one night to promoting college and invite the parents, high school seniors will show up in big numbers. They did again on Sept. 14, when an estimated 4,500 students and parents packed their way into Bakersfield’s Rabobank Convention Center for the 10th annual College Night. Organizers had all the bases covered. There were sessions on financial aid, scholarships, public and private colleges. Sessions were also held in Spanish to accommodate non-English speaking parents. Dozens of representatives from public and private colleges and universities across the United States, plus trade schools and the military, took their positions behind booths on the convention center stage, handing out brochures, accepting applications for information and answering hundreds of questions. More