By Malik Lonjuin / Full360 Multimedia Reporter

Hi, I’m Malik Lonjuin, a senior wildlife conservation management major at Delaware Valley University and a reporter for the Full360. This weekend, April 24th – April 26th, I attended Delaware Valley University’s 76th annual A-Day event.

A-Day is a festive student orchestrated event that connects the community of Doylestown, current students, and alumni. There is something for everyone, like farm animal education, legendary milkshakes courtesy of the PA Dairymen’s Association, a mechanical bull, vendors, food trucks, many musical performances on the main stage, and more!

Amongst the many highlights of the event, a variety of student clubs showcased the diversity of interests of the student body. Through exclusive interviews with leaders from the biology club, horticulture society, and the campus crusade for Christ (CRU) I found out what they had planned for this year’s big event. 

Adham El-Maghalawi, a senior biology major specializing in zoology and the president of the Biology Club, gave me insight on what he and his members were doing this weekend.

The students planned to change public opinion on insects by creating an educational interactive insect room located in the Feldman building on campus. The club members featured a live collection of arachnids, millepedes, and arthropods helping people get over their fear of them.

“People don’t love what they fear and people are unfortunately really scared of bugs. So, our goal is that even though they may look a little different, they want nothing to do with us, and they are environmentally important,” said El-Maghalawi.

The club also featured pinned insect collections from the Museum of Earth with help from the entomology professor, Dr. Christopher Tipping.

They fundraised for their club by selling biology themed arts and crafts which attracted the eyes of children and adults alike.  

I don’t personally have a green thumb, but the Horticulture Society members surprised me with the quality of produce and plants they were planning to sell.

From treasurer to president, Grace Lettero, an environmental science major, lead the plant sale fundraiser that featured sunflowers, figs, herbs, vegetables, strawberries, blueberries, and more.

Grace plans to help the club by using the funds raised to provide more growing options for students and inviting guest speakers to help educate the members about horticulture.  

Sometimes, college makes it difficult to rely on one’s own strength, this club finds their strength in Jesus to balance their school and personal lives.

Delval CRU New Life is a faith-based club that has grown over the last few years and I had the pleasure of speaking to the treasurer of the club, Karleigh Harvey. She is a junior majoring in zoo science and minoring in education who helped share the club’s love for Jesus at A-Day for the fourth year in a row.

They had a tent located in Student Alley with Christian-based shirts, DIY stamps on tote bags, free carved stamps, and journals which you could decorate however you like!

Many other clubs were present during DelVal’s A-Day, both indoors and outdoors.