How could you not love Cal Day?

The sun usually shines, the marching band comes out to play, and the Berkeley community joins together to celebrate the newly admitted students. Young, fresh faces of the soon-to-be UC Berkeley students fill the city, holding onto their bags full of new Cal merchandise, as their parents and friends follow behind, together gazing up at the decorated blue and gold campus. At the same time, current students, decorated in Cal gear and glitter, head straight for frat row at inconceivably early hours to celebrate something besides a football game.

Just like you, we at the Clog love Cal Day. Which is why this year we’ll be totally sure to not miss it and definitely not do any of these things instead.

Go to San Francisco

Why would you even consider escaping to San Francisco on Cal Day? For example, why would you head to Baker Beach for a stunning view of the Golden Gate Bridge when you can just see the foggy outline of it from the Campanile? And why would you even indulge in a Ghirardelli sundae when you can stand in a 40-minute line for Cream? And what’s the point of taking the cable cars up and down the steep streets of San Francisco when you can just ride the 51B up and down University Avenue all day long?

Hike the hills

One of our favorite parts about Cal Day is all of the sounds, whether that be the honking horns of the impatient buses or the Cal Fight song played on repeat throughout the day. So why would you miss out and take a hike in the hills instead? We can guarantee that the sounds of the singing birds from above and the whistling wind on your hike won’t compare. And when you’re standing at the top of the hills, looking out on the blue Bay below you, we can guarantee you’ll wish you were on a frat house balcony looking down on a jammed yard instead. Trust us. 

Stay home

There is no worse way of missing out on the Cal Day festivities than staying in the comfort of your home. Because what better way to study for that exam than watching tourists wander up and down the library halls as you cram away in the Stacks? And your journey to the library is definitely an adventure worth having, especially since on Cal Day, the Berkeley population increases by 200 percent. And lastly, there’s no better thrill than the very likely chance you’ll be hit by someone’s mom’s minivan driving the wrong way up one of Berkeley’s many one-way streets.

So buckle up UC Berkeley students, because our favorite holiday is right around the corner. And this year, we are excited more than ever to stay right where we are and celebrate Cal Day together.