Future University of Idaho students had a chance to experience campus life for a day or two at Vandal Friday last week.
Faculty and incoming University of Idaho students participate in Vandal Friday activites that include exploring the campus and signing up for fall classes.
Events began Thursday afternoon and continued through Friday night, with the option to sleep on campus Friday night and leave Saturday morning. Participants stayed on campus with current UI students, registered for classes, toured campus and attended an activities and information fair.
Angela Helmke, the associate director of Admissions, said Vandal Friday will continue to be an event for admitted students in the spring, despite rumors to the contrary.
“Vandal Friday will stay,” Helmke said. “It may not be the same, but it will be mostly the same. I can’t imagine it changing a huge amount.”
Stephanie Lathrop, an Academic Support and Access Programs counselor, said she loves Vandal Friday because it’s a chance to help students get more information about campus.
“Honestly, it’s my favorite day of the year to get to talk to students, to get to talk to parents, to let them know about the different programs that are available on campus, and kind of give a woohoo to Vandals,” she said.
Vandal Friday is an event for students who have already been admitted to the university.
Gerald Peterson, a high school student who will major in biology and chemistry at UI next fall, said he learned more about different clubs and fraternities he might join at the activities fair Friday, but the event hadn’t affected his decision to attend the college.
“It really hasn’t influenced me because I had already decided that I was coming here, but I’m pretty sure if I wasn’t, I would be convinced,” he said.
A couple other students said they were already planning to go to school here, but felt their Vandal Friday experiences had reaffirmed that decision.
Dan Sicilia, who intends to major in mechanical engineering and minor in Spanish, said he enjoyed meeting new people and looking at groups he might join, and that this experience has helped him feel more certain about his choice.
“It’s really strengthened my decision, yeah. I’ve already been pretty committed to go here for a while, and this has just solidified it even more,” he said.
Sarah Jacobsen, Panhellenic Council president, said Vandal Friday helps campus clubs and living groups recruit new members, and helps future students gain information about their options.
“I think Vandal Friday is one of those events that it’s really what you want to make it,” Jacobsen said. “There’s all of this information at your disposal and all these different people that you can talk to about these experiences at the University of Idaho, and I think that that’s really unique.”
Daphne Jackson can be reached at [email protected]