'Ag Day' aims to rope in new Beavers

College of Agriculture recruits, entertains in MU Quad as clubs boast skills, accomplishments

By: Anneke Tucker

Posted: 5/14/08

It's not every day that there are horses, chickens, a teepee and larvae in the quad.

The College of Agriculture held their annual Ag Day event in the MU Quad Tuesday. More than 15 clubs within the College of Agriculture had booths or tables on the lawn featuring a variety of activities.

"We have been doing this for about five years," said Buck Serres, a senior in general agriculture and president of the OSU Young Cattlemen's Association. "It's a good way to meet kids, talk to people, promote the industry and have great food!"

In conjunction with Ag Day, the Oregon FFA Association (formerly the Oregon Future Farmers of America) held their annual Career Development Event Days (CDE Days), where high school students visit OSU and compete in different agriculture related contests.

Because there are many visiting future Beavers on campus, Ag Day provides a good opportunity for all of the clubs. The Soil Judging Team and Crop Science Club, who compete at a regional and national contest and placed 12th in the nation this past year, find Ag Day to be a huge recruiting opportunity.

"It's our biggest event of the year," said Jon Iverson, a senior in soil science and president of both groups.

One booth included a Native American teepee, set up by the Agriculture 301 and Fish and Wildlife 340 classes, taught by Mitch Wilkinson, an instructor in general agriculture.

"[The teepee is] truly an engineering marvel," Wilkinson said.

Other exhibits featured the OSU Dairy Club which held milk-chugging contests for willing participants, a "reach" of faith into the boxes set up by the Fisheries and Wildlife Club, dogs from the humane society brought by the OSU Pre-Veterinary Club, a live Polo exhibition by the OSU Polo Club, a mechanical bull, soil samples and even a tri-tip lunch set up by the Young Cattlemen's Association.

"Ag Day is a great way to show the diversity and unity of the College of Agriculture," said Shawn Anderson, adviser for the Agricultural Executive Council and an instructor for the college.

The Agricultural Executive Council, which is the student leadership organization for the clubs in the College of Agriculture, helped to organize the event.

Rachel Smith, a junior in pre-veterinary medicine and president of the AGEXEC, was impressed by the event.

"Ag Day is an opportunity. We hold it during CDE Days and we can see great spotlights of all the different clubs within the college," she said.

The fact that Oregon State was formerly an agriculturally based college plays a huge role as well.

"Today shows that we still have a very big presence within the university," Smith said. "And it's a chance to get out and have a lot of fun."

Anneke Tucker, staff writer

news@dailybarometer.com, 737-2231