From owls to apples, music to ice cream, the first CALS Day on Friday celebrated the wide span of academic fields pursued by students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Displays, free tasting and performances took place on the upgraded Ag Quad, which was inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The celebration featured 25 CALS student organizations, who provided free Cornell Dairy ice cream and apples for everyone and t-shirts to tie-dye for the first 500 visitors. In addition, Cornell Botanic Gardens presented tree blossoms and woody plants blooming in the area while the Cornell Raptor Program provided students with a chance to view owls, hawks and other birds of prey.
Kathryn J. Boor ’80, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of CALS, kicked off the event with the introduction of the newly renovated Ag Quad, which now includes a stone plaza with outdoor furniture, light poles and three blue lights.
“The Ag Quad is really the crossroads of our college, connecting our people together with a newly renovated landscape for meeting, relaxing and enjoyment,” Boor said.
Austin Weaver ’19 tabled for the Alpha Gamma Rho agriculture fraternity and called the event a “great success.”
“We saw a great showing of student organizations highlighting their involvement and contributions to CALS and the greater Cornell community,” Weaver said and praised the turnout “from students, alumni and Ithaca citizens enjoying the event.”
Shannon Dortch, associate director of communications and marketing of the Cornell Botanical Gardens, called the event “a great showcase for the diversity of educational activities within CALS.”
Kristina Filippini ’18, chair of the CALS Student Advisory Council, looks forward to improving the event next year as it becomes an annual affair.
“Dean Boor’s vision is to have CALS Day every year and I will make sure the new chair of the Student Advisory Council prioritizes this event as an annual project for the years to come,” Filippini said in an email to The Sun.
Filippini suggested extending the hours in future years and leading tours CALS exhibits in outlying buildings like the entomology showcase in Comstock Hall or viticulture display in Stocking Hall.