For the first time since the pandemic, Clovis Community College welcomed new students onto campus for ‘Crush Days’ during the first session on Wednesday, August 3.
‘Crush days’ at CCC is meant to be an informal student orientation. New students arrive on campus and are split-up into different groups based on their major. They tour the campus and learn about resources that will help form an educational foundation during their college journey at CCC.
The program is held on the CCC campus with sessions that are set for Friday, August 5 from 8:30 am – 2 pm that will be held in-person. Along with a virtual session on Saturday, August 6 from 8:30 am – 2 pm for those who may be unable to attend in-person. Prior to attending, students must fill out a google form and provide their student information.
Bradley Kennedy, a student ambassador working with the outreach department at CCC, said that the focus of ‘crush days’ is to provide an opportunity for new college students to ask questions directly to someone who is a current student or works on campus.
“We really are just trying to implement this idea, so that the students know that what they’re coming to is special. We want them to know that Clovis community college isn’t your normal community college because here we want them to know we are welcoming everyone with open arms and that we’re here for them,” Kennedy said.
He added that he hopes a key takeaway for the students who participated is knowing that they, as a student, are “on a journey right now”.
“They’re coming to a very unique part of their lives where they’re going to be exposed to lots of different professors that are going to just pour in with different information on them. Also, there’s going to be different opportunities for internships, they might even work for us and they might even have the chance to travel around the world in our study abroad program if they want,” Kennedy said.
The ability to showcase the variety of opportunities offered to students at CCC is a key part of ‘crush days’ and having the opportunity to give students a tour of the campus in groups separated by major was a unique experience for some students who will be stepping onto the CCC campus for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Kennedy, who is a student himself at CCC is in his third year as a student on the campus but because of classes going online at the start of the pandemic due to COVID-19 restrictions this school year will be his first time on campus for in-person.
Kennedy said having the opportunity to see how many students arrived and participated in ‘crush days’ left him shocked.
“I’ve never taken an in-person class here and so coming here and working [on campus], I have hardly seen anyone on our campus. You get lucky if you see somebody walking down the hallway or standing in their office with a mask on. But now, seeing all those kids in that auditorium today gave me a sign of hope that we’re coming back. We’re going to get our campus life back together and that ‘crush family atmosphere,” Kennedy said.
With a majority of the program for ‘crush days’ taking place indoors due to the heat outdoors, Kennedy encourages any students who have become interested from seeing others attend the previous sessions to join the Friday and Saturday sessions.
For those on the fence about attending or considering going back to college at CCC, Kennedy said it’s worth taking the chance.
“This is your time, Clovis is a great place where you can come and explore your options and learn. There’s going to be great people that you’re going to meet and they’re going to pour in and you’re going to find out real quick weather or not if this is something for you or if it isn’t. Odds are I have a feeling that it’s going to be a really good decision if you choose to come to Clovis.” Kennedy said.
For more information on CCC, visit their website at cloviscollege.edu and for more information on ‘crush days’ on the CCC website under crush days.