Getting to know Cal Poly for the first time

Cal Poly’s campus population will temporarily swell this weekend as thousands of prospective and admitted students and their families come to learn more about the university and what it has to offer.

The weekend will present many opportunities to explore the campus, but exploration is only one of the many activities offered. Last night, Farmer’s Market provided the venue for Club Preview Night, where visitors were introduced to the extracurricular side of university life.

Today’s events are specifically reserved for an Admitted Students Preview Day. Check-in for students admitted to the Colleges of Agriculture, Engineering and Architecture and Environmental Design starts at 7:30 a.m. and continues until noon on Mott Lawn. Check-in for students admitted to the Colleges of Liberal Arts, Science and Mathematics, and the Orfalea College of Business starts at 9:30 a.m. and finishes at noon on Mott Lawn.

The Resource Faire is a place where Cal Poly showcases its housing, health, food and work resources. Representatives will be available to answer any questions attendees may have from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the University Union Plaza.

From 8:30 to 9 a.m., students admitted to the Colleges of Agriculture, Engineering and Architecture and Environmental Design will receive their first official welcome to the university from President Warren Baker, the Open House committee and others in the The Cal Poly Recreation Center. Students admitted to the Colleges of Liberal Arts, Science and Mathematics, and the Orfalea College of Business will receive their welcome from 11 to 11:30 a.m.

The University Union takes center stage from 8 to 11 p.m. with the Friday Nite Invite: The Pregame Show. From bowling at Mustang Lanes to making crafts at the Craft Center, the event will provide a great chance to connect with other students.

Parents can also attend the Parents’ Coffeehouse in the UU Chumash Auditorium during this time. Worried first-time college parents can engage in a discussion with other more experienced parents and voice their apprehensions. Week Of Welcome orientation leaders will also be present to contribute their anecdotes and offer guidance.

Tomorrow, campus clubs will be out in full force from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., as over 200 organizations will compete for awards such as “Tri Tip of the Year” and “Best School Spirit.”

Jessica St. John, a biochemistry sophomore and a member of the American Chemical Society Club, said she is excited to meet the incoming freshmen.

The club will look to “get the students interested in their major aspects and what sort of things there are to do in the major,” St. John said.

Coordinating the events is a large task. Open House public relations director Nicole Stivers cited managing all of the colleges and working with campus organizations as one of the more difficult undertakings of the process.

“It’s not just a community event, it’s a university-wide event,” Stivers said.

Stivers, along with many other Open House committee members, will be working long hours to make the weekend a success.

The Open House Information Booth will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and staffed with committee members who will answer questions and give out event information.

The Poly Royal Parade, an annual Cal Poly ritual, will kick off at 9 a.m. and make its way around Perimeter Road to Dexter Lawn. The day’s events will officially commence with the opening ceremonies at 10 a.m. at the end of the parade.

The Kids’ Fair will offer face painting and carnival games to entertain the younger crowd and will be located in the UU Plaza.

On the main stage on Dexter Lawn, various dance teams and organizations will be performing from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. This will provide an opportunity for students to gain a more in-depth look at what these clubs are about.

At the end of the day, from 3:30 to 4 p.m., the club awards will be given out at the closing ceremony on the main stage on Dexter Lawn.

Sunday, students can get to know the campus themselves, on foot. Explore the campus, and cap off the Cal Poly experience by stopping by the All-State Wind Orchestra Festival at 2:30 p.m. in Harman Hall, located in the Christopher Cohan Center.