Published 2011-10-25T20:23:00Z”/>
Katherine Deaton
Chico Preview Day hosted hundreds of prospective students, touring much of campus and parts of downtown Saturday to see if Chico State was the place to apply for next fall.
Every department and student service was represented. Current high school juniors and seniors traveled in packs, many accompanied by parents, as they walked through the Bell Memorial Union auditorium. Informational guides and free pens advertising the departments and organizations were handed out in hopes of capturing the interest of prospective students.
Preview Day is put on by Admissions and Records every year and is meant to attract students who are trying to decide what kind of school to apply to, said Wendy Needels, assistant director of Admissions and Records.
“It’s kind of an open house,” Needels said.
Ryan Viera, a high school senior from Livermore, was candid about his hopes for a fulfilling college career.
“I just want a good college experience,” Viera said. “I’m not as outgoing as I’d like to be.”
For some, the college experience began on a San Francisco-style trolley rented for the event that gave tours of the campus and the downtown area every 20 minutes.
Hannah Petree, a senior at Franklin High School in Elk Grove, was pleasantly surprised by the tree-lined homes of Legion Avenue that border campus while riding the trolley.
“Oh my God,” she said.
Petree and her parents, David and Kathy Petree, were impressed with the look of campus, as well as the design and amenities of the Wildcat Recreation Center.
“It’s application form time,” Kathy Petree said. “We’re checking out a few schools to get into the spirit of things.”
Not all students have parents on-board with the decision to apply for
Chico State.
Allie Griffey and her parents Stephen and Becky traveled more than 100 miles from Winters, which is south of Chico, to look at the campus and learn more about the musical theater program.
The friendly atmosphere and look of the town are positive aspects of the campus, Allie Griffey said. But she realized she might not be able to have a car to visit home on the weekends.
With Chico’s reputation for parties, parking was the last thing on Stephen Griffey’s mind, who thought it would be a lot dirtier, he said.
“This town is nothing like I thought it would be,” Stephen Griffey said while riding the trolley along West Third and Hazel streets.
The new perspective on the city coupled with his daughter’s desired major seemed to curb his concerns and help him enjoy the day’s events.
Excitement seemed to take hold of most in attendance but apprehension followed close behind.
Viera is considering Chico State because he has a friend graduating with him in the spring that plans on attending next fall, he said. He also knows high school graduates from 2011 that are now attending Chico State.
Viera doesn’t want to be completely alone after graduating high school, he said.
“I’ve never been away from everybody I’m really comfortable with for a long time,” he said.
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<strong>Katherine Deaton can be reached at</strong>
<em>[email protected]</em>
