SBU opens doors to discovery and community at CommUniversity Day
By Lauren Feldman
Stony Brook University opened its doors for another CommUniversity Day on Saturday, Sept. 28. The event was held at the Academic Mall, central to the university’s main campus.
The open house showcases a variety of majors, clubs and houses of study available at the university.
“This is a celebration of all things [Stony Brook] University,” said Paul Newland, outreach director at Stony Brook’s Staller Center for the Arts.
Newland said letting the “community” aspect of CommUniversity Day is essential to the continued success of the university.
“It’s almost like a city here, and not everyone knows what’s happening at the university,” he said. “So it’s a way to invite the public in to see what’s going on, all the different opportunities at Stony Brook.”
And members of the community certainly seemed to be taking in all the university has to offer.
“I know I want to pursue something in medicine, but I’m not totally sure what specifically,” said Emily, a high school junior who is considering applying to Stony Brook. “I like how each department has their own booth. I definitely got a lot of information to help me think about my future.”
Introduced in 2017, CommUniversity Day has grown into a celebration of the university’s relationships with its community partners.
Around the Academic Mall, several majors, departments and clubs set up booths with information and fun activities.
“CommUniversity is one of our favorite events of the year,” said a member of the Women in Business organization on campus. “We get to give back to the community and show how much we love Stony Brook University.”
“You get to see all of the talents at Stony Brook,” added another member. “It’s so fun and really cool to see everyone get together.”
At the Speech Pathology group, visitors could spin a prize wheel if they could answer a speech/language based trivia question. The Study Abroad booth offered visitors a pin to place on a world map printout based on where they were from. At the dental booth, visitors were offered a free dental screening.
Two popular events for children, the Teddy Bear Clinic and Storytime with the Tooth Fairy, filled up fast, and there was a long line to bet on the rubber duck race. The Lego Booth, a new addition this year, was teaming with kids and adults alike, excited to participate in timed challenges or to simply sit, and stretch their creative muscles.
Also present were community partners, including the Three Village Chamber of Commerce, Girl Scouts of Suffolk County, local fire, police and first responders, as well as a plethora of local food trucks.
CommUniversity Day served as a platform for Island Harvest, and attendees were encouraged to bring two non-perishable food items to contribute to the food drive.
“It’s really sweet that [Stony Brook] does things like this,” said Terry, a Stony Brook mom. “I mean, it’s not just about the school – even though we love Stony Brook. It’s about helping our neighbors, and I think that’s really special.”
Richard L. McCormick, who is serving as the university’s interim president, called the day “an opportunity for our campus to join with our surrounding community and neighbors to talk, listen, collaborate, discover and celebrate just how lucky we are to be here, on Long Island, at one of the best universities in the world.”