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U of G's College Royal event goes virtual this weekend

College Royal is the largest university open house event of its kind in North America
20160202 University of Guelph 02 KA
Kenneth Armstrong/GuelphToday file photo

NEWS RELEASE
UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH
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The University of Guelph’s iconic College Royal will happen in the virtual space this year.

In its 97th year, the event runs from March 20 - 21 at VirtualCollegeRoyal.com.

Unlike a typical year, where thousands of people visit campus to take in events, displays and learning experiences, the 2021 edition of the open house will bring some of those same offerings into homes via the web.

“College Royal has been a long-standing tradition for 97 years now and never in all those years has the event been done online,” said Abby Peca, College Royal 2021 president. “College Royal is all about learning, community, tradition, family, fun and showcasing the university as a whole. It took a lot of time to bring that to life and make sure the online Open House Weekend experience reflected the essential elements.”

Peca said when there was a last-minute cancellation of College Royal in 2020 due to the pandemic, organizers were determined to keep the tradition alive and give people something to look forward to in 2021.

“Doing something that’s never been done before was tough, but we have a great team of officers and an awesome executive, and I feel as though we were able to bring everyone’s ideas together and make something everyone will love. We want to bring laughter and fun to homes and we really hope people check it out.”

College Royal is the largest university open house event of its kind in North America. Each March, the University opens its doors to the general public in a campus-wide celebration that attracts thousands of visitors every year. For students, staff, and alumni, the typical College Royal is also a 12-day happening featuring many popular events.

Entirely organized and run by students, College Royal is a non-profit organization that has staged the open house since 1925.

While the Open House is not in-person this year, it will continue to offer classic College Royal events and U of G club displays. There will be live events over the weekend, numerous learning opportunities, competitions, club demonstrations, pre-recorded videos and live chats.

booklet of events has been put together.

Both Saturday, March 20 and Sunday, March 21 will feature chats, interactive games, and even live experiments from a number of campus groups, including Guelph Neuroscience Student Association, Women in Science and Engineering, Food Science Club, and Marine and Freshwater Biology Society.

Each club has their own page on the website where they display photos, videos, and text and some are hosting live chats for the public to attend and participate in throughout the weekend.

“I think we’ve managed to keep all the favourite events that visitors enjoy attending, while bringing in some new ones,” Peca said. “We’ve tried to be creative and really thought through all College Royal events, as well as club displays, so that the weekend is easy for people to attend and fun to participate in and watch.”

She added there is something for everyone, with the weekend full of live events, pre-recorded videos, activities, demos and more.

Some of the virtual events include:

  • participants in the art show and cat show have submitted pictures of their art or of their cat for the competitions and the public will be able to vote for their favourite in each category.
  • live university clubs events, including a spelling bee with Frontier College; plant facts and trivia with Botany Club; and science experiments and demonstrations with the Chemistry and Biochemistry club.
  • a “Walk down Memory Lane” featuring throwback pictures of College Royal from 1934 – 2019
  • a live lecture series with professors speaking on different topics.
  • dance breaks for kids, where they learn a dance and practice with the Dance Showcase director.
  • a kids’ corner with fun crafts young people can try with materials found in their homes
  • Story Time with Farmer Tim and Andy Robinson
  • and a colouring page that can be downloaded and featured on our social media

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