Why I think Cal Day is seriously overrated

For those that attend UC Berkeley, the annual Cal Day is like a religious holiday.

Every Saturday in April, the campus goes all-out for a celebration of what makes us great. Newly admitted students will get their first glimpse of what it’s like to attend this amazing institution, usually accompanied by parents and family. They’ll see Sproul Plaza and Sather Gate in all their glory.

They might go up the Campanile and see the Bay in all its splendor. They might attend a presentation by faculty or see a demonstration of the world-renowned brilliance that goes on here.

However, at the end of the day, it’s all overrated. The hype and pomp surrounding Cal Day is never quite filled.

The tag line for Cal Day is “One day. A million ideas.” It’s spot on accurate.

Here at Berkeley, it is mind boggling how many things you can do and how many different stories you can experience. The university has a storied tradition of activism, social justice, and progressive thought that is unparalleled. It leads to the (somewhat justified) stereotype of a dirty Berkeley liberal embracing counterculture and protesting the establishment.

At the same time, there are so many Nobel Prize winners here that they’ve gotten designated parking spots. Our student government is a 501(c)3 non-profit completely independent of the administration, the only one of its kind in the country. You can find all of this on the brochures they give out on Cal Day, and for good reason: it’s all true and we’re proud of it.

There are certain aspects of this campus that don’t shine on Cal Day, and rightfully so. Attending UC Berkeley doesn’t come without its challenges. We’re in the midst of a housing crisis and with an additional influx of students next year with no additional beds, it is only going to expand.

Mishandling of sexual harassment cases has led to resignations across campus, including the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, Claude Steele. Compound this with severe budget deficits that have led to conversations about shuttering departments and whole colleges and a less rosy picture of Berkeley emerges.

It’s in this context that I say Cal Day is overrated. I love my school and I love the people that attend it with me. For me, Berkeley is home and I wouldn’t have it any other way. However, when we get caught up what makes Berkeley great and gloss over the rest, we suffer as a student body.

New students deserve to know that here at Cal, we think critically about the world around us, even our own university. We love being Golden Bears but that doesn’t mean that we’re golden all the time. For most people here, Cal Day is a daylong celebration of our school and why we go here. For newly admitted students, it’s a first look into life at Berkeley. This look and this celebration should encapsulate the entire UC Berkeley experience.

I think Cal Day is overrated because our school doesn’t need a day to beat its chest and boast about all the wonderful things we do. Our school shines in those conversations and interactions when people ask us how we like UC Berkeley and we tell them that it’s amazing but not perfect. These conversations happen with our family, our friends, and yes, even prospective students.

The best selling point for Cal isn’t a day on Saturday, it’s the individual people that can tell you about this place in their own words. These people that will tell their “million stories” every single day of the year.