Whether it be fun and games, free food or free hugs, Curtin’s Open Day is shaping up to be the biggest and best yet.<\/p>\n
Open Day organiser Asha Selvendra says planning this year’s event has been a lot easier, thanks to a team effort.<\/p>\n
‘Everyone’s on-board, everyone’s been really encouraging and the whole University is coming together in a really good way.’<\/p>\n
Asha says Open Day 2009 will have a number of new elements to it not present in previous years.<\/p>\n
‘We’ve got tours through the new Curtin stadium and the Resources and Chemistry Precinct. We’ve got three WAMI bands and the funzone has a lot more activities this year to accommodate kids of all ages.’<\/p>\n
Second-year teaching student Patryc Willis will be on campus with a bunch of friends, offering a more hands-on welcome to visitors with free hugs.<\/p>\n
Patryc was inspired to get involved after coming across the free-hug website.<\/p>\n
‘I really liked the idea, I thought it was great to see people connecting,’ Patryc remembers.<\/p>\n
‘Quite often people get down, sad, depressed, and all they need is a bit of personal contact, a way to reconnect with people and that tends to cheer them up.’<\/p>\n
Patryc urges anyone in need of a laugh or a little TLC to seek out him or his friends on the day.<\/p>\n
‘We are hoping to get four people in total\u2026 situated on high traffic points in the University.’<\/p>\n
Asha believes it is the sense of frivolity the pervades through Open Day at Curtin that helps set it apart from events of its ilk at other universities.<\/p>\n
‘I guess people come to Open Day to get information about courses, but how we differentiate ourselves from other universities is we offer fun as well, so we make it a fun experience.’<\/p>\n
‘It’s not just the Year 12s or the school-leavers or the mature-age prospective students, it’s their families and the general community.’<\/p>\n
‘It’s everyone really.’<\/p>\n
All the Open Day madness kicks off at Curtin’s Bentley campus from 10.00am, Sunday 16 August.<\/p>\n