Agriculture days, or ‘Ag days,’ has been around for about 20 to 30 years, originally started to be a homecoming for alumni from the
John Foltz, the Associate Dean and Director of Academic Programs, said they’ve always had a livestock judging at the livestock pavilion and barbeque for perspective students. Also they have had other current student activities like a softball tournament the Thursday before, Oct. 1.
Foltz said a couple of years ago they decided to turn it into a two night affair for mainly recruitment to get new and perspective students on campus.
Rachel Halsey, assistant director for college recruitment said, “There are lots of opportunities…to give them a chance to see what it feels like to be a college student.”
There are ten blocks of topics with three classes in each that high school students from around the
Then there is a barbeque put on by a couple of fraternities and a sorority for only the perspective students and their teachers. After that there is a Casino night for students, who will get about $200 of play money. Some prizes include a $10 gift certificate to Starbucks.
At the same time as the Casino game night, Halsey said there will be major fair. Each student will receive a ‘passport’ to go around to different booths gathering information about different majors and organizations on campus. Also they get their ‘passport’ stamped.
Perspective students will spend the rest of the evening at late night at the REC.
The next morning they’ll have options to do either of three things. First is livestock judging or learning about the University’s dairy operation. Second, is working in the family consumers sciences, and thirdly is the life science track.
In the afternoon they can either go swimming, watch a movie or do a scavenger hunt which Halsey said “basically giving them a campus tour” and also some fun facts about campus buildings.
Andrew Brewick, assistant director of advising and retention, said there is a barbeque from 5-7 p.m., open to everyone, but non-perspective students must pay, $10 for adults and $7 for students. Foltz said they were expecting about 600 people. This barbeque will be held outside the Dom of the University.
Then students can watch the football game with kick off starting around 7:30 p.m. After the game Foltz said the students get to go back to the REC center for games and sporting activities until 1-2 a.m.
Halsey said “for perspective students we try and make it fun, educational and inexpensive.”
Compared to past years the crowds will be a little smaller. Just last year there was 300 perspective students, and this year only 200 are coming. Foltz said this had to do with school budgets and Halsey also said lots of the bigger schools only come every other year, and she said that was last year.
On Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Brewick said the Agriculture Student Affairs Council hosts a food fair for alumni and current students. Outside the Ag Science building clubs pitched tents and sold food to passersby.
There was also a chili bake-off.
At 3 p.m. there was a co-ed softball tournament with 10 teams out at Joseph’s field by the fairgrounds in Moscow, Idaho.
