Some things never change. Since 1957, the population of San Luis Obispo has suddenly spiked once a year, as Cal Poly welcomes back about 8,000 students for the start of Fall Quarter.
For anyone else new to town or just wondering what lots of kids with yellow T-shirts were doing around SLO Sept. 17-25, Cal Poly’s “Week of Welcome” also known somewhat redundantly as WOW Week was back.
The orientation event aimed at freshmen entering the university has an average 2,500 participants and is billed as, “a balanced combination of excitement, learning, and new experiences,” the event featured booths from local businesses giving away swag on campus as well as never ending walking tours for departments, dorm arrangements, campus clubs and a few frat house events.
What is a little different than days of old is that with a doubling of noise and public nuisance related fines during the period as well, and the Thursday Night Farmer’s Market crowded with new visitors and new fraternity booths raising money for charity, the effort has been made to quell the unruliness of the old days.
