New Matadors Get a Warm CSUN Welcome at President’s Picnic

  • CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison smiles for a selfie with a student during the President's Picnic on the Bayramian Hall Lawn on Aug. 29.

    CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison smiles for a selfie with a student during the President's Picnic on the Bayramian Hall Lawn on Aug. 29. Photo by Lee Choo.

  • Staff from CSUN's Physical Plant Management pose at the photo booth for a fun group photo during the President's Picnic on the Bayramian Hall Lawn on Aug. 29.

    Staff from CSUN's Physical Plant Management pose at the photo booth for a fun group photo during the President's Picnic on the Bayramian Hall Lawn on Aug. 29. Photo by Lee Choo.

  • Matadors get treated to a free massage during the President's Picnic on the Bayramian Hall Lawn on Aug. 29.

    Matadors get treated to a free massage during the President's Picnic on the Bayramian Hall Lawn on Aug. 29. Photo by David J. Hawkins.

  • Students dance together to the thumping music on the Bayramian Hall Lawn during the President's Picnic on Aug. 29.

    Students dance together to the thumping music on the Bayramian Hall Lawn during the President's Picnic on Aug. 29. Photo by Lee Choo.

  • A student poses for a photo at the photo booth during the President's Picnic on the Bayramian Hall Lawn on Aug. 29.

    A student poses for a photo at the photo booth during the President's Picnic on the Bayramian Hall Lawn on Aug. 29. Photo by David J. Hawkins.

  • Students show off their moves to the beats of the DJ during the President's Picnic on the Bayramian Hall Lawn on Aug. 29.

    Students show off their moves during the President's Picnic on the Bayramian Hall Lawn on Aug. 29. Photo by Lee Choo.

Even in the blistering Los Angeles heat lingering through the end of the summer, CSUN students, faculty and staff eagerly stood in line out on the lawn. A few moments later, as if someone had waved a checkered flag in front of them, attendees streamed past the two grand tents to get their hands on some delicious fare.

On Aug. 29, the first Thursday of the fall 2019 semester, CSUN held its annual President’s Picnic on Bayramian Lawn to welcome new and returning Matadors to campus for the new academic year. Attendees devoured free tacos, fresh watermelon slices and ice-cold drinks.

CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison stopped by to give out stickers and greet participants.

Welcomed by the warm smiles of CSUN staff and Associated Students (AS) student volunteers, newcomers found information about a variety of services, programs and organizations on campus. Among the booths were The Soraya, the Unified We Serve volunteer program, CSUN Mentorship Program and Associated Students.

A special Matadors Rising booth gave out CSUN swag, including T-shirts, pens, drawstring bags, sticky notes and a wallet card that contained contact details for campus services, such as University Counseling Services, the Learning Resource Center and more.”We just heard the music and came by to see what was going on,” said freshman Vianey Magaña, who was enjoying tacos with her friend and fellow freshman Jezzel Barrera. Magaña and Barrera said that the week’s kickoff events made them feel welcome, and they’re excited to begin their college lives and see what’s ahead for them.

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