Going to college in Philadelphia is a unique experience, to say the least.
Campus Philly College Day is an event made exclusively for students in colleges in and around Philadelphia to get adjusted to the city.
This year, College Day is on Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway. It invites college students across Philadelphia to participate and learn more about what it’s like to be a student in the sixth largest city in the world.
While College Day has been in existence for 12 years, it originally started out as a concert on the parkway. Since then, it has evolved into a student festival that maintains a live music element, but also brings in food trucks from all over Philadelphia and provides free access to some of the city’s best museums with a student ID.
Musical entertainment will be provided by Choice Tasters Selectors, a local DJ duo. While food trucks are far from a new experience for most college students in the city, free access to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the National Constitution Center, The African American Museum in Philadelphia, Eastern State Penitentiary and more, are.
With a great city at the doorstep of colleges like Temple, Drexel, and The University of Pennsylvania, there are so many opportunities Philadelphia provides. For new and some returning students though, it can be hard to get through the doorway and leave the comfort zone of a college campus.
Patrick Sherlock, the director of university relations at Campus Philly, pointed to the trouble of finding a place amongst the city.
“A lot of people choose to come to college here because of its location, but it can be difficult to find your way at first.” Sherlock said. “It’s a great opportunity that brings students from all over the city together and provides a comfortable environment to get acquainted with the city.”
College Day occurs when new students are adjusting to their new environments and before the intensity of classes kicks in to serve as a way to get involved in the city. This way, by the time November comes, Students will be regulars around all of the cities interesting events.
While the majority of students in attendance come from Temple and Drexel, College Day is not limited to students in Philadelphia. Of the 5,000 to 7,000 students in average attendance, 70 different colleges are represented. These colleges include schools in Pennsylvania, but also New Jersey and Delaware. Campus Philly promotes college day by visiting campuses, contacting student leaders, and through various social media accounts.
Though the attendance is high, many Temple University students denied of ever hearing the event when asked. Regardless, there are two and a half weeks before College Day, and the people at Campus Philly might start promoting it at Temple in the time that remains.
Andrew Griffin can be reached at andrew.beard.griffin@temple.edu.
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