COMMENCEMENT FAIR | 7
Monday, April 21, 2014
New senior tradition:
Spring Commencement Fair
PHOTO COURTESY OF NHA HA
HATS OFF | The Spring Commencement Fair will kick off graduation. “Commencement fairs are actually common on a lot of campuses,” University Store director Bill Hockensmith said. Kait Freeberg Special to Mustang News The first-ever senior Spring Commencement Fair is right around the corner. Hosted by the University Store, the event will take place in the Julian A. McPhee University Union (building 65), room 220 on April 24 and 25. The fair
will allow students to order graduation tickets, take senior portraits and purchase caps, gowns and class rings. “It is the kickoff to graduation,” University Store director Bill Hockensmith said. Helpful information about graduation weekend will also be available at the fair, including parking tips from the University Police Department. “The purpose of the grad
fair — we wanted to add to the excitement of the students, and we also wanted to share our space with others,” Hockensmith said. Though the exact number of seniors expected to show up is unknown, Hockensmith believes approximately 1,500 students will attend over the two days of the fair. Hockensmith, who is rela-
tively new to Cal Poly, suggested the fair a few months ago with the help of Preston Sirois, customer service merchandise manager for the University Store. At the time, no one knew what he was talking about, Hockensmith said. “Commencement fairs are actually common on a lot of campuses,” he said. “When I first got here, I was surprised
we did not have one here.” Hockensmith had organized a number of commencement fairs at other institutions, so he had a good idea about who to invite. “We expect this to grow, once you do the first one,” he said. “We are expecting more every year.” Sirois said the event was a group effort. “We couldn’t have just done
this on our own,” he said. The fair will feature the alumni association, graduate schools, Cal Poly Athletics, Career Services and more. “We want it to be that: a celebration,” he said. “It should be a festive event.” If seniors cannot make it to the fair, the option will stay to purchase cap, gowns and announcements at the University Store in mid-May.
What are your plans after you graduate?
DAVID ROTH
AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS SENIOR
“I will be in Alaska the whole summer, and then I’m getting married.”
ALYSSA BORBA
GARRETT WORSEY
COLIN PORTER
NUTRITION SENIOR
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES SENIOR
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES SENIOR
“Stick around and try to work in a nutrition office to build my résumé.”
“I’m applying to dental school in June.”
“Not move home with my parents.”
COMMENCEMENT FAIR | 6
Monday, April 21, 2014
Grad weekend impacts local hotel community Lindsy Mobley @LindsyMobley Hotel, motel, Holiday Inn. Business is booming for San Luis Obispo’s local hotel community with graduation just around the corner. Those who plan on staying in town for graduation weekend need to make a reservation now, before the entire county is booked. “I’d say you really ought to start planning now for graduation weekend,” Madonna Enterprises President Clint Pearce said. “It’s important,” Pearce said. “If you know you’re coming, you need to start figuring out your head count and reserving rooms at least a couple months ahead of time. Because the closer you get, you know there’s always cancellations and things, but the hotels book up fast.” Grace Allen, the director of visitor services for the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce, advises visitors to book rooms as early as eight to nine months in advance. The already high number of graduating students multiplies when each student has family members coming, she said. “Our city is going to be impacted by all these people that are going to be graduating,” she said. Allen pointed out that it’s a busy weekend not only in the city, but throughout the county as well. “People will notice the hotels will be booked right away in our city because, of course, it’s easy access,” Al-
len said. “And then there’s always bed and breakfasts that you can stay at and there’s camp sites you can book. But hotels throughout the county will be booked.” The longer you wait, the fewer choices you will have. And vacancies are rare on graduation weekend, Pearce said. Some visitors book reservations for big events such as Open House and graduation a year in advance, Pearce said. “Some people start that far in advance,” Pearce said. “You know, (there are) really good planners out there. And then there’s folks that don’t really think about it much, I guess, and try to get it almost the day of.” Fortunately, those who fit into the latter category still have options. “I think that sometimes the day of, or very last minute, you almost have a better chance than two weeks out,” Pearce said. “There’s always last-minute cancellations with hotels.” Pearce suggests getting the closest room available, whether that be as far as Atascadero, Paso Robles or Santa Maria. Then, the week leading up to graduation, continue to call your desired hotel and make sure you’re on the list to get a room if any cancellations occur. Some hotels have no-cancellation policies, though, so do research before calling, Allen said. “You can always contact the visitor’s center here at the (Chamber of Commerce), and we’ll be more than happy to help you
JOSEPH PACK | MUSTANG NEWS
GET A ROOM | Hotels often book up for graduation weekend far in advance. Bed and breakfasts and camp sites are other alternatives. find any place, and we won’t stop until we find you somewhere,” Allen said. Another option, she said, is getting a vacation home for a more relaxed atmosphere. “That way, they are able to have barbecues and they can host parties at their vacation home, rather than going out,” Allen said. “Because more than likely, the restaurants are going to be booked as well.” For desperate situations, she said families can camp, since there are many great camping areas in the county, including El Chorro Regional Park, Montaña de
Oro, Morro Bay State Park, Pismo State Beach and Santa Margarita Lake. Camping is also a cheaper option, since hotel prices rise during the summer season. It’s normal in the hotel industry to raise prices during big events such as graduation because it will raise hotels’ revenue, Pearce said. These events have positive economic effects for the city, Allen said. When people are here, they want to go to wineries, restaurants, concerts, art museums or explore shopping options, which means Cal Poly
makes a positive impact on the community, she said. “Graduation weekend is a huge benefit and boost to the local hotel industry,” Pearce said. “Just as Open House — or Poly Royal, as I like to call it — is. It almost goes without saying how much business comes to our local economy during those big events from campus. It’s a great piece of business that we benefit from.” Allen also pointed out that it’s special to see the visitors’ support, not just as a tax boost to the city, but as
a community helping the graduating students’ success in the world. “Our hotel community in San Luis really embraces all the Cal Poly events, especially graduation and Open House,” Pearce said. “And we do everything we can to accommodate those guests. The city works with hotels from providing shuttles to alleviate traffic congestion and things like that, too, so it’s a great time to stay during those big Cal Poly events. You can just enjoy the beautiful community.”
