Discover U Days is going on today and tomorrow. Held in an effort to create stronger ties between the university and the local community, Discover U Days is designed to showcase the many opportunities and resources that the U has to offer the people of Utah.
Events and programs include the annual Red-White football game, a pancake breakfast, science lectures, a rock-climbing wall, a golf clinic, a star party, jazz bands, etc. These events will be free, except for the concerts at night, and open to families.
It’s nice to see the U making an effort to involve the community at large. There shouldn’t be a divide between the university atmosphere and the surrounding community, and event planners are to be commended for trying to forge a stronger bond between the school and local residents.
Since this is the first Discover U Days that has been held, it makes sense that there are some kinks that need to be worked out in the future. Discover U Days’ organizers have commented that at the same time they are trying to showcase campus, the Grand Kerfuffle fences have the U looking like a prison.
It seems that despite good intentions, this weekend is not the best time for this event. Between the Grand Kerfuffle and Crimson Nights, campus is already overloaded with programming. Furthermore, the days leading up to Finals Week are not when U students-and even U professors-are at their most welcoming.
Perhaps next year, Discover U Days’ planners can find a time of year when they won’t be competing with many other events for space and attention.
And while these events are designed to bring the community closer to the U, it might be better to try to bring the U to the community instead.
Rather than expecting local residents to come to us, perhaps in the future efforts can also be made to go to them. By showcasing the U not just at the U, but at local fairs, festivals and sporting events, we can reach a larger audience. Since creating a better relationship with the community is the stated goal, we should utilize every option we have to strengthen that relationship.
All in all, the community outreach program that has begun through Discover U Days is a great idea. We hope it has success this weekend and can improve its plans for later years.