Here are some activities for Aggies headed to Davis for the first time — or first time in a while
As students return to campus for fall quarter this year, so are many in-person events. For many Aggies, this quarter’s in-person experience will be completely new, and many are nervous about trying to find community and get comfortable on campus. Luckily, in the first couple weeks of the quarter, Davis has a number of events geared toward new and returning students to help ease the transition.
Xperience: Go Greek! Go Ags!
Formal recruitment for all Panhellenic and Interfraternity Council Greek chapters as well as many academic and cultural fraternities is also held throughout fall quarter. Each chapter has different events and recruitment processes, but to learn more about all of the different Greek organizations on campus, chapters will be tabling at the “Xperience: Go Greek! Go Ags!” event on Sept. 28 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., hosted by the Center for Student Involvement.
Payton Gates, the UC Davis’ Sorority and Fraternity Life coordinator, said that this event is a great time for interested students to meet the more than 50 Greek organizations on campus.
“Go Greek! Go Ags! is our annual tabling event where students can come meet […] our six governing [Greek] councils to learn more about their upcoming recruitment processes and what it is like to be a Greek member at UC Davis,” Gates said. “All students are welcome, and we cannot wait to see you […] at the MU South Patio!”
Involvement Fair
The fall quarter involvement fair is another way to learn more about many organizations on campus. This year, it will be hosted in a hybrid format, with an in-person event on Oct. 6, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the quad, and a virtual portion on Oct. 7, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., hosted on Remo. The event will feature over 200 student organizations and campus departments, according to the Center for Student Involvement’s website.
UC Davis Outdoor Adventures
UC Davis Outdoor Adventures has been operating at limited capacity throughout the pandemic, but according to Beck Van Horsen, the assistant director of Outdoor Adventures, the department expects to have a “more normal” schedule of events for fall.
“We are offering our typical fall programming such as backpacking, camping, whitewater rafting and fly fishing, as well as the new programming that we created in response to last year’s COVID-19 restrictions — slacklining, stand-up paddle boarding clinics and kayak sessions in the Rec Pool,” Van Horsen said.
The center will also be offering equipment rentals for students who would prefer to adventure on their own or with friends. They plan to follow Yolo County COVID-19 restrictions as the pandemic progresses throughout the quarter.
Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) “Try Before You Buy”
During the first two weeks of the quarter, from Sept. 26 to Oct. 9, Campus Recreation will be offering free group exercise, martial arts, dance and small group training classes at the ARC, according to their website. All students’ tuition includes membership to the ARC, which is required to participate in the “Try Before You Buy” event, but classes and activities that usually cost additional money like those listed above are free during the two-week event.
Michaela Koski, a third-year communications major, encouraged new students to take advantage of the chance to use these extra ARC services.
“My freshman year, I went to the ARC during the ‘Try Before You Buy’ event to try a bunch of the group exercise classes,” Koski said. “Not only did I find out which classes I liked, but it was a fun way to get to know new people.”
Intramural Sports
Throughout fall quarter, Campus Recreation will also be hosting four in-person and one virtual intramural sport leagues. The in-person offerings will be basketball, flag football, soccer and Ultimate Frisbee, and the online offering will be e-sports and gaming.
According to Ben Dao, the assistant director of “Competitive Sports for All” at UC Davis, students can sign up for any of these offerings on Campus Recreation’s website.
“From the portal, [students] will go to Fusion IM, where they can sign up for the various sports that we offer,” Pao said. “Students typically form their own teams. However, for those that don’t have enough to form a team, they can join our created Free Agent Teams.”
To access Fusion IM, students will need to purchase a Rec Sports ONE pass, which is available for annual or quarterly payment. Financial aid is also available for ONE passes for qualifying students via the Campus Recreation Well-Being Fee Waiver. Registration is set to open on Sept. 27 and close on Oct. 4.
Written by: Katie DeBenedetti— features@theaggie.org