“Graduation weekend is a huge benefit and boost to the local hotel industry. Just as Open House — or Poly Royal, as I like to call it — is.” CLINT PEARCE | MADONNA ENTERPRISES PRESIDENT
COMMENCEMENT FAIR | 5
Monday, April 21, 2014
Helpful tips for graduation weekend dining
ANNE VAINSHTEIN | MUSTANG NEWS
FINE DINING | The San Luis Obispo area provides several options for celebratory graduation dinners. Some options include dining in a restaurant, cooking at home and picnicking in the park. Annie Vainshtein @annievain As graduation draws closer, a great deal of planning is required to make the weekend run smoothly — especially graduation dinner. Whether it’s Italian, Asian fusion or steak, the San Luis Obispo area has a variety of restaurants to seat large parties for graduation dinners. Here are several options to consider. Ciopinot Seafood Grille This seafood restaurant, located at 1051 Nipomo St., seats large parties as well as small groups in their dining room, bar and patio area. Ciopinot does not start taking reservations until May 1 for graduation weekend, but it does fill up quickly after that. They do not have a cap on people per party. They are offering a special corkage deal, with the first four bottles free and $10 for each bottle after that. The restaurant will be serving their normal menu and nightly specials. The general pricing per plate ranges from $20-45. In addition, the restaurant offers takeout and catering. Contact info: (805)-547-1111 Novo Restaurant and Lounge Known for its outdoor patio seating along Mission Creek, Novo started taking reservations in January for graduation weekend. They still have availability for each day and night of graduation, but are almost full for Saturday evening, especially between 5:307:30. Their Sunday brunch
is almost booked, but they do offer a walk-in table with a waitlist. Novo allows two hours for all groups on graduation weekend because of the traffic flow, and typically requires a set family-style menu for parties larger than 16. Additionally, Novo does have a corkage fee ($15 per bottle) and dessert fee (also $15). Each plate ranges from $9-40. The food is served in a Mediterranean/ American style. Contact info: (805)-5433986 or events@novorestaurant.com Luna Red Located at 1023 Chorro St., Luna Red offers tapas, Mediterranean and American dishes, with prices ranging from $10-40. Big groups are welcome. Luna Red — Novo’s sister restaurant — has patio seating on the creekside. Normally, the restaurant caps the party maximum to nine people between Thursday nights and Sunday brunches. Parties of 20 are allowed between Sunday evening and Wednesday. For graduation weekend, Luna Red is offering a special menu for parties who pre-order; the dishes will be served family-style. They offer takeout, but don’t cater. Contact info: (805)-5405243 Sidecar Sidercar is located at 1127 Broad St. and offers seating to large parties, as well as a full bar and takeout. Priced at approximately $15-30 per plate, they recommend making reservations at least two months prior.
For graduation weekend, they are offering their normal menu with a few specials dictated by the fresh produce and meat they have available. Additionally, they are offering a celebratory cocktail or glass of champagne to each graduate on the house. They are still fairly open for reservations. Contact info: (805)-5405340 Ventana Grill Pismo Beach If you’d like a coastal view and wouldn’t mind eating a bit farther away from campus, this is a good option. This restaurant is a fusion of seafood, Latin American and American styles and is priced at approximately $10-40 per dish. Located just off the beach, it houses large and small parties, but does not offer takeout. Contact Info: (805)-7730000 Since most of these restaurants offer takeout, it’s possible to have a meal outside. Here are some parks to consider. Laguna Lake Park This large park space offers two group barbecue areas, a sand volleyball court, groves of trees and three small picnic areas. The entrance is at the corner of Madonna Road and Dalidio Drive, and it surrounds Laguna Lake. Meadow Park On the corner of Meadow and South streets, Meadow Park offers individual as well as group picnic and barbecue areas. There are also two sand volleyball courts, a basketball court,
walking trails and a softball field. The park is open from dawn to dusk. Johnson Park Johnson Park is bordered by a creek on one side and offers a large space to roam and barbecue. There are basketball courts as well. The park is located on Southwood Drive, just before Sinsheimer Park. Mitchell Park Mitchell Park is located within the city block surrounded by Santa Rosa, Pismo, Buchon and Osos Streets. It is a small park and is crossed with the San Luis Obispo Senior Center, but offers individual picnic tables, a barbecue area for up to 30 people and a Rotary Bandstand.
To reserve a space at any of these parks, you can go to the City of San Luis Obispo Parks and Recreation Department website. Besides downtown and outer areas, there are other options if you’d like more privacy. Recreation, parks and tourism administration senior Ashleigh Allard’s family has decided to rent a house in Pismo Beach, where they will cook their own graduation dinner. The house comes with a fully stocked kitchen and barbecue set. Allard said buying groceries and cooking a homemade graduation meal was cheaper than reserving dinner plans and separate hotel rooms for her family of 15.
“We don’t have to deal with the storm of people heading downtown who either haven’t made reservations and are waiting or are trying to get parking,” Allard said. “This way, we can relax and enjoy our meal for as long as we want and have more freedom in our choices.” Allard got the idea from a former coworker who graduated last June and had rented a house on Avila Beach. After realizing how much cheaper it would be, Allard told her mother about the idea, and they booked the beachside house in January. Whether you opt to dine in or dine out, graduation is around the corner and spots are filling up — make sure to plan ahead.