UH Outreach- Highlander Day 2014

 

Written by Jessica Baker
Photos by Anthony Nguyen

 

On April 12, UC Riverside’s annual Highlander Day aimed to unveil “one of Southern California’s best-kept secrets” via an expansive open house that allowed curious scholars to experience and explore what the university had to offer. Unlike Discover Day, the recent open house was an opportunity for potential students to not only learn about UC Riverside’s dynamic academic side, but also its highly diverse nature that defines it as a vibrant community.

 

The campus, normally a ghost town on Saturdays, rose from the dead as all the colleges conducted various workshops, faculty shared their research, and current students (including University Honors undergraduates) tabled for the numerous organizations and clubs—all to engage the visitors with UC Riverside’s community.

 

Indeed, UC Riverside is a “best-kept secret” due to its unjust reputation among aspiring college students. I, along with many others, first heard of UC Riverside from peers as a university where applicants that were denied from other UC schools only attended as a last resort; it is also known by a shorter, mocking term, “UC Rejects.”  It was not until I attended Highlander Day that I was confident UC Riverside was the right university for me, because I saw the campus as a way to grow aware of various cultures, backgrounds, politics, traditions, and studies through equally diverse perspectives.

 

I found my sentiments echoed in younger students, such as Lisa Lee. Now an incoming freshman, Lee is excited to start her college career at UC Riverside, because she “liked the fact it is so diverse” in comparison to other universities. Having grown up in a small town, she is looking forward to exploring our campus’s community. As an advice to future students, Lee states that they should come to Highlander Day to “judge the school on their own terms” and discover what it truly is—a cosmopolitan community.