The first Sunday in October marks the true beginning of Autumn; a palpable crisp fills the air, and the trees start revealing their vibrant orange and red hues. For Bentley, the first Sunday in October means Open House. For those of you who were wondering what the giant white tent, in the middle of the Adamian quad was, well, now you know. That big tent is well suited for this mammoth event involving nearly all aspects of our school’s operations. This year, approximately 700 registered students plus their guests, arrived on campus to get a glimpse into life at Bentley. Students arrived as early as 8:30 a.m. and stayed as late as 2:30 p.m. There were many ways for prospective students to get a flavor for life at Bentley, including financial aid presentations, campus tours, tech lab demonstrations, an academic fair, student-led panels, and much more.
As a Student Ambassador, I help out at this event every year, though I realize I only see one side of this methodically planned day of activities. I am usually tasked with assisting in set-up, directing students and families to the registration tent, and providing condensed versions of campus tours. This year I opted for parking duty; a job many would consider less-than-glamorous. My day started bright and early at 7:30 a.m. Luckily, it was a beautiful, sunny, fall morning.
I took post outside Lot 6, donned my bright blue Bentley-provided t-shirt and fluorescent orange vest, and mustered as much energy as I could for early Sunday. Directing traffic is easier said than done, I realized, as some cars had no regard for the person in a bright orange vest aggressively waving their hands. I’d say I put up a valiant effort and managed to get most of the vehicles to Lot 6. As families exited their cars and headed up to the main event, my inner tour guide came out as I smiled and said “Hi, welcome to Bentley,” “Good morning, can I help direct you?” and “Thank you for joining us on campus today!” While my job this year might have been more mundane and less interactive, I realized that every person involved in the Open House event is crucial to the entire operation.
Open House is the first impression that Bentley leaves on prospective students. We want to show off, put our best foot forward, and have a well-organized event without any bumps or hiccups. The organizers of this event plan for months in advance to make sure that they pull off a near-perfect day. Even just with parking: if we directed cars to the wrong lot it could cause a traffic jam or confuse families as to where they had to go. With the caterers: if they arrived too late or too early it would mess up the schedule of other events and leave people wondering where lunch was. I didn’t even experience half of the event. There was an academic fair set up in the arena and an athletic panel on lower campus as well. So many faculty, students, and staff are involved with this event. Athletes have to show up and talk about their respective sports. Professors have to show up and provide information on different departments and courses. Students have to show up and help out with their various on-campus jobs, clubs, and organizations. Open House feels like a culmination of the Bentley community coming together to make something special.
I never realized just how much is required to make this event possible. I feel like I was able to gain a more behind-the-scenes look this year. As I was stationed at my parking post, I saw all of the LaCava workers pull up behind the building ready to start their day. The catering trucks arrived one by one to deliver the food. I even saw Einstein's workers headed for their weekend shifts. After my shift ended, I was able to walk through campus while the main events were going on and I saw so much more. Walking through Smith, I was confronted with a demonstration from the CIS Sandbox displaying their VR headsets, so I stopped to try it out. It was such a fun game and a way to get students to interact with different parts of our campus. I then headed to the library to do some studying, and the campus was still as lively as ever. Tours were still going on, students and families wandering around, taking it all in. Even off shift I got asked how to get to lower campus and was greeted with many smiles and wide-eyed high schoolers.
I remember my time at Open House four years ago when I too was a prospective student. I was in awe of the magnificence of the event and how much they had planned for the students. I particularly liked how the campus was decorated for the fall with hay bales, pumpkins, and mums. I even stopped to take a picture in front of the falcon statue, and I can tell you to this day exactly what I was wearing. Bentley left an impression on me. That is the intention of Open House. We want to leave an impression on the prospective students. We want them to come back for more tours and events, apply to Bentley, and feel at home on campus. If there is one thing that can be said about Open House, it's a day when the magic of Bentley can truly be felt. Our campus comes alive with hundreds of students and their families. We are excited to welcome everyone into our home and hope that they too will call it that one day.
So while current students may moan and groan about having to wake up at 7:00 a.m. on a Sunday to go help out at an event that doesn’t really affect them, they should put it into perspective and think. They should remember what Open House felt like for them. They should remember their first flavor of Bentley, and realize that we are carefully selecting the next generation of Bentley students through this event. This event does affect them because it is the impression they give to prospective students. I’m happy to report that everyone was smiling and eager to help – the true mark of a Bentley student. This article may seem quite reflective, and maybe that’s because I’m a sappy second-semester senior, but the effort and passion that goes into Bentley Open House should not go unrecognized. It makes me proud to be part of such an amazing community and solidifies in me that I made the right decision four years ago. After I graduate, I know I will always have core memories surrounding the words “Hi, welcome to Bentley!”
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